Strangers with Candy (1999)
The cult Comedy Central black comedy where a 46-year-old ex-con returns to high school and keeps learning all the wrong lessons.
Strangers with Candy - Series Information
- Original Title: Strangers with Candy
- First Air Year: 1999
- Last Air Year: 2000
- Created by: Stephen Colbert, Paul Dinello et al.
- Type: TV Series
- Genres: Comedy
- Episode Runtime: Average runtime per episode (23 minutes)
- Number of Seasons: 3
- Number of Episodes: 30
- Status: Ended
- Original Language: English
- Spoken Languages: English
- Networks: Comedy Central
- Production Companies: Comedy Central
- Production Countries: United States of America
Strangers with Candy - Plot
Jerri Blank is a former prostitute and junkie whore who returns to high school as a 46-year-old freshman at Flatpoint High. Jerri ran away from home and became 'a boozer, a user, and a loser' after dropping out as a teenager, supporting her drug habits through prostitution, stripping, and larceny. She has been to prison several times, the last time because she 'stole the TV'. At home, Jerri's father Guy is comatose, although he seems perfectly capable of amazing feats. Her stepmother Sara is vain and bitter, and stepbrother Derrick is a bullying jock. Jerri tries to do things the right way but always ends up learning the wrong lesson. Her hijinks often involve, either directly or indirectly, neurotic history teacher Chuck Noblet and his secret lover, sensitive art teacher Geoffrey Jellineck.
Strangers with Candy - Trailer
Check out this clip and get a taste of the gloriously unhinged world of Flatpoint High.
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Doing things right....the second time around.
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Strangers with Candy - Cast & Crew
Creator(s)
- Stephen Colbert
- Mitch Rouse
- Amy Sedaris
- Paul Dinello
Main Cast
- Amy Sedaris
- Paul Dinello
- Stephen Colbert
- Greg Hollimon
- Deborah Rush
- Larc Spies
- Orlando Pabotoy
- Maria Thayer
- Sarah Thyre
- Roberto Gari
Writers
- Paul Dinello
- Amy Sedaris
- Mitch Rouse
- Thomas Lennon
- David Wain
Executive Producers
- David Letterman
Strangers with Candy - FAQs
What inspired the character of Jerri Blank?
Jerri Blank was inspired by a real person named Florrie Fisher, a former addict who gave cautionary school talks in the 1970s. Amy Sedaris discovered Fisher's bizarre, unintentionally campy style and built the Jerri Blank character around her mannerisms, speech patterns, and gloriously misguided moralizing.
Is Strangers with Candy worth watching?
Absolutely worth your time if you enjoy sharp, subversive comedy. The show is a gleefully deranged parody of after-school specials, with Amy Sedaris delivering a fearless, committed performance as Jerri Blank. Its absurdist humor and pitch-black satire have earned it a devoted cult following that endures decades later.
Where can you stream Strangers with Candy?
Strangers with Candy is available to stream on Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, and through Paramount+ channels on Apple TV, Amazon, and Roku. If you prefer to own it, episodes can be purchased on Amazon Video and Google Play Movies.
What is the secret relationship between Noblet and Jellineck?
History teacher Chuck Noblet and art teacher Geoffrey Jellineck are secret lovers whose closeted relationship runs as a recurring comic thread throughout the series. Played by Stephen Colbert and Paul Dinello, their furtive, deeply repressed romance is one of the show's most beloved and consistently funny running gags.
Who created Strangers with Candy?
The series was created by Amy Sedaris, Paul Dinello, Stephen Colbert, and Mitch Rouse. Sedaris and Dinello also starred in the show, while Colbert played history teacher Chuck Noblet before going on to host The Colbert Report and later The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
How was Strangers with Candy received by critics?
Critics praised the show's fearless absurdism and Amy Sedaris's committed, physically daring performance. While it never attracted massive mainstream audiences during its original run, it earned strong cult acclaim and is widely regarded as one of Comedy Central's most inventive and daring original productions of the late 1990s.
Did Strangers with Candy lead to a feature film?
Yes, a feature film adaptation was released in 2005, serving as a prequel to the TV series. The movie reunited the core cast and creative team, and featured an impressive array of celebrity cameos including Matthew Broderick, Sarah Jessica Parker, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Allison Janney.
What are some shows similar to Strangers with Candy?
If Strangers with Candy's anarchic humor appeals to you, check out Brass Eye for savage media satire, Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman for deadpan soap opera parody, or The End of the F***ing World for darkly comic outsider storytelling. Chappelle's Show and Louie also share its willingness to push comedic boundaries.
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