The T.V. Show (1979) (TV)

User Rating:

5.7/10   

Director:

Tom Trbovich

Writers:

Billy Crystal (writer)
Christopher Guest (writer)

Release Date:

24 July 1979 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot Keywords:

Actor Playing Multiple Roles | Rock Music | Satire | Commercial Spoof | Spoof

Cast

Rob Reiner	...	Various Characters
Tom Leopold	...	Various Characters
Harry Shearer	...	Various Characters
Christopher Guest	...	Various Characters
Deborah Harmon	...	Various Characters
Kres Mersky	...	Various Characters
Michael McKean	...	Various Characters
Billy Crystal	...	Various Characters
Martin Mull	...	Various Characters
Johnny Brown	...	The Kingfish
Brett Somers	...	Herself
Marvin Braverman
Loudon Wainwright III	...	Dead Man on Telethon / Spinal Tap Keyboardist
Henry Harris	...	Andy

Runtime:

60 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Burbank, California, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Television

Trivia:

"Rock and Roll Nightmare", the song performed by Spinal Tap in this pilot, was first released on a bootleg in 2000.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Adolf Hitler became Chancellor of Germany in 1933, not 1932.

Quotes:

Adolf Hitler: Maybe I should've worn the pinstripes.

Movie Connections:

Spin off This Is Spinal Tap (1984)

Soundtrack:

Elizabeth and Andy

Sketch comedy show with potential.

This is a failed pilot, but not a bad early outing for Reiner, Guest, et al. Reiner is terrific in a brilliant sketch where he plays Hitler on trial. The show also features an early performance of Spinal Tap. There are some dead moments where they dress is gratuitous drag and basically rip off the so-called "pepperpot" characters from Monty Python. I guess with Saturday Night Live and SCTV, network tv figured they didn't need another sketch show.