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Nick Swardson’s Pretend Time panel.

Starring stand up/actor/writer Nick Swardson, moderated by Delocated’s Jon Glaser.

Nick Swardson best known for his stand up and roles in Reno 911, Grandma’s Boy, and various Adam Sandler projects has a new sketch show on Comedy Central. Yes another sketch show on Comedy Central. 

Footage: He showed the whole first episode! Stylistically, it has a very old school intro (something out of 90s MTV/Nickelodeon), cleverly abandons stand up/introduction breaks for a smooth transitioning from sketch to sketch via in shot monitors, and recurs sketches throughout the episode. Skit after skit pushed the boundaries like nothing else on Comedy Central. A lot of it is silly and weird, actually most of it is silly and weird (Nick called it “filthy and weird” which is also true) but it pushes the envelope hard. The show cracks jokes on everything from drug use to bestiality to urination to terminal diseases to Lady Gaga. Shocklarious! Watch if only to see how hard they can push the limit. Rob Huebel and Ryan Philllippe appear in the first episode. (as does Gay Robot, in case you were wondering).

Discussion: In lieu of a traditional table discussion Nick opted for a conversation style with Glaser. Nick too did some crowd work and infused stand up into the panel. He explained his reasoning for launching another sketch with citing the desire to do transitions and more high concept, weird, different characters. Nick told some anecdotes about destroying his apartment with Xbox controllers because of Halo frustration, how John Stamos is aware of his funeral joke and likes it, that he wants to get wasted with Meryl Streep, and that Phillippe made it into the first episode because he loves Gay Robot. Glaser also described the first time he ever met Swardson, a backstage story in which Nick was looking through a refrigerator and shouted to the green room, “whose sandwich is this?” only to turn around and have his junk in his hands with a piece of lettuce over it. Classic. 

Information/Exclusives: Re: Grandma’s Boy - Frankie Muniz was originally supposed to play the robot guy. There are no sequel plans though they’re batted around the idea of going to Japan. Their new movie is called Born To Be A Star comes out in April and is a hard R about an Iowan man (Swardson) who finds out his parents were porn stars and decides its his destiny to be one as well. Costarring Christina Ricci, Steven Dorf, Don Johnson, and Kevin Nealon. Don’t expect too many celebrity guests in Pretend Time, Nick is against stunt casting and doesn’t want it to take you out of the show, would rather focus on new up and coming talent.

Nick Swardson’s Pretend Time premieres this Tuesday at 10 on Comedy Central.