It Seemed Like a Bad Idea at the Time

Comedy writer and two-time Emmy winner Vilanch has written for every major awards show and has hosted television shows, movies, and theater. Here, he looks at some notorious productions he was involved with and those that beg the question, “How on earth did this ever get made?” The generation that grew up with television limited to only a few networks may remember these, and newer generations might have discovered them on YouTube. Notable Vilanch productions include star-studded variety specials/camp fests such as the “The Star Wars Holiday Special,” “The Paul Lynde Halloween Special,” and the short-lived TV series The Brady Bunch Hour. Vilanch later worked for 25 years as a writer for the Academy Awards, and he relates the story of his first show. This infamous 1989 broadcast opened with a 12-minute musical number starring Snow White and Rob Lowe, which was the brainchild of producer Allan Carr. He also discusses his involvement in the ill-fated Broadway musical Platinum with Alexis Smith, and several motion pictures, including the Village People disco musical Can’t Stop the Music and a tongue-in-cheek Star Wars knockoff Ice Pirates.