Michael Ian Black and Tom Cavanagh have combined for the first time since “Ed” to produce a weekly podcast that rivals anything ever before offered for free on iTunes.

“Mike and Tom Eat Snacks” (MATES) is a show about two hilarious people with perfectly in-sync surreal senses of humor eating and rating snacks.

Black is an actor and comedian probably best known for his membership in the comedy trio Stella, though he also contributes to those ubiquitous VH1 clip shows (“I Love the 70s, 80s, 90s, The Great Depression, etc).

Cavanagh is an actor who starred as Ed on “Ed” and as Zach Braff’s older brother on “Scrubs.” Though he might come off as very Canadian to American ears, Cavannagh proves to be a verbal sparring partner nimble enough to keep up with Black.

Using their ingenious “P-E-R” system, in which they pick a snack, eat a snack, and then rate a snack on a scale of 1 to 10, the duo munch their way through snacks ranging from Snickers to the rare Irish treat “pickled onion Meanies.”

The jokes are reworked from episode to episode, so the humor makes a lot more sense if the episodes are listened to from the very beginning. More than thirty episodes later, callback jokes have become the best punch lines. The show is weird, exceedingly so at times, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad.

Once fans start sending in snacks they want reviewed, including expired desserts and an Israeli variety of Cheetos, things become even more bizarre.

The food serves as a jumping off point for surreal improvised comedy filled with occasionally deeply filthy language.

Despite its culinary base, the subject matter never resembles “Iron Chef” or “The Splendid Table.”

Just when the topic might start to get boring, one of the hosts will go off on a really stupid story about the White House or bike racing or something else dumb.

The podcast is an excellent substitute for the “Real Housewives of Flint” season nine reunion you were planning on watching tonight. I’ve run out of strategies for convincing you MATES is worth a listen. Just download this show.

Rating - 5 out of 5 stars

The stars of Comedy Central’s “Michael and Michael Have Issues” will lecture about making a television show at 7 p.m. Wednesday in Warriner Hall’s Plachta Auditorium.

“They’re going to talk about the behind-the-scenes of being on TV and making their show (‘Michael and Michael’),” said Program Board comedy chairwoman Nikki Burnstein.

The Farmington Hills junior said although the lecture is not primarily a comedy show, the audience can expect some laughs.

“It’s going to be more humorous,” Burnstein said. “I feel like it’s not going to be what you would expect from comedians, and it’s not what you would expect from a lecture. It’s kind of in between.”

Burnstein said she has heard a lot of positive feedback about the planned event, and is expecting a good turnout Wednesday.

“This one, I have a lot higher expectations,” she said. “I always hope to sell out Plachta but, this one, I feel a lot more potential to see that happening.”

As well as “Michael and Michael,” Black and Showalter have worked together on Comedy Central’s “Stella,” MTV’s “The State” and the film “Wet Hot American Summer.”

Burnstein said she is most familiar with Black as a panelist on VH1 shows such as “I Love The ’80s,” which Showalter also appeared on, albeit less prominently.

“Michael Ian Black has been on all the ‘I Love The’ series on VH1, and I personally think he’s pretty funny,” Burnstein said. “He seems personable. It feels like he’s talking to you.”

Lake City sophomore Craig Johnson said although he is not familiar with Black’s and Showalter’s comedy, he may attend the lecture with friends if his schedule permits.

“I know they’re pretty well-known comedians,” he said. “I know a few people who are going, and they are really excited.”

Comedians Michael Ian Black and Michael Showalter will lecture on making a comedy television show at 7 p.m. Nov. 4 at Warriner Hall’s Plachta Auditorium.

Journalist and author Chuck Klosterman will talk at 7 p.m. Nov. 30 in Plachta Auditorium. Both events are free and open to the public.

Program Board lecture chairwoman Nikki Burnstein said although Black and Showalter are not performing stand-up, their presentation will contain comedy in it.

“I thought it was interesting, because it’s a little different from a normal lecture, because they’re comedians,” the Farmington Hills junior said. “But they’re promoting their tour as a lecture series, and they’ll be talking about what it’s like to make a TV show.”

Black and Showalter have appeared in MTV’s “The State,” the film “Wet Hot American Summer,” Comedy Central shows “Stella” and their current “Michael and Michael Have Issues.”

“I’ve seen a lot about them on Comedy Central,” said Coordinator of Student Activities Damon Brown. “They’re taking their act and turning it into a lecture, so that’s really interesting.”

Burnstein said she is expecting a large audience turnout for the comedians.

“It’s focusing on their show ‘Michael and Michael Have Issues,’ and they’re going to go into the behind-the-scenes of what goes into making a comedy television show,”

Burnstein said. “It’s in Plachta, so I would hope they have to open up the balcony for the show.”

The author

Brown said although the Klosterman lecture has been planned for some time, the Black and Showalter lecture is a recent addition.

“We’ve had the Chuck Klosterman (lecture) booked, we’ve been working on that since the summer,” Brown said. “Then the Showalter and Ian Black one, they just started touring. That’s one that just kind of fell into our laps. We really wanted to get them in this semester — it was a great opportunity to bring folks of that caliber to campus.”

Klosterman has written for Spin and Esquire magazines and is author of the books “Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs: A Low Culture Manifesto,” and the upcoming “Eating The Dinosaur.”

“He’s an author, and I thought it was an interesting (lecture),” Burnstein said. “It’s a very opinionated thing, and it’s very interesting to hear people’s views on life and pop culture and things like that.”