Mr. Show with Bob and David

A sketch comedy series starring and hosted by Bob Odenkirk and David Cross. The pair introduce most episodes as heightened versions of themselves before transitioning to a mixture of live sketches and pre-taped segments.

Mr. Show with Bob and David (1995-1998) is a US cable sketch comedy series created by David Cross and Bob Odenkirk for HBO. Odenkirk and Cross star as hosts who introduce most episodes as exaggerated versions of themselves, then move into a rotating stream of live sketches and pre-taped segments. Jill Talley, Brian Posehn, Tom Kenny and Paul F. Tompkins anchor a large roster of recurring characters, each one a vehicle for escalating awkwardness, bluster and social stupidity. The engine of each episode is the pileup: a bit starts small, a character refuses to back down, and the joke keeps tightening until it becomes absurd. Across four seasons and thirty half-hour episodes, the show runs as an anthology of self-contained sketches rather than a continuing story, so any episode can be entered at any point. The register is sharp, irreverent and deadpan, skewering media, celebrity, and self-important hucksters with a precision that rewards close attention. Its late-nineties HBO setting gives it a particular cable-era swagger. Fans of Monty Python's Flying Circus, The Kids in the Hall and Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! will find kindred spirits here.

Critics broadly regard the series as a sharp, positively received sketch show whose absurdist, cringe-prone character pieces and dark satirical edge stand out from its contemporaries.

• Monty Python's Flying Circussketch comedy with absurdist character bits and host-led self-parody
• The Kids in the Hallsurreal sketch format built on recurring characters and satirical media targets
• Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!cringe-adjacent sketch comedy with heightened persona performances and dark edge

Created by

David Cross, Bob Odenkirk

Release Date

1995-11-03

Episode runtime

30 min

Rating

8.4 / 10 (98)

What is Mr. Show with Bob and David about?

Bob Odenkirk and David Cross host a 1990s HBO sketch show that plays heightened versions of themselves before launching into absurd, pointed sketches.

What is Mr. Show with Bob and David like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Mr. Show with Bob and David as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as simple.

Is Mr. Show with Bob and David violent?

Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Mr. Show with Bob and David as mild.

What did critics think of Mr. Show with Bob and David?

Critics broadly regard the series as a sharp, positively received sketch show whose absurdist, cringe-prone character pieces and dark satirical edge stand out from its contemporaries.

Which shows are like Mr. Show with Bob and David?

Shows with a similar feel include Monty Python's Flying Circus, The Kids in the Hall, and Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!.

How long is Mr. Show with Bob and David?

Mr. Show with Bob and David: 4 seasons, 30 episodes.

Is Mr. Show with Bob and David still running?

No, Mr. Show with Bob and David has ended.

Where can I watch Mr. Show with Bob and David?

In United States, Mr. Show with Bob and David streams on HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max.