When I read a review in The New Yorker that said “The Sarah Silverman Program” is “much the meanest sitcom in years — and one of the funniest,” I knew I had to tune in. Reading further, when I noticed that Brian Posehn plays one of Sarah’s “red-bearded gay neighbors,” well, I was pretty much sitting by the Tivo waiting for the little red light to pop on. Then, when I finally tuned in and Zach Galifianakis came on screen, I knew I was in for a treat (if these names don’t ring a bell, then check out The Comedians of Comedy, one of the funniest comedy films I’ve ever seen — the best way I can think of to describe it is crude comedy for geeks and comic book nerds with unnatural music obsessions, and the people they love.)
The episode I watched is described as follows:
Sarah takes in a homeless man to prove that she’s a caring person. Brian learns karate, but fails to use it at critical moments.
The running gag in the show isn’t called out in the synopsis, but it’s about as crass as it gets. Best of all, Brian does use his karate at one critical moment, in an inspired fight scene with Zach Galifianakis that surely ranks as the best ever between nerdy comics (maybe the only one). Here are some screenshots — check out Brian catching some air:
So, “The Sarah Silverman Program” is highly-recommended. If it feels a little too crass for your high-brow tastes, remember that you can always fall back on The New Yorker review to justify your indulgence. Prepare to be embarrassed by your own laughter.
I have a prior commitment that night, but for you Brian Posehn and Comedians of Comedy fans in the Bay Area, there’s a show on Sunday, March 4 as part of the Noise Pop festival.
Chad Dickerson's blog 