Since 2012, “The Eric Andre Show” can best be described as a whirlwind of chaos. Each 11-minute episode is a wild take on the traditional late-night format, hosted by a terrifyingly exaggerated version of comedian Eric Andre. It always starts with him destroying his set in increasingly ridiculous ways, only to have it quickly replaced as he’s gasping for air, while the offbeat studio band is playing something disturbing.

When celebrities stop by, they face a litany of challenging situations, such as worms being thrown on them, skyrocketing studio temperatures, Andre’s outfit getting completely ripped off or snakes slithering out of the coffee cup on his desk. Non-professional actors wander in and out of the segments, sometimes nailing their lines and sometimes blowing them, causing the whole affair to feel like a hyperactive David Lynch film.

If the concept of a nightmarish talk show blending with the whimsical feel of “Pee-wee’s Playhouse” doesn’t sound like the type of show that would garner Emmy nominations, Andre readily agrees.

“I felt entirely outside of the show's scope,” Andre, also serving as an executive producer on the show, says. “I didn’t even feel like I was on the map or part of the conversation, so even securing these two nominations feels utterly astonishing to me. I’m incredibly happy, though. After over a decade, we've received that recognition, and I'm truly grateful for it.”

The awards — for Andre as outstanding short form performer in a short form comedy or drama series and the show overall for outstanding short form comedy, drama or variety series — are a welcome recognition for such an offbeat project. Kitao Sakurai, Andre’s long-time collaborator and an executive producer on the show, who has also directed the majority of the episodes since the beginning, says the series’ isolated world allows for a unique type of creativity.

“It’s almost like providing the world with an external psychedelic journey,” he explains. “There’s a balance there between the show's primary voice and how it truly takes a collaborative effort to bring it to life. There are so many other amazing voices, collaborators, friends, and family members who have contributed to the show's unique universe. We continue to collaborate with many of these individuals, and there’s

consistency and trust, which ultimately gives the show its distinctive voice and specific identity.”

One of the elements that contribute to the show's unique viewing experience is the daring and mind-bending editing of its disparate segments, which Andre asserts lays the groundwork for its visual language.

“Editing is the key,” he states. “It’s often said that television is a writer’s domain and movies are a director’s. But I believe ‘ The Eric Andre Show ’ is an editor’s realm. A significant portion of the comedic impact of the written jokes stems from the editing, the tone, the visual style. Our completely dysfunctional editing process is the driving force behind all of it.”

While the humor remains as wild and unpredictable as ever, solidifying its position as a surreal centerpiece on Adult Swim, Sakurai — who also helmed more conventional television episodes in 2023 for shows like “Dave” and “Twisted Metal” — notes that the creation of “Eric Andre” has grown increasingly refined as the team delves deeper into concepts and comedic strategies.

“Having done ‘The Eric Andre Show’ is like a trial by fire,” he says. “You go through a lot of hardship producing the show, and despite the incredible stress and lack of resources, you really have to be focused [asking], ‘What is the clear purpose behind this bit?’ ‘What is this trying to communicate?’ The fundamental comedic and narrative concepts still have to be there.”

The challenges go beyond the staff, as “The Eric Andre Show” is notorious for putting celebrity guests through unexpected, uncomfortable situations. Some of this season’s most bizarre celeb moments included an angry leprechaun blowing marijuana smoke in Donald Glover’s face, Jon Hamm being awkwardly questioned about Kevin Spacey during their time filming “Baby Driver” together, and Jaden Smith’s chair giving birth during his interview.

Although Andre is well-known enough to have some big names in his phone, he never tells guests what they're in for to keep their reactions authentic.

“I don’t provide any information,” he reveals. “I can’t control if they’ve seen the show, but we go to extreme lengths to maintain secrecy. In the cases of Donald Glover and Jon Hamm, I know them from my personal life. But once you’re in the chair, and cockroaches start bursting out of the desk, it doesn’t matter if you’re close friends. You’re going to have an authentic reaction.”

The sixth season coincided with Andre’s growing prominence in the prank comedy landscape, marked by his collaborations with TruTV staples like “Impractical Jokers,” his appearance in the 2022 film “Jackass Forever”, and his co-hosting role on the ABC series “The Prank Panel.” During this period, he also forged a partnership with “Jackass” co-creator and director Jeff Tremaine, who played a crucial role in supporting Andre and Sakurai on their 2021 comedic film “Bad Trip.”

Tremaine also had the opportunity to lend his directorial expertise to some of the “street segments” during the sixth season of “The Eric Andre Show.”

Andre credits Tremaine's experience with helping him see stunts, pranks, and comedy in a new light. “He taught us a lot about prank production,” he says. “It’s not just hiding cameras and figuring things out on our own, but how to draw someone into the prank and keep them engaged. Before, the pranks were very rough. I would just break through a window and fall down, and you’d see someone go, ‘Whoa!’ And that would be it. Jeff said, ‘That’s the beginning of the prank. You just got them on the hook. After you break through the window or whatever, keep talking to them — and they’re the stars of the show more than you. You’re setting things up.’ It’s funny. Comedy is a bunch of smart people trying to come up with really silly jokes.”