Politically Incorrect: "The Rules" [fragment]

Politically Incorrect: "The Rules" [fragment]
Comedy Central
Late 1995?
Talk Show
VHS
B-

Host Maher and his guests-- Joan Rivers, Martin Mull, and two people I've never heard of-- discuss the infamous book The Rules, which apparently only Maher had actually read.  This doesn't stop Joan from pontificating from her own outdated viewpoint.  I laughed some, including at her, but I was too annoyed to go with a higher grade, which I think was typical for what I've seen of the series.

Politically Incorrect: Sandra Bernhard et al.

Politically Incorrect: Sandra Bernhard et al.

The set was kind of weird
if you think about it.

Comedy Central

Early 1995

Talk Show

VHS
B-

The subject is "class" (as in taste, not economics) but it quickly devolves into a sometimes classless discussion of religion, when writer John Lofton tries to hijack the show.  At first Bernhard tries to be poised and dryly humorous, but by the end she yells at and spits on Lofton.  This is the sort of thing that made Maher's show memorable.  It does look a bit staged, or at least manipulated, in that they must've known what Lofton was like, but that's not to say that it's not entertaining.  Note that, although it's not directly mentioned, actor Christopher Lawford is the son of Peter and Patricia (JFK's sister).

Roseanne: It Was Twenty Years Ago Today

Roseanne: It Was Twenty Years Ago Today
ABC
March 9, 1993
Sitcom
DVD
B

Betsy Borns wrote this episode that establishes that Dan and Roseanne married in March of '73.  To celebrate, Roseanne has a boudoir photo taken, while Dan takes a job at a men's big & tall store to pay for having Roseanne's wedding ring redone.  Unfortunately, he has to work the night of their anniversary.  She overreacts but does apologize and bring a simple picnic to the mall to make amends.  In the tag, we see not only Roseanne's boudoir pic but Dan's saucy poses.

Fourteen years earlier, Robert Machray was Doug on the "Triangle Troubles" episode of Three's Company (I think Janet's date); he'd since put on weight and is Dan's Customer here.  In case you're wondering, at this point 37-year-old Bill Maher, who plays Bob the photographer, was six months away from Politically Incorrect.