Reno 911! (2003-2009)

Thomas Lennon stars as Lieutenant Jim Dangle on Reno 911! (Photo: Comedy Central)

Starring: Robert Ben Garant, Kerri Kenney, Thomas Lennon

A group of talented improv players were seen on this Comedy Central weekly, which mercilessly spoofed such reality series as Cops. Heading the Washoe County Sheriff's Department in Reno, NV, was Lt. Jim Dangle (played by Thomas Lennon, who also co-produced), a sexually ambivalent lawman who preferred to show up at a crime scene wearing the shortest of shorts. Dangle's team included the silent but deadly Travis Junior (Robert Ben Garant, another co-producer); the nerdish, heavily medicated Trudy Weigel (Keri Kenney, likewise a member of the production team); flamboyantly streetwise Williams (Niecy Nash); and sexpot Clementine Johnson (Wendi McLendon-Covey). On the off chance that anyone would take the lampoonish hand-held photography and ad-libbed dialogue seriously, the producers served up such nonsensical episodes as the opener, in which the squad went after a pervert who molested department-store mannequins. Assembled by the same gang responsible for the Latino variety-series satire Viva Variety!, Reno 911! debuted July 23, 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide