The Harlem Globetrotters Popcorn Machine (1974–1976) User Reviews

A Valiant Attempt at a Variety Show

[hfan77 · 6/10 · 11 May 2010]

Fresh off the success of the Harlem Globetrotters cartoon and recording contract with Don Kirschner, CBS tried again with the world famous basketball team, this time with the real-life Globetrotters, including Meadowlark Lemon and Curly Neal in a variety show aimed at children. Since the show was aimed at kids, it included social messages throughout each episode. One episode I remember featured the Globetrotters singing and included a message in good behavior with the line "Fighting and hitting are not for you." But the Globetrotters were not alone in this valiant attempt at a variety show. There was also young Rodney Allen Rippy and Avery Schreiber as Mr. Evil. Guest stars also appeared on the show, including Arte Johnson and Esther Rolle.

The only basketball reference on the show was a recurring sketch called the "One Minute Beneficial Basketball Clinic", which was always cut off because their minute was up.

To me, the Globetrotters were better suited to the comedy antics on the basketball court, where they still endure, though with new personnel to this day. The Popcorn Machine only lasted one season on Saturday morning before being rerun on Sunday mornings. So long.

A Lost Classic Indeed From The Golden Age of the 1970's

[raysond · 29 September 2006]

"THE HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS POPCORN MACHINE"

Was a fast-paced half-hour variety/musical short-lived series that ran for one season on CBS-TV from it the first telecast on September 7,1974 to the final telecast of the series on September 5,1976. Only 17 episodes were made of this series. Only the original episodes were from the first season(1974-1975). Season two(1975-1976)were repeated episodes from the first season. This was a show that was only shown on Saturday Mornings and it was one of the many kind of variety-musical shows specially made for children. It was right up there with several shows that had this format including "The Hudson Brothers Show", "Captain Kool and the Kongs","Wacko!",and so forth--all of which were made for children and seen on Saturday Mornings. When it premiered in 1974,the show was opposite other kids shows on that heated slot on Saturday Mornings,against tough competition like "Land Of The Lost",which was on NBC and "Hong-Kong Phooey",which was on ABC.

The overall format for this show featured members of the world's greatest basketball team---THE HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS--which consisted of fellow players playing themselves--Meadowlark Lemon,Nate Brown, Freddie "Curly" Neal,Tex Harrison,Bobby Joe "B.J." Mason,along with Marquis Haynes,Geese Ausbie, and also Theodore "Theodis" Lee. This was a series that not only was musical-comedy-variety revue featuring social messages mixed in with jokes and songs,but at the same time this was a show that you got to see THE HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS do what they do best---and that is showing off there impressive handling of athleticism and superior basketball expertise. Meadowlark Lemon was always the ostensible host,and Curly Neal(the bald one)along with the rest of the team were nothing but comic relief. In keeping up with the title of the show,the program's recurring graphic used basketballs appearing to "pop" in a machine before and after commercials,and all of this occurred within a half-hour.

But the one thing that kept this show going was the television debut of none other than its child star---Rodney Allen Rippy--playing himself in several of the segments. Rodney Allen Rippy was an astounding child actor and commercial spokesperson who was all over the place in the 1970's. His guest appearances were from TV shows "Medical Center", "The Odd Couple","The Brady Bunch","Marcus Welby,MD","Kojak",and also "The Six Million Dollar Man". He also made guest appearances on several talk shows too including "The Merv Griffin Show","Dick Cavett",and "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson". He made several movie appearances as well including "Blazing Saddles",with Mel Brooks and "Oh God!",with George Burns. He will be fondly remembered as the commercial spokesman for "The Jack-In-The-Box" restaurants during the 1970's,and I might add way into the early 1980's as well.

Another cast member that was part of "THE HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS POPCORN MACHINE", was the part of Mister Evil who was played by comedy actor Avery Schreiber. Schreiber by the way was huge during the 1970's too as the commercial spokesman for The Frito-Lay Corporation. He was also remember as famously known for the various commercials that featured Doritos Corn Chips,playing various characters in the commercials.

Wish I could see this again, too! Vote for it to be released on DVD!

[Moax429 · 9/10 · 10 August 2009]

I agree with raysond's comment 100%.

I also remember "The Harlem Globetrotters Popcorn Machine" very well, and it was also one of my all-time favorite Saturday morning shows (when the show debuted in September 1974, I was just beginning 7th grade at Lansing Catholic High School in Lansing, Michigan).

There were two segments I remember very well: first, there was an episode about staying healthy in which they parodied an old song. Here's how it went:

Globetrotters: "Button up your overcoat/ When the wind is free/ Take good care of yourself...."

Meadowlark: "Or pay a doctor's fee!"

And then in another episode, in which (the late) Esther Rolle (of "Good Times") guest-starred, the Globetrotters were dressed up like school kids and Ms. Rolle was their teacher. Ms. Rolle gave her "class" a pop quiz and asked John Smith to make up a sentence for her with the word "sentence" in it:

John (thinking out loud): "I have to give the teacher a sentence with the word 'sentence' in it."

Esther Rolle: "That's very good, John! You just gave me a sentence with the word 'sentence' in it."

And later in that same sketch, Tex Harrison, who didn't study for the pop quiz, wrote down what he thought was the correct answer to a question on one of his shirtsleeves (he thought he could get away with the situation by cheating - wrong-o!), and when Ms. Rolle called on Tex to give her an answer to a question - which was not geography-related - he replied:

Tex: "Yes, teacher. Albany, New York!"

I *couldn't* stop laughing when I first saw that sketch, let alone thinking about it while I'm typing this up now! (After all, who *couldn't* identify with the trials and tribulations of being a school kid while growing up, and suffering the consequences of not being prepared for a test? I'm sure we *all* faced dilemmas such as that one at one time or another in our school careers!)

One other aspect of the show I remember was during the closing credits, there was a disclaimer in fine print, stating: "This program was recorded." I believe "Popcorn Machine" was one of the *last* shows to carry this disclaimer, as by that time the majority of TV output was either filmed or videotaped, and live TV - unlike now, where it's used with some regularity - was restricted to special events. (I have a feeling that disclaimer was also used because young kids wanted to ask their folks if they could get tickets to see the show in person - if they ever went to California - as it was recorded at CBS Television City in Hollywood.)

And raysond was right on another count - there *were* 17 episodes made in the series, but the first season - the one run on Saturday mornings - had 13 original episodes. The second season - the one run on Sunday mornings - had only 4 original episodes produced, because once CBS discovered flagging ratings during that Sunday morning time slot, the plug was pulled on the production of all future episodes. Thus, the first and second seasons were rerun during said Sunday morning time slot until September 1976.

For anybody who would like to see "The Harlem Globetrotters Popcorn Machine" get a DVD release - as *I* certainly would - I *strongly* urge you to go to TV Shows on DVD.com and vote for it; to date, the show has received 92 total votes, 90% of which, including myself, voted for the show in a complete series set. If there are 8 or more total votes, that should certainly get the attention of CBS DVD/Paramount Home Entertainment - whom I'm *very* certain owns the rights to distribute "Popcorn Machine" on DVD - and maybe they'll do something about it!

(Explanation: "The Harlem Globetrotters Popcorn Machine" was a Funhouse production in association with Viacom Productions. Viacom Productions and Paramount Television became CBS Television Studios a little over a month before I posted this comment, so I do believe CBS DVD/Paramount Home Entertainment would own the rights to distribute "Popcorn Machine" on DVD, provided CBS still has the show in their vaults and didn't neglect to renew the copyrights on it.)

In addition to voting at TV Shows on DVD.com, I also *strongly* suggest e-mailing, snail-mailing, and/or telephoning CBS DVD's offices in New York City and requesting "Popcorn Machine" be put on DVD; after all, it was because of public demand in this manner CBS finally released "The Lucy Show" on DVD earlier this year. Another option would also be to e-mail, snail-mail, and/or telephone Shout! Factory; they would seem like a good candidate to release "Popcorn Machine" on DVD if CBS/Paramount isn't willing to do it themselves (I'm sure Shout! Factory could obtain the rights from CBS/Paramount). Shout! Factory's addresses and phone numbers should be given at their website.

In any case, let's see what we fans who grew up with "The Harlem Globetrotters Popcorn Machine" and would like to see it again can do about that!

Slow Motion Replays

[greg544 · 4/10 · 11 February 2011]

The part I remember about this show was the Globetrotters would do a few seconds of the "magic circle" where they do fancy basketball tricks and moves, then they would say that they were going to replay what you just saw in slow motion and you were to look for things you did not see the first time. The "slow motion" replay would consist of silly elements like passing the ball to Meadowlark and he would be dribbling while drinking a glass of water and then pass the ball to Curly who would be sitting in an easy chair while he dribbled, etc. As I recall they did this gag on every show.

It was a long time ago.