Comedy Central redefines the talk show
What it is: Comedy Central’s new faux-debate show “Crossballs” ratchets up the mania and onscreen bickering of cable-TV talkers “Crossfire” and “Hardball.” And as is de rigueur with unscripted shows today, there’s a dilly of a twist: most of the so-called “authorities” taking on the more contentious points of view are fakes.
What it’s all about: The blustery talk show, which runs for eight weeks, recruits unsuspecting guests to debate comedians posing as whack-job experts, such as the tie-dye-sporting founder of Hippies Against Pot or the rabid spokeswoman from Mothers Against Advanced Age Driving who believes that driving privileges should be curtailed for those older than 55.
Why we like it: As an avowed “Crossfire” fan, I didn’t think things could get much more entertaining than watching Paul Begala get apoplectic about President Bush’s latest malapropism or Tucker Carlson giving Democratic pundits the old what-for over John Kerry’s perceived waffling. I was wrong. Things can get a lot more entertaining – for example, imagine replacing Begala with a self-described “bartender and taxi driver” who grouses, “The problem is, people don’t know how to drink and drive.” The “Crossballs” cast includes Chris Tallman as the outspoken host and veteran comic actors Matt Besser (Upright Citizens Brigade), Andrew Daly (“MadTV”) and Jerry Minor (“Saturday Night Live”) as the purported guest experts.
The show regularly induces as many cringes as chuckles, and it’s often difficult to believe that the real guests could truly be clueless enough to believe that the vitriol-spewing imbeciles sitting across from them are the real deal. But any weak spots are easily made up for by the hysterical sound-bite captions printed at the bottom of the screen to emphasize the speakers’ points – “Knowing in advance: Ruins surprise?” and “Bilingual drivers: Dangerous or peligroso?” were a few that made me laugh out loud during the first two episodes.
To sum it up in “Crossballs”-speak: “Crossballs”: Funniest show on TV? Nah. It’s not even the funniest show on Comedy Central. (That would be “The Daily Show.”) But if you’re all for skewering the pumped-up aggression and absurdity of TV’s “real” gab fests, “Crossballs” should be set in your comedy crosshairs.