Name: "Manimal"'s status on Letterman, November 8, 1983
Uploaded: 2016-07-20T04:15:48.000Z
Description: Watch the stand-up comedy video '"Manimal"'s status on Letterman, November 8, 1983' from Don Giller on Comedy Buff. Published 2016-07-20. Transcript available.

Watch the stand-up comedy video '"Manimal"'s status on Letterman, November 8, 1983' from Don Giller on Comedy Buff. Published 2016-07-20. Transcript available.

Okay, we got a good show for you folks here tonight.
For all television-watching Americans, this, however, is a time of uncertainty,
a time of hope, and a time of fear.
Last Friday, the National Broadcasting Corporation aired what could be the
final episode
of the high-style fantasy adventure series, Manimal.
Yes, the show about a man who fights crime by transforming himself into
different animals
has been temporarily removed from the NBC lineup and placed into that TV netherworld
known as hiatus.
Now its fate is in question, and join us, won't you, as we remember the past
and look to the future of Manimal, show at the crossroads.
September 30th, 1983, America danced to the music of Air Supply.
Ronald Reagan was in the White House, and a pair of legs pantyhose cost only $2.25.
Onto this scene bursts the special 90-minute premiere of Manimal,
in which the timely arrival of Professor Jonathan Chase in the form of a panther
foils a robbery attempt.
This is obviously a tiger.
We couldn't find a picture of a panther, but I'm sure he could have turned
himself into a tiger.
In the weeks to follow, an interior secretary resigns, the Orioles win a world
championship,
and Professor Chase expands his animal repertoire with dizzying swiftness.
On October 14th, he becomes a hawk to break up a smuggling ring.
Once again, we couldn't find a picture of a hawk.
This is an owl.
A week later, he stalks a killer in the guise of a parrot.
And then the show reaches a high-water mark as Chase cracks a baffling case by
becoming, in succession,
a mule, a snake, a camel, and a house cat.
Until November 4th, 1983, Black Friday.
The last regularly scheduled broadcast of the program.
Now we may never learn who these other two people are.
Is she beautiful but not afraid to get her hands dirty?
Is he streetwise but loyal?
But more importantly, with scarcely more than a dozen transformations to his
credit,
we may now never see Manimal become a collie, a gecko, or one of the more than
6,000 varieties of beetle.
But whatever happens, we still have our memories of four of the finest episodes
of fantasy adventure ever to light up our Friday evenings.
Now, we have some people in our studio audience who have agreed to share their
feelings with us at this difficult time.
How do you do, sir? Welcome to the program. What is your name, please?
My name is Kyle Thompson.
Kyle, what do you do for a living?
I work for a large fast food chain specializing in hamburgers.
All right, Kyle. I wonder if you could describe the first Manimal show you ever
saw.
Well, it was an ordinary Friday evening.
I was in the living room and flipping through the dials on the television set,
and I came upon a scene of a man turning into a hawk.
And that was probably the one called Night of the Scorpion.
Now, pretty impressive special effects, don't you think?
Well, no, not really.
He sort of just went behind the wall, and then the bird came out.
Okay, well, thank you for sharing your memory.
You're welcome.
I'd like to ask our next audience member if they could recall where they were
when they learned that the show will not stay on the air.
Yeah, I was over at a friend's house,
and we thought we'd watch some TV.
So I was going through the TV guide, and it said the show was in hiatus.
And how did you feel about that?
Kind of numb, you know.
You know, it hadn't sunk in that, you know,
Manimal just won't be on the air this week.
Yeah, I understand.
Now, if the show did come back on,
any changes you would like to see in the program, sir?
Yes, I'd like to see Manimal turn into a car.
Like a computerized car, something really cool.
Well, then it would be Man Automobile or something.
It probably wouldn't work.
All right, thank you very much.
You're nice talking to you.
And finally, we have one other member of our studio audience
who was kind enough to speak with us tonight.
How do you do, ma'am?
What was it you liked about the Manimal program?
What made it special for you?
Well, I liked everything about it.
I liked the costumes and the musical numbers.
And the guest stars like Loretta Lynn and George Jones.
And I like all the sisters, especially Barbara.
And I like Louise and Earlene.
Excuse me, I think you're thinking of the Mandrell sisters.
We're talking about the show Manimal.
Oh, sorry.
Oh, that's kind of all right.
Well.
So, what then exactly is this hiatus on which Manimal has been placed?
Does it mean there is no hope for all of the series
and for its hundreds of fans?
To get an answer to this question,
we have decided to call NBC Program Information in Burbank, California.
I have the number right here, I hope.
Yep, this must be the number.
Calling Los Angeles, California.
Push the button.
Push the top button.
Thank you.
Calling Burbank, California.
NBC Program Information.
Going to find out about the hiatus for Manimal.
There's the first ring.
It would be ring number two.
NBC Programming.
Yes, my name is David Letterman.
I'm calling from New York City.
Is this programming for NBC?
I guess it is, isn't it?
Yes, it is.
Ma'am, I have a question for you about Manimal.
Will we be seeing the program on Friday night?
Just a second, please.
No, it's been preempted.
Going to be preempted.
Now, I read in TV Guide where it's placed on hiatus.
What exactly does that mean?
Well, it just means that for a couple of weeks, we'll be showing different
programs.
And do you think we'll ever see Manimal again?
I really don't know.
No idea at all?
Press release on it.
Yeah.
Are you getting a lot of reaction from viewers about this?
I really can't say one way or the other.
Is there anything you can talk about?
Well, we're not allowed to release that.
It's like I could connect with the press department.
What did you have for lunch?
Is that...
Okay, listen, it was a pleasure talking with you.
Thank you very much for your information.
Thank you.
Bye-bye.
Have a nice day.
All right.
Well, we have yet to get a definite answer on the fate of Manimal, but I, for
one, can't
let it go.
There's still something we can do, of course.
I mean, consult a psychic.
Please welcome a man who has been on this show many times before, window washer
psychic
Morris Fonte.
Morris.
Morris, have you seen the program in question, Manimal?
No, I haven't.
Have not seen the show.
Morris, from what we understand, the show has been placed on a hiatus, not
actually been
canceled, but we need to know, is there any chance that it will ever return?
Sorry to say, I don't feel it will.
Oh, really?
No.
That is gone and gone forever.
What about a cast album?
I wish that would happen.
So Manimal really will never come back?
No.
Not on another network?
Not in syndication?
Not in home cassettes?
Nowhere.
It's a ghost.
It's a ghost.
It's vapor.
It's vapor.
He went into the west or somewhere, and that's where he'll stay.
So in the words of Psychic Morris Fonte, Manimal has moved west.
Well, Morris, those are certainly sad words, but I appreciate you coming to the
show to
tell us about the fate of Manimal.
Moved west, ladies and gentlemen.
Or it may be New Jersey or somewhere.
Maybe New Jersey.
Okay, Morris.
Thank you very much.
And we have to pause here.
We'll be back with Red Fox, folks.
Thank you.
We'll be back with Red Fox, folks.