Topic: Three Stooges marathon, NYC WPIX-TV Channel 11, 11/28 10AM-5PM EST

[BeAStooge]

DISORDER IN THE COURT (1936)
GRIPS, GRUNTS AND GROANS (1937)
VIOLENT IS THE WORD FOR CURLY (1938)
THREE SAPPY PEOPLE (1939)
YOU NAZTY SPY! (1940)
A PLUMBING WE WILL GO (1940)
DUTIFUL BUT DUMB (1941)
ALL THE WORLD'S A STOOGE (1941)
AN ACHE IN EVERY STAKE (1941)
IN THE SWEET PIE AND PIE (1941)
CRASH GOES THE HASH (1944)
GENTS WITHOUT CENTS (1944)
THREE LITTLE PIRATES (1946)
HALF-WITS HOLIDAY (1947)

Note:
WPIX broadcasts the 1998 commercialized 130-short package... two breaks per short, "gag" commercials and oft-inaccurate trivia, and computer-generated animation effects overlaid onto the credits and commercial break fade-ins/fade-outs.

[Dunrobin]

WPIX broadcasts the 1998 commercialized 130-short package... two breaks per short, "gag" commercials and oft-inaccurate trivia, and computer-generated animation effects overlaid onto the credits and commercial break fade-ins/fade-outs.

I was going to say "Lucky New Yorkers!", but not if WPIX managles them like that. 

Why in hell anyone would even think of putting commercial breaks - and not just one but two, to boot! - in a 16-20 minutes short is beyond me.  Pure greed for advertising money, without any artistic considerations or thought given to the intended audience, is the only reason I can think of.  I'd like to urge all true Stooge fans to boycott such programs - and let your opinions on the subject be heard by the powers that be at the station (not to mention the advertisers.)  Apparently they think all Stooges' fans are such dolts that we'll accept anything!

BTW, Brent - you should always try to mention the date for something like this in the body of your post, if not in subject line.  I realize that you're probably adding them from the Calendar, where it is obvious what day the show is, but if someone comes to the topic from another direction they won't know.  (I came to it from an email notice; I had to go to the calendar to figure out what day the marathon was going to be held.)   (It's on Sunday, 11/28/04.)

[xraffle]

I agree, WPIX is sure making a lot of advertising money. The 16-20 minute shorts are going to be shown every half-hour. That leaves 10-14 minutes of commercial breaks. If there are 2 breaks, then the breaks will range from 5-7 minutes. Those are long breaks.

[Pilsner Panther]

As I (sort of) recall from my increasingly dim and distant childhood, when the Stooges were hosted by Officer Joe Bolton on WPIX, there was one cluster of commercials at the beginning, one in the middle (yes, interrupting the short), and one more at the end.

So, things haven't changed very much in terms of the time they give to advertising— the only real difference is that in the 60's and 70's, commercials tended to be longer; one-minute spots weren't uncommon, so the total amount of advertising that the audience actually saw was less.

While we're on this subject, I've got the soundtrack music from an Ideal Toys spot from the mid-60's, composed by Raymond Scott of "Looney Tunes" music fame. I have to convert it from another format to MP3, so I'll post it in Pilsner's Picks tomorrow. I think you'll all get a kick out of it.

[BeAStooge]

WPIX broadcasts the 1998 commercialized 130-short package... two breaks per short, "gag" commercials and oft-inaccurate trivia, and computer-generated animation effects overlaid onto the credits and commercial break fade-ins/fade-outs.

I was going to say "Lucky New Yorkers!", but not if WPIX managles them like that. 

WPIX does not mangle them like that.  This is the syndicated, commercialized, 130-short package... pre-packaged into this format.  Produced in 1998, in partnership between Columbia and C3 (the closing credits have the Benjamin brothers' names front and center as Executive Producers), this is the same package other broadcast stations got stuck with from 1999 - 2002.

Over the past several months, WPIX has programmed some of its late-night hours with shows that were staples on WPIX in the pre-cable '60s and '70s of New York City TV... among them THE HONEYMOONERS, THE ODD COUPLE, and THE THREE STOOGES.  The station went to Columbia for a Stooges package, and got stuck with this edited piece of crappola.

(And, it's the package that created the infamous "missing 60."  For contractual non-competitive reasons, i.e., to protect the broadcast stations' investment, AMC was restricted to the same 130 titles when the cable station licensed un-packaged shorts in January 2000.)

[Dunrobin]

WPIX does not mangle them like that.

I should have guessed that they are airing that bastardized "package."  I apologize to WPIX for the slur.  My bad.   

[Pilsner Panther]

WPIX does not mangle them like that.

I should have guessed that they are airing that bastardized "package."  I apologize to WPIX for the slur.  My bad.   

And I went completely off on a tangent there myself; I don't blame WPIX for buying what's available for commercial broadcast, the problem is with what's available. We never fail to be reminded— once in a while— what a lousy job C3 has done with administering the Stooges' legacy. I'm sure they're still looking in here (as always), so they won't be surprised at my comments, or at any other hardcore Stooge fan's comments, either.

It's old news to C3, and obviously they're not about to change anything, since they're still marketing their six-year-old, cruddy packaging of the Stooges shorts. It was on TV here in S.F. for a while in the late 90's, so I saw it, and yes, it does stink.

But it is good to hear that WPIX is showing not only the Stooges, but "The Honeymooners," and some of the other classic TV that we Boomer and Late-Boomer brats all grew up with... Still, you can't beat "The Honeymooners" DVD box set— being able to watch the episodes with no commercials at all does wonders for the script continuity.

"The Great One" and his immortal cast are even better than I remembered!

 

[BeAStooge]

I should have guessed that they are airing that bastardized "package."

A little anecdote to go along with this...

I was at C3's 1998 convention in Burbank.  A couple reps from Columbia were walking around, videotaping things for inclusion in this syndication paclage (none was eventually used).  They were talking it up as another "invention of the wheel," and couldn't understand my distaste when I heard about 130 shorts, commercial breaks, computer animation graphics, etc.

One of C3's senior managers (name is withheld to protect the jackass; I'm in a generous mood today) came up to me and asked me what I thought.  I politely expressed my concerns, but was told...

"You're over-reacting.  You're gonna love it!  It's gonna be great!  It's perfect for the MTV generation!  Besides, you can't understand because you're just a fan."

[Pilsner Panther]

"Besides, you can't understand because you're just a fan."

Okay, Brent, that gets my Quote of the Month Award, if not quote of the year!

 

"Beware the croakings of experts." —William S. Burroughs (1914-1997)

[BeAStooge]

I don't blame WPIX for buying what's available for commercial broadcast, the problem is with what's available.

But... WPIX should be reprimanded for not being a smart shopper.

WCIU Chicago went shopping for a Stooges package two years ago, and acquired a broadcast license for all 190 shorts, NOT packaged, uncut, unedited.  For two years, the station (and its sister station in Milwaukee) has presented a 2-hour Saturday night showcase hosted by a local celebrity, Rich Koz.  The fans love it, reportedly ratings are good... and it airs in Saturday night primetime!

My guess is, WPIX went to Columbia and asked, "what've you got?"  Columbia said, "bend over."

[Stooge]

A couple reps from Columbia were walking around, videotaping things for inclusion in this syndication paclage (none was eventually used).

Actually, I remember seeing one of the syndicated episodes where the trivia question at the end was about the Three Stooges conventions, and they showed some footage from the convention.