"Happy Days" Lives On -- On Stage!

Maybe you already know about this, but hit 1970s sitcom Happy Days has been turned into a stage musical by creator Garry Marshall, with music and lyrics by Paul Williams. It's doing a run at a Toronto theatre hence lots of Canadian coverage, but the show is touring all over the U.S. -- it started its run in La Mirada last October and at least for the next six months might be at a venue near you.

Happy Days seems to have lost some of its TV lustre, although it was always well-done, not particularly hilarious maybe (except in its formative first year or two, especially the filmed episodes without audiences), but a good show with agreeable actors -- Henry Winkler, Ron Howard, Tom Bosley, Marion Ross, et al -- and always a solid sense of values and an appreciation for the comforts of home. It seems a good fit for a big family-oriented stage musical, with familiar characters and a presold concept that should work for aging baby boomers and their offspring.

From the photos, Happy Days A New Musical looks like a Bye Bye Birdie-ish romp, with Arthur Fonzarelli -- The Fonz -- taking center stage as he struts his stuff and finds love with Pinky Tuscadero, the dynamic female motorcycle ace who appeared in several episodes of the series. Set in 1959 Milwaukee, the Happy Days musical brings back Richie, Joanie, Mr. and Mrs. Cunningham, Chachi, Arnold, Potsie Weber and Ralph Malph in a probably not exactly Pinter-esque tale of love, song and saving the local burger hangout.

If I sound snide, I don't mean to be. I think this is a delightful revival of a terrific TV show, and something that will resonate with many theatregoers, and perhaps turn non-theatregoers into customers. It's certainly as valid as turning animated movies into stage shows on Broadway, or even a less-than-truly-classic movie musical like White Christmas (which really has only one famous song) into a stage extravaganza.

Reading the synopsis, I was happy to see a scene between Marion Cunningham and the Fonz -- Arthur to "Mrs. C" -- because their special and perhaps unlikely friendship was a sweet part of the show and one of the more endearing Happy Days relationships.

If you're a fan of the show, click on the links to read recent interviews with Garry Marshall, and be sure to visit the official website of Happy Days A New Musical. Garry Marshall obviously takes a lot of pride and interest in this new incarnation of his hit show, and that's a good sign. We wish them luck!

Happy GroundHog Day!

Phil came out today and saw his shadow.

Thanks to Mr. Punxsutawney, we will have 6 more weeks of winter and at least another 7 days of Bill Murray's excellent movie "Groundhog Day" repeated endlessly on various cable channels throughout America.

What exactly is a groundhog? It's not related to a possum, because that is North America's only marsupial. It sort of looks like a really well fed squirrel.

Form does follow function, as the Groundhog is actually a type of ground squirrel. The Marmota Monax is a large rodent, also sometimes known as a Woodchuck. They are common to the northeastern part of the USA.

I feel sorry for the folks that have to get 6 more weeks of winter, when they've already had quite enough this season. Out here in California we should have a native animal (coyote?, jack rabbit?) that comes out, sees its shadow and says, "You're going to have 6 more weeks of sun and it's going to be hot as the blazes. Just like the last 6 weeks and just like the next 6 months". And then everyone will move to California and it will be even more crowded and it will take me 5 hours to commute to work everyday.

Phil, you're pretty cute, but I hope you stay in Philadelphia.

Superbowl XLIII Was Fantastic on Every Level

This year's Superbowl on NBC was completely awesome and had something for everyone. Even the most Football-Phobic person on earth could have enjoyed this show, as it started with a salute to the heroic crew of the US Air flight that landed safely on the Hudson, including pilot, "Sully" and all the flight attendants. The coin toss was from a military hero (General Petraeus) and the national anthem was sung magnificently by Oscar winner, Jennifer Hudson. I always watch for the commercials and the half time show, but even as a complete football moron, was able to get a great deal of excitement out of this extremely close game between the Cardinals and the Steelers. It was chock full of last minute cliff hangers and even a historic 100 yard play, the longest in SuperBowl history, by Pittsburgh Steelers player, James Harrison.

Springsteen and the E Street band were an absolute delight at halftime, playing a tight 12 minute set that included "10th Avenue Freeze Out", "Born to Run", "Waiting on a Dream" (from the new album) and the football themed "Glory Days". Afterwards The Boss screamed, "I'm going to Disneyland!!!" Kind of corny, but it worked for me.

Only the commercials seemed a little off...good, but not great like some of the award winners from past SuperBowl events. And by the way, has anyone noticed that Pepsi ripped off Obama's circular red, white and blue logo?

My favorite spots, as always, were the Budweiser horses; in this instance a 3 commercial story arc that included Jake the draft horse a) showing off to a dog, b) going on his first date and c) recalling the story of his grandfather who was, apparently an immigrant from Scotland! And if you've missed any of the commercials or would like to see them all again, MySpace has kindly posted them all on their homepage for your convenience. That's where I got this lovely copy of the Clydesdale horse chasing a stick below.

"Clydesdales/Stick" (Budweiser)

HBO's The Flight of the Conchords -- "Stay Cool"

From last night's tremendously funny episode "The Tough Brets" comes this hilarious and dead-on West Side Story-esque song "Stay Cool" where Bret and his newly-formed gang confront neighborhood bully boys, and Murray, Jemaine and Greg go up against taunting members of the Australian consulate.

Also adorable and very funny was the song "Hurt Feelings" from the same episode:

Last night's episode hit all my funny bones, from the songs, to Mel's explicit fangirl paintings of the boys, to Bret's recruitment of his unlikely but loyal and brave gang. My favorite gangmember was veteran actor Seymour Cassell as Johnny Boy, the elderly former tough guy who reeled off a long list of the gangs he used to belong to, all of them completely hilarious -- The Hobo Lords, The Gentleman Jims, The Little Enchanters, and so many more brilliantly eccentric names -- that kept me laughing. I loved the whole episode and I thought it was also quite sweet in its own competely absurd way.

I'm going to be watching this episode a few more times, and if you missed it take a look at HBO's Flight of the Conchords website for more information and encore airdates. What a show!

Pepper the Parrot -- Extraordinary!

Many thanks to Jane for pointing out the appearance of the talented Pepper the Parrot on yesterday's Puppy Bowl V on Animal Planet! The only embeddable video I can find is this bit with the referee choking up over Pepper's beautiful performance; it's a bit of a goof but at least you can go to Animal Planet's website and see the entire anthem performance here.



What is it about a bird singing that is so terrifically moving? Perhaps the sweetness, the pure love of singing the song makes it so touching. Totally charming!

Puppy Bowl V: Power to the Pooch!

It's time to give a heads up to the greatest Super Bowl counter programming ever: Puppy Bowl V is back on Animal Planet, Sunday afternoon from 1p-7p. Come watch every size, shape and color of baby dog as they growl, nip, nap, and occasionally (avert your eyes) poop their way to victory. I've never quite figured out the rules to Puppy Bowl, but it looks like the four legged contestant who can steal the most tiny football shaped dog chews, wins. There are lots of wrong way Corrigan's in this event, and I don't think it matters which goal post is crossed. Team work is encouraged, but generally ignored.

The best part is that you (the audience!) can vote for your favorite puppy on the Animal Planet website. Will it be the imposing "Moose" (top picture) or the more diminutive "Candy Corn" (above). Looks can be deceiving, as past winners have included tiny Jack Russel Terriers as smart and nimble canine quarterbacks.

Cat lovers, there's something for you too in this annual event: Kitties perform the half time show! Witness the world's largest and most elaborate cat climbing contraption, as dozens of animated puff balls chase each other to the point of exhaustion and then fall asleep upside down with their paws in the air.

If you're not a football fan and only recording the Super Bowl so you can watch The Boss and the E Street band at halftime (Lisa pointed out earlier that there 4 or 5 of us in that category) then you might want to spend some quality time with the critters over on Animal Planet this afternoon!

Puppy Bowl V Update: This year's event will feature a singing bird named Pepper Parrot...a 12 year old African Grey who will perform the National Anthem!

On Mickey Rourke, PETA and Veggie Love

This post has little to do with television, but I found a great vid on YouTube and I think it's relevant to The Flaming Nose, at least. We're all animal lovers here, and this is a charming interview with actor Mickey Rourke talking about his dogs, specifically, but his sentiments would apply to all pet owners. Of course I'm rooting for Mr. Rourke to take home the Oscar for his stunning work in director Darren Aronofsky's The Wrestler -- he already won the Golden Globe -- and I was especially taken with his GG acceptance speech where he did a sweet shout-out to all the dogs he's loved over the years. This is a man with his heart in the right place.



The Rourke interview was done under the auspices of PETA, the animal rights organization which is especially controversial these days because of their "Veggie Love" ad that was rejected by NBC for inclusion in this afternoon's Super Bowl, as seen below. I guess you could say it's "naughty" so if that kind of thing gets your panties in a wad, better not watch:



Other than it's got ladies in lingerie, rock music, and a bunch of vegetables, this hardly seems out-of-bounds with the Super Bowl sensibility. PETA's gotten more publicity from NBC's rejection of the ad than they would have if it would be airing, so I'd say it's a win for them. I'm not pro-PETA, necessarily (or even at all, really), but I do like that Rourke interview! (And I do hate when women wear fur. I've heard lots of rationalizations, especially in the cold climate where I live now, but they all sound pretty hollow to me.)

Super Bowl Coming Up Tomorrow

You won't find anybody less interested in sports -- any sports -- than I am, but of course it's Super Bowl weekend. The Super Bowl -- on NBC this year -- is inextricably tied with television, with the elaborate half-time show, this year starring Bruce Springsteen (who was just robbed of an Oscar nomination for his song for the movie The Wrestler, after winning a Golden Globe for the same) as the big draw. Of course we've also got the cadre of people who claim they watch just for the commercials.

Actually, you might want to skip this year if that's the only reason you watch. The best/worst thing I've heard so far about tomorrow's event is that NBC has sold a spot to the direct response advertiser Cash4Gold. Yikes! How desperate can you get? Nothing like selling grandma's gold fillings for a few bucks...well, I guess you're supposed to sell jewelry, that's bad enough. (The New Yorker had an interesting article on the jewelry sell-off resulting from the Madoff scandal, as a matter of fact, the other week. It's available online here.)

Even more depressing is that the spot stars Ed McMahon and M.C. Hammer. Geez, the economy really is in the toilet, isn't it? And pop culture, too, by the looks of it.

A little more heartening is a nice photo feature in today's L.A. Times online detailing the programs that have aired in the valuable post-Super Bowl timeslot on the various networks. It's an amusing mixed-bag of hits and misses, and it'll bring back some memories.

I'm posting the Cash4Gold commercial -- not the one in the Super Bowl, thank goodness! -- just because it's pretty bad.

Remembering the Challenger

Today is the 23rd anniversary of the Challenger disaster. I remember this day vividly and the image will always be deeply embedded in my soul, heart and mind. I'm sure many of you remember this heartbreaking moment in our historical drama that is the United States of America. Lives were taken. Taken from families, friendships and the millions of excited schoolchildren watching a deeply loved teacher go away forever. Well, go away from this life forever.

As a Chicago to the core citizen I was still dancing in bliss with the victory of my beloved Bears in the Super Bowl. In the city of big shoulders we were still doing the Super Bowl Shuffle when another type of dream literally died.

This post is in memory of all of my own beloved teachers. I was fortunate and blessed to have gone to some wonderful private schools. These schools were among the finest in the area and I am sure my teachers weren't paid nearly enough as they taught and attempted to inspire a group of kids coming of age in the 1970's. Thankfully, I still keep in touch with several of them. May God bless each of them this day and every day.

To the families of the Challenger crew from that fateful morning, please know that many of us still send our thoughts and more importantly our prayers your way.

"They touched the face of God." President Ronald Reagan

"A Million Old Soldiers Will Fade Away, but a Dream Goes on Forever." Todd Rundgren, 1974

"See, I will not forget you for I have carved you in the palms of my hands." Book of Isaiah, Chapter 51

Flight of the Conchords-Because We All Need a Laugh Right Now

Don't miss this week's episode of FOTC on HBO, delightfully titled, "New Cup". Without giving too much away, Bret exceeds the FOTC family budget by overspending a couple of dollars on a new tea mug. Manager Murray can't save them because he's sunk the band's emergency fund into an important Nigerian investment program that he found over the Internet. Jemaine and Bret embark on a hair brained scheme to recoup their losses by engaging in the world's oldest profession. Funniest bit ever...Mel hires them to give her a massage. Most hilarious video ever: "Sugar Lumps", which I am posting below with a special disclaimer for our younger readers that this is somewhere between PG-13 and R based on language. Check out the businessmen, construction workers and nerds dancing in the background. Hip hop will never be the same. And special mention for FOTC best buddy Dave, who does an awesome Beastie-Boyesque rap inside the video. I am posting it here so we can all have an easy way to watch it another two or three hundred times. It's a sure fire cure for all the nasty economic news out there in the world today. If this doesn't make you laugh, you are comatose.

By the way, is it just me or is FOTC sort of a 21st Century post modern spawn of the old TV classic, The Monkees? Think about it and discuss amongst yourselves. I think there is a strand of Monkee's DNA pulsating somewhere inside of FOTC's hereditary background.

Because It's So Friggin' Cold Here Right Now

-- about minus 17 degrees Celsius, which translates to around 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit -- I wanted to find something to post that at least looked warmish. Don't get me wrong, it's beautiful here; as sunny as can be but cold as a witch's nip.

If that volcano pic didn't do the trick, this might warm us up! Here's one of the greatest television show opening theme sequences of all time, from the classic cop drama Hawaii 5-0! What a show!

Air Force One: Welcome Aboard!

You might want to make room for one more presidential-themed TV special to wrap up this historic inaugural week. Tonight at 8pm the National Geographic channel will feature a wonderful documentary about the "flying White House", otherwise known as Air Force One. Watch as President Obama is welcomed aboard his new jet and given the grand tour. In a hilarious clip, the President meets his new pilot, Colonel Turner; square jawed, uniformed, straight and steady as a Redwood tree. Obama says, "You are exactly what I want my pilot to look like. Like Sam Shepherd in "The Right Stuff", right out of central casting!"

We are thrilled to consider that President O perhaps also loves our favorite astronaut movie, The Right Stuff"! We also weirdly wonder if Mr. President is a Sci Fi movie fan, and whether he worries that he will have to fight aliens or incoming comets. Because in movies where we are about to be invaded by aliens or wiped out by a comet, the American president is almost always an African American.

Nothing like that on tonight's special, just a great tour of the most high tech plane on the planet. Come and enjoy!

"Lost" Season Five Premieres Tonight on ABC!

I've long since gotten hopelessly muddled in the complicated plotlines, but I am still eagerly anticipating the return of ABC's classy mysterious drama Lost tonight, beginning at 8pm with a lookback clip show, and then with a new 2-hour episode at 9pm.

Seldom has there been a show with such an attractive cast, even when mired in jungle muck or shackled in barred cages, and though I can't seem to remember anything past when that big scary noise blew everything up a few seasons back, I'm game for more.

There are countless -- and I mean that literally -- websites out there dedicated to lost, but for a fairly straightforward account, you might like to take a look at Zap2It's "Guide to Lost" here. If you are in the U.S., ABC's Lost site graciously provides HD video of all the episodes, but don't you dare try to watch if you happen to be outside the border -- it's like running into a brick wall, a really rude one, at that. I mean, not even a "Sorry"! (There are workarounds, of course, which we are happy to share if you drop us a line.)

This next promo is a longer version which was unveiled a couple of months ago to prepare us for tonight.

No matter if you are befuddled like I am or completely up-to-date on the goings-on on the Island and beyond, tonight's Lost event is a genuine thrill, television-style. After yesterday's incredible Inauguration coverage, we're back to earth again, but boy, what a ride we're going to have!

In the Spirit of Cooperation Across All Parties and Species on This Special Day...

We present this awesome video of a parrot and a kitty who are pals. Watch how the parrot scratches the kitty on his chin, which the kitty loves!

Parrot 'pets' cat @ Yahoo! Video

The Presidential Walk from CNN Coverage

Television Covers the Inauguration of President Obama

The Greatest Show on Television -- on Earth -- Today!

Watch history being made as America inaugurates its new President Barack Obama!

In addition to traditional television coverage, the internet will play a big part in the coverage, with Obama's own inaugural website taking part, as well as many other venues. It will be a convergence of technology that will be matched in brilliance only by the enthusiasm and patriotism of the millions of people who are gathered in Washington D.C. for the event.

Congratulations to our new President!

Beyonce Singing "America the Beautiful" on HBO Concert

Jane said such nice things about Beyonce's version of "America the Beautiful" during HBO's We Are One concert that I just had to post it for easy access!



A lovely rendition and a treat for all Americans.

We Are One-HBO Inaugural Celebration at Lincoln Memorial

HBO gave a wonderful gift to the nation on January 18th with one of the first big celebratory concerts for the inauguration of Barack Obama. Under a slate grey sky, with Lincoln gazing on and the frozen waters of the Potomac River as a backdrop, some of the biggest film and music celebrities in the world gave tribute to America and a new President.


As Obama and his family watched and occasionally did a little enthusiastic seat dancing (probably to keep warm, it looked like it was about 22 degrees in DC yesterday) rockers such as Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi and U2 kept the crowd of thousands enthralled. They also had the Naval choir, the Marine band and wonderful actors including Denzel Washington, Tom Hanks and Forest Whitaker reading stirring words from America's founding fathers. And if film and music celebrities were not your thing, they even had Tiger Woods on stage, relating a powerful memory about his father's devotion to the military.
Tribute must be given to HBO, which offered the special multiple times yesterday to all cable homes, whether they subscribed to HBO or not. If you don't have cable, you can still watch the entire patriotic special on the HBO website, it is streaming continuously.



Favorite moments for me included a very out of character, non-country
performance from Garth Brooks, who had the enormous crowd dancing and singing along to the old soul stomper, "Shout". When the camera cut to the President-Elect he was bopping in time to the music and singing along himself...I think he rather liked Mr. Brook's rendition!

Beyonce' brought the house down towards the end with a stunning version of "America the Beautiful". Her voice has improved so much over the past few years and it has never sounded better than it did yesterday, floating over the huge crowd clustered around the reflecting pool, with the Washington monument in the distance.

Bono and U2 played "In the Name of Love", their tribute to Martin Luther King, and joked about the incongruity of "four Irish lads" being present at such an historic American event. They also sang "City of Blinding Lights" and mentioned that Obama had adopted that song for his campaign, proving that either he or his handlers have impeccable taste.

Just before the end, the crowd went completely silent, as an animal expert brought a huge live American Bald Eagle on the stage. The magnificent bird flapped his wings and stared fiercely at the new President. I was crying like a baby at this point, animal lover that I am.

The two hour program wrapped up with about a billion pounds of stars on the stage, singing a joyful, spirited version of "This Land is Your Land". It was absolutely glorious. Go watch the whole show on the HBO website, or take a look at some highlights on this video below. No matter what your political persuasion, or where you are in the world...you'll feel pretty good about the USA after this program.

Dexter and Deb Got Married!!!

We are not usually given to gossip on the Nose. Passionate commentary and salamanders are much more our cup of tea. However this story is so delicious, I just had to give it a quick mention. Michael C. Hall and Jennifer Carpenter who play brother and sister on one of our favorite shows, "Dexter", have actually tied the knot in real life. Yes, the affection we saw between siblings within the program actually had some significant sizzle in real life. Mr. and Mrs. Hall were married in Big Sur, California on New Year's Eve.

Now THAT's going to make the next season of Dexter really interesting!