Pre-Taped Call-in Show

Mr. Show with Bob and David (1997) Episode 10
youtube.com
A talk show host loses his mind when his pre-taped call-in show goes disastrously wrong.
Meta
surreal

This is a pre-taped call-in show, so we've taken the liberty of pre-taping the calls as well.
What do you mean you don't have my line?
I'm sorry, I was on the wrong line.
This is a disaster!

Bob Odenkirk plays a talk show host who has pre-taped a call-in show to air on a night he wants to take off. He has also pre-taped his callers, who are all actors. The sketch shows the disastrous results of this experiment as the "callers" get their lines wrong, talk over each other, and generally create chaos, much to the host's increasing frustration.

The sketch is a meta-commentary on the artificiality of television and the illusion of live performance.

PersonRole
Bob OdenkirkBob OdenkirkWriter
David CrossDavid CrossWriter
Jay JohnstonJay JohnstonWriter
Troy MillerDirector
Bill OdenkirkWriter
Brian PosehnWriter
Paul F. TompkinsWriter
Peyton ReedDirector
SketchTV.lol™ 2025