The Fake News

Format: Bi-weekly Video Blog
Length: 2-4 minutes
Genre: Comedy, News, Politics

An animated version of Norm MacDonald delivers a regular dose of Daily Show-quality zingers on the day’s news at a rapid-fire pace. What’s not to like? The Fake News is a product of Ted Turner’s SuperDeluxe, the website that’s been keeping once-Sitcom-caliber comedians busy since 2006. And it has no finer regular program than The Fake News, a lightning-fast dose of current-event chuckles from a truly great comedian.

The animated version of Norm MacDonald, while somewhat restricted in physical expressions, actually seems to free the comedian to the point where he can literally control all creative aspects of the show (other than the actual animation, doubtless) since there is no need to shoot the show in the first place. Norm keeps the humor PG for the most part, however his punchy writing infallibly takes a news story and speaks directly to the point. An exceprt:

“Vice President Dick Cheney met with King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia to discuss lowering oil prices. After hours of intense discussion, the two arrived at a unanimous conclusion: Naaaah.”

Who would like it: Politics and news junkies who like to laugh.
Demographic: 18-50
Sponsorship Opportunities: Brands targeting educated consumers, particularly Gen X.
Product Placement Opportunities: Elements inside the animated world have sponsorship potential.
Press: (none).

The Onion News Network

Format: Content Channel
Length: 2-4 minutes
Genre: Comedy, News, Politics

At a time when the internet was saturated with Daily Show knock-offs, the premiere source of satirical news for over 20 years, The Onion, took a big risk in unleashing their tongue-in-cheek political news video upon the world. Thankfully it paid off. Benefiting from the freedom of the interactive video format, The Onion has created its own universe in which TV panel discussions have rowdy arguments over how we can raise Darfur’s awareness of how much we are doing for them, Congressmen confess to murdering hobos in a Sizzler parking lot, and political analysts discuss how bullsh*t is the most important issue for voters in the Presidential election.

The Onion releases 2-3 new clips each week which can be found on their website, as well as on YouTube and iTunes. The production team puts great time and care into creating TV-quality segments, and the result is far and away some of the best comedic internet video content. And at a time where the iPod is a more comfortable viewing experience than cable TV, The Onion may just be able to give The Daily Show a run for its money one of these days.

Who would like it: Those interested in politics, current events, and sketch comedy.
Demographic: 18-60
Sponsorship Opportunities: Luxury brands. There is potential for communications companies.
Product Placement Opportunities: If your product is on The Onion, chances are its being torn apart by master comedians.
Press: Boston Globe.

Squeegees

Format: Episodic Series
Length: 5-7 minutes
Genre: Comedy

It’s a simple formula: take a talented sketch comedy group, give them a very basic environment in which to run wild, and sit back to watch the madness that follows. Still in an experimental phase of online video development, ABC.com has turned to this formula in an effort to bolster their new interactive production arm — Stage 9 — and for the most part, it works very nicely.

On the heels of ABC’s unsuccessful first attempt at an original series (the frequently-clever Voicemail), Squeegees is a safe bet for building and keeping a mostly-younger audience. The show revolves around a team of high-rise window washers and the utterly absurd events that transpire throughout the course of their daily work. Chock full of pop-culture parodies ranging from “Cliffhanger” to a fake Nickelback music video, Squeegees at least makes up for its immature humor by taking some risks and challenging its audience in ways one would never see on, say, ABC Primetime. As far as internet video goes, Squeegees is very well-produced and acted, clearly utilizing a much larger budget than most others are able to spend on production value for interactive content. Whether or not the Squeegees experiment will be a success is hard to say, but one can assume that the team behind the show will continue to create some insanity that’s probably worth watching in the meantime.

Who would like it: Fans of sketch comedy and sit-com audiences.
Demographic: 14-30
Sponsorship Opportunities: Companies focused on youth, and teenage consumers.
Product Placement Opportunities: The characters in the show manage to incorporate products into the storyline with consistency.
Press: Forbes, New York Times.

Clark and Michael

Format: Episodic Series
Length: anywhere from 4-15 minutes
Genre: Comedy

Michael Cera, a rising star with a terrific radar for intelligent comedy (“Superbad,” “Juno,” and TV’s “Arrested Development”), needed something to do during the school year while he attends college. CBS needed to whet their appetite for internet television programming. What resulted is the delightfully adolescent original web series Clark and Michael, created and executed by Cera and his best buddy Clark Duke (you may notice him as a bit player in “Superbad”).

Clark and Michael feels a bit as though “Arrested Development” went low-tech and started to follow around Cera’s George Michael as he and his best buddy struggle to launch a career in Hollywood. And considering the critical success of “Arrested,” there’s certainly nothing wrong with that. Clark and Michael is chock full of great performances, including occasional cameos by notable comedians such as David Cross. The show has as tendency to meander and run slightly too long for computer-based entertainment, however thanks to iTunes and the advent of podcasting, one can give Clark and Michael the optimal viewing experience it deserves — watching it as a full-length television program. Despite it’s big media parent company, Clark and Michael has received only moderate “buzz” and feels like internet television’s best kept secret. Perhaps if word finally gets out that Clark and Michael exists, they’ll get around to making Season 2.

Who would like it: Fans of improv and sketch comedy, sit-com audiences, lovers of anything entertainment-related.
Demographic: 14-30
Sponsorship Opportunities: With an ‘A-list’ star creating the show, opportunities abound for sponsors.
Product Placement Opportunities: Clark and Michael are extraordinarily influential members of the 14-30 demographic and consume many products within the show.
Press: Variety.

Indy Mogul

Format: Daily Content Channel
Length: 3-5 minutes
Genre: Instructional, Comedy

A standout channel amongst the Next New Networks lineup, Indy Mogul takes Do-It-Yourself filmmaking to a whole new level. The flagship program, “BFX” (Backyard Special Effects), features clever and sardonic 20-somethings who spin a wheel to determine their budget limitations for producing a set of film trickery that can range from “exploding fake heads” to “create a space suit” to “build a miniature set for $10.” Moreover, “4-Minute Film School” is an extremely worthwhile weekly Indy Mogul program that offers How-To advice on integral facets of interactive content production, such as filming on a green screen, casting, and storyboarding.

The creators of Indy Mogul create their show using low-end cameras; a most brilliant way to demonstrate how great video can be created with talent, ingenuity, and less than $50 in household items.

Who would like it: Anyone with an interest in movie magic and producing independent and interactive video & film.
Demographic: 14-40
Sponsorship Opportunities: Companies targeting younger, entertainment-focused consumers.
Product Placement Opportunities: Indy Mogul makes consistent use of consumer products, so placement opportunities abound. Additionally, the show’s creators and hosts are becoming increasingly “hip” and “edgy” role-models to the web video community.
Press: Mediaweek.

MobLogic

Format: Daily video blog
Length: usually 2-3 minutes
Genre: News & Politics

Let it be known –

MobLogic.tv gets the distinct honor of being the very first show listed on Plentitube.

The new creation from the brilliant team behind Wallstrip,
MobLogic.tv has a driving purpose that is nothing less than to challenge the consumption of news and politics as we know it. This is surprising, given that the show is made in-house by CBS (the network that fired Dan Rather), but already since MobLogic’s launch on March 7, 2008, the show has proven that 1) people on the street actually do have insightful and humorous things to contribute to the conversation about current events, and 2) host Lindsay Campbell is perhaps the most adorable and engaging human being on the planet.

Who would like it: Anyone who follows popular culture, news, or blogs, and does not feel like traditional media coverage is adequate.
Demographic: 18-60
Sponsorship Opportunities: Companies looking for educated consumers both Generation X and middle-aged alike.
Product Placement Opportunities: Wardrobe; “buzzworthy” consumer products can be show topics.
Press: Hollywood Reporter, Mediaweek, Silicon Alley Insider.