Comics Unleashed

I got hooked on this show during my late night channel surfing. Now it's become a daily DVR staple along with The Daily Show. It is charmingly low budget, but not low in production values. The set is attractive and comfortable without trying too hard (I especially like the large aquarium in back of Byron Allen which appears to house only baby sharks). It's a terrific introduction to the latest in fresh new comic talent, although the occasional comic star drops in, too (Margaret Cho, Jimmie Walker, Jon Lovitz, Judy Tenuta, Larry Miller, etc.). Byron Allen is the laid back host who shares a brotherhood with his fellow comics and does a wonderful job of giving them the spotlight. The show is obviously cut and pasted to air the very best of the panels' bits, which is what makes the show so watchable -- you don't have to wade through the tepid or unfunny stuff to get to the gems. I absolutely disagree with the comment that the show does a poor job of trying to appear improvisational. The format is very much upfront: the host asks obviously leading questions meant to set up the comics' bits, and there's no pretense about it. It's kind of like being in on a job interview or a casting call, and as such it's actually a refreshing new format.

Unlike some other people who have commented about this show, I had no preconceived bias toward the show or its host when I started watching. I have found the show to be a good chance to see some of the comic talent performing today in a setting other than in front of a brick wall. Admittedly, most of their material comes straight from their acts but it's a way to give these performers some air time they wouldn't otherwise get. Through this show, I have discover new comics whose work was unknown to me such as Greg Hahn, Rod Man and John Roy. Even though every show may not be a hit, I have seen many more good shows than bad and every show has had some laughs. I hope the show continues to provide a place for the up and coming comics to get a chance to be seen other than in some night club and for the established comics to plug their latest ventures. By the way, I don't believe I am related to Byron Allen unless his family is Scottish.

This is the definition of a terrible show. It started out having comics that most of us have heard of. But now there is no one we have heard of, and supposedly these people are COMICS, but I don't know what they are talking about. I am probably biased, because I can't stand Byron Allen or his terrible shows. I constantly don't know how this guy works. He has no personality, his shows are an embarrassment, and I thought his last show "Entertainers w/ Byron Allen" was as bad as shows could get. The whole format, including his awful interviewing techniques, were just painful to watch. The celebrities seemed to just tolerate this man. Now he has this attempt "To Branch Out," and it is just plain sad. Please do not waste your time with this totally unfunny outlet for 3rd rate comics unless you are trying to fall asleep. It plays in the middle of the night where I live, thank god! Avoid this at all costs or you will be laughing, and not because its funny. An update review as of 12/15/07! I cannot understand who watches this and those that do you have must be desperate and have no taste. Is this seriously something that should be on, even late-night Sunday night. This is still terrible and I am all for comics getting a forum for themselves, but c'mon this isn't how to do it. Even basic stand-up would be better than this crap. Besides there is no one worse than Byron Allen, and I cannot understand how he continues to work. He must have good business savvy, so I will give him that, but everything he has ever done is plain bad.

I just don't see how this show manages to suck as much as it does. Every night, this show features 4 professional comedians (5, I suppose, if you count Byron Allen-I DON'T), yet there's more laughter to be found over at 'Poker After Dark'. This is a problem, people. An old guy in a cowboy hat playing poker with a dyed blonde woman wearing sunglasses is funnier than 4 comedians telling jokes on a stage! How is this possible? Well, to begin with, Byron Allen's isn't funny on the show (but they give him 3 minutes to do a painful monologue Jay Leno wouldn't touch during a Writer's Guild strike), and even if he WAS given good jokes, I'm not convinced the King of mediocre late night television would be able to deliver it. Secondly, the format of the show is awful. Byron Allen sits in the middle of a semi circle of four comedians (3 men and 1 woman...ALWAYS) and asks them strangely specific questions very obviously given to him beforehand by the comedians so that they can deliver pre-prepared jokes (or, more accurately, moderately amusing to unfunny and grating anecdotes). Even worse, Byron switches quickly from comedian to comedian to comedian to comedian to commercial to comedian until the show is over. Because none of the comics is given any chance to build up momentum, their extremely random and disjointed attempts at humor end up resembling nothing more than a rambling jumble of conversation you might overhear at a bar mitzvah.

I'm not joking when I say you could put Bill Cosby in his prime up on that stage and his famous routine on Noah and the Ark would barely elicit a chuckle, such is the waste land of this show.

The only episodes worth watching are the so-called "Hot Chocolate" panels featuring black comedians who have obviously worked together a lot. In these, Byron Allen just gets out of the way and the comics take off, and (since this ain't cable) it's a treat to hear what these hilarious and creative folks can do when they don't have the crutch of gratuitous N and F words to fall back on... which seems to comprise most of their stand-up acts. Unfortunately, so far I've only seen 2 such episodes. All the rest feature a disparate panel who have nothing in common, and Byron just lobs each a question designed to let them launch into their Schtick without any interaction with each other. It's DREADFUL. One minute Rich Little is doing Richard Nixon, and the next minute some comic whose name I can't remember is bemoaning the state of airline food, followed by somebody complaining about his or her spouse. It's like they're phoning it in from isolation booths.

I have been introduced to one or two new comics, but mostly, I zap.