Obtuse titles

[bpatrick]

We may have done this one before, but since we're
on the subject of titles, how about some that don't
seem to make any sense? For instance:

"Dundee And The Culhane": how did he come by the
name "The Culhane?" (BTW, he is not one of the
Culhanes from "Hee Haw"--this is a short-lived 1967
CBS Western.)

"The Lazarus Syndrome": this doctor show tried to do
what "St. Elsewhere" succeeded in doing: puncturing the
myth that doctors can bring patients back from the point
of death (like Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead).

"No Soap, Radio": never knew what this meant, although
I think it was explained somewhere on this site

"You Bet Your Life": I never did get the meaning of the title
of Groucho's show until I read Bob Dwan's memoir "As Long
As They're Laughing." The title refers to the fact that in
the show's early years contestants were given $20 and could
bet as much as they wanted on each of four questions. Those
shows were not included in the "Best Of Groucho" package, so
it's only been in about the last 20 years that I've heard some
of those early shows from radio and the 1950-53 television years.

Others?

 

[azumanga]

"No Soap, Radio": never knew what this meant, although
I think it was explained somewhere on this site

Wikipedia to the rescue:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Soap,_Radio

"You Bet Your Life": I never did get the meaning of the title
of Groucho's show until I read Bob Dwan's memoir "As Long
As They're Laughing." The title refers to the fact that in
the show's early years contestants were given $20 and could
bet as much as they wanted on each of four questions.

Though it still doesn't quite explain the aspect of betting your "life".

 

[easttxtv]

How about

Wednesday 9:30 (8:30 Central)

for lame-o, wacky, lazy naming!!

For the non-believers: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0306220/

I never saw it (came and went in 2002), but from the IMDb reactions, it was good I didn't waste my time.

 

[oldiesfan6479]

Wednesday 9:30 (8:30 Central)

Back in the 1960s, the title would have been:

Wednesday 9:30 (8:30 Central)...7:30 Mountain...or 8:30 Mountain...
or 9:30 Mountain...or Saturday at 5:00 Mountain ;D

 

[onairb]

"No Soap, Radio": never knew what this meant, although
I think it was explained somewhere on this site

Wikipedia to the rescue:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Soap,_Radio

"You Bet Your Life": I never did get the meaning of the title
of Groucho's show until I read Bob Dwan's memoir "As Long
As They're Laughing." The title refers to the fact that in
the show's early years contestants were given $20 and could
bet as much as they wanted on each of four questions.

Though it still doesn't quite explain the aspect of betting your "life".

Network exec 1: 'Got a great title for Groucho's show:
'You Can Bet Anything, Up To and Including Your Life...OK, Not Really.'
Network Exec 2: 'Too long for a TV GUIDE listing; got a shorter title?'
Exec 1: 'Who's Buried in Grant's Tomb?'

 

[azumanga]

How about

Wednesday 9:30 (8:30 Central)

for lame-o, wacky, lazy naming!!

And it lasted only 5 episodes, with 7 remaining unseen in the US. In fact, it was put on hiatus during sweeps after two episodes, with three more episodes seen before it was cancelled. But after sweeps, it got a new time slot -- because of that, they had to rename the show "My Adventures in Television", as "Wednesday 9:30 (8:30 Central)" was no longer seen at [read the title again].

 

[Stanislav]

You can cross the Atlantic for one of the most obtuse, non-sequitur titles ever: Monty Python's Flying Circus. There's no one named "Monty Python," no pythons, and no clowns, acrobats, or trained bears in sight (just exploding penguins). I'm sure there are still neophytes viewing the show for the first time, wondering, "So, which one is Monty?"

Of course, given the creators involved, and the British affinity for absurdity, one could hardly have expected a straightforward, descriptive title. In fact, I once read an article about the show in which they listed several dozen titles that were under consideration; a handful being variations on the final product, but others even more "out there." (The one that sticks in my mind was "Owl Stretching Time.") :

 

[azumanga]

You can cross the Atlantic for one of the most obtuse, non-sequitur titles ever: Monty Python's Flying Circus. There's no one named "Monty Python," no pythons, and no clowns, acrobats, or trained bears in sight (just exploding penguins).

Or even air shows, which is what the term "flying circus" meant.

 

[ixnay]

You can cross the Atlantic for one of the most obtuse, non-sequitur titles ever: Monty Python's Flying Circus. There's no one named "Monty Python," no pythons, and no clowns, acrobats, or trained bears in sight (just exploding penguins).

Or even air shows, which is what the term "flying circus" meant.

Wasn't "Flying Circus" the name of the Red Baron's squadron? Maybe Snoopy can confirm.

Speaking of things Culhane... there's a Culhane Street in my birthplace, Chester, PA.

ixnay

 

[bpatrick]

"Petticoat Junction": the only explanation anyone's
ever come up with for this title is that the Bradley
girls have their petticoats hanging over the side of
the water tank while they're bathing in the show's
opening.

 

[firepoint525]

The game show called "Whew!" If you use your larynx when pronouncing that show's name, you are saying it wrong! Just exhale, and (almost) whistle the show's title.

So you can have laryngitis, even be under a doctor's orders NOT to talk, and still be able to pronounce the name of this game show! ;D

 

[rhead]

While not exactly a classic TV show...

I would say the anime series Bleach, which currently airs on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim on Saturday nights, qualifies as a show with an obtuse title.

The plot is a little complex to explain here, but it has absolutely nothing to do with laundry products! ;D But seriously, there's no real explanation as to how the title is in any way relevant to the plot of the series.

Some Bleach related web pages, for those not familiar:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0434665/
http://www.adultswim.com/shows/bleach/index.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bleach_(manga)

 

[azumanga]

The game show called "Whew!" If you use your larynx when pronouncing that show's name, you are saying it wrong! Just exhale, and (almost) whistle the show's title.

Which was why host Tom Kennedy always introduced the program as "our show", with any Whew-ing left up to a pre-recorded sound effect.

Though of course, when doing the ticket plug for the show, announcer Rod Roddy had to do the "Whew" sound himself.