The Brendan Leonard Show - Background and Legacy
The Story of How this ABC Family Show Became a Teen Hit
Jul 13, 2008 Alexander Rogowsky
The Brendan Leonard Show made its national debut on ABC Family on May 26th, 2003. Prior to that, the show had enjoyed public access fame. It featured Brendan Leonard as the host, producer, director, and editor. The rest of the cast included a large number of Brendan's friends (all approximately 15 years old), and other Leonard family members. Each episode featured a particular band, whose music was used throughout the show. The show was a fantastic blend of new takes on traditional sports, hilarious skits, and all sorts of mischief. The entire show was filmed in Winnetka, Illinois, usually at the Leonard home, but sometimes also at Brendan's high school and the local park. Sadly, only one season (40 episodes, to be exact) were produced and aired.
An Unlikely Success
What made the show a hit was how personal it was. The filming crew consisted only of Brendan's brother and his brother-in-law. Every once in a while, other members of Brendan's family could be seen throughout the show too. The same group of Brendan's friends appeared in each show, allowing the viewers to get to know them quite well. After seeing a few episodes, you start to feel like you are part of the whole gang.
That wasn't the only reason the show was a success. The BLS flourished with originality. Being produced so naturally, there was none of the usual Reality TV embellishment. Everything was real. None of these guys had any professional experience before being on the show, yet it was extremely popular. Even when the group was performing a planned skit, you could tell that they weren't just reciting lines. They were really into it. It was real Reality TV.
Finally, what made the show so well liked, was how different it was. What few comparisons to other shows that have been made are still far off. The closeness, the reality, and the overall humour of the show made fanatics out of some teens. The guys of the Brendan Leonard Show were pretty average, but each one had their quirks. The Brendan Leonard Show is not your average humour. You have to be able to appreciate the little things, because the acting is so loose. And you also have to be able to appreciate a certain amount of wackiness, because there's plenty. The BLS isn't for everyone, but most people can find the humour in it.
Then what?
Since the show has come to an end, the cast and crew have moved on with their lives, of course. But you might be able to catch Brendan or his family members posting videos on their website, Camp Jinx. The Leonard family now has their own film production company called Picture Show Films.
As for a legacy of the show, it's definately still going strong. There are still a number of fan-sites, quote collections and petitions to get the BLS back. At one point, there were rumours of a DVD of the show, but it never seemed to surface. You can still catch clips of the show on YouTube and on the Picture Show Films website.
BLS fans are always dedicated. They love to introduce new people to the show. But deep down inside them, each one yearns for the day that they can once again sit back and watch Brendan and his friends invert traditional sports and have mud fights. Hopefully that day will come.
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