A new Slide Show - From the making of ManUp!

The Way ManUP began.

This is a true story (as best as I can embellish it).

It is a sunny, glorious Friday in July. I am in traffic on the way to Parry Sound for the weekend. I get a call from Tim Keenleyside at Fingerprint Communications - a Toronto-based creative agency that we had been having great fun working with on commercials. Tim said, "Denny and I have an idea for a TV show for guys." Denzil Wadds is Tim's partner at the firm. They are a dynamic duo to say the least. I bit. Tim says, "Okay...it's called MAN UP and it has guys competing against each other and demanding that they 'man-up'. for points and prizes."

I like the idea already. Then he put the icing on the cake by telling me that each episode would have a RANDOM HOT GIRL. I did not even ask why. I know why. Who cares why? We brainstormed the idea for a while and it just seemed like a good idea for a show.

I told him that I would call Don Gaudet at MenTV and see what he thinks of the idea at 30,000 feet. Tim laughed. We hung up. The phone was still warm so I called Don and ran it by him. He was game to see a pitch.

We pitched the show in person the following week. It added up to be a good idea for MenTV and we were in pre-production. Now...who to host this thing? I toyed with some ideas for about two weeks when I got up the guts to send an email to Humble Howard Glassman. He was getting things happening as the a host on the new EZ Rock Morning Show in Toronto. No way he would be interested, right?

Email to Howard:

"Hi Howard,

Mike Wixson here. I am not sure if you remember me. I worked at CFNY at the same time you did as the guy on the street. Hey, how would you like to host what I think is going to be the most ridiculous show ever? A game show for guys.

Just asking. The morning show sounds great.

Best regards,

Mike...."

His resonse:

"Hi Mike.

I'm in. Call me...."

We have a host...but more. Howard agreed to help create and write the show with Tim and I. As I recall, Howard and I spent most of that time deconstructing this nice show Tim had envisioned and devolved it into pandaemonium keeping the hilarity he desired. Now we had a show that appealed to the juvenile college humor the show thrives on today.

Within 9 weeks sets were build, crew was hired, lights were hung and our first 6 episodes were shot and in the can. Howard killed it and the writing was stellar comedy (for the mentally ill).

The show had legs. Three seasons later, we still kill ourselves laughing making the show.

I promise to post video of the next creative meeting so you can see how much fun it is.

Cheers. Tim and Denny. Thanks Howard. Nice show.

Watch ManUP! on MenTV at various times each week.

ManUp! about to launch, behind the scenes series.

There tends to be a lot of frolic and frivolity on and off the set of Man Up! The show is a ball of laughs from the word go each time we shoot. It is like we have a substitute teacher for the day and recess is indoors due to inclement weather. A perfect storm for mischief.

Over the next couple of months we will be dribbling out bits and pieces from the making of Man Up! RedFish Studios in conjunction with MenTV, have produced 39 episodes of quality nonsense for men. It is sure to make you laugh. Now you can see the mayhem that is the making of Man Up!

Visit www.theredfish.ca to see the Best Of ManUp! from last season.

ManUp! Looking at a second job - an online version on the way!

This season, the creative team and producers have been talking to sponsors about creating a version of ManUp! that would air specifically on the web. It would be free to watch and a little more over-the-top than even the televised version is.

"We will make the show available online to whomever wants to watch it. There will be more behind-the-scenes moments and stuff we simply cannot show on TV", says show executive producer, Mike Wixson.

Adding to the fun, will be a studio audience who can participate in the show and also join the cast and contestants for a regular ManUp! after party. This online series is intended to tour campuses starting in March of 2010.

The televised version of the show runs on MenTV coast-t-coast in Canada and is hosted by funny man, morning radio personality - Humble Howard Glassman.

There will be a formal announcement about the online ManUp! this coming Friday at 1pm. Look for the tweets or updates to this blog on Friday for more details.

Yeah...try to figure out which gross stuff is which...

Here is some rare behind the scenes footage of the producers trying to determine how we are going to remember which disgusting food/pet food product is which. I think those are either chicken fingers or fish sticks....hmmm.....you know where this is going.

Do you have an idea for a challenge on ManUp? rob@redfishentertainment.com

Watch The Season Finale of Man Up Season 2

Right now at www.theredfish.ca, you will find the season finale of Man Up. The 13th obligatory episode where we patch together a ton of funny moments from the show.

Host Humble Howard takes you down memory lane with the highlights of ManUp.

Visit www.theredfish.ca to see the show in it's entirety along with an ever-updating slide show from behind the scenes in the ManUp studio.

Behind the scenes at ManUp! studio on game day.

Humble Wan Kenobi! ManUp! host goes to party NOT in drag

To the great relief of halloween party-goers, Humble Howard, host of ManUp! and former runway model was seen this evening dressed either as Obi Wan Kenobi or Ernest Hemmingway which as some noted was a nice change from the hotpants and heels he wore to the Christmas party last year.

Well done, Howard. Well done.

The Question Is...

Which of the following are more important to any real MAN?

a) Free Beer

b) A day with the boys golfing

c) Free Beer

or....

d) Whatever your chick says once she has given the signal "Things are on tonight...."