If you haven't read GQ's oral history of "The Dana Carvey Show," stop what you're doing right now and go check it out. The eye-opening, seven-page article tells the history of the doomed ABC sketch comedy show from the point of view of the people who made it.
For the unfamiliar, "The Dana Carvey Show" ran for seven episodes in 1996 before being canceled. While most shows may not carve out a solid place in television history with such a brief run, most shows don't feature a staff that would go on to rule Hollywood. "TDCS" writers and performers Stephen Colbert, Steve Carell, Louis C.K., Charlie Kaufman, Robert Smigel, Spike Feresten, Jon Glaser, Dino Stamatopoulos and Robert Carlock were mostly unknown at the time, but in the following 15 years, have become comedy royalty.
It may come as no surprise that the creativity and unorthodox nature of the sketch show -- its writers went on to make the likes of "Louie" and "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," to name a couple -- was what doomed it from the start. Viewers expecting to see Carvey reprise The Church Lady or Garth Algar instead were treated to President Clinton breastfeeding puppies. That sketch, in particular, was the very first one on the show, and was suspected by many to have sealed the series' fate.
While you should read the full article to get a clear picture of how the television industry can kill off a show created by even the most brilliant comedic minds, we've grabbed some of the most interesting tidbits we learned. Let us know what you think.
