After nine months of biweekly episodes, Dropout TV’s “Make Some Noise” finally finished releasing its 19-episode-long third season March 3. After the long, grueling wait for the full catalog, fans have received this new addition to the show with open arms and big laughs. When listening to Dropout fans online, the consensus is clear: “Make Some Noise’’ is bigger and better than ever.
For those unfamiliar, “Make Some Noise’’ is an improv-comedy game show in which three contestants compete for the “coveted” Golden Ear (an ultimately meaningless prize) by interpreting improvisation prompts given by Sam Reich, host of the show and CEO of Dropout. Three rounds take place during each episode: The first round contains solo prompts, the second introduces two-person prompts and the third requires contestants to “jump into the abyss together” by responding to the prompts as a trio. After improvising, Reich awards each player with an arbitrary number of points (usually ranging between -1000 and 10 billion). Between each prompt is a minigame in which players compete for points that are ultimately useless in the competition, all to try to win the Golden Ear, which serves as a comedic bit itself.
The structure of the show is a refreshing change from mainstream game shows that have high stakes and rigid rules. Where another show might prioritize tension for increased watch time, “Make Some Noise” maintains a relaxed, comfortable and comedic atmosphere. With this informal tone, the show makes clear that although it is a “game show,” the objective is not to win, but instead to have fun.
Although the three contestants change every episode, they primarily come from Dropout TV’s cast of comedians, meaning that, while each episode is unique, viewers already have an established relationship with the players. This makes for an endearing watch, as audience members are able to enjoy familiar comedic styles collaborating with each other in new combinations, allowing for audience members to become excited by which cast members are playing in a particular episode. (I know I’m not the only one who sees a new episode thumbnail with Brennan Lee Mulligan and thinks, “This’ll be good!”).
Although season three of “Make Some Noise” continues to thrive in this format, it also makes efforts to introduce new comedians to the platform. The new season hosts an impressive array of new guests, some of whom are new comedians with no experience on the platform, and others who are celebrity guest stars. For example, episode 12 hosted well-known actor Ben Schwartz (“Parks and Recreation”) and episode 15 invited YouTube star and actress Angela Giarratana (“Smosh”). Not only do some of the new guests improve Dropout’s reputation and credibility as an independent platform, but they showcase a variety of fresh comedic styles previously unexplored by the series.
Season three makes many changes to the original structure of the show while staying true to its previous seasons. Specifically, the recent season has added many new minigames to the collection. Along with the familiar “Name That…” and “Who are You Supposed to Be?” the show introduces new games such as “Make a Hook,” in which players are tasked with finishing a rap verse on the spot with the help of an auto-tuned microphone, and “Soundscapers,” in which players become foley artists and make their own sound-effects to accompany video clips.
Although these new games introduce fun ideas and make for engaging content, I felt that at times the sheer amount of minigames that vary from episode to episode became slightly unsatisfying. The old minigames were a blast to watch but were hardly featured this season due to the bulk of new minigame ideas. Because of this, any semblance of structure forged in the two previous seasons was destabilized.
Interestingly, season three also adds a new minigame called “Back to Basics,” a direct response to fan suggestions. The original premise of “Make Some Noise” was introduced on another Dropout show called “Game Changer,” in which the comedians had to make sound effects based on one-word prompts like “cow” or “Batman.” Eventually, the show devolved into more improvised material, but many fans were nostalgic for the more simplistic but entertaining concept. It was not only pleasing to see the old format make a comeback, but an enjoyable surprise to see executives positively respond to feedback and incorporate Dropout TV fans’ ideas into the show.
All in all, the new season improved upon its predecessors by introducing new content, people and ideas to the table in fun and innovative ways. Standout moments include episode three, “Uber but on Horseback,” episode 10, “A Couple Calls For the Check But Doesn’t Know the Hand Motion,” and episode 18, “A Date That Is Only Red Flags.” In all three episodes, the comedic chemistry is electric, the three players riffing off each other at lightning pace. These episodes, along with the rest of the season, demonstrate what is at the very core of “Make Some Noise”: a unique and creative addition to the game-show genre, with an enthusiastic commitment to comedy and a refusal to confine itself to established TV norms.
Daily Arts Contributor Ana Torresarpi can be reached at atorresa@umich.edu.
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