With the popularity of streaming services, it’s become so easy to miss the latest and greatest shows. Streaming services have eliminated the traditional “seasons” shows would debut- Fall & Spring, and without that set schedule so many good ones get missed! While it provides an opportunity for some shows to gain popularity they might have missed in their time (I’m looking at you, Community) it’s always a bummer when a good one passes you by.
But- fear not! We here at Florida Comic Con love rediscovering some of the greatest sleeper hits, and today we’re here to tell you 4 reasons you should check out Con Man!
If You Were a Firefly Fan
Premature cancelation truly gets the best of the best. Firefly was a one season space drama that aired on FOX in 2002. It was praised for its cast and use of the Space Western genre, but was also written off to be a bit of a mess. The storyline could be inconsistent, the graphics weren’t the best- there was room for improvement. But! The show was only in its first year, these were things that could be fixed with time. Unfortunately, time was not on Firefly‘s side and the show was cancelled due to its low ratings. Nevertheless the show’s fan base continued to grow with time and demanded justice for the Space epic. It’s new found cult status led to the production of film sequel Serenity that was so well received it was recognized as the best Sci Fi film of all time (yes- even over Star Wars).
Con Man follows Sci Fi actor Wray Nerely as he works at comic conventions around the country. The character is based on the experiences of creator, Alan Tudyk, who was one of the stars of Firefly. While Con Man creates a fictional sci fi show for Wray Nerely to star in, it is very blatantly referencing Tudyk and his experience with Firefly. Even without name dropping it, the show makes us nostalgic for the space drama!
If You Love Cameos
While Alan Tudyk might be the star of Con Man there are plenty of other familiar faces to look out for in the shows two seasons. The show also features Firefly star Nathan Fillion– who’s career skyrocketed after the firefly cancelation with success on ABC dram-edy Castle. In addition to Fillion, Mindy Sterling is the other main actress known for her work as Frau Farbissina in the Austin Powers trilogy. Those are the three main characters- but there are so many good cameos too.
Casper Van Dien portrays bartender John Boutell. Van Dien starred in 90’s cult classic space drama Starship Troopers. The inclusion of him in the cast is no accident, poking fun at his Sci Fi origins much like Tudyk had with Firefly.
Felicia Day, who rose to success with her creation of The Guild– based on her own experiences as a gamer, plays Alan Tudyk’s assistant. She fits right in with the cast having previously worked with Fillion on Doctor Horrible’s Sing A Long Blog.
Tricia Helfer appears as herself, referencing her work in the Battlestar Galactica (2004) series.
The late, great, Leslie Jordan even makes a cameo as himself, confiding in Tudyk’s character!
There’s so many more that I won’t spoil- but Sci Fi fans rejoice, theres lot’s of fun easter eggs for you to find.
If You Love Meta
The premise of Con Man in and of itself is an incredibly meta one.
Centering itself around the commentary of Tudyk’s career post Firefly, Tudyk isn’t afraid to make fun of himself. That said- he’s not afraid to poke fun at everyone else around him, either. The show mercilessly comments on Fillion’s success as a nerdy “God” after his character, Jack Moore, found success on fictional cult sci fi show Spectrum.
In addition to making fun of themselves, Con Man also offers commentary on the convention scene. No one is safe as Con Man creates caricatures of all the types of people you’ll find at your typical comic convention. Tudyk gets in on the joke himself as his character spends the weekend confined to his booth meeting fans and signing autographs.
Rest assured, the jokes and meta commentary come from a place of endearment. It’s clear Tudyk and Fillion have paid attention to their years on the convention scene and have perfectly curated playful comedy on some of they more extreme things they’ve seen.
If You Love Supporting Indie Projects
It’s hard to believe that two guys like Alan Tudyk and Nathan Fillion can’t just produce the content of their dreams on their own- but hey, production work is expensive when you want to do it right!
Alan Tudyk and Nathan Fillion took to crowd funding of all things in order to have the budget to make the series happen. What started as seeking to get only the first three episodes funded turned into a rockstar of a campaign that contributed to the success of the whole series.
The campaign started with a goal of $425,000 in order to produce those three episodes- but ended up raising over $3.15 million dollars with almost 47,000 backers. You can still view the campaign here on indiegogo to see what options they offered backers! It truly goes to show how much heart Tudyk and Fillion have for the convention community – and how much heart the convention community has for them as well.
Where to Watch
The whole series is available to watch for free (with ads) on youtube. But if you saw the Indiegog campaign and got inspired, considering purchasing both seasons on Amazon!
Meet Con Man Actor Casper Van Dien at Brand New Tampa Bay Convention!
Casper Van Dien stars as know all- and be all- bartender John Boutell in the series Con Man. The Starship Trooper actor will be appearing both days at new convention Holiday Cosplay Tampa Bay! Tickets start at $30 and are on sale now. The convention will be held at The Tampa Bay Convention Center and features an all star line up of guests!
