5 Great Sketch Comedies: Upright Citizens Brigade

As we celebrate the tenth anniversary of Chappelle's Show (OK, so we're like a week late), Popculturology is here to give its own look back on the iconic show. While it didn't last long on TV, every episode gave us something to talk about ... or rather mimic constantly. (C'mon, people, we can't be Rick James ... bitch.) As we honor Chappelle's Show, we'll take a look back at other legendary comedy shows. In addition to Chappelle's Show, this series will focus on Upright Citizens Brigade, SCTV, Saturday Night Live and Monty Python's Flying Circus. Sit back and enjoy.

You can sum up Upright Citizens Brigade from the introduction voiced by improve legend Del Close: "From the dawn of civilization, they have existed in order to undermine it." The short-run Comedy Central show, based on the established improv theatre, always took that unsuspected turn.

The cast of then-unknowns (well, most were already known within the comedy community), brought the same kind of theatre-type productions seen in Second City to this show, and with their infusion of improv they took the shots at what American culture became in the 1990s. When they weren’t scripting their humor, they used real-life pranks to close out episodes.

Upright Citizens Brigade was not the greatest, but it was insane. Any show to openly mock Chumbawumba, Ladies of the Lake and terrible college girls who don’t put out deserves to be on this list. Also, they really hated astronauts. And can you really go wrong with a cast that included Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation, Blades of Glory, Saturday Night Live), Matt Besser (Crossballs, Drillbit Taylor), Ian Roberts (Martin and Orloff, Conan) and Matt Walsh (Veep, Old School)?

Notables sketches



The Little Donny Foundation
Little Donny is afflicted with something ... terrible?



Ass Pennies
I will admit this is crude, but it’s so funny and sold well by Roberts.

Seth’s Personal Favorite



Fortune Cookies
Terribly cruel fortune cookies, which reminds me of the Bittersweet Hearts as seen on MST3K.