Dave & Tom's 'Is It Safe?' Dangerously Close To Deal

Longtime online sketch comedy impresarios Dave Beeler and Tom Konkle (professionally known as “Dave & Tom”) know what’s funny. When they’re not winning the Edinburgh Fringe or working with Monty Python they’re busy sticking it to the History Channel. According to Dave & Tom, Tubemogul puts their current views at about 12 million. Their latest and greatest project utterly skewers that most holy (or maybe ‘milkable’) of cows, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. It’s called Is It Safe? and while they tell us they are still in discussions with Crackle, they’re still open to taking meetings.

Is It Safe? is anything but. On the surface it’s a parody of CSI and other police procedurals, but it’s so much…odder. Yes, the backgrounds are actually miniature sets blown up to normal proportions and, yes, the same guy who worked on Starship Troopers and Predator created them. Yes, it’s reminiscent of a Peter Sellers Pink Panther film, and, yes, it carries that unique mix of high and low brow humor for which British comics are so well known. It’s a green screen powered frolic through the unfettered imaginations of a lightly unhinged mind. It’s the type of web show that’s helping define what is possible online while smashing through what we thought was permissible. Think Adult Swim

with less non-sequitor and a little more pun.

Currently the show exists as one well produced pilot presentation created in conjunction with Pith-E Productions. Shot in HD, Is It Safe? was originally meant for cable network pitching, especially as a counter-programming option for Spike, which already runs CSI reruns in heavy rotation. Dismissed as “too smart for the demo,” Dave & Tom pitched a few more places, eventually brightening on the idea of offering Is It Safe? as a web series.

“We wanted to do something different. We knew we were tired of The Office-style mockumentary,” said Tom, “and nobody has completely mapped out what you can do in comedy with a green screen.”

Dave added, “We’re professional actors who can offer turnkey production. We’re finding out that’s very attractive.” With a possible Crackle deal still on the table, Is It Safe? could still become someone else’s baby—but don’t worry, you can always buy a little piece of Dave & Tom right here.

UPDATE: We heard from Dave & Tom who called to clarify that the show is still in discussions with Crackle amongst other parties and no deal has been made at this point.