"The Ben Stiller Show" (1992)TV series 1992-1993

Creators:

Judd Apatow
Jeff Kahn
Ben Stiller
(more)

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

27 September 1992 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

This comedy/variety show specialized in parodies of movies and television shows and commercials. Often...

Plot Keywords:

Sketch Comedy | Actor Playing Multiple Roles | Character Name In Title

Awards:

Won Primetime Emmy.

Cast

Ben Stiller	...	Host / ... (13 episodes, 1992-1993)
Andy Dick	...	Various Characters (13 episodes, 1992-1993)
Janeane Garofalo	...	Various Characters (13 episodes, 1992-1993)
Bob Odenkirk	...	Various Characters (13 episodes, 1992-1993)
John F. O'Donohue	...	Various Characters / ... (13 episodes, 1992-1993)

(more)

Series Directed by
John Fortenberry		(12 episodes, 1992-1993)
Ben Stiller		(9 episodes, 1992-1993)
Troy Miller		(7 episodes, 1992-1993)
Paul Miller		(5 episodes, 1992-1993)

Series Writing credits
Judd Apatow		(13 episodes, 1992-1993)
Jeff Kahn		(13 episodes, 1992-1993)
Ben Stiller		(13 episodes, 1992-1993)
Robert Cohen		(12 episodes, 1992-1993)
David Cross		(12 episodes, 1992-1993)
Brent Forrester		(12 episodes, 1992-1993)
Janeane Garofalo		(12 episodes, 1992-1993)
Bruce Kirschbaum		(12 episodes, 1992-1993)
Bob Odenkirk		(12 episodes, 1992-1993)
Sultan Pepper		(12 episodes, 1992-1993)
Dino Stamatopoulos		(12 episodes, 1992-1993)

Series Produced by
Judd Apatow	....	executive producer (13 episodes, 1992-1993)
James Jones	....	producer (13 episodes, 1992-1993)
Jeff Kahn	....	supervising producer (13 episodes, 1992-1993)
Ben Stiller	....	producer (13 episodes, 1992-1993)
Bruce Kirschbaum	....	co-executive producer (12 episodes, 1992-1993)

Series Original Music by
Greg O'Connor		(unknown episodes)

Series Cinematography by
Michael Franks		(1 episode, 1992)
Russ T. Alsobrook		(unknown episodes)

Series Film Editing by
Brent Carpenter		(unknown episodes)
Kurt Heydle		(unknown episodes)
Richard LaBrie		(unknown episodes)
Vic Lowrey		(unknown episodes)

Series Production Design by
Sharon Seymour		(unknown episodes)

Series Art Direction by
Jeff Knipp		(unknown episodes)

Series Set Decoration by
Maggie Martin		(unknown episodes)
Michele Munoz		(unknown episodes)

Series Makeup Department
Michael Burnett	....	makeup department head (unknown episodes)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Donald Sparks	....	first assistant director (1 episode, 1992)

Series Art Department
Michele Spadaro	....	buyer (1 episode, 1992)
Michael Krantz	....	art department production assistant (unknown episodes)
Mark Sakamoto	....	set dresser (unknown episodes)

Series Sound Department
Mark Weingarten	....	sound mixer (unknown episodes)
David Weinstock	....	sound mixer (unknown episodes)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Curtis Bradford	....	chief lighting technician (unknown episodes)
Andrea Chesney	....	second assistant camera (unknown episodes)

Series Music Department
Dweezil Zappa	....	composer: theme music (unknown episodes)

Series Transportation Department
Bruce Comtois	....	transportation coordinator (13 episodes, 1992-1993)

Series Other crew
Tom Bell	....	production assistant (unknown episodes)

Production Companies

• HBO Independent Productions

Distributors

• Fox Television (1992-1993) (USA) (TV) (12 episodes) (original airing)
• Home Box Office (HBO) (1993) (USA) (TV) (episode 13) (original airing)

Other Companies

• Keslow Cameras  camera equipment provided by

Runtime:

30 min (13 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Company:

HBO Independent Productions

Trivia:

The show won its 1993 Emmy for outstanding individual achievement in writing in a variety or music program after it had been cancelled.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: The timestamps on Ben's video diary segments never increment, even though the individual segments usually last more than a minute. This is probably due to the fact that they were added in post-production, and weren't a result of a real camcorder's time/date stamp.

Quotes:

Charles Manson: [on the phone] You wanna talk to Mrs. Wilson? Why don't you wanna talk to Charlie? You think if you don't talk to me, I'll go away, but I can't go away, because I'm not here. I'm a ghost of a phantom of a shadow in the heart of your children!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Robot Chicken: 1987 (#2.6)" (2006)

13 Episodes Weren't Enough!

The Ben Stiller Show proved that good comedy exists out there. Unfortunately, Fox never gave the show a chance and it was cancelled after only airing twelve episodes. In fact, the show earned an Emmy award in the following year. The show is brilliant satire of television and modern culture of the early 1990s. I love Melrose Heights 902102104 etc. which fuses the shows of Melrose Place, Beverly Hills 90210, and the Heights (which was shortly canceled) all into one. I love Janeane Garofalo who was in her element whether playing wife to a sock puppet named Skank, a prim and proper telephone operator, or spoofing Shannen Doherty. Andy Dick is also memorable as is the show's star Ben Stiller who is on the verge of stardom. I love the pilot episode where they spoof the group of U2 and Bono is singing for a cereal and at a Long Island Bar Mitzvah. The fact that they got the same manager from the Partridge Family is genius as is Paul Dooley who shows. They spoof Monkees with the Grungies in Seattle, Washington. I love the DVD and I wish there was more of Ben Stiller Show to go around.