AMC has ordered an anthology series called Dispatches from Elsewhere, created by and starring comedic actor Jason Segel in his return to television. Also starring Sally Field (Forrest Gump, Smokey and the Bandit), Andre Benjamin of R&B group Outkast (Four Brothers, Idlewild), Eve Lindley (Mr. Robot), and Richard E. Grant (Hudson Hawk, Gosford Park), Segel will executive produce with Scott Rudin, Eli Bush and Garrett Basch for AMC Studios. Filming began earlier this year.
Segel returns to television for the first time since the hit show, How I Met Your Mother to create his first show. Though he has many writing credits to his name such as Forgetting Sarah Marshall, The Muppets, and Sex Tape, this is his first creation for television and looks to take a drastic steer away from his usual comedic roots. In a summary by AMC, they described the series as,
“Four ordinary people feel there’s something missing in their lives, but can’t quite put their finger on what it is, are brought together by chance – or perhaps it’s by design – when they stumble onto a puzzle hiding just behind the veil of everyday life. As they begin to accept the mysterious Dispatches from Elsewhere challenges, they come to find that the mystery winds deeper than they imagined, and their eyes are opened to a world of possibility and magic.”
Jejune Institute
The first phrase in the trailer, “Welcome to the Jejune Institute,” is strange and an interesting rabbit hole to get lost in. According to Vice,
“The Jejune Institute might have gone the same way. Over three years, the game/art installation/social movement became a living metafiction, encompassing a series of “episodes” staged around San Francisco as well as an online community. You might call it an alternate reality game, but its creator insists the term is insufficient.”
If you missed the odd experience from 2008-2011 here’s a quick recap. Through word of mouth and strange posters around San Francisco led people from all walks of life on a strange and creepy scavenger hunt regarding a missing teen-punk girl, Eva in the 1980s.
As you followed the clues, the story got more complicated and after three years the Jejune Institute was closed, telling everyone it was simply a study. ARG is how they describe it, “alternate reality game”.
It’s a strange mystery that may never be fully answered and was deeply investigated in Spencer McCall’s 2013 documentary “The Institute.” It is an interesting film but may leave you with more questions.
This odd and interesting tale is definitely one to feed into a creative wonder, and gives Segel and the producers plenty to explore and create.
Must Find Clara – Eva?
From the trailer, we are given quite a bit of information. A voice is heard telling our “contestants” they must find Clara. We can only assume that he has brought these people together to solve a kidnapping or something. He also goes on to say that behind this world, there is a
hidden world. What does this mean? Will we be traveling to another dimension, or breaking down the barriers of our mind. One way or the other, I suppose we will find out.
AMC has had a strong history for great television shows like Breaking Bad and The Walking Dead in recent memory and has a knack for exposing top tier acting from its men and women. Look at Bryan Cranston’s turn as Walter White in Breaking Bad. Many mixed reactions came before the first episode. “That guy from Malcolm in the Middle?”, how’s that going to be any good. Jason Segel has had a wonderful career but I expect to see an entirely different side of his ability in Dispatches from Elsewhere.
‘Dispatches from Elsewhere’ Trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaSsQ6pWH0U
