The Spud Goodman Show
Encyclopedia
The Spud Goodman Show was a late night talk show
which started as a Public-access television
cable TV program in the Puget Sound
area in the state of Washington, USA, and later transitioned to broadcast television. The show usually featured eccentric celebrities, scripted pseudo-celebrities and music. The show was hosted by Spud Goodman and his co-host, Chick Hunter.
cable TV channels in the Seattle/Tacoma
market in February 1985 under the title Can We Talk?? but soon changed the title to incorporate the host's name.
Purporting to originate from Goodman's apartment
, the original set was an ad-hoc studio built in the basement of an abandoned Eagles Club in downtown Tacoma. After several years at this location, the program moved to the Public-access television facilities of TCI Cablevision
in Seattle, where it was broadcast live
. After one season on Public-access television, the show moved to TCI's commercial "local origination" channel which allowed sponsor tie-ins and other production synergies. Featuring genuine celebrities in addition to scripted ones, live music, a live audience and call-ins from viewers, the show became a genuine weekly event in the Seattle television market and frequently played to a standing-room-only house.
Although the program was the highest-rated locally produced cable show in the Seattle market, its popularity also made it a target of some Public-access television advocates who saw its popularity as unfair to their own programs. Rather than accept an unfavorable time slot for the sake of such fairness the program left the air at the height of its popularity. The show made the transition from Public-access television to broadcast television in 1992 when it began a three-year run at KTZZ-TV in Seattle.
Since KTZZ operated on a limited budget, the program was heavily dependent on volunteer staff working in all aspects of production
. By the mid 1990s, however, the viability for locally-produced variety programs diminished, and after a three-year run the management of KTZZ reluctantly cancelled the show.
The show was to have one more run, but not as a local production. The Fox
TV network had introduced its "Foxnet
" cable network as a means to get its prime time
programming into markets that did not have Fox stations
. Produced on a practically non-existent budget out of rooms rented from a local service club
with declining membership, the program enjoyed another three years on Foxnet, a quirky counterpoint to the network's slicker Hollywood offerings.
. Goodman was joined by his co-host and boyhood friend Chick Hunter, who was credulous, sincere and naive. The differing world outlooks of the two men made for good character interplay as well as entertainingly disjointed interviews of the program's guests. The show's guests usually fell into one of two categories: eccentric celebrities or scripted pseudo-celebrities, and it was sometimes difficult to tell which type of guest was being interviewed, which added to the show's "edgy" character. In an effort to maintain control of frequently anarchic program, Goodman often admonished Hunter to "know your role" and limited him to one question per guest.
During the run at TCI, the show began to acquire the repertory company that carried it through to its end. Accordion Joe, the world's only accordion playing Elvis impersonator
, served as the program's ersatz studio orchestra
. Goodman and Hunter were also joined by Spud's divorced parents, Sparky and Saffola. Still contentious after their bitter divorce, they tried to pull Spud's career in different directions which they saw as advantageous to both his future and their own. Spud's cross dressing cousin, Samuel, yearned for a career as a TV weather man. After moving to broadcast, Spud's Uncle Steve joined the group. Although not a ventriloquist, he never went anywhere without his ventriloquial figure Jerry, who could channel
Greg, the Ancient Inca Warrior. Spud also was forced to deal with Jeff Larson, who was at times a self-obsessed yuppie, a rabid Rush Limbaugh
fan, and in a character reboot, the program's producer. By the time the program arrived on broadcast TV, it had grown even more ambitious than the live version had been on cable, and while it was pre-recorded without a studio audience, it maintained much of the "circus atmosphere" of its previous live version.
In addition to the public access television show, Goodman and Hunter also hosted a similarly themed three hour Sunday afternoon call-in show on Tacoma radio station KAMT
, and later a half hour pre-recorded radio program syndicated to college radio stations around the US.
Talk show
A talk show or chat show is a television program or radio program where one person discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host....
which started as a Public-access television
Public-access television
Public-access television is a form of non-commercial mass media where ordinary people can create content television programming which is cablecast through cable TV specialty channels...
cable TV program in the Puget Sound
Puget Sound
Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...
area in the state of Washington, USA, and later transitioned to broadcast television. The show usually featured eccentric celebrities, scripted pseudo-celebrities and music. The show was hosted by Spud Goodman and his co-host, Chick Hunter.
History
The Spud Goodman Show was a counter-culture talk and music program which was prominent in the Puget Sound area from the mid-1980s to the late 1990s. The program debuted on Public-access televisionPublic-access television
Public-access television is a form of non-commercial mass media where ordinary people can create content television programming which is cablecast through cable TV specialty channels...
cable TV channels in the Seattle/Tacoma
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
market in February 1985 under the title Can We Talk?? but soon changed the title to incorporate the host's name.
Purporting to originate from Goodman's apartment
Apartment
An apartment or flat is a self-contained housing unit that occupies only part of a building...
, the original set was an ad-hoc studio built in the basement of an abandoned Eagles Club in downtown Tacoma. After several years at this location, the program moved to the Public-access television facilities of TCI Cablevision
Tele-Communications Inc.
Tele-Communications, Inc. or TCI was a cable television provider in the United States, for much of its history controlled by Bob Magness and John Malone....
in Seattle, where it was broadcast live
Live television
Live television refers to a television production broadcast in real-time, as events happen, in the present. From the early days of television until about 1958, live television was used heavily, except for filmed shows such as I Love Lucy and Gunsmoke. Video tape did not exist until 1957...
. After one season on Public-access television, the show moved to TCI's commercial "local origination" channel which allowed sponsor tie-ins and other production synergies. Featuring genuine celebrities in addition to scripted ones, live music, a live audience and call-ins from viewers, the show became a genuine weekly event in the Seattle television market and frequently played to a standing-room-only house.
Although the program was the highest-rated locally produced cable show in the Seattle market, its popularity also made it a target of some Public-access television advocates who saw its popularity as unfair to their own programs. Rather than accept an unfavorable time slot for the sake of such fairness the program left the air at the height of its popularity. The show made the transition from Public-access television to broadcast television in 1992 when it began a three-year run at KTZZ-TV in Seattle.
Since KTZZ operated on a limited budget, the program was heavily dependent on volunteer staff working in all aspects of production
Production team
A production team is the group of technical staff who produce a play, television show, recording, or film. Generally the term refers to all individuals responsible for the technical aspects of creating of a particular product, regardless of where in the process their expertize is required, or how...
. By the mid 1990s, however, the viability for locally-produced variety programs diminished, and after a three-year run the management of KTZZ reluctantly cancelled the show.
The show was to have one more run, but not as a local production. The Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
TV network had introduced its "Foxnet
Foxnet
Foxnet was a cable network that was available to markets in the United States without an affiliate of the Fox Network. It was usually available in very small television markets....
" cable network as a means to get its prime time
Prime time
Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast programming during the middle of the evening for television programing.The term prime time is often defined in terms of a fixed time period—for example, from 19:00 to 22:00 or 20:00 to 23:00 Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast...
programming into markets that did not have Fox stations
Network affiliate
In the broadcasting industry , a network affiliate is a local broadcaster which carries some or all of the television program or radio program line-up of a television or radio network, but is owned by a company other than the owner of the network...
. Produced on a practically non-existent budget out of rooms rented from a local service club
Service club
A service club or service organization is a voluntary non-profit organization where members meet regularly to perform charitable works either by direct hands-on efforts or by raising money for other organizations. A service club is defined first by its service mission...
with declining membership, the program enjoyed another three years on Foxnet, a quirky counterpoint to the network's slicker Hollywood offerings.
Show format
The show was hosted by Spud Goodman; a hip, cynical and occasionally mean-spirited underachieverUnderachiever
An underachiever is a person and especially a student who fails to achieve his or her potential or does not do as well as expected.Of particular interest is academic underachievement...
. Goodman was joined by his co-host and boyhood friend Chick Hunter, who was credulous, sincere and naive. The differing world outlooks of the two men made for good character interplay as well as entertainingly disjointed interviews of the program's guests. The show's guests usually fell into one of two categories: eccentric celebrities or scripted pseudo-celebrities, and it was sometimes difficult to tell which type of guest was being interviewed, which added to the show's "edgy" character. In an effort to maintain control of frequently anarchic program, Goodman often admonished Hunter to "know your role" and limited him to one question per guest.
During the run at TCI, the show began to acquire the repertory company that carried it through to its end. Accordion Joe, the world's only accordion playing Elvis impersonator
Elvis impersonator
An Elvis impersonator is someone who impersonates or copies famed American musician Elvis Presley. Professional Elvis impersonators can work all over the world as entertainers, and such tribute acts are in great demand due to the unique iconic status of Elvis...
, served as the program's ersatz studio orchestra
Studio orchestra
A studio orchestra is an orchestra that exists only in a recording, movie, or television studio. That is, it does not perform in public concerts or for audiences generally. They are typically run by movie and television studios to produce film and television soundtrack recordings. Nearly all...
. Goodman and Hunter were also joined by Spud's divorced parents, Sparky and Saffola. Still contentious after their bitter divorce, they tried to pull Spud's career in different directions which they saw as advantageous to both his future and their own. Spud's cross dressing cousin, Samuel, yearned for a career as a TV weather man. After moving to broadcast, Spud's Uncle Steve joined the group. Although not a ventriloquist, he never went anywhere without his ventriloquial figure Jerry, who could channel
Mediumship
Mediumship is described as a form of communication with spirits. It is a practice in religious beliefs such as Spiritualism, Spiritism, Espiritismo, Candomblé, Voodoo and Umbanda.- Concept :...
Greg, the Ancient Inca Warrior. Spud also was forced to deal with Jeff Larson, who was at times a self-obsessed yuppie, a rabid Rush Limbaugh
Rush Limbaugh
Rush Hudson Limbaugh III is an American radio talk show host, conservative political commentator, and an opinion leader in American conservatism. He hosts The Rush Limbaugh Show which is aired throughout the U.S. on Premiere Radio Networks and is the highest-rated talk-radio program in the United...
fan, and in a character reboot, the program's producer. By the time the program arrived on broadcast TV, it had grown even more ambitious than the live version had been on cable, and while it was pre-recorded without a studio audience, it maintained much of the "circus atmosphere" of its previous live version.
Related programs
Following the live program, Spud resurfaced in Spud on Sports, in which he interviewed professional athletes and other sports boosters in a pre-recorded format. He also had a 13-week pre-recorded series called The Other Spud Goodman Show which was built around the theme of his "failure" with the live show, and his attempts to resurrect his career by establishing a cult of personality for himself.In addition to the public access television show, Goodman and Hunter also hosted a similarly themed three hour Sunday afternoon call-in show on Tacoma radio station KAMT
KKMO
KKMO is a commercial radio station located in Tacoma, Washington.-Programming:KKMO airs a Regional Mexican music format branded as "El Rey". Notable on-air personalities include nationally syndicated host Eddie "Piolin" Sotelo on mornings and local hosts the rest of the broadcast day...
, and later a half hour pre-recorded radio program syndicated to college radio stations around the US.