thePULSE
Late night local show worth staying up for
By Rachel Shuster
It’s late at night, and your eyes are slowly shutting. But what’s the point of sleep when “The AC Show” on Channel 3 Charter Cable in Worcester is ready to make you laugh! This comedy sketch/talk show started off small but continues to grow, branding its name into the Worcester scene.
Andrew Cosenza has been with the show from the start. Being in this business has been his passion since he started making home movies with friends when he was younger. Those movies led to the creation of ”The AC Show,” born in Shrewsbury, MA.
“About six years ago, me and four friends had a small show on Shrewsbury Public Access (SPAC) where everything really started,” Cosenza says.
Marc Serra, coordinator for SPAC, “…really took the show to the next level,” Cosenza says. Even though it ultimately left the public access station, the show still has a strong relationship with SPAC and has won many SPAC Awards ~ including the Producer Appreciation Night and the 2003, 2006, and 2007 SPACLe Award. In fact, they still film at the SPAC studio!
After signing a thirteen-episode contract with Channel 3, the show moved to Worcester. Producer Joe Tonelli has been with the show for all six years and has worked with a talented group of professionals including the show’s actors, Dom DiGiovanni and Tasha Merulla, Executive Producer Roland Peterleitner, and Director Crystal Eve Birganti.
During its first season, the show was in the 10:30 p.m. slot, right after the news. The edginess of it, though, was a bit much for some.
“We did a sketch for an infomercial for the ‘Humpmaster,’ which was a new ‘must have’ exercise machine. So needless to say, the little old ladies who [had] just watched the news and then [wound up] watching an infomercial for the ‘Humpmaster’ didn’t quite appreciate it,” Cosenza says, laughing.
Now the show has a home on Saturdays at 1 a.m.
Ok, so funny show, but what kind is it?
“I describe it as a mix of Jay Leno, ‘Saturday Night Live,’ the ‘Tom Green Show,’ and ‘Jackass,’” Cosenza says. “We don’t do too much of the Jackass though, we can leave that up to the guys on that show.”
Each show begins with a monologue by Cosenza, then if there is a special guest host, he or she joins in.
“We give guests like an SNL hosting spot,” he says.
The show’s focus is “edgy comedy.” However, it can definitely be enjoyed by most ages.
“Our target audience is high school to about thirty five,” Cosenza says.
The Worcester community isn’t The AC Show’s only audience. For six months, the show filmed live from Disney in Florida. Cosenza was chosen to act in Disney’s “The Great Movie” ride, and while down there, he and the crew shot the show.
“It was really cool to film down there,” he says.
Some of the sketches from the show done in the past are “The Bum World,” which spoofs MTV’s “The Real World,” and features Cosenza’s infamous character, Fuler the Nerd, a “textbook geek” just trying to make it in the world.
“We love to do spoofs, especially of reality TV, since there is so much of it.” Cosenza says.
In the past, the show has featured special guests like Afroman, The Kottonmouth Kings, Beetlejuice from “The Howard Stern Show,” SPAZ and LB from WAAF, local bands and many others.
“What’s great is when we have special guests, we really try to involve them, like in skits or in interviews.” Cosenza says.
The show also has a few sponsors including SRH clothing and Worcester bar The Blackstone Tap.
“We wear SRH clothing on the show and I bartend at Blackstone,” says Cosenza. “We and the sponsors really work together and promote each other.”
So there you have it. “The AC Show” is poised for greatness and is a great reason to stay up late and have a few laughs. Sleeping is overrated anyway…
