"The Weird Al Show" (1997) TV series 1997-1998

Creator:

'Weird Al' Yankovic
(more)

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

13 August 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Family | Comedy | Musical

Plot:

The basic plot of this show was that Weird Al was coming to you from a split-level cave twenty miles below the surface of the earth...

Plot Keywords:

Spoof | Surrealism | Character Name In Title

Cast

'Weird Al' Yankovic	...	Himself / ... (13 episodes, 1997)
Billy West	...	Show Announcer / ... (13 episodes, 1997)
Harvey the Wonder Hamster	...	Himself (13 episodes, 1997)
Brian Haley	...	The Hooded Avenger / ... (12 episodes, 1997)
Beau Weaver	...	'Channel Hopping' Announcer / ... (8 episodes, 1997)
Gary LeRoi Gray	...	Bobby / ... (7 episodes, 1997)
Stan Freberg	...	Papa Boolie / ... (7 episodes, 1997)
Paula Jai Parker	...	Val Brentwood - Gal Spy / ... (7 episodes, 1997)
Danielle Weeks	...	Cousin Corky / ... (7 episodes, 1997)

Series Directed by
Peyton Reed		(13 episodes, 1997)
Keith Alcorn		(unknown episodes)

Series Writing credits
'Weird Al' Yankovic		(13 episodes, 1997)
Ron Weiner		(10 episodes, 1997)
Tracy Berna		(7 episodes, 1997)
Zeke Kamm		(5 episodes, 1997)
Steve Lookner		(5 episodes, 1997)
Mark O'Keefe		(4 episodes, 1997)
Susan Amerikaner		(2 episodes, 1997)

Series Produced by
Dick Clark	....	executive producer (13 episodes, 1997)
Thomas F. Frank	....	producer (13 episodes, 1997)
Brooke Karzen	....	co-producer (13 episodes, 1997)
Jay Levey	....	executive producer (13 episodes, 1997)
'Weird Al' Yankovic	....	executive producer (13 episodes, 1997)
Craig Armstrong	....	remote line producer (2 episodes, 1997)
Brad Bishop	....	segment producer (2 episodes, 1997)
Dave Morris	....	associate producer (2 episodes, 1997)

Series Original Music by
William Anderson		(13 episodes, 1997)
Steve Jay		(unknown episodes)
Jim West		(unknown episodes)

Series Cinematography by
Clyde W. Smith		(unknown episodes)

Series Film Editing by
Phil Lee		(unknown episodes)

Series Casting by
Judi Brown		(2 episodes, 1997)
Lillian Mizrahi		(2 episodes, 1997)
Wendy Reardon		(2 episodes, 1997)

Series Production Design by
Wayne White		(2 episodes, 1997)

Series Art Direction by
Larry Wiemer		(2 episodes, 1997)

Series Costume Design by
Julie Rae Engelsman		(13 episodes, 1997)

Series Makeup Department
Roseanne McIlvane	....	hair department head / makeup department head / ... (13 episodes, 1997)

Series Production Management
Dan Sameha	....	post production supervisor (13 episodes, 1997)
Don Wollman	....	executive in charge of production (13 episodes, 1997)
Pat Brannon Wise	....	production supervisor (12 episodes, 1997)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jim Tanker	....	associate director (13 episodes, 1997)
Tom Tataranowicz	....	voice-over director: Fatman (5 episodes, 1997)

Series Art Department
Henry Arce	....	assistant art director (1 episode, 1997)
Penny Barrett	....	assistant art director (1 episode, 1997)
Roy Lavoise	....	head carpenter (1 episode, 1997)
Warren L. Shaffer	....	studio head prop (1 episode, 1997)
Wayne White	....	set designer (unknown episodes)

Series Sound Department
Jamie Santos	....	sound / post production audio (13 episodes, 1997)

Series Visual Effects by
Marc Karzen	....	visual effects: graphics (unknown episodes)

Series Stunts
Brian Michael Tracy	....	assistant stunt coordinator: SWAT choreography (unknown episodes)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Clyde Smith	....	director of photography: remote / director of photography: remote segments (2 episodes, 1997)
Kirk Witherspoon	....	lighting designer (2 episodes, 1997)

Series Animation Department
Keith Alcorn	....	director of animation: Fatman (5 episodes, 1997)
Paul Claerhout	....	animator (unknown episodes)
Nick Gibbons	....	inbetween artist (unknown episodes)

Series Costume and Wardrobe Department
Mary Iannelli	....	wardrobe (2 episodes, 1997)

Series Editorial Department
Michael Greer	....	off-line editor (13 episodes, 1997)

Series Music Department
Steve Jay	....	additional music by (13 episodes, 1997)
Jim West	....	additional music by (13 episodes, 1997)
Tony Papa	....	music engineer (unknown episodes)

Series Other crew
Mike Malone	....	stage manager (13 episodes, 1997)
Sandy Prudden	....	stage manager (12 episodes, 1997)
Denny Barry	....	stage manager (11 episodes, 1997)
Barry Haworth	....	stage manager (11 episodes, 1997)
Dale Stern	....	stage manager (11 episodes, 1997)
David Wader	....	stage manager (11 episodes, 1997)
Debbie Williams	....	stage manager (11 episodes, 1997)
Ken Stein	....	stage manager (10 episodes, 1997)
Katherine Bird	....	assistant to the producers (2 episodes, 1997)
Desiree J. Cadena	....	assistant to the producers (2 episodes, 1997)
Charlotte Carpenter	....	clearance supervisor (2 episodes, 1997)
Kathryn Hammond	....	production coordinator (2 episodes, 1997)
Diana Horn	....	script supervisor (2 episodes, 1997)
Gary A. Kay	....	production coordinator (2 episodes, 1997)
Melissa McCarthy	....	production coordinator (2 episodes, 1997)
Richard A. Preuss	....	script assistant (2 episodes, 1997)
James Rowley	....	script coordinator (2 episodes, 1997)
Karen A. Smith	....	clearance administrator / program clearance executive (2 episodes, 1997)
Chris Johnson	....	production assistant (unknown episodes)
Jim Tanker	....	associate director (unknown episodes)
Tom Tataranowicz	....	voice director (unknown episodes)

Production Companies

• Dick Clark Productions
• Ear Booker Productions

Distributors

• Americana Entertainment
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1997-1998) (USA) (TV)

Runtime:

30 min (13 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:PG

Company:

Dick Clark Productions

Trivia:

The show's theme song contains the lyrics, "Well, the very next year he met a dental hygienist with a spatula tattooed on her arm." This is a double-edged reference to UHF (1989) where Al's girlfriend was a dental hygienist played, and in which a "Spatula City" skit/ad also appears.

Quotes:

Announcer:If you thought there were no more natural disasters left to make a movie about, you thought wrong. 60% Chance of Rain, the most horrifying new movie of the season. The weather got out of hand.
Mayor:We can't go starting a panic, not during tourist season!
Announcer:Only one man had the courage.
Deputy Al:Mr. Mayor, I don't care what happens to your tourist season! Someone needs to tell these people that they might need a jacket!
Announcer:To bring Mother Nature to her knees...
Deputy Al:C'mon, people, let's go! Everybody in the rec room! We don't know what we're in for. C'mon inside, everybody!
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Episode #19.79" (2011)

The best "kids" show of the nineties.

Why this show was cancelled so quick is beyond me. Oh yeah... the ratings. Well it's not the show's fault, it was the time slot (it was on at 8:30am on Saturdays where I live). This show was great nontheless with its take on the kid show genre in general. I still love the Bill Nye parody where everyone is singing "The Grass is Green" (you have to see it to understand) and the 80% Chance of Rain (a spoof on disaster movies). I hope they release these on tape sometime soon.