Alive from Off Center

"Alive From Off Center" was produced by KTCA public television in Minneapolis. The show featured independent and cross-cultural works by artists in such media as music, dance, art, film, and comedy. It had a wonderful opening montage, featured people from unknowns to David Byrne, Charles Atlas, and John Sayles, and was scored with music from everyone from Mozart to the Pogues. I truly miss this show (and accidentally wiped out several of the shows I had on tape). It would be great if IFC could get these shows to rerun.

I liked this show so much, I created a public access TV show of my own in Lexington which was inspired by this program. I titled my show OFF THE AIR. What was so cool about this program was you never knew what you were going to see when you tuned in each week. It could be a performance artist,a profile of a painter or poet, a dancing group or a film. One thing it never was was dull. It's too bad there's not a show like this on now that is nationally seen. With the networks preferring "reality" shows because they are cheaper to produce, it wouldn't take much for them to produce a show like this. There are many talented artists of all stripes who deserve to be seen. So we need a show like this now more than ever.

I caught the last couple of seasons of this when I was in junior high (in fact, I seem to remember watching an episode either right before or right after a little league ball game in the tiny, rural Illinois town that I grew up in) and it blew my mind. I'd say much if not most of my love for and appreciation of postmodern and avant-garde art came from that show. I really wish that PBS or IFC would bring it back or release it on DVD.

On a related note, if anyone has episodes of it on tape, I'd love to see it again. Email me at the email address listed and maybe we can work out a trade or some sort of arrangement.