After the Chrysler Theatre signed off in 1967 after 4 seasons, Bob Hope remained with NBC for a series of monthly specials, 8 per year. for the next several years. The specials followed a particular formula. A Hope monlogue, followed by a sketch, then a musical interlude, in the case of this 1969 show, with Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66, and another skit or two, plus one last musical number.
The icon he meets? Golf legend Jack Nicklaus. Also on the bill are Jane Wyman, Louis Nye, Tina Louise (ex-Gilligan's Island), Henry Corden (ex-The Monkees), Reta Shaw (The Ghost & Mrs. Muir) and additional musical attraction Patti Page.
As for the Plymouth "Tells it Like it is" spots, I don't know who the voice behind the "visual aid" is in the 2 bits. Mike Farrell, a year before The Interns, does the last Plymouth ad, but around that time, the audio ends up ahead of the video. Plus, Michael Rye narrates a Road Runner ad for the iconic bird's Plymouth namesake.
Rating: B. The 1st skit dragged, plus the audio issues.
We have suggested, very strongly, that the GOP's new mascot should be a gopher instead of an elephant, because what they're doing these days is an insult to the traditions of the Grand Old Party, and no elephant worth its memory would want to be associated with such trash.
Now, we don't know the theme of the Republican Party when they have their conventions every four years, but it wouldn't hurt to replace it something a little more appropriate, like this old chestnut:
It fits, since GOPers like Empty-G, Goofy Gosar, Lauren Bow-Wow, and Citizen Pampers are human cartoon characters anyway.
And, speaking of Empty-G, per Farron Cousins, it seems she had a hissy fit over recent conspiracy theories surrounding the attack on 82 year old Paul Pelosi last Friday being debunked.....
The truth hurts, doesn't it, Empty-G? David DePape, 42, while pleading not guilty to attacking Pelosi, gave a full confession, which tosses every last mindless, pea-brained conspiracy theory out the door with the bath water. That's what's called owning your situation. Unfortunately, Empty-G and her friends can't have that. What they decided to do was not only hijack DePape's 15 minutes to extend their own, but discredit him at the same time by trying to alter his character.
I recommend an IQ test for every GOPer in office come January. If you fail, you be gone!
We're referring, of course, to Donald Trump, who spoke at a rally in Arizona over the weekend, and, of course, deviated from the intent of the rally, supporting a GOP candidate for Senator opposite incumbent Mark Kelly, in order to put the spotlight on himself.
Proving once again he is totally incapable of avoiding self-incrimination in public, America's Oldest Baby acknowledged that he had possession of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, but he, again, is demanding they be returned, because, in true Daffy Duck fashion, the Archduke of Affluenza thinks they're his to keep.
Monday, on MSNBC's Last Word, Lawrence O'Donnell broke it down, and noted that attorney Christina Bobb may have saved herself from perjury. Scope.
So let us remind everyone of Trump's favorite cartoon character:
That perp walk is getting closer and closer.........
It keeps getting worse and worse for Donald Trump.
It was revealed by Maggie Haberman of CNN and the New York Times that when Trump was told by one of his lawyers that he had to return all those boxes of documents that the FBI subsequently collected a week ago, he told the lawyer, Pat Philbin, that those documents were his to keep.
No they're not, Fraud Fauntleroy, never were.
Now, you know why Citizen Pampers is having daily meltdowns trying to stir up his rabid base of brainwashed dullards. He has been reluctant to follow protocols of any kind, but this could be what finally leads to his swapping his custom suits for a orange adult onesie in prison or at Bellevue, whichever comes first.
What this tells us is that Trump has plenty in common with this cartoon legend:
And, then, Spam Hannity, on his radio show, tried to sell the idea that even if he gets convicted, Trump could still run in 2024. By then, Spam, I doubt it will come to pass.
Was (Not Was) spent four years recording their breakthrough album, "What Up, Dog?", and the most successful single, the bouncy "Walk The Dinosaur", peaked at #7 on the Hot 100 in 1989. Sweet Pea Atkinson & Sir Henry Bowens share vocal duties on the track, and the video features excerpts from "Daffy Duck & The Dinosaur".
The cassette single released here in the US by Chrysalis had "Wedding Vows in Vegas", with guest vocalist Frank Sinatra, Jr., as the flip side.
Yesterday was "safe harbor" day, in which states would finalize the certification of the results of last month's Presidential election. Per Yahoo!, only Hawaii, as of Monday, hadn't certified the results.
For President "Dumb" Donald Trump, that means the ballgame's over. He lost, big time, but he just can't reconcile that detail publicly for fear his brainwashed base would turn on him.
"WAAAAHHHH! I won! I won! Don't listen to them! WAAAAAHH!"
And, then, there's word that some brainless drones in Texas are filing suit against Michigan, Pennsylvania, et al, over the election results, and America's Oldest Baby says he'll intervene.
"WAAAAHHHH!! We'll straighten them out! WAAAAHHH!"
Think again, O Prince of Petulance. This is what you should be doing at this point:
If Trump were to finally capitulate, he'd have to gird himself for litigation coming from NY Attorney General Letitia James. Just imagine Trump as the Sheriff of Nottingham having to deal with Bugs Bunny.......!
Come January 20, sometime after noon (ET), Trump plans on holding another superspreader rally in an effort to upstage incoming President Joe Biden. He's got a better chance of being shipped off to Bellevue Hospital instead.
The Muscular Dystrophy Association, six years after their last nationally televised telethon, is giving it another go.
While there've been regional telethons the last few years, including one in St. Louis earlier this week, MDA has heard from viewers and donors around the country, and have finally decided to revive what had been a Labor Day tradition until 2014.
Actor-comedian Kevin Hart, one of the busiest men in show business these days, is taking up the mantle of the late Jerry Lewis, and will host this year's edition, set for October 24, which is otherwise United Nations Day. The event will be two hours, just as the last two telethons (2013-14) were. Hart has his own foundation for children that will co-sponsor the telethon, and he's also hosting an ABC pre-election special, airing on Monday. You can't say his Hart is not in the right place.
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With presidential debates coming up, can we hook up President Trump to a lie detector, just for fun? Just asking.
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Apparently, celebrity lovebirds Jennifer Lopez & Alex Rodriguez are that obsessed with buying the Mets. Unfortunately, it's just not going to happen.
As of this morning, billionaire Steve Cohen is in the final stages of closing the deal on the team, which will make the fan base extremely happy. J-Rod would be well served to offer Jeff Wilpon a job as a consolation prize. As a pool boy.
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The Miami Marlins were on the wrong side of history Wednesday in Atlanta.
The Braves avoided being swept, and did their best impersonation of the fictional Gas House Gorillas in thrashing the Marlins, 29-8. Adam Duval had his 2nd 3-homer game in as many weeks to lead Atlanta, which saw ace Max Fried go on the injured list earlier in the day.
Unfortunately for the Marlins, they didn't have Bugs Bunny to save them, unlike in one of his classic shorts:
The same can be said for the Detroit Tigers, who were similarly mauled, 19-0, by Milwaukee, earlier that afternoon. And that game aired on YouTube, so that the world was a witness to the slaughter.
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With little or no fan support in the stands this season, ESPN has decided to give Hank Williams, Jr.'s Monday Night Football theme, "All my Rowdy Friends Are Here on Monday Night", a year off. Nine years ago, Williams' political views got the song booted off Monday Night Football, only to be brought back a year ago. No comment from Williams, who, I think, was consulted on the matter.
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Back to the Mets, who've lost pitcher Robert Gsellman for the season with broken ribs. The injury curse at Citi Field has claimed Gsellman for the 2nd straight season. While manager Luis Rojas isn't sure how it happen, he was criticized for leaving Gsellman in the game too long against Philadelphia on Monday when it was clear that Gsellman was already straining after 35 pitches, meaning the injury may have been aggravated at that point.
As part of the deal to buy the Mets, maybe Cohen should hire an exorcist.
Nine months ago, Shane Keisel and his girlfriend were ejected from the Utah Jazz's home game vs. the Oklahoma City Thunder after Keisel allegedly made some racist remarks toward then-Thunder star Russell Westbrook. The Jazz decided that Keisel was no longer welcome, banning him from their building.
With Christmas a week away, Keisel decided to file a lawsuit against the Jazz and Westbrook, who now plays for Houston. Keisel is asking for $68 million dollars, claiming he was wrongfully accused of hurling the racial remarks toward Westbrook. His girlfriend wants $32 million, claiming defamation and emotional distress.
Meet the couple's lawyer, if ya will:
Actually, the image of this weasel describes Keisel perfectly. Hands out, looking for something he ain't getting.
Seems Keisel's a wee bit butt-hurt because he was singled out while other hecklers are getting what he thinks is a free pass. It all depends on the tone of what he said. Waiting nine months, however, to file suit, in the opinion of this writer, reeks of desperation. If the Jazz and/or Westbrook settle with this punk, then everyone else will have their hands out for an undeserved easy payday if the same thing happens to them. Keisel clearly wants some of the money Westbrook's getting from the Rockets so he doesn't have to work for the rest of his life, assuming he has a job.
$100 million, to me, is asking for too much money. Keisel will be lucky if he makes even 10 cents. Yes, he's this week's Weasel. And that's all, folks.
This next item was previously reviewed over at Saturday Morning Archives. "Mel Blanc: The Man of 1,000 Voices" was included on one of the Looney Tunes Golden Collection DVD's, and, for now, is available on YouTube. Voice actor and impressionist Maurice LaMarche is the narrator.
A fitting tribute to a non-pareil talent. If it isn't already a stand-alone DVD release, it should be.
It's gotten out that a 20 year old Oregon resident is filing frivolous lawsuits against two retail chains, Walmart & Dick's Sporting Goods, after both had recently amended chain-wide store policies prohibiting the sales of guns, including hunting rifles, to anyone under 21, in the wake of the high school massacre in Parkland, Florida last month.
What isn't clear is if the litigant, Tyler Watson, was even aware of the changes that took effect a week ago, when he visited the stores, located in two different Oregon counties. He claims age discrimination.
Like, dude, I get that you're a hunter, but maybe you should be spending more time reading the newspapers. Oregon law says the minimum age for purchasing guns is 18, but that would be subject to revision via a referendum put to a vote, say, around November. What the retailers are trying to do is guard against another incident like the one in Parkland, or any number of copycats. It's called erring on the side of caution. We've seen too many of these mass shootings in the last 20 years, and in the wake of Parkland, there've been a few attempts at copycat incidents.
My take on this is that the new rules could be amended to account for consumers like Watson holding active hunting licenses, assuming they were issued before the new policies were enacted on February 28.
Watson's suits suggested to me the hunting angle, and, yet, I can't help but think of this guy.......
At a rally in Alabama Friday night, President Donald Trump railed against NFL athletes kneeling and/or protesting the National Anthem, not realizing that the protests are about the allegations of police brutality in a number of cities over the last few years.
Trump called for NFL owners to fire the players taking part in the protests. As a former sports owner himself, many moons ago (USFL), Trump has to understand that the social climate isn't the same as it was 30-35 years ago as it relates to sports.
Not surprisingly, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and several players fired back at President Manchild's latest Twitter tantrum. None of them, though, had the courage to make this statement:
That, by the way, comes from "Hyde & Hare". Bugs Bunny may have borrowed that bit from The Honeymooners.
Then, Trump doubled down on the Weasel award winning stupidity by taking exception to the decision by Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry not to visit the White House. Trump turned around and rescinded the invitation issued to the NBA champions. Unsurprisingly, the brainwashed dittoheads have posted messages on Yahoo!, claiming they'll boycott the NFL and/or NBA.
Being President of the United States is not the same as being CEO of a major corporation, Mr. Trump. Your behavior suggests very strongly that you haven't learned that lesson yet, two years after announcing your candidacy. Until today, the athletes of the NBA & NFL didn't have much of a problem with you as President. They didn't vote for you, but they respected the office. You're taking that respect and throwing it to the side because of your addiction to media attention. I respect the office, too, and I didn't vote for you or Hillary Clinton, but for someone who claims to share the same faith as I do, you're doing a poor job of representing the Christian faith. Ever hear of turning the other cheek? Apparently, Mr. Trump, you never have. I'm sure this latest set of Weasel ears will make little difference with you, but you know what? You're setting a bad example for this country. Period.
The mid-90's began a new era in Cleveland. The Indians were undergoing a resurgence, but it would take time before the city's other sports teams would catch up. In fact, in 1996, there were no Cleveland Browns. The original Browns had moved away, and a new version would come along soon after.
Cleveland native Drew Carey had tried one sitcom, and didn't get too far past the starting gate. However, he hit the jackpot by creating a fictionalized version of himself, developing the kind of life he thought he'd be leading if he hadn't taken up show business.
In all, The Drew Carey Show ran for 8 seasons on ABC (1996-2004), though the final season was as a summer replacement series. In the show, Carey was employed at first by the fictional Winfred-Louder department store, often crossing swords with acid-tongued Mimi (Kathy Kinney), who'd later become Drew's sister-in-law by marriage to Drew's storyline brother, Steve (John Carroll Lynch). The ensemble cast led to the development of a new comedy team in Drew's BFF's, Lewis (Ryan Stiles) and Oswald (Diedrich Bader). Craig Ferguson joined the show in the 2nd season as Nigel Wick, the gang's new boss and another foil for Drew---and vice versa.
One of the hooks was the music. At first, there would be a soft jazz number, "Moon Over Parma", sung by Carey himself over the title credits. In season 2, the Vogues' "Five O'Clock World" was added, creating a swank video that takes Drew from home to work. However, Carey and co-executive producer Bruce Helford must've figured they needed a contemporary sound, one that would also represent the city of Cleveland. Hence, the rock group Presidents of the United States of America recorded a cover of Ian Hunter's "Cleveland Rocks".
During the show's run, Carey added a 2nd series on ABC when he was asked to MC the American version of Whose Line Is It Anyway?, with Stiles along for the ride as a regular panelist. In return, Whose Line regulars Brad Sherwood, Colin Mochrie, Greg Proops, and Wayne Brady made guest appearances on The Drew Carey Show. Episodes were made that challenged viewers to find intentional bloopers, a tactic Carey would later reprise on The Price is Right after succeeding Bob Barker as host. Some episodes were actually shown live, recalling the early days of television.
At the end of the 3rd season, someone at ABC recognized the need for a crossover with a cartoon legend who was appearing on Saturday mornings. This next clip has previously been used over at Saturday Morning Archives:
Now, this is the way Daffy should be portrayed today, but, like some other beloved characters, he's been dumbed down by the nimrods at Cartoon Network. That, though, is for another time.
The concurrent success of Whose Line has led Carey into a regular gig as a game show host. In addition to Price, he also hosted a short-lived CBS game, Power of 10, and tried to recapture the magic of Whose Line with a pair of improv-driven shows, one each on CW and GSN. Neither lasted more than a season. Craig Ferguson just finished his 3rd season of Celebrity Name Game after a lengthy run with The Late, Late Show, and had also hosted a game show on History Channel, of all places. Kathy Kinney reprised as Mimi Bobeck in a guest shot on Price. Naturally, it fell on April Fool's Day. Christa Miller (Kate) left the show and married producer Bill Lawrence, this after Kate had come close to getting married twice, once each to Oswald and Drew, then was wed off-screen for her write-off. Personally, I was hoping she'd have been the one for Drew, but, meh.
Currently, reruns are airing on Laff TV (check listings).
File this under "be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it":
On the message boards at http://www.toonzone.org/, fans have been clamoring for Cartoon Network and/or its sister channel, Boomerang, to put Bugs Bunny and the Looney Tunes gang back on the regular schedules. Rather than spend money on rights fees to parent company Time-Warner, Cartoon Network has instead opted to commission an all-new series featuring the beloved characters.
The Looney Tunes Show, due in the fall, is the 2nd series to bear that title at Cartoon Network. The first was a Saturday morning show that aired the classic shorts a few years back in a 2-3 hour block, if my memory is correct. The new show, according to reports, reads like an animated sitcom. Ivan Shreve, Jr., posting on his Thrilling Days of Yesteryear blog, reports that Bugs Bunny & Daffy Duck will be-------wait for it------roommates. I'm getting the feeling that this is more along the lines of The Odd Couple than Beavis & Butt-Head. It makes sense, of course, since the antagonistic relationship between Bugs & Daffy through the years would put them right up there with Neil Simon's classic duo of Felix Unger and Oscar Madison.
This year marks 50 years since Bugs and pals made their first foray into prime time on ABC. As long as Cartoon Network gets it right and actually promotes the new series in the same way they've promoted their other shows, like Chowder, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and recent debuts like Generator Rex, The Looney Tunes Show could in fact become appointment television for the whole family. A few years ago, Warner Bros. raised a few eyebrows by introducing viewers to descendants of Bugs, Daffy, et al as superheroes in the series, Loonatics Unleashed. That lasted two seasons, but has largely been ignored by Cartoon Network since ending its network run. The fans want classic Bugs & Daffy, but will they get it along with the new Looney Tunes Show? We'll just have to stay tuned----or should I say tooned?----and see.
