Hey! It’s been a while! But when our show’s most loyal fan, Herb Koss, celebrated his 80th birthday a few days before our March 9th show I knew we had to do something to address it. Brian Vestal does an absolutely amazing characterization of Herb here – even if you don’t know him, you’ll really enjoy it!!
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.
With Michele Bachmann retiring from Congress, it seemed appropriate to write another sketch about the Bachmann marriage and see Marcus hanging out with the “boys.” I’m always worried with sketches like this that the jokes about Marcus Bachmann being gay walk a thin line between proper mocking of hypocrisy and just being offensive, but after watching this I’m satisfied this sketch falls on the right side of the line.
This one came out well. Obviously this past Sunday in Top Story! Weekly we had to hit the Jason Collins coming out story. But I wanted to do something more on the reaction, almost uniformly supportive. I thought about making it supportive to a ridiculous degree, and some really good acting all round made it pay off big time!
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.
It felt a little weird to do a sketch about a six-year-old girl. But the contestant in the National Spelling Bee was in the news – and the chance to have some fun with that character as played by Artemis Pebdani was just too tempting! I think it came out pretty fun – especially as part of our big Los Angeles Improv Comedy Festival show with Bill Burr!!
Tickets are just $10, so make sure you get them now!! Not only will you see an awesome show, but you’ll help a great cause – part of the proceeds will go to the Chris Farley House, a residential sober living facility.
The festival runs from Sunday, June 3 till Saturday, June 9, with amazing shows and workshops every night. The cast of Top Story! Weekly will be hosting all week. And we’ll also be performing in other shows, and teaching workshops that you shouldn’t miss. Check them out after the jump:
When I sent this sketch, based on the whole Haley Barbour pardon kerfuffle, in to Top Story! Weekly, I didn’t think much of it, but to my surprise it made the show. And a rewrite by Kristina Adelmeyer made it better. It’s still too long, but a return appearance by Derek Reid’s Rapey Raperson (first seen in this pirate sketch with Parvesh Cheena, which you should check out), made it worthwhile.
Mayor Villaraigosa negotiates the end of the “Occupy L.A.” protests the same week that Top Story! Weekly has Neil Garguilo (Principal Cox from MTV’s “Awkward” and iO West‘s Dr. God, and one of our regular cast members as well) in the cast? That makes it time to revisit one of our favorite recurring sketches – the telenovela with Los Angeles’ Mayor, “El Alcalde de la Pasion!!”
Mike Hughes' blog 
Watch “The Koch-O-Nuts” From Top Story! Weekly Episode 244: “Stupid Retirement Tricks”!
April 13, 2014With a story about how the Koch Brothers want to fund a right-wing improv troupe, and a cast full of talented improvisers who’d be fully able to appreciate every bad improv move I mocked, this one was a lot of fun to write and direct!
THE KOCH-O-NUTS by Michael Hughes
Starring Eileen Mary O’Connell (Eileen), Blake Hogue (Blake), Colin Contreary (Colin), Stacy Rumaker (Stacy), Sean Cowhig (Sean) and Derek Reid (Audience Member)
Directed by Michael Hughes
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Tags:Barack Obama, Benghazi, Blake Hogue, campaign finance, campaign finance reform, Charles Koch, Colin Contreary, conservatives, David Koch, Derek Reid, Eileen Mary O'Connell, Eileen O'Connell, improv, improv comedy, Kay Hagan, Koch Brothers, Mark Udall, McCutcheon v. FEC, McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission, Michael Hughes, Mike Hughes, Obamacare, Obamaphones, right-wing, Sean Cowhig, Stacy Rumaker, Top Story! Weekly
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