This month, two idiosyncratic and beloved cable comedies come back for their fifth season: Portlandia returns to IFC tonight, and Workaholics hits Comedy Central on January 14. But while each show features now-established comedy teams (Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein for Portlandia, and the frat-stoner triumvirate of Workaholics), those partnerships hinge on shadow members—low-key but essential co-conspirators who keep things running behind the scenes. With Portlandia, that responsibility goes to Jonathan Krisel, who became friends with Armisen while writing on Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! and Saturday Night Live. On Workaholics that dude is Kyle Newacheck, who grew up with co-star Blake Anderson and also appears in some episodes of the show as the drug dealer Karl Hevacheck. Since only a Milhouse can know what it’s like to be a Milhouse, we thought we’d get the two of them together to find out what makes them tick. (And to find out what it feels like when doves cry.)
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