Long-form improv done well can feel like circus acrobats performing.
Middleditch and Schwartz
Likes: Both actors are willing to accelerate and escalate situations to hilarious effect. Long Form improv at its prime and finest.
Dislikes: Only two people on stage? Why not get some other guys up there?
Bottom Line: If you think you don’t like improv, just give one of these episodes a chance and see what you think afterward.
4.5 out of 5. ◆◆◆◆⬖
In the war for use of the word “Improv”, the Short Form version clearly won out in the minds of the public. Mainstream success of Who’s Line is it Anyway? popularized the style with games, hard set rules, and quick pacing.
In popular culture, the word became a punchline to describe a weirdo or dork. If you agree to go to their show, a living hell awaits you! Cringy Michael Scott, makes it all the more cringey-er by pretending he has a gun in all scenes! The whole affair is a horribly unfunny practice!
So the fact that Long Form improv is grouped in with those concepts is strange. Long Form, with its “Finding the game” mentality, requires audiences to be engaged and paying attention to a longer narrative structure rather than a quick punchline. There are rules to Long Form, they are just more flexible.
Point being, plenty of Short Form comedy specials exist, but Long Form specials are much rarer. Sure, podcasts like Comedy Bang Bang, Improv4humans, Womp it Up, the Teacher’s Lounge, and many more have existed for years on the internet, but traditional comedy specials? The ones filmed before an audience in a big concert hall? Those are not common for Long Form improv.
Which makes the comedy special Middleditch and Schwartz a well needed addition to the entertainment world. For three episodes, comedians Thomas Middleditch and Ben Schwartz improvise entire hour-long narrative based around a short conversation with an audience member. Subjects include such things as a wedding, a law class, and a job interview.
Throughout the scenes characters are introduced and juggled between the two entertainers who will switch places, introduce new concepts, and forget names they previously established.
The reason why it works so well is Middleditch and Schwartz have a long friendship and history of performing together. There’s obviously a shared-mind/group-think type thing going on where each understands the other, their capabilities, their tendencies, and their intentions.
For example, in one scene, Schwartz realizes Middleditch’s character is supposed to be short and scrambles to place a chair for added height over the other person. Middleditch cheekily then turns around, making Schwartz have to get off and drag the chair to a new position. Another example is in a different scene when Middleditch is opening a door and sees Schwartz adopting a gargoyle-like stance and gives him a look like “Are you sure about this?” Or a different scene where they discuss their actual real life toilet paper usage habits.
Both Middleditch and Schwartz can bring a lot of chaotic energy to whatever they do (just watch James Corden attempt to corral them) and combining them together is a recipe for success if you set them up and let them go to work. From the early days of Collegehumor, to more recent projects like Bajillion Dollar Properties, Conan, the Sonic movie and Zombieland sequel, they exist in a hyperactive but hyperfocused mindset to be willing to go to the next level for the comedy.
Watching the special, you can clearly see two comedians with someone they enjoy acting at the peak of their talent. The special is special for Long Form improv, but also stands on its own as just a good time.
Now, just some random clips that I love of these guys.
Real Human Bing Movie Thoughts 