Television
Meet The Tyrants in Therapy was a half-hour comedy and variety show, combining humour and political satire with original Tyrants in Therapy music. From 2001 to 2008, the Tyrants in Therapy wrote, produced, co-directed, edited and starred in 22 episodes, which aired on Public-access television cable TV networks (including AT&T, Adelphia, Comcast, Charter and Time Warner) in the greater Los Angeles area.
The Tyrants in Therapy’s first recording experience occurred in Adelphia Cable’s Van Nuys Public-access television studio, after AbbeAbbe had suggested that shooting some lip sync footage from the Meet The Tyrants in Therapy studio album might help them secure a new booking agent. The results, although very rough, were encouraging enough to convince the Tyrants in Therapy to book more studio time. This material then became the basis for the Meet The Tyrants in Therapy television program.
At first, the Tyrants in Therapy directed themselves, but for the third episode, director/choreographer Ceil Gruessing, a friend of AbbeAbbe’s from Antioch College, was enlisted to direct. While problems were encountered with sound, lighting and framing, the Tyrants in Therapy persevered, and went on to work with several other stage directors, including Debra De Liso, Steven Memel, Betsey Cassell, Tanya Kane-Parry and Tracy Winters. And when none of them were available, the Tyrants in Therapy reclaimed sole charge of the directing.
Beginning from episode one, the veteran radio personality and DJ Pierre Gonneau, who had acted as a booking agent for the Tyrants in Therapy during their disco years, became the program’s first host. Known as ‘Lucky Pierre’, his silver hair and resonant French-accented baritone lent him a distinguished air, and allowed him to act the foil to the younger and more vibrant Tyrants in Therapy. However, due to health reasons, he was forced to retire from the program in 2005.
On De Liso’s recommendation, Gonneau was replaced by the versatile character actor Time Winters, who premiered in the episode Sleeping Olympics. Starring as Dr Theodore von Dongle, he brings an effete brand of Anglophilia to proceedings. His wife, the aforementioned Tracy Winters, is also part of the cast. She plays the role of Louise LaFaux, an uppity and libidinous real estate agent, from whom the Tyrants in Therapy buy a $10 million mansion.
Two other cast members are Jennifer Taub and Jaxon Duff Gwillim, who are married in real life, and who portray the wedded Shelley and Sheldon Schlumpmeister, a couple of nouveaux riche loudmouths. (Gwillim also occupies the role of Timothy von Dongle, the substitute host.) Czech character actor Oto Brezina has the recurring role of Dr Cabeza, the Tyrants in Therapy’s thick but persistent Buenos Aires-based psychiatrist. Finally, there is the versatile John Voldstad, an old friend of AbbeAbbe’s from high school, who has filled a variety of roles in Meet The Tyrants in Therapy.
Since 2006, the Tyrants in Therapy have been posting excerpts from the program (as well as songs and short films) on the video sites YouTube, Veoh, Metacafe, Dailymotion and Funny or Die.
In 2007, Meet The Tyrants in Therapy won the West Hollywood Public-access television “Best Outside Program” award.
| Episode | Name | Directors | Stars |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 30 vicarious minutes with the Tyrants in Therapy | Tyrants in Therapy | Tyrants in Therapy, Pierre Gonneau |
| 2 | Meet the Tyrants in Therapy | Tyrants in Therapy | Tyrants in Therapy, Pierre Gonneau |
| 3 | Kind of a Drag | Ceil Gruessing | Tyrants in Therapy, Pierre Gonneau, Richard Dunne |
| 4 | Lipshtick | Tyrants in Therapy | Tyrants in Therapy, Pierre Gonneau |
| 5 | Gimme Some Lip | Tyrants in Therapy | Tyrants in Therapy, Pierre Gonneau |
| 6 | Lip Bomb | Tyrants in Therapy | Tyrants in Therapy, Pierre Gonneau |
| 7 | Phat Lip | Tyrants in Therapy | Tyrants in Therapy, Pierre Gonneau, Richard Dunne |
| 8 | Read My Lips | Tyrants in Therapy | Tyrants in Therapy, Pierre Gonneau |
| 9 | Lip Gloss | Tyrants in Therapy | Tyrants in Therapy, Pierre Gonneau |
| 10 | Liposuction | Steven Memel, Tyrants in Therapy | Tyrants in Therapy, Pierre Gonneau Gonneau, Debra De Liso, John Voldstad |
| 11 | Airheads | Betsey Cassell, Debra De Liso, Tyrants in Therapy | Tyrants in Therapy, Pierre Gonneau, John Voldstad, Stig Eldred, Andrea Herz, Zee Lo, Craig Henry |
| 12 | Lip Clips | Tyrants in Therapy | Tyrants in Therapy, Pierre Gonneau |
| 13 | Mobile Sex Therapy | Tyrants in Therapy, Debra De Liso | Tyrants in Therapy, Debra De Liso, Pierre Gonneau |
| 14 | Buffoon Therapy | Tyrants in Therapy | Tyrants in Therapy, Pierre Gonneau, John Voldstad |
| 15 | Sleeping Olympics | Tyrants in Therapy | Tyrants in Therapy, Time Winters, Oto Brezina |
| 16 | The Tyrants of Mona Lisa Hill | Tyrants in Therapy, Tracy Winters | Tyrants in Therapy, Time Winters, Tracy Winters, Jennifer Taub, Jaxon Duff Gwillim |
| 17 | No One Dancin | Tyrants in Therapy, Tracy Winters | Tyrants in Therapy, Time Winters, Tracy Winters, Jennifer Taub, Jaxon Duff Gwillim |
| 18 | Clip Trip | Tyrants in Therapy | Tyrants in Therapy, Time Winters |
| 19 | Shrink Rap | Tyrants in Therapy, Tanya Kane-Parry, Tracy Winters | Tyrants in Therapy, Time Winters, Oto Brezina, Jennifer Taub, Jaxon Duff Gwillim |
| 20 | The Day Room Sun | Tyrants in Therapy, Tracy Winters | Tyrants in Therapy, Time Winters, Oto Brezina, Jennifer Taub, Jaxon Duff Gwillim |
| 21 | Fashion Sense | Debra De Liso, Tyrants in Therapy | Brian Dyer, Tyrants in Therapy, Time Winters, Debra De Liso |
| 22 | The Patriot Show | Debra De Liso, Tyrants in Therapy | Jaxon Duff Gwillim, Max Thayer, Peter Altschuler, Debra De Liso |
Read more about this topic: Tyrants In Therapy
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