Jump to content

Off the Air (TV series): Difference between revisions

This is a good article. Click here for more information.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
Tags: Mobile edit Mobile app edit Android app edit
No edit summary
(17 intermediate revisions by 15 users not shown)
Line 12: Line 12:
| creator = [[Dave Hughes (producer)|Dave Hughes]]
| creator = [[Dave Hughes (producer)|Dave Hughes]]
| presenter =
| presenter =
| executive_producer = {{ubl|Dave Hughes{{efn|Hughes is credited as executive producer for every episode except "Animals" and "Food" which instead carry a "produced by" credit to Million Monkeys, Inc.}}|[[Keith Crofford]]|[[Mike Lazzo]]|[[Michael Ouweleen]]{{efn|Ouweleen is executive producer starting with "Progress."}}}}
| executive_producer = {{ubl|Dave Hughes{{efn|Hughes is credited as executive producer for every episode except "Animals" and "Food" which instead carry a "produced by" credit to Million Monkeys Inc.}}|[[Keith Crofford]]|[[Mike Lazzo]]|[[Michael Ouweleen]]{{efn|Ouweleen is executive producer starting with "Progress".}}}}
| producer = {{ubl|Cody DeMatteis|Alan Steadman|Melissa Warrenburg}}
| producer = {{ubl|Cody DeMatteis|Alan Steadman|Melissa Warrenburg}}
| country = United States
| country = United States
Line 19: Line 19:
| last_aired = {{end date|present}}
| last_aired = {{end date|present}}
| company = {{ubl|[[Williams Street]]|Million Monkeys Inc.}}
| company = {{ubl|[[Williams Street]]|Million Monkeys Inc.}}
| num_seasons = 13
| num_seasons = 14
| num_episodes = 50 (and 3 specials)
| num_episodes = 52 (and 3 specials)
| list_episodes = List of Off the Air episodes
| list_episodes = List of Off the Air episodes
}}
}}
Line 28: Line 28:
Hughes is a former employee of [[MTV Animation]] who first pitched it to [[Mike Lazzo]] at Adult Swim after producing a [[video mixtape]] for the network's 2010 ''Carnival Tour'' event. As a result of its 4 a.m. [[graveyard slot]] and small selection of episodes, the series remains relatively unknown on the network, but has been received positively and dubbed a [[cult phenomenon]] by critics and Adult Swim itself.
Hughes is a former employee of [[MTV Animation]] who first pitched it to [[Mike Lazzo]] at Adult Swim after producing a [[video mixtape]] for the network's 2010 ''Carnival Tour'' event. As a result of its 4 a.m. [[graveyard slot]] and small selection of episodes, the series remains relatively unknown on the network, but has been received positively and dubbed a [[cult phenomenon]] by critics and Adult Swim itself.


The series has aired 50 episodes and 3 specials over the course of 13 seasons, including two episodes, "Technology" (by [[Wham City]]) and "Paradise" (by Ghosting.tv), that Adult Swim announced on October 13, 2017, would air in late 2017.<ref name="auto">{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0o4JiDSz9k&t=0m15s|title=The History of Adult Swim - Off the Air bump (10-13-17)|last=danthemanwiththegarbagecan|date=14 October 2017|access-date=23 March 2018|via=YouTube|archive-date=7 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211107202315/https://accounts.google.com/ServiceLogin?service=youtube&uilel=3&passive=true&continue=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fsignin%3Faction_handle_signin%3Dtrue%26app%3Ddesktop%26hl%3Den%26next%3D%252Fsignin_passive%26feature%3Dpassive&hl=en|url-status=live}}</ref> On December 31, 2019, Dave Hughes tweeted that the episode "Patterns" was the "last [one] for now", indicating that the series had been put on hiatus until further notice.<ref>{{cite tweet |author=cheesepapa |user=cheesepapa |number=1212120206216253442 |date=December 31, 2019 |title=Let’s just say “last for now” https://t.co/wRfkhgWyU5 |language=en |access-date=January 5, 2021}}</ref> Following this, the show received four more seasons: season 10 on June 9, 2020;<ref>{{cite tweet |author=cheesepapa |user=cheesepapa |number=1270221802724352002 |date=June 9, 2020 |title=Yes, we made another one. Been locked in our house for months, and one just popped out. Sorry! https://t.co/eURCdYLpzZ |language=en |access-date=January 5, 2021}}</ref> season 11 on October 12, 2021;<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://twitter.com/cheesepapa/status/1445134868116082697 |title=Cheesepapa a Twitter: "Off the Air Season 11 kicks off next week with FAMILY. All week at 4am on @adultswim Curated and Produced by #ColeKush|access-date=2021-10-17 |archive-date=2021-10-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211005112445/https://twitter.com/cheesepapa/status/1445134868116082697 |url-status=live }}</ref>, season 12 on July 4, 2022.<ref>{{cite tweet|author=cheesepapa|user=cheesepapa|number=1542597011035267073|date=June 30, 2022|title=Off The Air NONSENSE airs next Mon-Thurs at 3:30am on ⁦@adultswim It’s your patriotic doody|language=en|access-date=July 3, 2022}}</ref> and season 13 on December 19, 2023.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cG9dz9cj-YE</ref>
The series has aired 50 episodes and 3 specials over the course of 13 seasons, including two episodes, "Technology" (by [[Wham City]]) and "Paradise" (by Ghosting.tv), that Adult Swim announced on October 13, 2017, would air in late 2017.<ref name="auto">{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0o4JiDSz9k&t=0m15s|title=The History of Adult Swim - Off the Air bump (10-13-17)|last=danthemanwiththegarbagecan|date=14 October 2017|access-date=23 March 2018|via=YouTube|archive-date=7 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211107202315/https://accounts.google.com/ServiceLogin?service=youtube&uilel=3&passive=true&continue=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fsignin%3Faction_handle_signin%3Dtrue%26app%3Ddesktop%26hl%3Den%26next%3D%252Fsignin_passive%26feature%3Dpassive&hl=en|url-status=live}}</ref> On December 31, 2019, Dave Hughes tweeted that the episode "Patterns" was the "last [one] for now", indicating that the series had been put on hiatus until further notice.<ref>{{cite tweet |author=cheesepapa |user=cheesepapa |number=1212120206216253442 |date=December 31, 2019 |title=Let's just say "last for now" https://t.co/wRfkhgWyU5 |language=en |access-date=January 5, 2021}}</ref> Following this, the show received five more seasons: season 10 on June 9, 2020;<ref>{{cite tweet |author=cheesepapa |user=cheesepapa |number=1270221802724352002 |date=June 9, 2020 |title=Yes, we made another one. Been locked in our house for months, and one just popped out. Sorry! https://t.co/eURCdYLpzZ |language=en |access-date=January 5, 2021}}</ref> season 11 on October 12, 2021;<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://twitter.com/cheesepapa/status/1445134868116082697 |title=Cheesepapa a Twitter: "Off the Air Season 11 kicks off next week with FAMILY. All week at 4am on @adultswim Curated and Produced by #ColeKush|access-date=2021-10-17 |archive-date=2021-10-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211005112445/https://twitter.com/cheesepapa/status/1445134868116082697 |url-status=live }}</ref> season 12 on July 4, 2022;<ref>{{cite tweet|author=cheesepapa|user=cheesepapa|number=1542597011035267073|date=June 30, 2022|title=Off The Air NONSENSE airs next Mon-Thurs at 3:30am on ⁦@adultswim It's your patriotic doody|language=en|access-date=July 3, 2022}}</ref> season 13 on December 19, 2023;<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cG9dz9cj-YE | title=Off the Air &#124; SEX &#124; DRUGS &#124; MUSIC &#124; FARTS | website=[[YouTube]] | date=12 December 2023 }}</ref> and season 14 on December 17, 2024.


==Synopsis==
==Synopsis==
Line 35: Line 35:


==Production==
==Production==
Series creator [[Dave Hughes (producer)|Dave Hughes]] first started working for Adult Swim in 2003 after an eight-year stint with [[MTV Animation]], where he had edited series such as ''[[Beavis and Butt-Head]]'' and ''[[Celebrity Deathmatch]]''.<ref name="McManus 2014" />{{rp|84}} Hughes, who saw Adult Swim "slipping away from its more experimental roots" as it got popular,<ref name="Me & Aulwurm 2012" /> had the concept for ''Off the Air'' in mind before, but never thought he would be the one to make it. While living in New York, ''[[120 Minutes]]'', ''Concrete TV'', ''[[Liquid Television]]'' and ''[[Night Flight (TV series)|Night Flight]]'' were among some of the experimental programming that exposed him "to a whole new world of ideas, music and people that I just didn't see anywhere else on television."<ref name="McManus 2014" />{{rp|85}}
Series creator [[Dave Hughes (producer)|Dave Hughes]] first started working for Adult Swim in 2003 after an eight-year stint with [[MTV Animation]], where he had edited series such as ''[[Beavis and Butt-Head]]'' and ''[[Celebrity Deathmatch]]''.<ref name="McManus 2014" />{{rp|84}} Hughes, who saw Adult Swim "slipping away from its more experimental roots" as it got popular,<ref name="Me & Aulwurm 2012" /> had the concept for ''Off the Air'' in mind before, but never thought he would be the one to make it. While living in New York, ''[[120 Minutes]]'', ''[[Concrete TV]]'', ''[[Liquid Television]]'' and ''[[Night Flight (TV series)|Night Flight]]'' were among some of the experimental programming that exposed him "to a whole new world of ideas, music and people that I just didn't see anywhere else on television."<ref name="McManus 2014" />{{rp|85}}


Hughes first pitched the series to the network through [[Mike Lazzo]] at Adult Swim sometime after late 2009, after producing a [[video mixtape]] that would be projected behind musical performers for the network's 2010 ''Carnival Tour'' event. He compiled footage for the mixtape using the [[Prelinger Archives]], as well as various online sources, and applied [[visual effects]] to them "until you didn't quite know what you were looking at."<ref name="Me & Aulwurm 2012" /> He originally imagined for it to exist as a "bizarre collection" of Internet and archival footage intertwined with clips from Adult Swim shows, "set to good music."<ref name="McManus 2014" />{{rp|85}} He ultimately had to omit the latter material, however, as the network would still have to acquire licenses for their own series in [[derivative work]]s.<ref name="Adult Swim 2012" /> He found that once they were gone, "the show really opened up."<ref name="McManus 2014" />{{rp|86}}
Hughes first pitched the series to the network through [[Mike Lazzo]] at Adult Swim sometime after late 2009, after producing a [[video mixtape]] that would be projected behind musical performers for the network's 2010 ''Carnival Tour'' event. He compiled footage for the mixtape using the [[Prelinger Archives]], as well as various online sources, and applied [[visual effects]] to them "until you didn't quite know what you were looking at."<ref name="Me & Aulwurm 2012" /> He originally imagined for it to exist as a "bizarre collection" of Internet and archival footage intertwined with clips from Adult Swim shows, "set to good music."<ref name="McManus 2014" />{{rp|85}} He ultimately had to omit the latter material, however, as the network would still have to acquire licenses for their own series in [[derivative work]]s.<ref name="Adult Swim 2012" /> He found that once they were gone, "the show really opened up."<ref name="McManus 2014" />{{rp|86}}
Line 42: Line 42:
In putting an episode together, Hughes seeks clips "with some kind of truth or integrity to them", opting for both [[viral video]]s in addition to ones with fewer view counts.<ref name="McManus 2014" />{{rp|86}}{{efn|Original pieces are also commissioned.<ref name="McManus 2014" />{{rp|89}}}} Tracking down licensees for clips proves to be the most difficult aspect of the process, he stated, with co-producers Cody DeMatteis and Alan Steadman assisting him in pursuit of material hard to obtain.<ref name="McManus 2014" />{{rp|86–87}}{{efn|Before Hughes explained his process, Colin Foord of the Miami-based art collective Coral Morphologic, whose short film ''Oyster Vision'' is featured in the second episode, said he was unsure how producers sought after his film. He posited that they found it through their [[Vimeo]] account or their exposure at the [[Borscht Film Festival]].<ref name="McCorquodale 2011" />}} When asked if getting consent for other's work posed a challenge, Hughes noted it to be helpful working under the "Adult Swim banner", with only a few artists responding with reluctance. He wrote that each piece of the episode is treated with protection, not "trying to exploit anyone or make fun of anything or anybody."<ref name="McManus 2014" />{{rp|86}}
In putting an episode together, Hughes seeks clips "with some kind of truth or integrity to them", opting for both [[viral video]]s in addition to ones with fewer view counts.<ref name="McManus 2014" />{{rp|86}}{{efn|Original pieces are also commissioned.<ref name="McManus 2014" />{{rp|89}}}} Tracking down licensees for clips proves to be the most difficult aspect of the process, he stated, with co-producers Cody DeMatteis and Alan Steadman assisting him in pursuit of material hard to obtain.<ref name="McManus 2014" />{{rp|86–87}}{{efn|Before Hughes explained his process, Colin Foord of the Miami-based art collective Coral Morphologic, whose short film ''Oyster Vision'' is featured in the second episode, said he was unsure how producers sought after his film. He posited that they found it through their [[Vimeo]] account or their exposure at the [[Borscht Film Festival]].<ref name="McCorquodale 2011" />}} When asked if getting consent for other's work posed a challenge, Hughes noted it to be helpful working under the "Adult Swim banner", with only a few artists responding with reluctance. He wrote that each piece of the episode is treated with protection, not "trying to exploit anyone or make fun of anything or anybody."<ref name="McManus 2014" />{{rp|86}}


Each episode is edited using [[Final Cut Pro]], along with [[Adobe Photoshop]] and [[Adobe After Effects]] for further manipulation (often employing [[Compression artifact|data-moshing]] techniques).<ref name="Me & Aulwurm 2012" /> Hughes observed a large portion of producing episodes to stem from "finding the right music to go with the visuals, or vice versa",<ref name="Hughes 2014a" /> and found [[Film transition|transitions]] to "really help keep it moving."<ref name="Hughes 2014b" /> Likewise, Hughes digressed from ''Liquid Television''{{'s}} use of longer segments in order to make the series a "larger event rather than a series of smaller events", and found visual effects and transitions to be "a huge part" of his theory in making an episode.<ref name="Me & Aulwurm 2012" />
Each episode is edited using [[Final Cut Pro]], along with [[Adobe Photoshop]] and [[Adobe After Effects]] for further manipulation (often employing [[Compression artifact|datamoshing]] techniques).<ref name="Me & Aulwurm 2012" /> Hughes observed a large portion of producing episodes to stem from "finding the right music to go with the visuals, or vice versa",<ref name="Hughes 2014a" /> and found [[Film transition|transitions]] to "really help keep it moving."<ref name="Hughes 2014b" /> Likewise, Hughes digressed from ''Liquid Television''{{'s}} use of longer segments in order to make the series a "larger event rather than a series of smaller events", and found visual effects and transitions to be "a huge part" of his theory in making an episode.<ref name="Me & Aulwurm 2012" />


Starting in Season 7, the series began airing episodes produced by guest curators.<ref name="auto"/>
Starting in Season 7, the series began airing episodes produced by guest curators.<ref name="auto"/>
Line 48: Line 48:
A compilation of videos that were once considered to be featured in the first season had been published on the network's official blog.<ref name="Adult Swim 2012" />{{efn|These compilations were removed following a redesign of the network's website.}} These videos, extending into its second season as well as hosting various other supplemental material, have since been published onto [[Network Awesome]].<ref name="Network Awesome 2013" /> A compilation of material from the first season and additional shorts was given a theatrical release at [[Cinefamily]] on August 25, 2012, which Hughes attended.<ref name="Cinefamily 2012" />
A compilation of videos that were once considered to be featured in the first season had been published on the network's official blog.<ref name="Adult Swim 2012" />{{efn|These compilations were removed following a redesign of the network's website.}} These videos, extending into its second season as well as hosting various other supplemental material, have since been published onto [[Network Awesome]].<ref name="Network Awesome 2013" /> A compilation of material from the first season and additional shorts was given a theatrical release at [[Cinefamily]] on August 25, 2012, which Hughes attended.<ref name="Cinefamily 2012" />


In 2018, Hughes started ''Smalls'', a complementary series on Adult Swim's website featuring original shorts from the artists featured on ''Off the Air'' as well as new talent. Hughes has said he intended for the series to include "more traditional shorts, [with] a little more character and a little more comedy," as opposed to the more abstract material on ''Off the Air''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.itsnicethat.com/features/dave-hughes-adult-swim-off-the-air-smalls-animation-film-161219|title=How Dave Hughes' Adult Swim show became a haven for the world's weirdest content|access-date=2020-04-30|archive-date=2020-08-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200810032511/https://www.itsnicethat.com/features/dave-hughes-adult-swim-off-the-air-smalls-animation-film-161219|url-status=live}}</ref> The series includes both weekly online short films and full 11-minute shorts for the network proper,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.adultswim.com/videos/smalls|title=Watch Smalls on Adult Swim|access-date=2020-04-30|archive-date=2020-04-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200427185749/http://www.adultswim.com/videos/smalls|url-status=live}}</ref> the latter of which air under the title ''Adult Swim Smalls Presents''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.adultswim.com/schedule/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210204221047/https://www.adultswim.com/schedule/|archive-date=2021-02-04|title=Schedule - Adult Swim}}</ref> The shorts and TV episodes also air on the ''Off the Air'' marathon stream on the network's website.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.adultswim.com/streams/off-the-air|title=Adult Swim Streams|access-date=2020-04-30|archive-date=2020-04-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424133927/http://www.adultswim.com/streams/off-the-air|url-status=live}}</ref> Beginning in 2022, episodes of ''Smalls'' were added to [[Max (streaming service)|HBO Max]] (now Max), with some also premiering there.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePtkdc7YxuA | title=DØGVVÅLKER &#124; adult swim smalls | website=[[YouTube]] }}</ref>
In 2018, Hughes started ''Smalls'', a complementary series on Adult Swim's website featuring original shorts from the artists featured on ''Off the Air'' as well as new talent. Hughes has said he intended for the series to include "more traditional shorts, [with] a little more character and a little more comedy," as opposed to the more abstract material on ''Off the Air''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.itsnicethat.com/features/dave-hughes-adult-swim-off-the-air-smalls-animation-film-161219|title=How Dave Hughes' Adult Swim show became a haven for the world's weirdest content|access-date=2020-04-30|archive-date=2020-08-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200810032511/https://www.itsnicethat.com/features/dave-hughes-adult-swim-off-the-air-smalls-animation-film-161219|url-status=live}}</ref> The series includes both weekly online short films and full 11-minute shorts for the network proper,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.adultswim.com/videos/smalls|title=Watch Smalls on Adult Swim|access-date=2020-04-30|archive-date=2020-04-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200427185749/http://www.adultswim.com/videos/smalls|url-status=live}}</ref> the latter of which air under the title ''Adult Swim Smalls Presents''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.adultswim.com/schedule/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210204221047/https://www.adultswim.com/schedule/|archive-date=2021-02-04|title=Schedule - Adult Swim}}</ref> The shorts and TV episodes also air on the ''Off the Air'' marathon stream on the network's website.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.adultswim.com/streams/off-the-air|title=Adult Swim Streams|access-date=2020-04-30|archive-date=2020-04-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424133927/http://www.adultswim.com/streams/off-the-air|url-status=live}}</ref> Beginning in 2022, episodes of ''Smalls'' were added to [[Max (streaming service)|HBO Max]] (now Max), with some also premiering there.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePtkdc7YxuA | title=DØGVVÅLKER &#124; adult swim smalls | website=[[YouTube]] | date=3 February 2022 | access-date=24 June 2022 | archive-date=24 June 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220624115355/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePtkdc7YxuA&gl=US&hl=en | url-status=live }}</ref>


==Broadcast and reception==
==Broadcast and reception==
Its first episode, "Animals", premiered on Adult Swim on New Year's Day 2011 at 4&nbsp;a.m.; it was broadcast twice in a row, back-to-back. Episodes have continued to air in this time slot—considered a [[graveyard slot]] in broadcast programming—and as a result of this and its small selection of episodes, the series remains relatively unknown on the network. However, Austin McManus of ''[[Juxtapoz]]'' noted [[word of mouth]] to be "gradually spreading" about it.<ref name="McManus 2014" />{{rp|82}} He and the network also described the show as a [[cult phenomenon]].<ref name="McManus 2014" />{{rp|89}}<ref name="Turner Broadcasting System 2013" />
Its first episode, "Animals", premiered on Adult Swim on [[New Year's Day]] 2011 at 4&nbsp;a.m.; it was broadcast twice in a row, back-to-back. Episodes have continued to air in this time slot—considered a [[graveyard slot]] in broadcast programming—and as a result of this and its small selection of episodes, the series remains relatively unknown on the network. However, Austin McManus of ''[[Juxtapoz]]'' noted [[word of mouth]] to be "gradually spreading" about it.<ref name="McManus 2014" />{{rp|82}} He and the network also described the show as a [[cult phenomenon]].<ref name="McManus 2014" />{{rp|89}}<ref name="Turner Broadcasting System 2013" />
Three [[Television special|specials]] have been produced: "[[Dan Deacon: U.S.A.]]", broadcast July 6, 2013, consists of surreal footage of American landscapes, with music from the last four tracks of the album ''[[America (Dan Deacon album)|America]]'' by [[Dan Deacon]].<ref name="Turner Broadcasting System 2013" /> A second special—the second-season episode "Nightmares" played in literal reverse—aired after [[Halloween]] night on November 1, 2014.<ref name="Adult Swim 2014b">{{cite web | url=http://www.adultswim.com/videos/off-the-air/seramthgin/ | title=''Off the Air''&nbsp;– Seramthgin | publisher=Adult Swim. Turner Broadcasting System | date=November 1, 2014 | access-date=November 4, 2014 | author=Adult Swim | archive-date=November 11, 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141111094239/http://www.adultswim.com/videos/off-the-air/seramthgin/ | url-status=live }}</ref> The third special is a music video of Deacon's song "When I Was Done Dying" from his album ''[[Gliss Riffer]]'' animated by nine directors featured previously in ''Off the Air'', that broadcast March 24, 2015.
Three [[Television special|specials]] have been produced: "[[Dan Deacon: U.S.A.]]", broadcast July 6, 2013, consists of surreal footage of American landscapes, with music from the last four tracks of the album ''[[America (Dan Deacon album)|America]]'' by [[Dan Deacon]].<ref name="Turner Broadcasting System 2013" /> A second special—the second-season episode "Nightmares" played in literal reverse—aired after [[Halloween]] night on November 1, 2014.<ref name="Adult Swim 2014b">{{cite web | url=http://www.adultswim.com/videos/off-the-air/seramthgin/ | title=''Off the Air''&nbsp;– Seramthgin | publisher=Adult Swim. Turner Broadcasting System | date=November 1, 2014 | access-date=November 4, 2014 | author=Adult Swim | archive-date=November 11, 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141111094239/http://www.adultswim.com/videos/off-the-air/seramthgin/ | url-status=live }}</ref> The third special is a music video of Deacon's song "When I Was Done Dying" from his album ''[[Gliss Riffer]]'' animated by nine directors featured previously in ''Off the Air'', that broadcast March 24, 2015.


Line 245: Line 245:
| author=Staff writer
| author=Staff writer
| via=The Futon Critic
| via=The Futon Critic
| archive-date=November 15, 2014
| archive-date=January 11, 2014
| archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/6U5nMdgek?url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2013/06/10/adult-swim-summer-singles-program-returns-with-a-free-15-track-digital-compilation-of-never-before-released-songs-796104/20130610adultswim01/
| archive-url=https://archive.today/20140111084415/http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2013/06/10/adult-swim-summer-singles-program-returns-with-a-free-15-track-digital-compilation-of-never-before-released-songs-796104/20130610adultswim01/
| url-status=live
| url-status=live
}}</ref>
}}</ref>
Line 297: Line 297:
[[Category:2020s American video clip television series]]
[[Category:2020s American video clip television series]]
[[Category:2011 American television series debuts]]
[[Category:2011 American television series debuts]]
[[Category:2011 animated television series debuts]]
[[Category:American adult animation anthology series]]
[[Category:American adult animation anthology series]]
[[Category:American adult animated comedy television series]]
[[Category:American adult animated comedy television series]]
Line 302: Line 303:
[[Category:American flash adult animated television series]]
[[Category:American flash adult animated television series]]
[[Category:American adult computer-animated television series]]
[[Category:American adult computer-animated television series]]
[[Category:English-language television shows]]
[[Category:American English-language television shows]]
[[Category:Adult Swim original programming]]
[[Category:Adult Swim original programming]]
[[Category:American television series with live action and animation]]
[[Category:American television series with live action and animation]]

Revision as of 13:06, 17 December 2024

Off the Air
Genre
Created byDave Hughes
Country of originUnited States
No. of seasons14
No. of episodes52 (and 3 specials) (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
Producers
  • Cody DeMatteis
  • Alan Steadman
  • Melissa Warrenburg
Running time10–12 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkAdult Swim
ReleaseJanuary 1, 2011 (2011-01-01) –
present (present)

Off the Air is an American psychedelic anthology television series created by Dave Hughes for Adult Swim. The series is presented without explanation or narration as a showcase of surreal footage arranged around a single loose theme (expressed in the episode title) and blended without pause into a single continuous presentation. The series premiered on Adult Swim on January 1, 2011, 4:00 am New Year's Day.

Hughes is a former employee of MTV Animation who first pitched it to Mike Lazzo at Adult Swim after producing a video mixtape for the network's 2010 Carnival Tour event. As a result of its 4 a.m. graveyard slot and small selection of episodes, the series remains relatively unknown on the network, but has been received positively and dubbed a cult phenomenon by critics and Adult Swim itself.

The series has aired 50 episodes and 3 specials over the course of 13 seasons, including two episodes, "Technology" (by Wham City) and "Paradise" (by Ghosting.tv), that Adult Swim announced on October 13, 2017, would air in late 2017.[1] On December 31, 2019, Dave Hughes tweeted that the episode "Patterns" was the "last [one] for now", indicating that the series had been put on hiatus until further notice.[2] Following this, the show received five more seasons: season 10 on June 9, 2020;[3] season 11 on October 12, 2021;[4] season 12 on July 4, 2022;[5] season 13 on December 19, 2023;[6] and season 14 on December 17, 2024.

Synopsis

Screenshot from the first episode "Animals", showing morphing psychedelic imagery between two clips

The series is presented without explanation or narration as a showcase of surreal footage—animations, short films, music videos, viral videos, film, and television clips, stock footage and morphing psychedelic imagery—arranged around a single loose theme (expressed in the episode title) and blended without pause into a single continuous presentation.

Production

Series creator Dave Hughes first started working for Adult Swim in 2003 after an eight-year stint with MTV Animation, where he had edited series such as Beavis and Butt-Head and Celebrity Deathmatch.[7]: 84  Hughes, who saw Adult Swim "slipping away from its more experimental roots" as it got popular,[8] had the concept for Off the Air in mind before, but never thought he would be the one to make it. While living in New York, 120 Minutes, Concrete TV, Liquid Television and Night Flight were among some of the experimental programming that exposed him "to a whole new world of ideas, music and people that I just didn't see anywhere else on television."[7]: 85 

Hughes first pitched the series to the network through Mike Lazzo at Adult Swim sometime after late 2009, after producing a video mixtape that would be projected behind musical performers for the network's 2010 Carnival Tour event. He compiled footage for the mixtape using the Prelinger Archives, as well as various online sources, and applied visual effects to them "until you didn't quite know what you were looking at."[8] He originally imagined for it to exist as a "bizarre collection" of Internet and archival footage intertwined with clips from Adult Swim shows, "set to good music."[7]: 85  He ultimately had to omit the latter material, however, as the network would still have to acquire licenses for their own series in derivative works.[9] He found that once they were gone, "the show really opened up."[7]: 86 

Variant of the poster for branding

In putting an episode together, Hughes seeks clips "with some kind of truth or integrity to them", opting for both viral videos in addition to ones with fewer view counts.[7]: 86 [c] Tracking down licensees for clips proves to be the most difficult aspect of the process, he stated, with co-producers Cody DeMatteis and Alan Steadman assisting him in pursuit of material hard to obtain.[7]: 86–87 [d] When asked if getting consent for other's work posed a challenge, Hughes noted it to be helpful working under the "Adult Swim banner", with only a few artists responding with reluctance. He wrote that each piece of the episode is treated with protection, not "trying to exploit anyone or make fun of anything or anybody."[7]: 86 

Each episode is edited using Final Cut Pro, along with Adobe Photoshop and Adobe After Effects for further manipulation (often employing datamoshing techniques).[8] Hughes observed a large portion of producing episodes to stem from "finding the right music to go with the visuals, or vice versa",[11] and found transitions to "really help keep it moving."[12] Likewise, Hughes digressed from Liquid Television's use of longer segments in order to make the series a "larger event rather than a series of smaller events", and found visual effects and transitions to be "a huge part" of his theory in making an episode.[8]

Starting in Season 7, the series began airing episodes produced by guest curators.[1]

A compilation of videos that were once considered to be featured in the first season had been published on the network's official blog.[9][e] These videos, extending into its second season as well as hosting various other supplemental material, have since been published onto Network Awesome.[13] A compilation of material from the first season and additional shorts was given a theatrical release at Cinefamily on August 25, 2012, which Hughes attended.[14]

In 2018, Hughes started Smalls, a complementary series on Adult Swim's website featuring original shorts from the artists featured on Off the Air as well as new talent. Hughes has said he intended for the series to include "more traditional shorts, [with] a little more character and a little more comedy," as opposed to the more abstract material on Off the Air.[15] The series includes both weekly online short films and full 11-minute shorts for the network proper,[16] the latter of which air under the title Adult Swim Smalls Presents.[17] The shorts and TV episodes also air on the Off the Air marathon stream on the network's website.[18] Beginning in 2022, episodes of Smalls were added to HBO Max (now Max), with some also premiering there.[19]

Broadcast and reception

Its first episode, "Animals", premiered on Adult Swim on New Year's Day 2011 at 4 a.m.; it was broadcast twice in a row, back-to-back. Episodes have continued to air in this time slot—considered a graveyard slot in broadcast programming—and as a result of this and its small selection of episodes, the series remains relatively unknown on the network. However, Austin McManus of Juxtapoz noted word of mouth to be "gradually spreading" about it.[7]: 82  He and the network also described the show as a cult phenomenon.[7]: 89 [20] Three specials have been produced: "Dan Deacon: U.S.A.", broadcast July 6, 2013, consists of surreal footage of American landscapes, with music from the last four tracks of the album America by Dan Deacon.[20] A second special—the second-season episode "Nightmares" played in literal reverse—aired after Halloween night on November 1, 2014.[21] The third special is a music video of Deacon's song "When I Was Done Dying" from his album Gliss Riffer animated by nine directors featured previously in Off the Air, that broadcast March 24, 2015.

It has received positive critical reception, with McManus conducting an eight-page interview and profile of Hughes in appreciation of the series.[7]: 82–89  The magazine had previously published a special issue centered on the network and its shows in July 2012, but overlooked Off the Air, presenting an "opportunity to shed a little insight and background on an extraordinary unique show."[7]: 83  Speaking from the first time he watched it, McManus praised it for not being "your typical try-too-hard-to-be-weird production."[7]: 82  In Adweek, Sam Thielman ranked it second place out of 18 other programs on the network. He tied it with the network's parody Infomercials and wrote that it was "in the same category as King Star King among things that are so cool and strange that they look like they should probably be part of a video installation in an art gallery somewhere."[22]

For Neon Tommy, Jeremy Fuster called it "a dark, unspeakable corner of television where no light can reach and only the sleepless and drug-addled dare to venture."[23] Amanda McCorquodale of the Miami New Times joked that, for artists featured on the show, "nothing compares to the prestige of sharing a network with Tim & Eric and Brak, right?"[10] Ultimately, she saw it as the "already bizarre network's foray into out-there visual experimentation."[10] Writing for The Fader, Matthew Trammell regarded it as "when things get really interesting."[24] PQ Ribber of The Overnightscape Underground dubbed the series a "modern version" of Liquid Television and called it "really kinda spiffy, and trippy, and cool."[25] Casper Kelly sought inspiration from the show during the production of his short film for the network, Too Many Cooks.[26]

Ratings-wise, several episodes have surpassed one million views according to Nielsen Media Research.[27][28] Hughes added that he follows the series' ratings when it occurs to him, but does not receive further analytics. He found it to trend on Twitter during the weeks of its airing, and likes viewing user's statuses regarding it. In particular, he enjoys reactions from people who wake up to it after falling asleep to the network, and judged from the online response that its audience would be "pretty young, late teens, early 20s" and "strangely positive and engaged."[7]: 88  The network has broadcast praise of the show written by viewers in the form of bumpers, often hinting at further episodes being produced.[29][30] Episodes have been distributed to sites like YouTube,[31] while a continuous online stream of the show was launched by the network on September 5, 2014.[32] On December 19, 2014, the show's Facebook page announced that additional exclusive material will be added to the livestream.[33]

Episodes

Main article: List of Off the Air episodes
SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
15January 1, 2011 (2011-01-01)June 1, 2012 (2012-06-01)
24August 28, 2012 (2012-08-28)October 1, 2013 (2013-10-01)
33December 31, 2013 (2013-12-31)April 22, 2014 (2014-04-22)
44September 2, 2014 (2014-09-02)January 6, 2015 (2015-01-06)
54July 21, 2015 (2015-07-21)December 29, 2015 (2015-12-29)
64May 24, 2016 (2016-05-24)January 31, 2017 (2017-01-31)
73November 21, 2017 (2017-11-21)December 5, 2017 (2017-12-05)
84May 29, 2018 (2018-05-29)January 1, 2019 (2019-01-01)
94September 3, 2019 (2019-09-03)December 31, 2019 (2019-12-31)
103June 9, 2020 (2020-06-09)December 29, 2020 (2020-12-29)
114October 12, 2021 (2021-10-12)December 27, 2021 (2021-12-27)
124July 4, 2022 (2022-07-04)December 26, 2022 (2022-12-26)
134December 19, 2023 (2023-12-19)
142December 17, 2024 (2024-12-17)


Explanatory notes

  1. ^ Hughes is credited as executive producer for every episode except "Animals" and "Food" which instead carry a "produced by" credit to Million Monkeys Inc.
  2. ^ Ouweleen is executive producer starting with "Progress".
  3. ^ Original pieces are also commissioned.[7]: 89 
  4. ^ Before Hughes explained his process, Colin Foord of the Miami-based art collective Coral Morphologic, whose short film Oyster Vision is featured in the second episode, said he was unsure how producers sought after his film. He posited that they found it through their Vimeo account or their exposure at the Borscht Film Festival.[10]
  5. ^ These compilations were removed following a redesign of the network's website.

References

  1. ^ a b danthemanwiththegarbagecan (14 October 2017). "The History of Adult Swim - Off the Air bump (10-13-17)". Archived from the original on 7 November 2021. Retrieved 23 March 2018 – via YouTube.
  2. ^ cheesepapa [@cheesepapa] (December 31, 2019). "Let's just say "last for now" https://t.co/wRfkhgWyU5" (Tweet). Retrieved January 5, 2021 – via Twitter.
  3. ^ cheesepapa [@cheesepapa] (June 9, 2020). "Yes, we made another one. Been locked in our house for months, and one just popped out. Sorry! https://t.co/eURCdYLpzZ" (Tweet). Retrieved January 5, 2021 – via Twitter.
  4. ^ "Cheesepapa a Twitter: "Off the Air Season 11 kicks off next week with FAMILY. All week at 4am on @adultswim Curated and Produced by #ColeKush". Archived from the original on 2021-10-05. Retrieved 2021-10-17.
  5. ^ cheesepapa [@cheesepapa] (June 30, 2022). "Off The Air NONSENSE airs next Mon-Thurs at 3:30am on ⁦@adultswim It's your patriotic doody" (Tweet). Retrieved July 3, 2022 – via Twitter.
  6. ^ "Off the Air | SEX | DRUGS | MUSIC | FARTS". YouTube. 12 December 2023.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n McManus, Austin (June 2014). "Dave Hughes". Juxtapoz. 21 (6). High Speed Productions: 82–89. ISSN 1077-8411.
  8. ^ a b c d Me, Rev. Syung Myung & Aulwurm, Jeremiah (September 27, 2012). "Interview: Dave Hughes, Creator of Off the Air". Kittysneezes. Archived from the original on January 2, 2015. Retrieved January 1, 2015.
  9. ^ a b Staff writer (February 16, 2012). "Off the Air – 11 Things We Left Online: 'Animals'". Adult Swim. Turner Broadcasting System. Archived from the original on July 16, 2012. Retrieved September 4, 2014.
  10. ^ a b c McCorquodale, Amanda (June 11, 2011). "Adult Swim Begs Miami's Coral Morphologic for Its Oyster Video Art". Miami New Times. Archived from the original on September 17, 2011. Retrieved September 4, 2014.
  11. ^ Hughes, Dave (January 5, 2014). "Off the Air – 'Color'". Million Monkeys Inc. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved September 4, 2014.
  12. ^ Hughes, Dave (January 5, 2014). "Off the Air – 'Falling'". Million Monkeys Inc. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved September 4, 2014.
  13. ^ "Off the Air (Adult Swim)". Network Awesome. May 12, 2013. Archived from the original on July 20, 2013. Retrieved September 4, 2014.
  14. ^ Staff writer (August 25, 2012). "EIF: Off the Air (creator Dave Hughes in person!)". Cinefamily. Archived from the original on May 21, 2014. Retrieved September 8, 2014.
  15. ^ "How Dave Hughes' Adult Swim show became a haven for the world's weirdest content". Archived from the original on 2020-08-10. Retrieved 2020-04-30.
  16. ^ "Watch Smalls on Adult Swim". Archived from the original on 2020-04-27. Retrieved 2020-04-30.
  17. ^ "Schedule - Adult Swim". Archived from the original on 2021-02-04.
  18. ^ "Adult Swim Streams". Archived from the original on 2020-04-24. Retrieved 2020-04-30.
  19. ^ "DØGVVÅLKER | adult swim smalls". YouTube. 3 February 2022. Archived from the original on 24 June 2022. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  20. ^ a b Staff writer (June 10, 2013). "Adult Swim Summer Singles Program Returns with a Free 15-Track Digital Compilation of Never-Before-Released Songs" (Press release). Turner Broadcasting System. Archived from the original on January 11, 2014. Retrieved September 4, 2014 – via The Futon Critic.
  21. ^ Adult Swim (November 1, 2014). "Off the Air – Seramthgin". Adult Swim. Turner Broadcasting System. Archived from the original on November 11, 2014. Retrieved November 4, 2014.
  22. ^ Thielman, Sam (November 13, 2014). "The Definitive Ranking of Every Adult Swim Show Currently Running". Adweek. Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on November 24, 2014. Retrieved November 24, 2014.
  23. ^ Fuster, Jeremy (November 10, 2014). "Remember This Scene: Too Many Cooks and Rejected". Neon Tommy. Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism. Archived from the original on November 14, 2014. Retrieved December 8, 2014.
  24. ^ Trammell, Matthew (April 15, 2014). "Adult Swim: Discretion Isn't Advised". The Fader. Archived from the original on April 16, 2014. Retrieved September 4, 2014.
  25. ^ Ribber, PQ (May 14, 2014). "Quaquaversal Satellite – Putty". The Overnightscape Underground (Podcast). Archived from the original on May 22, 2014. Retrieved September 4, 2014. Alt URL
  26. ^ Staff writer (November 12, 2014). "'Too Many Cooks' Creator Reveals 6 Sources of Inspiration". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on December 8, 2014. Retrieved December 8, 2014.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  27. ^ Berman, Marc (November 9, 2012). "Adult Swim Weekly Ratings Scorecard". TV Media Insights. Cross MediaWorks. Archived from the original on June 3, 2013. Retrieved September 4, 2014.
  28. ^ Pucci, Douglas (October 8, 2013). "Adult Swim Weekly Ratings Scorecard". TV Media Insights. Cross MediaWorks. Archived from the original on October 15, 2013. Retrieved September 4, 2014.
  29. ^ Staff writer (May 29, 2011). Dear Adult Swim (Commercial bumper). Adult Swim. Turner Broadcasting System.
  30. ^ Staff writer (November 20, 2011). Dear Adult Swim (Commercial bumper). Adult Swim. Turner Broadcasting System.
  31. ^ Staff writer (September 18, 2011). A response on YouTube to our show Off the Air (Commercial bumper). Adult Swim. Turner Broadcasting System.
  32. ^ "Off the Air Channel". Adult Swim. Turner Broadcasting System. September 5, 2014. Archived from the original on September 10, 2014. Retrieved September 5, 2014.
  33. ^ "Off The Air". www.facebook.com. Archived from the original on 7 November 2021. Retrieved 23 March 2018.

Further reading

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Off_the_Air_(TV_series)&oldid=1263578008"