Thank God You're Here

[billroper]

daisy_knotwise and I watched the first two episodes of this NBC series tonight. Our first thought? "We could do that." Of course, we've been doing improv comedy for over 20 years, so if we're given any sort of survivable script to fall into, we'll probably succeed -- at least in our own minds! :)

The gag here is that everyone else has the script for the bit except for the guest actor who needs to figure out what he or she is doing. And, of course, you're greeted on your entrance with "Thank God you're here!"

There was one completely non-survivable script that was given to Monique. She was in a situation where there was no possibility that any answer she would give would be correct. For example, she was the co-host on a TV game show and was told to introduce the three contestants. Now, there was no reason that she needed to be contradicted, as it was completely immaterial as to whether they were Heather, Bob, and Sue or Jane, Dick, and Spot, but contradicted she was. It was poor sport and I suspect was the reason she was declared the ultimate winner for the night.

The other nine sketches (four solo sketches and one group sketch per show) were survivable and most of the guests did pretty well. However, much like the Game Show Network commercial where the viewers are shouting "Marsupial!" at the screen, when Dave Foley is the show's judge and you are playing Miss Caicos and are asked who your dream date would be, the correct answer is always "Dave Foley". Not Chewbacca. *sigh*

Comments

[drzarron.livejournal.com]

I watched most of an episode tonight, saw Mo'nique and Kevin Nealon. Yes, poor Mo, there was just nothing you could do with the crap they were giving her. If you're doing a show like this, you have to adapt somewhat to what you're guest is tossing back at you.

I thought Nealon did a great job, as the host(s) said he just never lost control and did every with utter conviction.

But the show is completely doomed.

[shsilver.livejournal.com]

I had forgotten it was one and Elaine and I missed the beginning. We found the show at the start of Richard Kind's sketch. We've been fans of Kind's ever since his Second City days and I was very surprised that he wasn't able to get into the flow of the sketch better than he did. We thought that Edie McClurg did a wonderful job in her bit, but yes, Monique was the only one who did a really good job in the King Arthur bit (although Richard Kind standing up when he did was quiet well done). McClurg fell apart in that bit and Nealon just didn't really seem to do much in it.

[allisona.livejournal.com]

John and I said =exactly- the same thing about Monique's sketch, that it would be much finnier if the guest could answer the questions and the sketch would just flow in that direction rather than continuously telling her she was wrong. I think she won, though, 'cause she really did shine in that final Medieval sketch.

[billroper]

Yes, Monique did do a fine job in the Medieval sketch when she actually had something to work with (as opposed to the Contradictor-In-Chief).

[archiver-tim.livejournal.com]

Heck, one lesson from Space Time or whatever 10+ years ago, and I still remember, "Do not contradict your fellow improviser". That will end up with 2 people who are lost in the sketch.

-Ryan

[geekymary.livejournal.com]

My first thought was that it sounded like a lot of fun - I would love to be a contestant.

I haven't seen the second episode yet, but I just have to say that I love Jennifer Coolidge. 'I never really liked dry ice' - awesome.

But I didn't like the improv rules they broke. I could handle the "fuck your buddy" setups - that's part of the game. But I agree that the "scripted" performers needed to be able to adapt to the guest and not try to force things back to their script. When you find yourself shouting over other performers to give them instructions, as in the superhero scene, you're not doing it right.

I also thought the show was poorly edited, but I don't think there was much they could do about that.

[billroper]

There are right ways and wrong ways to lead someone back to the script. In the case of the marriage counselor, she was doing a fine job of leading Edie back to where the script needed her to be. "Yes, but..." is one of those useful tricks.

The wrong way of doing it was in the game show sketch where the immaterial wasn't allowed to flow away. If Monique gives you the wrong rules, then it's "That's right. And that means we need to pick a card from this pile!"

[geekymary.livejournal.com]

OK - I've watched 2 minutes of the game show sketch. It's already driving me crazy. Why have her name the characters and then tell her she's wrong?

At least have her get the last one right, have a bell go ding and give her a prize - then it leads up to a joke.

[pheltzer.livejournal.com]

Wow.... somehow this managed to completely be off my radar. I take it this is a Monday evening show?

[billroper]

At least temporarily. Probably very temporarily.

[pheltzer.livejournal.com]

Just found this from Wil Wheaton.... apparently he agrees with you pretty much to the word...
http://syndicated.livejournal.com/wilwheaton/371677.html

Not my cup of tea, really

[hvideo.livejournal.com]

I generally like improv comedy. I'm quite fond of WHOSE LINE IS IT ANYHOW in both the British and American versions. So I went in expecting to like this - but I didn't.

In WHOSE LINE all the actors involved at any one time have one goal - to jointly entertain the audience. Though there is sometimes (like in SUPERHEROES) a bit of "deliberately leave the other person in an awkward spot and watch them struggle", it's with a "good natured rivalry" attitude and it's all fun. They play off each other and the comedy builds.

For me, watching just the first show - the partially-scripted format of THANK GOD YOU'RE HERE isn't helping the fun come through.