Watch “The Miracle That Saved Obamacare” from Top Story! Weekly Episode 228: “It’s Kind of a Big Deal”!

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.

Bob was great. And he liked us!

THE MIRACLE THAT SAVED OBAMACARE by Michael Hughes

Starring Artemis Pebdani (Abigail), Bennie Arthur (Charlie), Tammie Smalls (Gwen), Stacy Rumaker (Shoshanna), Jen Cain (Karen), Tommy Bechtold (Young Boy), Derek Reid (Balthazar) and Phillip Wilburn (Boss)

Directed by Michael Hughes

Watch “How (Not) To Write A Holiday Classic” From Top Story! Weekly Episode 131: “So This Is Christmas”

Christmas gave me the chance to write the least topical thing I’ve written in a while, spurred by a comment at our writers’ meeting by Colin Hughes (no relation) about how many Christmas songs are sad. To be honest, I think some of the rewriting done here didn’t help things – Judy and Bing shouldn’t have been singing at either the top or bottom of the sketch, for instance – and the actors weren’t as precise as I would have liked. But Kipleigh Brown’s Judy Garland is a thing of beauty!

HOW (NOT) TO WRITE A HOLIDAY CLASSIC by Michael Hughes

Starring Phillip Wilburn (Bing Crosby), Kipleigh Brown (Judy Garland), Gregg Lopez (Frank Loesser) Brent Pope (Hoagy Carmichael) and Jimmy Guidish (Walter Winchell)

Directed by Kristina Adelmeyer

Watch “Boehner It’s Cold Outside” from Top Story! Weekly Episode 80: “Top Story! Wiki”

We needed a sketch to close the show. Song parodies are a favorite way for us to do so. Phillip Wilburn tossed out the phrase “Boehner It’s Cold Outside,” and this song (written before the announcement of the tax cut deal) was the result!

How can President Obama reach a deal on the Bush tax cuts with Republican House leader John Boehner? Maybe through the magic of this seductive holiday classic!!

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BOEHNER, IT’S COLD OUTSIDE by Tommy Bechtold, Michael Hughes and Phillip Wilburn – from Top Story! Weekly Episode 80: “Top Story! Wiki”

Starring Derek Reid (Barack Obama) and Phillip Wilburn (John Boehner)

Directed by Michael Hughes