waltt@tekecs.UUCP (Walt Tucker) (02/23/85)
Anybody else remember the syndicated talk-show satire "America 2-Night"?
As I remember, it was a second generation spin-off of "Mary Hartman, Mary
Hartman" (it was first called "Fernwood 2-Night"). Martin Mull played
Barth (Garth?) Gimble, a Johnny Carson-like talk show host. His side
kick was Fred Willard, who played Jerry (something-or-another). They had
numerous guests that played themselves, such as Connie Stevens, Anne Murray,
and Vincent Price, as well as satirical guests, such as a suicidal clown.
There was also a Doc Severson-type band leader called Happy Kane (I forget
the name of his band).
I think it was in syndication in 1978, as I remember being home from college
and watching it with my buddies while consuming large quantities of Sclitz
(after a while, it became quite a ritual that summer).
Is it still in syndication out there anywhere?
-- Walt Tucker
Tektronix, Inc.erik@ssc-vax.UUCP (Erik Strom) (02/28/85)
> Anybody else remember the syndicated talk-show satire "America 2-Night"? > > As I remember, it was a second generation spin-off of "Mary Hartman, Mary > Hartman" (it was first called "Fernwood 2-Night"). Martin Mull played > Barth (Garth?) Gimble, a Johnny Carson-like talk show host. His side > ....... YES!!! YES!!! YES!!! This has to be the shows I've enjoyed the most! Martin Mull played Barth Gimble who's twin brother Garth was the original host on Fernwood Tonight until he met a rather discouraging death. He was speared by a plastic Christmas tree as I recall. (I may have Barth and Garth mixed up.) Happy Kyne was played by Frank Oz of Muppet fame and lead a band called Happy Kyne and the Mirthmakers . I also remember Kenneth Mars as some sort of a regular who wore a very weird get-up which he used to hold up his chin. I have no idea what the story was on that. The show was televised on the UBS network; "Where we put U before the BS". Two of the stories which were typical: 1) One night the band went on strike. Happy was forced to perform all of the band chores that night. He used just about every instrument from a kazoo to a one-man-band contraption with a harmonica in front and drum mounted on his back that he beat by pulling on a string tied to his arm. 2) Mark Hamill came on one night to plug a new movie he was starring in. It was a slightly different version of the 'feral child' story where the baby is abandoned and raised by wolves. In his story, his family's farm home burned to the ground and his whole famils was thought to have perished. Hamill was buried under the rubble for several days until some of the animals found him and took him in to raise. He was adopted by a family of pigs!! Does anybody know if this is available on video cassettes?? **************************************************************************** "He's handsome, he's intelligent, he's funny, he's cuddly, he's loving, but, he's also out, so leave your name and number at the tone..." **************************************************************************** From the lair of the Big E Erik !uw-beaver!ssc-vax!erik
chris@politik.UUCP (Christopher Seiwald) (02/28/85)
Happy Kyne & the Mirthmakers, I think they were. Anybody remember Happy's real name? I think he was a tv/movie music composer. -- Christopher Seiwald dual!ptsfa!politik!chris
alan@solar.UUCP (A.LIGHT) (02/28/85)
Sorry, but I believe that Happy KINE, was played by Frank DeVol. Anybody else out there remember this show? A particulary funny episode featured a scientist who claimed that leasure suits caused cancer. Alan Light @ATT-ISL Holmdel, NJ
oz@rlgvax.UUCP (THE GREAT AND POWERFUL OZ) (03/02/85)
> > Is it still in syndication out there anywhere? > I don't know if it is still in syndication? I do remember that scientist guest the was doing studies to prove that Leisure Suits caused cancer (maybe that's why we don't seem them anymore?) and had mice in little leisure suits to prove it (I mean ON THE AIR he had them!). He also had a guest talking about plans to legalize prostitution: "So they would get a license not unlike your drivers license." "Then they could get tickets too? Like a moving violation..." OZ seismo!rlgvax!oz