X-Play: The Musical ... yeah, you read that right

by Alexander Sliwinski { Jan 29th 2007 at 4:00AM }

If there is anything that we've learned over the years: Musicals make everything better! Buffy the Vampire Slayer did it well and so did Scrubs, so why not the last video game review show (worth mentioning) X-play? The show has always been cheeky, like their The Breakfast Club episode and such, so this musical episode isn't really that insane. We're not even going to say it's part of G4's identity crisis. Honestly, this episode might secretly be designed to spite the network and its issues.

The music was written by GameJew (Jonathan Mann) and produced by Brian Golub. The musical episode is the brainchild of Paul Bonnano, a writer on X-Play who obviously misses when the show was still in San Francisco, a place with some redeeming culture, instead of Los Angeles. The episode will premiere Feb. 5 at 8PM on G4, then will subsequently repeat ad infinitum on the network. X-play isn't taking themselves seriously here and neither will we, definitely worth a TiVo just to see Sessler sing.

Tags: gamejew, musical, sessler, webb, xplay

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Brandon Johnson @ Jan 29th 2007 4:10AM

Actually Sessler singing is just the reason to miss this episode.

coalhalo @ Jan 29th 2007 4:54AM

Every now and then X-Play would do a skit on the show that, while not always the funniest thing, deviates from the usual gaming media crap. Even though Adam Sessler is almost unanimously scorned throughout the gaming universe, and Morgan Webb is drooled on by 12 year olds, I actually enjoy X-Play. I think it is the only show worth watching on g4tv. Attack Of The Show is trying too hard to court the Maxim/Stuff magazine demographic; the new female co-host doesn't know jack about gaming. The show co-hosted by Tommy Tallarico is a pantload. Personally, I don't see what the deal is with Tallarico. The music he did in games was nothing memorable. I guess his biggest contribution was the traveling show of Gaming Music played in concert halls; although I think it tanked financially.

So for me X-Play is the only enjoyable show on g4tv. And it was better when they were in S.F.. The move to L.A. brings with it the inevitable corruption of the tv industry and it's holy grail of "Ratings". TechTV was never given a chance, and it's only a matter of time before g4tv morphs into the Spike Channel.

Joseph Luster @ Jan 29th 2007 4:59AM

It already is Spike 2, and gamers that hate Adam Sessler are only frustrated because he's on TV and they're watching it.

levi @ Jan 29th 2007 5:09AM

People only scorn Adam Sessler out of jealousy. He's actually an extremely pleasant guy and knows his games.

VerticalEvent @ Jan 29th 2007 5:37AM

If you think X-Play is the last good review show, I think that's a sad turn of events.

I often find the show to be too off key to be a review show. They would much rather fill a review with little skits, then actually discuss a games merit.

I, personally, prefer Reviews on the Run; at least that way I get two different opinions on what a game is like, as opposed to one vague opinion and a lot of screwy skits that I couldn't care about.

IslandLife @ Jan 29th 2007 7:27AM

@VerticalEvent

I agree. I don't want to sit through a half-hour of mundane and inane skits, or listen to Morgan's tired voice as she incessantly tries to poke fun at pop culture in the middle of a review. I mean seriously, are the writers of this show all sketch comedy has-beens and rejects looking to make their "big" come-back. Just review the freakin' games. And what's with that dumb chat box at the bottom that takes up 1/3 of the screen. Who is the idiot that came up with that idea, and who are the idiots that approved it. Die G4...Just die.

Lewis @ Jan 30th 2007 3:33PM

SScrubs did it perfectly because of the manifecent show it is already but X-play just sucks so their making it suckier. I watch it to see if Symphony of the Night makes it on the list. Or Ocarina of Time.

Je2037 @ Jan 29th 2007 9:27AM

They should really stick to reviewing games. I think they think its a skit show, but its embarrassing. Whats worse is all the other G4 shows with these chick hosts who sound like they've never played a video game in their lives, read blankly from a teleprompter complete with extremely lame very forced jokes. I do, however, want to have intercourse with all of them...and therein lies the genius.. Damn you G4.

CuteUnit @ Jan 29th 2007 10:44AM

Adam is awesome :) I wish he wasn't so self deprecating in some episodes, but he has such a great temprament and doesn't seem to take himself very seriously... great qualities! Qualities self righteous stiq posters seem to lack. Lighten up!

At least think about what you're saying when you write something like this:
"Just review the freakin' games"
Reviews on the Run/Judgement day does that. Has anyone been calling it the best thing on G4 lately? Neewp. Reviews alone you can get anywhere and on demand no less. Reviews full of bitter comedy and madness you can get only on Xplay and I love them for it. They tend to agree with my own personal taste in games, too. That helps :)

Brian @ Jan 29th 2007 10:54AM

SHOCKING!

Christian @ Jan 29th 2007 11:53AM

Wow, it's amazing that Los Angeles ruined X-Play and G4. It's too bad it can't stay in San Francisco where the show had so much culture and was doing so much to alleviate poverty and world hunger and contribute so strongly to the art scene. Now it's in LA and the entire cast is doing coke and hanging out with Paris Hilton and just falling into a wasteland. Oh San Francisco, please show us the way, we in Los Angeles are so inferior to your brilliance.

Panadero @ Jan 29th 2007 11:46AM

I actually had the chance to meet Adam Sessler at the Wii launch at Universal Citywalk. Even though I only got the chance to talk to him for a couple minutes, I found him to be every bit as friendly and personable as I thought he'd be. He was just as tired as everybody else but still had a good sense of humor about it.

Nice pointless knock at LA there, too. Like where a nationally aired show that's filmed nearly entirely in a studio is based has a large effect on how commercial it tries to be. *Rolls eyes*

Doug Kaplan @ Jan 29th 2007 11:55AM

Alexander Sliwinski, I would give you 5 stars just for mentioning the Scrubs musical. Well done!

Frankie @ Jan 29th 2007 12:37PM

Christian, great post. But seriously, G4 has gone down the tubes. It was somewhat promising a few years back in its infancy half the time G4 is showing E3 footage or rebroadcasting re-runs of Cheaters. That's like cheating on your girlfriend, not up up down down left right left right b a b a start cheats.