This is actually a Skit Happens/Sketchy Tales combo. I wrote and submitted a sketch to the Prairie Home Companion called "A Charlie Brown Mid-Life Crisis." It wasn't used. However, Keillor could the last line of the sketch and incorporated it into this one. Barry Minot was a reoccurring segment on the show. It was, as a friend called in not funny, but funny-ish. So, I present it here for a listen. And just remember that end bit being said by Pig-pen to Charlie Brown and his family.
If you liked this bit, you'll love my book, Lost Claus, the story of a tough PI and an elf who have to save Christmas. It's over at Amazon. Buy a copy today! I'll be glad you did.
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This is one of those quirky moments with my time on Prairie Home Companion (which I'm planning to take on in the future) and by quirky, I mean Garrison Keillor actually credited me on this bit and even has my name as the copyright holder, which I assume is a song writing thing for him. They did change it a bit, but I must honestly say I was surprised that it made the cut. It's a silly little trifle, but I guess it struck somebody's funny bone. I apologize for the quality of the sound on this bit and all the PHC bits...I had to literally record them off the website. They only streamed the audio and I couldn't get the guy to send me an audio file for beans. I had to get a special cord (thanks & farewell, Radio Shack) that I could plug into the ear jack and plug into the mic jack to play it on one window and record it with some software. Technology, amirite?
We present this comedy to remind you that my Christmas Comedy Caper, Lost Claus is available over at Amazon. So buy your copy today and avoid the holiday rush!
Hey, internet! I'm on a podcast! Mark Arnold, author and curator of pop culture, invited me to be on his Fun Ideas podcast! We talked about many things, but mostly me. We met online years ago when he was working on a book about Cracked magazine. So the podcast starts there and goes far afield. He posted it on Youtube. Also, I talked A LOT, so he broke it into two parts. What can I say, you get me wound up and that's what happens.
I always got a nice reception to this bit. Written for and produced by the Prairie Home Companion team in October 2002. Granted, it's more of an Autumn piece than a Halloween piece, but, hey, 'tis that season. I was very excited when they did this bit, it's the first time of a very few, that they did one of my scripts verbatim. Such a talented group.
[ETA 10/8/19] I pulled out my journal from this time and I did make a note about submitting it. I had written it the previous year, but too late for autumn. I sat on it for a year. As noted, I was always a fan of Halloween, so I was going to bury them in Halloween sketches. They rarely used them. Weirdly, I don't even mention about them using this. Towards the end of the month I note that a check is on the way. Another, at the time, desperately needed check. That was my measuring stick then. I missed a lot of the joy back then because of finances.
An epic post for an epic sketch...
Abbott & Othello
I wrote about my Pet Rock sketch earlier. I used that sketch as my signature bit (despite the circumstances), I was very proud of it, it was a tight, silly, funny bit, solid evidence that I was a writer. But it was dead. I would eventually need to create another signature bit.
I honestly don’t remember when I got the idea for “Abbott & Othello” but it happened. I certainly had done a ton of pop-culture mash-ups before (and since). And, weirdly, Abbott & Costello were in the zeitgeist in the 1980s; SNL, SCTV and others did A&O inspired bits. I remember one a joke; Elvis Costello and the group ABBA were going on tour as ABBA & Costello. Maybe all of this triggered the idea. |
Dan FiorellaFreelance writer, still hacking away. Archives
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