Bob Hope's Funniest Out-Takes (TV) (2002)

NBC reminisces about Bob Hope's long history with network

By FRED SHUSTER Los Angeles Daily News
POSTED: April 29, 2002
BOB HOPE'S FUNNIEST OUTTAKES


He broke ratings records in radio and revolutionized television by perfecting the opening monologue.

Bob Hope's 60-year broadcast career at NBC was marked by more high points and memorable moments than anybody's. From his early years in vaudeville and radio to movies and television, Hope was an unparalleled success due to a carefully honed persona that included a sly, speedy delivery, relaxed personality and topical gags that let audiences feel they were in on the joke.

"He was a natural because he'd done vaudeville, Broadway, radio and movies, and by the time he got to TV, he was an expert," veteran comedian Phyllis Diller observes. "He was such a brilliant, brilliant showman. And he worked so easily. It was never work for him. Wanda Landowska, the great harpsichordist, once said, 'I never practice. I only play.' And with Bob, it was all play."

Hope, who turns 99 on May 29, still lives at his sprawling compound in his beloved Toluca Lake with wife, Dolores. Among the wealthiest and best-known entertainers and most savvy of property owners, the British-born, Ohio-raised Hope - initially billed as master of "song, patter and eccentric dancing" - conquered every show-biz arena.

Practically everyone agrees Hope was a scream, but just how funny was he when he departed from the script? You can find out tomorrow when Kelsey Grammer hosts "Bob Hope's Funniest Outtakes," an hour-long look at some of the best ad-libbed moments from the 284 variety programs the legendary comic taped for NBC. Along with never-before-seen footage, famous faces including Lucille Ball, Sammy Davis Jr., Garth Brooks and Dolly Parton discuss the impact of Hope's long and influential career.

"When NBC approached me to host the program, I simply said, 'Yeah, I'm in,' " Grammer said from the "Frasier" set. "I've been a lifelong fan of Bob along with all my family members when I was growing up. Not only is he a great comedian, he's also a great American. His contribution to the war effort is something to be honored and respected. So, to tip my hat to one of history's greatest comics and patriots was a real joy."

The Hope outtakes reveal the spontaneous and unrehearsed Bob, said Linda Hope, the entertainer's daughter and executive producer of the program.

"You get a good sense of the man behind the show," she says. "One of my favorite segments is a sketch Bob does with Jack Benny and Rosemary Clooney where they just break each other up."

The program is part of NBC's 75th-anniversary celebration in which a series of shows and reunion programs honor the country's first commercial broadcasting network. Hope's last special for NBC was in 1997.

"He's been with NBC almost as long as NBC has been around," says Ron Simon, a television curator at the Museum of Television & Radio in New York. "He started in radio there in the '30s and moved into TV when [NBC] did. His opening monologue where he kidded politicians and had fun with the news everyone was talking about was a direct influence on people like Johnny Carson, Jay Leno, David Letterman and Jon Stewart. He had a major, major impact on the medium and, of course, comedy."

With the age of 99 just weeks away, how is Hope doing?

"Like any of us, he has good days and bad days," Linda Hope says. "Some days we see a lot of the old Bob Hope, but otherwise he does a lot of sleeping."

She said the idea of Hope living to 100 "is something that really appeals to him," adding that he wants to beat longtime pal George Burns, who lived to be 100 years and 49 days.

Bob Hope's Funniest Out-Takes (TV) (2002)
Host: Kelsey Grammer

20 Years of Must See TV (2002) (TV)

CRITIC'S NOTEBOOK; The Sincerest Form of Flattery: The Networks' Self-Commemoration
By CARYN JAMES
Published: May 8, 2002

Try not to weep if you missed ''CBS: 50 Years From Television City,'' the network's loving tribute to (get out your handkerchiefs) its studio building. There are plenty more chances to get choked up during this emotional television month. In ''20 Years of Must-See TV,'' NBC will celebrate something dear to the hearts of all viewers, the network's ratings dominance on Thursday nights. (The program doesn't flinch from the traumatic moment when ''Frasier'' moved to Tuesdays.) ABC will look back at ''That's Incredible!'' letting us relive those exhilarating moments that disappeared from our lives back in 1984 along with the show's believe-it-or-not tidbits. We're promised another look at a 2,000-person human domino chain.

Maybe the networks think we all own stock in them and care, but one thing's for sure: Carol Burnett has a lot to answer for.

It was ''The Carol Burnett Show: Show Stoppers,'' a cast reunion and compilation of clips from her old variety show, that became a surprise ratings hit in November and set off this ludicrous deluge of nostalgia. NBC had already been planning specials to celebrate its 75th anniversary (if you count back to radio days), but the Burnett show made the networks act more sheeplike than ever, offering at least 17 clip shows and 4 cast reunions during the May sweeps. A recent Fox special celebrated four whole years of ''That 70's Show,'' which amounts to nostalgia about nostalgia.

These shows serve a purpose: they offer an irresistible opportunity to keep up with celebrity surgery. So many unnaturally wide eyes are on screen this month that it looks like E.T.'s relatives have taken over television. But there are more practical reasons for the overload of clips and reunions. The recycled shows are cheap to produce and presumably foolproof, offering entertainment that audiences have already embraced. And as many people in and outside the networks have observed, they are comfort food for a nerve-racking time.

But the soothing appeal of the shows is not assured; most of the ratings have been middling. And their place in the television landscape is more complicated than it might seem. These televised security blankets offer a counterpoint to the cutthroat reality shows that are still thriving and moving to further extremes, like the recent naked edition of ''Fear Factor.'' When Ralph Kramden ate dog food on ''The Honeymooners,'' it was by accident; now worms are a delicacy on reality shows. Clips and reunions function as extreme unreality shows.

The most surprising recent hits, ''The Bachelor'' and ''The Osbournes,'' work because they satisfy both extremes at once. ''The Bachelor,'' with two dozen women competing for a marriage proposal from one man, has a retro soul. Yet, its up-to-the-minute veneer features ruthless competition and sexual freedom. And beyond all the bleeping on ''The Osbournes'' there is a tight family in which Ozzy Osbourne warns his children about the evils of drugs. (''Just look at me,'' he says, his hands perpetually shaking.) When he goes on tour and the family shows up to surprise him on his birthday, he asks his wife, the now-famous Sharon, if ''the babies'' (their teenage children) have come along. What could be sweeter? It's that tension between the manners of today and the longing for a simpler past that best captures the present moment, when so much seems askew. Few shows pull that off.

No wonder the nostalgia shows, looking backward in such a blinkered way, fail to generate much excitement. Most are triumphs of packaging, with bogus claims of something new. A reunion of the ''Cheers'' cast playing their old characters on that show's spinoff, ''Frasier,'' was a lamely written partial reunion. (Ted Danson wasn't there; he was competing against ''Frasier'' in the dreadful but successful CBS mini-series ''Living With the Dead.'') A ''St. Elsewhere'' reunion on ''Scrubs'' meant a couple of scenes in which actors from the old hospital series turned up as doctors, though not their old characters.

Even the fresh material seems old, like Michael Jackson's performance on the ''American Bandstand'' 50th anniversary special or Cher's on the 10th anniversary celebration of ''The Tonight Show With Jay Leno.''

The promised glimpses of long-unseen moments from ''The Honeymooners'' on its 50th anniversary special on Monday included a horrible musical number; it was kind to keep the clip short. Otherwise, there were classic scenes we can catch every night on reruns. And if we don't need a ''Honeymooners'' retrospective, there's no excuse for ''Everybody Loves Raymond: The First Six Years,'' a recent tribute to a show available six times a week.

So far, the one major ratings success for a nostalgia show this month almost deserved it. Sunday's three-hour extravaganza, ''NBC 75th Anniversary Special,'' was a mix of live appearances and clips that until its floundering final hour was funny and brisk. Produced by Lorne Michaels, it included a touch of the irreverence of his ''Saturday Night Live.'' As Jerry Seinfeld said opening the show, ''Our mood is festive, our tone is self-aggrandizing."

More typically, NBC and the other networks take themselves and their branding more seriously than any viewer ever would. When you see a promo for this Thursday's ''E.R.,'' a flashback to Dr. Green's last days, and hear the solemn announcer promise ''an 'E.R.' to cherish,'' what can you do except laugh, even if you're sorry to lose the guy? When is the last time you heard anyone in real life say, ''I think I'll watch a little must-see TV''?

You will hear plenty of platitudes from the other side of the screen, though. ''I loved going to work,'' Phylicia Rashad, who played Bill Cosby's wife, recalls at the start of the two-hour ''Cosby Show: A Look Back'' (one of the few available in advance for review). We can make a reckless assumption that the same will be true when the cast reminisces on ''M*A*S*H: 30th Anniversary Reunion Special'' and ''Mary Tyler Moore Reunion.''

''L.A. Law: The Movie'' is the only genuine, fully original reunion in sight, and it's a perfectly pleasant if unexciting diversion. Harry Hamlin holds the film together and demonstrates that he can still charm as Michael Kuzak, who has stopped practicing law but goes back to help a man he unsuccessfully defended for murder a decade before. Nearly every actor from the old series is worked into the plot (except Jimmy Smits), and they spend a lot of time on dialogue like this:

''Michael!''

''Roxanne!''

And, ''Hey, Douglas.''

''Michael Kuzak!''

Or, ''Hey, Leland.''

''Abby!''

Like ''Hill St. Blues,'' ''L.A. Law'' was fast, tough and groundbreaking, but this mild, efficient movie reveals how much those qualities have been overtaken by series like ''The Practice.'' Before he created ''The Practice,'' David E. Kelley was an ''L.A. Law'' writer; he had nothing to do with this reunion. More important, Steven Bochco, a creator of both ''Hill St.'' and ''L.A. Law,'' was not directly involved with the movie and is called ''an unseen cheerleader'' in the production notes. The truly creative people in television have better things to do than look back.

But as programmers search for sure things, that's exactly where they're looking. The so-called new shows being considered for the fall include remakes of ''The Twilight Zone,'' ''The Lone Ranger,'' ''Family Affair'' and ''The Time Tunnel.'' If we did land in a time tunnel, who could tell the difference?

More Nostalgia Coming Soon

''L.A. Law: The Movie,'' Sunday on NBC

''Mary Tyler Moore Reunion,'' Monday on CBS

''NBC's Funniest Outtakes,'' Tuesday on NBC

''M*A*S*H: 30th Anniversary Reunion Special,'' May 17 on Fox

''The Cosby Show: A Look Back,'' May 19 on NBC

''20 Years of Must-See TV,'' May 20 on NBC

''That's Incredible: The Reunion,'' May 21 on ABC

''The Most Outrageous Game Show Moments,'' May 22 on NBC

20 Years of Must See TV (2002) (TV)

Host: Eric McCormack

50 Years of NBC Late Night (2001) (TV)

Special that celebrates 50 years of late night television on NBC. The program presents highlights from "The Tonight Show" and features the four great hosts through the last half-century: Steve Allen, Jack Paar, Johnny Carson and Jay Leno. In addition, there are clips from landmark NBC late-night series such as "The Tomorrow Show With Tom Snyder," "SCTV," "Later With Bob Costas," "Later With Greg Kinnear," "Late Night With David Letterman," "Late Night With Conan O'Brien" and "Saturday Night Live."

50 Years of NBC Late Night (2001) (TV)
Host: Conan O'Brien

NBC 75th Anniversary Special (2002) (TV)

Originally broadcast on May 5th, 2002 this is a 3 hour celebration of NBC's 75th anniversary. From Studio 8-H in New York City.





 
NBC 75th Anniversary Special (2002) (TV)
Host: Jerry Seinfeld

Peggy & Dorothy: A Dateline Olympics Special (2002) (TV)

Special event (via the NBC Dateline crew) broadcast just prior to the 2002 Winter Olympics Closing Ceremonies. Two of the greatest in a long list of American figure skaters. Well done.

Peggy & Dorothy: A Dateline Olympics Special (2002) (TV)

Host: Stone Phillips

The Tribute The Test and The Triumph (1988) (TV)

Follows the conclusion of the 1988 Summer Olympics from Seoul, S. Korea. This is a 3 hour showcase outlining the final medal counts with video of some greatest moments.

The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an all international multi-sport events celebrated in 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo, Japan. They were also the fourth Olympic Games to be held in Autumn.

In the Seoul Games, 160 nations were represented by a total of 8391 athletes: 6197 men and 2194 women. 237 events were held. 27221 volunteers helped to prepare the Olympics. 11331 media (4978 written press and 6353 broadcasters) showed the Games all over the world.

These were the last Olympic Games for two of the world's "dominating" sport powers, the Soviet Union and East Germany, as both ceased to exist before the next Olympic Games.

North Korea, still officially at war with South Korea, and its allies, Albania, Cuba, Madagascar and Seychelles boycotted the games. For differing reasons, Ethiopia and Nicaragua did not participate in the games. However, the much larger boycotts seen in the previous three Summer Olympics were avoided, resulting in the largest ever number of participating nations to that date.

The Tribute  The Test and The Triumph (1988) (TV)

Host: Bob Costas

NBC 60th Anniversary Celebration (1986) (TV)

Over the top goodness, cheesy and contrived. Almost everyone is here and best of all..., Nell Carter performs.

NBC 60th Anniversary Celebration (1986) (TV)
Cast: Debbie Allen, Steve Allen, Fran Allison, Harry Anderson, Bea Arthur, Gene Barry, Milton Berle, Tempestt Bledsoe, Tom Brokaw, Pierce Brosnan, Raymond Burr, Red Buttons, Sid Caesar, Macdonald Carey, Johnny Carson, Nell Carter, John Chancellor, Connie Chung, Dick Clark, Robert Conrad, Robert Culp, Ted Danson, Don DeFore, Angie Dickinson, Micky Dolenz, Hugh Downs, Barbara Eden, Ralph Edwards, Nanette Fabray, Kim Fields, Michael J. Fox, Arlene Francis, Soleil Moon Frye, Estelle Getty, Marla Gibbs, Melissa Gilbert, George Gobel, Lorne Greene, Bryant Gumbel, Deidre Hall, Valerie Harper, Julie Harris, David Hasselhoff, Ed Herlihy, Bob Hope, Don Johnson, Davy Jones, Perry King, Jack Klugman, Keshia Knight Pulliam, Michael Landon, Hope Lange, Sabrina Le Beauf, Jerry Lester, Shari Lewis, Hal Linden, Norman Lloyd, Shelley Long, Gloria Loring, Peter Marshall, Dick Martin, Rue McClanahan, Ed McMahon, Mitch Miller, The Monkees, Michael Nesmith, Edwin Newman, Donald O'Connor, Merlin Olsen, Jack Paar, Patti Page, Bert Parks, Jane Pauley, George Peppard, Rhea Perlman, Sarah Purcell, Charlotte Rae, John Ratzenberger, Gene Rayburn, Martha Raye, Carl Reiner, Alfonso Ribeiro, Joan Rivers, Doris Roberts, Dan Rowan, Pat Sajak, Rick Schroder, Doc Severinsen, Paul Shaffer, Dinah Shore, Bob Smith, Robert Stack, Craig Stevens, Mary Stuart, Philip Michael Thomas, Peter Tork, Daniel J. Travanti, Robert Vaughn, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Betty White, Jonathan Winters, Jane Wyatt, Robert Young

NBC All Star Hour, The (1983) (TV)

This is all the weirdness of a contrived fake award-ish show mixed with the year that was 1983. The best by far is the great Nell Carter, who sings a hokey company song to diva perfection. Nell Carter was the best, we love you Nell.

The NBC All Star Hour (1983) (TV)

Hosts: Michael J. Fox, Betty Thomas