Beyond Vaudeville

''Beyond Vaudeville'' is a New York City public-access television show that ran from 1986 to 1996. The talk/variety show features amateur talents and nostalgia-inducing celebrities housed within the confines of a crowded, Manhattan-based public access television station. The show was inspired by the likes of The Uncle Floyd Show, The Joe Franklin Show, and Andy Kaufman. The perpetually fidgety and nerdy Frank Hope (Rich Brown) is the host. His co-host is David Greene, a very tall man who is always angry. Greene seems to not want to be part of the show, dislikes Hope, and often looks away in disgust. Greene spoke in the earlier episodes but became more silent in later episodes. He started doing the long face to hide the fact that he sometimes almost laughs and that went against the character he was trying to portray. So he said the face helped hide him almost breaking character. David is the one that actually contacted a lot of the guest that came on as well. He had a lot more to do with the show then most people know. This would continue once the show became Oddville, MTV. After a usually awkward live reading of the opening credits, the show begins with host Hope showing various nostalgic or geek culture items he bought at stores or garage sales. This sometimes angers Greene and he reacts with violence toward Hope.

The guests on the show are a mix of various celebrity guests from yesteryear, or outside the mainstream, including the likes of Tiny Tim, Bobby "Boris" Pickett ("Monster Mash"), and Grandpa Al Lewis. Hope's earnest but awkward interviewing style, with Greene's total disinterest and perpetual annoyance, is part of the humor. The show also features amateur singers, dancers, comedians, and other local eccentrics, with the mix of guests, and their reactions to each other, also being part of the humor. Various puppets appear behind the seats of the guests while they are interviewed, sometimes attempting to annoy Greene. For many of the episodes, Joey the Dancing Monkey (John Walsh) would be called on to do a skit or dance toward the end of the show. Joey wears a chimpanzee mask, a long red robe, and oversized gloves. He always begins to annoy Greene which produces a fight, while the guests usually look on in either horror or bafflement.

In 1997, MTV brought the show to cable under the title ''Oddville, MTV'', a fundamentally similar program with the addition of an announcer in Melissa Gabriel and a segment featuring a popular musical act that was played straight. In order to produce the oddness the cable access show was known for, guests and Joey the Monkey dance along to the music.

The show was a strong example of anti-humor due to the humor being produced by its sheer weirdness and many awkward moments. It is also credited with discovering Suzanne Muldowney aka The Underdog Lady, who would go on to be a popular guest on The Howard Stern Show.

Cast

*Rich Brown as host Frank Hope
*David Greene as himself
*John Walsh as Joey the Dancing Monkey

Recurring guests

* Lady Betty Aberlin ('' Mr. Rogers'')
* Izzy Fertel (singer)
*Professional nose-whistler Jim Grosso
*M. Vinson Hayes (Marilyn Monroe conspiracy expert)
*Sci-fi expert Ronald Held
*Sci-fi collector Leslie Holcomb
* Suzanne Muldowney (interpretive dancer)
*Dee Nack the Female Elvis Impersonator
*Red Lightning (singer)
*Stryker (singer)
*Arthur Tracy (singer)
*Chairman Steve (poet)
* Tiny Tim (musician)
*Trayman (performs with trays)
*Austin Velez (singer)
*Neil Connie Wallace (comic)

Episodes

Live Stage Shows

References

External links

{{IMDb title, 29597697

American public access television shows
American television shows featuring puppetry
1986 American television series debuts
1996 American television series endings
Television shows filmed in New York (state)
Local talk shows in the United States
1980s American variety television series
1990s American variety television series
Local music television shows in the United States
1980s American comedy television series