Written by George Heftler
If you know comedy, you know Lauren Lapkus and Jon Gabrus. They’ve both had a handful or two of movie, TV, and online roles, all of which have been perfectly acceptable, and even great on occasion. But, and not to take away from those roles, what they’re really known for is their incredible improv skills.
Lauren and Jon each take to the UCB LA stage and have their own podcasts, With Special Guest, Lauren Lapkus on Earwolf and High and Mighty on Headgum respectively. They’re also both regulars on Comedy Bang! Bang!, where their incredibly quick wit and character work have earned them a serious following. While their work individually is great, fans were quick to notice their chemistry during landmark episodes like The 8th Anniversary Show and the 500th Episode. We demanded more, and luckily, we’re getting it, with their new podcast Raised by TV.
After basically a soft pilot during Lauren’s appearance on Jon’s podcast High and Mighty, we knew exactly what we were getting from this show. Lauren and Jon are both huge fans of 90’s TV and this is a space to wax nostalgic about just that. They discuss their relationship with TV at the top of the episode, and then jump into basically whatever comes to mind.
Now, that “whatever comes to mind” is not hyperbolic. In this episode they discuss important topics including best 90’s flavor (blue), what the portmanteau of their names would be (Gay-Kiss), what scared them most in Are You Afraid of the Dark?, and what’s more detrimental to your psyche, playing a dork or playing a cool guy. They jump all over the place, unrestrained by a particular theme in this opening episode.
That’s part of the joy of it all, though. This is recorded without a laptop on hand, so they aren’t looking up facts; everything is completely off the cuff and from memory. Some people might get frustrated by that, and it’s understandable. But their sheer delight in reminiscing about the shows they grew up on is enough to ensure that I’ll be coming back for more, especially with a themed episode next week (game shows) to keep them a little more focused… maybe.
Rating: 9 out of 10
As mentioned, the lack of a theme on this introductory episode might make things a little too loose, but Gabrus and Lapkus are both still hilarious and it winds up feeling like an actual conversation that you yourself might take part in. Well worth your time, especially at just an hour long. Find it wherever you listen to podcasts, including iTunes, Stitcher, etc.
Quote of the Episode:
(While discussing the mechanics of climbing up to someone’s window with a ladder)
“If you’re the dad, those kids need to get their legs broke”
