Late Night

I have often found myself left of center. This trend has been true on the television schedule, and was never more apparent than the two years I spent watching "Fridays" on ABC. If you are unfamiliar with the two-year run of this "Saturday Night Live" knockoff, you have my permission to take the next several minutes to find episodes streaming on Al Gore's Internet. Having seen them all, I will wait here patiently while you amend your own viewing habits.
If you made it to this line, you have either taken my advice to soak up all that clever comedy that was "Fridays" back in the early 1980's, or you are happy to take my word for the witty chaos that took place on late night television a full twenty-four hours before the Not Ready For Prime Time Players hit the stage. Except the folks at ABC didn't get their show on the air until 1980. They were already a few years behind in their anarchy. They were in second place, so they tried harder. Sometimes too hard.
But it also included talents such as Michael Richards and Larry David of "Seinfeld" fame. Then there were favorites of mine: Rich Hall, Mark Blankfield, and Bruce Mahler. And I confess to having a crush on the anchor of their faux news segment, Melanie Chartoff. Then there was the fact that, since it was taped in Los Angeles, they had access to a wealth of musical talent that might not necessarily find its way across the country to the hallowed halls of 30 Rock. The 1982 appearance of Devo cemented my allegiance to this awkward offshoot of the late-night tree. Then the American Broadcasting Company decided that Ted Koppel's "Nightline" needed to be on five nights a week. "Nightline" has outlived Ted Koppel, who was nowhere near as cute as Melanie Chartoff, and continues to run.
Meanwhile, I continue to search out clips and snippets online, waiting for a "Fridays" renaissance or DVD release. And going to bed early on Friday.