EARTH DAY SPECIAL, THE (TV)

Summary

A television special in honor of the 20th anniversary of Earth Day, featuring numerous celebrities commenting on various environmental issues.

The special is presented via a framing device featuring a couple (portrayed by Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman) watching the special itself on television. Highlights include: a partially animated sketch featuring Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig, and Tweety Bird; a scene featuring Robin Williams as an “Everyman” and Bette Midler as the personification of nature; a scene featuring Murphy Brown (played by Candice Bergen) and Doogie Howser (played by Neil Patrick Harris), accompanied by factoids about pollution and environmental problems; a lecture on environmental issues by Dr. Carl Sagan; a mock game of “Jeopardy” featuring Alex Trebek delivering further factoids about pollution; a scene featuring Downtown Julie Brown interviewing “Elon Spengler” of “Wastebusters” (portrayed by Harold Ramis), presented as the brother of “Ghostbusters” character Egon Spengler (also portrayed by Ramis), and Spengler accosting a passerby played by Martin Short; a scene featuring an appearance by Dr. Emmett Brown from the “Back to the Future” films, portrayed by Christopher Lloyd; Betty White, Estelle Getty, Bea Arthur, and Rue McClanahan appearing as their “Golden Girls” characters, watching the special; a “Weekend Update” sketch featuring Dennis Miller; a scene featuring Muppet characters, including Kermit the Frog and Robin; a sketch featuring Williams and a lawyer portrayed by Dustin Hoffman; a rap music number performed by Quincy Jones, Will Smith, Tone-Loc, Queen Latifah, Ice-T, Kid n’ Play, and Heavy D.; a scene featuring Jonathan Brandis, Mayim Bialik, Edan Gross, and Jack Lemmon; Phylicia Rashad, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Tempestt Bledsoe, Bill Cosby, Lisa Bonet, Keshia Knight Pulliam, and Raven-Symoné appearing as their characters from “The Cosby Show”; an overview of an oil recycling program; a message about water pollution from Melanie Mayron and Morgan Freeman; a sketch taking place on the set of “The Dating Game,” featuring Jim Lange, Geena Davis, Pat Riley, Dan Gauthier, and Rodney Dangerfield; a scene featuring Michael Keaton as a factory owner; a scene featuring Magic Johnson, Michael Douglas, and Robert Wuhl; a dream sequence featuring Dan Aykroyd, Rick Moranis, and Chevy Chase; Amanda Bearse, David Faustino, Christina Applegate, Katey Sagal, and Ed O’Neill appearing as their “Married With Children” characters; various informational segments about environmental projects around the country; a scene featuring Kevin Costner as a bartender and Meryl Streep as a bar patron; a scene featuring Jane Fonda; Ted Danson, Kirstie Alley, Woody Harrelson, George Wendt, Kelsey Grammer, and John Ratzenberger appearing as their “Cheers” characters; Midler and Williams delivering an out-of-character speech; and Barbra Streisand performing “One Day.” Includes commercials. This program is closed-captioned.

Details

NETWORK: ABC
DATE: April 27, 1990 9:00 PM
RUNNING TIME: 1:57:22
COLOR/B&W: Color
CATALOG ID: B:17189
GENRE: Specials
SUBJECT HEADING: African-American Collection - Music; TV - Specials
SERIES RUN: ABC - TV, 1990
COMMERCIALS:
- TV – Commercials – Time Warner media services
- TV – Commercials – “Driving Miss Daisy” motion picture
- TV – Promos – “China Beach”
- TV – Promos – “Equal Justice”
- TV – Promos – “Good Morning America”
- TV – Promos – “The Best of Nightline 1980-1990”
- TV – Promos – “The Story of the Beach Boys: Summer Dreams”
- TV – Promos – “The Wonder Years”
- TV – Promos – “Twin Peaks”

CREDITS

Armyan Bernstein … Executive Producer, Writer
Richard Baskin … Executive Producer, Writer
Paul Junger Witt … Executive Producer
Lorne Michaels … Executive Producer
Rocco Urbisci … Producer, Writer
Neal Marshall … Producer, Writer
Ted Steinberg … Producer
Kathleen Helppie-Shipley … Producer
David Oyster … Producer
Suzanne LaCock … Producer
Ted Haimes … Producer
Kimber Rickabaugh … Co-Producer
Marilyn Seabury … Associate Producer
Dwight Hemion … Director
Terry Lennon … Director
Dirk Schneider … Director
Terry Hughes … Director
Dave Wilson … Director
Jim Henson … Director
Jay Sandrich … Director
Gerry Cohen … Director
James Burrows … Director
Members of the Motion Picture Screen Cartoonists, Local 839 … Animation
Optomystictm., Los Angeles … Animation
Katie Meister … Researcher
Marc Abraham … Writer
Vince Calandra Jr. … Writer
Barry Douglas … Writer
David Field … Writer
Barra Grant … Writer
Jerry Leichtling … Writer
Arlene Sarner … Writer
Peter Torokvei … Writer
Carl Sagan … Writer
Ann Druyan … Writer
Greg Ford … Writer
Marc Sotkin … Writer
Robert Bruce … Writer
Marty Weiss … Writer
Marc Cherry … Writer
Jamie Wooten … Writer
Jim Vallely … Writer
Michael Hurwitz … Writer
Herb Sargent … Writer
Jerry Juhl … Writer
Bill Prady … Writer
Dustin Hoffman … Writer
Robin Williams … Writer
Barry Levinson … Writer
David Steinberg … Writer
John Markus … Writer
Carmen Finestra … Writer
Gary Kott … Writer
Ron Leavitt … Writer
Michael Moye … Writer
Marcy Vosburgh … Writer
Sandy Spurng … Writer
Katherine Green … Writer
Ellen Fogle … Writer
Arthur Silver … Writer
Kevin Curran … Writer
Cheri Eichen … Writer
Bill Steinkellner … Writer
Phoef Sutton … Writer
Brian Pollack … Writer
Mert Rich … Writer
Dan O'Shannon … Writer
Tom Anderson … Writer
Dan Staley … Writer
Rob Long … Writer
Patrick Williams … Music by
Michel Legrand … Music by
D.J. Mark … Music by
Benny Medina … Music by
David Gamson … Music by
Leonard Bernstein … Music by
Alan Bergman … Lyrics
Marilyn Bergman … Lyrics
Tone-Loc … Lyrics
Fresh Prince (See also: Will Smith) … Lyrics
Ice-T … Lyrics
Queen Latifah … Lyrics
Heavy D. … Lyrics
Kid n' Play … Lyrics
Stephen Sondheim … Lyrics
Fresh Prince (See also: Will Smith) … Performer
Ice-T … Performer
Quincy Jones … Performer
Kid n' Play … Performer
Queen Latifah … Performer
Tone-Loc … Performer
Heavy D. … Performer
Barbra Streisand … Performer
Danny DeVito … Cast, Vic
Rhea Perlman … Cast, Paula
Dan Aykroyd … Cast, Vic's Friend
Candice Bergen … Cast, Murphy Brown
James Brolin … Cast, Doctor
Downtown Julie Brown … Cast, Herself
Chevy Chase … Cast, Vic's Friend
Kevin Costner … Cast, Bartender
Rodney Dangerfield … Cast, Dr. Vinny Boombatz
Geena Davis … Cast, Kim
Dana Delany … Cast, Doctor
Michael Douglas … Cast, Himself
Jane Fonda … Cast, Hellen
Morgan Freeman … Cast, Walter Samson
Neil Patrick Harris … Cast, Doogie Howswer
Dustin Hoffman … Cast, Everylawyer
Magic Johnson … Cast, Himself
Michael Keaton … Cast, Charles McIntyre
Christopher Lloyd … Cast, Dr. Emmett Brown
Jack Lemmon … Cast, Coach Stewart
Melanie Mayron … Cast, Herself
Bette Midler … Cast, Mother Earth
Dennis Miller … Cast, "Weekend Update" Anchor
Rick Moranis … Cast, Vic's Friend
Edward James Olmos … Cast, Hospital Director
Harold Ramis … Cast, Elon Spengler
Pat Riley … Cast, Himself
Carl Sagan … Cast, Himself
Martin Short … Cast, Nathan Thurm
Meryl Streep … Cast, Concerned Citizen
Robin Williams … Cast, Everyman
Alex Trebek … Cast, Himself
Bea Arthur … Cast, Dorothy Zbornak
Estelle Getty … Cast, Sophia Petrillo
Rue McClanahan … Cast, Blanche Devereaux
Betty White … Cast, Rose Nylund
Phylicia Rashad … Cast, Clair Huxtable
Malcolm-Jamal Warner … Cast, Theo Huxtable
Tempestt Bledsoe … Cast, Vanessa Huxtable
Bill Cosby … Cast, Cliff Huxtable
Lisa Bonet … Cast, Denise Huxtable
Keshia Knight Pulliam … Cast, Rudy Huxtable
Raven-Symoné … Cast, Olivia Kendall
Jim Lange … Cast, Himself
Dan Gauthier … Cast, Himself
Robert Wuhl … Cast, Himself
Amanda Bearse … Cast, Marcy D'Arcy
David Faustino … Cast, Bud Bundy
Christina Applegate … Cast, Kelly Bundy
Katey Sagal … Cast, Peggy Bundy
Ed O'Neill … Cast, Al Bundy
Ted Danson … Cast, Sam Malone
Kirstie Alley … Cast, Rebecca Howe
Woody Harrelson … Cast, "Woody" Boyd
George Wendt … Cast, Norm Peterson
Kelsey Grammer … Cast, Frasier Crane
John Ratzenberger … Cast, Cliff Clavin
Mayim Bialik … Cast
Jonathan Brandis … Cast
Rick DuCommun … Cast
Edan Gross … Cast
Dom Irrera … Cast
Jeff Bergman … Voice, Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig, Tweety Bird
Pam Brady
Frank Lockyear
Janet Graham
Gary Peterson
Mjenzi Traylor