These days, television has hit rock bottom. No, wait. TV hit rock bottom and has dug itself a nice, little hole. Your choices range between a dozen Fat-Guy-With-a-Cute-Wife sitcoms or 15-minuites of fame reality shows for publicly degrading yourself. How can Jim Belushi be praised as a “Star” while "Arrested Development" hangs in the balance? Thanks to Netflix’s bottomless barrel of old TV shows, I don’t have to count on the Networks any longer.

Experiment Volume 7: TV Daze

Here are a couple of forgotten gems that died before their time, and are too good to be on TV today; including Michael Moore’s dip into a network TV???

Upright Citizens Brigade (1998)

Comedy Central has consistently proven it knows funny in the last decade: South Park, Chapelle’s Show,  Man Show and Insomniac. But has at times totally dropped the ball on other genius shows (remember That’s My Bush and T.V. Funhouse?). But never was this station more brilliant than when gave us The Upright Citizens Brigade and more stupid than when it cancelled the show three years later.

There hasn’t been a comedy this off the wall and challenging in decades. If you attempted to get into UCB during the middle of the season, surely you thought it was gibberish. That’s because the UCB did the unthinkable and made each episode of sketch comedy an interconnected piece to the previous shows. It’s just one big inside joke, and most people didn’t get them. But now you can see the entire first season in order and savor the madness.

Shoulda been classic skits include “Little Donny”: the little boy with an enormous penis…and doesn’t realize it. “Ass Pennies”: The only way to get ahead in business. “Poo Sticks” and “Bong Boy.” If none of this makes any sense, you should do yourself a favor and rent them. If you were one of the few people in on it from the beginning, I’ll see you in the “Hot Chicks Room.”

How the Networks would Spice it up in 2004: Everything would stay the same, only they’d put in on the WB-- those shows don’t make any sense anyhow. Guest appearances by William Hung or Charlie Sheen would shoot them up the Neilsons.


Get A Life (1990)

Not many people know who Chris Elliot is. He’s the guy who made David Letterman funny in the 80s. Elliot was the head writer during the show’s irreverent and kooky heyday. He also made appearances in skits, notably as the creepy guy who lived under the audience. In the early 90s Elliot struck out on his own, with painfully little success. One feature film, the oddball “Cabin Boy,” and his short-lived TV show, “Get A Life,” are all that has survived.

In “Get A Life” Elliot is a loser. And practically every scene lets you know it. He’s a thirty-something paperboy, who still lives with his parents. Elliot’s man-child character is always into a bizarre situation, like a one-day marriage to a super model, building a submarine in his bath tub or hiding and alien that oozes chocolate pudding from the government.

This show is completely ludicrous it works perfectly and is hilarious, sometimes it’s just painful. At any rate, “Get A Life” was too leftfield even for early 90s FOX and was given the ax too soon. Fans of old-school David Letterman can appreciate this sick humor, others may just need to see a psychiatrist after viewing.

How the Networks would Spice it up in 2004: Reality shows love idiots, or at least making people look like idiots. Elliot would remain, only Joe Rogan and some bikini models would make him eat a barrel of entrails and bugs each week.  

The Awful Truth (1999)

Michael Moore is Liberal America’s hero. The man could film himself eating cold rice and it would be hit. Somehow, during Moore’s left-wing media crusades, the uber-conservative NBC gave him two television shows. Shortly after “Roger and Me” he was given “TV Nation” in which he fought big business with a sharp wit and a video camera. Several Years later, the similar “The Awful Truth” hit the air waves for two seasons.

“The Awful Truth” is more of Moore’s liberal, guerrilla David and Goliathing. At his finest moments he is poignant and hilarious, but at his lowest he is dull and preachy. Skits that shine on this program include, The Sodomobile, a pink Winnebago full of gay men and women traveling to all the states that outlaw sodomy and plead their case.

The Voicbox Choir—a group of Christmas Carolers that lost their vocal chords to smoking. So the group goes on a tour of tobacco companies singing carols with robotic voice boxes.  

The highlight sees Moore with a man who is denied a vital pancreas transplant by his HMO. So Moore and company hold a funeral on the grounds of the Insurance Provider that embarrasses the company so much that they award the man his new pancreas.

The show drags a bit when Moore focuses pranks around the Lewinsky-gate, Ken Starr hearings. But still provide a punch and make a lot of politicians squirm in the process.

Anyone who feels the slightest bit liberal will bow down to the guy who is probably already on the wall above their bed, Michael Moore. While there is a lot of Republican bashing, Moore spreads the love to big business as well, so everyone can have fun.

How the Networks would spice it up in 2004: Well they’ve already got a fat guy, all it needs is a cute wife and some back-talking kids and you’ve got a Monday night hit.

More NetfliXperiments:


· NetliXperiments Volume 6:  Amish Paradise?
· NetfliXperiments Volume 5: Freak Out!
· NetfliXperiments Volume 4: Leprechaun Party!
· NetfliXperiments Volume 3: Rock 'n' Roll Freakshow
· NetfliXperiments Volume 2: Ouch! My Head Hurts--Foreign Films
· NetfliXperiments Volume 1: Highway Horror & Hillbilly Fishermen

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