Matt and Khrysti kick off their 2018 Halloween celebration by revisiting the Paul Lynde Halloween Special, the gloriously odd 1976 ABC variety show that pop culture fans have whispered about for decades. In NEOZAZ Watches The Paul Lynde Halloween Special, the hosts share how they first met Paul Lynde through Hollywood Squares, Bewitched, Bye Bye Birdie and Donny and Marie.
Then they walk through every bizarre minute of the special. Paul visits a castle of witches who want a new image, played by Margaret Hamilton in full Wicked Witch of the West makeup and Billie Hayes as Witchiepoo. In exchange for being their spokesman, they grant him three wishes, and each wish becomes a long, strange sketch. Along the way the hosts explain why the Paul Lynde Halloween Special survived into the DVD era, largely thanks to the KISS Army.
In this episode:
- Paul Lynde’s career and his one-of-a-kind comedic persona
- The Rhinestone Trucker sketch with Tim Conway and Roz Kelly as Pinky
- The desert sheik sketch with Florence Henderson
- Cameos from Betty White, Billy Barty, and Donny and Marie Osmond
- KISS in what is reported to be their first prime-time TV appearance, performing Detroit Rock City, Beth and King of the Night Time World
- The haunted disco finale and the infamous Disco Baby number
- Why 70s variety specials are worth missing
The special runs about 50 minutes and is easy to find on DVD or YouTube, so grab a copy and watch along.
Leave a Comment