# Cracked After Hours

Cracked After Hours is a comedy web series created by Jack O'Brien and Daniel O'Brien and hosted on the website Cracked.com (and simultaneously on YouTube). Produced by Cracked and its then-parent company The E. W. Scripps Company, the series premiered on July 19, 2010, and its final episode was released on November 20, 2017.

## Overview

The scripted comedy followed four friends/co-workers of Cracked.com who meet after work at their local diner. The Seinfeldian conversations usually result in heavily disputed opinions about pop culture and life in general.
The series was launched on July 19, 2010 with an episode centered around the 1985 film Back to the Future, and grew to become the most viewed web series on Cracked.com. The show's first 13 episodes had reached 15 million views by April 2012 and it subsequently expanded to 30 episodes and surpassed 25 million total views. It starred Cracked.com employees Michael Swaim, Daniel O'Brien, and Soren Bowie and regular Cracked contributor Katie Willert. Most episodes were written by one of the stars or series co-creator Jack O'Brien, with help from the Cracked team.
The series integrated animated segments created by artists Winston Rowntree, Brett Herholz, Anthony Clark, and Matt Barrs. Characters' thoughts are illustrated by thought-bubbles or full-screen display. The first 22 episodes were directed by Justin Viar. Subsequent episodes were directed by Abe Epperson, Adam Ganser or various others.
The episode "Why Mario is Secretly a Dick With a Mustache" infamously had a slightly extended version when first uploaded to YouTube. This was quickly replaced by the regular version with a new title card because the original one used unathorized artwork from internet artist "Fictionalhead", rendering the extended version as lost media since 2012.
In 2014, After Hours won a Webby Award.

### Introduction of second cast (2017)

The July 24, 2017 episode "Awkward Scenes That Must Have Happened In Marvel Movies" introduced a second cast of diner patrons: Yazmin Monet Watkins, Kimia Behpoornia, Cracked writer Carmen Angelica and Cracked head writer for video Cody Johnston. This group meets at the same diner, and has similar pop culture conversations. Before its cancellation, episodes of this second cast were to be released monthly, alongside new episodes from the original cast.

### Cancellation

Prior to December 4, 2017, Soren Bowie had left Cracked to pursue another writing job while Michael Swaim had quit in October to pursue other media. On December 4, 2017, Cracked laid off a significant number of staff members, including Daniel O'Brien, Carmen Angelica, and Cody Johnston. Before this, an episode had been filmed which would be the final one to feature the original cast, allowing the show to continue with the new cast. In the wake of the layoffs, this episode was never aired. The last episode uploaded to the Cracked YouTube channel was "The Best Movie Hell to End Up In" on November 20, 2017.

### After After Hours

On April 9, 2019, via the Small Beans Patreon, Michael Swaim announced that he and several other of his Cracked alumni would be raising money to create a new version of After Hours away from Cracked.com. In the update, Swaim stated that the new show Off Hours would focus on four friends who 'discuss pop culture in their spare time, accompanied by fanciful illustrations and masterfully-edited clip packages'. He went on to say that everybody working on it had a prior association with After Hours and that episodes would be directed by Abe Epperson (the director of many After Hours episodes) with a revolving cast including Swaim, Cody Johnston, Katy Stoll, Greg Burke, Damien Washington, Maggie Mae Fish, Teresa Lee and Daniel Vincent Gordh.
On May 10, 2019, Michael Swaim tweeted a logo for the new show designed by Small Beans artist Michael Bramley and added; 'It's real now, you guys. There are art assets. This is really happening.'
On July 12, 2020, the original cast met for a charity stream, doing a table read for the intended series finale for the original cast. The episode saw the group discuss "What TV Friend Group would be the best to join" - as it's revealed that the foursome is about to go their own ways. The stream ended up raising $11,000 for the CDC Foundation.
On May 28, 2021, the original cast released another series finale on the Small Beans channel, titled "The After Hours Quarantine Special."

## Episodes
### Season 1: 2010–2011

| # | Title | Writer | Director | Original airdate |
| 1 | "Why 'Back to the Future' Is Secretly Horrifying" | Daniel O'Brien | Justin Viar | July 19, 2010 |
| 2 | "5 Classic Movie High Schools That Would Suck to Attend" | Jack O'Brien | Justin Viar | August 30, 2010 |
| 3 | "Which Apocalypse Would Be the Most Fun?" | Daniel O'Brien | Justin Viar | November 18, 2010 |
| 4 | "Why The Harry Potter Universe Is Secretly Terrifying" | Michael Swaim | Justin Viar | December 20, 2010 |
| 5 | "How Breakfast Cereal Mascots Brainwashed You" | Soren Bowie | Justin Viar | January 31, 2011 |
| 6 | "Which Ninja Turtle Are You?" | Soren Bowie | Justin Viar | March 14, 2011 |
| 7 | "Why Star Wars Is Terrifying for Women" | Daniel O'Brien | Justin Viar | April 4, 2011 |
| 8 | "Why Everyone Wants to Have Sex with Vampires" | Soren Bowie | Justin Viar | May 23, 2011 |
| 9 | "Why Batman Is Secretly Terrible for Gotham" | Daniel O'Brien | Justin Viar | June 27, 2011 |
| 10 | "The Best Super Power (Is Not What You Think)" | Michael Swaim | Justin Viar | July 25, 2011 |
| 11 | "TV Ads That Depict Terrifying Alternate Universes" | Soren Bowie | Justin Viar | September 26, 2011 |
| 12 | "4 Terrifying Psychology Lessons Behind Famous Movie Monsters" | Robert Brockway | Justin Viar | October 24, 2011 |

### Season 2: 2012

| # | Title | Writer | Director | Original airdate |
| 1 | "Why Mario is Secretly a Douchebag" | Daniel O'Brien | Justin Viar | March 12, 2012 |
| 2 | "If You Could Have Dinner (And Sex) With Any Famous Figure" | Jack O'Brien | Justin Viar | April 2, 2012 |
| 3 | "Why The Scariest Sci-Fi Robot Uprising Has Already Begun" | Jack O'Brien | Justin Viar | April 16, 2012 |
| 4 | "The 6 Most Unintentionally Creepy Sitcom Characters" | Cody Johnston | Justin Viar | April 30, 2012 |
| 5 | "3 Popular Children's Characters Who Secretly Hate Animals" | Daniel O'Brien | Justin Viar | May 29, 2012 |
| 6 | "Why The Star Trek Universe is Secretly Horrifying" | Michael Swaim | Justin Viar | May 14, 2012 |
| 7 | "4 Creepy Hidden Truths Behind Popular Scary Stories" | Jack O'Brien | Abe Epperson | July 9, 2012 |
| 8 | "Why Pixar Movies Are All Secretly About the Apocalypse" | Daniel O'Brien | Justin Viar | September 4, 2012 |
| 9 | "Why Indiana Jones Secretly Sucks at His Job" | Michael Swaim | Abe Epperson | September 24, 2012 |
| 10 | "The Only 8 Types of TV Shows That Get Made" | Daniel O'Brien | Abe Epperson | October 15, 2012 |
| 11 | "5 Reasons James Bond Might Be the Worst Spy Ever" | Soren Bowie | Justin Viar | November 12, 2012 |
| 12 | "The 4 Worst Lessons Disney Movies Taught Us as Kids" | Jack O'Brien | Justin Viar | December 17, 2012 |

### Season 3: 2013

| # | Title | Writer | Director | Original airdate |
| 1 | "Four Reasons Spider-Man is Secretly Bad at His Job" | Michael Swaim | Justin Viar | January 21, 2013 |
| 2 | "Why Romantic Comedies Are Secretly Bad for You" | Soren Bowie | Adam Ganser | February 14, 2013 |
| 3 | "The 4 Best Movie Universes To Die In" | Cody Johnston | Adam Ganser | March 25, 2013 |
| 4 | "5 Horrifying Secret Rules of Life in a Movie Universe" | Daniel O'Brien | Abe Epperson | April 15, 2013 |
| 5 | "The Horrifying Truth About Life Inside of Movie Musicals" | Kristi Harrison | Adam Ganser | May 13, 2013 |
| 6 | "The 3 Worst Lessons Taught by '80s Sports Movies" | Jack O'Brien | Adam Ganser | June 17, 2013 |
| 7 | "Why Tarantino Films Take Place in the Same (Insane) Universe" | Soren Bowie | Adam Ganser | July 22, 2013 |
| 8 | "4 Movie Apocalypses That Would Be More Fun Than Reality" | Daniel O'Brien | Adam Ganser | August 19, 2013 |
| 9 | "4 Disney Movie Villains Who Were Right All Along" | Daniel O'Brien | Abe Epperson | September 23, 2013 |
| 10 | "The Horrifying Secret 'The Matrix' Reveals About Humanity" | Jack O'Brien | Abe Epperson | October 21, 2013 |
| 11 | "The 10 Most Secretly Ridiculous Moments in Classic Movies" | Daniel O'Brien | Adam Ganser | November 18, 2013 |
| 12 | "6 Beloved Christmas Movies With Horrible Secret Meanings" | Michael Swaim | Adam Ganser | December 16, 2013 |

### Season 4: 2014

| # | Title | Writer | Director | Original airdate |
| 1 | "4 Weirdly Specific Things Famous People Do in Every Movie" | Jack O'Brien | Abe Epperson | January 13, 2014 |
| 2 | "8 Mind-Blowing Connections Between the Works of Joss Whedon" | Michael Swaim | Abe Epperson | February 17, 2014 |
| 3 | "7 Horrifying Lessons Hidden in Famous Movies About Childhood" | Soren Bowie | Abe Epperson | March 10, 2014 |
| 4 | "6 Insane Stereotypes That You Still See in Every Movie" | Daniel O'Brien | Adam Ganser | April 14, 2014 |
| 5 | "5 'Jurassic Park' Plot Holes With Horrifying Implications" | Jack O'Brien | Adam Ganser | May 12, 2014 |
| 6 | "11 Movie Alternate Dimensions With Horrifying Downsides" | Soren Bowie | Adam Ganser | June 16, 2012 |
| 7 | "Why Disney's 'Aladdin' Is Secretly Horrifying" | Daniel O'Brien | Abe Epperson | July 14, 2014 |
| 8 | "Why 'Peter Pan' Is Propaganda for Perverts" | Soren Bowie | Abe Epperson | August 18, 2014 |
| 9 | "The Horrifying Hidden Subplot You Missed in Star Wars" | Cody Johnston | Abe Epperson | September 8, 2014 |
| 10 | "6 Weirdly Conservative Messages Hidden in 'Ghostbusters'" | Soren Bowie | Adam Ganser | October 20, 2014 |
| 11 | "5 Movie Epilogues That Should Have Been Sequels" | Soren Bowie | Adam Ganser | November 10, 2014 |
| 12 | "The 9 Creepiest Things Movies Portray as Romantic" | Daniel O'Brien | Adam Ganser | December 8, 2014 |

### Season 5: 2015

| # | Title | Writer | Director | Original airdate |
| 1 | "5 Racist and Sexist Messages Hidden in Forrest Gump" | Jack O'Brien | Abe Epperson | January 12, 2015 |
| 2 | "14 Super Powers That Every Movie Character Apparently Has" | Michael Swaim | Abe Epperson | February 9, 2015 |
| 3 | "5 Evil Organizations We Wouldn't Mind Joining (in Movies)" | Soren Bowie | Abe Epperson | March 2, 2015 |
| 4 | "Why The Friends From 'Friends' Are Terrible People" | Katie Willert | Adam Ganser | April 13, 2015 |
| 5 | "Movies Secretly Told From The Perspective Of One Character" | Katie Willert | Adam Ganser | May 11, 2015 |
| 6 | "10 Terrifying Implications Of The Matrix Universe" | Michael Swaim | Adam Ganser | June 15, 2015 |
| 7 | "Why Movie Cops Are Terrible At Their Jobs" | Soren Bowie | Abe Epperson | July 27, 2015 |
| 8 | "The 3 Worst Lessons Hiding in Children's Movies" | Daniel O'Brien | Abe Epperson | August 17, 2015 |
| 9 | "The Terrifying Truth About Doc Brown" | Jack O'Brien | | October 21, 2015 |
| 10 | "'Stupid' Movies That Are Surprisingly Progressive" | Katie Willert | Adam Ganser | November 16, 2015 |
| 11 | "4 Reasons The Jedi Are Secretly The Bad Guys Of Star Wars" | Alex Schmidt | Abe Epperson | December 14, 2015 |

### Season 6: 2016

| # | Title | Writer | Director | Original airdate |
| 1 | "Why Sauron Is Secretly The Good Guy In 'Lord Of The Rings'" | JF Sargent | Adam Ganser | January 11, 2016 |
| 2 | "Why Body-Switching Movies Are Way Creepier Than You Think" | Teresa Lee | Abe Epperson | February 22, 2016 |
| 3 | "4 Insane Simpsons Fan Theories (That Might Be True)" | Michael Swaim | Abe Epperson | March 7, 2016 |
| 4 | "Why The Most Terrifying Movie Alien Isn't Who You Think" | David C. Bell | Abe Epperson | April 11, 2016 |
| 5 | "Why Professor X Is Really The Villain Of The X-Men Universe" | Soren Bowie | Adam Ganser | May 23, 2016 |
| 6 | "What Your Favorite Video Game Says About You" | JF Sargent | Adam Ganser | June 20, 2016 |
| 7 | "The Horrifying Truth About Living Inside A TV Show " | Alex Schmidt | Adam Ganser | July 18, 2016 |
| 8 | "The Only Film Genre That Gets You To Root For The Bad Guy" | Carmen Angelica | Abe Epperson | August 29, 2016 |
| 9 | "Why Captain America Is The Worst Avenger" | Alex Schmidt | Abe Epperson | September 19, 2016 |
| 10 | "7 Movies That Don't Realize They're Horror Movies" | David C. Bell | Abe Epperson | October 17, 2016 |
| 11 | "Why Every '80s Sitcom Decided To Kill Off The Mom" | Soren Bowie | Adam Ganser | November 21, 2016 |
| 12 | "Why Homer Simpson Might Be God" | Michael Swaim | Adam Ganser | December 19, 2016 |

### Season 7: 2017

| # | Title | Writer | Director | Original airdate |
| 1 | "The Best And Worst Disney Kingdoms To Live In" | JF Sargent | Adam Ganser | January 23, 2017 |
| 2 | "4 Movie Curses With Unexpected Upsides" | Cody Johnston | Abe Epperson | February 20, 2017 |
| 3 | "How To Ruin Your Favorite Sitcoms With Simple Math" | Soren Bowie | Abe Epperson | March 20, 2017 |
| 4 | "The Inevitable Future Of Each Superhero Universe" | Michael Swaim | Abe Epperson | April 17, 2017 |
| 5 | "Why Movies Want Us To Torture Adults" | Carmen Angelica | Adam Ganser | May 15, 2017 |
| 6 | "All Arnold Schwarzenegger Movies Are In The Same Terminator Universe" | Adam Ganser | Adam Ganser | June 5, 2017 |
| 7 | "How 9/11 Changed 90s Sitcoms Forever (Friends, Seinfeld)" | Cody Johnston | Adam Ganser | June 19, 2017 |
| 8 | "5 Movie Villains That Would Make Great Leaders (Game of Thrones, The Dark Knight)" | Carmen Angelica | Abe Epperson | July 10, 2017 |
| 9 | "Awkward Scenes That Must Have Happened In Marvel Movies (Captain America, The Hulk)" | Daniel O'Brien | Abe Epperson | July 24, 2017 |
| 10 | "Why Time Travel Wouldn't Work For Everyone" | Soren Bowie | Adam Ganser | August 14, 2017 |
| 11 | "Why Disney Princes Are Bad Role Models For Boys" | Carmen Angelica | Adam Ganser | August 28, 2017 |
| 12 | "6 Movies Whose Timelines Don't Add Up" | David C. Bell | Adam Ganser | September 11, 2017 |
| 13 | "What Movie Ghost Would You Rather Be Haunted By" | David C. Bell | Adam Ganser | October 2, 2017 |
| 14 | "Which Ghost Movie Was The Best (For The Ghosts)? (Casper, Ghostbusters, RIPD)" | Tom Reimann | Adam Ganser | October 23, 2017 |
| 15 | "The Best Movie Hell to End Up In" | Carmen Angelica | Moana Sherrill | November 20, 2017 |