The Idiot Box is an American sketch comedy television series created by Alex Winter, Tom Stern and Tim Burns, which ran on MTV from 1990-1991. After the success of Bill & Ted, MTV hired Winter, Stern, and Burns to develop a half-hour sketch comedy show for the network. As the channel was still strictly music-oriented at the time, The Idiot Box was mainly a showcase for popular music videos, but with a series of sketches, fake commercials, and parodies shown in between. Therefore, although an episode ran 30 minutes, there were only 7 to 11 minutes worth of sketches.
DirectorsTom Stern, Alex Winter
WriterTim Burns
Episode #1.1
Mar 23, 1991
The sketches in the first episode of Idiot Box include a mafia inspired intro by Alex Winter, a commercial for headache medicine, Eddie The Flying Gimp From Outer Space, Battle of The Bands, Rock Accountant and The Very Finest of Tonight's Idiot Box.
Episode #1.2
Sketches include God's Mighty Anvil, a spoof of 50s science fiction movies called Damn These Eyes, Eddie The Flying Gimp, a spoof of cop shows called Lockjaw, Alex Winter as Dustin Hoffman in Rain Main 2: Electric Boogaloo and The Very Finest of Tonight's Idiot Box.
Episode #1.3
The sketches in the third episode of Idiot Box include an Evil Dead inspired intro from Alex Winter, another episode of Lockjaw, the return of Eddie The Flying Gimp From Outer Space, Sinead O'Connor stars in Something To Make You Laugh, The Huggins Family and The Very Finest of Tonight's Idiot Box.
Episode #1.4
Sketches on the fourth episode of MTV's The Idiot Box include an intro by Alex Winter and his cat, a new episode of Lockjaw, If I Had My Way With Willard Schreck, Mr. Meat, the final episode of The Huggins Family, and The Very Finest of Tonight's Idiot Box.
Episode #1.5
Episode five of The Idiot Box hits you with such insane sketches as: An explosive introduction from Alex Winter; another episode of Battle of the Bands; another installment of If I Had It My Way with Willard Schreck; a Reeevok ad; The Burrowing Bishop; The Very Finest of Tonight's Idiot Box.
Episode #1.6
The final episode of The Idiot Box includes the following sketches: A poolside introduction from Alex Winter; a contest featuring the metal band GWAR; If I Had It My Way with Willard Schreck; a PSA about the dangers of making prank phone calls; The Burrowing Bishop returns; The Very Finest of Tonight's Idiot Box.
The Best of The Idiot Box
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