The Dog and Pony Show

When Drew has the prize-winning dog shaved and neutered, he and his friends decide to perform a striptease at the local bar, The Warsaw Tavern, to earn quick cash to buy a replacement.

"The Dog and Pony Show" was seen by an estimated 12.4 million viewing households, finishing in 15th place in the ratings for the week it aired.

Kate O'Brien (Christa Miller) offers to take the dog, Lucky, to Drew's house; but she has to leave suddenly to pick up her boyfriend Oswald (Diedrich Bader).

Lewis Kiniski (Ryan Stiles) backs out of the performance at the last minute, but Larry Almada (Ian Gomez) steps in as his replacement.

With the bar full, the guys begin their routine, but are soon stopped by the police, who explain that due to zoning regulations, stripping is illegal at The Warsaw.

"The Dog and Pony Show" was co-written by producers Robert Borden and Deborah Oppenheimer, and directed by Steve Zuckerman.

[3] However, Andrew Essex from Entertainment Weekly reported that cast members Mark Addy, Paul Barber, Steve Huison and Hugo Speer were not allowed to perform on the show after being stopped by the American immigration department because they did not have work permits.

[5] The set was closed to the usual taping audience when Carey, Bader, Ferguson, Gomez and Stiles performed their striptease to The Edgar Winter Group's "Free Ride".

[5] Gomez said that having two guys paint his body in make-up was "more embarrassing" than filming the routine, while Stiles joked that the episode was the first time he had been "totally naked" since he was cast in the show.

[10] The reporter thought the take on The Full Monty was "sharply silly" and said "Carey's striptease doesn't come till the show's end.

"[11] The Spokesman-Review's John Martin stated that while he usually condemned the "cheap, tawdry use of nudity" to boost ratings, it was different with Carey and he thought the take on The Full Monty was "riotous" and "wild".

[13] The Chicago Tribune's Steve Johnson said the show was "working at its usual level" and called the homage to The Full Monty "uninspired".