SPACE GHOST COAST TO COAST - April 22, 1994 - Sonny Sharrock (1994)

Everybody has a different sense of humor, like that's what makes the world go round! Some people dig "South Park," some people are fanatical about their appreciation of MST, but for me personally, I thought this 1990's Space Ghost series was hilarious, and as an extra bonus, it had the coolest music on TV!

"Space Ghost Coast To Coast" had some inspired writing that was incredibly funny and intelligent too! To me it looks like they were having a Helluva good time, pushing as many buttons as possible and never having a care in the world no matter how irreverent or irrelevant it was! My hat goes off to creator/writers Khaki Jones and Mike Lazzo, Keith Crofford, Matthew Maiellaro, and Andy Merrill! These people have a sense of humor!

This was the third episode from the first series of "Space Ghost Coast To Coast" that aired on April 22, 1994! The theme of the show was "Gilligan's Island," and the first guest was none other than Gilligan himself, Bob Denver!

It was a sad day when Bob Denver passed away at the age of 70 in 2005! Bob was one of the greatest misfits of all time as Maynard G. Krebs in 144 episodes of "The Many Loves Of Dobie Gillis," and Gilligan in 99 episodes of "Gilligan's Island!" 

Space Ghost tells Bob to sing "To Be Or Not To Be," and tells him they have a clip of him singing it, but they're not going to show it, which cracks him up!

Next up is Mary Ann, I mean Dawn Wells, and she seems like a really good sport! Dawn tells Space Ghost that "Gilligan's Island" wasn't real which he takes as blasphemy, and is ready to zap her for it!

Space Ghost !!

Dawn tells Moltar a story that cracked up Space Ghost even though he didn't listen to it!

While Space Ghost is distracted, Zorak takes over the whole show!

Zorak even goes so far as to re-write history with himself in key situations!

After Space Ghost regains control of the show, it's time for an interview with another Gilligan cast member, Russell Johnson, aka Professor Roy Hinkley!

Time for some serious questions? Are you fucking kidding? Hell No!

Here's a decent shot of the band!

I started this freakin' blog because I love strange, odd, and challenging music, but I also love rock n' roll, and a good groove of any kind, and it just so happens that so did the makers of "Space Ghost Coast To Coast!"  The theme music to "Space Ghost Coast To Coast" is pure Sonny Sharrock, a genius of a guitarist! Sonny was never really given the recognition he deserved until way too late in his life, but at least he got some. Unfortunately, Space Ghost was the most mainstream thing that ever happened to him. Sonny played with cats like Pharoah Sanders and Herbie Mann in the 60's, and he was greatly influenced by the music of John Coltrane! I love this quote from wikipedia, "he considered himself a horn player with a really fucked up axe." Sonny also played guitar on one of my own personal favorite  albums by Miles Davis in 1970, "A Tribute To Jack Johnson!"

After retiring from music, Sonny bounced back in the 80's and 90's on a number of Bill Laswell projects, and gained fans like he never had before! Sadly, Sonny Sharrock died from a heart attack at the age of 53 in 1994! On the 23rd episode of "Space Ghost Coast To Coast"that aired March first 1996 they played a super extra large portion of Sonny's music as a tribute! The guest on the show was Thurston Moore from Sonic Youth! The episode was titled "Sharrock!" It's hard to imagine what kind of reception it got! For me, it is Gonzo TV at it's finest hour, and if you don't believe me, you can check it out right here for yourself! It just might be the most awesome 12 minutes of your life! Thank-You Mr. Internet!

Sonny Sharrock's music was complimented perfectly by his friend and drummer Lance Carter! Between the two of them, they created a beautiful wall of noise that was a wonder to behold!

HIT IT!!

Although they stream freely on the internet, I still think I have to go to the Amazon to buy all three volumes, but I do think it will be worth it!! "Space Ghost Coast To Coast" is one of the few shows I could watch over and over and never get tired of it!

NIGHT GALLERY: A Fear Of Spiders / Universal Television - 1971

Hi kids, time for another visit to the wild and weird side of television horror at The Dungeon!

Our story stars Patrick O'Neal, it's all about a food critic who is being hounded by a rather unattractive woman in his building, she has become quite a nuisance and he just can't get any work done because of her constant interruptions. Then, when he tries to stop a leaky faucet he sees a tiny spider in the sink and washes it down the drain, but, it soon reappears, larger...

I've got a sound clip for your approval, sooooo, you can push the big red 'GO' button over by our old glowing spider web tunnel, NOW, Rufus The Gnat!.. Here's a spooky little sample from... A FEAR OF SPIDERS!

In the sound clip. you will hear Rod say that they have coined the phrase... Arachnophobia! Could that be true, the writers of this episode came up with that common term?!

Here's dapper food critic Justus Walters trying to get some work done in his apartment office. The doorbell rings...

Oh crap, it's that bothersome dish mop Elizabeth Croft from upstairs!

Justus is pure mean to her in an attempt to get her to go away. Kim Stanley plays Elizabeth.

After chasing away Elizabeth, Justus goes into the kitchen and finds a large spider in sink. He has an unnatural fear of spiders. And, every time he washes the damn thing down the drain, it crawls out, appearing to be larger than the time before! Weird!!.. Crap, crap, who's at the door now?!

Whew, it's only the apartment super come to fix the old thermostat. I ask you, do you think this guy likes Justus in any way, shape or form?

After the super leaves, Justus hears some weird sounds coming from his bedroom, he opens the door...

And... BIBBIDA, BIBBIDA!!!

In a panic, Justus runs up the see Elizabeth and has a couple of drinks to calm his nerves.

She agrees to go to his place to prove to him that he was just seeing things.

She tricks him into going in the bedroom and she locks the door, where...

THE BIG SPIDER GETS HIM!!..

Anyway, be back tomorrow when Eegah!! will have something up his sleeve, wait, cavemen don't have sleeves..

THE ANDROMEDA BREAKTHROUGH - Fred Hoyle and John Elliot (1962)

 "THE ANDROMEDA BREAKTHROUGH"

From what I understand, "The Andromeda Breakthrough" was a sequel to the popular 1961 Btitish TV show "A For Andromeda," which for all rights and purposes is lost for all time, forever, kaput!

 Tonight I'm just going to tell you a little bit about the first of six episodes that was titled:
"COLD FRONT"
 

In the last episode of "A For Andromeda," Andromeda had fallen into a deep hole in a cave and supposedly drowned, but Peter (Night Creatures, Dr. Who) Halliday who reprises his role here as John Fleming, saves her after she miraculously reappears days later in another part of said cave, exhausted and almost lifeless!
  

Susan (Expresso Bongo) Hampshire is Andromeda!
It's kind of hard to jump right into the middle of this story, but the only thing you really need to know is that Andromeda is an artificially constructed female humanoid, that's right, a robot!

 

 Fleming manages to find this isolated island that only has one inhabitant for him and Andromeda to hang out in hiding for a while! She's become a hot property!

 
As Andromeda stares out into the evening with tons of questions on her mind, I think it's a good time to tell you that Andromeda was played by Julie (Fahrenheit 451) Christie in the original, "A For Andromeda!"

 Both of Andromeda's books were written by Fred Hoyle and John Elliot!
I have no idea who wrote the cool title music!

 You can find some bits and pieces of "A For Andromeda" on Youtube, but they're so poor that they barely even warrant mentioning!

 "Andromeda Breakthrough" is widely available from Sinister Cinema!

HORROR ISLAND / Universal Pictures - 1941

I'll start off the week with this fun little horror comedy from Universal about a down-on-his luck businessman and his pals who organizes an excursion to Sir Henry Morgan's Island for a treasure hunt but encounter a mysterious phantom there instead.

I have a sound clip for your approval, sooooo, you can push the big red 'GO' button located there by our secret wall panel, NOW, Ralphie The Tarantula!.. Here's a little sample from... HORROR ISLAND!

Here are the good guys, that's Dick (THE MUMMY'S TOMB) Foran in the center, Fuzzy (JUKE GIRL) Knight on the left and Leo (GHOST CATCHERS) Carrillo on the right.

Dick and Fuzzy get things ready for their treasure hunt on Sir Henry Morgan's Island.

They run an ad in the newspaper and send Leo out to sell, sell, sell some tickets...

Dick pilots the Skiddoo to the island and lets the people off while making a pass at the pretty girl, Peggy (THE MUMMY'S HAND) Moran, who made the trip.

They all enter the mansion and try and find their way inside the darkly lit rooms.

Fuzzy finds and tests out a spooky voice generator!.. A little weird.

Then, the phantom gets into the act and threatens Peggy as she prepares for bed... Woo-Woo!!

This poor guy wakes up next to a skull and does a triple take!

The bad guy (not the Phantom) presents himself.

He thinks by putting a coin in the slot that the door to the hidden treasure will open, but, that hammer comes down and strikes him in the head instead!!

Our guys finally get their hands on the booty only to find the chest empty, then, the Phantom, who's really the ghost of Sir Henry Morgan, gets the last laugh!!.. We're back on Wednesday.