Full Frontal Comedy: Episode 5 (L. Black / J. Black / Schimmel / Michaels / Hawkins / Roberts)

Before the television rants and arena tours, Lewis Black and Jack Black were squeezing tight sets onto premium cable. This fifth episode of Showtime’s Full Frontal Comedy aired during a network pivot. In 1995, the channel began moving away from monthly stand-up events in favor of weekly series, enlisting Dom Irrera to host a rotating cast of club acts and adult-oriented sketches.

The half-hour block moves fast. The primary draw is catching Tenacious D working out their acoustic metal act a couple of years before their own series, alongside Lewis Black building his agitated, finger-pointing persona. Robert Schimmel leans into his reliably grim, confessional material, while Felicia Michaels, Robert Hawkins, and Wiley Roberts complete the bill.