Rating: 
Summary: Satisfying "before," disappointing "after"
Review: If you're a big Mr. Show geek like I am, you're going to buy this book no matter what any review says, so you might as well quit reading and start spending. But your satisfaction with your purchase will depend upon how you interpret the "What Happened" in this book's title. If you take it to mean "what happened in each of the episodes," you'll get exactly what you want and be thrilled to fondle its ever-stickier pages. But if you assume, as I did, that the more pressing question facing Mr. Show fans is, "what happened to cause this brilliant show to be taken off the air, thus rendering my life meaningless," you'll be sorely disappointed.
There is no discussion whatsoever about the show's cancellation, its aftermath, etc. I can imagine many political reasons for omitting this information/carping but doing so does not increase my satisfaction with this book. Perhaps the Odenkirks are prepping us for a sequel, leaving us hungry for more, but somehow I don't think so.
The strong suit of this book is the information on how Mr. Show came into being, how the cast members met, their work before the series. Some tidbits that were new to me: Bob Odenkirk wrote that SNL Chris Farley sketch about "living in a VAN down by the RIVER;" Bill Odenkirk has a PhD in Inorganic Chemistry.
The only way I can satisfy my craving for more fantastic newness is by watching all of my Mr. Show DVDs, obliterating my memory with drugs, then repeating the process again and again. I recommend it highly.
Rating: 
Summary: Daddy's not Amish
Review: A wonderful book. Even if you aren't a rich cable havin geek, you can at least appreciate the genius of these two men. This book is most interesting when it discusses L.A.'s alternative comedy scene. I guess these two exemplify(sic)belly laughs without the yuk yuk shave your chest yakov smirnov hullabaloo.
Rating:
Summary: Daddy's not Amish
Review: A wonderful book. Even if you aren't a rich cable havin geek, you can at least appreciate the genius of these two men. This book is most interesting when it discusses L.A.'s alternative comedy scene. I guess these two exemplify(sic)belly laughs without the yuk yuk shave your chest yakov smirnov hullabaloo.
Rating:
Summary: I Licked This Buk
Review: I licked this buk, I licked this buk very much. Straynge howe the two projecks released by the genyuses... sorry, the geniuses behind Mr. Show, the funniest sketch show of them all (while it lasted), both turned out to be horrendously shoddy productions. I mean, Run, Ronnie, Run? Why, boys, why?! Why center your one shot at a feature film around a character who amounts to just another typical parody of just another TV show, and Cops, to boot! Sure, David's song was sweet, but one good bit does not a movie make. The entire "let's parody Cops" comedy idea was DONE on the Ben Stiller Show 10+ years ago, NO MORE WAS NEEDED! Anyway, so that movie sucked, quality-wise (oh, but their heart was in the right place and they were only screwed by the Big Conglomorate Boys! How many times they gonna use that excuse?!) and so does this book, production quality wise. Anyway, so what. Like many of the fans have said, at least it gathers in one place all the geeky info the fans like to have, the fact that it's at a xeroxed fanzine level doesn't matter... that much, or should I say "mutch". Only complaint I have is that I felt a little like the Mr. Show creators, or "The Genius Squad," as I like to call them, were, through the half-baked premise and execution of their "film" and this "book," all excuses revolving around supposedly nefarious dealings aside, kind of thumbing their noses at the fans, as if we should all just "be cool, man" and not retain any rabid interest in this show, this "Mister Show," which we found so damn funny, so mind-breakingly inventive, and, yes, so cool that we just had to have a little more. Then again, I may be (I am) paranoid. For all the flaws the show may have had, Mr. Show is still the best thing any of these guys have been involved in to date. So, buy this book but be prepared to cringe. Oh yesss, and regarding the controversy over the short mention of Mary Lynn Rajskub. Yes, she was only on the show because she was sleeping with David. Heck, even I have had Ms. Mary Lynn Rajskub!
Rating:
Summary: Typo Laden Companion to the Best Sketch Show of All Time
Review: I'm a bit disappointed with this book. Sure, it's got what you'd expect from a book about a TV show: cast/crew bios, episode guide, history, candid insight into the creation and development of the series, yet, it feels uneven, unpolished and it's packed with embarrassing typos. There are plenty of great anecdotes and candid conversations. The section on the show's writing is my favorite. It reads like Bob, David and crew just sitting around bs'ing about writing. It's a formula that should've been utilized throughout the entire book. The book succeeds when Naomi doesn't interfere. The Typo Problem: I'm talking about a typo-a-bration here! There are countless instances where sentences don't make sense due to missing words, or words that have been inappropriately repeated (the the, when it when it, etc.) It's really really (appropriate repetition) annoying, and it's all stuff that should've been caught by the first person to proofread it. There are also constant grammatical errors throughout. The book is poorly written. Portions are painful. But I bought this book for the content, the juice behind the funny, not the prose. The Structure Problem: With the exception of the episode guide, there's no real structure to any of the sections. Cast/crew bios end abruptly or drag on with uninteresting/unnecessary back-stories. I'm guessing that preserving the layout was the highest priority. The most irritating example of this is when cast member's paths intersect, which obviously happens constantly. For instance, if two or three cast members worked together previously on a pilot or stage show, the pilot or stage show is explained thoroughly each time, so if your reading the book straight through, it's frustrating. The Balance Problem: The cast/crew bios don't necessarily match each person's contributions to the show. Some cast members are slighted completely. Mary Lynn Rajskub's mention is brief and laughable. She was a big part of the first two seasons, but left the show after her and David stopped dating. There is no comment on her abilities or her contribution to the show, as there is with every other cast/crew member. It reads like she was included because she was David's girlfriend and then booted after he stopped getting laid. Meanwhile, the Bill Odenkirk section goes to great lengths to establish him as a separate and worthy component of the show. I happen to believe this to be true regarding Bill, however, because of this kind of inconsistency, which is abundant throughout, the entire first half of the book comes off as a biased, uneven, unedited mess. I swear to Jesus, you'd think it was written by one of their wives. Doh! Overall the book is fun and informative, if sloppy and unorganized. I learned things about my favorite show that I didn't know before. That's worth something. Although, I have to say, the whole time I was reading it I kept thinking, "this could be SO much better!" (I think in exclamatory sentences!) It's obvious that this book had no editor and that Naomi Odenkirk is terribly inexperienced. I like to think that many of the errors will be corrected in future editions, but I don't think much will be done about the balance/bias problem. Oh, and the price! Nevermind.
Rating: 
Summary: I can't read by Craig T. Nelson
Review: I'm actually an illiterate person (and former Hollywood star of shows like Coach and motion pictures like Poltergeist II: The Legacy), but one thing I do know about are books, meaning: I know what they are because I've seen them crammed on shelves in houses and ontop of television sets across this great land of ours and from coast to coast too. And one thing I've come to learn about this Mr. Show book is - it's got plenty of pictures. To me one good quality picture is worth a thousand misspelled words. You're probably wondering how I'm writing this review- well you let me just worry about that and buy yourself a book about this wonderful Johnny come lately tv series that got the corporate ax much too soon in this actor's opinion!
Rating:
Summary: Inspirational
Review: If you're a serious fan of Mr.Show and a serious fan of comedy then you'll definately dig this book. It gives great insight into the actors themselves as well as the creation of each eposide from the early writing process to the final completed show. And for anyone wanting to get into comedy writing themselves it is truly inspirational and a must read.
Rating:
Summary: I Licked This Buk
Review: In a way, I'm writing a review and in another, I'm defending the book. First, let me start by defending the book. There are a couple reasons why this book has tons of typos in it and this is somewhat truth and somewhat speculation. This book was supposed to be available and sold at their "Hooray for America" tour. This is what I know is true. This book was put together and about ready to go to the publisher when the office of the person who layed it out was broken into. They took all of this person's files and the backups as well. So, the book had to be literally thrown together again in a matter of days. I am guessing that they really wanted to make this available for the tour. This is probably why there are typos, inconsistencies, etc. For a rush job, I think it's a damn fine effort. Now, for the book itself. I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It offered a lot of background that I wanted on the show and a little more. It has tons of candids and shots from the show. For anyone that is a fan of the show, you really should pick up this book. My book is signed by cast member John Ennis. I stumbled upon him after one date on the "Horray for America" tour and that guy is one of the nicest persons you will ever meet.
Rating:
Summary: A great companion to the show
Review: In a way, I'm writing a review and in another, I'm defending the book. First, let me start by defending the book. There are a couple reasons why this book has tons of typos in it and this is somewhat truth and somewhat speculation. This book was supposed to be available and sold at their "Hooray for America" tour. This is what I know is true. This book was put together and about ready to go to the publisher when the office of the person who layed it out was broken into. They took all of this person's files and the backups as well. So, the book had to be literally thrown together again in a matter of days. I am guessing that they really wanted to make this available for the tour. This is probably why there are typos, inconsistencies, etc. For a rush job, I think it's a damn fine effort. Now, for the book itself. I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It offered a lot of background that I wanted on the show and a little more. It has tons of candids and shots from the show. For anyone that is a fan of the show, you really should pick up this book. My book is signed by cast member John Ennis. I stumbled upon him after one date on the "Horray for America" tour and that guy is one of the nicest persons you will ever meet.
Rating:
Summary: Scammy flammy mammy!
Review: It's way too soon for a book about Mr Show. It only finished, what, 4 years ago? And there's nothing about WHY they finished, or what they did after the show (Run Ronnie Run etc). I would also like to read something a little more detailed about that BIZARRE fake newscast from the "Best Of Season 3" episode. Maybe in 10 or 20 years, someone can write a true history of this great show, along with its impact on subsequent comedy (which is still, at this point, comedy to come). If you are saving your pennies, wait for the DVD of season 3 coming out in August. Otherwise, if you're like me, you'll want this book no matter how sucky it is.
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