Alive from Off Center
Encyclopedia
Alive from Off Center, renamed to Alive TV in 1992, was an American
arts anthology television series aired by PBS
between 1984 and 1996.
Each week, the series featured experimental short films by a mixture of up-and-coming and established directors. Notable installments included As Seen on TV, starring comic actor Bill Irwin
as an auditioning dancer who becomes trapped in a television, wandering among daytime dramas, MTV, and PBS's own Sesame Street
, and the atmospheric puppet melodrama Street of Crocodiles
, adapted by the Brothers Quay
from the Bruno Shultz story.
Other installments included Dances in Exile directed by Howard Silver, a recorded dance piece with text by David Henry Hwang
and choreography by Ruby Shang; and another directed by Jonathan Demme
.
Arguably the series' best-known episode was What You Mean We?
a short film written by, directed by, and starring Laurie Anderson
and aired in 1986. Anderson later came back to host the final season of the series in 1987, assisted by "The Clone", a masculine version of Anderson created by digitally altering her image and obscuring her voice that had been introduced in What You Mean We?
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
arts anthology television series aired by PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
between 1984 and 1996.
Each week, the series featured experimental short films by a mixture of up-and-coming and established directors. Notable installments included As Seen on TV, starring comic actor Bill Irwin
Bill Irwin
William Mills "Bill" Irwin is an American actor and clown noted for his contribution to the renaissance of American circus during the 1970s. He is known for his vaudeville-style stage acts, but has made a number of appearances on film and television and won a Tony Award for a dramatic role on...
as an auditioning dancer who becomes trapped in a television, wandering among daytime dramas, MTV, and PBS's own Sesame Street
Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
, and the atmospheric puppet melodrama Street of Crocodiles
Street Of Crocodiles
Street of Crocodiles is a 21-minute-long stop-motion animation short subject directed and produced by the Brothers Quay and released in 1986....
, adapted by the Brothers Quay
Brothers Quay
Stephen and Timothy Quay are American identical twin brothers better known as the Brothers Quay or Quay Brothers. They are influential stop-motion animators...
from the Bruno Shultz story.
Other installments included Dances in Exile directed by Howard Silver, a recorded dance piece with text by David Henry Hwang
David Henry Hwang
David Henry Hwang is an American playwright who has risen to prominence as the preeminent Asian American dramatist in the U.S.He was born in Los Angeles, California and was educated at the Yale School of Drama and Stanford University...
and choreography by Ruby Shang; and another directed by Jonathan Demme
Jonathan Demme
Robert Jonathan Demme is an American filmmaker, producer and screenwriter. Best known for directing The Silence of the Lambs, which won him the Academy Award for Best Director, he has also directed the acclaimed movies Philadelphia, Rachel Getting Married, the Talking Heads concert movie Stop...
.
Arguably the series' best-known episode was What You Mean We?
What You Mean We?
What You Mean We? is the title of a 1987 American made-for-television musical short film starring singer Laurie Anderson, who also wrote and directed the piece.-Overview:...
a short film written by, directed by, and starring Laurie Anderson
Laurie Anderson
Laura Phillips "Laurie" Anderson is an American experimental performance artist, composer and musician who plays violin and keyboards and sings in a variety of experimental music and art rock styles. Initially trained as a sculptor, Anderson did her first performance-art piece in the late 1960s...
and aired in 1986. Anderson later came back to host the final season of the series in 1987, assisted by "The Clone", a masculine version of Anderson created by digitally altering her image and obscuring her voice that had been introduced in What You Mean We?