As some of you know, Tyler Wise and I started a sketch/comedy/parody show on public access television at DATV in Dayton. I used to write articles every week for Odyssey until I realized that no one is in charge of editing them anymore; I thought they were a waste of time. Then, I came to the conclusion that this might be better. I can write anything on here and give others an outlet to showcase their writing they wouldn't otherwise have.
Andy Carper, who started his involvement with TBTV on the second episode, recently wrote a piece on the show. He submitted it on Imgur, but didn't get many views. So, I've attached that article here. Shameless promotion be damned. It's imperative to document these things. If there's one thing I've learned so far, it's that we should've taken more pictures.
This is written from his perspective of the show.
The TBTV Story
by Andy Carper
Brandon and Tyler are some of the funniest and most creative people I know. About a year ago, they came up with the idea for a catch-all sketch-comedy show using our city's public access TV studio, DATV.
They both had recently graduated with creative writing degrees, meaning they bounced around between unemployment and soul-sucking jobs doing temp work, substitute teaching, landscaping, hooking, etc. They needed some sort of outlet as it had become quite evident that work sucks. Brandon found out that a $50 membership at DATV granted access to all of the gear and classes the studio had to offer.
Somewhere between that membership and a half-way decent Sony Film Camera, TBTV was born!
-This is inside the studio at DATV during a recent skit. Brandon is on the left behind the camera, Tyler's laying on the floor, and our friend Jimmy is rigging something in the corner.
I call TBTV a catch-all sketch comedy show, for lack of a better genre. It's a hybrid. Think SNL, Whitest Kids U Know, Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job, and the Eric Andre Show with a little PCP done in public access style. There is slapstick, dark, dry, character, mockumentary, musical, and various other styles of comedy laced throughout each episode. If actual network executives had bad enough taste to approve, it would probably be found on Adult Swim.
It started as mocking public access TV, but then became so much more. TBTV now consists of various parodies of almost every form of entertainment: TV, movies, music, commercials, products, and whatever other stupid shit we see humor in.
-This is Brandon doing one of the things he does best.
Last summer, Brandon and Tyler busted out the first episode of TBTV on their own in about two months. Which in no way sounds impressive, until you include that they did do all of the writing, blocking, music, filming, editing, and graphic design with very little experience. All while working 40 or so hours a week to pay bills, volunteering for other DATV projects, and doing their podcast, Coffee with Idiots.
The first episode was about 40 minutes long and was mainly Brandon and Tyler. They had the help of a few local comedians as guests in skits, but they did most of it themselves. It turns out after midnight on public access, the people in charge either don't watch or don't give a shit what you put on.
Something got screwed up with the schedule and it didn't air the first night. It was a pisser, but alas Brandon started posting the episodes on YouTube to make sure the world was exposed to the show.
-Here is Tyler between takes of the CSA skit in episode 4.
I've mentioned a lot about Brandon, but Tyler deserves just as much credit. They made TBTV happen together. Tyler wrote about half of the skits for the first two episodes, did the graphic design work, voice-overs, and is fucking hilarious in front of the camera. I wish I would have thought to take more on more earlier, but it started as just the two of them.
-Their musical duo Scooter Wingbat and Toad gives the world insight into life as a rock star.
-A photoshoot borrowing from a Crosby, Stills, and Nash album cover.
-Who could forget Scooter Wingbat and Toad's classic album, Tremours, with hits like "Wet Dreams," "Don't Stop (I Think We Hit Someone)," and "Secondhand Jews."
Every episode is a different length, because fuck consistency.
-As I said before, we don't have many behind the scenes photos from early on. I took a screenshot from YouTube for this one. Sue me. One of my favorite skits from the first episode is called "We Can Make Anything out of a Shoe Inc." where Tyler captures the essence of QVC and infomercials.
I started helping during the shooting of the second episode. I acted for a skit and helped setup for a few others. We branched out of Brandon's house and started using mine, as well. This was around the time we realized that with the right shade of green paint, we could make a green screen and start filming stuff in my basement.
-"I'm in Delaware."
-This is the studio we setup in my basement. Not professional in the slightest, but we have the lights and gear to get the job done.
Episode 2 came out toward the end of last year and was a little over 15 minutes long. Although it was shorter, the quality definitely improved. It didn't take nearly as long and the filming and editing was getting smoother, the sound quality was getting better, and they were diversifying the types of skits.
Most of the upcoming photos are from episodes 3 and 4.
-The three of us for a music video, "In Church."
I couldn't ask for a better way to spend my free time.
-Brandon and I between takes for "The Joke's on Ewe."
The three of us came from a small Northwest Ohio town where there was not much to do. We had a passion for making music and making other people laugh at our own expense. We jammed in a shitty high school rock band together. When we weren't doing terrible covers of Cheap Trick songs and watching movies, we would spend our time trying to make each other laugh by any means necessary.
We ended up going to college at the same school and kept doing stupid stuff to keep one another entertained. We talked about making our ideas happen, but it never got any further than paper until recently. It was an awesome feeling to see my friends make their ideas into a reality.
As long as I have known Brandon, he has been a writer. Songs, poems, articles, movie scripts, TV show ideas, even a full length book. He'll tell you that most of it sucked, but he is too critical of himself. It was not surprising to see him pursue a writing degree and for Tyler to follow suit. They were always plugging away on something and it lit the fire under my ass to start writing more, too.
-In the studio at DATV.
-Tyler on set on the set of "Learn with Me."
Our gear isn't the best, but we keep gathering more as we can afford it. It all started with the one camera in the shot above. Now we have multiple cameras, real sound equipment, a GoPro, decent microphones, lighting, and all sorts of other crap.
By gathering more gear, we can keep doing better skits. I'm not exaggerating either. Last week, we were doing voice over stuff at Brandon's and we could not keep our shit together. My abs still hurt.
-As per usual, Brandon couldn't remember his lines.
-Nicole, Brandon, and Tyler while I get the camera angle set for Billy Hash's arrest.
We film anywhere we can, but it usually ends up at DATV, Brandon's house, or my house. We are definitely branching out more, though. We have been accepting help from anyone willing to be on camera ranging from local comedians/podcasters, Don Smith, Laura Rea, Jimmy Mallas, Izzy Rock, and Juliana Crask, to my supportive fiance Nicole.
-Brandon and Tyler going back to the late 90s.
-Me embracing my inner crack head.
-Tyler, Izzy, Jimmy and Brandon after he changed his diaper.
I asked Brandon what he thought the future of the show looked like and he sent me this back:
"TBTV is just a stepping stone. There is more to do, and I feel it every time we put together an episode. There will be bigger and better productions, but this is phase one. Until we get to phase two, this is what I'll be doing."
We love doing this show. It is an escape from our shitty day jobs and we look forward to anything TBTV everyday. We maintain the hope that one day it will take off. Even if it doesn't, fuck it. We will do something else, something better. We know that we did this to the best of our abilities.
We don't do things by the books by any means, but we make it work and have a blast in the process. We have taken ideas and turned them into finished products that we are all proud of. Mostly.
We are far from professionals, but we do our best to come up with off-the-wall original content. If you don't find humor in mocking public access, songs about getting peed on, matchmaking dating videos, cooking in Homeless Jerry's kitchen, or Hollywood's latest diet craze, then I pray the stick in your ass falls out at some point. If and when it does, check out TBTV. With every episode we try to improve our writing, filming, editing, and acting and we would love some honest feedback.
TBTV Episode 1
TBTV Episode 2
A Very TBTV Holiday Spectacular
TBTV Episode 3
A Very TBTV Incentive Promo
TBTV Episode 4
