Cool things you probably haven't heard of....
The Uncle Floyd Show
The kids show that wasn't for kids.
The Legendary New Jersey based 'Uncle Floyd Show', a UHF and then WNBC based variety show featured zany skits, Burlesque and Vaudeville type jokes, ventriloquism and General Absurd Lunacy. It also had some of the slyest double entendre imaginable. Uncle Floyd had a cast of talented weirdoes who, when they weren't doing silly bits, would joke, comment and applaud off camera giving the show a feeling of a Gong Show in a Frat House.
Floyd Vivino who can play over 13 musical instruments is nothing short of a musical genius. Vivino holds several Guiness Book records for piano playing and his brother Jimmy is the guest band leader on 'The Conan O'Brian Show'.
The great thing about Uncle Floyd is he is funny. He is a great old time comedian in the mold of Jack Benny, Henny Youngman and Groucho Marx. Plus, when his jokes were falling flat, he had the enviable ability to sit down and play absolutely ANYTHING on the piano without sheet music.
Uncle Floyd may have been just another silly, ULTRA low budget show, if it wasn't so frequently copied as Uncle Floyd gags and skits would often appear in Saturday Night Live skits or on the PeeWee Herman show. Everyone copied The Uncle Floyd Show
Courtesy of Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floyd_Vivino)
Among the many acts appearing were the Ramones (multiple appearances, some captured on a recent DVD release), the Misfits, Squeeze, Bon Jovi, Aztec Two-Step, Jan & Dean, Thor (the singer/bodybuilder), the John Earl Walker Band, Cyndi Lauper, Blotto (band), Gary U.S. Bonds, David Johansson (a.k.a. Buster Poindexter), Rachel Sweet, the Smithereens, the Rattlers, the Feelies, Dramarama, Shrapnel, the Bongos, U.S.Ape, Fats Deacon & the Dumbwaiters, the Buttermilk Mountain Revue, Zoogz Rift, Crash Course In Science, the Stickmen, Zeb, Rebecca Williams, the Brains, Rupert Holmes, Eddie Money, Dave Edmunds, Rick Derringer, Chubby Checker, The Marshall Tucker Band, Blue Oyster Cult, Steel Pulse, the Lords of the New Church, the Dead Boys, the Payolas, and Tiny Tim .
The Ramones and David Bowie both mention Uncle Floyd in a one of their songs. David Bowie was introduced to the show by long time fan, John Lennon.
Strangers with Candy (USA TV)
You have to be a little weird, or really into comedy to understand Strangers with Candy. Firstly, it's totally original. It has it's own weird blend of sarcasm, zany antics and belly laughs. Plus, it's one of the only Absurdist comedies out there, so sometimes you have to think for a moment. It's like a modern day experimental comedy troop doing an After School Special from the 1970s.
I never gave this show a chance until my friend Robert pretty much forced me to watch at knifepoint. I remember I never liked to watch the show because Jeri Blank was so damned ugly.
Boy was I wrong. Now, I'm always turning people on to the show and they are like, "Whoa, where did THIS come from?!" The show was only on for 3 seasons, but it had some phenomenal, funny moments. I mean, stratospheric, laugh-of-a-lifetime laughs. I'm talking 'Honeymooners Laughs', or 'Odd Couple Laughs' here.
A Strangers with Candy Movie is in the works! Check it out here....
Trailer Park Boys (Canadian Cable)
This is the funniest comedy I have seen in the last 10 years. TPB is one of the most consistently well written comedies, which is wildly ironic since most of the TV show looks like it is improvised on the spot.
Now, a lot of TPB is the typical sophomoric humor young men appreciate. You know, the usual 'Dick and Joint' humor. But beneath all of the weed jokes beats a heart of gold. These characters truly love and care for each other in very weird but legitimate and honest ways. It's like 'Cheech and Chong' meet 'The Waltons' in Canada. It's funny and it's believable, wonderful and tragic.
I've never seen a TV series get better and better for so long. Unfortunately, this all came crashing down in the 'only-mildy-hysterical' 5th season. You can only fly close to the sun for so long. I have high hopes for next season.