A. S. S. S. S. C. A. T.: Improv

Unscripted jokes are essential to any successful comedian who isn't Jay Leno, and now some of the best in improv get the chance to show off on national television. Fans of Comedy Central's innovative (read: canceled) Upright Citizens Brigade will welcome back Amy Poehler, Matt Besser, and the gang, while old standbys like SNL's Horatio Sanz and Tina Fey and Conan's old sparring partner Andy Richter round out the cast. The group earns their money when they're provided with a word from the audience and required to mold skits around it, usually yielding ample knee slapping. Prime targets like date rape and bulimia are both given the business during the hour special, proving nothing is off limits. Unfortunately, improv is only as good as the moment, and while A.S.S.S. could have had promise as an ongoing series, it should have relied more on the true skills of the original UCB players rather than added more recognizable faces like Sanz—unless, of course, there's a pie-eating contest planned.