Published on November 23, 2006, San Jose Mercury News (CA)
SOMETHING FUNNY
SEVENTH SEASON OF 'SEINFELD' AGAIN PROVES COMIC POTENTIAL OF A SHOW ABOUT NOTHING
By Steve Marinucci
''Seinfeld'' admittedly was ''a show about nothing,'' but even people to whom it meant nothing found something to like during its seventh season (1995-96).
Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, who played Elaine, took home the Emmy for ''outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series,'' and the show garnered 10 other nominations that year, which featured some of its best-known episodes.
On Tuesday (while cast member Michael Richards was struggling to explain racist remarks he made a few days earlier to hecklers in a comedy club audience), ''Seinfeld -- Season 7'' made its DVD debut in a four-disc set (Sony, list price $49.95, though many retailers offer it for less).
In the first episode, George (Jason Alexander) gets engaged to Susan (Heidi Swedberg), launching a story line that spans the whole season. But what should be a joyous event begins to unravel almost immediately.
By the last episode, the comedic tone has turned dark, and Susan dies after licking the glue on the cheap invitations picked out by skinflint George.
The engagement material, however, is overshadowed in the sixth episode, ''The Soup Nazi,'' which was hailed by critics and fans alike as possibly the best one in ''Seinfeld's'' nine-season run.
In it, Larry Thomas plays Yev Kasem, the tyrannical owner of a soup restaurant who dictates just how his patrons must behave to receive their orders. If someone ignores him, he blusters, ''No soup for you!'' The over-the-top portrayal earned Thomas his own Emmy nomination.
Series fans will cheer about the DVD bonus features, which include more than 13 hours of commentary, cast interviews, factoid tracks, deleted scenes and new stand-up routines. Viewers also will find two animated re-creations of the show, using voices of the original cast.
''Seinfeld'' became a phenomenon thanks to its ''everyman'' situations and the sheer ingenuity of its writers. This new box set is a superb testament to both.
CAPTION: PHOTO: COLUMBIA/TRISTAR
Jerry Seinfeld and his co-stars keep the laughs coming in the DVD from the show's seventh season -- which introduced the Soup Nazi to network TV.
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Thursday, October 12, 2006
Pie in Your Face: "The Soupy Sales Show" was more than a kids' show, as adults enjoyed the fun
By Steve Marinucci
Published on October 12, 2006, San Jose Mercury News (CA)
PIE IN YOUR FACE
'THE SOUPY SALES SHOW' WAS MORE THAN A KIDS' SHOW, AS ADULTS ENJOYED THE FUN
It's funny how many of the shows we watched as youngsters are still as much fun to watch as adults.
''Beany and Cecil,'' ''Rocky and Bullwinkle,'' ''The Three Stooges'' and ''Quick Draw McGraw'' all had humor that worked on levels for both kids and adults, though few of us kids probably realized it at the time.
Then there was ''The Soupy Sales Show.'' It was billed as a kids' show, but Sales' show was full of slapstick, horrible puns and physical comedy that could also be enjoyed by adults, topped by Sales' penchant for getting pummeled by whipped cream pies, estimated to number a staggering 25,000 during his long career.
The show's best period is warmly recalled in ''Soupy Sales: In Living Black & White,'' released in late September by Morada Vision.
''The Soupy Sales Show'' first ran in 1953 at WXYZ-TV in Detroit, and later moved to Los Angeles, and then New York's WNEW-TV in 1964, from where it was syndicated all over the country in black and white. (A color version followed later in 1979.)
It was during his time in New York in the '60s that Sales (real name: Milton Supman) had probably his greatest success, garnering a radio hit with ''The Mouse'' and even appearing on a 1965 edition of ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' that also featured the Beatles.
Soupy's shows were one surprise after another. You never knew what was coming when Soupy opened the back door on his set or encountered one of his two dogs -- White Fang and his counterpart Black Tooth -- or his other puppet friends Pookie the Lion and Hippie the Hippo (all four puppets were voiced by Clyde Adler).
The jokes were bad -- and the cast knew it. Soupy would often banter with the crew and could ad lib jokes a mile a minute.
Not everyone found his antics funny all the time. The most notorious was the 1965 New Year's Day show where Soupy told his young viewers to quietly reach into Daddy's wallet and take out the ''little green pieces of paper with pictures of George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Lincoln and Jefferson on them. Send them to me, and I'll send you a postcard from Puerto Rico.'' The angry reaction from parents caused him to be suspended for two weeks.
The fun of those early days is all here on this disc, which features more than 2 1/2 hours of vintage antics. Among the highlights: Soupy plays a surprising game of fetch with White Fang, finds a surprise guest -- Fess Parker -- and sings his big hit, ''The Mouse.''
A bonus track -- really nothing more than some miscellaneous clips -- is highlighted by a Three Stooges-like romp starring Soupy and a young Donald O'Connor outwitting two bad guys.
The quality on these vintage shows, which aren't taken from master tapes, is not the greatest, but the comedy holds up marvelously. This single disc release follows a three-disc set of color episodes from the late '70s the company issued last year.
The color episodes don't have the razor-sharp comedy of the black-and-white episodes. But the color set is notable for two great Soupy moments: a skit featuring Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. in which the Chairman of the Board takes a pie in the face; and a notorious outtake that finds Sales opening his door and finding a naked woman and trying to keep from letting on to his young audience.
A spokesman for the company says public response for Soupy DVD sets has been so strong that the company is considering putting together more releases.
CAPTION: PHOTO: BOB WYNNE GRAPHICS
Expect the unexpected in ''Soupy Sales: In Living Black & White,'' released in late September.
PHOTO: JANET OSEROFF -- SOUPY SALES ARCHIVES
Pookie the Lion and Soupy Sales put their heads together on ''The Soupy Sales Show,'' available on DVD.
Published on October 12, 2006, San Jose Mercury News (CA)
PIE IN YOUR FACE
'THE SOUPY SALES SHOW' WAS MORE THAN A KIDS' SHOW, AS ADULTS ENJOYED THE FUN
It's funny how many of the shows we watched as youngsters are still as much fun to watch as adults.
''Beany and Cecil,'' ''Rocky and Bullwinkle,'' ''The Three Stooges'' and ''Quick Draw McGraw'' all had humor that worked on levels for both kids and adults, though few of us kids probably realized it at the time.
Then there was ''The Soupy Sales Show.'' It was billed as a kids' show, but Sales' show was full of slapstick, horrible puns and physical comedy that could also be enjoyed by adults, topped by Sales' penchant for getting pummeled by whipped cream pies, estimated to number a staggering 25,000 during his long career.
The show's best period is warmly recalled in ''Soupy Sales: In Living Black & White,'' released in late September by Morada Vision.
''The Soupy Sales Show'' first ran in 1953 at WXYZ-TV in Detroit, and later moved to Los Angeles, and then New York's WNEW-TV in 1964, from where it was syndicated all over the country in black and white. (A color version followed later in 1979.)
It was during his time in New York in the '60s that Sales (real name: Milton Supman) had probably his greatest success, garnering a radio hit with ''The Mouse'' and even appearing on a 1965 edition of ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' that also featured the Beatles.
Soupy's shows were one surprise after another. You never knew what was coming when Soupy opened the back door on his set or encountered one of his two dogs -- White Fang and his counterpart Black Tooth -- or his other puppet friends Pookie the Lion and Hippie the Hippo (all four puppets were voiced by Clyde Adler).
The jokes were bad -- and the cast knew it. Soupy would often banter with the crew and could ad lib jokes a mile a minute.
Not everyone found his antics funny all the time. The most notorious was the 1965 New Year's Day show where Soupy told his young viewers to quietly reach into Daddy's wallet and take out the ''little green pieces of paper with pictures of George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Lincoln and Jefferson on them. Send them to me, and I'll send you a postcard from Puerto Rico.'' The angry reaction from parents caused him to be suspended for two weeks.
The fun of those early days is all here on this disc, which features more than 2 1/2 hours of vintage antics. Among the highlights: Soupy plays a surprising game of fetch with White Fang, finds a surprise guest -- Fess Parker -- and sings his big hit, ''The Mouse.''
A bonus track -- really nothing more than some miscellaneous clips -- is highlighted by a Three Stooges-like romp starring Soupy and a young Donald O'Connor outwitting two bad guys.
The quality on these vintage shows, which aren't taken from master tapes, is not the greatest, but the comedy holds up marvelously. This single disc release follows a three-disc set of color episodes from the late '70s the company issued last year.
The color episodes don't have the razor-sharp comedy of the black-and-white episodes. But the color set is notable for two great Soupy moments: a skit featuring Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. in which the Chairman of the Board takes a pie in the face; and a notorious outtake that finds Sales opening his door and finding a naked woman and trying to keep from letting on to his young audience.
A spokesman for the company says public response for Soupy DVD sets has been so strong that the company is considering putting together more releases.
CAPTION: PHOTO: BOB WYNNE GRAPHICS
Expect the unexpected in ''Soupy Sales: In Living Black & White,'' released in late September.
PHOTO: JANET OSEROFF -- SOUPY SALES ARCHIVES
Pookie the Lion and Soupy Sales put their heads together on ''The Soupy Sales Show,'' available on DVD.
Thursday, September 7, 2006
A "Family" reunion: Groundbreaking for its time, Lawrence clan is worth revisiting
A 'FAMILY' REUNION
GROUNDBREAKING FOR ITS TIME, LAWRENCE CLAN IS WORTH REVISITING
By Steve Marinucci
Published Thursday, September 7, 2006, San Jose Mercury News
When prolific TV producer Aaron Spelling died in June, obituaries listed his long string of hits. ''Charlie's Angels,'' ''Dynasty,'' ''T.J. Hooker,'' ''Hart to Hart,'' ''The Love Boat,'' ''Fantasy Island'' and ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' were among them.
Though many of his series did well in the ratings, they often were built on escapist or soap opera themes and generally weren't hits with critics. One notable exception was Spelling's ''Family,'' a well-crafted, sharply written dramatic series on ABC from 1976 to 1980. The first two seasons have just been released in a six-DVD boxed set (Sony, list price $49.95).
Produced by Mike Nichols (''The Graduate''), with Spelling as executive producer, the series originally was planned for a six-episode run. But it became popular with audiences -- and a rare critical success for Spelling, winning four Emmys (out of 17 nominations) over what turned out to be a four-season run. Kristy McNichol won twice for supporting actress in a drama series ('77 and '79), Gary Frank for supporting actor ('77) and the superb Sada Thompson for lead actress ('79).
For audiences who had grown up with TV families like the Nelsons (''The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet''), the Cleavers (''Leave It to Beaver'') and the Andersons (''Father Knows Best''), the Lawrence clan of Pasadena, on whom ''Family'' focused, came as a shock.
The pilot, included in the package, sets up the situation: Daughter Nancy (played in the pilot by Elayne Heilveil and in the series by Meredith Baxter, before she took the married name Birney) finds her husband Jeff (John Rubinstein) in bed with another woman and walks out.
After some disagreement between her parents, Doug (played by James Broderick) and Kate (Thompson), Nancy moves back home to a family that also includes her brother Willie (Frank), a high-school dropout, and Leticia, a tomboyish ''tween'' nicknamed Buddy (McNichol).
In families like the Nelsons, the crises rarely concerned anything more weighty than the filling for the pie Harriet was baking; on ''Family'' things were decidedly more serious. Among the revelations during the first two seasons: an adulterous affair by Doug, a breast-cancer scare for Kate, Jeff's attempts at reconciliation with Nancy, a car accident in which Doug is blinded, and alcoholism. The problems lacked the usual sugarcoating for family dramas of that period, so the series came as a breath of fresh air for audiences.
While ''Family'' may not have quite the edginess of today's TV dramas, those who remember the series fondly will find those feelings rekindled by the DVDs.
The only drawback is that the set offers no bonus features to accompany the 28 episodes. It would have been nice to hear from some of the principals, looking back from today's perspective.
Still, it would be a shame if, even without extras, ''Family'' gets overlooked amid the flood of TV shows coming to DVD.
CAPTION: PHOTO: SONY PICTURES
''Family'' starred, from left, Meredith Baxter, Gary Frank, James Broderick, Sada Thompson and Kristy McNichol.
GROUNDBREAKING FOR ITS TIME, LAWRENCE CLAN IS WORTH REVISITING
By Steve Marinucci
Published Thursday, September 7, 2006, San Jose Mercury News
When prolific TV producer Aaron Spelling died in June, obituaries listed his long string of hits. ''Charlie's Angels,'' ''Dynasty,'' ''T.J. Hooker,'' ''Hart to Hart,'' ''The Love Boat,'' ''Fantasy Island'' and ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' were among them.
Though many of his series did well in the ratings, they often were built on escapist or soap opera themes and generally weren't hits with critics. One notable exception was Spelling's ''Family,'' a well-crafted, sharply written dramatic series on ABC from 1976 to 1980. The first two seasons have just been released in a six-DVD boxed set (Sony, list price $49.95).
Produced by Mike Nichols (''The Graduate''), with Spelling as executive producer, the series originally was planned for a six-episode run. But it became popular with audiences -- and a rare critical success for Spelling, winning four Emmys (out of 17 nominations) over what turned out to be a four-season run. Kristy McNichol won twice for supporting actress in a drama series ('77 and '79), Gary Frank for supporting actor ('77) and the superb Sada Thompson for lead actress ('79).
For audiences who had grown up with TV families like the Nelsons (''The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet''), the Cleavers (''Leave It to Beaver'') and the Andersons (''Father Knows Best''), the Lawrence clan of Pasadena, on whom ''Family'' focused, came as a shock.
The pilot, included in the package, sets up the situation: Daughter Nancy (played in the pilot by Elayne Heilveil and in the series by Meredith Baxter, before she took the married name Birney) finds her husband Jeff (John Rubinstein) in bed with another woman and walks out.
After some disagreement between her parents, Doug (played by James Broderick) and Kate (Thompson), Nancy moves back home to a family that also includes her brother Willie (Frank), a high-school dropout, and Leticia, a tomboyish ''tween'' nicknamed Buddy (McNichol).
In families like the Nelsons, the crises rarely concerned anything more weighty than the filling for the pie Harriet was baking; on ''Family'' things were decidedly more serious. Among the revelations during the first two seasons: an adulterous affair by Doug, a breast-cancer scare for Kate, Jeff's attempts at reconciliation with Nancy, a car accident in which Doug is blinded, and alcoholism. The problems lacked the usual sugarcoating for family dramas of that period, so the series came as a breath of fresh air for audiences.
While ''Family'' may not have quite the edginess of today's TV dramas, those who remember the series fondly will find those feelings rekindled by the DVDs.
The only drawback is that the set offers no bonus features to accompany the 28 episodes. It would have been nice to hear from some of the principals, looking back from today's perspective.
Still, it would be a shame if, even without extras, ''Family'' gets overlooked amid the flood of TV shows coming to DVD.
CAPTION: PHOTO: SONY PICTURES
''Family'' starred, from left, Meredith Baxter, Gary Frank, James Broderick, Sada Thompson and Kristy McNichol.
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