Yes, it runs on a kid's TV channel (Disney XD).
Yes, it stars a Muppet.
Yes, I will be mocked by some adults and intellectuals for making such a claim.
But it cannot be denied - nothing on TV (including Futurama and The I.T. Crowd) makes me laugh as loudly and as often as Crash & Bernstein.
Frankly, I don't really care if anyone else thinks it's funny. But the more people that watch it, the longer it will stay on the air, and the more laughs I will enjoy.
So why do I love this show so much? Let me count the ways:
Brilliant Writing
My favorite brand of humor is the Monty Python style - absurdist with a deep undertone. Crash & Bernstein straddles this line with great aplomb. Crash is intelligent but an innocent when it comes to this new world he's been thrown into. Like Peter Sellers in Being There, Crash is a mirror that reflects the attitudes of those with whom he interacts.
A Subtle Laughtrack
I would prefer no laughtrack at all, but I really admire the fact that the producers have dialed back the volume for this show. A lot of Disney Channel shows go way overboard with the laughtrack to a point that makes the shows unwatchable.
A Wild Premise
The creators have made a genius decision where Crash is concerned: no one seems to notice that he's a talking puppet. He interacts with strangers all the time and not one of them has said, "hey - how is this thing alive?"
Along these same lines, one minute Crash will have a deep knowledge of various subjects, then the next he'll be clueless about something as simple as money. This conceit gives the writers great freedom to tackle any scenario however they wish (which is perfect for absurd comedy).
One Final Thought
This show has been marketed as kind of an "extreme sports hip-hop buddy show" or something. I guess that's a byproduct of being aired on Disney XD. Don't be turned off by this misrepresentation. If you allow yourself to enjoy the show without prejudice and preconceptions, you may grow to love it as much as I do.
Either that, or just turn it on when you're not home to jack up the ratings so that I can keep watching it.
Jeffrey Dale Starr is a world traveler, oil painter, and owner of mobile software company Purple Falcon.
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