{ "id": "eptjvwh2ha", "slug": "magic-funhouse", "title": "Magic Funhouse!", "updated": "2026-11-01", "topic_path": [ { "id": "culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture" }, { "id": "culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series", "label": "Series and fictional screen worlds", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_unscripted", "label": "Unscripted, reality, and web-native series", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_unscripted" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_web_native", "label": "Web-native and streaming-original series", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_web_native" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_web_native.comedy_general_webseries", "label": "Comedy, drama, and general-genre web series", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_web_native.comedy_general_webseries" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_web_native.comedy_general_webseries.yr-1999-2016", "label": "Premiered 1999 to 2016", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_web_native.comedy_general_webseries.yr-1999-2016" } ], "geo": [ { "id": "geo.us.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series.series_web_native.comedy_general_webseries.yr-1999-2016", "label": "United States · 2001 to 2020: Premiered 1999 to 2016", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series.series_web_native.comedy_general_webseries.yr-1999-2016", "path": [ { "id": "geo.us", "label": "United States", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2001", "label": "United States · 2001 to 2020", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2001" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2001.culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2001.culture" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2001.culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2001.culture.performance" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2001.culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2001.culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series", "label": "Series and fictional screen worlds", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series.series_unscripted", "label": "Unscripted, reality, and web-native series", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series.series_unscripted" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series.series_web_native", "label": "Web-native and streaming-original series", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series.series_web_native" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series.series_web_native.comedy_general_webseries", "label": "Comedy, drama, and general-genre web series", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series.series_web_native.comedy_general_webseries" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series.series_web_native.comedy_general_webseries.yr-1999-2016", "label": "Premiered 1999 to 2016", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series.series_web_native.comedy_general_webseries.yr-1999-2016" } ] } ], "excerpt": "Magic Funhouse! is a 2016–2017 American comedy-drama web series by YouTube creator Brandon Rogers on Fullscreen, about the adult behind-the-scenes lives of a children's TV show cast; 14 episodes, 2 seasons, cancelled when Fullscreen shut down.", "snippet": "Magic Funhouse! is a 2016–2017 American comedy-drama web series by YouTube creator Brandon Rogers on Fullscreen, about the adult behind-the-scenes lives of a children's TV show cast; 14 episodes, 2 seasons, cancelled when Fullscreen shut down.", "node": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_web_native.comedy_general_webseries.yr-1999-2016", "markdown": "# Magic Funhouse!\n\n**Magic Funhouse!** is an American comedy-drama web series created by, directed by, and starring YouTube personality Brandon Rogers, which ran on the Fullscreen streaming service from December 15, 2016 to September 28, 2017[1](https://thetvdb.com/series/magic-funhouse). The show peeks behind the curtain of a low-budget public access children's television program to reveal the offensive lives of its cast and crew when the cameras are off[1](https://thetvdb.com/series/magic-funhouse). Rogers plays Arlo, the screaming, foul-mouthed host of an overly colorful kids' show featuring the worst advice for children, an inept crew, and numerous technical difficulties[2](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6332568/).\n\n| Key fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Creator and star | Brandon Rogers, a YouTube creator, also served as director, writer, executive producer, and editor[3](https://watch.plex.tv/en-GB/show/magic-funhouse) |\n| Network and run | Fullscreen; first aired December 15, 2016, last episode September 28, 2017[1](https://thetvdb.com/series/magic-funhouse) |\n| Episodes | 2 seasons of 7 episodes each, 14 total; Season 1 ran December 2016 to January 2017, Season 2 August to September 2017[1](https://thetvdb.com/series/magic-funhouse) |\n| Genre and rating | Comedy, Drama; rated TV-MA in the United States[1](https://thetvdb.com/series/magic-funhouse) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6332568/) |\n| Audience rating | 8.6/10 on IMDb from 481 user ratings[2](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6332568/) |\n| Cancellation | Not renewed after Fullscreen shut down its streaming service in November 2017[4](https://magicfunhouse.fandom.com/wiki/Magic_Funhouse_%28series%29) |\n\n## Spoilers\n\n### Premise and characters\n\nThe series follows the staff of \"Magic Funhouse!\", a local low-budget children's TV show hosted by Arlo Dittman, who appears on camera as the character Mr. Marble[3](https://watch.plex.tv/en-GB/show/magic-funhouse). Arlo serves as host, portrayed by the show's creator, Brandon Rogers; Dave is a production assistant who has just been hired, played by Jess Weaver; Cliff is a flirtatious actor on the show, played by TJ Smith; Sacha is a fashionable actress, played by Elise Christian; Jimmy, the agent's assistant with a flamboyant manner, is played by Alex Diehl; Manjusha, Arlo's strange principal assistant, is played by Nandini Minocha; and Mr. Chronis, the show's anchor, is played by Jude B. Lanston[4](https://magicfunhouse.fandom.com/wiki/Magic_Funhouse_%28series%29). Side characters include Mrs. Bory, Arlo's forgetful neighbor and legal guardian, played by Paulette Jones, and Cordula, played by Monique Parent[4](https://magicfunhouse.fandom.com/wiki/Magic_Funhouse_%28series%29) • [5](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/32385/magic-funhouse/cast).\n\nThe show is rated TV-MA, and its content is correspondingly adult: IMDb's parents guide lists severe ratings for sex and nudity references, profanity, and alcohol, drugs, and smoking, with moderate violence[6](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6332568/parentalguide/).\n\n### Episodes and story structure\n\nSeason 1 opens with \"A Broadcast of Errors\", in which Dave looks back at the horrific beginnings of his new job, and closes with \"A Trial of Errors\", in which the cast and crew appear before a judge on live court TV describing the previous six months as they remember them[4](https://magicfunhouse.fandom.com/wiki/Magic_Funhouse_%28series%29). In between, Arlo storms off set during a live broadcast, the staff compete for a raise by swapping identities, and Arlo sinks deep enough into insanity to try to cancel his own show[4](https://magicfunhouse.fandom.com/wiki/Magic_Funhouse_%28series%29).\n\nRogers described the two seasons as linked: Season 1 was about the seven underdogs, with seven episodes each developing one character, while Season 2 was about what the characters had to do to be successful[7](https://hiddenremote.com/2017/08/21/interview-brandon-rogers-discusses-magic-funhouse-season-2-digital-tv/). The final scene of Season 1 jumped six months into the future, and Season 2 filled in the interval, showing the terrible things the characters did to get there[7](https://hiddenremote.com/2017/08/21/interview-brandon-rogers-discusses-magic-funhouse-season-2-digital-tv/). Season 2 episodes include the gang's move into network television, Dave's revenge after prison, and a finale, \"Why We Get Married\", in which the gang stages a deadly plan to recover their show disguised as a wedding for Mr. Chronis[4](https://magicfunhouse.fandom.com/wiki/Magic_Funhouse_%28series%29).\n\n## Origin and development\n\nBrandon Rogers had spent about ten years posting sketches on YouTube before gaining a following, and after being discovered there he was offered the chance to produce his own show, with Fullscreen providing a home and full creative control[7](https://hiddenremote.com/2017/08/21/interview-brandon-rogers-discusses-magic-funhouse-season-2-digital-tv/). Rogers said he disliked the term \"web series\" for the result, arguing that Magic Funhouse was something bigger[7](https://hiddenremote.com/2017/08/21/interview-brandon-rogers-discusses-magic-funhouse-season-2-digital-tv/).\n\nThe idea came from Rogers's experience with the network TV30 in the Bay Area, a full studio that broadcast live shows, where he was drawn to live kids' shows and to what a TV host was like off camera[7](https://hiddenremote.com/2017/08/21/interview-brandon-rogers-discusses-magic-funhouse-season-2-digital-tv/). He put seven of the most unlikely people together in the world of kids TV and built the show around how they maintained their on-air front[7](https://hiddenremote.com/2017/08/21/interview-brandon-rogers-discusses-magic-funhouse-season-2-digital-tv/).\n\n[Seven deadly sins](https://www.edgepedia.org/seven-deadly-sins) origins. The seven main characters were originally based on the seven deadly sins, one apiece, which is why there are seven of them[4](https://magicfunhouse.fandom.com/wiki/Magic_Funhouse_%28series%29) • [8](https://www.moviemistakes.com/tv12335/trivia). Early concept sketches also differed from the final show: Dave was not a character at all, Jimmy was a thin black woman, and Manjusha was in a wheelchair[4](https://magicfunhouse.fandom.com/wiki/Magic_Funhouse_%28series%29).\n\n## Promotion\n\nFullscreen and the agency McBeard ran an in-world social campaign built around Facebook Live. The launch event was promoted as a live \"storytime\" with Mr. Marble, in which fans contributed nouns, verbs, and adjectives in the comments to complete a story that ended with a reveal of an audience of young children waiting to hear it; the stream ran just under 15 minutes[9](https://shortyawards.com/9th/magic-funhouse). A second live stunt tied to the season finale announced that all of Season 1 was streaming and that Season 2 was coming, ending with a staged \"hot mic\" moment[9](https://shortyawards.com/9th/magic-funhouse). The launch stream drew 18,633 views in its first 24 hours and over 26,000 total, and the finale stream drew over 11,000 views[9](https://shortyawards.com/9th/magic-funhouse).\n\n## Cancellation and availability\n\nMagic Funhouse was not renewed for a third season because Fullscreen shut down its streaming service in November 2017[4](https://magicfunhouse.fandom.com/wiki/Magic_Funhouse_%28series%29). In an Instagram video posted February 13, 2018, Rogers stated that all of his web series except *Stuff & Sam* had been canceled[4](https://magicfunhouse.fandom.com/wiki/Magic_Funhouse_%28series%29). After Fullscreen's closure, the series remained available on services such as [Google Play](https://www.edgepedia.org/google-play), VRV, and Amazon Video[4](https://magicfunhouse.fandom.com/wiki/Magic_Funhouse_%28series%29); more recently, Google Play has offered the series for purchase at $9.99[3](https://watch.plex.tv/en-GB/show/magic-funhouse).\n\n## Reception\n\nThe series holds an IMDb rating of 8.6/10 based on 481 user ratings, with an unweighted mean of 8.5[2](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6332568/) • [10](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6332568/ratings/). Episode-level ratings on IMDb range from 8.7 to 9.3 across the rated Season 1 episodes[10](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6332568/ratings/).\n\n## References\n\n1. [Magic Funhouse, TheTVDB.com](https://thetvdb.com/series/magic-funhouse)\n2. [Magic Funhouse! (TV Series 2016–2017), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6332568/)\n3. [Where to Watch Magic Funhouse! (2016), Plex](https://watch.plex.tv/en-GB/show/magic-funhouse)\n4. [Magic Funhouse (series), Magic Funhouse Wiki, Fandom](https://magicfunhouse.fandom.com/wiki/Magic_Funhouse_%28series%29)\n5. [Magic Funhouse – Cast, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/32385/magic-funhouse/cast)\n6. [Magic Funhouse! – Parents guide, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6332568/parentalguide/)\n7. [Interview: Brandon Rogers discusses Magic Funhouse Season 2, digital TV, and more, Hidden Remote (August 21, 2017)](https://hiddenremote.com/2017/08/21/interview-brandon-rogers-discusses-magic-funhouse-season-2-digital-tv/)\n8. [Magic Funhouse! (2016) trivia, Movie Mistakes](https://www.moviemistakes.com/tv12335/trivia)\n9. [Magic Funhouse Facebook Live Activations, The Shorty Awards (9th Annual)](https://shortyawards.com/9th/magic-funhouse)\n10. [Magic Funhouse! – Ratings, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6332568/ratings/)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › Unscripted, reality, and web-native series › Web-native and streaming-original series › Comedy, drama, and general-genre web series › Premiered 1999 to 2016*\n\n*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n", "same_as": [], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/magic-funhouse", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/magic-funhouse.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"Magic Funhouse!\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/magic-funhouse. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[Magic Funhouse!](https://www.edgepedia.org/magic-funhouse)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/magic-funhouse](https://www.edgepedia.org/magic-funhouse). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"Magic Funhouse!\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/magic-funhouse. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "Magic Funhouse! is a 2016–2017 American comedy-drama web series by YouTube creator Brandon Rogers on Fullscreen, about the adult behind-the-scenes lives of a children's TV show cast; 14 episodes, 2 seasons, cancelled when Fullscreen shut down." }