It's Slammer Time

“If it’s hard to believe we’d make a show with evil people and senseless violence, you really haven’t paid much attention.” So remarks Caught In The Net’s favourite TV station, Adult Swim, of its latest diabolical masterwork, Superjail. The show is set within the titular institution, which is run by the megalomaniac Warden, described as “a sadistic Willie Wonka”.

Other characters joining in the fun include Superjail’s accountant, Jared (a recovering alcoholic), multi-tasking mechanoid Jailbot (who tends to enter the room by smashing through the wall, floor or ceiling), and prison guard Alice (who is possibly transsexual). As you may have guessed, it’s not exactly The Smurfs, and we’re promised “extreme violence, talking vegetables, killer robots and much, much more.”
But then what else would you expect from a channel whose slogan is “Just like your mother, only better”? You can find out more about Superjail at www.augenblickstudios.com/home/superjail.php.
Probably the only channel that can match Adult Swim for consistent brilliance is HBO, who themselves have a brand new animated series, The Life And Times Of Tim. The lead character is a twentysomething New York office drone, who lurches from one scandalous crisis to the next. Hardly surprising, when you consider that he spends his day in the company of such characters as his super-competitive girlfriend Amy, porn-obsessed co-worker Rodney, and neighbourhood prostitute Debbie.
Harlotry would appear to be a recurring theme in the work of the show’s creator, ad-man Steve Dildarian, who previously made the award-winning short Angry Unpaid Hooker, which is the basis for The Life And Times Of Tim. You can read more about the series on www.hbo.com/tim.
Watch out, Stephen Colbert – your position as the number one satirist of pompous right wing pundits could well be under threat. The new kid – and we do mean kid – on the block is Lil’ O’Reilly, who does a mighty fine parody of Fox News’ insufferable Bill O’Reilly. “Is there a difference between the Democrats and the Nazis? I can’t see it!” shrieks the pint-sized political pundit, who also addresses the subjects of homosexuality (“your dirty sex makes God send hurricanes!”) and the Iraq War (“If you don’t support the troops, you’re on the cowards’ list”).
The clip concludes with a rather neat parody of O’Reilly’s infamous studio meltdown, footage of which surfaced on the net earlier this year. You can check out Lil’ O’Reilly – for whom a glittering career in comedy surely awaits – at www.youtube.com/watch?v=-teM03FPUow.
All of which just leaves time for quick visits to http://boingboing.net (Sarah Palin debate flow chart and other goodies), www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-NOZU2iPA8 (genuinely disturbing Christian ska band), and www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPWjNX4PBlI (remarkably ostentatious drummer).