Logan Ludwig, a resident of Logan Square, has created a web series called “For Alien Eyes Only,” which features puppets teaching aliens about life on Earth. The show releases episodes about once per month and currently has five episodes available, according to Ludwig on March 20.
The series is designed as a comedy that uses puppetry to explore human experiences from an outsider’s perspective. Ludwig said his inspiration came from watching children’s television shows and wanting to create something similar for adults. “I was obsessed with ‘Star Trek: Voyager’ and the hypotheticals of how we would get remembered as a planet if some alien species discovered us,” Ludwig said during an interview on the set of his show, which is also his living room. “It’s fun to look at ourselves in a way like that. I feel like it’s not a show, literally, for aliens, but people that feel like aliens on their own planet.”
Episodes have covered topics such as technology use, modern dating, making mistakes like calling the wrong number, and both positive and negative aspects of alcohol consumption. The show includes original music by Ludwig and animated shorts that poke fun at humanity.
Ludwig worked with Evan James Hansen, Cassie Shugart, and Charlie Dean to launch the project this summer. They filmed scenes inside Ludwig’s apartment and at Palmer Square Park. After initially pitching the idea to television executives without success, they decided to produce a pilot episode themselves based on advice from a former HBO executive. The pilot quickly gained popularity online without any social media promotion. “I just was checking YouTube, and we had 1,000 subscribers the day after,” he said.
The self-funded series now has 36,000 YouTube subscribers and has received fan mail from viewers around the world including Brazil and New Zealand. Ludwig shared that one viewer wrote to say the show helped them through a hospital stay.
The latest episode focuses on buying and drinking alcohol on Earth with humorous elements showing both enjoyment and consequences of drinking. “We take the aliens through getting drunk, being hungover, drinking safely,” Ludwig said.
Dean built sets for the show and described it as an opportunity for creativity: “It’s been really meaningful to see that people notice these things and say they’re done well,” Dean said.
Shugart added her appreciation for how the show treats serious topics with humor: “I love when silliness is taken seriously,” she said.
Ludwig plans for the series include up to 50 episodes with story arcs for all characters. He encourages viewers to follow along online: “I want people to watch us grow in real time and get better and refined,” he said.
