Web TV Review: Safety Geeks: SVI

Today a new and edgy comedy Web series debuts in hi-def on Koldcast.tv called Safety Geeks: SVI. As it might sound, the show is inspired by the multitude of crime procedurals currently seen on TV.

The show follows a team of safety experts, P.O.S.H. (Professional Occupational Safety Hazard), as they investigate various workplace accidents around the world “and bits of Canada.” But for all the team’s wisdom and earnest desire, they tend to make things messier wherever they go.

While the show is similar in sensibilities to Family Guy or Adult Swim content (read funny, but un-PC adult humor); the pacing and delivery of the live-action Safety Geeks is not as rapid fire as some of its broadcast or cable contemporaries. There is actually time to digest the funny stuff. A nice feat, considering that typical Web-TV episodes are less than 10 minutes.

In Safety Geeks' first episode, “Forked Up,” we see the accident our experts will be looking into take place.  In this case, there's a warehouse problem with too many “seasonal douches” and a questionable fork-lift. The supporting cast here is on target. The employees in the accident scene have their own snappy dialogue, and it's delivered with some priceless facial expressions. The POSH team is introduced as well, starting with Reginald Syngen-Smyth (Dave Beeler, Comedy Gumbo, Archaeology of Comedy), a retired-at-birth billionaire whose family is responsible for manufacturing the ‘return key’ on every computer keyboard.

Syngen-Smyth has recruited Budwin Yacker (Tom Konkle, Comedy Gumbo, The Secret Life of the American Teenager, Archaeology of Comedy, Arrested Development), as the former head of operations at OSHA. Yacker’s unfortunate past included seeing his father decapitated during a school safety awareness project. The poor guy seems to be haunted by his past quite often, which also gives continued evidence that clowns are indeed… creepy.

The most eye-catching of the POSH lot is Dr. Randi Minky (Brittney Powell, Two and a Half Men, Phil of the Future, General Hospital, Xena: Warrior Princess). Dr. Minky is a beautiful Harvard educated lass who stripped to support herself in school, and has uncanny psychological profiling skills. The only catch is she must profile while stripping — or at the very least gyrate suggestively while analyzing a subject’s psyche.

The newest member of the team is a rather mysterious Dutch woman named Sparky Van Der Graaf, (Mary Cseh, Passions). Sparky, who is the resident computer and communications geek, has a simmering sexuality that seems to run just as deep as that of the more obvious Dr. Minky. Her turn-ons include money and cheese. And of course, every team must have its lackey, so POSH has Hopkins (Benton Jennings, Heartland, Scrubs, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Dexter). Hopkins’ skills seem to be mainly mixing martinis (often for himself) or offering snide remarks.

Article Author: Mary K. Williams

Mary K. is a freelance entertainment writer living in the Greater Boston area. She pens CD reviews for Metronome Magazine and is a former Features Editor for Hot Psychology Magazine. Mary K. has also contributed to the anthology, Brewed Awakenings.

Visit Mary K. Williams's author page — Mary K. Williams's Blog