No Other Show Could Get Away With "Tutti Frutti"... - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

TV DVD Fan · 07-21-2007, 12:32 PM

I just watched "Tutti Frutti Ice Cream" for the first time yesterday on Shout's virtual time capsule of OZZIE AND HARRIET, and I gotta tell you, no other show in the history of television could've gotten away with that episode. There's virtually no conflict, no driving force, no reason to even sit through the episode, but yet, you sit through it anyway. It's a wonderful feeling, believe it or not, you sit there telling yourself "There's no way I could be watching this right now", yet you are completely in Ozzie's world the minute he first crave's for his old high-school days when he used to enjoy Tutti-Frutti ice cream almost daily. Even SEINFELD, "the show about nothing," could ever get away with a plotline as simple as "Tutti Frutti", even when it was at it's creative worst. But the strange thing about "Tutti Frutti" is that it is not uncreative, otherwise we wouldn't be sitting through it, it's actually brilliant. I actually found myself using the word brilliant quite a few times through my watching of the episode. It's seamless, flawless, and the time flies by like it was a TOM AND JERRY short. But if this kind of plot ever did occur in SEINFELD or FRIENDS, or anything of the like (even THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW), it wouldn't have ever worked. Those kind of shows are used to bigger plots where there usually is a conflict by the end of the first act, so they wouldn't know how to tackle a plot like that, especially post-80's television. It would come across as dull and unimaginative. But Ozzie and Harriet capture a sense of whimsy from within us like we could never feel in any other circumstance. Like I said before, there's really no justified reason to sit through an episode like this, because it's not exciting, edge-of-your-seat, gut-busting, or anything else that normally makes it worth it to sit through a half-hour of watching the boob-tube like we normally experience. But yet, I pity the fool who could sit through these 22-minutes of syndicated television and tell me they didn't find it light, airy, whimsical and fun--- in other words, anybody who put in that disc who came out uninspired and feeling like they just wasted 22 minutes of their life, probably doesn't realize the innocence of OZZIE AND HARRIET that made it worth it to tune into it on a weekly basis in the 50s, in troubled times. And in this troubled world that we live in today, we need that kind of innocence more than ever.

gidgetgrape · 07-25-2007, 01:26 PM

I agree! There is also a lack of conflict between Ozzie and Harriet and their sons, David and Ricky. Somehow Ozzie and Harriet are able to parent without being overbearing. They seem to have to the perfect balance of parent and friend.

Jim Asher · 07-26-2007, 01:09 PM

Great analysis of the episode and of the overall show. (At least until Wally shows up.)

Just watched the great "New Chairs" ep and it's the same thing. It does have a slightly stronger "plot" than "Tutti Frutti" but it's still one sequence after another where the plot just stops and strange things occur. Imagine how a "modern" sitcom would handle the event of a store delivering two -- and than two more -- chairs by mistake. Someone would be screaming on the telephone, lawyers would be contacted, some girl would fall in love with the gorgeous delivery man(who turns out to be gay). . . It would be one dumb narcissistic turn after another.

Gargie Nelson was a genius.

07-21-2007, 12:32 PM	#1
TV DVD Fan Member Senior Member Join Date: Apr 07, 2005 Posts: 2,602	No Other Show Could Get Away With "Tutti Frutti"... I just watched "Tutti Frutti Ice Cream" for the first time yesterday on Shout's virtual time capsule of OZZIE AND HARRIET, and I gotta tell you, no other show in the history of television could've gotten away with that episode. There's virtually no conflict, no driving force, no reason to even sit through the episode, but yet, you sit through it anyway. It's a wonderful feeling, believe it or not, you sit there telling yourself "There's no way I could be watching this right now", yet you are completely in Ozzie's world the minute he first crave's for his old high-school days when he used to enjoy Tutti-Frutti ice cream almost daily. Even SEINFELD, "the show about nothing," could ever get away with a plotline as simple as "Tutti Frutti", even when it was at it's creative worst. But the strange thing about "Tutti Frutti" is that it is not uncreative, otherwise we wouldn't be sitting through it, it's actually brilliant. I actually found myself using the word brilliant quite a few times through my watching of the episode. It's seamless, flawless, and the time flies by like it was a TOM AND JERRY short. But if this kind of plot ever did occur in SEINFELD or FRIENDS, or anything of the like (even THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW), it wouldn't have ever worked. Those kind of shows are used to bigger plots where there usually is a conflict by the end of the first act, so they wouldn't know how to tackle a plot like that, especially post-80's television. It would come across as dull and unimaginative. But Ozzie and Harriet capture a sense of whimsy from within us like we could never feel in any other circumstance. Like I said before, there's really no justified reason to sit through an episode like this, because it's not exciting, edge-of-your-seat, gut-busting, or anything else that normally makes it worth it to sit through a half-hour of watching the boob-tube like we normally experience. But yet, I pity the fool who could sit through these 22-minutes of syndicated television and tell me they didn't find it light, airy, whimsical and fun--- in other words, anybody who put in that disc who came out uninspired and feeling like they just wasted 22 minutes of their life, probably doesn't realize the innocence of OZZIE AND HARRIET that made it worth it to tune into it on a weekly basis in the 50s, in troubled times. And in this troubled world that we live in today, we need that kind of innocence more than ever.
	__________________ Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles Sarah Connor: Maybe if you spend your life hiding who you are, you might finally end up fooling yourself. - From the episode "Gnothi Seauton."

07-26-2007, 01:09 PM	#3
Jim Asher Banned Banned!! Occasional Poster Join Date: Apr 17, 2006 Posts: 40	Excellent Great analysis of the episode and of the overall show. (At least until Wally shows up.) Just watched the great "New Chairs" ep and it's the same thing. It does have a slightly stronger "plot" than "Tutti Frutti" but it's still one sequence after another where the plot just stops and strange things occur. Imagine how a "modern" sitcom would handle the event of a store delivering two -- and than two more -- chairs by mistake. Someone would be screaming on the telephone, lawyers would be contacted, some girl would fall in love with the gorgeous delivery man(who turns out to be gay). . . It would be one dumb narcissistic turn after another. Gargie Nelson was a genius.

07-25-2007, 01:26 PM	#2
gidgetgrape Forever Gidget Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Sep 20, 2003 Location: Texas Posts: 3,503	I agree! There is also a lack of conflict between Ozzie and Harriet and their sons, David and Ricky. Somehow Ozzie and Harriet are able to parent without being overbearing. They seem to have to the perfect balance of parent and friend.