I had the chance to throw a few questions at Dan Pasternack, the man behind content programming at Super Deluxe, about Derek & Simon and how online entertainment is more "ballsy" than television:

Bob Odenkirk's Derek and Simon show began as a TV pilot but was never picked up. How did the idea to develop a series of short episodes come about? And why take a chance on a rejected idea?

Initially, it was all about Bob Odenkirk. He was just someone with whom we wanted to work. Coming from Second City, SNL, Mr. Show and the Ben Stiller Show, Bob has always been an innovator in short form comedy and his work is characterized by a kind of integrity that is second to none. And hes just really funny. So when we sat down with Bob, he suggested we look at Derek and Simon. The HBO pilot was two short pieces about these two guys and their misadventures with girls. One story began with Simons misstep going to the Holocaust museum on a date with a girl who had never heard of the Holocaust. It blew me away immediately. The ideas; the loose, verite style of Bobs filmmaking and especially the relationship between real-life friends Derek Waters and Simon Helberg felt like magic in a bottle. Bob said that he, Derek and Simon had lots of ideas for more shorts and would like to make them for us. It was a no-brainer as far as I was concerned. As far as why take a chance on a rejected idea, our business is full of rejected ideas. And often the greatest ideas began their lives as orphans. All in the Family, The Sopranos, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Malcolm in the Middle are all successful TV shows that were initially developed at different networks than the ones on which they ultimately found life. Desperate Housewives was rejected everywhere... some places more than once... before it found a home on ABC. Besides, HBO programs very little. The risk and the cost are much smaller on a platform like Super Deluxe. Were just thrilled that Bob and his team figured out a way to make the series with the same quality on a broadband budget.

What has the response been to Derek & Simon on Super Deluxe?

Having served up over 500,000 views of the serialized and episodic show, we have been extremely happy with the response from our audience. In addition, fan interaction and comments on the site have consistently been in our top 10 most commented videos.

What makes for successful entertainment on the web, be it a series, short film, or other? How is it different from television?

As for what makes successful entertainment on the web, theres a lot of different elements. The first thing I look for is a kind of holy shit quality that will hit the viewer right away. Its got to make a strong impression so that that person will want to see more and want to share it with everyone he or she knows. Whether it taps into something totally of the moment (news, pop culture, etc.) or whether the video actually creates its own pop culture phenomenon, I think there needs to be an immediacy and/or a kind of surprise that is undeniable. Obviously its got to be really funny too. Kind of amusing, cute and/or clever dont really do it. Theres nothing wrong with those things. But for us, we think that extremely original, bold, ballsy and inventive comedy is what will create a cultural phenomenon. And it is very different from television. TV is a more passive medium for the viewer. Even for viewers, like myself, with ADD who like to channel surf, there is still a more luxurious narrative and storytelling style that TV employs. Its a long form medium. For us, the ideas and the narrative are usually much simpler and more linear and everything has to be done in a more economical manner. Our audience doesnt care about real time. Many of our best videos jump cut all over the place. And you usually dont see a lot of wide master shots in the best web videos. Everything stays pretty much right in your face the whole time. Even with a show like Derek and Simon which mines awkward and uncomfortable moments as well as TV shows like The Office or Curb Your Enthusiasm, the set up is quicker and the pace is faster until the deliciously horrible moment, so that when it arrives, its amplified even more because its disproportionate to the rest of the piece, all of which is usually about 3 minutes long.

What can the fans expect from Super Deluxe in the coming months?

As far as what can fans expect from Super Deluxe, we want to make sure our core fans are still getting their regular dose of their Super Deluxe favorites like Brad Neely, Bob Odenkirk, Fark TV, Tim and Eric and Olde English, but we want to make sure that they are constantly surprised and excited by whats next. This is, more than any other, a whats next medium. So whether that comes in the form of new ideas from our already solid core of artists or whether its the new live-action series from Boondocks creator Aaron McGruder or the wildly inventive and subversive Childrens Guide to Growing Up or whether its actor Craig Bierko in a bathtub with movie icon John Malkovich, we want to make sure that were always expanding the boundaries of whats possible in the world of broadband short-form comedy.