The Brian Jackson Show
The Brian Jackson Show follows shows such as lonelygirl15 and Kate Modern as examples of the growing number of internet sitcoms and shows that are being broadcast exclusively online.[1][2]
Whilst half-hour shows and feature-length movies are already widely available online,[3] such shows were originally produced for and distributed on more conventional media such as television and movie theatres. The Brian Jackson Show is currently one of the few exclusively online shows to be broadcast as full TV-length episodic content.[4]
The Brian Jackson Show aired its first episode on 14 March 2009 [5]
| The Brian Jackson Show | |
|---|---|
| Created by | Mark Marlow |
| Starring | Pietro Herrera Jamie McMillan George Young (actor) Gemma Harvey |
| Country of origin |  |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 6 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Mark Marlow Nick Graves (Season 1) |
| Production location(s) | Bristol |
| Running time | 29 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Schadenfreude Pictures |
| Distributor | Schadenfreude Pictures (2009) |
| Release | |
| Original release | Launched 14 March 2009 |
| External links | |
| Website | |
Overview
The Brian Jackson Show is written and directed by Mark Marlow.[6]
The show has its own Facebook page[7]
"The eponymous Brian Jackson is a man that thinks the unthinkable and simply runs with it.
The Brian Jackson Show is a fresh and innovative new sitcom, that [is] exclusively available ONLINE.
A comedy aimed at those who secretly wish they could live life by their own set of rules, oblivious to the chaos around the corner.
Spread over six intricately structured episodes, writer and director Mark Marlow invites audiences to enter the world of Brian Jackson and his three housemates. Robin Donald is Brian's wing man, or put more accurately, his patsy. The house is owned by Tony, Robin's step brother, who has recently thrown a curve ball at the house dynamics; a woman. Cringe and cry with laughter as Robin, Tony, and his girlfriend Crystal are swept away by the whirlwind that is Brian Jackson. False Limbs; assisted suicide; dog knapping; and illegal pornography...taboo has lost all meaning."[8]
Main characters
- Brian Jackson (Pietro Herrera) - Brian is a scruffy, good-for-nothing bum; an evil genius in a trench coat. Most great thinkers put their talents to good use; not Brian. His creative mind is hard wired to manipulate and hoodwink the dim-witted and good natured. He lives and feeds off his most basic urges: Greed. He's a roguish charlatan who appears completely oblivious to the consequences of his actions and seems totally unaware of any ethical or moral values. Like a twisted puppet master he has everybody is dancing to his tune, whether they like it or not.[9]
"He is a likeable character and he’s got a certain charm but he’s a wheeler-dealer".[10]
- Robin Donald (Jamie McMillan) - Robin is a complete air-head and completely susceptible to Brian's powers of persuasions. Like a piece of putty he can be moulded into thinking and doing virtually anything. The perfect stooge for Brian's little scheme's. He's like a lost little boy trapped in his childhood. Unfortunately for him, his guiding light is leading him down a terrible path.[11]
- Tony Donald (George Young (actor)) - Tony is a multifaceted, complicated guy who simply can't shake off his childhood baggage (viz., Brian). He's the nucleus of the show. It's his house, Robin and Brian temp for his recruitment agency, Crystal is his girlfriend and with that he's a man of many contradictions. On the one hand he's the clean cut business man with responsibilities and bottom lines to think about; on the other, he's the petty, insecure, selfish, insensitive boyfriend. A man trapped in a transition between adolescence and adulthood.[12]
- Crystal Kiltgaard (Gemma Harvey) - Crystal is the antithesis of Brian and acts as the moral centre or the voice of reason in the show. Slim, attractive, wholesome and good natured, she's everything the other three are not. Brian is her main tormentor, although Tony comes a close second, and though she tries her best to resist, it isn't long before the other three bring out the darker sides of her character. Quick with the tongue, she soon snaps back at them and does her utmost to keep order. Despite the overwhelming forces riding against her, she gives as good as she takes.[13]
Reviews and Press
The Brian Jackson Show has started to garner press attention since its launch, with one reviewer describing an episode as "29:58 of sheer joy to be watched repeatedly".[14]
"Of late, England has produced series after series of awkward yet intelligently goofy sitcoms that Hollywood inevitably cannibalizes. The web series The Brian Jackson Show is firmly of this tradition."[15]
References
- Anonymous (2007); "The Best Things NOT on TV"; Channel 4 News; http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/arts_entertainment/media/the+best+things+not+on+tv/775262
- Houston, F. (2000); "Hollywood Flirts with Short Films on the Web; The New York Times; https://www.nytimes.com/2000/06/15/technology/hollywood-flirts-with-short-films-on-the-web.html
- BBC iPlayer and Hulu are prominent examples of sites that host such shows.
- Anonymous (2009); "Video: Popular fish bar is used as backdrop for online comedy; The Weston Mercury; http://www.thewestonmercury.co.uk/search/story.aspx?brand=Westonmercury&category=News&itemid=WeED08%20Apr%202009%2015:22:36:423&tBrand=Westonmercury&tCategory=search
- Official Website Archived 2009-03-17 at the Wayback Machine
- IMDB Page
- The Brian Jackson Show Facebook Page
- http://en-gb.facebook.com/group.php?gid=26804312049 The Brian Jackson Show Facebook Page
- Marlow, M. (2008); The Brian Jackson Show Press Pack; limited release.
- Grant.K (2009); "Shelly actor lands starring role in internet sitcom"; The Huddersfield Daily Examiner; http://www.examiner.co.uk/news/local-west-yorkshire-news/2009/03/24/shelley-actor-lands-starring-role-in-internet-sitcom-86081-23215838/2/
- Marlow, M. (2008); The Brian Jackson Show Press Pack; limited release.
- Ibid.
- Ibid.
- Crowley, A. (2009); "'The Brian Jackson Show' or 'Why British Sitcoms are the Best!'"; Tilzy.tv; http://www.tilzy.tv/the-brian-jackson-show-or-why-british-sitcoms-are-the-best.htm.
- Ibid.