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Help[Facts] Re: Prepare the holy hand grenade!
in reply to a message by Nanaea
I did indeed watch Dobie Gillis in the dear ol' late 50's, probably as a junior high schooler. Maynard G. Krebs, of course, was a bit of a hero to us.
Besides being topical to us punks, this show was a welcome change from the cowboy-show saturation we'd endured just a coupla years earlier. (At one time '57-ish there were well over twenty cowboy shows per week on the three networks!)
I scanned through the TV theme lyrics and noted that several seemed never to be played even though the music itself was aired every week. The first verse to "Lucy", for example, I'd never heard.
The last stanza to "I Married Joan" contains an error (trust me).
I believe this show aired before the earth's crust had completely cooled; nevertheless, I've seen every episode. You may recall that Jim Backus, who played Joan's husband Judge Stephens, later was the voice for Mr. Magoo.
TV shows don't have theme lyrics today partially because the cynical execs don't expect them to last -- and they don't. Too many are in the formulaic "Friends" mold, and it's been done earlier, better, and funnier decades ago.
If you want funny today, you've got "Malcolm in the Middle", "Frasier", "Drew Carey", and "Whose Line Is It Anyway" (not a plotted show, but a must-see). Not much else.
A lovely movie and TV actress, Anne Sothern, passed away yesterday at 92. Her show "Private Secretary" brightened our viewing hours in the 50's. Me and a lot of other geezers will remember her fondly.
Besides being topical to us punks, this show was a welcome change from the cowboy-show saturation we'd endured just a coupla years earlier. (At one time '57-ish there were well over twenty cowboy shows per week on the three networks!)
I scanned through the TV theme lyrics and noted that several seemed never to be played even though the music itself was aired every week. The first verse to "Lucy", for example, I'd never heard.
The last stanza to "I Married Joan" contains an error (trust me).
I believe this show aired before the earth's crust had completely cooled; nevertheless, I've seen every episode. You may recall that Jim Backus, who played Joan's husband Judge Stephens, later was the voice for Mr. Magoo.
TV shows don't have theme lyrics today partially because the cynical execs don't expect them to last -- and they don't. Too many are in the formulaic "Friends" mold, and it's been done earlier, better, and funnier decades ago.
If you want funny today, you've got "Malcolm in the Middle", "Frasier", "Drew Carey", and "Whose Line Is It Anyway" (not a plotted show, but a must-see). Not much else.
A lovely movie and TV actress, Anne Sothern, passed away yesterday at 92. Her show "Private Secretary" brightened our viewing hours in the 50's. Me and a lot of other geezers will remember her fondly.
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Replies
The only recent US TV theme with lyrics I know of (aired in Greece, at least) is "the Nanny" (probably a second cousin of Nanaea gone astray).
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The US Army realized belatedly they could have saved themselves days of bombarding Noriega's Panamanian headquarters (and ears) with the amplified tunes of Poison, Whitesnake, etc., and simply played the soundtrack to one episode of "The Nanny". Ol' Manuel would've come running out, ears bleeding copiously, begging for mercy!
Miss Drescher's one redeeming role was her short appearance in "This Is Spinal Tap", a classic non-Python flick that ranks only slightly below "The Holy Grail".
Miss Drescher's one redeeming role was her short appearance in "This Is Spinal Tap", a classic non-Python flick that ranks only slightly below "The Holy Grail".
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That's "Harp" as in the Irish lager -- nuthin' ta do wit' Heaven. Hey, I took P.L.'s (or rather, P.P.P.'s) anagrammed Irish name as a challenge! :)
As for Miss Fran Fine... I may have relatives in Queens, Noo Yawk, but I sure don't tawk like that! :)
-- Nanaea
As for Miss Fran Fine... I may have relatives in Queens, Noo Yawk, but I sure don't tawk like that! :)
-- Nanaea
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Phew! I was meaning to ask you :)
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The Dubbing-Down of Greece...
Something I was wondering about... Obviously you're getting that teevee series in Greece, and it must be dubbed into the Greek language, right? So, did the Greeks actually go to the trouble of finding someone with a voice *that* grating to use for the Greek dubbing of each episode? And, if so, WHERE the heck would they find a Greek chick with a voice like Fran Drescher?
-- Nanaea
Something I was wondering about... Obviously you're getting that teevee series in Greece, and it must be dubbed into the Greek language, right? So, did the Greeks actually go to the trouble of finding someone with a voice *that* grating to use for the Greek dubbing of each episode? And, if so, WHERE the heck would they find a Greek chick with a voice like Fran Drescher?
-- Nanaea
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Last summer on a Greek island I saw an ancient Bruce Lee movie dubbed in German, and got cheesy jollies to last a lifetime. Thankfully English language programs -- with the *Smurfs* being a notable exception -- are not dubbed on Greek TV, so we enjoy Fran's nasal kvetchings unadulterated every sunday morning :) If they ever decided to dub her, I guess the Smurf team would do a decent job.
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