The Sideshow

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## What is *The Sideshow?*

*The Sideshow* is a special TV-like broadcast that occasionally cuts into the chapters with various shows like the local news or a talk show. This was originally used to include certain things outside of what was going on in the chapter, such as during Season 1 when the characters were off on a big adventure. *The Sideshow* would allow them to temporarily be pulled away from the far-off land they had traveled to and participate in random bits, jokes, and Zack's attack segments. In the later Seasons, the novel became slice-of-life and most chapters took place at home, but *The Sideshow* was still used to feature all sorts of different shows. It quickly expanded into it's own thing and has become an integral part of both the in-universe lore and the novel itself as the network that airs all of the town's television shows.

## List of shows

Below are a list of all the shows that have aired on *The Sideshow* over the novel's five Seasons. Many were simply one-off shows used for jokes or bits, but a few of them, such as *Viewer Fun* and *News For Yous*, appear multiple times over the Seasons as mainstays on the network. It's also worth noting that several shows are filmed in a large, unassuming building known as "The Sideshow Studio". Others, like *Viewer Fun* and *News For Yous*, are filmed in the third floor of the house where the characters live.

* **Main Shows**
	+ ***Viewer Mail***
		- The original mainstay on *The Sideshow*, *Viewer Mail* featured FlamDawg reading fan mail sent in by viewers while also getting himself into a variety of situations. This show had to be canceled after an incident with a VCR that left a certain Amber-related insult forever on repeat. [Season 1]
	+ ***Viewer Fun***
		- The main show featured on *The Sideshow,* *Viewer Fun* is a wacky show where anything can happen. In this show, all sorts of different bits, jokes, and schemes unfold, though it’s usually the place where Zack chooses to attack people in a variety of ways. [Seasons 1-5]
	+ ***Zack's Hacks***
		- Zack's Hacking show where he Hacks to his heart's content and terrorizes the other characters in a variety of ways. Had a sudden resurgence in Season 5, but was immediately canceled. [Season 2 + 5]
	+ ***News For Yous***
		- Formerly *Weather Cast*, *News For Yous* is a news show that covers everything from the local news to the weather to the latest girl gossip. [Seasons 1-5]
* **Lesser Shows**
	+ ***A Bang's Thang***
		- A show featuring Little Bangs doing their thing in a room located within the Global Bang Headquarters. In the only installment, they ticketed Zack until he fell over, chased after Amber, and confronted Nathan about his various crimes. [Season 2]
	+ ***A Moment of Romance***
		- A show on *The Sideshow* that features moments of hot, spicy romance. This includes dates, scandalous phone calls, and even proposals that can make you cry. In the only installment, JT and Amber went on a romantic carriage ride in a snowy forest. [Season 2]
	+ ***Action News with Sarah***
		- One of Sarah's shows in Season 3, *Action News with Sarah* aired during a time when the house was in complete disarray due to a sudden onslaught of randomness. She ran all around the house, interviewing characters and getting the scoop on wacky happenings that defied all logic and reason. [Season 3]
	+ ***Amber's Adventure!***
		- A show that occupied the entirety of Chapter 20 of Season 2. In the only installment, Amber plotted a grand museum heist with Pillbug and JT, only to be thwarted when a Little Bang spotted them at the front doors. This show was intended to replace *Zack's Hacks* when it got suspended, but it never took off due to Amber's general airheaded-ness and inability to adventure properly. [Season 2]
	+ ***Amber's Cookie Awesome Show***
		- A show that the real-world Amber wanted me to make for her. It simply featured her standing around and not doing much of anything, then being forced to chase after Zack when he showed up unexpectedly. [Season 1]
	+ ***Bang Chat***
		- A show that featured a Show Bang trying to host a talk show, only to be interrupted by Zack's Hacking. [Season 2]
	+ ***Chat with Princess Sarah!***
		- A talk show that featured in a Royal Flashback. Here, Princess Sarah would talk to various people and make them feel bad about themselves. In the segment that featured, she asked Nathan about his tragic life story but quickly cut to the next segment when he started crying. [Season 3]
	+ ***Character Infos***
		- A one-off show that introduced Ace Disco as a character. He went on to talk about some of the character's signature items. It was deemed redundant and therefore does not appear in the novel's rewrite. [Season 3]
	+ ***Cooking With Nathan***
		- The first-ever show to air on *The Sideshow* even before it became a thing, *Cooking With Nathan* featured Nathan trying to cook a delicious dish but accidentally baking Zack instead. [Season 1]
	+ ***Daily Tips***
		- A simple show that would provide various tips and life hacks for its viewers. [Season 2]
	+ ***Fashion Fiesta with Cat***
		- A fashion show where Cat comments on all the latest trends and styles while the other characters do some modeling. Was cancelled shortly after it first aired. [Season 2]
	+ ***Firefighting 101***
		- A small bit show that featured Luno and Redeye demonstrating how to safely burn down an old building. This was yet another show that aired before *The Sideshow* was conceived. [Season 1]
	+ ***Flashy Flashbacks***
		- A show that takes a look back on old flashbacks from previous chapters. This was mostly used as filler to artificially increase a chapter's page count so it does not appear in the novel's rewrite. [Season 2]
	+ ***Healthy Facts***
		- A show that teaches you how to live a healthy, gluten-free life. [Season 2]
	+ ***iTalk***
		- I have no data on this show so it's possible that it never even existed and was just name-dropped at some point. It would feature JT talking about the latest technology and Internet memes. [Season 2?]
	+ ***Nail Tales***
		- A show set in a beauty salon where women can enjoy a nice spa day. While it never actually aired, Nathan and Sarah were seen relaxing on the set at the very end of Season 3. [Season 3]
	+ ***Pants Swap***
		- A "magical" clothing-trading show where the characters would swap shirts, shoes, hair, and yes, pants. [Season 3]
	+ ***Pondering Time***
		- A short, one-off show that provided the readers with interesting things to think about. [Season 1]
	+ ***Raw Planz***
		- A show that Zack used to broadcast his various wicked schemes outside of *Zack's Hacks*, such as the time he made an entire warehouse store and tricked Amber into shopping there. [Season 2]
	+ ***Serenity Time with Amber***
		- A show where the ever-raging Amber tries her very best to remain calm while teaching others to be tranquil and serene. [Season 1]
	+ ***Serenity Time with Sarah***
		- A direct spinoff of *Serenity Time with Amber*, this show featured Sarah doing the exact same thing, but somehow raging more than anyone ever thought possible while proving she is terrible at yoga. [Season 3]
	+ ***Tech Squad***
		- A show where FlamDawg teaches the viewers about how to use various computer programs and fix assorted everyday machinery. While it has never actually aired, it was mentioned in Season 3. [Season 3]
	+ ***The Dr. Sar Show***
		- One of Sarah's shows in Season 3, *The Dr. Sar Show* is a mix of Oprah and Dr. Phil where Sarah talks with celebrities and stashes goodies under the audience's chairs for Sweeps Week. In the only airing, she hosted special segments where she killed Zack in various ways on his birthday. [Season 3]
	+ ***The Glitch Show***
		- A bizarre show that was created by amassing all of the novel's corrupted data. Technically the show with the longest airtime, *The Glitch Show* randomly aired in Season 2 and FlamDawg found himself within it. He went exploring and found various unused assets and other strange things. Eventually, the other characters became trapped within and spent the next few chapters trying to get out. When FlamDawg realized the potential of the show, he repurposed it into *The Secret Show* where he hosted a tea party. [Season 2]
	+ ***The Sarah Show***
		- The last of Sarah's shows in Season 3, *The Sarah Show* was a special kind of empowerment seminar that featured clips on how to be a better person like she is. Despite trying to show the world how much better she is than everyone else, the clips proved she was actually the bigger buffoon in the house. After three chapters of lessons and clips, the show was shut down by a squadron of Little Bangs because it turned out Sarah was doing the whole thing illegally. [Season 3]
	+ ***The Secrets of Zack***
		- A show that exposed Zack's deepest secrets and weaknesses. FlamDawg hosted this show a few times from a secret off-the-grid location that was later revealed to be just a set in the *Viewer Fun* studio. [Season 2]
	+ ***Viewer Chat***
		- A show that features the various cast and characters talking about the novel. They discuss what's happening in the chapter at the moment while also dishing out some drama and behind-the-scenes lore. This show has never officially aired in the novel.
	+ ***Viewer Fun Ver. 2.0 [BETA]***
		- A special, upgraded version of *Viewer Fun* that FlamDawg found himself in one time. Everything is now pixelated and digitized, turning the show into one big computer game. FlamDawg went off to find some secret areas hidden within, but ultimately stumbled upon a giant pixelated Zack head that attempted to destroy him. [Season 2]
	+ ***Viewer Party***
		- A special show that is only available by request. It's reserved for VIPs and features things like trips to amusement parks and chatting with the most desirable celebrities. A never-before-seen character also hosts this show, making it even more special. This show has never officially aired in the novel.
	+ ***Whiz Quiz***
		- A special show that was used to test the real-world Zack to see if he was really paying attention to the day's pages when I read them to him. Contained all sorts of tricky questions that truly helped one's brain get brainier. This show does not appear in the novel's rewrite. [Season 2]
	+ ***WIP Show***
		- A "show" that only appeared a few times as a room in Season 3. This is simply an unfinished set that will later become a new show, but it might need to air before it's fully finished under certain circumstances. After a bit of work, it became the set for *The Sarathon.* [Season 3]

## Gallery

The intro graphic for Viewer Mail.The intro graphic for Viewer Fun from Season 1.The intro graphic for Viewer Fun from Season 3.The intro graphic for News For Yous.The intro graphic for The Dr. Sar Show.The intro graphic for The Sarah Show.The intro graphic for Action News with Sarah.The intro graphic for Serenity Time with Sarah.The intro graphic for Chat with Princess Sarah!.The intro graphic for Amber's Cookie Awesome Show.The intro graphic for Pants Swap.The intro graphic for Healthy Facts.The intro graphic for Raw Planz.The intro graphic for the Glitch Show.The intro graphic for The Secret Show, otherwise known as the Glitch Show after FlamDawg repurposed it.Cooking with Nathan, the first show to ever air in the novel.A scene from an episode of Weather Cast, a show that later became News For Yous.Nathan annoyed by how many shows Sarah has in Season 3.Sarah giving her report on an episode of News For Yous.FlamDawg putting on lipstick during the weather segment of News For Yous.The Viewer Fun Studio building seen during Season 2 before it was moved to the third floor.