Earlier this year, the Freedom From Religion Foundation and the Center For Inquiry announced a contest to create a fictional, likable atheist. There were so many angry, bitter ones on scripted television; it was about time for a change.
They called it the No God But Funny contest and offered cash prizes of $10,000 (for a scripted sitcom) and $25,000 (for a produced webisode).
They just announced the winners and (emphasis theirs):
The winners in the $15,000 teleplay category are Rachel Lewis and Daniel Beecher of Salt Lake City for their pilot script THANK GOD I’M AN ATHEIST, where two young atheists in love, Holly and Matt, are about to be married, but have to contend with Holly’s devoutly Mormon parents, who have very different plans for them. When Holly worries about coming out to her folks, Matt tells her, “It’s not going to kill them… I’m thinking three days in a hospital, tops.”
The winner for the $25,000 webisode category is John Dardis of Los Angeles for EARTH ANGEL, the self-discovery story of a witty young woman named Angel who, on her 18th birthday, must find a way to come out as an atheist to her quirky and very religious family… on Christmas Day no less!
You can see Earth Angel below. It’s only 15 minutes, resembles The Office with its documentary-style filming, and is just really well done:
No word yet on if the other 11 episodes will be made… but make it happen, John Dardis! I would watch them all in a single sitting if you did.