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1980's TV show

JAD'E — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 14:20:52 -0800

Trying to find the name of a 1980's TV program. Strange question. My daughter's boyfriend was talking about a 1980's TV program last night. He could not remember the name, but the Super Hero type could change into an animal. He stated it was not beastmaster, but he watched it every week. We are all stumped as to what this program could be. We did ask, as he was not born in the USA, and he stated he was living in America when he watched it. He said it was around the time of Knight Rider.

Help me name my web show!

mordecai — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 22:50:48 -0800

Name-my-web-show filter: I'm launching a web show that features the places and foods of Singapore. I need a shot, snazzy title for it, ending with a .tv domain. Anybody got any ideas? Thanks so much!

What to see in Vegas

nushustu — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:28:05 -0800

What single show should I see in Las Vegas? If I was going to Vegas in the next couple of weeks and could see only one show, what should I see? (I don't know anything about vegas.)

How do I sell my cable access show to a network?

apiaryist — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:13:29 -0800

How do I sell my cable access show to a major network? I've been working on my show for the past 5 years. I think it's good and would like to either sell the old episodes or the concept to a network. I don't the first thing about doing this. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

What is the REAL name of the Japanese pranks show people are calling "Panic Face King"?

phonepimpster — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 07:19:57 -0800

There is a video making the rounds that is supposedly from an extreme Japanese pranks show called "Panic Face King." I have been unable to find any additional information on this show, which leads me to believe this is not the real name (or not the correct translation). There is often a picture-in-picture of people in the studio audience laughing while the prank is being shown. I do not know if this is a device used on many Japanese prank shows, or if it's unique to the show I'm asking about (for instance, this article on Japanese Prank Shows seems to all be from this same show -- but they may be different).

At any rate, I'm trying to find the name of the show that aired this clip. Any help you can give would be appreciated!

British or American sitcom suggestions?

PowerCat — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 17:02:00 -0800

I'm seeking to expand my repertoire of sitcom shows. Please suggest some series that have a similar type of humour as the shows I've outlined below. Like:

Spaced
Monty Python
Peep Show
Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Seinfeld
The IT Crowd
Curb your Enthusiasm

How does Scare Tactics Work?

mazniak — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 21:49:35 -0800

How does Scare Tactics work? I find the show Scare Tactics fascinating, but I can't determine if it is legit. It seems to be a huge liability scaring people like that, especially in the States' litigation happy society. Also, if a person does not like how they reacted to the scare, can they refuse to sign over their right to have their likeness broadcast? I would imagine it would be a very risky procedure to set up and execute the scare if there was a possibility that something might go wrong or the target would refuse to sign over their likeness. Anyways, anyone has any other insider knowledge about the show I would love to hear it.

Have 125 romance novels. What can I BUILD them into?

Quarter Pincher — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 03:47:53 -0800

RedGreenShowFilter: I've got a bunch of crisp paperback romance novels I've scavenged from dumpsters around town, and I'd rather turn them into something than read or try selling them. What can I build using them? I'm thinking clear box tape instead of duct, so the corny covers will still be visible. Bonus points for something handy. There's about 125 of them, at 4.25" x 6.25 " x (varying thickness, avg .75"). I can get hundreds more at local used book shops for less than $.50 each.

No idea too crazy, as long as it's feasible with 125 books, or more within reason.

That pretty much eliminates a giant Gundam, alas.

How to make the Sound of Music sluttier?

Sully — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 14:55:40 -0800

Most Halloweens I have a small Rocky Horror Picture Show party at my place. But this year I wanted to screen a different musical. Still, I want people to dress up, and I want the night to carry the same raucous, raunchy tone. How can I "slutify" The Sound of Music?

Need help finding a 70s-80s BBC show

emjaybee — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 11:50:23 -0800

Does anyone remember a BBC kids' TV series from the 70s-80s featuring psychic teenagers? I last saw it in the mid-80s. I'm pretty sure it used to air on Nickelodeon. It had freaky deaky Dr. Who type graphics at the beginning, and one particular episode was about evil paintings taking over people's minds.

I think there were maybe three teenagers, one of them a girl?

Help me identify this cheesy '70s cooking show

madscientist01 — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 08:00:16 -0800

I'm going crazy trying to figure out the name of this 70's cooking show. It was a 1/2 hour show probably on a public broadcast station in the US. The star of the show was about 35 years old, heavy-set, maybe Greek or Italian, and always wore gold chains with his open shirt. The show was filmed on his boat/yacht (program started with the camera zooming down a dock to the boat). He had a side-kick named “Giovanni” who would help him in his kitchenette. At the end of the show, he always entertained some “swinging blonde.” It was called something-like… “Cooking with Elegance” or “A Touch of Elegance” or “A Taste of Elegance.” Help!

How to get cheap tickets for Broadway shows?

howgenerica — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 11:33:23 -0800

A couple of my friends are coming to New York to visit near the end of July, and we want to take in a show (preferably a musical). We're all students and we're trying to find cheap tickets, but we want to have this sorted out in advance instead of waiting to buy tickets day-of. Does anyone know a good way to do this? I'm in New York if it's something that needs to be done in person, although through a website would be preferable. We're just looking for good deals or discounts, or something. Also I know nothing about Broadway, so recommendations for fun shows would be very welcome!

What TV show was this?

abitha! — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 09:33:06 -0800

A boy buys an earring at an old junk shop, either he can't afford both or the guy sells it to him for a great price because there's no pair for it. Once he start wearing it though, trash becomes attracted to him. He ends up taking refuge (I think) in a phone booth and the trash falls away when he takes out the earring. My question, what show was this? It would've been on television during the 90's. I believe it was set up so each week the main character of the show found new weird stuff going on. It wasn't Eerie, Indiana though. I've also checked through episode lists of Are You Scared of the Dark and cannot find anything similar. Since those were my only two guesses I'm hoping someone else will remember it.

There may be another episode of the same show that had the main character losing his fake tooth down the toilet and having to go to the sewage treatment plant to get it back. The man working there had a collection of stuff and he got the tooth back.

Thanks very much for your help(hopefully) :)

Calling all live video ninjas.

liquado — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 10:05:51 -0800

I needs me a good/simple/cheap video switcher for live production. Every year, I'm part of running a live event (nonprofit fishing tournament) that uses multiple cameras for a live, switched video signal projected on a screen on top of the stage -- like the big screen at a live concert.

We've historically used a borrowed Videonics MX-1 Digital Audio/Video Mixer Switcher, but the borrowed one has developed signal glitching issues with the crossfade slider -- and, we'd really like to have one of our own. I have no idea what brand/type I should be looking for; so many of them seem far more complex than is required. I know what we need:

-Minimum four inputs (five or six would be ideal)
-Slider/Fader
-Multiple outputs (four or five would be ideal)
-*Maybe* text overlay capability

That's it. Doesn't have to be fancy, or need any audio capability or filters/special effects. I can also work around only a single output with a video amp, if I have to.

I'm open to any options, but cheaper is better -- I really like the idea of working used machines rather than new.

Thanks!

TV Show with Obstacle Course from the Early 90s

xdeliriumx — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 07:34:24 -0800

TV Show Filter: Show from the early 90's or MAYBE mid to late 80's where the final part of the show was to go through a large obstacle course. More details inside. I remember watching this show with my aunt. The final part of the show (might have been the whole show?) was going through a large obstacle course. It was quite a large course they had to go through with some pretty cool obstacles.

MAY have been on Lifetime or a game show channel. Maybe just reruns were on these channels. May also have been on around the time as the early 90's version of super market sweep.

THIS IS NOT:
-Legends of the Hidden Temple
-Master of the Maze
-Double Dare
-The Crystal Maze

Help us add music to our video show!

MeetCleaverTheatre — Fri, 01 May 2009 08:41:22 -0800

Where can we get our hands on some music videos for use in a non-profit college-style media show? Hi Gang, We've been knocking around the idea of creating free, online/closed-campus variety show and were wondering if anyone knew of any sources for music videos to use as fillers and for band promotion?
We have already put out feelers to the indie/no-label scene and asked for submissions, so we're wondering if there is some company or entity out there that can send us small bundles of signed bands and/or big label acts. Ephemera or interview footage of bands, celebrities and other things of interest to the college demographic is a plus.
Back in the halcyon days of DJ-ing, I remember the station getting boat loads of demos and tapes from a variety of sources.... is there a visual media source we should look into? Do we need to seek membership with one of the large music entities to legally acquire/promote these things (ASCAP, BMI etc.)?
This is still in the pre-pro phase, so we can ditch it if it turns out to be a huge hassle or if there may be legal repercussions.

Thanks for your advice and input!

Old Cartoon filter: Looking for "Kitchen of the Future" style parody cartoons.

toekneebullard — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 16:08:26 -0800

Old Cartoon filter: Looking for "Kitchen of the Future" style parody cartoons. OK, when I was a kid there was a certain kind of cartoon that I REALLY loved. I BELIEVE it was related to Warner Brother's in some way, but I could be wrong.

The cartoons I'm thinking of always parodied the "Kitchen of the Future" style films from the 50's. The trade show films that would show a car with a record player, or really early versions of washing machines and whatnot. That's a horrific description. I hope people just know what I'm talking about.

So anyways, I'm looking for the cartoons that PARODIED those films. Is there a certain artist or director that was known for those cartoons? I've been doing some digging, but it's hard to google something that parodies something that you can't even describe well.

Thanks for any help!

Auto Show Spokesmodel

zollypop — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 13:32:24 -0800

I am a professional spokesmodel trying to get into the 2009 autoshow circuit. I know that some of the major autos show spokesmodels come from either Productions-Plus or Gail and Rice, but does anyone know the best way to get an audition with these companies? Any info would GREATLY be appreciated. The season starts soon!

What's the joke thas hase the punchline "what and give up show business"

bonecrusher — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 11:42:58 -0800

What's the original joke that has the punchline "what, and give up show business?" Google doesn't help, since it's such a common reference, most links are using the line assuming you know the joke.

Don't Short Me, Bro!

gjc — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 06:45:41 -0800

How does short selling stocks harm the underlying company? To my way of thinking, it shouldn't. But Samantha Bee on the Daily Show seems to think it does. Earlier this week she did a piece about the short sellers and made them out to be among the bad guys in the current financial storm.

But I don't see how this hurts the companies that the stocks are in. Unless those companies are somehow leveraged to their own stock, which seems like a not so good idea regardless of what happens.

A hypothetical, as I understand it: XYZ Corp. decides to go public. They sell a bunch of shares in the company. They take the cash, and give up slices of ownership. Once the original purchaser buys that stock, that original purchaser can do with it what they please. It's out of the hands of XYZ Corp. Now, I decide XYZ Corp.'s stock is going to go down, and I want to make money off of that. Say it's at $20. I find someone holding stock who is willing to let me borrow it for a while. I borrow that stock and sell it at $20. Now, time comes that I need to give the stock back to who I borrowed it from. Lucky for me, the stock is down to $10, so I buy the stock back and return it. And I've doubled my money. But XYZ Corp. isn't involved in that process. The only loser in this scenario is the clown who decided to sell their stock at $10. And they are only losers if they bought the stock for more than $10. If they bought it for $5, there are no losers in that scenario.

What am I missing? Or, is she wrong?

(Obviously, this assumes the people doing the short selling aren't engaging in market manipulations. They are doing it on the up and up, within the rules.)

Forgot the name of a surgery TV show.

gregr — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 22:15:59 -0800

I'm looking for the name of a TV show that showed one surgery per episode. It came on in the late 90's. It was on Discovery, TLC, or a similar channel. The show was an hour long. I remember there being shows about knee replacement, breast reduction, and something laparoscopic. I thought it was called "The Surgery".

Don't be silly, Toto. Scarecrows don't talk.

liquado — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 21:42:22 -0800

San Francisco filter: I'm going to be there in two weeks, and am looking for advice on getting a single ticket to see Wicked at the Orpheum -- get them ahead, or try and get them that evening? Any advantages/experiences with the show, the venue...? Caveat: I want a reasonably decent seat. Not interested in the nosebleeds. Price is always an issue, but I'm not averse to paying for a good seat.

(Also, if you have any suggestions for cool things to do evenings in SF from the 22nd to the 28th of Feb, I'm all ears, too....)

Ttickets to see a live taping of a Japanese game show

babysingsing — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 16:00:19 -0800

How do I get tickets to see a live taping of a Japanese game show? My husband and I will be in Tokyo in April. The stranger the show and its premise, the better.

SELL SELL SELL

LC — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 19:12:22 -0800

I'm a painter looking to show my work in a cafe or restaurant. Help me make this a happy experience for both of us I think an upscale cafe or restaurant would be the optimal location. Most get good foot traffic and people look at the walls while they wait to be seated. Who knows....I might just sell something!

I'm planning on walking around downtown Baltimore with one or two of my small paintings and a business card and stopping in and talking to restaurant owners. The main reason I want to avoid galleries (especially in this economy) is so that I can keep 100% of each sale. I assume the cafe/restaurant would be happy to have art on their walls, and not take a commission, but that may just sweeten the deal for them. If they do want to take a commission what is acceptable? 10%? 20%? Is it odd not to be a customer of these places before I ask about displaying my work? Should I request they sign a contract to secure payment and other legalities? Is it likely they can put the paintings under their insurance or is that my responsibility? And if it turns out to be difficult for either party to insure the work should I walk away or just bite my tongue and hope they aren't damaged or stolen? When I chat with the owner how much "selling" of myself and the work should go on? If a particular establishment hasn't displayed outside art before and are a little leery what can I tell them to assuage their doubts?

I know restaurants don't need anymore things to worry about so any ideas to help this whole process go smoothly are appreciated.

How much of the telephone and Internet systems would survive a nuke?

wastelands — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 07:40:53 -0800

Would the landline telephone system be completely down after a nuclear strike on ~20 U.S. cities? I'm an avid post-apocalypse buff, and I've been watching Jericho on Netflix's Watch Instantly lately. I love the show. But a few points of realism bug me, specifically, the lack of communication by radio / phone / Internet in the show.

Would the landline telephone network actually be down as portrayed in the show? I could be wrong, but wouldn't regional parts of it still survive? Or is the assumption that the bombs would have screwed up trunks/backbones and major switching centers? Or maybe general lack of electricity would kill it?

In the same vein, how much of Internet access would survive in the "Nukes hitting 20 major cities" scenario? It's supposed to be distributed, but again, maybe the idea is that big trunks were severed?

The sense of isolation and lack of communication and news in the show makes it more ominous and mysterious, but I somehow doubt it's realistic. I mean, if nothing else, there'd be Ham radio operators relaying news, right?