Dean Cain Has Some Splainin to Do
Pity the television writer. If30 Rockis to be believed (and why wouldn’t it be?), TV writers are creatures fueled by bad food and the always-looming deadline. Every week, a new show must be written and it must be funny…or funny enough.ForI Love Lucy, three to five people churned out a whopping 39 scripts a year. How many didn’t make the cut? WriterBob Schillersaid, “Nothing was ever wasted. It was like a slaughterhouse.”
Today’s sitcoms have large staffs and 22-episode seasons. Still, there are good weeks and worse weeks, and then the week when the only idea around the table is to throw the female lead in a Lucy wig, and force the male lead to nationally broadcast his bad Cuban accent. Yes, it’s the I Love Lucy parody episode, where everything is black and white and stinks all over!
Our pick for worst I Love Lucy parody goes to Lois and Clark. Dean Cain and Teri Hatcher seem to be locked in a battle for who can do the worst impression of this Lucy and Ricky Ricardo. Ay-yay-yay!
But a not-so-distant Runner Up goes to “That 70’s Show“:
And Reba McIntire’s Southern-accented Lucy gets an Honorable Mention:
My TV, my abattoir.
This weekend’s episode of “Studio 360” delves into I Love Lucy without once doing our bad Cuban accent. Or maybe just once. Find out how to listen to the show here.
At The World, we believe strongly that human-centered journalism is at the heart of an informed public and a strong democracy. We see democracy and journalism as two sides of the same coin. If you care about one, it is imperative to care about the other.
Every day, our nonprofit newsroom seeks to inform and empower listeners and hold the powerful accountable. Neither would be possible without the support of listeners like you. If you believe in our work, will you give today? We need your help now more than ever!