WILD, WACKY, WONDERFUL WORLD OF WINTER, THE (TV)
Summary
This sketch comedy special features a number of notable comedians in a variety of comical, winter-related scenarios.
In the prologue, the performers are upset to learn that guest star Barbra Streisand has pulled out. Once producer Kenny Solms gets the bad news, he attempts to sweet-talk Carol Burnett, busy taping a Dinah Shore special next door, to abruptly join the production, claiming that it is a "tribute" to her.
In the first sketch, an action-movie parody entitled "Slush Bound," a city bus carrying a nun, a newlywed couple, an attractive floozy, and a "mad bomber" gets stuck in the snow; the groom hits it off with the floozy as the new bride finds herself falling in love with the bomber, who is annoyed to be delayed in reaching his intended target. "Sister Patrice" admits to the driver that she's not really a nun and is in fact Joan Crawford's other, unacknowledged daughter. Just as the group is rescued by some snow plows, they get into a crash, thus setting up the "sequel."
At the "Common Cold Telethon," young poster boy Tommy assures the smarmy host that he's not sick at all. With no celebrities on hand to answer the phones, which are not ringing, the host scrambles for donors on his own. Elsewhere, in a group therapy session, Mrs. Claus, an elf, Frosty the Snowman, and Ebeneezer Scrooge gather with Dr. Marcus to hash out their issues with one another, including Frosty's views on Marcus' "frigidity." Back at the telethon, with a grand total of 28 cents raised, the host welcomes acclaimed actor Sir Richard Beacon, who describes his struggles with the common cold at great length, somehow causing the telethon to actually lose money.
Solms arrives in Burnett's dressing room and continues begging her to join his show. In the next sketch, "Snow Junkie," a man from the East Coast travels to California and finds himself desperately missing the cold weather, eventually calling a young man to his hotel to bring him "five pounds of pure Colorado." The two enjoy the haul for only a few minutes, however, before they are caught by "the heat." Next, an attractive lady performs a striptease in which she puts on a number of warm winter clothing items in front of a whistling crowd.
In "It Pays to be Rich," an officious woman works at the returns desk at the world's most expensive department store, taking calls from the likes of Jackie Onassis and rudely scorning regular, non-wealthy people when they return their items. Inside a pricey snow globe, Heidi and her young friend ponder their lives forever trapped on a snowy mountain; when a woman at the counter accidentally breaks the paperweight, she is shocked to learn that it costs a whopping million bucks.
Back at the telethon, the host and volunteers have managed to raise $2.30, but the host is pleased to find that young Bobby, who claimed to be totally healthy, actually has viral pneumonia, from which he soon dies. Apparently moved by his fate, the show's producer extends their airtime for as long as it takes to raise a million dollars. Finally, Burnett finds that Solms has hidden her keys, and forces her to close out the show with her signature song from "The Carol Burnett Show." Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: HBO
- DATE: November 30, 1999 8:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:58:08
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:04045
- GENRE: Comedy/Variety
- SUBJECT HEADING: Comedy/Variety; Specials
- SERIES RUN: HBO - TV, 1980
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Kenny Solms … Executive Producer
- Ann Elder … Producer
- Christie Stentz … Associate Producer
- Trevor Evans … Director
- Paul Blake … Writer
- Peter Elbling … Writer
- David Feuer … Writer
- Shelly Fredman … Writer
- Ben Singer … Writer
- Teri Garr … Cast
- Beth Howland … Cast
- Mimi Kennedy … Cast
- Pat Croft … Cast
- Jack Riley … Cast
- Fred Willard … Cast
- Kenny Solms … Cast, Himself
- Carol Burnett … Cast, Herself
- Joan Crawford
- Jacqueline Onassis (See also: Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy)
- Dinah Shore
- Barbra Streisand