Wikipedia:Articles for creation/2006-06-25
Channel 101: The Musical is a series on Channel 101.com that was picked up in prime time for 5 episodes. It was created in affiliation with the Ships of Fools production team. It stared Ships of Fools writers, directors and actors Jason Makiaris and Mike McCafferty. It had cameos from people such as Channel 101's co-creator Dan Harmon, and such celebrities as Sarah Silverman and Donny Most.
Plotline
The plotline describes two writers lamenting over the fact that they cannot come up with a great show for Channel 101's primetime. They, in connection with fellow writers, conjure the idea of gay robots. As they are about to turn in their new pilot, the Yacht Rock group intercepts them, and, in a West Side Story-est fasion, battle them in a musically underscored montauge. We learn that the Yacht Rock's are on the Channel 101's board for screening, and can rig the competiton so that their pilots always stay in primetime.
As the gay robot pilot ends unsuccessfully, one of the writers, Jason, comes up with a new idea (not described to the audience at this time.)As the two main writers, Jason and Mike, go to the mailbox to turn in their new pilot, the Yacht Rocks intercept them again and tell them that the corupt, always powerful ruler of Channel 101, Dan Harmon, wants to see them. In a musical number (I'm Dan Harmon and I Shit Gold)Dan Harmon tells Mike and Jason that he can't turn out a bad series (partly because he's on the screening board.)
Mike gets captured while he's in Harmon's compound, and with the help of a friend, Jason still gets the new pilot into the screening room. Meanwhile, Jason and Dawn (a redhead from the Yacht Rock group) have secret, romantic meetings (mimicking Tony and Maria from West Side Story.)
In a number much like Telephone Hour from Bye Bye Birdie, several people use AIM, Live Journals and MySpaces to tell eachother about Jason and Dawn. Dan Harmon finds out, and uses the captured and brainwashed Mike to murder Jason, in fear that Dawn may reveal to Jason his evil plan of rigging the primetime slots.
In an upbeat number (Oh, It's Time) Mike runs after Jason with a harpoon. Similtaniously, as everyones out with Mike, Sarah Silverman, having been kept in a room at the Yacht Rock headquaters so she could be frequently used for cameos, escapes to warn Jason. She arives, knocks out Mike with a frying pan, and sings about being free. Mike awakes, and kills her with a harpoon.
As this is happening, Jason's friend who snuck in the pilot, enters the screening board meeting as a pizza man and places their pilot in the screening pile.
Harmon finds out, captures Dawn, and as Jason and Mike come to her rescue, they find Harmon already dying from drinking water instead of vodka(having been switched by a vengful board member, after having been slapped.) Harmon melts, and everything is reunited.
As the story concludes, we switch back into, apparently "real time", with Jason and Mike finishing their new pilot script, which is what the last three episodes were. The new show that Jason came up with in the begining was, essentially, Channel 101 the Musical, and you can't help but feeling unsatisfied. But, it does leave you happy with a nice ending number, featuring Donny Most.
Episode Titles
- Episode One: Writers Lament
- Episode Two: The Dreamers
- Episode Three: Dividing Lines
- Episode Four: Secrets
- Episode Five: Endgame
Popularity
Channel 101 the Musical has been downloaded a little over 50,000 as of June 2006. It remained in production for a little under six months between August, 2005- February, 2006. In that time, it had a 73% audience popularity and came in at an average of 3 at most screenings(out of a possible top five to remain in primetime.
Sources
Channel101.com
216.246.148.32 00:53, 24 June 2006 (UTC)Ned Underbridge