I remember sitting down to watch Dana Carvey's new sketch comedy show twelve years ago. I was greeted with dancing tacos, Bill Clinton breastfeeding puppies, and the Church Lady repeatedly calling Princess Diana a slut. My mother found it offensive. I thought it was a riot.
A day or two after the first episode aired, I remember reading newspaper articles about the outrage Carvey's show was causing. Sponsors were threatening to pull out! How dare he depict Bill Clinton...breastfeeding...puppies. Well, at least we know that hysteria over television content has always been as ridiculous as it is now.
The show was canceled after seven episodes aired. For years now, I've been hoping to see it again on DVD. While that hasn't happened yet, Netflix has the next best thing: you can watch every episode online using their "Watch Instantly" feature.
Naturally, some of the humor is dated. Bob Dole Is Old and Refers To Himself in the Third Person jokes expired a decade ago, but the wackier material is still a hoot. Alongside Carvey, the cast included Steve Carrell and Stephen Colbert. The writing staff boasted Robert Smigel, Louis C.K. and Charlie Kaufman. And let us not forget the skinheads from Maine:
There's really no reason not to check this out.
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A Maine accent adds spice to nearly any pop culture. My friends and I used to specialize in down-easter versions of Public Enemy and NWA. "Comin' straight outta Portland, Crazy muthafucka named Leffy..."
Is this before or after his heart ailment? That's what really derailed his career. He's never been back since then, although I don't know if he really tried. Having something that life threatening happen to you can change your priorities.
I wonder where he is now. . . .
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