Will You Be Watching 'The (206)' This Weekend?

Seattle comedy icon John Keister talked with Patch a few weeks ago about his new TV show, "The (206)", which is set to premiere on KING and KONG on Jan. 6 at 1:05 a.m., immediately following NBC's Saturday Night Live. The show promises laughs and lampooning of the "New Seattle."

Crews were spotted on Mercer Island at Lid Park in October filming scenes for the new show.

Q: We know The (206) will premiere on KING and KONG on Jan. 5 and 6, 2013. Give us a Patch exclusive on what the audience can expect.

The news around the area has generated a lot of great material since the demise of Almost Live. You can look forward to a lot of comedy aimed at the "New Seattle" - specifically the tunnel project, legal weed, and why there are so damn many bike trails everywhere.

Q: Is this the 2013 version of Almost Live? What's different from the original show? What can we expect to be the same?

Almost Live was a sketch comedy show that made a lot of comments about the people and politics of this area - so, of course, you can draw some similarities.  But keep in mind Almost Live was done in a different world - a different Seattle - social media now exists, the Sonics are gone, Amazon is swallowing up South Lake Union. The old neighborhood distinctions have been destroyed. The 206 will be a new show that deals with a new reality and uses the new media.  That being said, any time I've done a new project or had a club show its always been labeled "The New Almost Live"  or "Almost Live night at the club." There doesn't seem anything I can do about that.

Q: What's the feedback been like from the public about The (206)?

It's been huge and very positive. We're getting far more press and publicity for The 206 than we ever did for Almost Live. It's very exciting. I love doing this kind of work and there seems to be a big appetite for it.

Q: What have you been up to since Almost Live went off the air?

I've been teaching scriptwriting at The Art Institute of Seattle for several years.  I've also written for several shows (Including "Biz Kids" on PBS), and I do several corporate and club dates each year.