AS SEEN ON TV - MONTE HALPARIN & ROBERT WESTON SMITH

'I'M DYING UP HERE'

"MIDNIGHT SPECIAL"

With the second episode of this look-back at the LA stand-up comedy scene in the early 1970s*, the casting got better when it came to depicting historical characters.

Wolfman Jack showed up at Goldie's for what looked like a weekly poker game.  He got his producer on the TV show 'Midnight Special' to return Goldie's call to get one of the talents at her club a shot on the show.  The voice was a bit off, but it couldn't have been confused with anyone else's.

And then the two comics fresh from Boston, Eddie and Ron, got the chance to compete for prizes on 'Let's Make A Deal'.  They first won 200 bucks, then a billiard table, but lost it all by winning a sheep.  However, they were compensated with a year supply of that San Francisco treat, Rice-A-Roni and they couldn't have been happier - food was hard to come by when they weren't getting paid!

I think the problem with the appearance last week of Dylan Baker as Johnny Carson in the pilot episode was that the King of Late Night was so deeply embedded in the public's consciousness even moreso than Monty and Jack, because of his pronounced mannerisms.  A suggestion of the character just wouldn't cut it.  (Having seen the Tony Awards from Sunday night, I think they should have begged Kevin Spacey to do his impression of Carson for that cameo.  I think Netflix could have spared him for a day of filming.....)

Hopefully, if any more historical characters show up during this first season of 'I'm Dying Up Here', they'll be more than just a suggestion of an impression.....

Wolfman Jack & Monty Hall - Two for Tuesday!

BCnU!