The Three Best Shows on Comedy Central

Mar 28, 2011
Cristofer Smith

The New Comedy Central Logo - MTV networks (Viacom)

Over the years Comedy Central has had many shows. While some of the shows have failed, many more have made themselves into winners.

Fans of Comedy Central should rejoice, for the station is not going anywhere soon. This generic cable channel doesn't have huge budgets or overly flashy shows, but what it lacks in production value, it more than makes up for in content.

South Park

An influential and controversial show, South Park has been a staple in Comedy Central's programming for 14 seasons now. The show is about four boys who live in South Park, Colorado and are often finding themselves in outlandish and humorous episodes. Having made fun of everyone from Saddam Hussein to Barbra Streisand, South Park is no stranger to controversy.

The show is constantly being edited and censored due to its lack of political correctness and defamation of famous celebrities. Despite all this, South Park has been able to remain wildly popular, and garner much praise.

Creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker are experienced producers, and often try their hand at other artistic styles. A few examples of this are their feature films Orgazmo and Team America: World Police, as well as their brand new Broadway musical Book of Mormon. No one is safe from the wrath of Matt Stone and Trey Parker.

Tosh.0

An up and coming show on comedy central, Tosh.0 is the first successful show run by a comedian in a long line of attempts. Comedy Central struggled with the set up of a stand up comic driven show, until the realized that the mixture of Daniel Tosh and the internet was a combination as good as Oreos and milk. The concept of the show is simple enough, find internet clips and comment on them, but it is Tosh's unique brand of comedy and mannerisms that really make the show work.

Tosh's creativity and lack of care for what people think also greatly help him attract a large audience. I'll never forget the episode where Apple sent him a brand new iPad, and the only thing he did with it was tee it up and hit it with a driver.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Is it a news show, a comedy show, or both? Jon Stewart often blurs this line making it almost impossible to distinguish whether he is informing you or just trying to make you laugh. While Stewart himself has come out multiple times and proclaimed that his show is merely comedy, many people still rely on him as their main source of news. Jon Stewart has been very influential in forming the news parody genre. Not only has his show been a long running source of programming, it has also led some of his characters on the show to films and even their very own shows (Stephen Colbert).

Comedy Central is a brilliant station that is willing to try out new and innovative shows, and more than willing to see some of them fall flat. It is because of this wonderful trait that the channel has been able to not just stay in business, but truly thrive in a competitive marketplace.