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.
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!
Thinking about how to approach the Supreme Court argument about the health care bill in a comedic way, I thought I could combine it with the other great meme of last week: Megan Draper’s dance at Don’s birthday party on “Mad Men.” Of course, the success of such a conceit depends upon the audience recognizing what’s going on, and I don’t think many folks in our audience got the reference – maybe because “Mad Men” airs at the same time our show goes up! Still, Grasie Mercedes did a great job with the dance.
Phillip Wilburn and Matt Moore went to a taping of “Conan” and chatted with Jimmy Pardo, who was booked as our guest comic for the July 31 show. Jimmy said he’d also do a sketch, and Phillip suggested one where he played a game show host. Since his “Conan” colleague Andrés du Bouchet was also in the cast it was a natural to put him in the sketch along with Matt and Phillip. I did a first pass, Phillip and Tommy Bechtold polished it up, and the result is the six minutes of hilarity you see here.
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
Share this:
Like this:
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
Posted in Comedy, Humor, News, News and Commentary, The Biz, Top Story! Weekly Sketches, Video | Leave a Comment »