Sho stopper

Michael Ian Black and Michael Showalter seem inseparable: Back in the ’90s they starred in the cult sketch show The State, then they went on to form the comedy trio Stella with State alum David Wain. In 2007, they both recorded their comedy albums at the Lakeshore Theater on a double bill, and on July 15, their new Comedy Central show, Michael and Michael Have Issues debuts (on the same day the long-awaited State DVDs arrive in stores). We chatted with Showalter last month in advance of his Just for Laughs stand-up gig, and now here’s the rest of the interview, in which he talks about the new show’s format, playing with old friends, and Twitter insults.

Time Out Chicago: Congratulations on the new show. Is it weird to be back doing a show for Comedy Central?
Michael Showalter: Yes and no. Mike and I made another pilot together before this one. Once Stella got cancelled, we made another show for Comedy Central. It wasn’t Comedy Central’s fault that Stella got canceled, no one watched the show. I hate to say it, but I don’t think anyone ever watched the show.

TOC: This show seems to combine all of the stuff you’ve done in the past, sketches like on The State, more of your personalities like with Stella.
Michael Showalter: Yeah, e didn’t just want to launch a straight sketch show per say, but definitely wanted to do sketches, put on costumes and wigs, and all that stuff. We were sort of looking for some kind of a format where we could do sketches but also, do it in a way that felt a little different.

TOC: Why not a straight sketch show, do you think it would just be—
Michael Showalter: No, I think that would be great. And I think that we feel like with this one it’s entirely possible that if we keep making episodes with this show, that there may be just an episode when it is just a sketch show. But, I think we also enjoy the kind of humor that comes out of us just being ourselves. So it’s two things we like. It’s sort of both of those things we want to do. We want to do sketches but we also are interested in more narratives where we are playing these characters.

TOC: Are the scenes between the two of you heavily scripted, or is it a lot of you guys—
Michael Showalter: Both. A little bit of both. We do a fair amount of ad-libbing on set. And a lot of times something good comes out of it. But the show, we definitely go in with scripts. If something is working we don’t change it.

TOC: People that have been seeing the two of you on TV or in shows together for the last 15 years, do you think that part of the fun of the show is knowing that people have an investment in the Michaels and their personalities?
Michael Showalter: Um, it’s nothing we can count on. But I do think the people that know or have spent any amount of attention for that period of time would sort of…that context is the context for our relationship in the show. Even though it is not necessarily talked about.

TOC: So there is something, that those people who have been fans for a long time can bring to it.
Michael Showalter: Yeah, I think possibly. We’re not making references to The State or anything like that. But it is definitely a little bit, the sketch show that we are making on the show is kind of a little bit like The State. You know, it is just totally a straight sketch show, lots of silliness, costumes, dumb dumb voices, etc.

TOC: It seems like for a long time now, you’ve been working with your friends on projects. Even for small things like the New York Times Weekender spoof. Is that something that you always made a point to do?
Michael Showalter: There is a comfort level there, and that has a lot to do with it. Working with people you know, and feeling like you have a sensibility that you share. But I am always psyched to meet new people. There’s a lot of people on the show and in the series that we have never worked with before. Both in the narrative part and on the sketch part. There are a bunch of comedians who are on the sketch show part who we have never worked with before that you will see a lot of, and are really great.

TOC: I’ve been a fan of you guys for a long time, and I watched the pilot, which has this amazing fight scene, and I had no idea that you were so skilled in the art of capoeira.
Michael Showalter: Oh yeah, I know. We had to train for weeks for that show.

TOC: It shows.
Michael Showalter: Thank you. I’m glad that came through.

TOC: One other thing I noticed: I was reading yours and Michael Ian Black’s Twitter stream, and just the other day on his he wrote that, “Every time I see somebody in a sweater vest I have the same thought, pedophile.” And I noticed that you were wearing a sweater vest in the show.
Michael Showalter: Really, really? Um, I don’t know I’m wearing..uh, maybe I am. I don’t think I’m wearing, maybe I am wearing a sweater vest. A sweater vest has no sleeves, right?

TOC: Right.
Michael Showalter: I don’t think I’m wearing a sweater vest, I think I am just wearing a vest. But he did say in a different one that he thinks people who wear khaki are nerds, and I definitely wear khaki. And I definitely am frequently finding myself not sure if he is insulting me in his Twitter posts. In all likelihood he probably is.

TOC: One of the funny things about the whole premise of the first episode is that you are Michael are competing for this interview, and right now my colleague Brent is interviewing Michael Ian Black at the same time. I’m just wondering who you think is doing better?
Michael Showalter: For the weekly? I am online and he is in the weekly? That’s what it is right, he is actually in print?

TOC: Yes, does that offend you?
Michael Showalter: Not in the least.

TOC: I’m just curious, who do you think since you guys are so competitive with the interviews on the show, who do you think is doing a better job in their interview right now?
Michael Showalter: I am going to have to say Michael, because I am humble and he is a very good interviewee. He does a great job. But you’re doing a great job. You’re doing a better job than the guy whose interviewing Mike. I know that for sure.

Michael & Michael Have Issues premieres Wednesday 15 at 9:30pm on Comedy Central. Click here to read our interview with Michael Ian Black.

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