Ira on Acceptable.TV
Ira posted a note to our website, thisamericanlife.org about his recent contribution to VH1's Acceptable.TV. We're reposting it here, but you should still go to our site sometime.
"I was invited to play a prison gang member in a cartoon. Oh, sure, I winced at the typecasting, but it seemed like it'd be fun, so I did it. I like Acceptable.TV, though it seems to be the worst-publicized show in the history of television. I have yet to meet anyone who's ever seen it or even heard of it. The surprisingly enjoyable premise of the show is that each week, they present five 'TV pilots,' and we in the audience vote for which ones we want to see again. Then the next week, two winners return with new episodes.
"If you want to witness them at their full genius, go to their site and watch 'Homeless James Bond' or 'FBAbdullah.' And is it okay to say on a public radio website that I loved a TV pilot they did called 'Who Farted?' (If you watch that one, note the incredible and perfect music they created for it.)
"The people who make the show seem to love everything about the conventions of television and to see through those conventions with piercing, critical, x-ray eyes--all at once. One of their go-to moves that I especially love is that many of the sketches end on these fake-sincere moments where the characters have tender, TV-sized heartstrings moments. The one in 'FBAbdullah' is sort of a classic, but in the very same episode there's also one in 'Gayliens' and another in 'Operation Kitten Calendar.' I don't think I've seen other sketch comedies do this as well (or certainly as often). It gives the sketches (excuse me, the 'pilots') satisfying endings, which apparently is a tricky thing to do in sketch comedy. The cartoon I'm in is the fifth episode with Mr. Sprinkles. He's a Cat in the Hat figure who enters kids' homes when it rains, inevitably terrifying the kids. They always call the cops, which is how he ended up in prison."
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This American Life® Group (host) Updated: Nov 1, 2009
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Hello TAL folks! A comment from me!
" I don't think I've seen other sketch comedies do this as well (or certainly as often)."
To my knowledge, there's actually been at least two other very successful websites similar to this. The first I can think of is channel101.com. Channel 101 is a California based 'pilot' competition and has many credits to boast. I believe it might be the first (starting sometime in 2003).
The site features a couple "pilots" from creative team 'The Lonely Island'. They all work on SNL now, producing the digital shorts sketches like 'Lazy Sunday' and 'My Dick In A Box', which have swept the internet by storm. Their big pilot? 'The 'Bu'. A sarcastic look at "O.C.-esque" dramas.
Channel 101 had the show Yacht Rock, which inadvertently gave a name to a style in rock long uncategorized. It has received wide attention from websites, magazines, morning rock radio station DJs... You can actually see 'Yacht Rock' sections in record stores now.
"Bigger" names have contributed to Channel 101 as well. Jack Black has been in several shows. Drew Carey plays an accidental hitman for hire in one pilot. Sarah Silverman, Sarah Chalk (from Scrubs), and Flavor Flav have been in Channel 101 shows. Bill Cosby even sent a cease and desist to the creator of 'House of Cosbys'.
There's also pilots that aren't fancy or star filled. Just amusing, like the historically inaccurate but hilarious hijinks of The Wright Brothers in 'The Wright Stuff'.
Another similar website is Channel102.net, New York based sister competition of Channel 101. While not as big (yet), Channel 102's current claim to fame is that show Gemberling! (which features a great cameo of Rob Corddry as Steve Perry) has been picked up by the Adult Swim programing of Cartoon Network.
My boyfriend just looked over this and said I "schooled you". I don't think that's quite the case, but I wanted you to know that there were other such websites out there. I'm a bit of a "fangirl", I guess you could say. =)
Now, I feel stupid. Oh well. My sister totally loved it though, I came down ten minutes after I showed it to her and she was watching the episode again. It was pretty weird connecting your voice to a weird guy who does cartwheels.
I would be scared if Mr. Sprinkles came to my house. He's scary looking.
Imaginary Fun Time League. Genius.
but rock on, Ira, I love TAL and although I don't get showtime I am a devoted fan of the radio show and will support that forever!