Podcast Summary: Comedy Bang Bang – "Bonus Bang: The Pool Duel-Over: Part Duel"

Host: Scott Aukerman
Guests: Jason Mantzoukas, Andy Daly, Paul F. Tompkins
Date: January 15, 2026
Original Air: March 27, 2022 (Ep. 750)
Theme: Scott revisits a backyard-era episode featuring a wild, character-packed saga that climaxes with an absurd water polo "duel" for the hand of Lady Amelia, British royal gossip, Shanana mythology, and densely packed improv comedy.

Episode Overview

This episode is a re-release from Comedy Bang Bang's archive, celebrating the show’s 750th episode ("The Pool Duel-Over: Part Duel") as part of the "Half a Hundo" milestone series. Recorded outdoors during the "backyard era," the episode assembles guest favorites Jason Mantzoukas, Andy Daly, and Paul F. Tompkins, each portraying multiple outlandish characters. The central story: a comically high-stakes water polo showdown between royal watcher Byron Denniston and water polo instructor The Grizz, with a supporting cast weighing in on British monarchy, death conspiracies, fictional band membership, and more.

Key Segments & Discussion Points

1. Welcome, Backyard Antics, and Character Chaos

Time: [01:00]–[07:00]

• Scott explains the "backyard era" (COVID safety), the premise of revisiting classic episodes, and intros Jason Mantzoukas as guest/co-host.
• Jason and Scott riff on the oddities of Scott’s backyard: funhouse mirrors, balloons, perpetual children’s party vibe.
• Early callbacks to recurring bits—confused characters wandering in (e.g., Shimmy), off-mic improvisations—set the tone for the episode’s chaotic, playful spirit.

Notable Quotes:

• “The aesthetic of a children’s birthday party is what we’ve been going for... with no children.” – Aukerman [06:41]

2. Pandemic Banter, Musicals, and Britishisms

Time: [07:10]–[13:00]

• Jason reveals he enjoyed Spielberg’s "West Side Story" (but dislikes musical numbers):
  • “I did find myself being like, well, stop singing and just keep telling me the story.” – Mantzoukas [11:34]
• Riffing on airplane movie edits, the fate of the “Dark Universe,” and British vs. American TV adaptations.
• Launches into cultural touchstones, always with absurd “British” equivalents—mocking the UK/US sitcom cycle:
  • “Friends was based on Coupling. Of course, Coupling was based on Friends.” – Byron Denniston/Andy Daly [22:11]

3. Enter: Byron Denniston, Royal Watcher

Time: [19:00]–[27:00]

• Andy Daly as Byron Denniston, an obsessive British “royal watcher,” now living near Harry and Meghan in California, drops in.
• Deadpan explanations of his “job”:
  • “It couldn’t be easier to understand... I watch the royals.” – Denniston [19:02]
• Discusses Queen Elizabeth’s health and the alleged "spaceship" renovation at Buckingham Palace for royal escape.

4. Surreal Royal Gossip: Explosive Thrones & Platinum Jubilee

Time: [27:05]–[34:00]

• Byron drops a conspiratorial (and hilarious) plotline:
  • The Queen will press a button during her Platinum Jubilee, blowing up her own throne live on TV à la Michael Bay:
    • “There will be an extraordinary explosion... It’s her plan.” – Denniston [29:34, 30:31]
    • “She says, this is my final gift to you, and in closing, fuck you Diana...” – Denniston [33:14]
• The group riffs on royal line-of-succession, building thrones (“like Ikea”), and the possibility of random subjects, including podcast hosts, seizing the throne if they assemble one fast enough.

5. The Pool Duel Challenge is Issued

Time: [36:38]–[41:00]

• Backstory: Byron lost Lady Amelia’s hand to her fiancé “The Grizz” in a sword duel but now seeks a rematch in The Grizz’s own field: water polo.
• Incredulous that Byron’s plan is to beat a water polo instructor at his own game, despite never having played:
  • “Why challenge him at what he does best?” – Scott [38:41]
  • “I never imagined myself... marrying into royalty, sure. But becoming King by building a throne...?” – Denniston [36:09]

6. The Grizz Arrives, Tensions Escalate

Time: [41:09]–[46:00]

• Paul F. Tompkins as “The Grizz” (loud, brash, endlessly confident water polo instructor) bursts in.
• Byron and The Grizz trash-talk, airing their grievances—a long-standing feud.
• The Grizz’s wild, layered backstory is revealed: water polo prodigy, pool-birth upbringing, and massive pride in “pool babies” as British cultural icons.

7. Conspiracy, Absurdity, and Royal Intrigue

Time: [55:40]–[62:20]

• “The Grizz” spins tall tales: Princess Diana’s “death” faked with a mop; child doctors and lawyers in the UK.
• References to “Sha Na Na” band mythology, reflections on which living musicians could serve in a Hall-of-Fame-worthy version, and the “prophecy” if the band’s status changes—a running CBB in-joke.
• A string of surprise guest character appearances (Hot Dog, Brock Lovett, Al Peterson, JW Stillwater) join for increasingly ridiculous asides.

8. The Water Polo Duel: Training, Chaos, and Outcome

Time: [64:38]–[100:45]

• Byron receives a five-minute, near-fatal water polo lesson.
• The match commences (“first goal wins, battle to the drown”). Both competitors are colossally unfit for the task.
• Farcical play-by-play: Byron wins the coin toss (“the face of the Queen”), gets tangled in the net, Grizz drowns, then Byron, then both simultaneously.
• Grizz momentarily revives, rambling about “Australian heaven.” The comic tension resolves with everyone, technically, dead.

Notable Moments:

• “He kept having to do the compressions on your chest. You were saying ‘Annie are you okay?’ the entire time.” – Scott [65:41]
• “Here in the States, you need a workforce of children like we have in the UK.” – The Grizz [57:41]
• “Both drown… this is awful. What has happened here today is awful.” – Scott [100:45]

9. Plugs and Recap

Time: [93:12]–[97:07]

• Classic CBB “Plugs” segment with a chaotic new “oh, no, plugs!” jingle.
• Mantzoukas plugs “How Did This Get Made?” and LA Largo live shows; Tompkins, his live events and (in absentia) Andy Daly’s “Bananas for Bonanza” podcast.
• Scott mentions new CBBWorld content and offers a tongue-in-cheek farewell to the newly “deceased” guests.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On UK/US TV:
  “Every show on NBC Thursdays was adapted from the British—30 Rock, wasn’t that 30 Stone?” — Scott Aukerman [21:55]

• On the Queen’s supposed explosive finale:
  “There will be an extraordinary explosion—and that is of the entire palace? No, of the throne itself.” — Denniston [29:41]

• On duel prep:
  “My plan is to challenge him to a game of water polo... and I have never played at all.” — Byron Denniston [38:45]

• On conspiracy and death in the CBB universe:
  “Diana didn’t die. That was a mop, dear boy. Cut and colored to look like Lady Diana.” — The Grizz [56:48]

• During plugs:
  “Oh, no. Oh, no. Oh, no... it’s time for plugs.” — Scott/Grizz/Byron/Jason et al. [93:12ff]

Important Timestamps

• [11:34] - Jason admits enjoying "West Side Story" despite music aversion.
• [19:02] - Byron Denniston explains "royal watcher."
• [29:34] - The Queen’s plan for throne-explosion revealed.
• [38:45] - Byron issues pool duel challenge.
• [41:09] - The Grizz enters, dueling trash-talk.
• [65:41] - Grizz rescues Byron repeatedly during pool lesson.
• [99:25] - Water polo “duel” results: both drown, chaos ensues.
• [93:12] - Chaotic “Plugs” segment.

Tone & Style

• The show’s tone is anarchic, irreverent, full of running gags and meta-humor.
• Hosts and guests weave between character work, real pop culture references, and complete absurdity, with the "British" royal watcher bit and the “Grizz” as particular comic standouts.

Conclusion

A perfect showcase for Comedy Bang Bang’s long-form improv mayhem, episode 750 is loaded with in-jokes for longtime fans, while offering newcomers a surreal but welcoming entry point. It lampoons British monarchy, skews podcast conventions (celebrity “duels,” TV tropes, conspiracy buffoonery), and leans hard into its open-door, character-collage format. The final “pool duel” is a microcosm of the show’s approach—high-stakes, low-sense, all hilarious.

For listeners new and old: if you like improv chaos, dense layers of joke-callbacks, and the sound of adults cheerfully drowning in their own absurdity, this is CBB at its best.