{{Use American English|date=January 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox television episode | season = 6 | episode = 5 | series = The Drew Carey Show | writer = Brian Scully | director = Gerry Cohen | production = 226360 | airdate = {{Start date|2000|11|08}} | guests = * Wayne Brady as Wayne * Charles Esten as Chip * Kathy Greenwood as Kathryn * Laura Hall as Laura * Colin Mochrie as Eugene * Greg Proops as Greg * Brad Sherwood as Brad * Jay Leno as Lewis' Boss * Reggie Currelley as the Bartender * Elea Bartling as the Cashier | prev = Mimi's a Partner | next = The Pregnancy Scare | episode_list = List of The Drew Carey Show episodes }} "'''Drew Live II'''" is the fifth episode of the sixth season of the American sitcom ''The Drew Carey Show'', and the 132nd overall. It first aired on November 8, 2000, on the ABC network in the United States. The episode's plot sees Drew (Drew Carey) open an employment agency, but he has trouble finding jobs for his friends Lewis Kiniski (Ryan Stiles) and Oswald Lee Harvey (Diedrich Bader).
The episode was written by Brian Scully and directed by Gerry Cohen. It was conceived after the success of the first live ''Drew Carey Show'' episode, which aired the previous year. Improvisational segments were added to a basic plot, and producers chose to keep many elements of the episode a secret from the cast. The episode was performed live three times for the Eastern/Central, Mountain and Pacific time zones. It featured guest appearances by several ''Whose Line Is It Anyway?'' cast members and talk show host Jay Leno.
"Drew Live II" was seen by an estimated 15.2 million viewers, finishing just outside the Top 20 in the ratings for the week of November 6–12, 2000. It was the sixth highest-rated show on ABC that week. Production mixer Klaus Landsberg was recognised for his work on the episode with a Primetime Emmy Award nomination.
==Plot== Drew returns to the Winfred-Louder department store to speak with his former boss Mr. Wick about his rejected unemployment claim. Wick tells him that he should not have quit his job, but Drew argues that he was fired. Mr. Wick tells him to take it up with the assistant director of personnel, which was Drew's former job. They go back and forth, until Drew gives up and Wick declares to the other employees that the show is over. Drew's co-worker, Eugene does not join in with the applause and tells Wick that he thinks what he did to Drew was cruel, so Wick fires him. Drew vows to help Eugene find a new job, before deciding to open his own employment agency.
Drew's friends Lewis Kiniski and Oswald Lee Harvey tell Drew that they are unhappy in their current jobs, so Drew offers to recommend them for mystery diner positions at Shenanigans restaurant. Drew later reveals that there is only one position available, but Lewis and Oswald have already quit their jobs. Drew cannot decide whom to pick, so Kate O'Brien suggests they go to Shenanigans to see who is better at the job. Both Lewis and Oswald are terrible, so Drew tells them they can work for him. Oswald realises that he went into the wrong office when he quit his job and returns to work. Lewis and Drew visit Lewis' boss at DrugCo to ask him to give Lewis his job back.
==Production== thumb|right|148px|Wayne Brady appears with other ''Whose Line Is It Anyway?'' cast members in the improvisational segments. Following the first live episode of ''The Drew Carey Show'' in 1999, which achieved high ratings, a second live episode was conceived in a bid to repeat that success and capitalise on the November sweeps ratings period.<ref name="DeWitt">{{cite news|url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/THE+HYPE+THE+ANGEL+ANGLE+CHARLIE'S+GIRLS+HAVE+THEIR+PRIVATE+EYES+ON...-a083403865|title=Live from L.A., it's Drew|last=De Witt|first=Barbara|date=November 1, 2000|work=Los Angeles Daily News|accessdate=August 21, 2017}}</ref> The producers also wanted to "push the envelope even further" than before, so they decided to keep many elements of the episode a secret from the cast.<ref name="DeWitt"/> Improvisational segments were added to the basic plot, allowing the producers to throw the cast "a few curve balls".<ref name="WB">{{cite web|url=https://www.warnerbros.com/studio/news/drew-carey-cast-kept-dark-live-episode|title=Drew Carey & Cast Kept In The Dark For Live Episode|date=November 3, 2000|publisher=Warner Bros.|accessdate=September 2, 2017}}</ref> Executive producer Bruce Helford stated, "The actors don't know what's coming at them. They don't know what's behind every door."<ref name="DeWitt"/>
Helford planned to bring in guest stars during the recordings,<ref name="DeWitt"/> as well having the studio audiences come up with suggestions on how the episode should end, leaving the cast with little time to prepare before they act it out.<ref name="WB"/> Neil Conrad, the channel's Broadcast and Standard Practices editor, admitted that he was scared about the episode, especially after the first live broadcast, in which a guest cast member was caught with a handwritten message to his mother on his buttocks.<ref name="WB"/> Helford joked that Conrad had a right to be worried,<ref name="WB"/> but he also said that if the cast were to mess up, then it just adds to the fun.<ref name="DeWitt"/>
As with the first live episode, the cast and crew performed "Drew Live II" three times for the Eastern/Central, Mountain and Pacific time zones.<ref name="WB"/> Several cast members from the improvisational comedy series ''Whose Line Is It Anyway?'' made guest appearances in the episode. Colin Mochrie once again reprised his role as Eugene, while Wayne Brady, Brad Sherwood, Charles Esten, Greg Proops, Kathy Greenwood and Laura Hall appeared in the various improv segments.<ref name="WB"/> Talk show host Jay Leno also makes a cameo appearance.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ontvtonight.ca/guide/listings/tvshow?id=280822|title=Drew Live II|publisher=On TV Tonight|accessdate=September 4, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.avclub.com/the-drew-carey-show-s-musical-guests-were-as-absurd-as-1798284466|title=The Drew Carey Show's musical guests were as absurd as the sitcom's plots|last=Zaleski|first=Annie|date=September 14, 2015|work=The A.V. Club|access-date=September 12, 2017}}</ref> To coincide with the episode, ABC planned to air live promos featuring actors coming by ''The Drew Carey Show'' studio to promote their ABC shows.<ref name="DeWitt"/>
To prove to the viewers that the episode was live, some of the actors were seen watching and improvising the dialogue for that night's broadcast of ''Felicity'', which aired in the same time slot on The WB.<ref name="Cunneff">{{cite web|url=http://people.com/archive/insider-vol-54-no-22/|title=Insider|last=Cunneff|first=Tom|date=November 27, 2000|work=People|accessdate=15 March 2018}}</ref> Helford had originally chosen an episode of ''The West Wing'', but the show's producers rejected the idea and ''Felicity'' was chosen instead, as long as the actors did not make any jokes about Keri Russell's hairstyle.<ref name="Cunneff"/> ''Felicity'' creator J. J. Abrams praised the segment, saying "The idea of characters on a live show tuning in to another network to see what's on was brilliant. My only hope is that it reminded people: 'What the hell am I doing not watching The WB?'"<ref name="Cunneff"/>
==Reception== In its original broadcast, "Drew Live II" was watched by 15.2 million viewers, finishing in 22nd place in the ratings for the week of November 6–12, 2000. It was the sixth highest-rated show on ABC that week, following episodes of ''Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?'', ''NFL Monday Night Football'', ''The Practice'', ''NFL Monday Showcase'', and ABC's coverage of the presidential election.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/61172753/millionaires-celebrities-help-sweep/|title=Millionaire's Celebrities Help Sweep ABC to Win|date=November 15, 2000|work=Los Angeles Times|via=Newspapers.com|accessdate=October 15, 2020}}{{free access}}</ref>
A writer for Warner Bros. stated that the episode showed ''The Drew Carey Show'' was "one of the most consistently unique comedies on television", and that the show would "go where no other comedy has gone and put new twists on the series' second annual live episode".<ref name="WB"/> Joel Brown of ''The Spokesman-Review'' chose the episode as one of his television "Highlights" for November 8, 2000. Of the cast, he commented, "expect them all to crack themselves up, as usual".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1314&dat=20001108&id=pWRWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=TvIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3660,7067238&hl=en|title=TV Tonight|last=Brown|first=Joel|date=November 8, 2000|work=The Spokesman-Review|accessdate=August 21, 2017}}</ref> A critic for ''The Orlando Sentinel'' included the episode in the newspaper's "Prime Picks" feature, and commented that it was "a dangerously unpredictable episode."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/61180133/prime-picks/|title=Prime picks|date=November 8, 2000|work=The Orlando Sentinel|accessdate=October 16, 2020|via=Newspapers.com}}{{free access}}</ref>
Sandra P. Angulo from ''Entertainment Weekly'' included "Drew Live II" in her feature on "the splashier sweeps events" for the week, commenting "In what's becoming an annual event, Drew and company – including the improv aces from ''Whose Line Is It Anyway?'' – perform live for each of the three time zones. Basically, they have three chances to get it right."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ew.com/article/2000/11/02/boy-bands-barbra-and-return-x-files-top-tv-sweeps/|title=Boy bands, Barbra, and the return of 'The X-Files' top the TV sweeps|last=Angulo|first=Sandra P.|date=November 2, 2000|work=Entertainment Weekly|accessdate=August 21, 2017}}</ref> James Joyce, writing for the ''Newcastle Herald'', noted that Carey had "always been willing to toy with the conventions of the sitcom format", and dubbed Oswald and Lewis his "dimwit buddies".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://newsstore.smh.com.au/apps/viewDocument.ac?page=1&sy=smh&kw=drew+carey+show&pb=all_ffx&dt=enterRange&dr=1month&sd=01%2F01%2F2001&ed=01%2F05%2F2001&so=relevance&sf=text&sf=headline&rc=10&rm=200&sp=adv&clsPage=1&docID=NCH01032094KQP7C2N5Q|title=Channel Surf|last=Joyce|first=James|date=March 20, 2001|work=Newcastle Herald|accessdate=August 21, 2017}}</ref>
''The Washington Post's'' Lisa de Moraes was not a fan of the live format, stating "Apparently no one at ABC watched last season's live, partially improvised ''Drew Carey'' train wreck, so they're allowing the producers to do it again."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-562769.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181118102757/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-562769.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 18, 2018|title=Trying to Sweep Up With O.J. and Jackie|last=de Moraes|first=Lisa|date=November 2, 2000|work=The Washington Post|accessdate=August 23, 2017}}{{subscription required}}</ref> Allan Johnson for ''Chicago Tribune'' gave the episode a mention in his round up of the special episodes airing during November sweeps.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-122126758.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181119211512/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-122126758.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 19, 2018|title=Sweeps inspiration: Juggling generates ratings and confusion|last=Johnson|first=Allan|date=November 1, 2000|work=Chicago Tribune|accessdate=August 23, 2017}}{{subscription required}}</ref>
Production mixer Klaus Landsberg earned a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Multi-Camera Sound Mixing for a Series or a Special for his work on the episode.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://variety.com/2001/tv/news/emmy-2001-nomination-list-2-1117802665/|title=Emmy 2001 nomination list|date=July 12, 2001|work=Variety|accessdate=September 26, 2017}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist|2}}
==External links== *{{IMDb episode|0566371}}
{{The Drew Carey Show}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Drew Live II}} Category:2000 American television episodes Category:The Drew Carey Show episodes Category:American live television shows