Not so vintage TV

[GuitarGeek]

So, soemthing I kinda forgot about was The Grand Tour. This is the Amazon Prime show that Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, James May, and producer Andy Welman started doing in 2016, after they all collectively left the services of the BBC.

If you ever watched Top Gear circa 2001-2015, this is essentially the exact same show, minus the Stig and the Reasonably Priced Car business. It's still pretty funny, and stupid and everything Top Gear was during that period. They're still doing smart alecky reviews of cars none of us will ever be able to afford. They're still doing all their stupid "cheap car" challenges, as well as their ridiculous races (one episode pitted...I don't know remember what it was Jezza was driving, a Ford GT or whatever, against May and Hamster on public transportation, racing from Central Park to Niagara Falls), as well as other car related silliness.

I didn't even realize they continued doing the show after the first season, as I only remember a bit publicity when it started. Unfortunately, at the time, because I was running an outdated OS on my computer, I couldn't watch the show at the time, even though I have Amazon Prime. But now, things are different. I've already watched the first season, I'm about half way through the second, and I'm just glad to have these three knuckleheads back in my life!

[progmatist]

Pawn Stars on History Channel has always been fun for me to watch. In one episode, a woman came into the shop with 2 or 3 guitars she claimed were painted by Phil Collen. Rick said he needed to call in an expert, so he called in Phil Collen himself. In another episode, someone came in with John Popper's harmonica vest. The expert Rick called in was John Popper.

[GuitarGeek]

Pawn Stars on History Channel has always been fun for me to watch. In one episode, a woman came into the shop with 2 or 3 guitars she claimed were painted by Phil Collen. Rick said he needed to call in an expert, so he called in Phil Collen himself. In another episode, someone came in with John Popper's harmonica vest. The expert Rick called in was John Popper.

Yeah, there's a few music oriented ones. I remember John Entwistle's widow or one of his ex-wives, whichever, coming in with, I think i twas an early I-pod that had been personally engraved for him, but Rick didn't go for it. Another one Mary Ford's son or nephew, something like that, coming with one of her guitars.

Another one was a guy who had a copy of Led Zeppelin I, signed by all four band members, but for whatever reason, Page's autograph was on the front cover, whereas the other three were on the back cover. Their expert reckoned all four autographs were legit, but he was saying it was worth half what the seller wanted for it (which was something like 20 grand), because you can't display because one autograph is on the front cover, and the three are on the back cover, you have to have all four autographs on the same side so that it can be displayed or whatever.

Then there was the one where someone brought in what he claimed a vintage Gibson mandolin, and Chumlee went for it without having it checked out. Turned out, he got scammed. I mean, I could have told there was something wonky because it had a Gibson decal on the headstock, not an inlay. I've heard much of the stuff on that show is a put on, but if that one wasn't, Chumlee got taken for something like 5 grand or whatever it was.

For me, though, that, and most other "reality" shows, got old fast. I used to watch Storage Wars too, but I eventually lost interest, especially after Barry dropped out.

[Yodelgoat]

Curious...Is Seinfeld now considered vintage? - Crap, I am old. I was thinking of revisiting all the "my name is Earl" DVD's I have, that is probably considered vintage now too.

[progmatist]

Yeah, there's a few music oriented ones.....Another one Mary Ford's son or nephew, something like that, coming with one of her guitars.

Yes, it was her early 60s SG-Les Paul. Jesse from Cowtown guitars appraised it at around $150K.

The one which made me drool the most was the '53 Black Guard Tele, which sat in the guy's uncle or grandfather's (forget which) closet, and was in near perfect condition.

[progmatist]

Curious...Is Seinfeld now considered vintage? - Crap, I am old. I was thinking of revisiting all the "my name is Earl" DVD's I have, that is probably considered vintage now too.

American Movie Classics (AMC) airs movies at least as recent as Seinfeld.

I loved the episode of My Name Is Earl which used Focus' Hocus Pocus as background music for an action sequence.

[GuitarGeek]

Yes, it was her early 60s SG-Les Paul. Jesse from Cowtown guitars appraised it at around $150K.

The one which made me drool the most was the '53 Black Guard Tele, which sat in the guy's uncle or grandfather's (forget which) closet, and was in near perfect condition.

I don't know which one it was, but I read that on at least one occasion, the guitar was brought in by an employee of the music store that they get their expert from, and yes, the guitar was on sale at said store. So at least some of those things are setup.


American Movie Classics (AMC) airs movies at least as recent as Seinfeld

I remember about 20 or so years ago, someone commenting on whichever mailing list I was on that, having come back to watching cable TV for the first time in a decade, he was surprised to find AMC was no longer a premium service. Someone else responded that they were showing a lot of movies that weren't really "classics", unless 9 To 5 was now considered a classic.

It's been ages since I've watched anything on AMC, probably not since Nick Clooney was hosting the movies.

[3LockBox]

A couple of my favorite TV series, My Name is Earl and Last Man on Earth were very quirky and funny but perhaps an acquired taste. IMO both should have been granted a final season. I think both were on for 4 seasons, both of which ended their last seasons on a cliffhanger when they were cancelled.

[progmatist]

I don't know which one it was, but I read that on at least one occasion, the guitar was brought in by an employee of the music store that they get their expert from, and yes, the guitar was on sale at said store. So at least some of those things are setup.

Even the show hoarders has some setup. On one episode, items stacked on top of the stove starting catching on fire. I'm sorry, but electric stoves don't just spontaneously turn themselves on.


I remember about 20 or so years ago, someone commenting on whichever mailing list I was on that, having come back to watching cable TV for the first time in a decade, he was surprised to find AMC was no longer a premium service. Someone else responded that they were showing a lot of movies that weren't really "classics", unless 9 To 5 was now considered a classic.

It's been ages since I've watched anything on AMC, probably not since Nick Clooney was hosting the movies.

AMC has been a basic cable channel since I moved into an apartment with free basic cable in 1989. A year or 2 later, the Disney channel went from premium to basic. That would definitely vary from one company to another. And since one company typically dominates a city, it varies from city to city.


A couple of my favorite TV series, My Name is Earl and Last Man on Earth were very quirky and funny but perhaps an acquired taste. IMO both should have been granted a final season. I think both were on for 4 seasons, both of which ended their last seasons on a cliffhanger when they were cancelled.

I hate when that happens. If I had a nickel for every great show cancelled after a cliffhanger, I could afford to buy an 85" Ultra-Hi Def TV.

[GuitarGeek]

Even the show hoarders has some setup. On one episode, items stacked on top of the stove starting catching on fire. I'm sorry, but electric stoves don't just spontaneously turn themselves on.

Yeah, being a Kiss fan, I watched the first couple seasons of the Gene Simmons show. It was actually really funny, I thought a lot better than the Ozzy show, but after awhile, you just knew this stuff was all staged. Yeha, Gene's car legitimately broke down during his trip to Las Vegas (why not fly, Gene?), and he really got picked by random chance by a lady trucker whose husband is a Kiss fanatic, and he really had to call Carrot Top, of all people, to come pick him up. I mean, it was entertaining to watch, but the thing I couldn't figure out is why he couldnt' just hop in the camera van and they could have driven him to wherever.

Same thing on Storage Wars. After awhile, you had to figure the producers had to be planting stuff in the storage lockers. They just happened to find a couple thousand dollars worth of vintage concert posters while the cameras are there? And there was one where the one guy manages to drop this porcelain box that he found in locker and it shatters, as he's getting out of his car at the place where he's planning to get it appraised. And how was it that Barry knew all those rock stars? What was he, their drug dealer or something?


AMC has been a basic cable channel since I moved into an apartment with free basic cable in 1989.

I don't know the chronology or how that sort of stuff works, but if I recall correctly, originally both AMC and TCM were premium services, at least where I lived they were. And then at some point, they both became "basic" cable.


A year or 2 later, the Disney channel went from premium to basic. That would definitely vary from one company to another. And since one company typically dominates a city, it varies from city to city.

Yeah, you're probably right about that. I remember we had the Disney channel for awhile back in the 80's, when it was still a premium service. Went through a phase of watching vintage Mickey Mouse Club reruns, even though I was probably "too old" for the show. I also remember the DTV show, where they took songs and set them to clips from their cartoons. I believe Little Richard sent them a cease and desist order, because they apparently hadn't gotten his permission to use Tutti Frutti that way.




I hate when that happens. If I had a nickel for every great show cancelled after a cliffhanger, I could afford to buy an 85" Ultra-Hi Def TV.

There's a Big Bang Theory episode where Sheldon throws a fit because the SyFY channel cancels a TV show that he had been watching, with the last season ending on a cliffhanger. He takes to trying to wage a one man war to get the show reinstated.

But yeah, they did that to a lot of shows. I think a lot of times, the producers either expected to get renewed, or at least figured the network would "have to renew" if the last episode of the season was a cliffhanger.

But my favorite of such things was actually Sledge Hammer!. The producers pretty much figured out they didn't stand a snowball's chance in Hell of getting renewed. So they deliberately ended the show on a cliffhanger, that hinged on a nuclear bomb detonating at the end of the episode, ya know, as a joke. THen almost as if to say, "We'd like to see you write your way out of this one", the network called their bluff and renewed the show. As I recall, they repeat the final scene from the previous episode, complete with mushroom cloud, then a card comes up saying "The following takes place six years prior to the last scene", and they go to the credits, where the show is identified as "Sledge Hammer! The Early Years".

Oh, and I take back what I said about how I haven't watched anything on AMC in ages. I think I saw the first couple episodes of Breaking Bad. Which ended with him killing the drug cartel guys by throwing whatever chemicals together in the Winnebago, leaping out the door, then held the door shut until the other scumbags aphyxiated? I saw that one. I don't know if that was the first episode or what. But after while I reckoned the show "wasn't for me", so I never really followed up on anything else. But I've literally never watched Walking Dead or any of their other shows.

[3LockBox]

I think it's a strategy for shows to end a season on a cliffhanger when they know they're on the bubble. Magnum P.I. is reputed to have done this at the end of the 7th season when its ratings had dropped and it was rumored to be on the chopping block.

[progmatist]

There was one instance in which a cliffhanger went horribly awry. In a 3rd Rock From the Sun season finale, French Stewart's character was kidnapped by a character played by Phil Hartman. During the summer break, Phil was murdered by his wife. The writers no doubt had an entertaining plot for how the other 3 aliens would recover French's character. Instead in the first couple of minutes of the season premier, they just happened upon him in a traveling carnival, in which he was the main freak show attraction.

[GuitarGeek]

There was one instance in which a cliffhanger went horribly awry. In a 3rd Rock From the Sun season finale, French Stewart's character was kidnapped by a character played by Phil Hartman. During the summer break, Phil was murdered by his wife. The writers no doubt had an entertaining plot for how the other 3 aliens would recover French's character. Instead in the first couple of minutes of the season premier, they just happened upon him in a traveling carnival, in which he was the main freak show attraction.

Yeah, there probably wasn't much they could do under that circumstance. I've seen a lot of shows where they kill off the character when the actor who played the role passes.

[3LockBox]

Married With Children had a season long plot surrounding Peggy Bundy's pregnancy because the actress who played her, Katey Sagal, was actually preggers. However, when during a hiatus Sagal had an emergency c-section at 7 months (resulting in a still birth), the show's writers "pulled a Dallas" and turned into a "nightmare that Al had".

Awkward.

The show really was a one-joke affair anyway. I stopped watching after one season.

[GuitarGeek]

Married With Children had a season long plot surrounding Peggy Bundy's pregnancy because the actress who played her, Katey Sagal, was actually preggers. However, when during a hiatus Sagal had an emergency c-section at 7 months (resulting in a still birth), the show's writers "pulled a Dallas" and turned into a "nightmare that Al had".

Awkward.

The show really was a one-joke affair anyway. I stopped watching after one season.

Yeah, I wasn't that crazy about Married With Children either.

But you remind that during Star Trek: TNG, there was one season where Gates McFadden was pregnant in real life, but for whatever reason, they decided to not write into the show. As I recall, they just kept making her smocks larger and I gahter they also used camera angles that didn't highlight her changing physique. I believe I read they did the same thing on Voyager, when Roxanne Dawson was pregnant.

[3LockBox]

But you remind that during Star Trek: TNG, there was one season where Gates McFadden was pregnant in real life, but for whatever reason, they decided to not write into the show. As I recall, they just kept making her smocks larger and I gahter they also used camera angles that didn't highlight her changing physique. I believe I read they did the same thing on Voyager, when Roxanne Dawson was pregnant.

It would have been tricky for female characters on TV shows who do not have established 'mates' or spouses to explain a pregnancy within the context of the character or the show, especially during times when single mom characters were rare and if they existed it was because they were widowed or divorced.

[GuitarGeek]

It would have been tricky for female characters on TV shows who do not have established 'mates' or spouses to explain a pregnancy within the context of the character or the show, especially during times when single mom characters were rare and if they existed it was because they were widowed or divorced.

Well, we're talking the 80's and 90's, post Murphy Brown. But I suppose it is a reasonable point. You'd have to contrive a story where Dr. Crusher has chosen to have another child. Then you have to figure out, is she getting married, or are we going to kill off the mate right away, or create some other situation where he's not going to be present, etc. You'd have to change the whole point of the character's existence on the show. Unless of course, let's say the child ends up dying (and if you wanted that, you'd be watching Ryan's Hope or something), or you "pull a Dallas".

And quite frankly, "pulling a Dallas" got to be a cliche, as everyone rushed to parody it in various forms. I seem to recall there was even a point on Saturday Night Live, where they fired the entire cast from the previous season, and I think it's Madonna who tells the one person who didn't get fired "It was all a dream. A terrible, terrible dream".

And of course, the now legendary last episode of Newhart kinda sealed the deal on that one.

[progmatist]

I seem to recall there was even a point on Saturday Night Live, where they fired the entire cast from the previous season, and I think it's Madonna who tells the one person who didn't get fired "It was all a dream. A terrible, terrible dream".

That mass firing was because the cast simply wasn't funny. Lorne knew it, and the cast on some level knew they weren't funny. David Spade and Adam Sandler recently spoke of the firing on David's new Comedy Central Show. There was one member who survived the firing: Tim Meadows.

[GuitarGeek]

That mass firing was because the cast simply wasn't funny. Lorne knew it, and the cast on some level knew they weren't funny. David Spade and Adam Sandler recently spoke of the firing on David's new Comedy Central Show. There was one member who survived the firing: Tim Meadows.

Well, yeah, I knew that. But the next season, the first episode, they did this whole thing where they acknowledged the mass firing, with Madonna telling someone (maybe speaking to the camera) that the last season was "just a terrible dream".

Although, if you ask me, the subsequent seasons haven't been much better. I mean, I don't really watch the show anymore, I've seen a few funny skits over the years here and there, but by and large, most of what I've seen pales in comparison to the classic 70's era stuff.

I remember the first time I finally saw the BOC "I need more cowbell" skit, after hearing people make allusions to it for a several months or longer online, and thinking "WTF?! This isn't funny! It's just stupid!". And that's pretty much how I feel about most of the stuff I've seen from the show since the mid 80's. (shrug)

[GuitarGeek]

This is one SNL gag from the early 90's I liked:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfMt4GW0PR4

[3LockBox]

Well, yeah, I knew that. But the next season, the first episode, they did this whole thing where they acknowledged the mass firing, with Madonna telling someone (maybe speaking to the camera) that the last season was "just a terrible dream".

Although, if you ask me, the subsequent seasons haven't been much better. I mean, I don't really watch the show anymore, I've seen a few funny skits over the years here and there, but by and large, most of what I've seen pales in comparison to the classic 70's era stuff.

I remember the first time I finally saw the BOC "I need more cowbell" skit, after hearing people make allusions to it for a several months or longer online, and thinking "WTF?! This isn't funny! It's just stupid!". And that's pretty much how I feel about most of the stuff I've seen from the show since the mid 80's. (shrug)
The Cowbell skits was hilarious when I first saw it but increasingly less so when I realize it wasn't as organic as it seemed, since it seemed to be a recurring shtick twix Horacio Sanz and Jimmy Fallon to 'break up' during skits ala Harvey Korman and Tim Conway. In fact, Fallon quickly became my least favorite cast member of all time because of the long leash afforded him by Lorne Micheals, who had once himself expressed disdain for Caroll Burnett allowing it.

[progmatist]

Well, yeah, I knew that. But the next season, the first episode, they did this whole thing where they acknowledged the mass firing, with Madonna telling someone (maybe speaking to the camera) that the last season was "just a terrible dream".

Although, if you ask me, the subsequent seasons haven't been much better. I mean, I don't really watch the show anymore, I've seen a few funny skits over the years here and there, but by and large, most of what I've seen pales in comparison to the classic 70's era stuff.

I remember the first time I finally saw the BOC "I need more cowbell" skit, after hearing people make allusions to it for a several months or longer online, and thinking "WTF?! This isn't funny! It's just stupid!". And that's pretty much how I feel about most of the stuff I've seen from the show since the mid 80's. (shrug)

The current cast isn't too shabby. That is, since Fallon left for Late Night, then the Tonight show. That BOC skit seemed to rear its ugly head every time Christopher Walken hosted. The last time ever Walken hosted, he was terrible. In every sketch, his eyes were glued to the cue cards.

[Jerjo]

The cast on SNL is quite good but the writing is poor. I read somewhere that the hot comedy writers went to the talk shows (Colbert, Fallon, Daily Show, Oliver, etc) in NYC and SNL was no longer a top draw for the best writers.

[frinspar]

The current cast isn't too shabby. That is, since Fallon left for Late Night, then the Tonight show. That BOC skit seemed to rear its ugly head every time Christopher Walken hosted. The last time ever Walken hosted, he was terrible. In every sketch, his eyes were glued to the cue cards.

DeNiro has never been able to make it through a single cue card without stumbling on the way, much like Fallon. They have to position him so he can kind of make it seem like he's looking at the other actors, but his eyes are always on the cards. :lol


Okay, I admit it. We watched Tiger King on Netflix. :oops They're all gross, greasy assholes doing terrible things. But it was pretty damned interesting.

[progmatist]

^^ In my aforementioned SNL Walken episode, there was a camera shot of a mirror on the wall, showing a reflection of a cue card. I don't know if that was accidental or on purpose.

[GuitarGeek]

The current cast isn't too shabby. That is, since Fallon left for Late Night, then the Tonight show. That BOC skit seemed to rear its ugly head every time Christopher Walken hosted. The last time ever Walken hosted, he was terrible. In every sketch, his eyes were glued to the cue cards.

He might be more famous these days for the original skit than he was for all the movies he's been in. Sort of like how Shirley Booth and Ernest Borgnine became more famous for their sitcom careers than all the feature film work they did prior to going to TV.

Anyway, swinging this thread back on topic, I've found another show that James May has done called James May: Our Man In Japan. The show is basically travelogue as he travels from the very north of Japan down to the South. I've seen the first four episodes already, and they have that great dry wit he displays on Top Gear and The Grand Tour. It's well worth watching if you've 'enjoyed his earlier work.

I've also been advised I should check out a show called The Expanse, which is also on Amazon Prime, so that's gone into the queue, as well.

[Jerjo]

Though Walken is a helluva screen actor and way back in his past, did some song and dance. Which allowed him to do this:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQ7z57qrZU8

[3LockBox]

I've also been advised I should check out a show called The Expanse, which is also on Amazon Prime, so that's gone into the queue, as well.

I've seen the first two episodes. Kinda struck me as Blade Runner meets Total Recall.

[GuitarGeek]

BTW, I thought the funniest thing on SNL in decades, was, right after September 11, there was thing on TV where they had the cast, and Lorne Michaels giving this speech about whether or not it was appropriate for them to continue doing a comedy show in the face of this great tragedy. He then turns to Mayor Guiliani, and basically asks, as if to ask permission, "Can we be funny?". Without missing a beat, Guiliani shoots back with, "Why start now?". Whatever you want to say about Guiliani, at that moment, he totally nailed the situation.

[Vic2012]

I saw that cowbell episode once.. Hysterical. Once was enough.

[SteveSly]

The cast on SNL is quite good but the writing is poor. I read somewhere that the hot comedy writers went to the talk shows (Colbert, Fallon, Daily Show, Oliver, etc) in NYC and SNL was no longer a top draw for the best writers.

I would agree with that assessment. The current cast is very talented and there will be some break out stars, especially Kate Mcinnon. The writing is not so great. If we are home on a Saturday night we often still watch it, but the skits only hit the mark about half the time. I am not a huge fan of Alec Baldwin's Trump. It is just an ok impression. The two guys who do weekend update are good and often that is still the highlight of the show.

[SteveSly]

The cast on SNL is quite good but the writing is poor. I read somewhere that the hot comedy writers went to the talk shows (Colbert, Fallon, Daily Show, Oliver, etc) in NYC and SNL was no longer a top draw for the best writers.

I would agree with that assessment. The current cast is very talented and there will be some break out stars, especially Kate Mcinnon. She is pretty much amazing at everything she does and skits with her are often the best of the bunch. The writing is not so great. If we are home on a Saturday night we often still watch it, but the skits only hit the mark about half the time. I am not a huge fan of Alec Baldwin's Trump. It is just an ok impression to me. The two guys who do weekend update are good and often that is still the highlight of the show these days.

[frinspar]

We've started watching Schitt's Creek on Netflix. 60-something eps, so should last a little bit.
It was created by Eugene Levy's son, Daniel, and is a silly take on the fish out of water theme. It's about a rich family loses everything to the IRS, except for a broken down little town, Schitt's Creek, that was bought years earlier as a joke. Not sure how they would get to keep it, except as the obvious promise for the whole show. But who cares? :lol It's pretty funny so far.
Chris Elliot plays the mayor to his normally slimy, uncomfortable effect.

New season of Money Heist (La Casa de Papel) also started this past week. Great series out of Spain that Netflix picked up to produce and continue the story.

Ozark's latest season was their best yet.

[GuitarGeek]

Starting on James May's Man Lab. This is actually about 10 years old, judging from the dates given on Prime, but it was a documentary (sort of) series, where he does "manly" things. In the first episode, he attempts to defuse a Nazi bomb (actually a mockup) and to build a kitchen that will "last a thousand years".

We're told the reason for the former is because "The British are very good diggers, that's why we make good gardeners, and why we were so good at escaping from prisoner of war camps" and there's apparently a lot of unexploded bombs littering the British countryside, leftover from the Blitz (according to James 1/10th of the bombs dropped by the Nazis didn't detonate). The latter they're doing because apparently the average British kitchen only lasts about 5 years before it gets replaced by it's owner, but James feels a Man would "choose and choose well".

Let's see how this goes.

[Rarebird]

Starting on James May's Man Lab. This is actually about 10 years old, judging from the dates given on Prime, but it was a documentary (sort of) series, where he does "manly" things. In the first episode, he attempts to defuse a Nazi bomb (actually a mockup) and to build a kitchen that will "last a thousand years".

We're told the reason for the former is because "The British are very good diggers, that's why we make good gardeners, and why we were so good at escaping from prisoner of war camps" and there's apparently a lot of unexploded bombs littering the British countryside, leftover from the Blitz (according to James 1/10th of the bombs dropped by the Nazis didn't detonate). The latter they're doing because apparently the average British kitchen only lasts about 5 years before it gets replaced by it's owner, but James feels a Man would "choose and choose well".

Let's see how this goes.

There are enough undetonated bombs from the other side as well.

[progmatist]

....I am not a huge fan of Alec Baldwin's Trump. It is just an ok impression.....

The shows worst impressionist has been Norm MacDonald. When he did Burt Reynolds or Bob Dole, he sounded like Norm MacDonald acting like Burt Reynolds or Bob Dole. A close second would be Bill Hader. His Alan Alda is spot on, but every other impression sounds like Bill Hader doing whomever.

[3LockBox]

Norm MacDonald once said he was never comfortable doing impressions but you did what you could because getting air time was so competitive.

Baldwin's Trump is ok, but way over done on a show that was completely obsessed by Trump the years following the election.

Lots of SNL cast members have found their celebrity impersonations but many of them are one-note. Like everybody does a Walken, everyone does a Tom Cruise but few can really stretch it out into routine. I love Hader's Vincent Price holiday specials. I love what Kristen Wiig does on those too (even though they're a tad mean spirited).

[SteveSly]

The shows worst impressionist has been Norm MacDonald. When he did Burt Reynolds or Bob Dole, he sounded like Norm MacDonald acting like Burt Reynolds or Bob Dole. A close second would be Bill Hader. His Alan Alda is spot on, but every other impression sounds like Bill Hader doing whomever.

I always thought his Burt Reynolds was hilarious, but yea overall he was not a great impressionist. Hader was not great at it either, but agree his Alda was very good.

[3LockBox]

I love Norm MacDonald. I love his delivery style and I love that a lot of people don't. I still go to YT and watch his ESPN ESPY award show monolog. But his stab at a sitcom was underwhelming. He is not a good actor; he makes Jerry Seinfeld look like Olivier.

[progmatist]

^^ I thought Norm's eponymous sit-com was side splittingly hilarious...at least in the first season. In the second season, when they brought in the dad from Alf, the show got real stupid real fast.

[GuitarGeek]

Watching the three stooges on The Grand Tour trying to photograph wildlife in Colombia.

[Dave (in MA)]

The shows worst impressionist has been Norm MacDonald. When he did Burt Reynolds or Bob Dole, he sounded like Norm MacDonald acting like Burt Reynolds or Bob Dole. A close second would be Bill Hader. His Alan Alda is spot on, but every other impression sounds like Bill Hader doing whomever.

As opposed to when Chevy Chase did Gerald Ford. You literally Could. Not. Tell. it was not Ford.

[Dave (in MA)]

I love Norm MacDonald. I love his delivery style and I love that a lot of people don't. I still go to YT and watch his ESPN ESPY award show monolog. But his stab at a sitcom was underwhelming. He is not a good actor; he makes Jerry Seinfeld look like Olivier.

"You know, with Hitler, the more I learn about that guy, the more I don't care for him."

[GuitarGeek]

As opposed to when Chevy Chase did Gerald Ford. You literally Could. Not. Tell. it was not Ford.

The main element of Chase's impression of Ford seemed to hinge on him bumping into stuff and falling over.

Actualy, thing I remember Chevy Chase most for, on SNL, was Weekend Update. "I'm Chevy Chase, and you're not". That and time, during the next season or the one after that, when I think it's Paul Simon who's hosting, and they show him walking into Rockefeller Plaza, and he passes Chevy, who's busking on the sidewalk out front. That was kinda funny, ya know, like the movie career wasn't working out too well. I honestly can't remember any of his other bits on the show, aside from the Ford thing.

As far as Presidential stuff on SNL, nothing tops Dan Aykroyd, as Carter, talking down a guy who's having a bad LSD trip, over the phone, advising him to put on some Allman Brothers Band records and relax.

I think the best impressionists they probably had on SNL were Phil Hartman and Dana Carvey. And I don't care what anyone thinks, I loved the dueling Joe Cockers thing, where you had Belushi doing Joe Cocker, dueting with the real Joe Cocker.

Oh yeah, and Paul Shaffer's Don Kirshner impression was perfect. Kirshner himself was fond of telling people that Shaffer became famous "because of me".

[SteveSly]

I think the best impressionists they probably had on SNL were Phil Hartman and Dana Carvey.

of me".

I would throw in Daryl Hammond. He did a lot of good impressions. Kate Mckinnon in the current cast is also great at most impressions.

[Gruno]

Yeah, being a Kiss fan, I watched the first couple seasons of the Gene Simmons show. It was actually really funny, I thought a lot better than the Ozzy show, but after awhile, you just knew this stuff was all staged.

Ridiculously staged. I never thought it was funny. I couldn't get through the first season.

Full Disclosure: I helped co-write the premiere episode, so I know how crappy and fake it was. In fact, I have behind-the-scenes photos showing how fake the show is. I also never signed a non-disclosure agreement. ;)

[GuitarGeek]

Ridiculously staged. I never thought it was funny. I couldn't get through the first season.

Full Disclosure: I helped co-write the premiere episode, so I know how crappy and fake it was. In fact, I have behind-the-scenes photos showing how fake the show is. I also never signed a non-disclosure agreement. ;)

Yeah, I remember you talking about that before. I don't remember what happened in the premiere episode, but yeah, it became obvious after awhile most of it had to be a put on. I mean, yeah, like Gene just happened to Crazy Glue a vibrator to his hand that one time.

I dunno, for me it was fun for awhile. I'd have to look up how long it took me to bail on the show. I think I might have made it at least part way through the second season.

The one that was most definitely fun, to me, was that deal where he went to England, and taught the classically trained kids how to play rock music. I remember watching the first few episodes, but couldn't take any more when they did the one where they picked the singer for the band. He passed over all the kids who actually sang great because they just stood there (well, what else are you supposed to do when you're auditoining?!) and chose the kid who not only sang off key but couldn't even get the rhythm of the melody right, never mind the notes, because he sort of haphazardly jumped up and down while he was "singing". I bailed at that point. I mean seriously, this kid made Lemmy sound like Freddie Mercury.

[Vic2012]

Comet TV is running the reimagined, 2003 mini series of Battlestar Galactica this week. It's good, but there are a couple characters I can't stand that almost make me wanna change the station. Great story, fx, great character dev and acting by most of the regular cast, but some of the " edgy " characters are hard to sympathize with.

[GuitarGeek]

So today's The Grand Tour had the three idiots testing a trio of (allegedly) European made pickup trucks. Part of the test was to see how good it would be when laden with all of one's worldly goods, when fleeing from a country where a war has broken out. Since this is Jezza, Hamster and Captain Slow, naturally all their crap went flying off the back of their trucks once they started their drag race. But Jeremey's copy of The Yes Album apparently survived. As James says, "You've got half a table, a mattress, and the worst album in history!"


Comet TV is running the reimagined, 2003 mini series of Battlestar Galactica this week. It's good, but there are a couple characters I can't stand that almost make me wanna change the station. Great story, fx, great character dev and acting by most of the regular cast, but some of the " edgy " characters are hard to sympathize with.

I might be the only person on the planet who still prefers the original Galactica over the "re-imagining". When you do something like that, you change it so much, you might as well just call it something else. The original show was a lot more fun. Well, the first season was. Galactica 1980 was just dumb, as I recall.

[Vic2012]

When you do something like that, you change it so much, you might as well just call it something else.

Yeah I agree.

[progmatist]

As opposed to when Chevy Chase did Gerald Ford. You literally Could. Not. Tell. it was not Ford.

During Chevy Chase's tenure, my parents wouldn't allow me to watch SNL.

[GuitarGeek]

During Chevy Chase's tenure, my parents wouldn't allow me to watch SNL.

I had to look that one up, because I wasn't sure, but I believe I wasn't even in the country during Chevy Chase's SNL tenure. My dad didn't get transferred back Stateside (my dad was stationed in West Germany since March 1973) until 1976, probably after Chevy had already left the show for his Hollywood career.

Also, I was two years old, so...

[progmatist]

^^ I was in the 6th grade during the '76 election cycle...the time during which Chase did most of his Gerald Ford parodies. One effect Chase had was convincing Americans Ford was a klutz, when in reality, there was a single incident when he tripped a little. That's almost as bad yellow journalism getting the US into a war with Spain, just prior to the turn of the 20th century.

[3LockBox]

One effect Chase had was convincing Americans Ford was a klutz, when in reality, there was a single incident when he tripped a little. That's almost as bad yellow journalism getting the US into a war with Spain, just prior to the turn of the 20th century.

There are a couple of instances of Ford falling caught on tape. They use to be on YT. One of them was while he was coming down steps from a plane; he gets up, clearly disheveled from the fall he tries to shake the hand of one of his assistants rather than the dignitary who was waiting for him.

[GuitarGeek]

^^ I was in the 6th grade during the '76 election cycle...the time during which Chase did most of his Gerald Ford parodies. One effect Chase had was convincing Americans Ford was a klutz, when in reality, there was a single incident when he tripped a little. That's almost as bad yellow journalism getting the US into a war with Spain, just prior to the turn of the 20th century.

Yeah, well Humphrey Bogart never said "Play it again, Sam", Ed Sullivan never said "We've got a really big shoe tonight!", Carl Sagan never said "billions and billions of stars", and William Shatner doesn't insert those long pauses into his dialog. Those are all things impressionists did, and are "what you do" when doing an impression of that person, even though it has nothing to do with anything that person actually did or said.

[GuitarGeek]

There are a couple of instances of Ford falling caught on tape. They use to be on YT. One of them was while he was coming down steps from a plane; he gets up, clearly disheveled from the fall he tries to shake the hand of one of his assistants rather than the dignitary who was waiting for him.

The bit with him coming down the steps from Air Force One was used in an episode of Quantum Leap, where Sam bets someone that Ford will down the stars (of course being from the future, Sam knows what's going to happen). The guy says there's no way Ford's gonna fall on camera again, so he takes the bet, loses, and ends up having to do whatever it was Sam wanted him to do, I forget what it was now.

For what it's worth, I've read several times that Ford had a good sense of humor about things like that. As I recall, he recorded a "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night" bit from the Oval Office, and sent his press secretary to appear on the show.

[The Dark Elf]

Sagan may not have said "Billions and billions of stars", but he did say "ten billion, billion, billion atoms"...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXQ_7QUyb20&feature=related

And. William. Shatner. Did. Have. A. Choppy. Delivery.

[Dave (in MA)]

Sagan may not have said "Billions and billions of stars", but he did say "ten billion, billion, billion atoms"...
I never said most of the things I said. --Y. Berra

[SteveSly]

For what it's worth, I've read several times that Ford had a good sense of humor about things like that. As I recall, he recorded a "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night" bit from the Oval Office, and sent his press secretary to appear on the show.

Ford was originally from Grand Rapids Michigan, which is about 45 minutes from where I live, so he was very well known in these parts. He always did have a great sense of humor about everything and I think even appeared with Chevy Chase on more than one occasion. The ironic thing about it all is the Ford was probably one of the best athletes to ever sit in the Oval Office. Ford was a football star at the University Of Michigan and won two national championships while he was on the team. The Gerald Ford museum in Grand Rapids is a pretty cool place to visit if anyone ever gets up that way.

[3LockBox]

Ford did get an aircraft supercarrier named after him. I wonder when Jimmy Carter gets his.

<edit> a quick search and JC already has (appropriately) a Seawolf class sub named after him.

[GuitarGeek]

Found out last night that Prime has Orphan Black!

[GuitarGeek]

My dad had Pawn Stars on for a bit. A woman brought in the very first issue of Mad comics. I think the expert said it was something like 6.5 or 7, in a scale of 1 to 10, and that it was probably worth 2 grand. But Rick and the lady apparently didn't come to an agreement, because Rick would only offer $1,400 and her bottom price was $1,500.

And that brings up another thing about this kind of stuff, if an expert says "Oh, you could get 3 grand for that easily", why would you let some jack ass pawn broke take 15 percent or whatever of that?! You could sell it yourself and get the full price!

[progmatist]

^^ Selling high dollar items isn't as easy as it would seem. With the cut Ebay and Paypal take, a seller will end up with about the same amount as the 2/3 of its value from a pawn shop. The pawn shop also removes any headache and risk dealing with the public.

[progmatist]

Last week and tonight, the Magnum P.I. reboot is the lead in to Tom Selleck's current show, Blue Bloods.

[GuitarGeek]

^^ Selling high dollar items isn't as easy as it would seem. With the cut Ebay and Paypal take, a seller will end up with about the same amount as the 2/3 of its value from a pawn shop. The pawn shop also removes any headache and risk dealing with the public.

Hmm, I didn't realize Ebay and Paypal took a cut, but I guess it makes sense. Not much point in running a site like that if you're doing it for profit. And I suppose you have a point. You sell it to the pawnshop and it's their job to find someone to buy it from them.

[progmatist]

Hmm, I didn't realize Ebay and Paypal took a cut, but I guess it makes sense. Not much point in running a site like that if you're doing it for profit. And I suppose you have a point. You sell it to the pawnshop and it's their job to find someone to buy it from them.

Not many people even shop for high dollar items. It would require advertising to let the right people know the item is even available. Also deduct those advertising costs from the price of the item. A pawn shop who would buy and sell high dollar items already has the connections to sell those items.

[3LockBox]

^^ selling collectors items requires connections most "regular folk" don't have.

[GuitarGeek]

So now it's onto Series 3, episode 8 of The Grand Tour. This week, our heroes are going on an RV vacation in Nevada!

[GuitarGeek]

Just got done watching the first episode of a 2009 British show called Paradox. Basically, a physicist, who's monitoring the sun for solar flare activity, receives, via a satellite connection, photos predicting a disaster that will happen in 10 hours, so calls in a group of police detectives who have to piece together where and what's going to happen, in an attempt to prevent. I thought this was a new show, but the copyright says 2009. I looked it up on Wiki and apparently only five episodes were made, and the BBC chose to not renew it for a second series. Good, suspenseful program, I'll have to check out the other four episodes.

[Gruno]

Just got done watching the first episode of a 2009 British show called Paradox. Basically, a physicist, who's monitoring the sun for solar flare activity, receives, via a satellite connection, photos predicting a disaster that will happen in 10 hours, so calls in a group of police detectives who have to piece together where and what's going to happen, in an attempt to prevent. I thought this was a new show, but the copyright says 2009. I looked it up on Wiki and apparently only five episodes were made, and the BBC chose to not renew it for a second series. Good, suspenseful program, I'll have to check out the other four episodes.

Is each episode an hour of real-time similar to the series "24"?

[GuitarGeek]

Is each episode an hour of real-time similar to the series "24"?

It's nothing at all like 24. Episode 1 took place over the course of 10 hours.

[GuitarGeek]

So now I've added another British series, called Humans, to my list. This is about a future where androids have become a common part of society, doing hard labor type jobs and also present in homes as nannies, butlers, etc. Episodes draws us toward four different tales, involving androids. One is about an elderly man (played by William Hurt) who has one of the first "D series" androids which is starting to malfunction, another is about a family who takes an android nanny (against the mother's wishes), and another is about man searching for three stolen androids, and a fourth we only glimpse in episode one, but we see a somewhat young married couple with an android named Simon.

So this is looking promising.

[Dave the Brave]

So now I've added another British series, called Humans, to my list. This is about a future where androids have become a common part of society, doing hard labor type jobs and also present in homes as nannies, butlers, etc. Episodes draws us toward four different tales, involving androids. One is about an elderly man (played by William Hurt) who has one of the first "D series" androids which is starting to malfunction, another is about a family who takes an android nanny (against the mother's wishes), and another is about man searching for three stolen androids, and a fourth we only glimpse in episode one, but we see a somewhat young married couple with an android named Simon.

So this is looking promising.

In May 2019, Channel 4 announced that the series had been cancelled.

[GuitarGeek]

In May 2019, Channel 4 announced that the series had been cancelled.

Yes, I know Humans has been cancelled, but I believe it ran for three seasons before Channel 4 dropped the hammer on the show. Anyway, I liked the first episode, so I'm going to continue with it.

[Dave the Brave]

Yes, I know Humans has been cancelled, but I believe it ran for three seasons before Channel 4 dropped the hammer on the show. Anyway, I liked the first episode, so I'm going to continue with it.

I also liked it and was disappointed when it was cancelled.

DtB

[Vic2012]

Been watching Battlestar Galactica (the 2000s reimagination). Great, great story arc. The only character I'm sympathetic toward are the two Adamas, Madam President, and a few others, but all those hotshots I'm pretty sick of. I tolerate them.

[progmatist]

NBC brought back the train wreck of a show Blindspot. It started out as an intriguing and entertaining show, but devolved into an extremely stupid and comically implausible show. My guess is they fired their adult writers and hired a bunch of kids, in an attempt to attract a younger audience.

[SunRunner2]

NBC brought back the train wreck of a show Blindspot. It started out as an intriguing and entertaining show, but devolved into an extremely stupid and comically implausible show. My guess is they fired their adult writers and hired a bunch of kids, in an attempt to attract a younger audience.

The writers have been tinkering with this show since the end of the first season, in 1985. It is as if they wanted to keep the plots as complicated and convoluted as possible with ever-changing and ever-recurring enemies of the force. As a result, the original premise of the tattooed Jane got lost along the way and it has been very difficult to follow with any sort of ongoing interest or intrigue. One of the most interesting characters, Roman, was killed a couple of years ago, which I thought was a big mistake. The show tries to be too many things to too few people (as ratings continued to plummet).

[GuitarGeek]

So I've continued to watch both Paradox and Humans. Both very good shows. Of course, there's only five episodes of Paradox, and I've watched the first three, but it's been pretty good. Humans is also getting very interesting too.

I've also started an Amazon show called Upload. In the future (2033, to be exact, people are given the option of uploading themselves to a virtual environment, instead of just dying. There's just one catch: it's very expensive. The main character is a programmer who was working on a freeware version of uploading, who dies in a car accident. Or rather, he's in a car accident, he seems to be ok in the hospital, but the doctors want to operate, and his rich bitch girlfriend talks him into doing the upload instead. And things get strange from there. Pretty good show so far, though I wish the comedy wasn't so banal, but what do you want from a new show in 2020?

Also started re-watching Chuck. Having fun with that one. I think I must have missed much of the first season, because I don't really recognize the episodes I've seen so far. I know I never saw how Chuck ended up with the Intersect in his head in the first place, but I guess I must have joined this show pretty late, possibly not until the second season.

[progmatist]

Also started re-watching Chuck. Having fun with that one. I think I must have missed much of the first season, because I don't really recognize the episodes I've seen so far. I know I never saw how Chuck ended up with the Intersect in his head in the first place, but I guess I must have joined this show pretty late, possibly not until the second season.

Chuck actually got cancelled, but when scores younger people complained, NBC brought it back. A similar thing happened with The Wonder Years and Freaks and Geeks, but the complainers were older people reliving their youths.

[GuitarGeek]

Chuck actually got cancelled, but when scores younger people complained, NBC brought it back. A similar thing happened with The Wonder Years and Freaks and Geeks, but the complainers were older people reliving their youths.

That's happened with lots of shows over the ages. Star Trek actually got cancelled after it's second season. It was a letter writing campaign that led it to being renewed for the third season.

[Jerjo]

The Expanse got cancelled by SyFy, much to the fury of the shows fans. It moved to Amazon because one fan in particular was Jeff Bezos.

[progmatist]

That's happened with lots of shows over the ages. Star Trek actually got cancelled after it's second season. It was a letter writing campaign that led it to being renewed for the third season.

I've always referred to the Nielsen rating system as the Electoral College system of voting, working in reverse. That's more true than ever when "families" now constitute a minority of viewers.

[frinspar]

Watching an episode of King of Queens where they're at a wedding. I looked up and thought the bandleader looked familiar, and it took my brain a few seconds to place him. It's Peter Tork! :D

[GuitarGeek]

So apparently, I must have started later than I thought with Chuck, because I'm about 2/3's of the way through the second season, and I don't really remember any of these episodes at all, other than the one when his college girlfriend shows up. But then, I don't think I ever really watched this show in reruns (has it ever been shown in reruns?), so maybe I did see some of these, but only the one time, and thus they're not seared into my memory the way Star Trek, Doctor Who, or Barney Miller are.

[3LockBox]

Chuck actually got cancelled, but when scores younger people complained, NBC brought it back. A similar thing happened with The Wonder Years and Freaks and Geeks, but the complainers were older people reliving their youths.

Freaks & Geeks was great. I watched the series when it was on Netflix. Sure, it would have great to have a second season, but perhaps I'm fonder of it since it ended with me wanting more, rather than have it wear out its welcome.

[GuitarGeek]

Freaks & Geeks was great. I watched the series when it was on Netflix. Sure, it would have great to have a second season, but perhaps I'm fonder of it since it ended with me wanting more, rather than have it wear out its welcome.

I watched most of it in it's original broadcast. A decade or more later, there was a documentary done, around he time that Sundance (I think it was Sundance) reran the show, and the producers were talking about all the grief they got from NBC about it. They kept shuffling it around the schedule and then sometimes even preempted it (I remember asking my mom to record it on the VCR for me one night when I had to work, and she said it wasn't on, even though it was indeed listed on the TV schedule channel). They said NBC kept begging them for an episode with a "happy ending" and the producers were trying to explain to the twits at NBC that "it's not that kind of a show". I think NBC wanted John Hughes, and the producers gave them Scorscese instead.

I thought it was brilliant. I loved the one where the geeks swapped out the beer keg at the one kid's sister's party for non-alcoholic beer, and everyone still got "wasted". The one where the one kid finds out his father is cheating on him, and then he gets asked to pull out his ventriloquist figure during a party, and he just sort of comes unhinged during the piece, and the really nerdy guy says "I told you that thing was take over him!". And how can you not love a TV show that has a scene where Linda Cardenelli (who I kinda had a crush on) dances to Box Of Rain. I think they used almost the entire song in that scene, too! There was another episode, the Halloween one, I think, where they used a big chunk of Cheap Trick's Gonna Raise Hell too.

And of course, there's the one where Joe Flaherty schools Jason Siegel about drummers. "Yeah? Well, Neil Peart couldn't drum his way out of a wet paper sack!". Of course, Flaherty was friends with the Rush guys (doing a Count Floyd bit for one of their tours back in the 80's), so I'm sure he was having a good chuckle with that scene, but it still felt like, "Take THAT, Rush fans!".

[GuitarGeek]

On tonight's Chuck repeat, guest star Chevy Chase greets two Japanese men. One of them he says, "Arigato!" to, the other he says "Inna-Gada-Da-Vida!" to. Brilliant!

[Halmyre]

That's happened with lots of shows over the ages. Star Trek actually got cancelled after it's second season. It was a letter writing campaign that led it to being renewed for the third season.

And after watching series three they might have wondered why they'd bothered.

[GuitarGeek]

re: Star Trek


And after watching series three they might have wondered why they'd bothered.

The network put a producer named Fred Freiberger in charge of the show for series three, and over the years, he became notorious for doing the exact same thing as he did with Star Trek, i.e. being brought in late in a series run (or for series two, in the case of Space: 1999), which coincided with a drop in the quality of the program, and also of it's ratings.

Having said that, he was in charge of the last season of both The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman, and during that time, they made my favorite episodes of each (the Sharks two parter in the case of the former, and The Deadly Music in the case of the latter).

[progmatist]

RE: Star Trek

I was in the Navy when they dropped the rank of Commodore, replacing it with Rear Admiral Lower Half. I thought it was ridiculous when the Star Trek universe followed suit. I'm sure the 23rd century United Federation of Planets is going to follow the 1980s US Navy's lead.

[GuitarGeek]

Well, I finished watching Chuck. That last season was a bit...dark. And the ending was...I dunno, it just felt a little dull. But I enjoyed it in general. I'll have to start over again at some point.

Working my way through series two of Humans now, and I've started on The Expanse now, too. Also one episode from wrapping up season four of Orphan Black.

[GuitarGeek]

Started watching Tales From The Loop last night also. One of the actresses in the first episode was one Elektra Kilbey, who turns out to be the daughter of Steve Kilbey, The Church's bassist and lead vocalist. Thought that was kinda cool.

[GuitarGeek]

Started watching Tales From The Loop last night also. One of the actresses in the first episode was one Elektra Kilbey, who turns out to be the daughter of Steve Kilbey, The Church's bassist and lead vocalist. Thought that was kinda cool.

Tales From The Loop turned out to be a whole lotta WTFrell?! Eight episodes, all with interesting stories, but then each episode would end without the respective story being resolved properly. It's like the writers couldn't figure out how to end any of the stories they wrote. I mean, really! WTF?!

Starting on Counterpart now. This looks might be intriguing, though I have a feeling I'm gonna find the goings on more than a little depressing. Need to get back to the Expanse.

Also found out that much of the Clarkson/May/Hammond era of Top Gear is on Amazon Prime too, so I've been reliving soem of that. And I think some of the episodes are unedited, too!

[GuitarGeek]

So now I'm also watching Hunters, a show Amazon premiered last year, about a group of Nazi hunters in 1977. Al Pacino plays the head hunter, a Jewish man who survived Auschwitz, I believe. Meanwhile an FBI agent has been tasked with finding out who killed a German born NASA scientist, who was gassed to death in her own shower. And there's also a group of Nazis who are trying to pull some ignoramus Fourth Reich dren. This could be promising, although I suspect it might also be disturbing.

[progmatist]

The universe is about to implode. On last night's Colbert, NBC morning personality Willie Geist was one of the guests. On last night's Seth Meyers, it was CBS morning personality Gail King. They should know from a certain 1980s documentary not to cross the streams......unless of course a giant marshmallow man is about to get you.

[GuitarGeek]

The universe is about to implode. On last night's Colbert, NBC morning personality Willie Geist was one of the guests. On last night's Seth Meyers, it was CBS morning personality Gail King. They should know from a certain 1980s documentary not to cross the streams......unless of course a giant marshmallow man is about to get you.

I haven't watched any of the late night talk shows since Letterman retired. Actually, that's not true, I think I watched James Corden a few times, thought he was kinda funny. He had some actor on, who apparently people kept mistaking him for some singer, Ed Sheeran or whatevfer his name is. So this actor's talking about how Leo Sayer told him, "Oh, I LOVE the new album". And Corden explains to the audience, "Leo Sayer is a singer from the 1970's, for those of you under 100!".

But I seem to recall Dave had the NBC anchors on his show pretty regularly, first Tom Brokaw back when he was on NBC, and then later one, he had Brian Williams on a lot. I remember Dave was fretting about how he had only 15 followers on Twitter, and Brian explained, "No, that's the sites you're following, most of which are Indiana sports teams!". Not sure if either of the turkeys who took Dave's place on NBC ever had any of the CBS anchors on.

[progmatist]

I haven't watched any of the late night talk shows since Letterman retired. Actually, that's not true, I think I watched James Corden a few times, thought he was kinda funny. He had some actor on, who apparently people kept mistaking him for some singer, Ed Sheeran or whatevfer his name is. So this actor's talking about how Leo Sayer told him, "Oh, I LOVE the new album". And Corden explains to the audience, "Leo Sayer is a singer from the 1970's, for those of you under 100!".

Pre-pandemic, I didn't care for the way Corden interviewed all guests simultaneously throughout the show. I prefer fast forwarding through the guests who don't interest me.


But I seem to recall Dave had the NBC anchors on his show pretty regularly, first Tom Brokaw back when he was on NBC, and then later one, he had Brian Williams on a lot.

I don't recall ever seeing a 2 network crossover on the same night, like 2 nights ago. But for Dave's preexisting relationship with Brokaw from his NBC days, I'm not so sure there would've been so many appearances on the CBS show.

[GuitarGeek]

I don't recall ever seeing a 2 network crossover on the same night, like 2 nights ago. But for Dave's preexisting relationship with Brokaw from his NBC days, I'm not so sure there would've been so many appearances on the CBS show.

At some point in the 90's, I stopped watching Leno, and the only other talk shows I watched were the guys who came on after Dave, and other than Tom Snyder, I only did that intermittently. I mean, staying up to 1:30 in the morning can wear on ya when you're in your 30's (yeah, I like I didn't stay up WAY PAST 1:30 on most nights anyway).

I only watched Conan when he had a musical guest on I liked. I don't think I ever watched either of the Jimmies (as Dave called them a couple times), and I don't think I ever watched Carson Daly. I watched Bob Costas pretty regularly, though, that's going back to an earlier era (and I remember for some reason, the local NBC affiliate started sticking that Rush Limbaugh guy's show in between Letterman and Costas, so back when I was still trying to maintain a normal relationship daylight, I'd have to tape all three shows, then fast forward through Limbaugh).

Wait a second. I thikn I did watch one of the Jimmies once, I forget which one, but he had Jessica Alba on, and for some crazy reason, I wanted to watch it (I dunno why, this was after she was married and had her first kid, so it's not like she was still totally hot the way she used to be).

As for Brokaw, I dunno, I may be misremembering. I know they used to stuff on NBC, things like a viewer asking what's at the top of the spiral staircase in the back of the Late Night set. Dave goes up to the staircase, and it leads into the NBC Nightly News set, and Brokaw's in the middle of a broadcast or something like that. Dave's like "Dont' mind me, I'm just getting some drinks out of the fridge" or whatever. Another time, someone asks what the large knife switch, also in the back of the set, does, and Biff explains, "Ya know, I'm not sure it's even hooked up to anything" and starts flipping it back and forth, and they cut to the lights fading and out on the NNN set, with Brokaw looking around with a "WTF" look on his face. Maybe he didn't do so much later on.

But I do remember Brian Williams doing the show a lot, once he took over the job, and there was apparently a point where someone wondered why he never had the CBS news anchor, Scott Pelley on, so he started having him on. I think Dave had Dan Rather, on as well a few times, in the 90's, before Rather got sacked. There was a gag that hinged on Rather dancing to that REM song What's The Frequency Kenneth (because the song was sort of inspired by something that happend to Rather).

I also remember a running gag with Connie Chung, though I think this might have been back at NBC, where Dave would insult her husband, Maury Povich. I think the first time I saw this go on, Dave asks about her husband, and suggests it's 60 Minutes reporter Morley Safer. She laughs and says she's married to Maury, who at the time was hosting this tabloid show called A Current Affair. Then, Dave got into this regular gag where he'd refer to Maury as "Murray", whenever talking to Connie. For his part, Maury took up the joke, and carried on (presumably facetiously) about how Dave had a thing for Connie. I remember once he had his talk show, he had somebody on, some actress, I forget who, who said she was neverous when she did Dave's show because "I sorta have a crush on him". Maury gets that look in his eyes, and says, "Well, I'm sorry to break this to you, but Dave has eyes only for my wife!".

Frell! There's no reason for me to actually know any of that dren, off the top of my head. But hey, there's no reason for me to use the Farscape swear words, either. (shrug)

[Jerjo]

Dave also had a crush on Isabella Rossellini. He'd often introduce her as his girlfriend or fiancé. Finally he changed it to ex-wife, "and here's a woman I was married to for several years".

https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/images/tre-sor30ans-isabella-1-1591637713.jpg

We watch Colbert on a regular basis but the energy just isn't the same without an audience. I read that the talk show producers keep up a weekly email chain on coping with this pandemic and when they can go with a full audience.

[moecurlythanu]

Frell! There's no reason for me to actually know any of that dren, off the top of my head. But hey, there's no reason for me to use the Farscape swear words, either. (shrug)

Ah so, grasshopper. Self awareness is the beginning of wisdom.

[GuitarGeek]

Dave also had a crush on Isabella Rossellini. He'd often introduce her as his girlfriend or fiancé. Finally he changed it to ex-wife, "and here's a woman I was married to for several years".

You remind me of the time he had Steve Allen on, and in introducing he said something like, "Most of the stuff on this show that's actually funny, we stole from our next guest".


We watch Colbert on a regular basis but the energy just isn't the same without an audience. I read that the talk show producers keep up a weekly email chain on coping with this pandemic and when they can go with a full audience.

When that hurricane hit NYC, was it Hurricane Sandy? Anyway, I remember Dave did a show or two with no audience, and yeah, that was a weird vibe.

[GuitarGeek]

Ah so, grasshopper. Self awareness is the beginning of wisdom.

Dude, I've been aware for the last 20 years, at least, there was no reason to know most of the crap I do. Being able to recite lines from The Blues Brothers, Heavy Metal, Rock & Rule, Sixteen Candles, Student Bodies, Animal House and/or National Lampoon's Vacation is not a marketable skill. Neither is knowing who played bass on which Uriah Heep album, or why the first Stateside ELO album was called No Answer.

You ever wonder what useless trivia? Well, there it is right there. I mean, nobody cares which Rainbow albums Cozy Powell played on. They don't care which Thin Lizzy albums Gary Moore on, either.

[moecurlythanu]

Dude, I've been aware for the last 20 years, at least, there was no reason to know most of the crap I do. Being able to recite lines from The Blues Brothers, Heavy Metal, Rock & Rule, Sixteen Candles, Student Bodies, Animal House and/or National Lampoon's Vacation is not a marketable skill. Neither is knowing who played bass on which Uriah Heep album, or why the first Stateside ELO album was called No Answer.

You ever wonder what useless trivia? Well, there it is right there. I mean, nobody cares which Rainbow albums Cozy Powell played on. They don't care which Thin Lizzy albums Gary Moore on, either.

You can comfort yourself with the knowledge that, objectively, in a vacuum, knowledge is better than lack of knowledge.

[progmatist]

As for Brokaw, I dunno, I may be misremembering. I know they used to stuff on NBC, things like a viewer asking what's at the top of the spiral staircase in the back of the Late Night set. Dave goes up to the staircase, and it leads into the NBC Nightly News set, and Brokaw's in the middle of a broadcast or something like that. Dave's like "Dont' mind me, I'm just getting some drinks out of the fridge" or whatever. Another time, someone asks what the large knife switch, also in the back of the set, does, and Biff explains, "Ya know, I'm not sure it's even hooked up to anything" and starts flipping it back and forth, and they cut to the lights fading and out on the NNN set, with Brokaw looking around with a "WTF" look on his face. Maybe he didn't do so much later on.

On the old NBC show, Dave did even more skits with Phil Donahue, who taped his show just across the hall.

[GuitarGeek]

On the old NBC show, Dave did even more skits with Phil Donahue, who taped his show just across the hall.

I remember Phil doing the "spitting out the coffee" thing when Dave asked him about Oprah signing a million dollar deal or whatever it was with his distributor. Then he did the same gag with Marlo Thomas (Phil's wife), except she just dribbled the water, and I think Danny Thomas (Marlo's dad) did the same thing.

Phil Donahue had the last really good, watchable day time talk show, after both Mike Douglas and Merv Griffin retired. I remember Merv being some years later why he retired, and he said he had already seen where daytime talk shows were going (i.e. Geraldo), and had no interest in doing that kind of show. I wonder if it was the same for Phil or Mike. I miss all three of them.

[GuitarGeek]

Hunters is proving very riveting. Just finished episode 5, and I'm enjoying it.

[mozo-pg]

Hunters is proving very riveting. Just finished episode 5, and I'm enjoying it.

It only gets better, and better, and better! I'm on episode 10.:horns

[Dave (in MA)]

I remember Phil doing the "spitting out the coffee" thing when Dave asked him about Oprah signing a million dollar deal or whatever it was with his distributor. Then he did the same gag with Marlo Thomas (Phil's wife), except she just dribbled the water, and I think Danny Thomas (Marlo's dad) did the same thing.

In the off chance you didn't already know what the spit-take thing was a reference to...

https://cdnmetv.metv.com/yWm7A-1518817219-11428-list_items-1_spit-take-danny-thomas.gif

It's well before my time, but I guess I saw a few reruns.

[Dave (in MA)]

Dave goes up to the staircase, and it leads into the NBC Nightly News set, and Brokaw's in the middle of a broadcast or something like that. Dave's like "Dont' mind me, I'm just getting some drinks out of the fridge" or whatever.
To me, the classic example of this thing was when Carson shows up the night after Rickles was on when Newhart guest-hosted the Tonight Show and his maniacal screwing around had broken Carson's cigarette box, so he ambushed the set of Rickles' sitcom taping. You know these are prearranged, but the key is to make them look as though they're really an impromptu bit. It even got revisited when Rickles guest hosted 2 years later.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4_dM0kMQc0

[GuitarGeek]

So, someone at work told me I should check out Eureka. I actually remember watching this show when it first started airing on the Sci-Fi channel (Wiki says it began in 2006, so it must have been then), but I don't remember much about it, apart from the generalities of the show. Watched the pilot over the course of the last couple days. Pretty good, I think. I might have to watch more.

[progmatist]

So, someone at work told me I should check out Eureka. I actually remember watching this show when it first started airing on the Sci-Fi channel (Wiki says it began in 2006, so it must have been then), but I don't remember much about it, apart from the generalities of the show. Watched the pilot over the course of the last couple days. Pretty good, I think. I might have to watch more.

I watched it from start to finish when it first ran. Well worth your time.

[GuitarGeek]

I watched it from start to finish when it first ran. Well worth your time.

Yeah, it's just...I didn't dig the way the pilot ended. More "darkness". I don't dig darkness, I'm very sensitive about this stuff. But seeing as I didn't actually remember that bit, I'm guessing the show in general isn't as dark as that one bit might suggest, so maybe I'll be alright. Im' gonna proceed forward and see how long it takes me to get off the bus.

[GuitarGeek]

Watching the first episode of The Feed tonight.

[progmatist]

Yeah, it's just...I didn't dig the way the pilot ended. More "darkness". I don't dig darkness, I'm very sensitive about this stuff. But seeing as I didn't actually remember that bit, I'm guessing the show in general isn't as dark as that one bit might suggest, so maybe I'll be alright. Im' gonna proceed forward and see how long it takes me to get off the bus.

At the risk of spoiling it, the series itself has its lighter moments. Almost semi-comedic.

[GuitarGeek]

I've added Fringe to the rotation. Anyone remember this show, from about 10-12 years ago? I know I saw a few episodes, as I remember Joshua Jackson and John Noble, and I remember there was a general element of the "supernatural" or whatever, kinda like X-Files, but a decade later. Looks like this might be a good show, might have to continue with this one. Also might pickup on a few of the other shows I was watching circa 2010-2012 that I somehow didn't finish, like Persons Of Interest and Scorpion.

[moecurlythanu]

^ It was a good show until they got on the _______ plot line, after which it went completely in the dumper, imo.

[GuitarGeek]

^ It was a good show until they got on the _______ plot line, after which it went completely in the dumper, imo.

Say what now?

[moecurlythanu]

Say what now?

If I tell you where it jumped the shark, it will be something of a spoiler. However, I can do that if you like. The show was good, smart and entertaining through much (most?) of it's run. However, the introduction of a major plot device late in the game wrecked it, imo.

[GuitarGeek]

If I tell you where it jumped the shark, it will be something of a spoiler. However, I can do that if you like. The show was good, smart and entertaining through much (most?) of it's run. However, the introduction of a major plot device late in the game wrecked it, imo.

No spoilers, then. I'll find out in my own good time.

[SteveSly]

I've added Fringe to the rotation. Anyone remember this show, from about 10-12 years ago? I know I saw a few episodes, as I remember Joshua Jackson and John Noble, and I remember there was a general element of the "supernatural" or whatever, kinda like X-Files, but a decade later. Looks like this might be a good show, might have to continue with this one. Also might pickup on a few of the other shows I was watching circa 2010-2012 that I somehow didn't finish, like Persons Of Interest and Scorpion.

I tried with "Finge", but it did not do much for me. Never finished it.

[GuitarGeek]

Watched an episode of Eureka last night. I think I'm about 10 episodes into this series, and the thing is, I don't really remember much about most of them. I mean, I remember most of the main characters and the general "set up", but I don't really remember any of these stories. I wonder how much of this series I actually saw originally.

[SteveSly]

My wife and I just discovered “Pushing Daisies” from 2007. I had never heard of it before, but were looking for something to watch on HBO Max and came across this quirky little show. It only ran 2 seasons and was plagued by the writers’ strike that happened in the middle of season 1. The show only got to do about half of the planned episodes for the first seasons and then ratings dropped off in the second season and the show was cancelled, but it won several Emmy awards and is really quality stuff. Anyone else ever watch this back when it was on?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmI29UHOuF0