True Calling

Summary

True Calling is a television show that aired in the early 2000s, starring Eliza Dushku in the lead role. The show follows a protagonist named True who works at a morgue and possesses the supernatural ability to prevent deaths. When a deceased person comes back to life and asks True for help, she wakes up at the beginning of the day they died and must work to stop their death from occurring. The show featured Zach Galifianakis in a supporting role as a coroner during his stint living in Vancouver for 3-4 years in the early 2000s.

The series became notable in Vancouver's comedy scene as a source of mockery at Laugh Gallery, a comedy show run by Graham Clark. Clark would regularly show clips from True Calling to roast Galifianakis, even when Eliza Dushku herself was present at performances. In Session 9 of the campaign, the show is discussed as part of a broader conversation about television shows and Galifianakis's career, with its aesthetic being compared to Brad's websites.

Details

The show's premise centers on its main character's unusual supernatural ability. As Abdul describes it: "She worked at a morgue and then the person who is dead would come back to life and look at her and say, help me. And then she would wake up at the beginning of the day that they died. And then she'd have to stop them from dying." This time-loop mechanism forms the foundation of each episode's plot structure.

Galifianakis's role on the show was as a coroner, a position that placed him in the morgue setting alongside the protagonist. His involvement with the series occurred during a period when he was based in Vancouver, working in the local entertainment industry before achieving wider fame. The show ran during the early 2000s, a period that saw Galifianakis transitioning from regional comedy work to larger television and film roles.

The show's visual aesthetic is referenced in the campaign's discussion, with Brad's websites being jokingly compared to fake websites that would appear on True Calling. This comparison suggests the show featured the kind of oversized, camera-friendly user interfaces common in television productions of that era, where on-screen graphics needed to be clearly visible to viewers.

The show's connection to Vancouver's comedy community extended beyond Galifianakis's presence in the cast. Laugh Gallery, run by Graham Clark, made the show a regular target of comedic roasting, using clips from True Calling as material even when Eliza Dushku attended the performances. This suggests the show had achieved a certain level of recognition—or notoriety—within the local entertainment scene.

History

Session 9

True Calling is discussed during Session 9 as part of a conversation among the players about television shows and Zach Galifianakis's career trajectory. Abdul provides the detailed explanation of the show's premise, describing how the protagonist's morgue work triggers the time-loop mechanism that drives each episode.

The discussion establishes the connection between Galifianakis and Vancouver, with participants confirming that he was on the show during his years living in the city. The conversation also touches on the show's relationship to Vancouver's comedy scene, specifically its role as comedic fodder at Laugh Gallery performances.

The aesthetic comparison between True Calling and Brad's websites emerges as a humorous aside, linking the show's production design to contemporary web design choices. This connection suggests the players are familiar enough with the show's visual style to use it as a point of reference, even years after its original broadcast.