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The State is a sketch comedy show that premiered on MTV in 1993 and ran for 4 seasons until its cancellation in 1995. The show is known for its irreverent and offbeat humor, as well as its willingness to take on some controversial topics. The State was created by a group of comedians who had previously worked together on a sketch comedy show called You Wrote It, You Watch It. The original members of The State included Kevin Allison, Michael Ian Black, Robert Ben Garant, Todd Holoubek, Michael Patrick Jann, Kerri Kenney-Silver, Thomas Lennon, Joe Lo Truglio, Ken Marino, and David Wain.

The show's format was similar to other sketch comedy shows like Saturday Night Live, but with a few key differences. For one, the sketches on The State tended to be longer and more elaborate than those on SNL, often featuring recurring characters and longer storylines. Additionally, the show often employed surreal and absurdist humor, such as a recurring bit featuring a character who talked to a giant cow.

Despite its relatively short run, The State quickly gained a cult following and became known for its edgy and boundary-pushing humor. One of the show's most famous sketches, "Porcupine Racetrack," featured a group of people betting on which of several porcupines would cross a finish line first. The sketch was considered controversial at the time and was eventually cut from the show's DVD release.

Another signature feature of The State was its musical performances. The show's cast members often wrote and performed their own songs, which were usually comedic in nature. One of the most popular songs from the show was "I Wanna Dip My Balls in It," a song about dipping various objects in a mysterious substance.

While The State was never a huge ratings success, it gained a devoted following among comedy fans and helped launch the careers of many of its cast members. After the show's cancellation, several of its stars went on to work on other successful comedy projects, including Michael Showalter and David Wain's film Wet Hot American Summer.

In 2009, the members of The State reunited for a one-hour comedy special on Comedy Central called The State: Reunited. The special included many of the show's most popular sketches, as well as new material.

Overall, The State remains a beloved and influential piece of 90s comedy history. Its unique blend of surreal humor, musical performances, and absurdist sketches set it apart from other sketch comedy shows of its time, and helped pave the way for other shows like Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! and Key and Peele.

The State is a series that ran for 4 seasons (32 episodes) between December 17, 1993 and on MTV