Wheezy debuted on November 7, 1990. It tells the story of CS Jones, a quiet Starving Artist whose internet handle, derived from a high school nickname, provides the current working title.
The show is notable for its unusual format: It's made entirely in Real Life, in Real Time, and features no script or direction. The cast, crew, and audience are just whoever happen to wander in. Little of it has been written about, little moving footage of it is known to exist, and it's gone completely unadvertised, although various spinoff stories, character blogs, and pieces of Concept Art have been posted online
, to decent reception.
Production began in the D.C. metro area, then moved to Florida 10 years through its run due to Executive Meddling and cost concerns. With the move came a Halfway Plot Switch that took the series in a Darker and Edgier direction. This was widely considered a mistake. 15 years later, it relocated again to Philadelphia, where it's still set.
It's received mixed reviews, and although it may have developed a small cult following in the areas where it's produced (it's hard to tell), many have also dismissed it as "depressing," "too self-indulgent," and "lacking focus." However, all of the cast involved have been praised for their extremely convincing performances as themselves.
"Wheezy" Provides Examples Of
- Aborted Arc: The "college" arc ended very early in its run. This may have been a good thing, because it's believed it was just leading up to a "Burger Fool Job" arc.
- The "starting a band arc" has popped up a few times throughout the late '00s and early '10s, with a different supporting cast each time, but has never gone anywhere.
- The "first full-time job" arc also joined the list after only two weeks. The "second full-time job" arc didn't fare much better, at two months.
- The New York arc also lasted only four months. It was planned to last years.
- Anti-Nihilist: He hopes he is this.
- Ascended Extra: Two of Jones's former roommates, who started out as two background characters from an "anime club" sideplot.
- Big Applesauce: The production moved to Brooklyn from October 2012 to January 2013. However, due to dwindling funds, it ended up back in Florida. The arc was described as possibly the most interesting thus far, but also one of the darkest.
- Bipolar Disorder: A bad case of Type 1. In hindsight, has fundamentally shaped the whole story. Not treated until the Philadelphia arc.
- Brother Chuck: Many of the characters throughout all the arcs. See Short-Lived, Big Impact for one example.
- Coming of Age: This seems to be the overarching plot of the Florida arc.
- Crowning Music of Awesome: The soundtrack, which spans all genres and features tracks contributed by thousands of artists, has been described as one of the highlights of the production.
- Cruel and Unusual Death: One of Jones's great uncles. This will not be discussed further.
- Demoted to Extra: A common fate for cast members, most notably Jones's first girlfriend, his childhood best friend, most of his family, and almost everyone he knew in high school.
- Early-Bird Cameo: Jones's first girlfriend had a brief uncredited one four years before being properly introduced.
- Empty Fridge, Empty Life: This was the case for a most of the time Jones lived in his own apartment.
- Ensemble Dark Horse: A few characters that played minor roles during the high school and college arcs ended up as this for years afterwards, even the ones who never returned to the show.
- Expository Hairstyle Change: In early 2012, during the "moving out" arc.
- Kudzu Plot: It is often criticized for this.
- Let Us Never Speak of This Again: Don't ask him about that one Romance Arc.
- Long-Lost Uncle Aesop: Jones's second girlfriend and a few distant family members.
- Update: Second girlfriend had a cameo three years later. It didn't go well
- Myth Arc: The "Learning to Draw" arc has been running since 1993, and the "Learning to Write" arc since '95. The "Photography" arc, which started in '97, seems to have been the last major one. All three are still ongoing, with no sign of being cancelled.
- No Antagonist. Except himself.
- Short-Lived, Big Impact: A minor character from the high school arc who appeared in the series for less than three weeks before vanishing without a trace, and received little Character Development beyond a single anecdote about her horrifically Abusive Parents and Nightmare Dreams. However, she left such an impact that one of the stories within the story, written years later, features a protagonist that's almost a direct expy of her.
- Story Within a Story: The series has spawned several examples of type 1, some of which have been defictionalized:
- Trash of the Titans: Two of the places Jones has lived since leaving home. The mess was his roommates', though.
- Trope Codifier: An in-universe example. During the "TV Tropes obsession subplot" that mostly ran during the college arc, Jones started the following articles:
- Cut: What Do You Mean Hes Not Likeable
- Droste Image
- YKTTW: Dead Horse Joke
- Word Purée Title
- Portmantitle
- Reviewer Stock Phrases
- Guttural Growler
- YKTTW: Household Name
- City Noir
- So Unfunny, It's Funny
- Jerk Justifications
- Polish the Turd
- Eldritch Location
- Doomed Protagonist
- Word Salad Philosophy
- Surreal Humor
- Nightmare Face
- Macho Masochism
- YKTTW: Shift to Horror
- Cut: Race To The Bottom Of The Barrel
- Sensory Abuse
- Compliment Fishing
- Ad Dissonance
- Broken Ace (Thanks to Megan Phntm Grl for launching and Wiki Magicing the hell out of it, though. I'd entirely forgotten about it.)
- Humble Goal
- Ghetto Name
- Slow Transformation
- Mental Story
- Lethal Klutz
- Suicide Dare
- Offing the Annoyance
- YKTTW: Rapid-Fire Descriptors (Necro'ed and turned into a real page by XFllo.)
Hello - Kinkajou
Ooh, City Noir, a favorite trope of mine. Be glad you don't have snow in Tampa. ~a vandal
Your drawings are so cool. Nice work on them! Sincerely! (P.S. I'm female.) ~ Arcadiarika
One good act of vandalism deserves another. ~Zudak
I shall start watching you here and on DA. (P.S. I'm tasakeru828, if you want to reciprocate) ~ FringeBenefits
You are a great con critter. Thanks for giving me such lengthy advice on my cruddy art. -AHR
And now to set your page on fire. This is nothing new, from me anyways ;P - Nekoalexa
Dude when Ghetto Name becomes a trope I'm entry pimping it all over the place - Bold as Love
^ Oh shit, I need to update that YKTTW now. It's been comatose for months. - Wheezy
So i herd u liek churchtanks - Our GLORIOUS Leader
Thanks to you I now like "The Only Way" by Gotye. Like, a lot. So thanks. —Tre
I recently stumbled upon Wheezy a short time ago, and even though it lags a bit in-between arcs, I love its scary realism~! - Tidal_Wave_17
I never bothered to vandalise your page? A travesty! Also, I'm officially stalking you in Writer's Block and Visual Art now, just so you know. - Noaqiyeum
I invade your page for Glorious Motherland. I will suck sweet minerals from the mountains of your hopes and dreams. - Mr Mallard
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