Season 4, Episode 1: just eight days away.

Knowing that this second Jim Dupree is out there in the world, we are left with a very controversial question: who is the world’s most popular/influential Jim Dupree? It’s hard to tell, but Jim Dupree: taxman currently dominates the ThinkExist Jim Dupree quotes page, so I suppose we will concede that the title is his, for the time being.

You heard it here first: 12 brand-spanking new episodes of Jim Dupree: Enthusiast will begin on Groundhog Day 2008.

They will be released according to the Fibonacci sequence (1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89…). That is, the first episode will be available on Groundhog Day. The second episode will be available one day after that. The second, two days after that. And so on.

It’s the way Fibonacci himself would have wanted things.

Want to know more about the Fibonacci sequence? Of course you do!

And if that’s not enough, we’re also looking to reach into your pocket and pull out a crisp 20 dollar bill with the release of Jim Dupree: Enthusiast: The Incomplete Series, Volume 1 - 1st Anniversary Edition! It’s exactly the same as the Jim Dupree: Enthusiast: The Incomplete Series, Volume 1 set (previously known as Jim Dupree: Enthusiast: The Complete Series) that we sold about a year ago, but these DVDs were made on (or about) the first anniversary of the original DVDs. Are you confused yet? Great!

To order your very own 3-DVD set (which comes with several special features of varying quality), send an e-mail stating your intent to dvd@collectiveproductions.com. The sets are $20 CDN in Canada, $20 US in the United States, and €20 worldwide! These prices include all shipping and handling fees (read: cost of postage).

All of the episodes are available on this very website for free, of course, but that didn’t stop you from paying for the DVDs last time! Order now!

Now we have a Facebook page. Now’s your chance to friend us, before we delete that too.

Earlier this year, our good e-friend Steve Garfield brought Jim Dupree: HDTV Enthusiast to the Pixelodeon Independent Video Festival as a part of his I Watched, I Laughed, I Vlogged showcase. It was played on a big screen, which is ridiculous. Thanks so much, Steve.

The folks at Sugartune’s The Indie Rock Blog were all over the series, saying that Jim Dupree was a “hopelessly, inept boner” and that

Jim Dupree is a tortured, scattered Charlie Brown with all the charm of a bush league baseball team of doorknobs. How can you not adore this human car crash? How can you not rubberneck as he details in minute detail the many, varying topics for which he demonstrates enthusiasm? You rock, Jim. We salute you!

Thanks, Sugartune, for one of the most colourful descriptions of our podcast ever!

A JD:E thread appeared on the MetaFilter Community Weblog where user Down10 commented: “Mundane is the new extraordinary.” We’re glad you think so.

Valerie In Toronto decided that the podcast was “hilarious” after meeting “the other guy” at a podcasting meetup. It would also seem as if she (or somebody else with the same first name, at least) is looking to help launch Dan into CBC primetime. I’d pick Dan over Triple Sensation any day.

Jim Dupree: Gardening Enthusiast was shown some love by gardening enthusiasts Garden Rant and Garden Bliss. Unfortunately they’re both linked to our old YouTube videos, which we recently removed.

And speaking of our old YouTube videos, several other blogs were proudly displaying various JD:E episodes (until we ripped them down), including Nag On The Lake, Headinout, Lemmingworks and Arc’s Review. Sorry for the sudden disappearance of the videos, everybody.

Thanks so much for spreading the word, and to those of you who had posted the YouTube videos, why not update your links to point to our new Blip.tv files.

The DVDs are still forthcoming. Life is busy, wouldn’t you know.

A new podcast from some of the people who brought you JD:E, as well as some people who didn’t bring you JD:E, is also forthcoming.

Be sure to keep this feed a part of your RSS aggregation for continued post mortem news. As always, you can consult Collective Productions and DanMisener.com for other forms of continued post mortem news.

Q: Is the show really over?

A: Yes, it is really over.

Q: So, do you two guys, like, hate each other now, or something?

A: No more than when we started!… Just kidding, viewer! Dan and Tristan are not at all “at odds,” but have instead decided to take a very long break from doing something that has taken up a considerable amount of time for almost a year now. And by “a very long break,” we really mean “probably never do this again.”

Q: So, what’s Dan going to do next?

A: Dan will continue to work at the CBC, and maybe even go on strike someday. He will spend more time rocking out. He will take over full control of the underground podcast hit Canadian Heritage Vignettes, and will continue to release them via CHV’s patented “slow trickle” strategy. He also “produces” CBC’s Editor’s Choice podcast, hosted by Angela Misri, so if you want to ensure that you are subscribed to absolutely everything that Dan does (and we know that these sorts really do exist), be sure to take advantage of the many benefits of RSS aggregation today, and download all of them! As always, DanMisener.com is your source for all things Dan Misener.

Q: Will Dan be available to sign my school yearbook?

A: Hold on, I didn’t get a chance to tell you what Tristan will be doing now.

Q: What? Who’s that?

A: He’s the other guy.

Q: Oh yeah, him. So what’s he doing?

A: Well I’m glad you asked, viewer! He will continue creating content with Collective Productions, the production company he runs with his friend Patrick O’Sullivan, and they’ll be posting production updates to that site in the future.

Q: OK, but seriously! Will Dan sign my school yearbook?

A: Feel free to send your yearbook addressed to “Dan Misener, Toronto” with an enclosed self-addressed stamped envelope, if you really want to take your chances.

Q: Is Jim Dupree available for motivational lectures, parties, or office functions?

A: Great question! No.

Q: How much longer will the episodes be available for download?

A: They will be available on this website forever (or whenever we delete them, whatever comes first)! A limited edition DVD set (containing all 30 episodes, as well as some bonus features) will also be available very soon. E-mail dvd@collectiveproductions.com to find out more.

Q: I know that you want your space right now, but can I still call you sometime?

A: Sure.

Shanna Apitz informs her Top 8 of her intentions for Mr. Dupree:

This is by far the funniest thing I have ever seen. I ABSOLUTELY love Jim Dupree. Someday I’ll marry Jim and move to Canada, just so I can use all the useless Canadian quarters I’ve saved up throughout the years.

Best of luck on both fronts, Shanna.

Carly can’t keep her excitement about JD:E under friends-only lock and key, calling it “amazing.” She expresses similar sentiments for The Podcast of My Discontent and Canadian Heritage Vignettes, both podcasts that proudly hang from the highest Dupree family tree branch.

Speaking of trees, Tanoomba certainly doesn’t beat around the bush:

What is it? Awesome, that’s what it is.

Glad you think so, Tanoomba.

Finally, as a result of our weekend at Podcasters Across Borders, we have been namedropped in the podcasts of some of the conference’s cooler attendees.

The latest episode of Digital Detroit Radio includes a very strong endorsement of the podcast. And what’s more, Matt can totally hold his own in a conversation about Dig Dug, Frostbite, and Pressure Cooker.

Episode 54 of Broca’s Area finds Dave and Isabelle professing their love of the podcast. It’s especially funny when Isabelle gets excited about Dan’s “angelic” face and “button nose.”

JamesPod mentions JD:E a couple of times in Episode 3 of their Podcasters Across Borders coverage, which also features Dave from Broca’s Area. Dan’s finely chiseled cheekbone was not a part of the discussion, sadly.

Scarborough Dude speaks briefly about meeting Dan & Tristan, and also swears a lot, which is always entertaining.

Shane & Tom also mentioned us, and said something about us being really funny, which is absolutely true.

So yes, talk about us on your blog or podcast, and we’ll link to you here. What better incentive?

Over at Uncabled, Noah Mittman says that

the show is fun, hilarious and just the right length — not overstaying its welcome, but not so short that the comedic weight of a character that is so wrong about a subject that he loves isn’t felt by the viewer. After all, would we have discovered on our own that a key element of playing hide-and-go-seek is to make the other player think you’re going to kill them? No! This is the wisdom that the Enthusiast can teach us.

That is very true, Noah. But don’t forget: you should always use twine as well. That’s a very important tip that your blog entry completely overlooked.

Something To Be Desired: Behind The Scenes includes the “droll” JD:E in its shortlist of ongoing original content web series.

Rick says that

I find this video podcast tremendously amusing, although Tamara does not seem to share this view.

Thanks, Rick. Sorry, Tamara.

Freddie seems to be particularly fond of Jim Dupree: Personal Computer Enthusiast, calling the series “very funny.” He also posted a link to a site where you can download Epic Pinball. Looks like you don’t need to meet up with some sketchy French-ish Canadian in an alley to get your own copy after all…

In her comprehensive and extremely positive review of the series, Meryl had the following to say about “maybe the greatest video podcast of all time”:

It’s just so great because this character is perfect, the guy who thinks he’s so smart and interesting and funny and aren’t you lucky to know him so you, too, can glean knowledge as he reveals secrets about the world of fences and Christmas and HDTV. And he’s just so enthusiastic… I’m actually totally jealous that I didn’t have an idea like this first.

She also likens parts of the series to such television hits as The Office and The Daily Show, and compares Dan’s strikingly good looks to those of Richard Ashcroft and either David Giffels or David Giffels. Either way, this is probably my favourite part of her post.

Thanks to all who have taken the time to write about JD:E. We appreciate it so much that we now Google search our names at least twice a day.

And while it’s kind of late to report, Dan & Tristan were also interviewed for Torrent, a new show on G4techTV here in Canada. The episode has already aired, but may air as a repeat sometime soon.

Thanks to both Podcast Salad and the Torrent team for featuring the podcast.

i’d be surprised if he doesn’t have his own show on mainstream tv within a couple of years. as you can probably tell i am alec:jim dupree enthusiast!

Dan’s pal Rhiannon writes:

if you’re looking for something silly to watch, or you need advice on coin-collecting, hide-and-seek-tactics, or personal computers, you could do much worse than checking out jim dupree: enthusiast.

And Mel says some of the nicest things we’ve ever heard about Jim Dupree:

Jim Dupree: Enthusiast is one of the most brilliant and funny video podcasts being produced right now, and yet NOBODY seems to know about it, let alone actually hyping it. This both saddens and annoys me, as there’s a LOT of utter crap being shoveled onto the podcasting landscape right now that gets 20 times the attention that a genuinely original creation like Jim Dupree does. If you’re a fan of the type of subtle, droll hilarity found in mockumentaries like This is Spinal Tap or Best in Show, then you’ll be an instant fan of Jim Dupree, I promise!

It’s always nice to hear that people like the podcast. Thanks so much for the support.

To make their new concert movie, the Beastie Boys distributed Hi8 video-cams to 50 fans at a 2004 show in New York City. When they were done, “We put them back in their boxes and returned them for a refund.” Does this mean after watching their movie, viewers can get a refund? Read more…

Captain Vlog calls Jim Dupree “The Authority Of All Things Unimportant” and goes on to explain how Jim

pulls us along an imaginary, parallel reality of pretend expertise.

And Julie at The Gadgeteer says

During my Saturday morning surf-a-thon, I came across another really good video blog site: Jim Dupree: Enthusiast. Hilarious stuff; you must check it out!

Steve from Podguide.TV can relate to Jim, saying the podcast

resonated almost too well with me, a man who has too many hobbies to mention. Every week Jim has a new passion, and tries to be as authoritative as his clearly limited introduction to the subject matter will allow.

Steve goes on to call the show “Crisply made.”

Alison says

If you haven’t already discovered Jim Dupree: Enthusiast on your own, then I’m here to tell you about it. This is a video podcast…and it’s funny. Download a few episodes. You’ll laugh.

Ollie from the Yep Sport blog was into the orienteering episode, including it in his roundup of orienteering podcasts.

It’s actually pretty funny, although not very much to do with orienteering!

True that, Ollie. True that.

As we mentioned earlier, Steve Garfield thinks

This has got to be one of the funniest vlogs I’ve seen in a long time.

aBe provides a Spanish-speaking viewpoint:

Hace un par de días descubrí este (link a iTunes) “joya” de podcast. He visto unos pocos episodios de los 18 que lleva publicados. Jim es todo un personaje, en cada uno de los capítulos nos muestra su especial visión de los perros, culturismo, el viento, la pizza, etc.. . Eso sí, siempre con entusiasmo. Dadle una oportunidad, yo no puedo parar de reirme. Aviso: Es en inglés y la calidad del sonido no es la mejor.

You can translate the page using Google’s translator.

Zackwp explains how Jim Dupree stands out from the pack:

A lot of people don’t like podcasts, and that’s understandable. They’re normally boring, too long, and they take themselves too seriously! Not Jim Dupree. He’s a ________ entheusiast and his Video Podcast is nothing but straight-up… well, something.

Thanks so much for the kind words!

Thanks for the kind words Steve. We’re glad you enjoy our podcast.