Dead Grandma
Genrecomedy, black comedy, surreal humor, parody
Created byWill Kindrick
Written byWill Kindrick
Courtney Branning
Matt Heder
Directed byWill Kindrick
Courtney Branning
StarringJon Heder
Matt Heder
Beverly Welsh
Shannon Mary Dixon
Nicholas Zaharias
Umberto Riva
Chase Bingham
Will Kindrick
Michael Coady
Don Lucas
Tony Hello
Courtney Branning
Opening theme"Dead Grandma Theme Song" by Will Kindrick
performed & arranged by Soundstage
ComposersGarrick Hargrove, Amos Watene, Ben Lazarus, Ryan Augustine, Aaron Watene
Country of originUnited States
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes10 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producersChad Perkins
Will Kindrick
ProducersTom Morrill
Matt Heder
Tanya Brum da Silveira
CinematographyChris Saul
EditorNate Fackrell
Running time4-10 minutes
Production companyMummy Space Island Productions
Original release
ReleaseSeptember 22, 2011 (2011-09-22) 
present

Dead Grandma is a 10-episode comedy Web series created by Will Kindrick. It is written by Kindrick, Courtney Branning, Matt Heder and is produced by Mummy Space Island Productions.[1] The series follows the life of a hapless young college student Andy (Matt Heder), whose grandma (Beverly Welsh) comes back from the dead to help him find love. The series is hosted by Jon Heder who begins each episode with a campy intro reminiscent of the openings of nostalgic shows such as Masterpiece Theater and The Wonderful World of Disney.

Each episode follows a two-act structure split up by the opening title sequence and theme song. The series is often abruptly interrupted by parody commercial breaks. A PSA starring a Dead Grandma cast member is also featured after the end credits of every episode.

Production

Dead Grandma combines live action with an animated sky and cloud background. The production took place over the course of two weekends in March & April 2010. Filming locations included Art Center College of Design, Pasadena City College, Cafe 50's, Big Mama's Rib Shack and various locations in Pasadena and Studio City. The series was mentored by television and film director Jeremiah Chechick.

Inspiration

The writers often referred to the protagonist Andy as a self-deprecating Charlie Brown-type character from Peanuts since he is consistently bullied and fails and nearly everything he attempts. The tone of the series was heavily influenced by 1990s sitcoms such as Family Matters, Full House, Saved by the Bell, The Wonder Years, and The Simpsons.

Setting

Dead Grandma takes place in the fictional city of Notpasadena where Andy and his classmates attend the shady Notpasadena Community College.[2]

Characters

Main Characters

  • Series Host (Jon Heder)
  • Andy (Matt Heder)
  • Dead Grandma (Beverly Welsh)
  • Judy (Shannon Mary Dixon)
  • Meathead (Nicholas Zaharias)
  • Wiseguy #1 (Chase Bingham)
  • Wiseguy #2 (Will Kindrick)
  • Fabrizio (Umberto Riva)

Reoccurring Characters

  • Professor Hoskins (Michael Coady)
  • Mr Flugelmen (Don Lucas)
  • Stoner (Tony Hello)
  • Gus Gus (Conner Dean)
  • Mean Nerd (Erin Pearce)
  • The Fabrizihoes

Episodes

Episode #TitleRunning TimeOriginal Air Date
1Library5:34September 20, 2011
2Ice Cream4:00September 27, 2011
3The Jacket4:41October 4, 2011
4Wrong Crowd4:26October 11, 2011
5Dirty Burlesque Tramp4:21October 18, 2011
6Foreign Exchange Student5:47October 25, 2011
7Job Interview6:31November 1, 2011
8Drive In Movie7:56November 8, 2011
9Pool Party5:43November 15, 2011
10Finale10:32March 1, 2012

Reception

Reviews

The Knife Fight praised the show as being "one of the more polished creations on the web today, boasting high production value as well as a hilariously original concept."[3] The trailer currently has a 92% rating[4] on Funny or Die.

Awards & nominations

AwardCategoryNomineeResult
2012 HollyWebsBest Editing[5]Nate Fackrell, Will KindrickWon
2012 ITN FestivalBest Webisode[6]Will Kindrick, Matt Heder, Courtney Branning, Tom Morrill, Chad PerkinsWon
2012 IFQ FestivalBest Actor in a WebseriesJon HederWon
2012 IFQ FestivalBest Director of a Webisode[7]Will KindrickWon
2012 HollyShortsBest Webseries[8]Will Kindrick, Matt Heder, Courtney Branning, Tom Morrill, Chad PerkinsNominated
2012 LA Comedy FestBest Web SeriesWill Kindrick, Matt Heder, Courtney Branning, Tom Morrill, Chad PerkinsNominated
2012 LA WebfestOutstanding Comedy Series[9]Will Kindrick, Matt Heder, Courtney Branning, Tom Morrill, Chad PerkinsWon
2012 LA WebfestOutstanding Original Score[9]Garrick Hargrove, Amos Watene, Ben Lazarus, Ryan AugustineWon
2012 LA WebfestOutstanding Original Theme song[9]Sound StageWon
2012 LA WebfestOutstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy[9]Beverly WelshWon

Soundtrack

Original Score

The score was written and performed by Garrick Hargrove and heavily features ukulele, chimes and shakers. The theme song melody is often revisited and reprised throughout the score. Several other original songs were written for specific episodes including "Delicious Creamy Sweets" written & performed by Ben Lazarus and "Super Exciting Pirate Adventure Explosion the Move 2" written & performed by Amos Watene, Aaron Watene, Matt Heder, Will Kindrick and Ryan Augustine.

Theme Song

The theme song pays homage to classic campy 1950's-60's television series. The song was written by Will Kindrick and performed, arranged and recorded by the Brea California based a cappella group, "Soundstage".

Benefit Show

A benefit fundraiser concert was held July 30, 2010 on the roof top of the Fox Theater in Pomona CA to raise proceeds for the series. The show featured musical acts GOGO13, Digital Unicorn and Eyes Lips Eyes.

References

  1. "Mummy Space Island Productions IMDB". IMDb. Retrieved 2 February 2011.
  2. "Dead Grandma: Our new favorite webseries". Archived from the original on 4 February 2013. Retrieved 26 October 2011.
  3. nicoleoutofcontrol. "Our new favorite web series: Dead Grandma". The Knife Fight. Archived from the original on 4 February 2013. Retrieved 26 October 2011.
  4. "Dead Grandma: Featuring Jon Heder". Archived from the original on 2012-06-26.
  5. "HollyWebs Website". Archived from the original on 3 April 2012. Retrieved 3 April 2012.
  6. "ITN Distribution Film & Webisode Festival Awards". ITN Distribution Film Festival. Retrieved 12 May 2012.
  7. "Los Angeles, April 2012 Awards". Independent Film Quarterly. Archived from the original on 2013-02-17.
  8. "HollyShorts 2012 Web Series". HollyShorts. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04.
  9. 1 2 3 4 "2012 LA Webfest winners". LA Webfest. Archived from the original on 2015-02-07.
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