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Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis

{{Short description|American comedy talk show}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}

{{Infobox television

| image = Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis.png

| genre = Comedy, talk show

| creator = {{Plainlist|

}}

| director = {{Plainlist|

}}

| presenter = Zach Galifianakis

| theme_music_composer = Bernard Hermann

| opentheme = "Theme from Taxi Driver (Reprise)"

| country = United States

| language = English

| num_seasons =

| num_episodes = 21 (and 1 special)

| list_episodes =

| executive_producer = {{Plainlist|

  • Mike Farah
  • Scott Aukerman
  • B. J. Porter

}}

| producer = {{Plainlist|

  • B. J. Porter
  • Scott Aukerman
  • Christin Trogan
  • Zach Galifianakis
  • Anna Wenger
  • Corinne Eckhart

}}

| location = Los Angeles, U.S.

| cinematography = {{Plainlist|

  • Brian Murray
  • Matt Sweeney
  • Matt Krueger

}}

| editor = {{Plainlist|

  • Daniel Strange
  • Caleb Emerson
  • Mordecai Druitt
  • Hank Friedmann

}}

| camera = Multi-camera

| runtime = 3–6 minutes

| company = Comedy Bang! Bang!

| channel = Funny or Die

| first_aired = {{start date|2008|1|4}}

| last_aired = {{end date|2018|6|14}}

}}

Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis is an American talk show hosted by comedian Zach Galifianakis which features celebrity guests. Episodes last several minutes, in which the interviewer (Galifianakis) and guests trade barbs and insults. In addition to the online series, there is a Comedy Central television special, and a Netflix original movie Between Two Ferns: The Movie.

Format

Host Zach Galifianakis interviews celebrities while sitting between two potted ferns.{{cite news|title=Zach and Bruce Willis on Between Two Ferns|url=http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2074350_2074188_2074351,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110531040310/http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2074350_2074188_2074351,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 31, 2011|newspaper=Time|date=27 May 2011}} The set intentionally resembles a low-budget amateur production for public-access television, with on-screen graphics containing deliberate comedic errors. For example, in a 2014 episode, Brad Pitt's name is spelled "Bart Pit" and his film 12 Years a Slave—the winner of the 2013 Academy Award for Best Picture—entitled "12 Years a Salve".{{cite news |url=http://www.today.com/popculture/brad-pitt-takes-insults-zach-galifianakis-between-two-ferns-1D80237065 |title=6 reasons to watch Brad Pitt and Zach Galifianakis on 'Between Two Ferns' |work=Today Show |author=Randee Dawn |date=October 23, 2014 |access-date=February 21, 2015 |archive-date=February 9, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150209222034/http://www.today.com/popculture/brad-pitt-takes-insults-zach-galifianakis-between-two-ferns-1D80237065 |url-status=live }}

Galifianakis maintains a very awkward and often antagonistic demeanor with his guests, asking them bizarre, inappropriate or insulting questions mixed with offhand non-sequiturs. The guests' responses are mostly improvised.{{cite news|title=How Funny or Die Got President Obama on Zach Galifianakis' 'Between Two Ferns'|url=https://variety.com/2014/digital/news/president-obama-on-zach-galifianakis-between-two-ferns-watch-1201129329/|access-date=9 September 2015|archive-date=7 December 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221207203232/https://variety.com/2014/digital/news/president-obama-on-zach-galifianakis-between-two-ferns-watch-1201129329/|url-status=live}} Episodes often include a segment in which Galifianakis awkwardly interrupts his guests to promote a sponsor's product. Examples include bananas, the video game Need for Speed: Shift, and (most frequently) Speed Stick deodorant. Some advertisements, like the graphics, are based around aspects of or events related to the interviewee. For example, the episode featuring Hillary Clinton included one of Donald Trump's campaign commercials.

History and reception

{{See also|Between Two Ferns: The Movie}}

File:Barack Obama and Zach Galifianakis, Between Two Ferns.jpg interviewed on Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis, 2014]]

The show originated as a short film on Scott Aukerman and B. J. Porter's Fox sketch pilot The Right Now! Show, a spin-off of their Comedy Death-Ray live show. After the network declined to pick up the show, the duo put the short up on the website Funny Or Die, where it made a successful transition to an internet series.

Discussing the show on ABC News Now, Galifianakis said, "The {{linktext|sycophant}}ic way that Hollywood machine runs – it's fun to make fun of it. That's how Between Two Ferns started." Guests aren't told what will happen in advance, according to Galifianakis, "They agree to come. There is no discussion beforehand...It just happens, no real prep, no organization whatsoever." He continues, "Inappropriateness is really fun to me...That is kind of the take on Between Two Ferns – inappropriate humor."{{cite web|title=Zach Galifianakis: Comedy's Sensitive, Sarcastic Sensation|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/zach-galifianakis-ferns-hangover-kind-funny-story/story?id=11807074&singlePage=true#.T4rmFbNabAw|work=ABC News|date=6 October 2010|access-date=27 June 2020|archive-date=14 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200814025740/https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/zach-galifianakis-ferns-hangover-kind-funny-story/story?id=11807074&singlePage=true#.T4rmFbNabAw|url-status=live}}

The Chicago Tribune described it as "surreal improv...a talk show that's more of a charming critique of the faked intimacy of celebrity interviews than a talk show."{{cite news|title='Seven Minutes in Heaven': The not-so-fine art of the awkward kiss|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2012/04/04/seven-minutes-in-heaven-the-not-so-fine-art-of-the-awkward-kiss/|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|date=4 April 2012|author=Christopher Borrelli|access-date=2012-04-15|archive-date=2012-10-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121016192909/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-04-04/entertainment/ct-ent-0405-seven-minutes-in-heaven-20120404_1_snl-web-success-improv|url-status=live}}

A 30-minute television special, Between Two Ferns: A Fairytale of New York, aired on Comedy Central on May 6, 2012. The show featured interviews with Tina Fey, Jon Stewart, and Richard Branson.{{cite news|title=Between Two Ferns: A Fairytale of New York |work=The A.V. Club |author= Josh Modell |date=May 6, 2012}}

The episode featuring President Barack Obama was timed to encourage Americans to sign up for health insurance at Healthcare.gov. Funnyordie.com became the top referrer to the government site during this time.{{cite web |title=How Funny or Die Got President Obama on Zach Galifianakis' 'Between Two Ferns' (VIDEO) |date=2014-03-11 |website=Variety |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221207203232/https://variety.com/2014/digital/news/president-obama-on-zach-galifianakis-between-two-ferns-watch-1201129329/ |archive-date=2022-12-07 |url-status=live |url=https://variety.com/2014/digital/news/president-obama-on-zach-galifianakis-between-two-ferns-watch-1201129329/}} The September 2013 episode featuring Justin Bieber also received significant media attention. The show opened with Galifianakis telling him, "It's really exciting to talk to you. Especially right in the middle of your public meltdown."{{cite magazine |url=http://www.ew.com/article/2013/09/26/between-two-ferns-zach-galifianakis-gives-justin-bieber-a-stern-talking-to-video |title='Between Two Ferns': Zach Galifianakis gives Justin Bieber a stern talking to |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |author=Hillary Busis |date=September 26, 2013 |access-date=February 21, 2015 |archive-date=February 22, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150222042239/http://www.ew.com/article/2013/09/26/between-two-ferns-zach-galifianakis-gives-justin-bieber-a-stern-talking-to-video |url-status=live }}

In the 2014 episode featuring Brad Pitt, the actor was referred to as both "Bradley Pitts" and "Bart Pit", and Galifianakis referred to Pitt's latest film, Fury as "Furry", and asked Pitt, "Is it hard for you to maintain a suntan...because you live in your wife's shadow?" Galifianakis also asked Pitt if his relationship with wife, Angelina Jolie, was anything like "Ross and Rachel" from Friends, the show that made a star of Pitt's ex-wife, Jennifer Aniston.

In a January 2016 interview with the Los Angeles Times, while promoting Baskets, Galifianakis discussed the status of Between Two Ferns, stating: "I don't know what else to do ... [Between Two Ferns has] kind of run its course a bit." Galifianakis also expressed his desire to interview the Pope on the show.{{cite news|url=http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/la-ca-st-conversation-zach-galifianakis-baskets-20160131-story.html|title=With movie comedies 'a little bit one-note,' Zach Galifianakis tackles TV|author=Meredith Blake|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=January 29, 2016|access-date=March 16, 2016|archive-date=March 19, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160319080942/http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/la-ca-st-conversation-zach-galifianakis-baskets-20160131-story.html|url-status=live}} Between Two Ferns' first new episode in almost two years aired in September 2016. It featured then-presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and received over 30 million views in its first 24 hours, the highest viewership in FunnyorDie.com's history.{{Cite web|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/hillary-clintons-appearance-between-two-932233|title=Hillary Clinton's Appearance on 'Between Two Ferns' Breaks Records for Funny or Die (Exclusive)|website=The Hollywood Reporter|date=23 September 2016|access-date=2016-09-26|archive-date=2016-09-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160926220322/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/hillary-clintons-appearance-between-two-932233|url-status=live}}

Between Two Ferns: The Movie, a film adaptation of the show directed by Aukerman and written by Galifianakis and Aukerman, premiered on Netflix on September 20, 2019.{{cite web |last1=Haring |first1=Bruce |title='Between Two Ferns: The Movie' With Zach Galifianakis Confirmed, Sets Release Date |url=https://deadline.com/2019/05/between-two-ferns-the-movie-zach-galifianakis-confirmed-sets-release-date-1202621802 |website=Deadline Hollywood |access-date=May 24, 2019 |language=en |date=May 24, 2019 |archive-date=December 23, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191223005932/https://deadline.com/2019/05/between-two-ferns-the-movie-zach-galifianakis-confirmed-sets-release-date-1202621802/ |url-status=dead }} Uncut interviews from the film featuring David Letterman, Paul Rudd, Awkwafina, Benedict Cumberbatch, Brie Larson, Keanu Reeves, Hailee Steinfeld, and Adam Scott were released on the Netflix Is A Joke YouTube channel and FunnyOrDie.com under the title Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis: The Movie, Sorta Uncut Interviews, which was nominated for the 2020 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Short Form Variety Series.{{Cite web|last=Schneider|first=Michael|date=2020-07-29|title=Emmys Trivia: 18 Surprising, Interesting and Just Odd Facts From 2020's Nominations|url=https://variety.com/2020/tv/in-contention/emmys-2020-nominations-trivia-oddities-mrs-maisel-apple-tv-1234719829/|access-date=2020-07-30|website=Variety|language=en}}

Episodes

{{Episode table

|background=#9CC0FF

|overall =

|title=

|aux1= 27

|aux1T= Guest(s)

|director=

|airdate =

|airdateT = Original release date

|country=US

|episodes=

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=1

|Title=Michael Cera

|Aux1=Michael Cera

|DirectedBy=Ruben Fleischer

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2008|1|4}}

|LineColor=9cc0ff

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=2

|Title=Jimmy Kimmel

|Aux1=Jimmy Kimmel

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2008|4|17}}

|DirectedBy=Ruben Fleischer

|LineColor=9cc0ff

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=3

|Title=Jon Hamm

|Aux1=Jon Hamm

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2008|12|12}}

|DirectedBy=Daniel Strange

|LineColor=9cc0ff

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=4

|Title=Natalie Portman

|Aux1=Natalie Portman

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2009|5|6}}

|DirectedBy=Daniel Strange

|LineColor=9cc0ff

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=5

|Title=Bradley Cooper

|Aux1=Bradley Cooper and Carrot Top

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2009|5|25}}

|DirectedBy=Daniel Strange

|LineColor=9cc0ff

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=6

|Title=Charlize Theron

|Aux1=Charlize Theron

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2009|9|7}}

|DirectedBy=Scott Aukerman

|LineColor=9cc0ff

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=7

|Title=Conan O'Brien and Andy Richter

|Aux1=Conan O'Brien, Andy Richter and Andy Dick

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2009|11|16}}

|DirectedBy=Scott Aukerman

|LineColor=9cc0ff

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=8

|Title=Ben Stiller

|Aux1=Ben Stiller

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2010|3|16}}

|DirectedBy=Daniel Strange

|LineColor=9cc0ff

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=9

|Title=Steve Carell

|Aux1=Steve Carell

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2010|7|27}}

|DirectedBy=B.J. Porter

|LineColor=9cc0ff

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=10

|Title=Sean Penn

|Aux1=Sean Penn

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2010|8|31}}

|DirectedBy=Scott Aukerman

|LineColor=9cc0ff

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=11

|Title=Bruce Willis

|Aux1=Bruce Willis

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2010|10|12}}

|DirectedBy=Scott Aukerman

|LineColor=9cc0ff

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=12

|Title=Jennifer Aniston and Tila Tequila

|Aux1=Tila Tequila and Jennifer Aniston

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2011|2|8}}

|DirectedBy=B.J. Porter

|LineColor=9cc0ff

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=13

|Title=Will Ferrell and Jon Hamm

|Aux1=Will Ferrell and Jon Hamm

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2011|5|22}}

|DirectedBy=Scott Aukerman

|LineColor=9cc0ff

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=14

|Title=Oscar Buzz Edition Part 1

|Aux1=Jennifer Lawrence, Naomi Watts, Christoph Waltz, Anne Hathaway and Amy Adams

|DirectedBy=Ruben Fleischer

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2013|2|11}}

|LineColor=9cc0ff

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=15

|Title=Oscar Buzz Edition Part 2

|Aux1=Jessica Chastain, Sally Field, Emmanuel Lewis, and Bradley Cooper

|DirectedBy=Scott Aukerman

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2013|2|12}}

|LineColor=9cc0ff

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=16

|Title=James Franco

|Aux1=James Franco, Edward Norton, and The Lonely Island

|DirectedBy=Scott Aukerman

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2013|5|7}}

|LineColor=9cc0ff

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=17

|Title=Justin Bieber

|Aux1=Justin Bieber

|DirectedBy=Scott Aukerman

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2013|9|26}}

|LineColor=9cc0ff

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=N/A

|Title=Happy Holidays Edition

|Aux1=Tobey Maguire, Samuel L. Jackson, and Arcade Fire

|DirectedBy=Scott Aukerman

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2013|12|18}}

|LineColor=9cc0ff

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=18

|Title=President Barack Obama

|Aux1=President Barack Obama

|DirectedBy=Scott Aukerman

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2014|3|11}}

|LineColor=9cc0ff

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=19

|Title=Brad Pitt

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2014|10|22}}

|Aux1=Brad Pitt and Louis C.K.

|DirectedBy=Scott Aukerman

|LineColor=9cc0ff

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=20

|Title=Hillary Clinton

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2016|9|22}}

|Aux1=Hillary Clinton

|DirectedBy=Scott Aukerman

|LineColor=9cc0ff

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=21

|Title=Jerry Seinfeld & Cardi B

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2018|6|14}}

|Aux1=Jerry Seinfeld, Wayne Knight and Cardi B

|DirectedBy=Scott Aukerman

|LineColor=9cc0ff

}}

}}

=Special (2012)=

A special episode aired on television on Comedy Central on May 6, 2012.

{{Episode table

|background=#1E4D2B

|title=

|aux1= 27

|aux1T= Guests

|director=

|airdate =

|airdateT = Original release date

|country=US

|episodes=

{{Episode list

| Title = Between Two Ferns: A Fairytale of New York

| Aux2 = Scott Aukerman

| DirectedBy = Tina Fey, Jon Stewart, and Richard Branson

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2012|5|06}}

}}

}}

Awards

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
scope="col" | Awards

! scope="col" | Category

! scope="col" | Nominees

! scope="col" | Result

2013 Creative Arts Emmy Award

| Outstanding Short-Format Live-Action Entertainment Program

| Mike Farah, Scott Aukerman, Zach Galifianakis, B. J. Porter, Anna Wenger, Betsy Koch

| {{nom}}{{cite web|title=Between Two Ferns|url=http://www.emmys.com/shows/between-two-ferns|publisher=Academy of Television Arts & Sciences|access-date=September 13, 2015|archive-date=September 24, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924150338/http://www.emmys.com/shows/between-two-ferns|url-status=live}}

2014 Creative Arts Emmy Award

| Outstanding Short-Format Live-Action Entertainment Program

| Scott Aukerman, Zach Galifianakis, B. J. Porter, Mike Farah, Sean Boyle, Rachel Goldenberg

| {{won}}{{cite web|title=Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis: President Barack Obama|url=http://www.emmys.com/shows/between-two-ferns-zach-galifianakis-president-barack-obama|publisher=Academy of Television Arts & Sciences|access-date=September 13, 2015|archive-date=April 21, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150421050208/http://www.emmys.com/shows/between-two-ferns-zach-galifianakis-president-barack-obama|url-status=live}}

2015 Creative Arts Emmy Award

| Outstanding Short-Format Live-Action Entertainment Program

| Mike Farah, Scott Aukerman, Zach Galifianakis, B. J. Porter, Sean Boyle, Michelle Fox

| {{won}}{{cite web|title=Between Two Ferns With Zach Galifianakis: Brad Pitt|url=http://www.emmys.com/shows/between-two-ferns-zach-galifianakis-brad-pitt|publisher=Academy of Television Arts & Sciences|access-date=September 13, 2015|archive-date=September 29, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150929083610/http://www.emmys.com/shows/between-two-ferns-zach-galifianakis-brad-pitt|url-status=live}}

References

{{Reflist|30em}}

External links

  • {{Official website}}
  • {{IMDb title|1535002}}

{{Zach Galifianakis}}

{{Navboxes

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{{EmmyAward Short-Format Live-Action Entertainment Program}}

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Category:2008 web series debuts

Category:American television talk shows

Category:American comedy web series

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