Magic Funhouse!

Last updated

Magic Funhouse!
Magic Funhouse!.png
Genre
Created by Brandon Rogers
Directed byBrandon Rogers
Starring
  • Brandon Rogers
  • Jess Weaver
  • TJ Smith
  • Elise Christian
  • Alex Diehl
  • Nandini Minocha
  • Jude B. Lanston
ComposerJeffrey Lynn Gowins
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes14
Production
Executive producerBrandon Rogers
ProducerKarla Carnewal
CinematographyGabriel Gonzalez
Editors
  • Ben Seegar
  • Zach Gouz
  • Jose Jimenez
  • Chris Smith
  • Shane Hackett
  • Andrew McGivney
  • Nick Smith
Camera setup Single-camera
Running time18-30 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkFullscreen
ReleaseDecember 15, 2016 (2016-12-15) 
September 28, 2017 (2017-09-28)

Magic Funhouse! is an American black comedy web series created by Brandon Rogers. [1] [2] The series stars Rogers as Arlo Dittman, the host of a children's television show called Magic Funhouse!, [3] and Jess Weaver as Dave Rowland, the new production assistant on the show. [4]

Contents

Announced on June 7, 2016, [5] the first season premiered later that year on December 15, 2016, [6] [7] on Fullscreen, and concluded on January 19, 2017. [8] That same year, the series was renewed for a second season, [9] [10] which premiered on August 24, 2017, [11] and concluded on September 28, 2017. [12] Following the removal of streaming services on Fullscreen, the series was canceled in 2018. [13]

Premise

Magic Funhouse [is] a series that peeks behind the curtain of a public access children's TV show to reveal the offensive lives of the cast and crew when the cameras are off.

Cast

Main

Recurring

Episodes

SeasonEpisodesOriginally released
First releasedLast released
1 7December 15, 2016 (2016-12-15)January 19, 2017 (2017-01-19)
2 7August 24, 2017 (2017-08-24)September 28, 2017 (2017-09-28)

Season 1

In the following list, the term "featured character" refers to the character who voices over the episode while testifying in court.

No. in
season
TitleFeatured
character
Directed byWritten byOriginal release date
1"A Broadcast of Errors"Dave Brandon Rogers Brandon RogersDecember 15, 2016 (2016-12-15)
Dave begins his new job as a production assistant for a local low-budget kids' TV show called Magic Funhouse!, which is hosted by a demanding manchild named Arlo. On his first day, Dave messes up the show's lighting, causes chaos during a live recording of the show. To give him one more chance, Arlo proposes a system in which he will blow an airhorn in Dave's face every time he messes up. When the airhorn is empty, Dave will be fired. Dave accepts but cheats the system by replacing the airhorn when it's almost empty. On the show's broadcast day, the cameras break during the show, but Dave solves the issue by using a company computer to broadcast the episode. After the episode airs, Arlo finds out about Dave's airhorn scam, and the episode is revealed to be part of Dave's testimony in court. Arlo announces that it is his turn to testify, and the episode ends.
2"The Long Nap"ArloBrandon RogersBrandon RogersDecember 15, 2016 (2016-12-15)
At work, Arlo presents his yearly "Foster Care Special" on the show but steps off mid-broadcast after being reminded about his childhood abandonment with the word "milk". It is revealed that Arlo began to host Magic Funhouse! with the hopes of finding his parents, who left him as a child. Though the rest of the group know his parents are dead, they decide not to tell Arlo to continue working on the show. Meanwhile, Cliff throws a premiere party for his latest pornographic film, where Sacha talks to Arlo and calms him down.
3"Mine is Harder"Mr. ChronisBrandon RogersBrandon RogersDecember 22, 2016 (2016-12-22)
Mr. Chronis tells the group that corporate has given them enough money to give one employee a raise. After an argument, Mr. Chronis tells the group to switch jobs for a week with someone else to see who deserves said raise. After a week, Mr. Chronis announces that he faked the raise money for his own purposes and to be allowed to wear a dress.
4"Manjuce"ManjushaBrandon RogersBrandon Rogers & Philippe IujvidinDecember 29, 2016 (2016-12-29)
After her ex-boyfriend Bruce Cranberry visits the studio, Manjusha reveals to the group that she used to be on a show called Manjuce, where she and Bruce shared relationship advice on live television. After growing a relationship on the show, Manjusha proposed to Bruce on live TV but got rejected. The next day, Bruce ran away after being cursed at by Manjusha, unaware that she was singing a song containing vulgar language. Following Bruce's departure, Manjusha found and adopted a homeless Arlo, giving him his own show on TV30 after finding out about his childhood abandonment. In the present, Manjusha confronts Bruce, and the pair host a special episode of Manjuce on TV.
5"Sex, Love and Lemonade"CliffBrandon RogersBrandon Rogers and Philippe IujvidinJanuary 5, 2017 (2017-01-05)
Attempting to convince Mr. Chronis to give him a raise, Cliff decides to move in with Dave to prove that he has friends. At his new home, Cliff begins to suspect that Dave is trying to murder him, only to be proven incorrect when the group reveals that they're throwing him a party to boost his morale. After the party, Arlo learns the truth about his parents when he finds their death certificates in a trash bin, also learning that the group had been lying to him the entire time.
6"Cancelled"SachaBrandon RogersBrandon Rogers and Philippe IujvidinJanuary 12, 2017 (2017-01-12)
Visiting the graveyard where his parents are buried, Arlo promises to get his revenge. At the studio, Arlo attempts to get Magic Funhouse! canceled by going off-script during a live broadcast, forcing the feed to continue by holding the group at gunpoint. After the show is canceled and Arlo quits, the rest of the group decides to host a dinner theater to keep their jobs. Instead of joining the rest of the group, Dave decides to quit the show, having learned that Arlo blacklisted him from television by telling multiple TV stations about Dave's first day working at Magic Funhouse!. This results in Dave attempting to kill Arlo, only to accidentally shoot Jimmy on live TV.
7"A Trial of Errors"N/ABrandon RogersBrandon Rogers and Philippe IujvidinJanuary 19, 2017 (2017-01-19)
At a hospital, Jimmy manages to survive the gunshot wound but remains in critical condition. The rest of the group arrive at a courthouse, where Arlo is suing Dave for attempted murder, and where Dave is counter-suing Magic Funhouse! for psychological abuse. At the end of the trial, Dave is found guilty of all charges after Jimmy arrives at the courthouse and presents a VHS tape that includes Dave threatening to shoot Jimmy with a gun. Six months later, Dave is released from prison and returns to the studio, where he finds out Magic Funhouse! has continued to air but has since changed locations.

Season 2

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
81"Why We Perform" Brandon Rogers Brandon RogersAugust 24, 2017 (2017-08-24)
Five months prior to Dave's release from prison, the rest of the group decides to remake Magic Funhouse! as a roadshow, having convinced a hesitant Arlo to do so.
92"The Farmhouse"Brandon RogersBrandon Rogers and Jonathan HinmanAugust 24, 2017 (2017-08-24)
Performing their first gig at a farmhouse in Los Banos, the group is forced to stay at the farm of a mysterious family after Sacha goes missing. Attempting to sneak out at night, the group finds out that the family is filled with friends of Dave, who attempt to murder the group. To rescue Sacha, and escape, the group is forced to kill the family. Hearing sirens, the group runs outside, where they meet Cordula Sweetzer, president of HipDot Television, who offers to give the group their own show.
103"Network Television"Brandon RogersBrandon RogersAugust 31, 2017 (2017-08-31)
In a flashback, Mr. Chronis loses his wife and daughter to the former president of HipDot Television, Mr. Longdick. In the present, the group is flown to Los Angeles after they accept an offer of having Magic Funhouse! remade on a larger network. At their new studio, the group begins to air well-rated episodes on their new show.
114"Dave's Revenge"Brandon RogersBrandon Rogers and Gabriel GonzalezSeptember 7, 2017 (2017-09-07)
A few months later, Dave is released from prison, and the group is invited on a daytime talk show to discuss their recent success. During the interview, Dave is introduced as the talk show's guest, and Dave learns that Arlo was his childhood bully, who caused Dave's parents to abandon him as a child. After the group and Dave get into a brawl, Cordula reveals to the group that she planned the entire fight as a way to invite Dave as a co-host for Magic Funhouse!.
125"Reality Stars"Brandon RogersBrandon Rogers and Stephen WeighillSeptember 14, 2017 (2017-09-14)
After the group sign contracts to appear in a 24/7 reality television series, Cordula offers a $20,000 grand prize to the employee who writes the best script for the next episode of Magic Funhouse!. At the end of the day, the group team up and steal the grand prize.
136"Behind the Portrait"Brandon RogersBrandon Rogers and Jeffrey Lynn GowinsSeptember 21, 2017 (2017-09-21)
Having lost his personal dignity, Cliff decides to leave the show. Jimmy is forced to take care of Mrs. Bory, who tells Jimmy and Manjusha about her experience as a spy in World War II. In a flashback, Mrs. Bory witnesses a young Nazi girl shoot and kill her husband. In the present, the group finds out that Cordula was, in fact, the young Nazi girl, and together, they decide to kill Cordula. While planning, Mr. Chronis invites them to his wedding, where he plans to marry Cordula.
147"Why We Get Married"Brandon RogersBrandon Rogers and Jonathan HinmanSeptember 28, 2017 (2017-09-28)
Deciding to host the wedding at the studio, Mr. Chronis is advised by the rest of the group to poison Cordula. After he successfully poisons his fiance, Mr. Chronis is forced to marry Cordula to gain access to the rights to Magic Funhouse!. After the wedding, Cordula wakes up after surviving the poison in her body. She holds the group at gunpoint but is shot and killed by Mrs. Bory. With Mr. Chronis as the new boss, Dave returns to work as a production assistant while Arlo returns as the show's host. After a live broadcast, the group finds out that Magic Funhouse! is no longer the number one kids' show on TV, having been surpassed by the return of the hit-show, Karry's Krazy Kastle.

Production

In February 2016, future series creator and director Brandon Rogers was given the opportunity to create his own TV series for Super Deluxe. [16] While writing for the show's first season, Rogers stated that his inspiration for the series was "loosely based on an actual public access TV station that had low-budget shows to entertain the Tri-Valley locals." He also mentioned that the show was set in Rogers' home town of Livermore, California. [17] Principal photography for the first season of the show began on May 18, 2016, and concluded on October 15, 2016. [18] [19] The series was mainly filmed in Hollywood. [20] Principal photography for the second season took place between April 3 and June 13, 2017. [21] [22] [23]

Accolades

YearAwardCategoryRecipient(s)ResultRef.
Streamy Awards Comedy SeriesMagic Funhouse!Nominated [24] [25]
Costume Design Brandon Rogers, Kimberly Rice, and Jonathan HinmanWon
Brandon RogersNominated [26] [27]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greg Berlanti</span> American television writer and producer

Gregory Berlanti is an American screenwriter, producer and director. He is known for his work on the television series Dawson's Creek, Brothers & Sisters, Everwood, Political Animals, Riverdale, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and You, in addition to his contributions to DC Comics on film and television productions, including The CW's Arrowverse, as well as Titans and Doom Patrol. In 2000, Berlanti founded the production company Berlanti Productions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Super Deluxe</span> Entertainment company

Super Deluxe was an entertainment company owned by Turner Broadcasting. Founded by Wolfgang Hammer in 2007, the company's main output was in online video, television series, and documentaries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ken Jeong</span> American comedian and actor (born 1969)

Kendrick Kang-Joh Jeong is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He rose to prominence for playing Leslie Chow in The Hangover film series (2009–2013) and Ben Chang in the NBC sitcom Community (2009–2015). He created, wrote and produced the ABC sitcom Dr. Ken (2015–2017), in which he portrays the titular character, and he has appeared in the films Knocked Up (2007), Role Models (2008), Furry Vengeance (2010), The Duff (2015), Ride Along 2 (2016), Crazy Rich Asians (2018), Scoob! (2020) and Tom & Jerry (2021).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Streamy Awards</span> Excellence in online video production

The YouTube Streamy Awards, also known as the Streamy Awards or Streamys, are an awards show presented annually by Dick Clark Productions and Tubefilter to recognize excellence in online video, including directing, acting, producing, and writing. The formal ceremony at which the awards are presented takes place in Los Angeles, California. It was the first awards show dedicated entirely to web series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grace Helbig</span> American YouTuber and actress (born 1985)

Grace Anne Helbig is an American comedian, actress, and internet personality. She is the co-creator and co-host of the podcast This Might Get Weird (2018–present) alongside frequent collaborator Mamrie Hart and is the voice of Cindy Bear in the Max animated series Jellystone! (2021–present).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tyler Oakley</span> American YouTuber and activist (born 1989)

Mathew Tyler Oakley is an American YouTuber, actor, activist, author, television personality and Twitch streamer. Much of Oakley's activism has been dedicated to LGBTQ youth, LGBT rights, as well as social issues including health care, education, and the prevention of suicide among LGBT youth. Oakley regularly posts material on various topics, including pop culture and humor.

Fullscreen, LLC was an American entertainment company which offered tools, services, and consultation to social media content creators and brands, multi-channel network. It was owned by Otter Media, which is now a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lilly Singh</span> Canadian YouTuber (born 1988)

Lilly Saini Singh is a Canadian YouTuber, television host, comedian and author. Singh began making YouTube videos in 2010. She originally appeared under the pseudonym Superwoman, her YouTube username until 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jenn McAllister</span> American YouTuber and actress (born 1996)

Jennifer Ann McAllister, known previously by the pseudonym jennxpenn, is an American internet personality, actress, and online streamer. She is best known for her work on YouTube, for which she has been nominated at the Shorty and Teen Choice Awards, and for her livestreams on Twitch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kian Lawley</span> American YouTuber and actor

Kian Robert Lawley is an American YouTuber, influencer and actor.

<i>American Horror Story: Cult</i> Seventh season of American Horror Story

The seventh season of the American horror anthology television series American Horror Story, subtitled Cult, takes place in the fictional suburb of Brookfield Heights, Michigan, during the year 2017, and centers on a cult terrorizing the residents in the aftermath of Donald Trump winning the 2016 U.S. presidential election. It is a season that does not present supernatural elements. The smallest ensemble cast of the series, it includes Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Billie Lourd, Cheyenne Jackson, and Alison Pill, with all returning from previous seasons, except newcomers Lourd and Pill. This season marks the first to not feature cast mainstay Lily Rabe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liza Koshy</span> American actress (born 1996)

Elizabeth ShailaKoshy is an American YouTuber, media personality and actress. Her main YouTube channel has amassed almost 17 million subscribers, and her two channels have a combined total of over 3 billion views. She has received four Streamy Awards, four Teen Choice Awards, and a Kids' Choice Award.

The Try Guys is an American online entertainment group and media production company that produces content for their YouTube channel. The group was founded by Keith Habersberger, Ned Fulmer, Zach Kornfeld, and Eugene Lee Yang. The Try Guys are known for testing a wide range of activities, such as testing their sperm count, raising toddlers, shaving their legs, and wearing women's underwear. The four men created The Try Guys while working for BuzzFeed before forming their own company, 2nd Try LLC, in 2018.

Jack and Dean of All Trades, often shortened to JADOAT, is a television series following two friends who resign from the bank and become temps, taking on a variety of different jobs which all end badly. The first episode released in 2016. The series has 2 seasons and 12 episodes fully released on Fullscreen as of April 2017. The two creators, Jack Howard and Dean Dobbs, have a YouTube channel, in which they make comedy sketches that often end on a darker note. Both also have their own individual channels. It has been confirmed by Jack that there will not be a third season of JADOAT. However, Jack and Dean were able to reclaim the rights to release the two seasons of the show on their YouTube channel, broadcast through December 2018. This run ended with the premiere of an exclusive final episode on Christmas Day, wrapping up the show without the need for a third season.

<i>Americas Got Talent</i> season 15 Season of television series

The fifteenth season of the American talent show competition series America's Got Talent was broadcast on NBC from May 26 to September 23, 2020. Following the previous season, both Julianne Hough and Gabrielle Union left the program, leading to both being replaced prior to filming. Heidi Klum was brought back to resume her former role, while Sofía Vergara was hired to join her as a new judge on the judging panel. Simon Cowell missed the live shows, after sustaining an injury in August. While the first two quarter-finals featured guest judges in his place, the remainder of the live episodes were conducted without any further stand-ins.

Brandon O'Neil Scott is an American actor and producer. He is best known for his roles as Ryan Spalding in the medical drama series Grey's Anatomy (2008–2009), Kohut in the animated comedy film Wreck-It Ralph (2012), Henry in the action-adventure game The Last of Us (2013), Alex in the animated drama series Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero (2015–2017), Jameson in the action-adventure game Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (2016), Coach J.J. Kerba in the teen drama series 13 Reasons Why (2019–2020), Nick Prager in the dark comedy series Dead to Me (2019–2022), and Cory Lawrence in the romantic drama series This Is Us (2019).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brandon Rogers (actor)</span> American actor and YouTuber

Brandon George Rogers is an American actor, comedian, filmmaker, and YouTuber. He plays many characters in his eponymous YouTube channel and is a writer on the adult animated web series Helluva Boss, in which he primarily voices the main character Blitzo, as well as voicing reporter Katie Killjoy in Hazbin Hotel.

<i>Blame the Hero</i> YouTube miniseries

Blame the Hero is an American post-apocalyptic science fiction dark humor web miniseries created by Brandon Rogers. The series, which stars Rogers' as multiple main characters, centers around street thug Blame, who is sent back in time to prevent a nuclear apocalypse. The show premiered on March 2, 2019, on YouTube, and concluded on July 1, 2019, consisting of 7 episodes. At the 9th Streamy Awards, Blame the Hero received four nominations, winning Best Actor and Best Scripted Series.

References

  1. Genzlinger, Neil (December 28, 2016). "On Small Screens at Year's End: Weird Stuff Worth a Look" . The New York Times . Archived from the original on September 17, 2020.
  2. Spangler, Todd (November 15, 2016). "Fullscreen Upcoming Original Series Include Bret Easton Ellis Thriller, Andrea Russett Talk Show". Variety . Archived from the original on September 17, 2020.
  3. Weiss, Geoff (December 15, 2016). "YouTube Sketch Artist Brandon Rogers Debuts 'Magic Funhouse' Fullscreen Series". Tubefilter . Archived from the original on September 17, 2020.
  4. @jess.weaver1221 (August 29, 2016). "#savagedave" . Retrieved September 17, 2020 via Instagram.
  5. Tatered [@tatered] (June 7, 2016). "Coming Soon: Magic Funhouse, a demented new series from @brandonlovesyou #magicfunhouse" (Tweet). Archived from the original on September 14, 2020. Retrieved September 14, 2020 via Twitter.
  6. @brandonbored (December 15, 2016). "At the #magicfunhouse premiere in Hollywood!! Look at these party favors!!! My new show comes out TOMORROW ON FULLSCREEN!!" . Retrieved September 14, 2020 via Instagram.
  7. @brandonbored (December 15, 2016). "I fucking love this cast, we had such an awesome time last night at the @magicfunhouse premiere! Episode 2 is already out!!! On @fullscreen" . Retrieved September 14, 2020 via Instagram.
  8. Magic Funhouse [@magicfunhouse] (January 19, 2017). "The Finale is here, about fucking time" (Tweet). Archived from the original on September 17, 2020 via Twitter.
  9. @brandonbored (January 19, 2017). "At @Fullscreen studios announcing SEASON 2!!! Check out my Facebook page to see the live video we did today! #magicfunhouse ALL OF SEASON 1 IS NOW AVAILABLE ON FULLSCREEN!!" . Retrieved September 16, 2020 via Instagram.
  10. B. Lanston, Jude [@judeblanston] (January 19, 2017). "We got picked up 4 Season 2 Binge all of @magicfunhouse season 1 only on @Fullscreen w/ 1 week free trial when u sign up! Time 4 me 2 work!" (Tweet). Archived from the original on September 17, 2020. Retrieved September 16, 2020 via Twitter.
  11. "Critically-Acclaimed Comedy Series MAGIC FUNHOUSE to Return 8/24". BroadwayWorld . July 31, 2017. Archived from the original on September 14, 2020.
  12. Magic Funhouse [@magicfunhouse] (September 28, 2017). "The Season 2 finale is here! Head to http://fullscreen.com/magicfunhouse to watch it all burn down, I mean...go down" (Tweet). Archived from the original on September 17, 2020 via Twitter.
  13. @brandonbored (February 13, 2018). "Sorry for the shit audio, my mic is acting a lil re-re today" . Retrieved September 14, 2020 via Instagram.
  14. @brandonbored (November 1, 2016). "Coming this December: MAGIC FUNHOUSE, a series that peeks behind the curtain of a public access children's TV show to reveal the offensive lives of the cast and crew when the cameras are off. #magicfunhouse" . Retrieved September 14, 2020 via Instagram.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 @brandonbored (May 31, 2017). "Only a week and a half till we're done shooting season 2 of @magicfunhouse!" . Retrieved September 14, 2020 via Instagram.
  16. @brandonbored (December 21, 2016). "Last February, the head of super deluxe personally offered me my own TV show. That night I eagerly sped home and began drafting up the pilot as well as these six characters you see before you. Originally, Jimmy was a thin black woman, Manjusha was in a wheelchair, and Dave didn't even exist. It's interesting to see how some things followed the original concept, and other things completely changed as I got to know these characters!" . Retrieved September 14, 2020 via Instagram.
  17. @brandonbored (November 20, 2016). "#magicfunhouse fun fact: the series is set in my hometown of Livermore, CA - and loosely based on an actual public access TV station that had low-budget shows to entertain the Tri-Valley locals. @magicfunhouse comes out December 15 on @Fullscreen!" . Retrieved September 14, 2020 via Instagram.
  18. @brandonbored (May 18, 2016). "Day one. We killed it!! Photocred @mooninthemilk" . Retrieved September 14, 2020 via Instagram.
  19. @brandonbored (October 15, 2016). "Had the official season 1 wrap party last night with the cast and crew of #magicfunhouse ...good news is coming - stay tuned! #lovetheseguys #whydoIlooksostoned #Nov1" . Retrieved September 14, 2020 via Instagram.
  20. @brandonbored (December 22, 2016). "GOOD MORNIN' KIDDIES!!! I HOPE YOU'RE ALL A FAN OF COOKIES!! @magicfunhouse" . Retrieved September 14, 2020 via Instagram.
  21. @brandonbored (April 4, 2017). "Magic Funhouse update!!" . Retrieved September 14, 2020 via Instagram.
  22. @brandonbored (June 13, 2017). "Last day of shooting @magicfunhouse season 2!!! Time to steal the props!!" . Retrieved September 14, 2020 via Instagram.
  23. @brandonbored (June 13, 2017). "Yesterday we wrapped production of @magicfunhouse SEASON 2!! A huge and heartfelt THANK YOU to the crew who put in long hours and hard work to make this show great - the unsung heroes behind the camera. It's been a pleasure working on another season of this twisted show" . Retrieved September 14, 2020 via Instagram.
  24. Haring, Bruce (September 26, 2017). "'Sugar Pine 7,' Dolan Twins Top 2017 Streamy Awards – Complete Winners List". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on September 14, 2020.
  25. "Streamy Awards 2017: Winners List". The Hollywood Reporter . September 25, 2017. Archived from the original on September 14, 2020.
  26. Haring, Bruce (October 20, 2018). "Streamy Awards Honor 24 Winners In Prelims To 8th Annual Event". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on September 14, 2020.
  27. Schaffstall, Katherine (October 22, 2018). "Streamy Awards 2018: Winners List". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on September 14, 2020.