inside amy schumer 1 2

(********8/10)

Starring: Amy Schumer, many great guest comedians

     Inside Amy Schumer might be the best sketch comedy show on television. I’m wavering right now between this and Key & Peele, because both are amazing. The only complaint I have with Schumer’s show is that it’s a little too much of the same (female neuroses, sex, neuroses and sex). But when you have a formula that works, I’m okay with seeing it over and over. I mean, I’m not tired of AC/DC, and after watching two full seasons of Inside Amy Schumer in a weekend I’m not tired of Amy Schumer.

It’s hard not to think about comparisons with other female comedians, since the best ones share similar subject matter. But comparing Schumer’s show to, say, The Sarah Silverman Show (which I also love) is missing the point. Apples and oranges, bananas and battleships and so on. Inside Amy Schumer is better associated with the great sketch comedy shows of the past decade, where comedians have been able to push the limits of good taste and create some truly hilarious stuff. Key & Peele, Chapelle’s Show, and Inside Amy Schumer. That’s it.

I’m a big fan of the way Inside Amy Schumer switches from brief snippets of her stand-up to a sketch, or vice versa. It made me think of Seinfeld a little bit, where Jerry would do the little one-minute standup riff on whatever was the subject of that week’s show. Then there are very funny interview segments (with interesting people, like a dominatrix, or a porn director, or Chrissy Teigen). I think my favourite recurring bit on the show, though, is the interviews Schumer does with people on the street. It feels so natural, and naturally funny, that I could watch a whole show of just that.

The first show of the first season kicks off with a sketch that might actually be my favourite of them all – Schumer shows up with another girl to audition for a role…in 2 Girls 1 Cup. Complete with a full description of what that entails. If you don’t know what that entails, this show may not be for you. Also, if you don’t know what that entails, don’t google it to find out. It will ruin your day, and might ruin your entire life.

Other major highlights include a bachelorette party disaster involving a sinking party boat and stripper firefighters, a restaurant that can best be described as a Hooters with male waiters, and an ongoing bit where she uses a co-worker’s cancer treatment to make herself look like a good person while avoiding doing anything. I could go on – the ‘chick who can hang’ sketch, the drunken spoof of Chopped…but suffice it to say it’s all very good.

The debut of season three is upon us, and Inside Amy Schumer is a new addition to my must-record list on the ol’ PVR. I believe it has become a must-see for many fans. Which is good. Because that means hopefully we’ll get many more seasons. And I’ll be watching every one. But for now, we have the first two binge-worthy seasons on DVD, April 7th from Paramount Home Entertainment.