Strangers with Candy is a television series produced by Comedy Central. It first aired on April 7, 1999, and concluded its third and final season on October 2, 2000. Its timeslot was Sundays at 10 p.m. (ET), and the Comedy Central show Strip Mall replaced it.
Strangers with Candy is a film released in 2006 by ThinkFilm, first screened at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. It is a prequel to the TV show Strangers with Candy. Among the executive producers was David Letterman.
Jerri Blank is a 46-year-old "boozer, user and a loser" who tries to put her life back together again. The reformed runaway and addict returns to high school as a freshman, where she tries to fit in and act hip with girls 1/3 her age. Unfortunately, she hasn't quite shed her immoral background or acquired any ethics, and her bizarre family and frustrated schoolmates have trouble interacting with her. Written by Michael "Rabbit" Hutchison
David Letterman jumped on board as a producer because he said that Amy Sedaris is one of the few people in this world that can actually make him laugh.
Snowball 37, the band whose logo appears on apparel worn by characters in the movie, is an actual touring band, made up of three members of the infamous Fagan family, who appear as students in the movie, and all but one episode of the TV series. The name of the band is a reference to a very well know conversation from Kevin Smith (I)'s Clerks. (1994).
The role of Alice was originally intended for Natasha Richardson, but she was in France at the time that the scene was to be filmed. If Allison Janney hadn't been available, the next actress on their wish list was Joan Allen (I). They also considered the possibility of re-tailoring the part for Jennifer Coolidge.
David Rakoff's character Boswell is named for Samuel Johnson's biographer James Boswell.
According to a sign on the cafeteria wall ("For a good time call Jerri"), the Blank's phone number is 555-6175.
Some of the pictures in the lunch room were drawn by Todd Oldham, who also has a part in the film.
The pinup model in Jerri's locker is Amy Sedaris. Sedaris also played the cocktail waitress in the "Teacher's Lounge" scene.
