Playing off of Doug was an assortment of puppet animals, several of which were voiced by Smigel himself. It was basically Pee-Wee’s Playhouse, but with a grounded host and a target audience of teenage stoners. He was unfailingly optimistic and just plain nice as the show strived for a children’s programming feel. The show was hosted by Doug (Doug Dale) who was basically the straight man of the show. Instead, TV Funhouse ended up being a mix of live-action with puppets with some room for animated segments. The show would need to find a new vehicle for presenting Smigel’s cartoons though as he didn’t want to just air a block of cartoon shorts. It’s not surprising that he decided to call the show TV Funhouse, as that was his most successful brand (next to Triumph, I suppose). When that show was cancelled, as it was a comically bad fit for network ABC, Smigel went back to writing for SNL and he took his cartoon with him where it would air under the TV Funhouse banner.Ĭomedy Central, seeing how popular the segment was on SNL, brought Smigel onboard to create his own show for their network. Writer Robert Smigel, best known for being the handler of Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, is credited with coming up with The Ambiguously Gay Duo, one of the few hits churned out by the Dana Carvey Show. What many aren’t aware of is that the comedic short starring Steve Carell and Stephen Colbert actually originated on the short-lived Dana Carvey Show. When someone hears the title TV Funhouse they probably first go to Saturday Night Live and The Ambiguously Gay Duo, a cartoon Batman and Robin parody that hypothesizes the relationship between the two heroes is more than just friendship. Photo By: RCF/Everett Collection The 41st Annual Emmy Awards, Robert Smigel,, ©CBS THIS IS 40, l-r: Robert Smigel, Paul Rudd, 2012, ph: Suzanne Hanover/©Universal Pictures THIS IS 40, Robert Smigel, 2012.TV Funhouse – “Christmas Day” originally aired December 20, 2000. Photo by: Kristin Callahan/Everett Collection Robert Smigel, Triumph the Insult Dog in attendance for Writers Guild of America (WGA) Awards 2017 - N.Y.C., The Edison Ballroom, New York, NY February 19, 2017. Photo By: Priscilla Grant/Everett Collection Robert Smigel at arrivals for New York Premiere of YOU DON''T MESS WITH THE ZOHAN, The Ziegfeld Theatre, New York, NY, June 04, 2008. Photo By: Jason Mendez/Everett Collection Triumph the Insult Comic Dog at arrivals for HULU TCA Summer 2016 Press Tour, Beverly Hilton Hotel, Beverly Hills, CA August 5, 2016. Photo by: Michael Germana/Everett Collection Robert Smigel at arrivals for THE WEEK OF Premiere on Netflix, AMC Loews Lincoln Square 13, New York, NY April 23, 2018. Photo by: Michael Germana/Everett Collection Rob Smigel at arrivals for YOU DON''T MESS WITH THE ZOHAN Premiere, Grauman''s Chinese Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, May 28, 2008. Tomorrow Night Happy Gilmore Happy Gilmore This Is 40 This Is 40 You Don't Mess With the Zohan You Don't Mess With the Zohan Photos Rob Smigel at arrivals for YOU DON''T MESS WITH THE ZOHAN Premiere, Grauman''s Chinese Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, May 28, 2008. Although operating primarily behind the scenes - or at the end of a hand puppet - Smigel's subversive brand of humor was at the forefront of the period's comedic wave whether audiences knew him by name or not. Even as Triumph and "TV Funhouse" became de facto cottage industries for Smigel - "Funhouse" eventually became a recurring installment on "SNL" - he also found time to clown with Sandler in several films, including "Happy Gilmore" (1996) and "I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry" (2007). It was on these programs that Smigel unleashed the inspired madness of creations like the acid-tongued Triumph and "The Ambiguously Gay Duo" segments, respectively. When O'Brien was tapped to fill the very large shoes left behind by David Letterman, Smigel followed him as head writer on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" (NBC, 1993-2009), later jumping ship to write for the ill-fated "The Dana Carvey Show" (ABC, 1995-96). During his time at "SNL," he was responsible for several memorable recurring sketches, and created lasting friendships with cast member Adam Sandler and fellow series writer Conan O'Brien. Smigel's comedic career began as a part of an improvisation group co-created with Bob Odenkirk, prior to being recruited to join the ranks of the writing staff at "Saturday Night Live" (NBC, 1975- ). The creative force behind the animated "TV Funhouse" short films and the foul-mouthed puppet, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, Robert Smigel may have been one of the more beloved, yet least publicly recognized comic talents of his day.
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