Rhett & Link: Commercial Kings Series Premiere

They scream at us, as well as irritate, educate, and amuse. “They” are commercials, and they’re everywhere. They also come in a variety of forms, from the high-production ads during the Super Bowl to low-budget pitches for local car dealerships and restaurants. Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal are comedians who actually love those local commercials, so much that they’ve made a string of viral videos, ads for small businesses and McDonalds, and, now, their own series, IFC’s Rhett & Link: Commercial Kings .

Rhett and Link have been best friends since first grade. They know each other very, very well, and often, they eerily appear to think in unison. No doubt, this is an asset when they’re constructing comedy routines. It also might help in Commercial Kings , where each week’s schedule is tight, as the pair is assigned to create commercials for real life small businesses. Creating a bad commercial can have significant consequences for the company.

Of course, they pick colorful characters for their clients, with large personalities or personal idiosyncrasies. Each commercial production story on the show is divided into three parts: initially, we hear the business owner’s own vision of the business, then we see the commercial shoot, and finally we witness “The Reveal,” as the clients watch the finished commercial. As it turns out, Rhett and Link some good advertisements—with a few small glitches.

In the series premiere, Rhett and Link help two separate pet-oriented business owners, one who runs Holiday Hotel for Cats, a boarding “resort,” and another called Super Shmuttle, a “shuttle for mutts” that provides dog-sitting services, including daily trips to the park for playtime. Holiday owner Margaret says she speaks “cat,” while Shmuttle owner Judy is a tattooed, ‘60s-style Earth Mother who wants all her doggie customers to get along in a spirit of love. It’s clear that Rhett and Link find both women to be a bit eccentric. During their initial interactions with Margaret, it appears they don’t connect so well.

Aside from these two instances, though, the finished commercials are catchy, with production values above the average local commercial. In one episode, the guys work with Troy, an award-winning, African American salon owner who wants to bring more “non-black” business into his shop. Rhett and Link worry briefly about how to bring up race in the ads, then plunge right in. When they instruct Troy to refer to a white woman as a “snowflake,” both the woman and Troy’s staff object, so they quickly change the script. To lighten the mood, the pair decides to experience the salon’s services, with Rhett getting a multi-colored upsweep Mohawk and designer nails and Link getting a massage and cornrows: when he agrees to take off his glasses, Rhett’s suddenly no longer a dweeb.

Green Bay Packers Super Bowl Parade: TV Schedule, Time, Location ...

The Green Bay Packers will be hosting a  Super Bowl parade  -- err, non-parade celebration -- on Tuesday. Packers fans were able to celebrate with the team when they arrived in Green Bay on Monday but this is the formal celebration for their Super Bowl XLV victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Here are the basics on the celebration including TV schedule, time, location and tickets.

What : It's being tabbed "Return To Titletown" and it's a non-parade celebration. 

Who : Mark Murphy, president and CEO of the Packers, general manager Ted Thompson, head coach Mike McCarthy and some of the Packers.

Tickets : They're five bucks a pop but don't worry this isn't a total money grab. A portion of the proceeds will be going to Packers Foundation charities. 

Time : It is scheduled to be from 4:00-5:00 p.m. (CT) on Tuesday. Some schools are letting out early on Tuesday so that kids can attend the event.

Location : The event will be taking place at Lambeau Field. If you're planning on attending, bundle up, The temperature is expected to be seven degrees at Lambeau Field on Tuesday and -4 degrees by Tuesday night. 

Certain photos copyright © 2011 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.

Scoreboard data copyright © 2011 by STATS LLC. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC is strictly prohibited.

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