Stress Test (TV series)

Stress Test is an American television sitcom created by Thomas Hals. The show's first episode aired on, but the network placed the series on hiatus after one episode due to a combination of low ratings, stemming mainly from pre-emptions on the West Coast due to news coverage of the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster, and conflicts with the creators, with many ABC executives being uncomfortable with the show's unfamiliar setup and style of humor. The whole series aired in on  in September of 2003, and the remaining 19 episodes aired in the US on Spike TV (now the ) in 2004. The series became a cult classic, and Hals continued the show's legacy by incorporating the actors in his future productions.

Considered by many to have been well ahead of its time, the series is often considered to be a pioneer of the contemporary single-camera sitcom style, with it's mockumentary stylings also getting it labeled as a precursor to the 21st-century trend of mockumentary sitcoms. The series has appeared in numerous lists of shows that were "cancelled too soon". It launched most of its young actors' careers, such as Paul Scaife, Edwin Matthews, Kevin Carlyle, Sam Grennan, Francisco Higueras, Teagan Hastings, Jessica Greenwood, Dave Bandler, Elina Galcheva and Ben Durston.

Plot
The series revolves around the crew of Stress Test, a morning drive shock talk show on fictional radio station KROK (identified on-air as "94.3 The Destroyer"), whose studios are located in the fictional Corpus Christi suburb of McCallum, Texas (named after, which creator Thomas Hals attended). The show's "crew" is led by David "The Ringleader" Robinson and James "Bozo" Burns. Elizabeth Lovenkrands, nicknamed "Queen Liza", is introduced in the first episode as a new recruit for the show who was just transferred from a sister station in. The "crew" is supervised by KROK's program director, Philip "Phil" Shipway. Hailey Burns, James' younger sister, is a recurring character, as well as Hank Symmons, KROK's station manager.

Main cast

 * Paul Scaife as David "The Ringleader" Robinson
 * Sam Grennan as James "Bozo" Burns
 * Edwin Matthews as Melvin "Mel" Nelson
 * Francisco Higueras as Leon Vasquez
 * Teagan Hastings as Elizabeth "Queen Liza" Lovenkrands
 * Jessica Greenwood as Michelle Nelson
 * Dave Bandler as Stephen "Fresh Step" Fechter
 * Kevin Carlyle as "Rich" Richard Sims
 * Ben Durston as Peter "Pete Best" Dallier
 * Jim Holbrook as Philip "Phil" Shipway (credited after titles as "also starring")

Recurring cast

 * Elina Galcheva as Hailey Burns
 * Rich Winter as Hank Symmons