Meatballs and Spaghetti

Classic sitcom formula "The Honeymooners"is transformed into a rock-band hits the road in a converted-bus style RV... is what, in-a-nutshell, is the premise of the show "Meatballs & Spaghetti".

Meatball is a thinly-veiled conglomeration of Ralph Kramden & pop-artist Meatloaf Aday... while an attractive, slender blonde--later found reminiscent in likeness to Gwen Stefanie--does role of Alice Kramden, Ralph's wiser & sometimes argumentative wife. With a "stoner" Ed Norton- type (Clyde) and a dog named Woofer in tow, they go through the typical domestic foibles found in such a construct.

Although I've only ever seen a few episodes of it... when I was younger... I did non-the-less enjoy the show for it's originality & difference from other "kids-cruisin'-the country" shows. That is, until I saw the original construct in the form of "The Great One" Jackie Gleason's classic creation from the 1950's re-run a few years later, then later realizing the similarities & later-still how such a classic construct could always be memorably funny ... If the rehash is done right.("The Flintstones")

I'm afraid I might be the only kid who remembers this one.

20 years ago this goofy show about a really fat guy (Meatballs) and his incredibly attractive (and thin) wife (Spaghetti) living in a mobile home while their erstwhile best-buddy Woofer (the veteran voice actor Frank Welker) borrowed money and more than a little food from the couple.

Naturally, being an Eighties show, they went on a number of adventures together, and there was always a good laugh.

What set this show apart was the fact that "Domestic Issues" reared their heads very often, especially when Spaghetti would try to get Woofer and Meatballs to help out around the place. In general the only thing that could get them to wake up was a polite "Would you like some food, boys?"

It's also a lot of fun to listen to Frank Welker talk. Whether you know it or not, you've heard his voice in about a thousand cartoons. Probably best known as Fred from Scooby-Doo, he's also one of the guys who played Scooby-Doo himself, he did the voice of Megatron in Transformers, Mr. Mxyzptlk from Superfriends, and Iceman from Spiderman and his Amazing Friends (Just to name a few of the hundreds). Frank is more than up to par here, and it's really funny to hear that voice become that of a "Stoner" right up there with Otto from the Simpsons. You can almost smell the smoke when he screams "PIG OUT!"

If anyone picks up this show for syndication or just a TV Special, you should definitely check it out. It's a big laugh! I just wish it had lasted longer!