WAINY DAYS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

MY DAMN CHANNEL LAUNCHES SEASON FOUR OF “WAINY DAYS,”

2009 webby award official honoree and 2008 WEBBY AWARD WINNER OF “BEST COMEDY SERIES”  

 

DAVID WAIN TO STAGE FIRST-EVER LIVE PERFORMANCE OF “WAINY DAYS” AND SNEAK PEEK OF UPCOMING EPISODE AT 92YTRIBECA ON THURSDAY, MAY 7^TH

 

NEW YORK, April 23, 2009 - My Damn Channel (www.MyDamnChannel.com), the entertainment studio and new media platform, today announced that one of its most popular original web series, “Wainy Days” (www.MyDamnChannel.com/WainyDays), is returning for a fourth season on Thursday, May 7^th.  

“Wainy Days” is the brainchild of its creator, writer and director, David Wain (writer and director of last year’s hit film “Role Models” starring Seann William Scott, Paul Rudd, Jane Lynch, Elizabeth Banks and Christopher Mintz-Plasse).  The comedy series, developed and produced exclusively for My Damn Channel, follows the romantic misadventures of Wain and has featured past celebrity guest appearances by Paul Rudd, Jonah Hill, Elizabeth Banks, Lee Majors, A.D. Miles, Rob Corddry, Jason Sudeikis, Michael Ian Black, Michael Showalter, Ed Helms, Joe Lo Truglio, Janeane Garofalo and Alicia Witt.  A recap from David Wain of the past 3 seasons of “Wainy Days” and a tease of the new episodes can be viewed at www.MyDamnChannel.com/WainyDays. 

In the new season of “Wainy Days,” the cast of name co-stars from film and television includes Amanda Peet, Lake Bell, Rosemarie DeWitt (Rachel Getting Married, Mad Men), Michelle Federer (Wicked), and Frederick Weller (In Plain Sight).  In the first episode of the season, David meets a sexy woman, Jill (played by Amanda Peet), who appreciates him for all that he isn’t.    

On May 7, 2009 at 9:00PM, at 92YTribeca (located at 200 Hudson Street in New York) My Damn Channel will be presenting “Wainy Days LIVE,” a Wainy-themed comedy/variety evening.  The event will hosted by David Wain and will feature live musical performances from past and upcoming episodes.  Michelle Federer, Amy Miles and Ben Shenkman will be on-hand to help Wain with this feat as well as the recurring cast of the series (Zandy Hartig, A.D. Miles and Matt Ballard).  There will also be a showing of the premiere episode as well as a sneak peek of an upcoming episode.  (Tickets are $15 advance/$18 door and can be purchased at: http://www.92ytribeca.com/ or by calling 212,415.5500.

Wainy Days has been viewed over 9 millions times on My Damn Channel and throughout its syndication network, was just named an official honoree for "Best Comedy Series" for the 2009 Webby Awards, was the winner of the 2008 Webby Awards' "Best Comedy Series" as well as the 2009 Streamy Awards' "Best Guest Appearance" for Paul Rudd, and has been called "an unmissable Web series by the Associated Press. Wainy Days is produced by Jonathan Stern.

"I love that the world keeps wanting to follow my pathetic (albeit fictional) quest to meet women,” says Wain.  “As long as the audience demands it, I will continue to hire actresses to make out with me and put it on the web."

“If My Damn Channel is a new world version of an old NBC, then David Wain would definitely be our ‘Seinfeld,’” says Rob Barnett, Founder/CEO. “David continues to earn all the accolades that ‘Wainy Days’ has won by topping himself every season. His series turns sexual angst into uniquely twisted comedy.”

About David Wain
David Wain is a director, writer, actor, producer and comedian. He co-wrote and directed the recent major motion picture "Role Models" starring  Seann William Scott, Paul Rudd, Jane Lynch, Elizabeth Banks and Christopher Mintz-Plasse, now on DVD. As a founding member of the comedy troupe, "The State," he co-starred in an MTV series in the 1990's (coming to DVD in July). Wain's web hit, live show and Comedy Central series, "Stella," is an ongoing collaboration with his longtime collaborators Michael Ian Black and Michael Showalter. Wain also co-wrote and directed comic cult classic features "Wet Hot American Summer" and "The Ten." For additional information on David Wain, visit www.davidwain.com.

About My Damn Channel
My Damn Channel is an entertainment studio and new media platform created to empower comedians, musicians and filmmakers to co-produce, distribute and monetize original, episodic video. Artists create content for the My Damn Channel website and for syndication on the most heavily-trafficked online communities and social networks. The network has aired some of the most successful professionally-produced comedy series on the web, including You Suck at Photoshop, Wainy Days, Horrible People, and videos by Harry Shearer.  My Damn Channel has been selected for 4 official honoree awards and nominated for one 2009 Webby Award, won 7 accolades from the 2008 Webby Awards, garnered worldwide media coverage, secured major national advertisers, earned 50,000 subscribers on YouTube, racked up a bazillion views on My Damn Channel and in syndication and blah, blah, blah…Are you still reading?  Stop now and start exploring: www.MyDamnChannel.com. 

 

About 92YTribeca:

92YTribeca is the 92nd Street Y’s new downtown arts and culture venue in New York City . Opened in October 2008, 92YTribeca presents music, comedy, film, theater, talks, classes, Jewish community and holiday programs, and family events; the venue also houses an art gallery, lounge, bar, and cafe. Among the talented performers who have graced its stage are Zach Galifianakis, Will Arnett, Lou Reed, Patti Smith, Adam Yauch, Dustin Hoffman, Janeane Garofalo, Chairlift, Charlie Louvin, Q-Tip and Questlove.  Time Out New York named it the Best New Comedy Venue in 2008, and New York Magazine ranked it as “Highbrow and Brilliant” in their Approval Matrix.  For more information, visit www.92YTribeca.org.  

TO REQUEST REVIEW COPIES, INTERVIEWS WITH DAVID WAIN, TICKETS TO THE MAY 7^TH 92YTRIBECA EVENT, INTERVIEWS WITH THE CEO OF MY DAMN CHANNEL, PHOTOS OR VIDEO CLIPS FROM THE SERIES OR FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

 

Marnie Black

(917) 828-7308

marnieblack@yahoo.com

 

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"PILOT SEASON" IS COMING

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

MY DAMN CHANNEL SET TO PREMIERE “PILOT SEASON,”
ANOTHER TOTALLY FAKE DOCUMENTARY ABOUT HOLLYWOOD

30-Episode Series stars David Cross, Andy Dick,
Isla Fisher, Sam Seder and Sarah Silverman

Launching Monday, April 20, 2009

 

  

NEW YORK, April 2, 2009 - My Damn Channel (www.MyDamnChannel.com), the award-winning entertainment studio and new media platform, today announced the premiere of “Pilot Season,” a 30-episode mockumentary created by Sam Seder and Charles Fisher.  Seder stars in the series along with an extraordinary cast including Sarah Silverman, Isla Fisher, David Cross and Andy Dick.  In this series, a documentary crew follows the lives of several desperate actors, agents and studio execs during Hollywood’s annual, intensely competitive television industry feeding frenzy known as Pilot Season. 

A sneak peek of the series can be viewed at http://www.mydamnchannel.com/pilotseason.  The first two episodes will premiere Monday, April 20, 2009. New episodes will premiere every Monday.

 

“Pilot Season” first aired on the now defunct Trio cable channel in 2004 to critical acclaim and was called “one of fall’s best series” by the Los Angeles Times. 

 

“Pilot Season is a perfect fit for MyDamnChannel.com.  We created ‘Pilot Season’ by letting really talented comedians do what they do best, with no interference from suits (or those who wear them), and that’s MyDamnChannel’s modus operandi,” said Sam Seder.  “I’m proud of ‘Pilot Season’ not just because it’s funny and features an amazing cast, but also because we had a chance to make a mini-series as a sequel to a movie four people had seen...It speaks to the wonderful phenomenon of failing upwards -- a hallmark of Hollywood, which ‘Pilot Season’ explores in detail.”

 

“The response to the sneak peek on our site has been giddy,” said My Damn Channel Founder/CEO Rob Barnett.  “Fans are blown away by the A-list cast. Sam and Charlie created an infectious series that’s about to damage productivity for millions of Americans every Monday.”

 

About My Damn Channel

My Damn Channel is an entertainment studio and new media platform created to empower comedians, musicians and filmmakers to co-produce, distribute and monetize original, episodic video. Artists create content for the My Damn Channel website and for syndication on the most heavily-trafficked online communities and social networks. The network has aired some of the most successful professionally-produced comedy series on the web, including You Suck at Photoshop, Wainy Days, Horrible People, and videos by Harry Shearer.  My Damn Channel has won 7 accolades from the 2008 Webby Awards, garnered worldwide media coverage, secured major national advertisers, earned 50,000 subscribers on You Tube, racked up a bazillion views on My Damn Channel and in syndication and blah, blah, blah…Are you still reading?  Stop now and start exploring: www.MyDamnChannel.com. 

About The Creators

Sam Seder is a writer, director and comedian whose credits include the feature length comedies “Who’s the Caboose?,” which spawned “Pilot Season” and “A Bad Situationist,” shot in the summer of 2001 and made controversial when it’s subject matter too closely mirrored the attacks of 9-11.  Seder’s directing credits also include Comedy Central’s “I’m with Busey” and Studios USA’s “Beat Cops,” which he also co-wrote and co-starred in. Seder’s writing and acting credits include over a dozen broadcast Network Pilots.

Seder has hosted various political talk shows on the Air America Radio network, appeared on CNN, MSNBC and CNBC as a pundit and co-authored Fubar: “America's Right Wing Nightmare” with Stephen Sherrill. Currently, Seder co-hosts “BreakRoomLive” with Marc Maron everyday at 3pm ET. Sam spends most of his time Twittering about having to plead with his 3 year old to wipe her butt.

 

Charles Fisher is the co-writer and executive producer of the television series “Pilot Season” and “Beat Cops”, as well as the feature film “Who’s the Caboose?” Charles holds two law degrees—a J.D. and an LL.M. in media and entertainment law—and is a member of the state bars of both California and Massachusetts.  He also earned a master’s degree with honors from the University of Michigan graduate film program. 

 

TO REQUEST REVIEW COPIES, INTERVIEWS WITH THE CAST OR CREATOR OF PILOT SEASON, INTERVIEWS WITH THE CEO OF MY DAMN CHANNEL, PHOTOS FROM THE SERIES, VIDEO CLIPS OR FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

 

Marnie Black

(917) 828-7308

marnieblack@yahoo.com

 

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BITCH

Thanks to Kelsey Wallace for the Big Wet Kiss in the new issue of BITCH magazine. We're #7 on The Bitch List. Grace got the good news - i found the new issue at Barnes & Noble.

http://www.MyDamnChannel.com/HorriblePeople

http://www.MyDamnChannel.com/DameDelilah

http://www.MyDamnChannel.com/Grace

bonus link:  http://www.mydamnchannel.com/PS/Sneak_Previews/PlayingTheBitch_1281.aspx

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ANNOUNCING "Music Nights"

 

For Release – Monday, 6/16/08 – 7a et

 

MY DAMN CHANNEL CLOSES MAJOR BRANDED ENTERTAINMENT DEAL
 
Southern Comfort Launches Partnership for Summer Music Campaign

 
New York, NY – June 16, 2008 – My Damn Channel (www.MyDamnChannel.com), the entertainment studio and new media platform today announced a major branded entertainment deal with Southern Comfort. The two companies are partnering to create twelve weeks of “My Damn Channel Music Nights” in music bars and clubs in New York and Los Angeles and on the SoCo Music Experience festival tour this summer. Tour dates feature Gnarls Barkley, Justice, The Roots, The Black Keys and more. Starting in July, original content will be produced for a customized, co-branded channel presented by Grace Helbig, host of My Damn Channel’s “Daily Grace.” Programming will appear on My Damn Channel and across its network of syndication partners.
 
Founder and CEO of My Damn Channel, Rob Barnett said, “We’ve started building a big audience and turning quality content into significant sponsorships. Southern Comfort made a major commitment to back branded entertainment and to put our channel and our fans together on the road. We love our jobs.”
 
Southern Comfort U.S. Brand Director Ken Rose said, "Music is a major part of the lives of our consumers.  Whether it's at a club or a music festival, they're going out with their friends to see live music.  Partnering with My Damn Channel allows us to speak to our consumer in a relevant and meaningful manner, as well as take the SoCo Music Experience to music fans that can't make it out to one of the six festivals."

About My Damn Channel
My Damn Channel is an entertainment studio and new media platform created to empower filmmakers, actors, comedians and musicians to co-produce, distribute and monetize original, episodic video. Artists create programming for the My Damn Channel site and for syndication on today’s most heavily-trafficked online communities and social networks. Co-conspirators include Big Fat Brain, Coolio, Grace Helbig, Steve Kerper, A.D. Miles, Andy Milonakis, Harry Shearer, David Wain and Don Was. The company is supported by advertising revenue and by licensing the studio’s entire portfolio of content across all forms of digital distribution.
 
About Southern Comfort
Southern Comfort®, a fruit, spice, and whiskey flavored liqueur, was founded in New Orleans by bartender M.W. Heron in 1874. Today, it is sold in over 90 countries around the world and continues to grow as an icon brand.  Please visit us at www.SouthernComfort.com.  For Southern Comfort press information, please visit www.socopressroom.com.

From Sound Check to Encore, Play It Safe.  Please Drink Responsibly.
Liqueur, 21-50% Alc. by Volume, Southern Comfort Company, Louisville, KY ©2008
 
Media Contact:

Maria Diokno

866.424.8864

Maria@MyDamnChannel.com

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MY DAMN CHANNEL GIVES IN TO IRRATIONAL FANS

In a world of too much stupid, the best thing you can usually do in my job is give in to the WILL OF THE PEOPLE.

My Damn Channel makes three major announcements today.

BRING BACK DONNIE!

There's been virtual chaos since the disappearance of Donnie Hoyle - master mockutorian - king of YOU SUCK AT PHOTOSHOP. Winner of 3 Webby Awards tonight & creator/maker/magician of 9 MILLION VIEWS.

After months of searching, Donnie Hoyle has been found...inside the body...of a cat.


Donnie?

Keep watching, SNATCHBUCKER's SECOND CHANCE.

The truth is in there and will be further revealed.
 
YOU SUCK AT PHOTOSHOP shall return!

MAKE IT WAIN!

David Wain picks up the WEBBY AWARD tonight for Best Comedy Series for WAINY DAYS. We launched My Damn Channel with this awesome auteur and David's grabbed your eyeballs 5 MILLION TIMES. We're lucky bastards to announce the premiere of Season 3 of WAINY DAYS starting one week from NOW: Monday, 6/16.



David Wain, Saffron Burrows ("Boston Legal," "The Bank Job") in Wainy Days on My Damn Channel.


David Wain, Lee Majors ("The Six Million Dollar Man") in Wainy Days on My Damn Channel.


SAY GRACE!

Last & never least....we're proud to announce a new fulltime gig for Grace Helbig! You met her in "Bedtime Stories" - you created a mega community of fans in "Daily Grace." 



Grace's morning vlogs have been seen hundreds of thousands of times. This summer, Grace escapes Gracie Mansion. My Damn Channel goes on the streets, in the clubs, and on tour.  More o dat later.

Here's all the news o' the day with jagoonda thanks from making life great & simple by telling us what to do!

rob 

 

FOR RELEASE MONDAY, JUNE 9, 2008 – 7a ET

 

MY DAMN CHANNEL GIVES IN TO IRRATIONAL FANS

 

Donnie Hoyle Returns With “You Suck at Photoshop”

Plus Season 3 of “Wainy Days” and a New Daily Show

 

NEW YORK, June 9, 2008 - My Damn Channel (www.MyDamnChannel.com), the entertainment studio and new media platform, today announced the return of two of the most popular, original series on the web.

 

Tonight, the Webby Awards will honor My Damn Channel seven times with accolades including Best Comedy series for “Wainy Days,” plus Best How-To series and People’s Voice wins for “You Suck at Photoshop.”

 

“You Suck at Photoshop” is produced by the creative duo Big Fat Brain. The series has been viewed over 9 million times. Donnie Hoyle, the mysterious lead character for these “mockutorials” vanished after episode 10.

 

Deluged by fan requests for Hoyle’s return, My Damn Channel successfully negotiated a follow-up season with the emotionally unstable screencaster. The series will reboot with all new episodes Friday, June 27.

 

David Wain is the creator, writer and director of “Wainy Days.” This hit web series follows one man’s absurd quest for love and sex in the big city. The first 2 seasons have been viewed over 5 million times. Guest stars have included Paul Rudd, Jonah Hill, Elizabeth Banks, Rob Corddry, Michael Ian Black and Michael Showalter.

 

Wain is a founding member of the comedy troupes The State and Stella. He is a successful film director whose credits include “Wet Hot American Summer” and “The Ten.” Wain is currently filming a new comedy starring Seann William Scott, Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Banks and Christopher Mintz-Plasse.

 

The third season of “Wainy Days” premieres Monday, June 16^th, with a long list of guest stars from top Hollywood films and hit television series including Elizabeth Banks, Lee Majors (“The Six Million Dollar Man”), Janeane Garofalo, Jeffrey Ross, Ed Helms, Alicia Witt, Saffron Burrows, Elizabeth Reaser, A.D. Miles, Mather Zickel, Zandy Hartig, Lucy Punch, Matt Ballard, Christine Lakin, Xander Berkeley, Sarah Clarke, Jorma Taccone and Joe Lo Truglio. “Wainy Days” is produced by Jonathan Stern.

 

Finally, My Damn Channel announces a new, daily show. Grace Helbig is the star of “Daily Grace,” premiering weekday mornings.  Grace hosts a daily, freeform vlog delivering unfiltered commentary on new video premieres, featured clips and life behind the scenes at My Damn Channel. “Daily Grace” features two-way communication with the website’s growing community of music and comedy fans. Grace is a writer, improv artist, actress and comedian. She was previously featured on My Damn Channel’s “Bedtime Stories.”

 

Founder and CEO of My Damn Channel, Rob Barnett says, “In ten months, we’ve captured over 24 million views for our original videos. We’ll never be able to see the beach this summer now that advertisers are signing up to be associated with our quality content. Later this month, we’ll announce a major, mid-six figure deal for branded entertainment. Better than a sun tan.”

 

About My Damn Channel

 

My Damn Channel is an entertainment studio and new media platform created to empower filmmakers, actors, comedians and musicians to co-produce, distribute and monetize original, episodic video. Artists create programming for the My Damn Channel site and for syndication on today's most heavily-trafficked online communities and social networks. My Damn Channel delivers creative control, funding, distribution, and revenue sharing. Co-conspirators include Big Fat Brain, Coolio, Grace Helbig, Steve Kerper, A.D. Miles, Andy Milonakis, Harry Shearer, David Wain and Don Was. The company is supported by an advertising revenue model, and by licensing the studio's entire portfolio of content across all forms of digital distribution.

 

Media Contact:

Maria Diokno

866.424.8864

Maria@MyDamnChannel.com

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My Damn Channel in FORBES

OutFront
Taking Control
Dorothy Pomerantz 06.02.08, 12:00 AM ET

Rob Barnett's My Damn Channel gives TV creators something they've always wanted: ownership.

http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2008/0602/052b.html

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PROCRAST-ERRIFIC

Dobrow's Procrast-errific Web Video Destination

Media Reviews for Media People: My Damn Channel

By Larry Dobrow

Published: May 08, 2008

I spend 37 hours per day in front of the computer and have the attention span of a sugared-up first-grader, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that I inhale a staggering amount of online video. Indeed, as I craft my masterworks of Western thought and struggle to locate that elusive mot juste ("luftmensch"? "jecoral"?), web video serves as the default procrastination apparatus. Mostly my wanderings lead to Springsteen clips, which I then forward to my similarly Jer-Z-fied pals. We've wasted 7,250 hours on low-res 1978 versions of "Prove It All Night" alone.



So no, I don't have a single regular supplier for my video fix, and I'm probably like the vast majority of web monkeys in that regard. For texty information and illumination and whatnot, there are 15 or so sites I'll check out every day. For video, I unthinkingly go wherever my idiot friends point me.


Happily, I've found a procrast-errific web-video destination in My Damn Channel, a better-realized version of the astronomically hyped, Ferrell-and-Apatow-backed Funny or Die. That's not a slap at Funny or Die, so much as an endorsement of the more comically consistent My Damn Channel. It's all well and good that the Ian Zierings and John Mayers of the world have chosen Funny or Die as their preferred venue for gentle image-tweaking, but such lazy bits pale next to the goodies tucked away in each of My Damn Channel's, uh, channels.


Where Funny or Die throws up a bunch of clips and calls it an afternoon, My Damn Channel showcases a range of distinct personalities. Funnyfolk like David Wain, Harry Shearer and Andy Milonakis get online mini-laboratories to call their own, and use them for everything from low-concept weirdness to wry political commentary. No one channel is like the next, though each shares a twitchy, absurdist comic sensibility that should resonate with fans of Andy Samberg's SNL Digital Shorts, "Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!" and anything involving alumni from MTV's "The State."


My Damn Channel has justly been lauded for the passive-aggressive (and educational!) comic gold that is "You Suck at Photoshop" series and Wain's vigorously quirky "Wainy Days" quest to find his fictional self a gal. The site's less-hyped content -- especially the soap opera spoof "Horrible People" and the self-explanatory "Cookin' With Coolio" -- similarly revels in its own silliness, especially the former's asides about how "a waxed ***hole is a window to the soul."


I also dig Grace, the gal who, for lack of a better way to put it, serves as My Damn Channel's hostess and hype woman. She has the Sarah Silverman I'm-adorable-so-I-can-get-away-with-saying-stuff-about-Hitler-and-weed thing down pat, but doesn't overplay the gimmick -- which makes it all the more rewarding when she sweetly intones "be nice to your mother, because you f*cked up her baby hole." Her presence keeps My Damn Channel from feeling like a guys-only clubhouse, a fate that Funny or Die hasn't been able to avoid.


My Damn Channel even pulls off the nifty trick of being entertaining in its advertising. Don Was' music channel boasts Lincoln as a primary sponsor, for example, but also tapes performances in the grungy "grand showroom of our sponsor, The Furniture Outlet, located in North Hollywood, California, at 13054 Sherman Way ... c'mon down for some great music and some great bargains on love seats and bedroom sets!" A bunch of brands that appeal to homebound drones like me -- iTunes, Wolfgang's Vault, National Geographic Channel -- have been in heavy ad rotation of late, as have web mainstays like Match.com and Peapod. They're all easy fits, just as cellphone tchotchkes and other portable media devices would be. Ads for new movies or records would probably get lost amid all the content, though.


The two potential worries here for marketers? One, that few of the clips are safe for work; and two, that almost none of the humor here is linear, meaning that devotees of Jay Leno and "Two and a Half Men" will furrow their brows in a futile attempt to grasp the punch lines.


In the end, you can easily lose yourself for 45 minutes at a time at My Damn Channel -- in fact, I kinda just now did, courtesy of the Lori McKenna and Jackshit clips on the Don Was channel. I've yet to feel a comparable pull to any other web-video destination not named YouTube, and YouTube's clip quality and smallish viewing window seem primitive nowadays when compared to MDC, Funny or Die, Hulu and the like. If you can visit My Damn Channel without meandering around for awhile, I applaud your self-discipline.

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HEADLINING VEGAS

Thanks to the NAB and especially to Ashley Howell, Chris Marlowe, and Rochelle Winters for inviting us to present in Vegas yesterday. Thanks to Jon Healey from the LA Times for moderating - and to Harry Shearer & Andy Milonakis for making the trip.

We filled a room of about 350-400 humans and started by showing a few of our original videos. Fun seeing hundreds LOL at YSAP - up on a huge megascreen - and cool to see a crowd feel the bass of music produced by Don Was.

Harry Shearer made news - announcing "THE ALPHAS" - a project he's been developing for 10 years - and the most ambitious new work making its way to My Damn Channel.

"THE ALPHAS" is motion-capture animation of the highest quality (Beowulf) - done in the fastest turnaround ever achieved (less than 5 day production cycles). Here's more:

Imagine seeing the best-known people in politics and the media, every week, in hilariously private situations. Not actors in makeup, but what looks and sounds like the real President, candidates, anchors, and the rest. That’s the idea behind “The Alphas”, a revolutionary new concept in topical sketch comedy. Written and performed by Harry Shearer, who’s notched more than two decades as a creator of topical satire on his weekly public radio broadcast, “Le Show”, along with two memorable seasons on “Saturday Night Live”, “The Alphas” includes no makeup, no celebrity cameos. Instead, utlizing a trio of cutting-edge motion-capture technologies--harnessed for the first time to a “week-of-air” production schedule, “The Alphas” features startlingly realistic computer-animated versions of the movers, shakers and yakkers. They’re not lifelike--thanks to the technology and Shearer’s performances, they’re alive. And every week, they’re deftly and drolly revealed for all their pretensions, resentments, jealousies and anxieties--all the good stuff, online just days after production.

Here's the first news coverage from the LA Times and the Digital Content Producer Magazine with thanks for the 'ink' & correction to Michael Goldman.

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A (NOT) TV INTERVIEW

Jamison Tilsner & Josh Cohen aka TILZY TV invaded our NY office for the nickel tour - roof access - and answers to Jamison's questions about the voodoo we do. Not exactly 60 MINUTES - but we like their site. CLICK their logo:



http://tilzy.tv/news/2008/3/HisDamnChannel.htm

Our heating SUCKS so the leather was for warmth - i swear.

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MY DAMN CHANNEL IN TODAY'S SUNDAY NEW YORK POST

THE NEXT BROADCAST

by Ben Goldstein



March 2, 2008 -- Web entertainment enters prime time, as Internet networks start modeling themselves on real-world broadcastersBY THE TIME you finish reading this sentence, a 15-year-old mall-punk in central Michigan will have clicked on a YouTube video, gotten bored within seconds, and then clicked on another. It's that kind of insatiable thirst for the next bright, shiny Web-thing that's both fueling and challenging an emerging wave of Internet TV networks.



But for these rapidly multiplying entertainment sites that present original videos, usually released on a consistent schedule, it's also their greatest hope. Because although the audience that looks online for entertainment is fickle to the point of brutality, maybe their attention spans are so short because nobody has given them what they want yet.



Two weeks ago, actor-comedian Damon Wayans became the latest high-profile figure to throw his talent behind the still relatively unproven medium of Internet television, as he announced the impending debut of WayOutTV.com. The site will feature sketch comedy bearing the trademark Wayans Family mix of oddball pop-culture parody and provocative social commentary. Though an official launch date hasn't been established, samples are being released weekly at YouTube.com/WayOutTV.

"There is no urban destination online," Wayans says. "Everybody uses YouTube, but you have to dig deep and for a long time to find something that satisfies you. With WayOut, I'm the filter. I'm creating a brand of comedy as opposed to letting everybody just put up whatever they want."Though the comedian admits that building a Web site's infrastructure is new to him, he sounds like a veteran 'Net-geek when he talks about his big ideas, which include using WayOutTV to create viral ads for corporations, and focusing on content for mobile phones.



He'll need those forward-thinking concepts if WayOutTV is going to succeed.



As the Will Ferrell-backed FunnyorDie.com proved, it takes more than a big name to hold the eyes of an online populace in constant search of novelty. Pulling in about 2 million unique viewers per month, FunnyorDie may be a traffic success compared to other top-notch comedy destinations like SuperDeluxe and MyDamnChannel, but after drawing 4.5 million visitors during its April launch, FoD's numbers crashed and have yet to recover.Besides the fact that the site's videos lacked a predictable TV-like schedule, another reason for FunnyOrDie's somewhat disappointing performance could be its insular nature. The old model was to guard your content vigilantly so that it wouldn't fall into the hands of other video-sharing sites, where you wouldn't benefit from the traffic. (If you want to see Will Ferrell have an argument with a foul-mouthed toddler, you have to come here.)



This may have been a mistake.



New networks are distributing their content all over the Web rather than confining it to a single site, but they're doing so in a controlled way so artists' rights are protected. 60Frames.com, which launched its first series in January, follows a studio model in which professional artists are given resources to create videos that are syndicated to sites like YouTube and MySpace.



Shows produced by 60Frames include "WhoWhatWearTV," which has been theNo. 1-ranked fashion/beauty video podcast on iTunes since its debut, and the hilarious Jersey Shore-lampooning "Douchebag Beach" series."We knew there were a lot of talented artists who wanted to work in this space, but they didn't want to just upload their content to the 'Net without any support, or sell their ideas to media companies where they would be forced to give up ownership and control," says 60Frames CEO Brent Weinstein, who previously led United Talent Agency's digital media department. "When we hear an idea that's a good match for our company, we get behind it as quickly as we can, and once we're in business with artists, we give them quite a bit of free reign. We're the most artist-friendly option in the marketplace."



Of course, you might consider bypassing artists altogether.

A totally different (and more conventional) model for Internet TV is exemplified by Joost, a five-month-old service that presents more than 20,000 shows plucked from "real" TV networks such as Comedy Central and A&E. Original programming is a potential goal for the future, but Joost's main focus is on acquiring rights to existing programming and presenting it all in one place for free.But are more channels what people want?Though more than 5 million people have downloaded the Joost software to date, the company's North American GM, David Clark, says that the biggest challenge in running Joost is "helping people find what they are interested in.

"All of a sudden, that "filter" thing that Damon Wayans mentioned is starting to make sense. If you're lost in an abyss of options that aren't directly aimed at you, maybe you're in the wrong place. And Rob Barnett, CEO of MyDamnChannel, is even more critical of the repurposing strategy.

"I think there's a lot of cynicism in this attitude of, 'The kids are watching all this YouTube stuff, so let's go make another buck off the s - - - we already have,' " Barnett says. "It's rehashed, retreaded content that was made for a different medium. I'd rather say, 'Hey, let's blow their minds and give them something they haven't seen before.' "

Barnett managed programming and production divisions at MTV and VH1 for more than a decade before launching MyDamnChannel in July of last year. The site had 1 million unique users in January, and when we spoke with him, it was having its biggest traffic day ever thanks to a Harry Shearer-produced clip that showed candid footage of Ann Coulter and Bill O'Reilly during moments they didn't know cameras were rolling.

Less is certainly more at MyDamnChannel. Instead of a mass of individual videos that require searching, MDC presents eight highly produced channels, created by artists ranging from Harry Shearer to Coolio, which release a new episode every week. It's about as close to an actual TV network as you'll find on the Web, right down to the consistent scheduling, and it runs proudly against the grain of the user-generated content approach (which ManiaTV.com CEO Peter Hoskins colorfully refers to as "loser-generated content").

Like Wayans, Barnett realizes the importance of submitting to a higher power (i.e., YouTube) for exposure and distribution."If you just drop [your content] onto the Internet, you're in the biggest ocean in the planet, and you're lost," Barnett says.

Words of warning for the glut of new comedy-based Internet TV networks trying to follow the throw-it-all-at-the-wall approach set by FunnyorDie. Recent months have seen the launch of MyBlueCollar.com (Jeff Foxworthy's comedy site), NationalBanana.com (Jerry Zucker's comedy site), and the brand-new Comedy.com (Former UPN President Dean Valentine's comedy site). We don't necessarily recommend you visit any of them.Even though the trend is toward outrageous humor, not every Internet TV network goes for belly laughs. One of the most interesting new models is the development of a group of sites or channels that have nothing to do with one another, but are produced with the same aesthetic.

ONNetworks.com presents more than 20 do-it-yourself cooking, decorating, and green-living instructional shows aimed at the young and hip. The sites launched by the year-old NextNewNetworks.com, which is also led by former cable TV execs, have provided definitive destinations for everyone from vintage Corvette enthusiasts (VetteDog.com), to jewelry designers (MetalChik.com), to people who just like cute pets (UltraKawaii.com).

But there's one thing all these sites have in common: They won't ask you to pay a single dime for your entertainment.

With so much content already free on the Web, those who launch Internet TV networks know they have to be a little more creative when it comes to finding revenue streams. Hence, syndication deals, embedded ads, corporate brands integrated into programming and DVD releases.

Ultimately, Damon Wayans places his trust in the opportunity of the unknown that the online wilderness can be tamed and the pioneers of Web TV can eventually learn how to turn a profit.

"I personally feel that the Internet is what cable was 30 years ago," Wayans says. "It's like clay. Whatever you decide to make it, that's what it will become."

Channel guide: SURFING THROUGH the best of web tv

vbs.tv

Concept: Hipster entertainment from the minds that brought you Vice Magazine.

Best Show: "Shot by Kern" gives viewers insight into the artistic process of New York-based erotic photographer Richard Kern and the thought process of his models.

Also Watch: "The Vice Guide to Travel," "Epicly Later'd"

Schedule: More than 30 series are currently in rotation and are usually updated weekly.

NextNewNetworks.com

Concept: An umbrella group of micro-networks aimed at various niche interests.

Best Channel: IndyMogul.com, resources and moral support for DIY filmmakers.

Also Watch: ThreadBanger.com (fashion coverage with a punk rock 'tude), ChannelFrederator.com (animated comedy featuring Dan Meth's brilliant "The Meth Minute 39" series)

Schedule: Generally in the video blog format, each of NNN's subnetworks are on their own schedules, with daily or weekly updates.

SuperDeluxe.com

Concept: Boundary-pushing alt-comedy videos and social networking.

Best Show: "The Professor Brothers," wherein two bald, pompous community college lecturers try to make sense of the world.

Also Watch: "All My Exes," Norm MacDonald's "The Fake News"

MyDamnChannel.com

Concept: An Internet entertainment studio focusing on eight professional-quality channels produced by well-known artists.

Best Show: In "Wainy Days," writer/director/ex-State member David Wain repeatedly and hilariously fails to find his soul mate.

Also Watch: "Horrible People," "Big Fat Brain"

Schedule:

Monday: new episodes of Wainy Days, Horrible People

Tuesday: Harry Shearer

Wednesday: Andy Milonakis, Cookin' With Coolio

Thursday: Don Was, Carnival of Stuff

Friday: "Big Fat Brain"

ONNetworks.com

Concept: Unconventional instructional shows for a range of interests, all produced in HD.

Best Show: "Dinner with the Band," in which chef Sam Mason hosts his favorite bands for an evening of cooking, conversation, and live performance.

Also Watch: "Backpack Picnic," "Stump the Chef"

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