So this sketch started out as a two-liner, but then I had the idea to turn it into an extended blackout. And this is also a rare instance where I not only wrote the sketch but I’m in it as well. Mitch’s character’s name, the director Gershwin B. Shaw, is the same one that Sean Cowhig had in the third sketch from this show in 2009, where a sketch by Matt Blitz had a somewhat similar theme. And some of us on stage did not break when we saw Mitch’s costume!!
As I mentioned in my last post, our special Super Bowl Sunday episode of Top Story! Weekly had just three actors, so we did a “Grill the Candidates” format, where Mike McLendon and Kipleigh Brown questioned each of the four remaining Republican candidates, all played by Phillip Wilburn. We took question ideas from our writers, then assigned each of the four candidates to a specific writer to write a segment. I did the Gingrich one (although the rules were written by Matt Blitz).
With our head writer Matt Blitz in the cast, and Adam Sandler’s “Jack and Jill” coming out this Friday, it was a no brainer to put Matt in a dress and have him play Jill. My apologies to my friend Andy Goldenberg who’s in the movie.
If you’re a certain age, when you hear “Oakland” your mind goes to “Hammer”. So when I had to think of an angle on the Occupy Oakland incidents last week. . . that’s where my mind went!
So the night before the royal wedding, we’re putting the Top Story! Weekly script together. We have two sketches called “The Royal Honeymoon” and we like them both, so we think about doing a runner – but if so, we need a third. Some brainstorming among the head writers and executive producers leads to the idea of Elton John interrupting the couple; song parody ideas are tossed around – and here’s the result, a tribute to the collaborative process of our show.
Let’s say you run a comedy show based on the news. Right after you read all the sketches submitted for the week and you’re putting together a running order, you learn about a huge tragedy striking. It’s a big story – you can’t ignore it. But you have to be funny without being disrespectful. What do you do?
If you’re me, and you’re trying to address the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, you ask your friends Matt Blitz and Phillip Wilburn to help write a sketch that uses the event to make fun of celebrities who are deserving of the ridicule. All in all, it turned out pretty well.
You’ve seen Nicholas D’Agosto in movies like “Election” and “Fired Up” and on TV shows like “Heroes” and “The Office.” You can see him later this year starring in “Final Destination 5” and “From Prada to Nada” and in the new USA Network drama series “Eden.” And this Sunday, January 16 at 9, you can see him on the iO West Mainstage as he guest stars in an brand-new edition of LA’s best news-based sketch comedy show, Top Story! Weekly!
And if that’s not enough, our guest standup this week has appeared on shows like “The Late Late Show,” “Outsourced,” “Last Comic Standing,” “Comedy Central’s Premium Blend” and even “The Closer” – Tom Clark!
So don’t miss Nick, Tom and the rest of the Top Story! Weekly cast in an all-new show – named by CBS 2 in their “Best of Los Angeles” – based as always on the events of the past seven days!
Okay, I didn’t write this sketch – Matt Blitz did – but I’m posting it on my blog for three reasons: it features our guest star from this past Sunday, Matthew Gray Gubler aka Dr. Spencer Reid from CBS’ “Criminal Minds;” it’s about the USA in the World Cup, which is super timely this morning; and it’s hilarious. Sometimes there’s nothing funnier than watching a guy get kicked in his junk.
To see all the sketches from Top Story! Weekly as soon as they’re posted, subscribe to our YouTube channel!
WORLD CUP’S BALLS by Matt Blitz – from Top Story! Weekly Episode 58: “(61) Days of Oil”
Mike Hughes' blog 
Watch “One Giant Leap” from Top Story! Weekly Episode 165: “Chairman of the Bored”
September 5, 2012So this sketch started out as a two-liner, but then I had the idea to turn it into an extended blackout. And this is also a rare instance where I not only wrote the sketch but I’m in it as well. Mitch’s character’s name, the director Gershwin B. Shaw, is the same one that Sean Cowhig had in the third sketch from this show in 2009, where a sketch by Matt Blitz had a somewhat similar theme. And some of us on stage did not break when we saw Mitch’s costume!!
ONE GIANT LEAP by Michael Hughes (Anchor),
Starring Michael Hughes (Buzz Aldrin), Phillip Wilburn (Neil Armstrong) and Mitchel Baldwin (Gershwin B. Shaw III)
Directed by Tom Repetto
Share this:
Like this:
Tags:Apollo 11, Buzz Aldrin, final frontier, Gershwin B. Shaw III, Matt Blitz, Michael Hughes, Mike Hughes, Mitchel Baldwin, moon landing, moon landing faked, Neil Armstrong, Neil Armstrong funeral, Phillip Wilburn, Sean Cowhig, Star Trek, Top Story! Weekly
Posted in Comedy, Humor, News, News and Commentary, The Biz, Top Story! Weekly Sketches, Video | Leave a Comment »