New Wave Outpost Forum

Not sure if this is the proper place for this topic but I was wondering if anybody here remembers a short-lived sitcoms from 1980 called "One in a Million". It starred Shirley Hemphill, the sassy waitress from "What's Happening!!". I've been looking for anyone who has a copy of any episodes at all from the show. Would love to see it again. If you have it, let me know. And if you remember it, please post what you thought.

I wish more obscure shows from the 70s and 80s found their way onto dvd. I found 2 old shows from the 80s starring Ann Jillian. Remember her from "It's A Living". Well, she had 2 sitcoms that lasted a season each. One was "Jennifer Slept Here" where she played a ghost that only the teenage son of the family that moves into her house could see. Then, there was "Ann Jillian Show" where she and her daughter move to California. Her daugher was played by the girl in that episode of "The Cosby Show" where Vanessa and her friends play the drinking game.

Post about any shows you remember from this time. PM me if you remember Shirley's rare show from 1980.

Thanks!

This post is not so much about the show, "It's A Living," but about the piano player on the show.

My Invisible Zoo bandmate, Bill Boydstun, and I used to write a lot of music for the Carnation Company, as well as for other "Industrial" projects. In 1980 (I think) they hired us to record a song to introduce Fancy Feast Cat Food. We used the music from "Your The Top" and wrote cat food lyrics to it. In one section there were two lines sung by Sylvester, the product rep of the competitor they were positioning themselves against. I could find lots of people who could sing the song and plenty that could imitate Sylvestor, but no one who could sing like Sylvester would sing.

That night I was watching TV and "It's A Living" came on. As I was watching the piano player it occurred to me that maybe he could sing like Sylvester. The next day I got a hold of him, told him of the problem, and he said he could do it.

Two days later the recording project was complete with him, Paul Kreppel, singing it. He did an excellent job and was a very nice person.

I see from the IMDB that he was in lots of things through the 90s and into the early 2000s.

Btw, you can probably find the info you are looking for at the IMDB.

Welcome to the board!


world of noise

Cool story! I loved him as Sonny Mann on "It's a Living". Another show that is screaming for a dvd release.

I checked out imdb. Someone had not-so-nice things to say about "One in a Million" but I'd still like to see it again. Shirley Hemphill was a joy to watch in whatever she was in.

I remember First Impressions (1988) that lasted a couple of episodes starring Brad Garrett (Everyone Loves Raymond). It was pretty bad.

Wasn't there a series called Duck Factory (or something like that) way back when which was about an animation studio?


Wow, it was called The Duck Factory and it starred Jim Carey. Thanks to Wiki.

I can't believe that Square Pegs only lasted one season. It was HUGE with teens at the time--it was all people talked about in my junior high school.

OMG! I loooove "Square Pegs"!!! I still watch it. It's so fun. I'm also surprised it didn't last longer. It has quite a following and helped launch the careers of several actors. I've read some disparaging things about it on other blogs but I just don't think some people got the humor of the show. It soooo much funnier than stuff that's on tv today, that's for sure. [:D]

I loved it back then because it was so "new wave", with guest bands like Devo and The Waitresses actually performing their songs on the show. Funny though, when you watch the show now, it almost feels like it's a show that's making FUN of the 80s because it feels SO exaggerated, yet it just totally was the 80s. Heck--they had an entire episode about a Pac Man machine!

[quote][i]Originally posted by budaniel[/i]
<br>I loved it back then because it was so "new wave", with guest bands like Devo and The Waitresses actually performing their songs on the show. Funny though, when you watch the show now, it almost feels like it's a show that's making FUN of the 80s because it feels SO exaggerated, yet it just totally was the 80s. Heck--they had an entire episode about a Pac Man machine!
[/quote]

And that The Waitresses wrote and performed the theme song also called "Square Pegs!" I love that song, whenever I play it my wife says oh that show I used to watch on TV...[^]


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I always liked Police Squad which was only 6 episodes and laid the groundwork for the Naked Gun films
I dont think tv audiences were quote ready for the broad humor of the show but it is probably considred a cult classic

[quote][i]Originally posted by oldnewwaver[/i]
<br>I always liked Police Squad which was only 6 episodes and laid the groundwork for the Naked Gun films
I dont think tv audiences were quote ready for the broad humor of the show but it is probably considred a cult classic
[/quote]


Oh wow. That was my favourite. I loved how they ended the episodes with the actors just freezing on the spot. I think you're right about the humour. It just wasn't a heavy hitter like Facts Of Life or Different Strokes.[:p]