The TV Wheel
The TV Wheelis a 1995television pilotcreated by and starringJoel Hodgson,ofMystery Science Theater 3000fame. The pilot was funded by cable networkHBO,but they ultimately passed on picking up the show. The pilot episode eventually aired once onComedy Centralas a special presentation following the last new episode ofMST3Kto be broadcast on that network.[1]
The program is a sketch comedy show. A single stationary camera was mounted inside the center of a large rotating platform.[2]As the platform rotated around the camera, a scene would come into view of the camera. The wheel would stop and a sketch would play out in the scene, which was often framed by some piece of appropriate artwork or prop (for the purposes offorced perspective). At the end of the scene, the wheel would rotate, carrying one scene out of the camera's view and bringing another in, and a new sketch would begin in the new scene.[3]Some scenes were self-contained on the platform, while others were open to the studio beyond the platform (and additional action would take place in the background).
In early designs, the project was known as the "X-Box" (unrelated toMicrosoft's latergaming system), and was designed as an X-shaped enclosure that would rotate around the camera.
Hodgson made an early test version of the program, calledThe X-Box is Turning,which a less polished show which featured different content thanThe TV Wheel.The test program, along with a brief documentary on the making of the Xbox, was offered for sale onVHSduring Comedy Central's only broadcast ofThe TV Wheel.
A number of comedians and writers appeared on bothThe TV WheelandThe X-Box is Turning,includingMorwenna Banks,Steve Bannos,David Cross,Paul Feig,Doug Benson,Melissa Samuels andFred Stoller.In addition,Brian Posehnappeared inX-BoxandAndy Kindlerappeared inTV Wheel.
References
[edit]- ^Phipps, Keith (14 September 2018)."The Lesser-Known Works of Paul Feig Reveal the Other Sides of the A Simple Favor Director".Slate Magazine.Retrieved28 June2019.
- ^Raftery, Brian (22 April 2014)."Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Definitive Oral History of a TV Masterpiece".Wired.Retrieved28 June2019.
- ^Brownfield, Paul (1 June 2012)."Joel Hodgson on 'Mystery Science Theater' and Riffs".The New York Times.Retrieved28 June2019.