"Upright Citizens Brigade" (1998) TV series 1998-2000

User Rating:

8.6/10   

Creators:

Matt Besser
Amy Poehler
Ian Roberts
(more)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3

Release Date:

19 August 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

Seriously f**ked up sketch comedy!

Plot:

Agents Adair, Antoine, Colby and Trotter both monitor and create chaos across the universe. The sketches...

Plot Keywords:

Chaos | Drugs | Insanity | Religion | Bomb Squad

Cast

Matt Besser	...	Adair / ... (30 episodes, 1998-2000)
Amy Poehler	...	Colby / ... (30 episodes, 1998-2000)
Ian Roberts	...	Antoine / ... (30 episodes, 1998-2000)
Matt Walsh	...	Trotter / ... (30 episodes, 1998-2000)
Del Close	...	Narrator (30 episodes, 1998-2000)

(more)

Series Directed by
Phil Morrison		(15 episodes, 1998-2000)
Peyton Reed		(12 episodes, 1999-2000)
Adam Bernstein		(7 episodes, 1998-2000)
Jon Schnepp		(2 episodes, 1998)
Clay Tarver		(2 episodes, 1998)
Alex Zamm		(2 episodes, 2000)

Series Writing credits
Matt Besser		(30 episodes, 1998-2000)
Amy Poehler		(30 episodes, 1998-2000)
Ian Roberts		(30 episodes, 1998-2000)
Matt Walsh		(30 episodes, 1998-2000)
Joe Ventura		(4 episodes, 1998)
Armando Díaz		(2 episodes, 1999-2000)
Josh Siegal		(2 episodes, 1999-2000)

Series Produced by
Kent Alterman	....	executive producer (30 episodes, 1998-2000)
Michele Armour	....	producer (20 episodes, 1999-2000)
Phil Morrison	....	consulting producer (10 episodes, 1998)
Emily Wolfe	....	producer (10 episodes, 1998)
Jackie Stolfi	....	associate producer (10 episodes, 1999)
Lisanne McDonald	....	line producer (10 episodes, 2000)

Series Original Music by
Steve Albini		(unknown episodes)

Series Film Editing by
Mark Juergens		(unknown episodes, 1999-2000)
Joe Klotz		(unknown episodes)
David Zieff		(unknown episodes)

Series Production Design by
Norval Johnson		(12 episodes, 1998-2000)

Series Art Direction by
Matteo De Cosmo		(10 episodes, 2000)
Constance Van Flandern		(unknown episodes)

Series Set Decoration by
Susan Ogu		(unknown episodes)

Series Costume Design by
Carey Bennett		(unknown episodes)
Christopher Del Coro		(unknown episodes)

Series Makeup Department
Jeffrey Rebelo	....	wig designer (23 episodes, 1998-2000)

Series Production Management
Gisellah Harvey	....	production manager (unknown episodes)
Lisa King	....	unit manager (unknown episodes)
Joaquin Diego Prange	....	unit manager (unknown episodes)
Christopher Savage	....	unit production manager (unknown episodes)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Rob York	....	first assistant director (10 episodes, 1998)
Chip Signore	....	first assistant director (10 episodes, 2000)
Steven C. Lawrence	....	second second assistant director (unknown episodes)

Series Art Department
Lyle Gamm	....	property master / assistant property master (28 episodes, 1998-2000)
Sherief Elkatsha	....	set dresser (10 episodes, 1998)
James Clauer	....	assistant art director (unknown episodes)
Julie Dubrow	....	props (unknown episodes)
Yvonne Mojica	....	graphics designer (unknown episodes)
Constance Van Flandern	....	property master (unknown episodes)
Gary Wattson	....	set dresser (unknown episodes)

Series Sound Department
Antonio L. Arroyo	....	production sound mixer (unknown episodes)
Mason Gregory	....	boom operator (unknown episodes)
Ken Ishii	....	production sound mixer (unknown episodes)
Jamie Moore	....	boom operator (unknown episodes)
Jeff Pullman	....	production sound mixer (unknown episodes)

Series Special Effects by
Neil Ruddy	....	special effects (unknown episodes)

Series Stunts
Roberto Lopez	....	stunt coordinator / stunt performer (1 episode, 2000)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Edward Read	....	gaffer (17 episodes, 1999-2000)
Cesar Baptista	....	key grip / dolly grip (11 episodes, 1999-2000)
Charles McEntee	....	best boy grip (10 episodes, 2000)
Adam Silver	....	electrician (3 episodes, 1999-2000)
Todd Csernecky	....	electrician (2 episodes, 1998)
Alan Blagg	....	grip (2 episodes, 1999)
Timothy Reilly	....	grip (2 episodes, 1999)
Riad Deeb	....	grip (unknown episodes)
Michael N. Green	....	electrician (unknown episodes)
Patrick R. Heffernan	....	best boy grip (unknown episodes)
Alan Jacobsen	....	rigging gaffer (unknown episodes)
Learan Kahanov	....	gaffer (unknown episodes)
Paul McCarthy	....	grip (unknown episodes)

Series Costume and Wardrobe Department
Christopher Del Coro	....	assistant costume designer (unknown episodes)

Series Editorial Department
Roger Doran	....	colorist (24 episodes, 1998-2000)
Robert Leaton	....	colorist (5 episodes, 1998-2000)

Series Other crew
Dave Becky	....	creative consultant / series consultant (30 episodes, 1998-2000)
Suzanne McNulty	....	production assistant (10 episodes, 1998)
David Blenk	....	assistant production accountant (10 episodes, 2000)
Del Close	....	mentor (10 episodes, 2000)
Jason Kadlec	....	production assistant (10 episodes, 2000)
Law Tarello	....	production assistant (10 episodes, 2000)
Nikki Borrelli	....	assistant production coordinator (unknown episodes)
David Brotsky	....	assistant location manager (unknown episodes)
Donna Cipriani	....	production accountant (unknown episodes)
Greg Conroy	....	location assistant (unknown episodes)
Trish Gray	....	script coordinator (unknown episodes)
Scott Jacobson	....	production assistant (unknown episodes)
Lisa King	....	production assistant (unknown episodes)
Steve Lee	....	production assistant (unknown episodes)
Rachel Linhart	....	assistant production coordinator (unknown episodes)
Zachary MacDonald	....	production assistant (unknown episodes)
Dylan Morgan	....	assistant to writer (unknown episodes)
Mary T. Novak	....	assistant to producer (unknown episodes)
Lynn H. Powers	....	location manager (unknown episodes)
Jennifer Quesenbery	....	location scout (unknown episodes)
Demian Resnick	....	location manager (unknown episodes)

Distributors

• Comedy Central

Runtime:

30 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Filming Locations:

New Jersey, USA

Trivia:

Each Season of UCB thus far has a running joke that culminates in the season's final episode. The skits will make passing reference to the running joke in each episode of that season. For example: the first season's running joke was the Titte Brothers, a fictional pair of performers. They appear in the last episode of the first season when they perform a charity concert for the Little Donny Foundation. The second season's joke was Supercool, a highly addictive sugar candy. The second season finale focused on the Supercool smuggling ring headed by the UCB. The third season's running joke was Pro Thunderball, a hyper-violent sport that combines football and baseball. The third season finale is a mock-documentary of the evolution of Pro Thunderball.

Quotes:

Little Donnie's Mother: Donnie! Pull down your pants!
Little Donnie: No! They'll laugh at my belly button.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The 100 Scariest Movie Moments" (2004)

Too Funny

UCB was sketch comedy at a new level, especially when compared to the banality of the modern bit show. The writers and cast presented skits that other productions would have disregarded as too "sophisticated", or just too unorthodox. In doing so, I feel they explored the limits of sketch comedy and brought us closer to the edge of the surreal, better than any comedy production today.

The "Brigade" is bent on causing chaos everywhere they venture to, and they do not disappoint. From Santa forcing a man to take sample of his "Santa Liquor", to an authoritarian school bus driver, crushing a children's revolution with her backside.

Now, the dialog was very suggestive and risqué at times, but the writing is non the less very creative. I feel that it is necessary to ignore the sometimes superfluous vulgarity's in order to "get" this show, particularly if you have dismissed it for being too odious. The UCB, in their creativeness and witty verbiage, have heavily diluted the crudeness to which a story is presented. I guess this is comparative to another comedy central production, "South Park", where you just have to ignore or look beyond what offends you, to appreciate what really is being presented to us. Most important the UCB was there to entertain, and cause us laughter, and this they did with alacrity.

It ended it's run in 2000, and is still missed 6 years later.