Highlights as I recall were Michael Richards playing toy army men in the sand pile, Mark Blankfield as the stoned Pharmacist, the A list bands and of course... anything featuring the lovely Melanie Chartoff!
This show was perfect for the very early 80's. If I could go back in time it would be 1980 to 83... Disco, new wave, punk, beginning wrap ..the club scene was spectacular. No internet, no cell phones or text messaging...& Everyone was in a good mood and down for partying! You had to be there!
It was this show and SCTV that were funnier than Saturday Night Live was at that time (which was between 1980 and 1982, when SNL fell apart because Lorne Michaels and the remnants of the original cast left and the new people they got -- barring Eddie Murphy and Joe Piscopo -- weren't doing so well).
At the time, though, despite how crappy SNL was humor-wise at the time, season six had Funky Four + 1 (first rap group) and Prince before he was famous for 1999 and Purple Rain. Though Fridays had more punk and new wave.
Everything about Fridays was pure gold IMO!!! Great writing, great music & a great cast!! Melanie Chartoff was (is) beautiful and a great actress. Michael Richards was hilarious as Dick !!! Man how I miss those fun times.
Agreed, looking back now, with the new wave bands, the moments of absurdist humour, and truly pushing the boundaries of television, SNL was very Carol Burnette-ish in comparison.
Friday had it's moments, but was ultimately undone by lazy writing that almost always relied on drug humor for laughs. Reactions were mainly hoots, hollers and whistles from the studio audience and indifference from viewers. Production wise, it far surpassed SNL with concert-type lighting for the bands.
ABC thought that SNL was very vulnerable with all of their original cast leaving. They steered cleared, though, from taking them on head to head on the same night.
You're awesome, Melanie. I was a big Fridays fan, and indeed, a fan of all your work. Happy to subscribe here.👍😎👍 I hope you and your family have a great week. Peace and friendship😃🎸🙏💗🌏 Mac (aka RE-VO)
What a brilliant show. And a brilliant cast. There are so many memorable sketches. As I recall, the first sketch of the 3rd season was a satire that skewered U.S. foreign policy in El Salvador. I said to my friends, "This show going to be canceled for sure."
ABC didn't cancel Fridays over that zombie diner sketch (though some affiliates banned the show due to complaints about it), so Road to El Salvador was fine. ABC ended the show because they wanted more Nightline. Kind of a shame, since they wanted this as their version of "Saturday Night Live" and the show was doing well because SNL between 1980 and 1982 wasn't.
!["Fridays TV Show" (1981) [Show L-08] "Andy Kaufman, the Fight Incident" [09 of 12]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/bN5vhvIAqY8/mqdefault.jpg)
Highlights as I recall were Michael Richards playing toy army men in the sand pile, Mark Blankfield as the stoned Pharmacist, the A list bands and of course... anything featuring the lovely Melanie Chartoff!
Yeah.. loved the Pharmacist.. Take A Pill!.. and Melanie and the guy doing the news or headlines on Helium..
This show was perfect for the very early 80's. If I could go back in time it would be 1980 to 83... Disco, new wave, punk, beginning wrap ..the club scene was spectacular. No internet, no cell phones or text messaging...& Everyone was in a good mood and down for partying! You had to be there!
I loved Melanie Chartoff. This show was actually better than SNL was for a year or two.
It was this show and SCTV that were funnier than Saturday Night Live was at that time (which was between 1980 and 1982, when SNL fell apart because Lorne Michaels and the remnants of the original cast left and the new people they got -- barring Eddie Murphy and Joe Piscopo -- weren't doing so well).
you are not serious
The musical guests on Fridays; blew away SNL big time!
At the time, though, despite how crappy SNL was humor-wise at the time, season six had Funky Four + 1 (first rap group) and Prince before he was famous for 1999 and Purple Rain. Though Fridays had more punk and new wave.
Jesus Christ Melanie chernoff was so freaking hot
Still is
Hell yes she was and yum yum
That’s a big 10-4 😘
Everything about Fridays was pure gold IMO!!! Great writing, great music & a great cast!! Melanie Chartoff was (is) beautiful and a great actress. Michael Richards was hilarious as Dick !!! Man how I miss those fun times.
Fridays was criminally underrated and completely overshadowed by SNLs Reputation
Agreed, looking back now, with the new wave bands, the moments of absurdist humour, and truly pushing the boundaries of television, SNL was very Carol Burnette-ish in comparison.
Friday had it's moments, but was ultimately undone by lazy writing that almost always relied on drug humor for laughs. Reactions were mainly hoots, hollers and whistles from the studio audience and indifference from viewers. Production wise, it far surpassed SNL with concert-type lighting for the bands.
ABC thought that SNL was very vulnerable with all of their original cast leaving. They steered cleared, though, from taking them on head to head on the same night.
I wonder if it would succeed if it was brought back. Kimmel go to your nights a week and then Fridays, it could work.
I know what you mean. I loved this show and thought they were superior to SNL during that time period. They didn't last very long though.
Had the biggest crush on Ms. Chartoff
good job taking one for the team on the punch. I probably would've been crying...:) great clips. thanks!
Larry David with that crazy hair
You're awesome, Melanie. I was a big Fridays fan, and indeed, a fan of all your work.
Happy to subscribe here.👍😎👍
I hope you and your family have a great week.
Peace and friendship😃🎸🙏💗🌏
Mac (aka RE-VO)
What a brilliant show. And a brilliant cast. There are so many memorable sketches. As I recall, the first sketch of the 3rd season was a satire that skewered U.S. foreign policy in El Salvador. I said to my friends, "This show going to be canceled for sure."
ABC didn't cancel Fridays over that zombie diner sketch (though some affiliates banned the show due to complaints about it), so Road to El Salvador was fine. ABC ended the show because they wanted more Nightline. Kind of a shame, since they wanted this as their version of "Saturday Night Live" and the show was doing well because SNL between 1980 and 1982 wasn't.
Holy smokes the tooth fairy and apt w/audience sketches had to inform "It's Garry Shandling's Show."
Yeah look at who was writing these skits
I never missed an episode. But that make believe set sketch was genius.
This was The Show of shows in my pre/early teens. Hardly missed then really miss it now.
Drugs R Us was hilarious; Melanie was hot as hell and I liked the parakeet Yohannis.
What a beautiful mature woman. Damn.
I loved this show back in the day
"A burly man is tough, a burly man is rough, but once you've had a..."
I need me some more Friday's!!!!
I remember those days... "Fridays" at the time was much funnier than SNL for a while there...
Sanctioning family violence. Horrific.
Melle Mel is the business! Love you!
I was born In 85 I've seen clips of this show and to me this show was better than SNL
I have been sharing Friday's skits with my fellow employees (mostly millenials) and they love it!
it was weak
You all were funnier than SNL. Especially these days.
Damn.....I loved this show......a million times better than SNL......great musical guests
lol rofl man we use to eat pizza and laugh our asses off at this show..........
The only thing I remember was the escape in boats from MANNEQUINIA
Principal Grace Musso!!
Who plays the child in the tooth fairy sketch? She is gorgeous.
I wish they had given information on what years this show was
gardensofthegods ... 1980 for the most part.
80 thru 82 . Ironically (or not) when SNL was at it's lowest ebb.
Was it John Roarke who portrayed John Anderson?
Does Jimmy Kimmel need to be on five nights a week? Barely anybody watches it. Bring back Friday’s, it can only improve ABC’s ratings.
You're right, Kimmel sucks.
So is that scene with the family fighting where they got the idea of the same, in Police Academy ??
I have no idea-perhaps it was in the comedy cosmos and got 'borrowed'
Early version of Sims
💕
Too bad Larry David didn't take part in the reunion. But I'm not surprised.
Melanie fine. 😍
its didi
Why didn't Maryedith show up for this?
she broke her leg!!
Grace musso
Funny how Andy Kaufman could get tons of laughs and pretty much not say anything.
He did a lot of that when he lip synched on SNL.
It was a pretty good show. A few of the cast just didn’t have it. Just weren’t funny.
This show was terrible, but Melanie is hot
The musical guests were the main reason I would watch.
90 percent of the sketches were dogshit.
Dumb show.
God, Melanie Chartoff was soo freaking hot! Still is!