BARBARA WALTERS SPECIAL, THE: HAPPY HOUR (TV)

Summary

One in this occasional series of interview specials, hosted by Barbara Walters. In this edition, Walters looks back at interviews she done with a number of comedians. Highlights include the following: Robin Williams talks about his reasons for going into comedy instead of acting; Eddie Murphy discusses the universality of comedy; Billy Crystal analyses his impersonations of Marlon Brando, Muhammad Ali, and Sammy Davis, Jr.; George Burns demonstrates a dance step, which turns into a comedy routine; Paul Hogan talks about the process of breaking into film acting; Dudley Moore talks about world peace and performs a word association game with Walters; Crystal recalls making his family laugh in his youth; Joan Rivers identifies the beginning of her desire for a career in comedy; Jay Leno shares the first joke he ever told; Jerry Seinfeld analyses the comedy in the everyday; Steve Martin escorts Walters on a private tour through his new home; Redd Foxx mystifies Walters with his pet monkeys; Williams talks about the transformation of his home into a mini-television studio; Kirstie Alley recalls the conjunction of happy and sad moments in her life; Bette Midler expounds on the relationship between sorrow and comedy; Chevy Chase discusses the egos of actors and comedians; Lucille Ball talks about psychiatric help; Tom Hanks relates comic genius to inner struggle; Bob Hope reveals his occasional sadness; Carol Burnett shares the personal pain behind her comedy; Moore suggests that a tormented childhood was the catalyst for his comedy; Roseanne Arnold remembers her time in a mental hospital as a teen; David Letterman reveals his source of humor; Leno recalls his naiveté at the beginning of his stand-up comedy career; Burns talks about literally starting on the ground floor; Whoopi Goldberg remembers her first job; Tim Allen talks about changing his name; Ball shares her feeling that she is not funny at all; Johnny Carson suggests that comedians cannot take themselves seriously; Murphy justifies his use of profanity; Richard Pryor reveals his feelings about his racial humor; and Seinfeld explains why he chooses not to use profanity in his act. The program closes with an extended segment on Robin Williams. Includes commercials, promos, and a public service announcement. Commercials include Phil Collins for Sears stores. This program is closed-captioned.

Details

• NETWORK: ABC
• DATE: May 23, 1994 Monday 8:00 PM
• RUNNING TIME: 0:59:57
• COLOR/B&W: Color
• CATALOG ID: T:32684
• GENRE: Talk/Interviews
• SUBJECT HEADING: Comedians; Comedy; African-American Collection - Comedy
• SERIES RUN: ABC - TV series, 1976-
• COMMERCIALS:
  • TV - Commercials - "City Slickers II: The Legend of CurlyÕs Gold" (feature film)
  • TV - Commercials - "Johhny CarsonÕs Favorite Moments" home videos
  • TV - Commercials - "The Flinstones" (feature film)
  • TV - Commercials - Haagen-Dazs ice-cream
  • TV - Commercials - Lincoln automobiles
  • TV - Commercials - Lucky supermarkets
  • TV - Commercials - LÕOreal hair products
  • TV - Commercials - Monistat 7 yeast infection cream
  • TV - Commercials - Nutrasweet sweetener
  • TV - Commercials - Quaker Crispy Wholegrain cereal
  • TV - Commercials - Sears stores
  • TV - Commercials - Tylenol Geltabs pain reliever
  • TV - Commercials - Visa credit cards
  • TV - PSA - California Department of Health Services
  • TV - Promos - "Coach: Anniversary Special"
  • TV - Promos - "Edith Ann"
  • TV - Promos - "Full House"
  • TV - Promos - "Grace Under Fire"
  • TV - Promos - "Home Improvement"
  • TV - Promos - "Roseanne"
  • TV - Promos - "The 8th Annual American Comedy Awards"
  • TV - Promos - "The 21st Annual Daytime Emmy Awards"
  • TV - Promos - "These Friends of Mine"

CREDITS

• Bill Geddie … Producer, Writer
• Jessica Stedman Guff … Associate Producer
• Brad LaRosa … Associate Producer
• George Paul … Director
• Russ Petranto … Direction (Misc.), Interviews Directed by
• Don Mischer … Direction (Misc.), Interviews Directed by
• Sterling Johnson … Direction (Misc.), Interviews Directed by
• Don Roy King … Direction (Misc.), Interviews Directed by
• Bill Carruthers … Direction (Misc.), Interviews Directed by
• Michael Mannes … Direction (Misc.), Interviews Directed by
• Barbara Walters … Writer
• Patrick O'Hearn … Theme Music by
• Barbara Walters … Host, Interviewer
• Joel Fabiani … Announcer
• Tim Allen
• Kirstie Alley
• Ali, Muhammad (See also: Clay, Cassius)
• Arnold, Roseanne (See also: Barr, Roseanne; Roseanne)
• Lucille Ball
• Marlon Brando
• Carol Burnett
• George Burns
• Johnny Carson
• Chevy Chase
• Billy Crystal
• Sammy Davis Jr.
• Redd Foxx
• Whoopi Goldberg
• Tom Hanks
• Paul Hogan
• Bob Hope
• Jay Leno
• David Letterman
• Steve Martin
• Bette Midler
• Dudley Moore
• Eddie Murphy
• Jack Nicholson
• Richard Pryor
• Joan Rivers
• Jerry Seinfeld
• Robin Williams