Heavy Sedation
Heavy Sedation is a weekly series of twisted, scary, and comical short films, told using a repertory theater style, with the same actors, playing different characters, in different stories.
How it all started
In 2004 award winning filmmaker Shannon Newby wrote and directed an original unconventional short film entitled ‘Forget Tomorrow.’ Once aired on WYBE public television, this unpredictable story of a man who spoke to people using mostly numbers quickly became one of the most requested short films at WYBE, throughout the year 2004.
The success of Forget Tomorrow brought about the opportunity for Shannon Newby to produce a weekly series of his very original, thrilling stories from week to week on WYBE using HBO’s ‘The Wire’ star Brian Anthony Wilson and David Langston Smyrl best known for his work on ‘The Cosby Show’ and ‘Sesame Street’ to lead the cast.
‘Heavy Sedation’ debuted on November 7th 2006. Within weeks Heavy Sedation became a top 5 show on the station.
In April of 2007, the success of ‘Heavy Sedation’ brought about national distribution with The National Education Television Association. (NETA,) Heavy Sedation is now a nationally syndicated public television program that has aired on over 40 public television stations nationwide.
In September 2009-2010 ‘WHYY Channel 12; the number 1 public television station in the entire Delaware Valley and the fourth largest public television station in the United States, became the new home station for ‘Heavy Sedation’ For more on the Heavy Sedation origin. Watch the video below.
Heavy Sedation Complete Series Now Available Digital Download and DVD
DVD
Digital Download Entire Series
How Heavy Sedation became a national and international hit TV show.
Episode Synopsis
All Episodes written and directed by Shannon Newby
Episode 1: ‘My Righteous Hand’
No good deed goes unpunished is the story of Clifford’s life. Disheartened about being fired from his financial analyst position for whistle blowing, he takes to the streets as a pizza delivery man. In his travels he meets an ornery senior citizen who turns out to be an aging superhero looking for someone like Clifford to carry on his legacy.
Episode 2: ‘Mended Vows Incorporated’
While a clean late model sedan is stopped at a red traffic light, a deranged woman jumps into the backseat of the car. At gunpoint, she glue’s the driver’s hands to the steering wheel, and then takes him on the ride of his life, informing him that his past has caught up with him.
‘Love at Second Thought’
Love at first sight is easy. But when a couple on their first date drink a magical tea that let’s them see past their infatuation, and into the true intentions of what each other really mean, they both get second thoughts about love.
Episode 3:‘Forget Tomorrow’
A mysterious man who communicates by speaking numbers is sitting in a quaint neighborhood coffee shop quietly taking notice to a young woman’s unhappy relationship. When it is revealed through conversation that she plans to marry her verbally abusive boyfriend the next day, He offers her the needed but unwanted advice that she should ‘Forget Tomorrow’
Episode 4: ‘Careful What You Axe For’
It's just another day in the life of the hip-hop duo Rumble and Frenzi when they come across a magic bag that gives them whatever they want. But it doesn't take long for them to realize that they better be careful what they ask for.
Episode 5: ‘Return of the B-Boy’
Reginald is uptight by the numbers accountant, but when his alter ego appears to him in the form of an old school hip hop B-Boy, The only thing Reginald will be calculating is how to keep him out of trouble.
Episode 6: My Friend Iula
Iula is an herb saleswoman who is being stalked by a murderer. She calls on Sandy, an unlikely friend to unknowingly help her.
Episode 7: Now You See Me
While digging in the trash, two vagrants find a light switch that magically turns off people’s eyesight. They then use their new found power to create havoc and teach lessons.
Episode 8: Picture Me Green
A nature photographer finds an unexplained picture of a woman in his pictures. The strange woman comes to life and teaches the photographer what it means to go green.
Episode 9: ‘Full of Days’
Life on this planet has always turned on a cycle of up’s and downs. Sometimes you’re on the top and other times you’re on the bottom. Gerard is depressed. He cannot see that his cycle will eventually turn back to happiness, but in one day through a series of unthinkable events, he will see his life turned upside down.
Episode 10: Holla at cha Girl/ ‘Picture Me Green’
A young woman who is unlucky in love goes to a psychic for help and gets exactly what she asks for. / A still life photographer finds an unexplained picture that comes to life to teach him a life lesson.
Episode 11: Losing Kevin
A man who is repeatedly abused by his boss and bullied by his co-workers finally gets pushed to far.