User Reviews

Where do I begin? "The Show Formerly Known as the Martin Short Show" is one of the funniest TV programs I've ever watched-and it was only a TV Special! Several months after NBC stupidly canceled the Hilarious "The Martin Short Show", Martin Short made this special for TV. It is not actually an episode of the show, rather it was a 90-minute sketch comedy special, featuring most of the cast from that show. I'm happy to say I taped this special when it aired, along with all 3 episodes of "The Martin Short Show". The tape quality isn't very good (it's a little blurry, grainy, fuzzy, etc.) but I still like to watch it occasionally. (I wish this would all be released on DVD someday, but that doesn't seem likely at all.) The short lived TV show was genius and so is this special, I absolutely love it. The skits are very funny, so let's describe a few. Near the beginning there is a skit titled, "The Kato Kaelin Show" which pokes fun at the O.J. Simpson Case, including a song about O.J. sung by The Three Tenors(obviously actors pretending to be The Three Tenors). There are moments scattered throughout the special where various characters talk about their fond TV memories. Ed Grimley remarks "M*A*S*H I never got; but AfterM*A*S*H is when it started to click for me, it started to click." Lyle Lovett (played by Joe Flaherty) talks about his favorite childhood TV show "Pancake Willie", in this show, a man named Willie cooked pancakes as he talked about whatever popped into his head.There is a skit called "Models Amalgamated" (a parody of Models Incorporated, I suppose) which is a soap opera parody,and in my opinion the best skit in the special. Martin Short and Jan Hooks play multiple roles, and Phil Hartman is a riot, as they play over the top soap opera characters, complete with really hammy acting. Martin Short plays a male model and an old woman (a parody of Bette Davis, no doubt), and there is a lot of funny dialogue. There is a skit where Tim Burton (Short) directs a remake of an Affair to Remember, titled "A Nightmare to Remember" with Lyle Lovett (Flaherty) and Brett Butler (Hooks) as the leads. Butler keeps losing her temper and lashing out at Burton, and the movie becomes a disaster. There is a skit with Martin Short as Ringo Starr in a skit titled "A Hard Day's Journey into Night", which makes fun of "A Hard Day's Night" and "A Long Day's Journey into Night." It's in black and white, and when the English family isn't arguing with each other indoors, they're running around in the backyard playing goofy activities while Beatles songs play in the background. This is very funny stuff. There are several other skits in this special, but I should save a few surprises for the viewers. Honestly, this special is worth watching, this is Martin Short at his best. If you can some how find a copy of this excellent special, watch it; if you're anything like me this TV Special will keep you laughing for years to come.