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The State reunited in quarantine for "Porcupine Racetrack 2020" video

How are you keeping busy during coronavirus lockdown? The members of ’90s-era sketch comedy troupe The State, who had their own show on MTV before members went on to do stuff like Reno 911 and Wet Hot American Summer, reunited to recreate their 1995 musical sketch “Porcupine Racetrack,” which Michael Showalter referred to as “The Sgt. Pepper’s of The State’s sketch canon.” Showalter and fellow State members Kevin Allison, Michael Ian Black, Ben Garant, Todd Holoubek, Michael Patrick Jann, Kerri Kenney, Thomas Lennon, Joe Lo Truglio, Ken Marino, and David Wain all contributed from their homes with help from a host of musicians. You can watch, along with the original sketch, below.

For more on “Porcupine Racetrack,” The New York Times did an oral history of the sketch back in 2009 when The State reunited:

Michael Showalter: It’s sort of the “Sgt. Pepper’s” of “The State”’s sketch canon. It was our biggest production piece by far. It was shot on film, and we had music composed for it, and we did choreography and big costumes. “The State,” by and large, was comprised of theater kids more than comedy wannabes. Most of the group grew up doing theater camp, and a lot of people in the group were acting majors at NYU. So being able to do a musical was kind of a dream come true.

David Wain: Tom Lennon pitched it exactly as it ran – it never got revised. He basically took out a scratched out piece of paper and started singing, “Porcupine, porcupine, porcupine racetrack.” All the way to the end.

In related “it’s back” news, Thomas Lennon, Kerri Kenney and Robert Ben Garant’s series Reno 911 is back with new episodes on Quibi.

Meanwhile, The State’s Kevin Allison — who is decked out in bondage gear in the “Porcupine Racetrack 2020” video (which he just happened to have at home?) — has been doing livestream editions of his RISK! podcast and the next one takes place this Saturday (4/25) at 8 PM Eastern.