March 2018 - Make 'Em Laugh: The NM Inquisition
The NM Inquisition, now in its second season, is New Mexico’s first, best, and only news comedy show.
The brainchild of comedian Danger K Varoz, The NM Inquisition—or NMINQ—is 100% a comedy show, but it has some lofty goals. “We want to get the message out about voting locally and staying plugged into the grassroots movements that are going on all around you,” says Varoz.
Head Writer Ann Gora agrees. “I am in love with Albuquerque and New Mexico,” she says. “I think if we are able to make local politics fun, we can get more people involved.”
The show draws inspiration from the likes of The Daily Show, Samantha Bee, and HBO’s Real Time.
NMINQ began humbly on YouTube, but after its first episode, the UABQ (Channel 27) team gave NMINQ a new home on television.
"Our show was picked up by UABQ when their programming director Lauren Brazil and our now Production Manager Shaun Riley came to us looking for more content for the channel. We've developed a wonderful relationship with the studio since then. They pretty much run our show all day and night. They love us over there," says Varoz.
In its first season, which is available on nminq.com, the show focused on topics such as ART, crime, homelessness, and the 2017 legislative session.