- Crossballs: The Debate Show
-
Crossballs: The Debate Show Format Comedy Created by Matt Besser
Charlie SiskelStarring Chris Tallman Country of origin United States Language(s) English No. of seasons 1 No. of episodes 24 Production Running time 30 minutes Broadcast Original channel Comedy Central Original run July 6 – August 27, 2004 Crossballs: The Debate Show was a Comedy Central television show which poked fun at cable news networks' political debate shows, especially CNN's Crossfire and MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews. In each episode, comedians posing as experts on a particular subject would debate two real commentators. The true experts were unaware that the show was a sham. Topics ranged from reality television to religion to violence in video games.
It debuted on July 6, 2004 and ran for eight weeks. It aired Tuesday-Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET. The twenty-third and final episode aired on August 24, 2004. Show number 24 ("Pistol Whipped America") was taped but never aired, after one of the unsuspecting guests, James March, threatened to sue Comedy Central.
Contents
Cast members
- Chris Tallman - Host of Crossballs
- Matt Besser - Fake Guest Debater
- Mary Birdsong - Fake Guest Debater
- Andrew Daly - Fake Guest Debater
- Jerry Minor - Fake Guest Debater
- Sean Conroy - Occasional Fake Guest Debater (3 episodes)
- Rich Fulcher - Occasional Fake Guest Debater (2 episodes)
Notable real guests
- Chris Simcox - Minuteman Civil Defense Corps founder and spokesperson
- Wiley Drake - outspoken Southern Baptist evangelist
- Dave Kong - director of the American Atheists California chapter
- Jackie Christie - wife of professional basketball player Doug Christie
- Zulu- Owner of famous LA tattoo shop Zulu tattoo
See also
External links
- Crossballs: The Debate Show at the Internet Movie Database
- Crossballs: The Debate Show at TV.com
- Digital Spy article
- Crossballs Puzzle: Why don't the guests on Comedy Central's fake debate show get the joke?, Jacob Sullum, Reason, July 30, 2004
- Email account of nearly appearing on Crossballs by Lauren Weinstein
Categories:- 2004 American television series debuts
- 2004 American television series endings
- Comedy Central shows
- Pranksters
- Satirical television programmes
- Television series about television
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
