COMPLEAT AL, THE {WEIRD AL YANKOVIC} (TV)
Summary
A comedy special featuring a partially fictitious documentary about the life and work of comedy musician "Weird Al" Yankovic, featuring several of his music videos.
Alfred Matthew Yankovic is born on October 23rd, 1959, and raised in the small town of Lynwood, California. At the age of seven his parents, Nick and Mary Yankovic, give him an accordion as a birthday present, and he soon takes to the instrument. He attends Lynwood High School and takes a series of part-time jobs before enrolling at the California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo, where he selects architecture as his major. As a DJ on KCPR, his college radio station, he is given the nickname "Weird Al," and decides to adopt the name as his own. He composes his first songs in the men's bathroom of the radio station and gets a national audience when he sends his tapes to legendary radio DJ Dr. Demento.
Weird Al finds a manager with Barry Cohen, who previously was in charge of things such as novelty gifts and animal acts. He convinces Al to put his own money to make a pressing of his single "Another One Rides the Bus," and eventually they find a willing label with Ronzoni Records, run by the Ronzoni brothers. Weird Al conceives of the song "Eat It," a parody of Michael Jackson's hit single "Beat It," and visits Jackson's frightening abode to ask for his permission to release the song. After a tense meeting, Jackson gives his tacit approval. "Eat It" cements Weird Al's popularity and soon he accumulates fame. Barry approaches Weird Al about "ancillary merchandising," a prospect which does not sit well with him, especially after seeing several proposed products bearing his likeness.
During this time, Weird Al begins work on the album "Me, Myself, and I," where he becomes more introspective and turns to experimental recording techniques. When he starts delving into odd mysticism, his band mates work together to return Weird Al to normal, and are successful. The master tape to "Me, Myself, and I" is ruined in an airport metal detector and irrevocably lost. Others express their opinions on Weird Al, including his guitarist Rick Derringer, as well as Dick Clark. The special concludes with a personal message from Weird Al to his fans.
Music videos of Weird Al's songs are interspersed throughout, including: "Ricky," "Eat It," a montage set to "Midnight Star," "I Lost On Jeopardy," "Like a Surgeon," "One More Minute," and "Dare to be Stupid."
This program has been adopted by Ludicris Lorri (O'Grady) MacMillan in honor of Dave and Ethan's 2000" Weird Al podcast.
Details
- NETWORK: Showtime
- DATE: August 7, 1985 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:59:39
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:05857
- GENRE: Comedy; Music
- SUBJECT HEADING: Comedy; Music
- SERIES RUN: Showtime - TV, 1985
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Jay Levey … Executive Producer, Director, Writer
- Robert K. Weiss … Producer, Director, Writer
- Hamilton Cloud … Co-Producer, Writer
- John Callas … Associate Producer
- David Peters … Animation
- "Weird Al" Yankovic … Writer, Music by
- Joanne Divito … Choreographer
- Bill Martin … Narrator
- "Weird Al" Yankovic … Cast, Himself
- Michael Porter … Cast, Barry Cohen
- Wally Burns … Cast, Mr. Cafarella
- Bill Selby … Cast, Mr. Nordquist
- Jane Campbell … Cast, Mrs. Weidenbaum
- Dr. Demento (See also: Barry Hansen) … Cast, Himself
- Gordon Gale … Cast, Karl Brickman
- Tress MacNeille … Cast, Francine, Lucy Ricardo
- Rob Lawrence … Cast, Heavy Metal Man
- Peter James … Cast, Day Tripper
- Che Zuro … Cast, Heavy Metal Girl
- Jeff Wilson … Cast, Folk Guitarist
- Ed Gibson … Cast, Spike Banjo
- Steve Cropper … Cast, Himself
- John Kearney … Cast, The Butler
- Mitchell Craig (See also: Craig Mitchell) … Cast, Ronnie Ronzoni
- Bert Simon … Cast, Michael Jackson
- Bill Thomas … Cast, Reporter
- Diane Jastrzebski … Cast, Girl With Painting
- Warren West … Cast, Dental Floss Man
- Mary Yankovic … Cast, Herself
- Nick Yankovic … Cast, Himself
- Nell Alano … Cast, Surgeon Dancer
- Will Dalley … Cast, Photo Barker
- Kenneth Scherr … Cast, Frisbee Salesman
- Rick Sullivant … Cast, Surgeon Dancer
- Frank Collison … Cast, Look-A-Like Salesman
- Harry Rickland … Cast, Sock-It Salesman
- Bill Sehres … Cast, Jerry Neuman
- Walter Sylvest … Cast, Underwear Salesman
- Ron Green … Cast, Larry O'Sullivan
- David Thomas … Cast, Frank Del Gato
- Jimy Murphy … Cast, Fogger
- Dick Delano … Cast, Rebel Guitarist
- Steve Jay … Cast, Himself
- John "Bermuda" Schwartz … Cast, Himself
- Jim West … Cast, Himself
- Dick Clark … Cast, Himself
- Rick Derringer … Cast, Himself
- Phil Ramone … Cast, Himself
- Bob Brown … Cast
- Ted Warren … Cast
- Dean Gross … Voice, KIDB DJ