A website founded by Will Ferrell, with a soon-to-premiere HBO series and no shortage of A-list cameos, can hardly be considered an outsider in most realms. But it appears that there’s one event they couldn’t penetrate: the Vancouver 2010 Olympics. Not that that’s stopping them from covering the year’s biggest sporting event, however. And they’ve even brought in some experienced talent to help them do so — live from a soundstage in Los Angeles, it’s Pat O’Briens All-Access Insider Olympics Show!
Pat O’Brien, the former host of The Insider, is now an outsider after being let go from the tabloid talk show — but prior to his move to syndication, his work as a sportscaster brought him to the Olympics multiple times, including 2000, 2002 and 2004 — which means that he’s got the patter down pat (though he still hasn’t figured out the fact that Funny or Die videos doesn’t do interstitial ads — or have stagehands to help move around chairs).
In the first full-length installment (which launched today), O’Brien does the best he can at covering the latest games updates (including Apollo Ohno’s short track win and China’s triumph during pairs figure skating) without any access to the live events or real footage from them. His highlights, therefore, are accurately reported but accompanied by a hilarious use of not-quite-B-roll — and his sit-down interview segment with “Dorothy Hamill” also fails to properly reflect… um, reality, I guess. According to co-writer/director Chad Carter, there are plans for at least two more installments of the series — one to potentially premiere next Tuesday or Wednesday, as well as a post-Games finale to be shot after the closing ceremonies.
The concept wouldn’t work without O’Brien’s completely serious participation — his genuine hosting skills, applied to this sort of flat-out satire, make for a delicious contrast. The genius of it comes down to the facile nature of standard news coverage, which at this point has become so rote and repetitive that mocking it is almost too easy. The Olympics are an awesome broadcasting event — but it’s the feats of athleticism, not the white guys with microphones talking about those feats, that we tune in for.
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