Getting 'Screwed' on Classless TV

The creators of the next “Seinfeld” could be in our midst here at Penn.

Classless TV, a comedy web series group on campus funded by the Kelly Writers House, has a new web series out this year called ”Screwed.” Classless TV releases a new series on YouTube each year with an entirely unique premise and characters, and is now in its fifth year. The videos traditionally range from five to eight minutes and are self-contained, so each episode’s plot is not dependent on the previous episode. “Screwed” has a projected six episodes for this year; the pilot has already been released, and the next one is expected by the end of the semester.

“Screwed” centers around four seniors who must deal with realistic college issues, such as ending a long-distance relationship or going to a party to meet new people. According to College senior and Executive Producer Arielle Port, the title “Screwed” takes on a double meaning.

“‘Screwed’ is very much a double entendre, because we have a group of characters who are awkward, so they’re socially screwed, but they’re also literally not screwed because they’re all virgins,” Port said. “It’s that clever, Classless, highbrow humor.”

While “Screwed” is considered raunchier than past series done by Classless TV, the show touches on a variety of themes relevant to college students.

“The show is about friendship, ultimately when you get down to it,” Port said. “It’s about these friends and how they’ll do things for each other. Our pilot is definitely a little raunchy. It touches on a lot about virginity, or lack thereof, but the rest of the show isn’t necessarily about that.”

This thematic shift from past Classless TV series has come with some challenges.

“Creatively, because this season is so different than what’s happened in the past in terms of content, I think we disagree more about what should and shouldn’t be in and how much we want to cater what we write and what we produce to our audience versus for ourselves,” College senior and head writer Liz Alexander said.

Looking at the broader Penn community, recruitment and marketing are two focuses for the coming year of Classless TV.

“If you’re interested in any part of television production, which includes writing, filming, editing [and] acting, you should come by and try it out,” Wharton junior and director Will Gregoire said.

The club is looking to be more active on social media and adhere to consistent release dates for the episodes. A big part of attracting viewers, according to College senior and Director of Photography Gray Stanton, is developing the characters.

“I’m hoping we can continue to keep the characters interesting and that they will have a chance to grow over time,” he said. “Our goal is to put out a finished product we can be proud of.”

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