The Eric Andre Show

The show was partly influenced by Space Ghost Coast to Coast, a series that aired on Cartoon Network and later Adult Swim.[10] Andre had said that prior to shooting the first season, he rewatched several episodes of it to "absorb as much Space Ghost as [he] could". Andre also asked many questions to Adult Swim executive Mike Lazzo, the show's creator, who, according to Andre, had no interest in the old show.[10] Other influences include Chris Farley’s talk show host character from Saturday Night Live, "The Merv Griffin Show" episode of Seinfeld, Jiminy Glick, Tom Green, Da Ali G Show and Conan O'Brien.[11]

The look of the show, according to co-director Andrew Barchilon was intended to mimic "this iconic feeling that drove back to (early) Letterman and back to Carson.”[11] Regarding the tone of the show, co-director Kitao Sakurai eschewed labelling the show as a spoof, saying in 2012: "I think [the term] implies that we’re 100% dependent on the material that other, legitimate talk shows supply, that we’re just living off of that. I think it’s more of a deconstruction, an alternate reality talk show rather than a spoof. I think that the interviews that we have with real people and celebrities have their own value that goes beyond spoof".[11]

Andre described himself as being "flat broke" and "scraping by doing commercials and random stand-up," including performing as a caveman for Geico, when he produced the pilot for The Eric Andre Show,[12] known originally as Da-eyre-eyk-awn-drei-shoe.[13]

The pilot was co-hosted with Hannibal Buress and was directed by Andrew Barchilon and Kitao Sakurai.[14] It was filmed "over a few days" in an abandoned bodega in Brooklyn in 2009:

After filming some man on the street segments, Andre ran out of money and couldn't afford an editor. Knowing that it would be too difficult to explain how to edit the "slop pile of footage", Andre took on the task himself, spending a year learning Final Cut.[12] The pilot was then sent to "a bunch of networks" (including NBC and MTV)[11] where it was rejected on at least one occasion for "look[ing] a little cheap and public access-y".[12] Keith Crofford of Adult Swim said in 2013 that, on seeing the pilot, making the show "was pretty much a no-brainer from there".[14]

Parts of the pilot were shown at San Diego Comic Con 2013,[15] although it is unknown if the full panel has been recorded.

The core writing cast of the show consists of Andre, the show's directorial team Andrew Barchilon and Kitao Sakurai, and producer, as well as "Kraft Punk" actor, Dan Curry. Series editor Doug Lussenhop joined the writing staff beginning with season two. Additionally, Hannibal Buress was a writer for the first three seasons of the show.

The other writers who contributed to more than one season are Eric Moneypenny and Tommy Blacha (seasons 1 and 2), Jesse Elias and Rory Scovel, who also appeared in the show as "Chef Rory Scovel" (seasons 2 and 4), and Heather Anne Campbell and Pat Regan, who had been working at the show since the first season (seasons 3 and 4).

Other writers of note include Josh Fadem (season 1), Kevin Barnett and television producer Erica Oyama (season 2), Jon Daly, Ron Funches, Seth Morris, and Brent Weinbach (season 3), and Colton Dunn, Brett Gelman, Adam Pally, Jake Weisman, and Hampton Yount (season 4).

Season 1 was filmed over the course of ten days, with the opening sequences all filmed together over two and a half days at the end of the shoot.[12] At least twenty desks were broken while filming the first season and despite the desk being constructed of drywall to make it easier to break, Andre did suffer injuries during the season's production.[12]

Filming of the first season of the show saw Andre receive a large amount of creative freedom, but The Eric Andre Show did receive notes from "Standards and Production" at Adult Swim, particularly regarding suicide, drug use and insulting specific deities: Andre commented that "I can curse out God, but I can't curse out Jesus".[12] In a 2012 interview, Andre described production difficulties when planning a scene where "I shit so hard that my organs fall out of my anus". Adult Swim had already flagged the sketch, writing to the show: "He can shit so hard that organs fall out of his anus, but he can’t make it look like he’s intentionally doing it".[12]

Another scene planned, but not shot, for season one involved Andre jumping out of a manhole on the street wearing a prison uniform and handcuffs, yelling "I'm free! I'm free!" but Andre was concerned with "get[ting] shot" and when the show contacted the city, they were warned of "toxic gasses in the sewer that you need special Hazmat suits for."[12] A scene which would have featured Andrew "Dice" Clay performing as Andrew "Nice" Clay, a comedian whose punchlines always espouse positive feminist ideologies, was not filmed due to a scheduling conflict with Clay.[12]

Guests for season 1 included actor Dolph Lundgren.[11] Celebrity impersonators included an actor portraying George Clooney and a character named Russell Brand played by actor Semere Etmet who Andre described as "[the] sweetest guy".[11] Co-directors Sakurai and Barchilon admitted that "they [weren’t] entirely sure where Etmet came from and that he keeps showing up on set".[11]

Man on the street segments included Andre hiding in a trash can to jump out and surprise people who used it and Andre visiting a Mensa convention.[11]

Co-director Sakurai stated that during the filming of the first season, "ironically the most angry and violent people we’ve got from things are like people at a Mensa convention, [...] [Andre] was physically attacked."[11] Additionally, Andre was arrested and spent time in jail during production of season 1 when he attended a town hall meeting in a frat-boy getup and announced his plans to put "beer in the water fountains and cameras in the girls’ locker room".[16][17]

Andre, who was also known for his role as Mark Reynolds on the ABC sitcom Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 when The Eric Andre Show launched, was warned by ABC network executives not to mention the series on The Eric Andre Show, as they did not want to create an association between the two. According to Andre, several cast and crew members on Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 were not even aware of the existence of Adult Swim when explaining to them The Eric Andre Show.[10] Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 was cancelled in January 2013[18][19] and in April 2013, it was announced that The Eric Andre Show had been renewed for another season, with a few of his former co-stars from the ABC show to make appearances as guests.[20]

On December 31, 2012, Adult Swim aired a 27-minute Halloween-themed New Years special titled The Eric Andre New Years Eve Spooktacular. Andre commented in 2016 that filming on a live-to-tape format is "kind of difficult" and "I don't think I'd do that again. [...] I think you can fit in more jokes per square inch in something that's heavily edited".[21]

With season 2, The Eric Andre Show changed to an HD camera setup, a new set design, and a new announcer, whilst Andre began wearing a suit. Because of the difficulties with gaining consent under California's regulations, some of the impromptu and hidden camera sketches had to be re-recorded in New York City. Andre also admitted to using tactics on real celebrities to make them visibly uncomfortable during the taping without informing them, such as putting "old, rotten clams under their seat before they come out, or heat ducts in their seats so they're just sweltering."[22] The studio space is un-airconditioned. Andre said this is because the studio's airconditioning is too loud to run while filming, but it has the added effect of making the guests feel uncomfortable which is in line with the show's theme.[23]

Guests for season 2 included Vivica A. Fox, during whose interview Andre jumped onto—and through—his desk. Andre explained that the ground "was solid concrete evidently", and that he landed on his tailbone, "in this way that had this domino ripple effect up my spine so my body was asymmetrical for the rest of the year. I was walking around all weird".[21]

In the final episode Andre tackles drummer Pfelton H. Sutton twice and the episode concludes with a mock "In Memoriam" tribute to the musician. Fans of the show mistakenly thought the memoriam was real and the musician confirmed via Twitter that he wasn't dead.[24]

Co-director Kitao Sakurai described season 3's interview methods as "Vietcong interrogation tactics".[25] "We almost always use the first moment of an interview", says co-director Andrew Barchilon, "And then we skip to the end, when they're exhausted and confused. That's where the gold is".[25]

Guests on the third season included Lauren Conrad who "walked off and was really hostile afterwards".[21] The actress "somewhat gamely endured" Andre until he ate his own vomit, at which point she left.[25] According to a 2016 interview with Andre, "Lauren Conrad was wanting blood afterwards,"[21] and he later reflected "she’ll probably forever hate me, but I think she’s fantastic".[25] Chris Rock appeared on the show after calling Andre, saying, "I'm going to do the show. I'm flying myself out and putting myself up. I’m a huge fan."[17]

Musical guests Exhumed performed during the third season with three backup singers impersonating The Supremes. According to guitarist Matt Harvey, The Eric Andre Show originally wanted Pig Destroyer to perform, but they were unavailable, "so since we were in California, we got the nod." Harvey explained that part of the reason their appearance is so short is that they "went to the taping and just got hideously, disgustingly drunk. I’m talking like – drunk to unprofessional levels [...] I wish we had been a bit more level headed about it in hindsight, though".[21]

Man on the street segments included dragging a leaking body bag through New York's Chinatown; the production hadn't wanted to spend $300 on a filming permit and were ultimately met by police and other first responders.[25] In another instance, André splashed people on the subway with breakfast cereal and milk. "It was the hottest day of the year and the milk reeked," said André of the segment. "They just thought I was a lunatic".[25]

Scenes planned for season 4, but not filmed included an underwater sequence based on a scene in the film Top Secret![21] Andre explained: "We came close to doing it two years in a row. We even went as far as having a tank in the outskirts of Los Angeles County where we were going to get all this scuba gear and diving and crane operators; all of these underwater stunt performers. But it's just so expensive and so time consuming that it's not worth sacrificing a million other things for just fifty seconds".[21]

Guests for season 4 included rapper T.I.. "We had T.I. walk off," according to a 2016 interview with Andre, "but he had just had enough."[21] Rapper Flava Flav's interview ends on a freeze-frame of the show's co-host Hannibal Buress kicking Flav in the face; a move Flav denies happened. Flav posted on Facebook in October, 2016 "People asking about that B.S. Eric Andre show. That kick in the face, NEVER HAPPENED. That's some Bullshit editing done to disparage Flav. Yo Eric Andre - FUCK YOU for that move gee - Flavor Flav".[26][27] Guests intended for season 4, but not booked included Jay Leno and Katt Williams.[21]

While filming "Man on the street" segments, Andre was nearly arrested during production of season 4.[21] Andre spent time in hospital having stitches in his hand due to filming a segment where he was supposed to "hail [sic] through a car window, but my entire hand went through the window and got sliced up. It was also during the first week of shooting so my fingers are like in weird silver finger casts for a lot of the street stuff".[21]

Adult Swim has confirmed via Twitter that The Eric Andre Show will return for its fifth season sometime in late 2020. It will have 10 episodes.[28][29] Andre said in an interview that he shaved his head, put on 20 pounds, and "sat in many tanning beds" in preparation, describing his look as "this weird Uncanny Valley version of myself". He confirmed that the season would again feature pranks on the show's guests, stating, "We would very reluctantly or not at all tell the celebrity guests the name of the show so that they’d just come in blind".[30]

Filming of season 5 was finished just before the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, though a premiere date is no longer set for the season.[31]

Some analysts have identified strong nihilistic and post-ironic themes in the show. Sociologist Alex Prong of The University of Western Ontario explains that "Eric Andre’s embrace of postmodern irony serves him and his audience well, revealing the absurdity of American politics through satire and mimicry...Eric Andre may practice nihilism in that absurdism makes great comedy, but it is a hopeful nihilism, still with an eye for the future." [40] According to former Eric Andre Show editor Andrew DeYoung, The Eric Andre Show and similar shows on Adult Swim are meant to "reflect the frenetic distribution of information on the internet – that’s why a lot of their shows are so chaotic and absurd." [41]