Aedonerre
I gave this film a 9 out of 10, because it was exactly what I expected it to be.
Lidia Draper
Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.
Allison Davies
The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.
Nicole
I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.
Dan Fennelly
This has to be the funniest show that no one watched. At least that what it seemed to me when I tried to describe this to my friends and co-workers at the time. From regular guests William W.D. "Bud" Prize (Kenneth Mars) to Fannie Flagg to Tom Waits it was hilarious. Kenneth Mars and his "Chinodontist routines" on how he was trying to fix his lantern jaw , Fannie Flagg having relations with aliens ("they shined a blue light on my private parts.."). Tom Waits at the wedding of Tony Roletti and his "Almost Lovely" bride. Waits comment before playing "the Piano's been drinking" - "I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy".The first year they had a bit where one of the guests was a Jew who was stopped by police driving through Fernwood. Of course they had to bring him on the show. Jerry's first question was "What's Barbara Streisand really like?" or something like that. Martin Mullen and Fred Willard were hilarious and I'm sure mostly improvised. Great show. I'm sure a little dated now but I'd sure like to get a DVD of this.
mrb1980
People who read my reviews know that I generally despise 1970s television. From stupid sitcoms to paint-by-the-numbers cop/PI shows, the 1970s represented a vast wasteland to me. Once in a great while, something really different and good would come along, and "Fernwood 2Night" was one of those rare "somethings".The premise was a typical talk show but the location was the fictional town of Fernwood, Ohio. Insufferably self-righteous Barth Gimble (Martin Mull) and his impossibly clueless sidekick Jerry Hubbard (Fred Willard) interviewed many small-town characters over the summer of 1977. "Happy" Kyne (the deadpan Frank DeVol) and the Mirthmakers provided the show's often strange music. The humor was dry and sharp, Mull and Willard were perfect for their roles, and the writing was very, very good. Like most good shows, the viewer had to pay attention in order to really appreciate the offbeat humor, and doing so paid off handsomely. I looked forward to every 30-minute episode at 10:30 each night and I had to pay close attention, since VCRs were not yet in general use.In 1978 the show was moved to California, renamed "America 2Night" and featured numerous celebrity guest stars, which to me really diminished its appeal. What's astonishing is that Mull is now 70 and Willard is 80...but to me their finest hours were way back in 1977. Catch an old episode if you are feeling nostalgic or if you really need a laugh.PS--If you're looking for this show, please be advised to seek out the original 1977 shows. The early 1990s Nick at Nite rerun episodes were cut by about 20% to cram in more commercials. Despicable but true.
trw6142
Martin Mull and Fred Willard made the perfect comedy team for this satire of talk shows and small-town TV. I loved every episode! Having worked in small-town radio for several years, this series really rang true. But for me, the real treat was 'Happy Kine,' the band director (aka Frank De Vol). If you have access to any cable or satellite music channels, check out the 'Easy Listening' channel, and you'll find plenty of music by De Vol, his professional name when he was doing serious music. That's right, 'Happy Kine' was a major player in the 'long hair' and elevator music fields in the 50's and 60's. He also scored many motion pictures and TV shows. Look him up in Wikipedia. You'll be surprised!
Mike O'Brien
One of my favorite features on Fernwood Tonight was the guests. One was a scientist researching the effects of polyester using white rats. He held up a rat dressed in a tiny polyester leisure suit, and a control rat dressed in tweed. He reported that, not only did the rats in tweed get less cancer, they got more girls.
