D.C. Follies
Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox television
D.C. Follies is a syndicated sitcom which aired from 1987–1989. The show was set in a Washington, D.C. bar, where a bartender played by Fred Willard would welcome puppet caricatures of politicians and popular culture figures.[1]
Synopsis
The show, a satire, made frequent sardonic comments on Cold War and late 1980s politics and pop culture. Although Willard was the only live actor appearing regularly, each episode featured a celebrity guest, such Martin Mull, Robin Leach, Whoopi Goldberg, Leslie Nielsen, Bob Uecker, and Betty White. In one episode, Robert Englund showed up as his Freddy Krueger character, and in a special Christmas episode an un-billed actor played Santa Claus.[2][3]
Style
The show's use of puppets that mimicked popular culture and political figures was similar to the British series Spitting Image; it was produced by Sid and Marty Krofft, well-known puppeteers in the United States who were responsible for popular children's television shows including H.R. Pufnstuf[4] and Sigmund and the Sea Monsters. The show was originally funded and syndicated nationally by New York-based Syndicast Services Inc.
Frequently appearing puppet characters included
- Former Presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, and then-President Ronald Reagan and Vice-President George H. W. Bush. When Bush was elected President in 1988, Vice-President Dan Quayle also became a regular. The former and current presidents were portrayed as having a special Presidents' Table at the bar, where they sat together.
- First Ladies Nancy Reagan, Barbara Bush; and Second Lady Marilyn Quayle.
- Woody Allen
- Jim Bakker and his then-wife, Tammy Faye Bakker
- Cher
- Sam Donaldson
- Senator Robert Dole
- Governor Michael Dukakis
- Whoopi Goldberg
- Katharine Hepburn
- Rev. Jesse Jackson
- Michael Jackson
- Don King
- Henry Kissinger
- Ted Koppel
- Madonna
- Sean Penn
- Edwin Meese
- Oliver North
- Tip O'Neill
- Dolly Parton
- John Poindexter
- Dan Rather
- Fred Rogers
- Andy Rooney
- Geraldo Rivera
- Pat Robertson
- Sylvester Stallone
- Oprah Winfrey
- British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, and Queen Elizabeth II
- Prince Charles and his then-wife, Princess Diana
- Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and wife Raisa Gorbacheva
- Pope John Paul II
- Iranian leader Ayatollah Khomeni
- Sid and Marty Krofft themselves, as newspaper vendors
Accolades
The series was nominated for two Emmy Awards.[6]
Home media
A series of three "Best of D. C. Follies" VHS tapes were released, with each volume containing two episodes.[7]
On August 4, 2017, Shout! Factory announced they had acquired the rights to the series and subsequently released D.C. Follies – The Complete Series on DVD in Region 1 on November 14, 2017.[8]
The show has been made available via video on demand at Amazon Video and iTunes.[9]
References
External links
- Template:Trim/ Template:Trim at IMDbTemplate:EditAtWikidataScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".Template:WikidataCheck
- Official website
- Sid and Marty Krofft interview about the show
- ↑ WILLARD GIVES 'D.C. FOLLIES' A HUMAN TOUCH - Chicago Tribune
- ↑ Fred Willard on "DC Follies" - TelevisionAcademy.com/Interviews - FoundationINTERVIEWS on YouTube
- ↑ An Interview with Fred Willard About His Delightful Career - Vulture
- ↑ No Strings Attached: The Puppet Satire of D.C. Follies|Mental Floss
- ↑ 'D.C. Follies' Guests Are Full of Foam - Los Angeles Times
- ↑ Television Academy
- ↑ VHS Collector
- ↑ D.C. Follies - 'The Complete Series' Starring Fred Willard, from Sid and Marty Krofft! Shout! Factory to release a 4-DVD set into stores this fall Template:Webarchive
- ↑ Best in Show: Watch Fred Willard's Most Memorable Roles - The New York Times
- Pages with script errors
- 1980s American political comedy television series
- 1980s American satirical television series
- 1980s American sitcoms
- 1987 American television series debuts
- 1989 American television series endings
- American television series based on British television series
- American television shows featuring puppetry
- American English-language television shows
- First-run syndicated sitcoms
- Political satirical television series
- Television series by Sid and Marty Krofft Television Productions
- Television series by MGM Television
- Television shows set in Washington, D.C.