# Name that 80s sketch comedy show! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 20, 2003, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-80s-sketch-comedy-show/156235 "2003-02-20T00:13:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-80s-sketch-comedy-show/156235/1 "2003-02-20T00:13:38Z")
There were maybe 8 episodes in total. It was on some time in the 80s (I’m going to say 1983 but definitely pre-1986) I believe on NBC, Saturday nights after Saturday Night Live. Jim Staahl was on it and one of the characters he played was “Mister Fridge.” He was the living embodiment of a refrigerator and when he talked a light went on in his mouth. Gail Matthius did a Valley Girl sketch. I think Sturat Pankow was on it as well but I’m not sure. IMDB doesn’t list it as a credit for either Staahl or Matthius. Anyone? ---
**Author:** ![widdershins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f0a364/32.png) [@widdershins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/widdershins)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-80s-sketch-comedy-show/156235/2 "2003-02-20T01:42:27Z")
Could it have been “The New Show” which ran on NBC for less than one season in 1984? It doesn’t match up with the actors you mentioned but the time frame fits. Could it have been a first run syndicated sketch show. or are you certain that it was an original NBC network show? ---
**Author:** ![Phouchg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/41988e/32.png) [@Phouchg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phouchg)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-80s-sketch-comedy-show/156235/3 "2003-02-20T02:08:59Z")
Damn! I know exactly which show you are talking about - in Boston it ran on Saturday nights at 6 on channel 56, so if you saw it after SNL then it was syndicated. There was a geeky guy in school who started calling himself “Mr. Refrigerator”…but for the life of me I can’t recall what it is called. “Out of Control”? “The TV Show”? I don’t think it’s “the New Show” cause I used to watch that one (Floont Artney and Zud Botnip rock!) Sorry, man - I know I am going to lose sleep over this one. Phouchg Lovable Rogue ---
**Author:** ![widdershins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f0a364/32.png) [@widdershins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/widdershins)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-80s-sketch-comedy-show/156235/4 "2003-02-20T02:18:17Z")
Based on **Phouchg** ’s info it can’t be “The New Show”, since it rans on Friday nights during prime time. No idea then. ---
**Author:** ![Fibber\_McGee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a6a055/32.png) [@Fibber\_McGee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fibber_McGee)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-80s-sketch-comedy-show/156235/5 "2003-02-20T02:29:12Z")
I thought it might be _Bizarre_ a syndicated sketch show that ran on 56 here in the Boston area in the 80’s. Can’t be though, because _Bizarre_ lasted for five seasons. I know it wasn’t _Out of Control_ though. That was the show with Dave Coulier as the host of a bizarre talk show that ran on Nickelodeon back in the early days when it was actually a pretty cool channel. ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-80s-sketch-comedy-show/156235/6 "2003-02-20T03:42:32Z")
Could it be the short-lived Michael Nesmith series “Elephant Parts”, which aired part of its’ run in roughly the same time slot mentioned? ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Harvey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac8455/32.png) [@Max\_Harvey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Harvey)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-80s-sketch-comedy-show/156235/7 "2003-02-20T04:19:42Z")
Maybe called “Laff Traxx”? I found two newsgroup posts linking that show to Staahl and Matthius: [here](http://groups.google.com/groups?q=%22jim+staahl%22&start=10&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&selm=7vpu58%24gg%241%40holly.prod.itd.earthlink.net&rnum=11) and [here](http://groups.google.com/groups?q=%22laff+trax%22&start=10&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&selm=snl_credits_931101%40hydra.acs.uci.edu&rnum=19). IMDB and Google have nothing. I definitely remember the guy with the light in his mouth, but I seem to recall it being on USA, possibly between airings of “Night Flight”. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-80s-sketch-comedy-show/156235/8 "2003-02-20T15:02:22Z")
It wasn’t Elephant Parts. “Laff Traxx” doesn’t sound familiar but since I can’t remember the name of the show that could be it. ---
**Author:** ![Jberto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8baadc/32.png) [@Jberto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jberto)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2003, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-80s-sketch-comedy-show/156235/9 "2003-02-22T05:06:04Z")
Totally remote possibilities: 1. **Not Necessarily the News**. I think you meant “Stuart Pankin,” not “Pankow,” and Stuart was on this show, although it apparently ran for 7-8 seasons. Ran on HBO for a few years in the early 80’s, famouns for Rich Hall’s “Sniglets” definitions. [http://us.imdb.com/Details?0085065](http://us.imdb.com/Details?0085065) 2. **Fridays** , which had Michael Richards from _Seinfeld_. Ran on Friday nights, natch, from 1980-1982. [http://www.tvtome.com/tvtome/servlet/ShowMainServlet/showid-3599/](http://www.tvtome.com/tvtome/servlet/ShowMainServlet/showid-3599/) Neither of these sites list Jim or Gail as regulars, though. Fridays and NNTH were both sketch comedy shows, so did perhaps Gail & Jim make guest appearances? Or were they regulars on the show you’re trying to identify? ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2003, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-80s-sketch-comedy-show/156235/10 "2003-02-22T05:23:42Z")
In 1980 Jim Staahl was a writer for _Big City Comedy with John Candy_ which only lasted one series before Candy returned to SCTV. _The New Show_ only lasted 6 episodes. More SCTV info is [here](http://sctvguide.ca/episodes/sctv_ps.htm#the_new_show) ---
**Author:** ![SolGrundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@SolGrundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SolGrundy)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2003, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-80s-sketch-comedy-show/156235/11 "2003-02-22T06:49:56Z")
hijack: I’d forgotten all about “The New Show!” Man, I loved that. Floont Artney was awesome, as was “Den of Revulsion.” (“Wait, those aren’t baby eels – they’re leeches!”) And I think it was Steve Martin’s New Show Manifesto that started the now-commonly-used quote “Quality, wholesome entertainment for the whole damn family.” ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2003, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-80s-sketch-comedy-show/156235/12 "2003-02-22T07:08:23Z")
“The Half-Hour Comedy Hour”? ---
**Author:** ![tanstaafl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@tanstaafl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanstaafl)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2003, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-80s-sketch-comedy-show/156235/13 "2003-02-22T14:41:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Governor Quinn \* > \*\*Could it be the short-lived Michael Nesmith series “Elephant Parts”, which aired part of its’ run in roughly the same time slot mentioned? \*\* _Elephant Parts_ was a movie. The TV series “based” on the movie was called _Television Parts_. I think there was a Steve Martin vehicle out in the early 80’s that was a similar sketch-comedy type show. I remember they did a fairly funny version of _1984_. (Things like “The Ministry of Getting Down” which was a disco/nightclub with the big screen of Big Brother on the wall yelling “Let’s boogie!”.) Can’t remember the name though and it doesn’t seem to show up in the IMDB. ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2003, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-80s-sketch-comedy-show/156235/14 "2003-02-22T15:02:17Z")
I remember that show. It was definitley _Laugh Trax_ (not completely sure of the spelling). Howie Mandel also did standup bits. My favorite part was Mr. Fridge, though. In the Syracuse area it was on very late at night,possibly post-SNL. I found a brief reference to it here: [http://movieweb.com/movie/dougs1st/dougs1st.txt](http://movieweb.com/movie/dougs1st/dougs1st.txt) in the Frank Welker section: > [@](#): > > "He was a regular > in Knotts’ weekly television series, and later > co-starred in the television series “Laugh Trax” > with Howie Mandel and Jim Staahl. "