‘Shark Tank: The Final Episode’ pokes fun at spotlight-hungry entrepreneurs

ABC’s Shark Tank was recently in town, hearing pitches from Philly’s entrepreneurial community. Meanwhile, in an undisclosed location, a duo of local playwrights put the finishing touches on “Shark Tank”: The Final Episode, a sketch comedy, reality TV and live show hybrid that opened up last week to positive reviews at the Philly Improv Theater.

The premise behind the show is simple: How dumb could Shark Tank get?

“One day I thought, ‘Hey, I could write a Shark Tank script,” said cocreator Max Sittenfield. “Then I thought, ‘Wow, that’s really dumb.’ So I spent the next 60 weeks writing it.”

With the help of Sean Keegan-Landis, the show’s storyline depicts a “jaded panel of business experts listening to dumb product pitches while looking for any excuse to end the show for good.”

On July 21 and 22, the show is staging an encore featuring a cast of 58 comedians, including performers Rob O’Neill, David Donnella, Molly Scullion and Frank Farrell.