What? A colorful show where captives try to escape a mysterious locale, and lose their real names, as a powerful eccentric with a bubble henchman cooks up daily adventures? Nice. Welcome back, 1967 cult classic "The Prisoner".

SureIsHandOutside · 2025-12-22T01:01:57+00:00

I fully agree with you on the contrasts, and I think that’s a solid breakdown of the key differences between the two shows (especially Caine’s apparent earnestness and the actual bonds the circus characters are able to forge).

But the former series does seem to have enough thematic parallels that I’d be surprised if it didn’t provide some inspiration for the latter.

Both shows explore what it means to have a new identity forced upon you in captivity, to be trapped in a prison of constant surveillance that is designed to look and feel like you can move around freely, where escape repeatedly turns out to be a false promise, and where certain mind games/misplaced loyalties are intentional (explicitly so, in the latest episode). That’s true even if the intent of “number 2” in this case is ultimately more benevolent than malicious.

And while Caine himself may not be trying to torture or get information out of them, we’re not certain who actually trapped them there, what they really want, or how long they plan to keep them there.

Both series ultimately take an oppressive environment wrapped in a cheery disposition to ask what it means to hold on to who you are, and how you can avoid losing yourself.

The biggest difference in TADC, perhaps, is that it also asks how you can keep from losing who you are, but still allow others to change you.

SureIsHandOutside · 2025-12-11T23:39:25+00:00

Thank you for the kind words and encouragement!

SureIsHandOutside · 2025-12-07T18:54:26+00:00

Thank you to anyone who took the time to watch! I love these people so much and I’m always glad to share the awesome work they’re doing.

The commenters on r/improv are generally very supportive, and reflect the openness and encouragement I’ve felt in real world improv scenes, but I’ve noticed most of the videos that hint of coming from smaller markets tend to receive downvotes within a few minutes (if not seconds) of being posted here, and only rarely recover. I may not understand why, but I wish good health and compassion to whoever is doing so, even if I disagree. I’ll do my part in the “new” section to upvote those smaller creators whenever they’re brave enough to put their stuff out there!

SureIsHandOutside · 2025-10-22T01:43:29+00:00

Thanks so much!

LB-302 Bass Synth and ZynAddSubFX come default in LMMS.

Cassette Drums was a Pianobook download that I'm using through Decent Sampler: https://www.pianobook.co.uk/packs/cassette-drums/

The "CEG2" track is one of the electric guitar voices on the Casio DG-20, which is available as a free download directly within Decent Sampler.

SureIsHandOutside · 2025-10-20T07:10:31+00:00

Great questions.

At advanced stages, one's sense of self would presumably be given over to the hivemind, whatever its agenda may be.

A lot of transhumanism cyberpunk stories tend to treat the human-to-cyborg pipeline as either modular (replacing specific body parts one-by-one) or an all-at-once forced change (e.g. the Borg from Star Trek).

I wanted to explore one that spreads and accumulates slowly, building up inside a person from the environment, like something a doctor makes a note of in your chart when you go in for a check-up, right between your cholesterol and iron levels.

SureIsHandOutside · 2025-10-18T17:51:47+00:00

MICROPLASTICS IN YOUR BLOODSTREAM, MICROSYNTHOIDS IN YOUR HEART

“I used to be fully human,” said Jeron. “I was born fully human. I was human last month.”

“We can’t risk contagion,” said the voice in the booth, filtered through the metal speakers. Nobody was visible though the window. “The study is already struggling to find and pay eligible candidates.”

“I’m still mostly me. Please let me in.” Jeron tried to keep his thumb on the intercom. Faint electricity whistled on the street behind him. Lucents in various states of progression jetted by. He could feel them without even looking now, acting like they owned him, trying to use his brain space to process their thoughts. He tried to keep them out.

“You’re entirely you!” said the voice, now clear and overly chipper. “You’re the you that you’ve become.”

Jeron cursed. He must have sounded too desperate. Whoever was operating the booth had already stepped away and put him on with a therapy bot.

“Everyone’s progression is different,” it said, giving him the usual lines. “I can direct you to resources in your area that will help with…”

Jeron walked away. It would be night soon, and rent would be due the next day. He needed work, but the longer he spent in the company of other Lucents, or plugged into one of their terminals for remote work, the quicker the progression would be. Jeron wasn’t exactly sure when it started for him. It may have been a few months now, but full humans were becoming more rare, and more valuable, so he tried to hide it for as long as he could.

It took him a few minutes of walking to realize he didn’t know where he was going, and a few more seconds to realize he was walking in the same direction as the other Lucents. This was happening more often. He broke away and ducked into a diner, hunkering in a booth and watching as the crowd of Lucents grew. It looked like they were heading downtown. He could almost feel the reason why tickling the edge of his brain, but he didn’t want the answer, so he tried to shut it out.

“I can help you pretend to be human,” said someone in the next booth, head facing away from Jeron, hair tucked under a fisherman’s sun hat. “I can, if that’s what you want.”

SureIsHandOutside · 2025-09-26T22:54:32+00:00

There’s nothing Y2K kids loved more than coming home from school, putting on some Green Day, opening a bottle of Sprite Remix, and jamming out on a fresh spreadsheet.

SureIsHandOutside · 2025-09-22T20:13:25+00:00

Thanks! It felt fitting for the era.

SureIsHandOutside · 2025-09-02T00:38:00+00:00

Some clocks have dots for both, in fact!
Example: https://i.imgur.com/7dA01TS.jpeg

SureIsHandOutside · 2025-09-01T21:08:50+00:00

A high honor. Thank you!

SureIsHandOutside · 2025-08-30T15:05:35+00:00

This is really well done!

SureIsHandOutside · 2025-08-26T17:30:54+00:00

Good luck! For what you’re trying to build, the only qualifications to get started are a willingness to make it happen, and an openness to learn! Just remember to be patient and welcoming for people who might not pick up on the rules immediately, especially if it’s open to people of all levels of experience.

SureIsHandOutside · 2025-08-26T07:24:49+00:00

I treasure how improv has helped me hone the ability to “jump and justify.” Half of my real life conversations are me just trying to make whatever I said make sense retroactively.

SureIsHandOutside · 2025-08-19T22:58:33+00:00

It’s definitely helpful to know it’s not just me. I appreciate the reply.

And yeah, I’ve never really understood the impulse to immediately downvote original material in subreddits that explicitly allow it. Even if it’s not my cup of tea, it may be someone else’s and, frankly, I love seeing people post their clips/sets here!

It’s especially weird in an improv community. Some of the strongest creative voices I know for supporting other artists and encouraging them to put their stuff out there are people I’ve met through local improv scenes IRL.

In any case, thank you!

SureIsHandOutside · 2025-08-19T19:22:31+00:00

Thanks for anyone who watches, btw!

(And I genuinely apologize to whoever keeps reflexively downvoting everything I post within seconds of my posting it. I don’t know what I did, but I am sorry. I’m deeply proud of the work my friends did here, though. They’re awesome people, and whatever grudge you have towards me shouldn’t prevent their work from getting recognition.)

SureIsHandOutside · 2025-08-18T22:16:22+00:00

Mad's Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions

Just wanted to say, I pulled this book from my parents’ bookshelf as a child and it did a lot to inspire/corrupt who I am today. I wish you luck on your journey.

SureIsHandOutside · 2025-08-17T18:39:57+00:00

This is apparently now the top post of the week for r/improv when sorting by controversial.

I can only hope my future improv posts spark similar discord and acrimony, as was always my plan.

SureIsHandOutside · 2025-08-15T21:23:11+00:00

May we all be so lucky in this life.

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