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The Classroom Guide to a Better America

Beginning Thursday, October 4, 2006, the very popular Famous Mysterious Actor Show returns to cable television with its debut on Comcast’s Video On Demand service. Joining the FMA Show in this launch is a new program entitled “The Classroom Guide to a Better America” with host Tim Riley. Both programs are distributed by Super Atomic Television, a Portland-based independent television production company, and can be found under the ‘Local Programs’ section of Comcast’s Video On Demand menu.

The Famous Mysterious Actor Show debuted to a fantastic response on Comcast Channel 14 (CNW14) in 2004 and lasted only slightly more than a dozen episodes before vanishing. The FMA Show as it is sometimes known, is a satire of late-night television talk shows, hosted by a manic and masked character known simply as the Famous Mysterious Actor. The initial episode of the FMA Show to begin rebroadcast features guest Jonathan Nicholas of the Oregonian and musical guest Storm and the Balls. A one-hour broadcast special entitled “Not Even Close to the Best of the Famous Mysterious Actor Show” is tentatively slated for 11pm, Sunday November 5th, 2006 to air on CNW14.

Originally a stage production, the Famous Mysterious Actor Show gained notoriety for the outlandish behavior of it’s host who makes every show very much about himself, much to the horror and chagrin of many guests who are ill prepared for experience.

“The Classroom Guide to a Better America” is a look at the classroom and mental hygiene films of the mid-century, and is hosted by Tim Riley, news director of the Rick Emerson Show, mid-days on CBS Radio’s AM 970. Films such as “The Innocent Party”, wherein two teenagers contract syphilis and are explained the dangers of not treating the disease, were staples of public education for decades and receive a humorous skewering at the hands of Tim Riley while ‘factoids’ about their production, the stars or the subject matter are flashed across the bottom of the screen.

Tim Riley has gained an untouchable local reputation with his radio audience for his dry, vintage delivery style and quick wit. T-shirts and bumper stickers abound in the area with the slogan “Tim Riley Is My Personal Saviour”.

Super Atomic Television, LLC, headed by production veteran and Portland native Kurt Loyd, is a two year old company dedicated to the creation and preservation of alternative television programming in the Portland market. Their initial broadcast release “Super Atomic TV” received accolades from the Oregonian, the OMPA and Portland Monthly Magazine among others, for being fresh, creative and a high-caliber commercial production and it recently ended its production run after 18 months and 36 episodes. It is also available on Video On Demand and repeats can be seen at 7:30pm Saturdays and 11pm Fridays on CNW 14. The focus on developing Video On Demand Exclusive programing allows them to fashion new types of shows with looser formats and non-defined lengths. Other programs are currently in development.

“The opportunity for developing weird, local programs dried up with the demise of the UHF stations and the consolidation of the media”, explains Kurt. “These are the first steps in utilizing new technologies to bring back the flavor and open doors for the amazing creative community that Portland fosters.”