20 Years of THE SIMPSONS

20 years ago last night, THE SIMPSONS made its premiere on the fledgling FOX network.
The Simpsons characters actually appeared before that in crudely-drawn short animated spots that cartoonist Matt Groening created for THE TRACEY ULLMAN SHOW in April 1987.

The first episode "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" told the heartwarming story of how Homer saves Christmas.

After the family's Christmas savings is spent on Bart's costly tattoo removal procedure and Homer is denied his annual take-home bonus, the desperate dad pulls a Fred Flintstone and takes a second job as a department store Santa.
In the end, Homer ends up getting a very special present for the family, a dog which they name Santa's Little Helper.

The series began airing weekly on then as a regular series on Jan. 14, 1990 . The show went on to become a huge hit and helped put FOX on the map. The characters Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie soon became a major merchandising force. To date THE SIMPSONS has aired almost 450 episodes and has become the longest running animated series, the longest running American sitcom, and the longest-running entertainment program in the history of US television. D'oh!

Jennifer Jones 1919 – 2009

Roy E. Disney 1930-2009

Ziggy's Gift

Due to my hectic life lately, he's another treat from last holiday season. Tom Wilson's lovable comic strip Ziggy came to life in 1982 as ABC premiered ZIGGY'S GIFT, a half-hour animated holiday tale which featured music by the late, great Harry Nilsson.
The storyline goes like this: Ziggy, along with his adorable pup Fuzz , takes a temp job as a street corner Santa Claus to raise money for the poor. Ziggy must navigate his way through the city, which is populated by cops and robbers. Along the way, Ziggy inspires others with selflessness and faith in Christmas.
The program won an Emmy Award and has been on my holiday "must watch" pile for the past dozen years or so. Unfortunately this is Ziggy's one and only cartoon appearance–maybe that's what makes it so special. Can can watch it on YouTube in three parts. Here's Part 1, which features the Nilsson song "Give, Love, Joy".

THE JUDY GARLAND CHRISTMAS SHOW

Another vintage Dougsploitation Christmas treat from two years ago...THE JUDY GARLAND CHRISTMAS SHOW (1963) is actually an special episode of Judy's short-lived CBS variety series. When a Christmas episode starts out with snow in Los Angeles you know you're in for a treat. When it's sponsored by Contac time-release capsules - you are in "huh?" TV heaven!

Well, things get off to a nice start as Judy sings her official holiday tune - "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" which she introduced in the film MEET ME IN ST LOUIS. As she sings she cuddles with her young son Joe, constantly touching him and even rubbing noses with him all the while poor big sister Lorna stands by attentively and must settle for a slight tap on the hand. Judy then welcomes the viewers to her "home" and tells them that tonight she's staying home with her family (i.e. - no booze and pills for Mama tonight!). She then confides in us that her eldest daughter, 17-year old Liza is out skating with her "beau".

Judy then leads the kids in a rousing rendition of "Consider Yourself at Home" from the musical OLIVER! as she takes the viewer on a tour of her living room set. This makes me wonder why CBS choose to air this series in black & white - since it was originally broadcast on Sunday nights - opposite NBC's BONANZA - which was brought to you in "living color". Go figure.

Next up is the first Contac commercial - which had a soundtrack that sounds similar to Bernard Herrmann's PSYCHO score. Speaking of psycho, after the commercial break Liza storms in the door, ignoring her little sister Lorna and pretending to not know that she's on Mama's TV show. So they finish up the OLIVER song and hoist little Joe up on the piano where he bravely struggles his way through another song from OLIVER as Judy proudly looks on. Lorna sits quitely and pretends that she is loved.

After Joe's solo number, Liza's "beau" - choreographer Tracy Everitt - arrives wearing a sweater borrowed from LOST IN SPACE and black pants that are tighter than Liza's Capezios. I surmise that Tracy is the first in a string of painfully sexy and marginally talented young men that will break Liza's heart over the years. Today, Mr. Everitt teaches dance classes in Hoboken, NJ. For real. Google him.

Liza convinces the family to watch as she and Tracy perform "Steam Heat" as a pitch for Judy's stage act. The Fosse-like dance steps overwhelm Judy who jokingly asks them how long it took them to learn their little routine. When Tracy delivers his "two and a half years" punchline, you can hear crickets in the studio. So Tracy and Liza take little Joe over to the Christmas tree so Judy can warble a tune from her animated film GAY PURR-EE. No one even wonders where Lorna is - I think she's in her room crying at this point.

Next up is another great Contac commercial featuring characters from THE WIZARD OF OZ in stop-motion animation, complaining of flu and cold symptoms. Amazing.

After the ad, handsome family friend and LOVE BOAT theme crooner Jack Jones shows up singing "Wouldn't It Be Loverly" from MY FAIR LADY and another song called "Lollipops and Roses". He looks at Lorna as if to say "How did the neighbor's kid get in here? Don't you people have locks on your doors?" Afterwards, Lorna tries to get attention from Mr. Jones by convincing him to let her sit on his lap and sing "Santa Claus is Coming to Town." Didn't this happen in LOLITA too? Meanwhile, Liza seems slightly annoyed that Lorna is getting any airtime at all, but decides to let this one slide.

Next up is an ad from Judy's "alternate sponsor" Pall Mall cigarettes! First pills, now ciggies - what's next Jack Daniels? Oddly, the announcer pronounces the brand as "Pell Mell".

After the 'cancer sticks' ad, Liza sings a boring song as Tracy fiddles with a small package he has placed near his crotch. Huh?

After her solo number, Liza steals more camera time by getting under a blanket with Jack and Judy for a medley of snow songs - but they are rudely interrupted by a gang of Charleston-dancing Santas who crash the party - no doubt looking for pills and cigarettes! This is followed by an ad for Thrill dish soap - "it's like getting a new pair of hands in just 14 days!". Wow - what a tagline. There needs to be an episode of MAD MEN about that campaign!

After the dish soap commercial, the caroler's arrive - led by Judy's backstage nemesis Mel Torme (who I think she calls "Mort") - aka the Velvet Fog - aka the bastard who was hired to fix Judy's show. As scripted by Mel, Judy has to convince him to sing "The Christmas Song" (which he wrote) - and he invites her to sing along. Judy looks as if she's up to something. Mel begins to scat and Judy takes over the song - changing the lyrics right in front of the guy who wrote them! Judy rules.

The real lyrics:
"They know that Santa's on his way, 
He's loaded lots of toys
, And goodies on his sleigh
, And every mother's child is gonna spy,
To see if reindeer really know how to fly"

Judy's lyrics:
"They know that Santa's on his way
, He's loaded lots of GIFTS, 
And TOYS on his sleigh
, And every mother's child is gonna spy
,To see if RAINBOWS really know how to fly"

You can tell that Mel is seething inside and Judy's loving it. Mel later got revenge by writing a tell-all about Judy and the show after her death. Next up is another stop-motion commercial - this time for a free Betty Crocker and Gold Medal flour holiday cookbook! It's incredible!

After the ad, Judy's house is now full of freeloaders. Tracy brings out a bowl of eggnog and then they begin an endless medley of sacred carols. The self-important ham known as Mel Torme leads the choir. Then Lorna and Joe sing "Silent Night" - followed by an ad for Head and Shoulders! This ad features a woman well into her 30s worrying about having dandruff in her graduation photo. Honey, that's the least of your problems!

After the dandruff clears up, Judy boots everyone out of her house. Liza and Tracy dash off caroling - but the dancing Santas return to perform a crazy Rockettes-style dance with Judy. Damn - I wish this was in color!!!

So, then Judy shuts off all the lights - but Lorna and Joe come out calling "Mama..." to which she replies, as if annoyed - "WHAT???!!!". Well, it turns out she forgot to sing "Over the Rainbow". Which she then does - and it is a beautiful arrangement! Then Judy says goodnight for good and the camera pulls back to show it's still snowing in L.A.. All is well with the world, until CBS cancels her show...but that's another story. This show is a total 10 outta 10. Just for kicks, here's a recent pic of Judy's kids.

Awww...Lorna.

Christmas to the Max...

Last year something dawned on me while flipping through my childhood copy of the original How The Grinch Stole Christmas!

And I guess it had occurred to me a few times before – while watching the classic Chuck Jones cartoon adaptation.
But I really noticed it this time – The Grinch is not human, but yet he has a dog for a pet! Yes, even a mis-guided, small-hearted, Christmas-stealing, Who-hating Grinch is able to find room in his cold, soulless existence for a cute, loyal pooch.

Sure, he's mildly abusive to Max, dressing him up as a reindeer and forcing him to pull a sled over snow-covered mountains – but the fact that the Grinch has given Max a home and a purpose shows that even at his worst, the Grinch isn't completely evil.

And Max is about as dedicated to the Grinch as any dog is to their human companion. So this holiday season, if you are thinking of adding a pet to your family - please consider adopting a rescued animal. Don't support puppy mills, pet stores or breeders. Check out Best Friends or do a Google search for breed specific rescue organizations or a local shelter that can match you up with a perfect dog or cat that desperately needs a home. Don't be a Grinch - open your heart to a needy animal. And remember to spay or neuter your pets - we don't need to bring any more unwanted pups and kitties into this world. Okay, I'll get off my soap box now.

Oy to the World!

Happy Hanukkah once again from Dougsploitation and THE NANNY, Fran Fine.In the third season of Fran Drescher's amusing class struggle sitcom, the series premiered an unusual animated episode created in the style of the show's groovy opening titles. This holiday fantasy told the tale of Jewish American Princess Fran and her dog Brighton–who are magically transported to the North Pole, where they must battle the evil ice princess known as The Abominable Babcock - named after Fran's "real-life" TV nemesis, stuffy socialite CC Babcock (wonderfully played in the series by Lauren Lane). What I discovered on a recent re-watching of this rare cartoon is that the entire premise is a brilliant homage/parody of every classic holiday special from RUDOLPH to THE GRINCH and everything in between.

Why THE NANNY didn't do a Hanukkah-themed cartoon, the world will never know. While we ponder that, some lovely YouTuber has posted the entire animated show in three parts. Enjoy by following these links:

Part One.

Part Two.

Part Three.

Happy Hanukkah!

Christmas in Disneyland (Once More)

Last night, while freezing my butt off at the annual Disneyland Family Party, I recalled a special holiday screening that I attended at the Disney Studios last year. No, it wasn't BOLT or a preview of a new Pixar treat - It was a rare old chestnut that we like to call CHRISTMAS AT DISNEYLAND.
Yes, from Marty Pasetta & company, the fine folks that brought us the weirdly magical all-star extravaganza SANDY IN DISNEYLAND in 1974 came this 1976 variety special in which Sandy returns to Walt's first magic kingdom - but this time she took the second-banana role to Ed Norton himself, Mr. Art Carney.Originally airing 32 years ago today Dec. 6) this odd gem tells the story of a grumpy grandpa (Carney) whose cute grandkids (Brad Savage, Terri Lynn Wood) drag him, against his will, to Disneyland for Christmas. Which sounds like fun - only Gramps has his knickers in a knot about doing anything that might make the kids happy - turns out he was an abused child (he relates the story of how he was rejected and neglected at Christmastime as a wee lad) who NEVER was given a Christmas present EVER. This depressing and highly unlikely backstory sets up the story of the kids (with the help of tour guide Duncan and special guest star Glen Campbell) trying to prove that everything he thinks is annoying or fake (Christmas, music, Santa, Disneyland, etc.) is enchanting and real. How Grandpa has made it this far in life without having any fun or receiving any gifts is beyond me - but no one seems to question it, so I won't either.Along the way, there's plenty of peppy musical numbers throughout the theme park. We visit Sleeping Beauty's Castle, Critter Country, Fantasyland (the Alice in Wonderland ride is featured, but not identified) and the now-extinct attraction called America Sings. Sandy does a big production number inside of It's A Small World (she sings something about seeing the world through her EYES-should it's be her EYE? Just asking.) and John Davidson, er I mean Glen Campbell dons a Santa suit and jams with The Country Bears. Mr. Carney also plays the dual role of Dr. Wunderbar, a "glad scientist" (my term) who places some sort of magical/technical spell on Grandpa that promises him a big prize for being a non-believer. Or something to that effect. It's a very Sid & Marty Krofft moment. There's a sweet little song that the kids sing with Carney that would be wonderful if young Terri Lynn wasn't so off-key. While she is adorable, one wonders why they didn't cast a cute kid who actually had some vocal chops.

There's also a gaggle of costumed characters cavorting around (though Goofy seems oddly missing) as well as dancing Christmas trees, Reindeer and a big finale that includes a big ice-skating number right down Main Street. The hour is full of that wonderful requisite 1970s corniness, right down to the polyester-clad dancers, the choir with Farah Fawcett inspired hairstyles and Jell-O ads.Overall I enjoyed the show - but it made me sad that shows like this aren't available on dvd for all to see. I'm guessing there's either legal or clearance issues that Disney would rather not deal with, or just plain embarrassment over some of the dated cheese factor that these shows reek of. While not as "magical" as I expected, the show totally put me in the holiday mood, which is a very good thing!

"Jesus is a Friend of Mine" on COMMUNITY

My pal Sal Polichetti of Sonseed wrote me the other day to inform me that the Sonseed ska classic Jesus is a Friend of Mine (made popular through the efforts of this very blog & a little site called YouTube) will be featured in this week's episode of NBC's comedy series COMMUNITY.

The episode, titled Comparative Religion is described by NBC as "Shirley (the wonderful Yvette Nicole Brown) throws a holiday party while Jeff (my hero Joel McHale) is challenged to a fight." Here's a clip:


So, tune in Thursday night at 8PM(E/P), 7PM (C/M) on NBC or watch it online, on demand or on Hulu.com.

THE SNOWMAN Returns!

From last December...Of of my favorite holiday treats is a magical half-hour called THE SNOWMAN (1982). This Oscar-nominated animated short film by Dianne Jackson is based on the British children's book by Raymond Briggs, first published in 1978.

The film, like the book it is adapted from, has no dialogue. The story is told through beautiful music by Howard Blake and features the gorgeous and haunting song "Walking in the Air", which is performed by a choirboy named Peter Auty.
This simple tale of friendship is about a young boy whose snowman comes to life. At first the snowman is hiding and playing in the boy's house, but then the two new friends explore the outdoors. Soon the boy and the snowman take flight...

Their adventure continues as the duo attend a snowmen's party, and they meet Father Christmas. Suffice to say they must return to the boy's home, where the next morning SPOILER ALERT the boy wakes up to find the snowman has...melted. This scene never fails to make my eyes water. The Snowman and the boy return 9 years later for a brief cameo in 1991's FATHER CHRISTMAS. If you've never seen THE SNOWMAN, what are you waiting for? It's on dvd, PBS and available in three parts on YouTube. Visit the official SNOWMAN website.

Annette!

Here's the final tease poster for PRETTY, an upcoming web series which I am one of the producers of.
The adorable Annette Champagne!

More PRETTY People

Here's two more exclusive teaser posters from PRETTY, a new web series which I was one of the producers of. PRETTY premieres in January on a computer screen near you!
Terri Simmons is Parker Kensington-Parker.


Michael Taylor Gray is Royce Adams.

PRETTY Posters

Here's some exclusive teaser posters from PRETTY, a new web series which I was one of the producers of. PRETTY premieres in January on a computer screen near you!
Sam Pancake as Michael Champagne.

Dee Freeman as Ribina Champagne.

Troy Conrad as Ethan Champagne.

Creepy Santa Door Panel

I bought a vintage holiday decoration at an antique mall in Arizona last weekend.

It's 6 feet tall and made of waterproof vinyl and is still in its original package. My guess is that it came from the 1970s. The front of the package depicts an actual picture of the entire product, but if you flip it over you see:

ARRRRGGGGHHHH! Ohmygod - Santa what's happened to you? Has your years of hard working and drinking caught up with you? Do you suffer from constant rosacea or are you sun burnt? Can I get you some aloe vera? Poor Saint Nick, I hope you're not in too much pain. The question is - do I keep you in your package or proudly display you in all your redfaced glory this holiday season?

The Day After Thanks...

When I was a kid, something I always looked forward to on the day after Thanksgiving was when ABC (and later CBS also) filled their Friday schedule with episodes of all their Saturday morning cartoon favorites.
Yeah, they were the same old crappy mix of badly animated shows you could see on any given Saturday, but somehow having them air on a Friday made them seem really special. The local ABC station also added to the fun by show two of my favorite animated features over the holiday weekend...HEY THERE IT'S YOGI BEAR (1964), which featured Yogi's Southern belle girlfriend Cindy Bear.and THE MAN CALLED FLINTSTONE which features some great music, including a fun James Bond-like theme song. These two feature-length Hanna-Barbara took our Saturday-morning TV favorites and and gave them some big screen exposure. This tradition seems to have flourished as Nickekodeon, Cartoon Network and Disney Channel favorites now regularly appear in straight-to-dvd features in this mold. In fact this morning, I awoke to TWEETY'S HIGH-FLYING ADVENTURE, a cute all-star Warner Bros. musical farce featuring cameos by about two dozen Looney Tunes characters. It's pretty fun to see Sylvester interact with Pepé LePew and Penelope Pussycat, especially when it seems that Pepé is suggesting a three-way with the puddy tats! Boy, times have changed!

Happy Thanksvegan!

Here's two vintage ads that make me smile on this day of Thanks.

Paul Wendkos 1922-2009

Liza & Rosie Cartoon Show (The Parody Returns)

It's been a year since the much-maligned ROSIE LIVE! TV special aired on NBC. This was a horribly conceived and executed ego trip for hostess Rosie O'Donnell. Our friend Marc over at Deep Dish has already dissected it admirably last year. Rosie's first guest of the evening Liza Minnelli was one of the few bright spots of the hour. Seeing Liza and Rosie together brought back memories of a little-known project these two odd gay icons did a few years back.

Yes-THE LIZA AND ROSIE CARTOON SHOW, a hidden gem from the Hanna-Barbera vault. The show only lasted six episodes, so it's not as well-loved as classics like CLUE CLUB or FRED & BARNEY MEET THE SCHMOO, but the show has it's small, loyal cult of fans.

The premise of the show is this: Liza gets out of rehab and all her gay ex-husbands and boyfriends have gone on tour with JOSIE & THE PUSSYCATS, so she turns up on the steps of her good friend Rosie, the "queen of nice" - who gladly takes in the dynamic diva. Hilarity ensues as the two learn to get along despite Liza's zany antics and Rosie's "niceness".Episode # 1 "The Puss-Hide-Ing Adventure" - Liza has a gig performing on a cruise ship, and Rosie wants to join her - only she can't afford a ticket cause she was fired from from her latest TV show. Rosie and her conservative kitty Hasselbeck become stowaways, but things get turned upside down when Rosie trips over her pussy and causes the ship to flip over. Liza saves the day by singing "There's Got to Be a Morning After".Episode #2 "The Flowering Inferno" - Liza plants a poppy garden, but loudmouth Rosie accidentally lights it on fire while practicing fire-eating for her gender-bending stage role as Gene Simmons in a production of "KISS Me Kate".Episode # 3 "I Dream of Sweeney" - After a freak accident Rosie acquires the powers of a genie, BUT she can only turn things into meat pies. Luckily Liza is having a soiree to honor Stephen Sondheim-only he's allergic to meat! Rosie has a hair-brain scheme to save the day! Will she succeed?Episode #4 "Rosie's Panic Room" - When Jodie Foster stops by on her way to the Dinah Shore golf tournament, Rosie accidently locks her in a panic room. Who's gonna host the pool party now???Episode #5 "Liza Gets Her Mountie" - On a visit Canada to purchase over-the-counter drugs, Rosie backs out of her commitment to "mule" and, as a cover-up, Liza has to recruit the locals to perform a rousing number from "The Rink."

Episode # 6 "The Old Soft Shell" - When Liza's tap dance instructor gives her a wicked case of crabs, so she must fumigate the house. Only Rosie's Tom Cruise & Koosh Ball Enthusiasts Society meeting is scheduled for the same afternoon! Could this be the last straw for these mismatched roommates??? I certainly hope not!!!