Tuesday, September 13, 2011

It stars who?

Falling down the Wikihole this morning, I was reading about the World of Sid and Marty Krofft when I was reminded of one of their more improbable TV ventures.

Every generation thinks that they have invented bizarre and inappropriate television (or at least every generation since the invention of TV, before that they had to settle for bizarre and inappropriate radio, or puppet shows,) but for those who think that Jersey Shore is something new in the annals of questionable taste, may I remind you that in 1984 the Kroffts successfully pitched CBS execs on a morning kiddie television show hosted by Richard Pryor: "Hey, kids! This morning we're going to learn how to freebase some m_____f____n' cocaine!"

Rumors of a revival of the show, this time titled Winehouse's Playhouse, have been put to bed for good.

17 comments:

  1. I had to see it to believe it.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYEltGIXslo

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  2. Tam,

    May I remind you that George "The Seven Words You Can't Say on Television" Carlin was the conductor on Thomas the Train?

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  3. wikihole = Adult A.D.D.

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  4. "H.R. Pufnstuf, he's around when things get tough..."

    Oh, and who could forget Witchiepoo?

    Gawd, between that and The Goodies, I guess I really did spend too much time in front of the tube on Saturday mornings!

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  5. "Spiderman, Spiderman, does whatever a Spider can. Spins a web..." Sorry. My Generations Saturday Morning show.

    Of course, we can always talk about Capt. Kirk and the Pregnant Rocks....

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  6. You should look up Carlin's speech on the episode just before he was canned ( temporarily ) from Thomas the train when word got out about his routines in the UK.

    He actually did an excellent and cogent 6-year-old-level G-rated explanation of what was happening and why.

    He was soon returned to the series due to audience backlash.

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  7. It was, I think, a pretty nice compliment to Bill Cosby, that Richard Pryor would want to make a show that emulated Cosby's show so closely.

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  8. Heh! I named my blog kind of after Pryor's Place.

    My kids call me Pater.

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  9. I miss Lancelot Link, Secret Chimp .

    Enjoy

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xfP4gfcErQ

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  10. Didn't they do "The Banana splits?"

    *earworm alert*
    La la la la-la-la-laa

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZL2WeRHqqXo

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  11. Sid and Marty were also the folks that brought us McDonaldland, the Hamburglar, Mayor McCheese, and so forth.

    They claimes not to have done any drugs during the making of those shows, but I'm not buying it

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  12. Tam,

    I think before TV and Radio there was vaudeville, two hour "symphonies" including Spike Jones (who really wanted to be a legit musician, but he needed to eat, and his bizarre stuff like "In Der Fuhrer's Face" put bread on the table). Homer and Jethro harken back to the pre-mass-media days. I don't know -- does anyone else consider Opera to be bizarre? And didn't Bill Shakespeare write some bawdy and bizarre local theatre skits?

    I wouldn't be surprised is this isn't the answer to half the drawings on caves and pyramids.

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  13. As a kid, I would throw fits if my mom wanted to go to the local public pool for the day, and it caused me to miss "Land of the Lost." I had a giant little boy crush on Holly. The introduction of the VHS recorder was a godsend to my mom, because it meant I would go wade in the public kiddie pool with my little sister without complaint.

    One of my early memories was one of my mom's kiddle pool gossip circle friends, pregnant, puffing away on a cigarette. She was a chain smoker. Back then people thought it built character in a fetus. I'm fairly certain her kids, the older of which went to school with my younger sister, managed to get through life without knocking over liquor stores, or collecting welfare. They may even be college edubicated.

    One day, after a whole shitload of nagging on my part, I got my parents to take me to Crystal Caves. I was fairly convinced that these caves would provide me with the secret lever to controlling the wonders of our universe. When I finally got there? No fucking pylons! No fucking pylons.

    For those of you from a previous generation, you can see what I mean here

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  14. Sebastian

    LOL! Land of the Lost. So bad it was good. One of my all time favorite shows.

    I'm biting at the bit for the day my niece and nephew are old enough to not be scared out of their pants by Sleestaks...But before they are jaded enough to laugh at the costumes and deadly low velocity crossbow action.

    I've burned the entire run to DVD in anticipation.

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  15. My kids watch Land of The Lost on DVD. My 3 year old will ask for it as soon as he gets home from pre-school every day. I predict there will be Sleestacks hissing in my living room by 12:30.

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