Great Minds with Dan Harmon

Great Minds with Dan Harmon is an American sketch comedy television series that premiered on February 25, 2016 on the History channel. The series stars writer Dan Harmon (creator of Community and Rick and Morty), and his real-life assistant Spencer Crittenden. The series is part of History's "Night Class" block of programming and each episode is available to stream in full on History's website and YouTube channel.

Premise

Harmon is a hapless historian of sorts, who along with his much more intelligent assistant Spencer brings major historical figures from the past to interview them in the present. Due to the biological constraints of the time travel device, the historical figures arrive fully naked, and only survive for several hours before undergoing a "total protoplasmic disconversion" and collapse into a pile of dust, which Spencer then has the task of vacuuming up or collecting in a jar. Harmon tries to balance the races and sexes of the historical figures brought forward, and frequently harangues Spencer for not being able to tweak the time machine to this end.

List of Episodes

Ludwig van Beethoven (aired on February 25, 2016): played by Jack Black, Beethoven is first mistaken by Dan as Mozart. Once dressed and given a hearing aid, Beethoven hears some of his most famous compositions for the first time, remarking that the "Moonlight Sonata" doesn't sound anything like he intended, and enlightening Dan regarding the "lyrics" to his Symphony No. 5.

Ernest Hemingway (aired on March 3, 2016): played by Scott Adsit, Hemingway makes Dan feel inadequate and emasculated, despite Dan's efforts to bond with Hemingway over their common interests in drinking and writing. Dan tries to get Hemingway to play paintball, but Hemingway instead takes Dan fishing...in the middle of the California drought.

Thomas Edison (aired on March 10, 2016): played by Jason Sudeikis, his arrival prompts Spencer to refuse to participate in the episode on principle. Edison's smug, know-it-all attitude leads him to react negatively to the poor quality of his "Mary Had a Little Lamb" recording. Several drug-fueled hours in a recording studio later, Edison electrocutes himself on a shoddy new musical instrument of his own invention.

Mary Wollstonecraft (aired on March 18, 2016): played by Aubrey Plaza, Mary's arrival gives Dan a chance to express his feminism. Unfortunately, Mary's stern demeanor and aloof nature pushes Dan's buttons, and Dan learns a valuable lesson about agency and swallowing red pills. Meanwhile, it's Spencer's birthday.

William Shakespeare (aired on March 24, 2016): played by Thomas Middleditch, Dan takes the opportunity to show Community to Shakespeare, who feels much the same way about it as NBC executives apparently did. Shakespeare elects to see Dirty Grandpa instead, and the great writers trade barbs at a bar.

Idi Amin (aired on March 31, 2016): played by Ron Funches, President Amin's arrival fulfills Dan's desire for diversity. It also puts the entire office at substantial risk, which Dan is blissfully ignorant of until much, much too late. Fortunately, Dan's father comes to the rescue and occupies Amin's occupation until he disintegrates.

Betsy Ross (aired on April 15, 2016): played by Sarah Silverman, Betsy's subtle racism discomforts Dan until they broach the subject of Bernie Sanders. Betsy throws herself into working for the Sanders campaign, shooting some abortive promos, and finally just doing what she does best: sewing a Bernie Sanders flag.

Amelia Earhart (aired on April 21, 2016): played by Kristen Schaal and a whole lot of old-timey vernacular. Amelia is disappointed with her legacy of getting lost, and sets out to prove that she is indeed still alive. The twist ending would make M. Night Shyamalan proud.

Sigmund Freud (aired on April 28, 2016): played by Nick Kroll, Freud arrives just in time to heal a rift between Dan and Spencer, who steadfastly refuses to say "catchy phrases" that Dan thinks will spark an increase in viewers and therefore a better time slot. Lots of butt talk. Lots. Looooooots and looooooots of butt stuff. But in the end, Dan and Spencer come to an understanding.

Edgar Allan Poe (aired May 5, 2016): played by Paul F. Tompkins, Poe immediately undermines Dan's need to "score points" with a new History Channel exec (Mary Lynn Rajskub). The exec, however, takes a romantic liking to Poe. During an intimate dinner, Dan and Spencer attempt to Roxanne their way into getting the exec to agree to 13 new episodes.

External links

• Great Minds with Dan Harmon at IMDb