I like Lamb Chop... the puppet Lamb Chop, that's what I'm talking about.
Since the show Lamb Chop's Play Along was successful in the 90s, there came another spin-off show called Charlie Horse Music Pizza, putting more emphasis on Lamb Chop's big brother Charlie Horse.
But one of the episodes that stood out to me the most was the episode "Spooky Opera Show."
Granted, this episode was creative. The story was okay. However, there are times when you would think "Oh, gee! They should've done this in the story..." or "Gosh, I wish they could've said or did that..."
It's funny, yet corny. I've got an hour to waste. So, this is Charlie Horse Music Pizza: "Spooky Opera Show."
Opening Scene:
We come across Lamb Chop, Charlie Horse, and Hush Puppy hearing some loud singing.
Hush Puppy: "What is that?"
Charlie Horse: "I don't know. Sounds like World War 3."
-Ladies and gentlemen, our first joke of the evening: a one-liner! (applause)
The kids find Cookie the chef (played by Don DeLuise) singing to his opera CD really loudly. The kids ask about the noise, and Cookie explains that it's opera, and that it's the greatest noise in the world.
-Some people may disagree.
Shari comes in and tells Cookie that his music is too loud. In fact, she says that the music is so loud that it's disturbing her costumers.
-This is a restaurant, not a public library... you know that, right?
But Cookie defends his music... even allowing Shari to join his defensive argument... in song.
-Yeah, this musical number is just Cookie and Shari arguing about whether or not to have opera playing in the restaurant. So go figure.
-Wow, there's fighting words in this song? I wonder if any argument is told through song nowadays...
For example, a couple arguing while their kids are watching...
Beach Scene:
Shari has a private conversation with her employee Junior (played by Wezley Morris) about throwing a surprise birthday party for Cookie.
The only problem is that Cookie's day-off is tomorrow, and that the gang needs to find a way to come to the restaurant anyway. This makes Shari literally talk to the audience (or the people watching this) to help her come up with an idea.
-Do we really need interaction from the audience? It's a kids' TV show.
And then, guess what this show tosses our way... besides Lloyd Bochner's credit...
You guessed it! It's Lloyd Bochner himself, and he plays a guy named Joseph.
-Gee, I wonder why he's in this episode.
And already, Joseph is hitting on Shari, commenting on how she's talking to herself. But Shari clarifies her interaction with the audience (literally), which makes Joseph literally look directly at the camera.
-Oh, so now he's camera-shy to the viewers? Awkward.
Joseph quickly learns that Shari is the owner of the Charlie Horse Music Pizza restaurant, and tries to hide his jealousy and money-hungry delusions. He claims to be the former owner of the building, in which the place was once called Joseph's House of Pies.
-A house of pies? You sold pies. That was the coolest idea ever! What the heck happened?
However, Joseph regrets his decision of selling pies...
-... probably because pies were less popular than pizza?
Joseph also learns that Shari sells pizza, which makes the jealousy inside him burn. Shari invites Joseph to the restaurant to see what she and the gang did to the place. Joseph happily accepts and promises to come over tonight.
-Since when did this become a date? I mean, how did he make that decision so fast? Explain, show!
Bedroom scene:
Shari talks to the kids about what to give Cookie on his birthday. The kids admit that they don't have any money. No, wait. Charlie admits that, and...
Charlie Horse: "...I'm so broke, that I can't even pay attention."
-Okay, wait a minute. Is that all he's gonna do on this show, is be a stand-up comedian? That was yet another one-liner.
Lamb Chop suggests making Cookie a gift, instead of buying him one. She even suggests making Cookie a cake.
The gang learns that Cookie likes opera. Hush Puppy suggests going to the music store... to "make" the opera like a cake. But Shari explains that operas don't come in boxes, but that operas are stories with singing in it. They pick a story, and then act it without not in words but in song. Shari says that opera singers don't use mics, but their own vocal cords to project their voices in any volume.
Get a load of what Hush Puppy says to that:
Hush Puppy: "...You didn't tell us that we needed to buy special equipment."
-That was cute.
Shari explains that vocal cords are in the throat, and she explains how they work...
-Yeah, this show is turning into Anatomy 101...
Dining Room Scene:
The kids blow balloons to test out their lungs so that they could sing opera.
-And clearly, this is another lesson in Anatomy 101... so go figure. Can this class get anymore sillier?
Shari starts to sing about breathing when singing.
-I spoke too soon...
Song:
-Oh, good. Another song. This song is so boring, that you'll have no choice but to stay tuned.
-See the kid that Shari's holding? I bet all that made him uncomfortable. If an elderly person was holding you or your kids like that, how would you feel?
-Blah, blah, blah. The song is about breathing while singing. Next!
After Song:
Junior and their chimpanzee mascot Take-Out warn Shari and the kids about a storm coming.
Indoors:
We then cut to... the gang being indoors.
-Wow, they sure made that transition quick.
Cookie comes out from the kitchen and sees that the storm is coming. He tells Shari that tomorrow is a very special day for him.
Shari, however, doesn't quite understand the message, making Cookie look let down. But Shari doesn't pay attention to that, because she then asks Cookie to come to the restaurant tomorrow to babysit the kids.
-Wait. Since when did a pizza become a daycare?
Supply Room:
Hush Puppy goes down to the supply room to get supplies, when suddenly... the household cleaners and products literally come to life and taunt him.
-Aren't those the rejected puppets of Sesame Street?
But talking Sesame Street rejects was not on his agenda, so Hush Puppy drops the cleaning product and scrams. Oh, but not without...
One Product: "Oh! Look at the butterfingers!"
-Geez! Give Hush Puppy a break! You're flat-out sadist!
Indoors Scene 2:
After hearing the weather report advising people to stay indoors until tomorrow, Shari tells the kids that they'll be spending the night at the restaurant. But Hush Puppy thinks that's a bad idea, because he wants to be away from the ocean, but somewhere safe like the freeway.
-You wanna sleep on the freeway?
-Charlie flat-out calls Hush Puppy a wuss. Question: Who says "wuss" anymore?
Charlie then taunts Hush Puppy on how the products in the supply room came to life and made fun of him.
-Okay, when did Hush Puppy tell everyone else about the incident? There was no scene giving us that moment.
Then the storm gets louder and makes the window shutters go berserk. And what can be more scarier than that? Joseph showing up unexpectedly at the door!
-Oh, so now he's stalking them?
Apparently Shari forgot that Joseph was coming over, and she invites him inside. Shari introduces Joseph to the kids, and then to Junior, who apparently doesn't like him already.
Joseph admits that he and Junior know each other from a long time ago. Then, as if on cue, the kids take an interest in Joseph.
Joseph asks why the kids are "jumpy," then Hush Puppy tries explaining to him about the talking supplies from the closet.
-Okay, I just want to add something. Look, Mr. Lloyd Bochner. I know you're in a show called Charlie Horse Music Pizza; but do you mind giving us a performance no lower than a "D-" Because you seem like a kill-joy in a kids' show.
Joseph explains that the restaurant is haunted, which scares the pants out of the kids. But Junior thinks that that's BS. Joseph tries to justify his claim by saying that he told Junior 100 times about it, but Junior never listened.
-So, now he's spinning the blame on Junior. What a prick!
But Shari, the naïve woman that she is, let's Joseph explain more about the haunting. And so he does. But listen to the next thing that he says:
Joseph: "Nobody has ever been hurt... yet."
-And what makes that line the ultimate villain cliché is that it's followed by the sound of thunder. WE HAVE A POTENTIAL BAD GUY ALERT! But.. I'll just have it on standby, just in case.
Joseph offers to stop by again tomorrow. Shari tells him that they're going to have a surprise party for Cookie, but she forgot about the food. Joseph offers to bring and prepare the party food... which ultimately gives him a pass in being invited back to the restaurant.
-Seriously, this guy is a con man!
As soon as Joseph leaves, Shari confronts Junior for being rude to Joseph.
But Junior sticks with his complaint that Joseph is lying about the place being haunted, and he even comforts Hush Puppy, much to a disappointment to Charlie Horse. But Hush Puppy still believes that he knew what he saw.
So, the gang splits up to put the finishing touches in making the place storm-free. But when Lamb Chop tries to close the shutters, she sees the Headless Horseman.
-You heard right! The Headless Horseman.
Next, Charlie Horse is being stalked by the most-obvious-fake ghost in the bedroom.
-These monsters are so fake! But then again, it's a kids' show. What more do you want?
Kitchen (the next day):
It's still storming the next day. But don't you worry: Shari finds this a great time to plan the opera for Cookie. They decide to do an opera on The Legend of Sleepy Hollow... since last night's events inspired that idea.
-Gee, who will they get as the cast?
Hush Puppy as Ichabod Crane
Charlie Horse as Brom Bones
and
Lamb Chop as Katrina
(That's some ideal casting.)
Dining Room Scene 2:
Shari admires the kids' work on the graveyard setting on their stage. And... as you can imagine, Joseph makes yet another unexpected entrance.
-The unexpected entrances are so subtle in this show. You're giving away that you're the bad guy on this show. Why not successfully trick people into thinking that you're this kind person that any can trust? I mean, that's really bad if you want people to think that there's nothing suspicious about you when you're always acting shady in front of them...
Finally, as if on cue, Cookie shows up, and everyone surprises him by saying Happy Birthday.
-Geez! Why does everything happen on cue? It's like the director wanted the cast members to know when to speak and when to do something. It's like:
Shari say this...
Joseph step in here...
Hush Puppy drop the cleaning product...
Kids jump onto Joseph...
Cookie come in to get your surprise...
Cookie is grateful to have known that nobody forgot his birthday and takes a seat.
The Opera Scene:
Shari announces the opera to the guests... who all wear New Year's Eve hats.
The opera begins, and the kids are singing.
-Look at the angle that they're in. Neat. (Sarcasm)
-Well, I got to admit, the acting is great here, especially with Hush Puppy's role as Ichabod Crane.
While that's going on, Joseph quietly sneaks out of the dining room to do more of his evil deeds.
-We should know: the shady acting; the shady stalking; the shady ways to make Shari more and more naïve to what's really going on... put it together and get the picture! It's all so subtle!
Then, we see the opera shift to Ichabod Hush Puppy encounter Charlie Horse's version of the Headless Horseman, which is kind of cool actually, because the head part comes off later on.
This literally gets the scare going, as the real Headless Horseman breaks into the place and scares everyone.
And, as you may have guest, Joseph was behind this scheme all this time, and tries to make a clean getaway; but he gets caught, because... apparently the place has surveillance footage of his mischief.
-How the heck did Hush Puppy get that camera?
And plus, Take-Out catches Joseph from getting away.
-Ha, ha.
Later on...:
The gang review the surveillance footage and accuse Joseph for all the weirdness that's been going on.
Joseph confesses to the crime, saying that he replaced the cleaning supplies in the closet with talking puppets, and for being the Headless Horseman that tried to scare people away from the restaurant.
He only did those things because he wanted to scare Shari and the gang out, that way he could buy the place back cheap. The gang no longer take his crap and have Take-Out escort him out of the restaurant.
-Here's my question: Why don't they call the police and have him arrested for stalking and trespassing? But still, it's a kids' show. It sucks to be too nice to the bad guy.
Cookie thinks that the party is over, but Shari shows him the cake they made for him.
Cookie is excited by this, but Charlie apparently ruins it when he, not Cookie blows out the candles.
And that was Charlie Horse Music Pizza episode, "Spooky Opera Show." So what worked and what didn't work?
Well, to be frank, the plot wasn't too perfect. I mean, we only know the gist of it, but there were some plot holes. Plus, Lloyd Bochner didn't seem like a good guest star for this; in fact, he was better off in The Golden Girls. Also, it's not worth the constant "on-cue" directing of this episode, because they're both subtle and noticeable.
However, I liked the creativity that this show introduced. They took chances with the creepy atmosphere, as well as the story of Sleepy Hollow.
Overall, this was okay. And I don't know about you, but I'm going to see if I can watch anymore of Charlie Horse Music Pizza on Youtube.
Amateur Critic
Source: Charlie Horse Music Pizza
All rights go to Shari Lewis.
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