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Weekend Discussion Thread: Riffably Obscure TV ShowsAlert regular “Sitting Duck” suggests:
What obscure TV shows would you like to see riffed? 84 Replies to “Weekend Discussion Thread: Riffably Obscure TV Shows”Commenting at Satellite News
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I ADORE Johnny Sokko! A great show in the vein of similarly dubbed Japanese superhero teleseries’ from the mid 60’s, such as Ultraman and The Space Giants. Johnny Sokko was distributed through AIP TV, and features a dub that would make it an easy MST3K target. The Unicorn Chief, in particular, is given dialogue filled with “more gaps than a Pinter play”. The Wild alien villains would also surely inspire some great material, especially the peg legged, striped shirted, buck toothed guy who looks like he walked out of an offensive WWII propaganda poster.
In fact, there actually might be a path for MST3K to one day riff this! In the 1980’s, a handful of “Johnny Sokko” episodes (including the pilot) were edited together, Master Ninja/Rocky Jones/Riding with Death style, into a TV movie called “Voyage into Space”. So there technically is a Johnny Sokko movie. And, even though the movie wasn’t included, guess who put out the Johnny Sokko Complete Series DVD set a few years ago…
Shout! Factory.
Dare we hope?
Carr wasn’t a hack and I highly recommend reading him. He was one of the masters of the “locked room” mystery and other seemingly miraculous crimes. Like many writers from the Golden Age of Mysteries, though, his writing seems rather dated now. An even more enjoyable writer IMO is the underappreciated R. Austin Freeman, who invented the “inverted” mystery story. Think “Columbo,” where you know who did it and how they did it, but the mystery is how will they be caught? (Sometimes called a “howcatchem” instead of a “whodunnit.”)
To force myself back on track of the WDT, I think J/M/J & the ‘bots could have fun with the ’65-’66 series “Honey West” starring the lovely Anne Francis. Here’s the swingin’ opening: https://youtu.be/KPK_eZJLMtM
I know it’s not “obscure” but if ever there was a show made for riffing it’s the new Star Trek:Discovery (or how we like to refer to it on the boards, the STD of Treks that even penicillin can’t cure).
It’s about as stupid and lame as any of the Japanese early TV efforts, and the only way I could actually enjoy it would be to watch the new crew take it on. Maybe one day…
“The Greatest American Hero”?
“Believe it or not, I’m not Pumaman…”
Oh, so many possibilities.
The Charmings. Snow White, Prince Charming their two sons, the wicked Queen, the mirror and a dwarf in modern day LA.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRLYJHUeoFE
Space Academy, or is’s spin-off, Jason of Star Command. 70s Saturday morning sci-fi. The former starred Johnathan “Dr Smith” Harris, and the latter starred James “Scotty” Doohan.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ufw2YdGJsw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wqa234nQnRg
The Flash Gordon series that aired on Sci-Fi in 2007. My biggest complaint about it? Ming wasn’t bald.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrQOWiFHz0g
Manimal.
And maybe you kind experts of the obscure can help me with this one. Sometime in the mid-80s there was a short-lived sci-fi type show about a family that gets pulled into an alternate dimension with a sort of totalitarian feel (much like Stranded In Space, but more 80s). I believe it aired on NBC, and only ran for one season, and maybe not even a full one. No idea who starred in it, because I was still too young to really pay attention to that sort of thing. Mom, Dad, and two? children (boy and older sister, maybe?).
I know that’s the equivalent of asking someone to name that song that goes “doo doo da doo doo doo”, but I thought I’d give it a shot.
Compilation films worked so well on MST3K in the past, why not some more?
The Man With The Power – failed 70’s Universal TV show repackaged as a telefilm a la Gemini Man, where a guy with secret alien telekinetic powers has to protect Persis Khambatta from assasins, and help her cheat at pinball along the way. Why yes, I did see this at 3am on SciFi Channel in the 90’s.
Return Of The Dinosaurs – compilation film of a Tsuburaya show with stop motion dinos and barely animated anime human characters. Riffs write themselves.
Attack of the Super Monsters – like the above, but with the more traditional rubber suits instead of stop motion.
the rest of the Master Ninja compilations – with the original “The Master” getting a newly remastered Blu-ray next month, why not revisit mush mouth and Angel Eyes’s hamster?
Was it “Otherworld”?
Darn–I was going to guess “Fantastic Journey”, but that was 70’s.
VERY 70’s: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqKEENAGSBo
Well, not really: The “alien duplicates” plot idea was originally pitched as “Invasion of the Body Snatchers: the Series”, but Snatchers’ book source was still under copyright, and HG Wells’ wasn’t.
ANYTHING Sid and Marty Kroft! Some of it is nightmare-fuel to be sure!!
Ding Dong School! Beany & Cecil
I often wonder about the writers of those sexist 50’s and 60’s shows. I was just a kid then, but from what I could tell the attitudes portrayed on TV were far worse than what I saw in the real world.
I was thinking of the science fiction sitcom Quark, which is pretty obscure, but it’s a comedy so I don’t know if it would work so well.
Really twisting yourself into knots to get a slam in on The Mike Era there, pal. You know it’s a funny episode. Clearly you’re just suffering from the after effects of Swine Flu.
Also YA AIN’T CUTE so cut it out with those smileys.
And maybe you kind experts of the obscure can help me with this one. Sometime in the mid-80s there was a short-lived sci-fi type show about a family that gets pulled into an alternate dimension with a sort of totalitarian feel (much like Stranded In Space, but more 80s). I believe it aired on NBC, and only ran for one season, and maybe not even a full one. No idea who starred in it, because I was still too young to really pay attention to that sort of thing. Mom, Dad, and two? children (boy and older sister, maybe?).
Otherworld, Johnathan Banks was the villain. They entered through a pyramid, and I have some episodes on VHS. Yeah, boy and girl kids, I remember the sonwas going to join the equivalent of the Hitler Youth, the girl became a music star in another episode [damn.. all that in my memory, talk about wasted space!]
Before there was BJ & the Bear or Sheriff Lobo, there was Movin’ On, starring Claude Akins as a truck driver in the mid 1970s. It’s basically like that episode of riding with death about the truck driver, only without the ability to turn invisible.
Somehow it lasted 45 episodes. Decades TV shows it from time to time. It’s actually a fascinating look at the 1976s, but it’s also awful and ripe for riffing.
Even Star Trek has an episode where the whole plot is a woman body swapping with Kirk because Starfleet won’t allow women captains and she really wanted to be one. But then she broke down emotionally because she was a women
Which was pretty bizarre for the show given Uhura was in the command chair at least once, but still,
Looking at the photos on IMDB, that sure seems like the most likely candidate. I don’t remember if I watched more than the first episode, but the creepy-yet-cheesy feel has stuck with me all these years (even if the specifics were lost on me almost immediately). Thanks everyone!
In thinking further, Battlestar Galactica would be a phenomenal choice. I personally LOVED the show as a 12 year old nerd starved for science fiction, but just think of the possibilities here for riffing… not least of which would be all of the Space Mutiny references! (Hey… we’re watching Space Mutiny?!? What happened to Buff McHardpec? Where did all the railings go?)
Which I’m sure would thrill at least one of our regular posters here.
;)
DAVEY AND GOLIATH!!!!!!!!!
I think it comes down to the attitudes of the individual writers. In the episodes of Have Gun, Will Travel that Gene Roddenberry (since we brought up Star Trek) wrote, particularly Ella West and Food to Wickenburg, the treatment of the female characters is noticeably more demeaning and Paladin has a more chauvinist manner than in episodes penned by other writers.
Back on topic, I propose the live action Bill and Ted TV series.
“Mister Terrific” and “Captain Nice” were a pair of short-lived attempts to cash in on the success of Batman ’66 without understanding what made that success. Terrific was a government stooge who got his power from an Underdog-type pill, while Nice lived with his mom who made his superhero outfit. Terrible laugh-track pseudocomedies, but not without their charms.
Gerry Anderson’s “Space Precinct.” Take all the stereotypes and tropes of cop shows and drop them in Star Trek; mix well and cook for thirty minutes; toss out.
“Manimal.” Not quite obscure, but it’s well past time for this mess to graduate from recurrent reference gag to feature presentation.
If we’re going by that logic, Shout! Factory also puts out the DVDs for Power Rangers and several of its related shows. “Superhuman Samurai Syber-Squad” and “Tattooed Teenage Alien Fighters From Beverly Hills” are sadly not among them, but “VR Troopers” would provide plenty of riffing material.
Dare we hope? Honestly, given that MST3K and Power Rangers are two of my obsessions, I thank God for Shout! Factory every day.
In the lineup should be shows that needed to be riffed. I’m usually thinking of shows that take themselves entirely too seriously. Riffing the Soap Operas in the Joel era comes to mind.
Having said that, my unusual choice is Gray’s Anatomy. Sorry if anyone likes it. I’ve watch a half-dozen with my girlfriend and they’re the most angst-ridden shows I’ve ever seen. Joel or Mike and the bots would have a field day.
Taking on another odd selection is one of my favorites, Perry Mason. Watching The Giant Spider Invasion and The Deadly Mantis, the guys certainly know their Perry Mason. Matching up against the real thing would be hilarious.
Oh yeah, Otherworld is it. And it’s also my nomination for this thread. Competent-ish, but cheesy and hopelessly dated. 2 minutes into the pilot and I was already coming up with jokes.
Thanks to your bringing up the show, I watched the opening on YouTube. Now it’s my choice for this thread as well. My word, it’s like they put everything bad from the ’80s in a blender. And it appears to co-star Tonya Harding and a motorcycle gang. I mean, wut?!?
https://www.rifftrax.com/greys-anatomy
https://www.rifftrax.com/greys-anatomy
Land of the Giants (a glorious Irwin Allen cheez-whiz delight)
Science Fiction Theater (a 50s no-budget “SF” show with plots and acting so wooden you could build a deck)
Highway Patrol (wherein chief cop Broderick Crawford is the very definition of “hungover doughy guy”)
Sweet Christmas, I had forgotten about Tattooed Teenage Alien Fighters From Beverly Hills. When I first saw that mess I had to visit the Emergency Room to get my jaw pushed back into place. It was a 21-minute exercise in JUST NOT TRYING.
I think it would be interesting to see what they could do with The Time Tunnel. Loved it as a kid but I don’t think it holds up quite as well as I remember it.
Delete your troll account.
Tarzan, with Ron Ely.
I haven’t seen it in a long time, but as I recall it had beefcake, stupid action, animals threatened by bad guys, and a homily. It’s Hercules, Code Name Diamond Head, Carnival Magic, and a hygiene short all rolled into one.
Thanks to http://www.annotatedmst.com/episodes/105/The_Puma_Man for reminding me, and pointing to “Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze.” It sounds terrific!
Second Darren G’s suggestion of “Time Tunnel”–took itself ‘way too seriously, the premise made no sense, and it created lots of mega-cheese WTF/That’s Ridiculous!! moments: e.g., the two Chunk Manmusk heroes wind up with the Old Testament Joshua at the battle of Jericho (!)–and ol’ Josh is speaking English with a Midwestern accent and nobody bats an eye. Also agree with using some of the lesser “Outer Limits” episodes. But “Night Stalker” wouldn’t work very well: that show (as I fondly recall) was too good, and had its tongue too firmly planted in its cheek. Generally, though, the ’70s were chock full of pompous, poorly-made, overly melodramatic TV shows that our gang could mine for riffing gold!
the Bradys. they did make 2 hour movies using the episodes (aka The Brady 500).