FORGOTTEN TV: MTV's BOILING POINTS (2004-2008?)

MTV sometimes doesn’t know when they have a good thing going.

Case in point, BOILING POINTS.

BOILING POINTS was a CANDID CAMERA like TV series that aired on and off in the mid 2000’s. Yet, MTV aired it at such erratic times, with little promotion that it is no wonder it never really caught on and has disappeared.

It stands as one of the funniest shows ever to air on the network, or even many other networks.

Each episode was made up of several scenarios where people were put in a trying situation, for a set amount of time, filmed with hidden cameras, and if they didn’t overreact, swear, or get violent, they would win $100.

For a while, you couldn’t even find a clip on YouTube. That is until this one.



This was posted because one of the girls in the video is none other than Lady Gaga. This was before she became a Lady.

My favorite bit, not on Youtube sadly, featured Rebekka Johnson, one of the funniest people on the series. Rebekka went up to people at a college campus, acting like the most annoying girl on earth, and trying to make friends. “Can I tell you a story? This one time, I got drunk” she would say to a freaked out person. She would try to hang out with them and a few ended up literally running from her.

The show was essentially an urban improv act, and the cast, which also featured Alison Becker, Jonathan Blitt (who played one of the greatest sleazeballs in TV history), and Billy Merritt, all of whom you may recognize from ads, was truly brilliant. I would watch each week and wonder why they all hadn’t been signed to a sitcom.



Here is a bit with Jonathan.

Another bit that I loved featured a girl, Katie Dippold who I just realized is now a writer for PARKS AND REC, as a checkout person in a store who refuses to give change. If someone buys something with cash, she only gives store credit. When they change their mind and say they don't want to buy something, guess what? They get store credit. The transactions go back and forth so long, at one point she claims to have forgotten how it all had started ("Oh right, that was so long ago")

BOILING POINTS aired on and off. New episodes aired in afternoons, or overnight on MTV2. At the end, it was essentially thrown away.

It deserved better.

FORGOTTEN TV: THE SKATEBIRDS (1978-1979)

THE SKATEBIRDS seemed to be a Forgotten TV show the year after it went off the air.

Back in 1979 or 1980, I found a board game. It was THE SKATEBIRDS game. Yet, I had never heard of THE SKATEBIRDS. What was this show, and why was there a board game of it?



I bought it, and thought it was a fun game. But I had never seen the show.

THE SKATEBIRDS was a Hanna-Barbera production that aired on CBS from 1978 to 1979. Essentially a reworking of the previous Hanna-Barbera series THE BANANA SPLITS, the show featured costumed characters introducing a mixture of animated cartoons as well as live action shorts.

They were made up of three birds, all on roller skates. Scooter was a penguin, Knock-Knock a woodpecker, and Satchel, a Pelican. Scatman Crothers voiced Scat Cat, a roller skating cat who was out to get them.



Among the cartoons was that unforgettable take on THE THREE STOOGES known as THE ROBONIC STOOGES. I'm sure everyone always wanted to see the Three Stooges as robots. Other cartoons featured WONDER WHEELS, WOOFER AND WHIMPER DOG DETECTIVES and the live action MYSTERY ISLAND.

I did eventually catch the show when it was repeated on Sunday mornings in a half hour version. It also has run on USA and the Cartoon Network in recent years.

TCM 's JOHNNY MERCER: THE DREAM'S ON ME

One of the musical events of the year takes place this Wednesday, November 4 on Turner Classic Movies.

TCM will be airing the new documentary JOHNNY MERCER: THE DREAM'S ON ME.

This film, executive produced by Clint Eastwood and directed by Bruce Ricker is a fascinating look at the life of one of the great American songwriters of the 20th century.

Just a few of the well over 1,000 songs he wrote include such classics as "Hooray for Hollywood” “Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive,” “That Old Black Magic” "Moon River" "The Days of Wine and Roses", "Emily" and even “One For My Baby”.

Filled with interviews with friends and fans, clips of his songs used in films, and lots of footage of Mercer himself over the years, this special is not to be missed.

Did you know that "One For My Baby", later made famous by Frank Sinatra, was first performed by Fred Astaire in a little known film THE SKY'S THE LIMIT? It was! That film, and many others talked about in the documentary, will air throughout the month of November.

Even if you weren't all that familiar with Johnny Mercer going in, you will have a new appreciation for his work when it is over.

JOHNNY MERCER: THE DREAMS ON ME premieres November 4, 2009 at 8 P.M. EST on Turner Classic Movies