Image via Comedy Central. Prince was the main inspiration for the one of the show’s most iconic skits that went over his legendary pick-up basketball skills as told by the late Charlie Murphy.
As far as influential comedy shows go, Comedy Central’s Chappelle’s Show might be the biggest “what if” of the 21st century. Created in 2003 by comedian and actor Dave Chappelle, the show ran until 2006 and was known for its highly influential comedic skits that drew on all walks of modern life. However, after the second season of the series, Chappelle took an indefinite hiatus due to stress and the show taking a huge toll on his personal life. While the series did have an abridged run in season three known as “The Lost Episodes” there was still an appetite for the brand that never came to be. The show was a critical and commercial hit for Comedy Central and went on to influence a variety of shows for the rest of the decade and beyond.
So below are the top three most influential ways Chappelle’s Show affected the comedy business in the entertainment industry:
Netflix comedy specials
While media has changed a ton since the show’s initial run in 2003, the impact of having a high profile comedy act on your network is a must. Almost every impactful comedian has had a special of some kind on Netflix. The likes of old favorites Jerry Seinfield and Chris Rock to more current acts like Kevin Hart and Iliza Shlesinger have all had successful runs on the channel. Chappelle himself has also had a handful of specials air on the platform which have all had varying degrees of success but none as popular as his original creation on Comedy Central. However, the fact remains that having a marquee comedy special is still an envious position to be in for an entertainment brand. Nothing has quite come close to the mass appeal of the legendary Rick James or Prince skits, but shows since then have tried to emulate that success for a shot one day.
Image via Comedy Central.com.
The influence on the podcast genre
In the same vein as Netflix, podcasts have become an incredibly popular audio choice for users on the go. Many influential comedians have their own podcasts the likes of Michael Rapaport, Marc Maron and Conan O’Brien just to name a few, but the most popular host right now might be frequent Chappelle collaborator, Joe Rogan. While Rogan was really known at the time as being the host “Fear Factor” his career has since taken off with very successful gigs in the UFC and as host of his own podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience. The latter being one of the most influential shows in any medium and a true microscope into what is going on in modern pop culture. In fact, with advertising revenues being considered, Rogan’s podcast has become one of the most financially successful shows on any medium, mirroring the strong influence of Chappelle’s Show before it.
Key and Peele and Comedy Central
Since the departure of Chappelle’s Show, Comedy Central has tried to fill the void of the show with a variety of different series that have all had varying degrees of success. The most notable of which have been Key and Peele and Tosh.O. The former followed the Chappelle formula of skits and found a large degree of success by tapping into the sports audience and also due to the duo (Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele)’s ability to connect to the audience. However, the duo found criticism from Chappelle himself for copying their formula too closely. Tosh meanwhile found success using viral videos as his main source of material which has proved successful in the long run as the show is still running today. While both shows have their own flavors, the impact of Chappelle’s can be traced to both programs.
While a Chappelle’s Show reunion will probably never happen down the line, we can all still remember the good times. So please comment below your favorite episode or skit. You can also send me a message on Twitter with your favorite moment from the series.
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