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Jon Benjamin Has a Van

Jon Benjamin Has a Van

News travels fast. Jon Benjamin travels faster.

2011Ended1 season10 episodes~30 min/epTV-14Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all shows

Jon Benjamin Has a Van is a live-action television comedy series that aired in the summer of 2011 on Comedy Central. The series stars Jon Benjamin as a reporter who tours around in a van to deliver uninteresting news to the viewers and to unsuspecting people while utilizing scripted scenes for narrative reasons. The series' cancellation was announced in April 2012. Special guests include Patton Oswalt, David Cross, Jon Glaser, Eric Wareheim, Tim Heidecker, Matt Walsh, Ian Roberts, Jay Johnston, Bob Odenkirk, Chloé Dumas, Jerry Minor, Andy Richter, Larry Murphy, Rich Fulcher, Chris Parnell, Brendon Small, and Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett.

Your rating, lists and review

Where to watch

Where can I watch Jon Benjamin Has a Van?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Jon Benjamin Has a Van to rent or buy on Apple TV, and on no subscription service.

Rent / Buy

Buy

Highlights

What stands out about Jon Benjamin Has a Van?

Jon Benjamin Has a Van earns 3 badges, led by Crowd Pleaser and Fun.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood

Reception

Is Jon Benjamin Has a Van worth watching?

Jon Benjamin Has a Van's Midcredits score is the 69th percentile of all shows, from 1.9K ratings across 2 sources. 79% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

69th percentile

Better received than 69% of shows

67th percentile among Comedy68th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)65th
Approval (how many liked it)70th

Acclaim

Crowd Pleaser: Rating-distribution shape vs the catalog

How much people like it

74 /100

65th percentile of all shows

66th percentile among Comedy63rd percentile among 2010s

Rating distribution

Most people land high, with a thin tail of low scores from those it didn't reach.

Approval

How many liked it

79% liked it

70th percentile of all shows

65th percentile among Comedy68th percentile among 2010s
79% rated it 7–1021% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

48th percentile

1.9K ratings across platforms

32nd percentile among Comedy54th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 65% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps agree the show's humor is dry, quirky, and not for mainstream audiences.

Fans praised

  • clever meta-humor and absurd sketch concepts
  • Benjamin's deadpan, lovable-jerk persona
  • offbeat, slow-burn comedy with high rewatch value

Detractors panned

  • dry, boring jokes that rarely land
  • sketches dragged out without punchlines

What stands out

HumorDivisive70

absurd, subtle, love-it-or-hate-it

Preferred by

US vs non-US

Preferred by US Viewers

US viewers scored it 10 points higher than non-US viewers.

Episodes

1 season

Season 1 · 2011 · 10 episodes

  • S1E1
    S1E1

    Border

    Jun 14, 201125 min
  • S1E2
    S1E2

    Little Italy

    Jun 15, 201125 min
  • S1E3
    S1E3

    Star Door

    Jun 22, 201125 min
  • S1E4
    S1E4

    Breakdown

    Jun 29, 201125 min
  • S1E5
    S1E5

    Road Rage

    Jul 6, 201125 min
  • S1E6
    S1E6

    Suicide

    Jul 13, 201125 min

Watch experience

What is Jon Benjamin Has a Van like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Ironic, light and gentle — a slow-burn watch that leaves you entertained.

ToneFeelDemandexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

What it feels like

Moods
AbsurdMelancholic
Heaviest: throughout
Absurdist humor: Deliberately illogical; embraces nonsense.
Register
Satirical · 5% of showsDeadpan · 1% of shows: Delivered flat and unsmiling, which is the joke.
Told as
Sketch or variety · 1% of showsSingle-season story
ToneThe show adopts a deadpan, satirical stance, mocking news conventions with absurd, often mean-spirited sketches.
The rideThe show maintains a steady, low-intensity absurdist tone throughout its run.
StructureNo overarching narrative structure; the show is a collection of sketches.
Episode formatThe show presents a reporter covering trivial things, which suggests a sketch-based format with no continuing story.
Season formatThe series aired one season and concluded.

How it leaves you

what you carry away
FunThought-provoking
Why it leaves you this wayThe show's absurd satire and meta humor leave the viewer amused and occasionally contemplative about the ridiculousness.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all shows
Monster — 18% of shows. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of shows. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 6% of shows. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 2% of shows. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 12% of shows. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 4% of shows. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 7% of shows. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 8% of shows. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 40% of showsPredator — 7% of shows. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 3% of shows. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of shows. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 3% of shows. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of shows. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of shows. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of shows. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of shows. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of shows. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of shows. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — 1% of shows. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of shows. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of shows. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of shows. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of shows. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 2% of shows. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 4% of shows. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of shows. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — under 1% of shows. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of shows. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 1% of shows. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — under 1% of shows. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of shows. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — under 1% of shows. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 2% of shows. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of shows. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of shows. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of shows. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 2% of shows. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of shows. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — under 1% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 1% of shows. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 1% of shows. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 1% of shows. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 1% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 3% of shows. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of shows. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 1% of shows. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of shows. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 6% of shows. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 1% of shows. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 18%: Predator 7% · Tyrant 3% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 3% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 6%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 2% · Mission 4% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage under 1%
  • Voyage 2%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 1% · Survival ordeal under 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent under 1%
  • Comedy 12%: Romantic comedy 2% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 2%
  • Tragedy 4%: Hubris 1% · Obsession under 1% · Corruption arc 1% · Doomed love 1% · Crushed by fate 1%
  • Rebirth 7%: Redemption 1% · Healing 3% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 1%
  • Mystery 8%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 6% · Enigma 1%
  • No archetype 40% (this title)

No archetype fits — true of 40% of shows: ensemble pieces, satire, slice-of-life.

Why this archetypeAs a sketch variety show without a narrative throughline, no single plot archetype governs the series.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 31% of showsSelf — 27% of showsPower — 7% of showsMorality — 11% of showsSurvival — 9% of showsSociety — 10% of showsIdeas — 5% of showsRomantic love — 10% of showsMarriage — 2% of showsFamily bonds — 22% of showsParenthood — 1% of showsFriendship — 18% of showsLoyalty — 7% of showsIdentity — 20% of showsComing of age — 9% of showsAging — under 1% of showsSelf-worth — 7% of showsAmbition — 14% of showsPurpose — 16% of showsMemory — 3% of showsObsession — 2% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 5% of showsCorruption — 3% of showsGreed — 2% of showsClass — 4% of showsOppression — 2% of showsFreedom — 4% of showsJustice — 14% of showsDuty — 2% of showsRevenge — 1% of showsGuilt — 1% of showsRedemption — 3% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — under 1% of showsSacrifice — 2% of showsBetrayal — 3% of showsDeception — 6% of showsSurvival — 12% of showsWar — 1% of showsViolence — 2% of showsMortality — 2% of showsGrief — 4% of showsTrauma — 5% of showsMental illness — under 1% of showsAddiction — under 1% of showsIllness and disability — under 1% of showsCommunity — 25% of shows. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 3% of showsPrejudice — 2% of showsDisplacement — 1% of showsFaith — 1% of showsTradition vs change — 3% of showsFame — 5% of showsLegacy — 3% of showsFate — 1% of showsFree will — under 1% of showsTruth — 6% of showsHope — 4% of showsNature — 3% of showsArt — 2% of showsTechnology — 1% of showsSelfFameSociety
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 31%: Romantic love 10% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 22% · Parenthood 1% · Friendship 18% · Loyalty 7%
  • Self 27%: Identity 20% · Coming of age 9% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 14% · Purpose 16% · Memory 3% · Obsession 2%
  • Power 7%: Power 5% · Corruption 3% · Greed 2% · Class 4% · Oppression 2% · Freedom 4%
  • Morality 11%: Justice 14% · Duty 2% · Revenge 1% · Guilt 1% · Redemption 3% · Forgiveness under 1% · Sacrifice 2% · Betrayal 3% · Deception 6%
  • Survival 9%: Survival 12% · War 1% · Violence 2% · Mortality 2% · Grief 4% · Trauma 5% · Mental illness under 1% · Addiction under 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 10% (this title): Community 25% · Isolation 3% · Prejudice 2% · Displacement 1% · Faith 1% · Tradition vs change 3% · Fame 5% (this title) · Legacy 3%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 6% · Hope 4% · Nature 3% · Art 2% · Technology 1%

Society

Fame · 5% of shows
Satirizes its theme: Attacks its theme through ridicule.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe show satirizes the kind of media that magnifies the trivial, suggesting a world hungry for meaningless attention.
StanceThe show satirizes the media's obsession with triviality and the culture of meaningless fame.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanIn transitStylized realism
ExperimentalBackground music · original score
Settingan unnamed city, the reporter's van serving as mobile studio

Cast and crew

Who is in Jon Benjamin Has a Van?

Cast

Leo Allen
as Leo
Nathan Fielder
as Nathan
Gary Wilmes
as Dave Kneebone
Allison McCurdy
as Bikini Girl
Rich Fulcher
as Edward Sheath
Christopher Warren
as Detective
Jon Morgan Woodward
as Reaction Jackson
Matt Walsh
as Dr. Nathan Kumerly
Scott Deckert
as Guitar Player Steve
Samantha Colburn
as HOTL Actress

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