FORGOTTEN TV: THE GREAT SPACE COASTER (1981-1986)

How have I written this FORGOTTEN TV feature for so long without featuring THE GREAT SPACE COASTER? I actually had to search through my archives because I was sure I had written up a piece about it, but there was none to be found.

THE GREAT SPACE COASTER was a daily kids show that mixed humans and puppets. There was Baxter, a big human sized puppet. Goriddle Gorilla, Gary Gnu was a talk show host. Rory, of “Rockin’ with Rory” was a DJ. And in the later seasons, they brought in the Huggles, a group cute puppets for the younger audiences.



The show aired in syndication and was produced by a division of Hasbro Toys. It aired from 1981 to 1986. I remember seeing it when I was home sick from school, but it also aired in mornings and afternoons.



The biggest star to emerge from the show was Kevin Clash who voiced Goriddle Gorilla. Soon after, he would move on to SESAME STREET and become Elmo.



However Chris Gifford, the drummer in the band, would go on to a career behind the scenes. In the late 80’s I remember watching something on Nickelodeon where the New Kids on the Block were being interviewed. Donnie Wahlberg got all excited when he noticed one of the guys in the crew was the drummer for THE GREAT SPACE COASTER. Donnie was a fan.

Gifford would remain at Nickelodeon, and go on to create a little show called DORA THE EXPLORER. That show, and its spin off GO DIEGO GO are probably more popular than THE GREAT SPACE COASTER ever was.


One VHS compilation of the show was released (used copies sell for quite a bit), but that was it. I have no idea how well the show would hold up today. Other than the YouTube clips, I haven’t seen it in over twenty years.

EDIT 9/6/10: THE GREAT SPACE COASTER gang reunited for a wonderful interview with the Just My Show podcast



Chris Gifford even talks about the Donnie Wahlberg moment.

WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO: KERRI GREEN

When I started this feature, Kerri Green was one of the first suggestions I received. That is even though she is mainly remembered for only two films and hasn’t acted for ten years.


She made her film debut in one of the decades most memorable films, THE GOONIES. She was Andy, one of the girl Goonies. A cheerleader, she didn’t fit in with the rest of the gang.


She followed that up as John Candy’s daughter in SUMMER RENTAL, a film that many forget she was in. I watched this one almost as much as THE GOONIES.


Next up would be her final major film, and after THE GOONIES her biggest, LUCAS. She was the object of the title’s characters obsession. Critics loved the film and it was a favorite of many.


She also appeared in THREE FOR THE ROAD in 1987, with Charlie Sheen and Alan Ruck. It wasn’t a big hit, barely played theatrically, but was often on cable.

The rest of her career saw her appearing in episodic TV, an ABC AFTERSCHOOL SPECIAL, episodes of IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT, and MAD ABOUT YOU. There were occasional films including the miniseries THE BURDEN OF PROOF and the sci-fi film BLUE FLAME from 1993.

But there was nothing up there with her roles in the mid 80’s.


So, What Ever Happened To Her?

Much of her time away from films can be blamed on one thing, that she was in college. She went to Vassar where she graduated cum laude with a B.F.A.

She also spent time behind the camera.

In 1999, she co-wrote and directed the film BELLYFRUIT about teen pregnancy. It received fairly good reviews with Variety writing "director Kerri Lee Green etches a sympathetic portrait of the girls that, thankfully, remains free of sentiment”

Along with Bonnie Dickenson, she founded a production company, Independent Women Artists.

There were a few brief TV appearances, a 2000 episode of ER and a 2001 LAW & ORDER SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT.

She was also married, and has two children.

So, while she may not be in front of the camera that often, she has been busy.

She hasn’t walked away from her well remembered roles.



She appeared at this reunion of the GOONIES cast and crew in 2009.

She is also listed in the credits of an upcoming independent film.

Wedding Dance Video: Greatest Youtube Video Of The Year!

Last Sunday, July 19, a couple posted their wedding entrance video online. It was to show to friends who weren't able to attend.

That video went viral, 5.2 million views as I write this. The couple was on THE TODAY SHOW on Friday, and recreated the dance on the Saturday episode.

In case you haven't seen it yet, here it is (click through if you can't see it):



I never got into that whole Susan Boyle video, as it felt too manipulated. This however I love.

My favorite Youtube Clip Of The Year.

Les Lyle (1924-2009)

Reading the New York Times this morning, I saw the headline of a story about a Canadian comedian who passed away. Les Lyle. I didn't recognize the name or the photo (the same one used on their website) so skipped to the next section.

Later in the day, I realized I did know who he was. I've even written about him on this site.

Who is Les Lyle?

I will quote him,

"Duhh, I heard that."

Anyone recognize him now?

How about one of his famous characters, Barth.

Know him now?

Here is a photo:


That's him, he played all the adult roles on Nickelodeon's YOU CAN'T DO THAT ON TELEVISION.

You can read more and see clips of his work at my Forgotten TV entry for his show.

I may not have known his name, but I will never forget him.

How Does Netflix Work?

Ever wonder how Netflix processes and mails out your DVDs?

Hacking Netflix was invited into their Hartford sorting facility and has a great story with lots of photos about how it all works.

FORGOTTEN FILM: PANDEMONIUM (1982)

I saw PANDEMONIUM at the very least twenty times between the years of 1982 and 1984. It wasn’t that I liked the movie that much, it was just constantly on cable.

PANDEMONIUM was a PG rated spoof of slasher films. Reminiscent of STUDENT BODIES but with a better cast.

Opening in 1963, a group of cheerleaders are killed, impaled on a javelin while carrying oversized vegetables. (“Hungarians Questioned” is a newspaper headline, if you didn’t get the shish kabob joke). After a rash of more cheerleader killings, a local cheerleader camp is closed down.

Cut to present day, the camp is reopening. Six people are headed to it (each introduced with VICTIM #1, VICTIM #2 on the screen). The victims include a telepathic girl (Carol Kane), along with Judge Reinhold, Debralee Scott and Marc McClure.

Even though this is set in Indiana, a Canadian Mountie (Tom Smothers) is in charge of the police department. He and his horse are worried about the murders starting up again. Especially since there have been recent escapees from both the local prison as well as the mental asylum. And to add to the fun, it is Thursday July 12th (an alternate title the film used). The next day is Friday the 13th.

When I saw this film all those times years ago, I always thought it was a very crude film. Both in the humor (at one point someone is sent to the gas chamber, which is just a big fat guy eating a big bowl of baked beans) as well as the execution of it.

I haven’t seen it since the mid 80’s. I found a used VHS sometime in the 90’s, but never watched it. Since the film has never been released on video, I watched a commercial TV airing of it. Surprisingly, I still knew the film well enough to catch some of the TV edits (did you know you can’t use the word “pork” on TV but at the same time the word is used, you can show people smoking marijuana?).

Obviously inspired by AIRPLANE, the film contains such jokes as a father (Donald O’Connor in a cameo) telling his son not to be a black sheep, like his brother. They then cut to a shot of his brother, a black sheep. Early on, someone talks about the camp, and during their speech, the word “Exposition” appears on the screen.

One of the big selling points of the film, for me and my sister back in the day, was that Paul Reubens had a small role as Tom Smothers' assistant. This was before PEE WEE’S BIG ADVENTURE when he was the star of the hysterical HBO special THE PEE WEE HERMAN SHOW.

Watching this again (coincidentally moments after I caught the end credits of that HBO special on cable) I was surprised to see several other cast members of THE PEE WEE HERMAN SHOW in this film. Phil Hartman (Captain Carl) had a cameo at a crime scene. Edie McClurg played a parent. And, while I didn’t recognize him, I noticed John Paragon (Jambi the Genie) was listed as a prisoner. I’m not sure if the filmmakers were from the Groundlings (where Pee Wee originated) or not. One of the writers is credited on ROCK N ROLL HIGH SCHOOL but little else.

The cast makes it watchable. Debralee Scott (profiled here) is always fun to watch. Marc McClure (forever known to me as Boris from FREAKY FRIDAY) was one of those actors who probably would have had a better career if Tom Hanks never came along. I think Hanks stole many of McClure's roles. You still see him turn up in commercials, but he was a lot better than that. Judge Reinhold is another actor that I actually believe is underrated. He is good here. Teri Landrum as one of the victims was very funny, but didn’t seem to do anything after this.

Other members of the cast include cameos by Tab Hunter, Eileen Brennan (billed only as “A Friend” in the credits), Pat Ast, twins Candi and Randi Brough, Eve Arden and Kaye Ballard

PANDEMONIUM was directed by Alfred Sole. After beginning as an architect, he got into movies directing Adult Films and the horror film ALICE SWEET ALICE. This would be his last and only studio feature, before going back behind the camera working as a Production Designer on TV shows such as VERONICA MARS and CASTLE.

The film was NOT a hit at the box office. I have no memory of it ever playing theatrically. But, I am rather surprised that this film hasn’t made it to DVD. It played nonstop during the early days of cable. I wasn’t alone in watching it. And, since it is still airing on broadcast TV, surely it isn’t forgotten.

Here are some clips that were posted on YouTube



Carol Kane’s introduction with “A Friend”



This scene has nothing to do with the film. It was like they brought in actors, who had nothing to do with the overall story, and had them improv to fill up time.



Contains probably the biggest laugh, the one about bologna.

PANDEMONIUM was released on VHS by MGM. Used copies range in price from $25 to $75.

BURN NOTICE Books by Tod Goldberg

One of my favorite blog features is over at Johnny LaRue's Crane Shot where Marty McKee reviews action adventure paperbacks usually from the 1970's Many of these were based on films and TV shows of the era. They were a way to have readers relive the characters.

The series died out by the time that direct to video action films took off.

With my recent obsession with the USA Network series BURN NOTICE, I was surprised to see that there were two spin off novels featuring the characters. Both are written by Tod Goldberg, a crime novelist.

The novels feature Michael Westen, the hero of the show, a burned spy out to find out who shut down his career. He is aided by his ex-girlfriend, the gun runner Fiona and his friend Sam, a former Navy Seal.

The first book in the series from 2008, BURN NOTICE: THE FIX has Michel helping a socialite find out who her missing husband is.


Published earlier this year, the second, and probably the better of the two, THE END GAME, has the gang involved in a kidnapping tied to a yacht race.

First off, these are not what you would call great works of literature. They aren't up there with Elmore Leonard or, more importantly, Carl Hiaasen who owns the Miami crime thriller genre. But they are great reads.

I was a bit surprised by how low key the books were. You would think that a book, since it doesn't have a budget, would have bigger action scenes that would be too expensive to do on TV. Instead, they are all a bit toned down. There are more explosions and such in a typical episode.

Would those who don't watch the TV show care about the books? Doubtful. Although once you watch the show, the books are a great way to fill time between episodes.

Both THE FIX and THE END GAME are available now from Signet.

FORGOTTEN FILM: WALK PROUD (1979)

1979’s WALK PROUD followed the releases of Walter Hill’s THE WARRIORS and BOULEVARD NIGHTS. All three were films about street gangs. After violence erupted in theatres with the previous films, groups protested the release of WALK PROUD. They were afraid it would be yet another unfavorable view of gang life, especially the lives of Mexicans in L.A.

The film itself wasn’t as controversial. In fact, it is closer to ROMEO AND JULIET, or to name a more recent film CRAZY / BEAUTIFUL than it is to THE WARRIORS. It is about star crossed lovers, a Mexican gang member from East L.A. who falls for a rich girl.

While this isn’t what you would call a great film, Robby Benson isn’t bad in the lead. I know that he isn’t the first person you would think of when thinking “Mexican gang member”. I think it was in his career plan to play every ethnic group possible. He was a Hasidic Jew in THE CHOSEN, a Native American in RUNNING BRAVE, even Paul Newman’s son in HARRY AND SON. After checking off each of those roles, he was able to retire and move behind the camera.

His love interest was played by Sarah Holcomb (profiled here in a “What Ever Happened To” story). This was to be her biggest role in her four film career, and she is good.

The film was written by Evan Hunter aka novelist Ed McBain. It was directed by Robert E. Collins, a TV writer and director (MARCUS WELBY, M.D., POLICE STORY) making his theatrical debut.

Released by Universal, the film has never been released on video in any format. It recently played on Turner Classic Movies. While the print was letterboxed, it was shown with all the language edited out. It was only rated PG so it was still watchable. But since TCM usually shows films uncut, I wonder if an uncut version of the film even exits.

Top 10 Songs From June 16, 1984

Maybe it is just me getting old, but today’s music does nothing for me.

Reading Rolling Stone, and not even recognizing most songs in the Top 10, I happened to see this list, the Top 10 Singles from 25 years ago.

Here is the Top 10 from June 16, 1984



10. “Borderline” by Madonna



9. “Dancing in the Dark” by Bruce Springsteen



8. “Jump (For My Love)” by The Pointer Sisters



7. “Self Control” by Laura Branigan (NOTE: The above William Friedkin directed video was originally banned by MTV. Can still see why)



6. “The Heart of Rock & Roll” by Huey Lewis and the News



5. “Sister Christian” by Night Ranger



4. “Oh Sherrie” by Steve Perry



3. “Let’s Hear It For The Boy” by Deniece Williams



2. “The Reflex” by Duran Duran



1. “Time After Time” by Cyndi Lauper

Is it just me or do those songs still hold up?

If only for how the #1 song inspired this:



One of the greatest movie moments of the 1990’s.

Will we still be listening to Lady Gaga (whoever that is) 25 years from now?

NOTE: This post contains Youtube clips. If reading from an outside site, click through to view.

WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO: LYNN-HOLLY JOHNSON

Lynn-Holly Johnson was an actress whose career got off to a great start. With almost twenty years in the business, she appeared in less than twenty films and TV episodes, yet some of those films are still remembered today.

Born in 1958, she got her start in ice skating. In 1974, she placed second in the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. This led to her joining the Ice Capades and her first film role.


1978’s ICE CASTLES. In this film she played a blind ice skater who falls for Robby Benson.

ICE CASTLES is a film that today is best known for its Marvin Hamlisch / Melissa Manchester theme song “Looking Through The Eyes Of Love”. (And I apologize if I've now got that song stuck in your head. I've had it in mine since beginning to write this)



In reading about this, one surprising bit of trivia I read had Lynn-Holly walking off the set when she refused to do a nude scene. I think she made the right choice as this has become something of a PG rated romance classic and such a scene would have been inappropriate.



Her next film would be the troubled Disney production THE WATCHER IN THE WOODS. This was a horror film, with Bette Davis, that was released to theatres, withdrawn, and then rereleased with a different ending.

The next year had her appearing in 1981’s FOR YOUR EYES ONLY , still my favorite Bond film. Lynn played a wannabe Bond girl that Bond rejects. She was able to skate again in the film.


There was a lot of TV work, episodes of CHiPS, MATT HOUSTON and TRAPPER JOHN M.D. before her next film, WHERE THE BOYS ARE ’84, an R-rated attempt to recreate the Beach Party films of the 1960’s. She starred with Lorna Luft and Lisa Hartman. The film was not a success.

By the late 80’s, her name was still popular enough that she was prominently billed on the movie posters of such little seen films as ALIEN PREDATOR, THE SISTERHOOD and HYPER SPACE. She acted occasionally in the 1990’s in films that didn’t see much if any release.


SO, WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO HER?

Lynn-Holly was married in 1993. This coincided with her break from acting.

She has two kids.

In recent years, she has appeared at autograph conventions and done some community theatre.

Lynn-Holly is a case of someone who may have just accidentally become an actress. She was just an ice skater who got a great role. This led to more work. Maybe somewhere along the line, she just decided it wasn't for her, and she left the business.

KARL MALDEN (1912-2009)

Karl Maden has passed away.

While many may remember him from his American Express Commercials, or THE STREETS OF SAN FRANCISCO, he had a fine film career.

He worked with Hitchcock in I CONFESS in 1953, Elia Kazan on four films, BOOMERANG, A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE (for which he won an Oscar), ON THE WATERFRONT and BABY DOLL.



He starred in Disney's POLLYANNA, with Natalie Wood in BOMBERS B-52 and GYPSY (both featured in her recent box set, along with the above deleted scene which should have remained in the film).

There was also John Frankenheimer's BIRDMAN OF ALCATRAZ, HOW THE WEST WAS WON, THE CINCINNATI KID, John Ford's CHEYENNE AUTUMN, Ken Russel's BILLION DOLLAR BRAIN and, a personal favorite from when I was a kid, PATTON.

He spent the latter part of his career on TV and in movies such as BEYOND THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE, METEOR, STING II and FATAL VISION. His final role was that of a priest on THE WEST WING.

At 97, he lived a long life and left us many great films.