| Key & Peele | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Sketch comedy |
| Created by | |
| Written by |
|
| Directed by | Peter Atencio |
| Starring |
|
| Theme music composer | Reggie Watts |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 5 |
| No. of episodes | 55(list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Producer | Keith Raskin |
| Cinematography | Charles Papert |
| Editors |
|
| Camera setup | Single-camera[2][a] |
| Running time | 21–24 minutes[3] |
| Production companies |
|
| Original release | |
| Network | Comedy Central |
| Release | January 31, 2012 (2012-01-31) – September 9, 2015 (2015-09-09) |
| Related | |
| Mad TV | |
Key & Peele (abbreviated toK&P) is an Americansketch comedy television series that ran from 2012 to 2015. It was created byKeegan-Michael Key andJordan Peele forComedy Central; each had previously worked onMad TV.[4]
Each episode of the show consists mainly of several pre-taped skits starring the two actors, performing as adouble act. The sketches cover a variety of societal topics, often with a focus on American popular culture,ethnic stereotypes,social awkwardness, andrace relations.[5]Key & Peele premiered on January 31, 2012[6] and ended on September 9, 2015, with a total of 53 episodes, over the course of five seasons. A special titled "Key & Peele's Super Bowl Special" aired on January 30, 2015.
Key & Peele won aPeabody Award and twoPrimetime Emmy Awards and has been nominated for various other awards, includingWriters Guild Award,NAACP Image Award and 16 additional Primetime Emmy Awards in various categories. Comedy Central maintains aYouTube channel for the series, which has over 6.3 million subscribers and 2.68 billion views as of May 2025[update].
In the first three seasons, an episode would consist of acold open, with a shortsketch. After theintro plays, the two hosts introduce themselves to a studio audience and explain a possible situation, with the following sketch having a tangentially similar situation. The show then follows this pattern, with a number of sketches, each varying in length. However, not all the segments are introduced by a studio segment nor are they necessarily on a similar or connected theme. Many of the show's sketches follow a similar comedic form, specifically taking a comedic premise, situation, or turn of phrase, and repeat it in a more extreme fashion, thereby 'upping the ante' of comedic absurdity as the sketch unfolds. As an example, in popular sketch "Consequences", a guest speaker is brought to a school assembly to warn students about the consequences of their youthful misadventures. The speaker starts by telling a story of pattern of youthful misbehaviors and minor substance-use, such as smoking cigarettes and "hanging out on the street late at night" leading to misdemeanors and petty crime, through to "real crimes" which resulted in "being shot out of a catapult into the mouth of a dragon", and later being "sucked into a wormhole, consequences!".[7] Additionally, Key and Peele's sketches often poke fun at aspects ofrace relations in the modern-day United States, as well asBlack American culture writ large.
In the last two seasons, the show eschewed a studio audience in favor of a pre-shot narrative, featuring the duo discussing a concept during a car ride through theMojave Desert, as the introduction to their sketches. In the last episode, it is revealed that the car ride is an extension of the "I Said Bitch" sketch from the first episode, their first primary sketch, as they finally stop the car in the middle of the road, look around, and utter "Bitch!" to one another.
The series was first announced in June 2011 byComedy Central.[1] In anticipation of the show, Key and Peele launched a web series in support of the program.[8] The series premiered in January 2012 on Comedy Central in the U.S. and onThe Comedy Network in Canada.[9][10] The first episode drew 2.1 million viewers, making it the most-watchedComedy Central launch since 2009.[11]
The series was renewed for four more seasons, beginning in September 2012,[12] September 2013,[13] September 2014,[14] and July 2015.[15] The last episode aired in September 2015.[16]
| Season | Episodes | Originally released | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First released | Last released | |||
| 1 | 8 | January 31, 2012 (2012-01-31) | March 20, 2012 (2012-03-20) | |
| 2 | 10 | September 26, 2012 (2012-09-26) | November 28, 2012 (2012-11-28) | |
| 3 | 13 | September 18, 2013 (2013-09-18) | December 18, 2013 (2013-12-18) | |
| 4 | 11 | September 24, 2014 (2014-09-24) | December 10, 2014 (2014-12-10) | |
| Special | January 30, 2015 (2015-01-30) | |||
| 5 | 11 | July 8, 2015 (2015-07-08) | September 9, 2015 (2015-09-09) | |
The 44th President of the United States, impersonated by Peele, often has difficulty expressing his true feelings. PresidentBarack Obama's "anger translator" Luther, played by Key, works to interpret the President's low-key statements into raging, profanity-laced tirades. Oftentimes, Luther goes too far with these and has to be reeled in by Obama, while other times Luther's influence ends up rubbing on Obama, prompting him to swear. Other sketches reveal that Obama'swife andtwodaughters each have their own anger translators as well, whom they request help from to speak with each other, as do other politicians such asHillary Clinton.
Key appeared briefly in-character as Luther at the AnnualWhite House Correspondents Dinner as an anger translator for the real Barack Obama in early 2015. On January 5, 2017, Key debuted an "Obama-Luther" sketch onThe Daily Show with Trevor Noah.[17]
In 2024, a sketch fromKey & Peele gained public attention when the real Barack Obama was filmed atUSA Basketball’s 50th anniversary party in Las Vegas acting in a similar manner to Peele's Obama in one of the sketches.[18] At the USA Basketball party, Obama was filmed shaking the hands of white athletes but giving hugs to black athletes.[18] This was noted as similar to a 2014Key & Peele sketch where Peele's Obama is shown at a political event where he greets white guests by shaking their hands but greets black guests by hugging them.[18]
Played by Peele, Wendell is a nerdy, morbidly obese, friendless man who loves sci-fi and fantasy. He often comes up with elaborate stories to convince others (especially over the phone) that he is not a stereotypical nerd, and that he is calling on the behalf of people other than himself. This includes a very attractive woman named "Claire", with whom he claims to have a relationship, and the 15-year-old son named "Stimpy" they have. (He was put on the spot when questioned about his nonexistent son, and he was close to a plush doll of the character fromThe Ren & Stimpy Show.) Though his stories are obvious lies, they are elaborate enough that he usually manages to convince the person on the other end of the phone line (usually a gullible man played by Key) that the people in his stories exist. When asked to speak with his fabricated friends and family, Wendell makes up an abrupt event on the spot (usually involving the fabricated person in question being killed) to prevent the person he is talking to from piecing together that his stories are lies, and to end the conversation.
Played by Key, Mr. Garvey is an ill-tempered and distrustful substitute teacher with 20 years of experience in urban schools. Mr. Garvey habitually butchers the names of the students in his mostly white suburban class, especially when taking attendance. However, he vigorously defends his errors - mispronouncing Jacqueline as "Jay-Quellin", Blake as "Balakay", Denise as "Dee-Nice" and Aaron as "A. A. Ron". The implication is that Mr. Garvey has trouble pronouncing "white" names, similar to how a white person would struggle to pronounce African-American names. Mr. Garvey feels disrespected by the students' corrections, causing him to progressively become more enraged and threatening. He proclaims that he has his eye on Jacqueline, asks Blake if he wants to go to war, and breaks a clipboard in front of Denise - forcing her to use the incorrect pronunciation of her name. Mr. Garvey eventually snaps at Aaron, sending him to Principal O'Shaughnessy's office - whose name he mispronounces as "O'Shag-Hennessy" - for insubordination. The only student Mr. Garvey seems to trust is an African American boy at the back of the class named Timothy (accent on the "o"), who is played by Peele. Timothy does not correct Mr. Garvey when his name is mispronounced and also mispronounces "present", suggesting he may come from a similar background to Mr. Garvey.
In Substitute Teacher Part 2, Mr. Garvey's class - including a new student named Jessica (mispronounced "Ja-Seeca") - seem to have gotten used to their names being mangled. During roll call, Aaron informs Mr. Garvey that some students need to leave class early, so that they can meet up with their clubs foryearbook photos. Mr. Garvey misinterprets this as a fabricated excuse to ditch class and meet up at asocial club, despite his students' young ages. Jacqueline nonetheless confirms that Aaron was referring to the students'school clubs, but Mr. Garvey continues to disallow their early exit. Instead, Mr. Garvey calls his students' club activities into question, including Jacqueline's involvement in Future Leaders of America, Blake's involvement in the Spanish club, and Denise's involvement in thechess club. When Mr. Garvey learns that Aaron is the president of theglee club, he becomes shocked and loses his temper. For deceiving him into backing a club dedicated to a TV show, Mr. Garvey sends Aaron to Principal O'Shaughnessy's office out of rage and spite. Mr. Garvey also ignores an intercom announcement from O'Shaughnessy, for he thinks it is fake. Despite all of this, Mr. Garvey excuses Timothy so he can pick up his daughter.
In November 2022, Key reprised the role in an advertisement forParamount+, in which he teaches amountaineering class consisting of various children's show characters. These students include "Blah-Zay" (Blaze fromBlaze and the Monster Machines), "B. Louie" (Blue fromBlue's Clues),Peppa Pig, "Naughty" (Nate fromBig Nate), "K. Room" (Krumm fromAaahh!!! Real Monsters), "Doh-Rah" (Dora the Explorer), and "Bum-blee-bay" (Bumblebee). Unlike the original sketches, "A. A. Ron" (Aaron Donald) plays the Timothy role in the commercial and is not sent to the principal’s office.[19]
Played by Peele, Meegan is a young woman angry at her boyfriend, André, who always pursues her from a club. Meegan won't let André near enough to make up. The distance they cover in their pursuit becomes extreme. Meegan is shown to be extremely selfish and unintelligent, and does not seem to acknowledge social norms. She herself rarely ever receives any sort of comeuppance for the flagrant disrespect she shows to others. When not with André, Meegan is often seen with another woman who acts exactly like her (played by Key), and they often gossip between one other about being shocked by people doing normal acts, and calling them "crazy". They also take numerousselfies but delete the majority of them because they don't like how they look in them, notably including a picture that had already just been classified as evidence of a crime that they witnessed.
Played by Key, André is Meegan's equally loud, but far more intelligent and polite boyfriend who tends to take the fall for the conflicts she starts with others. In the final sketch, André attempts to return Meegan's jacket, with her constantly quipping "No!" and walking away from him. The two continue to walk for an exorbitant amount of time before ending up in a desert where they both collapse from exhaustion. Just before André drops, he sees the skeletal remains of other couples in similar situations.
Played by Key, DeVon is the shady and weird landlord who's often suspicious of what goes on in his tenants' apartments.
Played by Peele, Rafi is a baseball player who makes all his teammates uncomfortable in the locker room, because of his "slap-ass" addiction.
Played by Key, Brock Favors is a news reporter who's always ill-prepared for his assignments such as helicopter traffic reports and reporting on police dog training. He always responds to unexpected and sudden events with loud, excited swearing.
Hans is aNazicolonel who is ignorant to the truth. He uses "very scientific" methods to find black people (offering thembeets, measuring their heads, jingling cat toys). He is played by recurring guest starTy Burrell.
Levi and Cedric are two inner-city friends who often get in rifts because of Levi (Peele) constantly joining new trends such as goingsteam-punk or getting his ownRatatouille. Most sketches end with Cedric (Key) getting fed up with Levi and calling off their friendship.
Played by Peele, Carlito is a Mexican gangster who believes that very normal or minor acts (including sitting in chairs) are "for pussies", and believes himself to be above doing such acts. He believes himself to be "the crazy one" of the gang, which he will go to embarrassing lengths to prove.
Played by Key and Peele, the two valets from the Berkshire Restaurant (who always use unnecessary plurals in names of people, places, or things) love discussing their favorite movie stars and characters. Despite this, the valets mangle their names and films – such as "Liam Neesons" fromTooken, "Peter Dinkels" (who plays "Taiwan Lannister"), "Bruce Willies," "Michelle Pa-feiffers," "Timothy Elephants" and "Racist-Ass Melly Gibsons". They end the sketch by saying that something related to the star in question is "MY SHIT!", then disappearing, by ways such as flying into the air like a rocket or exploding.
In February 2014, a sponsored sketch with the valets titled "What AboutNon-Stop?" – in which "Liam Neesons" himself shows up to collect his car – was used to promote the filmNon-Stop.[20][21]
Key and Peele also appeared in a parody of "The Valets" in one of the teaser trailers forToy Story 4.[22]
Karim and Jahar are two lecherous Middle Eastern men on the lookout for beautiful women. Though they claim to dislike gay people, they often act in a flagrantly homoerotic manner.
LeShawn and Samuel are couple with very differing personalities and views on marriage. Samuel (Key) is very intelligent and well-mannered and exercises restraint when making important decisions. LaShawn (Peele) is very loud and extremely flamboyant and is constantly thinking up often nonsensical and impossible ideas for their future.
The East/West Bowl featurescollege football stars whose names become increasingly ridiculous. The concept came from Peele discovering there was an actual player with the name ofD’Brickashaw Ferguson and utilizes introductions such as those onNBC Sunday Night Football in which the player states their name and school.[23] Most are played by either Key or Peele, including "Javaris Jamar Javarison-Lamar" of theUniversity of Middle Tennessee, "Hingle McCringleberry" ofPennsylvania State University, "Donkey Teeth" ofBoise State University, "Huka'lakanaka Hakanakaheekalucka'hukahakafaka" of theUniversity of Hawaii, "Squeeeeeeeps" ofSanta Monica College, and "Firstname Lastname" of "College University". In addition, some West Team players come from non-university organizations, such as "Torque (Construction Noise) Lewith" of"Nevada State Penitentiary","Morse Code" of"Army/Navy Surplus Store", "Wingdings" of "Online Classes", and the home-schooled "God". The West Team’s introductions are always finalized by a white player with a more conventional name played by neither Key or Peele - such as "Dan Smith" ofBrigham Young University.
In the third edition of this sketch, the fictional athletes were joined by actual players with unusual names, such asHa Ha Clinton-Dix,Ishmaa'ily Kitchen, and Ferguson himself. The last West Team player was"A. A. Ron Rodgers", in reference to the Mr. Garvey sketches.[24]
NBA playerMetta World Peace (played by himself) delivers the "news," which usually takes the form of presenting bizarre hypothetical scenarios to the audience and his imagined approach to them. These are the only sketches that star neither Key nor Peele, though the segments occasionally overlap with other sketches that do feature them.
The Black Republicans are a group of self-described outside-of-the-box thinking black men (one member, Arthur Washington, is played by recurring guest starMalcolm-Jamal Warner) who try to convert other black voters to join the Republican party, sometimes to the point of kidnapping voters taking public transit to polling stations. Though they often strive to show how black Republicans are "very diverse", they are all shown to be similarly dressed in outdated fashion styles such as leather jackets, braided belts,dad jeans, and wire-rimmed glasses, in addition to all being married to white women. The sketches involve members standing up to give speeches to each other, which only reinforce their uniformity as they all nod and clap at everything said, in the exact same manner. Their catchphrase is "I am pissed, ROYALLY pissed!"
Played by Key, Joseph is a crude con man who fabricates facetious hardships so he can deceive others into helping him out.
Played by Key, Dr. Gupta is an Indian-American doctor who works at a large hospital.
Played by Peele, the Continental is a strange, eccentric man who opulently and hedonistically indulges in his hotel's free continental breakfast as well as flying Economy Plus.
The Rhinos is the name of several sports teams of varying sport, often bearing unusually odd-acting team members. Rafi is a member of the baseball team Rhinos, and Hingle McCringleberry (played by Key) appears as a member of the football team Rhinos.
The Power Falcons are often portrayed as a rival to the Rhinos. The Power Falcons is also the name of a fictional team of superheroes in an implied reference toPower Rangers, two members of which are played by Key and Peele.
The first two seasons ofKey & Peele received positive reviews, maintaining a score 74 of 100 by the review aggregator siteMetacritic.[25] The third season ofKey & Peele received critical acclaim, receiving a score of 82 on Metacritic.[26] The series won aPeabody Award in 2013 "for its stars and their creative team's inspired satirical riffs on our racially divided and racially conjoined culture".[27] On April 24, 2012, during an interview onLate Night with Jimmy Fallon, PresidentBarack Obama told the story of how he had watched theKey & Peele sketch featuring himself with "Luther, his Anger Translator", saying that "It's pretty good stuff – it's good stuff."[28] Additionally, on April 25, 2015, during theWhite House Correspondents Dinner, Key reprised the role of Luther, President Obama's anger translator during the event.[29]Dave Chappelle has accused the show of copying the format he established years prior forChappelle's Show, but states that he is still a fan of the show.[30]
| Year | Association | Category | Nominee(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Writers Guild of America Awards[31] | Comedy/Variety (Including Talk) Series | Rebecca Drysdale,Colton Dunn,Keegan-Michael Key, Jay Martel,Jordan Peele, Ian Roberts,Alex Rubens,Charlie Sanders, andRich Talarico | Nominated |
| 65th Primetime Emmy Awards[32] | Outstanding Makeup for a Multi-Camera Series or Special (Non-Prosthetic) | Scott Wheeler,Suzanne Diaz | Nominated | |
| 2014 | Peabody Award[33] | Entertainment honoree | Key & Peele | Won |
| 66th Primetime Emmy Awards[32] | Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics | Episode: "Substitute Teacher #3; Joshua Funk, Rebecca Drysdale for "Les Mis" | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series | Jay Martel, Ian Roberts, Jordan Peele, Keegan-Michael Key, Alex Rubens, Rebecca Drysdale, Colton Dunn, Rich Talarico, Charlie Sanders | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Makeup for a Multi-Camera Series or Special (Non-Prosthetic) | Episode: "East/West Bowl Rap | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Hairstyling for a Multi-Camera Series or Special | Episode: "Substitute Teacher #3" | Nominated | ||
| 2015 | People's Choice Awards | Favorite Sketch Comedy Series | Comedy Central | Nominated |
| 67th Primetime Emmy Awards[32] | Outstanding Variety Sketch Series | Comedy Central | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series | Keegan-Michael Key | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series | Rebecca Drysdale, Colton Dunn, Keegan-Michael Key, Jay Martel, Jordan Peele, Ian Roberts, Alex Rubens, Charlie Sanders, and Rich Talarico | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special | Brendan Hunt, Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, and Rich Talarico forKey & Peele's Super Bowl Special | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Picture Editing for Variety Programming | Phil Davis, Christian Hoffman, andRich LaBrie (Segment: "Scariest Movie Ever") | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Hairstyling for a Multi-Camera Series or Special | Episode: "Aerobics Meltdown" | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Makeup for a Multi-Camera Series or Special (Non-Prosthetic) | Episode: "Episode 406" | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Short-Format Live-Action Entertainment Program | Key & Peele Presents Van and Mike: The Ascension | Nominated | ||
| 2016 | 68th Primetime Emmy Awards[32] | Outstanding Variety Sketch Series | Comedy Central | Won |
| Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series | Keegan-Michael Key | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series | Comedy Central | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Hairstyling for a Multi-Camera Series or Special | Episode: "Y'all Ready for This?" | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Make-up for a Multi-Camera Series or Special (Non-Prosthetic) | Episode: "Y'all Ready for This?" | Won | ||
| Outstanding Picture Editing for Variety Programming | Rich LaBrie, Neil Mahoney, Nicholas Monsour, and Stephen Waichulis for Episode: "The End" | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Production Design for a Variety, Nonfiction, Reality, or Reality-Competition Series | Episodes: "Y'all Ready For This?"; "The End" | Nominated |
Key & Peele have also created a YouTube commentary of their episodes under their alter-egos Vandaveon Huggins and Mike Taylor.[34] Vandaveon and Mike analyze an episode, and suggest that low brow humor would make it funnier. These videos were also added to On Demand offerings ofKey & Peele episodes. On March 12, 2014, Comedy Central announced the network was developing an animated spinoff starring Vandaveon and Mike as 12-year-old hall monitors, in association with Key and Peele.[35]
Key and Peele have appeared as a comedic duo, usually in tribute to the show, in various film and television series. This includes the following:
On September 25, 2012,Comedy Central andParamount Home Entertainment released "Key and Peele – Season 1" on DVD andBlu-ray Disc. Both formats featurebloopers, outtakes, a "Poolside Interview," audio commentary with Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele, "Backstage," "Split Their Pants," Key & Peele live at the South Beach Comedy Festival, and aneaster egg of the show's theme song.[36]
The show generally aired on internationallocalized versions of Comedy Central. It premiered in Australia onThe Comedy Channel on August 9, 2012.[37]
