EPISODE 200 — 200th Episode!

[souprman 10477]

You lanky gate...LINE?

[watchayakan 1021]

That Sheriff's department scene was the best. Everyone was amazing this episode, as is to be expected.

[blazeheart 48]

It doesn't get much better than this...

[4royalparkers 117]

I would very much like an Andy Daly Remix of the second song from the new Chemical Brothers with his boxing manager character drilling "the body, the body, the body" into the listeners.

[ocean_machine 56]

Oh jesus, if I have to listen to them hop on the fucking Cecil bandwagon I might skip this one.

[ThomasCaniglia 3]

Matt, I buy CD's too. We are not crazy!!!

[pdxsean 241]

I love that you had the Milkman actually go out and ask about any hidden cakes or whatever. Classic Besser.

 

Congrats on 200, I'm absolutely on board for the next 800, assuming there are several cupcake baskets and/or celebratory banners along the way.

[AlbinLundholm 4020]

Omg the couch photos

[FaceLikeThunder 2114]

"What are you doing buying a CD?"

[JacobCrites 4977]

Thank you, Matt.

I did not know what long-form improv was before I heard this show, which I've listened to since episode four, I think. I had recently discovered Comedy Death Ray. The first episode I ever listened to was the Patton Oswalt one--I was really into stand-up at the time and had just discovered podcasts, so I typed Patton's name into iTunes and found CDR on a whim. After 10 minutes this Don Dimello character shows up. I had no idea what was happening; but after a couple minutes I realized he was just making this stuff up. They interviewed him for an hour, and he just kept on making up an increasingly ridiculous backstory. This blew my mind. Something I had always had a natural talent for was actually a *thing*! People were out there doing it.

One day on the earwolf site I saw Andy Daly was a guest on this show called Improv4Humans. I started listening.

This really blew my mind. There was no structure! These guys could just build entire narratives out of a single word, or vague idea. I had never heard anything like this before.

 

Anyway, I've been listening ever since. There's not much of an improv scene around these parts, but Matt: again, thank you. You introduced me to a kind of entertainment I had no idea existed, and it's helped me tremendously. Not only has it gotten me through some tough times (I know that sounds cliche, but it's true. I went through a seriously awful bout of depression, and sometimes the only bright spot in my day was this show) but it's helped my writing as well. I had been working on a novel for a while but got totally stuck. The idea of finding the "game" to a scene, taking a simple idea and carrying it out to its logical extreme--this completely got me out of my writer's block. The novel (which I'm still chipping away at) is constructed in a such a way that every chapter is based around a theme. So I started treating those themes like one-word suggestions. I tried to think of stories from my life that I associated with that theme. As a result, I was able to imbue a lot more of myself into my writing. The dialogue was improved dramatically. The drama escalated more effectively. (I promise I put more effort into creative writing than I do my rambling, boring forum posts)

 

That all is to say nothing at how brilliant this show is as a piece of comedy. Not even SNL has been able to tackle political and social issues like gun control and gay marriage with the poignancy and deftness of Improv4Humans. The show is as good as it is because you care. You get mad, you get excited, you get depressed--but you channel that into some of the best comedy I've ever heard. (I think the lack of that kind of emotional fire is what has made SNL a little luke warm, actually) I always found it very cathartic hearing the episodes where you read letters from his recently-deceased father. It's helped me to laugh when coping with losing loved ones.

 

Basically, this show means a lot to me. Thanks again, Matt.

 

Star Wars,

 

Jake

[zcat77 3]

Yay 200... and celebrating with some of my favorite people! I can't believe it's almost been four years since the show has started. Great job guys!

[souprman 10477]

that's good stuff Jacob C!

[illuminatedwax 59]

One of the best episodes of the show, and listened to every episode, compulsively going back through the archives after I heard one. Very few podcasts can be this consistently hilarious and entertaining. Most podcasts are made up of huge amounts of excess cruft, with people just rambling on like a morning radio zoo show, but this one gives us over an hour of solid entertainment with no bullshit on a weekly basis. We're all lucky to have it, and we're lucky we can get such talented improvisors on the show!

[Texas Kevin 1]

This was a great episode, congratulations on the 200. I'm super late to the podcast game because I'm the kind of guy that still buys CDs but I'm so glad this exists and I finally found it. the UCB show changed my life as a teenager and I'm listening to every episode of this now, almost done with the 60s, but 200 was also so very good. I hope I didn't miss the boat completely because it sounds a little like the show might not be happening soon?!? Say it isn't so, there's nothing like this on TV or the radio, anywhere. Last week's episode was also incredible. Don't let Star Wars win

[AndyPacheco-Fores 437]

Great episode, Star Wars

[souprman 10477]

Great episode, Star Wars

I love the idea that Star Wars could replace SNAFU or FUBAR in the lexicon.

[AndyPacheco-Fores 437]

I really hope that Besser and the guests walked out of the studio right into a massive surprise party with everyone from Earwolf and UCB and like a 6 ft tall cake and 10 gallon champagne bottle. Star Wars.

[AndyPacheco-Fores 437]

Heynong man, Star Wars.

[FaceLikeThunder 2114]

This was bueno from tip to taint.

The improv4humans podcast I mean.

 

Congrats Matt on 200 amazing episodes.

[DanEngler 5249]

Earwolf did bring donuts to celebrate I4H's 200th episode, but they mysteriously disappeared before the party began.

 

[Bumpy 1674]

Is this show available on CD?

[VinsanityV22 500]

I buy CD's still, Matt! I'm in my 20's! Just turned 27 in July, yo! Three reasons why I still buy CD's.

 

ONE: you can't show off mp3's, or worse streaming music, to people. Whenever I visit a buddy of mine from college, he's got all his music and DVD's and games on shelves and you know what? That's all sh*t people can talk about. That's real stuff to look at and get interested in. It's weird that people seem to universally bemoan the loss of the "Book Store" to eBooks, and how that destroyed the "browsing experience", yet don't seem to bounce that idea back at other media like music of games.

 

TWO: Crazily enough, if you buy CD's off of Amazon, you almost always get the MP3 album too for no extra cash. When the CD's are cheaper than the MP3 album, you're kinda stupid if you don't get a CD. I'm sorry. That's just math

 

THREE: There's the chance you'll be sending money to the artist if you get a CD. Especially if you get stuff from their websites. Getting digital only puts money in Apple or Google's pockets - they don't need it. Sure, they give a pittance out to host music on their service, but c'mon... you don't want your cash to go to "Soulless Global CompuMegaCorp A". You want it to go to the musician! Especially for smaller/medium-sized acts. Crappy people on the Billboard Top 100; just shells of teenagers that record producers and songwriters foist personalities on, I could care less. But for good artists? I want to make sure I give my money TO THEM. Not the company in charge of the service that holds their music. That's BS.

 

Matty B: I'm with you 100% in that CD's are still super viable nowadays

 

I am most certainly not with you about buying them second-hand through the internet though, lol. That is shady stuff. Why are you so cheap? Just get it from the website new, man. It's not like albums are expensive. And again, send some of your money to the artists, not the people selling the artist's work. Dang brotha!

[souprman 10477]

I smell a Case Closed brewing...

[AlbinLundholm 4020]

Thank you, Matt.

I did not know what long-form improv was before I heard this show, which I've listened to since episode four, I think. I had recently discovered Comedy Death Ray. The first episode I ever listened to was the Patton Oswalt one--I was really into stand-up at the time and had just discovered podcasts, so I typed Patton's name into iTunes and found CDR on a whim. After 10 minutes this Don Dimello character shows up. I had no idea what was happening; but after a couple minutes I realized he was just making this stuff up. They interviewed him for an hour, and he just kept on making up an increasingly ridiculous backstory. This blew my mind. Something I had always had a natural talent for was actually a *thing*! People were out there doing it.

One day on the earwolf site I saw Andy Daly was a guest on this show called Improv4Humans. I started listening.

This really blew my mind. There was no structure! These guys could just build entire narratives out of a single word, or vague idea. I had never heard anything like this before.

 

Anyway, I've been listening ever since. There's not much of an improv scene around these parts, but Matt: again, thank you. You introduced me to a kind of entertainment I had no idea existed, and it's helped me tremendously. Not only has it gotten me through some tough times (I know that sounds cliche, but it's true. I went through a seriously awful bout of depression, and sometimes the only bright spot in my day was this show) but it's helped my writing as well. I had been working on a novel for a while but got totally stuck. The idea of finding the "game" to a scene, taking a simple idea and carrying it out to its logical extreme--this completely got me out of my writer's block. The novel (which I'm still chipping away at) is constructed in a such a way that every chapter is based around a theme. So I started treating those themes like one-word suggestions. I tried to think of stories from my life that I associated with that theme. As a result, I was able to imbue a lot more of myself into my writing. The dialogue was improved dramatically. The drama escalated more effectively. (I promise I put more effort into creative writing than I do my rambling, boring forum posts)

 

That all is to say nothing at how brilliant this show is as a piece of comedy. Not even SNL has been able to tackle political and social issues like gun control and gay marriage with the poignancy and deftness of Improv4Humans. The show is as good as it is because you care. You get mad, you get excited, you get depressed--but you channel that into some of the best comedy I've ever heard. (I think the lack of that kind of emotional fire is what has made SNL a little luke warm, actually) I always found it very cathartic hearing the episodes where you read letters from his recently-deceased father. It's helped me to laugh when coping with losing loved ones.

 

Basically, this show means a lot to me. Thanks again, Matt.

 

Star Wars,

 

Jake

This created a big smile on my face

[TheBlackSpank 137]

Earwolf seriously owes Besser and company some goddamn cupcakes. I mean, it's Star Wars, man!