Mr. Show was a mid 90s sketch comedy show on HBO, starring Bob Odenkirk and David Cross. It had four seasons. I think it was one of the most original, creative, funniest works of comedy I've ever seen, and was one of three shows that shaped my sense of humor to this day. Here are my ten favorite Mr. Show sketches, in ascending order.
Spite Marriage
Mr. Show highlights the absurdity of everyday life, and turns it into comedy gold.
Mayostard/ Mustardaoynnaise
All too true. This one is similar in tone to a lot of David Cross' standup.
Philouza
One of Mr. Show's more elaborately produced pieces, which only underlines how ridiculous the idea is. Jay Johnston as the spirit of mediocrity is classic.
Commercials of the Future (Globo-Chem)
This sketch shows the difference between expecting vulgarity to be funny in and of itself, and the proper use of vulgarity for comedy.
Wyckyd Sceptre
Tom Kenny passing the tape behind his back puts this one over the top.
Monster Mash
A perfect satire of pseudodocumentary style trash TV, which has only become more relevant in the fifteen years since this sketch aired.
Lie Detector
A comedy setup we've seen a thousand times before, filtered through the Mr. Show sensibility.
The Audition
A simple idea mined for all its potential, something Mr. Show did a lot.
Mafia Mathematicians
The root of why I find Mr. Show such a seminal show is the absurdist humor. This sketch may be the single most absurd thing they did.
The Story of Everest
The Story of Everest sketch may be the hardest I've ever laughed at anything. This is high concept comedy.
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