Jeopardy Hosts Man vs Machine!

Heads up to everyone regarding one of the most exciting Jeopardy events in the long history of the program. Over the next three nights, (Feb 14-16) two of the biggest human Jeopardy champs ever (Ken Jennings who won $2.5 million over 74 consecutive Jeopardy episodes as well as Brad Rutter, who has the honor of earning the highest cumulative amount of money on Jeopardy with a grand total of $3.2 million) will face off against the first non-human Jeopardy contestant: an IBM created computing system named Watson.

Tonight's kick-off episode ended in a tie, with both Watson and Mr. Rutter at $5,000, while Ken Jennings came in second with $2,000. The grand prize winner of the three night competition will win $1 million dollars. Both Jennings and Rutter have pledged to give 50% of their winnings to charity. If Watson wins, IBM will give 100% of the money to charity.

I caught part of tonight's episode and I'm here to say that Watson has a lovely calm voice, and both humans looked a little nervous. The Borgs, Terminator and the Matrix vs Man. What is this Jeopardy tournament times ten? Check your local ABC stations tomorrow and Wednesday at 7pm.

Happy Valentine's Day with Jack Benny!

Did you know that the late, great comedian Jack Benny was born on February 14th? Fitting, as Jack was one big romantic, incredibly devoted to his wife Mary and a completely sweet guy. He was also one of the funniest, most gifted and most normal funnymen that show business has ever produced, remarkably lacking in the obsessive character traits that bedevil some comics. Charming, adorable, silly, prone to fits of uncontrollable laughter -- his comedian pals like George Burns and Danny Kaye often said he was the best audience anyone could have -- Jack Benny was a treasure.

In honor of the 117th anniversary of Jack's birth (he was born in 1894, and died in 1974 at the age of 80), let's present a cute excerpt from The Jack Benny Program with guest star Marilyn Monroe. Marilyn was at the height of her fame, a shimmering beauty and also an adept comedienne, perfectly in tune with Jack (his character at least) at his most smitten.


Happy Birthday, Jack Benny! Happy Valentine's Day, Everybody!

A Conversation with Writer/Producer, Joan Considine Johnson

Joan Considine Johnson and Gary R. Johnson Writer/producer, Joan Considine Johnson has been involved in creating a variety of media projects. Her passion and skill at imbuing her projects with heart and humor have resulted in reviews praising her work as well written, honest, full of clarity and emotion. She portrays dramatic and sometimes controversial topics in a family friendly manner. She is a well regarded writer in both live-action and animation. 

J: Joan, you recently worked on “Olivia” for the Nick, Jr. network. I had no idea going into this interview that you had worked in the animation world. I was only familiar with your live action work. What's the biggest difference between writing live-action vs. writing for an animated project? 

Joan: I love writing both and find the writing to be much more alike than you might think. The biggest difference is, in writing for animation, the writer provides more description in the narrative of what the character is doing; in live action, the actors and director add more of that as they block the scene for shooting. That’s not to say I don’t provide some action narrative in a live-action script, particularly if it is key to a line or to understanding what is going on in the scene. In animation, the artists and directors bring ideas to bear as well, but in a broad sense, the writer is more of a director when writing animation than live action. 

J: You were a story writer and consultant on two of cable's highest rated programs (Rugrats and The Wild Thornberrys). Your work on The Wild Thornberrys received an Emmy nomination. Tell us how you got involved in those projects. 

Joan: A writer friend of mine had written for Rugrats and heard the same people were looking for freelance writers for The Wild Thornberrys so he recommended me. I came in with several other prospective freelance writers and participated in a ‘pitching’ session – pitching ideas for storylines – and got a script and ended up on staff. I loved The Wild Thornberrys. It was a wonderful show and so much fun to write. After Thornberrys was over, I switched over to Rugrats which was also great fun. 

J: Did you think they would become as big as they became? 

Joan: They were both already launched before I started writing on them and were obviously well received and deservedly so. I think the reason they became as big as they did is because they were clever, well-written shows with fun characters that both parents and kids enjoyed watching. The shows taught kids lessons, but they were rooted in character and in smart, fun ways. They weren't saccharine or earnest. They often had humor that worked on two levels, one for adults and one for kids – like all the great classic cartoons (Bugs Bunny et. al.) 

J: You went from the Rugrats television series to working on the Rugrats movie sequel, Rugrats in Paris. What was the single biggest creative challenge going from the television series to the filmed version? 

Joan: For the movie, I came in after the script was already written and did a ‘punch-up’ session – several writers in a room going through the script and pitching lines to help make the already funny script even funnier wherever possible. It’s always a blast to see ideas build on one another and get crafted and tweaked so that what was at first a funny line becomes a hysterical line. 

J: Television is a quick medium to get a project launched, whereas a film could take literally years to get made. Having worked in both, which do you prefer? 

Joan: While I like them both for different reasons – some stories are better for film, others for television – I do love television. I like seeing what I write produced, I like exploring characters over lots of stories and situations, I like being part of a staff and working with the cast and crew over a longer period of time and I like the immediacy of it – you write it, then it’s prepped, shot (or in the case of animation, designed, drawn and voiced), edited, posted and aired! Of course that all only happens if your show is picked up and then stays on the air! 

J: You worked on The Lion King's Timon and Pumbaa direct to DVD project Being a Disney alum I have to ask about your experience on Timon and Pumbaa. The filmed version and eventually the stage version of The Lion King became gigantic successes for The Walt Disney Company. How did you get involved with this entry of The Lion King?

Joan: This was the first (and only) job I got through an agent. It was also actually the first animation script for which I got paid. Disney had already done a season of The Lion King’s Timon and Pumbaa and had brought new writers in to pitch for freelance scripts and I ended up writing three episodes. Did I mention I love writing animation? 

J: You were selected to be part of the Hanna-Barbera Animation Scriptwriting Program. I loved Hanna-Barbera Studios. What a collection of great cartoons! The Flintstones, The Jetsons, Hong Kong Phooey, Huckleberry Hound, Magilla Gorilla, Quick Draw McGraw, Wally Gator, Yogi Bear and Boo-Boo, Scooby-Doo and my personal favorite, the mighty Touche Turtle. Touche Away! The brave, little turtle who did good things. I loved Touche as a kid and I have even amassed a Touche Turtle collection, although, now I have to figure out what to do with it. Did you love Hanna-Barbera cartoons growing up? Was this a dream come true? 

Joan: I remember Touche Turtle! And wow, that list has so many of my favorites – I loved The Jetsons and Magilla Gorilla (I can still sing at least part of that end theme song) and on and on. I hadn’t been in Los Angeles all that long (after moving from Ohio) when a friend told me about the scriptwriting program and I applied. It was an amazing experience to walk down the halls and see all this incredible artwork. I learned a great deal in that program. 

J: Who are your all-time favorite cartoon characters? 

Joan: How can you choose?!! Of course I love plucky Eliza Thornberry of The Wild Thornberrys and brave little Tommy of Rugrats. Growing up, I was a fan of Astro the dog on The Jetsons (did you know his real name is Tralfax? That was in an episode) and I also liked Rosie the Robot on that show. Besides all the regulars everyone loves (the Warner Bros. & Disney characters), I’ll throw out there Johnny Quest and his dog Bandit. And, if we go beyond series to Christmas specials, I love the Peanuts characters in Merry Christmas Charlie Brown and all the Who’s down in Whoville in How the Grinch Stole Christmas – and I am a complete sucker for the claymation Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer gang – I collect those figures! 

J: I love all of those Christmas specials too. Fond memories. You were a creative consultant and writer on the two highest rated series that ever aired on the PAX network. Both Doc starring Billy Ray Cyrus (between his Achy Breaky period and Miley's rise) and Sue Thomas F.B. Eye were quite successful for PAX. Sue Thomas F.B. Eye has been out on DVD for a year now. What have sales been like? 

Joan: For those who may not know, Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye is a series that was inspired by a real woman who was deaf who went to work for the FBI; when they found out how well she could read lips, they put her in surveillance to help catch the bad guys! She also had one of the first ‘hearing’ dogs that would alert her when the doorbell would ring or a smoke alarm would go off. The series had action, comedy, romance and wonderful characters played by fantastic actors. DVD sales have been great – people who know the show love it and are ecstatic all the episodes are available on DVD. But we know there are legions of people who don’t yet know the show and would love it – as well as thousands of more fans who do love it and may not be aware that the show is now on DVD so we appreciate the chance to spread the word. The DVDs are available at http://www.suethomasdvd.com/. 

J: Will you be bringing Doc out on DVD as well? Have you kept in touch with Billy Ray Cyrus? 

Joan: For those who may be unfamiliar with Doc, it was a series about a country doctor from Montana who moves to New York City to work in an HMO – a fish out of water story with lots of humor and drama – and of course great characters and fabulous actors! As you said, it was very successful and fans still love it. We hope that Doc will be able to be put out on DVD – we’ll have to keep you posted on that. And we do touch base with Billy Ray from time to time – he really brought a lot to the show. 

J: Are either of the shows still airing in reruns anywhere? 

Joan: Both shows are airing on GMC (found on DirecTV, Sky Angel, Verizon FiOS and some cable systems) - Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye airs Monday-Friday at 3pm EST and Wednesdays and Thursdays at 9 & 10pm EST; Doc airs Monday-Friday at 4pm EST. Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye also airs in Canada and the UK.  

J: Sue Thomas was based on a true story. How did you get involved with this project and why? 

Joan: The creators, Dave Alan Johnson and Gary R. Johnson had been approached by a rep from a film company which owned the rights to the real Sue Thomas’ autobiography. They were both busy on other projects but the rep said, ‘Just meet with Sue.’ Well, if you’ve ever met or seen the real Sue Thomas, who’s now a motivational speaker, you know how amazing she is – and before the meeting was even over, they agreed to do the project. So it was originally written as a feature – and there were actually several opportunities to make it as a feature over a few years but it never came together. Then, when we were all doing Doc, PAX wanted Dave and Gary to do another series – and that series became Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye.

How I got involved requires a little more backstory: I met Dave years ago as a writer; he was a fan of my work and wanted to hire me but wasn’t running a show right then. So when ‘Doc’ and Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye came along, he hired me. The fact that, in the time in between, he introduced me to his brother Gary and Gary and I fell in love and got married, were honestly not a factor. As we say, my writing got me a husband – my husband didn’t get me a writing job! 

J: I love dogs (Joan has two golden retrievers), so I need to ask the question. Is Levi (the hearing dog in the show) still with us? 

Joan: Levi was the hearing dog in the show – he was played by a dog named Jesse Renfro. He was amazing – he could do almost anything! We all loved that dog and I’m sad to say he was diagnosed with cancer and died a year after we finished shooting. 

J: Sorry to hear that. I loved that dog! The show did a tremendous amount for the deaf community. Explain the kind of reaction you received? Did you have a burden for this community prior to your getting involved with the material? 

Joan: We wanted to tell Sue’s story and share her experience and her message that ultimately, we are all more alike than we are different. And doing it as a series rather than a feature also gave us the opportunity to have lots of different deaf characters and tell many different stories. We got a great response from both deaf and hearing audiences. 

J: Deanne Bray (Sue Thomas) was deaf. What a monumental move to hire her to play this role? How did that come about? 

Joan: Until Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye, there had never been a series where a deaf actress played the title role. And this role was a tall order to fill: we were looking for a deaf actress who could speak well enough that people wouldn’t know she was deaf; someone who captured the essence of the real Sue Thomas; someone who had the acting chops and charm and charisma to carry a series – and it wouldn’t hurt if she was also beautiful! Deanne had done some acting and was teaching deaf and hard-of-hearing students in East Los Angeles when she came in to audition – and she fit every one of our criteria and brought even more to the role. She is a wonderful actress and literally the answer to our prayers. She continues to act and was a regular on Heroes last season. 

J: You've been fortunate to gain work in a business where everyone wants to be a writer. You were one of 13 writers chosen from 3000 applicants to receive a Walt Disney Writing Fellowship. Your writing gained you entry into the Warner Bros. Writing Program, the American Film Institute’s TV Writing Workshop and the Hanna-Barbara Animation Scriptwriting Program. What was the process like to enter these various programs? Such a huge success to be part of not one, but four major writer's programs. 

Joan: Each had its own process – some had forms, some had interviews – but all required sample or ‘spec’ script submissions. I had written quite a few spec scripts – sample episodes of shows currently on the air to show you can write a story, know plot, can capture character voices, know how to do an act break, etc. – in short, to show you can write a script! By writing so many sample scripts (which you do not get paid for), I had worked on my craft so I had some strong samples to enter. 

J: You started your career in local television working as the Assistant Director of Marketing, Promotion and Publicity for WBNS-TV, (CBS affiliate) in Columbus, Ohio. How did you find yourself at WBNS? What motivated you to go in that direction out of college? 

Joan: I always loved television and I always loved writing. The job at WBNS-TV combined those two things: I wrote promos for the news and syndicated shows and, as a plus, I enjoyed the marketing aspect. 

J: What was your desire as a teen? Did you know early on you wanted to work in media? What brought you to WBNS? 

Joan: I’ve always loved television but didn’t know as a teen exactly what I wanted to do in TV. When I was in junior high, I thought of being a studio teacher for child actors. I had read an article about Frances Whitfield who was the teacher for The Sound of Music and The Brady Bunch actors. But as I began writing more and more, I realized I wanted to combine writing and television. 

J: When did you know you could write and then when did you know you could write well enough to make a living from it? 

Joan: I started writing poetry in junior high and then took scriptwriting in college. After I worked in local TV writing promos for several years (when I guess I was making a living from writing J), I decided I wanted to try writing something longer than thirty seconds so began writing spec scripts. I worked on my craft and got encouragement from those who were already making a living at it.

J: Are you involved with your Alma Mater, Ohio University? If so, how? 

Joan: I don’t get back to OU as often as I’d like. But I stay in touch with some of my professors – and I have a niece and two nephews who currently are at OU. Go Bobcats! 

J: You have worked with both your husband and your brother-in-law? What's it like working with family? How do you find the balance working with and living with your husband? Any grand lessons to be learned - good or bad, working with family? 

Joan: I think it comes down to each individual case; while working with family may not be for everyone, for us, working together works – Gary and I enjoy it. And we also each get time alone since writing is often a solitary endeavor. 

J: You often speak on panels. Young people are always looking for advice. What is the one piece of advice that you give out knowing that it works. 

Joan: The advice I was given when I started out is the advice I now give: if you want to be a writer – write. 

J: What are your favorite television programs at the moment? 

Joan: That’s a tough one – since there are so many shows between network, cable and pay cable and since I don’t and can’t watch them all! But of the ones I watch, I’d pick The Good Wife – real characters, lots of twists, some humor. And The Closer would be a very close second. 

J: What are your all time favorites programs (comedy and drama)? 

Joan: The Bob Newhart Show, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, St. Elsewhere, Hill Street Blues– all classics. 

J: The Mary Tyler Moore Show is my 2nd all time favorite show (I Love Lucy is number one)! Which films of the last year are worth seeing? 

Joan: The King’s Speech, The Fighter, The Social Network and Toy Story 3 – that is a marvelous idea incredibly well-told. Those Pixar guys really know how to tell a story. 

J: I couldn’t agree more. These were the four best films I saw in 2010. What are your favorite films of all time? 

Joan: When Harry Met Sally, It’s A Wonderful Life, – both of which I can watch over and over. An Argentine film called The Official Story that I saw years ago still haunts me. 

J: I know you are an avid reader (we share that bond). Per a prior discussion I know that you read the Bonhoeffer biography by Eric Metaxas. Having read it are you as surprised as I am that no one ever made this story into a film? Do you think they will now? 

Joan: I highly recommend Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy’by Eric Metaxas. He has done a masterful job of telling this amazing true story. I certainly hope that it becomes a film – but only if it’s as well done as Metaxas’ biography.

J: What makes you stay in the business? 

Joan: I guess it’s the creative itch. It’s great to wrestle with a story, work with fun, creative people and then get to see your work on the air. 

J: What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

Joan: I took up golf a few years ago – after saying for years that I would never take up golf. But I really enjoy it, even though I have a high handicap. 

J: What is inspiring you at the moment? Joan: As we talked about previously, the Bonhoeffer biography was very inspiring to me. 

Joan, thanks so much for taking the time to chat with me. Go Touche!

Copyright: The Flaming Nose 2011

Chris Elliott is "Eagleheart"!

First, a confession. I love Chris Elliott, in his old sticom Get a Life, in his maligned-at-the-time-but-now-adored Cabin Boy feature from 1994, on talk show appearances -- everywhere. I love his mopey charm, his off-kilter adult baby-ish physicality, his goofy smile, his voice -- everything. High hopes loomed for Adult Swim's new live-action law enforcement-show parody Eagleheart, starring Elliot as a vengeance-seeking marshal. Then why did I find that even at fifteen minutes (eleven minus commercials) the first episode felt too long? The show lost its zip the minute anybody except Chris Elliott was onscreen. I wasn't expecting that.





Produced out of Conan O'Brien's company, Eagleheart was announced in late 2009 as a showbiz comedy about a network executive who's sent to Texas to rein in the aging action star of a TV show called "Eagleheart". What we're seeing now as Eagleheart seems to be the show itself and not the behind-the-scenes story. Based of course on Conan O'Brien's former Walker, Texas Ranger film clip favorite Chuck Norris, Eagleheart is a spot-on parodic take on action shows, but there was a little too much plot and dialogue to keep it consistently funny. The producers know their genre, maybe only too well.

Elliott is hilarious, as you can see from the promos. As Chris Monsanto, Elliott is deadpan, absurd, trigger-happy and absolutely perfect.







What doesn't get old is the over-the-top violence and gunplay, played here for laughs and sometimes almost going on too long, but it still works. Certainly not for kids, but Eagleheart airs at midnight on Thursdays (starting last week, and I don't see a replay on the schedule). Don't miss the unexpected visual joke in the opening minutes of the first episode, below; it's a doozy.

Will I watch Eagleheart again? Should you watch it? If you love Chris Elliott, this is a must-watch, or at least a must-try. We all grew up watching real shows with everything that Eagleheart has -- except for Eagleheart's humor and the genius of Chris Elliott -- so a little more can't hurt us at this point.

If you're a Chris Elliott lover, too, you'll enjoy this hilarious blast from the past below, a short scene from the beloved now-cult classic Get a Life which ran on the nascent Fox network for 35 episodes beginning in 1990.

Happy Birthday to Zsa Zsa Gabor!

Good News! She's been through some terrible health situations of late, but she's evidently leaving the hospital today to celebrate her 94th birthday! Zsa Zsa Gabor, glamour girl of the 1950s and international celebrity since then, has been a mainstay on television for much of her career, with appearances on talk shows, dramas and many comedies. Playing herself as well as different characters, Zsa Zsa was always a sparkling presence, exhibiting a keen comic timing as well as being just plain gorgeous.

We fondly remember her guest roles on many of the most popular series of their era, including Mister Ed, My Three Sons, Batman, Night Gallery, Name of the Game, The Rounders, Burke's Law, The Danny Thomas Show, Gilligan's Island (right) and many others, including a large number of anthology dramas. Period pieces often exploited her Hungarian heritage to cast her as an exotic beauty, such as in Bonanza where she played a gypsy charmer who tells Hoss' fortune, and F Troop (left) where she played another beautiful gypsy wanderer.

We particularly love her in this Mister Ed episode. She's a vision as we see her for the first time, plus if you haven't seen the show in a while, Mister Ed is really funny. A great comedy performance by Alan Young as Wilbur, as well as from the supporting cast of seasoned veterans, including Jack Albertson in a guest role here, makes Mister Ed a continuing treat, and it's available on Hulu!

We also like her in this guest appearance as one of the Mystery Guests on What's My Line?. If you want contemporary proof of what a celebrity she really was, listen to the gasps of delight as she enters and signs her name on the chalkboard. They love her, and she is radiant. (Not sure which of her four times as the Mystery Guest is one is; she appeared in 1953, 1957, 1959 and 1960. This looks like either 1953 or 1957 to me, though.)

To show you how game she was for anything, here are some clips from her appearance on the syndicated Sha Na Na comedy/variety series, from the late 1970s.

Zsa Zsa was a frequent and beloved guest on talk shows everywhere. She was a favorite of Johnny Carson (remember the famous "pussy" reference which never actually happened?), as well as every other talk show of the day (and there were plenty). Merv Griffin was a big fan of hers, and Zsa Zsa was also a recurring guest on game shows like The Hollywood Squares. Zsa Zsa Gabor was everywhere, including Australia in 1987 where she appeared on one of the hilarious The Dame Edna Experience specials, starring Barry Humphries as the completely amazing and beloved Dame Edna. Here's a clip from that one:

We also love her in this commercial for Lawry's Salt, which just happens to be my favorite seasoning salt and has been a mainstay in my kitchen (and my father's before me) for ever and always!

The Flaming Nose offers Best Wishes for a Happy Birthday to Zsa Zsa Gabor, a genuine show-biz survivor!

Don't Miss "Episodes" on Showtime!

Funny how some series get all the publicity, and some seem to operate under the TV radar. Showtime's witty and wonderful new Sunday night comedy Episodes is definitely more the second than the first, even with former Friends star Matt LeBlanc starring. Episodes tells the tale of the adventures in Hollywood of two British television writers who come to America to adapt their hit English sitcom for U.S. TV.

What makes Episodes such a treat is the presence of veteran Brit comic actors Steven Mangan and Tamsin Greig playing the husband and wife writing team. Mangan and Greig starred together in the cult Brit medical comedy Green Wing, an absurd treat which has just shown up on Hulu, believe it or not. Green Wing also stars Sarah Alexander (Coupling), Julian Rhind-Tutt (Keen Eddie), Olivia Colman (Peep Show) and other tremendously talented Brits -- highly recommended! (Green Wing aired a few years ago on BBC America when they were a little better about running genuinely British programs instead of syndicated American offerings.)

You might also recognize Greig from her co-starring role on Black Books, another terrific Britcom which has managed a fair bit of exposure over here and is also available on Hulu. Black Books starred stand-up comedian Dylan Moran as the drunk and misanthropic proprietor of a small bookshop, with Greig as the next-door shopkeeper and Bill Bailey as a harried employee. (And if you like Black Books, you might also like Spaced which is on Hulu, too, and co-stars Star Trek's Simon Pegg.)

Of course, for American audiences the big draw is Matt LeBlanc, Friends' Joey and also the star of his own spin-off Joey after that. Several of the producers behind Friends created Episodes, and they seem to know their star's strengths. In Episodes he plays a fictional version of himself, how much like the real guy I don't know. The Matt LeBlanc on Episodes is a divorced father of two little boys, kind of a mopey drunk, has a big penis, and turns out to be a nicer guy than the two British writers -- who have had his participation forced upon them -- would have thought. LeBlanc is good playing Matt LeBlanc, and you'll end up liking him and finding his breezy comic style a definite high point.





Showtime has made the first three episodes of Episodes available at their website and on YouTube; since the fifth segment will be airing this coming Sunday, it's a nice gesture but not the perfect one. Definitely do try to catch the show; you'll love Greig, Mangan and LeBlanc. One of the ironic things about Episodes is that it's about a British show being badly adapted by Americans for Americans, and following Episodes on Showtime on Sunday nights is Shameless, the American adaptation of a hit British comedy of the same name. Showtime's Shameless seems not to be falling into the Hall of Shame reserved for most ill-conceived remakes -- think NBC's horrible version of the delightful Coupling several seasons back -- and that's to their credit.

Check out Episodes on Showtime, airing Sunday nights at 9:30pm. This coming Saturday evening beginning at 8pm Showtime 2 will be showing the first four episodes, too.

Highly recommended!

Flaming Stumble: An Idiot Abroad

I'd like to introduce a new feature for the Nose. I shall call it The Flaming Stumble. It's for the odd program we stumble upon and may never watch again, but recognize that its inherent weirdness might appeal to someone out there in television land. Hence, it's worth a shout out, however brief.

As my inaugural Stumble post, I'd like to recognize An Idiot Abroad, a strange little reality/comedy/travel program now running on (of all places) the Science channel. I don't actually get the Science channel on my too expensive HD Comcast line-up. I found the Idiot accidentally while sniffing around On Demand.

An Idiot Abroad features round faced Brit comic Karl Pilkington, as he travels to exotic places around the world. He's xenophobic, politically incorrect, mystified and miserable wherever he goes. His clueless persona has developed a cult following in the UK, as well as on XFM, and Gervais himself has proclaimed the hapless chap "the funniest man alive in Great Britain today". I watched an episode where Mr. Pilkington was sent to China, where he marveled more at the street food (roasted toad and scorpions on a stick) than the Great Wall. His head is as round as a billiard ball, and it is sort of riveting to watch him trudge through alien lands. Ricky and Stephen call him on a satellite cell phone occasionally to offer advice or howl with glee at his exploits.

Ubiquitous comic Ricky Gervais hosts An Idiot abroad along with his friend (and Extras regular) Stephen Merchant. He calls the show "the most expensive practical joke ever". The Science channel has buried it on Saturday nights at 10pm, where only the lonely, the curious and seekers of human oddities will find and love its eccentric charm.

R.I.P. David Frye, Impressionist for Turbulent Times, and Charlie Callas, All-Around Funny Guy

Definitely too bad to hear about the passing last Monday of 77 year-old impressionist David Frye, 1934 - 2011. Frye plyed his trade smack in the middle of one the most notorious political eras in U.S. history, and fortunately for an impressionist, the world gave him Richard Nixon to work with. His dead-on and satirically-tinged portrayals in the voice and style of Nixon were both funny and frightening, capturing the absurdity as well as the amorality of the then-President's behavior.

Far from a one-note wonder, Frye also turned his talented observational powers and gift for precise mimicry, along with a keen sense of humor -- he once remarked that Gerald Ford looked "...like the guy in a science fiction movie who is the first one to see The Creature" -- on other political figures of the day and history, as well as the usual gamut of Hollywood stars.



Not very long ago David Frye set up a YouTube channel where he posted a wonderful selection of his own appearances. It's sad to consider that he is gone now but let's hope that someone maintains his site and keeps his talented memory going strong.



Frye was a mainstay on television during his heyday, making frequent appearances on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show, with the Smothers Brothers on their savvy variety hour, Ed Sullivan on his decidedly more mainstream iconic weekly hour, and many others. Unlike another talented impressionist of the day Frank Gorshin, Frye never migrated his talent for mimicry into acting as himself, instead building up a longtime career as a stage performer and nightclub headliner but naturally finding his fortunes wax and wane as the contemporary political scene changed and TV variety faded out.

The torchbearers for Frye's brand of mimicry today would be the cast of Saturday Night Live. Over the years they've skewered current political figures to much merriment and often with the help of skilled make-up (except for Tina Fey's generally unadorned Sarah Palin), but Frye was up there alone, with nothing but his plastic face and savage wit, to take on the big guys.

Show biz lost another comic last week, too. Charlie Callas, (left), memorable for his self-created panoply of crazy sounds and also for his set of classic impressions, died Thursday in Las Vegas at the age of 83. One of those "comedians' comedians" -- one of a select group of laughsters who were able to consistently able to crack up fellow comics -- Callas was a frequent guest at celebrity roasts and on three decades of variety shows from the 1960s onward. He was an antic performer, emphasizing idiosyncracies and adopting comedic twitches, as he created a unique performance style that was in great demand.



Callas branched out into more-or-less straight acting roles on many TV series during the 1960s, and especially during his three year stint on producer Glen Larson's lighthearted TV detective series Switch co-starring Eddie Albert, Robert Wagner and Sharon Gless. Callas' character of Argo was kind of an Artemus Gordon man-of-many-faces ex-con man, and the show gave the multi-talented comedian a chance to shine in a more conventional venue.



What's most poignant about the passing of Charlie Callas and David Frye is that it continues the gradual ending of an era, as older comedians, born into a different show business tradition, raised before our eyes on TV and in nightclubs, reach the end of their lives. We may not even necessarily find their comic styles "funny" anymore -- there's little detached irony but instead plenty of possibly quaint and exaggerated physical transformations in their comic creations -- but these were the guys who inspired the current crop of middle-aged comedians and possibly even some of the younger ones out there. They were the Old Masters of Comedy, and we salute them.

(For more information on the subject, definitely check out the embedded links above to learn more about Frye and Callas, and also seek out more video of their performances on YouTube and elsewhere.)

Challenger Space Shuttle Disaster: 25th Anniversary

It was a cold January morning in central Florida, 25 years ago today, that complacency with the NASA space program received a terrible wake-up call. In a mission that was considered so routine that only CNN was covering it (and none of the major broadcast networks), the actual moment of the Challenger space shuttle disaster went unnoticed by most. It has been reported that due to the television coverage immediately following the event, 85% of all Americans knew within an hour that the Challenger launch had experienced what Mission Control called "obviously a major malfunction". If it happened today, that window of communication would have been seconds, now that most people have access to the Internet. I don't know what's more amazing; that it has only been 25 years since this event...or that 25 years ago there was no Internet.

Prior to the disaster, STS-51 was known primarily (if it was recognized at all) as the mission that was going to carry the first U.S. school teacher into space. Her name was Christa McAuliffe, and she was a 37 year old mother of two. She joined a crew that was so diverse, it can only be compared to the TV crew of the original Star Trek's starship Enterprise. Fittingly, the 1986 movie Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home was dedicated to the memory of the lost Challenger astronauts. That crew included 46 year old commander Dick Scobee, who's final words "go with throttle up" can be heard on the video I've posted below. Pilot Michael Smith was only 40 years old. African American astronaut Ronald McNair was a 35 year old Mission Specialist, and Ellison Onizuka was a 39 year old Japanese American from the Big Island of Hawaii. 41 year old payload specialist Greg Jarvis and 36 year old Mission Specialist Judith Resnik formed the rest of the crew. There is a beautiful memorial to these brave lost pioneers of space today on Nasa.gov. It also includes tributes to the lost astronaut heroes from Apollo 1 and the Space Shuttle Colombia, which had an incredibly successful mission before it broke up upon re-entry to the earth's atmosphere on the way home.

I remember well the horror of the Challenger disaster, and the heart wrenching memorial that followed three days later. President Reagan gave the eulogy, and I watched it on TV with my staff at KTTV, the FOX affiliate in Los Angeles. We cried our eyes out. Yes, 25 years ago you could actually take time out of a work day to watch a tribute to fallen American astronauts on TV. Like I said earlier, it was before the Internet.

Many investigations followed the tragedy, and the space program was on hold for years. It was ultimately discovered that faulty O-Rings on the solid rocket booster (created by contractor Morton Thiokol) were responsible for failing on that frosty morning. Many NASA procedures were re-vamped and changed completely as a result of this failure.

The U.S. space shuttle program is about to come to a close, with the last mission (STS-135: Atlantis) tentatively scheduled for June 2011. This mission is only tentatively scheduled in case it is needed to bring home the astronauts from the official final mission (STS-134), which is now set for April.

The fate of NASA and the entire space program seems uncertain, as budget cuts loom. For the first time ever, American Astronauts will have to hitch a ride on Russian rockets to travel to and from the International Space Station. It appears that there will be few manned missions in the future, which will only compound the tragedy that took place 25 years ago. The pioneer spirit is a core component of the American soul, and exploring the unknown will always captivate our imaginations. In the memory of those that gave their lives for space exploration, I hope the program will continue to thrive.

A few years after the Challenger disaster, I heard another American hero speak at a Hollywood television luncheon. Walter Cronkite enthralled the crowd with anecdotes about all the news events he had covered and the amazing people he had interviewed through much of the 20th century. He told a story about meeting with some Soviet cosmonauts, who had participated in the MIR space station program. They revealed that they brought a photo of the Challenger crew up to the MIR, and kept it posted on the deck of their station as a memorial. Brothers and sisters in space, their camaraderie transcended the Cold War.

Rest in peace astronaut pioneers. For you have "slipped the surly bonds of earth to touch the face of God". (John Magee, "High Flight")

Remembering Jack LaLanne, 1914 - 2011

Though you know personalities you grew up with aren't going to live forever, it was still sad to read this morning about Sunday's death, at age 96, of fitness guru and television exercise star Jack LaLanne. LaLanne was an irrepressible advocate for clean healthy living, good nutrition, vigorous exercise and a sunny attitude, but if he sounds like a self-righteous do-gooder, that's not what he represented at all. LaLanne was a charming and unique celebrity whose long life would seem to be the ultimate validation of his positive lifestyle.

In addition to being a genuine body-builder, LaLanne was a true pioneer of early television, hosting his own exercise show in San Francisco beginning in 1951, and eventually moving to ABC network where it ran for many years. The lively LaLanne's business empire of sorts branched out

into exercise equipment, fitness centers and of course the Jack LaLanne Juicer, which he and his wife Marilyn (who survives him) enthusiastically hawked for many

years.

He was also a frequent guest on TV talk shows, basically right up until the end, and continued to make headlines with the physical prowess stunts he performed, usually LaLanne swimming great distances or towing boats through the water using only his incredible strength and fitness ability. Jack was not only a health advocate but also a delightful spokesman for the movement, preferring to inspire his audiences rather than scold them as they took their often first steps to physical fitness. The ESPN Classic cable channel used to rerun his shows years ago, and he was as funny and watchable as ever. There's a great selection of LaLanne videos on YouTube, too, as well as LaLanne's own website.

We've never needed Jack LaLanne more than we do today, but now we're going to have to draw upon his inspiration and memory to goad us into taking fitness and nutrition seriously, but not grimly. He was able to to make fitness seem fun and important, and his message was aimed at all people, young and old, of all shapes. Jack LaLanne was enthusiasm personified, and he will be missed.

Be sure to visit the links included in this article for more information about this charismatic American icon, and also go to his own website which is lots of fun. Jack LaLanne was a national treasure, and an important part of TV's wonderful history.

Piers Morgan on CNN Snags a Ricky Gervais Interview: Post Golden Globes!

CNN's popular new Piers Morgan talk show scored another big coup (it premiered with Oprah as the first guest last week) by getting red hot Ricky Gervais to come on and explain himself following his controversial hosting of the Golden Globe awards a few nights ago. Is there anybody left on the planet who hasn't weighed in on his funny but dark skewering of Hollywood's elite at the loosest, drunkest award show on the planet? I mean come ON, it's not as if the GG's are the Academy Awards, for heaven sakes. It's not as if he swallowed a live hamster on stage or had a wardrobe malfunction. He basically did a comedy roast while most of the celebrities in attendance laughed uproariously and a few looked mildly uncomfortable. Some (Robert Downey Jr most notably) even nipped back at the great Gervais and offered up their own cutting words of wit . I can't believe that days following Lisa's post on the subject, folks are still humming and buzzing and tweeting themselves into a frenzy over a comedian doing the job he was hired for.

Piers gave Gervais his first shot at explaining himself in depth and it was a very thoughtful interview. I like the Piers Morgan style, it's very low key and unassuming...he really lets his guests shine. I was charmed by Ricky's goofy laugh, which is genuine and irresistible. I've always loved him, and although there were a few minutes at the Globes that made me cringe (poor Cher!), I don't think he should go to jail for his comments. Everybody has taken it far too seriously. What would have been unforgivable at the Oscars was pretty much OK for the Globes. And besides, a few years back, nobody cared about the Golden Globes or even watched them on TV. They've only recently become a big hairy deal. The producers should be glad for all the publicity.

The best part of tonight's interview was when Piers asked Ricky which 3 other American comedians he would bring with him to a deserted island. And one of his picks was our own beloved Flaming Nose favorite Louis CK! Apparently Gervais is to appear on an upcoming HBO special featuring Louis CK as well as Jerry Seinfeld, talking about humor. Now THAT will be funny.

Catch the new Piers Morgan show on CNN, Weeknights from 6-7pm. Tomorrow night (Friday) he'll feature George Clooney.