Lost on Earth - Sitcoms Online Photo Galleries

Lost on Earth aired from January until April 1997 on The USA Network.

Aliens landed on earth once again, only to get stuck in another dumb sitcom in this short-lived Saturday night entry.David ( Tim Conlon) was a failed newscaster on station KTEE-TV who had been demoted to hosting a kids' puppet show by tyrannical station manager George Greckin ( Paul Gleason). Taken aback when the grotesque puppets began talking to him-and only him-he soon discovered that they were irritable aliens from an unpronounceable planet who had mistakenly morphed into puppet form while watching the Muppets. Now they wanted to get home.Smarmy , self-centered David, thinking they might help jump-start his career agreed to keep their secret. Sherry ( Stacy Galina) was Greckin's uptight daughter and second-in-command, who bossed david around but secretly wanted to undress him, and Nick ( Victor Togunde)was David's addlebrained pal. The gross, foul-mouthed puppets were grouchy, armless Ahab ( voice of Kevin Carlson), sexy Angela ( Terri N. Hardin), horny Bram ( Sandy Grinn), corpulent Cubby ( Carl Johnson), homesick Raleigh ( Drew Massey), and cross-eyed Phillipe ( Peter McCowatt), the ostensible leader.

A Review from The LA Times

TV REVIEWS
January 04, 1997|STEVEN LINAN

USA Network, cable's home to sitcom veterans "Duckman" and "Weird Science," introduces two new comedies this weekend that are neither ducky nor scientific. Unfortunately, they are merely dim and dumb.

The first is "Lost on Earth," a mirthless half-hour starring Tim Conlon, a star of Fox's short-lived "Wild Oats." Conlon plays David Rudy, an Albuquerque TV reporter whose on-air gaffe with a chimpanzee (don't ask) results in a demotion leveled by his stern, ratings-conscious boss (Paul Gleason).

David, who is sleeping with the boss' daughter (Stacy Galina), avoids dismissal by agreeing to anchor a show featuring a gaggle of grotesque puppets.

While bemoaning his fate, the sarcastic David discovers these garish pieces of foam are actually aliens who were stranded here while exploring the universe. And how does he know that? Why, they can talk, of course.

More's the pity since little that comes out of their mouths is either clever or funny.

Too silly for adults and too coarse for kids, "Earth" is a lost cause.

Equally unrewarding is "Claude's Crib," an interracial "Friends" about a hip-hop landlord balancing the demands of his twentysomething boarders and hectic personal life.

Claude Brooks is the African American star, creator and co-producer of this clunky comedy set in a two-story house that was inherited from his character's deceased grandmother.

One of the tenants is a hapless white guy (Matt Champagne) who never dates. Another is a slothful Asian (James Wong) who likes to eat, watch TV and roller-blade while waiting for rent checks from the Far East.

In the opener, two women--a naive Midwesterner (Jennifer Aspen) and a headstrong aerobics instructor (Tembi Locke)--contend with Claude's sexist attitude while applying for a room.

Those who relish smart, sophisticated dialogue are advised to go elsewhere. At one point, for example, the Asian Des tells Claude, "If I wanted a job, I'd still be in Taiwan making clothes for Kathie Lee Gifford."

And if I wanted a snooze, I'd still be watching this show.

* "Lost on Earth" premieres tonight at 7 and "Claude's Crib" premieres Sunday at 7 p.m., both on USA Network.

Here is Paul Gleason's Obituary from The New York Times

Paul Gleason, 67, 'Breakfast Club' Actor, Is Dead

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: May 29, 2006

BURBANK, Calif., May 28 (AP) — Paul Gleason, who played the go-to bad guy in "Trading Places" and the angry high school principal in "The Breakfast Club," died here on Saturday. He was 67.

The cause was mesothelioma, a rare form of lung cancer linked to asbestos, said his wife, Susan Gleason.

A native of Miami, Mr. Gleason was an avid athlete. In the late 1950's, before becoming an actor, he played minor league baseball for a handful of clubs at the Triple A level.

Mr. Gleason honed his acting skills with his mentor, Lee Strasberg, with whom he studied at the Actors Studio beginning in the mid-1960's, family members said.

He appeared in more than 60 movies, including "Die Hard," "Johnny Be Good" and "National Lampoon's Van Wilder." His "Breakfast Club" role in 1985 was memorable enough that 16 years later he was able to lampoon it in "Not Another Teen Movie."

Mr. Gleason also made numerous television appearances, with his credits including "Friends" and "Seinfeld."

His passions, however, went beyond acting. He had recently published a book of poetry.

Mr. Gleason is survived by his wife, two daughters and a granddaughter.

For more on Lost on Earth go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_on_Earth