>> James: WELCOME BACK.
OUR GUESTS TODAY ARE TWO OF THE FUNNIEST PEOPLE ON PLANET EARTH,
AND THEY'VE JUST RELEASED THREE BRILLIANT, COMPLETELY
IMPROVISED, COMEDY SPECIALS ON NETFLIX: THOMAS MIDDLEDITCH &
BEN SCHWARTZ.ù.
HEY, FELLAS, HOW YOU DOING?
>> OH, THIS IS GREAT.
HOW ARE YOU, JAMES?
>> James: I AM VERY WELL.
YO BOTH LOOK VERY WELL.
THOMAS, I DON'T KNOW WHAT I EXPECTED TO SEE WHEN YOU CAME ON
TO THIS CALL, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHY THIS WASN'T IT.
TALK ME THROUGH THESE -- >> YOU DIDN'T EXPECT TO SEE THE
PIDE PIPER LIMITED EDITION RAT JACK?
I MEAN, WITH SHORTS?
>> James: WHAT?
FLIPPERS.
>> James: NO.
GAMING HEAD SET, YOU DIDN'T EXPECT TO SEE THIS, JAMES?
( LAUGHTER ) ARE YOU SURE?
>> James: THAT IS GENUINELY NOT WHAT I EXPECTED.
I EVEN QUESTIONED WHETHER THE ROOM BEHIND YOU WAS REAL.
>> IT'S 100% REAL.
THAT IS A REAL CAST IRON SPIRAL STAIRCASE.
>> AND IT GOES NOWHERE, BABY.
NOWHERE.
>> IF YOU GO UP, YOU JUST APPEAR ON THE BOTTOM SIDE IN AN
INFINITE Pac-MAN LOOP.
>> JAMES, YOU WEREN'T EXPECTING HIM TO BE WEARING AIRPLANE
EARPHONES WITH SOME KIND OF BURGER KING MIC?
>> James: NOW I'VE SEEN IT.
I'M QUESTIONING WHETHER THERE WOULD BE ANYTHING ELSE.
>> NO, THIS IS HIM.
YOU'RE SEEING THOMAS FOR REAL.
THIS IS THE REAL THOMAS, BABY.
>> James: I REALLY FEEL LIKE THOMAS IS HOLDING IT TOGETHER
QUITE WELL DURING THIS PERIOD OF ISOLATION.
>> I'M DOING GREAT!
>> James: I FEEL LIKE I'M ALREADY JUST TALKING TO YOU.
WHERE IS HE GOING NOW?
>> THIS IS MY FAVORITE TOY!
I PLAY WITH THIS TOY EVERY DAY.
>> James: WHAT IS THAT TOY?
IS THAT YOUR FACE?
>> YES, IT'S FUN TO PLAY WITH, JAMES!
>> James: OH, GOD.
ASK ME HOW MY QUARANTINE BEEN DOING, JAMES.
>> James: HEY, BEN, HOW'S YOUR QUARANTINE BEEN DOING?
>> OH, PRETTY GOOD.
>> James: WOW!
LOOK AT THIS!
BUT YOU ARE BOTH BIG GAMERS, RIGHT?
YOU'RE SPENDING QUITE A LOT OF TIME DOING SOME GAMING.
>> YOU'RE TALKING TO ME WITH THE CHAIR AND NOBODY IN IT?
>> James: OH, MY GOD.
IS THAT A VR HEADSET, THOMAS.
>> I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALK ABOUT.
>> WE BOTH HAVE THEM.
THE ONLY R I'M IN NOW IS THIS ONE RIGHT NOW, THE REAL REALITY.
>> James: THIS IS THE REAL REALITY.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU PULL THAT OVER YOUR EYES?
>> MAN!
( LAUGHTER ) ( BLEEP ).
>> OH, YEAH!
I CAN'T FIT IT ALL OVER -- >> WHAT'S HAPPENING THROUGH MY
V.R.
>> James: THOMAS, WHAT'S HAPPENING IN BEN'S V.R. RIGHT
NOW?
>> OH, MAN, HE'S WAITING IN A DOCTOR'S WAITING ROOM.
THE DOCTOR WILL SEE YOU NOW.
OKAY.
YOU'RE CLEAR TO GO.
GET OUT OF HERE.
>> THAT'S GREAT!
BUT SO YOU ARE -- LIKE I JUST SAID, YOU'RE BOTH BIG GAMERS,
PLAYING A LOT OF VIDEO GAMES.
WHAT SORT OF GAMES ARE YOU PLAYING?
I FEEL LIKE FOR GAMERS THIS PERIOD OF LOCKDOWN IS PARADISE.
>> IT'S BEEN HEAVEN.
CORONA TRIGGER, I BEAT WHEN I WAS A KID, I REBEAT 15 HOURS
INTO THAT.
I HAVE BEEN PLAYING GENESIS.
THEN A MARIO KART 8 JAMES.
WE PLAY THE TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS EVERY SATURDAY AND
IT'S SOMETHING I LOOK FORWARD TO.
>> James: MARIO KART 8 IS THE MOST RECENT ONE?
>> YES, DO YOU HAVE A SWITCH?
>> James: I DO.
WELCOME TO THE COUNCIL MEMBER, JAMES!
>> James: I CAN PLAY YOU IN THIS CHAMPIONSHIP.
HOW?
>> YOU TEXT ME A FRIEND CODE AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY.
>> SAY YOUR FRIEND CODE NOW AND EVERYBODY CAN PLAY.
>> James: I HONESTLY DON'T KNOW WHAT MY FRIEND CODE IS.
>> BEN SAY YOUR FRIEND CODE.
I'M SURE THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULD LOVE TO BE IN THE CHAMPS.
>> ME, DAVID LETTERMAN -- WHO ELSE.
>> James: I KNEW IT!
BEN, IT JUST GOT ANNOUNCED THAT PARKS AND RECREATION ARE
REUNITING FOR A NEW SPECIAL.
>> THEY ARE.
>> James: WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS?
WHEN'S IT ON?
ARE YOU GOING TO BE INVOLVED?
ARE YOU IN IT?
>> I KNOW IT COMES OUT ON THURSDAY, ANDETH EVERYBODY
FILMED FROM THEIR OWN HOUSE, AND IT'S THEM AS CHARACTERS.
IT'S LIKE AN ACTUAL EPISODE OF PARKSEN REC, AND I'M NOT ALLOWED
TO SAY IF I'M IN IT, BUT I WILL SAY MY HAIR IS AT A VERY GOOD
LENGTH, IF THEY DID ASK ME.
>> James: IT'S AT A PERFECT LENGTH.
IT REALLY IS.
THIS IS HUGELY EXCITING.
>> IT IS.
I'M VERY EXCITED.
EVEN IF I'M NOT INVOLVED, I CANNOT WAIT TO SEE IT.
IT'S ALL A BENEFIT AND IT'S A CHARITY TYPE SHOW, SOETTES VERY
EXCITING.
>> James: LET'S TALK ABOUT YOUR MIDDLEDITCH & SCHWARTZ
SPECIAL.
YOU'VE DONE THREE IMPROVISED SPECIALS.
EXPLAIN WHAT LONG-FORM IMPROV IS AND HOW YOU CAME ABOUT THE TWO
OF YOU WOULD TO THIS TOGETHER AND WHAT HAPPENS DURING THE
SHOW.
>> WELL, LONG-FORM IMPROV IN GENERAL IS JUST TAKING A CERTAIN
SUGGESTION FROM THE AUDIENCE AND MAKING A WHOLE ENTIRE SHOW FROM
IT, AND THAT CAN MANIFEST ITSELF IN ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT WAYS,
BUT HOW WE'LL DO IT IS WE'LL TELL THIS LITTLE TWO-PERSON
STORY, A PLAY, IF YOU WILL, WHERE WE PLAY EACH OTHER'S
CHARACTERS, WE TRY TO HAVE -- THREAD SOME NARRATIVE IN IT, AND
IT IS A MIX OF TOTAL INSANITY AND CHARACTERS THAT YOU WANT TO
SEE SUCCEED OR FAIL.
HOLD ON.
JUST GETTING A BUNCH OF QUILT TEXTS.
>> THE SPECIAL HAS BEEN GOING SO WELL PEOPLE ARE TEXTING HIM,
TTARANTINO'S TEXTING HIM.
IT'S BEEN REALLY EXCITING.
>> James: IS THIS TRUE OR IS THIS PART OF THE LONG-TERM
IMPROV.
>> NO, NONE OF THOSE PEOPLE HAVE TEXTED HIM.
>> James: WELL, THEY SHOULD, BECAUSE I WATCHED THE WEEKEND
AND I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT.
I DON'T KNOW IF PEOPLE CAN TRULY COMPREHEND HOW DIFFICULT WHAT
YOU'RE DOING IS.
I MEAN, BEN, BECAUSE YOU TWO HAVE DONE IMPROV TOGETHER FOR
MANY YEARS.
WHAT STRENGTHS OUTSIDE OF FASHION DOES THOMAS HAVE HAS AN
IMPROV.
>> WE HAVE BEEN DOING IMPROV FOR 20 YEARS SO LORE.
THERE ARE A SERIES OF REASON WHY THOMAS IS INCREDIBLE, BUT HE
INCOME PASSES THE CHARACTER AND BECOMES THE CHARACTER.
ANYTIME I SAY COMPLIMENTS IT WASHES OVER HIM LIKE A WAVE.
>> James: I CAN SEE IT.
HE CAN DO ACCENTS AND ALL THESE THINGS.
SO WHEN WE'RE DOING THESE SHOWS, THE BEST THING IS WHATEVER
CHARACTER HE MAKES, THAT'S UNCREDIBLE BECAUSE WE ACTUALLY
SWITCH CHARACTERS THROUGHOUT THIS SHOW WHILE TELLING A SINGLE
STORY.
SO TO WATCH HIM DO THAT IS A JOY.
HE'S AN INCREDIBLE PERSON.
I CAN'T WAIT TO ASK THOMAS THE SAME QUESTION.
>> James: WHAT ARE YOUR GO-TO FAVORITE ACCENTS TO DO, THOMAS?
>> OH, WELL, I DO SILLY SAMMY, THAT GOES, HI, I'M SILLY SAMMY!
AND THEN I, LIKE -- >> James: THAT'S AN ACCENT?
YEAH.
WACKY WAYNE IS LIKE, OH, I'M WACKY!
>> MAY I SAY THIS REAL QUICK?
PEOPLE MIGHT BELIEVE YOU, THOMAS.
WE DON'T THINK OF ANYTHING BEFOREHAND.
>> TOTALLY IMPROVISED.
>> James: AND WHAT ABOUT -- THOMAS, WHAT ABOUT BEN?
WHAT MAKES BEN A PERFECT IMPROV PARTNER?
>> I SUPPOSE BEN'S ABILITY TO MAKE SENSE OF MY INSANE
CHARACTERS.
I'LL SAY SOMETHING -- I'LL BE SILLY SAMMY, FOR EXAMPLE.
BEN, HE'S JUST A GUY WITH A SILLY VOICE.
BEN PUTS A BACK STORY, A CONTEXT.
HE GIVES SILLY SAMMY A JOB.
WHAT DOES SILLY SAMMY DO, BEN IS THIS.
>> HE WORKS AT A MARINE BIOLOGIST SHOP.
>> James: HE WORKS AT THE SHOP.
>> HE'S SELLING MERCH FOR MARINE BIOLOGISTS.
I MEAN, WITHOUT BEN, I'M NOTHING.
>> James: WELL, I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW MUCH I LOVE THE FIRST
SPECIAL, AND IT'S SO GOOD.
MY WIFE AND I ARE SAVING THE OTHER TWO --
>> DO YOU ACTUALLY WATCH IT?
>> James: OH, MAN, I LOVE IT SO MUCH.
>> WHEN I WORKED WITH LETTERMAN, I ALWAYS WONDERED IF HE WATCHED
ANYTHING OF THE GUESTS THAT CAME ON.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WATCH STUFF, BUT NOW WE'RE IN A PANDEMIC, YOU
HAVE THE TIME AND YOU WATCHED OUR SPECIAL AND ACTUALLY LIKED
IT.
>> James: LET ME BE HONEST.
IT WASN'T JUST THE TIME.
I ALSO HAD THE INCLINATION.
>> OH!
>> James: AND I LOVED IT.