The Museum of Television and Radio in Los Angeles is having its annual William S. Paley Festival — two weeks during which they "salute" TV shows with special evenings featuring clips and special guests. Years ago when I started attending these, they were all about Your Show of Shows and M*A*S*H and other shows that were ranked as undeniable classics. More recently, someone at the museum seems to have decided that withstanding any test of time greater than about eight weeks is asking too much. This time, they're saluting The Bernie Mac Show, Curb Your Enthusiasm and several others that seem a tad too recent for any kind of historical overview. (A notable exception: March 6, they're covering the TV work of Fred Allen.) Tonight's seminar was devoted to Martin Short, a spotlight which might strike some as a bit premature.
But if someone thought that, the lengthy package of clips that opened the evening would have convinced them it was well warranted. It commenced with a 1976 clip for an obscure Canadian variety show, jumped to The Associates, then to SCTV and Saturday Night Live. This was all followed by several specials, TV-movies and short-lived series, wrapping up with the current Primetime Glick. Throughout, one saw Mr. Short in a stunning array of very funny characters. You forget how much he's done and how good most of it has been.
The clips were followed by a chat with Short, including questions from the audience. He probably struck everyone present — the place was packed — as very funny, surprisingly modest and uncommonly in-touch with whatever reality exists in show business. At one point, asked about what it's like to hang out with the likes of Steve Martin and the SCTV alumni, he replied, "When we're all together, it's just like it is when you're with your friends, except that my friends are incredibly wealthy." He declined to speak ill of anyone, despite a few attempts by audience members to extract such tales. (The gent sitting in front of me identified himself as the father of a recent Saturday Night Live cast member and seemed eager for negative stories about Lorne Michaels. Short said simply that he had none.) Having seen a few folks at past M.T.&R. seminars go on and on about angst and turmoil and idiots at the network, it was somehow refreshing to listen to someone who's pretty — but not insufferably — happy with what he's done and how he did it.
One other quotable thing: Short was asked about all the rumors that he was going to play the Leo Bloom role in the musical of The Producers. He said there had been talk but that he'd never received an offer.
The William S. Paley Festival continues through March 12 with events held up at the Directors Guild Theater on Sunset Boulevard. Many of the evenings are sold out but tickets are available for some. The whole schedule can be found over at www.mtr.org.