IFC's "Sherman's Showcase" Is the Funniest Show of the Year

Shermanamp8217s Showcase is essentially a fake version of Soul Train with its Don Corneliustype hosting spot belonging to Sherman McDaniel played to comedic perfection by Bashir Salahuddin whoamp8217s probably better known as amp8220Keith Bangamp8221 on GLOW or amp8220Pastor Craigamp8221 on Superstore amp160Salahuddinamp8217s reallife creative partner in this endeavor and the actor playing McDanielamp8217s fictional producer amp8220Dutch Shepherdamp8221 is none other than Diallo Riddle aka amp8220Stevieamp8221 on Marlon Their almost identical CVs imply that theyamp8217ve been writing together for most if not the entirety of their respective careers and after viewing their most recent collaboration itamp8217s clear that these two belong togetherFormatwise the similarities to Comedy Bang Bang are undeniable amp160The opening title sequence is animated and follows the same template mostly with episodespecific changes made for thematic reasons Whenever an intro precedes said title sequence its involves some sort of Documentary Nowstyle celebrity appearance Itamp8217s usually a real celebrity talking about the fictional history of the show or a fictional version of a celebrity doing the same think reallife John Legend and fakeMary J BligeIn the same way that Soul Train was a conduit for spreading black culture through white America in the early Seventies so was Shermanamp8217s Showcase a show that did the same The difference is it did it through commercials starring Frederick Douglas itamp8217s been on since the Seventies but also the Fifties apparently and I guess nobody cares about cussing or saying the Nword in the Shermiverse because both happen a lot Truth be told itamp8217s legitimately one of my favorite things about the showBut Ainz what did you mean before when you called it amp8220unapologetically blackamp8221 Well I meant that the best stuff coming out of this show is the content that would stereotypically have a great chance of existing in your personal lexicon if you were lucky enough to grow up black Not knowing who Mary J Blige or Chamillionaire are or that black women wrap their hair before bed or what the amp8220real titleamp8221 of Ginuwineamp8217s amp8220Differencesamp8221 is might work against you in some scenarios That said Shermamp8217s level of general accessibility is on par with that of blackish making it as afrocentric as possible while not alienating even your most nonbrown of friendsBesides celebrity appearances that include the likes of Tiffany Haddish Morris Day Quincy Jones NeYo Marlon Wayans and so many more Shermanamp8217s Showcase is also a one stop shop for some of the highest quality joke tracks ever recorded amp160Fictional songstress Liz Giantamp8217s amp8220Gossamer Tunicamp8221 is a legitimately dope Eightiesstyle pop joint and amp8220Time Loopamp8221 by the also fictional funk band Galaxia is good enough that in my mind the soundtrack to this show would already be bought and paid for if it were released amp160In the past I felt similarly about the soundtrack of Walk Hard The Dewey Cox Story which was also full of funny tracks with formidable grooves and instrumentation but unlike that soundtrack this one has enough flavor to actually get bumped in my carOn an aesthetic level the visuals do a lot of heavy lifting as well The showcaseamp8217s stage lighting and camera work all give off that Soul Train vibe and Salahuddinamp8217s presence and performance bring it all home Sherman McDaniels is confident yet insecure both bumbling and talented Salahuddin is absolutely perfect in the role and has no issue being the straight man the funny man or the foil depending on what the scene needs Similar things can be said for Riddle who like Salahuddin constantly finds himself playing more than one role both figuratively and literallyAlso if weamp8217re talking aesthetics I need to shout out the costume designers Not only does everyone in every scene always look the part but Shermanamp8217s blazers specifically deserve special props Each episode of Showcase showcases a completely new and unique blazer made of something that looks luxurious and is most probably handcrafted For real the superior level of quality on these things is obvious amp160Someone worked quite hard on them and trust it has not gone unnoticedCurrently clocking in at only eight episodes for the first season this show hasnamp8217t even been released yet and Iamp8217m already pining for a second season Comedy Bang Bang may it rest in peace got a solid five seasons Documentary Now is going on four and the fictional Shermanamp8217s Showcase got like four decades amp160Can the real Shermanamp8217s Showcase get some love tooTwo Thatamp8217s a good number Give them a second season because seriously theyamp8217ve earned itClick the social buttons above or below to share this content with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated writers

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IFC's "Sherman's Showcase" Is the Funniest Show of the Year

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Ainsley Andrade

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IFC's "Sherman's Showcase" Is the Funniest Show of the Year

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