With that keyboard, I wonder what Ctrl-Alt-Del would do ...

July 18, 2009 8:14 PM

Ctrl is an NBC webseries starring Tony Hale (Arrested Development's Buster, Chuck's Emmett Milbarge) as an office drone who suddenly finds that, thus far, CTRL-Z lets him undo recent events in his own life, and CTRL-B emboldens him to stand up to his boss and confess his love to the source of his crush. It was based on a short film, Ctrl-Z, starring Hale's Chuck co-star Zachary Levi as the boss. Not exactly a new concept, but nonetheless well-executed by a fairly good comic team ...

Also, as an added plus, it features a really beautiful end-credits song.

Also, it's obviously receiving no money whatsoever from NESTEA^TM POMEGRANATE PASSIONFRUIT RED TEA, NOW EVIDENTLY AVAILABLE IN 1-LITER BOTTLES!, despite the bottle actually magically rotating its label towards the camera in the opening scene of episode one ... subtle it ain't. Mmm, look at that CGI splashing goodness!

posted by WCityMike (38 comments total)

Does Ctrl-I turn him into an Italian?
posted by nasreddin at 8:24 PM on July 18

And, of course, Ctrl+S gives him religion.
posted by alexei at 8:26 PM on July 18 [6 favorites has favorites]

If the writers are really cool, there will be an episode like this:

[OPENING CREDITS ROLL]

[Hale enters the office and approaches his computer.]

[Hale presses CTRL-ALT-DELETE]

[OPENING CREDITS ROLL]

[Hale enters the office and approaches his computer.]

[Hale presses CTRL-ALT-DELETE]

[OPENING CREDITS ROLL]

[Hale enters the office and approaches his computer.]

[Hale presses CTRL-ALT-DELETE]

[OPENING CREDITS ROLL]

[Hale enters the office and approaches his computer.]

[Hale presses CTRL-ALT-DELETE]

This will continue for the entire running time of the episode.
posted by Faint of Butt at 8:29 PM on July 18 [7 favorites has favorites]

nasreddin: "Does Ctrl-I turn him into an Italian?"

I imagine he might instead find himself tilting towards the person he's speaking to at an unusual angle.
posted by WCityMike at 8:31 PM on July 18 [4 favorites has favorites]

It's the 80s all over again.
posted by Senor Cardgage at 8:32 PM on July 18 [1 favorite has favorites]

And of course it's on Hulu so non-Americans can't watch it.

FUCK HULU
posted by mightygodking at 8:36 PM on July 18 [10 favorites has favorites]

I wonder if I'll start wishing for the ability to use CTRL-X on this webseries.
posted by armage at 8:41 PM on July 18

mightygodking: "And of course it's on Hulu so non-Americans can't watch it."

Had I remembered that, I would've included the NBC link – hopefully it is viewable for you there.
posted by WCityMike at 8:43 PM on July 18 [2 favorites has favorites]

If the writers are really cool, there will be an episode like this:

My friend did something like that, except with Burnout Paradise
posted by P.o.B. at 9:07 PM on July 18

I watched the three episodes - they're cute. I hope this can ctrl-f a long-term home beyond hulu.
posted by allen.spaulding at 9:10 PM on July 18

So, this is what they went with instead of the American adaptation of the IT Crowd with Joel McHale?
posted by GavinR at 9:34 PM on July 18

I heard there's a Mac version in development called "⌘".
posted by albrecht at 9:37 PM on July 18 [6 favorites has favorites]

GavinR: McHale has a new show coming out this fall on NBC instead called "Community". I'm glad he's getting more work than just 'The Soup' on E! And I'm relieved that the US Import of IT Crowd didn't go anywhere because I don't think the type of comedy would play in the mainstream US audience.
posted by cgomez at 9:42 PM on July 18

They said the same thing about The Office...it could've worked. I was excited about The IT crowd because I'm not only a Joel fan but I also totally dig on Richard Ayoade and his strange brand of comedy timing. I think it would've have been an interesting show. Of course, I'm looking forward to Community now, but still...I wanted to see Ayoade on U.S. network TV.

=(
posted by GavinR at 9:49 PM on July 18 [1 favorite has favorites]

Thanks, that was enjoyable.
posted by frobozz at 9:56 PM on July 18

And of course it's on Hulu so non-Americans can't watch it.

FUCK HULU

This.
posted by Talez at 10:17 PM on July 18 [2 favorites has favorites]

Made me think of the early Stephen King short story Word Processor of the Gods.
posted by marxchivist at 10:31 PM on July 18

I honestly can never take anything Tony Hale does seriously. I just keep waiting for him to mention Lucille.

Regardless, I enjoy this.
posted by reductiondesign at 10:46 PM on July 18 [1 favorite has favorites]

Her?
posted by luckypozzo at 10:58 PM on July 18 [1 favorite has favorites]

Talez: "This."

See my reply to the original complainant, offering a different, non-Hulu link.
posted by WCityMike at 11:03 PM on July 18

Made me think of the early Stephen King short story Word Processor of the Gods.

Damn.

Just like the very recent black blob post I came here to say that, and was easily beaten to the punch.
posted by uncanny hengeman at 12:27 AM on July 19

And of course it's on Hulu so non-Americans can't watch it.

FUCK HULU

As I understand it, they're working on it. Is "FUCK HULU" seriously warranted? US-only Hulu is a good first step, right?
posted by Evilspork at 1:00 AM on July 19

Dammit. Previewed, then hit undo to fix something which also un-fixed my tags. Appropriate, I guess.
posted by Evilspork at 1:01 AM on July 19

Imagine the vast power he'd have if it was using Emacs key bindings! And the accidents.
posted by BinaryApe at 1:11 AM on July 19 [2 favorites has favorites]

The NBC link works for people outside of the US, and I enjoyed it.

I think the 'Fuck Hulu' thing is more an expression of frustration than contempt.
posted by Edwahd at 1:28 AM on July 19 [1 favorite has favorites]

FUCK HULU

Hulu told me

If you wanna be with me, baby
There's a price you pay
I'm a genie in a bottle
You gotta rub me the right way
If you wanna be with me
I can make your wish come true
You gotta make a big impression
I gotta like what you do

and I rubbed the trackpad, I rubbed the screen, I rubbed the Ctrl key and the octothorpe and damn if Hulu didn't just stay locked up tight for a century of lonely nights.

I'd never really heard those lyrics until I saw a Dan Band cover video tonight. I'm scandalized!
Dan Band is amusing, but I prefer the Band of Dans. For the name. Marty Beller is a great drummer too.
posted by morganw at 1:52 AM on July 19

When it comes to magical happenings caused by keyboard spillage, I prefer Computerman.
posted by buriednexttoyou at 7:36 AM on July 19 [2 favorites has favorites]

Zachary Levi is my brother...

but it's a different (much younger) Zachary Levi.


Tony Hale Rules.
posted by djduckie at 9:03 AM on July 19

Tony Hale indeed rules.

Now when's the next episode? I kind of likes it.

(And it's also bringing to mind my desire for Arrested Development The Movie to be released)
posted by Askiba at 9:11 AM on July 19

Wow. Thanks for this link; I'd have never heard of this series otherwise, and now I have a new episodic web show addicition.
posted by ShawnStruck at 9:14 AM on July 19

Also, it's obviously receiving no money whatsoever from NESTEA POMEGRANATE PASSIONFRUIT RED TEA, NOW EVIDENTLY AVAILABLE IN 1-LITER BOTTLES!

"I only date guys who drink Diet Snapple." (Cerie, 30 Rock)

I'd been surfing around for stuff to watch online & found this but hadn't watched yet. Thanks for the reminder.
posted by NorthernLite at 9:21 AM on July 19

I'm in Canada so I've been cursing Hulu and saying "I'm an American, dammit".
posted by betsybetsy at 9:35 AM on July 19

I'll have to Ctrl-C this.
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 9:51 AM on July 19

Imagine the vast power he'd have if it was using Emacs key bindings!

All sitcoms remain in production until they can send email.
posted by DU at 10:15 AM on July 19 [1 favorite has favorites]

The full original short film (if that makes any sense) is here on Cat Jahnke's site.
posted by maudlin at 1:53 PM on July 19

(Ctril-Z doesn't unpost!)

Anyway, it's interesting for the much quicker story arc, the casting differences, the clothing differences and even the operating system differences. I'm sticking around for the rest of web series, which -- yay! -- does work for Canadians on the NBC site.
posted by maudlin at 1:55 PM on July 19

Yay Tony Hale! I told my wife that it was "Buster Bluth with a magic keyboard" and she was hooked instantly.

It's on iTunes as a downloadable podcast, too. I don't know if that helps people outside of the US region-lock, but it might. iTunes Link
posted by sleeping bear at 9:18 PM on July 21

WCityMike: "I imagine he might instead find himself tilting towards the person he's speaking to at an unusual angle."

This was answered in the most recent episode.
posted by WCityMike at 10:00 PM on July 29