Former Comedy Central Series Strangers with Candy Finally Hits the Big Screen

From 1999-2000 Comedy Central had one of the funniest shows on television, the only problem was hardly anyone was watching. For three seasons Strangers With Candy graced the airwaves and tested the limits of political correctness. The show featured Amy Sedaris as Jerri Blank, a 46 year old ex-junkie, ex-prostitute, high school dropout who returned to Flatpoint High School as a high school freshman.

Sedaris, who has since made appearances on Sex and the City, Just Shoot Me, and Monk, is the sister of well-known essayist David Sedaris (Naked, Me Talk Pretty One Day). Stephen Colbert, now the host of his own show on Comedy Central, The Colbert Report, starred as Mr. Noblet, a teacher at Flatpoint. The show also featured Paul Dinello as Geoffrey Jellineck, an art teacher, and Greg Hollimon as Principal Onyx Blackman.

Strangers With Candy, a satire on the omnipresent after-school specials of the 1980s, made fun of a number of topics including steroid use, illiteracy, racism, censorship, sexually transmitted diseases, and a special two part episode about cults entitled “The Blank Stare.” Nothing was off limits for the show, and that’s what made it so hilarious.

After the show ended its run, being replaced by the show Strip Mall (and in a nod to the execs at Comedy Central, in the series finale Flatpoint High was being shut-down to be replaced by a strip mall), the series was put out on DVD. That just wasn’t enough for the fans who had given the series a cult-like following.

After a long delay, Strangers With Candy, the movie is now in theatres. Jerri Blank is back at Flatpoint High in a prequel to the television series and her hassles are just the same. The basic plot revolves around a science fair project. Stephen Colbert, Paul Dinello, and Greg Hollimon all reprise their original roles as members of the Flatpoint staff. Deborah Rush also returns as Jerri’s stepmother Sara Blank.

Joining the old cast are some recognizable names such as Sarah Jessica Parker, Matthew Broderick, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Allison Janney. Unfortunately the students from the television series have been recast for the film because it’s been six years since the show has been off the air, and therefore wouldn’t look like high school kids anymore.

So far the film has recieved strong reviews. Ebert and Roeper both gave the film thumbs up. Roeper said “It’s just so bizarre and so cheerfully warped, I couldn’t resist it,” on a recent episode of Ebert and Roeper. Meanwhile movie critic Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a B.

If you loved Strangers With Candy as a television series, be sure to check out the film version. Just imagine all the things they can get away with now that they aren’t worrying about network censors.

Now playing in theatres.