THE DONNY & MARIE SHOW / October 1977 Halloween Episode

For the final episode of VHS Rewind’s October 2015 / Halloween scare fest, we wanted to present a special Halloween treat for our listeners, with a mighty Marvel Two-In-One crossover event featuring our sister podcast, More Bad Apples (which, for the uninitiated, focuses on all things related to the first family of music, The Osmond Family, with a heavy emphasis on the two talented members of that family, Donny and Marie).

Alas, this may have turned out to be more trick than treat.

Episodes of The Donny & Marie Show can usually be counted on to deliver some good, solidly cheesy fun and entertainment. In particular, holiday-themed episodes generally feature the show firing on all cylinders and pulling out all the stops.

This Halloween episode is, on the whole, a lackluster affair.

Which isn’t to say there isn’t a lot to discuss.

Oh, poor Kristy McNichol and her unresolved feelings for Donny.

 

Oh, what they do to poor Shirley Hemphill!

Was Billy Crystal ever fucking funny? Besides RUNNING SCARED (1986), I mean?

Can Donny deliver a credible version of the song “Turn The Beat Around”?

Hmmm, maybe there is a treat waiting for you listeners after all.

We hope you will rest your trick-or-treat bags for a little while and spend some time with VHS Rewind’s hosts, Mark & Chris, as they revisit this surreal episode of The Donny & Marie Show.

And we hope you all had a very Happy Halloween!