The Dana Carvey Show

Watch The Dana Carvey Show

  • 1996
  • 1 Season
  • 7.3  (1,265)

The Dana Carvey Show was a sketch comedy show that aired for only seven episodes in 1996 on ABC before being cancelled due to low ratings. However, despite its short lifespan, the show has since gained a cult following for its edgy and irreverent humor. The show was created by Dana Carvey, a well-known comedian and former Saturday Night Live cast member, and Robert Smigel, a former writer and producer for SNL and Late Night with Conan O'Brien. The cast included a mix of established and up-and-coming comedians, including Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert, Elon Gold, Bill Chott, Peggy Shay, and Heather Morgan.

The Dana Carvey Show was known for its absurdist humor and willingness to push boundaries. One of its most infamous sketches was a fake commercial for "The Ambiguously Gay Duo," a cartoon superhero duo who were clearly in a romantic relationship with each other. The sketch, which was animated by Smigel and voiced by Carvey and Colbert, earned controversy for its homosexual themes and was eventually adapted into a recurring segment on Saturday Night Live.

Other notable sketches included "Waiters Who Are Nauseated by Food," a parody of food shows in which the waitstaff vomit at every course; "Skinheads from Maine," in which a group of racist skinheads turn out to actually be Jewish; and "Lorne and Tom," a sketch in which Carvey and Smigel played Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels and producer Tom Davis as bumbling fools.

Despite its reputation for edgy humor, The Dana Carvey Show was also notable for its more straightforward sketches, which often relied on wordplay and slapstick humor. Carell, in particular, was known for his physical comedy skills, which were on full display in sketches such as "The Diet Mug Root Beer Twins," in which he played a pair of conjoined twins attached at the waist.

The show also featured musical performances by popular bands such as Green Day and Weezer, as well as oddball musical acts like "The Folksmen" (a parody folk trio played by Carvey, Smigel, and guest star Harry Shearer) and "The Dancing Food," in which animated food items danced along to popular songs.

Despite its talented cast, The Dana Carvey Show struggled to find an audience during its brief run. Its controversial humor and odd timeslot (it aired on Tuesday nights at 9:30pm) likely contributed to its low ratings. However, the show's influence can be seen in the work of its cast and crew, many of whom went on to achieve great success in comedy. Carell, Colbert, and Smigel all later worked on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, while Carell went on to star in The Office and Colbert hosted The Colbert Report.

Today, The Dana Carvey Show is remembered as a groundbreaking and ahead-of-its-time comedy program that was both beloved and misunderstood. Despite its small audience, it had a huge impact on the world of comedy and continues to be studied and appreciated by fans of edgy and irreverent humor.

The Dana Carvey Show is a series that is currently running and has 1 seasons (8 episodes). The series first aired on March 12, 1996.

The Dana Carvey Show
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Seasons
Season Finale
8. Season Finale
May 7, 1996
Sketch comedy features include Charles Grodin on celebrity talk shows, Bob Dole Undercover, This Week with David Brinkley and the Stupid Prankster's biggest mistake of all.
The Dana Carvey Show
7. The Dana Carvey Show
April 30, 1996
This episode of THE DANA CARVEY SHOW opens with Congressman Newt Gingrich proposing some innovative ways to make Washington D.C. pay its own way. Included are reducing the size of Congress to one, converting the White House into a riverboat casino and putting the homeless in zoos. Following his impression of special guest audience member Regis Philbin, Dana portrays a cynical, mocking auctioneer at the Kennedy memorabilia auction. The Cutting Room Floor host Gene Shalit looks at a little-known character who was left out of the final version of the movie Wizard of Oz and his song, If I Only Had An Ass. Following a news break with Peter Jennings, the cast takes a look at famous first ladies as dogs. Then, after a look at the Chicago Bulls quest for the NBA championship, the president of Streyhound Bus Lines graphically demonstrates that the bus is safer than flying. Finally, World Leaders and Their Baths looks in on Jordan's King Hussein and his favorite bathtub game.
The Szechuan Dynasty Dana Carvey Show
6. The Szechuan Dynasty Dana Carvey Show
April 23, 1996
Featured sketches include a look at the future, the Unabomber on MTV, and skinheads from Maine.
The Dana Carvey Show (sponsored by Pepsi)
5. The Dana Carvey Show (sponsored by Pepsi)
April 9, 1996
Spoofs include ``Richard Nixon,'' ``Rich Little,'' waiters and sponsor Pepsi.
The Diet Mug Root Beer Dana Carvey Show
4. The Diet Mug Root Beer Dana Carvey Show
April 2, 1996
Regis and Kathie Lee, Geraldo Rivera with Kato Kaelin, and President Bill Clinton defends his record against Howard Stern.
The Mountain Dew Dana Carvey Show
3. The Mountain Dew Dana Carvey Show
March 26, 1996
Larry King interviews Ross Perot, The 11 O'Clock News That's Easy To Take, a look at Bob Dole's elderly running mate and Grandma the Clown.
The Mug Root Beer Dana Carvey Show
2. The Mug Root Beer Dana Carvey Show
March 19, 1996
Entertainment Headlines looks at the celebrities of the O.J. Simpson trial, Comedy Central's Under 5, Charles Grodin and Celebrity Bloopers and Dark Sides.
The Taco Bell Dana Carvey Show
1. The Taco Bell Dana Carvey Show
March 12, 1996
Comic Dana Carvey begins his new series with portrayals of President Bill Clinton, the Beatles, Pat Buchannan, Ted Koppel and The Church Lady.
Description
Where to Watch The Dana Carvey Show
The Dana Carvey Show is available for streaming on the Sony website, both individual episodes and full seasons. You can also watch The Dana Carvey Show on demand at and Crackle.
  • Premiere Date
    March 12, 1996
  • IMDB Rating
    7.3  (1,265)
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