Ken Berry George Foreman Sonny Bono Ted Zeigler Boxing Skit

[Aukash1]

Can someone please tell me what year this was made in? Thanks

[42959]

The short French soldier is played by Peter Cullen who is the voice of Optimus Prime in the Transformers cartoons and the Transformers movie.

[Pikachuiscool]

Which one is Ted Zeigler?

Also, just to make sure, this is the SAME Ted Zeigler who was the voices of Mungo and Grampa on Heathcliff and the Catalac Cats, right?

[TVFREAKMAN]

@Pikachuiscool

Zeigler is the hapless opponent to George Foreman.

He hosted a kiddie show previously in Canada called the Johnny Jellybean show, so he might have voiced these cartoon characters but i'm not sure.

[swami1]

I remember this show vividly. There was another skit in which Foreman was the trainer and Berry was the boxer. Foreman ended the skit by tearing up a restaurant set. Do you have that part of the show and can you post it?

[KenBerryFan]

No, I don't have that one, but it sounds like a great skit! I wish I had it. I love it when I discover a new Ken Berry video or clip.

[swami1]

Believe it or not, I have an audio copy of that skit. I used to tape a lot of TV when I was young.

[KenBerryFan]

That's so cool to hear, because I still have audio cassettes of the original Donny and Marie show. Before vcrs!

[westxlcr]

Awesome!

[minkymott]

I remember the show "WoW". I thought I was the only one. :) It came on one summer, and lasted the whole summer only. I was sad when it was over, because that meant school was about to start. 13 episodes if I'm not mistaken. I loved the short cartoon clips just before commercial break.

[Cherstars]

Billy and Ted sadly are no longer with us, such great comedians, gone too soon.

God Bless them Both, thanku for the memories xxxxxxxxxxxxx

[KenBerryFan]

You're welcome! Thank you for watching and for the information. I'm sorry they are gone. I have two episodes of "The Ken Berry Wow Show" and Billy is in both episodes.  They were very talented and I bet very under-appreciated.

[meesterfonnyboy]

Freeman King has left us also, on 1 June 2002 - his 59th birthday. And, of course, so has Sonny. (It was unusual to see Sonny as part of the reperatory cast in this sketch.)

[beachdoxies]

The other actors in this sketch, going from right to left as we see them lined up beside Ken Berry, are Billy Van, Sonny Bono, Peter Cullen, Murray Langston (later known for his work as the Unknown Comic) and Freeman King. The unfortunate fellow who must challenge the champ is Ted Zeigler. Along with Teri Garr, these folks were all regulars on the Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour in the early 70s.

[KenBerryFan]

Thank you SO much for the names of these actors! They are great and I love Ted Zeigler. I just never knew his name.

[7NTM61Ic]

Ted Ziegler (which I think is the correct spelling) used to be Johnny Jellybean on a children's show called LUNCHTIME LITTLE THEATER that aired in Montreal 12 noon to 1 p.m. weekdays from 1962 to 1967. The show had characters such as Morrie the Mailman, Toomie the Duck, Duck Twacy, and Enzio Pesta, and featured a "Squawk Box" hanging form the ceiling that JJ would hit with a hammer, whereupon a march began that quickly degenerated into noise.

[meesterfonnyboy]

Prior to that, he was doing a show by the same name on Chicago's WGN, only his character's name there was "Uncle Bucky". It set the stage for the kidvids that would follow in that market, particularly "Bozo's Circus". In fact, the latter show's "Ringmaster Ned" (Ned Locke) was "Uncle Ned" on "LLT".

[garydmclean]

Well done!! One detail you forgot was that Johnny had a rack of mallets varying in size from near-microscopic to gigantic. The mystery was - which one would he use to either "tap" the squawk-box or smash it into oblivion, while it sang "Sideways Through the Sewers of the Seine". Tragically, during a contract dispute, CFCF-TV burned all of the video tapes of the show. Later on, he and Peter Cullen starred in "The Buddies", again - tapes destroyed. They were both comic geniuses.

[7NTM61Ic]

Gary, thanks for the info! But are you sure that was the name of the song ? My memory is that there was a brief seven-note arpeggio that sounded like a jack-in-the-box, then a martial vamp for a few bars (sometimes as a joke this vamp went on for quite a while), and finally male voices that seemed to be singing "Oh, when the men come a-marching ..." which was as far as it got before it began to degenerate into random noises. Where did you get the title "Sideways Through the Sewers of the Seine"?

[Similie]

@garydmclean most of my friends were not allowed to watch Johnny Jellybean at lunchtime but I was. I think that Johnny helped me to become the person that I am today. In fact, Morrie the Mailman inspired me to join the post office to continue my career in light-hearted comedy.:-)

[UptonGirl4]

You know - I should know his name too - but can't recall. As for Teri Garr - two of my faves of here with Gene Wilder are posted as video responses.

[UptonGirl4]

OOPS - sorry they are not - I thought I could link to them - but no . . . siiiiiiiiiiigh.

[LoveHowardBanister]

Haha. That was cute.

[kenberryfan83]

Thanks for the great video!!

[UptonGirl4]

WOW! Is that Teri Garr as the maid? Thanks for this one - very funny!

[KenBerryFan]

You're welcome! Glad yoy like it. Yes, that is Teri Garr and after some research, I found this skit was nominated for an Emmy for Best Comedy - Writing. If anyone can help me name the other actors, especially the poor chap who has to fight George, I'd be grateful.

[UptonGirl4]

I can't recall his name either - though I know I SHOULD. As for Teri Garr - when I think of her I always think of two classic lines from Young Frankenstein:

"Poot Zee Kendel BECK!"

and

"Ooooo, ZANK you Doktor!"

[KenBerryFan]

LOL. I loved Teri in that movie ... what a classic!