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Defunctland - Wikipedia

  • ️Wed Feb 15 2017

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Defunctland
GenreHistory
Created byKevin Perjurer
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes56 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
  • Eric Ahlstrom
  • Ricardo Andres Ponce
  • John Lagerholm
  • Sam Nevens
  • Casey Wood
  • Brandon Grikas
  • Michael J Dickhaut
  • Chris Putnam
  • Topher Proctor
  • Nicole Gunara
  • Scott Alsvig
  • Danny Perkins
  • Nate Begle
  • Allie Williams
Running time12–50 minutes
Original release
ReleaseFebruary 15, 2017 –
present

Defunctland is a YouTube web series that documents the history of discontinued amusement parks and amusement park attractions,[1][2][3][4] created and hosted by Kevin Perjurer, a pseudonymous man living in Florida.[5] The show presents the history and downfall of theme parks and attractions from around the world, most notably those of Disney, Universal, and Six Flags.

The channel has amassed over 1.8 million subscribers as of November 2023. The success of Defunctland led to two spin-offs: Debunkedland and DefunctTV, both of which premiered in 2018.[6][7][8][9] In 2024, the Defunctland series was nominated for Peabody Award in the "Interactive & Immersive" category.[10][11]

Initially, the Defunctland YouTube series was meant to be a showcase for attractions that would be a part of a virtual theme park of the same name. Soon after starting the channel in 2017, Perjurer uploaded a video titled "Defunctland VR: The Sorcerer's Hat" to show off the initial prototype of the park. While volunteers with knowledge of virtual reality environments did sign up, progress has been considered relatively slow.

About a year later, Perjurer made a post on his website about the VR Park to explain that it was still happening, as well as show off some of the progress up to that point. A video was uploaded in January 2021, showing a virtual reality version of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Submarine Voyage, as well as other parts of the park.[12][13]

The first season of Defunctland, created by Kevin Perjurer, premiered on the YouTube channel of the same name on February 15, 2017, and lasted for 22 episodes. Initially, each episode ended with Perjurer polling the viewers on where the attraction should go in the VR Park, however, this was phased out by the end of the season. Perjurer originally pitched his voice lower during his narrations, which was also dropped before the end of the season. The season finale premiered on December 11, 2017.

The second season of Defunctland premiered on February 5, 2018. A common theme throughout the season was the rise and fall of Michael Eisner and his effects on the Disney Parks and The Walt Disney Company as a whole. This season ended on March 22, 2019. The 11th and 12th production blocks were used to produce a double-length episode on the failure of Disney's America, while an additional 23rd production block was used to remake the Season 1 episode on Disney California Adventure's Superstar Limo.

The production value of each episode increased dramatically in the second season, with episodes extending in length and utilizing custom graphics fit to the theme of the episode. Some episodes even include customized theme songs or music. Perjurer stated that the cost of each episode averages around $1,000, with some being as expensive as $2,000.[14]

Season 3 (2019–present)

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The third season of Defunctland premiered on October 5, 2019. It will last for 22 episodes, of which 13 have been released so far. It has an overarching theme of revisionism and futurism, as well as hinting at the future influence that Walt Disney would receive when he eventually decided to build Disneyland. An additional 23rd production block was used to remake the Season 1 episode on Disneyland's Videopolis.

Minisodes (2017–present)

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Between the release of main Defunctland episodes, Perjurer will occasionally release smaller Defunctland "minisodes". These episodes can relate to topics outside of theme parks, such as products, advertising, and events.

The first Defunctland spin-off, Debunkedland, was created by Kevin Perjurer and Noah Randall. Hosted by Randall, the series focused on debunking various rumors and myths about theme parks and theme park attractions. The initial run of the series, hosted by Randall on the Defunctland YouTube channel, lasted for only two episodes in April 2018. The series was rebooted with a third episode on the Themed Alternative YouTube channel, hosted by the mysterious "K", voiced by Bleaker, written by Corvyn Hartwick and edited by Heath Jinkins. This new incarnation of the series premiered on October 24, 2019.

Season 1 (Hosted by Noah Randall)

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Season 2 (Hosted by "K")

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The second Defunctland spin-off, DefunctTV, premiered on June 12, 2018. It was co-created by Kevin Perjurer and Heath Jinkins, and hosted by Perjurer. The show takes a look at the history of defunct television shows, their inception, and what eventually led to their downfall.[15]

Season 1 (2018–present)

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DefunctTV: Jim Henson (2019)

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A six-episode DefunctTV miniseries on the life and work of Jim Henson premiered on April 16, 2019, and ended on July 14, 2019.[16]

Feature-length documentaries

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On August 20, 2020, Defunctland released Live from the Space Stage: A Halyx Story, a feature-length documentary by Matthew Serrano about Halyx, a space-themed band that performed at Disneyland's Tomorrowland Space Stage in 1981, including interviews with Gary Krisel, Mike Post, Jymn Magon, and members of Halyx.[17] A second feature-length documentary, Disney's FastPass: A Complicated History, was released on November 21, 2021, examining the history of ride ticketing as well as the implementation, development and efficacy of line management systems at Disney parks.[18] A third feature-length documentary, Disney Channel's Theme: A History Mystery, was released on November 20, 2022, chronicling Perjurer's investigation into the then-unknown composer of the iconic Disney Channel jingle.[19][20] He released his fourth documentary in 2023 that explores the development and history of Disney's Epcot.[21][15][22] His next documentary was about the so-called "Kids Cities" theme parks where children simulate the adult world.[23] He ended the year of 2024 with a history documentary about the Disney's Animatronics.[24]

  1. ^ Anderson, Sage (February 12, 2019). "'Defunctland' offers a fascinating exploration of the death of amusement park rides". Mashable. Archived from the original on April 12, 2019. Retrieved April 20, 2019.
  2. ^ Rayne, Elizabeth (October 11, 2017). "Stuff We Love: Defunctland, the internet's virtual zombie amusement park". Syfy Wire. Archived from the original on March 25, 2019. Retrieved April 30, 2019.
  3. ^ Zakarin, Jordan (November 13, 2018). "The weird, abandoned, and mythical theme parks of America [Fandom Files #58]". Syfy Wire. Archived from the original on March 25, 2019. Retrieved April 30, 2019.
  4. ^ Novak, Matt (January 10, 2019). "YouTube Allows Disney Nerds to Relive Extinct Theme Park Attractions". Paleofuture. Archived from the original on April 29, 2019. Retrieved April 30, 2019.
  5. ^ Winkie, Luke (July 9, 2023). "Defunctland's Wild Ride". Slate. Archived from the original on July 9, 2023. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
  6. ^ D'Anastasio, Cecilia (September 11, 2018). "'DefunctLand' Investigates How And Why Theme Parks Die". Kotaku. Archived from the original on November 25, 2019. Retrieved December 29, 2019.
  7. ^ Raftery, Brian (November 2, 2019). "Where 'Jaws,' the Ride, Lives Forever". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on December 30, 2019. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
  8. ^ Frost, Raymond D.; Fox, Alexa; Strauss, Judy (2018). E-marketing. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-351-74484-3.
  9. ^ Andrasko, Nicole (January 22, 2019). "YouTube's Defunctland Explores the Derelict Beauty of Theme Parks". Study Breaks. Archived from the original on December 30, 2019. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
  10. ^ Hipes, Patrick (April 25, 2024). "Peabody Awards Nominations: 'The Bear', 'Bluey', 'The Last Of Us' & More – Full List". Deadline. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  11. ^ The Peabody Awards
  12. ^ Clayton, Natalie (11 January 2021). "Defunctland's VR amusement park revives a long-dead Disney ride". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on 2022-01-26. Retrieved 2022-01-26 – via www.pcgamer.com.
  13. ^ Radulovic, Petrana (8 January 2021). "Disney's extinct 20,000 Leagues ride has been resurrected in VR". Polygon. Archived from the original on 2022-01-26. Retrieved 2022-01-26.
  14. ^ Defunctland [@Defunctland] (March 28, 2021). "Some inside-baseball but most Defunctland episodes typically cost around $1000 to make. I think the most expensive episode was probably less than $2500. This one is... expensive" (Tweet). Archived from the original on May 20, 2023. Retrieved May 20, 2023 – via Twitter.
  15. ^ a b Alter, Rebecca; Gularte, Alejandra (November 23, 2023). "A Guide to Defunctland: YouTube's Favorite Theme-Park Enthusiast". Vulture. Archived from the original on November 23, 2023. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
  16. ^ Hughes, William (May 16, 2019). "YouTube's Defunctland chronicles the creation and evolution of The Muppet Show". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on December 30, 2019. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
  17. ^ Taylor, Drew (August 21, 2020). "This Summer's Wildest Disney Documentary Is a YouTube Movie About a Failed Sci-Fi Rock Band". Collider. Archived from the original on August 23, 2020. Retrieved August 21, 2020.
  18. ^ Taylor, Drew (22 November 2021). "Disney's FastPass: Waiting in Line Gets Its Own Documentary". TheWrap. Archived from the original on 2023-08-20. Retrieved 2023-08-20.
  19. ^ Brady, Erin (November 25, 2022). "The Daily Stream: Disney Channel's Theme: A History Mystery Is One Of The Year's Best Documentaries". /film. Archived from the original on November 4, 2023. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
  20. ^ The best video essays of 2022|Sight & Sound
  21. ^ Whittaker, Richard (December 15, 2023). "Richard Whittaker's Top 10 Films of 2023". The Austin Chronicle. Archived from the original on December 19, 2023. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  22. ^ The best video essays of 2023 - Polygon
  23. ^ Schindel, Dan (August 20, 2024). "Five Video Essays to Watch in August". Hyperallergic. Archived from the original on August 22, 2024. Retrieved January 22, 2025.
  24. ^ Bolling, Ruben (December 26, 2024). "A deep, deep dive into the history of Disney's animatronics". Boing Boing. Archived from the original on December 26, 2024. Retrieved January 22, 2025.