strangers with candy

If you were one of the two readers who was wondering where I was last Sunday -- we didn't do a "previously on" post -- Here's the short answer: I was in a car on the road from Milwaukee to Detroit and wasn't around to do this post. But I'm back, so the summary is back.

Anyway, in case you've missed it -- perhaps you were in some massive traffic jams thanks to the Illinois DOT -- here are some highlights from the last week at TV Squad:



Breaking News

• MTV2 picks up Crank Yankers.
• Did Jamie Foxx act like a diva on the Miami Vice set?
• The AP is upset with FOX for banning photographers from press tour conference.
• Full House's Jodie Sweetin gets more work.
• Red Buttons dies at 87.
• Project Runway model gets seriously hurt in an accident.
• Kelly Clarkson gets her own HBO concert.
• Rescue Me renewed for fourth season.
• The resumption of The Sopranos is being pushed back to March.
• TBS, FOX sign new deals with Major League Baseball.
• CBS swaps timeslots for The Class and How I Met Your Mother.
• Has Star Jones' replacement on The View already been chosen?
• The July 4 week had the smallest broadcast network audience ever.
• Barnard Hughes dead at 90.
• Producer of Rock Star: Supernova sued over band name.
• Music rights issues are keeping us from getting DVDs for The Wonder Years.

Discussions

• Adam examines YouTube copyright issues.
• Is the missing Moral Orel episode going to air?
• Did 18 TVs cause an apartment building fire?
• What do you think the URL for the CW network is?
• Does Stephen Colbert actually teach Sunday school?
• Anna's Dwight Schrute bobblehead arrives... broken.
• Sally Field joins ABC show Brothers & Sisters.
• Arrested Development creator may make an AD movie.
  

Opinions

• Annie thinks Comedy Central's support of the Strangers with Candy movie is weak.
• I think the World Series of Pop Culture is too easy so far.
• Rich gives a preview of Angela's Eyes.
• Danica McKellar is the world's hottest math geek.
• Rich wishes the SciFi network was more like Canada's Space channel.
• We preview some of ABC's fall pilots.
• Will O. previews Eureka.
• Michael S. reviews the first two Office webisodes.
• Adam reviews the Strangers with Candy movie.

Retro Squad

• NewsRadio: "Luncheon at the Waldorf"
• Firefly: "Jaynestown"
• Sports Night: "Dear Louise"
• The Simpsons: "Bart's Girlfriend"
• The Office (BBC): Episode 7
• Angel: "Sense & Sensitivity"
• Buffy: "Angel"
• Futurama: "A Fishful of Dollars"

Episode Reviews

• Monk: "Mr. Monk and the Garbage Strike"
• Psych: "Spellingg Bee"
• Stargate SG-1: "Flesh and Blood"
• Stargate Atlantis: "No Man's Land"
• It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: "Hundred Dollar Baby"
• Big Brother All-Stars: Elimination #1
• Doctor Who: "Fear Her"
• Hustle: Episode 15
• Blade: "Descent"
• Last Comic Standing: A roast and an ejection
• The Closer: "To Protect and Serve"
• The Dead Zone: "Articles of Faith"
• Deadwood: "A Two-Headed Beast"
• Entourage: "Crash and Burn"

On Friday night, Comedy Central aired a Strangers With Candy mini-marathon, hosted by the stars (Stephen Colbert, Amy Sedaris, and Paul Dinello) to promote the film. It was great and all, but I was annoyed to see the ridiculous time slot they stuck it in... 1:00 AM to 3:30 AM. Seriously, Comedy Central? You're going to hand over the throwaway time for one of your original series, but play nice with My Super Ex-Girlfriend and their "Sunday with the Guys" afternoon slot? I know Strangers fans are usually a little weird, but we're not all nocturnal. Stephen Colbert's one of your main men now, Comedy Central! Show him some love.

I'm an insomniac, so I caught the whole marathon. Did anyone else watch?

Fans of Strangers with Candy know that Amy Sedaris based the character of Jerri Blank somewhat on real-life ex-junkie/prostitute Florrie Fisher, the centerpiece of a 1970 documentary titled The Trip Back. The documentary was just one of many television specials created during the 70s and 80s to scare kids silly when it came to drugs, or not scare them at all, depending on how much a rambling middle age woman actually frightens you. I've stuck a clip of Fisher ranting about LSD after the jump, but if you want a little more of her wit and wisdom, click here.

[via The Hater]

(S01E07)

Mr. Noblet (after showing his class a tape of Martin Luther King, Jr's "I Have A Dream" speech): King's dream was of an America without racism of any kind. The tragedy of course is that all this footage is in black and white. Imagine how powerful it would have been in color.

In this episode, a student spray paints the N-word in the hallway, and all of Flatpoint High is turned upside down as they try to figure out who did it. The easiest humorous route to take would have been to mock those blatantly racist enough to do such a thing, but this episode, like the "Ginger Kids" episode of South Park, cuts much deeper, exposing the varying degrees of prejudice that exist in all of us. Or, as one student says, "The only thing we hate more than a racist is spics."

The guest for last night's Colbert Report was Amy Sedaris. I was curious to see how Stephen Colbert would interview her, since she was there to promote a project in which he is also heavily involved (Strangers With Candy, both the TV and bigscreen versions). He didn't acknowledge the fact that he's in the film, but I'm pretty sure most of the audience already knew what was going on. Anyway, while discussing fitness regiments, Amy revealed that she keeps fit by tumbling. Stephen then explained that he also liked tumbling with his building manager, Tad (Paul Dinello), who just happened to be hanging out in the audience. What followed was a very entertaining SWC reunion, complete with lots of tumbling and Amy in a green, sequined one-piece. It's so easy to tell that these three people absolutely love working with each other.

Video after the jump!

The television series Strangers with Candy was one of the tightest, most cohesive comedies to come along in the last several years. Its subtle mix of vicious satire, peripheral sight gags, and jokes that sometimes hung in the air for a moment before your brain was able to catch up to them was suited perfectly to the half hour format. In addition, the main cast (Amy Sedaris, Stephen Colbert, Paul Dinello, and Craig Hollimon) are all great comedic actors who played together like veteran jazz musicians, each adding his or her own unique personality to the whole. But can something that worked so well on television make the transition to the big screen and still be just as good? The answer is yes, sort of.

Strangers with Candy the movie serves as a prequel to the television series which ran on Comedy Central in the late 90s. Fans of the series know the story: Jerri Blank ran away from home thirty-two years ago to delve into prostitution and copious amounts of drugs. After being released from a stint in prison, she decides to return home to start her life over again as a 46 year old high school freshman. In the movie, Jerri returns to find her father (this time played by Dan Hedaya rather than Roberto Gari*) is in a stress-induced comma caused by the sudden disappearance of his beloved daughter all those years ago. The doctor tells Jerri that if she were able to do something truly amazing, say, win the school science fair, it might help her father to wake up.

(S01E06)

Orlando (Jerri's Filipino friend): You should run for Homecoming queen, Jerri.

Jerri: What? Are you joking? I don't think I'm what boys consider a "traditional beauty."

Orlando: In my country you'd be a real queen.

Jerri: Yeah, well, that's because your country is ruled by monkeys.

Orlando: Jerri, that's an ugly thing to say.

Jerri: Jeez, why are you people so sensitive about your resemblance to monkeys? They're adorable!

This episode begins with a game of dodgeball and Jerri having to sit out the game because of uneven teams. Also, it seems her teammates would rather have a slow girl with two broken arms play with them rather than Jerri. Despite not actually playing, Jerri manages to get hit with the ball, prompting Yasmine, a popular girl, to remark that Jerri is probably used to balls smacking against her face.

(S01E05)

Principal Blackman: Talk your monkey ass off. I'll be watching you.

This episode, in which Jerri comes face to face with her long lost son (though she doesn't realize it until the end of the episode) was co-written by Tom Lennon of The State and Reno 911!

This episode starts off, as all the season one episodes do, with Jerri explaining who she is and why she's in her forties and attending high school. She tells her tale to a ficus she's inexplicable planted in the middle of a baseball diamond (it's an Arbor Day thing). Meanwhile, it's also almost time for the Sadie Hawkins Dance, which, as many of you may know, is when girls have to ask the boys to the dance instead of vice versa. Her friend Orlando begins to drop some not so subtle hints that he'd like to go with her, but Jerri finds herself attracted to the new student, Ricky, played by Frederick Koehler (a.k.a. "Chip" from Kate and Allie). Jerri likes Ricky but she can't let anyone know because Ricky is hated by everyone, including the teachers, simply because he's new. When he first arrives in Noblet's class, Noblet doesn't give him a desk but instead makes him sit in the back on a box of slightly irregular jeans. Jerri tries to maintain a friendship with Ricky while also maintaining her status among her peers, such as one scene where she uses a tire iron to smash his car to impress her friends, all the while insisting to Ricky she really does like him.

Every Tuesday here on TV Squad , we will highlight the week's TV-on-DVD releases. Some noteworthy releases today, June 27, 2006:

• Acapulco H.E.A.T. - The Complete 1st Season
• Alice - TV Favorites
• Civilisation (mini-series) - The Complete Series
• Columbo - The Complete 5th Season
• Commander-in-Chief -Season 1, Volume 1
• Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman - Movies
• Family Affair - Season 1
• Fear Factor - The 1st Season
• Galaxy High School - Volume 1
• The Jackie Gleason Show - The Color Honeymooners: Collection 1
• Masters of Horror - Deer Woman (John Landis); Deer Woman / Sick Girl; Sick Girl (Lucky Mckee)
• Monk - Season 4
• Project Runway - Complete 2nd Season
• Roseanne - The Complete 4th Season
• Slings and Arrows - Season 1
• Step by Step - Television Favorites
• Strangers with Candy - The Complete Series
• Tracey Takes On... - The Complete 2nd Season
• Your Show of Shows - Best of Sid Caesar

(S01E04)

Jerri (reading her poem in class): When you work from your home, and John's callin' the phone, you're a call girl / When you walk 'til you limp, and give a cut to a pimp, you're a street whore / When their beggin' you please, to get down on your knees, near their groinage / 'scuse a me, don't you see, don't you touch where they pee, without coinage --

Mr. Noblet: Thank you Jerri, that'll be --

Jerri: When I straddle and squat, to show you my--

Mr. Noblet: All right Jerri...

So regular readers of TV Squad and my personal blog know that I have a love for Amy Sedaris. And it's not a crush or stalking, it's a mature, serious, dinner-and-a-movie type of love. Sure, Adam and Joel will say they love her too, but their love isn't real (plus I hear Joel's wanted in five states and Adam always forgets to put the toilet seat down, if you're reading this Amy). So I'm excited to see that Amy will be on The Late Show With David Letterman tonight.

But that's not all! Amy also has a podcast interview today over at Salon. Among other topics, she talks about why she likes ugly people and misfits.

(S01E03) I don't think there was ever a bad episode of Strangers with Candy, but if someone were to put a gun to my head and force me to name my least favorite episode, it would probably be this one. I think my main problem with it was actor Jacob Pitts, who plays "Craig Snow" in this episode. While I'm sure Pitts is a fine actor in his own right, he didn't seem to jibe with the cast the way their other guest stars tend to do. Strangers exists in its own weird universe, and one of the great things about the series is that everyone who is in it, whether it be the main characters or side characters, understands the pacing and rhythm, and their performances are pitch perfect. However, like any great jazz combo, you toss in one mediocre trombone player and everything starts to seem a little off.

Do not adjust your web browser. You are now entering the Retro Squad, where we are reviewing past episodes of your favorite shows, in order, every week.

(S01E02) In 1990, Alice actress Linda Lavin directed a CBS Schoolbreak Special called "Flour Babies" about a group of high school students given sacks of flour which they were assigned to care for as if they were actual babies. Strangers with Candy used a similar concept for this episode, but instead of flour, the students are given actual babies. Jerri tries to talk her way out of it, insisting she's already had plenty of babies, just none she's carried to full term. Reluctantly, she accepts the baby and soon nicknames it "Dizzy" because it fell off her dresser into a laundry basket. Before all of that, however, there's a great opening scene with Noblet and Jellineck where they roleplay in the bathroom, pretending to be widows and then suddenly tearing each other's clothes off for some hot gay sex.

Do not adjust your web browser. You are now entering the Retro Squad, where we are reviewing past episodes of your favorite shows, in order, every week.

(S01E01) It is clear, right from the opening scene of this first episode of Strangers with Candy, that the people behind the show knew exactly which notes they wanted to strike and exactly the kind of world they wanted to create around Jerri Blank, the forty year old self-described 'boozer, user, and loser' who is trying to get back on track by starting high school all over again. The opening sequence -- a school assembly in which a swaggering policeman warns kids against the danger of drugs while somehow making the drugs seem appealing -- has a great meta moment when the educational filmstrip starts, and shows the policeman making the exact same introduction and then showing a film within a film. Tiny surreal moments like this pop up throughout the rest of the show's run, which is just one reason some of us latched onto the series while it remained largely ignored by most television viewers.

The big finales are finally over. Though we have a few cool premieres starting in the coming weeks, from Rescue Me (5/30) to Deadwood (6/11), let's face it -- TV isn't the same after May sweeps. The question that's floated around the TV Squad headquarters in the past couple of months has been, "what else can we review for the readers?" Enter "Retro Squad."

Starting this coming Sunday, we're going to take you back in time just a little bit. Remember all of those great shows that are no longer airing, either from being cancelled or ending long runs and taking a bow? Or maybe you remember the first seasons of shows still on the air? Of course you do; it's what makes you one of the millions of fans of these cult-classic shows. Well, we're going to bring them back to you, one episode at a time, every week. Read on for the exciting details.