Andy Williams and the NBC Kids Easter in Rome (w/ Mike and Tim)

What's up, dudes? Andy Williams is back, and he’s chaperoning the NBC kids in Europe once again! Mike Westfall of Advent Calendar House and Tim Babb from Can’t Wait for Christmas are with me to talk “Andy Williams and the NBC Kids Easter in Rome!”

Apparently, Andy Williams wanted to spend spring in Europe, so he gathered his friends from NBC and met them in Rome. They take a horse drawn carriage, sing a song, then go their separate ways. Tina Yothers hunts for guys at an ice cream disco. Kim Fields goes shopping for pink blazers. Danny Ponce looks at sports cars, and the Lawrences search for food. 

Eventually, they meet up and absorb some Roman culture through archaeology and a famous ristorante. Andy surprises them with the gifts they wanted, and takes them to meet Pope St. John Paul II. Joey gives him a friendship bracelet, then they all go to Easter service and sing another song.

Aqueducts? Check. Papal audience? Got it. Chili dogs? None better than Roman! So grab your  flash cards, learn Italian, and sing along with “Andy Williams and the NBC Kids Easter in Rome!”

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Can’t Wait for Christmas
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Check us out on Facebook, Twitter,  Instagram,  Totally Rad Christmas Mall & Arcade, Teepublic.com, or TotallyRadChristmas.com!  Later, dudes!

Transcript

SPEAKER_06 0:00

Have a fun-filled musical adventure in the Eternal City starring Andy Williams and the kids from Give Me a Break, The Facts of Life, and Family Ties. We're talking Andy Williams and the NBC kids Easter in Rome. The Monster Squad fought Dracula. Bruce Willis released the Return of Bruno album, and Andy Williams kidnapped some kids and took them out of the country to sing and eat food. I'm your host, Jerry D with another episode of Totally Rad Christmas, the podcast that talks all things Christmas in the 80s, toys, movies, specials, music, and fads. If it was gnarly during Christmas in the 80s, we got it covered. Now, joining me are two Totally Rad Christmas All-Stars and multiple Raddy winners. My first guest, you'll know from Advent Calendar House, it's Mike Westwall. Mike, how's it going?

SPEAKER_09 1:26

Well, to be honest, Jerry, I'm still kind of annoyed about the last time we went somewhere with Andy Williams. Taking us all the way to Finland, and then we don't even get to see Santa.

SPEAKER_06 1:35

Oh yeah. Yeah, for real. Like, what kind of a come on, man? That's the draw. That's the draw. And that laugh you heard was from my next guest. It's uh Tim Babb from Can't Wait for Christmas. Tim, what's happening?

SPEAKER_07 1:48

I tell you what, I owned a copy of Bruce Willis's Return of Bruno. And it got stolen, so I bought it again.

unknown 1:57

Nice.

SPEAKER_06 1:59

It's so funny because my par I remember my parents would go through like phases of listening to music. And uh one of them was oldie. So when I heard under the boardwalk, you know, for the first time, I thought Bruce Willis had done it first.

SPEAKER_07 2:12

I was just gonna say, that was the first time I heard that was the exact song I was gonna pick, too.

SPEAKER_06 2:17

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_09 2:19

Yeah, that's that's the song.

SPEAKER_06 2:20

That's the one like wait a minute, that's not right. Oh man, it guys, it's great to see it. I can't wait to talk about this maniac stealing kids again. It's uh it's so much fun. I've had a blast talking with both of you about him. But before we do, just like Carol Kane did to Bill Murray and Scrooge, I want you to hit me with the toaster. So I'm gonna ask you a few questions and I want you to hit me with the first thing that comes to your mind. Okay, you don't have to think too hard about it. So let's say that you know, all these NBC kids are all grown up now, right? So, which one of these grown up NBC kids is most likely to take a group of famous kids on an adventure?

SPEAKER_07 3:00

Oh, one of the Lawrence brothers.

SPEAKER_09 3:02

Yeah. That's probably I can't decide which one though.

SPEAKER_06 3:08

Probably Joey, I think. Didn't he have that show with Melissa Jonah?

SPEAKER_09 3:11

Yeah, Melissa and Joey.

SPEAKER_06 3:13

Yeah. I could see it. All right. Okay, let's say Andy Williams is taking another trip across the world. Okay, let's say he's still alive. Would you rather he take the Goonies with him or the Monster Squad?

SPEAKER_09 3:26

You know, he's gotta complete the trilogy and do a Halloween special, so take the Monster Squad.

SPEAKER_07 3:32

Oh, that's a great answer. I was gonna say the Goonies just because I like that movie better, but the answer is better answer. I wish I had answered first, so your better answer could have been second.

SPEAKER_06 3:44

Well, I'll take both of them. I like them both. I think either way it would be a lot of fun, and I think Andy Williams would kind of be a little scandalized, right?

SPEAKER_07 3:53

I mean I worry that you're giving somebody with a uh computer and access to AI an idea.

SPEAKER_06 4:02

Let's do it. I'd watch the heck out of it. All right, and finally, where else in the world besides you know Finland and Rome should Andy Williams take the NBC kids?

SPEAKER_07 4:12

Is Transylvania a real place?

SPEAKER_09 4:15

Yes, it is.

SPEAKER_07 4:16

It sure is. Just showing my ignorance of the world, but like going off of Mike's idea about it being a Halloween special, that's where they should go.

SPEAKER_06 4:25

Yeah, we're absolutely that's totally where they or the other one would be like Egypt and the pyramids, right?

SPEAKER_09 4:31

Well, no, you take the Goonies there.

SPEAKER_06 4:34

Oh, okay, and they can search for some sort of lost yeah, I like that.

SPEAKER_07 4:38

Or Paris if you do a Valentine's Day special. Oh, yeah, yeah, for sure. The really odd. That's exactly at least it might stay on theme more than spoiler alert today's special.

SPEAKER_06 4:54

Oh man, yeah, this was this was crazy. So we're here tonight to talk about this Andy Williams special, Easter in Rome, where he takes the NBC kids here.

SPEAKER_03 5:06

Experience the fun Roman style from the beautiful landmarks to the post special holiday blessing when Andy Williams and the NBC Kids celebrate Easter in Rome tonight.

SPEAKER_06 5:15

I'd never seen it. What's your guy's history or or experience with it? Why don't we start with you, Mike?

SPEAKER_09 5:21

This was brand new to me, aside from seeing TV guide clippings promoting it. First heard first time I heard about the Christmas special was when you two covered it. I watched that for the first time last year, so I expected this to be equally as silly, and it doesn't get quite as bonkers as the Christmas one, but it has some moments.

SPEAKER_07 5:43

Yeah, it sure does. What about you, Tim? The the only reason I heard about this is when we recorded about the Christmas one. You mentioned that this existed at the end. I was like, huh, that's crazy.

SPEAKER_06 5:57

Yes, same. I missed this one completely as well. The only reason I knew about it is because I was searching for info on the Christmas one. And I'm here to tell you there's not a whole lot on either one. So I think the most in the most info you'll probably find is if you go to adventcalendar.house and look up your show notes. I think you have more than I do. So I I might. Yeah, so I think that's like the most you'll ever hear about this. Um yeah, this is crazy. So once again, Andy Williams takes children that are not his own onto a trip to Europe this time.

SPEAKER_12 6:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 6:35

Well, I guess the other one's Europe as well, but he leaves them alone, like they actually go their separate ways. And I'm just thinking, like, Liam Neeson's not available at this time to like rescue you, you know. You gotta keep them together, man.

SPEAKER_09 6:50

It was the 80s, man.

SPEAKER_07 6:52

At least we were spared the getting the band together montage from the Christmas one where they had to go to the sets of the different shows, and he was convinced.

SPEAKER_05 7:01

That was the best part.

SPEAKER_06 7:03

I agree. I kind of agree. Like, I was into it because at least we got to see Felicia Rashad. That's true.

SPEAKER_07 7:09

But they had to they had to cut that out because they had to pack in so much Easter into this special. I guess, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 7:15

That's right. Like the one song that we get. Yeah, this this whole thing, I I think it was just another excuse for Andy Williams to like go to Europe, you know.

SPEAKER_07 7:26

Like I want to take a trip.

SPEAKER_06 7:29

How do I want to write it off for it?

SPEAKER_07 7:31

Yeah, yeah, exactly. That's right.

SPEAKER_06 7:34

Oh man, yeah. So I mean, I think we'd kind of just dive into it because none of us have any experience, and there's not a whole lot of info. The only thing I can tell you is that it aired April 17th, 1987 on NBC. And the version that that I watched with the commercials was from Houston. So, yeah, for those of you um just a little peek behind the curtain here, we are recording this on April 17th. And when I originally scheduled it for this year, I thought it had come out in 1986 because I had placed it in the wrong category in my spreadsheet. So uh I was hoping it would be released on the 40th anniversary, but we're doing it on the 39th. That's okay.

SPEAKER_07 8:11

It's fine, it's fine. I'll take it. But you can just you can save this episode to listen to again next year on the 17th. And you're right. Like we we did it ahead of time.

SPEAKER_06 8:22

I usually re-release my uh my Easter episodes anyway, so I'll probably re-release it next year. It counts.

SPEAKER_09 8:30

We'll be the only people celebrating this anniversary.

SPEAKER_06 8:36

You don't think uh you don't think Joey Lawrence or Matt Lawrence think fondly about it like, oh, the 17th. I remember I was in Rome.

SPEAKER_09 8:45

No, I don't think they have that date ready in their head. We're going to remind the Lawrence brothers that they went to Rome with Andy Williams.

SPEAKER_07 8:54

You don't think Tiny Others is gonna do a special?

SPEAKER_06 8:59

I I honestly, out of all of Tina Yellers might do a special. Oh man. Well, let's just dive right into this. So it starts off with Andy already in Rome in front of St. Peter's, and he's telling us that he wanted to celebrate Easter there and absorb the culture and absorb all the wonderful antiquities and everything. And so he contacted some friends of his and they were on their way.

SPEAKER_10 9:27

Rona Sera, welcome to Rome, the Eternal City. I, being the Eternal Optimist, thought it would be a wonderful idea to come here to Rome and bring a message of peace during this Easter holiday. And to absorb some of the wonders of this remarkable city. So I contacted a few young friends of mine, and soon we were on our way to Italy with our Valigia Opack. And before I had a chance to say an diamo, we were here.

SPEAKER_09 9:52

Jerry, you didn't know this when you invited me on this episode, but I have actually spent an Easter in Rome.

SPEAKER_06 9:58

Oh, snap! No, snap! I did not know that.

SPEAKER_09 10:01

Mine was more than a decade after this. I went in 1998.

SPEAKER_06 10:06

So which celebrity like took you?

SPEAKER_09 10:11

A teacher from school. Oh, yeah. I was a senior in high school. I went to a Catholic high school, and there was a trip to Italy over spring break for students who were taking Italian or Latin, and there were a few additional spots that they offered to seniors, so I got to go. Because I was not taking Italian or Latin.

SPEAKER_06 10:30

Okay, I was I was just about to ask, which one did you take? Yeah.

SPEAKER_09 10:34

No, I was in French and I moved somewhere where they don't speak French and I forgot most of it. So but when this special opens in Andy's in St. Peter's Square, I mean, oh, I was there. It was a lot more crowded because it was Easter Sunday Mass.

SPEAKER_06 10:49

Oh, I bet.

SPEAKER_09 10:50

And also when I went, they were renovating the basilica, so the front of it was all covered in scaffolding. So it looks a lot better here 11 years earlier. But I did find a photo of me in St. Peter's Square in 1998.

SPEAKER_06 11:06

Whoa, look at that 80 that 90s hair.

SPEAKER_09 11:09

Oh yeah. Uh for some reason that's the only photo I can find of the whole trip. Rest must be at my parents' house. I hope they're at my parents' house.

SPEAKER_06 11:18

Oh, yeah, I know what you mean. Yeah. In 90s between 97 and 98, I I had an internship at um Boeing North American in Los Angeles. Okay. And I thought I had lost all the pictures. I remember I took like like photos, like rolls and rolls of pictures. I thought I had lost them all. I found them in a box that my parents just brought up to me the other, like a year ago.

SPEAKER_09 11:38

Yeah, I have them in an album. I just can't find the album, but for some reason this one, this one was loose.

SPEAKER_06 11:43

So that's amazing. I wish I could have gotten my hair to do that. My hair's always just been kind of fro-ish, and that's about it.

SPEAKER_09 11:51

So since this is an audio podcast, it was 1998. I had the DiCaprio and Titanic special.

SPEAKER_06 11:59

I was gonna, yeah, yeah, I was gonna say like uh JTT, but I think you're right, dude. It's more DiCaprio.

SPEAKER_09 12:04

So 98, it was it was Titanic, and I milked that for all it was worth.

SPEAKER_06 12:11

I love it. So Andy Williams calls these NBC kids over and they immediately just hop on a plane and and fly over with no any other adult supervision. So their parents are super trusting. My mom, like like you know, typical Hispanic mom would not have let me gone unless she had all sorts of phone numbers and knew someone on the trip. I mean, there's like a whole thing.

SPEAKER_07 12:37

And they fly an airline I have never heard of before. Like, I maybe it's just consolidation and it's gone, but like I can't even remember what it was, but I'm like, I've never seen that before in my life. Did they make that up for this? I mean, probably not, but uh yeah, because they're like it's shown so lovingly, like they say it spends so long on the logo that I'm like, I'm sure this was, you know, you know, what do you call it? Product placement. So that like they paid for the airfare by showing the airplane, right?

SPEAKER_09 13:04

Right, but I'm like, I've never heard uh it didn't work, I didn't even notice it went the way of Eastern Airlines.

SPEAKER_06 13:12

That's right, that's right. But because it's Andy Williams, you can't just tell us what's happening, he has to sing it to us. So he he does all of this uh exposition dump basically just in song because it's typical Andy Williams calls short.

SPEAKER_10 13:27

Once again, we have gathered up the gang for a cultural expedition. My friends and I took to the skies for a flight from home all the way to Rome Harbor is a secret home that we might speak to We arrive spiritual safety squares And we're really in this skies of sense Springs and the sky success Good times are ahead And we're gonna do our best To be the perfect guest Okay kids come on Damn it everybody And so he's calling him over to meet he really wants to meet the Pope which is Pope St.

SPEAKER_06 14:36

John Paul II at this time that's like his whole goal, but like you're already in Italy, like why not just go meet the Pope yourself? Why do you need friends to go? That was my thought. I don't know.

SPEAKER_09 14:48

Pope makes time for the children, he was a man of the kids.

SPEAKER_06 14:53

That's right, it's the only way he could have uh secured his his audience with him.

SPEAKER_07 14:58

Yeah, he wasn't an Andy Williams fan, but he really loved facts of life.

SPEAKER_06 15:04

Oh, I get to meet Turi. Okay.

SPEAKER_09 15:09

I noticed he didn't invite back any of the older kids who took a little longer to believe in Santa Claus. Don't tell me Lisa Bonet didn't want to go to Rome.

SPEAKER_06 15:20

I was wondering that too. I was like, well, first of all, there there weren't 12, right? Because it had to be like 12 true believers.

SPEAKER_09 15:26

Oh, yeah, there was that whole thing. And by the way, he only brought 11. I counted.

SPEAKER_06 15:31

I think he was counting himself as a 12. But you know, unless they count Mindy Cohn, but she didn't even go. She didn't go! But I I do kind of miss, I wished there was a scene with her in the airport again. Like, man, I can never get on these things.

SPEAKER_09 15:48

Walking around like John Travolta in Pulp Fiction Exactly, or on the set like Macaulay Culkin.

SPEAKER_07 15:57

Ah yes.

SPEAKER_06 15:59

That's right. She's like, I've been here all this time. Yeah. Oh man. No, that would have been great. But so he sings like, hey, we're all here, and all of a sudden the kids show up because you know that's what happens when you do a rough cut like that, or a jump cut like that, excuse me. And they take a horse-drawn carriage ride. I didn't realize they had horse-drawn carriage rides in Rome.

SPEAKER_09 16:25

Yeah, I don't remember taking one, but not surprised that they're there.

SPEAKER_07 16:29

I mean, they got horses. Yeah, they'll attach them to something.

SPEAKER_06 16:38

They sure did, yeah.

SPEAKER_07 16:40

I was like, wait, am I is it just the reception? That Mario is driving this horse-drawn carriage. He did look the same hat.

SPEAKER_06 16:47

Definitely some uh Captain Lou Albano vibes for sure.

SPEAKER_07 16:50

I hope no one has the red tortoise shell. They were Mario Cardinan. Here we go.

SPEAKER_06 17:00

Which I don't know if you noticed I kept in that uh let's a go Mike he said to CJ on the uh in the Raddies.

SPEAKER_09 17:06

Oh, I sure did.

SPEAKER_06 17:08

Oh man. Anyway, so they're singing, they're talking about I I think the name of the song is That's Rome, but I wasn't positive because again, there's like literally zero info on uh any of the music out there. You have to kind of piece it together if you know it.

SPEAKER_09 17:21

Oh, yeah, it was written for this. Uh let's go with that's wrong. That's right. So because they sure say it like 150 times. Right.

SPEAKER_06 17:28

They do, they're talking about seven hills and a million thrills. I was like, wow, that's I mean that's a cool catchphrase right there. Like, let's let's make that the town logo and go.

SPEAKER_09 17:36

For real, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 17:37

There's and I'm I'm being really specific because nothing at all happens in this in this I'm trying to milk it for all it's worth. But I do like how they all have like those little cameras that everybody used to have, especially in the 90s, you know. The disposable cameras, yeah. Yeah, they all had them and they were just taking pictures of fountains and everything. And then Tootie like happens to have some flowers, like she grabs some flowers and gives them to Andy, who then gives them to Mario. Not fire flowers, sorry, guys. And then I don't know how this happened. In my notes, all I have is on a roof with a bunch of question marks afterwards. So uh they end up on a roof singing their song about Rome. Good for them.

SPEAKER_09 18:28

I do remember being on a roof at some point. I don't remember if it was the same roof because I feel like ours was like like a rectory or something. Well, maybe. I don't know. I don't know.

SPEAKER_06 18:39

Yeah, for sure. I'll have to I'll have to find my photo album, but you know, it's that old saying, you know, when in Rome, get on a roof. That's right. Said that for years, but then we get the titles, and we everyone's introduced. So there's five NBC kids with them this time. Kim Fields, it's Joey and Matt Lawrence, Danny Ponce, although they called him Ponce, but my my Hispanicness makes me say Ponce. And then Tina Yothers from uh Family Ties.

SPEAKER_05 19:06

Yeah, Andy Williams and the NBC Kids Easter in roll, starring Andy Williams, and featuring Pim Peels from the Facts of Life, from Gimme A Break, Joey Lawrence, and his brother Matt Lawrence, Danny Poncey from Ballery, and Tina Yothers from Family Times with a special appearance by Topo Gijo.

SPEAKER_06 19:38

And my favorite here, we get a guest appearance by Topo Gijo.

SPEAKER_07 19:43

Topo Gij Joe Gijo. I we we were in our chat, I texted you guys out like that.

SPEAKER_06 19:55

What for sure? If this was like a final jeopardy, you know, what six words or never would have guessed it.

SPEAKER_07 20:03

Also, the way they introduced it's like yo, Kim Fields from The Facts of Life and TD Others from Family Guy, Matthew Lawrence from whatever show he was in, I can't remember. He's like, give me a break, give me a break, yeah. And his brother. I'm like, come on now.

SPEAKER_06 20:17

He's he's the younger brother, you know how it is. Oh man, but then that cute little mouse.

SPEAKER_07 20:24

He's like, because we wouldn't let we wouldn't let Matthew outside, and we wouldn't let Joey outside unless he took his little brother. That's right, exactly.

SPEAKER_06 20:31

That's right.

SPEAKER_09 20:32

I don't think the third one was born yet.

SPEAKER_06 20:35

I don't think so, yeah. Uh, but then we get commercials for JC Pennies and Red Lobster, and uh the Red Lobster like shrimp deal was like super cheap.

SPEAKER_07 20:44

99 cents for kids' shrimp, my son would kill for that.

unknown 20:50

For sure.

SPEAKER_06 20:51

I was like, wow, if I had$500 and like was transported back to the 80s, like I'd be living it up.

SPEAKER_09 20:57

That's a lot of shrimp.

SPEAKER_06 21:00

That is well, I was also thinking for toys and stuff, but you know, I mean, I'll tell you. Oh, I guess that is a lot of shrimp. So after the commercial break, we're in the piazza and the kids are eating, and Andy's getting his portrait painted, or at least you're led to believe that he's getting his portrait painted because when he asks the painter to see it, it's mostly just a portrait of the building across the street.

unknown 21:23

Yep.

SPEAKER_06 21:25

That was a good bit. I like that bit.

SPEAKER_07 21:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 21:27

But then he doesn't even buy it. It's like, come on, Andy.

SPEAKER_09 21:32

And then the guy has no idea who he is. Yeah, he was just like, tell him, just if if you're having trouble selling it, tell people that I'm in it. Who are you?

SPEAKER_10 21:40

Yeah, who are you? My portrait? It is done. Yes, sir. Echo qua. Very good. Moto bello. Gracias. Uh, but where am I? I mean dove sono il. Echo, here you are. It's a very good likeness. That's it.

SPEAKER_03 21:54

That's it.

SPEAKER_10 21:55

Do you wanna buy it? Uh no, I don't think so. But if it'll help you sell the picture, tell the people it's me. Uh excuse, uh Kisei, who are you?

SPEAKER_06 22:02

He's like, Where am I? Oh, you're that one right there, and he points like this little speck in front of the tiny little dot.

SPEAKER_07 22:09

Now we see why he needed to bring the kids. He doesn't have the juice in Italy that he thought he did.

SPEAKER_06 22:13

No, he should have just sung that's a more man. I mean, that's you know instant riz or whatever. So he decides he wants to go on a 12-mile walking tour through the ruins, and the kids are just not into it at all. And they're all comparing their guidebooks, saying that they want to go, Tina wants to go where the boys are, Tootie wants to look at fashions and shopping, the Lawrence brothers want food. I mean, it's they're all over the place, and they decide they're gonna split up Scooby-Doo style. So, but they're gonna get together at the church in one hour, and thus our adventures. I'm gonna put adventures in quotes. Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 22:57

Because famously, you can explore whatever Rome has to offer in an hour. Oh, yeah. You hang that out in an hour, you're back on the plane headed for home.

SPEAKER_06 23:06

Especially if it's a 12-mile uh walking to a real and even must have been hustling. Speedwalking. It just reminds me of Raymond Holt when he's like trying to speedwalk and he's like I was power walking.

SPEAKER_08 23:25

Roe hill balto, roll heel balto.

SPEAKER_09 23:29

There's a fountain, there's a fountain, there's a fountain.

SPEAKER_06 23:35

Oh man, but then so they they go their separate ways and they go to this uh club, it's like Trescalini or something like that. Yep, it's a dance club that gave me a lot of vibes from National Lampoon's European vacation.

SPEAKER_09 23:49

Oh my goodness, you're right. Yeah, I did not get to go to Trescalini. I feel like I would have remembered that.

SPEAKER_06 23:56

Yeah, it it I don't know how to describe it, except it was like neon. That's about it. Italy disco. Like it's that's right, like disco with like an Italian flair. Yeah, it's real, and Tina Yothers sings Move International M O V E International, which again, I I don't know how they allow this to happen in these countries, but again, they let these Americans just come in and sing their songs and do their dances and take over the place. Sure.

SPEAKER_09 24:59

I thought she was singing L-O-V-E. She was singing M-O-V-E?

SPEAKER_06 25:03

Oh, I thought it was M. Maybe it was L. I don't know.

SPEAKER_07 25:05

Yeah, I thought it was L-O. When I Googled it, I Googled Love International and came up with nothing.

SPEAKER_06 25:11

Oh, okay. Well, I don't know. I thought it was M-O-V-E because it was, you know, a dance club and they were moving. But I mean, I think the only person that really knows is Tina Yethers.

SPEAKER_07 25:21

Yeah, we'll have to ask her. And she's on the other line. Let's uh tell you, Tina.

SPEAKER_06 25:26

Tina Yothers, ladies and gentlemen.

SPEAKER_09 25:28

Uh this was right exactly around the time that she released an album, which sounded a lot like this song.

SPEAKER_06 25:36

Oh, well, maybe maybe it wasn't.

SPEAKER_09 25:38

Tina Yathers can sing. Like, I was surprised.

SPEAKER_06 25:40

I was impressed with her singing for sure. Yeah. It's like, wow, why didn't they bring her on the first go?

SPEAKER_07 25:46

I was I was noticing like the aesthetic of everybody there. I'm like, even in Italy, it was definitely the 80s. Oh, yeah. Totally. I thought this was kind of a uniquely American look, but apparently not.

SPEAKER_06 25:59

No, no, the 80s happened.

SPEAKER_07 26:02

The 80s happened to everything.

SPEAKER_06 26:04

Happens to us. But then she gets some ice cream at the end because the whole draw of this club is I guess it's like an ice cream club or something. You know, you go dancing, you get um some gelato. I don't know. Yeah, why aren't there more of those? I know, right? I'd totally go dancing for that.

unknown 26:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 26:22

Why aren't we serving alcohol when we could be serving ice cream?

SPEAKER_09 26:25

Right. It feels like one of those like youth center places in like a kid sitcom, like the Max.

SPEAKER_06 26:32

It was the it was the Roman Max.

SPEAKER_07 26:34

Yeah. It was the Maximilian. El Max.

SPEAKER_06 26:39

I love it. Jeff was working there. Instead of Jeff, it was Giuseppe. Giuseppe. I don't know what the Roman equivalent of Kelly was, but whatever. So Andy's back at the piazza, and Kim meets up with him. And she gives one of the worst lines that I might be saying later on. But uh where he's like, Where is everybody? And you know.

SPEAKER_10 27:03

They're around. Around?

SPEAKER_07 27:06

Yeah, around 10 minutes late. Boom, got him. Roasted, Gother Kids.

SPEAKER_06 27:16

But there was a there was a some playful banter here, I thought, where they say Remember Hope Springs Eternal in the Eternal City. I saw that written on the wall of the Coliseum.

SPEAKER_12 27:26

Carved in stone?

SPEAKER_06 27:28

No, sprayed in paint. And then there was a they reversed it later on.

SPEAKER_10 27:33

Only this morning I saw written on the wall of the forum coincidence is the mother of good fortune.

SPEAKER_06 27:39

Sprayed in paint.

SPEAKER_10 27:40

No carved in stone.

SPEAKER_07 27:48

Yeah, it was We are having forced fun. For real.

SPEAKER_06 27:52

I mean, there really wasn't anything going on. But we do get a children's choir and they sing uh Pasqua dell'amor, which is an Easter song. And luckily, Kim Fields, who and if I start saying 2D, I'm sorry, it's it's just habit. But she luckily happens to know a counter melody for it, and so she starts singing, and Andy Williams joins in, and then it's just a big Italian children's choir singing with Andy Williams, just like in the Christmas special, except not as well trained. So what's crazy?

SPEAKER_07 28:27

There's no one else around.

unknown 28:29

That's right.

SPEAKER_09 28:31

At the beginning of the thing, when it's just Andy alone in St. Peter's Square, you had people like walking around, they were actually looking at the camera like, is that Andy Williams? And then the pigeons that like there are a lot of pigeons. Like, if someone just off-screen strategically throwing bread drums and seeds and whatever. But uh Kim Fields also had a couple of singles a few years before this, so this is actually her singing along in English.

SPEAKER_06 28:58

This isn't a I was gonna make the joke, uh, John Woo was in charge of pigeons.

SPEAKER_07 29:05

But like it looks like the choir is essentially singing for Andy Williams and Kim. Right. And then they join. I'm like, who is this for? There's no one else here.

SPEAKER_06 29:14

They're just practicing for Easter Mass, I guess.

SPEAKER_07 29:18

It's the slowest day in the piazza ever.

SPEAKER_06 29:22

Also, if it is like Easter, you know, if it's Holy Week and Easter's coming up, then like that thing would be packed.

SPEAKER_09 29:29

It was packed, it was yeah, whole place is packed.

SPEAKER_06 29:33

Oh man. Uh, but we cut to another commercial, this time for Raisin Brand, and it's the the classic I can't believe the two scoops commercial. We get Tylenol, NutraSuite, and the one that I thought was the weirdest, Chris Elliott's Friday night videos.

SPEAKER_07 29:48

I thought that was a bit. I was waiting for the punchline, and then it was just over.

SPEAKER_00 29:55

Hi, I want to show you something. This is me with Run DMC. Here I am with the Smitharines. Oh, yes. This is me with Lisa Lisa. Join us on Chris Elliott's Friday Night Videos.

SPEAKER_09 30:05

No, it's like So kids, Friday Night Videos was NBC's attempt to be MTB for an hour every week.

SPEAKER_06 30:13

You're right.

SPEAKER_09 30:13

And here's Chris Elliott with his blow-dried blonde pompadour. Like being a straight man. This is the most hair I've ever seen on Chris Elliott.

SPEAKER_06 30:23

Save. I didn't know he had hair.

SPEAKER_07 30:25

No, like it was like an SNL wig. I was like, what is the bit?

SPEAKER_09 30:29

No, he's like, this is his VJ audition tape because when I think of cool hip guy from 1987, I think Chris Elliott.

SPEAKER_06 30:42

You know, Martha Quinn, Kurt Loader. We get uh Chris Elliott. Yeah, it's great. Anyway, so we cut to Andy in a gift shop, and this is where Topo Gigio comes out. Andy's looking through a bunch of stuffies like stuffed animals, and he happens upon the like kind of pokes it and prods it, and it's Topo Gigio, this little mouse guy.

SPEAKER_09 31:08

Did you also? I didn't notice Topo Gio at first. The first thing that my eyes were drawn to was one of those lots of lots of legs caterpillars. Or uh in Italy, I looked it up, they were called Tante Tante Gambe.

SPEAKER_06 31:22

Oh, okay, that makes sense. No, I didn't, I missed that, but it could also be because I was watching it on my phone. So a lot of what same. Yeah. And I I wish I could say I turned it sideways, but I had to take notes at the same time, so I so it was even smaller. But uh anyway, so I I didn't notice quite as many details.

SPEAKER_07 31:45

I did I had it sideways for the first run through and then I watched it again taking notes, but uh but at two at two time speed. Oh yeah let me tell you, this special is way more ridiculous at two time speed.

SPEAKER_06 31:58

Oh, I rode that 10 second skip button hard for all the singing. All the I was like, all right, I know it's just singing, nothing's happening. Skip, skip, skip.

SPEAKER_09 32:08

I watch this at regular speed.

SPEAKER_07 32:11

I did the first time. Okay. I will say, did you guys I had no experience with Topo Gijo before this? Like I had never encountered him in the wild, except the only reference I had was when Tim Allen says his name in the Santa Claus.

SPEAKER_06 32:27

In the Santa Claus, yeah, yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_01 32:29

Name Chris Krangel. Name Santa Claus. Name Per Noel. Babbo Natale. Topo Gijo.

SPEAKER_09 32:45

Yeah, I feel like I had some kind of retroactive introduction to him, like because Andy Williams says, like, oh, you used to be on the Ed Sullivan show. So I must have seen like old clips of Topo Gijon on Ed Sullivan, but way, way after the fact.

SPEAKER_06 33:03

Same. I mean known, yeah.

SPEAKER_07 33:06

Even that though, I hadn't seen. And so now it this the line in the Santa Claus makes even less sense. I'm like, wait, oh yeah. This is who you were saying. Like you were saying, you know, aliases of Santa Claus, and then you dropped in Topo Gizho, who I assumed must have been some sort of Christmas icon. We all did. He's apparently the most famous mouse on TV.

SPEAKER_06 33:30

I'm like, I think you guys have a couple of Disney raddies that say different.

SPEAKER_09 33:37

And Topo Gizio just says, oh, he's a famous at two.

SPEAKER_07 33:42

Even Stuart Little's got you beat, man.

SPEAKER_09 33:45

Stuart Little's not a mouse. Oh, he's not? No, you remember the book? It was just he was born to human parents. Oh. Books weird. Books weird. He's a mutant.

SPEAKER_07 33:58

I'm not ready for this.

SPEAKER_06 34:01

Anyway, so Andy Williams, after poking this little guy, he's like, Oh, I'm sorry, I thought you were a toy. And Topo Gijo is like, and I thought you were a gentleman. I was like, wow. Our slap back.

SPEAKER_09 34:16

I will say it's very impressive puppetry going on here. I it is, yeah. I read about Topo Gizio after this. They have three puppeteers working them against a black backdrop. It looks really impressive.

SPEAKER_06 34:29

Oh man. Maybe I need to give a Jim Henson award just to this guy.

SPEAKER_09 34:34

Probably. I'm sure Jim Henson like got some inspiration from Topo Gizio. He was a, I'm sure he watched Ed Sullivan before he was born.

SPEAKER_06 34:44

Well, so they're introducing themselves. He says, just call me Andy. Can you say that? And Topo Gio says, that, that, that. Yes, Deck. No, I mean, can you another little Fozzie you know? Well, I'm gonna put this a step below Fozzie.

SPEAKER_07 35:02

But uh that was one of my two laugh out loud moments in this special. Yeah. And technically we've already passed the other one, but I'm sure we I will revisit it in one of the features at the end. Gotcha.

SPEAKER_09 35:14

Another fun fact, speaking of Fozzie, we all know the Muppet fan site, toughpigs.com. I remember one year on April Fool's Day, they turned their homepage into a Topo Gijo fan site.

SPEAKER_06 35:28

That's amazing. Next they need to do Muman Shans.

SPEAKER_09 35:33

I'm sure they might have done that already now that I think about it, but oh man.

SPEAKER_06 35:38

Well, so they met they talk about their time on the Ed Sullivan show and Esther Williams and and then somehow Topogizio invites himself like back to America, says he needs a vacation.

unknown 35:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 35:52

I hey, we all do, guy. We all do.

SPEAKER_07 35:55

And then Andy Williams says you gotta be ready in an hour. I'm like, you're not leaving in an hour. Right. This special's barely half over. You're not leaving in an hour, man. He has plenty of time to pack.

SPEAKER_06 36:08

Well, I mean, I guess it was well, I don't know. I have no I have no thoughts for it. I'm sorry. I was trying to get it.

SPEAKER_07 36:14

Oh, you're thinking maybe he was just saying that to try and get him to like, oh, well, you're right in an hour, or you can't do it as well. Trying to give him some impossible bar to clear so he couldn't come with like, oh, you also have to be able to jump this high. Oh, you can't do it.

SPEAKER_06 36:28

Then you're gonna go back to the house, like Father Winter and Jack Frost. Yeah, and you need a horse and a wife and a house. Like, what? Where did any of this come from? But but he says, No, I can't, it's my bedtime, and he asks Andy to tuck him in, yeah, give him a kiss, good night, and sing to him. And he sings lullaby. And then the NBC kids come in very loudly and almost wake him up.

SPEAKER_07 36:57

As a parent, I can relate to telling the kids to be quiet, and they absolutely will not. They have to talk.

SPEAKER_06 37:03

Oh, yeah. Yep.

SPEAKER_07 37:04

I think if you want your kids to be loud, you say be quiet, mommy's sleeping. If you want your kids to be quiet, you say, What? I can't quite hear you.

SPEAKER_09 37:12

It's the old Mary Poppins lullaby, stay away.

SPEAKER_06 37:20

Oh man. So they're at the fountain in one of the vias and Joey Lawrence does a song and dance number there. It's like in the aqueduct uh, you know, yeah section of Rome. And they do mention there's it was built in 1550, there's 255 waterfalls, 30 fountains, and Joey Lawrence just sings and tap dances and does all the stuff by one of those fountains. So good for him, but I was like, it was making me super nervous that he was gonna fall in.

SPEAKER_09 37:50

I wonder if he did.

SPEAKER_06 37:52

He probably, I mean, he might have. I don't know.

SPEAKER_09 37:54

I wonder how many takes that took. I just know he's walking out from behind one of the waterfalls to sing a song, and I immediately thought, there it is, the backside of water.

SPEAKER_06 38:07

See, and I just wrote top hat now? All of a sudden he had a top hat.

SPEAKER_12 38:13

Sure.

SPEAKER_07 38:13

The kids did change clothes an inordinate amount in this day.

SPEAKER_06 38:17

I mean, I know it's like hot and humid there in Rome, but I don't think it's that bad. I don't know. So the other kids start coming in at the end, they do a big counterpoint to it as well, and there's a big finish where they're all dancing in time together.

SPEAKER_13 39:02

I want to stop and Andy Williams tells him of the legend of the coin.

SPEAKER_06 39:08

Wait, wait, wait, wait. Before that, he goes he goes, Where have you been?

SPEAKER_07 39:11

It's like, we've been dancing around this fountain for like five minutes. What do you mean, where have you been? Waiting for you. This is how we kill time. Where have we been? We've been right here.

SPEAKER_06 39:24

Well, I guess it was uh around before the Game Boy time, so it's not like they could just sit back and play Game Boy, right?

SPEAKER_07 39:30

So you gotta dance.

SPEAKER_06 39:33

It's what you did, right? Yeah, but yeah, so he tells them the story of or like the legend of the if you like turn your back towards the fountain and toss the coin like behind your back, then it means that someday you'll return to Rome. I don't know if Andy Williams ever did, but he does actually do that, and I don't know, maybe in spirit, maybe symbolically he returned to Rome. I don't know.

SPEAKER_09 39:57

I I did do that while I was there, and I have not been back since. So all right, guys, road trip. Let's go! We'll travel by map.

SPEAKER_06 40:09

I thought the Rocky Mountains would be a lot rockier. But then Andy, he's in all of a sudden he's like transported to this other fountain in white and like a cave almost looking thing, and he's singing. I I don't know the name of the song again. I just called it Eyes of Love, but I don't think that's what it's called.

SPEAKER_09 40:27

Through the Eyes of Love, it's from the movie Ice Castles. Ever seen Ice Castles? I've never seen Ice Castles. It's uh it's about a figure skater. Robbie Benson, the future voice of the beast, is in it. It's some 70s movie. It's it's totally out of place in this Easter special. I got right as opposed to all the other Easter songs we've been in the world.

SPEAKER_06 40:51

Like the biggest, the only Easter song that we all really know is Easter Parade, right? Why don't they sing Easter Parade? Yeah, is it I mean I'm sure Irving Berlin at that point had passed, and I mean I'm sure it was like super easy to scoop up the rights. I don't know. But yeah, so he sings through the eyes of love and then throws a coin over his shoulder. Cut to our next set of commercials, McDonald's Monopoly, which I loved.

SPEAKER_09 41:17

I think this was the first year they did that.

SPEAKER_07 41:20

It could have been. I know it was around that time. They had a it was just a quick image on screen, but the McBLT, which I reference way more than a human being should. And the hot stays hot. Yeah, it's like whenever something is hot and cold, and keeping I'm like, oh, keep the hot side hot and the cold side cold. Nothing. Nobody gets it. No matter what year they were born, I have no idea what I'm talking about.

SPEAKER_09 41:42

The Jason Alexander singing commercial is burned into my brain. Yeah, I all the time I reference it.

SPEAKER_06 41:50

McDonald's commercials were fire back in the day. Like they had some great commercials.

SPEAKER_09 41:55

Oh my goodness, yes.

SPEAKER_06 41:56

But we also get commercials for Permasoft, Crave, Sweet Surrender, Our House, Pizza In, and K Lite 93.7.

SPEAKER_07 42:05

Pizza Inn keeps advertising 100% natural mozzarella cheese. What else would you have? Supernatural mozzarella cheese? Undead mozzarella cheese come back to exact vengeance? It's it's Easter, you know. It rose again. Um and and the K Lite, they advertise nine to five no repeats during the workday. And I I used to work for a radio station, and man, I would have loved that. Oh my goodness, yeah. Yup. We heard so much Creed, arms wide open. Oh no! Oh no, oh so sorry. It's like, oh, is Creed not playing? Wait 20 seconds. Oh, there it is.

SPEAKER_06 42:49

You'll get it, don't worry. And then the channel 2 news talked about tariffs, and I was like, Oh, this is very timely.

SPEAKER_07 42:55

Yeah, for real. Tariffs, the Pope, Tylenol. I'm like, is the world just cyclical? I mean, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 43:03

Seems like it, yeah, for sure. So, anyway, so now they're at uh ristorante. This is uh one of the most action-packed parts of this whole special. Yeah, it is.

SPEAKER_09 43:15

Let's insult the whole country.

SPEAKER_06 43:20

Oh, yeah, it was bad.

SPEAKER_10 43:24

And we're definitely going to eat some authentic Italian food because the Mayo Pataka is a very authentic restaurant.

SPEAKER_00 43:31

I hope to because I'm authentically hungry.

SPEAKER_06 43:35

Yeah, nailed it. Um that's right. And then uh the they're they're wanting the food. They say, Well, there's gonna be music and then food, and then we get like the Italian version of like when you're in a Spanish restaurant or Mexican restaurant and the mariachi come out, it's the like the Italian version of that. There's a guy with an accordion, we have a guitar, there's a flute. I mean, they're coming out singing. Muddy and they all join in kind of a lot of people.

SPEAKER_09 44:26

Did you notice when the dancing girls and the extremely short puffy skirts came out and they cut back to the kids at the table clapping along? Danny Ponce is staring with his mouth agape.

SPEAKER_06 44:39

Well, he was the age. He was like 12 years old.

SPEAKER_09 44:42

He was just like, oh yeah, no, he just he's feeling his feelings.

SPEAKER_06 44:48

He's Rusty Griswold. Yeah, yes. So Andy sings When in Rome. And this is where I wrote down flashcards. So they have these flashcards. Oh my god. Yeah. How to say different things in Italian. And it's bad. It's so corny.

SPEAKER_10 45:09

You find yourself in a restaurant. Dying for something to eat. Would you like the tell? That's feel and yellow, that's lamb or carne. Or carne? That's meat.

SPEAKER_13 45:25

I'll have all the yellow. I'll have that for sure. That's him.

SPEAKER_07 45:34

When they finished the first song, Andy Williams says something like, Okay, that's enough music. Now we're gonna eat. And then they proceed to sing a three-minute long song. Right. I was like, I thought you said the music was over, the eating was starting.

SPEAKER_06 45:44

Because he didn't want a tip. He didn't want to keep tips up. We already know he's cheap, remember? Loves what he's getting for Christmas. So, you know.

SPEAKER_07 45:54

So we know he's cheap. They're going around the table and the kids are saying what they want. And uh, I think, yeah, it's Matt, it was Joey Lawrence who says he wants a chili dog. Chili dog, yeah. And then he does this weird chili dog dance where he's like, oh well, it's a it's an audio podcast, but like he does this weird hip thrust for chili dog.

SPEAKER_09 46:10

I'm like, whoa, Joey, what are we doing? Yeah, can't get a chili dog in America. This is like the third time they've mentioned chili dogs in the control. It's just like, I remember when we went to Italy, all the other kids were so excited that we passed a McDonald's, and I'm like, Are you serious?

SPEAKER_07 46:26

You're like, we're in Italy, guys. Like, come on. One time I went to Hawaii and I went straight from the plane to a pizza hut and had a Hawaiian-style pizza just because I knew it would irritate people.

SPEAKER_06 46:40

It's amazing. Well, so those dancers in those uh ridiculously short skirts come out like that you mentioned, and then the NBC kids, just like they did in in Finland, they have to upstage them and they do their own little jivin' number.

SPEAKER_09 46:56

Yeah, this is how we do it in America.

SPEAKER_06 46:59

Yeah, and Dan Danny pops and locks. Not great, but he but he does it. I was like, all right, good for you. And then Andy joins in the dancing, and I thought, oh man, sit down, guy, please. Like, don't hurt yourself.

SPEAKER_09 47:13

He's trying, he's not a complete square, he's trying.

SPEAKER_07 47:17

I'm sure that's what my kids see when I start heading towards the dance floor. They're like, Oh, pop, stop it.

SPEAKER_06 47:23

For sure. Like, nope, like, nope, just sit down.

SPEAKER_07 47:26

I know this Michael Jackson song. Dad, sit down, sit down, sit down.

SPEAKER_06 47:30

Who then the waiters finally bring their food. Oh, yeah. My kids do know Michael Jackson, but they prefer weird owls versions of the songs. Good. So, like bad came on, and they're like, Can we hear fat instead? Yeah, we can. But on our next commercial break, we get Sears, Chef Boy RDs, hot stuff, UPS, and crispics.

SPEAKER_07 47:51

They just spent all this time talking about Italian food and then throw a Chef Boy RD commercial. Like, or you can have this because let's face it, you're not going to Rome.

SPEAKER_06 48:01

You're not going, you're not rich enough to go to you're not Andy Williams nor the NBC kids.

SPEAKER_07 48:04

Well, yeah. The McDonald, the next Mc the McDonald's commercial with the old guy isn't this break, is it? No, it's later on. Yeah, yeah. I have more notes about the commercials than though.

SPEAKER_09 48:16

I have one toward the end.

SPEAKER_06 48:18

Well, the the commercials had plots. I mean, I I said it, I said it before, and I don't mean to denigrate this because I actually did enjoy watching it, but nothing happens in it at all.

SPEAKER_09 48:32

No, it's just it's it's a variety show without variety. The crispyx commercial cut. The crispyx commercial, we came in two parts.

SPEAKER_07 48:46

It did. That one pizza commercial rewound itself just to play itself again. Yeah, I did notice that. I was like, wait, was that the tape or was that the commercial? I think it was the commercial. We paid for 30 seconds, but we only have 15 seconds worth of ad. I have an idea, Charlie. You're brilliant.

SPEAKER_06 49:03

Give that man a raise. So then they go to the uh excavation of the Ostia Antica. Yeah. And they see uh a bunch of mosaics, statues, what could have been stables, the theater. I mean, it's like this is like when you go to Rome, this is what you want to see, right? As a tourist. And then they talk about Danny says he'd be more interested in the chariot races, and he mentions you know, that was only four horsepower. What would they think of the 400 horsepower?

SPEAKER_09 49:31

He likes cars.

SPEAKER_06 49:32

He does, he likes cars.

SPEAKER_09 49:34

Yeah, spoiler.

SPEAKER_06 49:36

He's really not. I feel like everybody at well, but I don't even remember him, honestly.

SPEAKER_09 49:42

Like he was on that show Valerie before it was the Hogan family.

SPEAKER_06 49:46

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_09 49:47

He was like Jason Bateman's younger brother or something.

SPEAKER_06 49:50

Okay, I mostly remember Jason Bateman and Sandy Duncan.

SPEAKER_09 49:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 49:54

Okay. Yeah. They didn't mention that.

SPEAKER_09 49:58

Or was that like for Valerie? Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 50:02

Yeah, because everybody got a credit except for the other Lawrence, the lesser Lawrence. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 50:07

Okay. Valerie, wow. So anyway, so they're there, and then they sing the song That's Rome again. Yeah. So reprise or reprise, however you want to pronounce it. And while they're singing, we get a montage of Andy getting them the gifts that they were ogling earlier. So he plays Wingman for Tina Yothers. He uh he gets Tootie's jacket, the pink jacket that she wanted. I mean, he's like just getting them all their stuff. Danny has like that fancy sports car. I mean, it's uh was it a Lamborghini? I don't know what it was.

SPEAKER_09 50:40

Had to have been. I mean, that's I think it was a nice looking car.

SPEAKER_06 50:44

It was a nice looking car. I it didn't look exactly like it because I know it's and I know it's not exactly like a Ferrari now that I'm thinking about it. Oh, it could have been.

SPEAKER_09 50:51

No, he's he mentions Lamborghini, I think.

SPEAKER_06 50:53

But it it reminded me, like, I got vibes of uh Michael Jackson's Moonwalker.

SPEAKER_09 50:58

The car in there. Yeah. So yeah.

SPEAKER_06 51:01

Like that's cool. I'd I'd take that.

SPEAKER_09 51:03

Yeah, and then Kim, like, she picks an outfit that looks like Carmen San Diego.

SPEAKER_06 51:07

Except pink.

SPEAKER_09 51:08

Except pink, yeah. Pink Carmen San Diego. She looks great in it, but that's what it looks like. Big old shoulder pads.

SPEAKER_07 51:16

Oh man. Yeah, I love the shoulder pads. And the world is duty from facts of life.

SPEAKER_09 51:23

Oh, we found her hiding on living single.

SPEAKER_06 51:31

Oh man. Then we get uh we're back at St. Peter's, and Andy Williams sings sings uh Gunos Ave Maria.

SPEAKER_09 52:03

Don't send this to my mom, she will tear up.

SPEAKER_06 52:05

The moment they've been waiting for. Oh, she likes that version?

SPEAKER_09 52:08

She likes every version.

SPEAKER_07 52:10

Oh, I got you. I try I wrote in my notes 46 minutes in, and we get the Ave Maria in this Easter special. Right.

unknown 52:16

I know.

SPEAKER_07 52:17

There's not that we don't even get a bunny. You know, like I mean, they did sing that Easter song earlier, but like that, there's just such a huge gulch of like, are we here to celebrate Easter?

SPEAKER_06 52:28

I well, that's what I'm saying. Like, at least throughout the East East. But they're just there at Easter. Yeah, they're just there during Easter time, I guess. But they finally get their audience with the Pope.

SPEAKER_10 52:38

To be in Rome at Easter time is in itself a remarkable experience. But to actually be granted an audience with His Holiness Pope John Paul II at the Vatican was truly more than we had imagined. It was a dream come true. Although he is the spiritual leader for millions of people throughout the world, we were greatly impressed by the loving care and attention he gave to each of us as individuals. We were inspired by his strength, by his gentleness. He greeted all the children warmly, and even accepted the handmade friendship bracelet from Joe.

SPEAKER_02 53:25

Children give these to each other. We make them sign peace and happiness.

SPEAKER_10 53:44

To be a part of this moving ceremony was something neither the children nor I shall ever forget.

SPEAKER_06 53:50

He greets the children and he accepts a handmade friendship bracelet from Joey Lawrence. And he looks like, what are you giving me here? Oh, wonderful. I'm never gonna wear this ever.

SPEAKER_07 54:04

Where is the holy threshold?

SPEAKER_09 54:07

I I I do have one question.

SPEAKER_06 54:10

Okay.

SPEAKER_09 54:10

Where is Kim? I don't see her meeting the Pope. I I thought it was a bad camera angle at first, and she might have been between Matt and Andy. I don't think she's there.

SPEAKER_06 54:23

Oh wow.

SPEAKER_09 54:24

What happened to Kim? Did she not want to meet the Pope?

SPEAKER_06 54:28

I don't know.

SPEAKER_09 54:28

I mean listen, I'm Baptist. I'll set this one out.

SPEAKER_06 54:35

She's like, I'll go be at the airport with Mindy Cohn. Just uh oh man.

SPEAKER_07 54:42

I had Pope for lunch, so I'm gonna I'm gonna I'm gonna nope out. I'm gonna say nope to the Pope. I'm still I'm still full. I can't. I'm full of Pope. I couldn't. Not another Pope bite.

SPEAKER_06 54:54

So then they're uh it's Easter Sunday, they're wearing their Easter vest. Joey gets another Italian chili dog. Gotta love it.

SPEAKER_09 55:02

They got their chili dogs.

SPEAKER_06 55:03

Yeah. And then they sing, Let there be peace on earth, and everybody joins in.

SPEAKER_07 55:31

The peace that was meant to so the choir that this song was first written for was started by two people. One of them had the first name Easter. Huh. Really? Yep. Their first name was Easter? Yep.

SPEAKER_06 55:52

Was their last name Bunny?

SPEAKER_07 55:54

I mean, it might have they might have pronounced it differently, but it's spelled Easter.

SPEAKER_09 55:58

Was she a Bond girl?

SPEAKER_07 56:02

Easter galore. Easter Beakley.

SPEAKER_09 56:05

Easter Beakley and you know what?

SPEAKER_07 56:07

They might be a Muppet now that I think about it. Uh and Arthur Granger of the Granger Dance Academy in Long Beach, California.

SPEAKER_06 56:16

Oh I thought you were gonna say of the like the Winchester Grangers.

SPEAKER_07 56:23

I was like, there's an Easter connection! I did it! We got one.

SPEAKER_06 56:28

But like they don't even sing like any of the classic Easter hymns like Jesus Christ is risen today or no, I'll be a Maria.

SPEAKER_09 56:36

I more associate with Christmas or weddings. Yeah, yeah, funerals, yeah. I guess so. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 56:43

Because I've sung it at both.

SPEAKER_09 56:44

They sang it on a Friday.

SPEAKER_06 56:47

No, that's true. Yeah, maybe there was Friday.

SPEAKER_09 56:49

Interesting during Let There Be Peace on Earth to watch each kid sing their part of the song with Andy. You've got Tina and Danny both kind of looking off in the distance during their parts. You got Kim looks directly at Andy like she understands this part is a duet. And then you have Joey and Matt just trained right from the get-go to look right into the camera, right into your soul. They're singing to us.

SPEAKER_06 57:14

Play into the back of the theater.

SPEAKER_09 57:16

Yes.

SPEAKER_07 57:17

Oh, I also found out this song is uh has become like one of the songs that Christmas has sort of glommed onto and made its own. So it's hilarious that in this Easter special, a pseudo-Christmas song.

unknown 57:28

Okay.

SPEAKER_06 57:29

Yeah, that that was I I planned that. Yeah, that's right.

unknown 57:33

Good job.

SPEAKER_06 57:34

No, I had no idea. But when they're done, we get our final commercial break. Campbell's vegetable soup with the couple that's working out, and they're getting all their vegetables, so maybe they don't have to work out anymore.

SPEAKER_07 57:46

I didn't know. Yeah, she's like, if you eat this soup, we don't have to do sit-ups. I'm like, is that a thing?

SPEAKER_06 57:50

No, like we get the McDonald's, the new kid commercial, which I did remember.

SPEAKER_07 57:58

Oh, yeah. This is the most well-staffed McDonald's in the history of McDonald's. Yes, it is.

SPEAKER_06 58:05

It's true, but also I feel like nowadays, you know, you order everything on the kiosks, and so yeah, it's everything seems uh a lot more staffed compared to that.

SPEAKER_07 58:14

True, true. They've cut things to the bone with but like so. If you don't know this commercial, that they hire this old guy's his first day at McDonald's, and there's like four people talking about him like on camera. And meanwhile, like there's three or four other people in the background of the shot, and then he shows up. I'm like, how many people are working? How long how many people does it take to make this egg McMuffin?

SPEAKER_06 58:35

Oh, wait, I've heard this joke.

SPEAKER_09 58:37

It's no I happen to live near the world's largest McDonald's, which is in Orlando, Florida. I don't think they have that many people on staff. And this is for the breakfast shift, you're right.

SPEAKER_07 58:54

Can you imagine lunch and dinner? Oh my goodness. And I feel like McDonald's breakfast was fairly new back then, so probably wasn't even as popular at you know that it would be. I won't want to say now because I guess the popularity is waning, but like at its height, it this couldn't have been it. So people are like, is McDonald's open this early? I don't know. Well, don't worry, there's 37 employees waiting for you. For real.

SPEAKER_06 59:16

Oh man.

SPEAKER_07 59:17

I can't find a parking spot. It's all employees.

SPEAKER_06 59:23

They had to park at the Walmart across the street.

SPEAKER_07 59:27

Which ironically has just one person working there, just frazzled. Sure.

SPEAKER_06 59:32

But we get uh promos for Rags to Riches, Bob Hope's Easter special, This Is Your Life, Easter, and then some baseball games.

SPEAKER_09 59:41

This was my favorite commercial. They and they're teasing a couple of nationally televised baseball games, but instead of showing, you know, shots of the baseball team, they show like just scenes of people sitting down to watch the ball game in the living room. But make it super 80s family vibe. Like the father and son are tossing a ball back and forth in their living room in front of the television. That's a terrible idea.

SPEAKER_06 1:00:05

They watch the room, you know. Oh, hi, Mark.

SPEAKER_09 1:00:10

Uh then you got a mom showing her daughter how to hold the ball when you're pitching. Again, living room in front of the TV, not the place for this activity. You have this couple on the couch, the girl's got a bowl of popcorn, and the guy does the move where he stretches like he's yawning, and he tries to put his arm around her, and then she looks at him like, What are you doing? Yes, and then coming to adjust and she's like, mm-mm. I laughed so hard because that's how they end the commercial. Just because we're like, Whoa, what's happening here? Don't have to touch me. And it's all soft piano music and this calm voiceover, and American tradition continues, and then whoa, hey, don't touch me.

SPEAKER_06 1:00:50

The actor was like, I'm gonna try something this take. Just go with it, just go with it. She's like, No.

SPEAKER_09 1:00:59

You gotta go.

SPEAKER_06 1:01:00

But Andy takes us out, and that's the special. So, you know, I it does make me wonder if you could be in this special, who would you be?

SPEAKER_09 1:01:10

Oh man. Topo Gizio sleep through most of it.

SPEAKER_07 1:01:16

I was gonna say it's good. I mean, if I was the age I was when this special was aired, I would be one of the guys Teeny Others is trying to hit on.

SPEAKER_09 1:01:26

Oh, let's see, 1987, I think.

SPEAKER_07 1:01:30

So you were what?

SPEAKER_09 1:01:31

I think I'm I'm I'm thinking right around Matthew Lawrence's age now thinking about it. So I think like either I'm a few months older or he is.

SPEAKER_07 1:01:40

Oh wow. Yeah. Yeah, it would have just turned 10 a month ago.

unknown 1:01:44

Okay.

SPEAKER_06 1:01:44

Oh, okay. Cool. Yeah, I mean, I was thinking about it, and I think I'd want to be like the singer from that Italian band at the restaurant.

unknown 1:01:56

Nice.

SPEAKER_06 1:01:56

He looked like he was having fun.

SPEAKER_08 1:01:58

He's the happiest person in this special.

SPEAKER_06 1:02:00

That's right. He's like, oh, I sing it. Well, no, I'm not gonna do that. I was gonna do something. I'm not gonna. Alright. What would you say, since none of us have any history with this, what would you say is your hap, hap happiest moment in the special?

SPEAKER_07 1:02:19

This may this was my first big laugh. When they're they're they we first meet, we're first actually talking with the kids, they're all sitting around the table after they after Mario has driven them all around. Right. And Andy's like, Oh, I'm surprised you guys are all so bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. I'm like, what did you expect us to be jet lagged? Which leads to the question did they go straight from the plane to the cathedral to Mario to hear? But then Tina Yother says, Yeah, we're youth. We're young, alive, and ready for adventure. I was like, I was a youth at that time. We've never described ourselves as such. We are youth, Tina youthers. But it made me laugh so hard, and it was so early in the special. I'm like, oh, this special's gonna be great.

SPEAKER_06 1:03:10

And then you saw the rest of it.

SPEAKER_07 1:03:12

It was fine, but it didn't have that level of insanity. It was like we are youth.

SPEAKER_06 1:03:16

I know. I missed I really it made me want to go watch the Christmas one again, honestly. That one was bummed.

SPEAKER_09 1:03:23

Yeah, that one was just now when places. No, my favorite part of this was probably the commercials.

SPEAKER_06 1:03:28

I think you're right.

SPEAKER_09 1:03:29

Uh but it was fun remembering my own Easter in Rome. It brought back memories that I haven't really revisited for a long time, so that was fun. Wish I could find my photo album, but I'm glad I found the one picture of me.

SPEAKER_06 1:03:40

Yeah, that's cool. Yeah, I mean, I liked when the Pope came out and he got the bracelet.

SPEAKER_09 1:03:45

Yeah, that's great. He's buried with it.

SPEAKER_06 1:03:50

Oh man. But now we come to my favorite part of the show, which is a little segment I call Gag Me with the Spoon, where we do our best impression of our least favorite part of this uh special here. As a guest, I'll let you go first and just kind of set up the scene for us. And whoever wants to go first is fine.

SPEAKER_09 1:04:08

Okay, so when Andy leads them to his gifts for them, he says, Let's see if any of your wishes came true. And Joey Lawrence in his little Philly accent says, I gotta I gotta bring out my Philly accent. I sure hope so, Andy. With all those coins we threw in the fountain, we must have raised the water level about a foot. And that just that took me back. I'm just like, oh, I remember Joey Lawrence talks like that. He's got the same accent as me.

SPEAKER_07 1:04:41

That's great. So when Andy Williams is talking to Topo Gijo and he's trying to introduce himself, like he's trying to say who he is, and he says, I'm Andy Williams from America, and Topo Gijo's like, Oh, that's a really long name. And then Andy says, Just call me Andy. Can you say that? You already said this, but Topo Gijo goes, yes, that's the third over-the-top dat that really Oh, yeah, that sounds it.

SPEAKER_06 1:05:12

That made me laugh. Yeah. I actually went with uh Matt Lawrence line when uh they're talking about all the statues, like there's so many statues, and he says, That's why all the pigeons come here. I was like, oh no, oh no. Yeah, all right. You're right. There was a lot of funny ones, and I just yeah, that's fine. Uh, but you know, G.I. Joe taught us that no one is half the battle. What do you guys think is the other half?

SPEAKER_09 1:05:38

Chili dogs. Or I don't know, making sure your entire party is present and accounted for when you're meeting the Pope. For sure.

SPEAKER_07 1:05:50

I know it's not Easter. Right. So the other half is vaguely Italian.

SPEAKER_06 1:06:05

Ice cream discos. No, I think if uh no one's half the battle, the other half is just having a plot to your special would have solved a lot of problems. Guys, this has been a lot of fun. Yes, sir. Tell me about your shows, anything else you got coming up. Let's start with you, Tim.

SPEAKER_07 1:06:21

Oh, the Can't Wait for Christmas podcast is available at Can't WaitforChristmaspod.com, man. These two guys are going to be on my November Muppet Vember episode. So plenty of time to mark your calendar. Uh, we're gonna be talking about a Christmas toy. They've both done episodes on it. So if you want to hear both of them talk about it again on a slightly worse show, you're in luck this November.

SPEAKER_06 1:06:46

No, no, mine is definitely the worst out of all of all of them. Mike?

SPEAKER_09 1:06:52

AdventCalendar House is at adventcalendar.house, and from there you can find everywhere I currently wish to be found.

SPEAKER_06 1:07:01

Right on. Getting ready for your new season coming up.

SPEAKER_09 1:07:04

Eventually, yeah. I've got a lot of work to do on it, but we'll get there.

SPEAKER_06 1:07:10

I understand. I understand. I haven't recorded anything. This is the first recording in a long time because I was just worried about these rattties. So now that it's done, I can start recording.

SPEAKER_09 1:07:20

We had to exercise the demons. This house is clear now.

SPEAKER_06 1:07:24

That's right. Oh well, it was great seeing you guys again. Great talking with you. I'm gonna find something else, Muppets or Sesame Street, or something fun for us to cover because it's always a blast when we do. Or Disney, I don't know. But uh in the meantime, thanks again.

SPEAKER_09 1:07:39

Thank you.

SPEAKER_06 1:07:40

Yeah, yeah, thank you for having me. And I'm gonna end it with it's called the Eternal City, and the spirit that has been generated over the centuries continues to check us out on our social media pages, which you can find at linktree.com slash totally rad Christmas. And if you're feeling like Joey eating chili dogs in Rome, leave us a review on iTunes. It helps us reach more people and spread some rad holiday cheer. Now don't forget to check out our merch shop on Tpublic.com and our super dope website, totally radchmas.com. May we wish you the joys of the Easter season and the happiness that comes with spring. Later, dudes. Whoa!

SPEAKER_10 1:08:14

Good night, everybody.

SPEAKER_04 1:08:19

Tomorrow night, don't miss the comedy and adventure of a Saturday night on NBC, starting with Facts of Life, and see the new family comedy for the 80s that shows you how to cope. Sweet surrender, premiering after facts of life. Then on the Golden Girl, Dorothy's old college roommate comes for a visit, and she falls in love with Rose, followed by me and Mrs. COVID.