"THE PAUL LYNDE SHOW" (1972-73): What Was This Fuckery, DL?

Wow! I had no idea he had his own show. Are the reruns still playing?

As of tonight, my local channel has replaced it with old "Becker" reruns. I hope they are running it at another time or day. It's a rotten show, but I guess that is part of it's charm. Plus, John Calvin is some hot eye candy.

Paul Lynde, John Calvin, Pamelyn Ferdin, Stiller and Meara. How could this show fail?

R3 interesting.

"It's a baggie!"

The one line from the show played in any Paul Lynde documentary.

Featuring DL fave child actor Pamela Ferdin, and guests Anne Meara and Jerry Stiller, Charlotte Rae, teeny Jodie Foster, and others.

it was funny

[quote]Featuring DL fave child actor Pamela Ferdin

PameLYN.

I’m assuming that John Calvin fucked Paul Lynd to get the role. Freaky face on him.

[quote]which drives Paul to distraction

I'll just bet he did.

The last thing I remember seeing John Calvin in was “Back to the Beach”, with Frankie and Annette. He still looked good.

He's the patron saint of gays, isn't he?

Hideous furniture!

Mr. Paul Lynde won a Golden Globe nomination for his show, so don't knock it.

While many today see Paul Lynde as some campy, bitter gay man, it is worth remembering the guy had a pretty respectable resume of stage and screen (television) work. During the early 1960's PL was all over television, and later doing voice work behind. Then there was of course Hollywood Squares where Mr. Lynde went from being a guest to "center square" stardom.

As to the why of a Paul Lynde Show, well William Asher (Bewitched) was one of the directors. For rest see link below.

Late Kay Ballard (good friend of PL) says in an interview that PL was frustrated at not being offered certain roles. But the suits at studio knew what they had in Paul Lynde and just couldn't (or wouldn't) see him doing anything else.

I went to his birthday party, give to him by eddie the hat, a gay smalltime crook, paul was a mean sob. rude as fuk, like a snake....

But the guy could cook and entertain!

By all accounts he was the worst drunk on the planet. Extremely mean and cruel to people. Legendarily so. He alienated a LOT of people. The whole Paul Lynde persona that was so funny on television turned dark when the cameras were off. And he was extra bitter that he could not break free from the mold/image that producers and directors had him pegged in. If you think about it, did you ever see him in anything where he was NOT being "Paul Lynde?"

AH YES, JOHN CALVIN! so damn beautiful he was.. looked his best (my opinion) as the stud in "dark secret of harvest home"!! of course horny wife beth would want to do the "deed" with him when you look at who her husband was! lol!....calvin's stud character well so studly he could impregnate her just 1 time with her! too bad their sex scene while kinky and erotic didn't show anything! too risque for a tv movie back then of course!...

Funny to look back and see how common it was for people to be married in their early 20s back then.

And to see that there is no information on Pamelyn Ferdin's childhood or family in her Wikipedia entry.

It was a low keyed version of 'All In The Family'

True, true.

There are bitter queens, and then there are *Bitter* queens.

But IIRC Mr. Lynde had a few internal demons besides being gay. It is really difficult to get close to much less love someone who is an alcoholic , and think that was a large part of Mr. Lynde's issues. He didn't have that "something to live for", we all seek (and hopefully find).

On the professional front, Kay Ballard's interview makes it clear how hurt and angry Paul Lynde was about being typecast. But it got him work and he was in no position to make demands. Wonder if he ever considered going back to New York and returning to the theatre.

[quote]r15 paul was a mean sob. rude as fuk, like a snake....

He should have played Stephen Sondheim in a bio pic.