Garry Marshall, ‘Pretty Woman’ Director and Creator of ‘Happy Days,’ Dies at 81

Marshall with Julia Roberts, from source, Variety

Awwww. Damn you, 2016! I've been a fan of Garry Marshall since before I knew who he was. Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley and Mork & Mindy were pop culture touchstones of my childhood. I loved his acting appearances (he could seemingly turn up anywhere), particulrly in Soapdish, and his sister Penny's Jumpin' Jack Flash. Garry Marshall just knew FUNNY. RIP, Mr. Marshall. Maybe Chachi jumping the shark at the RNC is what did it?

[Excerpt]

Garry Marshall, ‘Pretty Woman’ Director and Creator of ‘Happy Days,’ Dies at 81

Garry Marshall, who created some of the 1970s’ most iconic sitcoms including “Happy Days,” “The Odd Couple,” “Laverne and Shirley” and “Mork and Mindy” and went on to direct hit movies including “Pretty Woman” and “The Princess Diaries,” died Tuesday of complications from pneumonia. He was 81. The news was first reported by Access Hollywood. . .

Read more at: Variety

It's Time to Bury 2 Broke Girl$

Image from Wikipedia

I just watched the season finale of CBS' 2 Broke Girl$, which just wrapped up its fifth season, unbelievably. Now, I do realize that as a 50-year-old, I am not this program's target audience. Though I was a wee 45-year-old when it started, have been a fan of Garrett Morris since episode 1 of Saturday Night Live, and adored the show's prototype, Laverne & Shirley. Also, I'm of the gay persuasion--a demographic that the show manages to lampoon, insult, pander to and sometimes embodies the spirit of. So, I'm sort of in the mix after all.

But the show is terrible. Just awful. Oddly, even so, I probably saw the majority of the first four seasons, and a decent amount of season five. I don't even know why. I kept hoping its vortex of bad would stop sucking me in, but no. The awfulness of it, for some reason, compels me. And it's bad in so many ways, and on so many levels. The casting is bad. The acting is bad. The writing is bad. The jokes are bad. The storyline is bad. The continuity is bad. It's thorough, I'll give it that. But why is it so bad? That's a tougher nut. Because though all of what I just said is true, I really don't think the actors are bad, or that the creator (Whitney Cummings) or writers themselves are bad. It's just that somehow, the show is so tremendously less than the sum of its parts.

A horse in Georgetown. Seems legit.

The premise is simple. A Bernie Madoff type goes to jail, and leaves his rich bitch daughter broke and alone in New York. She's taken in by a lower class waitress, and the two embark on a dream to open a cupcake shop, while working in a diner. Nothing particularly bad about the premise. The diner is run by a short Korean man, who is the endless butt of jokes, generally about his height, alleged androgyny and/or boyishness. The jokes never evolve, get better, nor have ever been funny. The character hasn't improved from a one-note caricature either. Oleg, the repellent, horny, ethnic cook is equally undeveloped, non-evolving and unfunny. Kat Dennings is the streetwise Max, authentic broke girl, and Beth Behrs is the newly broke, blonde Caroline. Garrett Morris rounded out the original cast, and came off best, as the grizzled cashier of the diner.

Another wasted actor (Sandra Bernhard) in another
illogical (and ultimately aborted) story arc.

In season one, the immediate impression given by the show was that it was primarily a vehicle for big eyed, big boobed Dennings to crack wise, and deliver double- and single-entendre jokes about sex and body functions. At top volume. Dennings (and to be fair, most of the cast) seems to be unaware that the studio has microphones. Lines are shouted to the rafters, as in a high school play. And with nearly as much subtlety. The show does not do subtlety, and does not do hushed tones. At all. The decibel level is astonishingly grating.

Many episodes center around Max and Caroline trying to pick up extra work, or just extra money via schemes, part-time jobs, second or third jobs, going to pastry school, running a pastry shop, a cupcake window, working in an airport restaurant, in an upscale restaurant, and on and on. These side jobs and adventures can last an episode, a short arc, a season-long arc, aborted arc, you name it, and they seldom make a bit of sense scheduling-wise with their diner jobs. This sort of thing was easier to accept in the simpler 70s, when Laverne & Shirley would somehow keep their brewery jobs while joining the army, or becoming candy stripers. TV was simpler then, for one thing. The brewery was a day job, for another. And I was ten.

Laverne & Shirley wasn't perfect, and was just as loud,
but they were so much better.

L&S never tried to pass off a thoroughbred horse being kept as a pet, in the courtyard of an inner city apartment as normal or possible either. They did have loud and annoying secondary characters in Lenny & Squiggy. Girl$ has one, embodied by the (usually terrific) Jennifer Coolidge Sophie character, a brash, Polish, zaftig neighbor, greeted by whoops from the audience whenever she appears, in seam-bursting, over-stuffed dresses. Sophie has little reason to be in each episode, so they paired her, despite logic and lack of chemistry, with Oleg, and have not only made the couple over-sexed (and public about it), but have decided by season five to have 54-year-old Coolidge (depicted as a cougar in American Pie some 17 years ago) become pregnant.

Despite the show's many faults, I have, as I said, for some reason watched a majority of the show while it's been on. Occasionally, they've done something right. As when they've brought on love interests for the girls, notably Nick Zano's Johnny, Ryan Hansen's Candy Andy, Eric Andre's Deke and Ed Quinn's Randy (the best of the bunch, despite his nineteen-year age difference with Dennings). But as with the aborted storylines with all of the mini-careers the girls have started, each of these relationships seems to abruptly end, not because the storyline demands it, but because it seems the show is just like that.

Ed Quinn wasn't enough to make this a good show. But
it sure got my attention. Looking good for almost 50,
Ed! Well played, show.

2 Broke Girls loves the reset button. They love to have the girls in the diner, in those awful outfits, screaming their lines, ignoring no sexual pun, even stretched ones, still making fun of how short Han is, and how old Earl is. So, out with the boyfriend. Out with the gay waiter, or the Irish waiter, or any other staff at the diner. Out with the separate cupcake shop they somehow ran at night simultaneously with their night time diner jobs. Windfalls of money must be spent down to nearly (or past) zero. And no character development can take the characters out of their originally established one-note personality.

So, what spurred me to write about this terrible show, now renewed for its 6th year? Again, I don't know. I think checking in on it after missing several episodes, wondering why the impossibly good looking, talented, and much-too-old-for-the-part Ed Quinn was hanging around, and incredulous that the show manages to stay on the schedule, despite never improving. The show should be put down, as should poor, neglected Chestnut, the pet horse.

Blast from the Past: This Has Been a Miller-Milkis-Boyett Production!

This past weekend, I watched The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas on DVD, on a whim. I was surprised to see that it was a "Miller-Milkis-Boyett Production." This is curious to a pop-culture geek like me, because, they're not known for movies. No, MMB (or some combination of the three) were responsible for several huge (and not so huge) sitcoms of the seventies, eighties and nineties. So, in this late edition of Blast from the Past, I thought I'd revisit some of them. See how many you remember.

1. Happy Days (1974-1984) - Fonzie, Richie, Potsie and Ralph were a huge part of 70s pop culture, and their show put Garry Marshall (and his family) on the map, and spun off a few more shows.
2. Laverne & Shirley (1976-1983) - By far Happy Days' most successful spin-off, Garry's sister Penny and Cindy Williams actually eclipsed the parent show for a couple of years.


3. Mork & Mindy (1978-1982) - Robin Williams broke out, and shot into the stratosphere with this Happy Days spin-off, and then sputtered out after inexplicable executive meddling.
4. Angie (1979-1980) - Rather short-lived for a show with a lot of promise. Robert Hays (Airplane!) and Donna Pescow (Saturday Night Fever) starred with Doris Roberts (Everybody Loves Raymond). Also a death by executive meddling.


5. Bosom Buddies (1980-1982) - Can you believe a show starring Tom Hanks would only last two seasons? Or that co-star Peter Scolari often out-shined him in the talent department? It's true!
6. Joanie Loves Chachi (1982-1983) - One of television's punch lines, this spin-off of Happy Days was actually (briefly) a hit. And then collapsed.


7. Perfect Strangers (1986-1993) - Balki wore thin after several seasons, but for the first few, this was a really fun sitcom, mostly due to Bronson Pinchot.
8. Family Matters (1980-1998) - Spun off of Perfect Strangers, this show was--to me--horrific. But to kids of the time, it's kind of their Happy Days, and apparently Steve Urkel is their Fonzie. Whatever. . .


9. Valerie/Valerie's Family: The Hogans/The Hogan Family (1986-1991) - Originally a starring vehicle for Valerie Harper--whose character was ultimately killed off in an awful contract dispute--ultimately it became The Jason Bateman show despite its various other titles, and new star, Sandy Duncan.
10. Step By Step (1991-1998) - Suzanne Somers and Patrick Duffy in a pointless, rice-cake of a sitcom. Just bland as hell, but again, if you were a kid at the time. . .maybe. . .it was just okay?


And with that bit of fluff, we'll call it a day. But since Monday's over, I'll wish you all a happy short work week, with a faster weekend!

PS. I'm well aware that I skipped Full House. Horrid show.

Shameless Gossip: Penny Marshall & Carrie Fisher Lovers?

 

I don't know how to react to this! Now surely, you see that this filed under Shameless Gossip, so it could be total crap. Nothing but a story wrapped around a cute picture. But wow, what if? Laverne & Leia? Does Cindy Williams know? Will she insist on equal billing? I'm just. . .wow.

Image from source,
Kenneth in the (212)

[Excerpt]

Penny Marshall and Carrie Fisher Are Lovers -- Report

In a gay bombshell, a source says former “Laverne Shirley” star Penny Marshall plans to come out of the closet and declare she’s a lesbian! What’s more, the beloved 70-year-old actress-turned-director will be supported in her announcement by her longtime girlfriend – actress Carrie Fisher, 57, of “Star Wars” fame, the source adds. . .

Read more at: Kenneth in the (212)

Blast from the Past: Mid-Season Replacements!

We're in sort of a wasteland time of year on network television (those of us who even still watch CBS, NBC, ABC and FOX. . .and CW). You never know if you're going to get a new episode of your favorite show, a rerun, a "burnoff" episode of a cancelled show, a pre-emption by sports or political event, a lame network reality show you've never heard of, or the latest infotainment newsmagazine. Some shows are in new episodes, some are in reruns, some are on indefinite hiatus, and some you thought maybe got cancelled, are actually set for their season premieres. You never know what you're going to get.

The other thing that happens this time of year is a reshuffling of the surviving shows, temporary (or permanent) hiatuses for some shows, and the launch of "midseason replacement" shows. The Following, starring Kevin Bacon is a recent example of this, and its second season starts January 21. So, it got me to thinking about noteworthy shows that started in mid-season. And now, you can think about it!

1. All in the Family (Jan. 12, 1971)
2. Barney Miller (Jan. 23, 1975)


3. Blossom (Jan. 3, 1991)
4. Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Mar. 10, 1997)



5. Dallas (Apr. 2, 1978)
6. Dynasty (Jan. 12, 1981)



7. Happy Days (Jan. 15, 1974)
8. Laverne & Shirley (Jan. 27, 1976)



9. Married. . .with Children (Apr. 5, 1987)
10. Night Court (Jan. 4, 1984)


So, break out the TV Guide. . .app on your phone. Or just go through the DVR or on demand to. . .oh forget it. This is one concept that will be consigned to the scrap heap as more and more programming is on our own schedules, on cable or elsewhere. But that's kind of the point of Blast from the Past. For you youngsters out there, you should know that most of these programs debuted when most people had three or four channels, or maybe a couple dozen if they were lucky. With a wired cable box with physical buttons!


Anyway, that's it for this week's edition. Hope everyone is staying healthy enough to have a happy Monday!

Blast from the Past: Mid-Season Replacements!

We're in sort of a wasteland time of year on network television (those of us who even still watch CBS, NBC, ABC and FOX. . .and CW). You never know if you're going to get a new episode of your favorite show, a rerun, a "burnoff" episode of a cancelled show, a pre-emption by sports or political event, a lame network reality show you've never heard of, or the latest infotainment newsmagazine. During the entire month of January, for example The Big Bang Theory ran two new, two old, and a new one is on this Thursday, with some reruns on occasional Mondays. You never know what you're going to get.

The other thing that happens this time of year is a reshuffling of the surviving shows, temporary (or permanent) hiatuses for some shows, and the launch of "midseason replacement" shows. The Following, starring Kevin Bacon is the latest example of this, and it has me very interested. So, it got me to thinking about noteworthy shows that started in mid-season. And now, you can think about it!

1. All in the Family (Jan. 12, 1971)
2. Barney Miller (Jan. 23, 1975)




3. Blossom (Jan. 3, 1991)
4. Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Mar. 10, 1997)




5. Dallas (Apr. 2, 1978)
6. Dynasty (Jan. 12, 1981)




7. Happy Days (Jan. 15, 1974)
8. Laverne & Shirley (Jan. 27, 1976)




9. Married. . .with Children (Apr. 5, 1987)
10. Night Court (Jan. 4, 1984)


So, break out the TV Guide. . .app on your phone. Or just go through the DVR or on demand to. . .oh forget it. This is one concept that will be consigned to the scrap heap as more and more programming is on our own schedules, on cable or elsewhere. But that's kind of the point of Blast from the Past. For you youngsters out there, you should know that most of these programs debuted when most people had three or four channels, or maybe a couple dozen if they were lucky. With a wired cable box with physical buttons!


Anyway, that's it for this week's edition. Hope everyone is staying healthy enough to have a happy Monday!

Blast from the Past: ABC-TV in the 70s

This week's edition of Blast from the Past is going to be a little bit rushed. We're preparing for a trip, and I don't have the focus, nor the energy to put in a text-heavy edition this week. So, here's a trip down memory lane, if you happen to have spent a significant time in front of a television between--oh--1975 to 1979. In no particular order. This, is what I mean by the whole concept of Blast from the past, when I distill it down. The era of That's 70s Show is the sweet spot of my pop culture brain.

For the record, that's Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, Three's Company, Soap, Charlie's Angels, Wonder Woman, The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman. These are the primary shows I really glommed onto as a kid, though thee were lots of others. And with that, you have a window into my childhood. And that will do it for now!

Happy Monday, everybody.

Blast from the Past: ABC TV Shows of the 70s!

Image from LocateTV

TV series in the 70s were much simpler than they are today. Dramas--except for soap operas--didn't require much attention, and typically had no b-story (or c-story), no subplots, no story-arcs, and almost no character development. Comedies were played as if they were on stage, were loud and harshly lit, and characters were cartoonish. If a show had a lovable ditz character in season one, they'd be an utter moron by season three.

There were exceptions of course, like M*A*S*H, All in the Family and the like, but for the most part the "idiot box" was aptly named in the 70s.  I loved it anyway. I got the idea from this post while up very early this morning (my sleep schedule is way outta whack), watching Three's Company on TVLand.  These were early episodes, before Chrissy was a drooling idiot. Anyway, ABC TV went from an also-ran network into a full-blown hit at exactly the same time I was becoming a pop culture junkie. The shows of that decade set me on the road to being a Trivial Pursuit savant, and have a central role in my childhood memories.  Here are some of my favorites of the era.








1. Happy Days - This show is likely the reason ABC had their big showing through the decade. It started the ball rolling, brought "The Fonz" into pop culture, and lasted 11 seasons.
2. Laverne & Shirley - Spun-off from Happy Days, this show was and remains a personal favorite. Unappreciated by critics, it was nevertheless a huge hit with viewers.
3. Soap - Considered "too dirty" for prime time (at least briefly), they actually aired it at night for a while in some markets. Marvelously loopy, and completely hilarious. Also, Billy Crystal played--I believe--the first scripted, regular gay character on television.
4. Mork & Mindy - Another spin-off of Happy Days, this one was of course about an alien from Ork crash-landing in Colorado, and moving in with a pretty career woman. It put Robin Williams on the map, and was a monster hit. . .until the network effectively killed it with scheduling and cast changes.
5. Barney Miller - I didn't appreciate this one much at the time. It was a little over my head at the time. But the theme song rocks.
6. Charlie's Angels - This show solidified ABC's dominance, and created "Jiggle TV." Jaclyn Smith, Kate Jackson, Farrah Fawcett and later Cheryl Ladd were the definitive angels. None of the later TV or movie angels even came close.
7. Wonder Woman - Like the angels, Lynda Carter was and remains the definitive Wonder Woman. I frankly liked the updated, CBS version of the show better, but the ABC World War II version started it all.
8. The Love Boat - Probably the silliest of the list, this one was inexplicably a hit for many years. And it provided b-list actors a place to work, a role now filled by CSIs, Law & Orders and all the other procedurals out there.

Oddly enough, I couldn't find a Three's Company clip that was postable. Which is kind of strange. But there you go!

Happy Monday!

Laverne & Shirley Star Gets DUI

1st image from source, FOX "News"; 2nd image from Comedy.com

First, Three's Company star Joyce DeWitt (Janet) gets busted for driving while tipsy (surely a hilarious misunderstanding), and now Laverne & Shirley's "Big Ragu" Eddie Mekka (Carmine) finds himself in the same situation. Probably because Shirley still won't let him vo-dee-oh-doh-doh. I hope Anson Williams, Jimmy Baio and Pam Dawber all have designated drivers, because this looks to be an ABC 70s sitcom star epidemic.

[Excerpt]

'Laverne and Shirley' Star Eddie Mekka Arrested for DUI

The guy who played Carmine "The Big Ragoo" Ragusa on "Laverne and Shirley" was arrested last Friday in Las Vegas after he allegedly got into a drunken car crash. . .

Read more at (yes, I know): FOX "News"

Greenlee Gazette Christmas Gift Guide: DVD Box Sets

In an attempt to inject a little holiday cheer into an otherwise overly dour blog, I'm trying to post a Christmas-themed post every day or so. Some are re-runs, and others are new. This is a guide to some TV series DVD box sets I wrote several months ago, and it may provide you some ideas for your last-minute gift buying.

I intended to do additional parts to this post when I wrote it, and may take the time over the next few days to do just that. For now, here is part 1.

[Original Post]

All images from source, Wikipedia

I've recently started collecting a few of my favorite TV shows on DVD. It started innocently enough with an impulse purchase of Wonder Woman, season one. I was a big fan of the show--and super heroes in general--back when I was a kid. After getting the first season I simply had to have the other two (actually there were four seasons, but the first two seasons were so sporadic, they counted them as one).

After that, I bought Laverne & Shirley's and Bewitched's first season. Then I discovered a terrific website called DeepDiscount.com.* They have great prices to begin with, and free shipping, but it gets even better when they have sales. At Christmas time, they were running a buy-one-get-one-free sale, and it included an all-time favorite of mine, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Mom bought me the whole set. Next, I'll have to get Angel. Since then, I've amassed a few more. Here's a mini review of each, should you be interested in acquiring any of these titles.

Wonder Woman (Season's 1 - 3) - Lynda Carter is terrific in the title role, and the series is a great deal of nostalgic fun. If you've never seen it before, it probably won't hold up as well. The show has dreadful pacing (which is true of many 70s dramas), but manages to be colorful and fun. Just fast forward through the long tracking shots of cars arriving and departing and the like. The set contains a few--if sparse--extra features. Recommended for fans only.

Laverne & Shirley (Seasons 1 - 3) - Again, my impressions are colored by a nostalgic love for the show, but I believe it holds up pretty well. It is helped by being set in the 50s and 60s, and so looking dated is a given. The show belongs in the "classic" category, along with I Love Lucy. No extras, and some music is replaced. Still, if you're a fan, highly recommended.

Bewitched (Seasons 1 & 2) - Elizabeth Montgomery and Agnes Moorehead shine in this classic show, which is available colorized and in original black and white. The color version looks terrific, by the way. A few special features, and remember, TV seasons were much longer in the 60s. The total number of episodes in these two sets would fill three or four seasons of a current show. Highly recommended.

The Black Adder (Seasons 1 - 5) - If you're like me, you'd see this show while channel surfing, and pass right by. It was on PBS (imported from Britain), and it's all set in the distant past--not high on my list of favorites. The Other Half introduced me to the series early in our relationship, and I was converted. Strange, hilarious and twisted. If you like Rowan Atkinson (Mr. Bean) and British humor, you'll love it. Some special features, but remember, British shows have much shorter seasons than we do. Recommended.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Seasons 1 - 7) - I've already geeked out over this one enough. Suffice it to say, this is the DVD set to show the rest how it's done. Chock-full of special features, great packaging (even the slim sets), everything you could possibly want. Very highly recommended.

Part 2 to follow at a later date (I promise!).

*This site is not affiliated in any way with DeepDiscount.com, and this is not an advertisement. But I have used this service repeatedly, and am immensely pleased with it. Prices are often better than you can find on eBay. Also, the one time an error was made, they corrected it quickly, no questions asked. Check them out.

Must See TV: CBS' Swingtown

Rarely are Hollywood nostalgia pieces very accurate in their depictions of other eras. Happy Days and Laverne & Shirley were both successful 70s shows that were set in the 50s--mostly to cash in on a 50s nostalgia craze set off by George Lucas' American Graffiti. But as funny as both shows could be, they played fast and loose with the actual 50s. Chachi wore Nikes, Joanie and Laverne had 80s hair by the end.


That '70s Show was closer, but it tended to lump early, late and mid-70s all in the same episode. And there have been other, usually much less successful attempts. Probably the best before now were Dazed and Confused, and Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City, which was dead-on. Now comes CBS' Swingtown, a series set in 1976 (like Dazed). The series focuses on a straight laced family that moves to the other (more affluent) side of town, and is introduced to the "swingers" across the street.

Now, I don't know much about that topic, but I have to say--having grown up in the 70s--they have the time period nailed. From the hairstyles, porn-star mustaches, sideburns, cars, music choices, furnishings--just everything--this is 1976. And the most striking thing about it is, all of the 70s touches seem organic, and not forced. That is key, as you will know if you ever watched an abomination called That 80s Show.

The subject matter covers all of the stuff I missed about the 70s because I was too young to "get it." But looking back, I recognize the language, the situations--I bet a couple of the people in our neighborhood were swingers too! Just--please God--not my parents?!?

Highly Recommended

[Excerpt]

Borrowing a Cup of Sugar (and Maybe a Spouse)

Each generation looks back at its parents’ youth with pity and envy: people were so naïve back then, and life was so easy.

“Happy Days,” the hit sitcom that began in 1974, reveled in the comic innocence of the 1950s and its emblems: poodle skirts, diners and Elvis Presley-era rock ’n’ roll. On Thursday night 30-some years later, CBS is unveiling “Swingtown,” a drama set in the 1970s that feasts on the comic decadence of the sexual revolution. . .

Read more at: New York Times

TV Show DVD Collections: A Review (Pt. 1)

All images from source, Wikipedia

I've recently started collecting a few of my favorite TV shows on DVD. It started innocently enough with an impulse purchase of Wonder Woman, season one. I was a big fan of the show--and super heroes in general--back when I was a kid. After getting the first season I simply had to have the other two (actually there were four seasons, but the first two seasons were so sporadic, they counted them as one).

After that, I bought Laverne & Shirley's and Bewitched's first season. Then I discovered a terrific website called DeepDiscount.com.* They have great prices to begin with, and free shipping, but it gets even better when they have sales. At Christmas time, they were running a buy-one-get-one-free sale, and it included an all-time favorite of mine, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Mom bought me the whole set. Next, I'll have to get Angel. Since then, I've amassed a few more. Here's a mini review of each, should you be interested in acquiring any of these titles.

Wonder Woman (Season's 1 - 3) - Lynda Carter is terrific in the title role, and the series is a great deal of nostalgic fun. If you've never seen it before, it probably won't hold up as well. The show has dreadful pacing (which is true of many 70s dramas), but manages to be colorful and fun. Just fast forward through the long tracking shots of cars arriving and departing and the like. The set contains a few--if sparse--extra features. Recommended for fans only.

Laverne & Shirley (Seasons 1 - 3) - Again, my impressions are colored by a nostalgic love for the show, but I believe it holds up pretty well. It is helped by being set in the 50s and 60s, and so looking dated is a given. The show belongs in the "classic" category, along with I Love Lucy. No extras, and some music is replaced. Still, if you're a fan, highly recommended.

Bewitched (Seasons 1 & 2) - Elizabeth Montgomery and Agnes Moorehead shine in this classic show, which is available colorized and in original black and white. The color version looks terrific, by the way. A few special features, and remember, TV seasons were much longer in the 60s. The total number of episodes in these two sets would fill three or four seasons of a current show. Highly recommended.

The Black Adder (Seasons 1 - 5) - If you're like me, you'd see this show while channel surfing, and pass right by. It was on PBS (imported from Britain), and it's all set in the distant past--not high on my list of favorites. The Other Half introduced me to the series early in our relationship, and I was converted. Strange, hilarious and twisted. If you like Rowan Atkinson (Mr. Bean) and British humor, you'll love it. Some special features, but remember, British shows have much shorter seasons than we do. Recommended.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Seasons 1 - 7) - I've already geeked out over this one enough. Suffice it to say, this is the DVD set to show the rest how it's done. Chock-full of special features, great packaging (even the slim sets), everything you could possibly want. Very highly recommended.

Part 2 to follow at a later date.

*This site is not affiliated in any way with DeepDiscount.com, and this is not an advertisement. But I have used this service repeatedly, and am immensely pleased with it. Prices are often better than you can find on eBay. Also, the one time an error was made, they corrected it quickly, no questions asked. Check them out.

Guilty Pleasures: Laverne & Shirley, Season 3

Image from TVShowsOnDVD.net

In a recent post about 80s music, I pointed out how difficult it is to separate "good" from "nostalgic." Things you loved in your childhood hold warm fuzzy memories, and then you see and hear them again, and some of the charm is lost. My best example is the movie Fright Night, a film I dearly loved in the 80s that simply doesn't hold up as a classic 22 years later (though it's still fun in its way).

I was happy to find that Laverne & Shirley still holds up. It remains funny, and my nostalgic memories are not proven wrong. It still has some of that old-fashioned 50s-70s sitcom, "playing to the balcony" unreality about it, but so did I Love Lucy.

Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams were a remarkable comic team, with a prowess for physical comedy only rivaled at the time by John Ritter. Michael McKean and David L. Lander were seen as silly and stupid as Lenny & Squiggy back in the 70s. Modern day viewing shows a subversive--almost dirty--undercurrent to much of their comedy. I'm sure some of my love for this show still is colored by nostalgia, but I'm confident that there's more to it than that.

The third season DVD release has finally been slated for November 27th, after having been set for September. Since there were a few years between seasons 1 & 2's DVDs, I guess I should be grateful. I still can't figure out how so many crappy shows get full releases, and this one is just trickling out (and with box-cover art semi-foreign to the graphics on the show too). Oh well.

I posted the theme song to Laverne & Shirley several weeks ago, in one of my other "Guilty Pleasures" posts. So, to prevent making this post a rerun (hah!), here is the theme song that ran during the much-lamented California years. People tend to think Laverne & Shirley jumped the shark after the move. I disagree. Lots of funny adventures were found in LA. And don't tell me that whole groups of people don't just pick up and move across the country together. I DID!

Five of us quit the same company, and all moved to Las Vegas together 13 years ago! And I don't think we've jumped the shark yet! Anyway, it was only after Cindy Williams left, and the show became "Laverne & Furniture" that this show ran out of gas.

Guilty Pleasures: Laverne & Shirley

As a child of the 70s, I was of the perfect age to experience an explosion of silliness on TV, ranging from the superhero shows like The Bionic Woman, and Wonder Woman, to the "jiggle" shows, Three's Company and Charlie's Angels, to my favorite, Laverne & Shirley.

I was not quite 10 when the phenomenally successful Happy Days spun off this unsung gem, and I was hooked from the first episode. Mom, previously worried about my fascination with record players, soon started to worry about my new addiction to ABC TV, which was experiencing a boom in the ratings. I could name every time slot, every theme song, and every star. She soon imposed strict "after 7, only two hours, and only if your chores and homework are done" rules.

I managed. Laverne & Shirley never got any respect from reviewers or the Emmys, but it got viewers in droves. That is why it surprises me that the show is getting something of a short-shrift on DVD from Paramount. Only two seasons have been released so far, and those two were released years apart. Allegedly, season three will be available in September. Meanwhile, you can get the lamest of lame series (What's Happening!! and What's Happening Now!!) in their entirety. Criminal.

Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams were truly inspired in their timing, physical comedy and chemistry. David L. Lander and Michael McKean were just as inspired, and quite demented--even subversive--as Lenny and Squiggy. And, sigh, Eddie Mekka as Carmine. Great fun all around. I can't wait for season three.

Here's the famous opening credit sequence. Just try not to sing along. . .



And, because the Other Half wouldn't have it any other way, a clip from the 2nd Season episode, "Guinea Pigs," where Laverne & Shirley have participated in a scientific expirement in order to get enough money to go to a society function. Laverne was in a sleep deprivation test, and Shirley in a food deprivation test. Genius.