Not getting MTV in Canada can be a double-edged sword. On one hand, we are for the most part spared some awful reality-TV shows (see the last “TV Party”), and yet another outlet for Top-40 heavy-rotation videos. On the other, there are a few really good reality-TV shows out there, and some kick-ass cartoons, like the Canadian-made UnderGRADS.
Written by then 18-year-old Pete Williams, who also voices the four main characters, UnderGRADS is a show about undergraduate life at fictional State University and nearby Tekerson Tech.
If the fact that the premise is close to home for most Varsity readers isn’t enough reason to watch, the skill with which the show is written and executed makes it worth viewing. Though it succumbs to some coming-of-age, cheesy teen-movie/sitcom archetypes at its lowest points, at its peaks it is funny, intelligent, and scathingly relevant. Plus, its animation and audio recording are done in Toronto—hurray for CanCon!
The series was born when Pete Williams sent in his concept to an MTV contest soliciting ideas for a new series. After it spent some time in Development Hell, it finally hit the airwaves down south last year and has recently been picked up by Teletoon in Canada. Due to its “mature” target demographic, you’ll have to stay up late Friday through Monday night to catch it at 11 p.m. and 3 a.m.
UnderGRADS is a visually impressive and eye-catching show, alluding ever so slightly to anime and manga character styling. This is contrasted with the surprisingly versatile voice work of Pete Williams. If not the next Mel Blanc, he is at least convincing in his various characterizations. One would be hard-pressed to tell the voices didn’t belong to separate actors if not prompted beforehand.
What is most impressive about the show, though, is its fusion of nerd-aesthetic with pop-cultural relevance, as filtered through the unique tastes and biases of the show’s creator. The jokes and issues will resonate with any student, but creeping in at the edges are obscure sci-fi and 80s cross-references. In fact, though it is not immediately evident on first viewing save for one character’s nerdish fascination, Star Wars is one of the constant underpinnings of the show, and rarely has the momentous trilogy been so referenced and mocked without descending into terrifying depths of geekdom.
So do yourself a favour, and check out some quality Canadian animation. And while you’re at it, check out the website at www.undergrads.tv; DECODE Entertainment, the Toronto-based animation house which produces the series, is also a digital media company that creates websites. And who knows—if the show garners enough viewers, it might be
