10,000,000 Channels And Nothing On

"I am gross and perverted,

I'm obsessed and deranged

I have existed for years,

But very little has changed"

I almost put this together in the style of an in-universe channel guide, but that's a daunting task and a daunting task means I'd probably never actually write this article. Television still exists in the future, obviously, but popular culture in the real world has changed. Anyway, SR3 doesn't give a whole lot of great examples for what's on to begin with. SR5 and 6 probably make great strides in updating and filling out what trideo entertainment is like. However, instead of doing boring research then regurgitating all of that, I figured I'd just make up my own stuff. Consider this a set of examples to help you come up with your own world details, whether you're a player or a GM. 

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Taking It Like a Man [Mitsuhama, 3 Seasons]

Synopsis: The show follows Daniel Fullerton, a 35 year old wageslave who works in a Mitsuhama receiving center. At random times during his day, Daniel is struck in the genitals. This occurs more and more frequently and in increasingly bizarre situations as seasons continue, with Mitsuhama contriving more and more elaborate stunts that Daniel is (initially) unaware of.

Highlights: In season one, Daniel is unaware of the show until the season finale, wherein he is assaulted by "ninjas" who have broken into his house for the sole purpose of repeatedly punching him in the testicles. The cameras follow him to the hospital, where a troll orderly "accidentally" runs into his crotch with a wheelchair. In season two, Daniel becomes aware of the cameras and the show and begins trying to evade them both. Because of this, he is assigned an armored camera drone to follow him continuously. Fans of the first season begin to recognize Daniel and "join in on the fun". Daniel suffers a mental breakdown in the season two finale when the therapist he hired to cope with his time on the show punches him in the crotch. In the premiere of the third season, Daniel murders an actor with a pen knife once he realizes he's in another contrived situation. The rest of the season continues with Daniel occasionally having to evade the law and show "employees" now being armed. The latest season is the most popular yet and the show is signed for three more.

Fishbone's House [Shadowlands, 10 Seasons]

Synopsis: Papa Fishbone is a retired veteran of running and Houngan of Ghede. He uploads a structured show to the Shadowlands node which provides amusing but useful commentary and advice for new runners. He reviews footage from various sources such as opticams, gun-cams and stolen security footage. His "reviews" are often requests, but not always. Other personalities on the show include a plastic Halloween skeleton poorly rigged into a puppet which acts sarcastic and mean to Papa, and a former running mate of his named Snow Fairy who provides expert advice whenever the Matrix or computer technology is concerned. 

Highlights: Papa's show was raided at some point during season seven. Papa channels a great form spirit of Ghede on camera and kills the Wuxing strike team sent after him while mocking them with heavy criticism. Afterward, Papa sits down while still possessed by Ghede and finishes the show while puppeting the corpse of a Wuxing secmage to provide a foil to his run commentary. The entire double-length episode is uploaded as a "Halloween Special". 

Heartblips [Renraku, 2 Seasons]

Synopsis: Heartblips is a serious relationship drama set solely on the Matrix. The show's main gimmick is its POV selection mode, where viewers can follow several of the show's characters at any given moment. Watching the show while on the Matrix has proven wildly popular thanks to this gimmick and the many re-watches an average viewer can expect to find easter eggs and hidden details. 

Highlights: In Season One, Slicer and Hair Trigger's relationship proves rocky when Slicer accidentally finds information on Hair Trigger's real identity. In an unexpected twist, Slicer is unbothered by Hair Trigger's gender, but their real job as a Renraku security decker spells trouble for the pair's future. A popular B-plot in both seasons consists of the programmer Slowish trying to design an Agent that can act as a digital version of his late dog. Copies of the Agent were sold by Renraku following the plot's resolution. In the Season Two finale, Stained Glass Angel is revealed to be an AI with no physical presence at all: a fact that dedicated fans of the show have been collecting evidence of since the first episode.

Midtown Mike's Fun with Guns[ARES, 15 Seasons]

Synopsis: Modeled ironically after a daytime television show, hosts and experts review, test and showcase weapon technology. "Midtown Mike" has been recast several times, with in-jokes and subtle references being the only way this is acknowledged at all. The current Mike is a slightly overweight troll prone to excitement and yelling, especially when a guest brings him a troll-modified version of the weapon being showcased that episode. The show essentially only exists as ARES propaganda, with only ARES products receiving positive reviews. Every show features several structured segments, such as Wuss Watch, wherein nonlethal technology is "reviewed", mocked, and given a score of  "zero" regardless of merit. The current Mike frequently demands nonlethal technology be used directly on him. 

Highlights: Several Midtown Mikes have been seriously injured on-screen, and frequently these accidents are the host's final episode. One Midtown Mike died on-screen thanks to a malfunction with an Ares Longbow Light Anti-Tank Weapon. The footage was edited out of re-runs, but still exists on the Matrix. Several former hosts returned for the show's tenth anniversary reunion, and a recent "Behind the Scenes" special episode revealed that Midtown Mikey, the show's only female host, has stayed on in a behind-the-camera expert role. 

Midnight Makeover[Independent, 6 Seasons]

Synopsis: A team of five explicitly LGBT experts (including former runners) perform style makeovers on both the willing and unwilling. The show alternates between two styles of episode. The first and most common focuses on "shadow" fashion and helping runners and posers alike stay fashionable and avoid "edgelord" style while wearing body armor. One of the hosts(a retired combat decker) has a particular grudge against black leather aesthetic. Twice per season there is a special double-length episode where a corporate executive is kidnapped then publicly humiliated, usually by forcing or locking them into a ridiculous costume. These episodes are commonly thought to be runs that Midnight Makeover is explicitly being paid to perform, but this has never been stated on-camera. 

Highlights: During the latest season, a Transgressive Makeover victim was proving especially slippery. The team breaks into their house, replaces every stitch of clothing in the building and disables their matrix access. Then, the show's decker manufactures an emergency at the exec's facility so the victim is forced to arrive at work in an oversized neon green suit which strobes randomly and plays sound effects. He is subsequently fired and the team spends the final five minutes of the episode celebrating.

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These were fun to write, I might even do more in the future.  As you can see, I've got a lot to say about entertainment in the world of Shadowrun, particularly "Shadow Entertainment". I can imagine an enormous underbelly of Shadow Shows uploaded to the matrix, or even whole pirated stations. Papa Fishbone's show is an idea I had a long, long time ago and is even partly validated by Shadowrun's canon: There's a sponsored corporate show listed in the Sprawl Survival Guide examples which contains outtakes and accidents from Desert Wars. If that exists, it means a lot of other shit does too. I also especially like the idea of runners helping other runners, which is something that kind of already happens as canon via the in-universe comments the books are littered with. 

A final thought: if you thought these shows were especially ridiculous, violent or even cruel: Congratulations. You understand Shadowrun. 

Great Places to Live in 2065

"Wait, does Batman live in Bruce Wayne's basement?"

"No, Bruce Wayne lives in Batman's attic. "

Every once in a while, I decide to be helpful. As a companion piece to the last post, I decided to do just that and work up some housing situations for Shadowrun 3e that the average player might not have thought of. Unlike the previous post, these are going to be complete lifestyles that are reasonably within the rules. I want players to be able to take them without having to convert or decide anything. 

Ranch Home. While a lot of cities in Shadowrun are megaplexes with sprawls so big that the wilderness has been all but swallowed up, there are plenty of places that still have housing like this. This is especially common in places like the NAN or PCC. A true ranch home is often on the outskirts of a city and owns a lot of flat, sprawling land. The cops often don't bother showing up this far out, but that's perfect for a shadowrunner trying to lay low. 

Area: Low-Equivalent(2). While not run-down, places like this often aren't even zoned for residential living, and police are only going to show up if they're called. If that.

Comforts: Middle(3). Self-sufficiency is required when you live fifteen minutes out of town. 

Entertainment: Low(2). While they ship the Matrix out by pack mule, at least you've still got it. Anyway, people live on ranches to work, not to sit around watching the trideo. 

Furnishings: Low(2). You should be happy the furniture even matches. People who live so far from the city only care that they're comfortable after a hard day, not that their furniture is expensive. 

Security: High(4). You're on your own in terms of security, and that's how you like it. Your grid doesn't rely on public services to keep people out. 

Space: High(4). Land out here is cheap and unspoiled. You may as well enjoy it. 

Subtotal: 4,350¥

Edges: Defensive Setup, No More Neighbors, Quiet Neighborhood

Flaws:  Middle of Nowhere, Underpaid Security

Total: 5,220¥

Crime Hotel. When tourism fades or when an area gets bought out and leaves dozens of hotels empty, they aren't always torn down. Demolition takes money, and when the land they're built on is suddenly useless to begin with, it's virtually impossible to sell. Sometimes these mammoth, decaying buildings are taken over by criminals, street gangs, shadowrunners...or even just the SINless looking for a place to live. 

Area: Squatter-equivalent(1). This used to be a bustling business district, but now it's a ghost town full of closed shops and abandoned tourist attractions. 

Comforts: Low(2). Your room is a converted hotel room, and facilities represent that. Washing is communal, but at least someone's decided to run the cafeteria. 

Entertainment: Low(2). At least the trideo and matrix access node left in the room still work. 

Furnishings: Middle(3). Hotels live and breathe on how nice their rooms look, and this one was no exception. 

Security: Low(2). Hey, at least the lock on your flimsy door still works. 

Space: Low(2). Hotel rooms aren't built very big, unless you have the luck to be living in a suite or penthouse. 

Subtotal: 1,000¥

Edges: Inconspicuous Housing, Helpful Neighbors, Privacy Screen 2

Flaws: Bad Reputation, Annoying Neighbors, Rough Neighborhood

Total: 1,100¥

Planned Community. The suburbs were all but destroyed to make way for city sprawl and cheap apartments in most cities. However, some big-time executives and rich 1%ers aren't satisfied with penthouses. They pine for the anachronistic, family-centric living of the fifties. A former corporate wageslave turned runner may be living here in the midst of insufferable retirees and "upwardly mobile" middle managers.

Area: High-Equivalent(4). This is a planned community, after all: a sea of similar houses with similar yards that have similar barbecue grills so they can have similar cookouts.

Comforts: High(4). Each of these prefabricated homes are designed for high-paid corporate personnel who have families, and are filled with the latest tech as a result: all branded by whichever of the Big Eight built this community. 

Entertainment: Middle(3). Your family is supposed to be your entertainment...but things like premium matrix access, corporate-sponsored trideo, and simsense decks help. The community even has a pool and several tennis courts.

Furnishings: Middle(3). Every one of these prefab homes has the same art on the same walls, and the same furniture in the same rooms...unless you've taken it upon yourself to rearrange it, anyway.

Security: Luxury(5). Guard patrols, security camera nets, rigger support and discrete security checkpoints? The Big Eight like to protect their investments.

Space: Luxury(5). A big house is seen as a reward for "making it" and these are no exception. They are performatively huge, and almost more space than a family of four can use.

Subtotal: 10,000¥

Edges: Bribed Security, Concerned Neighbors, Motivated Service, Quiet Neighborhood, Terrific View

Flaws: Intolerant Neighbors x2, No Privacy 2, Trigger-Happy Landlord

Total:  12,500¥

Broke-Down Kingdom. Whether it's a tent city, reclaimed building or ruined mall, you live in a collective of homeless and transients. Food and resources are shared, and problematic people are kicked out. No one person is in charge, which sometimes leads to bickering. You share resources with a large, constantly shifting collection of people. 

Area: Street-Equivalent(0). The only place you and your homeless brothers could find space to permanently settle down is in cast-off, ruined or abandoned buildings. 

Comforts: Squatter(1). Rain barrels, propane burners, electric lanterns and scavenged food are the most common comfort for you. Every once in a while, someone will score something really nice like a portable generator or a van full of snacks intended for a stuffer shack.

Entertainment: Squatter(1). Live music and card games are popular. Mostly because they're cheap. Sometimes hot-shot filmmakers show up trying to get you and your friends to fight each other for food or nuyen. Beating the hell out of those guys and stealing their cameras usually makes your night.

Furnishings: Squatter(1). All you've got is what you or someone else could steal or find discarded in the trash. 

Security: Low(2). There are people in the collective who take it upon themselves to protect the rest. Sometimes, there's even a guard rotation.

Space: Squatter(1). You don't have much. It could be a room shared by several others, it could be a tiny hut of your own. You have what you were able to find and build with your own two hands.

Subtotal:  100¥

Edges:  Concerned Neighbors 2, Helpful Neighbors 2, Escape Tunnel, Hasty Access, Roommate From Heaven 2 

Flaws: Bad Reputation, Annoying Neighbors 2, Bad Insulation, Living By Committee, No Hazard Alarm, Crashpad

Total: 120¥

I hope you don't mind that two of these are a little similar, and one(the Broke-down Kingdom) takes a few liberties with what a space of "squatter", a "roommate" and a "neighbor" are. I think it works out nicely for those of us who are buying karma with literally every scrap of nuyen they come across. Living situation being a mechanic in Shadowrun is one I find fascinating, because it forces you to make a decision that can impact your mechanics(your nuyen) and the situations you're placed in, but it's motivated solely by roleplay. There's not much of that out there, so expect me to talk more about it and other cultural aspects of the Shadowrun world.