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Saturday, June 28, 2008

Fawlty Towers is silly, intermittent fun

* * 1/2 (out of 5)

Just came back from watching three episodes of Fawlty Towers at a friend's house. I watched them when I was a kid on Channel 13 and remember laughing with them at the time. But I saw an episode about a year ago and it was a bomb. So being outnumbered three to one I sat down for another go at it tonite. And I'll admit I laughed at times.

It's way too manic for my tastes. That old vaudeville idea of if you scream a lot, bang lots of doors and throw things around people will laugh at the sheer exuberance of the moment. That never catches me. What I like is cleverness and there were some good moments, like during a fire drill when the out-of-his-element Spanish bellhop starts a real fire. Or when the same bellhop is behind the front desk and is practicing his English and the doddering old Major thinks its the moosehead on the desk speaking to him.

I guess I laughed at it as much as an average episode of Two and a Half Men, so if it was on nightly on Channel 11 I might watch it during dinner. But like Bernie Mac it would definitely need subtitles. I missed at least a quarter of the dialogue with the barely penetrable British accents.

The Freditor

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Dana Carvey's Comeback is Very Funny on his HBO Special


* * * 1/2 (out of 5)

I grew up with a kid I'll call Sunshine. Sunshine was one of the funniest people I have ever been friends with. He had expressions that would make you laugh, jokes, one liners. He had a great many ways of making you laugh and they would never be pre-planned, always off the top of his head. But Sunshine had one problem that too many of us suffer from. When you say something that gets a big laugh, you should always let it stand alone and hang back. It will have way more impact. Sometimes the best way to handle it, is to just walk away, so it is the last thing people have on their minds about you. George Costanza understood that on Seinfeld. But Sunshine couldn't do that. Addicted to the laughs, the way many of us are, he would try to pour on more jokes or act sillier to keep the laughter rolling. But then he became guilty of one of the worst crimes in comedy. Not knowing when to stop. He started Mugging for laughs. That's when you cross over from being a very funny person to being a clown and no one respects a clown.

Throughout his career going back to Saturday Night Live, Dana Carvey has been guilty of mugging. Which is so unfortunate, because if he could just pull back and let laughs come organically, he would be considered a much greater comic. There's no denying his talents. His impersonations are some of the best in the business. Sometimes what he says with the impersonation is a little weak, but other times he knocks the performance right out of the park. On HBO recently, Carvey had a one-hour live standup show that revealed him for all his talents and all his miscues. With live comedy on TV, I'll allow 5 minutes of no laughter if I get a big laugh after. But if more than 5 minutes goes by without a chuckle I'll change the station. Carvey made me pee as much as made me shake my head, but that's still a good ratio.

Perhaps my favorite pseudo impression he ever gave on SNL was of Carsenio, a blending of Johnny Carson and Arsenio Hall. He nailed it and Carvey nails various moments on this show, as well. His Al Gore impression as not of old Al Gore but this new Al Gore, who Carvey says, "sounds like a gay Forrest Gump" was dead on. "I'm doing my best for Global Warming. I even turned down the air condtioning on my private jet." Carvey said that Barack Obama looked like a cross between "Alfred E. Newman and Urkle." Even the name "Barack Hussein Obama" had to be the hardest name hurdle a presidential candidate ever had to cross. It was like being named "Charles Manson Hitler." The campaign ad would go, "Charles Manson Hitler is worried about our children. He's wants to initiate universal health care and improve the economy." The opponent's commercial would say, "Charles Manson Hitler is nothing but a tax and spend liberal. My name is OJ Scott Peterson and I approve this message."

His take on modern parenting is also on target. "My father was a former Marine, he'd yell at us, 'get in the car!' But nowadays I see a father in the park bending down, pleading, 'Greggers, didn't we decide we were going to go home now?' " "One time I had a glass of milk and was walking across the living room carpet. My father said, 'You spill one drop of that and I'll break every bone in your body.' " So Carvey shows the most careful display of milk carrying you ever saw until he reaches his stool and places it down. With a heavy breath, he yells, "I'm alive." And everyone from his age group and older laughed knowingly and exulted. Maybe Carvey's career is alive again. Hope so. I'd hate for his legacy to be know as Mike Myers sidekick, like Dan Ackroyd he deserves much more than that.

He jokes about his heart problems, but they were very serious. The man's artery was blocked more than "a port a potty at a construction site." He had five angioplasties and surgery on the blocked artery. He won $7.5 Million in a lawsuit because the doctor worked on "the wrong artery." If this is his big comeback it's a worthy one.

The Freditor

Thursday, June 19, 2008

The 100 Best-Looking Men in Television History

Here in New York City, Channel 11 is celebrating their 60th Anniversary of broadcasting and I thought this would be a good time to coincide this milestone with a listing of what I believe to be the 100 Best-Looking Men in the history of American Television. This list took a few hours to come up with and I'd say it's pretty thorough. I have stars in it that stretch back to the '50s.

I eliminated all reality stars and news reporters, as well as Game Show hosts. The only men on here are actors who appeared for several episodes on a given show. While they may have many listings, I only credited them for the shows I remember them from or that I enjoyed the best.

You may have complaints, suggestions, or praise. I look forward to all of them. If you are not sure what some of these men look like, you can always look them up in
IMDB. Oh, and they are in no particular order.

The Freditor


Pierce Brosnan (Remington Steele)
Tom Selleck (Magnum PI)
Burt Reynolds (Gunsmoke, Evening Shade)
Clint Eastwood (Rawhide)
Robert Urich (Vegas)

James Garner (Rockford Files)
Robert Wagner (Switch)
Eddie Albert (Switch)
Henry Winkler (Happy Days)
David Hasselhoff (Knightrider)

Shaun Cassidy (Hardy Boys)
David Cassidy (Partridge Family)
Richard Hatch (Battlestar Gallactica)
James Brolin (Marcus Welby)
Jack Lord (Hawaii 5-0)

Dirk Benedict (Battlestar Gallactica, A-Team)
Robert Young (Marcus Welby)
Mike Connors (Mannix)
Greg Morris ((Mission Impossible)
Peter Lupus (Mission Impossible)

James Franciscus (Longstreet)
Desi Arnaz (I Love Lucy)
Desi Arnaz Jr. (Here's Lucy)
Adrian Zmed (TJ Hooker
Wiliam Shatner (Boston legal)

Eddie Murphy (Saturday Night Live)
Rock Hudson (MacMillan and Wife)
Matt LeBlanc (Friends)
Damon Wayans (In Living Color)
Brian Keith (Family Affair)

Bill Bixby (Incredible Hulk)
George Reeves (Superman)
John Forsythe (Dynasty)
James Spader (Boston Legal)
Ivan Dixon (Hogan's heroes)

Max Baer Jr. (Beverly Hillbillies)
Donny Osmond (Donny and Marie)
Phil Hartman (News Radio)
Tim Daly (Wings)
Bruce Lee (Green Hornet and Kato)

John Travolta (Welcome Back Kotter)
Ted Danson (Cheers)
Ken Wahl (Wiseguy)
Mark Valley (Keen Eddie)
Morgan Freeman (Electric Company)

Alan Alda (MASH)George Peppard (A-Team)
Mr. T (A-Team)
Billy Dee Williams (Dynasty)
Luke Perry (90210)

Bill Cosby (Cosby Show)
Michael J. Fox (Family Ties)
Charlie Sheen (Two and a Half Men)
Martin Sheen (West Wing)
Andy Griffith (Salvage 1)

George Clooney (Roseanne)
Will Smith (Fresh Prince)
Bruce Willis (Moonlighting)
Don Johnson (Miami Vice)
Philip Michael Thomas (Miami Vice)

Patrick Duffy (Man From Atlantis)
William Devane (Knots Landing)
Leonard Nimoy (Star trek)
Eric Braeden (Rat Patrol)
Erik Estrada (CHIPs)

Michael Douglas (Streets of San Francisco)
Lee Majors (Six Million Dollar man)
Randolph Mantooth (Emergency)
Kiefer Sutherland (24)
Greg Evigan (BJ and the Bear)

James Naughton (Planet of the Apes)
Michael Landon (Bonanza)
Telly Savalas (Kojak)
Robert Guillaume (Soap)
Denzel Washington (St. Elsewhere)

Kyle Chandler (Homefront)
Kent McCord (Adam-12)
John Slattery (Homefront)
David Janssen (The Fugitive)
Tom Welling (Smallville)

Jay Silverheels (The Lone Ranger)
Jason Priestly (90210)
Ricardo Montalbon (Fantasy Island)
Rob Lowe (West Wing)
Eriq La Salle (ER)

John Schneider (Dukes of Hazzard)
Ted McGinley (Married with Children)
Jeff Conaway (Taxi)
Daniel Sunjata (Rescue Me)
Carlos Bernard (24)

Ricardo Chavira (Desperate Housewives)
Avery Brooks (Spencer For Hire)
Richard Dean Anderson (MacGuyver)
Jameson Parker (Simon and Simon)
Freddie Prinze Sr. (Chico and the Man)

Tony Orlando (Tony Orlando and Dawn)
Richard Dawson (Hogan's Heroes)
John Ritter (Three's Company)
Danny Thomas (Make Room For Daddy)
James MacArthur (Hawaii Five-0)

The 100 Best-Looking Women in Television History

Here in New York City, Channel 11 is celebrating their 60th Anniversary of broadcasting and I thought this would be a good time to coincide this milestone with a listing of what I believe to be the 100 Best-Looking Women in the history of American Television. This list took several hours to come up with and I'd say it's pretty thorough. I have stars in it that stretch back to the early '60s. Sorry, but I couldn't think of one star from the '50s that I thought should make it.

I eliminated all reality stars and news reporters, as well as Game Show girls. The only women on here are actresses who appeared for several episodes on a given show. While they may have many listings, I only credited them for the shows I remember them from.

You may see some names missing from here that often appear on other lists. Pamela Anderson and Lynda Carter to name two, but I've never been a big fan of either. You may have complaints, suggestions, or praise. I look forward to all of them. If you are not sure what some of these women look like, you can always look them up in
IMDB. Oh, and they are in no particular order.

The Freditor



Jaclyn Smith (Charlie's Angels)
Cheryl Ladd (Charlie's Angels)
Angie Harmon (Law and Order)
Halle Berry (Knots Landing)
Victoria Principal (Dallas)

Andrea Roth (Rescue Me)
Paula Marshall (Cupid)
Gina Gershon (Rescue Me)
Sela Ward (Sisters)
Vanessa Williams (Ugly Betty)

Dana Delaney (China Beach)
Joan Collins (Dynasty)
Katherine Heigl (Grey's Anatomy)
Jennifer Aniston (Friends)
Laura Harring (The Shield)

Rena Sofer (24)
Dawn Wells (Mary Ann-Gilligan's island)
Tina Louise (Ginger-Gilligan's Island)
Shannon Doherty (90210)
Jennie Garth (90210)

Heather Locklear (Melrose)
Heather Thomas (The Fall Guy)
Lindsay Wagner (Bionic Woman)
Kristen Kreuk (Lana Lane--Smallville)
Tiffany Amber Thiessen (Saved By the Bell, 90210)

Kim Cattrall (Sex and the City)
Patricia Heaton (Everybody Loves Raymond)
Vanessa Marcil (Las Vegas)
Rhona Mitra (Boston Legal)
Daphne Reid (Fresh Prince)

Leah Remini (King of Queens)
Callie Thorne (Rescue Me)
Jamie-Lynn Sigler (Sopranos)
Sarah Shahi (Sopranos)
Eva Longoria (Desperate Housewives)

Morgan Fairchild (Flamingo Road)
Donna Mills (Knot's Landing)
Lisa Bonet (Cosby Show)
Jamie Luner (Melrose, Savannah)
Morgan Brittany (Dallas)

Stephanie Powers (Hart to Hart)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Saturday Night Live, Seinfeld)
Susan Lucci (All My Children)
Gail O'Grady (NYPD Blue)
Sharon Lawrence (NYPD Blue)

Barbara Bain (Space 1999, Mission Impossible)
Meredith Baxter-Birney (Family, Family Ties)
Betty White (Mary Tyler Moore)
Sherilyn Fenn (Twin Peaks)
Rose McGowan (Charmed)

Alyssa Milano (Charmed)
Eliza Dushku (Buffy)
Yvonne Craig (Batman)
Pat Priest (The Munsters)
Jessica Alba (Dark Angel)

Tina Fey (Saturday Night Live, 30 Rock)
Roselyn Sanchez (Without a Trace)
Jennifer Love Hewitt (Party of Five)
Blake Lively (Gossip Girl)
Catherine Bach (Dukes of Hazzard)

Holly Robinson (Hanging With Mr. Cooper)
Christina Applegate (Married With Children)
Mia Kirschner (24)
Sophia Bush (One Tree Hill)
Maura Tierney (Newsradio)

Marisa Tomei (A Differnt World)
Sienna Miller (Keen Eddie)
Ali Larter (Heroes)
Charisma Carpenter (Buffy)
Nicole Eggert (Baywatch)

Tina Cole (My Three Sons)
Linda Evans (Dynasty)
Mariska Hargitay (Law and Order)
Laura Prepon (That '70s Show)
Tisha Campbell (Martin)

Nadine Velazquez (My Name is Earl)
Jacqueline Obradors (NYPD Blue)
Gloria Reuben (ER)
Tamara Tunie (24)
Elisha Cuthbert (24)

Kari Wuhrer--(Remote Control, 90210)
Jo Ann Pflug (Fall Guy)
Mary Frann (Newhart)
Julia Duffy (Newhart)
Jenna Fischer (The Office)

Marilu Henner (Taxi)
Loni Anderson (WKRP)
Suzanne Pleshette (Bob Newhart)
Shirley Jones (Partridge Family)
Lee Meriwether (Barnaby Jones)

Wendy Makkena (The Job)
Maya Rudolph (Saturday Night Live)
Marlo Thomas (That Girl)
Diahann Carroll (Dynasty)
Sonya Monzano (Maria-Sesame Street)

Janis Hansen (Gloria Unger-Odd Couple)
Telma Hopkins (Tony Orlando and Dawn)
Joyce Vincent Wilson (Tony Orlando and Dawn)
Mila Kunis (That '70s Show)
Delta Burke (Designing Women)

Saturday, June 14, 2008

How to Comment on a Story in Fred's Blog

Apparently there is some confusion about how to comment on the various "No More Stinky Monkeys" Blogs.

At the bottom of every story, there is a line that reads something like:

"Posted by The Freditor at 6:15PM 0 Comments" (and then a Letter symbol)

If you would like to send me a comment, you click on the Letter symbol and a page will come up.

Next to Friend's email address, put your email address and then in the comments field write whatever you want. If you WANT me to Post it into my Blog, just mention that at the top. Otherwise it will be just for my eyes. Thanks for reading my stuff and your continued support.

My birthday is one month from today, I've had 1300 hits so far, I'd love to get to 2,000 by my Bday.

The Freditor