"GREETINGS FROM YOUR ORTHICON TUBE!"

Images from Ernie Kovacs that will haunt me for life;

n      The Nairobi Trio – three actors in rubber monkey masks, overcoats and derbies robotically miming that they are playing an odd song called “Solfeggio”.

n      The “1812 Overture” illustrated by images of a morbidly obese ballerina about to pass out, a Grim Reaper figure chopping celery, a 380 degree rotating cow head with cowbell, flipping, cymbal crashing wind up toy monkeys & eggs tossed at a frying pan

n      Poet Percy Dovetonsils (see photo). “Let’s all link pinkies around the warm glow of your orthicon tube.”

n      Caption, ”Sorry Esmeralda, but to a Doberman Pincher love is a ‘some times’ kind of thing.”

n      An oscilloscope read out of the world’s most obnoxiously nasal performance of ‘Mack the Knife” sung in German.

n      “Whomdunnit” Game show in which panelists try to guess the celebrity gunman who has shot the bleeding & dying contestant.

n      Caption. “Ernie Kovacs – Miss Pitted Prune of California, 1927”

n      German DJ Wolfgang Sauerbraten – Sponsor “Schnitzeldent, der tootpaste mit der flavor uhf schnitzel!”

n      Office equipment coming to life syncopated to the rhythms of Esquivel’s “Jealousy / Sentimental Journey”

n      “The Kapuska Kid in Outer Space” a surrealistic puppet show featuring a cat called “A Girl Named Lester” and a space alien that is clearly a metal funnel.

n      Gorillas in ballerina tutus performing “Swan Lake”

Had it not been for Ernie Kovacs, the early days of television wouldn’t have been intentionally weird at all.

All of this is currently available on DVD. The new lavish Ernie Kovacs box set of DVDs features most of this and tons of other great stuff, most of it not seen in 50 years! Order it from Shout! Factory, pay a little extra and get a bonus seventh disc of rarities. 
"Television is called a medium becaue it's rarely well-done." --Ernie Kovacs