“The State” was one of the sharpest, funniest and most underrated shows to debut in the 1990’s. The show represented MTV’s first foray into the sketch comedy genre.
The cast included 11 comedians who were part of the comedy troupe “The State.” Cast members will also responsible for writing, direction, and editing of the show.
The show was optioned by CBS upon conclusion of the second season. CBS hoped to connect with a younger audience and compete with NBC’s “Saturday Night Live.” The concept was tested in a 1995 Halloween special and received fair reviews. However, the ratings for the episode were low due to lack of significant promotion.
In the DVD commentary, the troupe confirmed that the show had never been cancelled by MTV. In fact, MTV hoped to sign with the team for another 65 episodes. However, the group turned the deal down in favor of the potential deal with CBS.
After the CBS deal fell through, members of “The State” decided to move on to other projects.
A reunion film was planned but was delayed and never produced due to the 2007-08 screenwriters strike. Though, in a recent interview, Thomas Lennon shared that he’s discussed a reunion tour with the cast from “The State” and “Kids in the Hall.”
Theme song from the show
The opening titles to “The State” featured “Boys and Girls – Action.” The music was composed by Craig Wedren of Shudder to Think and Eli Janney of Girls Against Boys. The theme was built up using samples from “The Kingdom of Heaven Must Be Taken By Storm,” and “The Hickey Underworld” by The nation of Ulysses.
Collectibles and merchandise
- “The State: The Complete Series” is a DVD collection of all the official episodes.
- “The State Comedy For Gracious Living” is an Audio CD release of the long-lost comedy album recorded in 1996. The album includes 25 tracks
“The State” season and episode guide
Critics described “The State” as “a comedic gem with slapstick, smarts and witty sarcasm.”
The show ran from December 17, 1993 to July 1, 1995.
The official 3 seasons included 26 30-minute episodes. There was a holiday special on CBS. The pilot and several skits were never aired (but are listed below).
Season 1
MTV Pilot
This episode did not air on television.
- “Chair Wrestling”
- “Elevator I”
- “Hormones”
- “Ride”
- “Cerealist Commercial”
- “Elevator II”
- “Sid and Nancy”
- “Capt. Monterey Jack”
- “Fire! Link”
- “Elevator IV”
Produced, but not included in the pilot
- “Spoons”
- “Beware of Sign”
- “Steven Hawking Standup”
- “Elevator III”
- “Carter’s Lineage”
- “Hot Day (lauguage)”
Show 101
- “Boogeyman”
- “The Lenny Lipton Show”
- “Hormones”
- “Hops Plus”
- “Free Your Mind (Clown/Pirate)”
- “Chip’s Party”
- “Hypothetical Question”
- “On-air Personality”
- “Mudwrestler”
- “Eating and Swimming”
- “Forever”
Show 102
- “Cuddly Soft”
- “Gang Fight”
- “$7,000 Pyramid”
- “Old Fashioned Guy”
- “Cerialist Commercial”
- “Mouse Problem”
- “Doug & Dad”
- “Captain Monterey Jack (lights)”
- “Old Fashioned Guy”
- “Bigfoot in Office”
- “Louie”
Show 103
- “Boogeyman”
- “Captain Monterey Jack (shoes)”
- “Pies”
- “Thanksgiving Dinner”
- “MTV Sports”
- “Chips Commercial”
- “Antonio”
- “Tape People”
- “Free Your Mind (Tapeface)”
- “Chair Wrestling”
- “Mr. Magina”
- “Gilbert Link”
- “Crackers”
Show 104
- “Disclaimer”
- “Cute”
- “Ride”
- “Doug & Principal”
- “Don Law”
- “Light Coma”
- “Old Fashioned Guy”
- “Pants”
- “Captain Monterey Jack (Cheese)”
- “On the Table”
- “$240 Worth of Pudding”
Show 105
- “God is Dead”
- “Mind Match”
- “Grandma’s Potato Chowder”
- “Hot Pursuits”
- “Free Your Mind (Smoker)”
- “James Dixon: Guidance Counselor”
- “Cindy Crawford”
- “Old Fashioned Guy”
- “On-air Personality (Youth Conference)”
- “Lunch with The State”
- “Missy Von Kimmelman”
- “Louie II”
Show 106
- “Cuddly Soft”
- “James Dixon: Guidance Counselor”
- “Hormones”
- “Hops Plus”
- “Chip’s Party”
- “MTV Sports”
- “Doug & Dad”
- “Pants”
- “Lenny Lipton Show”
- “$240 Worth of Pudding”
- “Amish Gang Fight”
Shot, but not aired
- “Bownty”
- “Coach Gunner”
- “Crazy Grandma Night”
- “Department Store”
- “Dinner at Marky Mark’s”
- “Grunge Rock”
- “Debuty Cow Benny”
- “Inbred Brothers”
- “Shot in the head”
- “Super 8”
- “Thompsons”
- “Union Trained”
- “Technicians I,II,III”
Season 2
Show 201
- “Ballet I”
- “James Dixon: Power Priest”
- “Choking”
- “Sleep with The State”
- “Piggy Shoes”
- “Nazi War Criminals”
- “Ballet II”
- “Barry Lutz Show”
- “Mime Crash”
- “Ballet III”
- “Service with a Smile”
Show 202
- “I’m Watching”
- “Pre-school Narc”
- “Get a Job”
- “Jurassic Park”
- “Norwegian Cruise”
- “Battleship I”
- “Copy Shop”
- “Battleship II”
- “Superfriends”
- “Eating Muppets”
- “Hi Brow / Low Brow”
Show 203
- “Microchip”
- “Bookworm”
- “Down the Pants”
- “Relationship Line”
- “People Really Live This Way”
- “Elevator”
- “State Intro”
- “Phone Line: Carrie”
- “Lois & Clark”
- “Barry & Levon”
- “Phone Line: Plant”
Show 204
- “First Election”
- “Doug III”
- “Dad’s Affair”
- “Bownty”
- “Commercial Whaling”
- “Bologna Foot”
- “O’Keefe/Stieglitz”
- “Busted”
- “And”
- “PMS”
Show 205
- “Oh Betty”
- “Otto Bimini”
- “Job Interview”
- “Can I Go Play”
- “Can I Go Play II”
- “TV Watching”
- “Talk You”
- “Can I Go Play III”
- “Inbred Brothers”
- “Headlines”
Show 206
- “World Records I”
- “Hepcat”
- “Babysitter”
- “Pimple”
- “Teacher’s Lounge”
- “World Records II”
- “Dinner: The Kids”
- “Wildtown”
- “Fetishest”
- “Unplugged”
Show 207
Compilation of shot but not aired
- “Krispy Pops”
- “Muskrats”
- “On Location”
- “Cows”
- “Previously On The State”
- “Fashion Magazine”
- “Tea & Sympathy”
- “Swamp Thing”
Season 3
Show 301
- “Beardan High”
- “Boy in a Barn”
- “The Jew, The Italian and The Red Head Gay”
- “Blueberry Johnson”
- “Let’s Move Out”
- “For Chelsea”
- “Just the 160,000 of Us”
- “In The Bathroom”
- “Monkeys Do It”
Show 302
- “Tanner’s Guide to Jane”
- “Prom Photos”
- “Sea Monkeys”
- “Hits from the 70’s I”
- “Hits from the 70’s II”
- “Kabuki Doug”
- “Toothbrush”
- “Lincoln Logs”
- “Staring Contest”
- “The Popes-a Visit”
Show 303
- “Not a Talk Show”
- “Where’s the Mousey?”
- “Tammy Wilkins: Notebook Artist”
- “The Restaurant Sketch”
- “Deathfight 5000”
- “Fan Names”
- “The Bearded Men of Space Station 11”
- “Origami”
- “Louie & The Last Supper”
Show 304
- “David Wain Open”
- “Freaks”
- “Kill Tim”
- “The Andersons”
- “Festis, the Birthday Hobo”
- “The Animal Song”
- “Booger, Booger & Fartybutt”
- “The Funeral”
- “Asides”
- “Panama”
Show 305
- “Precinct Open”
- “Dan, the Very Popular Openly Gay High School Student”
- “Kerri’s Day”
- “Dreamboy”
- “Precinct Link”
- “Polar Bears”
- “Betty’s No Good Clothes Shop and Pancake House”
- “Ray Gun”
- “Doug IV”
- “Froggy Jamboree”
Show 306
- “Shower”
- “Planet Groovy”
- “Roughing It”
- “Barney McMacken”
- “Old Lighthouse Jeffers”
- “The Personal State”
- “Drugs”
- “Rug Brothers”
- “Porcupine Racetrack”
Show 307
- “Narcolepsy Today”
- “Race”
- “Howard Report”
- “H’s & M’s”
- “Slinky’s”
- “Hot Dogs”
- “Tenement”
- “Cleaners”
- “Hallmark”
- “Monkey’s Do It II”
Show 308
- “Hokey Pokey”
- “Bikini Thong”
- “Buddy’s Home From Finals”
- “Normal Pervert”
- “Taco Man”
- “Jew II, pt. 1”
- “Senator Cavanaugh”
- “Jew II, pt. 2”
- “Sports Beat”
- “Alcoholism”
- “Dead Montage”
Show 309
- “Ghost Story”
- “Sal & Frankie”
- “SAT’s, pt. 1”
- “Dysfunctional Family”
- “Prince’s Reception”
- “Pottery Barn”
- “Tuxedo”
- “Li’l Brown Dog Food”
- “Die For Love”
- “SAT’s, pt. 2”
- “Laupin Variety Programme”
Show 310
- “Hitchiker”
- “Terrorist Situation”
- “Leonard Harris Show”
- “Permanent School Record”
- “Free Market Economy”
- “Beach”
- “Fragments”
- “Billy’s Play”
- “Coffee Family”
- “Cannonball Run”
Show 311
- “Great Moments”
- “Prison Break”
- “Sideways House Family”
- “Super Robby”
- “Mr. Flemming’s Arrival”
- “Prom”
- “Inbred Brothers in the Army”
- “Borscht Boy”,
- “Walton’s Theme”
Show 312
- “Blinking Contest”
- “Dentist”
- “Sci-Fi Laboratory”
- “High Plains Magic Fairy”
- “Jerry’s Audition”
- “Bacon”
- “Kiss My Grits”
- “Last Will & Testament”
- “One Camper”
Show 313
- “L.A. Open”
- “Dixon: Jedi Talent Agency”
- “Tough Choices”
- “Gas Station”
- “Gunter Brothers”
- “Desert Extras”
- “Real Estate Broker”
- “Adventures Of Young God”
- “Farewell”
- “Hi-lite Reel”
Shot but not aired
- “Brendan”
- “Disco Lady”
- “Drag Dad”
- “Porno Sex Lover”
- “Real Estate Broker”
- “State Estate”
- “Crazy Geese”
- “Golf Balls”
- “One Minute with Bluie Dunard”
CBS Halloween Special
- “Alan King Intro”
- “Opening Number”
- “Manzelles”
- “Jefferson”
- “Celebrity Interview”
- “Ros Fanaroff”
- “Lawn Ornaments”
- “Jimmy Tries Pot”
- “Desi Arnaz Tribute”
- “Capo, Louisiana”
- “What Am I Saying?”
- “State Memories from Around the World”
- “Boiler”
- “Fourth Wall”
- “Sonic Youth”
- “Hold Me”
- “Sued by the Beatles”
Shot but not aired
- “Pants In A Can”
- “Nose To Nose”
“The State” cast guide
The dynamic cast featured 11 exceptional actors. “The State” served as a launching point for many of the cast member’s professional careers. Alums of the show went on to collaborate on hit projects like “Stella,” “Reno 911!,” “Superbad,” “Balls of Fury,” and more.
Where are the stars of “The State” now?
- David Wain is a comedian, writer, actor and director. He co-wrote “Wet Hot American Summer,” “Role Models,” and “Wanderlust.”
- Joe Lo Truglio is an actor, comedian, writer, and producer. He’s best known for his role as Charles Boyle on the Fox/NBC sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
- Ken Marino is an actor, comedian, director and screenwriter. Marino has started in “Party Down,” “Marry Me,” “Burning Love,” and “Children’s Hospital”
- Kevin Allison is a comedian, writer, and actor. He hosts “RISK!” a storytelling podcast and teaches sketch comedy and storytelling.
- Kerri Kenney-Silver is an actress, comedian, writer, singer, and musician. She became famous for her roll on “Reno 911!” and has appeared on many recurring sitcom roles.
- Michael Ian Black is a comedian, actor, writer and director. He has appeared in movies and on television. Black participated in the Celebrity Poker Showdown. He released a children’s book and hosts the “Obscure” and “How to Be Amazing” podcasts.
- Michael Patrick Jann is an actor, writer, and director. He currently hosts the podcast “Can’t Direct Traffic.”
- Michael Showalter is a comedian, actor, director, writer, and producer. He is a member of the sketch trio “Stella.” Showalter created the “Wet Hot American Summer” franchise in partnership with David Wain.
- Robert Ben Garant is a screenwriter, producer, director, actor, and comedian. He became famous for his role on “Reno 911!”
- Thomas Lennon is an actor, comedian, screenwriter, producer, director, and novelist. Lennon has stared in many shows and movies. He also played Felix Unger on the CBS series “The Odd Couple.”
- Todd Holoubek is a television actor, comedian, and sketch-comedy writer. Holubek is well-known for “The Ten,” “Reno 911! Miami,” and his work on “Orange Quarters.”
