THE BEST SHOWS (NOT) ON TELEVISION

[Yes, it's an all new blog series that I will no doubt lose interest in and post no further installments of!]

I have Kae and Bryce to thank for this. Had they not taped a bunch of episodes of "Roundhouse", I may never have seen the show.

A cast of talented singers, dancers, and actors. One of the writers of "In Living Color." A live band. New music and choreography every week. All culminating in a half-hour sketch show centered around a different theme each week, somewhat like a improvisational Harold.

A couple years back, I had the pleasure of working with David Sidoni at Disneyland. He's a great guy, very professional. The kind of guy you'd shoot hoops with, and let date your little sister.

In college, noted academic hermit Allen Partridge brought his excellent version of "Pinocchio" into the season as a touring play for area elementary schools. He was looking for a hook of some kind, a way to fill in the space between the scenes and propel the story forward. Pamela said "how about dance bumpers?" She loaned him Kae and Bryce's "Roundhouse" tape and he became very excited about the idea. Candy Mickels (who also played the eponymous wooden boy) choreographed the dance. I did the light design for the "home" show, produced on the main stage on campus. I did my best to ape the "rock and roll show" look that "Roundhouse" had.

Nickelodeon has a firm policy in place that should any show exhibit creativity, moxy and artistic skill, it is to be immediately cancelled or at least f-ed with so as to lose its soul and deteriorate into a mockery of what it once was ("Ren & Stimpy" for example.) Apparently Roundhouse was really good, because unlike "R&S" or "Pete and Pete", it hasn't found its way to DVD yet. There are four seasons of "Roundhouse", and an ocean of rabid fans. Paramount apparently doesn't like making money. One can find two episodes of the show on the first two SNICK compilation videos.

There is some sort of underground tape exchange as well, although I haven't cracked into it. I keep hoping that I'll run into some Chinese blackmarket DVD box set on eBay.

Damn. I should've asked Sidoni if he had any of the episodes on tape.