On CMT: Episode Characters  

characters
Mike Armstrong
Raised by loving parents in a conservative, small town near Louisville, Ky., Mike Armstrong enjoyed a fairly normal childhood. So, what went wrong?

He's an ex-cop -- the kind of cop most people hope for when they get pulled over. "I'd stop cars and warn the speeding drivers about the speed traps up ahead."

"I think that when I quit the police department, three other cops lost their jobs. They simply didn't need that many internal affairs officers anymore!

"I've been married so long, I don't even look both ways when I cross the street."

Armstrong and his wife have a small herd of children (five). The kids are clones of their father. They'll say and do just about anything to get attention.

When a teacher asked son Christopher, "Is that a lucky rabbit's foot?" he responded, "It was the only thing left in the trap. ... Pretty lucky, huh?"

When the teacher called dad to complain about the youngster's behavior, Armstrong offered his true feelings: "Shut up! I'm not married to you!"
Nate Bargatze
Nate Bargatze is a Southern-born comedian from Old Hickory, Tenn. He came from a wonderful home where everyone had a great sense of humor. One of his earliest memories is watching his father who is a world-class comedic magician. Stephen Bargatze is in the Top 150 greatest sleight-of-hand magicians in the world. Although Nate admired what his father did, he was lazy about learning the tricks, so he decided to go into stand-up comedy. In October 2002, he moved to Chicago and started taking improv classes and doing stand up [comedy]. He was in Chicago for two years and then moved to New York City. New York is where he started to get real serious about comedy, performing every night. Although he has been in New York for only two years, he has taken it by storm. Bargatze can be seen at all the clubs and is heard on XM radio.
Gary Mule Deer
Gary Mule Deer, whose unique comedy and music have set him apart as one of a kind, has performed on nearly every major concert stage in the U.S. He has made over 300 television appearances, including many on both The Tonight Show and The Late Show With David Letterman. He was one of six comedians, along with Jay Leno, to appear on the very first HBO comedy special and was the co-host of Don Kirschner's Rock Concert for four years on NBC. He is currently featured on the DVDs Bill Engvall's New All Stars of Country Comedy, Jeff Foxworthy's Comedy Classics and The World's Greatest Stand-up Comedy Collection hosted by Norm Crosby.

Deer entertains regularly in Las Vegas, Reno, Nev., and Atlantic City, N.J., showrooms. For the past 12 years, he has been touring in concert as special guest with Johnny Mathis in major venues, from the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles to Royal Albert Hall in London. He has appeared a number of times on the Grand Ole Opry and entertains international audiences as a celebrity performer for Royal Caribbean. His most recent appearance on The Late Show With David Letterman was July 1, 2005.

Bob Goen, host of Entertainment Tonight, says of Deer, "This guy has got to be the funniest man on the planet." He is an equally great singer and musician. Gary has a new music CD with his Duck and Cover Band, which includes his original "Tribute to Johnny Cash." He has a comedy CD, Yeah, But the Response Was Great, and a new soon-to-be-released comedy and music CD, Gary Mule Deer Live.

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