Mr. Show
Cast & Key People
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Our Review
Cast & Key People
▶
Our Review
Mr. Show (1995) is a comedy series from HBO. It has built a run of 30 episodes at roughly 30 minutes each. It premiered on November 3, 1995. Viewers rate it 8 out of 10. It is currently ended. It runs 4 seasons.
What Mr. Show Is About
Mr. Show was the insanely funny, critically loved but HBO-loathed sketch comedy that ran on the channel for 4 years from 1995-1998. The show was created, executive produced, written and starred comics/writers Bob Odenkirk and David Cross. The show also starred Tom Kenny, Jill Talley and John Ennis. Featured performers/writers included Paul F. Tompkins, Jerry Minor, B.J. Porter, Scott Aukerman, Brian Posehn, and Jay Johnston. Featured performers included Mary-Lynn Rajskub, Brett Paesal, and Sarah Silverman. The show has spawned a movie based on popular character Ronnie Dobbs in Run Ronnie Run. Bob’s wife, Naomi Odenkirk, has compiled everything you could ever want to know about the show in her wonderful book, Mr. Show: What Happened.
What to Expect When You Watch
Episodes run about 30 minutes, which keeps the pace tight, the full run covers 30 episodes, spread across 4 seasons and it leans into its comedy roots while leaving room for the quieter character beats.
Performance-wise the series leans on B.J. Porter, Bob Odenkirk and Bob Odenkirk to carry the emotional weight, with the rest of the ensemble filling out the world around them.
Cast and Creative Team
B.J. Porter, Bob Odenkirk, Bob Odenkirk, Brian Posehn, David Cross and David Cross lead the cast.
Key roles include B.J. Porter as Featured Player; Bob Odenkirk as Host; Bob Odenkirk as Regular; Brian Posehn as Featured Player; David Cross as Host.
Why It Stands Out
Fans of comedy have a clear reason to give this one a shot. It sits comfortably alongside HBO’s other originals, a 8/10 audience score puts it in steady company and it commits to its premise instead of hedging between tones.
Released in 1995 and carried by HBO with the series still ended, it lands hardest with comedy viewers.
How Mr. Show Compares
If Mr. Show lands for you, the next stops are Nathan for You, Taskmaster and Seinfeld, which share its comedy lean.
Each of those sits at a different point on the same spectrum, so they make a natural follow-up once you finish the run here.
Where to Stream
Mr. Show comes from HBO. Check your preferred platform for current availability, since regional rights move around.
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On the whole Mr. Show is the kind of series that rewards a patient watch, with B.J. Porter and Bob Odenkirk doing the heaviest lifting, a tone that stays true to its comedy roots, It has held up since 1995 and so if the premise sounds like your lane, the execution holds up.
The Bottom Line
Mr. Show is a safe bet for anyone already inside the comedy lane, at 30 episodes it is an easy run to work through, the audience score holds around 8/10 and so there is little risk in starting it tonight.
Verdict: 8/10. Watch it if you want comedy you can settle into.
