The CollegeHumor Show
Encyclopedia
The CollegeHumor Show was an American comedy that premiered on MTV
on February 8, 2009 and also aired on MuchMusic
. The show is a scripted sitcom with sketch comedy elements. It is written by and stars nine actual CollegeHumor editorial staff members, who play fictionalized versions of themselves. The show is an adaptation of the style of the long-running Hardly Working short film series created for the CollegeHumor site, made more suitable for the longer, televised format.
After the conclusion of the six episode season, there has been little to no talk of continuing the series.
The series also spawned the spin off
show, Pranked hosted by Streeter Seidell
and Amir Blumenfeld airing on MTV.
and a series of other websites. The production crew is the same team responsible for the original comedy videos that CollegeHumor produces.
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
on February 8, 2009 and also aired on MuchMusic
MuchMusic
MuchMusic is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media. MuchMusic is dedicated to music-related programs, pop and youth culture.-History:...
. The show is a scripted sitcom with sketch comedy elements. It is written by and stars nine actual CollegeHumor editorial staff members, who play fictionalized versions of themselves. The show is an adaptation of the style of the long-running Hardly Working short film series created for the CollegeHumor site, made more suitable for the longer, televised format.
After the conclusion of the six episode season, there has been little to no talk of continuing the series.
The series also spawned the spin off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
show, Pranked hosted by Streeter Seidell
Streeter Seidell
Streeter Seidell is an American comedian, writer, actor, and TV host. Seidell first gained popularity as part of the cast of CollegeHumor’s online skits, although he has written and edited the site’s front page before then...
and Amir Blumenfeld airing on MTV.
Main Characters
In the show, the actual CollegeHumor (and CollegeHumor Show) writers play fictionalized versions of themselves. There is no single "star" of the show; rather, the nine main characters function as an ensemble. For the most part, the characters are self-centered, operating according to their immediate desires rather than making rational or sensitive decisions.- Ricky (Ricky Van VeenRicky Van VeenRicky Van Veen is the co-founder of CollegeHumor, a popular comedy brand/website, and CEO of Notional, a television production company born out of CollegeHumor. Van Veen created the site as a student at Wake Forest and it quickly became a mainstay. Van Veen's site was earning between $5–10 million...
) is the editor-in-chief, a wealthy, image-obsessed young man who craves the attention of D-list celebrities.
- Sam (Samuel "Sam" Reich) manages the writing staff, though he is essentially as immature as the rest of them. Sam has a close friendship with Dan.
- Dan (Daniel "Dan" Gurewitch) is a bright-eyed, enthusiastic writer who often had a naive approach to women and the world.
- Amir (Amir BlumenfeldAmir BlumenfeldAmir Schmuel Blumenfeld is an Israeli-American writer, comedian, actor, and television host.Blumenfeld was born in Afula, Israel. He is literate in Hebrew and displayed his bilingual talents on episodes of Jake and Amir. He is a graduate of Milken Community High School and the University of...
) is the outcast of the gang, socially inept and prone to fits of irrational anger. He wants nothing more than to be best friends with Jake (Jake Hurwitz). Their dysfunctional relationship was created and cultivated in their online video series Jake and Amir.
- Jake (Jacob "Jake" Hurwitz) is the office ladies' man. He's enamored with Sarah, and spends much of his time attempting to convince Amir that the two of them are not, in fact, best friends, he is sometimes up showed by Amir.
- Sarah (Sarah Schneider), the most down-to-earth member of the group. As she is a bit of a tomboyTomboyA tomboy is a girl who exhibits characteristics or behaviors considered typical of the gender role of a boy, including the wearing of typically masculine-oriented clothes and engaging in games and activities that are often physical in nature, and which are considered in many cultures to be the...
, the guys on staff treat her like a sister. She is often the sole voice of reason in an otherwise chaotic office.
- Streeter (Streeter SeidellStreeter SeidellStreeter Seidell is an American comedian, writer, actor, and TV host. Seidell first gained popularity as part of the cast of CollegeHumor’s online skits, although he has written and edited the site’s front page before then...
), the front page editor, is moodier than the rest of the writers, and prone to emitting a signature whine when he doesn't get his way.
- Jeff (Jeffrey "Jeff" Rubin), managing editor and video game fanatic, has a more "go with the flow" attitude.
- Pat (Patrick "Pat" Cassels) tends to be more eccentric and put-upon than the other characters.
Supporting Cast
- Nick KrollNick KrollNick Kroll is an American actor and comedian best known for appearing in television shows such as Best Week Ever, Cavemen and Sit Down, Shut Up. He co-stars in the shows The Life & Times of Tim and The League....
as Chuck Paulson, CEO of CollegeHumor's fictional rival website GiggleBarn.biz. - Josh Ruben as Trip, an insensitive magician that the CH boys attempt to set up with Sarah. Josh is another actual CollegeHumor employee, occasionally appearing in sketches featured on the site.
Production
The CollegeHumor Show is filmed inside the actual offices of Connected Ventures, which owns CollegeHumorCollegeHumor
CollegeHumor is a comedy website owned by InterActiveCorp and based in New York City. The site features daily original comedy videos and articles created by its in-house writing and production team, in addition to user-submitted videos, pictures, articles and links. In early 2009, CollegeHumor's...
and a series of other websites. The production crew is the same team responsible for the original comedy videos that CollegeHumor produces.
Main Crew
The nine main actors on the show also comprise the show's writing staff.- Scott Tomlinson is the show runner and executive producer.
- Ricky Van VeenRicky Van VeenRicky Van Veen is the co-founder of CollegeHumor, a popular comedy brand/website, and CEO of Notional, a television production company born out of CollegeHumor. Van Veen created the site as a student at Wake Forest and it quickly became a mainstay. Van Veen's site was earning between $5–10 million...
is an executive producer. - Josh Abramson is an executive producer.
- Sam Grossman is an executive in charge of production.
- Sam Reich is an executive producer and the show's director, having directed all six of the first season's episodes. He also co-wrote the episode "Rival Site" with Dan Gurewitch and Amir Blumenfeld.
- Dan Gurewitch and Amir Blumenfeld co-wrote three episodes ("Rival Site," "The Morning After" and "Armageddon"). In addition, Gurewitch wrote the episode "Sarah's New Boyfriend" with Sarah Schneider, and Blumenfeld wrote the episode "Interns" with Patrick Cassels. There are no specific writers credited to the episode "Hot Girl."
- Jake Hurwitz, Jeff Rubin, Streeter SeidellStreeter SeidellStreeter Seidell is an American comedian, writer, actor, and TV host. Seidell first gained popularity as part of the cast of CollegeHumor’s online skits, although he has written and edited the site’s front page before then...
and Kevin Corrigan are staff writers on the show. - Vincent Peone is the Director of Photography.
Reception
The show has seen mixed responses from critics. Time Magazine's TV critic James Poniewozik hailed the show as "really funny," noting that CollegeHumor is "doing comedy that specifically works on television, as opposed to simply porting over viral videos to a slightly bigger screen." Liz Shannon Miller, editor for online streaming site Newteevee, criticized the show's sitcom format and said she "would have preferred a stronger debut," but gave the premiere four stars out of a possible five.External links
- NYTimes
- Street Fighter RPG Brazil - An interview with Sam Reich