''R. Rated'' was a late 90s American comedy variety TV show executive produced and hosted by comic R. O'Donnell. It aired on Fridays at midnight on WFLD Fox 32, Chicago, and featured sketch comedy troupes, theater companies, musicians, stand-up comics and other independent film and video makers.

History

In 1996 through 1998, stand-up comic R. O'Donnell hosted the Fox Diner (WFLD–Channel 32) at Taste of Chicago, which was an entertainment venue promoting the Fox network with live talent interviews, giveaways and bands. In 1998, O'Donnell pitched his comedy/variety show concept to vice president and general manager Stacey Marks-Bronner. She greenlit a midnight time-slot on the station.

Production

''R. Rated'' was created, executive produced and hosted by

O'Donnell The O'Donnell dynasty ( or ''Ó Domhnaill,'' ''Ó Doṁnaill'' ''or Ua Domaill;'' meaning "descendant of Dónal") were the dominant Irish clan of the kingdom of Tyrconnell in Ulster in the north of medieval and early modern Ireland. Naming ...

, who, as a comic, was billed simply as "R." (hence the title of the show). Vicki Potts served as producer and Edward Seaton served as director and editor. It premiered Friday, August 13, 1999, at midnight on WFLD Fox 32, Chicago. It was listed in the TV Guide as a 30 minute variety show that was rated PG. The commercials for local sponsors were directed and produced by O'Donnell as a nod to

The Ernie Kovacs Show ''The Ernie Kovacs Show'' is an American comedy show hosted by comedian Ernie Kovacs, first shown in Philadelphia during the early 1950s, then nationally. The show appeared in many versions and formats, including daytime, prime-time, late-nigh ...

and, "...as a way of integrating the plugs into the free-flowing nature of the show." Bumpers and fillers were created by Steve Wood and Peter Neville.

Featured talent

Numerous short form video works from the sketch comedy groups Videos from the ID, Ectomorph (Darren Bodeker, Bart Heird and Jim Kopsian), and the

Annoyance Theater The Annoyance Theatre, or Annoyance Productions, is a theatre and associated ensemble based in Chicago, Illinois, that deals mainly in absurd and outrageous humor. Many people who have performed with the ensemble have gone on to become successf ...

were featured. The Annoyance Theater Productions starred actors

Rachel Dratch Rachel Susan Dratch (born February 22, 1966) is an American actress, comedian, and writer. After she graduated from Dartmouth College, she moved to Chicago to study improvisational theatre at The Second City and ImprovOlympic. Dratch's breakthr ...

(

Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...

Mick Napier Mick Napier (born December 12, 1962) is an American director and improvisational theater teacher. He is the founder and artistic director of the Annoyance Theatre and a director at The Second City. He has directed Stephen Colbert, Tina Fey, Ra ...

(

The Second City The Second City is an improvisational comedy enterprise. It is the oldest improvisational theater troupe to be continuously based in Chicago, with training programs and live theaters in Toronto and New York. Since its debut in 1959, it has b ...

), and

Stephnie Weir Stephnie Carmel Weir (born November 28, 1967) is an American actress, comedian, and writer. She is best known for being a main cast member and writer on the Fox sketch comedy television series ''Mad TV'' from 2000 to 2005, for which she got two W ...

(

MADtv ''Mad TV'' (stylized as ''MADtv'') is an American sketch comedy television series created by David Salzman, Fax Bahr, and Adam Small. Loosely based on the humor magazine '' Mad'', ''Mad TVs pre-taped satirical sketches were primarily parodie ...

). Former Second City and

alumni

Tim Kazurinsky Timothy James Kazurinsky (born March 3, 1950) is an American actor, comedian and screenwriter best known as a cast member and writer on ''Saturday Night Live'' and for his role as Carl Sweetchuck in the ''Police Academy'' films. Early life Kazu ...

offered a Willy Laszlo directed short about the most unusual home invader while O'Donnell appeared in an array of impromptu "man on the street interviews" and monologues. Musical acts included The Swinging Love Hammers, Kleen Ex-Girl Wonder, and The Gathering Field. O'Donnell requested Fox keep the show out of

prime time Prime time, or peak time, is the block of broadcast programming taking place during the middle of the evening for television shows. It is mostly targeted towards adults (and sometimes families). It is used by the major television networks to ...

so that his contributors like

of the

Annoyance Theatre The Annoyance Theatre, or Annoyance Productions, is a theatre and associated ensemble based in Chicago, Illinois, that deals mainly in absurd and outrageous humor. Many people who have performed with the ensemble have gone on to become successf ...

, could have greater late-night artistic freedom without black-bar and sound bleep censorship.

Ratings and reviews

R. Rated received ratings that outpaced competing shows in the same time slot including the ''Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn'' on Chicago's Channel 2 and ''Mancow TV'' on Channel 26. ''R. Rated'' drew an average 2.9 rating out of 7 shares in its time slot, tying with Ch. 7 and Ch. 50 programming. Executives at Fox 32 awarded ''R. Rated'' with another 26 weeks of broadcasting. Regarded as very Chicago-centric, R. Rated was, according to Ben Winters of NewCity, Chicago "...exactly what creator R. O'Donnell set out for: a fun, inventive half-hour showcasing Chicago talent." Winters went on to praise Mick Napier's videos as, "...perverse, bizarre, and brilliant," and that sketch comedy troupe Ectomorph were, "...on target with their charming, Chaplinesque black and white videos." O'Donnell also hoped his new TV comedy series would earn greater recognition for a wide array of Chicago talent.

Bootleg DVD

''R. Rated'' (only available through bootlegs on DVD) remains a rare collection of Chicago's variety and comedic talent on the rise in the late 1990s.

References

{{authority control American comedy troupes Theatre companies in Chicago 1990s American sketch comedy television series 1990s American variety television series