Just got it on DVD. All 4 episodes!
A bit over the edge for 1977 NBC. Sort of a pre-historic Chappelle’s Show.
Interesting cast:
Paul Mooney (currently on Chappelles’ Show)
Tim Reid (WKRP in Cincinnati)
Robin Williams (whatever happened to THAT guy?)
Sandra Berhardt
“Detroit” John Witherspoon
Marsha Warfield (Roz of Night Court)
Also on the DVD set is the original opening announcement where Richard appears nude swearing he has not given up anything to do a network show. The camera pans down and you see his genitals are gone.
There’s also “The Richard Pryor Special?” that features John Belushi.
All in all, well worth $25.
I disagree. I saw two of Pryor’s shows as they aired, and couldn’t figure out why so many people thought he was a genius. All these years later, I’m still wondering.
Pryor’s movies were always horrible, but his defenders insist that was Hollywood’s fault, that the studios just didn’t know how to handle the phenomenal talent they had on their hands. I remain unconvinced. I think Pryor was a mediocre actor and an overrated standup comic.
The video record bears me out, I think. Obviously, there are people who saw him perform live, in his prime, who’ll insist that he was utterly brilliant in that arena. Maybe so. I can only judge him by the work he left behind. And on the whole, it’s pretty weak stuff.
Hmmm he’s only a comedian that’s influenced an entire generation of comedians of all colors and backgrounds. I don’t think you can talk to any serious comedian after him that wasn’t influenced by Richard Pryor.
And how can you watch his standup and not think he’s brilliant? The bits where he confronts his mob bosses with a gun at a strip club is hilarious as well as his exploration of setting himself on fire. He was revolutionary for the time and still solid today. I’m amazed whenever I hear his going to Africa story basically ripped off by several black comedians to this day.
I remember that show! It’s on DVD. My mother let me stay up and watch it because the promos showed clips of The Star Wars bar room skit. She sent me to bed the minute the Heavy Metal Group started throwing qualudes to the audience.
What was the name of that group he spoofed? Black Plague or sometin-or-other.
Did the band come out of coffins and the lead singer (Pryor) come down on wires?
What was the name of the song they did?
(I vaguely remember the skit resembling the look of a ‘Dr. Funkenstein’ (George Clinton?) album commercial* that was running the same time).
*Yes children, they used to have commercials for albums before MTV came along. (Hijack: I vividly recall ads for Steely Dan’s ‘Aja’ & Kiss’s ‘Destroyer’ & Alive II’)
The group was “Black Death” and the band members did come out of coffins.
The look was very Spinal Tap-ish.
One bit that pretty much finished the show off was Richard doing a Little Richard impersonation and the picture appears to short out and you see a b & w clip of a white woman talking about a lesbian experience.
The show was not without its political side: Richard goes into a gun shop and the guns tell him their stories. He leaves without buying anything. The audience makes not a sound. I don’t think they knew how to handle the sketch.