# Stupidest Excuse To Have A Celebrity On The TV Show **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 14, 2010, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-excuse-to-have-a-celebrity-on-the-tv-show/524981 "2010-01-14T20:30:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-excuse-to-have-a-celebrity-on-the-tv-show/524981/1 "2010-01-14T20:30:27Z")
I was watching a rerun of _the Odd Couple_, and on this episode, Felix’s daughter Edna, runs away to become a [Paul Williams](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Williams_(songwriter)) groupie. I mean who in the heck is a Paul Williams groupie 😕 OK obviously it’s an excuse to get Paul Williams on the show. But to make the girl want to follow Paul Williams around c’mon. OK the guy was a good songwriter, but still. On the other hand when they turned Archie Bunker into a part time cab driver, this made sense. The purpose of that was to get Sammy Davis Jr in the cab and thus meet Archie. Sammy Davis Jr, said he was a big fan of the show. So what, in your view, were REALLY STUPID plot lines, for the sole purpose of getting a celebrity on the show? ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-excuse-to-have-a-celebrity-on-the-tv-show/524981/2 "2010-01-14T20:50:35Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > So what, in your view, were REALLY STUPID plot lines, for the sole purpose of getting a celebrity on the show? This kind of thing was pretty common. One of the worst Dick van Dyke shows involved him hiding the British band Paul Revere and the Raiders, who were appearing on the Alan Brady show, from a mob of adoring fans. Maybe I was running with the wrong crowd at the time, but any mob would have consisted of two girls, tops. Not a plot line, but the best case I know of a celeb who didn’t get it was William F. Buckley on Laugh In. He would only appear if one of the cast members asked him a serious question and got a serious answer. Tricky Dick was a with-it happening guy compared to WFB. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-excuse-to-have-a-celebrity-on-the-tv-show/524981/3 "2010-01-14T20:55:46Z")
One that comes to mind was from **Alice** : Mel was trying to sell more chili, and found out that Vera was related in some bizarre oblique way to Art Carney. So, they set out to meet him and get him to agree to promote the stuff as “Chili Con Carney.” ---
**Author:** ![Meltdown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Meltdown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meltdown)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-excuse-to-have-a-celebrity-on-the-tv-show/524981/4 "2010-01-14T21:03:44Z")
The Brady Bunch did this a bunch of times. Without ever mentioning his name before in the show (or since), it turned out in one episode that Marcia was president of the Davy Jones fanclub! Local chapter, I’m sure, but still. They also found ways to get Desi Arnaz Jr. and Don Drysdale as well (in different episodes) – but I’ve long since forgotten the reasons. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-excuse-to-have-a-celebrity-on-the-tv-show/524981/5 "2010-01-14T21:21:03Z")
> [@Meltdown](#): > > The Brady Bunch did this a bunch of times. Without ever mentioning his name before in the show (or since), it turned out in one episode that Marcia was president of the Davy Jones fanclub! Local chapter, I’m sure, but still. > > They also found ways to get Desi Arnaz Jr. and Don Drysdale as well (in different episodes) – but I’ve long since forgotten the reasons. Cindy accidentally put Marcia’s diary, which had declarations of her love for Desi, in the box of stuff that was going to the thrift store. Desi got hold of it an returned it to her. Desi was far out. I think Don Drysdale was the boyfriend of one of Greg’s teachers, whom he had a crush on (the teacher, not Don Drysdale). You’re welcome!😃 I generally regard the guest appearances on Will & Grace to be among the best but the one with Barry Manilow, where all the fans are camped on the sidewalk was kind of weak. Not the episode itself, but the premise that he has fans. ---
**Author:** ![Sweet\_Raisin\_Danish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47774/32.png) [@Sweet\_Raisin\_Danish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sweet_Raisin_Danish)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-excuse-to-have-a-celebrity-on-the-tv-show/524981/6 "2010-01-14T22:04:37Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > Cindy accidentally put Marcia’s diary, which had declarations of her love for Desi, in the box of stuff that was going to the thrift store. Desi got hold of it an returned it to her. Desi was far out. > > I think Don Drysdale was the boyfriend of one of Greg’s teachers, whom he had a crush on (the teacher, not Don Drysdale). Actually, the teacher’s boyfriend was a different Dodger – Wes Parker. Don Drysdale came about because Mr. Brady was designing his new home. Both somewhat plausible appearance, I suppose, given living in LA. But there was also the episode where Bobby claims to know Joe Namath and writes to him pretending to be terminally ill – and good ole Joe shows up!!! The Cosby Show had a lot of celebrities appear, but most of them didn’t play themselves – the most egregious example that fits the thread, though, was when Denise and Theo crash into Stevie Wonder’s limo and so naturally, Stevie invites the whole family to sit in on a recording session – happens every day!!! ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-excuse-to-have-a-celebrity-on-the-tv-show/524981/7 "2010-01-14T23:12:30Z")
In _the Brady Bunch_ Alice was friends with Lucille Ball’s housekeeper. So Alice asked, her friend to ask Desi Jr to come over and cheer up Marcia. _The Dick Van Dyke Show_, Well they were writers of a variety show, so I can see how it’s plausable for any celebrity to show up. I could see others on _the Odd Couple_ because they had a lot of sports people as guests and Oscar was a sportswriter. I also have to admit I was surprised at the number of famous people that happened into Mel’s Diner though. The reason was of course, Mel won lots of local awards for his Chili. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-excuse-to-have-a-celebrity-on-the-tv-show/524981/8 "2010-01-14T23:15:52Z")
They did this on a regular basis, on \*I Love Lucy, \*often disinterring some long-forgotten Vaudeville star, or on their trip to California. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-excuse-to-have-a-celebrity-on-the-tv-show/524981/9 "2010-01-14T23:16:08Z")
The gold standard has to be First Lady Nancy Reagan on [Diff’Rent Strokes](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3n_8GpyuzA). She read Arnold’s story in the local paper. BTW this was perfectly savaged in the show **Extras** , when Coldplay makes an appearance on _When The Whistle Blows_ ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-excuse-to-have-a-celebrity-on-the-tv-show/524981/10 "2010-01-14T23:18:30Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > They did this on a regular basis, on \*I Love Lucy, \*often disinterring some long-forgotten Vaudeville star, or on their trip to California. And one time, Superman. What up with _that?_ ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-excuse-to-have-a-celebrity-on-the-tv-show/524981/11 "2010-01-14T23:19:44Z")
I always thought that Tootie on Facts of Life being a hardcore Jermaine Jackson fan and begging Mrs. Garrett in tears to let her see him in concert was a bit hard to swallow. I get the feeling they would rather have had Michael on but couldn’t get him, so Jermaine was the next logical step. ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-excuse-to-have-a-celebrity-on-the-tv-show/524981/12 "2010-01-14T23:25:29Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > This kind of thing was pretty common. One of the worst Dick van Dyke shows involved him hiding the British band Paul Revere and the Raiders, who were appearing on the Alan Brady show, from a mob of adoring fans. Maybe I was running with the wrong crowd at the time, but any mob would have consisted of two girls, tops. Not quite - the group was “The Redcoats,” and they were played by Chad and Jeremy. The show was spoofing Beatlemania. Granted, Chad and Jeremy didn’t have the following the Beatles did - but according to the show, “The Redcoats” did! Too bad the show’s budget didn’t allow for using the Dave Clark Five, or some other band that would have been a little more credible! ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-excuse-to-have-a-celebrity-on-the-tv-show/524981/13 "2010-01-14T23:25:51Z")
Dick Clark on Batman. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Anamorphic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anamorphic/32/3057_2.png) [@Anamorphic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anamorphic)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-excuse-to-have-a-celebrity-on-the-tv-show/524981/14 "2010-01-14T23:31:27Z")
The classic Doobie Brothers episode of What’s Happening!?. The Doobie Brothers are in town performing, and everyone is all a-buzz. (Were inner-city black youths big fans of the Doobie Brothers in the 70s? I was too young to be aware of pop culture at the time, but that seems kind of strange today). Somehow, Rerun (or was it Dwayne, hey-HEY-hey) gets mixed up with scalpers illegally selling tickets to the show. The Doobie’s somehow found out and convinced them to help them catch the scalpers. I don’t remember much else about the episode, except the ending, where the scalpers realized the jig was up and tried to escape from the diner, but there were Doobies blocking every exit. ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-excuse-to-have-a-celebrity-on-the-tv-show/524981/15 "2010-01-14T23:35:24Z")
> [@Anamorphic](#): > > The classic Doobie Brothers episode of What’s Happening!?. The Doobie Brothers are in town performing, and everyone is all a-buzz. (Were inner-city black youths big fans of the Doobie Brothers in the 70s? I was too young to be aware of pop culture at the time, but that seems kind of strange today). > > Somehow, Rerun (or was it Dwayne, hey-HEY-hey) gets mixed up with scalpers illegally selling tickets to the show. I don’t remember much else about the episode, except the ending, where the scalpers realized the jig was up and tried to escape from the diner, but there were Doobies blocking every exit. I remember that one. The bad guys were using Rerun to illegally record the concert. And apparently, the Doobie Brothers typically take it upon themselves track down and stop this kind of activity themselves. ---
**Author:** ![Anamorphic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anamorphic/32/3057_2.png) [@Anamorphic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anamorphic)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-excuse-to-have-a-celebrity-on-the-tv-show/524981/16 "2010-01-14T23:37:59Z")
> [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](#): > > I remember that one. The bad guys were using Rerun to illegally record the concert. And apparently, the Doobie Brothers typically take it upon themselves track down and stop this kind of activity themselves. Ah, I think you’re right, it was bootlegging, not scalping! ---
**Author:** ![cuauhtemoc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecb155/32.png) [@cuauhtemoc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cuauhtemoc)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-excuse-to-have-a-celebrity-on-the-tv-show/524981/17 "2010-01-14T23:38:42Z")
> [@Sweet\_Raisin\_Danish](#): > > The Cosby Show had a lot of celebrities appear, but most of them didn’t play themselves – the most egregious example that fits the thread, though, was when Denise and Theo crash into Stevie Wonder’s limo and so naturally, Stevie invites the whole family to sit in on a recording session – happens every day!!! Jammin’ on the one! ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-excuse-to-have-a-celebrity-on-the-tv-show/524981/18 "2010-01-14T23:56:53Z")
Mr. Ed did this a lot. Dear Abbey, George Burns, May West, Jack LaLanne… There are more but I can’t think of them. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2010, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-excuse-to-have-a-celebrity-on-the-tv-show/524981/19 "2010-01-15T01:38:07Z")
> [@Labdad](#): > > Not quite - the group was “The Redcoats,” and they were played by Chad and Jeremy. The show was spoofing Beatlemania. Granted, Chad and Jeremy didn’t have the following the Beatles did - but according to the show, “The Redcoats” did! Too bad the show’s budget didn’t allow for using the Dave Clark Five, or some other band that would have been a little more credible! Chad and Jeremy also got on “Batman” with the Catwoman trying to steal their voices. [http://www.tv.com/batman-1966/the-bats-kow-tow/episode/6413/summary.html](http://www.tv.com/batman-1966/the-bats-kow-tow/episode/6413/summary.html) Of course “Batman” had all kinds of celebrities that just happen to open their window in the middle of a Bat-Climb. Chad and Jeremy did have seven top-40 hits between 1964-1966 so a TV show could credibly cast them. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2010, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-excuse-to-have-a-celebrity-on-the-tv-show/524981/20 "2010-01-15T01:52:10Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > And one time, Superman. What up with _that?_ Caroline Appleby’s son Stevie is having a birthday party the same day as Little Ricky and Lucy tries to get George Reeves (Superman) to come so the kids will come to the Ricardo’s party. Since Fred and Ethel were retired vaudeville actors, wouldn’t it make sense to have some old vaudeville actors make appearances? Many of the actors appearing in the California episodes were the top actors of the day: William Holden, John Wayne, Richard Widmark, Rock Hudson [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-excuse-to-have-a-celebrity-on-the-tv-show/524981.md?page=2)