Contort yourself in the right viewing position and you can see the Comedy Central show “Nathan for You” as any number of things. For those who seize on the small-business angle, it’s a grand treatise on the American dream. For the method actor set, it’s one man’s willingness to put his body and psyche through unspeakable torment for the sake of his craft. For fans of corporate pranking, “Dumb Starbucks” is Everest (which Fielder presumably conquered clothed in Summit Ice gear).
But in the 21st century’s migration to unscripted programming, no reality TV show has achieved what “Nathan for You” has. Using hand-crafted spontaneity not just for its own airtime, but leeching into the public TV world at large, Nathan Fielder’s constant quest for a publicity-generating scheme has taken every tired reality TV trope and reworked it into something magical.
The lifeblood of reality shows...
But in the 21st century’s migration to unscripted programming, no reality TV show has achieved what “Nathan for You” has. Using hand-crafted spontaneity not just for its own airtime, but leeching into the public TV world at large, Nathan Fielder’s constant quest for a publicity-generating scheme has taken every tired reality TV trope and reworked it into something magical.
The lifeblood of reality shows...
- 11/9/2017
- by Steve Greene
- Indiewire
If you ever wanted a blues smoke detector, then season four of “Nathan for You” might just be, well, for you. Comedy Central just released a trailer marking the return of Nathan Fielder’s show, which is coming back late next month. Watch below.
Read More:‘Nathan for You:’ How Cringe Comedy Doesn’t Have to Offend to Make Us Laugh
Among the upcoming schemes: a fully asexual computer-repair service; black-market chili sold at sporting events without the stadium’s knowledge; a nefarious plan to have cabbies infiltrate Uber and destroy it from within. Nearly everyone Fielder mentions these ideas to thinks he’s crazy, of course, and their reactions are often just as funny as his pitches.
Read More:Comedy Central and the New Mockumentary: How ‘Nathan For You’ and ‘Review’ are Changing the Game
“Nathan for You” premiered in early 2013 and has aired 24 episodes across its first three seasons.
Read More:‘Nathan for You:’ How Cringe Comedy Doesn’t Have to Offend to Make Us Laugh
Among the upcoming schemes: a fully asexual computer-repair service; black-market chili sold at sporting events without the stadium’s knowledge; a nefarious plan to have cabbies infiltrate Uber and destroy it from within. Nearly everyone Fielder mentions these ideas to thinks he’s crazy, of course, and their reactions are often just as funny as his pitches.
Read More:Comedy Central and the New Mockumentary: How ‘Nathan For You’ and ‘Review’ are Changing the Game
“Nathan for You” premiered in early 2013 and has aired 24 episodes across its first three seasons.
- 8/17/2017
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
Comedy Central’s newest wave of programming has been built around individuals, doubling down on the past achievements of their comedian hosts. Moshe Kasher’s “Problematic” grew out of complex discussions in a public forum. “The Jim Jefferies Show” is an extension of his frequent call-outs of strange behavior both in America and abroad. One of the reasons the network’s newest series, “Hood Adjacent,” works so well is that it comes from host James Davis’ similarly distinct perspective, delivered with fast-paced, sly cultural commentary that’s heavy on laughs.
A blended mix of stand-up, monologue, “Daily Show”-style field pieces, genre parodies and interviews with notable figures, “Hood Adjacent” uses all of these comedic tools to look at different corners of the black experience, in the area of Los Angeles near where Davis was raised and beyond. Though the format approach changes by subject — ranging from food to police...
A blended mix of stand-up, monologue, “Daily Show”-style field pieces, genre parodies and interviews with notable figures, “Hood Adjacent” uses all of these comedic tools to look at different corners of the black experience, in the area of Los Angeles near where Davis was raised and beyond. Though the format approach changes by subject — ranging from food to police...
- 7/5/2017
- by Steve Greene
- Indiewire
What to Watch: Wednesday, May 10
What Is Going On Here?
(To find out, see what you missed last night!)
“Archer,” 10 p.m. on Fxx
Episode Title: “Waxing Gibbous”
Network Synopsis: All roads lead to Len Trexler as Archer and the gang try to avoid unfriendly ghosts.
Why You Should Watch: This season of “Archer” has been another season-long monkey wrench in the animated show’s mythology. But underneath all the fedoras and three-piece suits, it’s still the same show, even as its characters have been transplanted to the ’40s. In Dreamland, anything goes, so leave it to Sterling and the gang to lean into the metaphysical, even as a haunted house might be in the way of the truth.
Read More: ‘Archer Dreamland’ Review: Season 8 Goes Full Film Noir in Big Gamble That’s Already Paying Off
“Brockmire,” 10 p.m. on IFC
Episode Title: “Old Timers Day”
Network...
What Is Going On Here?
(To find out, see what you missed last night!)
“Archer,” 10 p.m. on Fxx
Episode Title: “Waxing Gibbous”
Network Synopsis: All roads lead to Len Trexler as Archer and the gang try to avoid unfriendly ghosts.
Why You Should Watch: This season of “Archer” has been another season-long monkey wrench in the animated show’s mythology. But underneath all the fedoras and three-piece suits, it’s still the same show, even as its characters have been transplanted to the ’40s. In Dreamland, anything goes, so leave it to Sterling and the gang to lean into the metaphysical, even as a haunted house might be in the way of the truth.
Read More: ‘Archer Dreamland’ Review: Season 8 Goes Full Film Noir in Big Gamble That’s Already Paying Off
“Brockmire,” 10 p.m. on IFC
Episode Title: “Old Timers Day”
Network...
- 5/10/2017
- by Steve Greene
- Indiewire
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