Fly on the Wall with Dana Carvey and David Spade
Episode: Esquire, Encore, & Emergencies
Date: February 23, 2026
Host: Audacy
Episode Overview
In this lively Monday riff episode, comedians Dana Carvey and David Spade run through a whirlwind of personal anecdotes, observational banter, showbiz stories, and wild improvised bits. The highlights include a behind-the-scenes look at Spade’s recent Esquire interview, an accidental “encore” disaster at the Comedy Store, extreme weather emergencies, a wild Epstein parody guest, and a flurry of celebrity impressions in “Buzzing Around.” The duo’s hallmark camaraderie, quick wit, and improvisational chemistry drive an engaging, joke-heavy episode packed with nostalgia, self-deprecation, and riffing on absurd news and viral clips.
Key Segments & Discussion Points
1. Esquire Interview & Showbiz Musings
Timestamps: 04:44 - 09:27
- David’s Esquire Interview: Spade shares that the Esquire editor dug deeper than most, focusing the profile around “What I’ve Learned.”
- On opening up: “He did dig into the dad a little bit.” (05:35)
- The challenge of being interesting versus mysterious: “Not everyone needs to know every God dang thing about you.” — David (07:17)
- On Interviews and Fame:
- Reflection on reality TV and overexposure—“People...do anything and then they regret it for 20 years. It just follows you...” — David (06:56)
- Dana and David riff about keeping "a little mystery" and resisting the urge to overshare.
2. Comedy Store Wipeout & Comic Camaraderie
Timestamps: 07:41 - 13:55
- Encore Disaster: Spade regales with a story about performing at the Comedy Store, accidentally orchestrating his own encore, and wiping out as he exited—injuring his neck.
- “I do my set. Crush. Kill other people’s words. Levitate the room.” — David (07:41)
- “This pudgy fat guy had his table stuck outside...I crack in full sprint. My knee into a table...snapped my neck. And everyone goes, ‘whoa.’” — David (11:13)
- Comic Encounters: Cameos from Bill Burr and Bobby Lee, describing Bobby as “Xanax in human form.” (09:39)
3. Weather Emergencies and Tornado Tales
Timestamps: 19:07 - 21:35
- Tornado Alert Story: Dana’s vivid retelling of being jolted awake by a real tornado warning.
- “Tornado in your vicinity. Please, please, you know, get in a small room in your house.” — Dana (19:29)
- “I could hear it pounding on the ceiling...it does wake me. It’s so loud.” — David (20:16)
- Weather becomes a theme, with classic banter about LA rain, tornado alley, and house-buying in “Dorothy country” (as in “The Wizard of Oz”).
4. Epstein Bit & “Guest” Interview
Timestamps: 22:03 - 24:16
- Sketch Interview: A fake “guest” claims to know where Jeffrey Epstein is. The bit is an off-the-rails improvisation featuring a “Steve” who might or might not be Epstein in disguise, complete with a magic marker mustache.
- “You claim to know something about where Jeffrey Epstein was. Yeah. Does he look like Jeffrey Epstein?...No, he looks a little bit like...it feels like it’s Jeffrey Epstein with a mustache or something.” — Dana & David (22:10 – 22:32)
- The hosts crack up about the lack of rehearsal for these bits and joke about writing a crawl that says “no thought was put into any of these bits today.” (24:36)
5. “Buzzing Around” — Improv and Impressions
Timestamps: 25:22 - 31:20
- Impression Challenge: Sponsored by Five Hour Energy, Dana and David invent a scene where Joe Biden (as a highway patrol officer) pulls over Paul McCartney, with Michael Caine and Bad Bunny in the car.
- Dana as McCartney: “Yes, hello, officer. This is Paul McCartney. License, registration?...I have an Arby’s takeout menu.” (26:59)
- David, as Biden: “No joke. I’m being serious. Come on.” (27:57)
- A parade of impressions ensues, including Dennis Miller and Bob Dylan, rapidly shifting scenarios.
- The hosts revel in the improvisation, agreeing, “Improv is the funnest, I gotta say.” — Dana (33:33)
6. Viral News, Pop Culture & Absurdity
Timestamps: 31:33 – 52:43
- Viral Streamer Face-Filter Fail: The guys riff on a Chinese streamer whose filter malfunction lost her 140,000 followers.
- “Thoughts and prayers go out to her for losing 140 [sic], 140,000 followers. That’s a lot. If I did that, I don’t know if I’d come to work.” — David (33:16)
- Goofy Town Names & Larry King Bits: Dana channels old Larry King, riffing “Oozing Sore, Minnesota,” and “Pustule, Nevada.” (34:51)
- Stadium Naming Riffs: Discussion of corporate arena names (Crypto, Waste Management, “Constipated Stadium”) and the charm of classic names like Dodger Stadium. (36:32)
- Amusement Park Anxieties: Stories about wild rides gone wrong and Spade’s aversion to anything beyond Pirates of the Caribbean. “It’s 98% mountain, very little magic.” — David on Magic Mountain (41:27)
7. Twilight Zone Nostalgia
Timestamps: 50:33 – 52:43
- Twilight Zone Recap: Dana and David lovingly retell the "Time Enough at Last" episode, with Burgess Meredith’s iconic, tragic twist.
- “He becomes kind of euphoric—‘Time!’—and he reaches for the book and the glasses fall off and break. ‘But I had time, I had time.’” — David (51:37)
8. UFC Clip & Live Streaming Fails
Timestamps: 54:11 – 57:25
- Viral Fight Video: The duo comment on a viral confrontation involving a brash streamer and an ex-UFC fighter, leading to a viral knockout.
- “If that’s his hook, I wouldn’t keep doing that because it looked like a really—” — Dana (57:10)
- Wisdom for the brash youth: “You've got to know when you're around dudes that are bigger — people have a short fuse and they'll just hit you.” — David (56:03)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On Mystery in Showbiz:
“Keep a little mystery. Not everyone needs to know every God dang thing about you.”
— David Spade (07:16) -
On Standup Mishaps:
“I crack in full sprint, my knee into a table...snapped my neck. And everyone goes, ‘whoa.’ Like, it was so painful.”
— David Spade (11:25) -
On Comic Camaraderie:
“Bobby Lee is very likable and fun to hang out with...he's Xanax in human form.”
— David Spade (09:39) -
On Viral Fame and Face Filters:
“So I could put on a David Spade face, potentially.”
— David Spade (32:51) -
On Magic Mountain:
“It’s 98% mountain, very little magic.”
— David Spade (41:27) -
On Classic TV and Improv:
“Improv is the funnest, I gotta say.”
— Dana Carvey (33:33)
Additional Running Bits and Callbacks
- Signature Banter & Silliness: From low-key hair talk to fake product plugs, the duo effortlessly slides between observational comedy, old-Hollywood tangents, and outlandish improv.
- Callbacks to Previous Episodes/Guests: Mentions of Bill Burr, Bobby Lee, and references to their soon-to-be-released Eddie Vedder interview.
- Audience Engagement: Repeated reminders to send listener questions and feedback.
Episode Timeline & Key Timestamps
| Time | Segment / Topic | |----------|-------------------------------------------------| | 04:44 | Spade’s Esquire Interview Story | | 07:41 | Comedy Store “Encore” & Wipeout | | 09:39 | Comic Encounters: Bill Burr & Bobby Lee | | 19:07 | Tornado Emergency Story | | 22:03 | Epstein “Guest” Bit | | 25:22 | “Buzzing Around” Impressions / Improv | | 31:33 | Viral Streamer & Face Filter Story | | 36:32 | Naming Rights Riffs (Stadiums) | | 40:38 | Amusement Park Anecdotes | | 50:33 | Twilight Zone, Burgess Meredith Recap | | 54:11 | UFC Clip/Live Streaming Violence |
Overall Tone & Style
The episode is fast-paced, sharp, riff-driven, and delightfully absurd — a classic Carvey-Spade hour where the boundaries between structured storytelling, crowd-pleasing bits, and total improvisational chaos dissolve. The show is rich with nostalgia, industry in-jokes, gentle roasts, and the kind of freewheeling banter only long-entrenched comedy pals can deliver.
For New Listeners
If you’re new to Fly on the Wall, this episode captures the spirit of the show: a comfortable, rolling hangout between Carvey and Spade packed with showbiz stories, off-the-cuff sketches, and the perpetual promise that anything — and everything — is fair game for a joke.
Note:
Advertisements, sponsor reads, and formal credits have been omitted in this summary.
All quotes are accurately attributed, in original tone and language, with timestamps formatted as (MM:SS).