Downtown (TV series)
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| Downtown | |
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| Genre | Animated Sitcom |
| Running time | 20 minutes |
| Creator(s) | Chris Prynoski |
| Starring | Gregory Gilmore |
| Country of origin | USA |
| Original channel | MTV/MTV2 |
| Original run | August 3, 1999–November 8, 1999 |
| No. of episodes | 13 |
| IMDb profile | |
Downtown was an animated series on MTV on urban life, based on interviews with real people. The show follows a diverse and multiracial cast who live in New York City. It was created by Chris Prynoski, a former animator on Beavis and Butt-Head. In 2000 Downtown was nominated for an Emmy in the category of outstanding animated program.
Despite being original and creative, Downtown faced a similar fate as MTV's other cartoons - it only lasted one season (13 episodes). While there is little hope for another season, there has been an outcry for a DVD release of the first since the show is no longer on the air.
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[edit] Characters
| Character | Description | |
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Alex | Alex is smart, skeptical, and intentionally un-hip, but can't seem to overcome his self-conscious nature. His shyness and lack of confidence keep him from getting what he wants: a girlfriend, a better job, and a more exciting life. Alex tends to develop frustrating crushes on unattainable women. Although he wants to break away from his gang of comic book reading, action figure collecting social misfits, it is with them that he feels most at home. And he is overqualified for his job at Repro Man's - a copy shop. |
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Chaka
(Leyora Zuberman) |
Chaka is Alex's sister, and his polar opposite. She is confident and an extroverted motormouth, looking for fun at all times. Chaka spends most of her time and energy seeking out the latest, hippest scene and scamming her underage self into places she shouldn't be. As a result of all this partying, she's not a very good student. Chaka is attractive, so guys cut her a lot of slack. Constantly flirting, she isn't terribly serious about boys. She is quick to point out other people's flaws, but can't see any of her own. |
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Fruity
(Marco H. Rodriguez) |
Fruity is a slave to his hormones. He is always on the hunt for chicks, and is not very picky. An obvious horndog, girls see him coming a mile away. A showoff and a bit of a goof, Fruity enjoys the spotlight. He's impatient, impulsive, and irresponsible. Though a senior in high school, he has no serious plans for the future.. |
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Goat
(Scot Rienecker) |
Goat is the neighborhood freak. His behavior is outrageous and quite sleazy. Well-known and well-liked, he has diverse interests and feels comfortable in any social situation. He will try anything once, maybe twice. His philosophy: "If you ask 50 women to sleep with you, it's likely one of them will." Alex envies Goat's ability to grab life by the balls; Goat tries to encourage Alex to loosen up. Goat also appears on Cartoon Network's Megas XLR and Metalocalypse.. |
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Jen
(Tammy Lang) |
Jen is Alex's best friend. She faces life with an off-beat, self-deprecating sense of humor. Although she wants acceptance and love, she refuses to jump through the hoops to impress people. She's not high maintenance; she's a one-of-the-guys type. She's often doling out opinions about relationships, even though she never had a successful one herself. She works at a kitschy used clothing store called Lord of Hoard. |
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Matt
(Hector Fontanez) |
Matt, Fruity's pal, has smarts, ambition, and an artistic soul, but he chooses to keep these qualities under wraps. Girls are attracted to his understated, laid-back style. Matt expresses his creative style through graffiti - he can make his mark while being anonymous. He works part-time at a local comic book store, Starbase 12. |
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Mecca
(Aurora Lucia-Levey) |
Mecca is Chaka's sidekick. A hopeless romantic, she is cerebral, dreamy, and blissfully naive. In search of "true love", Mecca often ignores common sense. She is alweays crushed out on one boy to another. She gets hurt easily, but bounces back fast and goes on to the next "perfect guy". She sees the world through rose-colored glasses and gives everyone the benefit of the doubt. |
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Serena
(Phoebe Summersquash) |
Serena is Alex's fantasy girl. Her exotic goth style is off-putting at first, but she's actually a very likable, positive person. She works at Starbase 12 with Matt. Creatively unfocused, she writes poetry, designs clothes, makes jewelry, and plays the zither. Serena has dated a string of junkies, posers, and manic-depressives. She claims she's ready to meet a "nice guy", but she rarely notices them when they are around. |
[edit] Episode Summaries
- 1) Sin Bin (8/3/1999) - Alex moves into his own apartment, which turns out to be a total dump. When a young punk steals the moving van, Chaka is determined to get it back.
- 2) Train Pain (8/10/1999) - Chaka and Mecca challenge Fruity and Matt to a battle-of-the-sexes subway race. Meanwhile, Alex and Jen's competitive board game play results in a big blowup.
- 3) Hot Spot (8/17/1999) - A trendy new club replaces a dive bar on the ground floor of Alex's building. Chaka is thrilled, but Alex and Jen are appalled and try to shut the place down.
- 4) Insomnia (8/24/1999) - Chaka arranges for Alex to share a dinner of slugs with the exotic Goth girl, Serena. Alex's overwhelming anxiety leads to night after night of insomnia. In the end, it's all worth it when he has an unexpected late-night encounter with his dream girl.
- 5) The Con (8/31/1999) - Alex attends a Horror Con, where he is torn between his wish to impress Serena and his geeky, toy-collecting inclinations.
- 6) Graffiti (9/7/1999) - A subway line fire creates an irresistible opportunity for Matt to tag the stalled trains. Fruity and Chaka tag along and their friendship is tested.
- 7) Hotel Bar (9/14/1999) - Jen accompanies her gold-digging roomate to a fancy hotel bar, while Alex and Goat go cruising for chicks. All involved get more than they bargained for.
- 8) Limo (9/28/1999) - Jen impulsively rents a stretch limo for the night and takes Alex along for a ride chock full of sexual tension. Chaka is pursued by Fruity's nasty ex-girlfriend Patty, the meanest Catholic school-girl in town.
- 9) Testing (10/5/1999) - Alex, Fruity and Goat take part in a research study. Goat becomes extremely paranoid and Alex's high score leads him to question his non-ambition.
- 10) Night Shift (10/18/1999) - Jen is sick of Alex's fixation on Serena and tells him so. But despite her supposed indifference, Jen ends up stalking Serena herself.
- 11) Before and After (10/25/1999) - A set of extremely embarrassing photos of Chaka are lost and she must retrieve them. Alex's apartment cleaning results in his secrets being revealed to the public.
- 12) Cropsey Clanners (11/1/1999) - Alex, Jen, Chaka and Mecca take a trip to rural New Jersey. The car breaks down in the woods, close to where the infamous Cropsey Clanners are said to live.
- 13) Trip Or Treat (11/8/1999) - Alex finally gets up the nerve to ask Serena out, but when she decides to drop the Goth look, Alex must deal with the question: does he really like her or her outfit?
