Childrens Hospital

Creator Rob Corddry's unique persona of comically aggrieved dignity is an integral element of Childrens Hospital, but, to his credit, this amusingly crass and demented show is truly an ensemble effort. Old pros such as Ken Marino, Megan Mullally, and Henry Winkler join forces with relative comedy newcomers Lake Bell and Erinn Hayes. Together, they put this joyously silly, occasionally disturbing parody of medical shows on solid footing. Corddry plays Blake Downs, who wears clown makeup and treats patients with "the healing power of laughter," and he also turns up as Cutter Spindell, the vain, inept actor who portrays Blake. The show is edgy, in that so much of its humor is in terrible taste (jokes about disability, pedophilia, and inappropriate surgery abound), but it's not genuinely offensive, because while it's crude, its only real target is television. It's an easy target, skewered with aplomb by half-assed philosophical voiceovers and "special episodes," like the hilariously disastrous "live" show that ends the second season. While its inaugural TV run (the series debuted online) feels a bit slapped together, later episodes feature more developed (though still ludicrous) storylines, as Corddry and company really begin to capture the banal slickness of the shows they're mocking.