Stuffed With Laughs: Classic Sitcoms Where Thanksgiving Goes Terribly Wrong

 

Cheers' "Thanksgiving Orphans" episode

by Michael Lyons

Thanksgiving is a fantastic holiday.  Food at the table, and family gathered around it.  It truly is a day to be thankful for all that we have...and still, like all holidays and so much else planned in our lives, things can go wrong, and sometimes do.

We all have memories of those Thanksgivings when the turkey was undercooked; the potatoes were runny, the stuffing wasn't from Stovetop, and, even worse, we had nowhere to go for Thanksgiving.

This idea of plans being ruined for Thanksgiving and those who wouldn't be gathered together typically wind up getting together for the holiday has been fodder for several Thanksgiving-themed sitcom episodes.

And so, as we look ahead to the holiday and hope that our plans go as planned; here are three episodes from three classic sitcoms where Thanksgiving went terribly wrong:

 "Over the River and Through the Woods," The Bob Newhart Show, originally aired on November 22, 1975

In this very funny episode of this understated and hysterical show, Psychologist Dr. Bob Hartley (Bob Newhart) decides to stay home in Chicago for Thanksgiving when his wife, Emily (Suzanne Pleshette), travels home to visit her family for the holiday.

Bob says he can't leave his patients, but truth be known, he doesn't want to travel to see his in-laws, so he stays home.  And karma has its own plans.

Emily leaves, and Bob has no one else to spend Thanksgiving with except Jerry (Peter Bonerz), the sarcastic dentist he shares an office wife, Howard (Bill Daily), the clueless airline pilot who lives next door, and Elliot (Jack Riley) his offbeat patient.

The four spend the holiday in Bob's oh-so-70s Chicago apartment, and as they continually get depressed over how bad their Thanksgiving turned out, they begin drinking and drinking and drinking.  

The result is a disastrous holiday for all of them and laughs for all of us, as "Over the River and Through the Woods" features these pros, with perfect comic timing, in their "drunken" state.  Especially funny is when they attempt to cook the tiny turkey Bob had in his freezer.

Emily comes home to find that they are not just a mess, but they've ordered a lot of Chinese food.  It's the perfect end to a humorous Thanksgiving episode and a perfect example of why Bob Newhart and The Bob Newhart Show are both brilliant.

 "Thanksgiving Orphans," Cheers, Originally aired on November 27, 1986

 

The gang at Boston's funniest bar, Cheers, all have their Thanksgiving plans, and they all fall apart, leaving the gang to gather at Carla's (Rhea Perlman) house for football and turkey.  And things go from bad to horrible.

Norm (George Wendt) brings the turkey but can't get it to cook; Diane (Shelley Long) shows up from another dinner dressed as a pilgrim, and frustrations grow.

It all comes to a hilarious climax, as their anger with each other results in a food fight...and one of the most all-out, no-holds-barred food fights you've ever seen!

This episode takes the theme of "Thanksgiving gone wrong" to the next level, and like The Bob Newhart Show, there is an great ending gag involving Norm's wife, Vera, that won't be revealed here.

 "The One Where Underdog Gets Away," Friends, Originally aired on November 17, 1994

This one is from the first season of Friends, where the sitcom's Thanksgiving episodes become favorite traditions among fans.

As expected, everyone's big plans for the holiday fall apart, and Monica (Courteney Cox) agrees to cook Thanksgiving dinner for the gang. They learn that the Underdog balloon has broken loose from Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and they all run to the roof, locking themselves out of the apartment.  

Dinner, of course, is ruined, and they settle for Chandler’s “anti-Thanksgiving dinner” of grilled cheese but find themselves happy that they’re still all together.

The sharp writing and comic timing that was a hallmark of Friends are on full display here:

Chandler (Matthew Perry): "Oh my god!  Underdog has broken loose and is flying over the city!

Joey (Matt LeBlanc): "The balloon?"

Chandler: "No, no...The actual cartoon character."

Watching this well-crafted episode through the years, it's easy to see why Thanksgiving, or "Friendsgiving," became such a tradition.

So, if your Thanksgiving takes a turn for the worse, consider viewing one or all of these with your undercooked turkey, and know that you are in good (and funny) company.

 

 

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Blind Ambition: The 30th Anniversary of "Scent of a Woman"

 by Michael Lyons 

     "PACINO."  That was sprawled across the top of the movie poster for Scent of a Woman when it was released in 1992. It makes it seem like the movie is about the legendary actor. While Al Pacino is brilliant in the film, deservedly winning his long-awaited Best Actor Oscar, he is the centerpiece of so much more at work in the movie.

    The character he plays - loud, brash, demanding attention - is in the spotlight. However, supporting performances, direction, writing and messages also make Scent of a Woman still something so special three decades after its initial release.

    Starting at a stuffy, traditional prep school, young Charlie Simms (Chris O' Donnell), looking to make some extra money over Thanksgiving break, agrees to take care of a retired Army Lieutenant Colonel named Frank Slide (Pacino).

    Lt. Col. Slade is brash, bitter, rude, and speaks his mind.  He is also blind after a military accident took away his sight.  He lives with his niece (Margaret Eginton) and her family, who are his caretakers, and they desperately want to get away for the holiday weekend.

    Despite how Frank insults him, Charlie takes the job, thinking it will be easy money.  Just before leaving for Thanksgiving, a prank is pulled on the dean of his school, and innocent Charlie finds himself unwittingly involved.  A hearing will be held on the Monday after the holiday weekend, weighing on Charlie over the four days.

    As he arrives at Frank's house, Charlie finds that the Lt. Col. has other plans.  Without his niece knowing it, Frank has booked a trip to New York City, and he will be dragging Charlie along.   During it, they wind up doing everything from paying an unexpected visit to Frank's brother, tangoing with a beautiful stranger, and even test drive a Ferrari. As an added twist, the Lt. Col. has also planned a tragic end to the Thanksgiving weekend.

    During all this, Frank and Charlie form an unlikely bond, during which they help each other and help one another get their lives on a better path.  This relationship at the center of Scent of a Woman allows the film to emerge as a powerful character study.

    Pacino is mesmerizing in this role.  With a career filled with already iconic performances at this point, Frank Slade emerged as one of his best, as he commands every scene, inviting the audience to guess what he will do our say next.

    Chris O'Donnell delivers an equally compelling performance on a different level.  It isn't easy to deliver in an understated way, and O'Donnell does her perfectly.  His emotional confrontation with Pacino toward the film's end is as real and raw as movie moments.

    Additionally, there is a "who's who" of solid character actors who make the most of small scenes and moments throughout Scent of a Woman: James Rebhorn is perfectly smug and viscous as the headmaster of the prep school; Bradley Whitford, so on-point as Frank's obnoxious nephew, who satisfyingly gets his comeuppance; Gabrielle Anwar, sweet and luminous as the stranger who dances with Frank; Ron Eldard as an earnest New York City cop and Phillip Seymour Hoffman, in one of his first major roles, as a schmoozy, obnoxious, and clueless schoolmate of Charlie's.

Director Martin Brest (Beverly Hills Cop) brings a comforting, understated style, allowing these performances to take center stage.  He also provides a satisfying conclusion when Frank joins (and defends) Charlie at the prep school hearing. 

Opening on December 23, 1992, Scent of a Woman connected with critics, audiences, and the Academy. Not only did Pacino win, but the film was nominated for Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Picture.

For its thirtieth anniversary, the film is most definitely worth a re-watch (or an actual watch, if you've never seen it), as it’s the kind of film that seems from an era, but wasn't that long ago (today, this movie would most likely be a streaming series).

A remake of the Italian film, Profumo di donna, Scent of a Woman is not just character studies; it's about our internal and external struggles and seeking help from those around us. 

It's fitting that Scent of a Woman takes place at Thanksgiving, and it's one of the perfect movies for this time of year, as it's also about how things can change for us from an unexpected connection in our lives, and how we should seek out those connections, without pre-judging others. All in the spirit of the season.

Want to read more of my articles?  Or listen to one of my podcasts?  You're in luck!  Head over to my website: Words From Lyons !

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Masked Marvel: The 40th Anniversary of "Halloween III: Season of the Witch"

 

by Michael Lyons

From divisive to beloved.  That's the journey that Halloween III: Season of the Witch has taken in the forty years since its initial release.

When it first came out in 1982, audiences expected another entry in the Michael Myers storyline (and little did they think that would still be going on today), which this film wasn't, and critics were savage (Roger Ebert awarded the film *and 1/2 out of four and called it "...a low rent thriller from the first frame").

With this, Halloween III sank at the box office, becoming the lowest-grossing Halloween film up to that point.  But, as it can be, time has been kind to this weird, mostly ridiculous, 80s time capsule of a movie, and Halloween III: Season of the Witch has gained its audience, and its place as a seasonal favorite, in the past four decades.

With the first two Halloween films centering on Michael Myers and Laurie Strode, director John Carpenter and Debra Hill wanted to create an anthology series of films, each with a Halloween theme and containing their distinct storyline.

The first of these was  Halloween III: Season of the Witch, directed by Tommy Lee Wallace, in which Dr. Daniel Challis (Tom Atkins) seeks to uncover a mystery surrounding the death of one of his patients.  He is joined by the deceased patient's daughter, Ellie (Stacey Nelkin), and they travel to the strange small town of Santa Mira, California, and discover a plot by Conal Cochran (Dan O'Herlihy), owner of Silver Shamrock Novelties, to use Halloween masks to take over the world.

It seems that on Halloween night, there will be a "big giveaway" broadcast on TV, and as kids sit near the television with their masks on, the broadcast will interact with a computer chip on the mask, which will initiate the takeover of the world.

There are also bugs and snakes that come out of people's mouths when this happens; robot henchmen who work for Mr. Cochran; something about the legacy of witchcraft and, oh yeah, Stonehenge is somehow involved.  

The plot doesn't matter; the fun of Halloween III is how off-the-wall and far-fetched the plot is, in a B-Movie way.  Audiences shouldn't look for logic but, instead, enjoy how illogical the film really is.

This is probably part of the reason why the cult status of the film has grown into something more through the years.  That, and the incredible earworm of the countdown theme song that appears in the Silver Shamrock commercials: "Eight more 'til Hall-o-ween, Hall-o-ween, Hall-o-ween..." sung to the tune of London Bridge is Falling Down.

Looking back on the film, recently on the website,  From the Front Row , Mattie Lucas wrote: "No one will ever mistake Halloween III for a great film, but it is a misunderstood one, a curious experiment in franchise filmmaking that was bold as it was ultimately foolish.  Taken apart from the Halloween franchise and evaluated as a stand-alone film, it's a solid piece of 80s horror and a fascinating 'what-if' that offers a window into an alternate universe where the series took a vastly different direction."

And, so, as Halloween III celebrates its 40th anniversary this October, all that's left to say, in the ominous tone of Conal Cochran himself: "Happy...Halloween."

This Halloween, don't be scared that you don't have the perfect gift for that movie-lover in your life for the upcoming Holiday Season! My book, Drawn to Greatness: Disney's Animation Renaissance is now available at Amazon .  AND, signed and personalized copies are available on my website, Words From Lyons

Also on my website, this and other fun Halloween-themed podcasts and articles, check them out here:Words from Lyons .

 

Sitcom Scares: Retro TV Haunts for Halloween Season

The "Fright Night" episode of The Brady Bunch

 

by Michael Lyons

"Halloween Adjacent." That’s what my good friends Scott and Andy call any movie or TV show that isn't about Halloween but is perfect within the Halloween season.

And, there are a lot of classic TV sitcoms that fit within the "Halloween Adjacent" mold.  Sure, there are no Jack-o-lanterns or trick-or-treaters, but watching these feels like October.

Here are just four sitcom scares from the 60s and 70s to make your season a little spookier and maybe even a little sillier.

"It May Look Like a Walnut," The Dick Van Dyke Show,  February 6, 1963

A darkly humorous episode of the classic sitcom. Rob (Dick Van Dyke) watches a science fiction horror film and wakes up the next day to find that the film's events have come true: the earth has been invaded by an alien from the planet Twilo (played by comedian Danny Thomas, sporting a British accent).  The aliens are using walnuts to take over the earth to remove everyone's imaginations and thumbs.

It all culminates in Rob coming home to find a closet full of walnuts, with his wife, Laura (Mary Tyler Moore) floating on top.  Is it all a dream?  No spoilers here.

No wonder this episode is one of the series' most famous and iconic. It's very clever and just plain...well...nuts!

 

"Up at Bat," Gilligan's Island, September 12, 1966

Gilligan (Bob Denver) is bitten on the neck by a bat and becomes convinced he will transform into a vampire.

He is so convinced this will happen that he dreams he is Count Dracula, with the other castaways also appearing in his dream, playing such roles as Nina Harker and Sherlock Holmes.

It's the usual cartoony comedy that was the cornerstone of Gilligan's Island, but, who cares, it's so much fun, and the cast seems to be having a great time re-creating the Hammer horror films in Gilligan's dream.  And, keeping with the theme, there's even a parody of Batman!

 "Fright Night," The Brady Bunch, October 27, 1972

Gilligan's Island creator Sherwood Schwartz also brought The Brady Bunch to TV, and brought some scary fun to one of this show's episodes, as well.

"Fright Night" debuted in late October and is probably the closest to a Halloween episode of the bunch, even though Halloween is never mentioned.  The Brady kids attempt to scare each other in elaborate ways, using projections, cellophane for ghosts, and scary voices on a cassette recorder (ah, the 70s).

However, things get out of hand when they attempt to frighten Alice (Ann B. Davis), resulting in a usual Brady punishment - revoking the allowance.

The fun of this episode is the creative ways the kids try to scare each other.  Their "home-spun" pranks could have only been pulled off with the assistance of a special effects artist, but we don't come to The Brady Bunch for realism; we come for comfort-food TV, and this episode delivers. 

 "The Exorcists," The Odd Couple, December 7, 1973

Unlikely roommates Felix (Tony Randall) and Oscar (Jack Klugman) believe that a ghost is living in their window unit air conditioner.  After Felix's seance fails, they go to an exorcist - the very funny Victor Buono, most famous as the villain King Tut from TV's Batman.

Felix's gullibility and enthusiasm, coupled with Oscar's cynicism, are in full comic effect.  And how Oscar finally removes the ghost is a funny capper to the episode.  Plus, stay tuned for the "special chant" that Oscar teaches Felix at the conclusion.

 

And, there they are, just a few flashbacks from TV past, to help you get prepped this Spooky Season and stay very adjacent to Halloween!

Want to "scare up," some more good reading and podcasts?  Head over to my website: Words From Lyons !

If you're doing that pre-Halloween, pre-Thanksgiving, pre-Black Friday and pre-Holiday Season shopping and looking for the perfect gift for the movie lover in your life, consider my book Drawn to Greatness: Disney's Animation Renaissance now available at Amazon.  AND, signed and personalized copies are for sale at Words From Lyons !

 

 

 

 

Falling Star: The 40th Anniversary of "My Favorite Year"

 by Michael Lyons    

 

"I'm not an actor. I'm a movie star!"

Just one of the many clever, insightful, and funny lines of dialogue from one of the best comedies of the 80s, My Favorite Year.

And that year in the film is 1954.  It's New York City during the Golden Age of Television.  Young Benjy Stone (played by Mark Linn-Baker, later of Perfect Strangers, here in his first major role) is an up-and-coming writer on Comedy Cavalcade, a fictional comedy-variety show based on the real Your Show of Shows. 

The guest on the show that week is Alan Swann, played by Peter O'Toole, a swashbuckling movie star in the mold of Eroll Flynn.  Swann's carer is on a downslide and has developed a terrible reputation for carousing, womanizing, and drinking.

Benjy, who idolizes Swann, is given the responsibility to keep Swann on track, off of alcohol, away from women, and on time for the show.  Not an easy task.

What follows in the week leading up to the show is that Benjy realizes celebrities are just as human as anyone else; Swann realizes the responsibility that comes with being a celebrity.

Written by Norman Steinberg and Dennis Palumbo, My Favorite Year sparkles with sharp dialogue that feels like it was written by the team of Comedy Calvacade writers.  In addition to O'Toole's "movie star” line above, a classic exchange between the actor and legendary comedienne Selma Diamond defines comedy gold.

O'Toole rightfully received an Oscar nomination for his performance, constantly walking a tightrope of comedy and tragedy throughout the film.  Linn-Baker has the thankless task of being O'Toole's straight-man but brings to it such emotion and empathy as the wide-eyed surrogate for all star-struck movie fans.

The supporting cast of My Favorite Year is full of MVPs.  Joseph Bologna is pompously perfect as King Kaiser, the show's star, and Bill Macy, Anne DeSalvo, and Basil Hoffman add a great backdrop as a trio of disparate writers on Comedy Calvacade.

But, stealing the show is Lanie Kazan as Benjy's mom, Belle, and Lou Jacobi as his Uncle Morty.  The scene in My Favorite Year, where Benjy takes Swann to Brooklyn to meet his family, ranks as one of film's greatest and most hysterical "clash of cultures" scenes.  Belle calls Allan "Swanee," to which Benjy declares, "Ma! He's an actor, not a river!"  

Actor Richard Benjamin made his directorial debut with My Favorite Year. As a great comic himself, he shows a deft hand with the film's funnier scenes and allows the film its quieter moments of character development and even pathos.

Debuting on October 8, 1982, My Favorite Year was a big enough of a hit and long remembered enough to inspire a popular Broadway musical version that debuted in 1992.

It's no wonder that My Favorite Year was able to provide such rich inspiration.  The film is that rare comedy that allows us to see a little bit of ourselves and our world and delivers an insightful message.

As Alan develops a case of stage fright around live TV, Benjy pleads with him: "...don't tell me this is you life-size!  I can't use you life-size!  I need Alan Swanns as big as I can get them!"

My Favorite Year speaks to the frailty of our celebrities and how much we all “need” our celebrities.

True in 1954.  True today.

 

 

Setting the Bar High: The 40th Anniversary of "Cheers"

by Michael Lyons

 

"Every day, during happy hour, they sit and drink and solve problems - their own, the world's - it doesn't matter much.  And while they're at it, they come up with some of the funniest lines to hit the small screen this season." - The Hollywood Reporter review of Cheers, October 19, 1982.

 

It seems that the staff of The Hollywood Reporter knew at the outset what we all know now about Cheers. The bar "where everybody knows your name" made its TV debut forty years ago this fall and has earned its rightful place as one of television's most beloved and classic sitcoms.

The show was the brainchild of Glen and Les Charles and James Burrows, who sought to create an ensemble show around a workplace, a la The Mary Tyler Moore Show.  A tavern was chosen as the setting, using the real Bull & Finch Pub in Boston as the inspiration (and used the bar for the exterior shots).  The pub eventually was re-named Cheers, becoming a tremendous tourist attraction to this day.

It's more evidence of the popularity of Cheers and how audiences could relate to the characters on the show.  From recovering alcoholic, womanizing, former Red Sox pitcher Sam Malone (Ted Danson) to wanna-be intellectual waitress Diane Chambers (Shelley Long) and from innocent philosopher Coach (Nicholas Colasanto) to tough-as-nails veteran waitress Carla (Rhea Perlman), the personalities of the bar staff ran the gamut.  And, with the regulars like the accountant Norm (George Wendt), mailman and know-it-all Cliff (John Ratzenberger), and snobbish psychiatrist Frasier (Kelsey Grammer), we could see ourselves or someone we knew.

Cheers managed to do what few sitcoms could, becoming better and funnier as cast members changed. After Calasanto sadly passed away in 1985, Woody Harrelson joined the cast as Woody, segueing nicely with the other characters.  Long eventually left the show in 1987, replaced by Kirstie Alley as Rebecca, a hilariously opportunistic manager of Cheers. She proved a nice alternative to Long's prim turn as Diane.

From 1982-1993, Cheers would dominate ratings, eventually becoming the cornerstone of NBC's "Must See TV" line-up on Thursday nights.  For those ten seasons, audiences soaked up Diane and Sam's on again/off again-will they/won't they relationship, the entire bar shouting "Norm!" as he would enter, as well as his sharp responses ("What would you say to a beer, Norm?" Coach asked him.  "Going down?" was his response), and, of course, both Coach and Woody's earnest personalities.

The theme song, performed by Gary Portnoy, became a Top 40 hit and an anthem to make anyone feel welcome.

When the final episode, entitled "One for the Road," aired on May 20, 1993, it was watched by 42.4 million viewers, making it the most watched show of the year.

Seinfeld and Friends would pick up the mantle of "Must See" on NBC for the remainder of the 90s. Still, Cheers would remain the last show of the pre-VCR generation, when popular shows were "appointment TV," where viewers cleared the calendars to watch the first-run show and didn't dare risk the chance of having to wait for a summer rerun.

Writing about the Cheers finale in Entertainment Weekly, writer A.J. Jacobs called it "classy as a flute of Cristal."

The same could be said of the entire series.

Happy 40th anniversary, and cheers to Cheers!

 

Sources:

hollywoodreporter.com

wikipedia.com

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A Job Well Done: Movie Quotes About Work, In Honor of Labor Day

 by Michael Lyons    

Oh sure, it's "summer's last gasp."  That's what Labor Day weekend has come to be known as.  That last chance to head to the beach, jump into the pool and fire up the bar-b-que before the leaves start falling and Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas" plays on repeat.

However, with all this, we may forget that Labor Day was initiated, as Wikipedia tells us, "...to honor and recognize the American labor movement and the works and contributions of laborers to the development and achievements of the United States."

As this day is all about celebrating the hard work done each day and also a time to relax, it's the perfect opportunity to celebrate movies that have celebrated this work.

What follows are just some of the many quotes from some of the many movies that have shed light on our workplace and workforce.  Here they are in all of their humor, cynicism, and inspiration:

 "I am your employee, and, as such, I expect to be treated equally, with a little dignity and a little respect!"

 - Violet (Lily Tomlin), 9 to 5 (1980).

"First rule of leadership: everything is your fault."

 - Hopper (Kevin Spacey), A Bug's Life (1998).

"Normally, it takes years to work your way up to the twenty-seventh floor.  But it only takes thirty seconds to be out on the street again."

 - J.D. Sheldrake (Fred MacMurray), The Apartment (1960).

"Never burn bridges.  Today's junior prick, tomorrow's senior partner."

 - Katherine (Sigourney Weaver), Working Girl, 1988.

"Human beings were not meant to sit in little cubicles staring at computer screens all day, filling out useless forms and listening to eight different bosses drone on about mission statements."

 - Peter (Ron Livingston), Office Space, 1999.

"So you got a job, where you play with all of these toys?"

"Yup!"

"And, they're gonna pay you for that?"!?"

"Yup!"

"SUCKERS!"

 - Josh (Tom Hanks) and Billy (Jared Ruston), Big, 1988.

"Just remember this, Mr. Potter, that this rabble you're talking about...they do most of the working and paying and living in this community.  Well, is it too much to have them work and pay and live and die in a couple of decent rooms and a bath?"

 - George (Jimmy Stewart), It's a Wonderful Life, 1946.

"Hey, I don't have all of the answers.  In life, to be honest, I failed as much as I have succeeded.  But I love my wife.  I love my life.  And I wish you my kind of success."

 - Dicky Fox (Jared Jussim), Jerry Maguire, 1996.

 

So, this weekend, as the sun sets on another summer, take the time to enjoy one of these, or one of the many other, films that celebrate our jobs, our dreams, and our hard work.

Happy Labor Day Weekend!

 

 

Sources:

IMDb

Wikipedia

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