Tag Archives: W*A*L*T*E*R

A Very Special Episode of March Madness!

4 Mar

March 4, 2014

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I am informed by sports fans that this time of year is something called “March Madness” which I assume is some form of group-bloc mental illness. Anyway, because I’m nothing if not a hack, I’m going to do a series of “bracket” themed columns. But because I am a strange, sad man I will do it based on “very special episodes” of our favorite sitcoms. You know what “very special episodes” are – when sitcoms take a break from canned laughter and silly situations (Look! Beaver is stuck on top of a billboard!) to try to teach us all about the dangers of drugs or child molestation…..and maybe win an Emmy in the process. Bless their shameless, transparent manipulative little hearts!

Anyway, in order to spare you reading (and me writing) endless columns of the full field of 64, I have whittled the field down to 16.  These elite teams have been selected by Computron 6000 based on strict criteria, including which ones fouled out my wife the most. In order to determine the winners, each round will be simulated 364 times in order to ensure a fair and accurate result. Or will be selected of an elite committee including myself, Mr. B and that monkey who picks Super Bowl winners by flinging poo at helmets.

Below are the randomly chosen brackets:

                       Bracket 1Gordon Jump Molests Arnold and Dudley vs. Theo Huxtable Battles Teh Dyslexia vs. Mr. Belvedere Tackles AIDS….Badly vs. Beaver Cleaver Enables an Alcoholic

Bracket 2

Edith Bunker: Victim of Home Invasion vs. Bobby Feigns Illness to Meet Joe Willie vs. The Taking of Lil Sam Drummond vs. Punky Brewster Fridge Asphyxiation Scare

Bracket 3

Monroe Ficus……Raped?!?!?! vs. Maude…..Needs an Abortion?!?!! vs. Tom Hanks Gets Drunk… on Vanilla???!? vs. This Girl Was Actually Attacked??!?!

Bracket 4

Urkel Tackles Gun Control vs. Arnold in Trouble….Again  (*SIGH*) vs. Carlton Takes “Speed” vs. Wesley Encounters Bad Touch

Breaking down the field:  We have an incredibly strong field this year, which is arguably the strongest field in the history of this tournament, which is in its first year.

The “Edna’s Edibles” bracket looks to be the strongest of all this year – all four of them can reasonably lay claim to the title.

For sheer odds, Diff’rent Strokes has to be considered the favorite to take it all this year, with three entrants among the top 16.  Mr. Belvedere, with two strong entries, also has great odds.

This field doesn’t lack for star power either, as Family Ties and The Brady Bunch both sport A-list guests.

Tournament favorite:  Diff’rent Strokes.  Arnold and Dudley getting molested is an American classic.

Tournament Long Shot: Leave it to Beaver.   It’s going to have to overcome a significant generation gap in order to prevail.

Next:  “Whatchoo Talkin’ “Bout Bracket” results

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Allan Keyes has FAIL SPINOFF THEMES running through his head

11 Mar

March 11, 2013

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Been on a bit of an old TV bender since Mr. B found that old People’s Court episode. So without further ado, let’s get into some fail I’ve rediscovered in the past week!

 

THE ROPERS (From Three’s Company)

Lets’s put the all-time worst right off the bat. WOMP WOMP WOMP, WOMP WOMP WOMP, WOMP WOMP WOMP, WOMP.  UGH!  Nobody even tried. It’s like they all mailed it in. The great Normal Fell dancing with a plunger. A dark day. Anyway, enjoy 6 hours of this crap if you want:

 

FLO (From Alice)

I forgot this abomination even existed. Take the wisecracking waitress from Alice, and have her move from a dumpy diner to an even dumpier truck stop down south! How did this not run 15 seasons? I mean, “Kiss My Grits” alone should’ve been good for 5 years more. Rule of thumb: Any sitcom without Vic Tayback is massively inferior to any sitcom with Vic Tayback. (Mr. BTR Says: More on Vic Taybak later!)

 

W*A*L*T*E*R  (From Mash)

Everyone remembers AfterMash (another one that should’ve been a hit. Look at the idea: Let’s just remake MASH, without the most popular characters! It’s gold Jerry, gold!) Anyway, that show was light years ahead of this awfulness. This was so bad that they stopped production halfway through the pilot.  Once Gary Burghoff inevitably failed at this, all that was left was for him was Match Game appearances subbing for Bowser. 

BONUS DEBATE QUESTION:  Trapper John, M.D. –  MASH spinoff, or just bullshit?

 

Joanie Loves Chachi (From Happy Days)

I apologize.

 

JAKE AND THE FATMAN (From Matlock if you can believe it)

What’s with this action opening? NOBODY IS MORE SEDENTARY THAN WILLIAM CONRAD. Look at the scenes he has in the intro – it features the action cigar and the action head-turn. WOWWWWWWWWW!  This intro is pure 80’s – the beach, the girls, the fast car, the saxophone solo. Feh.

 

JUST THE TEN OF US (From Growing Pains)

First of all, listen to this incredibly overwrought themesong (and remember when TV shows had time for an actual long opening credits run?) The song is all about a guy who keeps failing but he gets back up and tries, despite the fact that he keeps on “bringing home second places”

WHAT A LOAD – Let’s take a look at this. The guy is obese, cueball bald and makes the wages of a high school PE teacher.  By all rights he should be living alone in a basement apartment eating Dinty Moore beef stew every night. Instead he has a spacious house, a not-bad looking wife who obviously allows him to er….you know, whenever he feels like, and magic sperm, because he can seemingly produce good looking women, one after the other. One of those girls will snag a rich guy who will take care of Fatty McButterpants in his old age. Second place? He hit the jackpot! PS- Nice Sweatpants.

Mr. BTR Says: Vic Taybak RULES: