Stella (American TV series)
Stella is an American sketch comedy television series that originally ran from June 28 to August 30, 2005 on Comedy Central. It was created by and stars Michael Ian Black, Michael Showalter, and David Wain, former cast members of MTV's The State (1993). As a comedy troupe, Stella started in 1997 and played to sold out shows across the United States with a cult following. In September, after 10 episodes, Stella's timeslot was succeeded by Mind of Mencia. The DVD was released on September 12, 2006.
| Stella | |
|---|---|
 DVD cover for season one of Stella. | |
| Created by | Michael Ian Black Michael Showalter David Wain |
| Starring | Michael Ian Black Michael Showalter David Wain |
| Opening theme | Instrumental theme by Craig Wedren |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 10 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Michael Ian Black Michael Showalter David Wain |
| Producer | Jerry Kupfer |
| Camera setup | Single camera |
| Running time | 20–22 minutes (approx.) |
| Release | |
| Original network | Comedy Central |
| Original release | June 29 – August 30, 2005 |
Characters
The "Guys"
- Michael Ian Black as Michael Ian Black
- Michael Showalter as Michael Showalter
- David Wain as David Wain
The Girls Downstairs
- Andrea Rosen as Jennifer. In real life, Rosen is Showalter's former roommate.[1]
- Samantha Buck as Amy
- Heidi Neurauter as Stacy
In the pilot only, the third roommate was played by Rashida Jones.
Recurring
- Justin Lord as Co-Op Board President, Company CEO, Don Robinson, and Justin Lord
Format
Stella is an adaptation of the Stella comedy troupe's stage show and short films. The series follows Michael, Michael, and David, three infantile men who always dress in suits, live together in a New York apartment, and apparently have no jobs. The show is a mix of sketch comedy and a sitcom; there is a central plot for each episode and recurring characters, but the show ignores continuity and is often surreal.
The trio had made 28 short films between 1998 and 2002, which were shown as part of the live show. The shorts cover various topics such as searching for Santa, mustache growing, pizza eating, and other absurd situations. The group cleaned up much of its material for the show, much of which had been often derived from taboo or adult topics like necrophilia and dildos.
The show employs absurdist humor. Notable guest stars include Paul Rudd, Rashida Jones, Sam Rockwell, Topher Grace, Tim Blake Nelson, Alan Ruck, Janeane Garofalo, Elizabeth Banks, and Edward Norton.
Episodes
| No. | Title | Original air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Pilot" | June 28, 2005 | 101 |
| The guys are kicked out of their apartment after finally pushing their landlord too far. | |||
| 2 | "Campaign" | July 5, 2005 | 102 |
| When Michael Ian Black decides to run for president of the resident's board, David is left on the outs doing menial internship work. | |||
| 3 | "Office Party" | July 12, 2005 | 105 |
| The guys get invited to one of their neighbors' office party and run afoul of a couple of stereotypical office jerks. They plot their revenge at the next company picnic. | |||
| 4 | "Coffee Shop" | July 19, 2005 | 103 |
| When the girls downstairs have a fight, the guys tell them the story of the time their friendship was almost destroyed by their competing coffee shop jobs. | |||
| 5 | "Paper Route" | July 26, 2005 | 104 |
| After running over the paperboy, Kevin O'Malley, the guys take over his paper route, but get discouraged after getting beaten up by bullies. They set out to teach the bullies about the power of friendship. | |||
| 6 | "Meeting Girls" | August 2, 2005 | 107 |
| The guys dance in a bar and become popular. While they are there, Michael Ian Black and Michael Showalter get dates and David does not. Problems ensue, and soon, Michael and Michael move out, and David is forced to replace them with new roommates as they begin their lives with their new significant others. David's new roommate Jeremy in this episode is played by Josh Charles, Michael Ian Black's girlfriend Tamara is played by Elizabeth Banks, and a scene from this episode was filmed at Alfred Lerner Hall. | |||
| 7 | "Camping" | August 9, 2005 | 106 |
| Tired of working, the guys take a vacation to the forest, where they quickly get lost. | |||
| 8 | "Novel" | August 16, 2005 | 108 |
| Inspired by famous author Jane Burroughs (who is played by Janeane Garofalo), the trio tries their hand at writing. They show their manuscript to Jane, who steals it, with the intention of publishing it under her own name. | |||
| 9 | "Vegetables" | August 23, 2005 | 109 |
| The guys decide to grow their own vegetables on their apartment floor to save money. | |||
| 10 | "Amusement Park" | August 30, 2005 | 110 |
| The guys are excited to go on a trip to the amusement park to alleviate their irritation with each other, but the trip is ruined by rainy weather. The girls downstairs recommend visiting a psychiatrist, who commits them after they have a fight in his office. | |||
References
- Eliot Glazer (October 11, 2007). "Inside With: Andrea Rosen". The Apiary. Archived from the original on February 10, 2008. Retrieved February 1, 2008.
External links
"Stella: The New Marx Brothers" --Rolling Stone interview
- "A Streetcar Named Hilarious" --The Phat Phree interview
- "Stella" --The Onion interview
- "Stella"—Brian M. Palmer interview
- "Gag Order" --Slate.com article
- Stella at IMDb