TV Retrospective: "Key & Peele"

Left to right: Keegan Michael Key and Jordan Peele

By the time that Comedy Central aired the first episode of Key & Peele in 2012, it was quickly approaching a decade since their last great sketch show Chappelle's Show had come and went. In between, the channel skirted by on South Park and The Daily Show for its legitimacy in the choice to be called the comedy channel. It wasn't that there was a lack of funny shows, it's just that there weren't any on par. With the premiere of Key & Peele, the channel was rejuvenated, starting another golden era for the station. Its humor not only turned Keegan Michael Key and Jordan Peele into one of the funniest comedy duos, it turned them into internet phenomenons, with even President Barrack Obama recognizing their brilliance. This week marked their farewell from the sketch comedy landscape. What they leave behind is four seasons of the best sketch comedy that the station has aired in years, likely to live on in history not only as one of their best, but one of the best in general.

The general format for Key & Peele wasn't anything revolutionary. It was a sketch show in which the hosts introduced various clips relative to their banter. We had seen it before whether it be Chappelle's Show, Mind of Mencia, or even Important Things. Like the best, these essentially throwaway moments could be turned into comedic gold thanks to the capabilities to tell jokes in a condensed period. While everyone is likely to remember the various characters that came from the show, the introductions that were featured in the first two seasons were also a look into why we cared about the artists. They were manic yet organized in the way that their introductions became deconstructed into physical comedy routines, often serving as their own running gag outside of the packages.

It helps that what they introduced was some of the most biting, cutting edge satire of its time. Even if the show enjoyed diving into pop culture-themed routines that turned the story of Urkel of Family Matters into a psychopath, and made football players into ridiculously named punchlines, the show also wasn't afraid to tackle politics and race. While they weren't often as common, segments in which Peele would play Obama and Key would be Luther (his black translator). Obama would be the eloquent, familiar leader and Luther would serve as a loud, sometimes vulgar inner voice. It was a segment that landed them a gig at the White House Correspondents Dinner. It's also one of their most indicative signs of viral success.

It would be too easy to run down the various clips that the show had created over the years. It would be easy to look at the characters that have withstood repeated use. However, they all came from a smart and surreal place, choosing to question the appeal of zombies and what happens when gangsters have to go to the bathroom. Even if there were throwbacks to Bone Thugs and Harmony and various urban themes, the show should be applauded for its diversity and being able to capture the echelon of subjects in contemporary society. Even if Inside Amy Schumer eventually becomes regaled for its vulgar feminism, I do think that Key & Peele will be remembered as the best sketch show the channel has released. If nothing else, it is one of the more influential, especially since they managed to create memorable characters in a meme culture that disposes of things at an alarming rate.

Most of all, it was two voices working together to make comedy. Whereas most of these other shows have prided on being from a singular artist and a stable of crew members, Key & Peele were able to do a lot just between the two. The comparisons have already been made that the series will be considered the best alongside Mr. Show, Monty Python's Flying Circus, or The Kids in the Hall. While that will have to be saved for time to decide, I do think that there's a strong argument for it, especially since it took a medium that was predominantly forgotten and popularized it to the YouTube crowd. More than that, it helped to rejuvenate Comedy Central's brand, causing them to green light dozens of new shows per year. I'd hate to imagine what the network would be without Key & Peele. Would there be Inside Amy Schumer, Review, or Nathan For You? Who knows. To some extent, the series opened those gates.

It also made Key and Peele household names to the online community. They have continually popped up together in projects, including Wanderlust and Fargo. They have a chemistry that compliments almost anything from comedy to drama. The show definitely helped with their exposure, but I think it's just a testament to their chemistry. Whereas most people usually pitted Amy Poehler and Tina Fey as one of the only comedy duos worth hosting anything, Key and Peele have popped up increasingly with each year. While you could argue that those segments are the cause, I do think it's that banter beforehand that gives them the edge. You just enjoy watching them perform together.

Over four seasons, the show was its own phenomenon. The numbers of views don't lie. The White House Correspondents Dinner doesn't either. The show made an impact the likes of which few sketch shows have. It will be hard to replace the series, but hopefully it will only lead to more exciting and original projects for the duo. They clearly are oozing with the creativity that turned them from obscure Mad TV writers to the go-to men on almost every comedy project. They're funny, smart, and can surprise you within a second. The show will be greatly missed, but much like Chappelle's Show before, it will live on in the zeitgeist, growing in popularity and quoted among comedy fans. You can't take that value away from it. Now it's time to see what they do next.

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5