In the wake of the latest journalistic truth-telling kerfuffle, magazine editor Jonathan Shainin joked on Twitter that it was time for “the New Yorker to finally pitch that reality show set in the fact-checking department.” That seemed like an amusingly bad idea—but if the results were anything like the 2007 short film below, written by and starring Peter Karinen and Brian Sacca, then maybe it would be worth considering after all.
Of course, the casting here is key: FCU: Fact Checkers Unit not only features the always funny Kristen Schaal as an editor (at fictional magazine Dictum), but also includes a big part for the usually reclusive Bill Murray. When Schaal asks Karinen and Sacca to check out a story on celebrity sleeping tips, one that says Murray likes to drink warm milk before bed, the dedicated FCU team has to track down the star (and spend the evening with him). Murray delivers with his usual deadpan charm. (Via Open Culture.)
