“It’s really exciting to see and it makes me really proud to be a part of it,” said Ryan Alloway, a communication senior and executive producer and actor for the show. “I know 10 years ago there were only 10 to 15 people working on ‘Sideshow,’ and now there are more than 30 students.”

Each semester, “Sideshow” holds auditions for new talent for its cast, which also adds to the variety the show offers. The constant change helps keep “Sideshow” fresh and innovative, Alloway said.

“There is a turnover of a few years,” he said. “You get people in there that have a different taste in writing and taste in comedy, so if you watch the show five years ago, it’s different, but it’s still good.”

“Sideshow” produces two episodes a semester, with most production done on weekends. Every crew completes its tasks in pieces, with each piece flowing from crew to crew like a real TV show.

“It’s similar to how a professional TV show would run,” said Katie Ozog, a social relations and policy and comparative cultures and politics junior and “Sideshow” actor.
“There is each different part, and without each individual there, the show just wouldn’t work.”

The popularity of “Sideshow,” along with MSU Telecasters’ two other shows, “The Show” and “MSU&U,” has garnered attention for the programs. “MSU&U” won an Emmy in 2006, and “The Show” is the longest-running college sitcom in America.

“The television organization is something that is extremely credible, and it’s something great to be a part of,” Alloway said. “It says that the department itself is very strong.”

MSU Telecasters is an undergraduate production opportunity that has been operating for 20 years. Working on any of the three shows gives students hands-on experience in producing television shows.

“It gives you that extra edge where you get your foot in the door because you’ve been on a set before,” said Veronica Jackson, a journalism junior and producer of “MSU&U.”
“You’ve filmed, you’ve edited, you’ve seen how a television show is run.”

In the end, it’s about the camaraderie and the friendships the casts and crews have formed, said Nick Schultz, a telecommunication, information studies and media senior and producer of “Sideshow.”

“It’s definitely helped me gain experience that I wouldn’t have gotten otherwise,” he said. “We’re like a family. I’ve made a lot of lifelong friends.”

“Sideshow” airs at 3 p.m Tuesdays on RHA-TV channel 11 on campus and also can be seen at www.telecasters.msu.edu.