TV stars who had badmouthed their own shows...

[BobSacamano]

Many SNL alumni had negative things to say about their time with the show,..mostably Janene Garafalo and Harry Shearer (Neither of whom I find very funny)..John Belushi also seemed to have a Love/Hate relationship with SNL too...although if read the book "Wired" he seems to have many difficult relationships..

 

[Mark Giardina]

George Reeves rarely badmouthed "Superman," but Jack Larson recalls the day, during a break, when Reeves was talking about his critically-acclaimed performance in 1943's "So Proudly We Hail!" and how producer Mark Sandrich (father of sitcom producer Jay Sandrich) had big plans to make him a star. But then Reeves was drafted, and while he was in the Army, Sandrich died. "If Mark Sandrich had lived, I wouldn't be wearing this monkey suit (the Superman costume)." But, as I said, that was rare behavior for Reeves, who was more concerned with kids believing the show and doing things like jumping out of windows in attempts to fly and breaking bones.

If one reads the books written about George Reeves there is such an irony there. Reeves, like many actors of his generation, never understood the impact television would have when it came to reaching a large audience. He always felt being on TV was the death knell for an actor's career. Imagine what would have happened had Reeves not taken the role of Superman?

The irony is had Reeves not killed himself, or was killed, in 1959, and lived say another 30 years ( he was just 45 when he died) I am certain that his career would have seen a rebirth either on another TV series or in the movies. Reeves always wanted the respect of adults when it came to his career. So here we are, the adults, who were the kids in the 50s.

 

[bpatrick]

And I find it interesting that I've never known a game-show host
(well, maybe Groucho, but as I said, it's hard to know when he was
serious and when he wasn't) to complain about the show he or she
was doing; somehow you'd expect Bob Barker to say, "Here I am,
a grown man, with these silly people on 'Truth Or Consequences' or
'The Price Is Right'." His predecessor on "T or C", Jack Bailey, came
close when he said, "Dishing out the truth was OK, it was the consequences
I didn't like." But I should talk; I'd like to be a game-show host myself; I
lack three things: looks, a voice, and an extroverted personality.

...if you believe that E! True Hollywood Story episode from several years ago, Richard Dawson (and to lesser extent, Ray Combs) had conflicts with Family Feud's production staff, particularly producer/executive producer Howard Felsher. Felsher didn't hold back his disdain for Dawson, and didn't exactly heap praise on Combs either (or Louie Anderson, as he just left the show shortly after this THS episode was produced). Anderson, at least during his last two years hosting Feud, wasn't exactly enamored with the show either, and predicted the show would be canceled soon; well...it's been several years since the proclamation, and it's still on.

I understand that Ray Combs walked away after his last show without telling anyone goodbye. As for the Dawson/Felsher thing, I don't know all the details, but I know that they occasionally got into on-air arguments about the correctness of some of the answers; I remember one day when a family gave an answer that was synonymous with, but not exactly, one that was on the board. Felsher called it wrong; Dawson thought he should have given it to them and said, "Either they'll be back on this show tomorrow or I won't." (Perhaps Felsher was trying to atone for his role in the rigging of the original "Tic Tac Dough" in the '50s and was going to be scrupulously honest, but that's just conjecture on my part.) I remember a 1984 TV Guide article about game shows in which some of Dawson's peers said his ego was out of control; he was getting people fired for no apparent reason. Also, Dawson wasn't afraid to speak his mind; remember his crack about Henry Kissinger: "He's the man who said 'peace is at hand', then put the world on hold while another 10,000 people died." When some advertisers threatened to pull out of the show, he said, "Go ahead. We've got dozens standing in line to take your place" (or something similar). On his 1994-95 stint as host, he just seemed like a shadow of his former self, just going through the motions. As for Louie Anderson, I've never watched his version (he totally grates on me), or anyone else's since Ray Combs, but "Feud" has not been a worldbeater (not when compared to "Wheel," "Jeopardy!," or even "Millionaire") from his tenure to the present (it's gone through, what, four hosts beginning with him).

But I'd still like to hear one ask himself or herself, "Why do I do this?" (except for the pay and working only a couple of days a week).

 

[bpatrick]

George Reeves rarely badmouthed "Superman," but Jack Larson recalls the day, during a break, when Reeves was talking about his critically-acclaimed performance in 1943's "So Proudly We Hail!" and how producer Mark Sandrich (father of sitcom producer Jay Sandrich) had big plans to make him a star. But then Reeves was drafted, and while he was in the Army, Sandrich died. "If Mark Sandrich had lived, I wouldn't be wearing this monkey suit (the Superman costume)." But, as I said, that was rare behavior for Reeves, who was more concerned with kids believing the show and doing things like jumping out of windows in attempts to fly and breaking bones.

If one reads the books written about George Reeves there is such an irony there. Reeves, like many actors of his generation, never understood the impact television would have when it came to reaching a large audience. He always felt being on TV was the death knell for an actor's career. Imagine what would have happened had Reeves not taken the role of Superman?

The irony is had Reeves not killed himself, or was killed, in 1959, and lived say another 30 years ( he was just 45 when he died) I am certain that his career would have seen a rebirth either on another TV series or in the movies. Reeves always wanted the respect of adults when it came to his career. So here we are, the adults, who were the kids in the 50s.

In 1951 a lot of movie actors considered television slumming, so Reeves wasn't by himself. But his career at that point consisted mainly of making Saturday-morning movie serials; stardom, for him, looked like it was never going to happen.
But yes, he wanted to be taken seriously as an actor, and running around in the Superman suit was not his idea of being taken seriously, even though he made a lot of money and became a bona-fide celebrity because of it. One can only hope that had he lived past 1959 he would not have fallen into the trap Adam West did (so typecast that other parts were hard to come by); Reeves, IMHO, was a far better actor than West. And if Christopher Reeve could find other parts besides Superman, why not George Reeves, too? Your point is well-taken.

 

[nomadcowatbk]

Bob Saget- Full House
Dustin Diamond-Saved by the Bell

 

[wbhist]

Many SNL alumni had negative things to say about their time with the show,..mostably Janene Garafalo and Harry Shearer (Neither of whom I find very funny)..John Belushi also seemed to have a Love/Hate relationship with SNL too...although if read the book "Wired" he seems to have many difficult relationships..

And I seem to recall that Eddie Murphy has gone so far as to disavow any knowledge of his time on SNL.

 

[cd637299]

How about Max Baer Jr. (Beverly Hillbillies)? He was mum about the show until he seemed to start opening up about it in the late 80s.

I think he did movies like "Macon County Line" (directed as well) to shed the Jethro stereotype.

cd

 

[mleach]

Many SNL alumni had negative things to say about their time with the show,..mostably Janene Garafalo and Harry Shearer (Neither of whom I find very funny)..John Belushi also seemed to have a Love/Hate relationship with SNL too...although if read the book "Wired" he seems to have many difficult relationships..

And I seem to recall that Eddie Murphy has gone so far as to disavow any knowledge of his time on SNL.

Pretty much you can add all of his old stuff too from the 80's such as that HBO special he had done in 1983 "Delirious " and films like "48 Hours" and "Trading Places" with Dan Ackroyd. Though they were BIG hits, Eddie Murphy has since apologized for being so raunchy with his jokes. A lot of the change in Murphy ( if one is to believe Wikipedia ) it seems came from none other than Richard Pryor. Even though Eddie Murphy had credited Pryor for his decison to enter comedy and considered Pryor a "Hero", in his bio "Pryor Convictions", it came out that Richard Pryor wasn't exactly a fan of Eddie's then-raunchy kind of comedy ( Example: The HIV jokes ). This could be the reason why Eddie Murphy is so "family friendly" now.

 

[azumanga]

Bob Saget- Full House

Did he say anything about "America's Funniest Home Videos"?

Considering that his A&E series "Strange Days with Bob Saget" starts next month, the Bob Saget we know today is much different than his days on Full House and Videos.

 

[71dude]

Bob Saget- Full House
Dustin Diamond-Saved by the Bell

I bet they're not turning down the residuals, though.

 

[nomadcowatbk]

Kirk Cameron- Growing Pains (after he found Jesus)

 

[Ultimajock]

Kirk Cameron- Growing Pains (after he found Jesus)

...and after he had Julie McCullough canned from the show for being a Playboy Playmate before joining the cast...

 

[Limp73]

These posts make me start to debate why Whoopi Goldberg left the revamped "Hollywood Squares" with Tom Bergeron at the peak of its success. When Whoopi left,the show sunk...Henry Winkler took over producing it when Whoopi exited the show. How sad! She made that show's comeback,then destroyed it!

Also I remember reading bits and pieces of Paty Duke's 1990s autobiography "Call Me Anna." She downplayed her dual roles as Patty and cousin Cathy on her mid 60s sitcom.

 

[Mark Giardina]

Dustin Diamond-Saved by the Bell

From what I've read the rest of the cast of "Saved by the Bell" had very little respect for Diamond. Proof was a group picture taken a few years as part of a "reunion" special where Diamond was not in the photo. Apparently the rest of the cast refused to have their pictures taken with him.

Diamond's career went no where after "Saved by the Bell" went off the air.

 

[mleach]

Kirk Cameron- Growing Pains (after he found Jesus)

...and after he had Julie McCullough canned from the show for being a Playboy Playmate before joining the cast...

I wonder how Kirk Cameron was able to pull this off? Face it, he was a CHILD actor at the time and usually they don't have that kind of power as in to get somebody canned. Alan Thicke I can see but Cameron? On the same level there was Lisa Whelchel on the Facts Of Life. She was very religious even during the time she was "Blair" even appearing on a number of religious TV shows at the time Facts was still on NBC but other than rejecting a few scripts that had Blair doing things that had went against Lisa's personal values ( one episode was written had Blair losing her virginity ), never heard of her getting someone fired from the Facts Of Life who had done something that she didn't approve of. Come to think of it I have never of Whelchel bad mouthing Facts either.

 

[Ultimajock]

Kirk Cameron- Growing Pains (after he found Jesus)

...and after he had Julie McCullough canned from the show for being a Playboy Playmate before joining the cast...

I wonder how Kirk Cameron was able to pull this off? Face it, he was a CHILD actor at the time and usually they don't have that kind of power as in to get somebody canned. Alan Thicke I can see but Cameron?

...from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julie_McCullough McCullough's Wikipedia listing:

The Growing Pains scandal
Julie McCullough landed the role of nanny Julie Costello on the television show Growing Pains in 1989. She appeared in eight episodes until she was fired in 1990, which stemmed from series star Kirk Cameron's conversion to evangelical Christianity, a conversion that, according to The E! True Hollywood Story episode focusing on the show, served to alienate him from his fellow cast members, as he did not invite any of them to his wedding. He called for McCullough's termination because of his objections to her having posed nude in Playboy, and accused the show's producers of promoting pornography. A decade later, Cameron apologized to his TV family, attributing his prior behavior to his lack of maturity,[2][4][5][dead link] but did not reconcile with McCullough, who claims that Cameron refused to speak to her during a later encounter,[2] and who remains critical of him, stating that she lost a lot from the public criticism she endured from the controversy. Although McCullough herself is Catholic, she has criticized the evangelical television programming Cameron has produced, which she has viewed on one occasion, saying on her MySpace page:

“ He thinks if I read science books that I'm going to hell. [I would] rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints ... the sinners are much more fun. And a lot more interesting than some book-burner who is still having growing pains. I am at peace with God. Kirk thinks people like me are going to Hell, if I do then at least I'll go well informed and well read.[6] ”

After the Growing Pains scandal, McCullough made several television appearances on Beverly Hills, 90210, Jake and the Fatman, Harry and the Hendersons and Drexell's Class.

 

[mleach]

Kirk Cameron- Growing Pains (after he found Jesus)

...and after he had Julie McCullough canned from the show for being a Playboy Playmate before joining the cast...

I wonder how Kirk Cameron was able to pull this off? Face it, he was a CHILD actor at the time and usually they don't have that kind of power as in to get somebody canned. Alan Thicke I can see but Cameron?

...from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julie_McCullough McCullough's Wikipedia listing:

The Growing Pains scandal
Julie McCullough landed the role of nanny Julie Costello on the television show Growing Pains in 1989. She appeared in eight episodes until she was fired in 1990, which stemmed from series star Kirk Cameron's conversion to evangelical Christianity, a conversion that, according to The E! True Hollywood Story episode focusing on the show, served to alienate him from his fellow cast members, as he did not invite any of them to his wedding. He called for McCullough's termination because of his objections to her having posed nude in Playboy, and accused the show's producers of promoting pornography. A decade later, Cameron apologized to his TV family, attributing his prior behavior to his lack of maturity,[2][4][5][dead link] but did not reconcile with McCullough, who claims that Cameron refused to speak to her during a later encounter,[2] and who remains critical of him, stating that she lost a lot from the public criticism she endured from the controversy. Although McCullough herself is Catholic, she has criticized the evangelical television programming Cameron has produced, which she has viewed on one occasion, saying on her MySpace page:

“ He thinks if I read science books that I'm going to hell. [I would] rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints ... the sinners are much more fun. And a lot more interesting than some book-burner who is still having growing pains. I am at peace with God. Kirk thinks people like me are going to Hell, if I do then at least I'll go well informed and well read.[6] ”

After the Growing Pains scandal, McCullough made several television appearances on Beverly Hills, 90210, Jake and the Fatman, Harry and the Hendersons and Drexell's Class.

Still though it is highly unusual for a child actor who wasn't the lead of a series to have had that much power to get somebody fired over something that they had objected too.

This would be like being a one-day-a-week part-timer at a small 500 watt AM radio station only to discover that at another radio station their full-time morning girl/guy at a 50,000 watt FM station had posed nude and/or had done porn. The part-timer objects to it and gets him/her fired over such stuff, not because of job performace. Rare event if it happens.

 

[bpatrick]

Bob Saget- Full House

Did he say anything about "America's Funniest Home Videos"?

Considering that his A&E series "Strange Days with Bob Saget" starts next month, the Bob Saget we know today is much different than his days on Full House and Videos.

Bob Saget's standup act is, shall we say, for mature audiences only. He has, over the past 20+ years, been quite open about his disdain for his family-friendly image which resulted from "Full House," "America's Funniest Home Videos," and "1 vs. 100".