Beyond Vaudeville

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Beyond Vaudeville
Beyond Vaudeville.jpg
Left to right: Co-host David Greene, guest Fred Willard, host Rich Brown
Genre Talk/Variety
Directed bySteve Korn
StarringRich Brown as Frank Hope, David Greene, John Walsh as Joey the Monkey
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes75
Production
ProducerRich Brown
Production locationNew York City
Running time29 minutes
Original release
Release1986 (1986) –
1996 (1996)

Beyond Vaudeville is a New York City public-access television show that ran from 1986 to 1996. [1] 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. 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.

Contents

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 , [2] 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

Recurring guests

Episodes

Live Stage Shows

References

  1. ↑ HUFF, RICHARD. "'BEYOND VAUDEVILLE' GAINS ACCESS TO MTV". nydailynews.com.
  2. ↑ James, Caryn (June 19, 1997). "Beyond Goofy, the Tricks Are Just for Laughs (Published 1997)" – via NYTimes.com.
  3. ↑ "Rich Brown's Public Access TV Watch Party Live Stream: John Walsh Edition!" (YouTube clip). Retrieved 2025-05-13.
  4. ↑ "Rich Brown Rewind with Renaissance Man William Brown Beyond Vaudeville" (YouTube clip). Retrieved 2025-01-12

Beyond Vaudeville at IMDb

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