Late Night TV Is About to Get Downright Gaar-ish

Go ahead, touch that dial.

Or, at least, hit that remote control with a Dorito-calloused thumb, citizen. Turn your familiar little TV on, we're suggesting, for a humorous stance on the place where you are. Brian Gaar, popular Austin-based comedian and Twitter phenom – actually hilarious Twitter phenom – is the host of a new nightly show on the CW, ATX Uncensored-ish, that's going to skewer the news of the day, to explore the ins and outs of our "Keep It Weird" city while highlighting the talent of local comics.

Yes, ATX Uncensored-ish.

"I made them add the 'ish' on the end," says Gaar, taking a break from his newly hectic schedule, chilling outside a local java joint. "Because, c'mon, we're not uncensored, we're on network TV. The idea is that they wanna be 'edgy.' Which I hope they know what they're getting into. Like, what is their idea of edgy and what is my idea of edgy? That might be two different things." He laughs, scratches at his dark scruff of beard. "But, no," he says, "they've been great."

That "they" who've been "great," that's the instrumentality of the local CW affiliate. The people responsible for bankrolling this upcoming Monday-through-Friday comedy show. The people who ganked the easy-going, mid-30s, Louisiana-born Gaar from his longtime job as tech reporter for the Austin American-Statesman so he could head-honcho this new! exciting! television! gig.

And he won't be alone in the deal.

"It was kind of like a puzzle, putting it all together," says Gaar. "Because I bring a certain, you know, a certain style, a certain energy, a certain look. So we wanted people different than me. And we wanted those people to complement each other. So we found this guy Joe Barlow out in Illinois. He was working for this little CBS station out in Champagne, Ill., filming this weird shit, all these weird little segments. And he was dry as shit, always like the straight man – but he knew what he was doing, and it was all really well shot and edited, so we got him. And then I wanted Kath Barbadoro, because I knew her from the scene, and I knew she was funny, and I needed help writing the monologues. So we brought her on, too. I want more, but that's who we've got right now."

But also, for guest appearances, some of the best comics in the country – who live right here in town.

"Yeah, I don't think this show would be possible in another city," says Gaar. "Because our secret weapon is the comedy scene here – and I fully plan to exploit the shit out of it. Not really, not exploit, but, already, we've had Maggie Maye, we've had Ralphie Hardesty, we've had the Master Pancake guys. And we're doing a monthly live show at Spider House that I host – and we'll put some of their jokes on the show. So they get exposure, we get to fill a couple of minutes on the show. I really want this thing to be a platform for comics, to become its own institution with all this other stuff."

Sure, the scene in Austin is a strong one – even the distant media movers-and-shakers on both U.S. coasts know that. So why Gaar, out of all these other players, as host of this ATX Uncensored-ish?

"That's a great question," says the comic. "And, well, the executive producer contacted a bunch of people, and a bunch of people auditioned for it – it wasn't just me. I think what helped me stand out a little bit was Twitter, and I'd done an album, and I'd just recorded a video special. So she contacted me about it, but ... you know how that goes. You have any presence at all, you get contacted for a bunch of stuff, like Montreal's Just for Laughs Festival or Last Comic Standing or whatever. And the first one of those, you think, 'Oh shit, this is awesome, I'm on my way!' And then nothing. And this is the first thing I've gotten, comedywise. But you don't get your hopes up, you know? So, honestly? I forgot to call her back. This was during SXSW, so I was out having a good time and I completely forgot. But I touched base with her two days later, and we had a great conversation, and later she told me, 'I knew you were the one, when you didn't call me back.' I was like, 'I wasn't playing hard-to-get, I just forgot.'"

And now here he is, Brian Gaar, ex-journo, video-game junkie, observational comic, doing the network television thing.

"Yeah," he says, "for once in my life I'm not on the safe path. Journalism was sort of the safe path. Which I know sounds ridiculous, talking about journalism as safe" – he laughs, shakes his head – "but it was what I'd always known, and it was steady work. And comedy is completely crazy. But I figure, if I'm gonna do it, now is the time. And if it lasts only a year, at least I've done something I love for a year and made a living off it. If it lasts 10 years, that's great. At this point I just wanna see what will come of it."

A grackle lands about a foot away, staking a claim on the edge of the cafe's picnic table. Gaar doesn't punch it in the eye. 

"And I want to do it in Austin," he continues, "because it's completely possible. I mean, I understand why people move, why they go to New York and L.A. – because that's what you do, that's the progression you go to. But from my circumstance, and being a little bit older, I don't wanna be a road comic. I'll do that sometimes, but I wanna build something here and see that flourish, and see Austin become more than it is. Everybody talks about 'It's such a good scene, it's such a good scene,' and that's true. But what's after that? Can we get to whatever the next level is, as a scene? That's what I want to find out. This is something I need to do for myself, and it feels like an honest move toward something I'm truly passionate about. Doing this show five days a week, every week – that's gonna be hard, yeah. But fuckin' doing stand-up is hard, too. If it was easy, anybody would do it."

The grackle makes a harsh, ratchety sound, flies off to another table.

"It's the best job," says Gaar, grinning against the Texas sun, "to get paid to write jokes all day."

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ATX Uncensored-ish premieres Monday, Sept. 28 on the CW Austin at 9:45pm. See www.thecwaustin.com for more info.