In memory of Remote Control – CliqueClack (for the older) kids

This week we learned of the passing of Ken Ober, who died at the very young age of 52. Over the last few years, Ober was a mainstay behind the television cameras, as producer of comedies like Mind of Mencia, and The New Adventures of Old Christine. However, for many of us who grew up in the 1980s, Mr. Ober was much more than that. To us, he was a resident  of 72 Whooping Cough Lane who presided over one of the best television game shows ever.

Yes, Ken Ober was host of MTV’s Remote Control.

From 1987 to 1991 (with syndication beginning in 1989), Ken hosted Remote Control from his “basement,” offering contestants a buffet of pop culture questions — everything from classic and current television and music videos, to solving math problems while a guy, dressed as a bishop, ran around the studio. It wasn’t done in the wryly dry style of many of the game show hosts of the day. Instead, it was done with humor and plenty of good-natured fun. It was appointment television for the MTV crowd, which was comprised of a good many tweens and teens during that era.

The show itself was a combination of classic game show and sketch comedy. Lounging in seat-belted La-Z-Boys, three contestants would answer a series of questions posed by Ober. Sometimes the game play would be stopped, or enhanced, by a variety of characters that would grace Ken’s “basement” studio. For instance, a fairy pixie named Sheldon would read nursery rhymes of television shows for the contestants to guess. In another category (or, as they were called on the series, channels) contestants were asked to finish a line of a song that was ripped out of Colin Quinn’s throat. In yet another category, Ken’s nerdy cousin Flip would laugh the theme songs to various TV shows.

Much of what made Remote Control great was unique for game shows at that time. Aside from the La-Z-Boys, which were seat-belted for when a contestant fell down a chute or behind a wall when eliminated, there were the snack breaks between rounds that caused a deluge of chips or other salty snacks to pour down on their heads. Then there was the famous final round. For the first four seasons of Remote Control it was naming the artists of nine music videos — it was MTV, after all — while strapped to a Craftmatic Adjustable bed. In the fifth season, the contestant was strapped to a metal wheel and had to name music videos while the wheel spun around.

It was also the talent behind the show that made it work so well. In addition to Ober and sidekick Colin Quinn, there was Kari Wuhrer, hostess on the show for the second and third seasons; Adam Sandler, who played the characters Stud Boy and Colin’s cousin Stickpin Quinn; and Dennis Leary, who portrayed Andy Warhol and a drunken Keith Richards (is there any other form of Keith Richards?). There was also John Ten Eyck, who portrayed a number of recurring characters, and keyboardist extraordinaire Steve Treccase, who provided all the musical accompaniment.

Sadly, we will never see a show like Remote Control again. It was one of those rare shows that hit the right nerve at the right time. Now, with so much needless pop culture coming from your computer screen, a game show like Remote Control would be nothing but a blip on the landscape. Especially if it appeared on MTV. Rest in peace, Kenny.

Clacked by Richard Keller
on Nov 19, 2009 @ 13:00 EST5EDT