A-Z GUIDE TO MOVIES AND TV SHOWS PARODIED BY MAD, CRACKED, CRAZY, ETC. UP TO 1996. THEY HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS. SPOILERS AND OTHER NON-SEQUITURS, TOO. SOMETIMES THESE THINGS HAVE WORDS OR SITUATIONS WE DON'T USE ANYMORE. YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE THEY'RE OLD.
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MAD did their first parody of the long-running parody of the sitcom that takes place in a Boston bar with its original cast. The owner was Sam Malone (Ted Danson), a former baseball player. One of the barmaids was Carla (Rhea Perlman). Two of the patrons were Norm (George Wendt) and Cliff (John Ratzenberger). The bartender was Coach (Nick Colastano)
At the bar are movie critic Gene Shalit and Taxi star Judd Hirsch.
Diane (Shelley Long) was also a barmaid and Sam's on-and-off again lover.
From When American Programs Are Shown in Russia in MAD #272, July 1987, by Lou Silverstone and Angelo Torres
REPLACEMENTS FOR DIEANNE ON JEERS!
Cracked # 232, November 1987
w: Joe Catalano
a: Walter Brogan
The character of Diane left the show, so Cracked did a piece that summer on who would take her place.
Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) came in later as Diane's boyfriend and became a member of the cast even after she left.
Her part was eventually taken by Rebecca (Kirstie Alley), head of the corporation that takes over the bar.
BEERS
MAD #268, March 1989
w: Debbee Ovitz (Arnie Kogen)
a: Mort Drucker
MAD did a second parody with the new cast. I think “Debbee Ovitz” is a combination of several writers, since she only has one other credit, and MAD never had freelancers do movie and TV parodies.
Woody (Woody Harrelson) became the replacement for Coach after the actor died.
At the end of the bar are Barltes & Jaymes, spokesmen for a wine cooler.
There was a short lived spinoff for a while of Carla's family called The Tortellis.
I only know Bob Uecker and Dick Butkus in the last panel, but only because I know nothing about athletes.
BEERS
Cracked #282, August 1993
w: Andy Simmons
a: John Severin
A running bit was that whenever Norm walked into the bar, everyone there would stop what they were doing and shout his name.
Richard Simmons, now rumored missing, was big in the 80s and 90s as a health and fitness guru.
When Cheers started, Jack Davis did this ad for TV Guide.
UPDATE: JEERS II
Cracked #238, September 1988
w: Joe Catalano
a: Walter Brogan
This is supposed to be about how the bar has changed since Diane left and Rebecca took over.
And how since Shelley Long left the show to go into movies and Ted Danson's film career was starting to take off, everyone else in the cast would be leaving. Rhea Pearlman was married to Danny Devito in real life. DeVito's big hit a year earlier was Throw Momma from the Train.
From TV Spinoffs Yet to Come in MAD #287, March 1987.
The folks in the last panel of the second MAD parody from left to right. Generally the joke is that they were in Miller Light commercials (I'm including Cheers cast to make it clear where folks are in relation to each other):
Harry (of Bert and Harry, cartoon characters voiced by Bob and Ray for Piels beer) Mickey Spillane Dick Butkis Billy Martin (Always got in fights) Rodney Dangerfield George Wendt John Ratzenberger Bob Uecker Cave-men (apparently in a Bud Light commercial of the time) Kelsey Grammar Joe Piscopo Kirstie Alley Spuds McKenzie Ted Danson
And just for fun, some Bert and Harry commercials: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHroxyoCwV4
FUN FACT: Mort Drucker didn't know that he could do caricatures until he was assigned by MAD to draw Bob and Ray routines. (In the early days of MAD, they'd illustrate comedians' routines.)
In the first Mad parody, that's Paul Newman in the first panel of page 3. It's a reference to his movie The Verdict, which Torres had drawn the Mad parody of the year before, where Newman played an alcoholic Boston lawyer.
In the second Mad parody, that is of course W.C. Fields in the bottom left of the splash panel. (He shows up in the second Cracked parody too, on page 3, panel 3.)
And at the bar, next to Bartles and Jaymes, there's Jack Nicholson, for some reason, and a woman with a 1920s-style haircut and cloche hat. She must be based on somebody, because she shows up again on page 3, panel 3. (Speaking of that panel, who's the shadowy figure at the end? It doesn't look like Drucker's caricature of Clint Eastwood, but it could almost be the Man With No Name.)
The folks in the last panel of the second MAD parody from left to right. Generally the joke is that they were in Miller Light commercials (I'm including Cheers cast to make it clear where folks are in relation to each other):
ReplyDeleteHarry (of Bert and Harry, cartoon characters voiced by Bob and Ray for Piels beer)
Mickey Spillane
Dick Butkis
Billy Martin (Always got in fights)
Rodney Dangerfield
George Wendt
John Ratzenberger
Bob Uecker
Cave-men (apparently in a Bud Light commercial of the time)
Kelsey Grammar
Joe Piscopo
Kirstie Alley
Spuds McKenzie
Ted Danson
The cavemen were a reference to this commercial (or similar):
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Imv0g-4cycw
And just for fun, some Bert and Harry commercials:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHroxyoCwV4
FUN FACT: Mort Drucker didn't know that he could do caricatures until he was assigned by MAD to draw Bob and Ray routines. (In the early days of MAD, they'd illustrate comedians' routines.)
In the first Mad parody, that's Paul Newman in the first panel of page 3. It's a reference to his movie The Verdict, which Torres had drawn the Mad parody of the year before, where Newman played an alcoholic Boston lawyer.
ReplyDeleteIn the second Mad parody, that is of course W.C. Fields in the bottom left of the splash panel. (He shows up in the second Cracked parody too, on page 3, panel 3.)
And at the bar, next to Bartles and Jaymes, there's Jack Nicholson, for some reason, and a woman with a 1920s-style haircut and cloche hat. She must be based on somebody, because she shows up again on page 3, panel 3. (Speaking of that panel, who's the shadowy figure at the end? It doesn't look like Drucker's caricature of Clint Eastwood, but it could almost be the Man With No Name.)
She looks like Meryl Streep. Maybe her character and Jack Nicholson's in 'Ironweed' which takes place in the 20s or 30s, thus the flapper hat.
Delete