Stuff and Nonsense
* Paul Frees, who wrote, directed, composed the songs and provided the voice of the announcer and the cop in the Hospital... Was most noted for his voicework. Roles included Boris Badinov as well as John & George in the Beatles cartoon.
 * Charles Delaney (Mr. Baylis) was once a stunt pilot and a leading man in many silent B movies. He died shortly after the making of the Beatniks at the age of 67.
* Karen Kadler (Iris) was born Karen Stefanee and can be seen as Ellen, the murdered scientist in "It Conquered the World". In 1954 she attended a Universal talent acting class taught by Marlon Brando. The other students in the class included Mamie Van Doren, John Saxon and Clint Eastwood.
Riff Explained
"You're a punk!" - "I'm a New Romantic, okay" - Eddie/Joel as Moon
After the "Punk" and "New Wave" styles of the late 70's, came the "New Romantics" in the 1980's. They went for style and sex appeal rather than rebellion or experimentation. "Duran Duran" and "Adam Ant" were 2 of the more well known names in this musical movement.
Links
* 414 Tormented
* 416 Fire Maidens of Outer Space
* Index
* Home
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With Short: General Hospital
415: First Broadcast - 6 pm Wednesday, Nov 25th 1992
* Beatniks made its debut as the opening Turkey Day Marathon episode
 Excellence Level: Bronze
Movie Pain: Medium - Moon's overly shrill
Riffing: Chuckle-Fest
Skits: Chuckle-Fest
"I KILLED THAT FAT BARKEEP!" - Mooney
Yeesh, where's Maynard G. Krebs when you need him?
I was pretty disappointed in this flick as I was expecting to actually SEE a Beatnik here and there. But there was no such luck, as "The Beatniks" features no, I repeat, NO Beatniks! What it does have is a gang of polo shirt wearing punks, one of whom makes it big as a singer.
Peter Breck plays the annoying Moon, he voices the infamous "fat barkeep" line but there's not much beyond that. The riffing doesn't have a lot of meat on it - lacking clever rejoinders, it leans on light one liners. The "Ice Cream" & "Overnight Sensation" quips are among only a handful of genuine laughs I got out of this episode, and there are a few missed opps as well. For example: from a distance, Eddie's agent looks like Howard Cosell, but J&TB utter no riffs on this.
Host segments are not bad (The Mads as trolls, signs your NOT a Beatnik, The Bots swoon over the films lead) and the short is fair. This episode might have been a hit in season 1 or 2, but by season 4 you'd expect so much more.
Host Segments
Intro: Joel plays 'Rock Paper Scissors' with the reluctant bots. Invention: The Mads wear Good Luck Troll costumes. Joel plays pocket pool. Segment 1: How to know when you're not a Beatnik. Segment 2: It's a slumber party and the girls are all gaga for Eddie. Segment 3: The singing career of Tom Servo. End: A fight on the Sol, the Trolls can't push the button. Stinger: Moon throws a fit and a gun.
Notable Riffs
Hospital Riffs
*"Phil never eats my plastic cake at home." - Joel
*"Hello, this is Pete in props. Don't eat the cake" - Servo
*"Well, I'm gonna go over to the morgue and cheer up." - Crow Beatnik Riffs
*"Dish of Ice Cream'? Don't tempt me" - Joel
*"Get ahold of Morrisey" - "And tell him to stop crying" - Mr. Bayliss/Crow
*"Well I desire you to stop singing." - Servo
*"Looks like this scene was shot by a bank camera." - Crow
*"Not a high school diploma between them." - Crow
*"Having a ball, with a crazy chick" - "Who, Francis Farmer?" - Eddie/Crow
*"Wait a minute, you said that great, I'd like to sign you up" - Joel as Mr. Bayliss to a mechanic
*"Boy Beatnik music is really square." - Crow
*"My friends go where I go" - Now where's the bathroom" - Eddie/Joel
*"Eddie, looks like your an overnight sensation." - "And it hasen't even been overnight" - Mr. Bayliss/Joel
*"He's an evil Gilligan" - Crow
*"Hey wait a minute, she's sleeping in a drawer" - Joel
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