“˜Super Seniors’ brings college antics to TV

By Willy Flockton
Daily Bruin Contributor

Lesbians. Blind dates that go horrendously wrong. The
possibility of a future plot line based around a severe case of
gonorrhea. You just don’t know what goes on in the minds of
22-year-old guys.

“Some people might be offended,” said Jeff Kmiotek,
half of a dynamic duo that creates and stars in “Super
Seniors,” the latest show to hit the airwaves of the UCLA TV
channel 29 on Monday night.

The situation comedy revolves around two guys, Jeff and John,
who are involved in the typical antics of any college seniors who
really “value” education.

“School is rarely mentioned,” said John Vasquez, the
other brain behind the show. “It’s pretty close to our
actual lives. We play two sixth-years that are complete idiots; but
it’s a little different from reality ““ we are
fifth-years.”

“We base it on situations that we have been in our own
lives. But we embellish it a bit because our lives are not that
good. These guys do nothing, except that they get into little
adventures every episode. People might recognize some of it,”
said Kmiotek, hoping that he will graduate in communication studies
this quarter.

The first episode already attempts to create a stir, dealing
with controversial adult themes. Vasquez meets his gorgeous new
neighbor, but through subtle innuendo thinks she is a lesbian.
Meanwhile, Kmiotek meets a girl on the Internet and goes on a
disastrous blind date.

“We are just two basic lovable idiots. We’re kinda
dumb in a smart way,” Kmiotek said.

The first episode took four days of shooting and a week of
eight-hour days to edit. Kmiotek and Vasquez have an long list of
credits in the show as well. They starred, directed, produced,
edited, wrote and even through trick photography, filmed scenes
they were in. Humor comes naturally to them.

“Writing is the easy part. We take turns writing one scene
and the next. Jeff just tells corny jokes,” Vasquez said.

Kmiotek, however, believes that the lines are more than just
corny humor.

“It is really what we would say in these situations. The
point is to laugh at ourselves,” Kmiotek said.

The show does attempt to put its own unique stamp on the sitcom
genre. Another character in the show, Jason Miller, actually sings
all his lines. While Jason composes the incidental music for
“Super Seniors,” the same composer who wrote the
“Frazier” theme composed the theme music for
“Super Seniors.”

“We have done nothing like this, so the show is pretty
good. The next episode will be better,” said Vasquez. Kmiotek
has had previous television experience, as the executive sports
producer for “Bruin News 29″ last year.

The duo hopes to produce a new episode every two weeks of this
quarter with a total season of five episodes. They have recruited
40 new people to relieve the staff shortage. This is the first
sitcom ever broadcasted on UCLA TV, but there is possibility of
future endeavors.

“Student Media is there to encourage these kinds of shows
and student ambitions in television. Anything students want to do
is supported,” said Arvli Ward, ASUCLA Student Media
director.

Kmiotek and Vasquez hope UCLA students take the time to tune
in.

“We just hope people watch it,” Kmiotek and Vasquez
said.

TELEVISION: “Super Seniors” screens
on channel 29 in the dorms and live on the Internet at 10:30 p.m.
all this week. All episodes are archived, so if you miss the latest
episode, just go to www.uclatv.com.