Episode Guide - IFC 1999
IFC - THE GREG THE BUNNY SHOW (1999-2000)
While “Junktape” was still running on public access – two very unique things happened. First, Co-creator Spencer Chinoy’s brother (and our manager) Kevin Chinoy arranged a screening of our episodes for Independent Producer Gill Holland, who would become our co-manager and co-producer. Second, agent Brian Stern of the William Morris Agency would see Greg on public access and call the number on his screen. Very quickly, we had interest in taking the character to a new venue.
Independent Film Channel was still quite young, and looking for a signature host. Actors, both well-known indie faces and fresh newcomers, were being considered. On a lark, we made a video of Greg, literally begging for the job. Alison Palmer Bourke saw this tape and gave us our first shot. IFC wanted GTB content, and soon we were able to work on the show full-time.
These 27 episodes, otherwise known as “Season One” ran for 27 weeks on the Independent Film Channel as interstitial materials to accompany their Friday night “cult” movie. Each month the show’s creators were given a list of available films to select from. “Shows” were then based on themes or premises relevant to each film. Running times varied from :30 seconds to ten minutes, depending on the IFC schedule’s availability. Each show was segmented into two parts, shown at the beginning and end of the film. These usually consisted of a Greg-based short film or remote segment, followed by trivia on the film from Warren the Ape. As with all content that would be created for IFC, these shows were filmed spontaneously and with great improvisation, based on rough story outlines submitted to and approved by the network. It would be a signature style of the show, until the Fox years.
1. Track 29 / Total Eclipse (Greg’s New Years Eve Party)
Greg’s Three-Part premiere on IFC, December 31st 1999. Greg tries to live out his dream of being on the jumbo screen in Times Square on New Years Eve, but must settle for a TV set on the corner of Avenue A and 5th Street. Featuring a cast of heavily-loaded locals from Tompkins Square Park, NYC.
2. Polyester (Greg in Feel-O-Rama)
In tribute to John Waters’ “Smell-O-Rama,” Greg provides an interactive experience of touch-friendly proportions. Also features trivia on the film by GTB.
3. Cemetery Man (Night of Living Dead parody)
When Greg and the show’s creators go to a New Jersey cemetery, Greg falls asleep and wakes up in a black-and-white world of undead puppets. A loving tribute to George Romero’s “Night of the Living Dead.” Warren the Ape is introduced for the first time, and provides trivia on the movie, “Cemetery Man.”
4. Crumb (Greg rents Crumb)
The creators of the show try in vain to get Greg to watch the IFC’s movie of the week. He whines, procrastinates and annoys them so much they have to lock him out on the fire escape. Features Greg making trouble at a local video store and east village deli. Also features a trivia report from Greg, “Live” from a local comic shop, and Warren the Ape.
5. Living In Oblivion (Greg’s home movie)
A two part episode. In part One, the show’s creators visit Greg on the set of his first motion picture, an 8mm silent film shot by Warren the Ape. All hell breaks loose and the production falls apart. Part Two features the film itself, followed by Warren the Ape’s trivia for “Living In Oblivion.”
6. And God Spoke (Greg meets God)
Greg searches NYC for evidence of God and is ultimately called up to heaven by the big guy himself. Also features trivia on the film by Warren the Ape.
7. London Kills Me (Greg goes to a rave)
In keeping with the film’s theme of rave culture, the show’s creators take Greg to a rave in Brooklyn, New York on the eve of Martin Luther King Day. Warren the Ape provides trivia on the film.
8. Slaves of New York (Greg does Soho)
Greg and the show’s creators go to SoHo as Greg searches for an answer to the question, “What is Art?” In his quest, Greg faces some existential dilemmas when the creators explain to him that he is a fictional character. Followed by Warren the Ape’s trivia report on the film.
9. Naked (Greg’s cousin Gary shows up)
In an attempt to capture the feel of the Mike Leigh film, Greg gets an unexpected visit from his foul-mouthed cousin Gary the Bunny. Followed by Warren the Ape’s trivia report on the film.
10. Time Bandits (Greg builds Time Machine)
Greg builds a time machine and visits a million years b.c., the wild west and Nazi Germany. When he arrives home, he finds out his meddling has put the world into a post-apocalyptic state. Can Greg go back and stop himself from destroying the future? Yeah, pretty much. Followed by Warren the Ape’s trivia report on the film.
11 Night On Earth (Greg visits NY Cabbies)
Greg hits the streets of NYC to interview real cab drivers at a local cab stand. Fun ensues as he is threatened with a baseball bat by a dispatcher who didn’t want our cameras in his garage. Followed by Warren the Ape’s trivia report on the film.
12. Barton Fink (Warren in hotel room)
Warren tells the show’s creators that he is going to Martha’s Vineyard with his wife Maggie. But when he leaves them, he actually goes to the Carter Hotel (see Junktape’s “Time Squared” episode) and a lonely hotel room. There, Warren obsesses over calling his wife, with whom he is in a trial separation. After a good dose of booze, the Ape faces his broken reflection and inner demons, ending with a tragic suicide attempt. Followed by Greg the Bunny’s trivia report on the film, as a stand-in for the “missing” Warren.
13. Baby Fever (Greg abandons his nephew Timmy)
Greg brings his baby nephew, Timmy the Bunny to visit the show. But when the show’s creators pay a little too much attention to the cute little bunny, Greg becomes jealous and abandons the kid on the streets of New York. Followed by Warren the Ape’s trivia report.
14. My Own Private Idaho (Greg interviews a male hustler)
Greg goes on a search through Manhattan for a real-life male hustler. Eventually, he finds one on the west side, and conducts a sincere interview. Followed by Warren the Ape’s trivia report.
15. The Vanishing (Greg gets kidnapped)
Greg is kidnapped by an obsessed fan (Steve Gevedon, also “Uncle Coach” in “The Frail Brown Thread.”). He is kept in hollowed-out television set and made to perform for the psychopath. But soon Greg becomes enamored of all the attention, and before long his stalker becomes the stalkee. Followed by Warren the Ape’s trivia report.
16. Scanners (Greg goes to a Sci Fi Con)
Greg visits a New York Comic Convention, meets Chewbacca, gets dissed by Darth Vader and faces his idol, tv’s Horshack from “Welcome Back Kotter.” Followed by Warren the Ape’s trivia report.
17. Trainspotting (Greg’s My Dinner With Andre parody)
In a bizarre leap that left the IFC rather confused, we ignored any theme tied to Danny Boyle’s film “Trainspotting,” and chose instead to do an episode based entirely on the Andre Gregory/Wallace Shawn film, “My Dinner with Andre.” Greg meets his old friend Wally the Beaver at a train station hot dog stand to share philosophies on life, love and “Dorf on Golf.” Followed by Warren the Ape’s trivia report.
18. Death and the Maiden (Greg talks with Krishnas)
Greg takes to the streets of New York to interview people about death. He ends up in a real-life Krishna compound, and learns about the Krishna faith and its view on death. It’s pretty darn weird. Followed by Warren the Ape’s trivia report.
19. Husbands (Greg throws Gary a Bachelor Party)
The return of Greg’s cousin Gary – who is getting married to the bunny he impregnated in episode 9, “Naked.” Greg tries to throw Gary a bachelor party, complete with balloons, party bags and a clown (Eric Eckstein). Things heat up when Warren spikes the punch. Followed by Warren the Ape’s trivia report.
20. Search And Destroy (Greg’s infomercial)
Inspired by the infomercial in the film, Greg presents an infomercial for his own product, “Greg the Bunny’s Guide to Self-Manipulation,” a series of self-help videos designed to achieve happiness through denial. Features cameos by puppets we’ll never see again, as well as drunken testimony from Warren the Ape. Followed, as per usual, by Warren the Ape’s trivia report.
21. The Addiction (Greg thinks he’s a vampire)
After watching this week’s IFC movie, Greg has a nightmare and becomes convinced he’s been bitten by a vampire. He fears sunlight, drinks the blood of a live cat and tries to force Spencer (his roommate and the show’s director) to eat bugs. Eventually his fetish is demystified when Spence makes him watch the sunset and his fur fails to catch on fire. Followed by Warren the Ape’s brief trivia report.
22. El Mariachi (Greg meets Token Pablo Sanchez)
In an episode based strongly on the events of Junktape episode 4: “Surprise Lunch,” Greg quits the show, only to be replaced by Token Pablo Sanchez. Greg soon returns, after a visit from his conscience (a tin duck with a propeller on his head) and his id (a naked toe with eyeballs.) Followed by Warren the Ape’s trivia report.
23. Manhattan Murder Mystery (Greg parodies Annie Hall)
Celebrating Woody Allen, Greg appears in his second movie parody, “Bunny Hall.” When Greg falls for a beautiful (live) lobster, will he be able to find love amid neurosis? Also featuring Warren the Ape in the obligatory Tony Roberts role. Followed by Warren the Ape’s trivia report.
24. The Young Americans (Greg wastes time)
Given only thirty seconds for his weekly installment, Greg and the show’s creators (tired out from their production of “Bunny Hall”) pretty much phone it in. A funny and honest thirty seconds of procrastination, that we were later scolded for. See episode 27 “Welcome to the Dollhouse,” for our penance.
25. Gummo (Greg takes a bath)
Inspired by and featuring a parody of the opening credits of Harmony Korine’s film “Gummo,” Greg takes a bath and pretty much mugs for the camera. One of our most popular episodes, it features a fart gag that was poorly reconstructed in episode 1 of Fox’s “Greg The Bunny” (“Welcome to Sweetknuckle Junction”). Because farts sell, folks. Farts sell. Followed by Warren the Ape’s trivia report.
26. The Rapture (Greg’s Apocalypse News Report)
Greg hosts a news report on the global apocalypse, featuring rivers of blood, killer robots and Olsen twins jokes. Features a report from Pal Friendlies, the same puppet who would later be modified into “Count Blah.” The character of Pal was written into the Fox pilot but cut out. Pal finally returned to our cast in 2005 when he was featured as Greg and Warren’s agent in the “Fur on the Asphalt” TV special shown on the Independent Film Channel. Soon after, Pal joined the cast for the 2005-6 series of film parodies on IFC. This episode was followed by Warren the Ape’s trivia report.
27. Welcome to the Dollhouse (Greg’s Music Video - “Dignity On Ice”).
In an effort to make up for our sins in episode 24: “The Young Americans,” we used this week’s :30 second run-time to create a slick music video production for Greg’s all-puppet band, Plush. The single – “Dignity On Ice,” featuring Greg the Bunny, Warren the Ape and Cousin Gary. Shot on location at a New Jersey carnival.
While “Junktape” was still running on public access – two very unique things happened. First, Co-creator Spencer Chinoy’s brother (and our manager) Kevin Chinoy arranged a screening of our episodes for Independent Producer Gill Holland, who would become our co-manager and co-producer. Second, agent Brian Stern of the William Morris Agency would see Greg on public access and call the number on his screen. Very quickly, we had interest in taking the character to a new venue.
Independent Film Channel was still quite young, and looking for a signature host. Actors, both well-known indie faces and fresh newcomers, were being considered. On a lark, we made a video of Greg, literally begging for the job. Alison Palmer Bourke saw this tape and gave us our first shot. IFC wanted GTB content, and soon we were able to work on the show full-time.
These 27 episodes, otherwise known as “Season One” ran for 27 weeks on the Independent Film Channel as interstitial materials to accompany their Friday night “cult” movie. Each month the show’s creators were given a list of available films to select from. “Shows” were then based on themes or premises relevant to each film. Running times varied from :30 seconds to ten minutes, depending on the IFC schedule’s availability. Each show was segmented into two parts, shown at the beginning and end of the film. These usually consisted of a Greg-based short film or remote segment, followed by trivia on the film from Warren the Ape. As with all content that would be created for IFC, these shows were filmed spontaneously and with great improvisation, based on rough story outlines submitted to and approved by the network. It would be a signature style of the show, until the Fox years.
1. Track 29 / Total Eclipse (Greg’s New Years Eve Party)
Greg’s Three-Part premiere on IFC, December 31st 1999. Greg tries to live out his dream of being on the jumbo screen in Times Square on New Years Eve, but must settle for a TV set on the corner of Avenue A and 5th Street. Featuring a cast of heavily-loaded locals from Tompkins Square Park, NYC.
2. Polyester (Greg in Feel-O-Rama)
In tribute to John Waters’ “Smell-O-Rama,” Greg provides an interactive experience of touch-friendly proportions. Also features trivia on the film by GTB.
3. Cemetery Man (Night of Living Dead parody)
When Greg and the show’s creators go to a New Jersey cemetery, Greg falls asleep and wakes up in a black-and-white world of undead puppets. A loving tribute to George Romero’s “Night of the Living Dead.” Warren the Ape is introduced for the first time, and provides trivia on the movie, “Cemetery Man.”
4. Crumb (Greg rents Crumb)
The creators of the show try in vain to get Greg to watch the IFC’s movie of the week. He whines, procrastinates and annoys them so much they have to lock him out on the fire escape. Features Greg making trouble at a local video store and east village deli. Also features a trivia report from Greg, “Live” from a local comic shop, and Warren the Ape.
5. Living In Oblivion (Greg’s home movie)
A two part episode. In part One, the show’s creators visit Greg on the set of his first motion picture, an 8mm silent film shot by Warren the Ape. All hell breaks loose and the production falls apart. Part Two features the film itself, followed by Warren the Ape’s trivia for “Living In Oblivion.”
6. And God Spoke (Greg meets God)
Greg searches NYC for evidence of God and is ultimately called up to heaven by the big guy himself. Also features trivia on the film by Warren the Ape.
7. London Kills Me (Greg goes to a rave)
In keeping with the film’s theme of rave culture, the show’s creators take Greg to a rave in Brooklyn, New York on the eve of Martin Luther King Day. Warren the Ape provides trivia on the film.
8. Slaves of New York (Greg does Soho)
Greg and the show’s creators go to SoHo as Greg searches for an answer to the question, “What is Art?” In his quest, Greg faces some existential dilemmas when the creators explain to him that he is a fictional character. Followed by Warren the Ape’s trivia report on the film.
9. Naked (Greg’s cousin Gary shows up)
In an attempt to capture the feel of the Mike Leigh film, Greg gets an unexpected visit from his foul-mouthed cousin Gary the Bunny. Followed by Warren the Ape’s trivia report on the film.
10. Time Bandits (Greg builds Time Machine)
Greg builds a time machine and visits a million years b.c., the wild west and Nazi Germany. When he arrives home, he finds out his meddling has put the world into a post-apocalyptic state. Can Greg go back and stop himself from destroying the future? Yeah, pretty much. Followed by Warren the Ape’s trivia report on the film.
11 Night On Earth (Greg visits NY Cabbies)
Greg hits the streets of NYC to interview real cab drivers at a local cab stand. Fun ensues as he is threatened with a baseball bat by a dispatcher who didn’t want our cameras in his garage. Followed by Warren the Ape’s trivia report on the film.
12. Barton Fink (Warren in hotel room)
Warren tells the show’s creators that he is going to Martha’s Vineyard with his wife Maggie. But when he leaves them, he actually goes to the Carter Hotel (see Junktape’s “Time Squared” episode) and a lonely hotel room. There, Warren obsesses over calling his wife, with whom he is in a trial separation. After a good dose of booze, the Ape faces his broken reflection and inner demons, ending with a tragic suicide attempt. Followed by Greg the Bunny’s trivia report on the film, as a stand-in for the “missing” Warren.
13. Baby Fever (Greg abandons his nephew Timmy)
Greg brings his baby nephew, Timmy the Bunny to visit the show. But when the show’s creators pay a little too much attention to the cute little bunny, Greg becomes jealous and abandons the kid on the streets of New York. Followed by Warren the Ape’s trivia report.
14. My Own Private Idaho (Greg interviews a male hustler)
Greg goes on a search through Manhattan for a real-life male hustler. Eventually, he finds one on the west side, and conducts a sincere interview. Followed by Warren the Ape’s trivia report.
15. The Vanishing (Greg gets kidnapped)
Greg is kidnapped by an obsessed fan (Steve Gevedon, also “Uncle Coach” in “The Frail Brown Thread.”). He is kept in hollowed-out television set and made to perform for the psychopath. But soon Greg becomes enamored of all the attention, and before long his stalker becomes the stalkee. Followed by Warren the Ape’s trivia report.
16. Scanners (Greg goes to a Sci Fi Con)
Greg visits a New York Comic Convention, meets Chewbacca, gets dissed by Darth Vader and faces his idol, tv’s Horshack from “Welcome Back Kotter.” Followed by Warren the Ape’s trivia report.
17. Trainspotting (Greg’s My Dinner With Andre parody)
In a bizarre leap that left the IFC rather confused, we ignored any theme tied to Danny Boyle’s film “Trainspotting,” and chose instead to do an episode based entirely on the Andre Gregory/Wallace Shawn film, “My Dinner with Andre.” Greg meets his old friend Wally the Beaver at a train station hot dog stand to share philosophies on life, love and “Dorf on Golf.” Followed by Warren the Ape’s trivia report.
18. Death and the Maiden (Greg talks with Krishnas)
Greg takes to the streets of New York to interview people about death. He ends up in a real-life Krishna compound, and learns about the Krishna faith and its view on death. It’s pretty darn weird. Followed by Warren the Ape’s trivia report.
19. Husbands (Greg throws Gary a Bachelor Party)
The return of Greg’s cousin Gary – who is getting married to the bunny he impregnated in episode 9, “Naked.” Greg tries to throw Gary a bachelor party, complete with balloons, party bags and a clown (Eric Eckstein). Things heat up when Warren spikes the punch. Followed by Warren the Ape’s trivia report.
20. Search And Destroy (Greg’s infomercial)
Inspired by the infomercial in the film, Greg presents an infomercial for his own product, “Greg the Bunny’s Guide to Self-Manipulation,” a series of self-help videos designed to achieve happiness through denial. Features cameos by puppets we’ll never see again, as well as drunken testimony from Warren the Ape. Followed, as per usual, by Warren the Ape’s trivia report.
21. The Addiction (Greg thinks he’s a vampire)
After watching this week’s IFC movie, Greg has a nightmare and becomes convinced he’s been bitten by a vampire. He fears sunlight, drinks the blood of a live cat and tries to force Spencer (his roommate and the show’s director) to eat bugs. Eventually his fetish is demystified when Spence makes him watch the sunset and his fur fails to catch on fire. Followed by Warren the Ape’s brief trivia report.
22. El Mariachi (Greg meets Token Pablo Sanchez)
In an episode based strongly on the events of Junktape episode 4: “Surprise Lunch,” Greg quits the show, only to be replaced by Token Pablo Sanchez. Greg soon returns, after a visit from his conscience (a tin duck with a propeller on his head) and his id (a naked toe with eyeballs.) Followed by Warren the Ape’s trivia report.
23. Manhattan Murder Mystery (Greg parodies Annie Hall)
Celebrating Woody Allen, Greg appears in his second movie parody, “Bunny Hall.” When Greg falls for a beautiful (live) lobster, will he be able to find love amid neurosis? Also featuring Warren the Ape in the obligatory Tony Roberts role. Followed by Warren the Ape’s trivia report.
24. The Young Americans (Greg wastes time)
Given only thirty seconds for his weekly installment, Greg and the show’s creators (tired out from their production of “Bunny Hall”) pretty much phone it in. A funny and honest thirty seconds of procrastination, that we were later scolded for. See episode 27 “Welcome to the Dollhouse,” for our penance.
25. Gummo (Greg takes a bath)
Inspired by and featuring a parody of the opening credits of Harmony Korine’s film “Gummo,” Greg takes a bath and pretty much mugs for the camera. One of our most popular episodes, it features a fart gag that was poorly reconstructed in episode 1 of Fox’s “Greg The Bunny” (“Welcome to Sweetknuckle Junction”). Because farts sell, folks. Farts sell. Followed by Warren the Ape’s trivia report.
26. The Rapture (Greg’s Apocalypse News Report)
Greg hosts a news report on the global apocalypse, featuring rivers of blood, killer robots and Olsen twins jokes. Features a report from Pal Friendlies, the same puppet who would later be modified into “Count Blah.” The character of Pal was written into the Fox pilot but cut out. Pal finally returned to our cast in 2005 when he was featured as Greg and Warren’s agent in the “Fur on the Asphalt” TV special shown on the Independent Film Channel. Soon after, Pal joined the cast for the 2005-6 series of film parodies on IFC. This episode was followed by Warren the Ape’s trivia report.
27. Welcome to the Dollhouse (Greg’s Music Video - “Dignity On Ice”).
In an effort to make up for our sins in episode 24: “The Young Americans,” we used this week’s :30 second run-time to create a slick music video production for Greg’s all-puppet band, Plush. The single – “Dignity On Ice,” featuring Greg the Bunny, Warren the Ape and Cousin Gary. Shot on location at a New Jersey carnival.
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