From The TV IV

Chappelle's Show (2003-2006) is a breakout sketch comedy series written by and starring comedian Dave Chappelle. The show debuted to a huge positive response from both critics and viewers, resulting in it becoming the second highest rated show on Comedy Central, only coming second to South Park.

The format of the show is standard for sketch comedy. The sketches (or skits as Dave would refer to them with disdain) are separated by in studio bits in front of a live audience. At the end of each episode, a musical guest would perform. More often than not, the guest was a rapper, but on occasion someone like Erikah Badu or Wyclef Jean would perform.

In late 2004, production of the third season of the series was pushed off and inevitably halted for various reasons. Dave fell ill with the flu and eventually grew uncomfortable with fame and the pressures of stardom. He retreated to a psychiatric facility in South Africa during May 2005. Production of the third series was formally halted during this time, although Comedy Central president Doug Herzog announced that Chappelle was allowed whenever he felt ready to return to the show.

In December 2005, during Comedy Central's Last Laugh 05, it was announced that the series would return for a third season. However, because Chappelle hasn't decided to return to the series, the "third season" is comprised of a little over an hour of filmed sketches. The broadcast of these episodes was apparently initially nixed by Chappelle, but some kind of agreement may have been made later because the "lost episodes" were later scheduled to begin airing on July 9th, 2006 at 9PM. Longtime Chappelle collaborators and show contributors Charlie Murphy and Donnell Rawlings hosted three episodes in this compilation season, which was made up from early filming before Chappelle abandoned production. This third season was received poorly by fans and critics, who recognized it as an unpolished work.

Contents 1 Cast 2 Seasons 3 In-Depth 4 DVD Releases 5 External Sites

[edit] Cast

Person	Duration
Main Cast
Dave Chappelle	1	2	3
Anthony Berry	1	2	3
Bill Burr	1	2	3
Yoshio Mita	1	2	3
Paul Mooney	1	2	3
Charlie Murphy	1	2	3
Donnell Rawlings	1	2	3
Rudy Rush	1	2	3

[edit] Seasons

Season	Premiere	Finale	#
Comedy Central
Season One	January 22, 2003	July 16, 2003	14
Season Two	January 21, 2004	May 3, 2004	16
Season Three	July 9, 2006	July 23, 2006	3

[edit] In-Depth

• At a Glance: Additional information about the series

[edit] DVD Releases

Title	Release Date	#
Complete Series
The Series Collection	November 20, 2007	6
Season Sets
Season 1 Uncensored	February 24, 2004	2	purchase
Season 2 Uncensored	May 24, 2005	3	purchase
Episode Collections
The Lost Episodes	July 25, 2006	1	purchase
The Best of Chappelle's Show	June 5, 2007	1	purchase
Episode Collections - Various Series
Comedy Central's Home Grown	June 10, 2008	1

[edit] External Sites

• Official Comedy Central website for Chappelle's Show