Editing Strangers with Candy (section)

===Critical response===
In an early review, [[Joyce Millman]] of ''[[Salon.com|Salon]]'', said: "Strangers With Candy" is one of the most inventively bizarre shows in a long time –right up there with [[HBO]]'s recent trial run of the mock-rock duo sitcom ''"[[Tenacious D]]"''–. It manages to sustain the "Afterschool Special" joke with its smudged, '70s neo-realistic look, generic pseudo-pop background music and Jerri's throwback wardrobe."<ref name="Salon"/> ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' was also complimentary of the show, "Strangers With Candy is gleefully absurdist stuff that is clearly not factory-made to suit all tastes, but it's certainly a brave if willfully fucked-up piece of work. And, who knows, Comedy Central has done well for itself selling that previously forbidden flavor before."<ref name="RS">{{Cite magazine|title=Strangers with Candy|issue= Spring 1999|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]}}</ref> Pete Schulberg at ''[[The Oregonian]]'', commented on the show's uncompromising humour, "In its own twisted and taboo-bashing way, the series proves to be as outrageous as anything you'll see on TV. The satire is heavy-duty, but more often than not, it works".<ref name="TO">{{Cite news|last=Schulberg|first=Peter|title=A sociopathic sitcom from Comedy Central|date=April 7, 1999|work=[[The Oregonian]]}}</ref> ''[[The Washington Post|The Washington Post's]]'' Richard Leiby commended Comedy Central for "giving these inventive comedians a showcase for their stoner humor".<ref name="TWP">{{Cite news|last=Leiby|first=Richard|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1999/04/07/candy-both-sick-and-super/632dba43-2bcb-4289-8d48-c66f1041cd2f/|title='Candy', Both Sick and Super|date=April 9, 1999|work=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=April 2, 2025|archive-date=April 1, 2025|archive-url=https://archive.today/20250401212502/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1999/04/07/candy-both-sick-and-super/632dba43-2bcb-4289-8d48-c66f1041cd2f/|url-status=live}}</ref>

''[[The New York Post|The New York Post's]]'' Michelle Greppi, compared the show unfavourably to similar media, "Strangers With Candy" aspires to be the anti-after-school special. Instead, it's just a flat and unfunny rip-off of ''"[[South Park]]"'' refracted through a prison prism and executed in a style that makes cable access look Oscar-ready and all of the ''"[[Heathers]]"'' ready for sainthood".<ref name="NYP">{{Cite news|last=Greppi|first=Michelle|url=https://nypost.com/1999/04/07/candy-leaves-sour-taste/|title='Candy' Leaves Sour Taste|date=April 7, 1999|work=[[The New York Post]]|access-date=February 26, 2024|archive-date=February 26, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240226170939/https://nypost.com/1999/04/07/candy-leaves-sour-taste/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Ana Marie Cox]] of ''[[Feed Magazine|Feedmag]]'', had similar thoughts, "So far, critics have mostly responded to the show's supposed "outrageousness," though anyone who still thinks drug references and abortion jokes are "outrageous" must have stopped watching TV when the real After School Specials went off the air." Further adding, "Yet for all the richness of its targets, the show is curiously flat -- a broad parody whose sharpest moments stem from social non-sequitors and squeamishly inappropriate one-liners, as when Jerri announces: "I have to leave class early -- I'm getting my uterus scraped." Perhaps flatness is to be expected, as the show's creators [...] are veterans of "[[alternative comedy]]," a genre whose distinguishing characteristic is that it is rarely, you know, funny."<ref name="FM">{{Cite news|last=Cox|first=Ana Marie|author-link=Ana Marie Cox|title=Strangers with Candy Review|date=1999|work=[[Feed Magazine]]}}</ref> [[Caryn James]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' said the show "is simply boring" and that it "doesn't fail on the grounds of bad taste, but of bad comedy".<ref name="NYT">{{Cite news|last=James|first=Caryn|author-link=Caryn James|title=TV Weekend; Cutups On Cable: Odd Ones In|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/04/30/movies/tv-weekend-cutups-on-cable-odd-ones-in.html|date=April 30, 1999|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=October 11, 2024|archive-url=https://archive.today/20241011230227/https://www.nytimes.com/1999/04/30/movies/tv-weekend-cutups-on-cable-odd-ones-in.html|archive-date=October 11, 2024}}</ref>

In a review of the second season, Tom Conroy of ''[[US Weekly]]'' called the show, "A tart satiric confection with a hard center", and rated it three of four stars.<ref name="USW">{{Cite news|last=Conroy|first=Tom|title=Review|date=June 26, 2000|work=[[US Weekly]]}}</ref> ''[[The Badger Herald]]'', praised it as: "One of the most intelligently written shows on TV today. [...] believe me, "Strangers with Candy" is a rose garden in the decomposing landscape of network programming."<ref name="BH">{{Cite news|title=Strangers with Candy gives dark glimpse into teen reality|date= January 25, 2000|work=[[The Badger Herald]]}}</ref> On another positive review, Kinney Littlefield of 
''[[The Orange County Register]]'' said, "Like great chocolate, Strangers With Candy has proved to be an addictive substance over its past two seasons".<ref name="ocr">{{Cite news|last=Littlefield|first=Kinney|title=Don't be a Stranger to Candy |date= June 30, 2000|work=[[Orange County Register]]}}</ref>

On the show's cancellation, ''[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]'', commented: "Comedy Central might be canceling the sage, delightfully back-ass-wards Strangers With Candy show. If your response is "What's Strangers With Candy?" consider yourself part of the problem rather than the solution."<ref name="abc">{{Cite news|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/story?id=115199&page=1|title=Ryder Guests on Final Strangers With Candy|date=September 27, 2000|work=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]|access-date=February 26, 2024|archive-date=September 19, 2015|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20150919070514/https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/story?id=115199&page=1|url-status=live}}</ref> Similarly, Melanie McFarland of ''[[The Seattle Times]]'', lamented its demise: "The show regularly took viewers outside their comfort zone, and ardent fans kept "Strangers" a secret, taking the show's existence for granted. After all, it had a faithful core viewership that seemed to grow as more turned their friends on to it. As you can tell, "Strangers With Candy" is probably one of the most deliciously non-P.C. shows out there and certainly deserves more attention on TV than it's getting."<ref name="TST">{{Cite news|last=McFarland|first=Melanie|title=Bye-bye 'Big Brother,' but must 'Strangers' end, too?|date=September 27, 2000|work=[[The Seattle Times]]}}</ref>

In 2007, ''Strangers with Candy'' was ranked number 30 on ''[[TV Guide]]'''s Top Cult Shows Ever.<ref name="TopCultShows">{{Cite web|url=https://www.tvguide.com/news/top-cult-shows-40239/|title=TV Guide Names the Top Cult Shows Ever|date=June 29, 2007|work=[[TV Guide]]|access-date=October 12, 2024}}</ref>