The Daly Show
(not to be confused with The Daily Show) is a Web Video series created by Ben Shelton. It stars Tim Daly (Wings, Private Practice, Madam Secretary) and his son Sam as they go through a... rather weird version of their day-to-day life.
Tropes:
- Adam Westing: Basically Tim's character.
- Becoming the Mask: Tim gets REALLY involved in his roles. He literally thinks he is the character he's playing. Hilariously, since one of these roles was his famous Superman voice acting, consider this taken up to eleven.Tim': When I do a role in the movies or TV show or the theater. I become the character.Sam: Dad! I'm the same way! It's like, I feel like I can see the whole world through the character's eyes.Tim: No, Sam. I'm not talking about feeling. I literally become the character.Sam: Yeah...for the audience, I get it.Tim: When I record the voice of Superman, I am Superman. I'm Kal-El, son of Jor-El, raised on the planet Earth as Clark Kent.(Beat)Tim: I can see through the sound stage walls with my x-ray vision. I can freeze the microphone with my ice breath...I can fly.
- And it isn't exclusive to Tim. Apparently it's quite a common syndrome affecting all actors in this world. Whoopi Goldberg really thinks she can talk to ghosts, Michael Rosenbaum really thinks he's the Flash and all the Superman actors think themselves capable of super feats. Perhaps the few who aren't affected are Amy Brenneman (who gets sick of playing along to Tim's unusual method acting), Taye Diggs and Steven Weber. But that may be only because the latter two's acting isn't explored.
- Follow in My Footsteps: Averted. Sam's interest in his dad's profession seems to be organic and not forced upon him by Tim. Tim fully supports his son's choice to be an actor and is glad to give him tips (albeit really eccentric tips) to succeed.
- Honorary Uncle: Sam affectionately refers to Steven Weber (who played Tim's brother on Wings) as his Uncle Weber.
- Idiosyncratic Episode Naming: Each episode is named "The Daly (something)".
- Method Acting: In-Universe. Due to Tim's...devoted approach to roles, he seems to employ this sometimes. During The Daly Family Tree, Amy Brenneman and Tim role play as their tension-laced Private Practice spousal roles. It goes so far that Sam has to intervene because Amy can't deal with the stress of a (fake) marriage anymore.
- Once an Episode: Someone happens to look at themselves in the mirror and smoothes their hair out to look "a little less douche".
- Only Sane Man: Sam is the straight man, but during episodes with Tim's wacky peers, he becomes this. Especially during The Daly Supermen, The Daly Superheroes, and The Daly Whoopi.
- Shout-Out: "Are you listening to me?? Is the world listening to me?? Are we human or are we dancer?"
- Which is interestingly a Shout-Out itself to Hunter S. Thompson.
- Special Guest: Mostly old friends of Tim, including Taye Diggs and Amy Brenneman (from Private Practice) and Steven Weber (from Wings). Also, Nathan Fillion. Kevin Conroy makes an appearance and he and Tim spend an episode talking to each other in their superhero voices.
- Straight Man: Sam usually. But he is capable of his own inspired (quite possibly genetic) wackiness. Notably during The Daly Dance and The Daly Re-Douche (although the latter turns out to be All Just a Dream ).
- Wacky Parent, Serious Child: Essentially the premise.
