The 15 Best 'Strangers with Candy' Episodes, Ranked
From 'Old Habits - New Beginnings' to 'The Blank Page,' we rank the 15 most subversive, razor-sharp episodes of Comedy Central's legendary cult satire.
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The 12 Best Amy Sedaris Movies and TV Shows, Ranked
From Strangers with Candy and At Home with Amy Sedaris to BoJack Horseman, Elf, and The Mandalorian — we rank the definitive on-screen roles of comedy icon Amy Sedaris.
By Paul Dinello Archive Staff
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The Craft of Modern Satire
Covering the evolution of alternative American comedy — from the basement improv labs of Chicago's Second City to the cult brilliance of Flatpoint High and the front lines of late-night satire.
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Paul Dinello Movies and TV Shows: The Complete Career Guide
From directing Strangers with Candy and Gym Teacher to producing The Colbert Report and The Late Show — the complete filmography and television legacy of Paul Dinello.
Amy Sedaris and Paul Dinello: The 35-Year History of Comedy's Ultimate Creative Partnership
From their eight-year romance during Second City to lifelong creative soulmates, godparents, and bestselling collaborators — the true story of Amy Sedaris and Paul Dinello.
Inside Mr. Jellineck & Chuck Noblet's Secret Romance: Television's Boldest Satire
How Paul Dinello and Stephen Colbert turned a dysfunctional faculty lounge affair into one of cable television's most groundbreaking, hilarious running gags.
25 Unforgettable Jerri Blank Quotes & Dubious Life Lessons
A definitive compilation of Jerri Blank's most unhinged aphorisms, backwards moral recaps, and unforgettable one-liners from Strangers with Candy.
Stephen Colbert and Paul Dinello: From Second City Touring Bus to The Late Show
How a mutual hatred between a 'pretentious Northwestern grad' and a 'Chicago cabbie' evolved into one of late-night television's most formidable writing engines.
Inside 'At Home with Amy Sedaris': The Cult Homemaking Parody Explained
How Amy Sedaris and Paul Dinello turned daytime hospitality, popsicle stick crafts, and canned meat into a two-time Emmy-nominated surreal comedy masterpiece.
Flatpoint High Faculty Guide: Principal Blackman, Jellineck, Noblet & Beyond
A definitive yearbook dossier covering the unhinged administrators, coaches, and instructors who made Flatpoint High television's greatest satirical institution.
The 'Strangers with Candy' Movie (2005) vs. The TV Series: What Changed?
Analyzing Paul Dinello's directorial debut: how the 2005 Sundance prequel expanded Flatpoint High with Matthew Broderick, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Sarah Jessica Parker.
Principal Onyx Blackman: A Tribute to Greg Hollimon's Iconic Performance
Celebrating Chicago improv giant Greg Hollimon and the supreme deadpan brilliance of Flatpoint High's unforgettable administrator.
Who Was Tad? Paul Dinello's Secret-Weapon Role on 'The Colbert Report'
How Paul Dinello's recurring on-air character Tad the building manager became one of The Colbert Report's most hilarious and chaotic inside jokes.
Inside 'The Colbert Report' Writers' Room: Inventing 'Truthiness'
How Paul Dinello, Stephen Colbert, and executive producer Allison Silverman constructed the most decorated satirical news program of the 21st century.
Supervising 'The Late Show': Paul Dinello's Vital Role Behind the CBS Curtain
When Stephen Colbert took over the Ed Sullivan Theater in 2015, Paul Dinello made the jump to network television as the show's master comedic anchor.
The Best On-Screen Moments Between Stephen Colbert & Paul Dinello
From Exit 57 sketches and Strangers with Candy classroom battles to Late Show desk walk-ons, we revisit the funniest collaborative moments between comedy's sharpest duo.
The Second City Touring Bus (1988): How Colbert, Dinello, and Sedaris Met
The untold story of how an 8-hour bus ride through the freezing Midwest brought three completely incompatible improvisers together to change comedy forever.
Steve Carell and Stephen Colbert: The Second City Understudy Friendship
Before The Office and The Late Show, Steve Carell was Stephen Colbert's understudy at Second City Chicago. Here is the true story of their parallel rise.
The 10 Best Amy Sedaris Talk Show Appearances of All Time
From baking cupcakes for David Letterman to baffling Jimmy Fallon with pantyhose crafts, we rank Amy Sedaris's most anarchic late-night couch appearances.
David Sedaris & Amy Sedaris: Inside America's Funniest Family
Exploring the extraordinary dynamic between bestselling essayist David Sedaris and comedic genius Amy Sedaris: from 'The Talent Family' plays to literary royalty.
'Simple Times: Crafts for Poor People': The Satirical Guide by Sedaris & Dinello
A hilarious look inside Amy Sedaris and Paul Dinello's bestselling 2010 craft book parody that skewered Martha Stewart and American domesticity.
How Amy Sedaris Became the Best Part of 'The Mandalorian' as Peli Motto
Inside Amy Sedaris's scene-stealing turn as Tatooine starship mechanic Peli Motto in Jon Favreau's Star Wars universe.
Why Princess Carolyn on 'BoJack Horseman' Is Amy Sedaris's Dramatic Masterpiece
Across six seasons of Netflix's animated drama, Amy Sedaris gave the performance of a lifetime as Hollywood's hardest-working pink Persian cat.
Amy Sedaris's 8 Most Hilarious TV Cameos: From 'Broad City' to 'Kimmy Schmidt'
When modern television comedies need an injection of pure, unfiltered eccentricity, they call Amy Sedaris. We rank her 8 most brilliant guest appearances.
'Exit 57': The 1995 Comedy Central Sketch Show That Started It All
Before Strangers with Candy and The Colbert Report, Paul Dinello, Stephen Colbert, Amy Sedaris, Mitch Rouse, and Jodi Lennon created television's sharpest lost sketch masterpiece.
How Chicago's Second City Defined 1990s Television Comedy
Tracing the golden generation of Second City Chicago: how Paul Dinello, Stephen Colbert, Amy Sedaris, Steve Carell, and Tina Fey conquered American television.
The Dana Carvey Show Connection: How 1996 Created Modern Alt-Comedy
Inside the legendary, catastrophic 1996 ABC sketch show that launched Stephen Colbert, Steve Carell, Louis C.K., and Charlie Kaufman into comedy history.
The 10 Best Cult Comedy Central Shows of the Late 90s, Ranked
From Strangers with Candy and Exit 57 to Upright Citizens Brigade and TV Funhouse, we rank the golden era of late-90s basic cable comedy.
How 'Strangers with Candy' Deconstructed the 1980s Afterschool Special
Analyzing the brilliant satirical mechanics of Flatpoint High: how Paul Dinello and Amy Sedaris dismantled the moral condescension of 1980s television.
How Chicago Improv Techniques Reshaped Modern Television Scriptwriting
From 'Yes, And' to organic beat mapping: how Second City alumni Paul Dinello and Stephen Colbert brought live theater discipline into the writers' room.
'Wigfield': Inside the Satirical Novel by Sedaris, Dinello & Colbert
In 2003, Amy Sedaris, Paul Dinello, and Stephen Colbert published 'Wigfield: The Can-Do Town That Just May Not'—a hilarious send-up of journalistic vanity and small-town decay.
'Gym Teacher: The Movie': Inside Paul Dinello's Nickelodeon Cult Classic
How Paul Dinello brought his signature satirical absurdity to Nickelodeon with the 2008 sports comedy starring Christopher Meloni and Amy Sedaris.
The Satirical Eye: Analyzing Paul Dinello's Visual Directing Style
A deep critical analysis of Paul Dinello's unique visual directorial voice: framing deadpan absurdity, timing, and cinematic texture in modern comedy.
The 8 Best Comedy Books Written by Second City Alumni
From Wigfield and I Am America (And So Can You!) to Bossypants and Simple Times: ranking the finest literary achievements of Chicago's improv legends.
Paul Dinello Career Timeline: From Chicago Cabbie to Late-Night Royalty
The comprehensive career timeline and biographical retrospective of actor, director, writer, and late-night producer Paul Dinello.
Where Is the 'Strangers with Candy' Cast Today? 2026 Retrospective
Catching up with Amy Sedaris, Stephen Colbert, Paul Dinello, Greg Hollimon, and the unforgettable faculty of Flatpoint High over twenty-five years later.
The Historical Vault & Primary Documents
View All Primary Archives →Permanent transcripts, contemporary newspaper profiles, and verified biographical records preserved for cultural research and comedy scholarship:
Sedaris and Pals Bring 'Wigfield' From Page to Stage
Chad Jones' 2003 feature for the Alameda Times-Star covering the national stage tour of Wigfield by Amy Sedaris, Paul Dinello, and Stephen Colbert.
Paul Dinello: Official Biography & Career Retrospective
The authoritative biographical record of writer, actor, and director Paul Dinello — from Chicago's The Second City and Strangers with Candy to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
Amy Sedaris Wigs Out: The Making of 'Wigfield'
The Entertainment Weekly feature (January 2003) on the satirical novel Wigfield by Amy Sedaris, Paul Dinello, and Stephen Colbert, featuring photography by Todd Oldham.
Chicago Actors Create Laughs In a TV Void; 'Exit' to Nowhere
The Chicago Sun-Times feature by Ernest Tucker (September 21, 1995) examining Exit 57, the acclaimed Comedy Central sketch show created by Paul Dinello, Stephen Colbert, and Amy Sedaris.
PD.net's Exclusive In-Depth Interview with Paul Dinello
The original canonical PD.net interview with Paul Dinello: early Chicago days, Second City auditions, The Yardstick Boys, Strangers with Candy, and working with Colbert and Sedaris.
The Definitive Guide to 'Strangers with Candy' & Geoffrey Jellineck
The comprehensive retrospective on Comedy Central's cult masterpiece Strangers with Candy, featuring an in-depth character study of art teacher Mr. Geoffrey Jellineck (Paul Dinello).
Wigging Out: Sedaris, Dinello, and Colbert's 15-Year Creative Bond
The Chicago Sun-Times feature by Darel Jevens (April 27, 2003) capturing the creative alchemy, Second City beginnings, and Wigfield stage tour of Amy Sedaris, Paul Dinello, and Stephen Colbert.