It's hard to find a comedy special you can sit down with the entire family and not feel uncomfortable worrying about little ears hearing things they shouldn't.
Comedy has been high jacked by the potty mouths over the last few decades, but the great talents like Jerry Seinfeld, Steve Martin and Jim Gaffigan never had to resort to it.
Producers Hunt Lowry and Jonathan Bock scoured comedy clubs nationwide to find some genuinely funny wholesome comics, each with distinct voice, and added a couple of comedy pedigreed veterans.
Together they have produced a 90-minute show taped in Southern California. The assembled comedy players each have their own whimsical and astute observations that inspire laughter and open minds.
Hosted by five-time Emmy Award winning comedy genius Tim Conway, he delivers career anecdotes between the standup routines, and we are reminded of what a talent he is.
The weak link in "The Deuce" for me was opener, Thor Ramsey; he was just a little too "home schoolin' smug for me to find any humor in his set.
Dan Nainan and Bone Hampton cleverly used their ethnicity to chip away at bigotry and stereotypes.
Comedian Taylor Mason was spot on and closed the "Deuce" show showing off his superb musical talent. Mason's incorporation of puppets and ventriloquism captivates audiences of all ages.
But my favorite part of the show next to seeing Tim perform again was the set of the underrated and talented Victoria Jackson.
Victoria came on the scene back in 1983 on Johnny Carson; her style is a mix of Betty Hutton, Goldie Hawn with a dash of Andy Kaufman. She comes at you like a fur-lined boomerang and delights in an off-kilter innocent and charming way.
Miami native Jackson combines her detached observational dizzy blonde act with her patented gymnastic feats while reciting her poetry, and she regales us with her songs accompanied by her ukulele.
She perfected this act during her popular run as a cast member of the NBC television sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live from 1986 to 1992.
Jackson was a hit on Johnny, and appeared 20 times, which eventually led to her being hired to join Saturday Night Live for its 12th season in 1986, following Lorne Michaels sacking of most of the 11th season's cast and writers during his second season back as executive producer.
The only cast members who survived from the previous season were Nora Dunn, Jon Lovitz and Dennis Miller. Her fellow newbie castmates that year included Dana Carvey, the late Phil Hartman, Jan Hooks, and "Weeds" star Kevin Nealon.
Monsters had a chance to chat with Victoria, back in Los Angeles, about her work in "The Deuce" and her career.
By sheer chance Victoria was brought up to Tim Conway and the producers for "Thou Shalt Laugh 2: The Deuce."
"I'm not sure exactly how…but Wes Halula, a writer who worked with me on the film 'Midnight Clear' proposed me for the project, I think," said Jackson. "It was just incredible luck for me."
During her set in "The Deuce" Victoria busts out her patented handstands while she recites poetry. I first saw her do these gymnastic feats 20 years ago, and wanted to know how she managed to still do this.
"Well, I am so happy I can still do a handstand, I guess it's like riding a bike, you just never forget it. But I am amazed I was able to do a handstand during the taping of the show."
Victoria elaborated. "I had a terrible car accident the day before we filmed 'The Deuce' my daughter was with me, and I was hospitalized the night before because of the bag blowing up and hitting me so hard. They did X-rays and I really thought my sternum was broken. They checked it out and luckily it wasn't, and sent me home with 600 Mg of Tylenol. I was in so much pain during my set, and especially when I did that handstand."
Jackson came up with an assortment of talented comics and actors, and I wanted to know if she was still in touch with any of them.
"I never see them hardly ever, everyone has kids, families…in the old times, it was like we were veterans in a squadron… no one quite understands the experiences we all had during those SNL years. Lovitz never answers his phone, and Dana Carvey is in the San Francisco area."
Kevin Nealon is in the great show "Weeds" on Showtime, which has an interesting storyline about a superchurch in nearby Majestic and a born again community living alongside his town of Agrestic. I asked Victoria is she had watched the show, and if she would want to work with Nealon again.
"I have watched some of them, the writing is really good, but I don't know if the premise is just too dirty for me, I need to watch more of them. I don't have HBO or Showtime because there are way too may naked women on them (laughs) but Kevin is really talented, he is on a good show, but I was shocked out of my mind on some of the things I saw when I did watch it."
Jackson is also intensely proud of the American troops serving in Iraq, and she wish all the soldiers and veterans would know how much they are appreciated. Jackson is not shy about sharing she prays for them and admires them.
I read Victoria's touching comments about the troops on her website and was curious if she entertained them in the USO. I asked her if she had toured or done any events on bases here in the States.
"Gosh, no not yet. I would be honored if they did ask me; I would love to something with them. The veterans are our heroes, we should never forget them. I would be honored to perform for them, to celebrate their sacrifice for this country. I do get involved in helping raise money for Disabled and paralyzed vets, but I would be honored to help with the USO," added Victoria.
Victoria and her husband Paul recently left Miami to return to Los Angeles after 15 years, I asked her how that transition was going.
"I love LA so much. I was in Miami 15 years but I missed LA so bad I was dreaming about it, the creative people here are so inspiring. My husband is commuting right now, he is retiring, he flew helicopters for the Dade police department…when I moved here in 1980 I lived here 12 years, and when I drive by Olive I remembered Johnny Carson, and whenever I drive in the valley I remember where I met 'Weird' Al Yankovic for a movie audition."
Jackson noted that with the good comes a bit of bad.
"I don't like the earthquakes, and the fact we are breathing smoke still right now."
Victoria has been ramping up work in voice overs, and recently had her own "Bee Movie."
"Jerry Seinfeld should have cast me in his silly Bee movie! I was an awesome bee; I did a role as Bebe in 'Buzby and the Grumble Bees'…I am totally interested in doing more cartoons or animated features, I love to do anything creative and fun."
What was Victoria working on now she is back in Los Angeles?
"My plans for the future, I'm trying to get my career started again. I've been a mom for fifteen years in Miami, and my 21-year old got married this year, and my husband can retire this year, so it's kind of a transition year, but I'm really busy, and I'm writing a play called 'God' – it's the antithesis of Julia Sweeney's play called 'Letting Go of God' which is about her journey into Atheism, and my play should be on its feet by the spring of 08', and it's a one-woman show…and today I have to go right now to read this play with Shelley Long called 'Grumpy Old Women' that will start touring in America, and it was a big hit in England. And I'm on this show now called Kaman Rider. It's a Japanese action teenage TV show. It was a big hit in Japan, and I play Aunt Grace, so I shot that yesterday.
I also finished college degree, a BA in Miami and I may become a teacher for my daughter's school in my spare time.
But my specialty and my real goal is to land a ditzy airhead part on a sitcom that lasts for years, because I think that's the part I was born to play. I've never gotten to do it yet. Age doesn't matter, because Betty White did it in 'Golden Girls,' but that kind of a role was made for me."
Thou Shalt Laugh 2: The Deuce is now available at Amazon . As of yet, there is not a release date for the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information.
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