Martin Mull Influenced Decades of Sly, Subversive Comedy

Recent documentaries about Albert Brooks and Steve Martin give the comics their rightful flowers for introducing a fresh comic persona to popular culture — the smarmy show-biz performer, polished, unctuous and self-satisfied to the point of absurdity. But Martin Mull, the accomplished musician, painter and comedian who passed away yesterday at the age of 80, deserves to be mentioned in their company. 

Fernwood 2 Night, a spin-off of Norman Lear’s Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, is one of those comedies more influential than beloved — no cable network has been running repeats for years. But catch a few episodes (thanks, Internet Archive!) and you’ll hear its echoes in It’s Garry Shandling’s Show and the mockumentaries of Christopher Guest. Mull starred as Barth Gimble, the obnoxiously hip co-host of a local talk show set in the fictional town of Fernwood, Ohio alongside Fred Willard’s clueless Jerry Hubbard. 

Mull was the talk-show equivalent of your local TV weatherman — no big shakes in the world at large but as big a celebrity one can get in a small town. When you’re walking down the street, what’s the difference? Gimble was Ron Burgundy in real-time, a fizzy 1970s cocktail of leisure suits, faux-sophistication and pomposity. Mull and Willard improvised much of their showbiz patter, creating a template that would be exploited by comedies like Waiting for Guffman and The Larry Sanders Show. 

Mull was no one-trick pony, though. His comedy career lasted decades, with memorable turns in Clue, Roseanne and Arrested Development. Several of his former coworkers, friends and fans paid tribute last night.

“He was a tremendous talent who was always funny,” tweeted Roseanne’s Michael Fishman. “As amazing as he was on camera, he was even more incredible off. The world was better with him in it. Perhaps the other side needed more laughter.”