Episode Number: 181 Season Num: 7 First Aired: Saturday March 16, 1974
“The Family” – Eunice (Carol), her husband Ed (Harvey), and Mama (Vicki) don’t appreciate the accomplishments of Eunice’s brother, Nobel Prize-winning writer Philip (Roddy)
I also found this bit of info at that site-
with Eydie Gorme, Vincent Price
Community Score10.0
Perfect
First aired: 2/9/1972
· “The House of Terror” – horror movie spoof · “Desidirata” – recitation by Vincent · “Gypsy Medley” – Eydie and Carol sing · “The Way of Love” – sung by Eydie · “What We Really Need Is A Boy,” “Perfect Young Ladies” – sung by Carol, Vicki, and Eydie · Salute to the Twenties
I KNEW I REMEMBERED SEEING VINCENT PRICE RECITE THE DESIDERATA ON THE CAROL BURNETT SHOW!!!
Now if I could find out what show had Boris Karloff doing “It Was A Very Good Year”.
I actually cited the “Sorrrrrrry!” sketch in the recent “classic t.v. moments” thread. We use a lot of Eunice-isms when we’re with family, from “Sorrrrry!” to “You KNOW I wanted yeller.” I loved Mama’s Family.
Sampiro,
You are absolutely right concerning the brilliance and depth of The Family sketches. No, you aren’t the only person who never found Lily Tomlin’s Earnestine character funny.
October 30, 1968
First aired: 10/30/1968
Jonathan’s guests are Boris Karloff, Agnes Moorehead, Marjorie McCoy and the Craig Hundley Trio. Also joining him are Cliff Arquette and Pamela Rodgers. Comedy Sketches: Agnes Moorehead recites a scarry Halloween tale. A trick-or-treater (Jonathan) rings the doorbell of a mad doctor (Karloff) and his nurse (Moorehead). Jonathan plays elderly swinger Maude Frickert. Musical Highlights: Boris Karloff performs "It Was a Very Good Year." Marjorie McCoy and dancers do a “Samba” production number. The Craig Hundley Jazz Trio perform the “Theme from Black Orpheus.”
I’ve seen some of these shows (on the TV Land channel), and I’ve spent some free time watching Sampiro’s links. I have to say, “The Family” scenes differ from other old-time comedy in that it isn’t situation comedy. “I Love Lucy” was the epitome of situation comedy, and it’s amazing that they still show it, and it’s even more amazing to see that over half a century later most comedies strive for the same effect.
However, these sketches that Sampiro has linked us to are not situation comedy, and I think that’s why they stand out. In fact, I’m surprised that they even made their way onto to prime-time. There’s a live audience (it isn’t canned laughter), and they don’t laugh at the straight-forward jokes, but rather at the…well, I don’t know any other way to say it, but at the [CLICHE]humanity’[/CLICHE] of the characters.
When I watch these video clips, I don’t see comedy, I see Eugene O’Neil.
But there’s one thing that gives me caution; they’re putting on Southern accents. Are these accents believable?
Saturday night used to be Mary Tyler Moore and Bob Newhart, followed by Carol Burnett. Okay, maybe a little Hee-Haw while Mom finished putting on her makeup and Dad told the 14-yr-old babysitter where the emergency phone numbers were.
Plenty of the jokes were inscrutable (I never could figure out why WJM didn’t just fire Ted), but you knew that when you were a grown-up yourself, they’d make sense. You’d probably understand the rest of the jokes on All in the Family then, too.
Those shows were political, and subtle, and about the human condition.
Then Aaron Spelling brought jiggle to prime-time and it’s been downhill ever since.
I Love Lucy was filmed in front of a studio audience, which is not to say that it (or the Carol Burnett Show) was never “sweetened” in postproduction. Carol Burnett used to do a brief Q&A at the top of each show, and I recall her explaining to an audience member that they ran through the whole show twice each week, once in front of an audience and once with just the cast and crew. The version that aired contained pieces of both performances.