‘WTF 101’ TV show review
By Jacey Gibb, Distribution Manager
4/5
The jokesters over at CollegeHumor launched their own comedy streaming platform Dropout TV. I’m here to tell you if their exclusive content is worth the subscription fee.
The process of learning is inherently fun. Whether it’s learning a new skill or learning how much vodka is too much vodka, there’s a sense of accomplishment that comes with growing as an individual. Traditional schooling doesn’t always scratch that itch—but that’s where Dropout TV’s WTF 101 comes in, ready to sucker-punch you with the knowledge you didn’t really ask to learn, but now you know it, so hey, might as well regurgitate these factoids the next time you’re at a party.
Created by long-time CH cast member Mike Trapp, WTF 101 follows four detention-bound students and their teacher as they travel through the present day and past, exploring just how truly fucked up the world is. Their teacher, Professor Foxtrot, is a zany, near-unhinged woman who relishes in exposing the teens to all the horrors of the natural world and has no problem drawing very thin parallels between the students’ lives and whatever abomination she’s highlighting that week.
WTF 101 adopts a similar format to CollegeHumor’s previous series Adam Ruins Everything in that the comedy is based on factual information. The premiere episode of WTF 101 pokes fun at one of the students for cheating on a test, which sets up an exploration of the various parasitic relationships in the natural world. Similar to a bibliography, each episode ends with a slideshow of real-life photographs of the featured horrors.
As a long-time watcher of all things CollegeHumor, it’s great seeing the cast explore mediums outside of their traditional sketch comedy. The four teenagers are voiced by Katie Marovitch, Ally Beardsley, Raphael Chestang, and Zac Oyama, with long-time actress Mary Pat Gleason voicing Professor Foxtrot—and everyone knocks the voice acting out of the park. While a few of the characters feel underutilized in the first few episodes, they become more fleshed out as the series progresses.
A common thread through my previous Dropout TV reviews is that the shows’ runtimes often lag, which isn’t the case with WTF 101. Episodes run at a tight 8- to 10-minute range and could even go for longer, but they cut things off, which is exactly how a television show should be. Viewers should be left craving more, rather than checking the bottom of the screen to see how much time is left. WTF 101 is fast-paced, tightly written, and the jokes come at breakneck speed.
After finding myself not really gelling with many of Dropout’s initial offerings, WTF 101 is a refreshing addition. It’s funny, well-animated, and a great showcase for cast members to flex their vocal chops. With the show’s wide-reaching premise, nearly any topic could be covered in future episodes—and unlike the students in detention, I’m excited to see where things go next.
You can catch a brief sneak-peek of WTF 101 on YouTube, but full episodes are only offered through Dropout TV.
