Stella (U.S. TV series)

Stella
DVD cover for season one of Stella.
Created by	Michael Ian Black Michael Showalter David Wain
Starring	Michael Ian Black Michael Showalter David Wain
Opening theme	Instrumental theme by Craig Wedren
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	10 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)	Michael Ian Black Michael Showalter David Wain
Producer(s)	Jerry Kupfer
Camera setup	Single camera
Running time	20–22 minutes (approx.)
Release
Original network	Comedy Central
Original release	June 29 – August 30, 2005
External links
Website

Stella was a short-lived television series that originally ran from June 28, 2005 to August 30, 2005 on the American television channel Comedy Central, created by and starring Michael Ian Black, Michael Showalter, and David Wain, the three members of the sketch comedy troupe of the same name and former cast members of MTV's The State. Stella, as a comedy troupe, has existed since 1997. It has a cult following and plays to sold out shows across the USA. The show aired on Tuesdays at 10:30 PM, EST.

In September, after 10 episodes, Stella's timeslot was filled by Mind of Mencia. On March 8, 2006, the following message was posted on Stella's official website: "The STELLA series was on Comedy Central last summer. The network has officially decided not to renew it for a second season," thus effectively cancelling the series. The first season DVD was released on September 12, 2006. Episodes have also been available on iTunes and Hulu and some episodes on Joost. Stella premiered in Australia on The Comedy Channel on May 3, 2007.

In the pilot only, the third roommate was played by Rashida Jones.

Stella is an adaptation of the Stella comedy troupe's stage show and short films. The series follows Michael, Michael, and David, three infantile men who always dress in suits, live together in a New York apartment, and apparently have no jobs. The show is a mix of sketch comedy and a sitcom; there is a central plot for each episode and recurring characters, but the show ignores continuity and is often surreal.

The trio made 28 short films between 1998 and 2002, which were shown as part of the live show. The shorts cover various topics such as searching for Santa, mustache growing, pizza eating, and other absurd situations. The group cleaned up much of its material for the show, as much of the humor in the sketches and short films was often derived from taboo or adult topics like necrophilia and dildos.