I reviewed this next item several years back over at Saturday Morning Archives, but as it marks its 30th anniversary this year, let's take another look at Remote Control.
The year was 1987. By the fall, all but one of the original VJ's had left (Mark Goodman was the only one who hung on for a little overtime, if ya will, before leaving). MTV was moving on to original and acquired programming that fit the then-mission statement of being a music channel. Remote Control, hosted by comedian-actor Ken Ober, was the channel's 1st original series, and launched in the fall, running for 3 years (1987-90). At its peak, the series aired virtually every day, with reruns airing on weekends. Ober and his repertory company would also bring the show to Daytona Beach for Spring Break every March (1988-90).
That repertory company boasted quite a few future stars, including Kari Wuhrer (1988), announcer/karaoke singer Colin Quinn, and recurring players Adam Sandler and Denis Leary. Post-Control, Ober would give primetime a try in the 1st TV adaptation of Parenthood, shill for Milton Bradley (Jenga), and appear in a pair of Blues Traveler videos ("Hook", "Run Around"). Sandler & Quinn would, separated by a few years, join the cast of Saturday Night Live. Wuhrer joined the cast of Swamp Thing, then moved on to Class of '96, Beverly Hills 90210, and Sliders. Leary stuck around MTV initially to do some interstital spots, and today is the voice behind those Ford F-150 commercials after the success of his FX series, Rescue Me, cemented him as a quality character actor.
Now, let's go back to 1987, and some vintage Control, which plays out like a neighborhood party game with some goofy effects.
If MTV is really serious about putting music back on the channel, then a Control revival should be at the top of the list of things to do.
Rating: A.
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