The 1950′s

Jack Benny & Rochester Van Jones – The Jack Benny Program

Jack Benny is a miserly boss who doles out days off like he was dispensing gold nuggets. Rochester Van Jones is a smart ass who doesn’t do his job if he doesn’t feel like it. On paper, the relationship is doomed from the start. But Benny inexplicably keeps Rochester employed despite being constantly ridiculed, and Rochester seems content with his job despite the low wages. He even hangs out at Benny’s house on his days off. I don’t know about you, but the idea of hanging out with my boss on the weekend seems like a fate worse than death. Obviously, there’s a bromance brewing between the two.

Ralph Kramden & Ed Norton – The Honeymooners

Ralph and Ed are one of the earliest bromances on television. Physically, the two don’t have a lot in common, but dig a little deeper, and you’ll discover that the pair are two peas in a pod. They both work for the city, they both have smart-ass wives, and they both are members of the Raccoon Lodge. These bros were practically made for each other. In fact, considering they are fictional characters, they actually were made for each other.

Ricky Ricardo and Fred Mertz – I Love Lucy

Ricky and Fred aren’t really bros by choice. But by virtue of their awful wives, they are forced into a bromance. While it might be one of the weaker examples on the list, these two definitely fit the mold. After all, with Lucy and Ethel off pulling stupid shit at the candy factory, all they have is each other.

Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!

Technically, taking a cameo role on Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! isn’t really stepping away from comedy. That said, the show has about as much in common with traditional sitcoms as David Lynch has in common with Brett Ratner. So while Danson’s performance as “Little Danson Man” may still be comedic, it is certainly atypical.

Saving Private Ryan

When watching this gritty World War II drama for the first time, the last thing I expected to see was T.V.’s Sam Malone. But somewhere between all the dismembered limbs and dead krauts, Becker managed to pop up. Sure, the role was small, and it wasn’t exactly crucial to advancing the plot. But at the time, the image of a white-haired Ted Danson shooting Germans was so out of character that it’s managed to stick with me for all these years.

Ted Danson’s One-Man Minstrel Show

Of all Ted Danson’s bizarre performances, this might be the strangest. In 1993, the Cheers star performed a racially-charged monologue while wearing blackface at a Friar’s Club roast in honor of his then-girlfriend Whoopi Goldberg. The idea of Danson dating Goldberg is strange enough. But the idea of him dressed like a minstrel while dropping N-bombs is truly mind boggling. Clearly, Danson meant no real offense toward blacks. After all, it was a Friar’s Club roast, and the whole point of such an event is to be offensive. Goldberg, who is black, was in on the joke, and even helped him write his monologue. But even so, the performance went over about as well as a pedophile joke at a Catholic baptism. Actually, that gives me a great idea from my nephew’s christening.

Creepshow

Almost every episode of CSI involves a murder. The good news for Ted Danson is that he’s covered that ground before. In the 1982 horror film Creepshow, he played a character who was murdered in cold blood for sleeping with another man’s girlfriend. What’s even stranger is that the murderer was played by fellow funnyman Leslie Nielsen. Talk about atypical casting.

Gulliver’s Travels

The name Ted Danson isn’t usually associated with political satire. But in 1996, the actor starred in an adaptation of the Jonathan Swift classic, Gulliver’s Travels. The series was well received by critics, and went on to win five Emmy awards, including “Best Miniseries.” Compare that to the recent Jack Black adaptation, which went on to win the Jame Gumb 2011 “Most Annoying Movie I’ve Been Forced to Sit Through on an Airplane Award.” At any rate, we started this list with a tiny Ted Danson, so it’s only fitting that we end on that note, as well.

“Larry moves to New York and takes the apartment below ours.” The Curb subplot finds Larry believing that “I’m being symptomatic just to annoy him — a whole passive-aggressive thing. He’s complaining because I’m shuffling and making noise upstairs. It’s very funny.”

Well, I’m pretty excited about this. And apparently Michael J. Fox’s onscreen dad on “Family Ties” is making a guest appearance in a different episode as Larry’s dermatologist. Listen, HBO – since the world might be ending on Saturday, why not just show these episodes now? (TV Guide)

Sorry, HBO yanked the video.i

Here’s our first good look at the havoc Larry David wreaks on the upcoming season of “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” In Season 8, the gang relocates to New York City because there’s really no place else like it. The city is dirty, it’s honest, and as Ana Gasteyer points out, it has ambient noise. All HUGE selling points this season. I’m a huge “Curb” fan but I have friends who cannot stand it. Whenever we get to arguing about the merits of the show, their chief criticism is always “not enough ambient noise.” Well, you can suck on an exhaust pipe now, haters. Season 8 will have ambient noise out the ass.

“True Blood” is coming to your blood-red-carpeted living room on Sunday, June 26, at 9 pm, while “Curb Your Enthusiasm” is loudly shouting at the members of your household on Sunday, July 10, at 10 pm.

Oh, and “Entourage” is coming back too, on Sunday, Jul 24, at 10:30 p.m. There’s like a good show and a half in this news.

The above trailer is for the eighth season of Curb Your Enthusiasm, and after last year’s much buzzed about Seinfeld reunion episode, David has a lot of momentum going into the new season. As we reported, Larry David is going to New York City this year, his spiritual homeland. It’s a testament to David’s unnaturally high level of neuroticness that in NYC, The Birthplace on the American Nebbish, David stands out like a socially awkward Cloverfield monster.

Welcome home, Larry!  (Cinema Blend)

The other day I had the opportunity to speak with comedian and actor JB Smoove about his current and upcoming projects, his unique approach to stand-up comedy, and a way of life that he defines as “The Ruckus.” You may best know JB as Leon, Larry David’s ex-brother-in-law, from The Black family on “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” He’s gearing up to shoot the 8th Season of “Curb,” but JB’s also got several other projects poppin’ at the moment. Take a gander at our conversation below.

SJ: Tell me about this new show you’re hosting, “Russell Simmons Presents Stand-Up at the El Rey.”

JB: Anytime Russell Simmons calls you and tells you he’s doing something you gotta do it. This show could have been about cake. It could have been called "Russell Simmons Presents Birthday Cakes" and you gotta consider it. So Russell calls me up and says I’m doing this new show and I’d love for you to host it. The El Rey is a historic theater in the Wilshire District of Los Angeles. So I’m hosting the show. It’s a version of Def Comedy Jam. It’s young comics, comics from all over, and I’m just the captain of the ship.

SJ: Are these up and coming comics? Will we know some of the names?

JB: Mostly up and coming comics, which is great. Everybody killed it. Everybody murdered it, man. You notice how the world has changed? How bad words have become good words? They killed it. They murdered it, man.

SJ: So if we tune in we can expect a whole lot of killing and murdering.

JB: Killing and murdering, man. Verbal ass-whoopings. Comedians, that’s our thing. The worse condition we leave you in, the better. Comedians try to murder you, they try to kill you. They try to make you piss on yourself. We try to make you shit yourself. We are horrible. Comedians have bad intentions for a good audience. You make someone spit their drink out, that’s pretty common, but if you can make their whole bod break down. Murder ‘em, kill ‘em, they fall off their chair, they spit their drink out, piss on themselves, shit on themselves, and get thrown out the club. The full f*ckin’ monty, man.

SJ: What’s it like having Russell Simmons as a boss? Does he make it rain constantly?

JB: That dude is f*ckin’ loaded with cash. It would take you five days to rob that dude. Take this advice: always ride the coattails of the rich and famous. Russell Simmons could have done a show about Chlamydia and I would have done it.

SJ: Speaking about somebody with weight, are you working with Larry David on the 8th Season of “Curb You Enthusiasm?”

JB: You cannot get rid of Leon. You’d have to assassinate Leon to get rid of him. I’m looking forward to some new Leonisms, too. I’m looking forward to gettin’ in that ass.

SJ: You’re going to get into your character’s ass?

JB: I’m gonna get in Larry’s ass. I bring the ruckus. The ruckus will be brought this season, again.

SJ: Can you let us in on anything about the new season of “Curb?”

JB: Man, I don’t know anything. All I know is they’re shooting some in New York and some in L.A. I don’t know anything until I get to the set. I’m one of those guys that don’t like information until I get there. Larry’s pretty secretive. I know a little bit about nothing.

SJ: How was it working with the Farrell Brothers in their new film Hall Pass?

JB: Huge fans of those guys. Loved working on the movie with Owen Wilson and Jason Sudeikis. Had a ball doing it. And Stephen Merchant. What is that guy, like 6’9’’? Normally I’m the tall guy on set, this dude was like 6’9’’ or some shit.

SJ: Can you tell us some about your character in the film?

JB: I just play one of the homies. One of the friends. My name is Flats. I play Stephen Merchant’s brother-in-law.

SJ: What other projects do you have going on at the moment?

JB: I’ve got a ton of shit going on. A few other films I’m considering. Working on a few other shows. Doing my stand-up on the road. I’m just trying to pay Discover and Mastercard off. One thing you don’t want is motherf*ckers calling you the rest of your life.

SJ: Inception comes out next week and everyone is really excited for it. Are you excited to see it?

JB: Anything that Leo DiCaprio is in, I’m going to see that shit. They could combine his movies and I’d see that shit. The Inception of the Titanic. The boat could come back out the water and I’d see that shit. He’s got a cool-ass name.

SJ: In the movie, Leo’s character goes into dreams. If Leo went into your dreams, what would he find?

JB: Oh man, he’ll find some shit, man. The ruckus just flies in my body. He’ll go into my bloodstream and find that my ruckus level is high. I’m in the 90% range of ruckusness. The ruckus makes you thick skinned. You ever been to a petting zoo and rubbed a rhinoceros ass? His ass is like leather. That’s what the ruckus is.

So there you have it, everyone. The ruckus is like a rhinoceros ass. I want to thank JB for taking the time to speak with me. Be sure to look for him hosting “Russell Simmons Presents Stand-Up at the El Rey” Sundays at 11PM/10c on Comedy Central. The new season of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” premieres next year on HBO.
 

Here’s some news that will surely move the peen of Manhattan’s improv players. Susie Essman has lit it slip that the next season of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" will be filmed predominantly in New York City. There aren’t any details available beyond the news that production will begin in July, so we’re not really sure what plot specifics will bring Larry David to town. But we’re certainly happy to have him, though I fear he’ll stick out like a sore thumb. If there’s one thing in short supply in New York City, it’s fussy old coots prone to shouting. (NYPost)

It boggles my mind that anyone would willing choose to watch a porn parody of "Curb Your Enthusiam." There isn’t one character on that show that I would enjoy seeing naked. Alright maybe Cheryl, but I certainly haven’t been itching to see her tossed into and tossed in a hardcore storyline. And then there’s Larry David. I like to pretend that man’s clothes never come off. In my mind, he’s a never-nude.

Hustler Video has a difference of opinion. They’ve been a roll producing porn parody after porn parody, and the big wheel landed on "Curb" next. I have to admit, the trailer does capture the neurotic ranting of Larry David and the absurdily mundane, or mundanely absurd, situations he always seems to step in. Check out the trailer for yourself below, and let me know if you’re happy with the SFW footage, or you want to see an awkward penetration mishap that spirals out of control.

(Videogum)