Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama: A Memoir by Bob Odenkirk who’s famous for playing Saul Goodman in both Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, and has been influential in the Comedy Scene for the last 30 years writing for SNL, writing and performing on the Ben Stiller Show and Mr. Show with Bob and David. The book really captured his voice I could not help when I was reading it, hearing it told in Odenkirk’s unique voice. Bob Odenkirk’s book title states that this book is 3/4 comedy and 1/4 drama. So if you only know him from Breaking Bad prepare for a lifetime history in comedy before you get to the drama. I’m a comedy connoisseur and knew Mr. Odenkirk’s career way before Saul, (I watched and loved some of the Ben Stiller Show episodes that made it to air) so I enjoyed the musing about comedy writing, improv, and were familiar with almost every sketch that was discussed. This is not a mean autobiography, there is no celebrity he goes after for slighting him years ago, he toughest on himself. He portrays himself has humble and lucky to have the career that he has, he would rather you laugh at his jokes than be able to recognize him and remember his name. I learned a lot about his career and some of the sketches and shows that I never knew he was a part of. Mr Show fans will be pleased as the biggest part of the book is dedicated to this and we get a season by season breakdown. The one thing I was shocked about was it did not discuss his heart attack, which I think would have been a great ender, not to his life but to the book having survived. I am reading an advanced readers copy, so it could have been added for the print version. I read this advanced reader’s copy thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group – Random House. Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama: A Memoir by Bob Odenkirk is published on March 1 2022.

Things That I Learned: Bob Odenkirk was the original writer of Chris Farley’s character Matt Foley and Van Down by the River sketch. Bob started writing a sketch while performing improv with Chris at Second City. Bob was not a writer on SNL when it aired. Bob wrote on the second season of one of my favorite cult classic show Get A Life. He had a small but important part of getting Tim and Eric Awesome Show to the right people to put it on air. He turned down doing the spin off to Better Call Saul 2 times. He told SNL kind of sucks now to Loren Michaels face and still hired him years later. Was roommates with Robert Smigel long time SNL writer and creator of Triumph the Insult Comic Dog. Was runner up to Steve Carrell for the lead on The Office.

What I Liked: The way he gushes over his co-stars doesn’t feel fake but very genuine. The story of Stephen Speildberg unknowingly casting Bob and David and reuniting Mr. Show actors on the screen in his serious movie The Post. The story of when he found out is a good one. The story of Mr. Show staying on the air because a grandchild of an executive was watching it. I loved all the insights and inside stories about the making of Mr. Show, SNL, and The Ben Stiller Show. The Stories and self own about the couple of movies he’s directed Let’s Go to Prison and The Brother’s Soloman and how terrible they are, I had no idea he directed them. I liked how he is a self admitted comedy snob, and most of the confrontations in the book are about comedy. The story about his confrontation with Jeremy Irons that their using as press for this book is a good one.

What I Disliked: Bob uses the phone a friend lifeline a little too much he admits his memory isn’t the best maybe due to a drug or two, but he calls friends and has them explain things using their words not his. I would have like more insight about his first sketch that landed and a little bit more of his early beginnings at Second City. He briefly talks about dating Janeane Garofalo which feels like such a tease.

Recommendations: If you care about comedy in the last 30 years then you should read this book. If you’re a fan of Mr. Show with Bod and David then this book is for you. If you’re a Breaking Bad fan and only reading it for that, then you have to decide if you want to read about mainly comedy to get to the inside stories of Breaking Bad. I’m a huge fan of Odenkirk and his career both comedy and drama so I recommend this book. If he doesn’t talk about his heart attack in this one I’ll read more about Odenkirk’s career to come. I rated Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama: A Memoir by Bob Odenkirk 4 out of 5 stars.