Abso Lutely Productions: The Poll

Five bags of popcorn, and one sunburned father

I haven't seen all of these (and tbh I don't even know what Ghost Story Club is) but I've seen most of these and most of the ones I've seen I've seen more times than I can count and it's pretty much inarguable that these dudes have the highest hit rate for televisual comedy over the past decade at least. Honestly don't know what I will vote for (but rewatching Nathan atm and it's winning in this particular moment).

I think it's fair to say that >50% of the instances in the 21st Century when I've laughed until very nearly peeing myself, Abso Lutely was to blame.

Not sure if I'll vote for it, but The Dress-Up Gang is a delight and everyone should track that down if possible. The Brett Gelman specials were great, too, though I haven't seen any of them since they aired.

Tough decision amongst Review, OCatC, Nathan for You, and Eric André

Nathan for you

going Review. All-time great character work as Forrest MacNeil and I think “Pancakes; Divorce; Pancakes” might be the greatest episode of any show on here.

on cinema

I adore Nathan for You and the Eric Andre Show. Liked not loved Review. Seen some Eric and Tim and enjoyed that too. Am I missing anything essential?

Watch Review again. Also watch Check it out!

on cinema changed my life. i'm still not even to season 5

Wtf have you watched the Oscar Specials at least? You have so far to go

i've watched a couple random hours of various oscar specials

there's just not enough time! i have a hard time watching shows in the background of doing stuff - they distract me too much from what i'm doing, and i've already got ilx to do that. so i end up only watching them when i can concentrate 100% on it, and that's rare

Nathan For You and Review are all time, Eric Andre and Tim and Eric I enjoy in, like, 20 second increments.

Oh man... the dinner with brett gelman ones I had almost forgotten about. Those are so good. As are the ones where he and Tim do lunch together.

The Oscar specials and really the entire On Cinema project I have mixed feelings about. Tim, Gregg are both extremely funny individuals, but I have enjoyed most of their other stuff more. NeilH, ZCR, YRB, Tim's cooking series...

The movies shows are a little too punishingly dry at times for me maybe. Although I did like the court case one a lot. And the Oscars special w James Dean can probably never be topped.

there's just not enough time! i have a hard time watching shows in the background of doing stuff - they distract me too much from what i'm doing, and i've already got ilx to do that. so i end up only watching them when i can concentrate 100% on it, and that's rare

― Z_TBD (Karl Malone), Saturday, July 3, 2021 3:01 PM (one hour ago) bookmarkflaglink

Yeah this is why I’m going back and rewatching it all, there’s so much great stuff that I missed while just having it on in the background. Like on the third special where Tim is convinced a terrorist attack is about to happen at the Oscars and he asks Gregg who he would take out first and he says “well I guess it would be whoever beats The Hobbit”

loooooooool

a few years ago, T&EASGJ! would have been the hands down answer. The show that changed everything and allowed everything else to exist. I've definitely developed Heidecker Fatigue in recent times and Eric hits different post Master of None. Going Nathan.

Hot Package is so so underrated. One episode has Kenneth Anger, Jan Terri and Mark McGrath.

to me this is so transparently nathan

review is Nathan’s only competition here, both shows are genius

I dunno, lots of really funny stuff here but that last episode of Nathan for You really got to me in a different way

im not as crazy abt on cinema as some of you

big soft spot for steve brule

curious what “ Eric hits different post Master of None” means (i only watched a couple episodes of that show)

Comedy Bang! Bang!

I haven't listened to the podcast much, but as a half hour scripted show it works really well.

Nathan For You has got to be one of the most consistently hilarious & profound shows in television history, just remarkably tight and well put together for a Comedy Central show. I remember reading an interview with Nathan & some of the producers where they talked out how difficult it was to assemble because they have to build a narrative out of 50+ hours of footage and they had to shoot everything in order because they never knew how things were going to go.

that said I've gotten such an insane amount of enjoyment from On Cinema & all the related stuff (I do include Decker in there fwiw), I kind of have to vote for it. not only does it feel utterly unique as a series (a spoof of podcasts that eventually added a dozen characters, spun off a TV show, a movie, a 5-hour "trial" video which is hands-down one of the most daring comedy "films" ever made, and now its own network, all while doing progressively more complex and innovative Oscar Specials every year?) but it's also a legitimately great drama. sometimes it's funny in the way shows like, I dunno, Breaking Bad are funny. Outside of the background graphics during the Specials there are almost no real punchlines.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Voting for Tom goes to the Mayor because no one else will.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

Ooh 4 for Tom goes to the Mayor. Kudos

The episodes I've watched never really clicked for me but I guess I'll have to give it a proper try someday. It's the one T&E thing I haven't watched in its entirety multiple times over.