I'm with Busey is a mockumentary television show which aired on Comedy Central in mid 2003. It revolved around a young writer named Adam de la Peña, who met and befriended his childhood idol, actor Gary Busey. The show has only one season, and the popularity of the show was limited, It has developed a cult following in the years after its cancellation.

Format

The show focuses on Gary Busey teaching Adam de la Peña about life. In one episode, for example, de la Peña complained to Busey about his lack of a love life. Busey helped him become more confident by setting him up with a date and then feeding him lines through an earpiece. Busey told him to tell the girl that he had "a Loch Ness monster in his pants". Much of the humor revolves around Busey-isms, short statements about the world. For example: "Fear is the dark room where the devil develops his negatives." After such a phrase, the camera cuts to de la Peña's confused reaction, or to one of his short, confessional-style monologues. Many of these Busey-isms were later repeated during Busey's appearances on VH1's Celebrity Fit Club. The show appears as real as possible. However, it was later revealed that much of the show was improvisation. Busey and de la Peña agreed on a scene's contents, and then improvised their lines.

Episodes

Each episode has a topic of Adam's or Gary's choosing.

Reception

Variety's Phil Gallo described I'm with Busey ”as low grade as television will allow.”