B-52s: Love Shack

B-52s: Love Shack
VH1
Song released June 20, 1989
Music Video
VHS
B

The band performing as a band in the title building, with a prehistoric appearance by RuPaul.  Not a lot to this, but the song remains catchy and joyous, and it's fun to see "You're what???"/"Tin roof.  Rusted!" acted out.

Word of Mouth with Eric Burns

Again, a different episode

Word of Mouth with Eric Burns
Movietime
Late November 1989
Talk Show
VHS
B-

Van Gordon Sauter is off on a Thanksgiving or post-Thanksgiving holiday, although he and Burns pretaped a segment.  Harry Shearer is a welcome substitute, and not just for his Jackie Mason impression.  The panel of "misanthropes" talk about what they're grateful for.  And Merrill explains the differences between "Muesli" (with an umlaut) and "Mueslix" (with an X).

Word of Mouth with Eric Burns

Word of Mouth with Eric Burns

Probably an earlier episode

Movietime

November 1989

Talk Show

VHS

B-

Low-budget cable show with interesting discussions of pop culture and sometimes high culture.  It started running the previous spring and would be off the air less than two months after this, but I was a loyal viewer in the meantime.  Burns is the producer and host, with the following regular panelists:

• Merrill Markoe, "columnist and international beauty," as well as former producer of The David Letterman Show;
• Movie critic Richard Schickel;
• Van Gordon Sauter, former head of CBS news.

The four of them argue and amuse each other and, in the case of Merrill this episode, provide candy.  Sauter is the token right-winger, or maybe it's libertarian, so at one point he and Schickel, who has an "existential" attitude towards the government, get into an argument about the stealth bomber.  Towards the end of the episode comes Merrill's Corner, this time examining dog toys.  Note that the Berlin Wall's destruction on November 9th is briefly discussed, so that dates this episode roughly to the middle of that month.

Mr. Belvedere: Anchors Away [excerpt]

Mr. Belvedere: Anchors Away [excerpt]
ABC
January 20, 1989
Sitcom
VHS
C

I think I taped this sequence of George's news station covering the anchorman's colon surgery because I wasn't sure if it was tasteless or a criticism of tastelessness.  That it aired on Ronald Reagan's last day of the presidency is even stranger, considering Reagan's colon surgery in '85 was big news.

On the Television: My Five Dads

On the Television: My Five Dads
Nickelodeon
The Fall of 1989
Parody
VHS
B

Tim Conway, Jr. and George McGrath play TV critics and two of the "dads" of the reviewed show.  (McGrath gripes about the theme song which his other character sings.)  This is a parody of not just My Two Dads but also The Brady Bunch, with a melodramatic girl of about 12 and a wise and wisecracking maid.  And to some degree, it's a satire on family sitcoms in general.  A nice little gem that still holds up.  Director Gary Halvorson would go on to some episodes of Roseanne's final season.

Late Night America: Ellen Goodman

Late Night America: Ellen Goodman
PBS
1989
Talk Show
VHS
B-

Host Dennis Wholey comes across as not too bright, but Goodman is good as always. And, oh, the feels when she says she doesn't know if a woman will be elected in her lifetime.  (She recently turned 76 and is still writing.)

Saturday Night Live: 15th Anniversary

Saturday Night Live: 15th Anniversary [fragments]
NBC
September 24, 1989
Variety
VHS
C+

Jumping the gun by over a year (but not as badly as Sisbert with their "500th anniversary"), this is a self-back-patting salute that I was so enthralled by that I taped two of the Timothy Dalton Jane Eyre episodes over part of it.  I've got the first couple minutes and then the last half hour or so.  None of it, even Robin Williams teasing the celeb-filled audience, is particularly funny.  Also, I'm not thrilled that I have to tag, blech, Bruce Willis.  But Paul Simon sings "Still Crazy After All These Years," and that's always good.  This is the 2000th show of mine I've reviewed, and no, we will not hit 3000.