The Chronic Rift

Q: So who are you guys, exactly?

Q: The Chronic Rift TV show? What's that?

Q: So why did you decide to bring The Chronic Rift back years later in podcast form (aka The Chronic Rift 2.0)?

Q: How do you decide which topics you're going to cover in your Roundtable discussions? How can I suggest a topic?

Q: So where do you guys record these podcasts? Are you all in the same room, or more importantly the same basement?

Q: In the latest episode, I noticed that you guys sounded tinny / echoey / crappy. Are you aware of your technical problems?

Q: I'm very depressed that my favorite Chronic Rift staff member did not appear on the latest episode of the podcast. Why is that?

Q: When you guys talk, you sound like you're having fun. Are you really having fun, or is that all an act?

Q: You guys are funny and entertaining --

Q: Uh ... no, that wasn't the question, more of an observation. My QUESTION is, does your funny and entertaining nature have a darker side? Like are you planning to Rickroll us anytime soon?

Q: So who are you guys, exactly?
A: The core group of The Chronic Rift, aka "The Chronic Rift Regulars," is a group of friends who've known each other for several decades (but don't remind us of that or else we'll start feeling old and telling you kids to get off of our collective lawns). John, Judy, and Keith met in high school, and Andrea and Orenthal were added to the mix in college. You can learn more about them and about the rest of the Rift's contributors (the "Irregulars," if you will) by looking at The Bio Section on our home page. Anyway, while this group of friends was still in college and hadn't joined the world of grown-up responsibilities yet, John decided to ask them to participate in a little dream he had. That dream was to create his own weekly public access TV show about fantasy, science fiction, and other genres ... and he wanted to call it The Chronic Rift.

Q: The Chronic Rift TV Show? What's that?
A: The Chronic Rift TV show was both very chaotic and a lot of fun. What? You want a longer description? Okay, The Chronic Rift was a television program that aired in New York City on Manhattan Cable, Paragon Cable, and Bronxnet public access TV stations during the early 1990's. Each episode included news, reviews, and a Roundtable discussion. You can read and hear some of our memories of the Rift TV show by looking at "The Old TV Show" forum on our website and by listening to episode 1 of our podcast, which was cleverly titled "What Is the Rift?" Plus, we also have selected episodes available to view on our website under the heading "The Chronic Rift 1.0," and we will eventually have episodes available on DVD.

Q: So why did you decide to bring The Chronic Rift back years later in podcast form (aka The Chronic Rift 2.0)?
A: Good question. John and several members of the cast play Dungeons & Dragons online.  As with any gathering of friends, they'd riff and comment on things outside of D&D and John thought, "We did this years ago on the Rift.  I don't get to see my friends as often as I'd like, so why not bring the show back as an excuse to gather." Using many of the same tools they use to play D&D, the podcast came into development.

Q: How do you decide which topics you're going to cover in your Roundtable discussions? How can I suggest a topic?
A: Some of the topics we've chosen so far have been repeats or offshoots of topics we covered years ago in our TV days. Some are suggested by one or more Rift staff members, but the majority of the Roundtable topics spring from the fevered mind of our producer, like Athena from the head of Zeus ... or something ... But anyway, we welcome any and all suggestions for future Roundtables. Please send them to john@chronicrift.com or you can always chime in on our forums on the Rift website.

Q: Q: So where do you guys record these podcasts? Are you all in the same room, or more importantly the same basement?
A: Our regular staff are not only not in the same room, but we are recording from such far-flung locations as the Bronx, Manhattan, Yonkers, New Jersey, and upstate New York. The fact that we can’t see each other is the main reason that we occasionally talk over each other (oops). We talk to each other online using the Skype system and also call in guests who don’t have Skype through regular phone lines. Our guests so far have been as far away as California, Chicago, and even London.

Q: In the latest episode, I noticed that you guys sounded tinny / echoey / crappy. Are you aware of your technical problems?
A: Oh, yes. We're working very hard to resolve our technical issues. Some have been resolved already and some are works in progress. We've had several issues with Skype, and with several recording programs, and with our own individual modems, and with our equalizer ... you get the idea. We're still working on our technical issues; we hope to keep getting better and MAYBE one day to sound like real-live professionals. It can't hurt to dream, right?

Q: I'm very depressed that my favorite Chronic Rift staff member did not appear on the latest episode of the podcast. Why is that?
A: There's never going to be an episode in which ALL of us appear, primarily because the larger the group the harder it is to get a word in edgewise and the more likely it is that we'll talk over each other. Who appears on each episode is determined by a number of factors, including who's sick, who's busy, who's having modem/electrical/technical problems ... AND who's most capable of discussing the subject at hand.

Q: When you guys talk, you sound like you're having fun. Are you really having fun, or is that all an act?
A: Yes, we're having fun and no, it's not an act. One reason why we laugh so much is that we don't reveal everything we're going to say before we start recording. For example, before each of our "In Review" episodes, the participants will share whether or not they will "bring something to the table," but we often don't reveal the actual topics to each other in advance so that the reactions will be more spontaneous.

Q: You guys are funny and entertaining --
A: Thanks!

Q: Uh ... no, that wasn't the question, more of an observation. My QUESTION is, does your funny and entertaining nature have a darker side? Like are you planning to Rickroll us anytime soon?
A: Who, us? No, we would never, never, NEVER stoop so low. And we're very insulted that you would ever think such a thing!