The Eric Andre Show is the Only Show Worth Watching on TV Right Now
As everyone else strives for normality, Eric Andre has cornered the market on insanity
I consider myself a fairly accomplished television connoisseur. When I was in 11th grade, I binge watched all eight seasons of Dexter (each of which consists of 10–12 50 minute episodes) in three weeks. Name a show, except Prison Break, and chances are I’ve watched it, possibly multiple times. If you want to know exactly how much TV I’ve watched, there’s a great app called “tvshowtime” that calculates exactly how much of time people waste watching shows and at my last count I had passed three months.
When you get to my level of social-lifelessness you start to recognize the patterns that show up in today’s shows, stuff like the “Ross-Rachel” relationship or the ladies’ man finding love and the loveless protagonist finally meeting their soulmate. You also start to recognize immediately when a show is trying too hard and has absolutely no chance of getting renewed past its first season (see “Pitch” or “Son of Zorn”). But the greatest skill I’ve gained from being an anti-social zombie is being able to spot the entertaining shows in the never-ending pool of predictable crap that is modern cable TV and Netflix. Comedies like “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “The League,” “Bored to Death,” and “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” (and if you’re going back further “Seinfeld”) stand out because they don’t try to appeal to big audiences, they understand what it is they do well and they continued to do it even after their fanbase swelled and they became mainstream entertainment. The Eric Andre show is the epitome of this weirdness.
The “talk show” airs on Adult Swim, the channel for stoner college kids where literally everything goes. Every episode begins with Andre running out from behind some curtains, screaming like a banshee, tackling a member of the on-set band, and proceeding to destroy his 80's-public-access-esque set, which is then replaced while he recovers from his rampage. He is then joined by comedian Hannibal Buress for his “monologue” before he either invites his first interviewee to the stage or the show manically cuts to an on-street prank in New York City. If you are confused by this description then you’ve started to understand the appeal of this show. The unpredictability of the show, its interviews and hidden-camera ridiculous stunts are what make it so different and so great.
I usually like to watch shows in the background on my computer while I do other things (like wait for text messages that never come or scroll through Facebook for two hours) but this is impossible when I watch The Eric Andre Show. At any moment something could pop out of nowhere or go off the rails and I can’t miss it. The show is only 10 minutes which makes it easier to watch, and because of its crazy style of cuts and scene changes it never feels too long. To me, someone who feels like he’s seen everything modern television has to offer, Andre’s lunacy is a godsend.
While everyone else has zigged, trying to consolidate the disparate viewing public and become the next “Friends,” Andre has zagged and decided not to care. He would be doing this even if there was no show and he wasn’t getting paid for it because he loves it, and that shows. It’s a cliche but I do believe that honesty counts, especially on TV. Does Kristen Bell actually care about “The Good Place” beyond fulfilling her job requirements and getting paid? It didn’t feel that way when I watched the pilot before vomiting and going to sleep. If you’re as bored with what you’re watching as I was, give The Eric Andre Show a chance, I promise you won’t be bored.
