2004-11-05 | TOUGH CROWD

Yet another really good show has been canceled. Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn aired it's final episode last night.

It wasn't a consistently great show, but almost every episode had an extremely hilarious moment and/or one-liner, and the show always seemed to be on the brink of becoming something really special, which made it essential to watch.

I'm not as upset as I was when Politically Incorrect, Undeclared or Freaks and Geeks, were canceled, because it's clearly not up to the level of those and other shows that have been cancelled that for some reason I can't come up with, but it still deserved to stay on, or at least be tinkered with.

The biggest problem with the show was probably the fact that it was always on the verge, and didn't quite capture the magic that always seemed to be on the horizon. Also, the comics didn't always capitalize on openings left open for them by other comics. I also thought that the fake (or not so fake) racism on the show was very corny, and I found it annoying that the same comics would make fun of mostly one other comic, and make fun of that same comic on every episode. I don't think the show should've had so many regulars. I think they should've had more variety with the guests, because a lot of times guests that were on once or twice were much funnier than the regulars, but that may have been because they saved their best for just one or two shows. I always thought that the show should've been an hour long, because certain segments should've been longer, but the half-hour didn't allow them to be, and I also liked the "press-conference" segment at the end of the show, and would've liked to have seen that expanded. I also thought that having only a half-hour, and having four people trying to speak, some guests were uncomfortable, and never got to deep into their points, and other comics who were on fire had their momentum snatched away from them by an abrupt commercial break, or non-panel segment in the middle of the show.

Nonetheless, it was fun while it lasted, and I hope Comedy Central hasn't given up on the basic idea, because I really think something similar could work. I hope some execs were watching, too, and I think a lot of these guys (not necessarily the regulars, but a couple of them, too) deserve a shot at either their own shows, or to be a part of another ensemble cast. Thanks for the laughs and other memories, and kudos for Patrice O'Neal for his demeanor and kind words on the final episode.

Here's to hoping they start showing more shows like yours and less Drawn Together's and a lot less Mad Tv's.

Tough Crowd, indeed.

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