Season One Shows: The Crazy Ones

Welcome back readers to Day 5 of Season One Shows. Yeah I am going to make it a priority if a day in the week is skipped we get the full 5 days. Betcha weren't expecting that level of dedication, were ya? Aside from a few lapsed weeks it is clearly time to buckle down with the write ups and give you the info and humor in one delightful package. This next show I speak of I enjoyed immensely due to the pairing of its lead actors the late Robin Williams and Sarah Michelle Gellar as a father daughter dynamic as well as business partners. This is The Crazy Ones.

Three bean burrito has its revenge!

Created and produced by writer/producer David E. Kelley (L.A. Law, Doogie Howser, M.D., Picket Fences, Lake Placid, Snoops, Chicago Hope,Ally McBeal and The Practice) comes an advertisement agency in Chicago actually shot in Chicago, ran by Simon Roberts (Robin Williams of Mork & Mindy, Moscow on the Hudson, The Fisher King, Hook, Aladdin, The Birdcage, Good Will Hunting, Happy Feet, Night at the Museum and The Big Wedding), a child with ADD in a man's body with his bizarre outlook on life brings the goods to the clients every time in spite of his unorthodox methods and unpredictable behavior would have gotten him fired ten times over. I am talking blacklisted from the gig, thank God he is the boss.

Where are his pants? Laura, stop looking.

His polar opposite, partner, VP and daughter Syndey (Sarah Michelle Gellar of Swans Crossing, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Scream 2, Simply Irresistible, The Grudge, Call of the Dead video game, All My Children, Ringer and Robot Chicken) is diligent,ambitious and focused as she has put her name and credibility on each and every client trying to appease them and at the same time hold on to her dignity. When she is not parenting her father, she is in awe of his genius. Along with our twosome is the talented and charismatic copywriter Zach Cropper (James Wolk of Front of the Class, Solving Charlie, You Again, Lone Star, Always Woodstock, Mad Men and You Must Be Joking), wisecracking and in the same mindset as his insane boss with rapid fire riffs that everyday is fun coming to work.

Well-spoken,smart but lacking full confidence in himself, art director Andrew Keanelly (Hamish Linklater of Gideon's Crossing, American Dreams, Fantastic Four, The New Adventures of Old Christine, Battleship, 42, The Newsroom and Magic in the Moonlight) who aches for Simon's approval and crushes adorably for Sydney so that you hope he just mans up and actively pursues her. Lovely and deviously brilliant assistant Lauren Slotsky (Amanda Setton of What Happens in Vegas, One Life to Live, Gossip Girl, The Mindy Project, Black Dog, Red Dog and Hawaii Five-0) navigating through the insanity that is her office pool but manages to have a rapier wit and the tongue to skewer with.

Unfortunately not every scintillating idea is in the budget, enter Accounts manager and business partner Gordon Lewis (Brad Garrett of Hercules, Mad Jack the Pirate, Superman: The Animated Series, Everyone Loves Raymond, 'Til Death and Ratatouille) a shaved Sasquatch of a man whose size is easily matched by his volume but his husband loves him so.

A few comments now on the series that could have been.

Taking it back to an old school approach of one camera shooting to that of the Dick Van Dyke Show or Mary Tyler Moore breathes a hint of nostalgia and wonder into a show. So why did this show go belly up? Eyes bigger than the stomach with the budget? This was Sarah Michelle Gellar's fourth TV series and Williams hadn't been on the small screen in almost 31 years as a lead character. This show delivered the goods combining drama and comedy. The cast blended so well but especially Williams and Gellar. You'd swear she called his daughter for pointers to get better insight. This had the same vibes as Newsroom and definitely deserved more airtime and love. Granted I could not see how it would continue with Robin. 22 episodes of delight, debauchery and devilishly clever writing. Give it a binge watch folks. You won't be disappointed.

It's a trick.  Get an ax.

Number 550!!!! Robert Evans Week: Popeye

Welcome readers of mine!!!  YOU LIKE ME!!! YOU REALLY, REALLY LIKE ME!!!   Ahem* sorry Sally Fields rents a place in my frontal lobe and there is some overlap now and again.   Back to Day 4 of Robert Evans Week as we see a wonderful musical based of the works of cartoonist E.C. Segar , penned by writer Jules Feiffer and brought to life by legendary director Robert Altman (MASH, The Long Goodbye, Thieves Like Us, Nashville, A Perfect Couple, The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial, The Player, Pret-a-Porter and Gosford Park) starring the late and great Robin Williams and Shelley Duvall.   This is Popeye.

Me sailor suit is riding where it not need be.

Popeye: Another thing I got is a sensk of humiligration. Now, maybe you spoils can pool your intelligensk and sees that I'm axking you for an apologeky.




Set in the town of Sweethaven, a fishing village (that looks an awful lot like Malta) our story revolves around hot tempered sailor Popeye (Robin Williams from Mork & Mindy,  Moscow on the Hudson, Club Paradise, Good Morning, Vietnam, Dead Poets Society, Hook and Aladdin) and his assorted friends.  This town is buzzing with activity as Popeye looks for his long lost pappy.  Popeye plans to rent a room at the boarding house when he is smitten by the landlord's daughter Olive Oyl (Shelley Duvall of Annie Hall, 3 Women, The Shining, Time Bandits, Roxanne, The Underneath and Dreams in the Attic) who is engaged to Captain Bluto (Paul L. Smith of Going in Style, Return of the Tiger, When I am King, Jungle Warriors, Crimewave, Red Sonja, Gor and Outlaw Force)  who taxes on behalf of the Commodore of the town.

Yes, a sailor's life for me... Yargh.

People are bled dry and Popeye is not one for bullies of any shape or size.   Finding an abandoned baby in a dingy, Popeye adopts (scoops up and claims as his own) the lad naming him Swee'Pea.   Not exactly the most creative of souls.  With dealing with ruffians in town and winning a boxing match for the sake of the town, the folk start to accept Popeye as one of their own and try to aid him in finding his pappy.   Will Bluto tax the town to turmoil?  Will Popeye persevere?

A few bits of trivia about the film now.  Paramount and Columbia got in a bidding war over Annie for a film adaptation of the Broadway musical and Paramount lost.  To retaliate, Robert Evans went to see what comic strip characters they had the rights to in order to create a movie musical.   This film was Robin William's first top billing and the first film for actress Linda Hunt (Fame, The Year of Living Dangerously, Dune, Silverado, Kindergarten Cop, If Looks Could Kill, The Relic and NCIS Los Angeles)

It took a crew of 165 men seven months to construct the set consisting of 19 buildings as well as a hotel, schoolhouse, general store, post office, a church and local watering hole.   8 seaworthy ships were bought to be sunk in the harbor and here is hoping the owners got their penny's worth.    Around 1977 as the script was being written, Robert Evans wanted Dustin Hoffman to play Popeye but was blown away by Robin Williams' comedic timing, energy and performance and changed his mind for the better.

Got more than tobaccy in this here pipe. Ug gug gug!

The Lost of Laughter... RIP Robin Williams.

Many of us are familiar with his works, his hi-jinks and comedy.  We have seen his box office bombs and the films that touched our hearts.  From humble beginnings in San Francisco to cracking up the planet.  The laughter and the losses, Robin Williams outlived many of his closest friends including: Peter Cook, Dudley Moore and Christopher Reeve.  It is rare to speak of an original but I think it say Robin Williams stood out among so many of his fellow comedians.

Growing up I experienced Mork & Mindy and got many a chuckle until I snuck into the hallway late that night while my parents had HBO on and saw the 1982 Evening at the Improv and beheld comedy magic.  This fuzzy lunatic interacting with the audience, making random references, odd noises and in general keeping the crowd astounded and full of mirth.   Comedy Relief hosted by Robin, Billy Crystal and Whoopi Goldberg.  Presenting obscene jokes, great observation humor for the sake of raising awareness and money for the homeless. There will never be the like as this man, nor should there be.

 I, for one was utterly amazed him having time for responses back to his Twitter fans of which, I am one. With the success of his comedy and movie careers came 2 divorces and two children survived by him.  This week will focus on whether or not he committed suicide or not and frankly you should focus how he managed to brighten your day, opened your eyes through his bizarre take on life, love and relationships.

Surely, we owe an original that much for bringing us gut wrenching, tear jerking laughter and warmth.