Watch “Downton Romney” from Top Story! Weekly Episode 158: “You’re So Bain!”

I had wanted for a while to do a “Downton Abbey” parody with Mitt Romney, but I hadn’t been able to figure out an angle. But when I read about the incredibly elitist and out-of-town comments his supporters made outside his Hamptons fundraisers, I knew I had it. And when the Bain Capital allegations blew up over the past few days, the sketch provided a means to address those stories as well. I was happy about a lot with this sketch – especially the audience’s instant recognition of the “smoking and plotting” O’Brien and Thomas.

DOWNTON ROMNEY by Michael Hughes

Starring Phillip Wilburn (Mitt Romney), Tommy Bechtold (John Bates), Kipleigh Brown (Sarah O’Brien), Derek Reid (Thomas Barrow) and Jen Cain (Violet, the Dowager Countess of Grantham)

Directed by Michael Hughes

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Watch “Corporations Are People Too!” from Top Story! Weekly Episode 114: “Anarchy in the UK”

So this came out good…Mitt Romney’s “Corporations are people, my friend” gaffe was too good a gaffe to pass up without tackling a comedy sketch on the subject. In a lot of ways it’s a showcase for the actual beliefs of Brian O’Connell, as the words Sammy says are all pretty much things I’ve heard BOC actually says. He’s fantastic in this, as is Christopher Biewer, calibrating his performance between a precise impersonation of Mitt Romney and a concept of what Mitt Romney would be like as a kids’ show host. And don’t overlook the stellar work of Matt Moore and Rebecca Stevens as the other kids in the house. I’m very happy with this one.

CORPORATIONS ARE PEOPLE TOO! by Michael Hughes

Starring Christopher Biewer (Mitt Romney), Brian O’Connell (Sammy), Matt Moore (Petey), Rebecca Stevens (Katie) and Artemis Pebdani (Announcer)

Directed by Michael Hughes