The mission of The Department of Afro-American Research Arts and Culture to identify the global significance of the creative contributions pioneered by an international diaspora of Blackness
Search DAARAC's Archive

Sunday, February 14, 2010

The Richard Pryor Show [1977] + Extras





Starring
Richard Pryor
Allegra Allison
Jeff Corey
Robin Williams
Sandra Bernhard
Vic Dunlop
Edie McClurg
Tim Reid
John Witherspoon
Marlene Clark
Argus Hamilton
Jimmy Martinez
Paul Mooney

TV.com
Controversy and censorship forced Richard Pryor's variety show to be canceled after four
episodes.

Special. Season 1 – Aired: 5/5/1977
The Richard Pryor Special?

'The Galley' sketch, featuring John Belushi - 'The Reverend James L. White' sketch - 'The Pips Without Gladys Knight' sketch - 'Booster Johnson' sketch - 'Rebuttal' sketch, with Pryor as Idi Amin - 'Harlem Sweeties' presentation - Pryor plays off himself in 'Shoe Shine' sketch - 'Willie The Drunk' sketch, featuring a soliloquy by Maya Angelou - Children sing 'This World Was Made For All Men' - 'Richard Meets With His Writers' sketch - Richard closes with a rendition of 'There's No Business Like Show Business'.

Season 1, Episode 1 – Aired: 9/13/1977
Episode 1

'Star Wars Bar' sketch, with Pryor as bartender - 'Western' sketch, with Pryor as a poncho-clad, stogie-smoking 'Man With No Name'-type gunslinger - Musical guests, The O'Jays, perform 'Work On Me' - 'Presidential Press Conference' sketch, with Pryor as the first Black President - 'Mojo healer' sketch, with Richard as the mojo - 'Club Harlem' sketch, featuring a song and dance number by Paula Kelly.

Season 1, Episode 2 – Aired: 9/20/1977
Episode 2

'Samurai' sketch, with Pryor as a Samurai Warrior defending a young Geisha - 'Trial' sketch, with Pryor as a white Prosecutor, out to convict a young Black man, accused of attacking a white woman, in 1920s Mississippi. - 'Egypt 1909' sketch, with Richard as part of a team of Archaeologists who discover 'The Fountain Of Knowledge' - 'Mr. Come-From Man' sketch, with Pryor as a traditional African, out to make a buck. - 'Heavy Metal' sketch, with Richard as the lead singer/guitarist of a shock band called 'Black Death'.

Season 1, Episode 3 – Aired: 9/27/1977
Episode 3

Richard begins with a very angry speech, which is interrupted by some 'audio difficulties'. - 'Restaurant' sketch, with Pryor and an attractive lady making eyes at one another, in a classy restaurant. - Richard does a brief stand-up act. - 'Caveman' sketch, with Pryor as a prehistoric man who discovers fire. - 'Mr. Fixit' sketch, with Richard as a bumbling repairman - 'The Junkyard Circus', with Pryor as a raggedy Ringmaster. - Richard introduces all of his supporting players, then closes the show with several improvised sketches, involving the various performers.

Season 1, Episode 4 – Aired: 10/20/1977
Episode 4

'Shower' sketch, with Pryor and Allegra Allison parodying Hitchcock's 'Psycho' - 'Jekyll and Hyde' sketch, with Richard and Jimmy Martinez - 'Roast' sequence, with several members of the supporting cast, throwing verbal punches at their employer - 'Titanic' sketch, with Pryor rescuing several bigoted passengers of the doomed liner - 'Rebuttal' sketch, with Richard as a disgruntled Santa Claus - Pryor closes with a sincere 'Thank You' to his fans and cast.

Extras include:
The Mudbone Monologue
The Richard Pryor Roast
The Richard Pryor Special

Provided by TVVault Team member dijedil thru Funkback

Shaft (TV Series - The Executioners) OST - Johnny Pate (1974)

Frayker, Frayker, Frayker!!!

Funkbacks comment
I've scoured the net for any info on this episode of the TV-series. I've reached the conclusion that It must be the first episode called the Enforcers that's somehow changed it's name in the process, and maybe place to be broadcast. There was no episode called the Executioners broadcast, but the plot in the Enforcers makes a good case for such a title.

Link to TV-series review
John Llewellyn Moxey - Shaft TV-series Episode 1 The Enforcers (1973)

Shaft (TV Series - The Kidnapping) OST - Johnny Pate

Shaft TV-series Episode 4 The Kidnapping (1973)

Starring
Eddie Barth
Richard Roundtree
Paul Burke
Karen Carlson
Nicolas Beauvy
Greg Mullavey
Timothy Scott
Victor Brandt
Frank Marth
Jayne Kennedy

TV.com
Season 1, Episode 4 – Aired: 12/11/1973
The Kidnapping

Shaft is pursued by the police when acts as a go-between for a banker and the people demanding ransom for his wife.

fraykerbreaks.blogspot.com
Three white men disguised as blacks break into the home of banker Elliot Williamson and kidnap his wife, Nancy. Before leaving, they warn him against calling the police and tell him to get in touch with private detective John Shaft. Shaft, who has no knowledge of the kidnapping, arrives at Williamson's house just before they receive a phone call with ransom instructions. Williamson and Shaft are to go to Williamson's bank at 10am, fill a briefcase with $250,000 in cash, and then Shaft is to take it to a nearby town and wait at a phone booth for additional instructions. A deputy Sheriff becomes suspicious when he sees Shaft driving the banker's luxurious car and sirens him to stop. Shaft is forced to overpower the deputy and flee on foot. Meanwhile an all points bulletin is put out for his arrest. Shaft reaches a farmhouse where he convinces a boy, Matthew Potter, that he is not a criminal, and persuades the boy to drive him to the crucial phone booth. They arrive too late, however, but Shaft manages to make contact with the kidnappers from his hiding place in a schoolhouse. Lt Al Rossi learns of Shaft's troubles and arrives in time to help the local sheriff come to the aid of Shaft, who is in a deadly showdown with the kidnappers.

Funkbacks comment
This episode is notable for liberally using stock footage from Shaft's Big Score during the opening credits, particularily the exploding helicopter scene. So some of the credit should go to Gordon Parks for that, although he's uncredited in the Imdb and in TV.com.

Ripped by TVVault Elite GeorgeF provided thru Funkback

Link to soundtrack review
Johnny Pate - Shaft TV-Series The Kidnapping (1973)