Television has grown tremendously over the past few decades. Along with its technological evolution from black and white, to color, to today’s high definition clarity, the way we watch TV has also changed dramatically. It once was that watching our favorite shows was considered a passive experience, but thanks to such breakthroughs like the DVR, or streaming video platforms like Netflix, viewers can choose what they want to watch – and when – with just the touch of a remote. Indeed, watching TV is so much more than just flipping the channels. Yet, have you ever wondered just what it would be like if TV put you in the picture? Specifically, what would it be like if you found yourself in your favorite show? That’s the situation that mild-mannered Ortho Peters, the protagonist of the new web series comedy ORTHO AND HIS REMOTE, finds himself in.

The series, created by Marc C. Zatorsky, debuted on its official Youtube page on September 1st (see link below). Three episodes have aired so far, with six more to follow, airing sometime next year. ORTHO AND HIS REMOTE follows the adventures of Ortho Peters (played by Scotty Fusion), a man whose otherwise blah existence is suddenly transformed by his magical TV remote control, one that instantly catapults him into the world of television. In each episode, he becomes his favorite TV personality, and embarks on a wild and wacky series of adventures on the small screen. Demonstrating his comedic talent, as well as his versatility as an actor, Fusion portrays a diverse set of characters throughout the series.

In the first episode, he plays Connie, one of three gossipy, high society British women who appear in the reality TV spoof “The Real Housewives Of Yorkshire Drive”, while in episode 2 (“It’s Only Rock & Roll”) he plays Stanley Darrendimple, a substitute host for a public access TV rock music show who’s more suited to discussing the latest in home decor than kicking out the jams. Darrendimple finds himself in way over his head with his guest, a stoned out of his mind concert promoter named Dick Rogers (played by guest star Glen “Hemp” Alexander), resulting in an uproarious new spin on Abbott and Costello’s classic “Who’s On First” routine. Episode 3 features Fusion as dimwitted country bumpkin Cletus T. Boggs in the episode “Cletus and Nell”, a devoted husband who’s always up for poker night – but not exactly for church the next morning.

The series also stars Steve Cohen (in a voice only role) as Ortho’s “dad” Mr. Wilkens, who, after a bizarre accident where he ends up being hit with a cinder block, suddenly becomes convinced that he’s Ortho’s father – and who proceeds to make life miserable for his couch potato “son”. Cohen also appears on-screen in episode 3 as Billy Bob, who befriends Cletus in church, and who helps him to make life miserable for his beautiful wife, Nell (played by Jackie Turner). ORTHO AND HIS REMOTE was developed by Zatorsky, who sought to utilize Fusion’s incredible talents as a comedian and actor, while featuring him in sketch comedy sequences that reflect all facets of modern TV entertainment. Filmed in South Florida, Zatorsky also saw an opportunity to work with the great filmmaking community there. “I taught acting and improv at BRIFT (Burt Reynolds Institute for Film & Television) for six years, so I have met or worked with some of the local talent in South Florida. Plus, whenever we write, we keep in mind the actors and locations we can get while the script is being developed,” he says.

Described as a guerrilla-style production by Zatorsky, ORTHO AND HIS REMOTE was a team effort for all involved – both in front of the camera, as well as behind it. “Being a low-budget production filming guerrilla, everyone pitches in. It is a complete collaborative process. For example, in episode 2, at the beginning of the scene there’s a Cable Channel TV Announcer, and we were having trouble getting the right sound, and it just happened that our boomer operator had a great sounding voice, so he jumped in and did the voice over at the end of our shooting day. You never know what the next day will bring. That’s what makes it so creative. It also helps that we have a lot of fun, as the bloopers at the end of episode 3 reveal,” he says.

As Zatorsky explains, ORTHO AND HIS REMOTE is only the beginning of what he hopes will be a continued presence on the web, through quality content that will both gain viewers and also provide greater opportunities for South Florida’s incredible filmmaking community. “Our main goal was to entertain and put a smile on someone’s face and give them a break from their everyday life. ORTHO AND HIS REMOTE was our first step into creating web content. We are currently in pre-production on another suspense-comedy web series, titled TWEET, which is about Fallon Ward, a 15 year old girl who gets psychic tweets on a broken IPhone, and it ends up sending her life spiraling out of control. We are trying to use web content creation as a vehicle to build a following and a catalog of work that will showcase our writing and bring attention to the local talent in South Florida. At the end of the day, we are just story tellers, we are not looking to build a mansion; instead, we are working towards building an audience and a steady stream of content so we can be creative full time,” he says.

Influenced by such popular sketch-based comedies as SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, as well as the works of the famed Monty Python comedy troupe, ORTHO AND HIS REMOTE is sure to entertain viewers with its unique brand of humor, and perhaps give them not just great comedy, but also, a momentary escape from the otherwise hectic pace of life – one experienced through the eyes of an imaginative TV viewer named Ortho. Says Zatorsky: “Our overall message is don’t take life too seriously and take some time each day to laugh a little.”

YOUTUBE: http://www.youtube.com/user/OrthoandHisRemote

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/OrthoAndHisRemote

and https://www.facebook.com/SeeWorthyFilms

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/Seeworthyfilms

PINTEREST: http://www.pinterest.com/shawnlewis11/ortho-and-his-remote-web-series/

GOOGLE PLUS: https://plus.google.com/u/0/108398042150441796436/posts