At the start of each episode, the camera would approach a stage door in an alley, where one of that series' guests appeared, only to warn the viewer off, saying that the event is for "comics only." In another nearby doorway, Provenza then motioned the viewer in, with the advice to "be cool," warning, "if you've ever been offended by anything, don't come in." The camera then followed Provenza into the building, via hallways and stairs to a final door, which would open onto the soundstage, where the evening's guests were already in conversation. After the show's halfway mark, if a guest uses music in their comedy act, such as Bo Burnham or Franklyn Ajaye, they may perform a comedic musical number. The song played during the opening and closing credits is a modified version of the song "Somebody Start a Fight or Something" by TISM.
Production
The series was based on the live stage panel The Green Room, which Provenza hosts at the annual MontrealJust For LaughsComedy Festival, where guests converse before a live audience, often predominantly of other comedians and other celebrities. The TV show was produced in Hollywood and videotaped at the Vanguard Club in Hollywood. The final two episodes of the second season were Provenza's regular panels, recorded at the Mainline Theatre on July 30, 2011, in Montreal, at the Just For Laughs Festival. The show premiered on Showtime June 10, 2010, airing weekly for six episodes. Showtime subsequently announced its renewal for a second season, initially six episodes, on September 9, 2010. The second season premiered on July 14, 2011, airing weekly for eight episodes. Showtime had not ordered a third season.
Reception
The show received a range of positive and mixed reviews. The Los Angeles Times review noted "for every story that peters out, there are moments of insight, thought-provoking debates and hilarious anecdotes", and summarized, "for all its digressions into obscenities, over- or under-worked material and more than occasional chest pounding, The Green Room With Paul Provenza manages to pack a considerable intellectual punch into a half hour." The A.V. Club reviewer Steve Heisler stated that the Showtime show, as compared to the Just for Laughs live show, "has too many factors keeping audiences at a distance." He gave the series premiere episode a "C+", citing the abrupt introduction of the viewer to the guests in mid-conversation, and the sometimes choppy editing which takes him "out of the moment." Heisler continued, "when the magic happens...", those "...moments are worth sticking around for, if only it weren't so hard to find them." In 2010, the show made the Time magazine "The Short List of Things to Do," describing the show as a "loose, racy roundtable." April MacIntyre, in Monsters and Critics, called the show "genius" and stated "the anecdotes are priceless for those who truly love comedy, comics and stand up as an art form."
