How about TV Series that deserve a commentary track.
I remember that at one point the clueless suits at Comedy Central had suggested that the show switch to TV shows rather than movies (probably because they hated that 2-hour time slot). BBI rejected the idea, but what if they hadn’t? What TV show(s) would have been perfect for our experiments?
I would definitely nominate any of the latter seasons of of ’60s-’70s westerns “Bonanza,” “Gunsmoke” “The High Chaparral,” stuff like that. Dreadful stuff.
Your pick?
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Much as I absolutely love the show, “Dark Shadows” would’ve been fun – so many blown or forgotten lines, random flies landing on the actors faces, over the top melodrama…
Pink Lady and Jeff.
@38 The Walking Dead?? I can’t tell if that is sarcasm or not.
My immediate thoughts here went to the 80s and a couple people already mentioned the shows I thought of (“Small Wonder”, completely rediculous plot, theme song that seems like it would have been a joke on early era ep of The Simpsons or something, and “ALF”, which, enough said). Does anyone remember “Dinosaurs”? (you know, “not the mama!”), this could be a good one.
Any of the 1950’s lawyer/detective shows. Good back then. Watch them now, not so much.
I’d avoid sitcoms, especially ones with laugh tracks. Riffing comedies, even ones that fail utterly, is an uphill battle.
Lost in Space deserves it especially for being the show that CBS rejected Star Trek in favor of (and now, of course, they own Star Trek. Funny old world…)
80’s action shows would be delightful.
The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriett.
How dare they call them “Adventures!”
For the really old amongst you…
Steve Canyon–why? Dean Fredericks (Phantom Planet).
Peter Gunn–why? Craig Stevens (The Deadly Mantis).
Man and the Challenge–why? George Nader (Robot Monster, Human Duplicators, Million Eyes of Su-Muru).
Mannix–why? Mike Connors (Swamp Diamonds).
There was a LOT of crossover between fifties TV show male leads and MST-grade movie male leads. The toughest casting job in Hollywood is finding a tall, dark, and reasonably handsome big guy to carry the action–otherwise there would be NO explanation for George Lazenby (anybody remember where The World’s Worst Bond showed up on MST?)
Seriously, Sampo, I think there’s a topic hidden in here somewhere.
#16 S.C…This is only hypothetical anyway..
Full House.
Tv’s Frank said this “Nelson,you bring in fewer viewers than reruns of The Duck Factory”..Here’s a clip..http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hYwDPZMTtY Enjoy!
Well, how about “Wonder Woman”, “Beauty and the Beast”, “Fame” and “Charmed”?
Oh, DARK SHADOWS, definitely. I love the show but its weird mix of portentiousness and bullgoose insanity practically begs for puncturing.
I think TV’s Frank would dearly love to tear into some of the cheesier 70’s cop shows. The more obscure ones might be good, but I’ll also nominate STARSKY AND HUTCH, which is bizarrely… well, not quite homoerotic, but you get the feeling the two main characters are a couple and the show’s desperately trying to avoid acknowledging it.
An uber-obscure choice from my own weird little special interest: CRITTER GITTERS, an odd, odd children’s show involving a team of teen and tween animal rescue workers working out of a veternarian’s office, I think in California. The main questions that haunt me watching that are, who made it and why?. It feels like something that aired on Christian television, but there isn’t any Witnessing or anything of that nature…
I’m not sure if the many, many weird variety shows from the 70’s (PINK LADY AND JEFF, SHIELDS AND YARNELL, THE BRADY BUNCH VARIETY HOUR, etc.) would work that well. I mean, there’s tons of material but it might be like overloading a computer. F’risntance, when you see the cast of the Brady Bunch in day-glo marimba costumes singing and dancing en masse to ‘Love To Love Ya, Baby’, and at least half of them can barely sing OR dance, it’s difficult to know just what to make fun of first.
Quantum Leap, maybe.
The Fall Guy, possibly.
Star Trek TNG, yes. Data episodes are a must.
Defunct soap operas like Santa Barbara, Another World, Passions, etc.. YES!!! Any soap will do, really. Those shows were filled with so much ham and cheese, the guys would turn them into riffing Hot Pockets!
Mmmm, very tasty! :-D
Two words: Quinn Martin.
Crime dramas from the 70s have been mentioned, but let’s not forget “Longstreet,” “Harry O,” and “Police Story”–there were so many of them.
While we’re at it, how about shows like “Emergency!,” “Medical Center” and “CHiPS”–all prime riffing material.
They also sorta did “Space: 1999” at KTMA, but it would be nice to see the full-tilt Brains take on what had to be the most stupefyingly dull sci-fi show ever created. I watched just about every episode, and can’t remember a thing about any of them.
I watched too much TV in the 70s….
@ 62 – Oh wow, I thought I was the only one that had heard of Critter Gitters! It actually still airs on our Antennae TV affiliate, there’s one scheduled for next Saturday morning, in fact. Awful show, it would IMO be perfect for some riffin’.
@63: Quantum Leap, MAYBE?? How about Quantum Leap, DEFINITELY!!!!
ALSO,
semi-obscure show Werewolf, from 1987/88, would make a good candidate.
and I would’ve LOVED to see some Simon & Simon get riffed on!!
The original Battlestar Galactica. And Galactica 1980.
I would think “Gilligan’s Island” and “The Brady Bunch”. Both were so cheesy and so ripe for riffing. I could see Mike doing a mean Mr. Howell every episode.
Lost in Space. More than any other show, it deserves riffing. I hate that it was pretty good in the earlier seasons, but then got so damned stupid, which is sad. It’s a good concept. Taking it too seriously, however, can fail as well, as we saw with the Lost in Space movie.
I love Highlander the Series, but I could see it being riffed, especially the later season, as well as the spin-off show, The Raven. But, you do not riff the episode with the mentally challenged immortal. It’s just too sad. There’s no comedy to be found there.
I’d riff the Steven J. Cannell show Stingray.
Starman the series was a good show, even if it did last for one season. I watched it a few months ago. I was impressed at how the government guy hunting the alien was written. He’s not a simple, evil character, as he might have become. No, his job is on the line, he has moments of desperation and at times I felt sorry for him. One could even see him as a precursor to Fox Mulder from the X-Files, expect this guy knows the alien is real and who to look for.
They should riff the Nikki and Paolo episode of Lost, one of the worst episodes of a great show ever. I agree with Small Wonder and add in Learning the Ropes (starring Lyle Alzado and wrestlers from the NWA).
CSI, which really needs a good drubbing.
Cop Rock, which was awful.
Johnny Sokko and his Flying Robot.
Star Trek, but I doubt they would have funnier jokes than my brother came up with when we riffed it as kids.
Couple more for consideration:
The Tomorrow People
3-2-1 Contact (the ep where they go backstage at a KISS concert would be cool)
Tales of the Gold Monkey
Then Came Bronson (the Brains cite it a bunch, but if I may paraphrase the MAD satire, “it’s Route 66, with half the cast, half the corvette, and half the budget)
I have to agree with those that mentioned The Six Million Dollar Man. I recently rented some of the DVDs since I loved the show as a kid, and they are so cheesy! Especially when Jamie Sommers showed up. I wish they would do the whole arc from her appearing, then seemingly dying, then coming back on her own show.
Ultraman
Run for your Life
UFO
Space 1999
That short-lived 70’s thing Harlan Ellison wrote
P.S. The 70’s Hulk ep that Rifftrax did is one of their best. Highly recommended.
Power rangers. He man, New My little pony show.(they can point out hind ponies.)
Personal taste and all but I find it a bit odd someone would classify Bonanza and Gunsmoke as “dreadful” nor would they make for very solid riffing material IMHO, westerns tend to be dry and dull. Still this is a great idea for a weekend discussion and I always thought it’d be amazing if Rifftrax eventually did a few sitcoms, especially irritating, precocious character populated drek like Diff’rent Strokes, Full House and Family Matters. I suppose it would be hard to get the lines in between the laugh track audio though?
How about T.J. Hooker? What would be better than the MST3K bunch riffing on the absolute king of unintentional comedy-William Shatner. I just love the Shat-man. Comedy gold.
Lost. That show is “rock climbing” times a million.
The original Battlestar Galactica was mentioned, which is what I was going to say. Also: Buck Rogers.
And, wasn’t there a Logan’s Run series based on the movie, or was that just a bad dream I had?
And also, did I just have nightmares based on corny movies, but wasn’t there also a Planet of the Apes series?
And how about Hercules and Xena?
Marcus Welby, M.D. – it’s out-of-date and preachy. And a lot of familiar faces from MST3K movies show up as guest stars.
Channing – a one-year 60s drama about a college starring Jason Evers (Dr. Cortner from “The Brain that Wouldn’t Die”).
And I have to agree with any last-season Bonanza or Gunsmoke (especially “The Wiving” and its semi-sequel “Brides and Grooms”). No Hoss or no Miss Kitty means no watch for me.
#69 mentioned The X-Files, which I feel would be perfect for riffing. Any episode. Precisely because they took themselves so seriously. From the 80s, I think both Hercules starring Kevin Sorbo and Xena, The Warrior Princess. Bad cheese and good riffing go together. From the 60s (I think) comes I Spy with Robert Culp and Bill Cosby. A buddy hip cop show that deserves the treatment.
Keep the suggestions coming.
Hey, Emergency! is too awesome to be riffed. Especially in the last few years, the show had really good writing, at least for the firemen. I think it’s the only Jack Webb show that still had enough interested to have all the seasons released (8 of them).
What I’d like to see them riff is their own skits. Ugh, most of them are terrible, especially in the SF years.
Tenspeed and Brownshoe. Nuff said.
@78: Rifftrax did a great riff of the Lost pilot.
@79: Yes, there was a Logan’s Run TV show.
I’d riff on some Fred Silverman era NBC shows: Manimal, The Man from Atlantis, David Cassidy: Man Undercover, etc.
Here come the Brides with Bobby Sherman and Wild Wild West with Robert Conrad
Thunderbirds. Puppet on puppet action! Yeah, there was the KTMA ep, but we all know that story.
Also, Land of the Lost & HR Pufnstuf (all Sid & Marty Krofft)
rifftrax did a great job with an episode of the incredible hulk “the final round” I would like to see them do more episodes of that.
as for other tv shows how about:
Nightman, m.a.n.t.i.s., silk stalkings, walker texas ranger, VIP, airwolf, thunder in paradise.
the list goes on and on, television is full of riffables
“fake rocky is the hero of fake street in fake town U.S.A.”
Rawhide — with Servo singing the theme song, Crow as the grizzled trail boss and Mike as young Rowdy Yates.
Lawman — starring Peggie Castle and two guys dressed in really close-fitting western wear.
Perry Mason — the early episode which features some of the cast of Giant Spider Invasion, with Dr. Jenny Langer, Sheriff Jeff Jones, and Mrs. Dan Kester.
I think if you were looking for TV shows that actually could have worked as mini MST3K episodes the best choices would be some of the various anthology series like Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Outer Limits, or Twilight Zone. If the Brains had been forced to do TV episodes any of those would have worked great since they are still self contained stories so you don’t have the serialization issues you would with other shows, plus you get wildly varying levels of quality between episodes and the genres are all perfect riffing material.
What if this became a sort-MST variety show, where they riff 10-15 min of a show at a time? You could have some corny action show leave off at a pre-commercial, cliff-hanger fade out (say… McGuyver). Then, when we come back the Mads have changed the channel to some lousy, lip-synched musical number (American Bandstand, Soul Train, or anything featuring the Solid Gold Dancers). Then we finish off with a Talk-Soup-ish take on an episode of Donahue or Sally Jesse Raphael.
What do you think, sirs?
I second the notion of Seahunt. Say it with me…BY THAT TIME MY LUNGS WERE ACHING FOR AIR. The second season of SeaQuest DSV really deserves mocking. One episode had a preachy anti-videogame ‘message’ and another had some kind of laughably executed killer plant species-I was much younger but even back then the absurdity was obvious.
#74 (losingmydignity)
That was “The Starlost”. It starred Keir Dullea, was created (and quickly disowned) by Harlan Ellison, and was shot on videotape, giving it a “Doctor Who” look. And, yes, it’s certainly riffable. They even combined some episodes into “movies”, like the “Master Ninja” eps.
My thinking runs more towards individual episodes, rather than whole series. Like, for example, two from “Mission: Impossible”: “Encore” (the one where Shatner plays an elderly gangster and they make him think he’s back in the 1930’s) and “The Visitors” (where Jim poses as an alien). Or, if you don’t mind controversy, you could try riffing on “City on the Edge of Forever”. I can hear it now, as a devastated Jim Kirk turns away from the accident scene…
CROW: I’m not dead!
SERVO: Here, she says she’s not dead!
MIKE: Yes, she is.
CROW: I’m getting better!
MIKE: No, you’ll be stone dead in a moment.
Or, maybe not…
comment #4-I forgot Kolchak The Night Stalker. the episodes “chopper” and”zombie” are the best television Ever. actually filmed and not videod, with real actors like simon oakland and darren mcgavin. it was the x files before the x files.
besides, anything from the big bell bottomed wide collared 70’s would be fun to riff. i still love starsky and hutch but damn riffing on huggybear alone would fill hours and hours.
Back again
I see someone mentioned The Starlost, Harlan Ellison’s disowned show, as well as the abominable Logan’s Run and Planet of the Apes series.
I’d like to add STREET HAWK, one of the ‘techno’ series ripped from the KNIGHT RIDER [and that would work fine, too] style.
Mention of AIRWOLF reminded me of the far inferior BLUE THUNDER, based on the Roy Scheider movie.
Also mentioned was AUTOMAN, a bizarre kind of rip off from TRON(!).
Heck, I was trying to list TV series that came from movies, and this list brought back several I had forgotten [mercifully]
off subject:
The mention of Gravitar in the Preview paragraph is apparently outdated, as the domain is up for sale by GoDaddy!
I imagine there are thousands of never seen pilots for all kinds of shows made in the 60s through the 80s. Just thinking of how bad the shows that aired during this time were, the ones they deemed to bad to produce must be comedy gold.
#77
Say what you will of Shatner, he has a talent for expressing
the essence of the poetry of Sarah Palin.
“No rain, no rainbow.”
For a more complete explication:
“Here is the poem, taken verbatim from Palin’s speech, which Shatner read to the accompaniment of bongos:
Soaring through nature’s finest show. Denali, the great one, soaring under the midnight sun. And then the extremes. In the winter time it’s the frozen road that is competing with the view of ice fogged frigid beauty, the cold though, doesn’t it split the Cheechakos from the Sourdoughs? And then in the summertime such extreme summertime about a hundred and fifty degrees hotter than just some months ago, than just some months from now, with fireweed blooming along the frost heaves and merciless rivers that are rushing and carving and reminding us that here, Mother Nature wins. It is as throughout all Alaska that big wild good life teeming along the road that is north to the future.”