We live in a funny world, surrounded here in Chicago by a plethora of stand-up/improv/sketch options. However, we also live in a funny world, if you pay any attention to current events. Big News takes the latter idea to create an entirely new scripted show each and every week, featuring sketches and Weekend Update style news two-liners.

Additionally, the founder and producer of this show in LA for its 258 weeks (yes, with a different scripted show each week), is Michael McCarthy, former SNL writer and current head of the iO writing program.

While improvising a new show each week has become the standard, can a scripted show, complete with lines, costumes, and songs, be any good? Short answer: Yes. Longer answer: Well, it's better than you would expect. The only version we've seen of the show was the LA cast and script brought to Chicago. It was a little heavy-handed, both telling Californians what they should know and how they should feel about it. Presumably, a Chicago cast, writing staff, and audience would demand a higher thought-process. However, even in the relatively dumbed down version, the sketches were well rehearsed, there were multiple choreographed original songs, and the "Weekend Update" style portion was downright hilarious.

That all being said, the only thing being kept from the LA iteration is the esteemed Michael McCarthy and the format. In that vein, topical sketches and bits allow for truthful (and funny) glimpses at our society and non-stop writing potential. If nothing else, it'll fill the void until the Daily Show comes back, but we hope it finds a strong, smart foothold in Chicago.

Mondays @ 7pm @ iO - $5

-Chris Singel