UP
& DOWN GUYS
Some see the glass
as half full. Some see it as not only half empty… But the home for their
dentures one day after, their luck, experts decide that a lifetime of preemptive flossing actually causes gum
disease.
Up & Down Guys is the
first radio show to provide massive group therapy and comedy relief in the process.
There's an under-served radio audience who long for a smart yet accessible, clever and funny, grown-up yet hip (but-not-too-hip-for-the-room)
entryway into the minds of those of us struggling to connect with the absurdities of everyday life.
In a way, it’s (a kinder and gentler) Larry David
meets Dr. Phil, as Up & Down Guys launches with an up front interactive therapy session among
“patient,” Andy Cowan (the down guy who generally sees the glass half empty, as long
as it's full of humorous insight) Los Angeles psychologist, Dr. Scott Kopoian (the up guy who
generally sees the glass half full) and occasional callers/chatters, who offer up their therapeutic two cents on Andy's
travails that connect with listeners’ shared experiences.
When the doctor’s time is up, the theme music kicks
in… and therapy session morphs into a multi-faceted comedy/information talk show loosely hinging on the up and down
themes, hosted by the (slightly but not oppressively) down guy and his upbeat therapist.
A la The Daily Show and Real Time with Bill
Maher, takes on current events and pop culture enjoy fresh new spins. While
the seldom-reported minutiae buried in the recesses of the down guy's overburdened cerebral cortex finds an escape route to
the masses.
In times of a still down economy, audiences will draw
encouragement from someone poking fun at their own down-ness, someone who can also be energetic and up about a lot of
things (an up guy trapped in a down guy's body).
Featured departments include "celebrity guests" who
call in but never want to put their voices on the air (so you only hear the up and down guys' ends of the conversations).
And some who do put their voices on the air. And still other authors... comic strip creators...
and quirky conversationalists visit in-studio... shedding light on the up and down sides to their own lives.
They Review the Reviews (why should movie blurbs
have the last word?) ... The Down Guy goes on another Virtual Date, where he engages in a (one-way) conversation with
an imagined woman out there in radio land he hopes to connect with, as he leaves room for her clearly imagined responses...
They take another phone visit with the Up & Down
Girl, who forms their "human graphic equalizer" as her mid-range perspectives balance out Andy's relative lows and Dr.
K's relative highs, on such topics as... dating... marriage... family life... and plastic surgery...
New Search Engines... beyond Yahoo! ... like "Yayyy!"
And "Whoopie!" ... humorously take the art of word association to a whole new level...
They travel back in time for another ... Sick but True
Future Prediction of the Past! ...
And there truly is so much more.
Bart Tessler (Westwood
One):
“I love their comedic sensibility. It’s
really entertaining. They’re very comfortable, the material is great, and
the whole concept works.”
Andrew Singer (Lorne Michaels' Broadway Video, NBC Universal):
“You guys have such a clear dynamic and chemistry.
It’s very interesting, different, refreshing, and it works. The
show has many layers of irony and charm.”
Trever Oliver (Premiere Radio):
“It’s a brilliant concept, very original and engaging… The main point
of Dr. Laura is the help and advice and solutions. But a smaller part of
the appeal might be our own wicked sense of curiosity about other people’s neuroses – and that’s what fascinates
me about Andy’s show. ”
Kirk Stirland (Dial Global):
“These guys have a real chemistry and real wit. And
it’s hysterical. Free FM should be all over them. This is a show that appeals to both men and women.”
