Comedy Central Bar Mitzvah Bash!

Reviewed by:
Paul Ulane

Seeing a boy become a man is an inspiring experience. But seeing a bunch of stand-ups sprint through three-minute bits to mark Comedy Central’s 13 years on the air cuts like a bris. Hosted by Adam Carolla, Bar Mitzvah Bash! stumbles through a celebration of the network’s revolutionary run from Judy Tenuta to Battlebots. But it’s not all bad flashbacks. Clips of the network’s most controversial moments, early stand-up shows, and an on-the-street exclusive from Steven Colbert do what a comedy channel should: make us laugh. Unfortunately, the live stand-ups stumble—with the exception of network regulars Dave Attell and Dane Cook—and the only genuinely funny folks (Conan O’Brien, Jack Black, Jon Stewart) appear in taped messages leading to commercial breaks. And that’s all before AOL spokesrapper Snoop Dogg shows up as the house band. Comedy Central may finally be a real man, but it’s still a long way from a real network.

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