Richard Dawson's comedy pilot: Bazaar

[whewfan]

On Dawson Feud on GSN, Richard was plugging what he calls a comedy pilot show that he hosted called Bazaar. Anyone happen to remember seeing it, and can give any insight on it? I would imagine it was a variety show, considering variety shows were still pretty big in the 70s.

I would dare say if Bazaar had been made into a series (assuming it was a pilot for a possible series) that Richard may have considered leaving Family Feud, eventually. He did threaten to quit the show sometime in 1980.

[SRIV94]

[quote name=\'whewfan\' date=\'Jun 14 2005, 03:01 PM\']On Dawson Feud on GSN, Richard was plugging what he calls a comedy pilot show that he hosted called Bazaar. Anyone happen to remember seeing it, and can give any insight on it? I would imagine it was a variety show, considering variety shows were still pretty big in the 70s.

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I think it was actually called BIZARRE (and IIRC the series eventually got mounted some years later with John Byner as the host).  The one moment of Dawson's version that I do recall was some pantomime performed to "You Light Up My Life" (with some weird-looking puppets doing the "honors").  Dawson introed the piece in part as follows, "Every good variety show needs some sort of musical number. . ."

Doug

[uncamark]

[quote name=\'SRIV94\' date=\'Jun 14 2005, 03:08 PM\'][quote name=\'whewfan\' date=\'Jun 14 2005, 03:01 PM\']On Dawson Feud on GSN, Richard was plugging what he calls a comedy pilot show that he hosted called Bazaar. Anyone happen to remember seeing it, and can give any insight on it? I would imagine it was a variety show, considering variety shows were still pretty big in the 70s.

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I think it was actually called BIZARRE (and IIRC the series eventually got mounted some years later with John Byner as the host).  

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That it did, on Showtime with everything you'd expect from a show on premium cable and then repeated in syndication with what you'd expect bleeped and cut out.

It's noteworthy as the show that introduced co-producer Bob Einstein's Super Dave Osborne character.  It's also noteworthy as using psuedonyms for the writers and director (including Einstein and co-producer Allan Blye) in an attempt to dodge the DGA and WGA, who had yet to set up contracts for cable.  Shooting in Toronto at CFTO also helped.

[chris319]

using psuedonyms for the writers and director (including Einstein and co-producer Allan Blye) in an attempt to dodge the DGA and WGA, who had yet to set up contracts for cable

To the best of my knowledge, it's the only television credit for Mahatma Kane Jeeves and A. Pismo Clam.

I chanced to be on the MG set when Dawson's Bizarre pilot was shot at CBS TV City in November 1978, and strolled into the studio accompanied by CNR to have a look.

[Argo]

Here is the opening segment from the actual broadcast:

[whewfan]

That was indeed bizarre.