Must-flee TV

by Brian McKim & Traci Skene on August 16th, 2007

Adam Murray, writing for TVSquad.com says:

Burnim-Murray Productions and October Moon Television are attempting to sell a new comedy game show for syndication. The series, called Laugh Off, would give unknown comedians a chance to compete in different contests centered around stand-up, improv, charades and mime.

We’re troubled by many things.

Firstly, the art accompanying the article is a photo of a braying horse. We suspect that they couldn’t find a stock photo of an actual jackass. It was an editorial decision by someone at TVSquad, no doubt, who figured that a boring shot of a comedian holding a microphone in front of a brick wall didn’t suit the copy.

Second, what is Burnim-Murray and October Moon’s idea of “unknown comedian?” That could be anyone from Jim Gaffigan to the guy at the water cooler who cracks us all up with his dead-on impression of Jim From Taxi! You know how these TV producers look at the world!

Third, why does everyone feel compelled to muck things up with improv, charades and mime? (We suppose that pitches are getting ever more tricky these days. It’s gotta be “fresh” and “new,” but it also must be derivative and downright larcenous. What you end up with is something that’s vaguely familiar, superficially inventive and hardly exciting. Rather like thoroughbred horse breeding– each new horse must be able to trace his bloodline back to a previous champ– but the resultant increase in speed over the past century hardly seems worth all that fussing and is far, far less than what you’d expect.)

Charades?!! Invite Buddy and Sally over! We’re going to play charades!! How do you feel about Adlai Stevenson? This baked Alaska is scrumptious!! Is this irony? We fear it is not.

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