I’m watching Futurama right now, and this episode is one of Al Gore’s two appearances on the show. It’s hilarious. I admit it’s more because it’s him than because of his comic talent, although his “I have ridden the mighty Moon Worm!” and “Peace out, y’all!” are great. But at any rate it’s very funny.
What are your favorite TV guest appearances?
Gary Gygax (sp?), also from Futurama.
"Greetings! It’s a "<rolls dice> “pleasure to meet you!”
Anthony LaPaglia’s Emmy-winning guest appearances on Fraiser as Daphne’s drunken brother Simon. Funny, funny stuff.
When you contrast it against his simultaneous role as Jack Malone on Without A Trace, you can see what a truly versatile actor he really is.
Suzanne Pleshette’s (i’m sure I misspelled that) appearance in the final “Newhart” episode was great.
I’m trying to think of something good, but the only thing that comes to mind right now is:
Charo
&
The Love Boat
John Cleese on Cheers as the expert on a happy marriage. Just plain spectacular.
Richard Nixon on Laugh-In
Also from Cheers, Emma Thompson playing the children’s singer who gets in a catfight with Lilith over Frasier. Absolutely hilarious.
Mel Brooks on Mad About You. I have heard that these scenes were never scripted.
Carl Reiner on Mad About You. John Cleese on Third Rock from the Sun. William Shatner on Third Rock. (Which lead to the classic exchange between him and Lithgow about their mutual flying experiences…)
Vincent Dinofrio (sp?) on Homicide.
There was an episode of Letterman where he was taping in London. Anyway Peter O’Toole came out riding a camel while the band played the theme from Laurence of Arabia.
With the music playing the whole time, Peter O’Toole (who was probably 75 at this point) jumped off the camel’s back, pulled like a 32 ounce can of Heineken out of his jacket, cracked it open, stuck it in the camels mouth, and the camel tilted his head back and chugged the beer in like 5 seconds.
Then O’Toole turns to Dave and says, “I believe you call that a stupid pet trick.”
555-6713…555-6713…555-6713… I don’t remember if that was the actual number but it was hilarious.
Marc
Two more I loved from that show:
-Don Rickles as the world’s most obnoxious washed-up actor turned small town Vermont talk show host (“Pick on Dick! Pick on Dick!”)
-Johnny Carson as himself as the best friend of Larry, Darryl & Darryl
Wallace Shawn made several guest appearances on Murphy Brown as Stuart Best (from, I’m guessing Stuart Sutcliffe & Pete Best), the “Fifth” member of the FYI staff who was dropped in the first season for being annoying. He was absolutely hysterical everytime, especially when he’s elected to Congress due to Aryan Nation financial support and has to read their manifesto during a debate.
Squirming and terrified: “Slavery is an ugly word… but then so is welfare…”
Later when he becomes a lobbyist for the tobacco industry he has a complete breakdown and screams “I’m a pimp for the industry of death!”
That was a great moment. I also loved the fact that O’Toole never took his cigarette holder out of his mouth while dismounting and giving the beer to the camel.
Of course the Sonny & Cher reunion was also pretty amazing, or the time he gave Gavin McLeod a marching band parade through the street.
Did anybody see Whitman “Grady” Mayo’s appearance on Conan O’Brien a few years ago? That was incredible.
David Cross as “slow Donny” on Just Shoot Me. Normally a pretty run-of-the-mill show, that episode reached some sort of comic critical mass that made it WAY better than it had any right to be.
“Donny’s pants are tight”
“Donny wants a kiss like on Showtime”
Better than that it was a militant off shoot of the Aryan Nation.
Alice Cooper’s appearance on Gene Wilder’s short-lived “Something Wilder.” I think I’m the only person who remembers this.
Alf - each and every time he shows up.
Like on Talk Soup.
Talk Soup also had a guest shot from the MST3K bunch - I forget if it was Crow, or Tom, or both.
There was a great episode of Frasier where Derek Jacobi plays a washed up Shakesperian actor Frasier and Niles remember from childhood. The guy had performed a few lines from “Hamlet” at their elementary school, and they thought he was fabulous. Fast forward to when Frasier sees him at a sci-fi convention and convinces him to give “Hamlet” another try, with Frasier and Niles as producers. Turns out he’s absolutely horrible and Frasier and Niles have to figure out what to do before they are embarassed in front of family and friends for bringing this guy on stage.
And then there was that episode where Bob Hoskins plays the gym teacher Frasier keeps seeing whenever he looks at his girlfriend.
David Hyde Pierce on the Simpsons as Sideshow Bob’s brother.
Steven Hawking on the Simpsons.
Johnny Carson on Mary Tyler Moore. (“Mary? Do you have a dog? Then one of your guests is licking my face.”)
David Schwimmer on The Single Guy.
Marissa Tomei, Mel Torme, Clint Howard, and David Letterman on Seinfeld.