"What a Country!" TV Spot from WPIX-11

[radiodj1520]

I Believe This Was A Video Clip Of WPIX-TV's What A Country! Video Promo For Saturday Evening, November 15, 1986.

[Trashcansam123]

This guy (Yakov Smirnoff) actually invented the Russian Reversal joke

[Arguman]

It's just like one of the factors in our current economic woes! hahahahahahahaha!

[LGD3]

The original is here: watch?v=JGv2AqiSOwQ

[StrokedGT]

ok uploads are up, made them video responses, enjoy

[LGD3]

@StrokedGT Also, watch?v=JGv2AqiSOwQ

[StrokedGT]

@LGD3 actually, this one looked a lot better watch?v=niRHgok_GmM

i never saw the original before, i will say its very funny, i watched it twice

[StrokedGT]

hey guys, ill be uploading 2 full episodes and one partial episode (missing first 6 minutes), you can see them on my channel. I had these on an old VHS tape from 1987, I didnt record these as I was only 6 so my dad probably recorded them, there are a few imperfections, mainly with the editing. you all remember how it was, pausing for commercial breaks and trying to record again as the show started. its very minor but hope you enjoy them, first one should be up in a few hours, rest by tomorrow

[winrx]

Priceless fake Russian accent...

[Trashcansam123]

@winrx Actually this guy is a native Ukrainian immigrant. Thus, it's not a fake accent

[fuckinlayne]

@Trashcansam123 But he´s not slavic either. He´s jewish. You can pretty much see it.

[StukInBuf]

I only saw this show one Saturday late night in 87 as my folks and I were travelling back to Buffalo from Orlando after a week's vacation. In the Cincinnati area, WKRC aired it about Midnight or so, and the African student was shown working in a restaurant.

Two people ordered burgers, and he shouted to the back, "Kill the cow twice!"

Later, when they asked about the status of their order, he shouted to the kitchen, "Two cows; kill 'em quick!"

[Soulflytribe04]

IN SOVIET RUSSIA, JOKES LAUGH AT YOU

[bulgarin1000]

in soviat russia poop shits you

[boalohanuiloa1]

I remember this show! I thought it was really funny with all the different actors! miss it.

[steeltownbrown52]

I want to see this show now.

[k0stil]

80`s borat

[tharuntheman]

this is just a cheap rip-of of the British comedy classic  'Mind Your Language'. this programme is a disgrace.

[qurtabah2002]

original one, i mean mind your language from uk from 1970s is the best one .. watch and you will see that they have almost copied this series

[lurconis666]

In Soviet Russia, money spends you!

[Sussmama]

I think it was as good as several shows from that era. There were some funny episodes and good performers. But it was syndicated, created to fill the spot between local news and prime time, so it didn't have any network bigwigs to go to bat for it. We didn't have so many networks in '86 so anything that was on had to get good numbers. If people preferred to watch ET or Wheel of Fortune before prime time, stations lost ad money and dropped it from their schedule. I agree, the clip is bad.

[atebit80]

I loved this show growing up, are they available online?

[ShiksaWithChutzpah1]

@atebit80 Don't think so but dang it it should be, lol. I love rare tv shows.

[Glitch385]

I only clicked on this movie because I thought the guy in the thumbnail was Mahmoud Ahmadinedjad.

[Taraquin]

@Glitch385

It is! Mr. Ahmoudenmadmadjihad got clogged with credit card debt in his younger and wilder days, and for that he suffered a pretty lousy bachelorhood - that's the whole reason he hates America today! Obviously, converting to Islam seemed somewhat intriguing too, as these folks don't recognise the concept of monetary interest

- also, the credit card company CEO was a jew, so there you have it.

[Mackadoeshez]

I liked this show alot as a teenager it should have lasted more than 1 year- someone should upload some episodes onto YT ASAP!!!!!

[Tonyiz]

This crap is kaputnik!

[Puffalump2005]

Dumb just Dumb

[chisvideoblogger]

its borats unfunny uncle...it is it is

[donjabroni]

But he never discovered humor!

[stuntwill]

This just made me feel depressed.

[trippingchilly]

Me too.

Sigh

[LuigiBros64]

nice try

[jimjimjimjim1234]

inflammable means flammable? what a country!

[stalingrad32]

i learned that the hard way

[colininnaclub]

WHY IS THIS NOT ON ANYMORE?!

[getjustin]

The readers of Newsweek are inbred.

[theotherbabies]

What a country

[coolwafferman]

Isn't that the Russian dude from "Night Court"?

[markdgod7]

You were quoted in Newsweek.

[2FUNNYMIKE]

Check out your quote on Newsweek.

[pika23]

your in newsweek....i came here from that link!

[RevoltAgainstLies]

Newsweek sucks wet, hairy ballsacks. Worst excuse for journalism in the English language. Proof: They revert to quoting anonymous commenters under youtube videos to rip on aging comics...

[RevoltAgainstLies]

P.S. I hope Time Magazine uses my review of Newsweek above!!!!

[twobit211]

@coolwafferman i actually did see one episode of night court with yakov smirnoff just a few months ago

[Sussmama]

Noahf67 is ignorantly talking off the top of his head. Cheap sets? My husband designed the sets, and they were not cheap. The show was taped, and filmed sets look better. Cheap writing? Mike Scully & Frank Mula have enjoyed sixteen pretty good years on the Simpsons & other shows. Google them. Canned laughs? I was in the studio audience several times & got the usual pep talk from the warmup comedian. The cast was strong, and this was as good as many shows that made it.

[ShiksaWithChutzpah1]

Thanks a bunch for your info and insight!! I didn't know Scully and Mula wrote for this show. Always loved their Simpsons episodes. This kinda show definitely wouldn't fly today because everyone is too sensitive and easily offended by every little thing.

[roujou]

It's more like... He's just not funny.

[noahf67]

Again, no offense to the staff, crew and designers who executed their mandated

jobs with utter professionalism. I'm sure any or all of the cast members were solid performers in their own right. Regarding the show....did you find the humor and storylines clever and engaging, and would you tune in regularly?

[ParticleMan420]

but you're not biased at all since your husband supposedly built the sets. They had a minute to show some funny stuff and that was the best they could do?

[ISNIICE]

lmao is this real?!

[towringer]

This show came out in 1986. At the time, the Statue of Liberty had its centennial, and there was a tremendous interest in immigrants coming to America.

[LinkStragen]

yakov is hilarious

[noahf67]

No offense to those who loved it, but this show, and it's adjoining package of syndie first-runs (like "One Big Family") just might have been the TV's most mortifying regression to the days of 1940's experimental

sitcoms, when no one was watching. Cheap sets, cheap writing, and laughter so canned that mere exposure made you a risk for mercury poisoning. The sketch comedy on Sesame Street blew this stuff away, and could

skew the same audience & more.

[bitchyb73]

at least it wasn't that nightmare show with Donna Pescow and her daughter was an alien.

[noahf67]

Or "Small Wonder", which years earlier would've made a great Saturday morning

NBC series. Even network stuff in the

80s fell prey to pandemic stupidity, like

"The Jeffersons". It was enough to make

writers Levitt & Moye to invent "Married With Children".

[pika23]

yay small wonder! While we're at it, can I get a cheer for Mamas Family??

Also I think what a country is a little known spin off of different strokes.

[pika23]

hey hey...that was a GREAT show! Mind you, this was airing when I was 9 or 10, so I was kinda into that humor...I always wanted one of those sculptures where the milk was in suspended animation

[OpenArms81]

If someone has the opening theme to What A country,could they post it.

[mrceleb2006]

This sitcom's opening theme song was titled "I Wanna Be an American (in the Land of the Free)".