Viva Variety
Encyclopedia
Viva Variety is an American sketch comedy
series that aired on Comedy Central
from April 1997 to December 1999. The series satirizes European variety show
s.
as "your cool-ass pal" Johnny Blue Jeans. In addition to comedy sketches, the show featured musical guests and various performers, including Ben Stiller. Periodically, a troupe of women called “The Swimsuit Squad” would dance much like the “Fly Girls” on In Living Color
.
The show's premise was derived from a sketch from The State
called "The Mr. and Former Mrs. Laupin Variety Program", and the show featured many people who were a part of the comedy troupe.
One in particular had the former Mrs. Laupin asking consumers to ignore or fix errors on their sponsor's products, including a cereal, “Sweety Balls”, in which the second e was replaced with an a.
The other common sketch theme was a game show with an odd premise, such as “Plant or Animal”, where an audience member was asked to attribute a few seconds-long recording to either an animal or Robert Plant
. This proved more difficult than one might anticipate.
Another sketch of this style was “Klingon
or Galliano”, where an audience member was shown runway models in various outfits and was asked if they were wearing costumes for Klingons from the science fiction
series Star Trek
or made by fashion designer John Galliano
. This also proved more difficult than one might anticipate. The participant's consolation prize of a tribble coat, presented by an allergic Johnny Blue Jeans, made light of Galliano's controversial use of fur.
. Thomas Lennon, Kerri Kenney-Silver and Michael Ian Black reunited for a LIVE on-stage performance of Viva Variety, with a guest appearance by Robert Ben Garant. These sold out shows included video highlights from the original show on the "jumbotron" and new, improvised material by the cast.
Skits included: a game of "Thomas vs. George", where an audience member had to guess which Jefferson was being described, Johnny Blue Jeans ranked the Police Academy movies in order of cinematic importance, Mr. Laupin pretended to surf while letting inappropriate joke waves pass by, and the former Mrs. Laupin sold Perma-ham as only she can.
Sketch comedy
A sketch comedy consists of a series of short comedy scenes or vignettes, called "sketches," commonly between one and ten minutes long. Such sketches are performed by a group of comic actors or comedians, either on stage or through an audio and/or visual medium such as broadcasting...
series that aired on Comedy Central
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
from April 1997 to December 1999. The series satirizes European variety show
Variety show
A variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is an entertainment made up of a variety of acts, especially musical performances and sketch comedy, and normally introduced by a compère or host. Other types of acts include magic, animal and circus acts, acrobatics, juggling...
s.
Overview
The show stars Thomas Lennon as Meredith Laupin, Kerri Kenney as the former Mrs. (Agatha) Laupin, and Michael Ian BlackMichael Ian Black
Michael Ian Black is an American comedian, actor, writer and director. He has starred in several TV comedy series, including The State, Ed, Viva Variety, Stella and Michael & Michael Have Issues. He is also a prominent poker player, appearing on Celebrity Poker Showdown several times...
as "your cool-ass pal" Johnny Blue Jeans. In addition to comedy sketches, the show featured musical guests and various performers, including Ben Stiller. Periodically, a troupe of women called “The Swimsuit Squad” would dance much like the “Fly Girls” on In Living Color
In Living Color
In Living Color is an American sketch comedy television series, which originally ran on the Fox Network from April 15, 1990 to May 19, 1994. Brothers Keenen and Damon Wayans created, wrote, and starred in the program. The show was produced by Ivory Way Productions in association with 20th Century...
.
The show's premise was derived from a sketch from The State
The State (TV series)
The State is a half-hour sketch-comedy television show, originally broadcast on MTV between December 17, 1993 and July 1, 1995. The show combined bizarre characters and scenarios to present sketches that won the favor of its target teenaged audience...
called "The Mr. and Former Mrs. Laupin Variety Program", and the show featured many people who were a part of the comedy troupe.
Sketches
Though Mr. Laupin, the former Mrs. Laupin, and Johnny Blue Jeans were themselves characters, the show did not utilize recurring characters or resort to impersonations. Often, the troupe would address or involve the audience directly; in one theme of this vein, Mr. Laupin and the former Mrs. Laupin would do an old-fashioned plug for their fake sponsor during actual airtime.One in particular had the former Mrs. Laupin asking consumers to ignore or fix errors on their sponsor's products, including a cereal, “Sweety Balls”, in which the second e was replaced with an a.
The other common sketch theme was a game show with an odd premise, such as “Plant or Animal”, where an audience member was asked to attribute a few seconds-long recording to either an animal or Robert Plant
Robert Plant
Robert Anthony Plant, CBE is an English singer and songwriter best known as the vocalist and lyricist of the iconic rock band Led Zeppelin. He has also had a successful solo career...
. This proved more difficult than one might anticipate.
Another sketch of this style was “Klingon
Klingon
Klingons are a fictional warrior race in the Star Trek universe.Klingons are recurring villains in the 1960s television show Star Trek: The Original Series, and have appeared in all five spin-off series and eight feature films...
or Galliano”, where an audience member was shown runway models in various outfits and was asked if they were wearing costumes for Klingons from the science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
series Star Trek
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
or made by fashion designer John Galliano
John Galliano
John Charles Galliano CBE, RDI is a Gibraltan-born British fashion designer who was best known as head designer of French haute couture houses Givenchy and Christian Dior , and his own self titled fashion house.-Family:He was born in Gibraltar to a Gibraltarian father, Juan Galliano, and a...
. This also proved more difficult than one might anticipate. The participant's consolation prize of a tribble coat, presented by an allergic Johnny Blue Jeans, made light of Galliano's controversial use of fur.
Reunion
On January 29, 2011 at the Eureka Theatre in San Francisco, California a two-show reunion of Viva Variety was held as part of the 10th annual San Francisco SketchfestSF Sketchfest
SF Sketchfest, or The San Francisco Sketch Comedy Festival, is a comedy festival founded in 2002 by Bay Area actor-comedians David Owen, Janet Varney and Cole Stratton...
. Thomas Lennon, Kerri Kenney-Silver and Michael Ian Black reunited for a LIVE on-stage performance of Viva Variety, with a guest appearance by Robert Ben Garant. These sold out shows included video highlights from the original show on the "jumbotron" and new, improvised material by the cast.
Skits included: a game of "Thomas vs. George", where an audience member had to guess which Jefferson was being described, Johnny Blue Jeans ranked the Police Academy movies in order of cinematic importance, Mr. Laupin pretended to surf while letting inappropriate joke waves pass by, and the former Mrs. Laupin sold Perma-ham as only she can.
