David Wain, Michael Showalter, and Michael Ian Black formed the influential comedy trio Stella in 1997, shortly after all three came to public notice as cast members on MTV’s sketch comedy show The State. David Wain posted a new Stella skit today called “Rip Van Winkle,” the group’s first new web short since before their short-lived Comedy Central series aired in 2005, and their first officially released material since their 2009 live DVD Stella: Live in Boston.
The clip seems to be intended as a kind of 20th anniversary celebration for the group; in it, Michael, Michael and David realize they’ve fallen asleep for roughly 20 years when they can’t “immediately find ‘Semi-Charmed Kind of Life’ on [their] transistor radio.” It ends with footage of the group from their earliest shorts. The skit was filmed in January as part of San Francisco Sketchfest, the group’s most recent public appearance. Watch below.
Oh hey here’s a brand new STELLA short! https://t.co/AtO4r7TAPI @mshowalter @michaelianblack
— David Wain (@davidwain) March 20, 2017
