Watch AL-TV
- 1984
- 1 Season
AL-TV is a music television series which showcases the comedic talents of "Weird Al" Yankovic. The show was broadcasted on VH1 in the early 2000s, and was well-known for its satirical skits and hilarious parodies of popular music videos. Jay Levey directed the show, bringing his experience from working with Yankovic on previous projects. The show was produced by J.P. Williams and produced by Yankovic himself.
The premise of AL-TV was simple enough - Yankovic would introduce a selection of popular music videos before it's interrupted by one of his spoof commercials, satirical interviews with music stars or other miscellaneous comedic bits. There were also segments inspired by a talk show format, where he would interview fictional characters such as Pee-wee Herman and Mr. T.
Perhaps the most iconic part of the show was Yankovic's "interventions". These would often involve taking a popular music video - one that was either ridiculed or celebrated in the media - and adding his own two cents. Yankovic would interrupt the video with his own comedic commentary or even insert himself into the video.
While the main focus of AL-TV was comedy, Yankovic didn't skimp on the music side of things either. He would showcase music videos of lesser-known bands or other offbeat musical acts, including some of his own parodies. Yankovic's own music videos were also frequently featured, as he's known for his parodies of chart-topping songs from the likes of Michael Jackson, Nirvana, and Coolio.
The show's interstitial pieces were always about having fun, and Yankovic's comedic timing was always on point. No topic was off-limits, and viewers eagerly looked forward to seeing what he would come up with in each episode. His parodies and skits often relied on a humorous take on every scene, making light of both popular music and pop culture in general.
Although AL-TV was short-lived, and producer J.P. Williams would remark that, "It was one of the most difficult shows to produce, but it was one of the funniest," the show left an indelible mark on the music industry. Weird Al Yankovic's humorous approach to music became iconic in its own right, and it's no surprise that the show was instrumental in launching him to even greater fame.
Overall, AL-TV was a hilarious and intelligent show that never took itself too seriously. The series demonstrated Weird Al's unique talents and cemented his place as a bona fide comedic legend in the music industry. AL-TV remains a classic music television series that is still fondly remembered today.