Watch TSA America: Level Orange
- 2016
- 1 Season
TSA America: Level Orange is a satirical television series produced by Level Orange Productions, LLC that lampoons the United States' Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and its widely criticized practices. The show takes an irreverent and comedic approach to themes related to air travel, national security, and the bureaucratic side of government agencies. It features a cast of characters who work in various roles within the TSA, including screeners, agents, and supervisors. Throughout the show's six-episode run, viewers are taken through the TSA's security checkpoints, where they witness the comical and absurd measures taken by the agency to ensure the safety of air travellers.
Each episode of the show is structured around a different theme, such as "The Contraband Conundrum," "The Liquids Limitation," and "The No-Fly List Debacle." The show's humor is derived from the exaggerated and often nonsensical security protocols put in place by the TSA, as well as the character interactions that take place in and around the security checkpoints.
The central figure of the show is TSA agent Dave Barnes, played by the show's creator, Michael Reid Mackay. Barnes is a well-meaning but bumbling agent who is constantly at odds with his boss, supervisor Richard Smythe, played by Lucas Hazlett. Smythe is a by-the-book bureaucrat who takes great pleasure in enforcing the TSA's policies to the letter, and is often frustrated by Barnes' penchant for improvising on the job.
Other recurring characters include rookie screener Jane, played by Hayley Huntley, who struggles to balance her desire to be a good agent with her sympathy for passengers caught in the TSA's web; TSA agent Manny, played by Manny Montana, who takes his job far too seriously and is obsessed with finding contraband; and passenger advocate Caroline, played by Rachel Grate, who frequently clashes with Smythe over the TSA's invasive and often nonsensical procedures.
While the show is primarily a comedy, it does touch on some serious issues related to air travel and national security. In one episode, for example, Barnes is tasked with questioning an elderly woman who is on the no-fly list, but who insists that she poses no threat to national security. The episode highlights the Kafkaesque nature of the no-fly list and the difficulties faced by those who are wrongly placed on the list.
Overall, TSA America: Level Orange is a clever and entertaining show that takes a critical look at the TSA and its sometimes absurd practices. It is a show that is sure to resonate with anyone who has ever endured the frustrations and indignities of air travel, while also providing plenty of laughs along the way.
TSA America: Level Orange is a series that is currently running and has 1 seasons (3 episodes). The series first aired on December 31, 2016.