S11.E10: Penn & Teller

[FormerMod-a1]

Illusionists and entertainers Penn & Teller; guest comedian Gary Anthony Williams.

[peeayebee]

Hmmm. I'm not sure I like the idea of Penn & Teller on the show. First off, that's two guests. Second, they're good entertainers, and I like them, but I don't see them blending in.

 

Maybe they'll surprise me like Scott Porter and Jaime Camil did.

[Amarsir]

Penn is friends with several improv guys. His podcast sidekick, Matt Donnelly, is part of a vegas improv duo. (Who, as most improv groups, do a lot of the same games as Whose Line.) Not to suggest that equals direct experience in it, but if the point was to put him in an improv situation he certainly has the support staff to be prepared.

The issue is that Teller's whole persona is "not talking." So even if they wanted to do varied games, most are out. That means I'm pretty sure all we're see are Wayne & Gary singing about them and then a Living Scenery. Which to be fair is all most guests do anyway.

[Actionmage]

This is to air on Monday, July 6th at 9 PM/ 8 Central! (Sadly, I only found out this evening.)

[peeayebee]

Whew! I thought my DVR f'd up.

[Actionmage]

It was a fun, fast show, but I wanted more from it.  I enjoyed it, but I felt less "full" after.

 

Anyhow, the introductions: Wayne- Super hot , Gary- Burning up , Colin- Fever pitch , and Ryan- Rectal thermometer .

The games: Let's Make a Date, Duet, Secret, Scenes From a Hat and Helping Hands.

 

Well, at least HH was short and Ryan only really had part of an éclair to eat. I loved his eyes when Teller did his thing with another éclair.

 

I love Gary being the person trying to make a date; he has fun with filler talk! " I like to chew before I go to sleep..." and " My favorite state of matter is plasma...".

 

If they must do Secrets, I wish the folks to play would be mixed more than just Ryan and Colin.  I haven't been super impressed with this game, except the Peter Pan-Colin and Wendy-Ryan one with the cut-out. That one had me hurting from laughing.

 

Scenes From a Hat was good, but I wish they'd showed more of that game.

 

Still, a fun episode that  should stand up to  several watches!

[Amarsir]

This was fun. You make a good point on Secrets, @Actionmage. But they play it so infrequently that it doesn't occur to me to mix it up with a third.

Helping Hands had me worried at first, since Penn was definitely going down the "guest talks too much" path. It's not exactly "Yes... And" to point out the ball dropping on the floor either, though Ryan saved that. But the end with handcuffing them and walking off was hilarious and very much in character.

[peeayebee]

Wow. Gary Anthony Williams has lost a lot of weight. I love that Ryan said his goal had been to lose enough weight to fit into one of Teller's jackets.

 

I love when Wayne does a video character. Those repetitive swaying moves are perfect. My only complaint is that the second time he did his bit, he basically gave his character away . Still, his miming skills are great.

 

Duet didn't do anything for me.

 

I usually like Secret, but I felt that the setup was bad. A "Male Order" mag? (Not sure if this was a mockup of a male order catalog or just the name of a gay magazine.) Seems like this prop really limited C & R. It was just too obvious a setup.

 

I feel the same about the SFAH suggestion "Things that you might say at sea that you wouldn't say about your partner." Of course someone would say "Thar she blows." At least Wayne and Ryan joked about it. 

 

I liked Colin's angry "Use the fork, Luke!"

 

Helping Hands wasn't good. And now I want an eclair.

[The Luvly Junkie]

Wow. Gary Anthony Williams has lost a lot of weight. I love that Ryan said his goal had been to lose enough weight to fit into one of Teller's jackets.

 

Helping Hands wasn't good. And now I want an eclair.

        I second that. Helping Hands would've been average if it weren't for Penn and Teller handcuffing Colin's hands then making a dash. 

 

        Gary is doing a lot better than in previous seasons, and I think it's partially because he's more self-motivated. I think losing that weight made a huge difference and I'm happy for him. And if I do declare, he and Keegan nail down the lucky, hopeful, sassy female seamlessly in Let's Make a Date. 

[Amarsir]

I usually like Secret, but I felt that the setup was bad. A "Male Order" mag? (Not sure if this was a mockup of a male order catalog or just the name of a gay magazine.) Seems like this prop really limited C & R. It was just too obvious a setup.

 

I feel the same about the SFAH suggestion "Things that you might say at sea that you wouldn't say about your partner." Of course someone would say "Thar she blows." At least Wayne and Ryan joked about it. 

I feel like they've distinctly gotten more obvious during the CW run. Let's Make a Date and Weird Newscasters both mention the audience, Aisha, or other players slightly more often then is needed. It probably doesn't change how the games play out, but it's more fun when Ryan chooses to go into the audience then when the card told him to.

[seacliffsal]

I thought that Penn really slowed down the helping hands.  This one had the potential to be good as it was more than food.  However, Penn kept pulling focus and repeating his comments.  Teller incorporated himself well considering he doesn't speak in public (or at least when they are an act).  Suggesting himself as what Penn wants to make disappear was really smart.

[Actionmage]

However, Penn kept pulling focus and repeating his comments.

 

I just took that as "muscle memory" after 30-odd years in professional magic/illusions. *g* 

 

I usually like Secret, but I felt that the setup was bad.

 

 

The thing about this one was that they couldn't remember which non-Robin Hood character was supposed to be talking to Robin. Alan-a-Dale and Little John were tossed about.  Maybe by the time this episode was taping, the guys were really tired ( being Episode 10).  Since they supposedly tape all shows in two days, then that's late into Day One ( tape eps. 1-12 on Day 1, eps 13-24 on Day 2.)   Seeing Wayne and Gary do this, with the same prop? Could have been even more fun, especially with the white skin mag being the secret.

 

The only thing I missed was who "won"; did the season's perfect score of everyone wins get broken? Was that why Gary and Colin got to be the dog trainers?

[ExplainItAgain]

The only thing I missed was who "won"; did the season's perfect score of everyone wins get broken? Was that why Gary and Colin got to be the dog trainers?

 

Yes! The streak was broken! Colin and Gary were the co-winners.

 

I agree, Secrets was a dud. Duet was a dud this time to me too. Helping Hands was only good when P&T handcuffed them and walked off. I wanted more Scenes from a Hat.

 

They also seemed more punchy and prone to laugh on this one so I think you're right about it being late in the taping. Ryan had a hard time especially. It was funny when he asked Wayne to redo his Chewbacca joke.

[Scott]

Maybe by the time this episode was taping, the guys were really tired ( being Episode 10).  Since they supposedly tape all shows in two days, then that's late into Day One ( tape eps. 1-12 on Day 1, eps 13-24 on Day 2.)

 

Wow, that's a long day.  I wonder how they shuffle audiences in and out through the day--I actually recognized someone behind Aisha from an earlier show.

[Actionmage]

I wonder how they shuffle audiences in and out through the day

 

I am guessing that a taping for one episode is somewhere in the half-hour to a full hour range. That's so technical and verbal goofs can be edited out and cleaner versions put in. That may be partly why we see Aisha racing for the desk and almost wiping out as much as we have. The audience and clothes, I am also guessing, get two episodes and then fresh folks/ clothes are produced.  Again, those are just guesses.

 

More on-topic:  I would like Penn and Teller back, maybe as a  fourth chair? That way we can have more interaction and the guest fourth chair isn't short on screen-time?

[Actionmage]

This episode and the Jeff Davis 3 episode are being aired tonight on The CW from 8-9 Eastern!