| All Gas No Brakes | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Created by | Andrew Callaghan Nic Mosher Evan Gilbert-Katz |
| Based on | All Gas No Brakes: A Hitchhiker's Diary | True Stories From the Road... Written and Curated by Andrew Callaghan by Andrew Callaghan |
| Presented by | Andrew Callaghan |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 24 |
| Production | |
| Production location | United States |
| Production company | Doing Things Media |
| Original release | |
| Network | YouTube Patreon |
| Release | September 9, 2019 – November 12, 2020 |
| Related | |
| Channel 5 | |
| All Gas No Brakes | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube information | ||||||||||
| Channel | ||||||||||
| Years active | 2019–2020 | |||||||||
| Genre | Gonzo journalism | |||||||||
| Subscribers | 1.71 million[1] | |||||||||
| Total views | 86.9 million[1] | |||||||||
| Network | Doing Things Media | |||||||||
| ||||||||||
Last updated: January 9, 2023 | ||||||||||
All Gas No Brakes is an American YouTube channel originally created and previously hosted by independent journalist Andrew Callaghan, based on the book of the same name[a] by Callaghan. The channel has 1.7 million subscribers and over 71 million views as of March 2021[update]. The channel features Callaghan traveling around the United States conducting vox pop interviews at various events, such as conventions and music festivals. The interviews are noted for their surreal and humorous viewpoints on serious topics.[2] Nic Mosher and Evan Gilbert-Katz worked on the channel providing camera, audio, editing, and production management. The show ran from September 9, 2019 to November 12, 2020.
On March 9, 2021, Callaghan announced his departure from the show along with his crew consisting of Mosher and Gilbert-Katz. Therefore, the show ended after one season with the final episode airing on November 12, 2020. He cited contract issues by network Doing Things Media as the reason for his departure, claiming exploitative behavior.[3] The team later moved to a new YouTube channel, which was a spinoff show named Channel 5, which started on April 11, 2021.
History[edit]
The idea for All Gas No Brakes was conceived during the summer after high school in which Callaghan hitchhiked across the United States before beginning his journalism studies at Loyola University New Orleans. Callaghan then wrote and self published a book based on his experience hitchhiking and the people he met along the way, titled All Gas No Brakes.[4] Callaghan was a contributing writer for the Loyola school newspaper The Maroon.[5] While in school, Callaghan began doing man-on-the-street interviews along Bourbon Street.[6] The videos, which were uploaded to YouTube and Instagram under the name "Quarter Confessions" led to a partnership between Callaghan and Doing Things Media.[2]
In early 2020, Callaghan started an All Gas No Brakes podcast, in response to travel restrictions stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. On the podcast, Callaghan interviews past subjects from All Gas No Brakes over video chat.[7]
In March 2021, Callaghan announced via social media that he, along with his team, are no longer involved with production of All Gas No Brakes, as well as its television series currently being produced. He cited contract issues as the reason for their departure.[8]
In a piece by the New York Times on March 23, 2021, videographer Nate Kahn, who worked on All Gas No Brakes for a time, detailed his understanding of Callaghan's dismissal from the company after an attempt to renegotiate his contract. Doing Things Media had become increasingly uncomfortable with the political leanings of the show, specifically an episode focusing on the George Floyd protests in Minneapolis. Callaghan and his crew were later locked out of social media accounts and fired in early March 2021.[9]
Television series[edit]
In May 2020, Doing Things Media and Abso Lutely Productions entered a deal to develop a television series based on the channel.[10] According to Callaghan, the partnership began when Abso Lutely co-founder Eric Wareheim privately messaged him on Twitter to ask about the prospects of creating a television series.[6] Wareheim, Tim Heidecker, and Dave Kneebone would serve as executive producers for Abso Lutely, while Callaghan, Reid Hailey, and Max Benator will serve as executive producers for Doing Things Media.[10] Tim Heidecker confirmed on Twitter that Doing Things Media is no longer involved in the production and that Callaghan is still working with them on "something major".[11]
Style and influences[edit]
The channel originally featured Callaghan as he interviewed people at various events across the United States, such as the George Floyd protests in Minneapolis–Saint Paul. The people Callaghan interviewed tend to be members of fringe subcultures such as furries, flat earthers, and others that he says represent "true Americana".[7][4] Callaghan would usually appear dressed in an oversized beige suit and tie, citing this inspiration from television news anchors and how they dressed. Callaghan would appear without the suit in more “serious” themed episodes as a way to let the viewer know that the video would not be intentionally humorous, but rather bring attention to the topic at hand. As a man-on-the-street interviewer, Callaghan's interviews were largely unplanned and improvised. As a result, he has been compared to Louis Theroux, Eric Andre, and Sacha Baron Cohen.[4] Callaghan has also cited Kyle Mooney, Michael Moore, and The Daily Show correspondents as influences.[6][7]
Episodes[edit]
| No. | Title | Location | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | "Burning Man" | Burning Man | September 9, 2019 |
| 02 | "The Raid of Area 51" | Area 51 | September 26, 2019 |
| 03 | "AlienCon" | AlienCon 2019 | October 15, 2019 |
| 04 | "Talladega Superspeedway" | 2019 1000Bulbs.com 500 | October 25, 2019 |
| 05 | "Florida Man" | Florida | November 18, 2019 |
| 06 | "Donald Trump Jr. Book Club" | Birmingham, Alabama | December 18, 2019 |
| 07 | "Flat Earth Conference" | Dallas, Texas | January 3, 2020 |
| 08 | "Midwest FurFest" | Midwest FurFest | January 13, 2020 |
| 09 | "A Night in Las Vegas" | Las Vegas, Nevada | January 29, 2020 |
| 10 | "AVN Expo" | AVN Adult Entertainment Expo | February 18, 2020 |
| 11 | "Gem & Jam" | Tucson, Arizona | March 7, 2020 |
| 12 | "Conscious Life Expo" | Los Angeles, California | March 17, 2020 |
| 13 | "Border Security Expo" | San Antonio, Texas | March 31, 2020 |
| 14 | "Yung Terps" | Tucson, Arizona | April 5, 2020 |
| 15 | "Coronavirus Lockdown Protest" | Sacramento, California | April 26, 2020 |
| 16 | "Minneapolis Protest" | Minneapolis, Minnesota | June 8, 2020 |
| 17 | "Rocket Launch" | Cape Canaveral, Florida | June 18, 2020 |
| 18 | "Florida Man 2" | Florida | July 2, 2020 |
| 19 | "Fourth of July" | Marquette, Michigan | July 18, 2020 |
| 20 | "Portland Protest" | Portland, Oregon | August 5, 2020 |
| 21 | "Sturgis Motorcycle Rally" | Sturgis Motorcycle Rally | September 4, 2020 |
| 22 | "Brake Check Podcast #1: Neckface" | N/A | September 12, 2020 |
| 23 | "Proud Boys Rally" | Portland, Oregon | October 3, 2020 |
| 24 | "Bigfoot Hunting" | Remer, Minnesota | November 12, 2020 |
Notes[edit]
- ^ The full title of the book is All Gas No Brakes: A Hitchhiker's Diary | True Stories From the Road... Written and Curated by Andrew Callaghan.
References[edit]
- ^ a b "About All Gas No Brakes". YouTube.
- ^ a b Nadler, Lonnie (April 30, 2020). "'All Gas No Brakes' Is Capturing America's Weird Underbelly on an RV Road Trip". Vice. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
- ^ "All Gas No Brakes Is Done? Andrew Callaghan Announces He and His Team Are No Longer Involved In The All Gas No Brakes Business After Being Screwed By Contract". Pro Sports Extra. March 10, 2021.
- ^ a b c Nixon, Matthew (September 25, 2020). "QAnon conspiracists to drugged-up juggalos: the YouTube hit delving into Weird America". The Guardian.
- ^ Wann, Tyler (2019-04-17). "Q&A: 'Quarter Confessions' creators explain the process of making the show". The Maroon. Retrieved 2020-07-08.
- ^ a b c Paul, Andrew (August 20, 2020). "All Gas No Brakes host on interviewing conspiracy theorists and throwing himself into the Minneapolis protests". The A.V. Club. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
- ^ a b c Mckenna, Niall (22 May 2020). "All Gas No Brakes is documenting America's most unhinged cultural fringes". Dazed. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
- ^ Andrew Callaghan [@andreww.me] (March 9, 2021). "I am no longer associated with All Gas No Brakes. I no longer receive any of the Patreon crowdfunding, YouTube monetization or any other show income. Nic and Evan, who lived in the RV and created the original show material, are also no longer involved. We have no control over the accounts or future of the show. When was 20, I wrote a book called 'All Gas No Brakes' about hitchhiking around America as a teenager. At 21, I pitched the idea of a video-based road show to a production company, who loaned me an RV to make videos and explore America with my best friends. I was ecstatic, who I signed an employment contract without reading it. Lesson learned. Thank you for supporting me these past years. It's been the time of my life. I can't wait to show you guys what I'm doing next. This is not the end .. It's only the beginning to a bright, independent future for the team. I love y'all. - Andrew". Retrieved March 9, 2020 – via Instagram.
- ^ Lorenz, Taylor (March 23, 2021). "He Had an R.V., a Camera and a Plan to Document America. Was That Enough?". New York Times.
- ^ a b Ramos, Dino-Ray (May 10, 2020). "Tim Heidecker & Eric Wareheim's Abso Lutely Productions And Doing Things Media Enter Development Deal For Internet Series 'All Gas No Brakes'". Deadline. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
- ^ Tim Heidecker [@timheidecker] (March 10, 2021). "it's got nothing to do with us. its between Andrew and Doing Things Media. we're working with Andrew on something major" (Tweet) – via Twitter.