The David Steinberg Show is a long forgotten, short-lived TV show that aired briefly in 1972 on CBS as summer replacement series. Although short lived, it was an incubator for much of the comedic talent that transformed TV and movies in the '80s and '90s.
Tell me if this doesn't sound familiar: comedian David Steinberg plays a talk show host named David Steinberg. The story weaves the talk show format with behind the scenes stories. Yeah very Larry Sanders but remember this show came out in 1972. A reading of the cast lists reads like a Who's Who of comedy giants: John Candy, Martin Short, Joe Flaherty, Dave Thomas, Andrea Martin, and even Bill Saluga (who? More about him later).
A lot of the characters featured on The David Steinberg Show later appeared in slightly altered forms on SCTV, SNL, and movies. For example, on The David Steinberg Show Martin Short played a character named Johnny Del Bravo. Del Bravo was highly similar to Short's SNL character Jackie Rogers, Jr.
Bill Saluga, who would later get his 15 minutes as the " You can call me Ray" guy, actually played a character named Raymond J. Johnson, Jr. On The David Steinberg Show if someone referred to him as "Mr. Johnson" he respond with his lengthy "Now, you can call me Ray, and you can call me Ray J..." shtick.
David Steinberg himself went on to direct such TV shows as Newhart, The Golden Girls, Seinfeld, Mad About You, Friends, and Designing Women.
Who knew?
|
