Many people view depression and other mental health issues in negative terms, no thanks to the typical tropes that have been attached to mental illness in mainstream media. In reality, daily life can be quite mundane for people who deal with various mental health issues; problems that are actually more annoying than life-altering.
However, getting through those problems with a sense of humor can make a remarkable difference in the lives of those who suffer from depression. When dealing with life’s highs and lows, it’s true that laughter is the best medicine, and the acclaimed comedy web series SAM AND PAT ARE DEPRESSED is perfect evidence of that credo.
Co-executive produced and co-written by Bri Castellini and Chris Cherry (who play, respectively, Sam and Pat), this comedic yet relatable look at living with mental health returns for its second season March 25th on Stareable and Seeka TV. Season 1 of SAM AND PAT can also be seen on both platforms.
Complimenting each episode of SAM AND PAT is season 1 of the podcast BRI AND CHRIS ARE DEPRESSED, which can be heard on several audio platforms including iTunes and Spotify. Co-hosted by Castellini and Cherry, the podcast covers many of the mental health issues portrayed in SAM AND PAT. In addition, listeners can contact Castellini and Cherry on Twitter (@_UndeadBurrito_) with their questions for season 2 of the podcast.
L-R: SAM AND PAT ARE DEPRESSED co-stars Bri Castellini (as Sam) and Chris Cherry (as Pat). The series’ second season drops March 25th on Seeka TV and Stareable.
Castellini and Cherry also invite viewers to support their work via Stareable’s new Enrich service, which allows content creators to offer unique content that takes their series beyond the normal viewing experience in exchange for a monthly subscription.
Viewers who pitch in $1 or $5 a month will gain access to exclusive SAM AND PAT content that’s only available to supporters. Subscribers who contribute at $5 a month can watch all episodes of SAM AND PAT’s second season two days prior to their regular premieres.
Later in this interview, Castellini and Cherry will discuss the BRI AND CHRIS podcast and the series’ ongoing fundraising program. A link to SAM AND PAT’s Stareable Enrich page is listed at the end of this story, as are links for viewers to watch the series on Stareable and Seeka TV.
While the visual look and feel of SAM AND PAT ARE DEPRESSED has improved in season 2, the show is still focused on two people who try their hardest to deal with the complexities of their mental health. While Castellini and Cherry continue to live prosperous lives in spite of their struggles with depression, they hope that their series and podcast can help viewers achieve that same existence for themselves.
Based on Castellini and Cherry’s own experiences with depression and therapy, season 2 of SAM AND PAT humorously addresses many topics similar to those explored in its first season. Yet, both of them note that SAM AND PAT’s second season will also explore a topic that many people still find difficult to discuss: antidepressants.
Besides the dynamic between Sam and Pat, what mental health issues will be addressed in season 2’s episodes?
Bri Castellini (co-star, “Sam”, creator, SAM AND PAT ARE DEPRESSED) We don’t want to give too much away, but we will be pretty heavily delving into the issue of medication, and the misconceptions and complications that go with the decision to start taking it. A handful of other topics will be things like mansplaining, your therapist shipping you, and what to do if you’re attracted to your therapist.
Chris Cherry (co-star, “Pat”, writer, SAM AND PAT ARE DEPRESSED): The big thing that we’re talking about this season is medication. Beyond that, we’re discussing a lot of the kinds of things that we talked about in season one, like what to do if your therapist is shipping you, or if they’re distractingly attractive. The thing about SAM AND PAT as a show is that it’s not really about mental illness as much as it is about characters who have mental illness. The actual issues are often very small. We’re like the SEINFELD of therapy.
Bri Castellini co-stars as Sam in SAM AND PAT ARE DEPRESSED. Castellini co-wrote and co-executive produced the series with Chris Cherry, who plays Pat.
Without going into spoilers, in what ways will Sam and Pat be affected by those issues?
Bri: Season 2 starts by breaking from the SAM AND PAT structure tradition, which immediately shakes both characters out of their comfort zones. I think that the way in which the characters see themselves, and as a result, each other, are really challenged this season. But still in funny and insane ways, of course.
Compared to season 1, how has the relationship dynamic between Sam and Pat grown and/or changed in season 2?
Bri: They’re our same favorite depressed roommates, but both of them are going through something this season that doesn’t have an easy joke solution. They still order food at the end of each episode, but often we leave things more unresolved than season 1 fans might be used to.
Chris: I don’t think it changed much between seasons. I do think it changes over the course of the season. But these are remarkably consistent characters, especially in terms of their dynamic. I think they both learn a lot about themselves this season. This season is definitely about their dynamic more than the first.
In what ways have your experiences with mental health inspired and influenced the situations presented in season 2?
Bri: As soon as season 1 was written, both Chris and I started getting ideas for season 2 episodes. Once again, it’s a season where each of us has, in some way, directly inspired the theme of the episodes. I even use something my therapist from when I was 16 worked on with me for this season. Living with mental illness is like living with constant comedic fodder, and we use it to its fullest extent.
Chris: The basis for an episode is almost always one of our own experiences with therapy, although this season, we definitely got some inspiration from other people’s experiences. After season one, we’ve both heard a lot of pitches for S&P episodes.
In addition to co-writing and co-producing SAM AND PAT ARE DEPRESSED with BrI Castellini, Chris Cherry co-stars as Pat in the series.
Professionally and personally, how has making SAM AND PAT ARE DEPRESSED impacted your lives?
Bri: Personally, I talk about mental health a lot more, and have a whole new vocabulary for what I’m feeling and how I’ve learned to cope with the ongoing reality of having anxiety/depression. Professionally, I’m just so proud of the work we’ve done on this series and I’m proud whenever someone quotes a line to me or asks what the drinking game rules are.
This is probably the most publicly well-received project I’ve worked on other than my short film ACE AND ANXIOUS (an award-winning 2017 comedy, written and directed by Castellini, that followed an asexual woman’s attempts to overcome her anxiety), and I’m so grateful I get to share that with my incredible team.
Chris: It’s honestly one of the most fulfilling things I’ve been a part of. We’ve gotten more engagement with this than with anything else that I’ve been a part of. I know people for whom our show helped them go back to therapy. That’s special to me.
In addition to the series, you’ve launched an accompanying podcast called BRI AND CHRIS ARE DEPRESSED. Discuss how this podcast serves both as an extension of the topics brought up in each episode of the series, how it addresses those same topics from a real life perspective, and how doing this podcast has helped you to come to terms with mental health issues that you’ve dealt with.
Bri: So I straight up stole the idea to make a podcast like this from NBC’s THE GOOD PLACE, because in between their (second and third) seasons they launched a companion podcast that does roughly what ours does – go through existing episodes one by one to discuss, encourage fans to re-watch while they wait for new content, and wax nostalgic.
The only thing ours does differently is that Chris and I, as depressed people, also talk about our own experience with the topics of each SAM AND PAT episode. So in the episode where Sam and Pat discuss how to introduce yourself to a therapist, Chris and I talk in the podcast about how we have traditionally introduced ourselves to therapists, and how that’s changed over the years.
What started as a marketing ploy and crowdfunding stretch goal has turned into a product I’m really proud of, though. I really enjoyed making BRI AND CHRIS ARE DEPRESSED, and I hope hearing two very honest people talk earnestly about our mental health might help someone else express their own truth. I also hope they laugh a little, because I think we’re pretty funny co-hosts.
Chris: The podcast was such a fun experience. I think listening to it is a really great way to tell exactly how much of the show is just us and how much is an exaggeration. We’re talking about the same issues but with an amount of self-awareness that the characters lack. I think it’s also been a fascinating excuse to have some really good discussions with Bri about therapy that we might not have had otherwise. It’s definitely helped me think a lot about what I want out of therapy as a process.
SAM AND PAT ARE DEPRESSED is also available through Stareable’s new Enrich program, which funds the series (and your creative work) through viewer donations. Describe how that platform works, and the additional series content that can viewers expect to see if they contribute to the show on Enrich.
Bri: Stareable Enrich is a new feature that allows us as creators to offer a freemium experience to fans. You can still see all our episodes and cast and crew and some updates for free on our Stareable page, but if you want early access to content, dramatic, high quality photos of our props, or a monthly mental health newsletter curated and written by Chris and I, you can subscribe to our monthly tiers!
We currently have two tiers available, for $1 a month or for $5 a month, with rewards specific to each one. We’d love for you to join us and support indie art while also getting some weird and cool stuff in return! If there’s something you’d like to see from us that we aren’t currently offering, let us know!
How will Stareable Enrich improve the work you do on further seasons of SAM AND PAT ARE DEPRESSED, while helping you to sustain your careers in web series creation?
Bri: We plan on keeping both the tiers and the donation button up indefinitely, because every little bit helps. It helps us buy props, pay for the hosting of our podcast, pay cast and crew, and everything in between. If fans want more seasons of SAM AND PAT ARE DEPRESSED, supporting us on Enrich is the best way to let us know that, and (to) enable it to happen!
Overall, what do you want people to take away from watching SAM AND PAT ARE DEPRESSED, and from listening to BRI AND CHRIS ARE DEPRESSED?
Bri: I hope people get more comfortable talking about their mental health, and communicating their needs to the people around them. I also hope people enjoy them as pieces of entertainment! We made them weird and funny and we hope people love watching and listening as much as we loved making them.
Chris: Therapy is normal. It can be very useful. Sometimes, it can be a source of frustration. But, either way, it’s not a sign of weakness to be in therapy. It’s a resource. Use it!
To watch seasons 1 and 2 of SAM AND PAT ARE DEPRESSED, visit:
Stareable: https://stareable.com/series/view/sam-and-pat-are-depressed
Seeka TV: www.seeka.tv/samandpat
To contribute to SAM AND PAT ARE DEPRESSED on Stareable Enrich, visit:
https://www.stareable.com/series/view/sam-and-pat-are-depressed/support
If you have any questions for Bri and Chris about SAM AND PAT ARE DEPRESSED, or if you just want to talk to them, contact them on Twitter:
@_UndeadBurrito_ (Undead Burrito Productions).
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