Way back in 1980, some network execs at NBC were trying to cash in on a then current fad for all things Japanese. These guys, who fancied themselves the smartest guys in any room, came up with a variety show idea, with the hosts to be a singing duo at the top of the charts in Japan known as Pink Lady. Here is a sample of there act:
The one thing the network geniuses didn't account for was the fact neither of the Pink Lady singers could speak a word of English. To get around the problem, they hired a standup comedian, Jeff Altman, to co-host and serve as a sort of 'interpreter' for the girls, all in spite of the fact Altmn knew no Japanese. The girls had to learn their lines phonetically; because of this fact, ad-libs were not possible nor any other deviation or alteration of the scripted dialogue. The result was a program where the Japanese hosts tended to look dazed and confused most of the time and the US co-host gamely tried to make the whole mess look at all natural. Th show only lasted 5 weeks and was cancelled; it has also been deemed one of the worst, if not the worst, network TV shows in history...
Here's how the show typically ended, with a hot tub scene (the network guys were all about getting the girls into bikinis), with the participation of Hugh Hefner and a few Playmates...
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