When Things Were Rotten

Yes, it's true-- after many false starts, Mel Brooks' 1975 one-season wonder, When Things Were Rotten, has finally come to DVD. As some of the more temporally blessed among us remember, WTWR was a surreal comedy in the mold of Young Frankenstein and Blazing Saddles that starred Dick Gauthier, Misty Rowe, Dick van Patten, Bernie Kopell and others. It's being sold through Amazon's DVD-On-Demand service.

I've been waiting for this for a long time. I love the off-the-wall humor of Young Frankenstein, Blazing Saddles et al and this show successfully brought it to weekly television. However-- just as when they tried to bring Airplane!-style humor to television in the form of Police Squad!-- the audience wasn't there for it and it only lasted one season.

For those of you who remember, this is great news-- for those of you who have never heard of it, but like that style of humor, I heartily recommend it.

 

Ahh, this is a blast from the past. To clarify, this was a Robin Hood parody. Sort of a first draft for Brooks's Robin Hood: Men in Tights. I still remember the melody of the theme song, though not much else.

 

Oh, yeah, I should have mentioned the Robin Hood aspect of it. I did link to the Wiki page, though.

I remember a few bits, even though it's been close to forty years since I've seen an episode. When somebody proposes a toast, toast pops up out of the toaster. When the guards are told to put a peasant in his place, they pound him into the ground up to his neck with mallets. When it's mentioned that the walls have ears... yeah, you guessed it. And the cast is great. It's a pleasure just to watch them work.

 

I was 11 when this was on the air. I loved it at the time. But I'm not sure I'd love as much now that I'm 49.

 

^ How do you feel about Blazing Saddles now vs. age 11? At 45, I know I find the whole movie hilarious as opposed to the campfire farting being the main gag at earlier ages.

As far as When Things Were Rotten, I don't think I heard of it at the time, and maybe not until today. I think I'll give it a shot, just because it's from Mel Brooks' classic era and that's good enough for me.

 

I still love Blazing Saddles but, then, I didn't see it until I was in college. I had pretty strict parents.

 

I loved the show as a kid. I still half remember the lyrics to the theme song.

 

We had the Playboy channel when I was 13 & my Mom wasn't around much.

I'm sure I saw Blazing Saddles on Cinemax or Showtime around that point (1980-1982).

 

I went to college in 1982 and my parents didn't have cable until some time in the 80s

 

My parents never had cable.

 

Mt parents once used a cable to tow a car.

 

I remember watching this as a teen and finding it so funny. I remember an episode about Richard returning home. There was some plot to stop him.

And I vaguely remember him walking out of the ocean, stepping on home plate, someone saying safe, and then he turned and left England again.

It's been so long, and I could be wrong, but that just struck me as so funny I never forgot it.

 

Me too. I remember watching the one season.

 

My favorite line was:

Took from the rich, gave to the poor
Except what they kept for expenses

My sister and I found the idea of Merry Man who was Puerto Rican to be hilarious because it was anachronistic.

 

^^ Yeah, there were tons of anachronisms.

I remember that scene, too.

 

I just ordered my copy.

 

I ordered mine on Saturday and the estimated delivery date is this Friday, but it hasn't shipped yet.

 

That's what we get for using free shipping, but I'm not in that big of a hurry.

I can wait till the next weekend after.

 

Oh, yes, I always use the free shipping.