What would Keanu do? Rich and Lee discuss the latest flick from Pegg and Wright.

Hot Fuzz
Shaun of the Dead
Spaced
Black Books

Special guest appearance by Stuart Jaffe (Eclectic Review) and Tee Morris (Billibub Baddings)!

 

 Standard Podcast: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

We’ve all seen the commercials for Geico. Pretty entertaining, actually. I’ve been a fan. Hell, I’m even a little hooked on the Royksopp song from the airport/moving sidewalk episode (wait, did I just say episode?) I just found out, thanks to that bastion of time wasters IMDB, that they are shooting a pilot for a television series based on the characters featured in the commercials.
Proof: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0981216/
Now, here is my problem with this. Could they make a show out of the premise? Sure. We’ve all chuckled at Encino Man, and Phil Hartman as an Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer was genius. But the issue isn’t about the material, but more the universe and format of it. They have a serious universe setup in the commercials. Granted the concept is ridiculous, but the universe is a very real, very consequence riddled universe. The entire point of the commercials is a comical look at racism and bias. But if you take this and add a laugh track, the juxtaposition of the serious advertisements vs the sitcom entrapments is a bit too jarring. But then again, the parody-like nature of the original Battlestar Gallactica vs the ‘uber thinking involved with watching’ current incarnation has done well. And many fans have followed suit, switching their brains from seeing Salena’s Pappi instead of Pa Cartwright leading the last surviving humans. So it isn’t outside of reason, just outside of probability.
I can only really foresee the Caveman having only so many possible episodes before the show jumps the proverbial Ichthyosaurs:
The Halloween episode where he keeps scaring the kids.
The Alf episode where some scientists try to study him after one of his buddies sells him for research.
And the inevitable pursuit of Geico to have the commercials removed. That could be a good back plot. Mythos episodes. Think of the X-Files episodes where Mulder tries to find out what happened to his sister. But what happens after he wins. Most sitcoms have a love interest that is the main chase for the show. Once that sexual tension is gone, so are the viewers.
Making good TV isn’t easy, but maybe a caveman can do it.

Hello All,

Rich Sam and I will be attending Ravencon ’07 in Richmond Virginia this weekend. We’ll also be collecting audio for the next episode of the Cinemafreaks due out in May. There are rumors this episode will feature live interviews with a couple of major characters from a certain Sci-Fi epic masterpiece that is celebrating it’s 30 year anniversary next month.

Be sure to check back here for con-goodies and stop by Rich and Davey’s radio serial podcast Amazing Pulp Adventures Starring Mr. Adventure . One of the things we’ll be doing at Ravencon is a live reading of a brand new Amazing Pulp Adventure which I assume will be made available to listen to at the Pulp Adventures site.

Have a good weekend!

The pilot episode of the Cinemafreaks has arrived!  And fittingly, on Friday the 13th.

Rich and Christiana Ellis (guest interviewer) had a chance to talk to Jim Butcher, creator and author of the Dresden Files, now a highly rated series on the Sci Fi Channel.  With him was Fred Hicks from Evil Hat Games, and host of the Butcher Block, the Jim Butcher Podcast.

Promos:
geekgirl.tv
geeklabel.com
scifismackdown.com

Bad Movie Plots provided by badmovies.org

Music provided by permission from maxallenmusic.com

 

 Standard Podcast: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Episode one is coming on Friday the 13th! But to satiate your need for mainstream mockery, enjoy this preshow recorded clip.

Rich entertains Lee and Sam as they test mics and programs to record Skype calls. Lee must break for a glass of water as Sam earns herself a new nickname.

 

 Standard Podcast: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download