Ghosts of Comedy Past, Present, and Future

Arrested Development really was a wonder to behold. The performances were uniformly and consistently hilarious; though everyone who watched it has favorite characters, I don't think I've every heard of anyone actually disliking one of them. The writing, plotting, and pacing were like the gears of a Swiss watch, with subtle themes interwoven (I had to watch the first-season finale two or three times before I picked up that they were all on the Atkins diet), callbacks and running gags, and a higher joke-per-minute rate (with jokes that're actually funny) than just about any example of comedy ever. Even their catchphrases ("I've made a huge mistake," "Hey, brother," "Annyong") worked far better than any catchphrase has a right to. And the characters themselves manage to be simultaneously cartoonish and sympathetic. It was the comedic total package.

I, like every self-respecting lover of comedy, have AD on DVD, so I can revisit the gang from Newport Beach whenever I want, but the only new material possible at this point is the movie, which will come out God knows when, if ever. So for now there's only a finite supply of Mitch Hurwitz goodness to enjoy, right? Wrong! Last night I watched the first episode of Sit Down, Shut Up, a new animated series on Fox created (though based on a short-lived Australian series) and written by Hurwitz, and I can safely say that it's basically AD in animated, school-centric form—which is a very, very good thing. Everything we love about AD is there, starting with Hurwitz and several cast members—Jason Bateman (again playing the relatively normal, but much put-upon, core of the show), Will Arnett, and Henry Winkler. Joining them are SNL's Will Forte, Kenan Thompson, and Cheri Oteri and Mr. Show's Tom Kenny; their characters are all cast in the AD mould of bizarre caricatures that nevertheless are somehow interesting, sorta familiar, and occasionally even a little sympathetic. They even have bizarre names (Larry Littlejunk, Sue Sezno, Miracle Grohe, Willard Deutschebog) like we saw on AD (Gob Bluth, Maeby Fünke, Bob Loblaw, Larry Middleman, etc., etc.). In addition to the talent, the Hurwitz writing is just as sharp as we remember it, with rapid-fire humor—both spoken and visual—and intricately constructed, callback-heavy storylines. It may look very different, but it definitely feels like AD. Here it is on Hulu. Watch it. Learn it. Love it.

Turning now to upcoming comedy, I thought I'd bring to your attention (if you haven't heard about it already) World's Greatest Dad, which showed at Sundance and was recently picked up for an August release. Now, I know what you're thinking: "Directed by Bobcat Goldthwait? And starring Robin Williams?! Robin Williams of Man of the Year (Rotten Tomatoes rating: 20%), RV (23%), and License to Wed (8%) 'fame'? Why should I pay any more attention to this than it'll take to avoid seeing it for the week or two it'll be in theaters?" At least that's what I was thinking. (And I wasn't much more generous with Goldthwait, either; I think the last I saw of him was on The Ben Stiller Show waaaaay back in 1992 (I was ten!), where they basically made fun of how his career was over.) But the lads over at CHUD, who are the go-to guys for informed film news and opinion as far as I'm concerned, are in love with it, so that's pretty much all the reason I need to give it a shot at the very least. Goldthwait's done some good TV work behind the camera—he directed some episodes of Chappelle's Show, and his stint at Jimmy Kimmel Live! brought it a big jump in ratings—and we know Williams can deliver good work when he sets himself to it, as seen in The Fisher King, Good Will Hunting, Insomnia, and One Hour Photo. In addition, it sounds like World's Greatest Dad is the kind of comedy that appeals to the sick, cynical aspects of my sense of humor, so Robin Williams may soon assume his place among the great antiheroes of black comedy, alongside Seth Rogen in Observe and Report, Ricky Gervais in The Office, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Dylan Baker in Happiness, and Aaron Eckhart in In the Company of Men. If that intrigues you—and you're able to suppress your Robin Williams gag reflex for a few minutes—there are some short clips here and here to give you a sense of the movie. It's not a done deal yet, but chalk me up as cautiously optimistic.