Michael and Michael Have Issues, Well, Hopefully Not This Time

Did you see Stella? If you didn't, don't feel bad - if you blinked, you would miss it. Stella was a show that aired on Comedy Central during the summer of 2003, after which it was replaced by the oh-so-brilliant Mind of Mencia. If you think that I am serious about Mind of Mencia being brilliant, stop reading. This article is not for you.

Stella starred Michael Ian Black, Michael Showalter, and David Wain, who, since 1997, performed as a three-person sketch comedy troupe named Stella. The show was a mix of childish humor and surrealist plot, which apparently did not do well enough as far as ratings were concerned. Ten episodes of Stella were produced and aired on Comedy Central, and are available on DVD at this point in time.

Why do I bring all of this up? Well, Michael Ian Black and Michael Showalter are going to have another show on Comedy Central. It will be called Michael and Michael Have Issues, and it will premiere on Wednesday, July 15th at 10:30 PM. The show is supposed to be about Black and Showalter having a fictional show and something else. There's supposed to be sketch comedy. Honestly, I don't really know or understand what exactly is going on. But I expect it to be funny.

I didn't get to see Stella when it was on the air. It only aired for a little over two months when I was thirteen. But I did watch the entire series on DVD, and though Stella was a little wacky, and a little childish, and a little surreal, it was a nice change from the rest of the never-subtle, always in-your-face crassness of most humor nowadays. You know. The Dane Cook-ness of it all. The Carlos Mencia-ness of it all.

Michael and Michael Have Issues, God willing, will be a show in a similar vein. And this time, I hope people watch. I doubt that the show would be vastly different in style from Stella, because people that have worked together for as long as Black and Showalter have can't just change the way they interact. I just hope that the show will be advertised enough (check.) and will bring in enough viewers for at least a second season (we'll see.). I think that the comedic stylings of Black and Showalter are funny and I think that they way in which they interact is extremely entertaining. Hopefully a lot of other people will think so, too.

Have you seen Stella? Are you anticipating Michael and Michael Have Issues? Feel free to share your thoughts in the form of a comment. Thanks for reading!