The Richard Pryor Show
Encyclopedia
The Richard Pryor Show is an American comedy variety series starring Richard Pryor
. It premiered on NBC
on Tuesday, September 13, 1977 at 8 p.m. opposite ABC
's popular television shows Laverne & Shirley
and Happy Days
.
The show was produced by Rocco Urbisci for Burt Sugarman Productions
. It was conceived out of a special that Pryor did for NBC in May 1977. Because the special was a major hit, both critically and commercially, Pryor was given a chance to host and star in his own television show.
Pryor's contract stated that the show was to air at 9 p.m., but it was aired at 8 p.m. Many people wondered why NBC would put one of America's most controversial and profanity
-laced artists in the middle of "family hour
" on Tuesdays. Many more wondered why the network slotted the show opposite the most popular shows of the day, all but assuring its failure.
Pryor was ready to quit before production even began because of network intervention, indifference, and incompetence during the development stage. He was eventually wooed back, agreeing to do four episodes of the show instead of the ten originally required by his contract. The four episodes were produced, and they aired in consecutive weeks, but the network interference that almost canceled the show before it began returned when the first episode's introductory bit was cut just before air. The bit began with a close-up of Pryor's face as he explained that he was not going to have to give anything up in order to bring his brand of comedy to network television. Then the camera pulled back to show an apparently nude Pryor with his genitals removed (Pryor wore a full-length body stocking, so no nudity was shown).
The Richard Pryor Show did not do well in the ratings
while the programs that preceded it and followed it were highly rated. After Pryor fulfilled his contractual obligations, neither he nor the network pursued any further episodes or specials.
The main cast consisted of Pryor as various characters. Some of the more popular characters were Pryor playing a money-seeking priest
, a wino, and a white-hating rock star. The rest of the cast consisted of comedians, some of who went on to have popular careers in Hollywood.
-toting rocker who kills all of his white fans also caused a stir. The second episode also featured a controversial skit that showed a woman in a park describing what her first lesbian
experience was like. Probably one of the shocking and revealing moments of the show came during the last episode of the show. During the final episode, a roast
skit was given similar to ones by the Friars Club
or hosted by Dean Martin
. The show's cast roasted Pryor, who sat with his head down laughing mildly while regulars on the show either had kind remarks or very scornful ones.
set was released on March 23, 2004. The DVDs include the special that Pryor did that was the inspiration for the series.
In February 2010, the African-American-themed cable network TV One aired a five-hour marathon of The Richard Pryor Show, which consisted of the original special, followed by all four episodes of the series. The broadcast marked one of only two times that the show had been aired on television since its original run on NBC. In the late 1990s,it was re-shown as a summer filler show after most of their other series had either been canceled or fulfilled their regular seasons. In February 2011, TV One re-aired the episodes again in honor of black history month.
On March 11, 2010, The Top 10 Greatest Sketches from The Richard Pryor Show was released by Alright, Dude Productions, featuring a mini-documentary format on Pryor's history, the conception of the show, and eventually moving into the actual countdown portion.
Richard Pryor
Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor was an American stand-up comedian, actor, social critic, writer and MC. Pryor was known for uncompromising examinations of racism and topical contemporary issues, which employed colorful vulgarities, and profanity, as well as racial epithets...
. It premiered on 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...
on Tuesday, September 13, 1977 at 8 p.m. opposite ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's popular television shows Laverne & Shirley
Laverne & Shirley
Laverne & Shirley is an American television situation comedy that ran on ABC from January 26, 1976, to May 10, 1983...
and Happy Days
Happy Days
Happy Days is an American television sitcom that originally aired from January 15, 1974, to September 24, 1984, on ABC. Created by Garry Marshall, the series presents an idealized vision of life in mid-1950s to mid-1960s America....
.
The show was produced by Rocco Urbisci for Burt Sugarman Productions
Burt Sugarman
Burt Sugarman is an American television producer best known for producing the 1970s game show Celebrity Sweepstakes, and The Richard Pryor Show.He also produced The Midnight Special and The Wizard of Odds in the 1970s....
. It was conceived out of a special that Pryor did for NBC in May 1977. Because the special was a major hit, both critically and commercially, Pryor was given a chance to host and star in his own television show.
Series run
The Richard Pryor Show lasted four episodes during the 1977 season. It was a far cry from the goofy, cookie cutter "bad comedy skits with songs" type of variety show that dominated the airwaves of the day. Pryor's program was a true variety show, featuring an unpredictable mix of satire, social commentary, conceptual comedy, improvisation, slapstick, and the occasional dramatic bit. From the start, the show faced controversy about its time slot and subject matter.Pryor's contract stated that the show was to air at 9 p.m., but it was aired at 8 p.m. Many people wondered why NBC would put one of America's most controversial and profanity
Profanity
Profanity is a show of disrespect, or a desecration or debasement of someone or something. Profanity can take the form of words, expressions, gestures, or other social behaviors that are socially constructed or interpreted as insulting, rude, vulgar, obscene, desecrating, or other forms.The...
-laced artists in the middle of "family hour
Family Viewing Hour
The Family Viewing Hour was a policy established by the United States Federal Communications Commission in 1975. Under the policy, each television network in the U.S. had a responsibility to air "family-friendly" programming in the first hour of the prime time lineup...
" on Tuesdays. Many more wondered why the network slotted the show opposite the most popular shows of the day, all but assuring its failure.
Pryor was ready to quit before production even began because of network intervention, indifference, and incompetence during the development stage. He was eventually wooed back, agreeing to do four episodes of the show instead of the ten originally required by his contract. The four episodes were produced, and they aired in consecutive weeks, but the network interference that almost canceled the show before it began returned when the first episode's introductory bit was cut just before air. The bit began with a close-up of Pryor's face as he explained that he was not going to have to give anything up in order to bring his brand of comedy to network television. Then the camera pulled back to show an apparently nude Pryor with his genitals removed (Pryor wore a full-length body stocking, so no nudity was shown).
The Richard Pryor Show did not do well in the 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...
while the programs that preceded it and followed it were highly rated. After Pryor fulfilled his contractual obligations, neither he nor the network pursued any further episodes or specials.
Cast
- Richard PryorRichard PryorRichard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor was an American stand-up comedian, actor, social critic, writer and MC. Pryor was known for uncompromising examinations of racism and topical contemporary issues, which employed colorful vulgarities, and profanity, as well as racial epithets...
- Robin WilliamsRobin WilliamsRobin McLaurin Williams is an American actor and comedian. Rising to fame with his role as the alien Mork in the TV series Mork and Mindy, and later stand-up comedy work, Williams has performed in many feature films since 1980. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance...
- Paul Mooney
- Tim ReidTim ReidTimothy L. "Tim" Reid is an American actor, comedian and film director best known for his roles in prime time American television programs, such as Venus Flytrap on WKRP in Cincinnati , Marcel "Downtown" Brown on Simon & Simon , Ray Campbell on Sister, Sister and William Barnett on That 70's Show...
- John WitherspoonJohn Witherspoon (actor)John Witherspoon is an American comedian and actor who has had roles in over 28 movies and 20 television shows. Mostly known for the "Friday" series, he has been acting for over three decades and starred in shows such as Hollywood Shuffle , Boomerang...
- Sandra BernhardSandra BernhardSandra Bernhard is an American comedian, singer, actress and author. She first gained attention in the late 1970s with her stand-up comedy in which she often bitterly critiques celebrity culture and political figures. Bernhard is number 97 on Comedy Central's list of the 100 greatest standups of...
- Edie McClurgEdie McClurgEdie McClurg is an American character actress. She is known for her perky North Central dialect , common to persons from Middle America.-Career:...
- Marsha WarfieldMarsha WarfieldMarsha Warfield is an American actress and comedienne best known for her 1986–1992 role of Roz on the popular NBC sitcom Night Court. Roz, a tough, no-nonsense bailiff in Judge Stone's court, acted primarily as a straightwoman to the other bailiff character, Bull . She also starred in the sitcom...
The main cast consisted of Pryor as various characters. Some of the more popular characters were Pryor playing a money-seeking priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
, a wino, and a white-hating rock star. The rest of the cast consisted of comedians, some of who went on to have popular careers in Hollywood.
Episodes and controversy
Pryor only filmed four episodes of the show, and there were controversies beyond the first episode's title-card scene. A skit in which Pryor appeared as a machine gunMachine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
-toting rocker who kills all of his white fans also caused a stir. The second episode also featured a controversial skit that showed a woman in a park describing what her first lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
experience was like. Probably one of the shocking and revealing moments of the show came during the last episode of the show. During the final episode, a roast
Roast (comedy)
A roast is an event in which an individual is subjected to a public presentation of comedic insults, praise, outlandish true and untrue stories, and heartwarming tributes, the implication being that the roastee is able to take the jokes in good humor and not as serious criticism or insult, and...
skit was given similar to ones by the Friars Club
Friars Club
Friars Club can refer to:* The New York Friars' Club* The Friars Club of Beverly Hills* The Friar Society, University of Texas at Austin* The Friars , Louisiana State University* "The Friars Club", a Seinfeld episode...
or hosted by Dean Martin
Dean Martin
Dean Martin was an American singer, film actor, television star and comedian. Martin's hit singles included "Memories Are Made of This", "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You", "Sway", "Volare" and "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?"...
. The show's cast roasted Pryor, who sat with his head down laughing mildly while regulars on the show either had kind remarks or very scornful ones.
DVD release and syndication
Because Pryor's status as a comedic and Hollywood icon continued to grow, a two-volume DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
set was released on March 23, 2004. The DVDs include the special that Pryor did that was the inspiration for the series.
In February 2010, the African-American-themed cable network TV One aired a five-hour marathon of The Richard Pryor Show, which consisted of the original special, followed by all four episodes of the series. The broadcast marked one of only two times that the show had been aired on television since its original run on NBC. In the late 1990s,it was re-shown as a summer filler show after most of their other series had either been canceled or fulfilled their regular seasons. In February 2011, TV One re-aired the episodes again in honor of black history month.
On March 11, 2010, The Top 10 Greatest Sketches from The Richard Pryor Show was released by Alright, Dude Productions, featuring a mini-documentary format on Pryor's history, the conception of the show, and eventually moving into the actual countdown portion.