This was a Joke TV (series)

### Seasons

Season One (released)Season Two (released) Season Three (released) Season Four (released)

## Broadcast

### Premire

September 14, 2019

This was a Joke TV is a comedy science-fiction web series and ARG. The show was released on YouTube as a short limited series on September 14, 2019.

The show takes place in the fictional town of Redbluff, Texas in an alternate version of the mid-to-late 2000s. The first season revolves around a small friend group forming and the end of their middle-school year (Year 8). The second season revolves around the following year (Year 9) as the friend group grows before the Spanish Flu Pandemic. The third season is about the characters new venture into high school as freshmen, as well as the start of the mystery behind a corporation running near Redbluff. Season four has focused on their sophomore year and has introduced a government foundation looking into the mysterious happens of Redbluff.

Currently Season 5 is unconfirmed.

## Characters

### Main Characters

* Nick Tldr Smith
* Viggo Avocado
* Edd Spaghetti
* Aaron Morrno
* Ruben Rozet
* Collin Miller

### Side/Reoccurring Characters

* Aaron Morrno
* Leopoldoge III
* Mary Torerz
* Leo S. Apellido
* Full list of Side/Reoccurring

## Seasons

### Season one:

The first season revolves around a small friend group forming and the end of their middle-school year (Year 8).

### Season two:

The second season revolves around the following year (Year 9) as the friend group grows before the Spanish Flu Pandemic.

### Season three:

The third season is about the characters new venture into high school as freshmen, as well as the start of the mystery behind a corporation running near Redbluff.

### Season four:

Season four(A) has focused on their sophomore year and has introduced a government foundation looking into the mysterious happens of Redbluff.

The rest of the season (season 4 B) is set to release at an unknown date.

## Other media

### Christmas Special:

After Season four (A) came to an end with the haloween special episode, the Christmas Special was announced with a reveal trailer and a couple of tweets.

## Production

### Inspirations

"This was a Joke TV" was inspired by shows such as Local58 (horror), Gemini Home Entertainment (science fiction) , Editor Wilbur Soot (ARG), and Icarly (comedy).

### Style

The series is shot and edited to look like it was shot mainly in a hand-held camera with cuts and editing similar to Cloverfield and Local58. Although, in later seasons it is partially implied that the show takes place from the actual POV of one of the characters. The show it edited to be mainly comedically, similar to shows like the "something about" terminal montage series.

### ARG

The ARG (alternate reality game; akin to a treasure hunt that happens both online across multiple mediums) portion of the show began with the release of The first Season Three Trailer on March 14, 2021. However, the tease of the ARG began earlier, at the end of season two with the release of the Post-Season Trailer "Welcome." on April 30, 2020.

#### Post Season Two

The post-season two trailer displayed all the seasons characters with their names in a "Friends" style with a flute version of Take on me. 46 seconds into the trailer, a small VHS style clip teased later mystery elements.

#### Pre Season Three

The reveal trailer of season three, "On next!", teased season three and the analog video style the show would begin to take.

On Mar 14, 2021, a short video was released advertising a drink titled "Sproke", the combination of Coca-Cola and Sprite.

Later on Mar 14, 2021, the first trailer of Season Three would be released, with a blacked out link at the bottom of the page with only part of it showing.

Read more here, (once ARG page is made add link to "here")

## Trivia

* Season one takes place in 2005, the year that the most of main characters actors were born.
* Prior to the end of season two, it was stated to have going to have 11 episodes, but only 9 were released. Before the episodes could be recorded, COVID reached the United States and stopped production.
* The "Spanish Flu" is the in-world stand in for Covid-19
* Season Two and up until present seasons have had references to Local 58:
	+ The Post season two trailer ARG tease is a reference to Local58, telling the viewer to "LOOK AWAY" when showing footage of the moon.
	+ "On next!" has a list of programs slotted for a channel with the numeral 58, one of the programs is titled "Show for children".
		- It has not been confirmed that this is meant to be the channel Local 58 or if it is just a reference.
	+ The opening seconds include the end of an ad made by What-a-burger, hinting at the show taking place in Texas.
* "On next!" shows a time slot for the movie Halloween being shown, however the release date of the film was shifted from 1978 to 1965, showing that the alternate course of events of the show have affect some major events.
	+ The "TWAJ | Season 3, Second Trailer" has a short Cloverfield reference, however the date was left unshifted at 2008, showing that whatever shifted the calendar year of the show only affected some major events.
* "Sproke" is a reference to a meme from 2003 beginning on Deviant Art.
* PLACE HOLDER