Time and again, Comedy Central has come up with creative ideas
for new shows, and that’s one of the reasons the network is
so popular. Over the years, audiences have been treated to many
unique concepts — whether it’s the entertaining,
foul-mouthed “South Park” cartoons or the
prank-calls-set-to-puppets format of “Crank Yankers.”
“Shorties Watchin’ Shorties,” the network’s
latest offering, continues this innovative trend, resulting in
another hilarious and diverting gem from television’s leader
in comedy.
- TV/New Media Reviews
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Following in the same vein as “Crank Yankers,”
“Shorties” incorporates stand-up routines from famous
comics with animation that brings the comics to life. Stand-up is
the backbone of the show and is perfect fodder for animators; the
comics touch on a wide variety of topics, like bell-bottoms, Evel
Knievel, marathon runners, the Last Supper and cheating on your
spouse. Bits from many different comics are used in each episode.
For example, the premiere contained samples from Dane Cook, Denis
Leary, Jeffrey Ross and Jay Mohr — just to name a few.
Watching these cartoons on a TV and providing commentary,
“Mystery Science Theater 3000”-style, are two animated
babies named Nick and Patrice, voiced by “Tough Crowd with
Colin Quinn” regulars Nick Di Paolo and Patrice O’Neal.
Nick is the bossy, sophisticated leader while Patrice, the funnier
of the two, fills the role of the goofy, silly sidekick. Between
some of the bits, the babies will comment on what they have seen
and then go off on tangents about different topics. They touch on
subjects such as Einstein, the importance of strip club DJs and why
the Pope is a pimp. Their elaborations provide a smooth,
entertaining transition from one segment to the next and wrap up
each show nicely.
The animation complements the stand-up perfectly, as the
outrageous interpretations of the routines result in sketches that
are hilarious in and of themselves. This unique mix of caricatures
and graffiti never get old, and the animation allows for an
over-the-top style that is the show’s signature quality.
The only possible drawback to the concept behind “Shorties
Watchin’ Shorties” is that the well of funny material
that’s easily adaptable to animation may run dry sooner
rather than later. For the time being, however, the show’s
format proves it is appealing to the eye as well as to the
viewer’s sense of humor.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars.