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Fake Jan and the BBVH (Split from Things You Learned)

Willets Point Sep 28 2010 07:50 PM

I just learned that a few years after The Brady Bunch ended there was a spin-off series called The Brady Bunch Variety Hour. It's as bad as I imagined.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Sep 28 2010 08:30 PM Re: Things You Learned Only Recently

Willets Point wrote: I just learned that a few years after The Brady Bunch ended there was a spin-off series called The Brady Bunch Variety Hour. It's as bad as I imagined. How the F could you not know that existed? And it's awesomely bad!

Willets Point Sep 28 2010 08:34 PM Re: Things You Learned Only Recently

I would have never known if you hadn't posted that Partridge Family link on FaceBook which started me surfing. You won't believe how many times I said "holy shit" while watching that clip.

Edgy DC Sep 28 2010 10:56 PM Re: Things You Learned Only Recently

The Brady Bunch wasn't really a hit show in it's first run, good enough to get renewed for a few seasons, but never a top-tenner. But then the re-runs had a life of their own, family-friendly and gumball colored enough to run n the afterschool slots across America, and it was more popular in its afterlife. It was on Donny and Marie that producers realized just how big the phenomenon had gotten. D&M had the Brady Bunch cast re-unite on their show and it was their biggest rated the show of the year. Sid and Marty Kroft recognized a good thing and recruited the Brady gang --- minus Eve Plumb, who preferred college and dignity, and was replaced by less Jan-like actress --- for their own show. The format was very much like Donny and Marie, with the tacky costumes, the big finale thing, with water ballet(!) replacing ice skating as the between skits entertanment. (There was a pool built into the set, and Barry Williams regularly pushed Chris Knight in to peals of canned laughter.) The mindbending conceit was that they were hosting the show in character, with the fictional Bradys interacting with real celebrity guests, and occasionally retreating to a set similar to their ol' California ranch during the show to discuss how the episode was going. It was a lowpoint in TV history and I imagine that I never missed a minute of the show's run. It was so spontaneously combustibly bad during its ephemeral run that the Simpsons paroidied it, with Troy McClure imagining a future "Simpsons Variety Hour," with Lisa pulling a Jan and sitting out. Barry Williams had toured America in Pippin by this point, and really learned to sing along the way, and got a lot of showpiece opportunities. But with his increased skill came an overenthusiastic confidence that made him even more embarassingly nerdy. I have a vivid memory of him hammering away at the Jacksons' "Enjoy Yourself," but couldn't find it. Instead, here's him joined by real-Marcia and fake-Jan performing "Southern Nights," inexplicably in a dry-ice covered graveyard. It may be painful, but hold out for Barry-Greg's solo lines. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_XKUENgKPk

Willets Point Sep 29 2010 12:03 AM Re: Things You Learned Only Recently Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Sep 29 2010 09:13 AM

There was a lot of cocaine abuse in the 70s. That's the only way that this even begins to make sense. [Note: this comment wasn't split from the rest of the thread so I just spliced it in here so that Edgy's response makes sense] Edgy DC wrote: I have a vivid memory of him hammering away at the Jacksons' "Enjoy Yourself," but couldn't find it. Btw, "Enjoy Yourself" is in the Disco Medley I linked above (starts at 2:17) right after "Those Were the Days" and before Rick Dees singing "Disco Duck."

Edgy DC Sep 29 2010 05:44 AM Re: Things You Learned Only Recently

There you go. I remembering something else right now: Dees does his shorter medley version of "Disco Duck" during that finale, but he was actually appearing on the show to promote and perform a full-length version of his followup single, "Disco-Rilla."

Benjamin Grimm Sep 29 2010 07:13 AM Re: Things You Learned Only Recently

I remember watching the first episode. In the opening, Robert Reed, as Mike, says something like, "I quit my job as an architect to go into show business!" I don't think I stuck around for very long after that. In retrospect, given what we've learned about Reed's feelings for the inanity of the original show, it's kind of surprising that he signed up for the Variety Hour. (He even failed to appear in the final episode of the ABC sitcom because he thought it was too stupid. They had to rewrite the scenes he would have appeared in. It was the episode where Greg died his hair orange.) I can only assume that they made it financially worth his while, because they couldn't have easily done the show without him. (Mike is much less replaceable than Jan.)

Edgy DC Sep 29 2010 07:16 AM Re: Things You Learned Only Recently

According to Barry Williams' "Growing Up Brady," --- the go-to text on Bradyana --- Reed was quick to sign up for all the reunion projects. Maybe he just hated Oliver.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Sep 29 2010 07:31 AM Re: Things You Learned Only Recently

Greg does an awesomely bad "Pinball Wizard" in one ep I recall. How can we ever thank Sid & Marty Kroft for all the mind-blowing "entertainment" they provided us.

HahnSolo Sep 29 2010 07:40 AM Re: Things You Learned Only Recently

Fake Jan? Geri Reischl. Here's a nice compilation of some of her "finest?" moments: [url]http://www.tressugar.com/Flashback-Fake-Jan-Brady-Bunch-Variety-Hour-1819835 And here's her official site!: [url]http://www.gerireischl.com/ Why, thank you Geri, I will have a groovy day.

Edgy DC Sep 29 2010 07:43 AM Re: Things You Learned Only Recently

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Greg does an awesomely bad "Pinball Wizard" in one ep I recall. How can we ever thank Sid & Marty Kroft for all the mind-blowing "entertainment" they provided us. First thing to pop into my mind: steel cage match with William Hanna and Joseph Barbera.

Willets Point Sep 29 2010 07:49 AM Re: Things You Learned Only Recently

I think I have a little crush on Fake Jan. Also, her voice is actually pretty decent relatively speaking.

Edgy DC Sep 29 2010 07:59 AM Re: Fake Jan and the BBVH (Split from Things You Learned)

Well, she was the only one hired specifically to be in a variety show. You missed her at Nostalgiafest down here in Maryland, but you can meet your crushie in New York in a few weeks. Captain Celluloid’s Movie And TV World Con III – Oct 2010 Saturday, October 16, 2010 – Sunday, October 17, 2010 Midtown Holiday Inn 440 West 57th Street New York, New York United States Phone: 7183877604 How can there actually be a recession?

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Sep 29 2010 08:12 AM Re: Things You Learned Only Recently

Does she give a massive wink whenever she recites old Jan lines for a fan, I wonder? John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Greg does an awesomely bad "Pinball Wizard" in one ep I recall. How can we ever thank Sid & Marty Kroft for all the mind-blowing "entertainment" they provided us. Though I don't really remember being entertained by the Kroft stuff-- beyond the generally choice theme music/sequences-- I remember not being able to shut off "Sigmund and the Sea Monster," "Land of the Lost," and "H.R. Pufnstuf." Also, they provided some pretty malleable nightmare fodder growing up, so there's that.

Edgy DC Sep 29 2010 08:24 AM Re: Fake Jan and the BBVH (Split from Things You Learned)

Both those grand finales I viewed featured appearances by Rip Taylor. Apparently another thing BBVH apparently copped from D&M was ubiquitous special guest appearances by an unstatedly but fabulously gay comic actor, with Rip in the Paul Lynde role.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Sep 29 2010 08:25 AM Re: Fake Jan and the BBVH (Split from Things You Learned)

I believe Tony Randall was the Special Gay Star in one ep also You want nightmares? I give you Lidsville: [url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4t3T2UHoJk

Edgy DC Sep 29 2010 08:29 AM Re: Fake Jan and the BBVH (Split from Things You Learned)

I don't wanna go to Lidsville.

Willets Point Sep 29 2010 08:41 AM Re: Fake Jan and the BBVH (Split from Things You Learned)

Edgy DC wrote: Both those grand finales I viewed featured appearances by Rip Taylor. Apparently another thing BBVH apparently copped from D&M was ubiquitous special guest appearances by an unstatedly but fabulously gay comic actor, with Rip in the Paul Lynde role. According to Wikipedia, Rip Taylor was a regular on the show, one of the many mind-blowing facets of this show I'm finding fascinating.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Sep 29 2010 08:44 AM Re: Fake Jan and the BBVH (Split from Things You Learned)

Ye Gods-- that's a too-much-pie-before-bedtime special, there. Spooky like that adult who hangs out at the elementary school playground.

Willets Point Sep 29 2010 09:01 AM Re: Fake Jan and the BBVH (Split from Things You Learned)

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: I believe Tony Randall was the Special Gay Star in one ep also Tony Randall was gay? He was married to the same woman for decades and married another woman after her death. Not conclusive evidence of heterosexuality, but I never heard that Randall was gay anywhere else.

batmagadanleadoff Sep 29 2010 09:01 AM Re: Things You Learned Only Recently

Edgy DC wrote: I have a vivid memory of [Barry Williams] hammering away at the Jacksons' "Enjoy Yourself," but couldn't find it.... Check out the video linked in Willet's opening post at the 2:19 mark. Oh .... and enjoy yourself.

Edgy DC Sep 29 2010 09:02 AM Re: Fake Jan and the BBVH (Split from Things You Learned)

Willets already caught me up to that oversight.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Sep 29 2010 09:04 AM Re: Fake Jan and the BBVH (Split from Things You Learned)

Willets Point wrote: John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: I believe Tony Randall was the Special Gay Star in one ep also Tony Randall was gay? He was married to the same woman for decades and married another woman after her death. Not conclusive evidence of heterosexuality, but I never heard that Randall was gay anywhere else. Oh, come on. Look at him!

batmagadanleadoff Sep 29 2010 09:07 AM Re: Fake Jan and the BBVH (Split from Things You Learned)

Willets Point wrote: John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: I believe Tony Randall was the Special Gay Star in one ep also Tony Randall was gay? He was married to the same woman for decades and married another woman after her death. Not conclusive evidence of heterosexuality, but I never heard that Randall was gay anywhere else. I know he's gay, but Tony Randall married a dead woman?

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Sep 29 2010 09:11 AM Re: Fake Jan and the BBVH (Split from Things You Learned)

DOWN WITH NECROSEXUAL MARRIAGE! Felix was gay. Randall was a poon hound, with more varied DNA residue in his chin stubble than on a festival concert port-a-john. *Or so the stories say.

batmagadanleadoff Sep 29 2010 09:14 AM Re: Fake Jan and the BBVH (Split from Things You Learned)

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: DOWN WITH NECROSEXUAL MARRIAGE! Felix was gay. Randall was a poon hound, with more varied DNA residue in his chin stubble than on a festival concert port-a-john. *Or so the stories say. I'm going with the Lunchie "Just look at him" approach. NTTAWWT. Liberace had a wife too, ya know.

Willets Point Sep 29 2010 09:16 AM Re: Fake Jan and the BBVH (Split from Things You Learned)

batmagadanleadoff wrote: Willets Point wrote: John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: I believe Tony Randall was the Special Gay Star in one ep also Tony Randall was gay? He was married to the same woman for decades and married another woman after her death. Not conclusive evidence of heterosexuality, but I never heard that Randall was gay anywhere else. I know he's gay, but Tony Randall married a dead woman? Damn! I've always had trouble with modifiers.

Edgy DC Sep 29 2010 09:30 AM Re: Fake Jan and the BBVH (Split from Things You Learned)

I once posted matter-of-factly on Randall's gayness in these parts, before Willets schooled me. I recall him appearing with his second wife on Regis, but it was so strange that I didn't know what to make of it. He was like 71 and she like 26 and bearing his bebe. But I hadn't known of his long first marriage at that point.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Sep 29 2010 09:34 AM Re: Fake Jan and the BBVH (Split from Things You Learned)

batmagadanleadoff wrote: LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: DOWN WITH NECROSEXUAL MARRIAGE! Felix was gay. Randall was a poon hound, with more varied DNA residue in his chin stubble than on a festival concert port-a-john. *Or so the stories say. I'm going with the Lunchie "Just look at him" approach. NTTAWWT. Liberace had a wife too, ya know. He had naturally-conceived-- as per the public record-- babies with the second wife at 77 and 78. Getting it up long enough to do that trick requires either some desire for lady-gen'tals or a bedroom spotter with serious commitment/husbandry skills.

Willets Point Sep 29 2010 09:37 AM Re: Fake Jan and the BBVH (Split from Things You Learned)

Edgy DC wrote: I once posted matter-of-factly on Randall's gayness in these parts, before Willets schooled me. I recall him appearing with his second wife on Regis, but it was so strange that I didn't know what to make of it. He was like 71 and she like 26 and bearing his bebe. But I hadn't known of his long first marriage at that point. Wait, we've discussed Randall's gayness prior to today?

batmagadanleadoff Sep 29 2010 09:44 AM Re: Fake Jan and the BBVH (Split from Things You Learned)

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: DOWN WITH NECROSEXUAL MARRIAGE! Felix was gay. Randall was a poon hound, with more varied DNA residue in his chin stubble than on a festival concert port-a-john. *Or so the stories say. I'm going with the Lunchie "Just look at him" approach. NTTAWWT. Liberace had a wife too, ya know. He had naturally-conceived-- as per the public record-- babies with the second wife at 77 and 78. Getting it up long enough to do that trick requires either some desire for lady-gen'tals or a bedroom spotter with serious commitment/husbandry skills. One of my closest friend's kids was in the same private school class with Tony Randall's last kid. I saw Tony up close a few times, personally picking up his kid after school. I'm going with gay.

batmagadanleadoff Sep 29 2010 09:50 AM Re: Things You Learned Only Recently

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Greg does an awesomely bad "Pinball Wizard" in one ep I recall. How can we ever thank Sid & Marty Kroft for all the mind-blowing "entertainment" they provided us. One critic labeled the Brady Bunch Variety Hour as the worst TV show ever. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upH-ce4AzSk (1:38 mark)

batmagadanleadoff Sep 29 2010 09:57 AM Re: Things You Learned Only Recently

batmagadanleadoff wrote: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upH-ce4AzSk Paul McCartney fans, please scroll to the 3:36 mark.

Willets Point Sep 29 2010 10:00 AM Re: Fake Jan and the BBVH (Split from Things You Learned)

Well, regardless of whether he's gay or a fussy metrosexual, I don't think Randall is in the same league of flamboyance as Rip Taylor.

Edgy DC Sep 29 2010 10:01 AM Re: Fake Jan and the BBVH (Split from Things You Learned)

Willets Point wrote: Edgy DC wrote: I once posted matter-of-factly on Randall's gayness in these parts, before Willets schooled me. I recall him appearing with his second wife on Regis, but it was so strange that I didn't know what to make of it. He was like 71 and she like 26 and bearing his bebe. But I hadn't known of his long first marriage at that point. Wait, we've discussed Randall's gayness prior to today? I thought it was in his death thread, but if it was, those comments don't survive.

batmagadanleadoff Sep 29 2010 10:02 AM Re: Fake Jan and the BBVH (Split from Things You Learned)

I'm surprised that the Brady Bunchers never got a Super Bowl halftime gig.

Edgy DC Sep 29 2010 10:09 AM Re: Things You Learned Only Recently

batmagadanleadoff wrote: batmagadanleadoff wrote: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upH-ce4AzSk Paul McCartney fans, please scroll to the 3:36 mark. Who was the songbird classing up the joint at the end with "Somewhere over the Rainbow"? Debbie Boone?

Willets Point Sep 29 2010 10:10 AM Re: Fake Jan and the BBVH (Split from Things You Learned)

Edgy DC wrote: Edgy DC wrote: I once posted matter-of-factly on Randall's gayness in these parts, before Willets schooled me. I recall him appearing with his second wife on Regis, but it was so strange that I didn't know what to make of it. He was like 71 and she like 26 and bearing his bebe. But I hadn't known of his long first marriage at that point. Wait, we've discussed Randall's gayness prior to today? I thought it was in his death thread, but if it was, those comments don't survive. Woah! It's my flying toast avatar!

batmagadanleadoff Sep 29 2010 10:19 AM Re: Things You Learned Only Recently

Edgy DC wrote: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upH-ce4AzSk Paul McCartney fans, please scroll to the 3:36 mark. Who was the songbird classing up the joint at the end with "Somewhere over the Rainbow"? Debbie Boone? Isn't that Linda Ronstadt?

HahnSolo Sep 29 2010 10:28 AM Re: Fake Jan and the BBVH (Split from Things You Learned)

Marcia, stop tugging on my heart strings [url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-LHRgt1tps&feature=related

Edgy DC Sep 29 2010 10:33 AM Re: Things You Learned Only Recently

batmagadanleadoff wrote: batmagadanleadoff wrote: batmagadanleadoff wrote: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upH-ce4AzSk Paul McCartney fans, please scroll to the 3:36 mark. Who was the songbird classing up the joint at the end with "Somewhere over the Rainbow"? Debbie Boone? Isn't that Linda Ronstadt? I checked the episode guide, and it turns out to be Melanie.

batmagadanleadoff Sep 29 2010 10:46 AM Re: Things You Learned Only Recently

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upH-ce4AzSk Paul McCartney fans, please scroll to the 3:36 mark. Who was the songbird classing up the joint at the end with "Somewhere over the Rainbow"? Debbie Boone? Isn't that Linda Ronstadt? I checked the episode guide, and it turns out to be Melanie. Melanie's Lay Down (Candles in the Rain) is the most frequently played song on my iPod/iTunes. No other song comes close. I once walked away from my computer for about half a day without realizing that Lay Down was playing with the "repeat one song" function enabled.

Benjamin Grimm Sep 29 2010 11:07 AM Re: Fake Jan and the BBVH (Split from Things You Learned)

Willets Point wrote: Well, regardless of whether he's gay or a fussy metrosexual, I don't think Randall is in the same league of flamboyance as Rip Taylor. He's not even in the same league as Matthew Broderick.

Fman99 Sep 29 2010 01:23 PM Re: Fake Jan and the BBVH (Split from Things You Learned)

My favorite episode of the Brady Bunch Variety Hour was the one where Alice burns the roast and Rip Taylor responds by eating Mr. Brady's asshole.

Vic Sage Sep 29 2010 04:44 PM Re: Fake Jan and the BBVH (Split from Things You Learned) Edited 3 time(s), most recently on Sep 29 2010 05:06 PM

Sid and Marty, The Brothers Krofft, were puppeteers who became tv show writer/producers in the 70s, creating some mind-bending fantasy entertainment for kids that could also be appreciated by adults under the influence of the appropriate hallucinagenics. After designing the characters and sets for THE BANANA SPLITS, they launched their producing careers with HR PUFNSTUF (1969), which NBC commissioned them to create for saturday morning. Its candy colored palette, bizarre characters, big headed puppets, fantastical situations, bubblegum pop music background and youthful protagonist set the formula for all their later work. It starred the "artful dodger" from the movie adaptation of "Oliver", young Jack Wild (who was aptly named). The PUFNSTUF theme song ripped off Paul Simon's "59th ST Bridge Song", for which Simon sued them successfully, getting a co-authorial credit. Later, the PUFNSTUF characters were themselves ripped off by McDonalds' "McDonald Land" characters, and so the Kroffts successfully sued them, in turn. There are drug references througout the show that the Kroffts routinely denied, but Sid was a big ole hippy, and the writers loved to see what they could sneak passed NBC censors. The Kroffts followed it up with THE BUGALOOS (1970), which was their take on a british version of THE MONKEES, with pixie-ish insects singing in Tranquility Forest, being constantly assaulted by Martha Raye's Benita Bizarre (was she ever!), who lived in giant juke box with a midget. Similar in style to PUFNSTUF, BUGALOOS had a greater emphasis on music, even putting out a record that year. The theme song, by noted tv songwriters Gimbel & Fox was a catchy, memorable number. One of the youthful finalists who had auditioned to be a Bugaloo was Phil Collins. He didn't get the job. Whatever became of him? Next up was LIDSVILLE (1971), which featured Butch ("Eddie Munster") Patrick as the young hero and Charles Nelson Reilly as the villain, in a similar PUFNSTUF story and style. It, too, was thought to have drug references, and the concept was largely ripped off from a Brit claymation series, Hattytown Tales. It was even more incomprehensible than its predecessors and requires a truly altered state for full appreciation. SIGMUND & THE SEA MONSTERS (1973) featured Johnny Whitaker (the ginger kid from "Family Affair"). In a variation on the "stranger in a strange land" scenarios of PUFNSTUF, LIDSVILLE and (later) LAND OF THE LOST, this time the young protagonist stays in his own world, but befriends a gaggle of puppetized sea monsters whom he tries to hide and protect. Like the other shows, music was an important element, with songs for the show co-written by Danny Janssen, Bobby Hart and Wes Farrell. The first 3 Krofft shows all ran for 1 season on NBC, with 2 seasons of subsequent reruns. SIGMUND, however, got 2 full seasons of original shows under its belt. But its perfunctory situations and lack of fantastical settings make it the least memorable of the early Krofft shows. LAND OF THE LOST (1974) marked a return to form for the Kroffts, and is the ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST of their original NBC saturday morning tetrology. It ran for 3 original seasons, running continuously in syndication ever since, with a TV movie remake in 1991 and a big budget Hollywood stinkbomb with Will Ferrell in 2009. Returning to the "strangers in a strange land" trope, the show featured a family stuck in another dimension, with dinosaurs, monkey people and reptilian aliens. Some great SF writers wrote scripts for the series, including Larry Niven, Theodore Sturgeon, Ben Bova, and Norman Spinrad, and some of the Star Trek folk, too, including D.C. Fontana, Walter Koenig, and David Gerrold (Gerrold, Niven, and Fontana even contributed commentaries to the DVD of the first season). This show created an elaborate mythology and landscape for its pocket universe that is worthy of Campbellian analysis, and deserving of a better fate than Will Ferrell gave it. After LAND OF THE LOST, the Krofft boys went totally off the rails with crap like FAR OUT SPACE NUTS (1975), LOST SAUCER (1975), and the KROFFT SUPERSHOW (1976), which featured Dr. Shrinker, Electra Woman and Dyna Girl, Kaptain Kool and the Kongs, Wonderbug, Bigfoot and Wildboy, and Magic Mongo. The Kroffts then got into variety shows like DONNY & MARIE (1976), THE BRADY BUNCH HOUR (1977) and THE BAY CITY ROLLERS SHOW. By the time the 1980s rolled around, and they were doing stuff like PINK LADY & JEFF, they had become a blight on our society. But their shows of the early 70s are now fascinating cultural artifacts of a time and place thats kind of fun to revisit... under the right conditions.

G-Fafif Sep 29 2010 04:52 PM Re: Fake Jan and the BBVH (Split from Things You Learned)

batmagadanleadoff wrote: I'm going with gay. Fun with out-of-context quotes!

G-Fafif Sep 29 2010 04:55 PM Re: Fake Jan and the BBVH (Split from Things You Learned)

Let us not forget BBVH's most lasting contribution to society (from Wikipedia): The Simpson Family Smile-Time Variety Hour is a parody of the 1960s and 1970s live variety shows. Mainly it is a parody of The Brady Bunch Hour, a short-lived spin-off of the 1970s sitcom The Brady Bunch. The replacement of Lisa in the third segment with another girl reflects the recasting of Jan Brady in the Brady Bunch Hour when Eve Plumb refused to participate.

Willets Point Sep 29 2010 05:22 PM Re: Fake Jan and the BBVH (Split from Things You Learned)

Vic Sage wrote: But their shows of the early 70s are now fascinating cultural artifacts of a time and place thats kind of fun to revisit... under the right conditions. And those conditions are stoned out of one's mind and/or post-lobotomy.

Edgy DC Sep 29 2010 05:57 PM Re: Fake Jan and the BBVH (Split from Things You Learned)

Yeah, really, let's not be over-generous. Part of the formula seemed to be for the human(oid) character to be a guy who had starred in another vehicle as a kid but now is a strapping teen for the tweens (and apparently Vic) to swoon over. Legendary pint-sized actor Billy Barty worked for the Krofts both as Sigmund the Seadude and Hugo, the bumbling assistant to Dr. Shrinker.

Willets Point Oct 03 2010 10:39 PM Re: Fake Jan and the BBVH (Split from Things You Learned)

Nightmares come to life.

batmagadanleadoff Oct 03 2010 11:01 PM Re: Fake Jan and the BBVH (Split from Things You Learned)

Bobby Brady - Olympic athlete and Coca-Cola pitchman: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AS4zw2EhlEI

Edgy DC Oct 04 2010 05:48 AM Re: Fake Jan and the BBVH (Split from Things You Learned)

Robert Reed's greatest gift to America --- the hand-held movie cameras he gave to each of his TV kids: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-D2tWFI4DvE&NR

Willets Point Oct 04 2010 11:17 AM Re: Fake Jan and the BBVH (Split from Things You Learned)

Edgy DC wrote: Robert Reed's greatest gift to America --- the hand-held movie cameras he gave to each of his TV kids: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-D2tWFI4DvE&NR Eerie. They look like a real family. I think there's only one shot with someone who looks like she could be one of the kids real parents.

Edgy DC Oct 04 2010 11:23 AM Re: Fake Jan and the BBVH (Split from Things You Learned)

And Jan actually looks fun.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Oct 04 2010 11:36 AM Re: Fake Jan and the BBVH (Split from Things You Learned)

It's a shame that Marcia turned into such a Trashbag. She evidently heated up interest in her book by coyly hinting that Jan may had originally moaned "Marcia! Marcia! Marcia!" in a more intimate setting.

Edgy DC Oct 04 2010 11:42 AM Re: Fake Jan and the BBVH (Split from Things You Learned)

(swallowing hard)

Fman99 Oct 04 2010 01:26 PM Re: Fake Jan and the BBVH (Split from Things You Learned)

Edgy DC wrote: (swallowing hard) Is this your Robert Reed impression?

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Oct 04 2010 01:29 PM Re: Fake Jan and the BBVH (Split from Things You Learned)

Fman99 wrote: Edgy DC wrote: (swallowing hard) Is this your Robert Reed impression? Thanks to this, my keyboard's all sticky. With cola.

Vic Sage Oct 04 2010 04:27 PM Re: Fake Jan and the BBVH (Split from Things You Learned)

Edgy DC wrote: Yeah, really, let's not be over-generous. Part of the formula seemed to be for the human(oid) character to be a guy who had starred in another vehicle as a kid but now is a strapping teen for the tweens (and apparently Vic) to swoon over. Legendary pint-sized actor Billy Barty worked for the Krofts both as Sigmund the Seadude and Hugo, the bumbling assistant to Dr. Shrinker. I don't suggest they make great (or even minimally entertaining) viewing for a modern adult, but lets not minimize the impact their early shows had on a generation of kids because we can't understand what we used to see in their work. It was ground-breaking in its utter wackiness. And LAND OF THE LOST was a genuinely fascinating show for a kid, raising all kinds of SF and fantasy concepts. I'd rather see kids programming try to take some chances in this way, rather than just be the pre-digested corporate pablum its always been too easily shaped into being. is that even a sentence?

Edgy DC Oct 04 2010 05:33 PM Re: Fake Jan and the BBVH (Split from Things You Learned)

Vic Sage wrote: I don't suggest they make great (or even minimally entertaining) viewing for a modern adult, but lets not minimize the impact their early shows had on a generation of kids because we can't understand what we used to see in their work. I'm not sure. I imagine that I was eight and if you put anything on with bright colors, movement, and major key music, I would have watched. It was mother's milk and the only milk I knew. I acknowledge Land of the Lost had an appeal that could take me past the pure feed-my-senses stage into an age where I at least had some minimum discernment. Lidsville, on the other hand, to the extent my just firiing neurons could get a grasp of it, was a nightmare waiting to happen. Eternally trapped inside a void inside an evil magician's hat, with hat mutants my only friends. I might have a nightmare tonight just thinking about it. As a kid, with getting lost my greatest (and almost only) fear, it was just nutso. At least the Marshall gamily got lost together.

Willets Point Oct 05 2010 08:05 AM Re: Fake Jan and the BBVH (Split from Things You Learned)

The Brady Kids decide that the (possibly gay) Tony Randall can replace (the extremely gay) Mike Brady as their father. Randall makes his entrance at 2:34 and is wonderfully snarky.

soupcan Oct 05 2010 08:45 AM Re: Fake Jan and the BBVH (Split from Things You Learned)

I was a huge Krofft fan. Loved them all but I think 'Sigmund & the Seamonsters' was my favorite. I can still sing all the theme songs - The Bugaloos, the Bugaloos, they're in the air and everywhere....flying high, flying free... Kaptain Kool & the Kongs, gettin' it on... I have great memories of all of these shows and maybe 10 or so years ago I was at a comic con and met Johnny Whitaker (old fat guy). It was a genuine thrill to talk to him. 'Banana Splits' is presently being shown on the 'Boomarang' channel and my 11 yr-old discovered it on his own and loves it. He dvrs it and watches it whenever he can. I agree with Vic. This was grounbreaking, original programming that had/has a genuine appeal and something unique to offer to kids Fman99 wrote: My favorite episode of the Brady Bunch Variety Hour was the one where Alice burns the roast and Rip Taylor responds by eating Mr. Brady's asshole. I love Fman.

Edgy DC Oct 05 2010 08:49 AM Re: Fake Jan and the BBVH (Split from Things You Learned)

Hey, I'm down with Sigmund and Kaptain Kool, don't get me wrong. But the Bugaloos and Lidsville were something else entirely. And the Kroft Supershow kept showing the same episodes of Wonderbug and ElectroWoman and DynaGirl every week.

HahnSolo Oct 05 2010 09:01 AM Re: Fake Jan and the BBVH (Split from Things You Learned)

The Brady Kids decide that the (possibly gay) Tony Randall can replace (the extremely gay) Mike Brady as their father. Randall makes his entrance at 2:34 and is wonderfully snarky. Poor attempt at recreating the Brady house...where's Mike's den?

John Cougar Lunchbucket Oct 05 2010 09:07 AM Re: Fake Jan and the BBVH (Split from Things You Learned)

Lidsville was a strange show that kind of frightened me. I thought the kid on Sigmund (Big fat Johnny Whittaker) was an irritating fruitcake, mainly because of that icky "Family Affair" show, so I never watched. By the time "Land of the Lost" came around I was over Sid & Marty. That show's bad special effects sorta bothered me, as did the fact that they changed actors in the middle, going to Uncle Jack over Dad.

soupcan Oct 05 2010 09:10 AM Re: Fake Jan and the BBVH (Split from Things You Learned)

I was never a 'Land of The Lost' fan either. I hated that stupid monkey-human thing. What was the name - Chewy or Choctaw or something. Also the Sleestacks with their obscene-phone-call breathing just creeped me out.

Edgy DC Oct 05 2010 09:13 AM Re: Fake Jan and the BBVH (Split from Things You Learned)

Really though, your curly-haired Dad disappears through the "Door of Time," and ten minutes later, your searching uncle wanders down the same waterfall, through the same dimensional portal, into the same screwy universe in the same proximity. What, truly, are the odds?

Fman99 Oct 05 2010 03:38 PM Re: Fake Jan and the BBVH (Split from Things You Learned)

soupcan wrote: Fman99 wrote: My favorite episode of the Brady Bunch Variety Hour was the one where Alice burns the roast and Rip Taylor responds by eating Mr. Brady's asshole. I love Fman. I love you too brother. Fman99... bringing the nasty to CPF since 2007.

Willets Point Apr 12 2011 07:10 PM Re: Fake Jan and the BBVH (Split from Things You Learned)

Forgotten Sid & Marty Krofft Shows.

cooby Apr 12 2011 07:40 PM Re: Fake Jan and the BBVH (Split from Things You Learned)

Do I want to look?

cooby Apr 12 2011 07:46 PM Re: Fake Jan and the BBVH (Split from Things You Learned)

Willets Point wrote: Nightmares come to life. Holy shit.

themetfairy Apr 12 2011 08:09 PM Re: Fake Jan and the BBVH (Split from Things You Learned)

cooby wrote: Willets Point wrote: Nightmares come to life. Holy shit. You weren't kidding cooby - that was embarrassingly awful!

DocTee Apr 12 2011 08:34 PM Re: Fake Jan and the BBVH (Split from Things You Learned)

Could've sworn WONDERAMA was a Krofft Bros production.

Willets Point Apr 12 2011 08:51 PM Re: Fake Jan and the BBVH (Split from Things You Learned)

Slide the BBVH into the category of "Things that can make Cooby use profanity."