Watching Sitcoms

My husband and I were watching some random movie the other day. Don’t even ask me what it was, cause honestly, I don’t remember. Anyway, the mother of one of the character’s was familiar. My husband couldn’t name her, but right away, I recognized Louise Lasser.

I have fond memories from my youth of Louise Lasser as Mary Hartman in Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. I’m sure I was probably too young to watch it at the time, as it was considered quite racy because of the topics it dealt with and, even though it was a sitcom, it didn’t air until 11:30 pm. It was more like a soap opera than a sitcom, but that was the point. It was supposed to be a parody of soap operas, hence the double name . . . people always said things twice in soaps, or so Norman Lear felt. The show also aired every day, five days a week, with no repeats, and it had no live audience or laugh track.

Along with Lasser, MH2 (as it was sometimes known) also starred Greg Mullavey, Dody Goodman, Mary Kay Place, Graham Jarvis, Debralee Scott, Martin Mull, Dabney Coleman, Marian Mercer and Doris Roberts. Some of those names should also be familiar.

MH2 was only on the air from January of 1976 until May of 1977, but because it aired five episodes a week, there were hundreds of eps. You can order some of them here from Amazon or Deepdiscount.

Also, just so you can see the kind of strange, funny, weirdness that was Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, here’s a video of Mary and the Librarian:

Apparently, turkeys can fly. Well, at least wild turkeys can fly. We have some wild turkeys around this area, and I’ve never seen them flying, but I guess they do. I read a story from Canada (Niagara-on-the-Lake, actually, which is, by the way, a very nice little town to visit, and only about 45 minutes from where I live ) where a wild turkey flew into a school bus. Fortunately, no one was hurt (well, they were all a bit shocked, and one girl was taken to the hospital after being hit with some flying glass, but nothing too bad), and the turkey just walked away.

Remember that ep from WKRP in Cincinnati? I loved that ep, Turkeys Away, which orginally aired on October 30, 1978. Mr. Carlson (Gordon Jump) had this idea for a Thanksgiving turkey giveaway. Les Nessman (Richard Sanders), the news guy, was reporting live from the grocery store parking lot while turkeys were thrown out of a helicopter, with a banner attached to it saying “Happy Thanksgiving From WKRP”. Now that would have been crazy enough if these had been dead turkeys, what with something that heavy falling from the sky into a parking lot full of cars and people. But they threw live turkeys out of the helicopter, not realizing that turkeys can’t fly. It was funny and scary and gross, all at the same time. It was great ep and even better, you can watch it here at hulu.

It got me to thinking about how we remember the craziest things. I mean, that episode was back in the 70’s and yet, not only did I immediately think of it when I read the article, the person writing the article mentioned it as well. Clearly, sitcoms

Last night, I finally saw Hairspray. Call me cheap if you want, and it’s true, but I just don’t see the need to pay money to go see a movie in a theater, when I can just as easily wait a little while and see it for free on my big screen TV with surround sound, comfortably in my jammies. Beyond that, I am already paying for cable, and HBO, and Starz, and HBO on Demand, and Starz on Demand, and . . . you get the picture. So I just keep track of what’s coming to On Demand when and then I watch it. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is coming on June 23 and I’m very excited.

Anyway, back to Hairspray. I really liked it. My husband left about halfway through cause he couldn’t take any more singing. The wimp. But I’m a big fan of musicals. As a matter of fact, just last week we saw Grease (or at least I saw it; my husband does actually like Grease, but there was still too much singing) and The King and I (which my husband avoided at all costs). In any case, watching Grease and Hairspray, reminded me yet again why I like John Travolta so much. Not too long ago, I saw the first DVD of the first season of Welcome Back, Kotter. (You can buy them here from Amazon.) It was great. I keep meaning to get back to the library and get the rest of the eps. In any case, back then I was talking about John Travolta and how great he is at everything he does:

I’m always amazed at how many different genres in which he has performed and excelled. He’s been in comedies, dramas and musicals. He has sung and danced, delivered jokes and acted as the evil bad man, and he’s been believable. Plus, he’s been successful in both small and big screens . . . not many actors are versatile enough to do well on both TV and in movies.

. . . and now he’s proven that he makes a pretty good woman, too!

Am I the only person in the world who remembers that they just did an Incredible Hulk movie like 3 years ago? Seriously. The new Incredible Hulk movie is coming out on Friday, and I just can’t help wondering why someone thought it was a good idea, since the other movie was such a big hit. OK, for any slow students out there, that was sarcasm.

I didn’t actually hate the other movie, unlike so many other people, but then I’m a big comic book geek. Also, I loved Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno in the series, which was pretty lame in retrospect. (By the way, if you are interested, you can get the DVDs for that series here.) But still, what is the reasoning behind making another movie? The same movie. I mean, I’m sure the movie will be different, but you’re starting with the same premise and working with all the same characters, right?

When I first saw the promos, I thought it was going to be sequel and I wondered why. Then I saw it was going to actually be another movie and I really wondered why.

So if there’s anyone out there who has a clue, please tell me. I mean it. I’ve read a little about it and its almost like no one is even acknowledging the previous movie. Like it never existed. This confuses me. I would expect people to at least comment on the first movie. To say why they think there’s another movie being made, or to explain it all away for someone like me. Cause I have an enquiring mind.

Since my last couple of posts have been about food, and since I have to keep thinking of stuff to write about, I started thinking about this movie I like, Christmas in Connecticut. I know its only June, but Christmas will come eventually. It does every year.

If you’ve never seen it, you should check it out this year. Its one of those movies I try to watch each year around the holidays. I’m talking about the 1945 version, by the way. And what, you ask, does that have to do with me and food? Well, the story is about a journalist, Elizabeth Lane (played by Barbara Stanwyck), who writes a famous home making column, where she talks all about her farmhouse home, her husband and baby, and what wonderful meals she has made. The thing is, Elizabeth doesn’t have any of those things, she’s single, she lives in an New York apartment, and she can’t cook.

Then her boss, Alexander Yardley (Sydney Greenstreet), invites himself and a returning war hero to spend Christmas with her family on their farm. In order to save her job, she has to think fast, and hilarity ensues. Elizabeth agrees to marry John Sloan (Reginald Gardiner), a long time suitor she has consistently rejected. As it turns out, he owns a farm in Connecticut, and it seems like the perfect solution. The housekeeper there even watches babies for mothers working at a local factory. Elizabeth’s good friend, Felix (S.K. Sakall), a chef agrees to come and cook, as well.

Then Elizabeth meets Jefferson Jones (Dennis Morgan), the war hero, and things get really out of hand.

The difference is, I really can cook.