Channel 102
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Channel 102 is a monthly live screening of five-minute-long "TV shows" in New York City, created by Tony Carnevale, with the blessings of Dan Harmon and Rob Schrab. Harmon and Schrab created Channel 101, the Los Angeles-based show that inspired Channel 102.
Channel 102 launched on February 3, 2005 at the Variety Underground showcase at the Parkside Lounge. For that debut screening, all pilots that were submitted which met the five-minute maximum length were accepted . Eleven were shown, and the top five became the first "prime time" shows of Channel 102.
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[edit] Concept
The concept is identical to that of Channel 101, and follows its model of operations. Anyone can submit a pilot on a standard DV tape. The content, genre, and style of the show are entirely open as long as the length of the show is under five minutes.
From all the submissions, only a portion is screened for the live audience.
Between three and seven new pilots join the previous months' prime time of five continuing shows. At the end of the screening, all audience members fill out "Executive Decision Ballots," checking off their five top shows. Only the shows with the highest five ratings will return next month with a new episode, all other shows are "cancelled."
The "Prime Time Panel" is made up of representatives from the shows with the highest audience vote totals from the previous month's screening.
At the screening (which occurs roughly every month), the audience votes (or "renews") its top five favorite shows. The creators of those shows continue making new episodes each month until they fall from the top five, which means they have been "cancelled."
[edit] Screening Locations
After leaving the Parkside Louge, Channel 102 held several screenings at The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre (NYC) from March through September of 2005. In November 2005, Channel 102 moved to the 192-seat Courthouse Theater at The Anthology Film Archives. As of November 2006, the screenings are being held at Tribeca Cinemas.
[edit] Notable 102 Personalities
- Tony Carnevale: Locked in A Closet, Purgatory
- Will Hines: The Fun Squad, Sexual Intercourse: American Style
- John Gemberling[1]: Gemberling
- Curtis Gwinn[2]: Gemberling
- Austin Bragg: Jesus Christ Supercop, The Defenders of Stan
- Hunter Christy: Jesus Christ Supercop, The Defenders of Stan
- Dyna Moe: My Wife the Ghost, Cakey! The Cake From Outer Space, Mister Glasses
- Kirk Damato: My Wife the Ghost, Cakey! The Cake From Outer Space
- Jon Golbe: Teen Homicide, The Jon & Jess Variety Hour
- Jess Lane: Teen Homicide, The Jon & Jess Variety Hour
- Christopher Ford: Puppet Rapist
- Randall Park: Dr. Miracles
- Mitch Magee: Sexual Intercourse: American Style, Mister Glasses'
- Karen Lurie: American Cookbook
- Nick Poppy: American Cookbook
[edit] Notable Shows
- The Fun Squad[3]: The first #1 prime time show
- The Defenders of Stan[4]: Current longest running show with 15 episodes
- Gemberling[5]: The original episodes were re-aired on Fuse TV, and a new version premiered Adult Swim as Fat Guy Stuck in Internet
- Sexual Intercourse: American Style[6]: Longest-running show to never reach #1
- Shutterbugs[7]:Created by Aziz Ansari and Rob Huebel, later to form the MTV sketch group Human Giant;
- I Love The '30s[8]: Licensed to Comedy Central's Motherload
- Puppet Rapist [9]: Created by notable personality Christopher Ford along with Waverly Films, this popular show self-cancelled at the end of its 5-episode story arc.
[edit] Changes to Format
Channel 102 has always been seen and treated as a distant relative of inferior quality by the team at Channel 101. In November 2007 Kelly Kubik (Dan Harmon's former personal assistant and creative collaborator on hundreds[citation needed] of 101 shows) and Stephen Levinson moved to New York, Levinson replacing Will Hines as the 'showrunner' of Channel 102. Levinson commenced several new initiatives including moving the screening from Tribeca Cinemas to Pianos' Bar, making entry free and rebranding Channel 102 as 'Channel 101:NY' in order to draw the brands together. The success of these initiatives will decide upon the festival's longevity.
