Comedy Bang! Bang!(TV series)

Comedy Bang! Bang!is a televisiontalk showcreated and hosted byScott Aukerman.The show aired weekly onIFCand was a spin-off of Aukerman's podcastComedy Bang! Bang!,which airs on theEarwolfnetwork. Like the podcast, the series featured outlandish and farcical humor, often delivered in adeadpanmanner. The mock talk show derived most of its comedy from itssurrealspoofs of common late night tropes and from its characters' ineptitude.

Comedy Bang! Bang!
Genre
Created byScott Aukerman
Starring
Opening theme"Comedy Bang! Bang!"
Composers
  • Reggie Watts
  • Kid Cudi
  • "Weird Al" Yankovic
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No.of seasons5
No.of episodes110(list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
Producers
  • Carl Fieler
  • Jeff Ullrich
Production locationLos Angeles, California
Running time22 minutes
Production companiesComedy Bang! Bang! Productions
Earwolf Media
Abso Lutely Productions
IFC Original Productions
Original release
NetworkIFC
ReleaseJune 8, 2012(2012-06-08)
December 2, 2016(2016-12-02)

Reggie WattsquitComedy Bang! Bang!halfway through the fourth season, and a few weeks later was offered the job of bandleader forThe Late Late Show with James Corden.[1][2]MusicianKid Cuditook over bandleader and sidekick duties after Watts' departure.[3]The season four finale aired on December 10, 2015, and was Cudi's final episode.[4]The series was renewed for a 20-episode fifth season on May 5, 2015.[5]"Weird Al" Yankovictook over the position of bandleader for the fifth season, which premiered on June 3, 2016.[6]

On August 18, 2016, Aukerman announced that the series would end after season 5, and the finale aired on December 2, 2016.[7]

Production

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The show featured celebrity guests playing either themselves or characters. Many of these celebrities were previous guests on theComedy Bang! Bang!podcast and revisited characters such as Don Dimello (Andy Daly), El Chupacabra (Nick Kroll), Bob Ducca (Seth Morris), Lil' Gary (Thomas Lennon),Huell Howser(James Adomian) andCake Boss(Paul F. Tompkins). Many frequent collaborators included formerMr. Show with Bob and Davidcast members such asPaul F. Tompkins,Bob Odenkirk,andDavid Cross.

The talk show took place in one-third of a wooden shack with modern decorations, surreal pop-art, taxidermy, old books without dust-covers, and houseplants. Various objects had the ability to talk including the taxidermy, houseplants, as well as a couch named Sir Couchley.

Episodes

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SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
110June 8, 2012(2012-06-08)August 10, 2012(2012-08-10)
220July 12, 2013(2013-07-12)December 20, 2013(2013-12-20)
320May 8, 2014(2014-05-08)December 19, 2014(2014-12-19)
440January 9, 2015(2015-01-09)December 10, 2015(2015-12-10)
520June 3, 2016(2016-06-03)December 2, 2016(2016-12-02)

Reception

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Critical reception forComedy Bang! Bang!was generally mixed to positive, with a rating of 67 onMetacritic.[8]Most television critics gave the show positive reviews.Pastereviewer Ross Bonaime called the show "one of the best written shows on TV today", comparing it toPee-wee's Playhouse.[9]Los Angeles Timestelevision reviewer Robert Lloyd has called the show "amusing", likening it toSpace Ghost Coast to Coast.[10]Additionally, the weekly reviews that were posted onThe A.V. Clubwere generally in the B− to A range.[11]

Home media

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Comedy Bang! Bang! Season 1was released onRegion 1DVD on January 21, 2014. The two-disc set consists of all 10 episodes of its first season. Special features include: deleted and extended scenes, full-length alternate celebrity interviews and audio commentaries featuring characters from the show and more.

Comedy Bang! Bang! Season 2was released onRegion 1DVD on June 24, 2014. The four-disc set consists of all 20 episodes of its second season. Special features include: full episode commentaries, deleted/bonus scenes and interviews, Reggie's season 2 music supercut, VFX tests and more.

References

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  1. ^Extended Interview with Reggie Watts.KRTV NEWS.
  2. ^"Scott Aukerman Talks to Zach Galifianakis About Comedy Bang! Bang! and President Obama's Between Two Ferns".Vulture.January 8, 2015.RetrievedMay 27,2020.
  3. ^"Reggie Watts named bandleader of CBS' new 'Late Late Show,' appearing at UCB East w/ Janeane Garofalo & more".Brooklyn Vegan.December 15, 2014.RetrievedMay 27,2020.
  4. ^Wright, Megh (December 11, 2015)."Last Night's 'Comedy Bang! Bang!' Finale Was Kid Cudi's Last Episode".Splitsider.Archived fromthe originalon December 14, 2015.RetrievedDecember 12,2015.
  5. ^Maglio, Tony (May 5, 2015)."Scott Aukerman's 'Comedy Bang! Bang!' Renewed for Season 5 by IFC".TheWrap.RetrievedMay 27,2020.
  6. ^"Comedy Bang! Bang! on Twitter".Twitter.January 26, 2016.RetrievedMay 27,2020.
  7. ^Wright, Megh (August 18, 2016)."Scott Aukerman Says 'Comedy Bang! Bang!' Will End After Season 5".Splitsider.Archived fromthe originalon January 31, 2018.RetrievedDecember 2,2016.
  8. ^"Comedy Bang! Bang!".Metacritic.RetrievedAugust 5,2016.
  9. ^Bonaime, Ross (December 2, 2016)."Going Out With a Bang: Saying Goodbye To Comedy Bang! Bang!".Paste magazine.RetrievedDecember 6,2018.
  10. ^Lloyd, Robert (June 7, 2012)."Reviews: IFC goes wacky with 'Comedy Bang! Bang!' and 'Bunk'".Los Angeles Times.RetrievedAugust 5,2016.
  11. ^"Comedy Bang! Bang!".The A.V. Club.RetrievedAugust 5,2016.
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