Too Funny to Fail: The Life & Death of The Dana Carvey Show (2017) User Reviews

A surprisingly poignant and consistently hilarious look at an epic failure.

[matthewssilverhammer · 9/10 · 11 April 2018]

This is just so right up my alley...punk rock, subversive, hilarious, smart. Sure, it's a documentary, but it's easily one of the funniest movies of the year (Colbert and Carrell reacting to 90's ad that said, "a very special episode of Home Improvement, followed by the Diet Mug Root Beer Dana Carvey Show").

Absolutely great! Very entertaining, especially if you know anything about the show's history...

[lathe-of-heaven · 8/10 · 23 January 2020]

I am a REAL sucker for documentaries about comedians or comedian's shows, and this one is most entertaining and quite fascinating. I really liked the interviews with the people behind this show who are now VERY well known.

To me personally, I really felt that this show was SO damn funny, I just cannot get my mind around the fact that it failed (especially with the absolute deluge of execrable shows today!) BUT... sadly, the only thing I can think of and a lot of the reasoning comes from this documentary, is that it just simply was truly before it's time.

A DAMN shame too... When you consider the HUGE talent that was behind it, I can't even begin to imagine what they could have done with this show.

HIGHLY recommended for those who love Comedy and documentaries about Comedy...

Really interesting Documentary

[ksyount05 · 7/10 · 22 January 2019]

I had just finished one documentary and this was up next so I said "why not?" I barely remember this show, pretty sure I may have watched it once because he was the Church Lady after all. Someone on here complains about it being a "boys club", well YAH, look who the boys were. I had NO clue who the females were so why would they have much screen time when you are dealing with Dana Carey, Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert, and Bill Hader, who by the way got little screen time. I just enjoyed how the more they were pushed, the more they pushed back and how much of what they did in the 7 shows that aired in 96 would have caused such and uproar (not PC) today. I am glad I stumbled onto it.

Insightful

[breadandhammers · 7 September 2020]

Really fun documentary that showed a comedy show that was too edgy for its time.

Unlike the Show, Too Funny to Fail Overstays its Welcome

[drqshadow-reviews · 6/10 · 12 February 2018]

An oral history, with clips and highlights, of one of the 1990s' most notorious flops. Riding high as a celebrated Saturday Night Live alumni, fresh graduate Dana Carvey had his choice of suitors / collaborators / formats. His picks were spot-on for everything but the broadcast partner, as he drafted a staggering cast of pre-fame talent (Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert, Louis CK, Robert Smigel, even a few episodes with Bob Odenkirk) but then tossed the brilliantly absurd, counter-culture fruits of their labor to primetime ABC. Even before Disney purchased the network, this marriage was doomed. It's a fundamentally simple story, perhaps too scant for a full-length feature, and that leads this documentary to feel somewhat padded. There's lots of fun material - candid footage of the baby-faced soon-to-be superstars auditioning, goofing around in the writer's room, looking back fondly upon the experience - but too often relies on highlights from the show or awkward bits stolen from other, tangentially-related programs and films. As this was produced by Hulu, which just so happens to be the show's online home, you'd think the goal would be prodding unfamiliar viewers to move right on to a binge-watch, to judge the material for themselves. Instead, I felt like I'd already done so.

Fools showing arrogance

[al-939-110267 · 5/10 · 13 March 2021]

I laughed at the clips for the most part. The next morning I lost the feel for the comedy but came away with a simple dislike for all of them for their arrogance. Big fish in a small pond would could not see the forest for the trees.

How stupid is that to not factor in the setting provided by Home Improvement. The disdain for the network and the lack of perception of the total environment they were entering is not only shows the lack of awareness but some huge deficiency.

The one scene that stuck with me and has taken away a lot of my goodwill toward Dana is his comment when his child asks him about his absence. Dana's response was a simple cross check to his arrogance as it seems he has not matured. Dana you live in a system and it is not all about you. . Understand that. Hmm, Father?

How awful is must have been to on the business side with these misguided and narrow-minded individuals creating the product. I am still trying to decide if is laudable or stupid for them to make a documentary of their insolence. They must hope there are only 12 Hulu subscribers because this show was an indictment..

It's a man's world, isn't it.

[joyceaward · 4/10 · 27 November 2017]

So many talented writers, actors, show runners; so much mutual admiration; such fun being had by all.

Two women on screen in this entire movie, only one of whom was interviewed, and briefly at that.

I guess these comedy heroes didn't know funny women, or any who they thought were deserving of a big break on the Dana Carvey show. Or maybe it just wasn't as much fun working with female colleagues - is that it?

I'd had quite enough of them congratulating one another - including Louis C.K. - on their subsequent careers by the end. Dispiriting.

i kept telling myself to stay with it and it'll get better...

[gerardibr · 3/10 · 21 March 2022]

If you care about the excruciating details of how every person came to have a hand in this show, this is for you. I just couldn't keep with it even though i wanted ti know what sank the show.

annoying commentary

[Ringding3 · 5/10 · 31 March 2018]

Why do they feel the need to interrupt every sketch with commentary....shut-up