Overview
The Chris Gethard Show is, according to its website, “the most bizarre and often saddest talk show in New York City.” After starting off as a live show at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in New York, the show moved to cable access on June 22, 2011. It is a call-in and variety show hosted by Chris Gethard that airs every Wednesday night at 11:00PM on MNN and on a live stream at the show’s website. The Public access television show is written and produced by Noah Forman, Dru Johnston, J.D. Amato and Chris Gethard. It is directed by J.D. Amato. The show, known for its "no cool kids" atmosphere, has been called "oddly uplifting", a "cult hit," "an often riveting experiment in seat-of-your-pants broadcasting," and has gained viewers from around the world.
Episodes
Season 1
Season 2
Season 3
S01E01 The First Episode
June 22, 2011 60 min
The first episode was a rocky episode. The beginning of a very wild ride.
S01E02 The Episode Where Everything Started
June 29, 2011 60 min
The second episode. After being shut out of having any prep time, we just took calls - and realized that calls could be the basis for the whole show and we were way over thinking...
S01E03 The Third Episode Episode
July 6, 2011 60 min
Shirtless Fanelli. A pre-presidential run and very visibly uncomfortable Connor Ratliff. Our first show in the small studio.
S01E04 The Tazapper Episode
July 13, 2011 60 min
The first appearances of Anthony Atamaniuk and Horatio Sanz. I gotta tell you, I thought this public access experiment had crashed and burned, and Horatio showed up last minute with no warning.
S01E05 The Wiffle Bat Gang Episode
July 20, 2011 60 min
The Wiffle Bat gang makes their debut - our first truly violent in an unexpected and way too much fashion experiment.
S01E06 The Last Small Studio Show
July 27, 2011 60 min
Our final small studio show and the first ever hosted by Shannon O'Neill.
S01E07 The Hands on an Audience Member Episode
August 3, 2011 60 min
S01E08 The Kickboxer Episode
August 10, 2011 60 min
Considered an all time classic. Heavy hitter guests John Mulaney and Matt Besser.
S01E09 The Dance Battle Episode
August 17, 2011 60 min
A controversial episode. Our friends the Oroboros Dance Crew came in and showed us what they do - little did we know that they would pants the Human Fish.
S01E10 The Human Crane Episode
August 24, 2011 60 min
The most legendarily disastrous bit in the history of TCGS, the first attempt at The Human Crane remains the only stunt we've bailed on halfway through.
S01E11 The How Random Is Random Jean Episode
August 31, 2011 60 min
The Chris Gethard Show debut of Jake Fogelnest.
S01E12 The Fanelli Birthday Episode
September 7, 2011 60 min
S01E13 The What's on My Head Episode
September 14, 2011 60 min
What's on My Head? What a weird, fun game.
S01E14 The Drawing Pictures Episode
September 21, 2011 60 min
S01E15 The Find the Human Fish Episode
September 28, 2011 60 min
Perhaps the dumbest idea we ever did - "Let's take the most popular thing about this show - in fact, the only thing that everyone loves all the time - and hide it from view...
S01E16 Goodbye Random Jean
October 5, 2011 60 min
A heartbreaking goodbye to an old friend.
S01E17 New Friends and Long Lost Friends
October 12, 2011 60 min
We go on a search for the new Random.
S01E18 The Physical Fitness Episode
October 19, 2011 60 min
Chris Gethard watched an episode and decided he needed to lose a few pounds.
S01E19 The Great American Presidential Debate and Halloween Spooktacular
October 26, 2011 60 min
Connor invited every Republican candidate for president to debate him on the show.
S01E20 Sibling Rivalry
November 2, 2011 60 min
Tom Scharpling in studio to mediate the relationship of Chris Gethard and his brother.
S01E21 The Milkshake of Death
November 9, 2011 60 min
The Milkshake of Death. So gross, so fucked up, and such a fond memory.
S01E22 Random Andrew and the Hero's Journey
November 16, 2011 60 min
Random Andrew was taking it on the chin from our callers.
S01E23 Sandwich Night
November 23, 2011 60 min
A hundred-plus people showed up ready to eat.
S01E24 The Greatest Rivalry in Sports
November 30, 2011 60 min
A bunch of people from the show play on a basketball team together in NYC.
S01E25 Papa Gethard's Love Cauldron
December 7, 2011 60 min
Our dating episode. This one was really fun but also a mess.
S01E26 Monologues Only
December 14, 2011 60 min
This was the great JD Amato's idea, and man was it a good one. All monologue jokes all the time.
S01E27 One Hundred Callers
December 21, 2011 60 min
We attempted to get 100 callers in a single episode.
S01E28 Ruin This Show
January 4, 2012 60 min
This one hurt. The only show that actually went off the rails.
S01E29 The Dominatrix
January 11, 2012 60 min
S01E30 The Night of Zero Laughs III
January 18, 2012 60 min
The Night of Zero Laughs.
S01E31 The Blindfold Show
January 25, 2012 60 min
S01E32 Loser Is the New Nerd
February 1, 2012 60 min
S01E33 The Search for the New Random
February 8, 2012 60 min
We had to say goodbye to Random Andrew, and it was so sad.
S01E34 The Birth of the Third Random
February 15, 2012 60 min
We meet Random Melissa.
S01E35 Checking in with Alyssa
February 22, 2012 60 min
Why have something like The Chris Gethard Show if you don't do something nice for other people with it?
S01E36 How Do Girls Work
February 29, 2012 60 min
Our callers quiz Chris on female related topics and it becomes very clear how little Chris knows about women.
S01E37 The Culture Show
March 7, 2012 60 min
S01E38 The Birth of the Hintmaster
March 21, 2012 60 min
When Chris sets out to play the somewhat complicated word-game "Guess The Magic Word" he gets immediate feedback from the viewers that they are confused and bored by the game.
S01E39 The Camera Cannon
March 28, 2012 60 min
Eventually we had to let our audience use our cameras like guns that shoot missiles, so we went ahead and just did it.
S01E40 The Wisdom of the Aged
April 4, 2012 60 min
We invited the interesting, articulate, and 66 year old Peter Benjaminson to the show to help us wrestle with the concept of aging.
S01E41 Math Sucks, Hintmaster Sucks
April 11, 2012 60 min
A show dedicated to the ups and downs of education.
S01E42 The Hintmaster Show
April 18, 2012 60 min
Completing his transition from hero to villain, the Hintmaster takes over an entire episode of TCGS, renaming it The Hintmaster Show.
S01E43 Multiple Choice Cavalcade of Fiascos
April 25, 2012 60 min
The Multiple Choice Cavalcade of Fiascos is the ultimate bringer of either reward or punishment.
S01E44 Foreign Language Bingo
May 3, 2012 60 min
This week the TCGS panel is filled with friends of the show who speak different languages.
S01E45 We Got Nothing
May 9, 2012 60 min
This week we test our ability to put on a show by literally planning nothing. No call in topic. No bits. No guests. Nothing.
S01E46 Robot Fights
May 16, 2012 60 min
The Keeper of the Battledome has time traveled back from the future to oversee a night of insanity on TCGS.
S01E47 Birthday Night
May 23, 2012 60 min
This week is not only Gethard's birthday but also the last show before he takes to the streets for #BonnarooGethard.
S01E48 The Great Gethard Look-Alike Extravaganza
May 30, 2012 60 min
With Gethard and much of the crew out on the road, the rest of the gang hosts the Great Gethard Look-Alike Extravaganza.
S01E49 Farewell Melissa
June 13, 2012 60 min
Random Melissa's last episode.
S01E50 The One Year Anniversary Show
July 20, 2012 60 min
It's been one whole year since we first started this circus and we're doing our one year anniversary right.
S01E51 The Night of Zero Laughs
June 27, 2012 60 min
If you laugh, you get eliminated.
S01E52 The Genuine Sadness Episode
July 11, 2012 60 min
This week we weren't in the mood for dumb stuff.
S01E53 The Shitty Art Show
July 18, 2012 60 min
This week we explore both the art world as well as the world of tricking dummies into giving us money.
S01E54 The Twist Magazine August 2012 Issue
July 25, 2012 60 min
In unison we read the August 2012 Issue of Twist Magazine. For the entire show.
S01E55 The Setup Show
August 1, 2012 60 min
Behind the scenes of the setup for TCGS.
S01E56 Sum Yourself Up in One Sentence
August 8, 2012 60 min
Panel, Callers, and friends are all asked to sum up their entire lives in one sentence.
S01E57 Celebrities Come Validate Us
August 15, 2012 60 min
With Chris out of town, Shannon hosts the show and urges celebrities to come down to the show to validate us.
S01E58 The Crowd-Sourced Character Contest
August 22, 2012 60 min
Viewers sent in their submissions for names of new TCGS characters.
S01E59 Happy Murf Day
August 29, 2012 60 min
A day dedicated to Murf's head-shot and the man himself.
S01E60 Truth or Dare
September 5, 2012 60 min
The TCGS cast and crew participate in a viewer submitted game of truth or dare.
S01E61 The Ultimate Public Access Party
September 12, 2012 60 min
When Andrew W.K. comes to the show, we attempt to throw the most unforgettable party possible within with guidelines of public access television rules.
S01E62 Smash Cut to the Future
September 19, 2012 60 min
The Keeper of the Battledome returns to TCGS.
S01E63 Smash Cut to the Past
September 29, 2012 60 min
The Chris Gethard Show gets stuck in ancient Rome.
S01E64 A Book Shall Be Written
October 3, 2012 60 min
R.L Stine, D.C. Pierson, and Dave Hill join the panel and attempt to write a book live on public access television in one hour.
S01E65 The Blindfold Show II
October 10, 2012 60 min
The second Blindfold Show in which the entire panel is blindfolded.
S01E66 The Softer Side of Shannon O'Neill
October 17, 2012 60 min
We attempt to bring out the softer side of Shannon O'Neill.
S01E67 The Cans Film Festival 2012
October 24, 2012 60 min
We screen ten films each under one minute in the first ever Cans Film Festival.
S01E68 The Beef Off
November 14, 2012 60 min
The Beef Off: After a caller tried to determine the beefiest member of the TCGS crew, we decided to hold an official contest to figure out who the beefiest member of the TCGS family might...
S01E69 Sandwich Night 2012: 2 Sandwich 2 Night
November 21, 2012 60 min
A bunch of friends gathering at a public access studio and eating sandwiches together on the eve of Thanksgiving - This year's Sandwich Night was massively successful.
S01E70 Fan Fiction Theatre
November 28, 2012 60 min
Viewers send in their own original TCGS Fan Fiction and we perform it live on the show with Bobby Moynihan, Anthony Atamanuik, and many of our TCGS friends.
S01E71 First Night in Harlem
December 12, 2012 60 min
While our regular studio is being renovated we have to head uptown to do the show from MNN's secondary studio in Harlem.
S01E72 Panic Attacks and Technical Disasters
December 19, 2012 60 min
Our second week in Harlem and fittingly we are talking about panic attacks.
S01E73 Hyperresolutions
January 2, 2013 60 min
We're in Harlem again and this time we're asking callers to give us their hypersolutions. We then take those hyperresolutions and then put Andrew Parrish in charge of making them come true.
S01E74 Keeper and Company
January 9, 2013 60 min
With Chris out of town we head to the time stream and check in on The Keeper of the Battledome's morning talk show Keeper and Company.
S01E75 Loser Is Still the New Nerd
January 16, 2013 60 min
Chris is joined by Jesse Ventura and Bethany to officially celebrate Loser-dome for the second time on the TCGS air waves. Callers and audience members explain why they might be losers.
S01E76 Angels and Devils
January 23, 2013 60 min
This week the panelists take calls from people seeking advice and let them choose whether they want good or bad advice.
S01E77 Belly Burrito
January 30, 2013 60 min
The panelists talk about some real stuff with callers as they help make a Belly Burrito.
S01E78 Farewell Manesha
February 6, 2013 60 min
Chris Gethard is joined by Danny Tamberelli and Mike Maronna from the Adventures of Pete and Pete as we say goodbye to "Random Manesha" who we literally only met once.
S01E79 Race to the Top
February 13, 2013 60 min
After challenging (begging) the fans to make the show #1 on iTunes, the panelists reward their successful efforts by degrading Chris Gethard.
S01E80 Ambidextrous?
February 20, 2013 60 min
The panelists test the limits of their non-dominant hands in a show concept suggested by a fan on the show's message boards.
S01E81 February Beach Party
February 27, 2013 60 min
After getting hit in the head with a coconut Vacation Jason has lost his memory and transformed in the stuffy suit-wearing Jason Reinlib.
S01E82 When the Cat's Away, the Ratz Will Play
March 3, 2013 60 min
With Chris Gethard down in Austin for South By Southwest, Shannon takes over hosting duties for the night and promptly gives all the power to our chatroom viewers. The legendary Ratz Carlton.
S01E83 First Times
March 20, 2013 60 min
Chris Gethard has first time callers, first time foods, first time experiences, and first time giant life moments. Special guest Aidy Bryant.
S01E84 Someone will Die
March 27, 2013 60 min
One of the fictional characters will die.
S01E85 The Royal Rumble of Twister
April 3, 2013 60 min
Colt Cabana is the guest for the first ever Royal Rumble of Twister. Every two minutes a new competitor joins the fray as callers give twister-based challenges.
S01E86 Beyonce
April 10, 2013 60 min
With Chris Gethard out of town, caller and friend of the show Alyssa takes the reigns and hosts a night dedicated to Beyonce. One full hour dedicated to Beyonce.
S01E87 Let's Get Real
April 17, 2013 60 min
This week we decide to get real and talk about anything our callers want to divulge.
S01E88 What's in Hot Dog's Mouth
April 24, 2013 60 min
We spend an hour trying to guess the different objects hidden in Hot Dog's mouth.
S01E89 Let's Sell Out with Real Late Night Characters
May 1, 2013 60 min
We try to prove that we can play ball just like any mainstream late night talk show, so we invite some conventional late night talk show guests onto our show.
S01E90 Who Needs a Haircut?
May 8, 2013 60 min
Special guest Zach Galifianakis joins us in studio to give haircuts to strangers.
S01E91 We Will Predict Your Future
May 15, 2013 60 min
Amy Poehler helps us predict the future. We use fortune cookies, tarot cards, magic eight balls, and our own intuition to determine what will happen to our callers.
S01E92 Sum Yourself Up in a Dance Move
May 22, 2013 60 min
Callers, cast, and friends all describe the motions that make them unique. With special guest Griffin Newman.
S01E93 What's the Worst Thing You Can Make Us Say?
May 29, 2013 60 min
This week the audience was challenged to submit the most offensive things they can muster.
S01E94 Conspiracy Theory Gary Show
June 5, 2013 60 min
The show was handed over to fellow MNN producer Conspiracy Theory Gary and let him put on the Conspiracy Theory Gary Show.
S01E95 The Hour Long Song
June 12, 2013 60 min
What happens when a bunch of strangers come together with random instruments and make up an hour long song?
S01E96 The Crowd Sourced Character Contest 2
June 19, 2013 60 min
It's back. Viewers submitted over 700 character names, we picked 10, and now you get to see these characters come to life.
S01E97 True or False
June 26, 2013 60 min
Callers tell stories and our panel has to decide if they are true or not.
S01E98 Leaked E-mails
July 3, 2013 60 min
Following the lead of Edward Snowden, Gethard decides to leak all emails and text messages associated with this week's show.
S01E99 Looking at Dicks for an Hour: A New Low
July 10, 2013 60 min
Four adult men look at each other's dicks for an hour.
S01E100 Hundo
July 17, 2013 60 min
Chris gives a State of The TCGS speech while getting speech jammed.
S01E101 Glory Hole Kissing Booth
July 31, 2013 60 min
With special guests Aidy Bryant and Vanessa Bayer, the panel is challenged to guess the lips of TCGS characters by kissing them in the first ever Glory Hole Kissing Booth.
S01E102 Destroy-A-Toy
August 7, 2013 60 min
Bobby Moynihan loves toys. Callers decide which challenges Bobby has to endure in order to save toys from destruction.
S01E103 Turtle Birthday
August 14, 2013 60 min
We have a birthday for a Turtle.
S01E104 Space Battle
August 21, 2013 60 min
The Human Fish has been captured by an alien and only a board-game based space battle captained by Mad Men's Rich Sommer can get him back.
S01E105 Caller Critiques
August 28, 2013 60 min
Jake Fogelnest joins the panel to critique our callers.
S01E106 The Villain's Journey
September 4, 2013 60 min
Is Random Messenger Bag truly a hero or just a man who has yet to be properly tested? Also, the Front Bottoms join us and make our audience go crazy.
S01E107 We Got Nothing 2
September 11, 2013 60 min
We got nothing. The only things we got are Quitzow who mesmerizes our audience in dancing a lot.
S01E108 The Mole
September 18, 2013 60 min
Someone leaked confidential information to Gimghoul Castle in North Carolina, which begs us to ask the question: Who is the goddamn mole?
S01E109 The Beef Off 2
September 25, 2013 60 min
Will Rob Malone defend his title? Will Jersey Dave repeat his first round failure from TBO1? Only the beefy will survive.
S01E110 Olympic Training
October 2, 2013 60 min
Callers help us train Connor Ratliff in possible events for the upcoming Summer Olympics. Will he find his event?
S01E111 We Watch You
October 9, 2013 60 min
We use Skype to watch our audience watch us.
S01E112 TCGS Half Hour + Saddle Bee Neigh T Hive
October 16, 2013 60 min
TCGS performs a half-hour opener for the hit live variety sketch show Saddle-Bee Neigh-t Hive starring Horse and Bee. Griffin Newman is the special guest on TCGS as well as the host of SNH.
S01E113 Mike at the Library
October 23, 2013 60 min
We let a guy from Cornell lead us around his school library via Skype for a full hour.
S01E114 Rid Us of This Cursed Doll
October 30, 2013 60 min
We have a haunted doll. We want to give it to you. By the end of this show one of you will get it and all of the curses that come with it.
S01E115 Open for Delivery
November 6, 2013 60 min
Viewers send things to the studio and we just sit back and let the fun come to us.
S01E116 Place Your Bets
November 13, 2013 60 min
You make bets, we do them.
S01E117 A Big Announcement
November 20, 2013 60 min
A big announcement. Anything can happen. No cool kids.
S01E118 Sandwich Night Br3advolution
November 27, 2013 60 min
The third annual Sandwich Night. The biggest crowd, the most sandwiches, and calls from other sandwich celebrations.
S01E119 Scare the Shit Out of Bethany
December 4, 2013 60 min
We try to make Bethany Hall cry live on air with help from horror actress Blanche Baker and the sick and twisted minds of our callers.
S01E120 The Cream Wedding
December 11, 2013 60 min
The wedding you've all been waiting for: The Guy Who Likes Cream But Not Too Much Cream & His Personal Barista. Love, laughs, and - drama?
S01E121 The Human Fish Gets Waxed
April 2, 2014 60 min
The Human Fish gets waxed. With special guest Sal Vulcano, and musical guest Wheatus.
S01E122 Tell Us Something You've Never Told Anyone
April 9, 2014 60 min
Chris Gethard and the panel ask the callers to tell them something they have never told anyone before.
S01E123 J.D.'s Nightmare
April 16, 2014 60 min
S01E124 I'm Nervous All the Time
April 24, 2014 60 min
Planned to be about nervousness regarding the future. Instead, a completely unplanned chant of "eat more butts" broke out at the beginning then lasted almost fifteen full minutes.
S01E125 Say It to My Face
April 30, 2014 60 min
Chris Gethard invited fellow MNN producers who have been talking shit to come on air and talk it out. None of them show up.
S01E126 Don Fanelli Builds a Human Size Bird House
May 7, 2014 60 min
Don Fanelli builds a human size bird house. A callback from the very first episode.
S01E127 Paintin' Faces with Diana Kolsky
May 14, 2014 60 min
Diana Kolsky face paints panelists.
S01E128 Spanish Calls Only
May 21, 2014 60 min
An episode where only Spanish is allowed to be spoken.
S01E129 How Would You Fight Me?
May 28, 2014 60 min
Callers were asked to call in and describe how they would fight Chris Gethard.
S01E130 Straight Up Phone Sex
June 4, 2014 60 min
Callers were asked to call in and have phone sex with various members of our panel, and our very special guest, Hannibal Buress.
S01E131 Talkin' Teenz
June 11, 2014 60 min
Chris Gethard invites a Canadian teenager to interview the panel about comedy and teenagers.
S01E132 Juan in a Million
June 18, 2014 60 min
The Chris Gethard Show celebrates the long time creative contributor Juan in a live retrospective.
S01E133 The Night of Zero Laughs V
June 25, 2014 60 min
The Night Of Zero Laughs V. If you laugh, you get eliminated.
S01E134 The First Call Show
July 2, 2014 60 min
The first person to call in decides the topic of the entire episode.
S01E135 We Aren't Done Talking About Wrestling Yet
July 9, 2014 60 min
Special guest Eddie Kingston in studio to help us work on the ancient art of cutting wrestling promos.
S01E136 Talk About Whatever You Want (But We Recommend Professional Wrestling)
July 16, 2014 60 min
"El Matador" Tito Santana and SNL's Brooks Wheelan are joining us to talk about pro wrestling for the third week in a row.
S01E137 Why Did You Stop Watching the Chris Gethard Show?
July 23, 2014 60 min
No characters, no costumes, no musical guest, no house band, no hula hooping. Just taking calls from people who used to watch the show but don't anymore, so they can say why.
S01E138 ShoutOutTV Presents the Booty Shake Hour with Bo Montez
July 30, 2014 60 min
Bo Montez takes over the The Chris Gethard Show time slot, so get ready to shake your rumps for a full hour of debauchery.
S01E139 I Can Do Bad All by Myself
August 6, 2014 60 min
There are no camera operators, floor managers, or any crew, Chris Gethard takes over all the reins with musical guest Mal Blum.
S01E140 18th Century American Gladiators
August 13, 2014 60 min
The Chris Gethard Show traveled back to the 1700s to see some of our nation's founding fathers compete against audience members in a series of ill advised and very 18th Century events with music by...
S01E141 Should We Keep Doing the Show?
August 20, 2014 60 min
The Chris Gethard Show has a simple call in topic this week - "Should we keep doing this show?" with music by Black Wine.
S01E142 The Hallowcane Squeezetacular
October 31, 2012 60 min
Due to Hurricane Sandy shutting down most of New York, TCGS is forced to put on an impromptu Halloween Party and Live Show direct from Chris' actual bedroom. Cast and crew walked from the far...
S01E143 12 Hours of Election Coverage
November 6, 2012 60 min