Episode Guide - WARREN THE APE (2010)
Below are synopsis for all 12 episodes of Warren the Ape, the Complete Canceled Season. Be sure to check our FORUMS section for detailed production blogs for each episode, that outline the process that goes into making each show!
EPISODE ONE - BIG SCORE
ORIGINAL AIRDATE: June 14th, 2010
Originally the second episode we shot, this episode featured Warren in a rivalry with another puppet actor, CHAUNCEY THE BEAR (played by Drew Massey, blah!). Warren hopes to sabotage Chauncey's chances of besting him at a cereal commercial audition, so with the help of his assistant Cecil (Josh Sussman), he sets up Chauncey as the star of a scandalous sex tape. The plan works, but while Warren ends up spokesman for a kids' cereal commercial, Chauncey's sex tape goes viral and launches him into greater success as a porn star. The show concludes with Chauncey taking Warren to the Adult Video awards, where a mishap with a dildo-shaped award costs Warren his cereal spokesman gig.
This episode features scenes originally shot for our pilot presentation (used to sell the show) and scenes of the original Warren puppet used on the old IFC series. The show was presented as a "pilot" because it contained a great deal of exposition - it introduces Warren to his therapist (Drew Pinsky), sets him up as an actor with an agent who is desperate for work, and also introduced audiences to a world where puppets like Warren and Chauncey live among us.
Due to the shooting sequence of our first production cycle, this was the first show in with Josh Sussman and Dan Milano worked together. They actually met during the camera surveillance scene. The chemistry between Cecil and Warren was so strong that the writers began fleshing out the character of Cecil and soon after, he would be appearing in almost every episode. By the end of the series, Josh's character and his relationship with Warren would actually be the focus of several episodes.
Sequences for this episode were shot on location at the AVN awards in Las Vegas, with Drew Massey performing Chauncey and Victor Yerrid standing in for Dan Milano as Warren. In addition, porn stars LANA CROFT and KIRSTEN PRICE play themselves as presenters giving Chauncey his award, while ALEKTRA BLUE and KAYLANI LEE appear with Chauncey in the grocery store scene.
Fans of the IFC series will notice THE WUMPUS in the puppet spa scene, and fans of the FOX show might recognize THE GAY BEAR in the puppet audition scene.
EPISODE TWO - ABSTINENCE
ORIGINAL AIRDATE: June 21st, 2010
When Drew Pinsky tells Warren to abstain from sex, he decides to spend some time with his virginal friend, GREG THE BUNNY. But Warren's urges get the better of him and he decides that if HE can't get laid, he's going to get Greg laid. What ensues are several attempts to get Greg some tail, culminating in the poor rabbit being accidentally arrested in a "TO CATCH A PREDATOR" type sting operation.
This episode was the second to air, but the third to be shot. It features appearances by old friends of the Greg the Bunny franchise, such as Chris Bergoch, Kurt Leitner and Jay Thames. It would introduce the characters of "Jesse" played by Jesse Heiman, and the Dungeon Master, played by series writer Bill Freiberger. Both characters make additional appearances in upcoming episodes.
The show features some art design cameos as well, including actual books and miniatures from the popular DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game, actual puppets used in the production of ROBOT CHICKEN, the photography of artist BRIAN McCARTY and the "FRESHMEN" comic books created by HUGH STERBAKOV.
This is the first episode shot entirely with the use of a new Warren puppet, and only one of two episodes in which Dan Milano reprises the role of Greg the Bunny.
Fun fact - this is not the first time Greg has undergone some discomfort in prison. He had a similar fate in the IFC episode, THE BLUES SHE IS MY FRIEND, and gets mounted by Warren during a prison stay in our IFC REUNION SPECIAL. Both available on DVD from SHOUT VIDEO.
EPISODE THREE - CRASH COURSE
ORIGINAL AIRDATE: June 28th, 2010
Warren goes to a middle school in the hopes of scaring at-risk kids straight and putting their lives on course. But when the kids turn out to be clean-cut and not at risk after all, he decides to show them the gritty realities of real life. Tricking their teacher (JUDY GREER), he takes the kids on an impromptu field trip, that eventually has parents and teachers calling the police.
This was the third episode to be aired and the sixth that was shot. It was filmed on location all over Los Angeles, including the "Crazy Girls" strip club on LaBrea, coincidentally right across the street from Jim Henson Studios. The episode features a special effects shot which depicts young children watching a full-blown strip show that also included nudity (a version which did not air). The effect shot was so well done most people actually think we did the shot for real (which would have violated several laws).
The episode also features the kids visiting a dog fight, which many assume was real, but of course was a controlled set using trained dogs who were happy, healthy and simply acting their parts. Funny how our puppet reality show is so often mistaken for actual reality. We take it as a compliment.
This episode features a few small in-jokes, including posters for Warren's movies on the walls of Cecil's bedroom and a brief "Star Wars" quote. It's also one of many times we shoot at Warren's favorite bar, THE ROOST on Los Feliz Blvd.
EPISODE FOUR - AMENDS
ORIGINAL AIRDATE: July 5th, 2010
Warren decides to skip ahead to step nine of his twelve step program and make amends to the people in his life who he has hurt in some way. But when he tries to make amends to his old friend SETH GREEN, he ends up causing even more damage - sleeping with Seth's fiancee (and now real-life wife) CLARE GRANT and causing Seth to end up in the hospital.
This was the fourth episode to air but the fifth to be shot. It reunites Warren with two of the characters from the FOX version of "Greg the Bunny," Seth Green and Greg. It is also the first time we see MARY DEVAULT as Racquel, Warren's girlfriend.
This episode originally featured an entire "B-story" about Warren's assistant Cecil (JOSH SUSSMAN) driving to Texas to apologize to a friend of Warren's. He drives so far without sleeping that he is exhausted by the time he drives back to Seth Green's house - which is why he hits Seth with his car.
The episode was originally scripted for a celebrity cameo to be killed in a car crash but Seth Green and the producers did not want to kill off Seth's character, so he ended up in the hospital instead. Seth appears again (still in traction) in the episode, "THE BLACK LOTUS."
EPISODE FIVE - GAY APE
ORIGINAL AIRDATE: July 12th, 2010
This was the fifth episode to air but the third to be filmed. A Hollywood producer (ROBERT MICHAEL MORRIS) recognizes Warren from an old gay porn film and he becomes outed by celebrity blogger PEREZ HILTON. Warren isn't gay, but goes with the exposure when he realizes it will make him the toast of Hollywood. When Warren ends up as grand marshal of the Gay Pride Parade, he reveals himself (literally) to be straight and loses his gay hollywood cred.
This episode is one of a few that underwent great changes during filming and post production. The episode was revised due to production concerns and then again in editing. New scenes were shot and cut into the episode months after its original production.
Among the scenes added were the scene of Warren and Jerry the Producer having breakfast, to make clear Warren's being mistaken as gay and the benefits that come from it. The other additional scene was the one where Warren is interviewed by NANCY O'DELL and is attracted to her despite his need to appear as a public gay figure. This interview was actually shot on location in Drew Pinsky's Pasadena Recovery Center, on the same day that many of Drew Pinsky's scenes with Warren were filmed.
The puppet characters of MARK & MERKLE (DREW MASSEY and VICTOR YERRID) are introduced in this episode as Warren's neighbors. SUSAN BERGER also appears once again as Warren's agent. As it finally appeared, Susan and Warren's sides of the conversation were shot on separate days when Warren's side of the conversation was revised and a new Warren puppet was used.
EPISODE SIX - BAD PO FO
ORIGINAL AIRDATE: July 19th, 2010
Warren is hired by a hipster director (MATT BESSER) to co-star with BILLY CRUDUP in a high-profile police drama. But when the MTV network refuses to let Warren do the new television pilot, Warren tries to ruin his comeback show so that his real comeback can begin!
This episode was the sixth to air and coincidentally the sixth episode to be filmed. It features a trailer for BAD PO FO, an exploitation film starring Warren. Many of the scenes for this trailer were shot in odd locations during the filming of several episodes. The Vietnam scenes were filmed in the same restaurant where Warren bothers Seth Green in "Amends." Shots of the gang kingpin were shot in the "Crazy Girls" strip club. Warren dropping the gang member off the roof was shot in the parking lot of THE ROOST bar, and the puppet gang attacking the blonde girl was shot in the production's writer's room.
The role of Benton Shaw was originally written for Quentin Tarantino. The use of Soup Plantation was not product placement but just an elaborate joke that the writers came up with in order to give the Benton Shaw character a unique obsession. COREY FELDMAN was added to the end of the episode when we decided the episode needed to end on a funnier note. Corey returns in the upcoming episode, "Rock Opera."
EPISODE SEVEN - IT GIRL
ORIGINAL AIRDATE: July 26th, 2010
Warren is feeling desperate to reclaim media attention. Inspired by a relationship between a famous nobody and his pop star girlfriend, Warren decides that dating an "It Girl" will be an express elevator to the Hollywood spotlight. Warren targets troubled pop star, "Fresca" (BEAU GARRETT) and infiltrates a rehab facility in order to take advantage of her. Hilarity and club-hopping ensue!
This was the first episode of the series that we filmed, and our unofficial "pilot." As such, it was designed to introduce Warren as a down and out star, establish his past fame (his sitcom, "Monkey Round The House,") and also show us the lengths he will go to in order to achieve fame. Like the episode "Big Score," (which was the second to be filmed) this episode features a smaller Warren puppet in many scenes.
It is also the only episode that shows Warren driving his car, which he crashes into the "Shady Lanes" Rehab Center. This crash is why Warren is left without a car, and must have Cecil drive him around in the other episodes.
The episode was originally to end with Fresca going on a national talk show to accuse Warren of taking advantage of her (Tyra Banks was approached, as was Nancy O'Dell, who ended up appearing in "Gay Ape.") It was also going to feature scenes of Warren being embraced and then rejected by the public. These scenes were cut in order to streamline the show and make room for additional scenes that better established the characters of Cecil (JOSH SUSSMAN) and Racquel (MARY DeVAULT).
EPISODE EIGHT - SUPPORT SYSTEM
ORIGINAL AIRDATE: August 1st, 2010
After being continually disruptive, Warren is asked to leave his AA Group by it's leader (LAURA KACHURGUS). Spurned, Warren decides to launch his own recovery group and goes to extreme lengths in order to attract a crowd. In the end, Warren gets a taste of his own medicine from a disruptive group member (STEVEN GEVENDON) and goes crawling back to his old group.
Support System was filmed in the middle of our production and was one of the most simplistic of the episodes in the sense that it did not require many locations. Much of the AA scenes were improvised, and many scenes from our original pilot presentation were incorporated into the episode, such as VICTOR YERRID's performance as Charlie the Puppet and his "manslaughter" share.
The episode features Warren's assistant Cecil (JOSH SUSSMAN) admitting an addiction to "Pandora," the fictional world from James Cameron's "Avatar." This idea was inspired by people who actually claimed to suffer from such addictions after the movie was released in theaters. Cecil's speech was improvised on set entirely by Josh.
Laura Kachurgus and Steven Gevendon are old friends of the show and have appeared in multiple episodes of IFC's Greg the Bunny show, including "WACKY WEDNESDAY," "THE VANISHING," "FIVE OR SIX THINGS ABOUT GREG," "YA KNOW FOR KIDS" among others.
EPISODE NINE - OUT WITH THE OLD
ORIGINAL AIRDATE: August 8th, 2010
Warren has a garage sale and meets Daryl (STEVE LITTLE), one of his biggest fans. Daryl charms Warren with his big bankroll and flashy car, insisting that he would be a much better assistant for Warren than Cecil (JOSH SUSSMAN). In the spirit of "Out with the old," Warren decides he needs a change and fires Cecil as his assistant. But when Daryl turns out to be a little more dedicated than Warren bargained for, it's Cecil to the rescue to save his old boss from this sycophantic psycho. In the end, Cecil gets his job back (with pay) and also gets the (fan)girl (ROSANNA PANISINO). This episode also includes clips from Warren's cheesy space opera, "ESCAPE FROM SPACE PRISON."
This was the ninth episode to air and the eleventh of the twelve to be shot. It was the third time the production shot at "Meltdown Comics" on Sunset Blvd in Hollywood, and featured a scene of Warren signing DVDs for fans. See our blogs section for detailed information on the making of this episode.
EPISODE TEN - ANGER MANAGEMENT
ORIGINAL AIRDATE: August 16th, 2010
Warren is irritable so Doctor Drew suggests that he employ the Alert, Avert and Affirm tactics to control his temper. Instead, Warren teams up with MICK FOLEY and smashes up a miniature golf course. A judge (MINDY STERLING) sentences Mick and Warren to a minimum security prison (that Warren tries to convince us is hell). While there, Mick and Warren get into trouble and Warren is placed in solitary. He finally hits the "rock bottom," that Doctor Drew warned him about, and begins writing an epic play that will pave the way for our final episode, "ROCK OPERA."
This episode featured Mick Foley, an amazingly sweet man who really enjoyed himself on the set. The episode also featured the hilarious JASON STUART as Warren's cellmate, MATT MALLOY as the Warden and CHASTITY LANE as an exotic dancer who "picks up money people leave laying around," much to Mick and Warren's frustration.
EPISODE ELEVEN - BLACK LOTUS
ORIGINAL AIRDATE: August 23rd, 2010
Warren loses a lot of cash at the track with buddies COUNT BLAH and DAVID KOECHNER, and is unable to pay his rent. When his landlord (SANDY MARTIN) threatens eviction, Warren must hit up his pals EUGENE LEVY, SARAH SILVERMAN and SETH GREEN for money. After they all turn him down, his assistant Cecil agrees to give him the thousand dollars he was saving to purchase "The Black Lotus," a rare Magic: The Gathering card. But instead of using the money for rent, Warren returns to the track and gambles with it.
This was the eleventh episode to air and was filmed toward the end of the production run. Originally there was to be a gambling-related episode in which Warren would go to Vegas with the stars from his 2002 FOX series, so it was clear we were hoping to get cameos from our old friends Sarah Silverman and Eugene Levy. When the Vegas storyline failed to be cleared by the network, the episode was re-written to take place locally.
Eugene and Sarah appeared, along with David Koechner (who has also done a cameo on our FOX show) Sandy Martin (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia) and Count Blah, Warren's puppet pal from FOX and IFC. (Fans will note that we used the IFC puppet, but the voice/performer was not Dan Milano, but Drew Massey who had also performed Blah on FOX.)
EPISODE TWELVE - ROCK OPERA
ORIGINAL AIRDATE: August 30th, 2010
This was the last episode of the season, and picks up where Episode Ten (Anger Management) leaves off. Warren has had his "epiphany" in prison and is inspired to write a Rock Opera about his life. Although Warren never knew his father, he hires actor COREY FELDMAN to play his father as a young soldier in the war. But when Corey drops out at the last minute to do a "Lost Boys" sequel, Warren panics and nearly gives himself a stroke. His doctor (PHILIP BAKER HALL) insists that if he does the play, he might have a heart attack. But Warren is a thespian through and through, and performs his play despite nearly killing himself.
This was a difficult episode to shoot and even more difficult to edit, because we literally shot Warren's entire play (with music and lyrics by Jay Lifton and Chris Bergoch, under the direction of Spencer Chinoy) on stage at LA's Ricardo Montalban Theater. Getting the play down to a reasonable length for a 22 minute episode while also telling a clear story about Warren and his motivations was a challenge, but in the end both elements are served.
The play attempts to cover Warren's loss of his father ("I NEVER MET MY DADDY,") his seduction into vice ("MARCH OF THE VICES") loss of innocence ("INNOCENCE,") hitting rock bottom in prison ("ROCK BOTTOM") and his redemption through the love of an "Angel," his girlfriend Racquel ("RACQUEL.") It then leaps to the future where he is the only survivor of the robot apocalypse ("ROBOT WAR"). In the end, Warren defeats the CORPORATE ROBOT (Cecil) and wins the day, except for the fact that he has a heart attack and wakes up in the hospital, to mediocre theater reviews.
That's it for Warren the Ape, Season One! Will there be a Season Two? Who knows.
EPISODE ONE - BIG SCORE
ORIGINAL AIRDATE: June 14th, 2010
Originally the second episode we shot, this episode featured Warren in a rivalry with another puppet actor, CHAUNCEY THE BEAR (played by Drew Massey, blah!). Warren hopes to sabotage Chauncey's chances of besting him at a cereal commercial audition, so with the help of his assistant Cecil (Josh Sussman), he sets up Chauncey as the star of a scandalous sex tape. The plan works, but while Warren ends up spokesman for a kids' cereal commercial, Chauncey's sex tape goes viral and launches him into greater success as a porn star. The show concludes with Chauncey taking Warren to the Adult Video awards, where a mishap with a dildo-shaped award costs Warren his cereal spokesman gig.
This episode features scenes originally shot for our pilot presentation (used to sell the show) and scenes of the original Warren puppet used on the old IFC series. The show was presented as a "pilot" because it contained a great deal of exposition - it introduces Warren to his therapist (Drew Pinsky), sets him up as an actor with an agent who is desperate for work, and also introduced audiences to a world where puppets like Warren and Chauncey live among us.
Due to the shooting sequence of our first production cycle, this was the first show in with Josh Sussman and Dan Milano worked together. They actually met during the camera surveillance scene. The chemistry between Cecil and Warren was so strong that the writers began fleshing out the character of Cecil and soon after, he would be appearing in almost every episode. By the end of the series, Josh's character and his relationship with Warren would actually be the focus of several episodes.
Sequences for this episode were shot on location at the AVN awards in Las Vegas, with Drew Massey performing Chauncey and Victor Yerrid standing in for Dan Milano as Warren. In addition, porn stars LANA CROFT and KIRSTEN PRICE play themselves as presenters giving Chauncey his award, while ALEKTRA BLUE and KAYLANI LEE appear with Chauncey in the grocery store scene.
Fans of the IFC series will notice THE WUMPUS in the puppet spa scene, and fans of the FOX show might recognize THE GAY BEAR in the puppet audition scene.
EPISODE TWO - ABSTINENCE
ORIGINAL AIRDATE: June 21st, 2010
When Drew Pinsky tells Warren to abstain from sex, he decides to spend some time with his virginal friend, GREG THE BUNNY. But Warren's urges get the better of him and he decides that if HE can't get laid, he's going to get Greg laid. What ensues are several attempts to get Greg some tail, culminating in the poor rabbit being accidentally arrested in a "TO CATCH A PREDATOR" type sting operation.
This episode was the second to air, but the third to be shot. It features appearances by old friends of the Greg the Bunny franchise, such as Chris Bergoch, Kurt Leitner and Jay Thames. It would introduce the characters of "Jesse" played by Jesse Heiman, and the Dungeon Master, played by series writer Bill Freiberger. Both characters make additional appearances in upcoming episodes.
The show features some art design cameos as well, including actual books and miniatures from the popular DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game, actual puppets used in the production of ROBOT CHICKEN, the photography of artist BRIAN McCARTY and the "FRESHMEN" comic books created by HUGH STERBAKOV.
This is the first episode shot entirely with the use of a new Warren puppet, and only one of two episodes in which Dan Milano reprises the role of Greg the Bunny.
Fun fact - this is not the first time Greg has undergone some discomfort in prison. He had a similar fate in the IFC episode, THE BLUES SHE IS MY FRIEND, and gets mounted by Warren during a prison stay in our IFC REUNION SPECIAL. Both available on DVD from SHOUT VIDEO.
EPISODE THREE - CRASH COURSE
ORIGINAL AIRDATE: June 28th, 2010
Warren goes to a middle school in the hopes of scaring at-risk kids straight and putting their lives on course. But when the kids turn out to be clean-cut and not at risk after all, he decides to show them the gritty realities of real life. Tricking their teacher (JUDY GREER), he takes the kids on an impromptu field trip, that eventually has parents and teachers calling the police.
This was the third episode to be aired and the sixth that was shot. It was filmed on location all over Los Angeles, including the "Crazy Girls" strip club on LaBrea, coincidentally right across the street from Jim Henson Studios. The episode features a special effects shot which depicts young children watching a full-blown strip show that also included nudity (a version which did not air). The effect shot was so well done most people actually think we did the shot for real (which would have violated several laws).
The episode also features the kids visiting a dog fight, which many assume was real, but of course was a controlled set using trained dogs who were happy, healthy and simply acting their parts. Funny how our puppet reality show is so often mistaken for actual reality. We take it as a compliment.
This episode features a few small in-jokes, including posters for Warren's movies on the walls of Cecil's bedroom and a brief "Star Wars" quote. It's also one of many times we shoot at Warren's favorite bar, THE ROOST on Los Feliz Blvd.
EPISODE FOUR - AMENDS
ORIGINAL AIRDATE: July 5th, 2010
Warren decides to skip ahead to step nine of his twelve step program and make amends to the people in his life who he has hurt in some way. But when he tries to make amends to his old friend SETH GREEN, he ends up causing even more damage - sleeping with Seth's fiancee (and now real-life wife) CLARE GRANT and causing Seth to end up in the hospital.
This was the fourth episode to air but the fifth to be shot. It reunites Warren with two of the characters from the FOX version of "Greg the Bunny," Seth Green and Greg. It is also the first time we see MARY DEVAULT as Racquel, Warren's girlfriend.
This episode originally featured an entire "B-story" about Warren's assistant Cecil (JOSH SUSSMAN) driving to Texas to apologize to a friend of Warren's. He drives so far without sleeping that he is exhausted by the time he drives back to Seth Green's house - which is why he hits Seth with his car.
The episode was originally scripted for a celebrity cameo to be killed in a car crash but Seth Green and the producers did not want to kill off Seth's character, so he ended up in the hospital instead. Seth appears again (still in traction) in the episode, "THE BLACK LOTUS."
EPISODE FIVE - GAY APE
ORIGINAL AIRDATE: July 12th, 2010
This was the fifth episode to air but the third to be filmed. A Hollywood producer (ROBERT MICHAEL MORRIS) recognizes Warren from an old gay porn film and he becomes outed by celebrity blogger PEREZ HILTON. Warren isn't gay, but goes with the exposure when he realizes it will make him the toast of Hollywood. When Warren ends up as grand marshal of the Gay Pride Parade, he reveals himself (literally) to be straight and loses his gay hollywood cred.
This episode is one of a few that underwent great changes during filming and post production. The episode was revised due to production concerns and then again in editing. New scenes were shot and cut into the episode months after its original production.
Among the scenes added were the scene of Warren and Jerry the Producer having breakfast, to make clear Warren's being mistaken as gay and the benefits that come from it. The other additional scene was the one where Warren is interviewed by NANCY O'DELL and is attracted to her despite his need to appear as a public gay figure. This interview was actually shot on location in Drew Pinsky's Pasadena Recovery Center, on the same day that many of Drew Pinsky's scenes with Warren were filmed.
The puppet characters of MARK & MERKLE (DREW MASSEY and VICTOR YERRID) are introduced in this episode as Warren's neighbors. SUSAN BERGER also appears once again as Warren's agent. As it finally appeared, Susan and Warren's sides of the conversation were shot on separate days when Warren's side of the conversation was revised and a new Warren puppet was used.
EPISODE SIX - BAD PO FO
ORIGINAL AIRDATE: July 19th, 2010
Warren is hired by a hipster director (MATT BESSER) to co-star with BILLY CRUDUP in a high-profile police drama. But when the MTV network refuses to let Warren do the new television pilot, Warren tries to ruin his comeback show so that his real comeback can begin!
This episode was the sixth to air and coincidentally the sixth episode to be filmed. It features a trailer for BAD PO FO, an exploitation film starring Warren. Many of the scenes for this trailer were shot in odd locations during the filming of several episodes. The Vietnam scenes were filmed in the same restaurant where Warren bothers Seth Green in "Amends." Shots of the gang kingpin were shot in the "Crazy Girls" strip club. Warren dropping the gang member off the roof was shot in the parking lot of THE ROOST bar, and the puppet gang attacking the blonde girl was shot in the production's writer's room.
The role of Benton Shaw was originally written for Quentin Tarantino. The use of Soup Plantation was not product placement but just an elaborate joke that the writers came up with in order to give the Benton Shaw character a unique obsession. COREY FELDMAN was added to the end of the episode when we decided the episode needed to end on a funnier note. Corey returns in the upcoming episode, "Rock Opera."
EPISODE SEVEN - IT GIRL
ORIGINAL AIRDATE: July 26th, 2010
Warren is feeling desperate to reclaim media attention. Inspired by a relationship between a famous nobody and his pop star girlfriend, Warren decides that dating an "It Girl" will be an express elevator to the Hollywood spotlight. Warren targets troubled pop star, "Fresca" (BEAU GARRETT) and infiltrates a rehab facility in order to take advantage of her. Hilarity and club-hopping ensue!
This was the first episode of the series that we filmed, and our unofficial "pilot." As such, it was designed to introduce Warren as a down and out star, establish his past fame (his sitcom, "Monkey Round The House,") and also show us the lengths he will go to in order to achieve fame. Like the episode "Big Score," (which was the second to be filmed) this episode features a smaller Warren puppet in many scenes.
It is also the only episode that shows Warren driving his car, which he crashes into the "Shady Lanes" Rehab Center. This crash is why Warren is left without a car, and must have Cecil drive him around in the other episodes.
The episode was originally to end with Fresca going on a national talk show to accuse Warren of taking advantage of her (Tyra Banks was approached, as was Nancy O'Dell, who ended up appearing in "Gay Ape.") It was also going to feature scenes of Warren being embraced and then rejected by the public. These scenes were cut in order to streamline the show and make room for additional scenes that better established the characters of Cecil (JOSH SUSSMAN) and Racquel (MARY DeVAULT).
EPISODE EIGHT - SUPPORT SYSTEM
ORIGINAL AIRDATE: August 1st, 2010
After being continually disruptive, Warren is asked to leave his AA Group by it's leader (LAURA KACHURGUS). Spurned, Warren decides to launch his own recovery group and goes to extreme lengths in order to attract a crowd. In the end, Warren gets a taste of his own medicine from a disruptive group member (STEVEN GEVENDON) and goes crawling back to his old group.
Support System was filmed in the middle of our production and was one of the most simplistic of the episodes in the sense that it did not require many locations. Much of the AA scenes were improvised, and many scenes from our original pilot presentation were incorporated into the episode, such as VICTOR YERRID's performance as Charlie the Puppet and his "manslaughter" share.
The episode features Warren's assistant Cecil (JOSH SUSSMAN) admitting an addiction to "Pandora," the fictional world from James Cameron's "Avatar." This idea was inspired by people who actually claimed to suffer from such addictions after the movie was released in theaters. Cecil's speech was improvised on set entirely by Josh.
Laura Kachurgus and Steven Gevendon are old friends of the show and have appeared in multiple episodes of IFC's Greg the Bunny show, including "WACKY WEDNESDAY," "THE VANISHING," "FIVE OR SIX THINGS ABOUT GREG," "YA KNOW FOR KIDS" among others.
EPISODE NINE - OUT WITH THE OLD
ORIGINAL AIRDATE: August 8th, 2010
Warren has a garage sale and meets Daryl (STEVE LITTLE), one of his biggest fans. Daryl charms Warren with his big bankroll and flashy car, insisting that he would be a much better assistant for Warren than Cecil (JOSH SUSSMAN). In the spirit of "Out with the old," Warren decides he needs a change and fires Cecil as his assistant. But when Daryl turns out to be a little more dedicated than Warren bargained for, it's Cecil to the rescue to save his old boss from this sycophantic psycho. In the end, Cecil gets his job back (with pay) and also gets the (fan)girl (ROSANNA PANISINO). This episode also includes clips from Warren's cheesy space opera, "ESCAPE FROM SPACE PRISON."
This was the ninth episode to air and the eleventh of the twelve to be shot. It was the third time the production shot at "Meltdown Comics" on Sunset Blvd in Hollywood, and featured a scene of Warren signing DVDs for fans. See our blogs section for detailed information on the making of this episode.
EPISODE TEN - ANGER MANAGEMENT
ORIGINAL AIRDATE: August 16th, 2010
Warren is irritable so Doctor Drew suggests that he employ the Alert, Avert and Affirm tactics to control his temper. Instead, Warren teams up with MICK FOLEY and smashes up a miniature golf course. A judge (MINDY STERLING) sentences Mick and Warren to a minimum security prison (that Warren tries to convince us is hell). While there, Mick and Warren get into trouble and Warren is placed in solitary. He finally hits the "rock bottom," that Doctor Drew warned him about, and begins writing an epic play that will pave the way for our final episode, "ROCK OPERA."
This episode featured Mick Foley, an amazingly sweet man who really enjoyed himself on the set. The episode also featured the hilarious JASON STUART as Warren's cellmate, MATT MALLOY as the Warden and CHASTITY LANE as an exotic dancer who "picks up money people leave laying around," much to Mick and Warren's frustration.
EPISODE ELEVEN - BLACK LOTUS
ORIGINAL AIRDATE: August 23rd, 2010
Warren loses a lot of cash at the track with buddies COUNT BLAH and DAVID KOECHNER, and is unable to pay his rent. When his landlord (SANDY MARTIN) threatens eviction, Warren must hit up his pals EUGENE LEVY, SARAH SILVERMAN and SETH GREEN for money. After they all turn him down, his assistant Cecil agrees to give him the thousand dollars he was saving to purchase "The Black Lotus," a rare Magic: The Gathering card. But instead of using the money for rent, Warren returns to the track and gambles with it.
This was the eleventh episode to air and was filmed toward the end of the production run. Originally there was to be a gambling-related episode in which Warren would go to Vegas with the stars from his 2002 FOX series, so it was clear we were hoping to get cameos from our old friends Sarah Silverman and Eugene Levy. When the Vegas storyline failed to be cleared by the network, the episode was re-written to take place locally.
Eugene and Sarah appeared, along with David Koechner (who has also done a cameo on our FOX show) Sandy Martin (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia) and Count Blah, Warren's puppet pal from FOX and IFC. (Fans will note that we used the IFC puppet, but the voice/performer was not Dan Milano, but Drew Massey who had also performed Blah on FOX.)
EPISODE TWELVE - ROCK OPERA
ORIGINAL AIRDATE: August 30th, 2010
This was the last episode of the season, and picks up where Episode Ten (Anger Management) leaves off. Warren has had his "epiphany" in prison and is inspired to write a Rock Opera about his life. Although Warren never knew his father, he hires actor COREY FELDMAN to play his father as a young soldier in the war. But when Corey drops out at the last minute to do a "Lost Boys" sequel, Warren panics and nearly gives himself a stroke. His doctor (PHILIP BAKER HALL) insists that if he does the play, he might have a heart attack. But Warren is a thespian through and through, and performs his play despite nearly killing himself.
This was a difficult episode to shoot and even more difficult to edit, because we literally shot Warren's entire play (with music and lyrics by Jay Lifton and Chris Bergoch, under the direction of Spencer Chinoy) on stage at LA's Ricardo Montalban Theater. Getting the play down to a reasonable length for a 22 minute episode while also telling a clear story about Warren and his motivations was a challenge, but in the end both elements are served.
The play attempts to cover Warren's loss of his father ("I NEVER MET MY DADDY,") his seduction into vice ("MARCH OF THE VICES") loss of innocence ("INNOCENCE,") hitting rock bottom in prison ("ROCK BOTTOM") and his redemption through the love of an "Angel," his girlfriend Racquel ("RACQUEL.") It then leaps to the future where he is the only survivor of the robot apocalypse ("ROBOT WAR"). In the end, Warren defeats the CORPORATE ROBOT (Cecil) and wins the day, except for the fact that he has a heart attack and wakes up in the hospital, to mediocre theater reviews.
That's it for Warren the Ape, Season One! Will there be a Season Two? Who knows.
Tags: warren the ape
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by andy on -
dan,
amanda and i loved the new show ( ps were getting married next saturday june 26th ) we were counting down the months, days,hours and seconds until the show started. it was great!!!! i loved seeing some of the other puppets from the show, the gay bear saying the f word, dr. abe, cant remember his last name, but the therapist character who was in rehab with warren. how did you get ron jeremy in the show, as well as the porn stars? that was great. how much fun was it to go go vegas and do the avn red carpet? cant wait for the new episodes. andy.
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Permalink Reply by Joan Blair on -
The show is fabulous!
I'm excited to see the episode I'm in. I play the Soccer Mom who argues with Warren in the grocery check-out line. Do you know when it will air? I got an email from Drew's wife, whom I've never met. A mutual friend sent out an email announcing my episode. She said it was to air in the middle of July sometime.
I'd love to do some promoting. Thanks! I'd love to come back anytime!
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