News of Rick Perry’s indictment broke on Friday, after the script for that Sunday’s Top Story! Weekly was locked. And we didn’t really have anyone in the cast to play Rick Perry. But when I saw that Perry’s troubles arose out of the drunk driving arrest of a political rival, I realized that was the way to hit the story. I churned this out in about 40 minutes, and Stacy Rumaker did an absolutely awesome job as the drunk D.A. explaining the case. And at the end is our tribute to Robin Williams who had passed away the preceding Monday.
ROSEMARY LEHMBERG EXPLAINS RICK PERRY’S INDICTMENT by Michael Hughes
A line flub turned into a happy accident that made the scene. When Bennie Arthur accidentally called Tillery Johnson “Henry Fonda” instead of “Henry Ford”, this sketch about the erotic letters Warren G. Harding sent to his mistress could have been derailed. Instead, because the cast was listening and paying attention, it became even more hilarious.
I’m a huge fan of “Mad Men,” so when we did our show for iO West’s 12th Annual Improv Comedy Festival and had as our special guest Stephanie Drake – aka Don Draper’s secretary Meredith – I thought it would be fun to do something about the big kiss she’d had on the midseason finale just a week earlier. Especially since we all know that right now Jon Hamm is the one exception that all straight guys would make…
This show was the first time in almost two years I had two sketches in “Top Story! Weekly!” This one was a look at the Lindsay Lohan fuck list, and an excuse for me to write for great impressions like James Warfield’s James Franco, Mark Gagliardi’s Colin Farrell (both of whom were on the list) and Tammie Smalls’ Wanda Sykes (who wasn’t, but could have been…)
The concept of a Johnny Carson sex tape was so rich for comedy that we did two sketches in one show on it. The first – by Sean Tierney – probably played a little better, but mine was fun too.
I won’t lie: this episode of “Top Story! Weekly” wasn’t our strongest. But this sketch I wrote, in honor of the premiere of season 4 of “Downton Abbey” that very night, really hit. I guess if only one sketch in a show goes well, it’s nice that it’s the one you wrote!
So the December 8 episode of Top Story! Weekly? No big deal. Our guest comedian was only BOB FREAKIN’ ODENKIRK!!!!!
So with a completely sold-out house, and a guest comedian who was one of the reasons I wanted to do sketch comedy, I made sure we brought our A-game. And I came up with an opener that is probably the most UCB-ish game sketch I’ve ever written for TS!W, based upon a suggestion from Phillip Wilburn that the Obamacare website could be a “Christmas miracle.” I went in a different direction, and it ended up opening the show.
I was in the show this week so I went to the writers’ meeting to generate some material. And out of that came this idea for a sketch about the 50th anniversary of the Kennedy assassination, which I co-wrote with our director Adam Campbell-Schmitt and one of our top writers, Sean Tierney. I was backstage so I didn’t hear how great the audience response was until I watched the video – and I was really happy with the results!
This sketch didn’t go quite as well as I hoped – I don’t think the audience was that familiar with “Scandal,” and some of the dialogue wasn’t as precise as it needed to be – but I do love watching Grasie Mercedes play Olivia Pope!
Mike Hughes' blog 
Watch “Rosemary Lehmberg Explains Rick Perry’s Indictment” From Top Story! Weekly Episode 262: “Perry Deep Trouble”
August 22, 2014News of Rick Perry’s indictment broke on Friday, after the script for that Sunday’s Top Story! Weekly was locked. And we didn’t really have anyone in the cast to play Rick Perry. But when I saw that Perry’s troubles arose out of the drunk driving arrest of a political rival, I realized that was the way to hit the story. I churned this out in about 40 minutes, and Stacy Rumaker did an absolutely awesome job as the drunk D.A. explaining the case. And at the end is our tribute to Robin Williams who had passed away the preceding Monday.
ROSEMARY LEHMBERG EXPLAINS RICK PERRY’S INDICTMENT by Michael Hughes
Starring Stacy Rumaker (Rosemary Lehmberg), Matthew Harris (Matt) and Brent Pope (Brent)
Directed by Kristina Adelmeyer
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Tags:Adrian Cronauer, Aladdin, Ashleigh Hairston, Austin Texas, Bennie Arthur, Brent Pope, Dead Poets Society, district attorney, drunk driving, Genie, Good Morning Vietnam, Good Will Hunting, Hook, John Keating, Matthew Harris, Michael Hughes, Mike Hughes, Mitchel Baldwin, Mork, Mork and Mindy, Mrs. Doubtfire, Oh Captain My Captain, Peter Banning, Peter Pan, Rick Perry, Robin Williams, Rosemary Lehmberg, Sean Maguire, Stacy Rumaker, Texas Public Integrity Unit, Top Story! Weekly, Zach Zucker
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