“Important Things with Demetri Martin debuts Thursday, Feb. 4 at 9 p.m. on Comedy Central. (Martin Schoeller)
Comedian Demetri Martin’s comedy sketch series “Important Things with Demetri Martin” is returning for its second season on Comedy Central.
Martin, writer, stand-up comic, musician and palindrome aficionado, is the creator, executive producer and star of the series.
A Yale graduate, Martin dropped out of the NYU School of Law with one year left on a full scholarship in order to pursue a career as a comedian.
Today, Martin is best known for his work as a stand-up comic and as a contributor on The Daily Show. Martin was nominated for an Emmy for outstanding writing for Late Night with Conan O’Brien. He has also appeared in a number of films, including the lead role in the 2009 film, “Taking Woodstock.
“It was a challenging experience working on the movie because I couldn’t change any of the words, and I had to interpret somebody’s work and portray that character based on that text. However, I like film because it moves at a different pace and you have more time to figure out what you’re doing and compose your story.”
On the show, Martin uses a combination of stand-up comedy, sketches, animation, studio bits and music to discuss various things he deems important.
The show’s second season will introduce such important topics as attention, ability, strategy, money and, in his facetious style- the number two.
Martin attributes his incorporation of drawings in his comedy to his constant doodles when he was younger.
“When I got older I started to realize how important my notebook was to my daily life, just jotting ideas down. I realized it can be easier to illustrate things sometimes graphically rather than verbally. Then I got some pretty good feedback on it,” Martin said.
Music is another big component in Martin’s show and he says he would someday love to record a real album.
Martin wasn’t sure if he wanted the show to return for a second season because of the amount of time it takes to write and prepare for each show, instead of making things up on the spot on a comedy tour.
He compares it to the constant pressure of being a college student: “I always wait until the last minute. I’m really too old to be cramming all the time. I tell my friends its like I’m in exams all the time, like I have two tests next week I can’t go out.”
Martin has made a successful career out of noticing things other people take for granted and realizing they are shared experiences, like his joke about missing the straw when you go in to take a sip of your drink.
“When I notice something is frustrating or interrupting my daily pattern, there’s usually a joke in it. I can see it as an annoyance, but I’ve learned to see it as an opportunity.”
The first season of “Important Things with Demetri Martin” launched in 2009 and was Comedy Central’s most watched season premiere since “Chappelle’s Show” in 2003.
The show’s first season averaged 2.3 million total viewers and was ranked as the best series in its time slot by men aged 18 to 34.
The second season of “Important Things with Demetri Martin” will debut on Thursday, February 4 at 9 p.m. on Comedy Central.
