Every great comedy troupe has a cast member who provides "glue" as well as laughs and for the brilliant cast of SCTV, that "glue" was provided by Joe Flaherty. A bit older than the rest of the cast, Joe was part of the Second City Chicago troupe who went north in the early 1970s to establish one in Toronto. Good move -- that cast attracted young comics such as Dan Ackroyd and Gilda Radner (who would be poached by SNL) and the comedic "murderers row" who joined Joe at SCTV -- Dave Thomas, Eugene Levy, John Candy, Catherine O'Hara and Andrea Martin (later joined by Rick Moranis). Joe served as a mentor, as well as creating some hilarious characters including scary movie host Count Floyd and painfully sycophantic talk show host Sammy Maudlin. After SCTV Joe's career was lower profile but filled with great supporting roles in movies and tv shows, as well as voice acting gigs. Much loved by fellow cast members and fans, later in his career Joe also helped polish future Canadian comedy stars, teaching comedy writing at Humber College in Toronto. As always find extended cuts below and thanks for sharing our shows!

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You can't do a Joe Flaherty episode without Count Floyd -- a loving parody of late night local tv horror movie hosts. https://youtu.be/MEjdt_n1l-4?si=sEavRmMwmg7H-geg

Joe's Sammy Maudlin was a highlight of SCTV -- a wicked parody of dying Vegas culture and "knee slapping" talk show love fests. Add in John Candy as a boot licking co-host and a host of fading stars as guests and you have a comedy classic. https://youtu.be/jBXHFjpoW3o?si=BezMRwMcJ8dmM96j

Joe had many small but key roles in movie comedies in the 1980s and 90s -- here is one with a slightly more serious vibe -- but still unmistakably Joe -- as he sets up a legendary cliff hanger in Back to the Future II. And Western Union got their money's worth from that product placement!https://youtu.be/9S3nJTnDZno?si=DtQWXZVUTW71wt0o

Joe had a juicy role in the cult-classic tv show Freaks and Geeks, playing the Dad, Mr. Weir, with the cringe observations dialed up to 11. https://youtu.be/vOrSZQs2FBU?si=evrEpLmn7-ryaKjv

Time to get your rock and roll shoes on with Tenacious D -- the musical comedy creation of Jack Black and Kyle Gass -- who turned a fun novelty act into an ever more fun worldwide recording and touring machine. When Black and Gass first met in an LA theater troupe they couldn't have known how much their futures would be intertwined. While an early HBO show didn't catch fire, their debut album was a smash -- earning airplay on traditional hard rock stations as well as on comedy shows. The secret is that their music is REALLY good. Both Jack and Kyle are fine musicians and Black is possessed of a voice that would make metal vocalists the world over envious. There is a reason that in their movie "The Pick of Destiny" Jack Black's character (in a flashback to his youth) has a picture of Ronnie James Dio on his wall that he worships (and that talks to him). From there the boys have mixed albums with concert tours and they show no signs of stopping after 30 years. Rock on! And, as always, find extra cuts below (NSFW for sure) and thanks for sharing our shows!

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Tenacious D's first breakout song was Tribute -- and it's perfect that they purport to record this version in one of those cheesy recording booths that pop up at parties and clubs. https://youtu.be/_lK4cX5xGiQ?

The movie The Pick of Destiny really catapulted The D into a new level of fame -- and it included this gem. https://youtu.be/kVbbtuJfgIc?si=qehn_vlPjJhM_S7t

Tenacious D is about nothing if not the love of METAL music. Case in point, this great live version of The METAL!

https://youtu.be/Ceo8E40vdiI?si=r-bFUKLUyRMP-jJz

Sometimes comics start down unusual career paths (at least for a comic). How about accountancy? Bob Newhart famously plied that trade early in life. And today's Legend -- Ray Romano -- figured out his comedy path after studying accountancy in college. We suspect that Ray can hire out for an accountant these days after a career that includes a wildly successful sitcom, juicy voice acting roles, frequent guest spots on television (sometimes in dramatic roles), and a little professional poker tossed in the mix. Ray's family friendly brand of humor has gone down well with audiences since he first emerged in the late 1980s. Everybody Loves Raymond debuted in 1996 and launched him to the next level, along with wining him three Emmy awards over nine seasons. Most recently Ray has started taking dramatic roles as in Martin Scorsese's "The Irishman" and he continues to be a popular draw on the standup stage. As always find extended cuts below and thanks for sharing our shows!

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The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson was legendary for the comics it featured early in their careers. Here's Ray from his first Tonight Show appearance in 1991. https://youtu.be/1VcdnqH0PJc?si=wuX4NQ1GyzRopK6h

Everybody Loves Raymond was a smash focusing on the day-to-day live of a large Italian family. Here are some highlights. https://youtu.be/r6uuxO-sHT0?si=JuYxQDhW_M-kP5FD

Ray is a key part of the Ice Age animated movie franchise playing Manny the Wooly Mammoth with just the right amount of sarcasm and grumpiness! https://youtu.be/mVkDXaeqkHA?si=4_YmPEmIuJ_3M1Hg

While today he is best remembered for an iconic television character, today's Legend also has deep roots as a stand-up comic -- one with a particularly biting and intelligent approach. We're talking about Richard Belzer, who surmounted a difficult childhood through comedy. After moving to New York as a young man Belzer immersed himself in a burgeoning satirical scene, cutting tracks for the National Lampoon Radio Hour, serving as the warm-up comic for SNL, and even acting as the opening act for Warren Zevon on his Excitable Boy tour. Today, Belzer has a whole different fan base who discovered him during his 23 year run as Detective John Munch in the long-running Law and Order television franchise (beginning with Homicide: Life on the Streets). As played by Belzer, Munch was sarcastic, whip-smart, cynical, prone to conspiracy theories, and highly entertaining -- just like his creator. As always, find extra clips below and thanks for sharing our shows!

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Belzer's first appearance on Letterman broke him with a much wider audience and is a great sample of his style. https://youtu.be/r5uK9pGIzW8?si=G-_nnBFyVuv2kCds

Belzer's character John Munch on Homicide: Life on the streets was streetwise, cynical, and very funny. Here's a cut of some of Munch's best asides. https://youtu.be/7wOxN3P0BDo?si=8vpXiMm37mLmFY3t

Sometimes wrangling comedians can seem like herding cats -- but in 1986 everyone and everything came together for Comic Relief US -- a charity originally focused on helping America's homeless population which mounted a series of comedy spectaculars right up until the early 2000s. The organization continues to do good work today -- even staging a live LA Fire benefit -- but it's those early televised events (aired on HBO) that cemented its legendary status. The Comic Relief shows were hosted for many years by Billy Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg, and Robin Williams and they featured top stand-up, sketch, and musical comedians -- and boy was the bullpen loaded! Over time Comic Relief has raised over $50 million for charity and created a brilliant time capsule of comedy at its most generous and collaborative. Plus -- the shows were really funny! As always find extra clips below and thanks for sharing our shows!

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Here's a nice slice of the very first Comic Relief US show back in 1986. A lot of legends here!https://youtu.be/pAVpBl5YzHI?si=rPA-j8Z03iu92BKs

Comic Relief 6 was another triumph -- the whole thing is worth watching but the onstage banter among Billy, Whoopi, and Robin is great!https://youtu.be/x6npULKsfCA?si=p4WrQkSBTc6J3DPJ

Talk about legendary -- here are Peter Cook and Dudley Moore reprising their classic Beyond the Fringe sketch "One Leg Too Few."https://youtu.be/k-3Mi9A9kWA?si=rt2pSaXZO27-lWCm

Think of late 1960's television comedy shows and Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In is sure to come to mine, and you can't think of Laugh-In without thinking of today's legend -- Goldie Hawn! On Laugh-In she played a sweet but ditzy blonde who would frequently steal the show. But there was so much more to Goldie than that as she has shown over an Oscar-winning film career. Goldie radiated star-power and was a top draw in movies including Cactus Flower, Shampoo, Foul Play, and Private Benjamin. Goldie has also won the Harvard "Hasty Pudding" woman of the year award, a Golden Globe, a People's Choice award and many others -- but she may be proudest of her 40 year relationship with actor Kurt Russell -- a Hollywood pairing that has stood the test of time. As always find extra clips below and thanks for sharing our shows!

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Goldie will always be linked with Laugh-In and here is a fun "highlight reel" of Goldie's best from that show. https://youtu.be/L5Y1lt2rqGk?si=FSuKghlgUTizBlbG

In 1978 Goldie had a hit with Foul Play, also starring Chevy Chase and Dudley Moore. Here Dudley puts his best moves on Goldie. https://youtu.be/V7rn04Tp5HY?si=6lxQDjcqnNeVNQdn

One of Goldie's best films is Private Benjamin, a fish out of water story about a sheltered high-society woman who joins the Army. The chemistry between salty drill instructor Eileen Brennan and Goldie is superb. https://youtu.be/rbH_RrOAAfA?si=QeD7V7nMWQQLg0xN

Get you best "woof woof woof" on for today's Legend, standup comic, television host, and television and movie star Arsenio Hall. From humble beginnings Arsenio graduated from Kent State University then headed west to follow his comedy dreams. After some early success, Arsenio vaulted to national prominence when he played Eddie Murphy's friend in the comedy hit Coming to America. Hall played several roles and was so popular that Fox tapped him as a late night host, first as a substitute for Joan Rivers, then with his own show -- one that opened with that "woof woof woof" chant. In later years, Arsenio has hosted a revival of Star Search, and had solid supporting roles in both tv shows and movies. A 2021 sequel to Coming to America restored Arsenio to prominence (and was a very nice surprise during the pandemic). As always find extra clips below and thanks for sharing our shows!

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Arsenio's career breakout came In 1988's Coming to America -- he played several roles including the local pastor -- and his take on a black beauty pageant was a comic highlight of the film. https://youtu.be/ExG7Ut6DJ1E?si=pvHEKqMHqTGPI11R

Arsenio was an instant smash on late night tv with his energy and appeal to a younger demographic. Here's a taste of his show from 1991. https://youtu.be/jEdlsU7s-tA?si=cKeNKoayoCMEtWlV

Ruth Buzzi has been on our episode schedule for a few weeks now, so we were both shocked and saddened to see the news of her passing -- but pleased that the response from the public was filled with so much admiration and affection. Best known for her stint on Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In -- she was the only cast member to appear in every episode, Ruth's credits are much more extensive and diverse including appearing on Broadway, being a favorite on early variety shows (Gary Moore Show, Steve Allen Comedy Hour), and after Laugh-In, keeping a full slate of sitcom, variety show, and movie appearances. She even was a semi-regular on Sesame Street! Much beloved, Ruth is a reminder of when we all bonded over television -- all three or four channels of it -- and hit characters like Gladys Ormphby could take the nation by storm overnight. As always find extra clips below and thanks for sharing our shows. And Ruth, thanks for the laughs and say hi to Dick and Dan for us.

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Here is Ruth in full on Gladys Ormphby having a daydream about romancing John Wayne. Yes, the handbag is deployed. https://youtu.be/srA-w9W5yeM?si=kB0lce_Dd8a6qJcP

You can't think of Laugh In without thinking of Ruth, and here is a nice cut of some of her best bits. Bonus! It also feature some of the best of a fellow legend JoAnne Worley!https://youtu.be/fTdmORyVVg0?si=XNrlmMUJ_D2xoYL1

After Laugh In, Ruth was a regular on tv variety shows and specials such as the Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts. Here Ruth -- as Gladys Ormphby -- gives the business to Muhammed Ali. https://youtu.be/zC0If3uP85o?si=xT5MvuHHFm8To94J