Strangers with Candy

Jerri Blank is a former prostitute and junkie whore who returns to high school as a 46-year-old freshman at Flatpoint High. Jerri ran away from home and became 'a boozer, a user, and a loser' after dropping out as a teenager, supporting her drug habits through prostitution, stripping, and larceny. She has been to prison several times, the last time because she 'stole the TV'. At home, Jerri's father Guy is comatose, although he seems perfectly capable of amazing feats. Her stepmother Sara is vain and bitter, and stepbrother Derrick is a bullying jock. Jerri tries to do things the right way but always ends up learning the wrong lesson. Her hijinks often involve, either directly or indirectly, neurotic history teacher Chuck Noblet and his secret lover, sensitive art teacher Geoffrey Jellineck.

Strangers with Candy (1999-2000) is an American Comedy Central satirical sitcom created by Stephen Colbert, Mitch Rouse, Amy Sedaris and Paul Dinello. Amy Sedaris plays Jerri Blank, a former prostitute and junkie who returns to Flatpoint High as a 46-year-old freshman, determined to do things the right way and reliably learning the wrong lesson. Her efforts keep colliding with neurotic history teacher Chuck Noblet (Stephen Colbert) and his secret lover, sensitive art teacher Geoffrey Jellineck (Paul Dinello), whose own closeted tangle fuels much of the chaos. At home, her comatose father Guy, vain stepmother Sara and bullying stepbrother Derrick supply a grotesque domestic backdrop. The engine is simple: each episode builds a small scheme or school project that Jerri pursues with earnest, self-deluded zeal until it spirals into absurd disaster. The show runs three seasons of thirty episodes in total, each episode a self-contained comic misadventure rather than a continuing story. Its tone is deliberately campy and deadpan, with cringe comedy, after-school special parody and dark satire layered over a bright, tacky set design. Fans of Mr. Show with Bob and David, Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist and Ned and Stacey will find similar kinship in its awkward, self-deluded characters and mischievous satire.

Viewers broadly regard the series as a sharply absurd, deliberately offensive satire of after-school special conventions, admired for its committed performances and cult status.

• Mr. Show with Bob and Davidshared dark comedy satire of earnest education and absurd characters
• Dr. Katz, Professional Therapistshared cringe comedy tone, deadpan awkward characters and campy absurdity
• Ned and Staceyshared satirical sitcom aimed at hapless, self-deluded protagonists
• The Ben Stiller Showshared outrageous surreal sitcom with deliberately tacky production and misfit leads

Created by

Stephen Colbert, Mitch Rouse, Amy Sedaris, Paul Dinello

Release Date

1999-04-07

Episode runtime

23 min

Rating

8.1 / 10 (47)

What is Strangers with Candy about?

A former teenage junkie and prostitute returns to high school at 46 and tries, badly, to do everything the right way.

What is Strangers with Candy like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Strangers with Candy as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as simple.

Is Strangers with Candy violent?

Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Strangers with Candy as mild.

What did critics think of Strangers with Candy?

Viewers broadly regard the series as a sharply absurd, deliberately offensive satire of after-school special conventions, admired for its committed performances and cult status.

Which shows are like Strangers with Candy?

Shows with a similar feel include Mr. Show with Bob and David, Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist, Ned and Stacey, and The Ben Stiller Show.

How long is Strangers with Candy?

Strangers with Candy: 3 seasons, 30 episodes.

Is Strangers with Candy still running?

No, Strangers with Candy has ended.

Where can I watch Strangers with Candy?

In United States, Strangers with Candy streams on Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Paramount Plus Apple TV channel, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, YouTube TV, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel.