al@mot.UUCP (Al Filipski) (03/09/85)
"Fernwood 2night" was good, irreverent comedy. Once
an old couple appeared as guests; they claimed they needed a
deprogrammer for their son who was brainwashed by a cult. They
complained that the cult made him wear black all the time, he continually
mumbled strange incantations, and would have nothing to do with women.
It turned out that he was a catholic priest.
As always, Martin Mull did every show in a serious deadpan
so the audience had to figure out for themselves what was a
put-on. "Gimbleco", like "Ronco" was their supposed sponsor.
Like "Mary Hartman", it was sort of a counter-culture hit and
never achieved mainstream popularity. Speaking of "Mary Hartman",
I remember one TV Guide reviewer saying it was "sick and twisted".
I was surprised that anyone could have so little a sense of humor as to
think that. To me, "sick and twisted" brings to mind
something like "Dallas". Oh Well, to each his own, I guess.
I sure would like to see some of the old episodes. You can enjoy them
even without drugs.
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Alan Filipski, UNIX group, Motorola Microsystems, Tempe, AZ U.S.A
{seismo|ihnp4}!ut-sally!oakhill!mot!al
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A funny thing happened to me on my way to the grave...wetcw@pyuxa.UUCP (T C Wheeler) (03/11/85)
I recall one show in which Burt Reynolds came out as the first guest of the evening, complained that he had had a rough day on the set, then stretched out on the couch and went to sleep. The show went on with him sleeping on the couch. Other guests came in and sort of sat on the edge of the couch, trying not to wake Burt. Mull, of course, remained unpreturbed through the whole thing. The announcer on the show was a real kick (his name is on the tip of my tounge--Willard something???). He was forever bringing in guests like the local baton twirling champion or some other nubile sweet young thing. He was also forever trying to take over the show. The band leader (another well known band leader in reality) was partners in a chicken to go resturant down the street and was always bringing in boxes of chicken for the band to eat during the show. Mull still uses the chair and lamp setup in his comedy routines to this day. I thought the show was a gas. T. C. Wheeler .
wmartin@brl-tgr.ARPA (Will Martin ) (03/13/85)
>Mull still uses the chair and lamp setup in his comedy >routines to this day. I thought the show was a gas. >T. C. Wheeler Mull had used the "chair & lamp" stage settings for concerts and routines for some time before he was hired on the Fernwood/America 2-night business. One of his earlier albums was "Martin Mull and his Fabulous Furniture in Your Living Room" or something similar. Someday I'd like to see Martin Mull and the old ("Mothers of Invention"-era) Frank Zappa together. Someone with a time machine please arrange this... Will