Weekend Web Series: “The Fighter and The Kid 3D”

June 26, 2016

  • Why just listen to a podcast when you can watch the hosts’ craziest ideas played out in a 12-episode comedy series? “The Fighter and The Kid” is a weekly podcast by FOX Sports, featuring odd couple UFC heavyweight Brendan Schaub and actor/comedian Bryan Callen discussing everything from sports news and entertainment to personal stories. Uncut and unedited, the show veers into unpredictable and downright weird territory and gets millions of downloads a month. The podcast has become so popular that the creators decided to try a full-fledged show, and “The Fighter and the Kid 3D” was born. (Note: it’s not actually in 3D, it just seems like it because it’s so in-your-face, or something.) They describe the series as “sketch comedy meets buddy comedy—think ‘Key & Peele’ infused with ‘Rob & Big.’”

  • TFATK3D takes the kind of nonsensical jokes Schaub and Callen banter around on their podcast and spins them out into full-fledged episodes, taking things all the way to their craziest conclusion. The first ep has them stripping naked and trying to survive in the wilderness together for a reality show, and by the end of it they’ve gotten into several fights, eaten a raw lizard and opened a Hellmouth. (Hate it when that happens.) Other episodes will see them interviewing candidates for a new husband for Brendan’s wife just in case he dies someday, going into therapy for their anger issues with “Black-ish” star Peter Mackenzie, and getting trapped inside an episode of a 90’s sitcom. The show was originally meant for TV, but it turned out so ridiculous that FOX didn’t think they could air it, according to MoviePilot.com. Rather than tone things down, the duo decided to make a web series instead. “A lot of times when you make TV shows, there’s a lot of people in your ear telling you how you should do it, “ Schaub told MoviePilot. “My biggest concern with FOX was that this [wouldn’t] be made for our fans. If other people dig it, great, but as long as our loyal fan base likes it then we have done our job.” You can visit the show’s website to see the trailer, order the series, buy tee shirts and check out other cool stuff.