Cracked After Hours

Cracked After Hours was a comedy web series hosted on the website Cracked.com, and produced by Cracked and its parent company The E. W. Scripps Company.[1][2]

Overview

The scripted comedy follows four friends/co-workers of Cracked.com who meet after work at their local diner.[3][4] The Seinfeldian conversations usually result in heavily disputed opinions about pop culture and life in general.[5][6]

The series was launched on July 19, 2010 with an episode centered around the 1985 film Back to the Future, and grew to become the most viewed web series on Cracked.com.[3] The show's first 13 episodes reached 15 million views by April 2012 [7] and it has since expanded to 30 episodes and surpassed 25 million total views. It stars Cracked.com employees Michael Swaim, Daniel O'Brien,[8] and Soren Bowie[9] and regular Cracked contributor Katie Willert.[10] Most episodes are written by one of the stars or series co-creator Jack O'Brien, with help from the Cracked team.[11]

The series integrates crudely animated segments created by artists Winston Rowntree, Brett Herholz, Anthony Clark, and Matt Barrs. Characters' thoughts are illustrated by thought-bubbles or full-screen display. The first 22 episodes were directed by Justin Viar. Subsequent episodes have been directed by Abe Epperson and Adam Ganser.

In 2013 After Hours was nominated for a Webby Award.[12][13]

Introduction of Second Cast (2017)

The July 24, 2017 episode "Awkward Scenes That Must Have Happened In Marvel Movies" introduced a second cast of diner patrons: Yazmin Monet Watkins, Kimia Behpoornia, Cracked writer Carmen Angelica and Cracked head writer for video Cody Johnston.[14] This group meets at the same diner, and has similar pop culture conversations. Before its cancelation, episodes of this second cast were to be released monthly, alongside new episodes from the original cast.

Possible cancellation

Prior to December 4, 2017, Soren Bowie had left Cracked to pursue another writing job while Michael Swaim[15] had quit in October to pursue other media. On December 4, 2017, Cracked laid off a significant number of staff members, including Daniel O'Brien,[16] Carmen Angelica,[17] and Cody Johnston.[18] No official statement has been made regarding Yazmin Watkins or Kimia Behpoornia's continued involvement.

Unofficial Revival

On April 9, 2019, via the Small Beans Patreon, Michael Swaim announced that he and several other of his Cracked alumni would be raising money to create a new version of After Hours away from Cracked.com.[19] In the update, Swaim stated that the new show 'Off Hours' would focus on four friends who 'discuss pop culture in their spare time, accompanied by fanciful illustrations and masterfully-edited clip packages'. He went on to say that everybody working on it had a prior association with After Hours and that episodes would be directed by Abe Epperson (the director of many After Hours Episodes) with a revolving cast including Swaim, Cody Johnston, Katy Stoll, Greg Burke, Damien Washington, Maggie Mae Fish, Teresa Lee and Daniel Vincent Gordh.

On May 10, 2019, Michael Swaim tweeted a logo for the new show designed by Small Beans artist Michael Bramley and added; 'It's real now, you guys. There are art assets. This is really happening.' [20]

On July 12, 2020, the original cast met for a charity stream, doing a table read for an intended series finale for the original cast. The episode saw the group discuss "What TV Friend Group would be the best to join" - as it's revealed that the foursome are about to go their own ways.[21] The stream ended up raising $11,000 for the CDC Foundation.[22]

Episodes

Season 1: 2010–2011

#TitleWriterDirectorOriginal Airdate
1"Why 'Back to the Future' Is Secretly Horrifying"Daniel O'BrienJustin ViarJuly 19, 2010
2"5 Classic Movie High Schools That Would Suck to Attend"Jack O'BrienJustin ViarAugust 30, 2010
3"Which Apocalypse Would Be the Most Fun?"Daniel O'BrienJustin ViarNovember 18, 2010
4"Why The Harry Potter Universe Is Secretly Terrifying"Michael SwaimJustin ViarDecember 20, 2010
5"How Breakfast Cereal Mascots Brainwashed You"Soren BowieJustin ViarJanuary 31, 2011
6"Which Ninja Turtle Are You?"Soren BowieJustin ViarMarch 14, 2011
7"Why Star Wars Is Terrifying for Women"Daniel O'BrienJustin ViarApril 4, 2011
8"Why Everyone Wants to Have Sex with Vampires"Soren BowieJustin ViarMay 23, 2011
9"Why Batman Is Secretly Terrible for Gotham"Daniel O'BrienJustin ViarJune 27, 2011
10"The Best Super Power (Is Not What You Think)"Michael SwaimJustin ViarJuly 25, 2011
11"TV Ads That Depict Terrifying Alternate Universes"Soren BowieJustin ViarSeptember 26, 2011
12"4 Terrifying Psychology Lessons Behind Famous Movie Monsters"Robert BrockwayJustin ViarOctober 24, 2011

Season 2: 2012

#TitleWriterDirectorOriginal Airdate
1"Why Mario is Secretly a Douchebag"Daniel O'BrienJustin ViarMarch 12, 2012
2"If You Could Have Dinner (And Sex) With Any Famous Figure"Jack O'BrienJustin ViarApril 2, 2012
3"Why The Scariest Sci-Fi Robot Uprising Has Already Begun"Jack O'BrienJustin ViarApril 16, 2012
4"The 6 Most Unintentionally Creepy Sitcom Characters"Cody JohnstonJustin ViarApril 30, 2012
5"3 Popular Children's Characters Who Secretly Hate Animals"Daniel O'BrienJustin ViarMay 29, 2012
6"Why The Star Trek Universe is Secretly Horrifying"Michael SwaimJustin ViarMay 14, 2012
7"4 Creepy Hidden Truths Behind Popular Scary Stories"Jack O'BrienAbe EppersonJuly 9, 2012
8"Why Pixar Movies Are All Secretly About the Apocalypse"Daniel O'BrienJustin ViarSeptember 4, 2012
9"Why Indiana Jones Secretly Sucks at His Job"Michael SwaimAbe EppersonSeptember 24, 2012
10"The Only 8 Types of TV Shows That Get Made"Daniel O'BrienAbe EppersonOctober 15, 2012
11"5 Reasons James Bond Might Be the Worst Spy Ever"Soren BowieJustin ViarNovember 12, 2012
12"The 4 Worst Lessons Disney Movies Taught Us as Kids"Jack O'BrienJustin ViarDecember 17, 2012

Season 3: 2013

#TitleWriterDirectorOriginal Airdate
1"Four Reasons Spider-Man is Secretly Bad at His Job"Michael SwaimJustin ViarJanuary 21, 2013
2"Why Romantic Comedies Are Secretly Bad for You"Soren BowieAdam GanserFebruary 14, 2013
3"The 4 Best Movie Universes To Die In"Cody JohnstonAdam GanserMarch 25, 2013
4"5 Horrifying Secret Rules of Life in a Movie Universe"Daniel O'BrienAbe EppersonApril 15, 2013
5"The Horrifying Truth About Life Inside of Movie Musicals"Kristi HarrisonAdam GanserMay 13, 2013
6"The 3 Worst Lessons Taught by '80s Sports Movies"Jack O'BrienAdam GanserJune 17, 2013
7"Why Tarantino Films Take Place in the Same (Insane) Universe"Soren BowieAdam GanserJuly 22, 2013
8"4 Movie Apocalypses That Would Be More Fun Than Reality"Daniel O'BrienAdam GanserAugust 19, 2013
9"4 Disney Movie Villains Who Were Right All Along"Daniel O'BrienAbe EppersonSeptember 23, 2013
10"The Horrifying Secret 'The Matrix' Reveals About Humanity"Jack O'BrienAbe EppersonOctober 21, 2013
11"The 10 Most Secretly Ridiculous Moments in Classic Movies"Daniel O'BrienAdam GanserNovember 18, 2013
12"6 Beloved Christmas Movies With Horrible Secret Meanings"Michael SwaimAdam GanserDecember 16, 2013

Season 4: 2014

#TitleWriterDirectorOriginal Airdate
1"4 Weirdly Specific Things Famous People Do in Every Movie"Jack O'BrienAbe EppersonJanuary 13, 2014
2"8 Mind-Blowing Connections Between the Works of Joss Whedon"Michael SwaimAbe EppersonFebruary 17, 2014
3"7 Horrifying Lessons Hidden in Famous Movies About Childhood"Soren BowieAbe EppersonMarch 10, 2014
4"6 Insane Stereotypes That You Still See in Every Movie"Daniel O'BrienAdam GanserApril 14, 2014
5"5 'Jurassic Park' Plot Holes With Horrifying Implications"Jack O'BrienAdam GanserMay 12, 2014
6"11 Movie Alternate Dimensions With Horrifying Downsides"Soren BowieAdam GanserJune 16, 2012
7"Why Disney's 'Aladdin' Is Secretly Horrifying"Daniel O'BrienAbe EppersonJuly 14, 2014
8"Why 'Peter Pan' Is Propaganda for Perverts"Soren BowieAbe EppersonAugust 18, 2014
9"The Horrifying Hidden Subplot You Missed in Star Wars"Cody JohnstonAbe EppersonSeptember 8, 2014
10"6 Weirdly Conservative Messages Hidden in 'Ghostbusters'"Soren BowieAdam GanserOctober 20, 2014
11"5 Movie Epilogues That Should Have Been Sequels"Soren BowieAdam GanserNovember 10, 2014
12"The 9 Creepiest Things Movies Portray as Romantic"Daniel O'BrienAdam GanserDecember 8, 2014

Season 5: 2015

#TitleWriterDirectorOriginal Airdate
1"5 Racist and Sexist Messages Hidden in Forrest Gump"Jack O'BrienAbe EppersonJanuary 12, 2015
2"14 Super Powers That Every Movie Character Apparently Has"Michael SwaimAbe EppersonFebruary 9, 2015
3"5 Evil Organizations We Wouldn't Mind Joining (in Movies)"Soren BowieAbe EppersonMarch 2, 2015
4"Why The Friends From 'Friends' Are Terrible People"Katie WillertAdam GanserApril 13, 2015
5"Movies Secretly Told From The Perspective Of One Character"Katie WillertAdam GanserMay 11, 2015
6"10 Terrifying Implications Of The Matrix Universe"Michael SwaimAdam GanserJune 15, 2015
7"Why Movie Cops Are Terrible At Their Jobs"Soren BowieAbe EppersonJuly 27, 2015
8"The 3 Worst Lessons Hiding in Children's Movies"Daniel O'BrienAbe EppersonAugust 17, 2015
9"The Terrifying Truth About Doc Brown"Jack O'BrienOctober 21, 2015
10"'Stupid' Movies That Are Surprisingly Progressive"Katie WillertAdam GanserNovember 16, 2015
11"4 Reasons The Jedi Are Secretly The Bad Guys Of Star Wars"Alex SchmidtAbe EppersonDecember 14, 2015

Season 6: 2016

#TitleWriterDirectorOriginal Airdate
1"Why Sauron Is Secretly The Good Guy In 'Lord Of The Rings'"JF SargentAdam GanserJanuary 11, 2016
2"Why Body-Switching Movies Are Way Creepier Than You Think"Teresa LeeAbe EppersonFebruary 22, 2016
3"4 Insane Simpsons Fan Theories (That Might Be True)"Michael SwaimAbe EppersonMarch 7, 2016
4"Why The Most Terrifying Movie Alien Isn't Who You Think"David C. BellAbe EppersonApril 11, 2016
5"Why Professor X Is Really The Villain Of The X-Men Universe"Soren BowieAdam GanserMay 23, 2016
6"What Your Favorite Video Game Says About You"JF SargentAdam GanserJune 20, 2016
7"The Horrifying Truth About Living Inside A TV Show "Alex SchmidtAdam GanserJuly 18, 2016
8"The Only Film Genre That Gets You To Root For The Bad Guy"Carmen AngelicaAbe EppersonAugust 29, 2016
9"Why Captain America Is The Worst Avenger"Alex SchmidtAbe EppersonSeptember 19, 2016
10"7 Movies That Don't Realize They're Horror Movies"David C. BellAbe EppersonOctober 17, 2016
11"Why Every '80s Sitcom Decided To Kill Off The Mom"Soren BowieAdam GanserNovember 21, 2016
12"Why Homer Simpson Might Be God"Michael SwaimAdam GanserDecember 19, 2016

Season 7: 2017

#TitleWriterDirectorOriginal Airdate
1"The Best And Worst Disney Kingdoms To Live In"JF SargentAdam GanserJanuary 23, 2017
2"4 Movie Curses With Unexpected Upsides"Cody JohnstonAbe EppersonFebruary 20, 2017
3"How To Ruin Your Favorite Sitcoms With Simple Math"Soren BowieAbe EppersonMarch 20, 2017
4"The Inevitable Future Of Each Superhero Universe"Michael SwaimAbe EppersonApril 17, 2017
5"Why Movies Want Us To Torture Adults"Carmen AngelicaAdam GanserMay 15, 2017
6"All Arnold Schwarzenegger Movies Are In The Same Terminator Universe"Adam GanserAdam GanserJune 5, 2017
7"How 9/11 Changed 90s Sitcoms Forever (Friends, Seinfeld)"Cody JohnstonAdam GanserJune 19, 2017
8"5 Movie Villains That Would Make Great Leaders (Game of Thrones, The Dark Knight)"Carmen AngelicaAbe EppersonJuly 10, 2017
9"Awkward Scenes That Must Have Happened In Marvel Movies (Captain America, The Hulk)"Daniel O'BrienAbe EppersonJuly 24, 2017
10"Why Time Travel Wouldn’t Work For Everyone"Soren BowieAdam GanserAugust 14, 2017
11"Why Disney Princes Are Bad Role Models For Boys"Carmen AngelicaAdam GanserAugust 28, 2017
12"6 Movies Whose Timelines Don't Add Up"David C. BellAdam GanserSeptember 11, 2017
13"What Movie Ghost Would You Rather Be Haunted By"David C. BellAdam GanserOctober 2, 2017
14"Which Ghost Movie Was The Best (For The Ghosts)? (Casper, Ghostbusters, RIPD)"Tom ReimannAdam GanserOctober 23, 2017
15"The Best Movie Hell to End Up In"Carmen AngelicaMoana SherrillNovember 20, 2017

References

  1. "Demand Media's Unlikely Success Story". Digiday.
  2. "Web Series: ‘After Hours’ at Cracked.com.". Comedy Spot Nation On April 18, 2013 In Featured Reviews
  3. "Cracked After Hours; Or, How to do Internet Comedy Right ". Comedy TV is Dead. 2013-03-10.
  4. "Behind The Scenes Of A Future Cracked: After Hours Episode". Bleeding Cool, . November 8, 2014. Michele Brittany.
  5. "Geeks Argue About Mario After Hours". TubeFilter, By Chris Landa. March 26, 2012.
  6. "The 10 Best Web Series of 2014". By Shannon M. Houston | December 31, 2014
  7. "How Comedian Daniel O'Brien Turned One Joke Into a Major Book Deal". Forbes, 2012-04-16.
  8. "Geekscape Interviews Agents of Cracked Star Dan O'Brien". Geekscape, Jun 28, 2011.
  9. "We get Crackin’ Up with Cracked.com". FanBoy Nation, November 11, 2014. Christie Shinn
  10. "After Hours- Answering Life's Least Important Questions" Archived 2013-08-25 at the Wayback Machine. Paste Magazine]
  11. "After Hours Works the Late Shift". Stated Magazine,
  12. "And the Nominees for the 18th Annual Webby Awards Are…". The Video Ink.
  13. "2014:Best Writing". Webby Awards
  14. Awkward Scenes That Must Have Happened In Marvel Movies. Cracked, July 24, 2017. Daniel O'Brien
  15. [ https://twitter.com/SWAIM_CORP/status/938185966954541056 "Michael Swaim's Official Twitter"]. Twitter.com.
  16. "Daniel O'Brien's Official Twitter". Twitter.com.
  17. [ https://twitter.com/Carmesancheeses/status/938091460301275136 "Carmen Angelica's Official Twitter"]. Twitter.com.
  18. [ https://twitter.com/drmistercody/status/937927201172754432 "Cody Johnston's Official Twitter"]. Twitter.com.
  19. "Michael Swaim's Official Twitter". Twitter.com
  20. O'Brian, David. "[Redacted] Reunion". tumblr.com. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
  21. "Daniel O'Brien's Official Twitter July 12, 2020". Twitter.com
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