hfan77

I remember watching Laff-A-Lympics when I was in my teens and just came cross the episodes on on Tubi. The show was on the right network at that time, since it spoofed the network's. Olympic coverage and Battle of the Network Stars. There were also elements of ABC's Wide World of Sports, including the narrator one of several characters voiced by Don Messick who uses the line "Spanning the globe."

Another show that Laff-A-Lympics was inspired by also aired on ABC was Almost Anything Goes, which was derived from the long running British.show It's a Knockout. The show had a lot of offbeat events.

Laff-A-Lympics had 45 characters in triple team competition. The Yogi Yahooeys, The Scooby Doobies and the team who always tried to win by cheating, The Really Rottens. Covering the action and wearing the animated yellow jackets just like real life ABC sportscasters Jim McKay, Chris Schenkel, Howard Cosell and Keith Jackson were Snagglepuss and Mildew Wolf.

As a long-time sports fan, it was a well done sports comedy featuring Hanna Barbera characters of the past and present. It gets the gold medal.

In 1982, seven years after The Odd Couple left the air and became a hit in reruns, ABC revived the show as The New Odd Couple. What was new about The New Odd Couple? Not much. First, Felix and Oscar were black with Ron Glass of Barney Miller and Demond Wilson, formerly of Sanford and Son as Felix and Oscar. The only caucasian cast member was John Schuck as Murray the Cop. It seemed that Al Molinaro, who originated the role in the original series was unavailable since he was in Joanie Loves Chachi, a Happy Days spinoff.

The familiar Neil Hefti theme is given an update and is a lot more up tempo than the original. I liked the updated theme.

As for what hasn't changed, Felix is still a photographer and Oscar is still a sportswriter. Unlike Tony Randall's portrayal of Felix, he leads a theatre group instead of an opera company. Several episodes were remakes of the original series. This was due to a writer's strike that paralyzed the television industry.

All of this adds up to a show which lacks the chemistry of Randall and co-star Jack Klugman and was canceled after only 18 episodes. I should also point out that JoMarie Payton, who played Mona, one of the Pigeon Sisters and Telma Hopkins, who portrayed Felix's ex-wife Frances, the same name as the character in the Neil Simon played would later work together in the sitcom Family Matters.

I have been watching the first prime time network incarnation of Lingo and to me it has the potential to be the first hit game show of 2023. RuPaul Charles, in his first hosting assignment is outstanding and has great rapport with the contestants. But what makes this version stand out from the 1980s original version in syndication and its previous run on GSN is that Lingo is able to reach a bigger audience and more important, it's a show the viewer can play along with. Lingo is the show that will make you shout at the screen as the contestants try to solve Lingoes of five, six and 10 letters to win thousands of dollars in cash.

If you haven't seen Lingo yet, do so. It's a game you will be hooked on and it is destined to have a long run.