I think my new favorite show is Robot Chicken on Adult Swim. I laugh out loud three or four times every 10-minute episode. For those of you who don't know, Robot Chicken is a stop motion show purportedly shot using action figures. But lots of shots are clearly computer generated. No matter.
The episode this past Sunday was a classic. First, "The Real World" starring the Justice League of America, also known as the Super Friends. Hilarious, because Superman is a rude obnoxious bully; Batman is a clueless wanna-be ladies man trying to get Wonder Woman; and Aquaman is a wimp on the verge of a nervous breakdown. And The Hulk is, well, you have to see it for yourself. The best scene is The Hulk banging on the occupied bathroom door yelling, "Hulk need take crap! ArrrrgH!" He busts his fists through, throws out pants-around-the-ankles Aquaman, and goes in to drop a deuce.
Wow, I mean, its been a long time since I accidentally made liquid go up into my nose, but the Hulk banging on that bathroom door, well, that did it. Funny stuff.
Now, any ordinary show would rest on its laurels and just fill the rest of the show with crap, and no one would begrudge them one bit. No one would remember; all they would recall is the Super Friends. But this is why Robot Chicken kicks ass: they kept going.
There's some things I wish I'd written. The 30-second skit "Two Kirks, a Khan, and a Pizza Place" is one such thing -- a clever take on the 90s ABC show "Two Guys, A Girl and a Pizza Place" but starring Captain James T. Kirk, Kirk Cameron, and Khan from Star Trek 2 (Ricardo Montalban). It was so quick, I barely could figure out what the hell was going on. Before I could fully comprehend it, it was over. About five seconds after it was over, I nearly fell out of my chair laughing when it sunk in. Here's what happens:
TV show opening, showing James T, Kirk Cameron, and Khan, and then the three of them walking into the pizza place together. Episode begins with Khan tossing pizza dough up in the air, and he drops it. Captain Kirk, who I guess is the pizza place owner, sees this and yells, "Khaaaaaan!"
Over and over. The camera pulls out of the shop to the street, and you can still hear him yelling "Khaaan!"
The beauty of it, no, the genius of it, is twofold:
1) Using Kirk Cameron in the credits, but not in the sketch -- he's only there because they needed a second Kirk to make the title and the TV show reference work;
2) The whole skit is basically a vehicle for the writers to use the "Khaaan!" quote
Brilliant.
And the third skit was this crazy thing called "Zombie Idol". Moderately funny, although it was funny to see the judge panel -- Frankenberry, Boo Berry, and Count Chocula. That's good stuff.
You need to watch this show. 10:30pm Sunday nights on Cartoon Network/Adult Swim. Its right before Aqua Teen, which I know you watch already, so just tune in 15 minutes early.
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