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Police Chief Rumble was a New York City based Harold Team at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. They performed from September 26, 2002 to October 19, 2004.

Cast[]

Katie Dippold, Angeliki George, Jeff Hiller, Chris Kula, David Martin, Will McLaughlin, Bobby Moynihan and Charlie Sanders.

History[]

PCR was both talented and ridiculous. Though popular and comprised of good improvisers, the team would be easily distracted into hilarious but inevitably silly moments. At least once in each of their first dozen shows, one of them would portray the less-than-respected stand-up comedian Sinbad with little justification.

PCR was created shortly before Dillinger, a team known for its smooth play and highly attuned group mind. They were the yin and yang of their UCB generation. The juxtaposition between these two groups created a quiet simmering feud amongst the members of PCR directed towards Dillinger. This gets brought up at least once a year, when members of PCR threaten to perform at the Del Close Marathon while wearing "Fuck Dillinger" t-shirts.

The team soon embraced their possible shortcomings with an exaggerated self-deprecation. Their entrance music was "Let's Get Retarded In Here." After they failed to win Cagematch a number of times, and indeed usually by large numbers, the team began to advertise their losing streak as a point of pride. In the weeks prior to Cagematch, David Martin would post detailed and overly-literate trash talk posts on the IRC, claiming that PCR had never lost in Cagematch. After the team disbanded, they reunited for a Cagematch, proudly promoting the show as "0-8" (their record). PCR actually won that show, but then forfeited by touching the clock to preserve their perfect, losing, record.

The team also developed and performed a successful sketch show Piece of Bullshit Pie. Under the direction of Jake Fogelnest, they performed a rough draft of their show each week for months during the Friday midnight spot until they had developed a lineup of sketches. Despite their reputation as rule-breakers, PCR invested countless hours into their sketch show and eventually won an ECNY award for Best Sketch Group.

Legacy[]

They were one of the few teams from that era to last a long time and never have their lineup changed. The team ended when Dippold and Kula left to join Reuben Williams, Bobby and Angeliki to The Shoves, Jeff to Creep, Dave Martin to Arsenal, Will and Charlie to America!

Since breaking up, PCR has reunited a few times at the UCBT's Del Close Marathon. They use these shows to shamelessly disregard the suggestion, and -- in blatant defiance of most long-form standards -- forcibly bring back their favorite characters they performed as Harold Night. Among characters/events you can count on seeing at a PCR reunion "improv" show:

  • Robot Roy (Sanders as part robot, part boy in a wheelchair)
  • Steve Castle (Will's action movie style hero)
  • Phillip Roth
  • Jeff Hiller doing a monologue
  • Chris Kula as black woman
  • Sideways Dracula
  • Sinbad
  • Some reference to the TV show Night Court.

For such an (eventually) deliberately unprofessional style, PCR's members have had disproportionate success getting work as comedians. As of this writing, Kula and Dippold write for MADtv, Jeff Hiller appeared in a Ricky Gervais movie "Ghost Town," and Bobby is a cast member of Saturday Night Live.

Tagline[]

"You have the right to remain...hilarious."

Links[]

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