My Home Country of Canada has few shows that are of any value. Nirvanna The Band The Show aims to fix that with gut busting comedy & clever satire/parodies. Matt & Jay's comedy flows naturally and they work well off each other. This show does a good job In selling the tourism for Toronto and making it look like a wonderful place to visit. I pray that Season 3 can find a home now that Vice Canada has hit the dust. I watched both seasons on City TV back home so we can only hope they can find the rights for Season 3. This is the best Television Show that Canada has ever produced & hardly anyone knows of it. This is a masterpiece & my favourite non animated comedy. Give it a go
12 Reviews
Funny and smart. An amazing show.
pieninjaproductions29 May 2017
This show is extremely funny, riveting and even intelligent. The seamless nature of fiction and sometimes prank level reality creates a really unique narrative. The two guys work extremely well together. Chemistry and character is on point. The stories they tell in each episode are so clever, and so well crafted, and can either bring tears of joy or tears of sadness. I will support the heck out of this show and it needs WAY more attention. Spread the word! I'm sorry, but it is a masterpiece. I see no flaws, because the flaws it has just add to the character of the show. Season 2 please.
Im really starting to like this show more and more. Very funny.
jmchap17 February 2017
Warning: Spoilers
This show is relatively new, and airs on Viceland. I just finished watching episode 3, and was laughing out loud throughout. They make references to countless movies and TV shows in each episode. Picking on old NBC TV ad campaigns like their "must see TV" from years ago in episode 2, to Staying up on coffee for a day or two and trying to figure out why they can't sleep in a Usual Suspects memory recall fashion in episode 3. This show is loaded with references, literally nothing is sacred, and I love it. It is unique, in that it separates itself as being original.
The characters(also the creators and actors of this show) are self aware in the show, its part script, part hidden camera with real unsuspecting people involved, and I'm guessing part improv. Really clever, one of the only comedy shows I actually look forward to watching right now. Hope more people catch on. I think it has the potential of garnering a real following.
The characters(also the creators and actors of this show) are self aware in the show, its part script, part hidden camera with real unsuspecting people involved, and I'm guessing part improv. Really clever, one of the only comedy shows I actually look forward to watching right now. Hope more people catch on. I think it has the potential of garnering a real following.
One of the most creative shows i have seen in a long time
cartsghammond21 July 2019
Matt Johnson and Jay McCarrol have created something spectacular, something different to anything I've ever seen. This show is living proof that a big budget doesn't make a show good, its about the creativity put into it. I honestly believe that both Matt and Jay are comedy genius's and that this show ranks as one of the best comedies ever. Nirvana the band the show deserves 100 times more attention than its already getting.
Nirvanna the Band the Show
quinimdb25 May 2017
Warning: Spoilers
No, the show is not about "Nirvana" the band, it's about "Nirvanna the Band", a band consisting of Matt and Jay, two best friends that have had a lifelong dream of performing a show at the Rivoli, a real life, moderately popular Toronto bar; this show actually has nothing to do with Kurt Cobain and Dave Grohl's band. If that sounds ridiculous and absurd, that's because it is. In fact, that's not even scratching the surface of the absurdity this series has to offer.
(Almost) every episode consists of Matt and Jay trying to get a show at the Rivoli with some convoluted and insane plan and eventually failing in a spectacular fashion. What makes this show so uniquely funny is that the fictional plights of the characters often involve real people that have no idea they are on a show. To get the footage of Matt and Jay attempting their schemes, the real actors that play these characters go out into public acting like their nonsensical characters and (for the most part) actually do their plans, interacting with many people as their characters that are unaware that they are actually playing their characters. For instance, one episode is about Matt and Jay getting into Sundance Film Festival in order to gain popularity so they can play at the Rivoli. Since the real Matt Johnson is a filmmaker and his film "Operation Avalanche" actually got into Sundance, they decided to center the episode around the character Matt sneaking his awful film into Sundance. To get footage for this episode, Matt and Jay actually introduced the film as their characters from "Nirvanna the Band the Show" without anyone at the premiere having any idea of what was really going on. Matt also did many real live interviews as his character, causing a lot of confusion with a lot of people and a lot of embarrassing situations as well. That is dedication.
Not everything is improvised and authentic -- each episode has a plot, and in order to adhere to that plot there must be scripted and planned moments, but since the show has a general mockumentary style to it, what is fictional and what is really happening often blend together to the point where you can't tell what is planned and what the actors are really doing. Sometimes, it seems as if they will make slight additions to the episode based on sudden interactions they have with real people. But, despite the unpredictability of episodes, nothing in the show happens without purpose. It is the perfect blend of spontaneity and structure; even outside of interactions with other people, much of the dialogue between Matt and Jay seems improvised, yet there are many small details which seem insignificant at first, but they are truly a set up for a much bigger joke later in the episode or even later in the series.
The show is also incredibly self-aware; the opening scene is Matt and Jay talking about how to introduce their show at the Rivoli, while introducing their show to us in the process. There are also frequent pop-culture references, some purposefully blatantly obvious and exaggerated, and some pretty subtle, but never without purpose; every major reference, including the personalized intros to every episode, coincides with the overall structure or style of the episode, often even subverting your expectations based on what they reference at during their intros and throughout the episode. It's one of the funniest and strangest shows currently on television, and it deserves a lot more attention.
(Almost) every episode consists of Matt and Jay trying to get a show at the Rivoli with some convoluted and insane plan and eventually failing in a spectacular fashion. What makes this show so uniquely funny is that the fictional plights of the characters often involve real people that have no idea they are on a show. To get the footage of Matt and Jay attempting their schemes, the real actors that play these characters go out into public acting like their nonsensical characters and (for the most part) actually do their plans, interacting with many people as their characters that are unaware that they are actually playing their characters. For instance, one episode is about Matt and Jay getting into Sundance Film Festival in order to gain popularity so they can play at the Rivoli. Since the real Matt Johnson is a filmmaker and his film "Operation Avalanche" actually got into Sundance, they decided to center the episode around the character Matt sneaking his awful film into Sundance. To get footage for this episode, Matt and Jay actually introduced the film as their characters from "Nirvanna the Band the Show" without anyone at the premiere having any idea of what was really going on. Matt also did many real live interviews as his character, causing a lot of confusion with a lot of people and a lot of embarrassing situations as well. That is dedication.
Not everything is improvised and authentic -- each episode has a plot, and in order to adhere to that plot there must be scripted and planned moments, but since the show has a general mockumentary style to it, what is fictional and what is really happening often blend together to the point where you can't tell what is planned and what the actors are really doing. Sometimes, it seems as if they will make slight additions to the episode based on sudden interactions they have with real people. But, despite the unpredictability of episodes, nothing in the show happens without purpose. It is the perfect blend of spontaneity and structure; even outside of interactions with other people, much of the dialogue between Matt and Jay seems improvised, yet there are many small details which seem insignificant at first, but they are truly a set up for a much bigger joke later in the episode or even later in the series.
The show is also incredibly self-aware; the opening scene is Matt and Jay talking about how to introduce their show at the Rivoli, while introducing their show to us in the process. There are also frequent pop-culture references, some purposefully blatantly obvious and exaggerated, and some pretty subtle, but never without purpose; every major reference, including the personalized intros to every episode, coincides with the overall structure or style of the episode, often even subverting your expectations based on what they reference at during their intros and throughout the episode. It's one of the funniest and strangest shows currently on television, and it deserves a lot more attention.
Totally underrated
jophie-3706012 April 2021
NEED THIS ON CRAVE OR NETFLIX
deadshyguy30 January 2021
This is the best show of all time
ldfiamunicorn22 January 2019
I have pretty much an endless amount of words for this but it would be very difficult to type and even if I spoke them rather than typing them it would still all be a jumbled mess (I have tried this), so I'll just leave it at the review title and hope that's enough to make you watch it.
Incredibly funny show, for real.
fernandojpolanco2 August 2017
Every episode made me laugh, laugh HARD. I really recommend this show to anyone looking for a funny, exciting and "I'm really looking forward to their next season" type of show. Made extremely well and the story is actually brilliant! Another cool aspect is that it's not set in a typical 'Hollywood' setting: it's set in a Canadian city and take a new, and to be honest refreshing, spin on what funny really is. Hope you watch it. YOU'RE WELCOME in-advance.
Comedic genius with low-key exterior - Give this show a chance!
consciousgeometry26 October 2017
I first heard about "Nirvana the Band" a few months back and while it seemed somewhat interesting, its sort of bland look kept me from checking it out. Now that I've come through and watched all episodes, I have to say that I never laughed so hard at any show in the last 1 or 2 years.
For me, the lack of flashy presentation and stylized look turns out to actually not be a shortcoming but something that really helps to sell the humor the show is going for. Somehow, the low-fi aesthetic makes it feel more authentic and really facilitates the seamless blend of scripted scenes and "prank" like improvisation that's going on all the time. If you look closer at how the episodes are put together, you begin to realize that this "homemade" quality is an aesthetic choice and the editing and planing that has to go into creating it must be enormous. But the hard work pays off 100%.
The biggest compliment I can give "Nirvana The Band" is that its style of comedy at the moment feels completely fresh, like nothing I've ever seen before. And -most importantly- it feels not only "new", it also really works. The guys embody their characters so completely that nothing ever feels "acted" and the ideas that drive the "plot" are so surreal and insane that I cannot even begin to imagine how they manage to come up with them.
This is the best new show I've discovered in 2017 so far, I really hope that it eventually gets the audience it deserves! My guess as to why it has been mostly overlooked, is not that it is "too weird" (Compared with, for example, something like the Eric Andre Show), but rather that it sort of defies the comedic fashions and stylistic devices of the time. It's completely its own thing- which sounds vague and meaningless, but if you've watched it you'll certainly see what I mean!
For me, the lack of flashy presentation and stylized look turns out to actually not be a shortcoming but something that really helps to sell the humor the show is going for. Somehow, the low-fi aesthetic makes it feel more authentic and really facilitates the seamless blend of scripted scenes and "prank" like improvisation that's going on all the time. If you look closer at how the episodes are put together, you begin to realize that this "homemade" quality is an aesthetic choice and the editing and planing that has to go into creating it must be enormous. But the hard work pays off 100%.
The biggest compliment I can give "Nirvana The Band" is that its style of comedy at the moment feels completely fresh, like nothing I've ever seen before. And -most importantly- it feels not only "new", it also really works. The guys embody their characters so completely that nothing ever feels "acted" and the ideas that drive the "plot" are so surreal and insane that I cannot even begin to imagine how they manage to come up with them.
This is the best new show I've discovered in 2017 so far, I really hope that it eventually gets the audience it deserves! My guess as to why it has been mostly overlooked, is not that it is "too weird" (Compared with, for example, something like the Eric Andre Show), but rather that it sort of defies the comedic fashions and stylistic devices of the time. It's completely its own thing- which sounds vague and meaningless, but if you've watched it you'll certainly see what I mean!
The most skilfully directed and creative stories on television.
judahtheclippersfan24 April 2018
From "The Dirties" Matt Johnson's Nirvanna the Band the Show is the most unique experience I've had. It takes the real world element to a point where the comedy can flourish from while not becoming too gimmicky and a crutch. The humour derives from the interactions, jokes, references to film and the charm between Jay and Adam. The rewatchability of the show further boasts its merit as one will notice references, foreshadowing and background jokes they may have missed. Would recommend to everyone.
The most underrated show EVER.
flopmuffinz11 December 2023
This show is so weird and out there and won't appeal to everyone. However, I think it is absolutely brilliant. It blurs the line between whats real and not real. They figured out legal loopholes to straight up use copyrighted material for free. The setups and payoffs are perfect. I love the story, the characters, everything. It's such a shame the network shut down before they could do more. And the show's only downfall is that it's so hard to find. Please give it a chance if you can track it down. One day hopefully it gets the recognition that something like "Nathan For You" now has. 10/10. Cannot wait for the movie.
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