At comedy shows around the city, drinks are a fixture in the hands of audience members. If comedians hit their stride and the audience laughs, drinks can become a hazard, spewing from the mouths of people in the crowd. Now, a local show combining game show sensibilities with comedy is counting on the spit reaction to make its way on local television.

After success on the stage with its comedy-based game show, Blewt! Productions is raising money to put “Don’t Spit the Water” on the air. The company hopes to get local television recognition for Chicago comedians.

The show was first performed in 2004 by Steve Gadlin, founder of Blewt! Productions, and a couple of his college friends. Based on the model of the old game show “Make Me Laugh,” random contestants are chosen from the audience to come on stage while comedians attempt to make them laugh. Gadlin put a twist on this simple concept by making contestants fill their cheeks with water.

“Spit takes are always fun,” he said. “Instead of normal standup comics, we have absurd costumed characters, and we have it hosted by a couple of characters as well. It’s real similar to ‘Pee Wee’s Playhouse’ and the ‘Gong Show,’ things like that.”

According to Gadlin, the monetary support has been great so far using Kickstarter.com to get the word out and keep track of contributions toward the $6,000 goal. As of March 18, it had raised 60 percent of their goal.

The project’s first and largest donation was given by Al Parinello, notably the first person to ever pay Andy Kaufman to do comedy. Gadlin is taking this as a good omen for the things to come.

In the past, “Don’t Spit the Water” performers have gone on to bigger and better things in New York and Los Angeles, such as alumnus T. J. Miller, who has appeared in feature films like “She’s Out of My League” and worked on numerous television series.

Miller said he attributes his experience with “Don’t Spit the Water” as giving him an edge in other platforms.

“The great thing about Chicago, and this is the cool thing about Steve and the show, is that it has a very alternative sensibility,” Miller said. “I bring a skill set to the table doing films and television and all that stuff that a lot of other people don’t have, in part because I had access to shows like ‘Don’t Spit the Water.’”

The show once had the opportunity to perform on Comedy Central’s stage. When things fell through, Gadlin decided to create a local platform instead. Once the pilot is shot, it will be shown on a Weigel station, such as The U or MeTV.

For the performers, the format of the show differs from conventional comedy and offers a unique challenge: making one person laugh.

According to Bryan Bowden, long-time performer in the show, comedians usually have a crowd to please. But when the focus is making one person laugh so hard they spit water, comedians pull out all the stops.

“With this the comedians really take their time to develop these really great characters,” Bowden said. “There’s very little opportunity to do wild, crazy, ludicrous comedy audiences really seem to like and enjoy.”

To keep the show moving, Gadlin and Paul Luikart, long-time “Don’t Spit the Water” performer, act as hosts. A running gag between them holds the show together among a slew of wild characters, Luikart said.

According to him, while they’ve been preparing for the pilot, the show has gotten a lot funnier.

“We do a great job of seeing where we’re at, and we can always build,” Luikart said, noting audience support has helped the show evolve. “We kind of developed a bit of a cult following, so it’s nice to have those people who were into us then still be around and be into the show.”

At the end of every show, the three contestants involved each receive a prize, with the winner usually receiving a gift from the night’s sponsor, such as a Threadless gift card.

Luikart admits the consolation prizes—autographed photos of the cast—are a little self-indulgent. But according to Bowden, they could be worth something if the show takes off.

“My hope, like any crazy performer, is pie in the sky that we get famous and quit our day jobs and do this forever,” Bowden said. “Ideally it’s, ‘So long, suckers. I’m off to Hollywood!’”

Realistically, Bowden said it would be great to showcase local comedy on Chicago television, and Gadlin agrees.

“My real goal here is maybe we make something so compelling we can do it regularly locally,” Gadlin said. “If we can get it locally, I think that will make it a real genuine entertaining show. Then if it can go somewhere from there, that’s fine, but my real goal here is let’s build something locally that’s fun and cool.”

To donate to “Don’t Spit the Water”’s television pilot, visit Kickstarter.com. For more information on the show and future airtimes, visit Blewt.com.