Awkward Family Photos: The television program

Hokay … I’m lost.

ABC is developing Awkward Family Photos into a television series?

Really? I mean: Really?

Just what in the world are they going to do? Recreate the scenes, such as the charming image to the right? Background information on how a photo opportunity came about? Perhaps a bit of history on old Aunt Edna and her dog Bowzer who got caught in the old oak tree chasing a squirrel out back?

The news report in the above link notes: “How the concept will translate to series TV is still unclear.” Y’think?

Moses Port and David Guarascio (Aliens in America, Just Shoot Me) will write and executive produce the fledgling show for ABC. And we all know how popular Aliens In America was. (What? You never heard of that show? I’m not surprised — neither did most of the country.) But Mike Bender and Doug Chernack — creators of the website, print edition book and who will also be executive producing — are on board. So something has to be churning along to make this vehicle worthwhile to somebody. Who that somebody could possibly be, however, I can’t imagine.

Ever since I was turned on to the site, I was on board with the concept. But … as a website. As a static thing you could electronically page through at your leisure. And truth be told, it’s been quite a while since I last visited the place. But I reacquainted myself with it late last evening before retiring. And, as has happened in the past, I got a case of the giggles that verged on making my stomach muscles hurt come the morning. It’s hard to view the site without discovering an image so befuddling you can’t help but stop and gaze in wide-eye wonder … read the accompanying caption … snicker … and then want to move along to yet one more page. That’s the beauty of the thing.

But … the operative phrase up there is “at your leisure.” You caught that, I know.

As a television program, I just don’t see how this can be pulled off. Obviously, it’s not going to be the same as it appears on the website. No one would watch the thing. So it remains to be seen: What, exactly, is ABC going to do to translate Awkward Family Photos into a watchable television show? Stay tuned.

In the meantime, you might want to get out those moldy oldies of cousin Spence and Annabelle stuffing their faces full of pop rocks and Coca Cola during the last family reunion. You know … just in case you get the urge to send in a photo to the show, ala America’s Funniest Videos …

Clacked by Michael Noble
on Oct 08, 2010 @ 10:00 EST5EDT