Comedian Chris Elliott's Novel The Shroud of the Thwacker

Chris Ellliott is Truly the King of All Media

Guys of a certain age and temperament can’t help but smile when they hear the name Chris Elliott. Being securely fastened inside the rollercoaster ride that is middle-age, I first discovered the comic….genius, shall we say…of Mr. Elliott courtesy of his hilarious characters on Late Night with David Letterman. 

Back when Dave would interview big stars while wearing athletic shoes and jeans, back when his show was truly surreal, the highlight of many shows revolved around Chris Elliott’s surly realization of such instant classic characters as The Guy Under the Seats, The Regulator Guy and, of course, The Fugitive Guy. At times it almost actually seemed as Dave and Chris maybe deep down inside really didn’t care much about each other. It was classic comedy.

It also paved the way for Chris Elliott to get his own show, the late lamented Get a Life. Get a Life suffered on two fronts: One it was on the still fledgling Fox Network before The Simpsons ensured that it would have staying power. And two, it was just too far out and surreal for a nation that embraced Twin Peaks when it was a murder mystery, but rejected it when it became a postmodern exemplar of meta-television. 

Although there are some episodes available on DVD, as of this date there are no season boxed sets. When they do come out, make sure to get Season 1 and then afterward make up your mind on Season 2. The first season is classic, especially the submarine episode.

Chris Elliott next hit the big screen in Cabin Boy. As much as Get a Life was ignored by television audiences, Cabin Boy was avoided even more extremely by movie audiences. Which is a terrible shame because if Cabin Boy came out today, it would qualify as the one of the top five comedies of the decade. Again, however, Elliott’s quirky and off-kilter sense of humor made it almost impossible for the movie to generate mass appeal.