Author Topic: Game Show by the Dashboard Light (Read 2338 times)

mmb5 · « **on:** November 13, 2007, 04:24:37 PM »

Meatloaf is joining the hosting ranks:
Hollywood Reporter link

Matt Ottinger · « **Reply #1 on:** November 13, 2007, 06:58:21 PM »

"The Supreme Court of Comedy" (not the Meat Loaf series, but still game-ish) sounds somewhat similar to a failed Chuck Barris pilot called (I think) "Comedy Courtroom." The Barris show featured Chuckie Baby himself on the bench, quirky real-life cases re-created by unknown actors, and a five-member jury that won money if their decision matched that of the original jury.

I get a kick out of "The 101" in much the same way that I got a kick out of the original fX network. It's just this little oasis of oddity that seems untouched by the need to make a profit. Enjoy it now, before it gets homogenized like every cable network does eventually.

uncamark · « **Reply #2 on:** November 14, 2007, 12:58:53 PM »

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'169440\' date=\'Nov 13 2007, 05:58 PM\']
"The Supreme Court of Comedy" (not the Meat Loaf series, but still game-ish) sounds somewhat similar to a failed Chuck Barris pilot called (I think) "Comedy Courtroom." The Barris show featured Chuckie Baby himself on the bench, quirky real-life cases re-created by unknown actors, and a five-member jury that won money if their decision matched that of the original jury.[/quote]

"Comedy Court." I remember the trade ads for the show with Chuckie Baby on the bench and Ellen K. when she still Rick Dees' sidekick as the "court reporter" (later on, she would announce the Brad Sherwood revival of "TDG"). It seemed to me that, like "How's Your Mother-in-Law?", they had comics as the "attorneys." It did seem to me that it was real small-claims case arbitration like "People's Court" and all of the other court shows that have come along, but I may be wrong (and the thought of Chuckie Baby as an arbitrator does seem ludicrous).

Matt Ottinger · « **Reply #3 on:** November 14, 2007, 05:39:49 PM »

[quote name=\'uncamark\' post=\'169508\' date=\'Nov 14 2007, 12:58 PM\']
I remember the trade ads for the show with Chuckie Baby on the bench and Ellen K. when she still Rick Dees' sidekick as the "court reporter" (later on, she would announce the Brad Sherwood revival of "TDG"). It seemed to me that, like "How's Your Mother-in-Law?", they had comics as the "attorneys." It did seem to me that it was real small-claims case arbitration like "People's Court" and all of the other court shows that have come along, but I may be wrong (and the thought of Chuckie Baby as an arbitrator does seem ludicrous).[/quote]
In the pilot I saw, Rhonda Shear played the court reporter, and the gameplay was as I described. The attorneys were billed as comics, but I didn't recognize any of them. In the opening, a clip from what I assume was a different pilot showed Stuart Pankin as one of the attorneys.

bricon · « **Reply #4 on:** November 14, 2007, 08:31:29 PM »

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'169551\' date=\'Nov 14 2007, 05:39 PM\']
In the pilot I saw, Rhonda Shear played the court reporter, and the gameplay was as I described. The attorneys were billed as comics, but I didn't recognize any of them. In the opening, a clip from what I assume was a different pilot showed Stuart Pankin as one of the attorneys.
[/quote]

There were two different pilots done years apart. The one with Rhonda was done for NBC, the more recent one I believe was done for syndication.

Interesting tidbit about the more recent pilot - it was directed by Robert Downey Sr., known more as a film director. He and Chuck Barris are friends. Chris Darley was the associate director on that pilot.

davemackey · « **Reply #5 on:** November 16, 2007, 06:39:57 AM »

[quote name=\'bricon\' post=\'169561\' date=\'Nov 14 2007, 08:31 PM\']
Interesting tidbit about the more recent pilot - it was directed by Robert Downey Sr., known more as a film director. He and Chuck Barris are friends. Chris Darley was the associate director on that pilot.
[/quote]
And didn't Downey have something to do with Barris' train wreck of a movie?

colonial · « **Reply #6 on:** November 16, 2007, 11:32:33 AM »

[quote name=\'davemackey\' post=\'169667\' date=\'Nov 16 2007, 06:39 AM\']

And didn't Downey have something to do with Barris' train wreck of a movie?
[/quote]

Yes...the elder Downey is credited as a writer on *The Gong Show Movie.*

James

uncamark · « **Reply #7 on:** November 16, 2007, 11:54:11 AM »

[quote name=\'colonial\' post=\'169674\' date=\'Nov 16 2007, 10:32 AM\']
[quote name=\'davemackey\' post=\'169667\' date=\'Nov 16 2007, 06:39 AM\']

And didn't Downey have something to do with Barris' train wreck of a movie?
[/quote]

Yes...the elder Downey is credited as a writer on *The Gong Show Movie.*[/quote]

It seems to me that Downey was going to direct it originally and then either dropped out at some point or Barris did to Downey what he did to Chris Bearde on "Gong" itself--kick him out.