# Embarrassingly bad "comic relief" in old TV drama **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** tv-shows-scripted\ **Created:** [May 29, 2021, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarrassingly-bad-comic-relief-in-old-tv-drama/943187 "2021-05-29T21:14:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2021, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarrassingly-bad-comic-relief-in-old-tv-drama/943187/41 "2021-05-31T03:33:52Z")
In the case of the latter, it was the studios’ belief that audiences couldn’t handle too much zany comedy in a movie and needed the romantic sub-plots (and musical numbers) as breathers. The films the Marx Brothers did for MGM are also notorious examples of this. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2021, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarrassingly-bad-comic-relief-in-old-tv-drama/943187/42 "2021-05-31T05:46:08Z")
Hell, 1968 was “a long time ago” by 1971. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2021, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarrassingly-bad-comic-relief-in-old-tv-drama/943187/43 "2021-05-31T05:56:53Z")
The “comic relief” ST:TOS episode “I, Mudd” was embarrassingly bad doublepluscringeworthy in its entirety. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2021, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarrassingly-bad-comic-relief-in-old-tv-drama/943187/44 "2021-05-31T06:16:28Z")
> [@NDP](#): > > In the case of the latter, it was the studios’ belief that audiences couldn’t handle too much zany comedy in a movie and needed the romantic sub-plots (and musical numbers) as breathers. The films the Marx Brothers did for MGM are also notorious examples of this. A lot of Hollywood movies still add romance subplots even when they add nothing to the movie. _Pearl Harbor_ is one of the more egregious examples I can think of. You mean to tell me that the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the subsequent Doolittle Raid wasn’t dramatic enough so they had to add a lame love triangle to the story? I believe many producers think this will appeal to women in the audience so that’s why we get lame romance subplots. And, holy hell, Pearl Harbor is an old movie now too! I can’t think of any old bad comic relief in television dramas off the top of my head. But, yeah, the clown music that would play during such scenes rings a bell. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2021, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarrassingly-bad-comic-relief-in-old-tv-drama/943187/45 "2021-05-31T15:49:36Z")
I thought they added the romantic triangle to Pearl Harbor to make it more of a classic war movie. Action movies both made and set in the 1990’s-2000’s had ubermench special forces elites protecting a fat post-Vietnam society of family guy sclubs from evil. 1940’s movies had the schlubs themselves obligated to do the fighting. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2021, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarrassingly-bad-comic-relief-in-old-tv-drama/943187/46 "2021-05-31T16:07:34Z")
The dwarf tossing jokes in the Lord of the Rings movies. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2021, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarrassingly-bad-comic-relief-in-old-tv-drama/943187/47 "2021-05-31T16:36:14Z")
Yeah. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@salinqmind1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind1)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2021, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarrassingly-bad-comic-relief-in-old-tv-drama/943187/48 "2021-05-31T18:47:43Z")
Plinky ‘pizzacato’ string plucking is a cue that humor is happening. Usually during a farcical scene where someone is sneaking around on some silly mission to get out of a jam. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@salinqmind1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind1)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2021, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarrassingly-bad-comic-relief-in-old-tv-drama/943187/49 "2021-05-31T22:36:23Z")
Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo is unbearable to watch, IMO, because of the icky glurgey sickly sweet marriage of brave Van Johnson and his awesomely loving knocked up wife. I want to puke, it is so over-the-top as she plans to sit at home and gestate, holding back tears, while her hero is off doing his millitary duty. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2021, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarrassingly-bad-comic-relief-in-old-tv-drama/943187/50 "2021-05-31T23:18:25Z")
I just saw the first season “Dale the Whale” episode - Monk took a visible delight in Dale’s impotent rage after Monk solved the case (also Monk was intensely irritated by the sauce dripping down his therapist’s face when they met during lunch hour - but Monk was not freaked out, just irritated). ---
**Author:** ![BrickBat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac91a4/32.png) [@BrickBat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrickBat)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2021, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarrassingly-bad-comic-relief-in-old-tv-drama/943187/51 "2021-06-01T00:05:31Z")
Oh man is it ever glurge-ey AF. The domestic saccharine is horrible as you note. While flying and he finds out his wife is expecting, the sing-along of ‘rock-a-bye-baby’ by the bomber crew as they bank the plane back and forth made me near throw up in my mouth. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@salinqmind1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind1)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2021, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarrassingly-bad-comic-relief-in-old-tv-drama/943187/52 "2021-06-01T00:21:20Z")
It’s almost Saturday Night Live over-the-top. 🤢 ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2021, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarrassingly-bad-comic-relief-in-old-tv-drama/943187/53 "2021-06-01T00:40:13Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > I know there were episodes _supposed_ to be serious, but they were still horrible comic relief. (Ed Wood tried to do his movies seriously.) Even this one? [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/-D2SHNqkjbY/hqdefault.jpg "Quark tells his nephew something about humans") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-D2SHNqkjbY) ---
**Author:** ![Dropo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@Dropo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dropo)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2021, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarrassingly-bad-comic-relief-in-old-tv-drama/943187/54 "2021-06-01T03:17:44Z")
Not sure this really belongs here, but…. I watched an episode of the _Adam-12_ TV series from 1969 entitled “Log 172: The Things You Do for the Job.” In this episode, Officer Pete Malloy (Martin Milner) is stalked by a rich 20-something woman (Ahna Capri, best known for _Enter the Dragon_) whom he ticketed for speeding. She insists on dating him despite Pete telling her repeatedly he is not interested (“You turn me off!”) Among other things, she makes several false reports to the police to lure him to her and even tries to give him a Porsche 911 Targa! After being told by his supervisor to settle the matter, Pete finally gives in and agrees to a date (despite the fact he has already claimed cops are forbidden from fraternizing with those they encounter on the job). We never see the date, but Pete tells his partner the next day that they had dinner, caught a show and went dancing. He then adds cryptically: “She’s not gonna be a problem anymore. Not at all.” His partner smirks. The end. While the ending may not be “embarrassingly bad comic relief,” it seems intended to be lighthearted… and yet the unmistakable finality of Pete’s assertion and his partner’s understanding smirk have decidedly sinister undertones. A detailed episode description with screenshots as well as various theories about the ending can be found on this blog… > **[Log 172: Boy...the Things You Do for the Job (Episode 24, Season 1)](http://lincolnxrayida.blogspot.com/2015/02/log-172-boythe-things-you-do-for-job.html)** > > Well, cats and kittens, here we are at the most debated Adam-12 episode of the first season. It may even be the most debated episode of any... ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2021, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarrassingly-bad-comic-relief-in-old-tv-drama/943187/55 "2021-06-01T07:35:45Z")
You realize, of course, that the movie is largely biographical. Pilot Ted Lawson was a real person and participated in its filming. The however sappy they may seem, the events depicting his home life were more or less accurate. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2021, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarrassingly-bad-comic-relief-in-old-tv-drama/943187/56 "2021-06-01T07:44:08Z")
As much as I love _ **Columbo** _, I often cringe at the attempts to inject some levity into his murder investigations. Especially when violins are being plucked in the background. I think the longest such sequence occurred when he was trying to get some information from a Human Resources officer who was in love with her computer. (She now reminds of Catherine Tate’s “Travel Agent” character—“Computer says ‘No!’”) On his way out, of course, he retrieved the cigar he was forced to put out while he waited. 🥺 ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2021, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarrassingly-bad-comic-relief-in-old-tv-drama/943187/57 "2021-06-01T08:22:05Z")
> [@dorvann](#): > > I nominate the Pakleds from the episode “Samaritan Snare”. The Pakleds most certainly weren’t comic relief. In universe, that their dimwittedness provoked mirth, pity, or confusion was something they deliberately exploited in order to gain the upper hand in interactions with alien species. And by extension, out of universe, their apparently risible behaviour was not humour for humour’s sake, but rather a device that the writers used to surprise the audience with a plot twist. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@salinqmind1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind1)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2021, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarrassingly-bad-comic-relief-in-old-tv-drama/943187/58 "2021-06-01T14:40:30Z")
oh yes, I got that… Doesn’t make it any less sappy. 🙄 ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2021, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarrassingly-bad-comic-relief-in-old-tv-drama/943187/59 "2021-06-01T15:27:17Z")
> [@Dropo](#): > > Not sure this really belongs here, but…. > > I watched an episode of the _Adam-12_ TV series from 1969 entitled “Log 172: The Things You Do for the Job.” In this episode, Officer Pete Malloy (Martin Milner) is stalked by a rich 20-something woman (Ahna Capri, best known for _Enter the Dragon_) whom he ticketed for speeding. She insists on dating him despite Pete telling her repeatedly he is not interested (“You turn me off!”) Among other things, she makes several false reports to the police to lure him to her and even tries to give him a Porsche 911 Targa! > > After being told by his supervisor to settle the matter, Pete finally gives in and agrees to a date (despite the fact he has already claimed cops are forbidden from fraternizing with those they encounter on the job). We never see the date, but Pete tells his partner the next day that they had dinner, caught a show and went dancing. He then adds cryptically: “She’s not gonna be a problem anymore. Not at all.” His partner smirks. The end. I guess we’ll never know what he did with the body. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2021, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarrassingly-bad-comic-relief-in-old-tv-drama/943187/60 "2021-06-01T16:48:43Z")
> [@solost](#): > > [quote=“Son\_of\_a\_Rich, post:16, topic:943187, full:true”] Not funny blackened-soot face blowed up, nothing left to bury blowed up. That’s the best kind of blowed up. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarrassingly-bad-comic-relief-in-old-tv-drama/943187.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarrassingly-bad-comic-relief-in-old-tv-drama/943187.md?page=4)