arts feature

City with a view

Monday Madness - 1/2 off Small Plates & Dips
$2 Taco Tuesday - Any taco on our menu is only $2.
“Well” why not Wednesday - All well drinks and I moved here a little under three years ago,
shots are only $3.
Thirsty Thursdays - $1 Tecate cans all Day.
TGI Friday - Happy hours extended til 8pm. to what the stalwart individuals who’ve
Margaritas and Mojitos only $3!!!
Stay Late Saturdays - 1/2 off all of our specialty Good thing I like my cities the way I like my
drinks from 11pm til 2am. (at the bar only)   
Sunday Fun day - Enjoy $10 pitchers of Mango of a mayor or music festival corpse takes its
Mamosa & Bloody Mary’s.
5 Points South across from
The Original Pancake House
How funny TV can save your life
column sam george
We’ve been through a lot in this city. Hell,
and I’ve already witnessed my fair share of
tabloid-worthy shenanigans and soul-crush-
ing defeats, and that’s nothing compared
been living here for decades have endured.
people, eccentric and flawed. Perfect is bor-
ing. Nevertheless, each buffoonish criminal
toll, and there’s only so much a populace can
take. Well, citizens and denizens of our fair
‘Ham, they say that laughing at your trauma
is one of the first signs that you are recover-
ing from it, and I’ve got just the thing.
If cynical disinterest in Birmingham is
your disease then View of the City, a new lo-
cally produced television comedy, is an easy
remedy to swallow. I should know. I suffer
from it myself sometimes. Case in point:
when I first heard that someone was trying to
make a show similar to The Daily Show, but
about Birmingham, I assumed immediately
that it would be mediocre at best. I am happy Take a licking and keep on ticking:
to say that I’m a grumpy bastard who de- View of the City host Chris Davis
serves to be wrong. This show stands up with portrays former Birmingham mayor and
Alabama Public Television’s We Have Signal pitchman supreme Larry Langford.
as one of the city’s best local TV shows.
Sure, there are jokes and sketches that fall
flat, timing mishaps and a bit of roughness Birmingham’s no different. There’s no reason
showing around the edges of this otherwise not to bring that to light and have some fun
slickly produced and good-looking show, with it too. Also, when it’s something really
but the overall product is very appealing and important, and people really need to know
very funny. about it and really need to do something
View of the City pulls a lot of its good about it, we’ll make a joke about it, why not?
qualities from a talented stable of local If it gets somebody thinking that’s cool, but
creatives. “One of the things that’s interest- if it entertains, that’s our goal. It doesn’t hurt
ing about our show is that we have people to inform somebody as well.”
from such diverse areas of entertainment,” Speaking of informing people, let’s get to
says VOTC director Stephen French. “We the details. You can catch View of the City
have people with an improv background, on Charter Cable Channel 21 on Sunday
we have people who have film and televi- nights at 6 p.m. Prime dinner-time viewing,
sion backgrounds, we have people who have kiddies! If you are not a Charter customer,
standup backgrounds and we have people or you just prefer to do your viewing in bed
who have theatrical backgrounds. It can be with a laptop like yours truly, the show is
nice, because you’re going to get a little bit of also available at www.viewofthecity.net in
everything with the show, some of the best glorious HD. Also available on the website
funniness in Birmingham.” are some extra video clips, bios of the cast
He’s not kidding. Many of these bits aren’t and various hilarious descriptions of what
just funny, they’re the kind of biting satire the show is or isn’t like. Oh yeah, and a killer
that can make you bark out your laughter Apple Brown Betty Recipe. Why don’t you
unexpectedly. From a sketch involving Larry whip yourself up a batch, nestle back into the
Langford hawking the rest of his belongings welcoming folds of the couch and watch a
to one that enumerates the benefits Alabama little View of the City. Take two episodes and
would receive if it only allowed gay mar- call me in the morning. I guarantee you’ll
riage, the show manages to walk a fine line feel better about your city.
between comedy and commentary. “We’re
not looking to rake anybody over the coals,”
says VOTC host Chris Davis. “We’re here to
entertain, and to have fun. We love this city,
Sam George writes about popular music and
and there’s a lot to have fun with in this city.
There are a lot of things to make fun of also, other topics for Birmingham Weekly. He is
but we try to balance it out. Just like any city, also an editor at music web site bham.fm. Send
there’s always room for improvement and your comments to editor@bhamweekly.com.

18 m a y 6 - m a y 13 , 2 0 1 0 B I R M I N G H A M W E E K LY