‘Key & Peele’: ‘MAD’ comedy

By Rick Bentley

McClatchy Newspapers

PASADENA, Calif.

Former “MADtv” actors Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele have reunited to star in the new half-hour sketch comedy show “Key & Peele,” which premieres at 10:30 tonight on Comedy Central.

Through improv, original characters and celebrity impressions, the pair will look at the oddities of life. Key and Peele talk about their new show and their brand of comedy.

Q. Why did you pick this format?

Peele: We’ve done sketch before, but the world doesn’t really know us. And we just felt that there needed to be some kind of connection to introduce us to the world. That’s the way you get on board with something like that, and certainly that’s what worked for (Dave) Chappelle, who is, of course, a hero of ours. We knew we had to be ourselves and be honest about who we are to get that connection with the home audience. Sketch is sort of our craft, and then this new live element.

Q. What will the sketches be like?

Peele: This is my favorite sketch of the show. It’s the most absurd thing in the world. We have a fictional battle between Bobby McFerrin and Michael Winslow. No words are exchanged in the sketch.

Q. How rude and crude will the show be?

Key: I will say this, and I love this about my partner. We both hate bullying. We hate people being mean in comedy for no reason. Everything we do, we always grind, grind, grind on the game of a scene to try to figure out how to try to get the funny foundation first; usually we want to appeal universally to everyone, whether you’re from Iceland or Indonesia, and then we’ll put whatever the filter is on top of it. I’ve never understood why be offensive for no reason, or I never understood a comedian that goes, “If you don’t get it, then whatever.” No. Maybe you’re not funny.

Q. How has comedy changed since you were on “MADtv?”

Peele: Obama was the best thing for black nerds everywhere. Finally, we had a role model.

Key: Exactly. It’s okay for black people to walk down the street saying, “Yeah, ‘Star Trek!’”