Fresh from the mind of two talented actors and soon to be stars comes FAIL. Based on the trials of their college years, Vanessa Baden and James Bland bring us a new and fresh yet reminiscent show about a group of semi-adults and how they bond and through their misadventures deliver us scripted comedy along the lines of some of our favorites from back in the day. I had the chance to wrap with the two and get a lot more in detail and I for one am looking forward to the premiere.
Parlé Magazine: So guys, I’ve heard a lot about the show and its good reception, but how did the idea of FAIL come together to get you to this point?
Vanessa: Well it started when we were in college, James was attending FAMU and I attended FSU, and we were working our way up through the entertainment ladder and one night while working on our feature script for our production company we noticed the void there was in television and decided to fill it. We pulled from our college experience because the thing is our lives are truly like sitcoms. (Laughs) We were just not normal, and decided it would be great to use all the random things that we went through.
Parlé Magazine: Thinking about my college years I definitely can see some sitcom moments (laughs) but I have to ask with everyone now a day’s displaying their lives on T.V. How would this be different from shows like Real World and College Hill?
Vanessa: Well the brand of comedy is totally different from a lot of shows that are out now, aside from the show being scripted and not reality T.V. we studied shows like Martin and Community & resembled the very heavy dialogue and situational comedy. We also have the variety over those very over the top characters that you learn to love because of the outlandish situations and they are the same crazy people we all have in our lives. (laughs)
Parlé Magazine: Speaking of characters in our lives, I was also wondering how do these characters connect and does that drive the show? I understand there are several main characters?
James: Well you know the show is about the characters and how they came together and why they stayed together. So Hope and Jones were both put on academic probation because they were focusing on all the wrong things in life like money and the breezy’s (LOL) and decided they needed to figure out a way to get through their classes so they created a study group. From there they bring in different people that they think can help them pass the class, for example they bring in Billy Jean cause they “think” she’s smart and the study group becomes the catalyst for their experiences.
Parlé Magazine: Keeping with the idea of using your own life as the story what made you choose to convey yours as well as the other characters as scripted instead of reality T.V. stars?
James: Well mainly because at the end of the day we are artists. We’re just true artists and we just tried to create a platform for us to perform and express ourselves through our art. And after studying older shows like Martin we wanted to create an opportunity for other actors to showcase their talents and be taken seriously.
Parlé Magazine: I’m glad you mentioned Martin again, personally that was a favorite of mine and was a wildly popular show in its time. What do you think that you guys will bring either similar or different from shows like Living Single and Martin that will secure your place in T.V. history?
Vanessa: You know something that we’ve noticed is that it’s all real. The stories and are real and the actors are real, which are some of the characteristics those shows we loved had. The actors weren’t necessarily Hollywood born and bred and through that we’re able to bring the same type or realism and believability to the show. In Fresh Prince of Bel- Air Will Smith was a rapper before then and the same for Queen Latifah (Living Single) and there is a certain quality of genuine actions our actors share with them.
Parlé Magazine: You guys seem very enthusiastic about this product and well prepared. I’m getting excited about it myself and can’t wait for the premiere.
Vanessa: I hope you feel the same way after the premiere! (Laughs)
Parlé Magazine: (Laughs) Aside from my own personal excitement you’ve also garnered the attention of celebrities like T-Pain and other professionals in the industry. How does that make you feel about your creation?
James: Feels good, it’s an exhilarating because we really put our entire selves into the project. At the time we were both unemployed and weren’t booking any acting jobs and in a bit of a rough spot. So we decided to put all of our creativity into our production and hoped that people would get it, that they would bite into the idea. It became my obsession, and honestly I am so excited about FAIL and what we’ve put into it that the success to me is inevitable.
Parlé Magazine: There’s that great enthusiasm again. I’m definitely looking forward to the show and I wish you guys the best of luck.
James: Thanks man I really appreciate
Vanessa: Yes, thanks for the time.
Readers May Also Like:
Are Drake & Sexyy Red Dating? — “Just Met My Rightful Wife.”
Tupac Shakur’s Gold Ring To Sell At Auction For Jaw-Dropping Price
Dwayne Johnson To Earn Highest Actor Payday Ever For Next Movie
Ariana Grande & Her Husband Have Split Up? The Truth Is…
