Return to 'The Happy World of Huell Howser' | KCET
Return to 'The Happy World of Huell Howser'
By the way, can I nominate this series as the show whose theme song most perfectly captures the spirit of the show? It's not just the music -- carnival sounds that build into something you might hear in an old educational film that then verge on frantic -- but the special effects, too. They're just so of-the-era in the best possible way. And then there's the ending, with Huell arm-in-arm with his special guests -- Miss Rebecca and Miss Rosa, who need no introduction, truly -- as he escorts them from WSM-TV motor home and onto the set of the show.
Go ahead and give the above video a click. It's well worth the 27 minutes you'll spend watching it. (Think one of Huell's Videologue collections, only with more accents.) If you're in a rush, however, here are the highlights of this strange but wonderful trip into Huell's past.
1:55: "I'm just going to sit here and rock all my troubles away. ... These are much better than tranquilizers. This is great." The tranquilizing effect may explain the ladies' rather blasé take on the gas shortage.
3:32: And then this:
You see this, Smartcar drivers? Mrs. Hattie Lyles was doing this whole thing back in '73. Mrs. Lyles' explanation for her choice of automobile has something to do with Long Beach. Please, someone tell me if there was a time when the elderly roamed the streets of Long Beach in these.
8:42: You can't make up names like these.
10:57: Though that previous caption is maybe surpassed by this one:
11:24: "Everybody calls 'Miss Rebecca,' so that's all right; you can too. And everybody calls my husband 'Mr. Rebecca.'"
14:20: "I never had such a fish. I knew I had a monster. And when I wound that thing in and got it in the boat, it was snapping his teeth and popping and got a couple of buttons off my bib overalls. And I'd never seen such a fish. And I tried to string it, it had Hollis' teeth in his mouth, believe it or not." But the reality of what the fisherman describes is actually kind of nightmarish:
17:06: Really, if I made this names up, you'd accuse me of overdoing the Tennessee-ness of it all.
22:30: I actually have no idea what's being explained here, exactly, but I'm nonetheless eager to see where it goes.
23:44: "I was so impressed, I just up and laid an egg." And with that statement, I conclude that these ladies are awesome, and I hope whatever senior center I end up frequenting during my golden years has women half as cool as these.
23:56: And... I'm back to not understanding what's happening. In a good way.
Read previous "Retro Huell" posts:
- Dolly Parton
- George Burns
- Zelda Rubinstein
- Luciano Pavarotti
- Richard Simmons
- John Ritter
- Tony Danza
- a leopard
- Hulk Hogan & Mr. T
- The Eagles
- Minnie Pearl and Porky the Pet House Pig
- Dolly Parton (again)
- David Hockney
- Tammy Wynette
- The Junebug Lady
- Ed Koch
- Barbi Benton
- Huell in Nashville, 1979
- Dolly Parton (a third time), Willie Nelson and Honey Alexander
- Supercut: More of Huell's Nashville Years
Clips & Segments
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TV Talk
Spend half an hour in "The Happy World of Huell Howser," a series Huell recorded in 1973 in Nashville, you will feel like you truly visited a happier place -- a strange place, but a happier place.
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TV Talk
Tune in Friday, Oct. 4, at 10PM for the U.S. premiere of the third season of the Danish drama "Borgen."
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TV Talk
A pilot pitch Huell Howser made in 1977 works as as supercut for his pre-California career and all the eccentric characters he met in his home state.
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Articles
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TV Talk
The Public Media Group of Southern California honored with a total of nine Golden Mike awards, the most of any station in the region.
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TV Talk
KCET and PBS SoCal celebrate February 2020 as Black History Month with new programs that honor the legacy of African Americans.
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TV Talk
From the untold story of aerospace in SoCal to examining the hidden human side of the 24-hour economy, KCET Originals offered refreshing and unflinching looks at California's past and the pressing issues facing its citizens in 2020.
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TV Talk
Three of KCET'S Original series were honored by the LA Press Club at the 2019 National Arts and Entertainment Awards.
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TV Talk
Throughout December, KCET and PBS SoCal will celebrate the holiday season with a variety of programming, including the return of the "L.A. County Holiday Celebration," observing its 60th anniversary in 2019.
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TV Talk
In honor of Native American Heritage Month, KCET and PBS SoCal will air special programming throughout the month of November, including the return of KCET Original series, "Tending Nature."
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