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Key & Peele

Key & Peele is an American sketch comedy television series that ran from 2012 to 2015. It was created by Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele for Comedy Central; both had previously worked on Mad TV.

Format
In the first three seasons, an episode would consist of a cold open, with a short sketch. After the intro plays, the two hosts introduce themselves to a studio audience and explain a possible situation, with the following sketch having a tangentially similar situation. The show then follows this pattern, with a number of sketches, each varying in length. However, not all the segments are introduced by a studio segment nor are they necessarily on a similar or connected theme. Many of the show's sketches follow a similar comedic form, specifically taking a comedic premise, situation, or turn of phrase, and repeat it in a more extreme fashion, thereby 'upping the ante' of comedic absurdity as the sketch unfolds. As an example, in popular sketch "Consequences", a guest speaker is brought to a school assembly to warn students about the consequences of their youthful misadventures. The speaker starts by telling a story of pattern of youthful misbehaviors and minor substance-use, such as smoking cigarettes and "hanging out on the street late at night" leading to misdemeanors and petty crime, through to "real crimes" which resulted in "being shot out of a catapult into the mouth of a dragon", and later being "sucked into a wormhole, consequences!". Additionally, Key and Peele's sketches often poke fun at aspects of race relations in the modern-day United States, as well as Black American culture writ large. In the last two seasons, the show eschewed a studio audience in favor of a pre-shot narrative, featuring the duo discussing a concept during a car ride through the Mojave Desert, as the introduction to their sketches. In the last episode, it is revealed that the car ride is an extension of the "I Said Bitch" sketch from the first episode, their first primary sketch, as they finally stop the car in the middle of the road, look around, and utter "Bitch!" to one another. ==Production==
Production
The series was first announced in June 2011 by Comedy Central. The series premiered in January 2012 on Comedy Central in the U.S. and on The Comedy Network in Canada. The first episode drew 2.1 million viewers, making it the most-watched Comedy Central launch since 2009. The series was renewed for four more seasons, beginning in September 2012, September 2013, September 2014, and July 2015. The last episode aired in September 2015. ==Episodes==
Episodes
==Recurring characters and sketches==
Recurring characters and sketches
Barack Obama and Luther The 44th President of the United States, impersonated by Peele, often has difficulty expressing his true feelings. President Barack Obama's "anger translator" Luther, played by Key, works to interpret the President's low-key statements into raging, profanity-laced tirades. Oftentimes, Luther goes too far with these and has to be reeled in by Obama, while other times Luther's influence ends up rubbing on Obama, prompting him to swear. Other sketches reveal that Obama's wife and two daughters each have their own anger translators as well, whom they request help from to speak with each other, as do other politicians such as Hillary Clinton. Key appeared briefly in-character as Luther at the Annual White House Correspondents Dinner as an anger translator for the real Barack Obama in early 2015. On January 5, 2017, Key debuted an "Obama-Luther" sketch on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah. In 2024, a sketch from Key & Peele gained public attention when the real Barack Obama was filmed at USA Basketball’s 50th anniversary party in Las Vegas acting in a similar manner to Peele's Obama in one of the sketches. At the USA Basketball party, Obama was filmed shaking the hands of white athletes but giving hugs to black athletes. The Valets Played by Key and Peele, the two valets from the Berkshire Restaurant (who always use unnecessary plurals in names of people, places, or things) love discussing their favorite movie stars and characters. Despite this, the valets mangle their names and films – such as "Liam Neesons" from Tooken, "Peter Dinkels" (who plays "Taiwan Lannister"), "Bruce Willies," "Michelle Pa-feiffers," "Timothy Elephants" and "Racist-Ass Melly Gibsons". They end the sketch by saying that something related to the star in question is "MY SHIT!", then disappearing, by ways such as flying into the air like a rocket or exploding. In February 2014, a sponsored sketch with the valets titled "What About Non-Stop?" – in which "Liam Neesons" himself shows up to collect his car – was used to promote the film Non-Stop. Key and Peele also appeared in a parody of "The Valets" in one of the teaser trailers for Toy Story 4. East/West Bowl football players The East/West Bowl features college football stars whose names become increasingly ridiculous. The concept came from Peele discovering there was an actual player with the name of D’Brickashaw Ferguson while playing Madden NFL. The sketch utilizes introductions such as those on NBC Sunday Night Football in which the player states their name and school. Most are played by either Key or Peele, including "Javaris Jamar Javarison-Lamar" of the University of Middle Tennessee, "Hingle McCringleberry" of Pennsylvania State University, "Donkey Teeth" of Boise State University, "Huka'lakanaka Hakanakaheekalucka'hukahakafaka" of the University of Hawaii, "Squeeeeeeeps" of Santa Monica College, and "Firstname Lastname" of "College University". In addition, some West Team players come from non-university organizations, such as "Torque (Construction Noise) Lewith" of "Nevada State Penitentiary", "Morse Code" of "Army/Navy Surplus Store", "Wingdings" of "Online Classes", and the home-schooled "God". The West Team’s introductions are always finalized by a white player with a conventional name played by neither Key or Peele - with the two being "Dan Smith" of Brigham Young University and "A. A. Ron Balakay" (a mispronunciation on Aaron Blake) of Morehouse College. In the third edition of this sketch, the fictional athletes were joined by actual players with unusual names, such as Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Ishmaa'ily Kitchen, and Ferguson himself. The last West Team player was "A. A. Ron Rodgers", with his name modified, in reference to the Mr. Garvey sketches. According to Key, Rodgers improvised his own punchline. ==Guest stars==
Guest stars
Tatyana AliUtkarsh AmbudkarK. D. AubertLeslie David BakerSarah BakerMalcolm BarrettBonnie BartlettTone BellMatt BesserJordan BlackWayne BradyPaget BrewsterBo BurnhamTy BurrellKate BurtonMichelle ButeauAnna CampHeather Anne CampbellLarry Joe CampbellEugene CorderoMekia CoxRob DelaneyJulia DuffyEpicLLOYDNeil FlynnDaniele GaitherDavid GiuntoliFiona GubelmannRegina HallColin HanksRyan HansenTricia HelferJustin HiresMeagan HolderJames HongAnna Maria HorsfordClint HowardErnie HudsonRob HuebelGabriel IglesiasNicole Randall JohnsonMatt JonesRashida JonesKing BachArt LaFleurLauren LapkusNatasha LeggeroTiny ListerKristanna LokenMelanie LynskeyHayes MacArthurRomany MalcoKen MarinoAlphonso McAuleyJack McBrayerKate MicucciJerry MinorMark MosesArden MyrinDanielle NicoletDean NorrisAdam PallyKeke PalmerMetta World PeaceMekhi PhiferLance ReddickRettaKim RhodesRob RiggleJason RitterCharlie RobinsonRebecca RomijnAndre RoyoWill SassoRichard SchiffJason SchwartzmanBrenda SongKevin SorboPaul F. TompkinsJanet VarneyMalcolm-Jamal WarnerMichaela WatkinsVernee WatsonAlie WardStephnie WeirBilly Dee WilliamsGary Anthony WilliamsTyler James WilliamsCedric YarbroughCarlson Young ==Reception==
Reception
Critical reception The first two seasons of Key & Peele received positive reviews, maintaining a score 74 of 100 by the review aggregator site Metacritic. The third season of Key & Peele received critical acclaim, receiving a score of 82 on Metacritic. The series won a Peabody Award in 2013 "for its stars and their creative team's inspired satirical riffs on our racially divided and racially conjoined culture". On April 24, 2012, during an interview on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, President Barack Obama told the story of how he had watched the Key & Peele sketch featuring himself with "Luther, his Anger Translator", saying that "It's pretty good stuff – it's good stuff." Additionally, on April 25, 2015, during the White House Correspondents Dinner, Key reprised the role of Luther, President Obama's anger translator during the event. Dave Chappelle has accused the show of copying the format he established years prior for ''Chappelle's Show'', but states that he is still a fan of the show. Awards and nominations ==Related media==
Related media
Vandaveon and Mike Key & Peele have also created a YouTube commentary of their episodes under their alter-egos Vandaveon Huggins and Mike Taylor. Vandaveon and Mike analyze an episode, and suggest that low brow humor would make it funnier. These videos were also added to On Demand offerings of Key & Peele episodes. On March 12, 2014, Comedy Central announced the network was developing an animated spinoff starring Vandaveon and Mike as 12-year-old hall monitors, in association with Key and Peele. Other film and television Key and Peele have appeared as a comedic duo, usually in tribute to the show, in various film and television series. This includes the following: • In the final three episodes of the first season of Fargo (2014), Key and Peele play wisecracking FBI agents Bill Budge and Webb Pepper, who seek vengeance against main antagonist Lorne Malvo (Billy Bob Thornton) after he takes advantage of their distraction from their conversation to commit a rampage. • Key and Peele dueled in two episodes of Epic Rap Battles of History. The first involved Mahatma Gandhi (Key) vs. Martin Luther King, Jr. (Peele), while the second involved Muhammad Ali (Peele) vs. Michael Jordan (Key). • In the film Keanu, Key and Peele play cousins Clarence Goobril and Rell Williams, who infiltrate a gang to retrieve a stolen kitten, as well as Smoke and Oil Dresden, the dreaded Allentown Brothers. Both also served as producers, with Peele contributing to the script. • In the animated film Toy Story 4, Key and Peele voice carnival toys Ducky and Bunny, who assist Buzz Lightyear throughout the film. • In the animated film Wendell & Wild, Key and Peele play the titular demons. Peele also co-wrote and co-produced the film. ==Home media==
Home media
On September 25, 2012, Comedy Central and Paramount Home Entertainment released "Key and Peele – Season 1" on DVD and Blu-ray Disc. Both formats feature bloopers, outtakes, a "Poolside Interview," audio commentary with Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele, "Backstage," "Split Their Pants," Key & Peele live at the South Beach Comedy Festival, and an easter egg of the show's theme song. ==Broadcast==
Broadcast
The show generally aired on international localized versions of Comedy Central. It premiered in Australia on The Comedy Channel on August 9, 2012. ==Notes==
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