In the post-Friends era where the "sitcom is dead," the new Comedy Central series Stella proves that great comedy is about innovation, not repetition. It's a difficult task to describe what makes the Stella trio of Michael Ian Black, David Wain, and Michael Showalter so side-splittingly funny. Perhaps it's that one never knows what they will do next. The three ne'er-do-wells find themselves propelled from one exceedingly far-fetched situation to the next (being caught "in tableau", enjoying various dipping sauces for food they've found in the dumpster). This series will appeal to drama geeks, fans of 80s pop culture, dark humorists, and anyone sick of the rote, by-the-numbers that constitutes typical sitcom material. It finds a welcome home at Comedy Central, and will soon stand alongside other eccentric hits such as South Park, Chapelle Show, and Reno 911.
