TVTV Super Vision

TVTV's satirical Super Vision recreates pivitol moments in the history of television, and stars comedy legends Harold Ramis and John Belushi very early in their careers.

00:07Copy video clip URL “New York City – 1948.” A group of men gather around a storefront as a couple wheels a TV out of the shop. “Supervision: Tales of Television. It’s Television.” The man is the first to buy a TV on his block and the whole neighborhood wants in.

2:07Copy video clip URL Cut to a TV studio. Women practice their dance revue. Director and choreographer argue. Several men perform a commercial for Texaco, including Harold Ramis. Back in the living room, everyone laughs at the show. “A TVTV production.” Cut to black.

5:55Copy video clip URL Man destroying a television in multiple ways.

6:19Copy video clip URL “Off Now!” New Years Eve, 1983. Open Super Vision headquarters. The sketch takes place in a world where TV station Super Vision controls all communication, and is about to launch the first Global One world simulcast. Amidst this environment, a group of TV terrorists, played by John Belushi and Gerrit Graham, plan a scheme to stop the Global One simulcast and shut down TV for 24 hours to disconnect the public from the control of their televisions. They begin their break-in at the station. They take over the control room. The global broadcast begins, but is shortly turned off by the the hackers. They take over the broadcast and talk about taking down Super Vision and mass media corporations, but their revolutionary broadcast quickly derails as they default to usual TV behavior.

14:58Copy video clip URL Cut to black. TV Test Pattern 1931. Supervision intro for a new episode: “Birth of an Industry.” Open on two men discussing an invention one of the men has created. The inventor shows the other man a plan for an “opticoniscope.” He describes what he would need to create it. Narrator describes that a year later, the chairman of the American Broadcast System came to visit to see the invention that he thought may help improve their television. He examines the invention, and pretends to not be interested in the work. The chairman discusses the use of the superior technology and tries to negotiate a deal. A long legal battle ensues over copyright infringement, and years later, after his death, the inventor wins.

25:40Copy video clip URL Pall Mall cigarette commercial. Narrator talks about the opportunity that TV provided for advertisers. Cut to a scene of Albert Lasker in a meeting proposing an advertising campaign for TV. Proposal with music and dancing. Lasker’s boss says that he finds the proposal irritating, and Lasker argues for it. The boss gives a noncommittal answer about the ability to run TV ads and leaves

30:22Copy video clip URL Narrator notes a radio program also wondering about their place on television, “Amos ‘n Andy,” two men in blackface speaking about their transition from radio to TV.

31:35Copy video clip URL “Sight to Sound.” A man introduces television. The narrator describes the rush for TV after it’s invention. Scene of man buying a TV from the beginning. Mr. Television show. Narrator gives statistics about how many American homes owned televisions over time. 

33:00Copy video clip URL Cut to black. Supervision intro sequence: “Shoot-Out!” Christine Martin, an action news reporter reports on a police shoot out. A man watches her on TV, and his wife points out that it looks like their neighborhood, and their house. He denies that it is their house. They look out the window and see the cameras and police. The men being chased by police break into their house. Police and criminals shoot at each other through the house. Police talk to the criminals through the action news report being broadcasted on their TV. Martin reports on the history of the criminals, and they get angry, forgetting about their weapons. The wife grabs one of their guns. Cut to black. 

39:31Copy video clip URL Supervision Intro: “Chromakey Lane: How to be Your Own TV.” Narrator introduces Chuck the Tech, Fast Forward, and Videa. Videa sings a song about being your own TV. Chuck plays with different shot lengths. Fast Forward plays with zooming in and out on Chuck. Videa scolds him. 

42:41Copy video clip URL Video ends. 

43:26Copy video clip URL Tape ends.