Published by Linda on 30 Apr 2008 at 11:31 am
Awesomeness Wednesday: 04.30.2008
I am not always a big fan of early black-and-white TV comedy, I will admit. There are times when I look at old Milton Berle clips and think, “I am not laughing now, and I refuse to believe I’d have laughed then.” But while perusing the list of the 50 Greatest Comedy Sketches Of All Time, I came across this divine piece of work by Sid Caesar and Nanette Fabray. Live TV, ladies and gentlemen.
I only wish YouTube had the Nichols & May “Grief Lady.”
Second up for Awesomeness Wednesday is my beloved Moonlighting. In this episode, Maddie and David have just watched as a van explodes carrying, it seems, a fellow by the name of Clark who earlier faked his own kidnapping. The other storyline of this episode, however, which is much more important, involves the fact that earlier in the episode, they made a bet that David could not act like a mature adult for a week, which included absolutely no singing. If she loses, she has to limbo in the office; if he loses, he has to fire two unnecessary employees (one of the show’s running jokes was that as cold as she was supposed to be, she could never actually bring herself to fire anyone, even with the business losing oodles of scratch). The second half of this clip is more important than the first. I adore it.
Not part of Awesomeness Wednesday but functioning as an extra bonus is this Little House On The Prairie fan video — YOU HEARD ME — which must be seen to be believed.
golfnutbucket on 30 Apr 2008 at 1:52 pm #
Concerning the “Moonlighting” video: What fun to see Bruce Willis with hair again — I mean REAL hair, not plugs. COIN PHONES!!! What a trip down memory lane!
Patrick on 30 Apr 2008 at 2:11 pm #
It always amazes me when I see someone in a crime drama having to stop at a pay phone to make a call. How did any work get done, ever?
Alan Sepinwall on 30 Apr 2008 at 2:19 pm #
I was surprised that the best sketches ever list somehow included several Sid Caesar bits and yet left out “This Is Your Story.” (YouTube has it broken into two parts. Part one isn’t as funny, but it’s necessary to appreciate the genius of part two.)
rayvyn2k on 30 Apr 2008 at 7:43 pm #
Sid Caesar’s genius will live on forever. Thanks for sharing a sketch I had never seen! And I second the sentiment about Bruce Willis’ hair.
Rinaldo on 30 Apr 2008 at 8:55 pm #
In my family in the 50s I don’t think we watched Milton Berle once, nor was Red Skelton one of our habits, and though we sometimes saw Jackie Gleason’s show we had mixed feelings about him. But Sid Caesar and his troupe (Imogene Coca [later Ms. Fabray], Carl Reiner, Howard Morris) were on a whole different level — just the best, not only their skills but the writing and ideas for them. Great stuff.
One of the pleasures for me in that Moonlighting clip was seeing late-period Barbara Bain. It’s a long time after Mission: Impossible, but she still had style — still does, for all I know.
Agnes on 01 May 2008 at 12:48 am #
*Squeels with excitement* Always and forever will I be a Cybill Shepherd fan. Her awesomeness is the sum of Moonlighting + Her and Christine Baranski (in Cybill the sitcom) + Martha, Inc..