Remembering ‘On the Air’, the underrated sitcom created by David Lynch
Master of the bizarre, David Lynch, has such a distinct and innovative approach to style and subject matter that he has his own citing — ‘Lynchian’. The filmmaker is considered one of the most important of the modern age, a status earned through many known titles such as Eraserhead, Mulholland Drive and Blue Velvet.
These feature films exhibit a series of strange and psychoanalytical events and images, ones so perplexing that audiences and critics are still scratching their heads about their true meaning decades after release. This is the genius of Lynch. However, it’s not just the big screen where the visual artist blows audiences’ minds with his surrealist approach, does the name On the Air ring any bells? This was the TV series Lynch created with Mark Frost, following the two working together on Twin Peaks.
On the Air ran from Saturday, June 20th to Saturday, July 4th, 1992, and followed the day-to-day life of a fictional television staff working in the 1950s, Zoblotnick Broadcasting Company (ZBC). The company are attempting to produce The Lester Guy Show; a live variety show that brings one disastrous result after another. The show starred Ian Buchanan, Marla Rubinoff, Nancye Ferguson, Miguel Ferrer, Gary Grossman, Mel Johnson Jr., Marvin Kaplan, David L. Lander, Kim McGuire and Tracey Walter. Some of the cast members had previously appeared on Twin Peaks.
On the Air was met with mixed reviews, with its appraisal appreciating its ability to offer audiences something different every episode whilst still maintaining its overall message, one that communicates how ridiculous TV culture is. Since this message was transmitted through a television show, Lynch achieved a sense of meta-irony, accentuating his creative approach to storytelling. However, some felt the show’s content and overall presentation were out of place, especially given Lynch’s position in the entertainment industry during the time and ABC’s programming schedule. Audiences found it odd that The Elephant Man director had created a layered comedy show with a conceptual message.
According to Den of Geek, Lynch once shared his vision for On the Air‘s tone and presentation, aligning it with his directorial trademark and further establishing his image in filmmaking. “Absurdity is what I like most in life, and there’s humour in struggling in ignorance. If you saw a man repeatedly running into a wall until he was a bloody pulp, after a while, it would make you laugh because it becomes absurd,” the filmmaker explained. “But I don’t just find humour in unhappiness – I find it extremely heroic the way people forge on despite the despair they often feel.”
The director also addressed the confused response to the content due to its chosen field and misplaced feel: “Anything different on television is a potential success or just the opposite – a catastrophe. And for the most part, it’s a catastrophe.”
An updated re-assessment of On the Air may conclude the show was ahead of its time, especially given the rise in meta and on-the-nose commentary on the media’s contradicting nature. A prominent example is Black Mirror which is named after the very thing you see on your laptop after the critical episode stops streaming. Lynch’s work is known for bringing something new and unexpected, which means his name being attached to a film is enough to guarantee audiences flocking to watch it. Nonetheless, this same feature in his work generates interpretations of the material and presentation as unnerving and unsettling to watch. However, this is all a part of the madness of Lynch’s method.
Check out a small clip showing On the Air‘s bizarreness below.
