"F-" NEWSREADERS

Article first published as NEWSREADERS Review Season 2 on Seat42F.

NEWSREADERS is back on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim this week for a second run! For those unfamiliar with the series, a semi-spin-off of Childrens Hospital, the name tells you pretty much exactly what it is. It’s a parody of a 60 Minutes-style news magazine, but delivered with tongue-in-cheek humor, sort of like The Onion. Basically, it’s very funny, so you should check it out.

The first episode back is called “F- Dancing, Are You Decent?” and is divided into several segments, despite its roughly ten-minute running time. In the first part, Amir LaRussa (Kumail Nanjiana, Portlandia, Franklin & Bash) examines a new trend sweeping teen pop culture of people actually having sex while dancing. In the second, a correspondent (Lost’s Harold Perrineau) proves people are racist, and when those walking by don’t reveal that ugly side of themselves right away, goes to extremes until they have a reaction that he can pervert into classifying as racism. There’s also a commentary from popular ‘old man’ Skip Reming (Ray Wise).

These segments are much the same as fans of the first season have come to expect. They go after a topic like a normal news reporter would, but then skew it far to the extreme, often with a weird twist few would think of, and milk it for it’s worth. All of the participants are in on the game; this isn’t just a ‘gotcha’ hidden camera show or a Daily Show-esque interview that some people could mistake as real. Instead, it’s completely scripted for maximum effect, and it lands.

The most obvious change in season two is that host Louis La Fonda (Mather Zikel) is sadly gone, though his replacement, Reagan Biscayne (Alan Tudyk, Suburgatory, Firefly), is a worthy successor. Reagan may not share Louis’ Kate Walsh obsession, but he does a fine job keeping the train on the tracks, introducing the various parts of the episode.

A level of social commentary pervades NEWSREADERS. When looking at “F- Dancing,” the trend is not all that far off from the way teenagers actually act. This lends an authenticity that allows the audience to relate to the joke, even if the particular way things are presented would never happen. They then take it a step further, showing what happens when the older generation joins in, and extending the commentary.

Now, the racism stuff is more poking fun at the way CNN and other news networks treat their reporting on racism, not actually pushing forth a political viewpoint as to whether racism is over or not. NEWSREADERS is clearly meant to make people laugh, not to effect change in our culture. It avoids judging anyone or anything real, setting itself in a crazy, fictional world.

The quality of the writing is apparent, and the talent attracted to this project further lends it gravity. Besides those listed above, Reno 911’s Tom Lennon and others appear in the first episode, with a rotating cast over the weeks, allowing many familiar faces to pop in for a spell. The way NEWSREADERS is shot allows a flexibility to include people who might not otherwise be available, given busy work schedules.

It’s difficult to evaluate a single episode of NEWSREADERS on its own. Perhaps if a bad one were ever aired, it would stick out, but instead, the program is consistent and full of small bits, not delivering a cohesive story, but not needing one. “F- Dancing, Are You Decent?” is as good as other installments I have seen.

The premiere episode of NEWSREADERS is available now on Adult Swim’s website, and fresh installments will be airing Thursday nights / Friday mornings at midnight on Cartoon Network.

FILTHY SEXY TEEN$ Newest Spinoff

Article first published as FILTHY SEXY TEEN$ Newest Spinoff on TheTVKing.

First there was Childerns Hospital, which spun off NTSF:SD:SUV and Newsreaders. Now, by some of the same people, parodying in a similar manner, comes Filthy Sexy Teen$, the "Pilot" of which aired on Adult Swim this week.

Filthy Sexy Teen$ does for rich kid teen dramas what those others shows did for medical dramas, law enforcement dramas, and news magazines, respectively. The live-action series is set at a high school, makes use of familiar elements from Gossip Girl, Pretty Little Liars, and the film Cruel Intentions, among other sources, and sports actors much older than the parts they play. In short, it's great lampooning done in a style that has already proven successful for other genres.

I think Filthy Sexy Teen$ has the potential to be even more popular than those other three shows. The reason for this theory is because Adult Swim's target audience is young people, and this caters more to the types of shows those people watch. Toss in some vampires, werewolves, witches, zombies, and the like, which the "Pilot" does in a small way, and it has the ingredients for a popular program. Although it doesn't appear any other episodes are yet scheduled to air.

In the "Pilot," Tom (Sam Trammell, True Blood) and Meg (Casey Wilson, Happy Endings) take in poor kid Nick (Marshall Allman, Prison Break). This is great news to Meg and Tom's daughter, Reagan (Hannah Kasulka, What to Expect When You're Expecting), because poor kids are hot, and not being biologically related, she has a leg up on her competition for Nick's affection.

Regan and Nick attend a preppy private school, where it's cool to pretend you're gay, as Ricky (Steven Yeun, The Walking Dead) does. Everyone has a dark secret; Jamie's (Chelsea Harris, Time for Passion) is that she's a zombie. Some teachers, like Mr. Benton (Johnny Pemberton, Family Tools), are impossibly young and just want to be friends with their students. And the principal, Mr. Hastings (Chris Parnell, 30 Rock), is sort of trying to keep it together, at least a little, when he's not busy with his own projects.

Filthy Sexy Teen$ is funny. Tropes are trotted out and beaten to death. Concepts are hammered in repeatedly. The characters play their parts with sincerity, even when you know such earnestness must be faked, considering how ridiculous the levels are.

By using mostly experienced performers, Filthy Sexy Teen$ gives some of the most gifted comedic actors room to play. A short, fifteen-minutes per episode series like this will surely allow time for the cast to pursue other projects, as those involved in the other series by this production team do. But it will also give them a space to do some of their craziest work, earning them new fans and followings.

I don't know when Cartoon Network may air more of this show, but I definitely look forward to future installments of Filthy Sexy Teen$.

Interview with Lake Bell

You may know Lake Bell from her starring role as Cat Black on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim series, CHILDRENS HOSPITAL. You may also know her from the recently canceled HOW TO MAKE IT IN AMERICA, as a columnist in The Hollywood Reporter writing about cars, or her stint as a model, or from the short film she wrote and directed, WORST ENEMY. In short, she’s a busy woman, with a lot of talent, and varied interests.

Recently, I got to speak with Lake, who directed the season premiere of CHILDRENS HOSPITAL, “The Boy with the Pancakes Tattoo,” as well as tonight’s episode, “Staff Dance.” Here are the highlights of that conversation.

I asked Lake what the biggest difference was between acting and directing. She responded that the main difference is that you’re directing. All kidding aside, she likes the experience of running the ship and working in a new genre, her previous directing experience being drama-centric. It helps, she says, because of the “absurdist mania” that comes from working with her favorite people in the world.

That’s right. Lake loves her co-stars. While that may be no surprise, given the sheer amount of fun that radiates from the program, she did say directing was a serious gig. Often, the air on the set of CHILDRENS HOSPITAL is to joke around and have a good time. But with only two days per episode to shoot, and filming two episodes back to back, someone has to take charge and make sure that they don’t goof around too much. Lake takes that responsibility very seriously, and she said the others couldn’t have been more supportive of her efforts, not giving her any trouble or hazing.

In fact, Lake was recruited to direct CHILDRENS HOSPITAL after the guys in charge, Rob Corddry, David Wain, and Jonathan Stern, saw her short film. WORST ENEMY having earned praise and positive attention at Sundance and elsewhere, they were far from the only ones to take notice. But having Lake on staff as an actor, anyway, they had the unique opportunity to convince her to direct not one, but two episodes. And they didn’t just ask once, making sure that she knew it was a serious offer.

Lake describes her time directing as being “in heaven.” She totally dove into the position, sitting out a number of episodes as an actor (her choice) so that she could prep, execute, and polish the stories in post-production. Tasked with some serious, action-heavy, huge tales to tell, she worked her butt off to make sure she did a good job. If the season premiere is any indication, her hard work has really paid off.

I asked Lake if she would rather concentrate on acting or directing going forward, and she said ideally, she’d like to split her time. She has been so busy lately that she has been unable to accept any new acting jobs. In a perfect world, that won’t be the case forever. For now, though, she is content to go with the flow, and tackle what comes her way.

Her schedule cleared up a little bit for these new challenges because of the cancellation of HOW TO MAKE IT IN AMERICA, another series that she starred concurrently with CHILDRENS HOSPITAL. Lake says she understands that cancellation is not personal, and that television is a business. While she misses the people she worked with, and the HBO show holds a special place in her heart because she met her future husband, artist Scott Campbell, on set, she thinks that things happen for a reason. She tremendously enjoyed the work, but now she’s open to participate in jobs she couldn’t have done otherwise. It’s a wise attitude to take, and one that should serve her well in the business, long-term.

I wanted to know which role Lake would most like to reprise. Given the range of characters Lake has played, from these recent roles, to a guest spot on NEW GIRL last year, to being a series regular on BOSTON LEGAL, to the films she has appeared in, like IT’S COMPLICATED and A GOOD OLD FASHIONED ORGY, there is a wide range of characters to choose from. Lake’s answer was quick and sure: Lucy from NO STRINGS ATTACHED, who she describes as being “bizarrely comfortable” to play. The reason she chooses Lucy is because of Liz Meriweather’s fantastic writing.

The call flew by. Thanks to Lake Bell for taking the time to talk with me. Her second directed episode of CHILDRENS HOSPITAL, “Staff Dance,” airs tonight (August 16th) at midnight.

Don't forget Childrens Hospital

Adult Swim's Childrens Hospital returns for season four with "The Boy with the Pancakes Tattoo." A young boy comes into the hospital with the word 'pancakes' tattooed on his arm. The doctors quickly realize that this boy has also brought a form of airborne amnesia with him, and then they forget. Soon Glenn (Ken Marino) is left alone to figure out a cure before he, too, succumbs to the virus.

Even though Childrens Hospital is only a ten minute show, a lot is crammed into "The Boy with the Pancakes Tattoo," including a ton of non-specific movie references. Glenn wakes up in a supply closet with no memory of what has happened, but his name written on his hands. A virus takes down the staff one by one. There is a twist ending, revealed through flashback. The world descends into chaos.

It is also a supremely funny episode. One-liners zing one after the other in a constantly flood of humor. Some of the best moments: Lola (Erinn Hayes) talking her way through the process of losing her memory; Glenn asserting than an eleven year old is too young to be douchey; Nurse Dori (Zandy Hartig) figuring out her name through the context of Glenn's question; the brain scans being different only in color; the amnesia virus being defeated by being given amnesia; Lola's line about this being one of the craziest Tuesdays she's had all week; sound effects of a door being sealed, even when it's clear that it's still open a crack; Chief (Megan Mullally), Owen (Rob Huebel), AND Lola all thinking they are at a restaurant after losing their memories; Sy (Henry Winkler) randomly fingering a 'code' into the keypad behind him as he slips into his panic room; the fact that clowns can't catch amnesia.

Yes, that is right. For some strange, unexplained reason, clowns are immune. Which means that Glenn isn't the only one who doesn't immediately go down. Blake (Rob Corddry) also remains sane. But rather than helping Glenn, he crowns himself King and tricks Val (Malin Akerman) into believing she is his girlfriend.

And with only a ten minute running time, these are only some of the wonderful jokes. Wow.

Now there are inconsistencies and flubs in "The Boy with the Pancakes Tattoo." Some of them are listed above as the best parts of the episode. In a show like Childrens Hospital, continuity doesn't matter, as long as the actors play their parts well, and this bunch does, better than just about anyone else out there. The only thing that bothered me about the episode was that the virus is airborne, yet Glenn removes his mask when talking to Blake, and it takes Blake shoving Val's spit into Glenn's mouth to infect him.

But that can be overlooked, especially considering how many dots are connected in this episode. There are so many little things, like the pancake through line, or Val's arc, or the guest stars popping up in multiple places that lend such credibility to what they're doing here. It's like someone realized this 'mistake,' and decides the sight of Blake fingering mouths was silly enough to override any concerns. And that person or persons is right.

The point is, Childrens Hospital is crammed with very, very funny jokes and site gags pulled off by amazing comedic actors, an ensemble without exception, all at the top of their games. "The Boy with the Pancakes Tattoo" is a non-stop riot, and it amused greatly. Really, what more can you ask from a show like this? Absolutely nothing.

Childrens Hospital (not a cartoon) airs Thursdays at midnight on Cartoon Network.

If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! Check out my new website, JeromeWetzel.com! Article first posted on TheTVKing

Childrens Hospital The Complete Third Season checks in to DVD

Cartoon Network's Adult Swim isn't just for animated shows anymore. One of their best live action shows is Childrens Hospital. Originally a webseries doctored to deliver episodes running around 10 minutes each, The Complete Third Season, includes 14 installments from the first season created just for television.

Childrens Hospital is a unique, odd comedy. Although all the doctors and patients are white and speak English without an accent, the setting is Brazil. The story revolves around a staff of health care professionals who heal sick people and sleep with each other. But despite being as good looking as the more serious shows of the same description, these performers double as comedians. One doctor only heals through the power of laughter. Another is the owner of the facility in disguise.

Sometimes episodes build upon previous installments, and sometimes they are stand alone artistic pieces. The only constant in the Childrens Hospital universe is that viewers never know what to expect when tuning in, and no matter what it is, it will be funny.

The show's strength comes from its extremely strong ensemble. From creator Rob Corddry (The Daily Show), to Henry Winkler (Happy Days, Royal Pains), to Megan Mullally (Will & Grace), to Malin Akerman (Watchmen), each star has serious acting chops and plenty of screen experience. Also in the cast are Lake Bell (How to Make It in America), Erinn Hayes (Worst Week), Rob Huebel (Human Giant), and Ken Marino (Party Down). These people know what they're doing, and how to really sell their parts, rolling with whatever twists each new script throws at them.


Of course, when the playground looks as fun as Childrens Hospital, everyone else wants in on the action. Which means that the show has an unusually high number of familiar faces popping in for recurring roles and guest spots. Among those featured on this DVD are Jon Hamm (Mad Men), Tom Lennon (Reno 911!), Nick Offerman (Parks & Recreation), Sarah Silverman (The Sarah Silverman Program), Kate Walsh (Private Practice), Paul Scheer (The League), Jordan Peele (Key & Peele), as well as many other veterans of Ken Marino's previous shows, The State and Party Down. Plus, Michael Cera (Juno, Superbad) gives voice to the hospital PA.

Honestly, the list above of people involved in Childrens Hospital is far from comprehensive. That alone should tell you what kind of quality you're getting. But if famously talented people aren't enough to entice, the show has great, sharp writing covered, too. Medical cases range from a boy stuck in a box of quicksand, whom only Lola (Hayes), who is not at the hospital, can save, to Blake (Corddry) needing to transplant an executed killer's heart into a boy before he turns 18 at midnight.

Watching the characters be doctors is cool, but it's the special episodes that really kick Childrens Hospital up a notch. Season three has several that qualify. "The 70's Episode" is a "lost" episode from the 1970's, still featuring the same cast "way back when." "Childrens Hospital: A Play in Three Acts" is a piece in the style of Thornton Wilder. "Party Down" has the cast of canceled series Party Down catering a bar mitzvah. And "Newsreaders" is a "what if?" that gives almost all of the characters their own spin-offs.


I understand that a lot of this review sounds like gushing. There is a good reason for that. This show deserves great things said about it and a much bigger audience than it currently has. However, it's also hard to break down in detail what makes it so good because each episode is so different, and the writers seem to reinvent the characters constantly. It's an ever-shifting universe that defies pinning down. However, the overall tone and extremely high quality serve the show well.

As awesome as the episodes are, the special features on this single disc DVD set are lacking. The special features include more than 30 minutes of deleted scenes, bloopers, and gags, but they are very oddly organized. And without the context of the episode they belong in, they just aren't as funny. The extras also include six minisode promos in which Dr. Owen Maestro (Huebel) shrinks and goes inside of a body to teach kids about medicine, but these, too, lack much of the show's magic, likely because only one actor from the series appears.

Overall, this DVD set is definitely worth the buy, despite the lack of satisfying extras. Whether you're a loyal fan or a newbie, this is a great batch of episodes to purchase and watch over and over again. It is clever, creative, and fresh in a way few comedies ever achieve. Childrens Hospital The Complete Third Season is available now.

If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! Please click here to buy the first two seasons of Childrens' Hospital on DVD.  Check out my new website, JeromeWetzel.com! Article first published as DVD Review: Childrens Hospital The Complete Third Season on Blogcritics.

Childrens Hospital presents "Children's Hospital: A Play in Three Acts"

     On this week's Childrens Hospital, the regular story is abandoned in favor of an old-style play, evoking Thornton Wilder or Tennessee Williams. While the episode title is "Children's Hospital: A Play in Three Acts," it is not divided into acts, though it is a narrated play. The plot follows Owen (Rob Huebel) as he leaves his friends and fiance to take a hospital job in the big city. Owen soon realizes that the city hospital is cold and heartless, as does the audience, because of lighting and music. Our hero returns in time to save Sy (Henry Winkler), who has taken ill quite rapidly.

     This episode of Childrens Hospital is special because it is a departure from the normal scenario. While the series has done this before, including going back to the 1970s a few weeks ago, it never gets old. The point of Childrens Hospital is not to tell a narrative, but to deliver pure, belly-aching comedy. Allowing an entry to take place in a different universe, with odd clothes and dialogue patterns, only let the cast stretch, expanding their source material to draw upon. As such, "Children's Hospital: A Play in Three Acts" is yet another great episode in the series.

     Interesting, Ken Marino plays two roles this week. Not only does he tackle his usual main character, but he is the seducer from the city who lures Owen away from his home. Is this done because Marino plays a close friend of Owen's character, and the familiar visage better tempts Owen than a total stranger would? Not likely. Though that could be a possible explanation for anyone who would likely to deeply analyze the situation, Childrens Hospital defies critical thinking. Looking for explanations only prevents total enjoyment, and should be avoided. Normally, that would be a negative mark against a show, but in this case, Childrens Hospital works so well that it would be folly to question their techniques.

     Do not miss Childrens Hospital, Thursdays at midnight on Cartoon Network.

     If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter!

     Please click here to buy the first two seasons of Childrens' Hospital on DVD.

Article first published as TV Review: Childrens Hospital - "Children's Hospital: A Play in Three Acts" on Blogcritics.

NTSF:SD:SUV brilliant parody

     Cartoon Network's Adult Swim has now done for cop shows with NTSF:SD:SUV what Childrens' Hospital, on the same network, does for hospital series. Namely, embrace every cliché and give them new, interesting, hilarious twists. NTSF:SD:SUV stands for National Terrorism Strike Force: San Diego: Sport Utility Vehicle, but that isn't really important. It's much funnier just to toss in a bunch of letters, poking fun at the numerous procedurals currently on the air. The series is based on a commercial that aired during Childrens' Hospital last year, and while several actors from that short are in the series, a number of changes have been made, including who wears an eye patch. Continuity for NTSF:SD:SUV, like it's sister show, Childrens' Hospital, is ignored, but viewers will likely not care because they will laugh so hard.

     In this week's episode, the series's second, "The Birthday Party That Was Neither," a former member of the team named Chip (John Cho, FlashForward, Star Trek) blackmails four of them for one million dollars each. He is bitter because they left him behind after ninjas cut off his thumbs. When his old friends show up with the money, each gotten in immoral, illegal ways, Chip plans on blowing them up, and somehow donating the money to the park service. That's because his bomb will take out an area of parkland. Though, as one character points out, how will the money survive the explosion? The situation is resolved happily, but then boss Kove (Kate Mulgrew, Star Trek: Voyager) shows up and takes out Chip, still ending happily for everyone else.

     The main characters have all proven their comedy chops long before NTSF:SD:SUV in other projects. Series creator Paul Scheer (The League) stars, and is joined by Brandon Johnson (Funny or Die Presents...), June Diane Raphael (Bride Wars), Martin Starr (Party Down), and Rebecca Romijin (Ugly Betty). A number of guest and  recurring characters are also big names in comedy, including Rob Riggle (The Daily Show), Ed Helms (The Office, The Hangover) and Keri Kinney (Reno 9-1-1!). Mulgrew may be the most surprising member of the cast, as she is known for dramatic roles. However, in "The Birthday Party That Was Neither," she proves herself worthy, getting frustrated at the "birthday party" her employees are secretly being invited to without her. All the performers sell the parts with total commitment.

     The enthusiasm and gusto of the actors is really what makes NTSF:SD:SUV work so well. Like Childrens' Hospital, the stories are secondary, and watching the work of masters is the main draw. In this, they succeed with flying colors. This is one comedy show that you will not want to miss.

     Catch NTSF:SD:SUV Thursdays (technically Fridays) at 12:15 a.m. EST on Cartoon Network.

     If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter!

Childrens Hospital goes back to "The '70s Episode"

     Cartoon Network's Childrens' Hospital goes back in time this week in "The '70s Episode," visiting a story shown only in brief flashes thus far. When Dr. Brian (Jordan Peele) "returned" to Childrens' Hospital, the series gave viewers a glimpse of his tenure in the 1970's, but "The '70s Episode" is set completely in that time. Among the highlights of the episode are a much older looking Dr. Childrens (NOT Jon Hamm), Dr. Lola Spratt (Erinn Hayes) arriving as the first lady doctor, Glenn (Ken Marino) starting work after returning from Vietnam, and learning that Chief's (Megan Mullally) real name is Chief because of she is a full-blooded Native American, despite not appearing as such. Like most episodes of Childrens' Hospital, there is little overarching plot, but it is another funny ten minutes.

     Apparently, Brazil is good for the skin, because all of the main characters, aside from dates hairstyles and costumes, look exactly the same. It is great seeing them in this manner, and is likely wonderful fun, not just for the actors, but also the costume and set people that get to transform the entire hospital. Every second of the episode is packed with 1970s references and memorabilia, including an entire operating scene with the dialogue ripped from a commercial for the game Operation. The 'previously on' features many characters just saying the names of things from the '70s with no context. Childrens' Hospital seems to set out to inundate the viewer with as much period-specific detail as possible, until it's over the top and in your face. In a hilarious way.

     "The '70s Episode" also ends with an orgy among the staff. While many previous episodes have featured various doctors hooking up with each other, never before has everyone engaged in such a crazy act all together. Are they saying that people were more free about sex in the 1970s? It's possible, but doubtful that orgies were common place then. 

     Childrens' Hospital works, though, because of the hilarious cast and witty jokes, not because of continuity or complex storytelling, both of which are mostly lacking. The only thing I wish was different is by the end, it would be cool if Owen (Rob Huebel) quit the hospital to become a police officer, as it has been revealed and referenced many times that he once served in law enforcement, so if he works in a hospital in the 1970s, it would be conceivable that he quits being a doctor to be a cop, then later goes back.

     Sad as it is, news broke recently that the hospital where much of Childrens' Hospital is shot, the same one used in Scrubs, has been torn down. While a similar place may be found, maybe even one that looks more like it's in Brazil, the country where supposedly the story takes place, even though practically every actor in the series is white. But none will have the charm of the building that has carried several television shows through. It will be missed.

     Childrens' Hospital, unlike the hospital, should not be missed. Watch it Thursday nights at midnight on Cartoon Network.

     If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter!

     Please click here to buy the first two seasons of Childrens' Hospital on DVD.

Childrens' Hospital returns for a third hilarious season

     Cartoon Network's Childrens' Hospital began its third season this week with "Run, Dr. Lola Sprat, Run." At the Brazilian-set hospital, though clearly the show is filmed in Los Angeles at the same place where Scrubs was shot, with no attempt to make anyone or anything seem South American, a boy comes in trapped in quicksand. The rescue workers managed to put part of the quicksand in a trough, and that's what they bring in. Because it is Saturday, no one is working at the hospital, so administrator Sy (Henry Winkler) must call the team in to save the boy's life. Dr. Childrens is revealed. None of the doctors can figure out what to do, until Dr. Lola Spratt (Erinn Hayes), who has been delayed, arrives. Meanwhile, Dr. Owen Maestro (Rob Huebel) and Valerie (Malin Akerman), also a doctor, attempt to figure out why Nurse Dori (Zandy Hartig) has suddenly been getting fat these past nine months.

     The opening credit sequence this week is goofy, as it has fake actor names for all of the people playing the main characters, except Rob Huebel. Why Huebel didn't get a psuedonym, too, is a mystery, but it's funny for some reason.

     Even better, we get to see what all the doctors are up to un the weekend, since they certainly wouldn't be practicing medicine. The Chief (Megan Mullally), who can barely walk with her ailments, is a super hero, flying around town, saving lives. Owen is an airplane pilot who doesn't wear pants or underwear. Glenn (Ken Marino) is dating Lisa Edelstein from House (herself) in a hilarious cameo. And Valerie is actually Dr. Childrens (Mad Men's Jon Hamm reprising the bit from last season's finale), the hospital's namesake in disguise. And those are only a few of the beginning scenes. Fantastic cameos really make this bizarre set up work, as Edelstein and Hamm commit fully to the parts.

     Which is why Childrens' Hospital works. Sure, it's just a parody of ER, Grey's Anatomy, House, etc., but it's also one that is so extremely funny because of series star, writer, and creator Rob Corddry. Who else would name the loudspeaker guy after the man who did it on M*A*S*H, and get Michael Cera to voice it?

     One sequence that works a bit slyly is Lola Spratt is taking voice over lessons as the episode begins. There are three main female doctors on the show. Dr. Cat Black (Lake Bell) narrated the first season. Because of other acting commitments, Bell dropped to part time in season two, so Valeria replaced her in both the hospital and the narration, though both work together well enough now. Perhaps season three is Lola's turn, as she is featured in this first episode, the title of which bears her name, and she can do the voice over work. That only leaves one question. Who's turn will it be for season four? Sy?

     Other gags this week include Blake (Corddry) slapping blood on his scrubs purposely before he even goes on shift, giving him the trademark red stains, as well as Glenn adjusting his yarmulke. Valerie only discovers Dori is pregnant because she reads an article in a magazine, not because Dori offhandedly mentions she likes to get high and have sex in opium dens. Of course, the magazine says nothing on if the baby might be a karate instructor, a fear shared by Dori and Glenn.

     The only thing that fell flat in this season premiere is Lola's extended encounter with an ex, who she has to behead. It drags the story down, slowing the pacing and the boyfriend is more dumb than silly.

     Childrens' Hospital works so well because not only is the humor strong, but the performers also commit fully. Despite the ridiculous things they say and do, the characters appears to take everything completely seriously. They freak out, worrying the boy might drown in quicksand, even though all it takes is Lola smashing the trough with an axe (complete with spoken sound effects). It's a show very hard to review, other than to say it will make you laugh more than virtually anything else on television, and you absolutely must watch it.

     Childrens' Hospital airs Thursday nights at midnight.

     If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! Click here for all of my Current Season Reviews.

     Please click here to buy the first two seasons of Childrens' Hospital on DVD.

What is Childrens Hospital?

     What is Childrens Hospital?  The title of the first episode, which aired last Sunday on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim, is "Hospital Isn't a Place".  Wikipedia tells me that it is named after Dr. Childrens.  It also says that it is a web series for TheWB.com created by Rob Corddry (The Daily Show).  Rob not only gets writing and directing credit, but also is one of the stars, playing a doctor who always wears clown makeup.  Disturbing, yes.  Funny, doubly yes.

     Although this started as a web series (apparently in 2008, from the dialogue), two episodes will air each week for the next month or so.  Each episode is about 5 minutes.  The two this week were divide by a faux commercial for a crime show called "NTSF:SD:SUV", or "National Terrorism Strike Force: San Diego: Sport Utility Vehicle."  It advertised a 12 hour season finale special event, so I'm thinking that it isn't real.  Like Childrens Hospital, it mocks a popular television genre.  After all of the webisodes have aired, new episodes will begin running on August 22nd.

     CH spoofs popular medical dramas.  It's biggest source seems to be Grey's Anatomy, as the narration, personal drama, and sex seem to best match that show.  It also pulls from ER and M*A*S*H.  The best M*A*S*H reference was a voice on the hospital loudspeaker asking Captain Pierce to report to Colonel Blake's office, two characters from the old sitcom.  Also, the character who does the announcements is named Sal Viscuso, an actor who frequently did the announcements on the show it copies.  The voice is performed by Michael Cera (Juno, Arrested Development), a big name talent who isn't even seen on screen.

     Cera isn't the only well known personality to populate the medical comedy.  The series stars Lake Bell (How to Make It in America, Boston Legal), Erinn Hayes (Parenthood, Worst Week), Rob Huebel (Human Giant), Ken Marino (Veronica Mars, Party Down), and Megan Mullally (Party Down, Will & Grace).  Some of them have funny names, such as Bell's Cat Black, some have funny mannerisms, such as the Chief's crippling ailment, that seems to be not only undefined, but change throughout the episode.  The first two episodes boasted guest stars the like of Nate Corddry (Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, United States of Tara), Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation), and Ed Helms as Dr. Ed Helms (The Office).  Bell will be reduced to recurring status when the season two episodes kick in August 22nd, but the cast will add Malin Akerman (Watchmen) and Henry Winkler (Happy Days, Arrested Development).

     So, what is Childrens Hospital?  Sadly, I cannot tell you that, or even what it's about, and that makes it hard to review.  I'll let all of those names up there stand for the show, and if that doesn't encourage you to watch it, I don't know what will.  That much talent doesn't come together for crap.  I can tell you, the first episodes were hilarious!  Childrens Hospital airs Sunday nights 10:30 on Cartoon Network.