Comedy Central has begun releasing more details today about the upcoming new stand-up/sketch/musical comedy hybrid, Important Things with Demetri Martin, along with a newish video preview that first appeared last week. I attended the final taping of the six-episode run in December, which included elements of all six episodes, so watch this video, then prepare to learn many important things about Important Things with Demetri Martin:
After the jump, 19 Important Things about Important Things with Demetri Martin…
#1 It debuts at 10:30 p.m. on Feb. 11, 2009.
#2 The show is Comedy Central's second series pickup from Jon Stewart's Busboy Productions. The first was The Colbert Report. And both Stephen Colbert and Martin broke out as correspondents on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.
#3 The show taped at 106 and Park (aka BET HQ).
#4 Celebrities making cameos in the six episodes include David Cross, Amanda Peet and John Oliver.
#5 H. Jon Benjamin not only was a writer on the show, but also appears in many of the filmed sketches.
#6 Other writers include young wonders John Mulaney and Dan Mintz, and also Conan scribe Michael Koman.
#7 Martin joked that the set looked like it was built to "the specifications of a failed porn producer's basement."
#8 The premiere episode will explore timing, and in it, Peet and Benjamin will appear with Martin in a very funny sketch about an actor who cannot time his anger.
#9 Each episode also will feature a monologue by Martin with jokes tied to the theme of the "thing," as well as interactive graphics, jokes about that thing's sponsors, and a farewell song.
#10 Other things will include brains, chairs, power, coolness, safety.
#11 Speaking of chairs and safety, six audience members broke theirs accidentally during the tapings. They all got back up safely.
#12 Martin ad-libbed a song apologizing to the audience and also sang responses during a Q&A with fans.
#13 During this singing, we learned that Thanksgiving is always weird for him because he's allergic to turkey?!
#14 Martin will portray an emotional escape artist, get into a baby stroller collision, employ a special dating service to impress a lady.
#15 Producers had issues with light reflecting off of his harmonica onto his face during a song, and tried putting tape on it, but Martin eventually ripped the tape off, saying, "I don't care."
#16 Online, Comedy Central will put exclusive videos up to go along with each week's theme, a blog, a word game and a widget. I'm not sure how important the widget will be.
#17 Fans will also get to participate in an "Important Things" picture contest. I do not know what you may win.
#18 Craig Baldo served as the audience warm-up comedian for the tapings. Baldo challenged the audience to name any song and he'd sing part of it. A woman in the front shouted "Womanizer." The audience laughed. Baldo claimed to not know this song. I think it's important that he remember Britney Spears. Never forget Britney. Never forget.
#19 This list will grow longer once we get closer to the show's debut.
I was at the taping of chairs, safety, and games. I witnessed a chair being broken and my best friend being sang to because she was cold. I am a HUGE fan and this very morning had the privilege of meeting him over the phone. (My sister met him after a screening of his show at Harvard and made him talk to me) anyway these 19 facts were very entertaining. I love the video and I can’t wait until February 11th.
I’m dubbing this a live-action ‘Dr Katz’