The Tease: 'The Sarah Silverman Program'

January 31, 10:38 AM

So much for putting your best foot forward. Comedy Central is airing the second episode of The Sarah Silverman Program -- titled "Officer Jay" -- as the show's premiere on Thursday (Feb. 1) night. Only the network's programmers know for sure why, because the episode originally shot as the pilot, "Batteries," is vastly funnier and a much better introduction to Silverman's world for neophytes.

Are there still Sarah Silverman neophytes? I guess there probably are people who have missed the onslaught of media attention given to Silverman in recent years, the countless articles written with the exact same hook -- How does this Jewish girl from New Hampshire get away with saying all of these dirty and politically incorrect things?

And nearly every story comes to the same conclusion -- If Sarah Silverman weren't so darned hot, and she didn't feign innocence so perfectly, she wouldn't get away with it. Reporters like having stories that write themselves and Silverman's story comes in a nicely decorated package.

I'd be sick of the Sarah Silverman phenomenon except for a tiny problem -- she keeps making me laugh. I'm not convinced her stuff is quite as smart as some of her biggest advocates would have you believe, but she takes a baseball bat to the piñata that holds many of our underlying prejudices regarding race, religion and gender with an off-handed, sing-song delivery that leaves punchlines to detonate sometimes minutes after she drops them.

As familiar as Silverman's story may be, her material has become nearly as familiar. Just as her semi-concert film Jesus Is Magic was composed largely of jokes that most fans had heard before, Silverman's new Comedy Central offering occasionally feels cobbled together from her routines, which shouldn't be taken as a criticism, necessarily. It's not like Tim Allen, Roseanne, Jerry Seinfeld, Garry Shandling, Brett Butler and Ray Romano haven't stolen from themselves to achieve sitcom success. But don't expect Silverman to break any new ground here.

The conceit of The Sarah Silverman Program is that this is Silverman's life, or at least a deceptively common version of it, where she mostly hangs out with her sister (real-life sister Laura Silverman) and her gay neighbors (Brian Posehn and Steve Agee). Her adventures are minor -- a quest to get batteries to change the channel of her TV from a heart-tugging telethon, for example -- but they're spiced up with musical numbers, animated flourishes and unexpected touches like Silverman's interactions with God (a diabolically funny subplot in the "Batteries" episode).

The musical numbers owe more than a little to the similarly surreal moments in Jesus Is Magic, songs that more than a few critics complained detracted from the stand-up. Personally, I think they're better integrated into the funhouse prism of Silverman's sitcom world.

"Officer Jay" is the more conventional of the two episodes sent to critics, as Sarah trips on cold medicine and tries to drive a wedge between her sister and her police officer boyfriend. It's likeable enough and good for a few chuckles, but "Batteries," with guest star Masi Oka (shot pre-Heroes, presumably) and the aforementioned divine cameo is the real winner.

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Comments (14)

Comments

I love Sarah Silverman. I will be TiVoing the series as Thursdays are dedicated to "Ugly Betty" and "Grey's Anatomy."

shoparazzi | Feb 1, 2007 6:12:38 AM | #

*yawn*

Wake me when someone mildly interesting comes along.

Mavourneen | Feb 1, 2007 7:06:11 AM | #

Unfortunately, she's nowhere near as "hot" as she seems to think she is. I think she's only made it as far as she has because she isn't hideous-looking, but when it comes to actually being funny, she really is not good. The "pretty girl saying shocking things" act gets old real quick.

She's highly overrated | Feb 1, 2007 7:52:35 AM | #

Sarah is a comic genius and I can't wait for this show. She has talent, charisma, timing and a keen sense of dry humor. Her looks are just the icing on the cake.

Mark | Feb 1, 2007 10:01:09 AM | #

despite the fact that she gets alot of media, i actually think she's still kindda underrated. i've seen her in very forgettable movie roles and tv interviews. we all see that she's better than that. hopefully she'll deliver alot of good material in this sitcom. i'm looking forward to seeing what she's really got to offer.

cj | Feb 1, 2007 12:30:15 PM | #

Sarah's not much different than Lisa Lampanelli... looks don't have much to do with why she gets away with it... it's merely the delivery.

fredric | Feb 1, 2007 1:51:57 PM | #

I just watched the premier episode, "Officer Jay." I'll be blunt: It was awful. The only way I can see someone enjoying this show is if he or she is already a Silverman fanatic. I don't have any particularly strong feelings toward her one way or the other, so I feel like I'm a pretty objective observer. The show was barely watchable. I stuck with it to the end in order to give it a proper chance, but it wasn't easy. Interestingly, I actually thought the characters' interactions were somewhat believable, and I find that this is often the biggest hurdle to overcome. It wasn't enough to get past the poor writing, however. My overall impression is that this is a show that thinks it's a lot more interesting than it actually is. I'd be interested in hearing what others thought about it.

Dan | Feb 1, 2007 8:15:42 PM | #

I've never really seen much of Silverman's stuff, so I thought I'd give the show a try. Wow, that was horrible. I only made it about 5 minutes in, but it was pathetic. Poop and snot jokes. Yay. What a waste of time.

Stiger | Feb 1, 2007 8:42:43 PM | #

I watched Sarah Silverman's show last night and thought it was was phenomenal. OK, there were a lot of ka-ka jokes. But the humor was fresh, new, twisted. The writing was really fabulous.

Rhea | Feb 2, 2007 6:01:40 AM | #

you idiot, Gays Anatomy and Ugly Betty are for pathetic wastes of life, besides...The Sarah SIlverman Program is on a half hour after both of the aforementioned pathetic shows are over.

IwillRuleTheWorld | Feb 4, 2007 10:54:14 PM | #

I'm happy Comedy Central has a new show. Maybe they can stop now with their relentless "Mind of Mencia" promotion.

I like "twisted" so I give Sarah several thumbs up. The show is whacky. I love that there are people who'll hate it for some of the above mentioned reasons. Usually those are the best shows.

Jayson | Feb 6, 2007 7:19:02 AM | #

Hey shoparazzi, "The Sarah Silverman Program" is on at 10:30, while "Betty" and "Grey's" are from 8-10. There's no reason you can't still watch it.

PhantomFrog | Feb 16, 2007 12:40:16 AM | #

well lets all argue

just because she may have (probably) offended you doesnt mean she's just a pretty face telling shocking jokes. but the thing is... they're just jokes. you wont die, promise.

or if your bored, maybe you just dont have ANY sense of humor? hmm?

think about it.

hah | May 17, 2007 6:25:38 PM | #

Sarah Silverman Rules!! That's the good news. The bad news is, for whatever reason, she is still on Comedy Central- the network which features my favorite artists and shows and which fucks their editorial content up for reasons which I will never understand. The Daily Show: (bleep) (bleep) There goes another great joke CENSORED by Comedy Central. I can live with that; but Sarah Silverman on Comedy Central???!! Give me a break- 3/4 of her stuff is totally gross (as great as it is) and will be a show full of bleeps, as it was last year. Totally un-watchable... Unless you are a crazed Silverman fanatic who likes to fill in the blanks.
Sorry... I'll wait and get the Netflix uncensored Sarah, thank you.

Charles Laquidara | Sep 21, 2007 9:21:46 AM | #