file photoRabbi Hyim Shafner, Father Gary Braun, and minister Mike Kinman seem like unlikely candidates to give advice to college students on love, sex, and relationships. However, their show “Missionary Positions” on WUTV was hugely successful in its first season last year. The show not only stands to receive a warm reception in its new season, which begins tonight, but is also being considered for syndication.
Junior Alison Small is the general manager of WUTV, the producer of “Missionary Positions,” and the fourth member of the show’s panel. “We are currently in negotiations to option the show to a major production company in L.A.,” said Small. “The show’s options include primetime, late night, and syndication. We won’t really know until we begin to pitch it.”
While specifics regarding the show’s expansion may be up in the air, the cast of “Missionary Positions” knows what it wants. Kinman believes that maintaining control of the show’s creative process should be among their top priorities.
“One of the real issues for us is that we’re not in this for the money. We are not going to sign with anyone unless we are convinced that the quality of the show being produced is going to live up to our standards,” he said. “This needs to be something we can put our names on and be associated with and be proud of.”
Last year’s season of “Missionary Positions” attracted media attention, from an article in the Riverfront Times to a piece on National Public Radio. “Hollywood found out about us and life has been crazy since then,” said Shafner, who came up with the idea for the show while watching MTV’s “Loveline.”
Small emphasized that nothing is certain as of yet.
“I’d like to say that the possibility [of syndication] is very likely, but Hollywood can be very fickle, so we’re just waiting to see what happens,” she said.
Kinman added that the process has hit all sorts of roadblocks. “Now there are lawyers involved, and when lawyers get involved, it makes me want to start throwing things,” he joked.
The media awareness also spurred some disapproval as well. A conservative Christian newspaper criticized Kinman over comments made about homosexuality being part of the naturally created order.
“Part of how you realize you’re doing a good job is not so much from the people who tell you that they like you, but the people who tell you they can’t stand you,” said Kinman. “If you’re pissing people off then you’re doing something right.”
The season premiere, which airs live tonight at 10 p.m. on WUTV channel 22, will feature the topic “What’s Your Perversion?” Viewers will notice a format change at the end of the show: the next episode’s topic will be decided by voting. Another major change is the frequency of the episodes, as there will only be two shows taped this semester.
“The show is at its best when there is a big studio audience and lots of viewer participation, so in order to keep the level of the show high, we want to make sure that things don’t get repetitive,” explained Small. The cast members have not decided how many episodes will be taped next semester.
With or without the changes, the cast of “Missionary Positions” is hoping for a season as successful as the first. “The first show we had, the lines were just jammed and the studio was full. We had no idea what the response would be and we were blown away, not just by the volume of it but by the depths of people’s questions and the intimate details of their lives that they were sharing,” said Kinman.
The cast attributes such positive responses to the unique and entertaining nature of the show. “It’s not too structured, and that’s what makes it strong. It’s half funny and half serious. It works because we’re all that way. We answer the questions, but there’s a lot of joking involved,” explained Shafner.
“Everyone loves to talk about sex,” said Small, offering another reason for the show’s popularity. “The combination of that and such an unlikely group of hosts makes things incredibly interesting.
“Students are not afraid to ask crazy questions, and the panel responds with humor and relevant advice,” she continued. “It’s also fun to turn on the TV and see your friends and other people you know, especially when they are talking about something as ridiculous as their compulsively masturbating roommate.”
The fact that the panel is composed of clergy members does not act as a deterrent to students asking forthright questions. Instead, the men of “Missionary Positions” believe that their air time has made religion a more approachable issue.
“I think what also makes it unique is that it’s this arena in which people can see clergy as people they can relate to,” said Shafner. “We don’t have to be scary, and that makes spirituality a little more accessible. People have this natural fear of religion.”
Students interested in being members of the studio audience at tonight’s taping can do so by going to the bottom of Prince Hall at 9:30 p.m. Besides being on TV, Kinman added that there are additional reasons to attend. “We’re going to be giving away what we’re calling ‘fetish accessories.’ And pizza, which could be a fetish accessory, depending on your fetish.”