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‘The Richard Pryor Show’: All four episodes of the short-lived series are online
09.24.2015
11:12 am
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Richard Pryor was famously ill-adapted to “popular” audiences. For example, he was originally slated to play Sheriff Bart in Blazing Saddles, but no studio would fund the film with him in the role, fearing his drug habits, erratic behavior and reputation would sink the film. Mel Brooks actually fought for Pryor, but admitted he understood studio hesitation when Pryor casually offered him a bump during a meeting (Brooks response? “Never before dinner, thanks.”). Regardless, Pryor’s acting and character work was always superb and inspired, as you can see from The Richard Pryor Show, which sadly flopped after just four episodes in 1977.

It’s an odd departure for Pryor of course—parodies and lighter sketches, but the show is funny, and slyly references his reputation from time to time. At the beginning of the third episode, Pryor’s “monologue” is “interrupted,” by an unseen suit who dubs him over with “network-approved” material, while Pryor gesticulates furiously on mute.There are stand-up segments of course, and interestingly, the live audience appears to be mostly black. The show was toast before it had a chance of course, running opposite ABC’s Laverne & Shirley and Happy Days during “family hour” on Tuesdays, but it remains a big part of TV history, making TV Guide’s 2013 “Cancelled Too Soon” list.

Episodes two, three and four.
 

 
Via Network Awesome

Posted by Amber Frost
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09.24.2015
11:12 am
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