There has never been a man like Nielsen, someone who could convey so much just by pausing for a second and saying "Well." The world lost a good man today. RIP
So, basically, an angry ex-employee with the last name "Twice" showed up and shot the teller (Jim Johnson) two times. Apparently the shooter was angry because the owner, a guy named "Once" fired him from his job. The receptionist (being interviewed) then pulled out her own gun and shot the shooter (Twice), but she only shot him once. It was especially sad because the victim, Jim Johnson, was only at work that day because the normal guy, Jim Fell, was out with the flu.
@@Achilles94627 Phil din was only the night watchmen so wasnt actually there. It was Jim johnson who (filled in) for jim fell. Howy also wasnt there and could not have done it as he had not shown up for weeks.
@@randysavage1997 If you watch Airplane! there's a lot of jokes like this where a person asks something and the other takes it literally and answers him. this is the same, he said cigarette? meaning u want one? and she answered as though he said "is this a cigarette" or "have you a cigarette?"
It’s played so straight, everyone dead serious. Nobody breaks a smile or has a twinkle in their eye. Incredible writing, incredible performances. It’s so funny and there were only six episodes. Perfection.
Each episode was expensive to make and the tv execs probably felt that the viewing figures didn't justify the production costs. On a separate note,the makers would have been hard pressed to sustain the quality after two seasons.
They already seemed to be running out of material as it was. Episode 6 re-uses the exact same midget officer gag and I think some other recycled material as well.
It was canceled because it was way too clever for the time. Just imagine having to pay full attention in a shit 13" TV Screen and without having the option to rewind and watch again in case you missed a joke. Was just impossible.The show was canceled because it was way too good. Leslie Nielsen even said this, that it was canceled because people need to pay attention... Right now is the best time to have a show like this but still none.
My first boss used to actually call everyone Shirley for no reason. But he had never seen Airplane, so when I said to him in a deadpan voice "don't call me Shirley", he thought I was just complaining.
Just when you think it's over..."Weeks?" says Frank. "Saul Weeks, Frank. He's the comptroller". Un-freakin-believable! It's a lesson in how to cram as many puns into a two minute conversation and it still actually be a two minute conversation.
Leslie said on an interview they (ABC) cancelled the show because you have to watch it. In a tv show, you only pay attention to the funny parts, and that's why a laugh track is included on its production.
Since Naked Gun and Airplane were huge hits at the box office, I would say it has a lot more to do with idiotic TV executives not appreciating what they had. Not everything is about how smarter you are than everybody, the jokes in this show aren't exactly hard to figure out
@@neilhands1708 There is definitely something to be said for not overstaying your welcome. When you think about what we got, it's essentially a 9 or 10 hour long Naked Gun movie... not even sure if they could have had enough gags to keep it working over a 26 episode season. Burned bright, but I don't think it was ever meant to burn for very long.
I remember when this show debuted in the summer of '82...one of the few times with a TV series that I made it a point to be home so I didn't miss it...a masterpiece! Recorded it on my BetaMax VCR and when the tapes broke down, couldn't wait for it appear on VHS or the later DVD's. To this day, I can be talking about someone and I'll throw in they "ran him in out of town like a common pygmy." You want to binge watch something and then have your stomach hurt from laughing so much, watch "Airplane," then "Police Squad" and all three of the "Naked Gun" movies.
I love these old vaudeville style word play scenes. Whether you find them funny or not, you have to admire the skills of the actors who run through these scenes. Not many people had the talent that Leslie Nielsen had in playing these roles; he was funny by being serious and not by breaking the fourth wall (though I do enjoy a good wall break).
After reading my comment and the replies, I realize I wasn't fully clear in what I was saying. I was referring to the lack of 4th wall break in this scene.
These are the same guy's that wrote.. "He's in the hospital" "The hospital! What is it?" "It's a big building with patients. But that's not important right now". Lmmao
Don't forget the black & white. A zebra with a red police light strapped to it's head. Or when he has a couple of officers "run her in" where they take her to a starting line in the street & another officer fires his gun into the air & they literally run her in.
Found out about this show as a kid, but years after watching movies like Airplane and Naked Gun, to this day, it still surprises me they buried it 6 episodes in, never to return. After so many years, it holds so well.
@Jay Denney And Solo shot First. But not solo because Han and Chewbacca were at the cantina first and Chewie also shot Twice first and then shot Twice's friend Once twice.
Your comment implies that laugh tracks are a modern thing and old shows didn’t require them. The opposite is true. They were used far more in the past than today.
It's amazing that just by watching a couple minutes of these clips how the mind works. When they walk up to the secretary and the first guy says "This is Sally Decker, Frank" I immediately thought he'd just slug her and as she's getting up say "Sorry Sally, but we're in a bit of a hurry. First off, what's your last name?" Then they tell her to go to the station later for a formal statement, I was shocked they didn't add "Just a simple black dress with maybe a nice string of pearls should be sufficient".
I know that some proponents of multiverse theory believe in an infinite number of universes in which every possibility - and I mean EVERY possibility exists simultaneously, but I cannot believe that a universe exists in which this is not funny.
RIP Leslie Nielsen! Thanks for all of the laughs! (BTW, Sally is played by Kathryn Leigh Scott, who played Maggie Evans and Josette DuPres on Dark Shadows.)
Okay let me get this straight; Jim Johnson is the Teller who was shot by Twice the holdup man who was fired by Once at the Tire Company. Jim was filling in for Jim Fel who was out sick and Fil Din was supposed to be on watch as the the night watchman but was also out sick. This Howey fella has been out for weeks with a sickness and the Controller of the bank Saul Weaks isn't too happy that Howey gave both Jim and Fel the sickness. So that's why Jim was in and got shot twice.
I like the kidnapping episode when he tells frank "The ransom note was tied to this window & thrown into the rock garden" I had to explain the joke to my teenage nephews.
Bob: When texting someone a question do you bother adding the question mark? Mark: bother adding the what? Bob: the question mark. Mark: Yes I'm trying to answer it. Bob: so do you add the question mark? Mark: add what you're not finishing your thought...
The genius of this entire scene is every new word that gets added to the scene is an actual person involved in the incident. I cannot remember if type of dialog was ever used any future type of sight gag movie.
Airplane was a remake/spoof of the 1957 movie Zero Hour. Police Squad is a remake/spoof of the 1957 to 1960 TV series M Squad, which starred Lee Marvin.
Leslie Nielsen was so good! How he kept up with that dialogue, I'll never know. But he was damn funny for sure. And he was a good actor. Surely he's smiling down on us and watching us enjoy his life's work.
If you think it's unlikely for people called Once and Twice to be working for the same company, I once worked at a firm where two of the staff were Miss Wan and Mr Tu. We so wanted them to get married and hyphenate their last names.
Mr. Nielsen is a loss to the world. He was not only good in the comedy & acting sense, but from all accounts a genuine nice gentleman. Mr. Nielsen you are missed. 10 years gone by now, RIP good sir.
Ed: This is Sally Decker, Frank. Drebin: Hello, Ms. Decker. Sally: Hello. Drebin: I’m Detective Frank Drebin. I understand you’ve had a pretty rough time. Sally: Yeah, it was pretty bad. Drebin: Cigarettes? Sally: Yes, I know. Drebin: Well … Do you feel like doing any questions? Sally: I will try. Drebin: Where were you when all this happened? Sally: I was right here at my desk working. Drebin: When was the first time you noticed something was wrong? Sally: When I first heard the shot, as I turned, Jim fell. Ed: He’s the teller, Frank. Drebin: Jim Fell is the teller? Sally: No, Jim Johnson. Drebin: Who’s Jim Fell? Ed: He’s the auditor, Frank. Sally: He had the flu so Jim filled in. Drebin: Phil who? Ed: Phil Din. He’s the night watchman. Sally: [unintelligible] (crying) Drebin: Wait a minute, let me get this straight: Twice came in and shot the teller and Jim Fell. Sally: No, he only shot the teller, Jim Johnson. Fell is ill. Drebin: Okay, then after he shot the teller, you shot Twice. Sally: No, I only shot once. Ed: Twice is the hold up man. Sally: Then I guess I did shoot Twice. Drebin: Oh, so now you're changing your story. Sally: No, I shot Twice after Jim fell. Drebin: You shot twice and Jim Fell? Sally: No, Jim fell first and then I shot Twice once. Drebin: Well, who fired twice? Sally: Once! Ed: He's the owner of the tire company, Frank. Drebin: [pauses] Okay. Once is the owner of the tire company and he fired Twice. Then Twice shot the teller once. Sally: Twice. Drebin: ...and Jim fell and then you fired Twice. Sally: Once! Drebin: Okay. All right, that will be all for now, Ms. Decker. Ed: We'll need you to make a formal statement down at the station. Sally: Oh, of course! Drebin: You've been very helpful. We think we know how he did it. Sally: Oh, Howie couldn't have done it. He hasn't been in for weeks. Drebin: Well. [pauses] Thank you again, Ms. Decker. [to Ed] Weeks? Ed: Saul Weeks. He's the comptroller, Frank.
No matter how the younger generation tries - they can’t produce these masterpieces. Nowadays writers/directors/actors don’t get selected based on talent. They get selected based on the cards they hold (race/sex/religion etc) - we will never have quality anything anymore so enjoy these old time classics
This scene and the similarly themed courtroom witness scene from Airplane 2 are always a joy to see. The pacing and constant misunderstanding turning to assumed understanding are like a comedy machine gun. Wonderful stuff. :)
I didnt know they were on there, I ditched audible because its so expensive, especially when autobiographies are read by someone else... I think I'll get back on it for a while, I'd enjoy listening to this.
It was canceled prematurely due to the network's own concerns that audiences wouldn't get it. That was more on the network not giving the show a proper shake. It went on to become a cult favorite in reruns, and then spawned the successful Naked Gun movies so I would say Americans did appreciate it.