The Allen and Craig Show
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"So...Why are we on YouTube? Craig you wanna take this one?" |
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Allen (as played by Allen Murphy of Evil Iguana Productions) wants to be famous and make movies. To achieve this desired fame, he decides that he and his friend Craig (played by Craig Deering) are going to become the next big YouTube phenomenon by creating their own series of videos. Craig would rather be left alone to go to college and eat apples, and usually takes the part of Cowardly Sidekick in Allen's schemes for notoriety. The show follows the various ups and downs of Allen's misguided attempts at making a funny YouTube experience, as well as the backlash that the boys receive for their antics. Allen, even though the show portrays him as Craig's one and only friend, can be kind of a Jerkass and often his plans disregard the safety, sanity, and humility of Craig. Hilarity Ensues.
The premise of almost every episode is about making the episode, which means the videos tend to be Leaning on the Fourth Wall quite a bit. Despite the characters', mostly Craig's, assumptions that they are extremely unpopular and that many of their viewers are just family, the video and other programs made by Evil Iguana Productions have gained a moderate following. The increase in fandom can be seen in the Growing the Beard / Jumping the Shark moment of the advent of the second "season", after the location was changed to Craig's college apartment and a theme song change was made.
- Blessed with Suck: Craig, whenever he sees a girl or tries to talk to her nearly always throws up.
- Catch Phrase: "You are such an asshole, Craig."
- Cowardly Sidekick: Craig, to a certain extent. However he gets a little better later in the series when fan circulation picked up.
- Alternatively, Craig could be seen as more of The Drag Along.
- Ho Yay: Between Allen and Craig. They kiss in one episode, in an elevator. The kiss lasts for a couple floors. Fangirls everywhere cheered.
- Leaning on the Fourth Wall: Nearly every episode has the main plot of creating that episode.
- Trademark Favorite Food: Craig is often eating green apples.
- The Woobie: Craig, Craig, CRAIG. Possibly a case of Ensemble Darkhorse also (just from reading the comments made by viewers that are girls)
- You Wanna Get Sued?: Nearly all of Allen's plans are ideas he gets entirely from TV, movies, or other YouTube stars.
Episodes of this series provide examples of:
- Crowning Music of Awesome: In Episode 5, in which Craig turns Allen's car radio to the CD player, which results in an impromptu ABBA sing-along.
- In the same episode, Craig doing Tae Kwon Do in a fountain to Joe Esposito's "You're The Best" with a Sharpie drawing of abs on his belly.
- Facial Composite Failure: This trope is inverted in Episode 11 in which Allen is kicked out of a sorority party he crashed. The wanted poster hung around has a perfect rendition of Allen on it, yet he doesn't recognize it and complains the guy on it "has the same helmet as me" and "it doesn't even look good on him".
- Mirror Universe: In Episode 12 has the camera man abducted by White Gang-Bangers (played by Kyle Bridges and Dan Drake) , who are very similar to Allen and Craig.
- Unfortunately, since Dan Drake's departure from the group, we probably won't see them together again.
- In contrast, the two part Episode 8 features Lars (played by Lars Heemskerk), someone who is Pretty Fly for a White Guy.
- Unfortunately, since Dan Drake's departure from the group, we probably won't see them together again.
- Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny: Discussed in Episode 8 Part 1. "Tony the Tiger could eat Captain Crunch!"
- You Fail History Forever: Allen in episode 10: "And here is where Harriet Tubman and Mart Luther King Jr. married on the Underground Railroad."