ALMOST LIVE! UNPLUGGED: 10TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL (TV)
Summary
This special looks back over the past ten years of the Seattle-based comedy/talk show, "Almost Live!," which molds itself in a format similar to "Saturday Night Live." The program includes interviews with cast and crew members, as well as clips from the past ten years of the series. Highlights include: John Keister, the current host of "Almost Live!," talking about the show's origins and how it evolved out of a music video show before MTV made its mark; a clip from the very first show, which was hosted by Ross Shafer; how Keister became a regular on the show using special effects and wacky tricks to win over audiences; a clip of the classic film short, "Sluggy," about a boy and his beloved mollusk; how the show drew up a petition to have the state song changed to "Louie, Louie" by Paul Revere and the Raiders, but the state refused to listen; comedians who have appeared on the show, including Jerry Seinfeld, Dana Carvey, Jake Johannsen, and Ellen DeGeneres; clips of parodies such as "The Plumber," "Alien Gumbys," "Nut in the House," "48 Seconds," "Mime Hunting," "This Here Place," "High-Fiven White Guys," "Greatful Dead Travel," "The Worst Girlfriend in the World," "Folk Songs of the Slightly Inebriated," and "Streetwalking Lawyers of Aurora Avenue"; how the show decided against syndication and settled on staying local to please its viewers and to keep to its original format; how, when Shafer decided to leave the show in 1988 to host "The Late Show" on the Fox network, Keister followed him to become the announcer/sidekick of the show but returned to Seattle because of his family; how he then became the full-time host of "Almost Live!"; the April Fool's prank the show played that got it into trouble with network executives, viewers, and citizens of the state; how they decided to go national when Comedy Central showed interest in the show; how a German television station began using the same sketches from "Almost Live!" for that country's version of the show; and how cast members have moved on to other television jobs from their exposure on "Almost Live!" Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: KING 5 Seattle, WA
- DATE: September 14, 1994 10:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:45:55
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:36994
- GENRE: Comedy
- SUBJECT HEADING: Comedy; Television personalities; TV - History; TV - Production and Direction
- SERIES RUN: KING (Seattle, WA) - TV series, 1984-
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- John Keister … Producer
- Ralph Bevins … Associate Producer
- John Keister … Host
- Ross Shafer … Guest
- Pat Cashman … Guest
- Bill Nye … Guest
- Joe Guppy … Guest
- Darrell Suto … Guest
- Mike Boydstun … Guest
- Ralph Bevins … Guest
- Nancy Guppy … Guest
- Bill Stainton … Guest
- Ed Wyatt … Guest
- Steve Wilson … Guest
- Bob Nelson … Guest
- Tracey Conway … Guest
- Dana Carvey
- Ellen DeGeneres
- Jake Johannsen
- Michael Jordan
- Robin Leach
- Jerry Seinfeld
- Tim, Tiny (Herbert Khaury)