Watch This: Strangers With Candy

Stephen Colbert-a man that is known and beloved for his excellent news satire show The Colbert Report and former member of The Daily Show team. Not many people know, however, that Colbert goes his start as early on as a member of the Second City comedy troupe and the short lived comedy sketch show Exit 57. Colbert also co-created, wrote, and starred in the overlooked dark comedy series Strangers With Candy. Read on to hear why you need to watch this show immediately!

So-you know all those cheesy after school specials that networks ran? Maybe, like me, they were a little before your generation (they became popular in the 70s and into the 80s). They were cautionary tales about drugs, sex, and all sorts of other fun stuff.  They were often incredibly over the top to scare kids into staying away from stuff like "crank" (like this absurd little TV movie starring a young Helen Hunt).

If your kid plays violin...he might be a punk!

If these are so unintentionally hilarious, why not do an actual comedic take on them? Enter Strangers With Candy! The series was created by Colbert, Amy Sedaris (the equally hilarious sister of essayist David Sedaris) and Paul Dinello and aired on Comedy Central for three seasons from 1999-2000.

It tells the story of Jerri Blank, a former drug addict and prostitute who returns to school after 32 years to right her wrongs and try to get back on track. Jerri is played brilliantly by Amy Sedaris as a twisted, sex-obsessed 46-year-old who just wants to be a high schooler again.

Ladies and gentlemen, Jerri Blank.

She returns to Flatpoint High (already a funny joke) to find her old teachers are still there. Mr. Noblet (Colbert), who likes to teach warped versions of history ("Following his violent revolution, Ghandi was devoured by his followers); Mr. Jellineck (Dinello), the vain and strangely childish art teacher; and Principal Blackman...who actually is a black man.

Colbert and Dinello as Mr. Noblet and Mr. Gellineck

Then there's her hilariously cruel stepmother (the hilarious Deborah Rush), her jock stepbrother Derrick (Larc Spies) and her now motionless father (Roberto Gari), who as a result of Jerri running away from home 32 years ago is stuck motionless in a seeming state of shock.

Each episode plays out as it's own brilliantly twisted take on after school special. Take for example an episode where the kids are given a motivational speech on dreams, but are told if they can't figure out what theirs is in a week, they'll be forced to work in the artificial flower factory. Not knowing what to do, Jerri goes to Mr. Noblet for a career test:

Strangers With Candy
Career Test
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Meanwhile, Mr. Jellineck realizes his dream is be an independent artist. Soon enough he's a starving artist who gets evicted and has to live outside. Following an impassioned speech by Jerri about dreams, Jellineck bursts in the auditorium in a daze and yells "DREAMS ARE FOR FOOLS! I want my job back!"

Strangers With Candy definitely isn't for everyone. It's warped, dark, and weird. But it's also on of the funniest shows ever if that's your brand of humor.

There's only one way to find out if it's for you...go watch it! Full episodes are available streaming for free on Comedy Central's website. So get to it-and thanks for reading!