Great TV While High: Chappelle’s Show

On January 22, 2003, one of the greatest ever sketch comedy television shows premiered on Comedy Central: Chappelle’s Show. It only lasted two complete seasons and a partial third, but it became a social phenomenon that set the bar for other sketch comedy shows mixed with standup.

The shows begins with Dave Chappelle performing standup for a short time, and he introduces a pre-recorded sketch. After a few sketches, it ends with a performance by a hip hop or soul artist. Mos Def performed twice on the show and also appeared in a few sketches. Other musical guests included John Mayer, Erykah Badu, and De La Soul.

Some recurring and memorable Chappelle’s Show characters:

Tyrone Biggums:

Negrodamus:

Lil Jon:

Rick James:

Along with his hilarious characters, Chappelle created sketches that dealt with timelessly controversial topics such as race, gun violence, drugs, and prostitution. Some great sketches include Trading Spouses, The Mad Real World, Great Moments in Hookup History, and When Keeping It Real Goes Wrong.

The third season of the show only contains a few episodes that were compiled from completed scenes. The production was halted when Chappelle left the show all of a sudden. It was rumored that  substance abuse or psychiatric problems led to his abrupt departure, but he insisted that it was the pressure of fame and success that got to him.

I wish Chappelle had made many more than 28 episodes, but the briefness of his show is what makes it so incredibly special. Dave Chappelle’s stand up and sketches are still relevant today, and timeless comedy marks everlasting greatness.

Check out other posts from Weedist’s Great TV While High series!