Comedy Garbage

***Comedy Garbage*** (abbreviated as ***CG***) is an American black/crude comedy web series created by and starring Nicolas AVO The series centers on AVO's titular skit character, often simply shortened to "Jake" (sometimes "Jacob"), a fictionalized version of himself who is a sadistic and self-absorbed teenager with a twisted sense of humor who lives in Seattle, Washington with his brother. While the series began with AVO simply being sketches while subtlety developing characters, the show would eventually grow in scope to encompass season arcs, a feature film adaptation, and budget increases.

Starting out as an amateur filmmaker, AVO's original script for the Pilot was much different than the final version that was released. The series was first announced in October of 2021 but would languish in development hell until 2023 when the pilot was released. In September of 2023, it was announced that the series was renewed for a second season scheduled to be released in 2024. The series was originally supposed to be much darker in tone and intended the series to be a crime drama. It is based on AVO's short film, *The Potato Chip Shortage* (2021), which is considered "the very first sneak peek into what Comedy Garbage would become." It is produced by Sky Theory Studios, AVO's independent production company and was distributed by Lightbulb Studios in 2023.

The series drew praise for it's production quality, visual style, humor and format, as well as criticism for the length between episodes and inconsistent schedule.

## Premise

The show revolves around Jake and Jim's summer vacation in 2009. They spend their time either fighting, discussing, or helping each other around. Their lives are filled with problems, from financial issues forcing them to make popular YouTube videos to increase their income, breaking their bones, or pulling pranks on each other. AVO's character, Jake, an introverted and sarcastic teenager who lives with his younger twin brother Jim in Seattle. They both try their best to keep their home without resorting to criminal activity to increase their income. Occasionally, they are visited by Jake's best friend Amber, who together with Jake and Jim, look after and care for their idiotic demi-god Dainslief, an immortal originating from Ancient Rome.

## Reception

Comedy Garbage's first and second seasons received positive reviews, while the rest of it's run received critical acclaim, with the praise going towards the vintage visuals and cinematography, story, script, characters and nostalgic atmosphere. Critics praised the emotional weight that the series carried, and how it made viewers wish to go to the past and be a kid again. AVO said that the project was very personal, as it came from a place of nostalgia. "I was having a super rough time when I conceived the series in middle school, I wanted to be young again, I was sobbing hard when I sat on my desk and searched up VHS footage, I cried even more, I was hit with this massive wave of nostalgia, and then I thought: "How can I recreate our old childhoods in a way that we can go back to and relive it?" That's how Comedy Garbage was born, I was stroke with the idea, and here we are seven years after the event" The first season received positive reviews, with praise for the performances, visuals, but some criticism for it's short length. The second season received more positive reviews, with praise for the story, performances and visuals. The third season received critical acclaim, with the praise going for the story, performances, emotional weight and nostalgia. The fourth season was even further more praised for the cinematography, story and emotional weight. The fifth season received widespread critical acclaim, it's series finale was met with universal acclaim, it was considered one the most "emotional, tear jerking, funniest and saddest series finales ever made."