Demetri Martin has had a meteoric rise, from stand-up comedian to budding film star, that it is almost mind-boggling. How? It’s not for a funny look, tremendous material or remarkable charisma. It’s the ability to deliver a deadpan, one-liner at the right moment better then anyone else out there. And while it’s not the most original style in the world, as Stephen Wright made a career out of it before Martin was born, it’s made him one of the hottest comics out there. And it seems like a perfect storm for him to have one of the hottest new shows on television using his style in Important Things with Demetri Martin.
Aping the traditional Seinfeld format somewhat, but with sketches between the stand up as opposed to a traditional story with plot and regular characters, Martin is center stage in his first major starring vehicle. And for the most part he delivers.
Martin’s stand-up routine is transported to a smaller setting, so to speak, as he has a studio audience and an easel for his escapades. It’s relatively funny as Martin isn’t just recycling old material; he’s bringing in new, consistently funny material throughout the show for his stand-up routine and it shows. Martin isn’t resting on his laurels; this is a comic hungry enough to throw as much against the wall and hope something sticks.
And for the most part it’s quite funny, but there are significant chunks of a 20 minute show that aren’t funny or aren’t nearly as funny as they could be. With Martin throwing as much against the wall as possible some things that aren’t funny are going to slip through. While Martin is smart enough to know what works, and to tone down what isn’t, there’s chunks of each show that aren’t funny and it takes away from the overall high quality of the show.
Put into the “stand up comic gets his own show” slot that both Dave Chapelle and Carlos Mencia have occupied in the past for short lengths, Important Things with Demetri Martin has the same sort of potential to explode like those shows had in their first season. Whether or not Martin can sustain it is another.
Presented in its original broadcast full-screen format with a Dolby Digital surround, the transfer is good but not great. There’s noticeable grain at times in the video, and the color isn’t quite as clear or as separated as it could be.
Deleted Sketches are bits that didn’t make it to the show. They aren’t nearly as funny as what did and were cut for a reason.
Early Production Graph is a graph Martin made for the show so that he could relate it all back to itself by the end.
Early Production Lineup is a chart that Martin developed to figure out how to use plenty of actors without going over cost.
There are Commentary Tracks on two episodes as well as the deleted sketch “Cult Leader in Love.”
With Mind of Mencia and Chapelle’s Show both memories of Comedy Central’s original programming black hole, Important Things with Demetri Martin has all the potential in its first season as the aforementioned shows did. It remains to see whether or not it has any staying power, but so far so good.
Comedy Central presents Important Things with Demetri Martin (Season 1). Starring Demetri Martin. Running time: 154 minutes. Not Rated. Released on DVD: September 9, 2009. Available at Amazon.
