Kliph Nesteroff Presents "a portal into a previously unseen world" - The Guardian
"Invaluable" - The Onion AV Club
"Important" - John Hodgman, The Daily Show
Captain Nice is the best of today's neglected sitcom offerings, and that probably has more than a little to do with the script from Mr. Buck Henry. It even has one of those familiar, "I asked you not to tell me that!" lines that were common over on Get Smart.
Before the feature-length, animated, theatrical release A Boy Named Charlie Brown was released in 1969, a live-action documentary showing a day in the life of Charles Schulz was made with the same name. Here's a five minute sample.
Here's a nice solid chunk of The Joe Pyne Show. The program has been showcased on Classic Television Showbiz twice before, and if I had access to more of this footage it would appear as often as possible. Always fascinating, combative and generally reactionary, you gotta hand it to Pyne. He was brave enough to bring on some very articulate people with totally opposing viewpoints and gave them a forum. Although he may have been utterly rude to them - he was generally rude to everyone. Compare this to a Bill O'Reilly today who is rude to a Phil Donahue but polite and complimentary to an Anne Coulter. Or a Glenn Beck who simply would never have anybody as far to the left on his show as Pyne has here.
There are three notable things about this episode of To Tell the Truth and no, the fact that host Bud Collyer used to play Superman on the old radio show isn't one of them. The questioning revolves primarily around Okefenokee Swamp, which is the location where Walt Kelly's legendary Pogo comic strip took place. Pogo is mentioned several times, mostly by the two comedians on the panel, Orson Bean and Tom Poston who appear to be big fans of the great satirical cartoonist's work. Secondly, the real such and such sings a song at the end of the game titled Swamp Country. The obscure country-folk tune was used as the title track for a trashy drive-in moonshine exploitation film of the same name. The incredibly amateurish 1966 film is a great piece of junk and the infectious theme is played throughout. It has been released on DVD by the fine company Something Weird Video. Lastly, one of the contestants playing the game is the not yet famous film critic Rex Reed!
Evel Knievel 1938-2007. Also go to this podcast and scroll to the 13:30 mark to hear the 1974 LP Evel Knievel, featuring songs about Evel Knievel and poetry written and recited by the man(!).
Captain Nice is the best of today's neglected sitcom offerings, and that probably has more than a little to do with the script from Mr. Buck Henry. It even has one of those familiar, "I asked you not to tell me that!" lines that were common over on Get Smart.
