Saturday, July 24, 2010

1.19: Sprained Ankle, Country Style

"You don't like my cooking!"
"No, I love your cooking. It's the eating that..."

This week's movie: Mary Poppins Meets Frankenstein...starring Dame Mae Fishman

From the title of the episode and from any write-ups you may have seen, this episode would seem to promise a wacky series of gags with Oliver in bed, sprained ankle keeping him there, and the townsfolk bothering him. But, that's the last act. First off: The bedroom is finished! Hooray!

The Monroe brothers put a ribbon in front of the door. Ralph blows her bugle. And, the bedroom looks kind of strange and it never, ever looks better...The first of the closet door jokes is here. For some reason, the bedroom being in place moves the show closer to The Spot. I know I keep saying that but GA didn't become masterful all at once...bits fell into place gradually. But, I mean every word I say and the bits are falling closer and closer.

"Oliver, you didn't let Ralph blow her bugle."
"I don't care if she blows her brains out."

Oliver gets really mad because the bedroom, frankly, isn't finished. And, divine retribution hits him as he falls through the roof...He is laid up in bed and tries to watch the movie mentioned above. But, everyone, including Bobbie Jo, join him and eat all his food and hurt his ankle and, in the end, he hides in the barn.

Classic sitcom stuff, which is all a little bit funnier than the regular sitcom's approach. Lisa has really begun to take off on the goofiness. "Hunky Dinky" "A hypocondriac needle" She has become one of the Hooterville folks, although she clearly wants to head back to NYC.

When the townsfolk begin to flood into the bedroom, Oliver may be going through Hell but it's funny. Lisa bring Oliver a tray with a flower and nothing else. No food. Everyone brings food and then they scarf it down themselves as Oliver tried to grab stuff from them...and the banter around all of this is very good. I'm watching it now and it works out like this:

Act 1: Unveiling the Bedroom
Act 2: Spraining the Ankle
Act 3: The Visitors

It almost feels like The Simpsons. The way you can't figure out what the heck is going to happen in the first act. But then it feels like nothing but GA when everyone thinks the test pattern on the TV is Ed Sullivan. Bobbie Jo is very cute and she looks normal when she enters the bedroom but she becomes nutty, too. I wonder what the PJ folks really thought about getting this close to their strange neighbors.

This is a great episode. Full of laughs. The show is in its niche and carving away. It's not particularly Green Acres-strange but it's proving that it's genuinely funny before it veers off the road. And, as a kid, I really wanted to see Mary Poppins Meets Frankenstein.

5 comments:

  1. Of all the many great episodes, I think this one is my favorite. Granted there's not Mr. Haney or Arnold, but it brings in so many great characters. Anyone who's walked into a chaotic situation of wacky but lovable people (I have!) should be able to relate to Oliver here.

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  2. Great episode!! The conversation between Oliver and Lisa about Lisa's cooking and her coffee is hilarious. This is what I love about Green Acres. Great writing!!

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  3. this show is one of the best comedy shows ever....lisa was easy on the eyes, but i loved how she just seemed one the folks in hooterville. i also like how oliver never gets to finish a sentence.

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  5. I watch Dave Mae Fishman movies all the time

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