Going, going, ‘Gong’
Comedy Central has just revived “The Gong Show,” an icon of ’70s television. The original program, an amateur talent contest with a satirical bent, was created and hosted by the semi-loony Chuck Barris, now 79. About half of “The Gong Show” contestants were talent-challenged duds who were ousted from the stage before finishing their act when a celebrity judge banged a gong.
The new version (10 p.m. Thursdays) is hosted by comedian Dave Attell and like the original show, it will have good acts and bad acts. Attell says, “Stars will be made, and feelings will be hurt.” Appearing as a judge on the premiere episode was Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, a hand puppet voiced by comedian Robert Smigel.
Comedian Michael Ian Black hosts the new Comedy Central series “Reality Bites Back,” (10:30 p.m. Thursdays), described as “an ‘uber-spoof’ on reality.” The show consists of an eight-week competition in which 10 comedians are pitted against one another in parodies of popular network reality shows. At least two of the comedians are Jewish: Mo Mandel and Amy Schumer, 28, a funny woman who’s the niece of Sen. Charles Schumer of New York. In 2007, she finished fourth in TV’s “Last Comic Standing” stand-up competition.
Both new series began on July 17, with repeat showings of the premieres every day through Thursday, July 24 (except July 20). See www.comedycentral.com for more info.
Enter Goldblum, exit Mr. Big
Chris Noth, who has starred in about half the episodes of “Law and Order: Criminal Intent” since 2005, has decided to leave the show. Jeff Goldblum, 55, will replace him and, like Noth, will play a police detective. You may recall that Goldblum also played a police detective in the short-lived 2007 TV series “Raines.” Noth, who isn’t Jewish, also played “Mr. Big” in “Sex and the City.” He has been a vocal supporter of Israel and visited Israel in 2004.
Movie premieres
Opening Friday, July 18, are “Space Chimps” and “The Dark Knight.” “Chimps” is an animated comedy about astronaut chimps. Berkeley native Andy Samberg (“Saturday Night Live”) is the voice of Ham III, the lead character. Ham is described as “the slacker grandson of the first chimp blasted into space.” (Samberg might be the first Jewish actor to play an “unkosher” character named Ham.) Ham III and two other chimp astronauts land on a planet ruled by a tyrant and they have to figure out how to overthrow the bad guy and get back to Earth.
“The Dark Knight” is another Batman adventure, starring Christian Bale as the comic book hero who was created by the late Bob Kane. The Batman movie franchise was revived in 2005 when “Batman Returns,” starring Bale, was released to good reviews and great box office returns. Maggie Gyllenhaal, 30, co-stars as Rachel Dawes, an assistant district attorney who is romantically involved with Batman.
A new shade of pale
The name Keith Reid might not be familiar to most, but almost every baby boomer has sung along to his lyrics. Reid, 61, a British Jew, is a member of Procol Harum and he wrote the lyrics to every Procol Harum song, including their monster, haunting ’60s rock hit, “A Whiter Shade of Pale.”
Reid has just put finished a new CD, “Common Threads,” that will be released next month. It features many veteran rock singers interpreting Reid’s songs. Artists on the CD include Manfred Mann, 67, who was born Manfred Lubowitz in South Africa. He had big hits in the ’60s and ’70s with “Do Wah Diddy,” “The Mighty Quinn” and “Blinded by the Light.”
Columnist Nate Bloom , an Oaklander, can be reached at [email protected].