The Adventures of Mark and Brian
Encyclopedia
The Adventures of Mark & Brian is a comedy
television program that was broadcast by NBC
as part of its 1991 fall lineup
.
The Adventures of Mark & Brian was an attempt to base a television series on a series of radio
bits that had been done on KLOS
radio in Los Angeles
since 1987 by morning hosts Mark Thompson and Brian Phelps
. Each week, the two dreamed up a new stunt that they wanted to perform (such as having Robert Goulet
sing from a helicopter
on Valentine's Day
, or having a giant head sculpture of Elvis Presley
towed cross-country to Memphis
). A film crew then followed them as they did this.
Thompson and Phelps had gotten tremendous Arbitron ratings by doing this sort of thing during morning drive-time on the radio in Los Angeles, but received only very low Nielsen ratings
doing it on prime time television. Despite tremendous promotion of the duo by NBC, particularly during the NFL
games that frequently served as its lead-in, the program was cancelled in November, although it was rerun in the summer of 1992, along with the unaired episodes.
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
television program that was broadcast by NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
as part of its 1991 fall lineup
1991-92 United States network television schedule
This was the television schedule on all four United States commercial broadcast television networks for the fall season beginning in September 1991. All times are Eastern and Pacific, with certain exceptions, such as Monday Night Football....
.
The Adventures of Mark & Brian was an attempt to base a television series on a series of radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
bits that had been done on KLOS
KLOS
KLOS is an FM rock music radio station based in Los Angeles, California, that debuted in 1969. The station is owned by Cumulus Media. It is home to the nationally broadcast Mark & Brian radio show, and Off The Record host Uncle Joe Benson.-History:...
radio in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
since 1987 by morning hosts Mark Thompson and Brian Phelps
Brian Phelps
Brian Wayne Phelps is an American radio personality and occasional actor, best known for the nationally-syndicated Mark & Brian morning show....
. Each week, the two dreamed up a new stunt that they wanted to perform (such as having Robert Goulet
Robert Goulet
Robert Gerard Goulet was a Canadian American entertainer as a singer and actor. He played the role of Lancelot in the Broadway musical Camelot of 1960.-Early life:...
sing from a helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
on Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day
Saint Valentine's Day, commonly shortened to Valentine's Day, is an annual commemoration held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. The day is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine, and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496...
, or having a giant head sculpture of Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
towed cross-country to Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
). A film crew then followed them as they did this.
Thompson and Phelps had gotten tremendous Arbitron ratings by doing this sort of thing during morning drive-time on the radio in Los Angeles, but received only very low Nielsen ratings
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
doing it on prime time television. Despite tremendous promotion of the duo by NBC, particularly during the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
games that frequently served as its lead-in, the program was cancelled in November, although it was rerun in the summer of 1992, along with the unaired episodes.