Friday Videos Inspire You. Badly.

Need inspiration this bizarre Friday? Want to craft the ultimate in hero? Let Fabio help.

Is the wailing sax the auditory equivalent of the contemporary cover model with rippled abs and a complete inability to button his short? Cliched, tired, and not nearly as sexy as folks seem to think?

[Thanks to Has for the link.]

Now here’s a question: anyone have any good sites for shows that went off the air after a very few episodes? I remember seeing one episode of The American Embassy with Arija Bareikis, and of course it was cancelled the next day. So I wonder, is my mind building the potential of the show higher than the actual quality? Yet I can’t find any copies or segments online to check it out again.

Any suggestions? Where do you go when shows you love go off the air too soon?

 

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  1. Babs says:

    Wow. “Anything. Absolutely anything.” How DID they get through that dialogue without breaking into hysterical laughter?!?! That’s just…wow…I don’t know what to say.

    And as for “The American Embassy”—it was ghastly. Or maybe I just feel that way since I’m married to a Foreign Service Officer and have lived the Embassy life abroad. Apparently they never spoke to anyone who had done so before filming the show—it was vastly entertaining in a really bad way to find all the mistakes that could have been avoided with oh, an hour of conversation!

  2. Polly says:

    What was that second movie (the time travel terrible dialogue thing)? I think I might have to see it.

  3. JenD says:

    I can’t comment on the Fabs. Still laughing too much.

    As far as the tv goes- try the Museum of Broadcast Communications.  http://www.museum.tv    If they don’t have it- they probably know where to find it.

  4. Kismet says:

    I have very bad luck with shows disappearing into the abyss right when I start to like them.

    There was some show called Jack of All Trades that was about some bumbling pirate or some such. The show was terrible but funny… And I think the main character guy ended up doing porns.

    I was obsessed with the UPN show Legacy that only lasted about a season, and then there was Winds of Change (I think that was the title) that was three episodes. The main part of WoC I remember is the main girl calling her dad’s wife the StepMonster, which I found amusing.

    Oh and some show about a prep school vs. the “townies”, but some rich boy starts to fall for a townie girl who was the step-daughter of the local mechanic. Then it comes up that rich boys dad had an affair with girl’s mom years ago and they might be siblings. Then the show disappeared :(.

    And of course I was more than a little obsessed with “Roar” back in the day.

  5. jmanna says:

    @Kismet: The show starred none other then Bruce Campbell who was also the star in Army of Darkness and is now on that spy show Burn Notice.  The show was hilarious and canceled after it’s second season. Campbell also played a thief in the Xena/Hercules series. Sorry for babbling on, just a huge fan of his. 🙂

    Also, I remember Roar. I still have it on VHS though they released it on DVD a while back.

    I recently got into Middlemen on ABC Family. It was a victim of the writers strike half way through it’s first season. There’s still a few unaired episodes. There’s, of course, the granddaddy of them all, Firefly by Joss Whedon.

    I’m a SciFi fan which seems to be the realm of series with a high First Season mortality rate.

  6. Jack of All Trades was short-lived but not that short-lived, and star Bruce Campbell—the Daring Dragoon himself—is alive and well and in the cast of the cult favorite Burn Notice.  I’m pretty sure the series is available on DVD.  [Porns?  Oh, wait—Vern “MiniMe” Troyer was a villain on the show, and has since been embroiled in a sex-tape imbroglio.]  It was more or less a riff on the Zorro idea in a Caribbean setting, only done with the approximate sensibilities of the Adam West Batman series, and very funny.

    That prep-school vs. townies thing sounds vaguely familiar, but is not ringing any specific bells.

    I liked Geena Davis’ Commander in Chief enough to be sorry that it tanked as quickly as it did.  A little less recently (1997), there was a genuinely short-lived show on ABC called Spy Game starring Linden Ashby and Allison Smith, which was funny and retro and got canned about nine episodes in.  And then if you want really obscure—the best secret-agency acronym of all time, IMO, was coined by an engagingly silly Saturday morning live-action show back in the ‘70s that lasted maybe the proverbial fifteen minutes.  That was The Kids From C.A.P.E.R., in which the kids are working for the Civilian Authority for the Protection of Everybody, Regardless.

  7. jmanna says:

    As for where to find stuff: Netflix will be releasing a internet only plan this summer that should be darn cheap. They will also be putting all of their library online for viewing. If it’s ever gone to DVD, they’ll have it. Hulu.com is another place to check. They have all kinds of stuff there, movies and tv. Last, there’s always the dreaded bit torrent. Because if it exists, it’s being file-share’d.

  8. natasha says:

    I couldn’t watch it to the end, I just cringed in horror!! Who thought this was a good idea to make?

  9. Leslie H says:

    The Kids from C.A.P.E.R. totally rocked!

    My Weeping is for The Magician with Bill Bixby 1973 (I was 11 years old and secretly watched it on the late late late TV)

    And Wizards and Warriors with Duncan Regehr In leather. Sigh. (I don’t even go for leather!)

    Ooh! Speaking of Duncan WHEN will we get The Last Days of Pompeii Mini Series? (He was in a loin cloth a LOT in that one) It also had Brian Blessed, Franco Nero and the guy who played Lancelot in Excalibur. A SMOKIN’ hot lineup if ever there was one.

    Lol Security word Car 57 How appropriate for TV!

  10. Strangely enough, my husband and I have been watching Jack of All Trades this week on DVD.  Imho, it’s uneven but has its funny moments. And of course, Bruce Campbell is full of win and awesome. Don’t watch it if you are a history buff though!

  11. jessish says:

    Did anyone ever watch Wonderfalls?  It was on fox and watched all four episodes before it was axed.  But then they actually filmed the rest of the first season (and pretty much tied up the loose ends) and it is on dvd.  It is really great, sweet, funny and slightly cynical.  check it out [http://www.amazon.com/Wonderfalls-Complete-Caroline-Dhavernas/dp/B0006GAO18/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1237572647&sr=8-1|here]

  12. jessish says:

    woops. that link didnt work.  well just search for it on amazon.  its worth it i swear.

  13. StarOpal says:

    Okay I was eating while watching that, and nearly choked to death. Fabio almost killed me! So hilarious.

    Another lover of Jack of All Trades and the man, the myth, The Chin. His If Chins Could Kill: Confessions of a B Movie Actor is a must read and really really funny. If you’re a Bruce fan you have to check out his new movie My Name is Bruce. The Adventures of Brisco County Jr. forever!

    Along with JoAT:

    Firefly
    Drive (Poor Nathan Fillion can’t catch a break)
    The Black Donnellys (Good show! Both the aired and unaired episodes are available on DVD)
    Strange Luck
    High Incident – had two seasons and a horrible ending
    The Night Stalker-2005 (Big guilty pleasure here, but the last episode that aired had the preview for the first episode that was going to start working towards the overall arc. Ugh so frustrating!)

    Speaking of Guilty Pleasures…

    Wolf Lake
    Roar

  14. Liz says:

    every time i see Fabio I think of those I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter commercials that he did in the late 90’s.  What was so special about him?

  15. Melissa Blue says:

    Ah, that’s why he never had an acting career.

    And, Liz, it was the ripped abs.

  16. Peaches says:

    http://www.surfthechannel.com  If you want tv, this is where it is

  17. Sharron McClellan says:

    Fabio cracks me up! I must confess, I have a video of three “short stories” that he did. One was a pirate story and all I remember is that when he was eataing a chicken leg, it looked ever-so-tiny in his over-sized hands. I’ll have to get the video out of storage. It’s a hoot!

  18. Katie says:

    Are there women out there that find him sexy?

  19. Robinjn says:

    Firefly all the way! Consistently ranked as one of the top Sci-fi series of all time. Fox did a number on it, constantly changing its time slot and practically guaranteeing nobody would see it. It had, and still has, a huge cult following.

    In fact, after it was canceled the groundswell of support was so huge that there was a movie made, Serenity. It too was all kinds of awesome but though it made money for the studio, not enough to do another one.

    I’m thrilled to see Nathan Fillion in his new series Castle. And of course there’s Dr. Horrible….

    Seriously, even if you aren’t that thrilled with Sci Fi it’s worth renting Firefly. Joss Whedon at his very best.

  20. PK the Bookeemonster says:

    I’ve nominated your blog for a Sisterhood Award; details can be found at http://pkmadsen.blogspot.com/2009/03/sisterhood-awardwatchmen.html  Day .after day your site makes me smile.  Thanks for being a great place to visit.

  21. Carin says:

    Fabio video – this is what people who’ve never read a romance think romance novels are.  GAK!

    TV shows – I thought my favorite from last season, Reaper, had disappeared, but I just learned it’s back on. Hooray!

    I’ve heard (from my husband, who is in the know) that hulu.com is a pretty good place for tv shows.

  22. kpsr. says:

    Strange Luck

    Oh, man. I can’t believe somebody else mentioned that show. I loved D.B. Sweeney. I couldn’t believe that FOX just dropped it. I keep hoping that someone will care enough to put that out on dvd someday.
    But, then again, I did totally also watch Profit and M.A.N.T.I.S. and Brisco County Jr.

  23. Duncan Regehr also did a fairly successful Zorro series for overseas TV—which sadly is not available on DVD in America; Wikipedia claims nobody knows who owns the rights.

    I am also waiting for a US distribution deal for a new animated series called Zorro: Generation Z that’s also been airing overseas; it’s a near-future high-tech setting, and in that one Zorro has a female rival/competitor who calls herself the Scarlet Whip.

  24. joanne says:

    I’m still pining for Nikolaj Coster-Waldau.  I fell in love with him watching New Amsterdam.  It even had nifty opening credits.  I was crushed when it wasn’t renewed.

  25. Carmael says:

    Ya’ll owe me around 35.00 for the bottle of whiskey I had to go out and get to scorch that from my mind!

    “Hello I’m Faaaaabio…”

    *shudders and drinks some more*

  26. Kathy says:

    The Fabio vid was just fucking aweful.  No other way to describe the 2 minutes I lost from just watching it.

  27. Michele says:

    The show that made me scream when it went off the air was ‘Nowhere Man’. It was on in the early-mid 90’s on the UPN network. Bruce Greenwood was so freaking hot and the paranoia wacko plotline would have done quite well today. What really ticked me off was that the show was building a cult following and looked like it was going to get a second season, hence the cliffhanger. Change in management at the network and out it went. Good thing it’s on DVD.

  28. Marta Acosta says:

    Sarah, check out Hulu.com for videos of old shows.

    They do have episodes of “Jack of All Trades,” and I’ll have to watch them because I’ve always liked Bruce Campbell.

    Bruce Campbell fans should also see him in a series called “The Adventures of Brisco County Jr.”  It’s available on DVD and is really a steampunk series, full of anachronistic jokes and fast talking.  Campbell is his usual delightful self.  (He’s also in a hilarious Old Spice commercial.



  29. Glynis says:

    “No, no, no, no, no, no,” was all I could yelp while watching that video.

    True shame; I briefly found the Fabster fascinating in the early 90s. Even went to a personal appearance—oh, the shame. Now I realize it was a deranged reaction to the disappointment of my doomed marriage—or that’s what I tell myself to feel better. Now? Oh my stars and garters, never in a million years.

  30. dillene says:

    Good heavens- is that a leather poncho Fabio is wearing in that still?  I refuse to watch the video.

    I still miss “Vampire: the Masquerade” because I am a big emo dork.  I think the lead actor died in a motorcycle accident shortly after the first series.  Or maybe I’m confusing him with Falco.

  31. StarOpal says:

    I still miss “Vampire: the Masquerade” because I am a big emo dork.  I think the lead actor died in a motorcycle accident shortly after the first series.  Or maybe I’m confusing him with Falco.

    The guy who played the main vampire character did, in fact, die in a motorcycle accident. Very sad. Though I can’t remember if the show was canceled first, or if it was teetering and his death was a deciding factor.

    Love for New Amsterdam and Nowhere Man whoo!

    Another one was a Showtime show (way back in the early ‘90s when it wasn’t known for, ahem, quality) that was actually quite good that had A LOT of actors just barely before they made it big called Fallen Angels. It had a short story format and a ‘30s noir setting.

  32. GrowlyCub says:

    Okay, I’m obviously missing the joke, because the Fabio video runs in slow-mo and that dialogue that everybody is talking about is just grunts and stuff.  Or is that the joke? 😉

    We really loved Witchblade and were bummed when it went off the air

  33. Leslie Kelly says:

    Believe it or not, I actually have two VHS copies of that Fabio video A Time For romance! They were featured as part of a slumber party at an RWA conference chapter in Florida a few years ago. Hmm, maybe I’ll offer one as a really fab-o contest prize one of these days…but only one. I couldn’t possibly give up both. ::snort::

    PS: I LOVED the new show My Own Worst Enemy with Christian Slater earlier this season. Fortunately, I have all the episodes saved on my Tivo. I know it had plotholes the size of Montana, but I absolutely loved it.

  34. mrshankly says:

    Oh Jeebus this is fantastic!  Back in HS, my friends and I bought the Fabio video romance novel for another friend and all gathered to watch the awesomeness.  I’ve searched youtube before, but looks like I’ll have to look again!  The pirate one was totally the best, Sharron!

    You know, watching Fabio’s E! THS some years ago gave me a new respect for the man.  Ahh, Fabio.

  35. P.N. Elrod says:

    Elrod: What am I going to do with you?

    Fabio: Anything. Anything your heart desires.

    Elrod: Woo hoo! Put these on!

    Fabio: Gloves? Sure. Anything you like!

    Elrod: Now, off with the coat and shirt.

    Fabio: I’m liking this!

    Elrod: (opening door) Right in here. quick now!

    Fabio: I like your energy for this!

    Elrod: Great, you start at that end and I’ll start here, we’ll meet in the middle.

    Fabio: (faltering) But this…this is…

    Elrod: Danged right. Garages don’t clean themselves! Here’s a box of trash bags. When it’s used up you can rake the leaves on the east side of the house, then I need a new toilet installed for the master bath, but that goes in AFTER we retile the floor and put in a new tub.

    Fabio: B-b-but—

    Elrod: You said ‘heart’s desire,’ big boy, so get cracking! Once we’re done here, it’s a new floor for my library—which ALSO needs to be cleaned out. Who knows, we might finds some of your covers in there. Now, MOVE it, tight buns!

  36. I found this review for “A Time for Romance” here .  It’s hilarious!!  You need to scroll to the bottom of the page, but it’s so worth it.

  37. MichelleR says:

    Let’s see—love Firefly and Wonderfalls.

    I remember, it had to be the late eighties,* I was in the used book store and the woman there told me any book with Fabio on the cover flew out of the store—that was the first time I was aware of his existence.

    I love a beautiful or attractive cover, I can’t deny it, but I never understood someone buying a book with a specific cover model, not unless the plot was appealing.

    Hey, don’t look at me like an old crone. I started reading the books young and I still get carded, if the lighting is dim, very dim.

    justice68: Oh, heck, yeah, that was the year I was born—but mid-68. Did I mention I still get carded?

  38. Lori says:

    That’s 3 people that watched Strange Luck. I loved it but knew from the first episode that it was doomed so I didn’t get attached.  Same thing with Profit—-great, but obviously way too weird to last.

    Ditto Action, which starred Jay Mohr and was one of the most subversive things I’ve ever seen on TV. The good thing about that show is that they knew they knew they weren’t getting picked up past the initial 13 episodes so there’s no cliffhanger.  The show had a very definite ending. I think back on it & can’t believe Jay Mohr went from that to Ghost Whisperer and Gary, Unmarried.  One of these things is not like the others. 

    I’m still mad about what happened with Middlemen.  That show was fun and just odd in the best possible way.

    Jack of All Trades had it’s moments but I enjoy Bruce’s current show, Burn Notice, much more. 

    Jessish speaks the truth about Wonderfalls.  It really was good and since they finished the season for the DVD release you don’t get the bad cliff hanger problem.

    Oh and some show about a prep school vs. the “townies”, but some rich boy starts to fall for a townie girl who was the step-daughter of the local mechanic. Then it comes up that rich boys dad had an affair with girl’s mom years ago and they might be siblings. Then the show disappeared :(.

    @Kismet: I’m pretty sure that was called Young Americans & was only meant to be a summer show.

    It’s killing me that I can remember that much information about a show I didn’t watch, but can’t remember the name of the article I need to find again for the paper I’m researching. Maybe those Hulu ads are right & TV does turn your brain to tapioca.

  39. SonomaLass says:

    We’re rolling on the floor here over “I have no taste for the blood of children”!

  40. One more highly obscure series that comes back into my mind, and got bumped before its time:

    It was called Cliffhangers, and ran on NBC in the late ‘70s for something under a full season.  This was an hour-long show that ran chapters of three separate pulp-style serials in every episode: one was a modern Dracula riff, one was a “plucky girl reporter” adventure starring Susan Anton, and one was a remake of the classic serial “The Secret Empire”, complete with portions shown in Beautiful Black & White.  The Dracula riff is the one I remember best; that one starred Michael Nouri as the Count, who was teaching (wait for it) night classes at an American college.  Unfortunately, the series was cancelled (of course) before any of the opening serials hit their big climaxes.

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