Mike Levey
Encyclopedia
Michael Stephen "Mike" Levey (May 28, 1948 – August 2, 2003) was an American infomercial
host. He was best known for his Amazing Discoveries series of infomercials.
ed in the movie "The Cat in the Hat
" with Mike Myers
. The Amazing Discoveries infomercials, which first aired in 1985, consisted of over 100 shows and aired in more than 60 countries in 12 languages. He also had guest appearances on Sliders
and Friends
. The success of Amazing Discoveries infomercials also led to a spin-off
infomercial series titled Ask Mike. The infomercial was also parodied on Mad TV
.
He also started a Dial-A-Joke
back in the 70's called The Mainline in Los Angeles
.
Infomercial
Infomercials are direct response television commercials which generally include a phone number or website. There are long-form infomercials, which are typically between 15 and 30 minutes in length, and short-form infomercials, which are typically 30 seconds to 120 seconds in length. Infomercials...
host. He was best known for his Amazing Discoveries series of infomercials.
Career
On Amazing Discoveries, Levey was best known to viewers as the enthusiastic “Sweater Man” - something that was spoofSpoof
-General uses:* Parody by imitation* Satire, a literary technique of writing or art which principally ridicules its subject* Forgery of goods or documents* Spoof , a guessing game...
ed in the movie "The Cat in the Hat
The Cat in the Hat (film)
The Cat in the Hat is a 2003 American slapstick comedy film loosely based on the 1957 book of the same name by Dr. Seuss. It was produced by Brian Grazer and directed by Bo Welch, and stars Mike Myers in the title role of the Cat in the Hat, and Dakota Fanning as Sally...
" with Mike Myers
Mike Myers (actor)
Michael John "Mike" Myers is a Canadian actor, comedian, screenwriter, and film producer of British parentage...
. The Amazing Discoveries infomercials, which first aired in 1985, consisted of over 100 shows and aired in more than 60 countries in 12 languages. He also had guest appearances on Sliders
Sliders
Sliders is an American science fiction television series. It was broadcast for five seasons, beginning in 1995 and ending in 2000. The series follows a group of travelers as they use a wormhole to "slide" between different parallel universes. The show was created by Robert K. Weiss and Tracy Tormé...
and Friends
Friends
Friends is an American sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994 to May 6, 2004. The series revolves around a group of friends in Manhattan. The series was produced by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
. The success of Amazing Discoveries infomercials also led to a spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
infomercial series titled Ask Mike. The infomercial was also parodied on Mad TV
Mad TV
Mad TV may refer to:*MADtv, an American sketch comedy television series based on Mad magazine*Mad TV , a 1991 German television station management simulation game*MAD TV , a Greek music channel-See also:...
.
He also started a Dial-A-Joke
Dial-A-Joke
Dial-A-Joke refers to a telephone service that users can call to listen to previously recorded jokes.Jokes are recorded on an automatic answering machine. In the past, many jokes were recorded on cassette tape and then played...
back in the 70's called The Mainline in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
.