Where: Netflix

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3IzgYrOJ88

Just over 20 years ago, HBO released into the world the first episode of “Mr. Show with Bob and David.” It wasn’t well received out of the gate, but the strange little sketch show survived four unlikely seasons and gained plenty of devoted followers. Brilliant sketches like “The Audition” and “Lie Detector” took simple, silly ideas and stretched them to their limit. Bob and David—Bob Odenkirk and David Cross, respectively—led a team of writers, actors and collaborators that included Paul F. Tompkins, Dino Stamatopoulos, Sarah Silverman, Scott Aukerman, Tom Kenny and Jack Black.

Twenty years later, all of these comedians have found success in their field. Odenkirk got a part on the hit cable drama “Breaking Bad” as the fast-talking lawyer Saul Goodman (he now stars in the same role in the spinoff, “Better Call Saul”), while Cross inhabited the jorts of Tobias Funke on “Arrested Development.” The rest of the group has become voice actors, podcast overlords, sitcom writers, hit stand-up comedians and movie stars. “Mr. Show,” then, was a powerhouse of comedic potential.

So what happens when all of this talent gets together for one more swing at the metaphorical comedy fences? You get a show that is, at its core, the very same. The connected structure is still there, although some of the complexity has been removed. It’s a bit of a shame, honestly, to see some of the braininess give way to simple silliness. Like “Monty Python,” one of the things that made “Mr. Show” so great was its occasional self-indulgence. But Odenkirk and Cross are still thoroughly enjoying themselves, and it’s hard not to join in.

Episode one opens with a sketch about the placement of hyphens in words. Odenkirk and Cross have come to the present in what they believe is a real time-travel machine but is actually a “real-time” travel machine, invented by Dr. Gilly Fartsworth. In other words, they’ve been sitting in a Porta Potty for 20 years. As it should be, this is all quite silly.

The rest of the episode offers much of the same connected structure as “Mr. Show,” with sketches revolving around five guys and their New Year’s resolutions. One has vowed to stop eating meat on doctor’s orders, which the gang calls out as ridiculous. The other four have visions of grandeur that they see as completely attainable: becoming the first Jewish, work-from-home Pope, becoming a major blockbuster director, building a better phone and outselling everyone and becoming a no-nonsense TV judge (despite being on parole). The small asides are really the highlight of this sketch, such as when Odenkirk orders “half sausage, and on the other half, double sausage” on his pizza.

Just like in its previous incarnation, “W/ Bob & David” sells itself on the strength of its performers. Their comedic timing is flawless, making otherwise lowbrow and straightforward jokes hit with the necessary punch. Kenny, better known as the voice of Spongebob Squarepants, has a fantastic turn as Fartsworth, a grammar enthusiast and “time machine” inventor. Cross plays “some-nonsense” Judge Sandy Whistlestone, selling such silly words such as “How could anyone be asked to know the names of every single building in Los Angeles?”

In the best sketch of the episode, Paget Brewster plays a perfect “straight man” foil to Cross’ revisionist history film director on a Charlie Rose-type TV show, which previews clips from a whitewashed version of the TV series “Roots.” In this new version, slavery is called “helperism” and slaves “helpers.” It plays on the classically racist vision of slavery as a positive good, a view that has, in part, found its way into contemporary history textbooks and political rhetoric. “Mr. Show” was never known for its political satire, but “W/ Bob & David” runs with the rich premise. It’s a bit of a tense sketch, but the political jokes and supporting silliness work well together to make some biting satire.

Perhaps the most telling similarity between “Mr. Show” and “W/ Bob & David” is the uneven quality of the sketches. Some land perfectly and fully, while others, like this episode’s cold open, sort of dribble along to support the show’s structure before showing themselves off. It’s still more consistent than “Saturday Night Live,” which is likely because “W/ Bob & David” is neither live nor conceived in a single week.

When Odenkirk and Cross hit their stride, it is still a sight to behold. A few duds here and there might just be part of their formula for comedic excellence.