Mr. Show (also known as Mr. Show with Bob and David) was a sketch comedy series featuring former Saturday Night Live writer/comedy actor Bob Odenkirk and stand up comedian/actor David Cross. It aired on HBO from November 3, 1995, to December 28, 1998.

Description

Each episode of Mr. Show essentially consists of a series of sketches, each one transitioning to the next by way of a tangential—or sometimes direct—segue, called a link. For example, a minor character in one sketch might return as the major character in the next. Often, common themes or storylines are returned to at different times throughout an episode. It is regarded by sketch comedy aficionados as perhaps the best of its era, though as a premium cable show its audience was necessarily limited. DVD editions, however, have sold briskly, opening the show to a broad new audience.

Format

The format of Mr. Show is heavily influenced by the British sketch comedy show Monty Python's Flying Circus, particularly in the linking of one sketch to the next, a strong point for both shows, as it negates the tendency to expect each sketch to end on a punch line or similar high note (a common feature of more traditional sketch comedy shows such as Saturday Night Live). The interweaving of taped bits and stage-performed sketch found in Flying Circus is prevalent in Mr. Show. Both shows depend greatly on absurdist humor.