Honeymooners Episode Reviews: “TV or Not TV” & “Funny Money”:

[Frank Gannucci]

Honeymooners Episode Reviews: “TV or Not TV” & “Funny Money”:

Episode #110 (Syndicated Episode #1)
TV: Half-hour.
VCR: Attached to "Honeymooners Highlights" (a five minute clip fest of the classic 39 episodes.) On some tapes, it’s attached to “Funny Money” & “The Golfer.” On some tapes, it’s attached to “Better Living Through TV”, “The Golfer”, “Young At Heart” & “Oh My Aching Back.”
DVD: On the CBS/Paramount, Columbia House and TV Guide DVD box sets, it is Attached to the other first nine Classic 39 episodes. On the Fan Favorites: Best of The Honeymooners, it is attached to “Funny Money”, “The Golfer”, “The Sleepwalker”, “Better Living Through TV”, “The Man From Space”, “$99,000 Answer” & “Young At Heart.” On The Honeymooners Christmad Laughter DVD, it is attached to "'Twas The Night Before XMas", "The Golfer", "Man From Space", "Bettet Living Through TV" & "The $99,000 Answer."
Air Date: Sat. 10/1/55

Honeymooners.net as well as The Honeymooners Lost Episodes Book didn't offer a full synopsis on the Classic 39 episodes like they do with the lost episodes. The Honeymooners Companion Book does have a synopsis of each of the Classic 39.

To see the script, click here: https://www.springfieldspringfield.c...episode=s04e01

Alice is home. Trixie visits. Trixie is upset because she needs a new TV. This is their second one. Alice is upset because her and Ralph never owned one. What about the TV set they had in "Honeymooners Christmas Party" or the one they won on "Beat The Clock" or the one that they shared with the Nortons in "One Big Happy Family"? She is going to convince Ralph to buy her one. Trixie leaves. Ralph comes home and Alice tries to butter him up just like she did in "Boys & Girls Together" and once again Ralph acts indifferent. Alice is upset. She complains that she wants a TV set and they could afford one because Ralph makes as much money as Ed does (because they buy all their expensive things on credit) while they don't have any modern conveniences. Alice says that she wants a TV set. She has lived there for 14 years without a stick of furniture being changed. What about the door? Gee, I wonder what it would be like living in a place without a stick of furniture being changed for 14 years. Alice is tired of looking at her four walls. Alice (yells): "I WANT TO LOOK AT LIBERACE!" Ha!

Ralph goes along with Alice but he says that eventually Ed has to pay for all those things that he has and that are headaches. Ralph mentions that their bank account is going up. It's up to $73. Any couple I think that has a bank account must be living in a shack but I could be wrong. Ralph: "I rather have money in my wallet than anything else. I have got it here" (pointing to his wallet). Alice counters by saying that not only does Ralph have it in his hips, but also in his stomach. Ha! She still wants a TV set. Ralph says he is also waiting for 3D TV, and then he will buy a TV set. The first 3D set didn't become invented until 2009. She goes into the bedroom. Ed Norton comes in and complains that since he doesn't have the money to buy a new set, he is going to miss Captain Video taking off for Pluto. He can't buy a new set on credit anymore because he isn't allowed to. Ralph gets an idea. They will both buy a great set and it will be stationed in his house. Does that sound fair? No. But considering its Ralph Kramden's idea, what do you expect? Ed complains. Ralph's response to his complaints is that Ed is the Champion of Babies. They flip a coin. Ralph: "Heads, I win. Tails, you lose." Ralph flips it and Ed is stupid enough to believe that the coin toss is fair.

The new set is in the apartment. Ralph gets ready to watch a program on the new set which includes him having a lot of trouble opening up a bag of snacks. I should point out that when TV Guide mentioned this episode as one of the greatest TV episodes in history of TV in 1997, they talked about this whole scene. He goes into the bedroom. Ed Norton comes in and turns on Captain Video. Yeah, that program is geared towards five-year-olds, but considering its Ed Norton, what do you expect? For the first time in Honeymooners history, we hear Captain Video's voice. Ed puts on his Captain Video helmet and when Ralph sees Ed in that for the first time, he is shocked. Ed recites his Captain Video pledge which goes something like this:

"I Ed Norton of the Captain Video Space Academy do solemnly pledge to obey my mommy and daddy, be kind to dumb animals and old ladies in and out of space, not to tease my little brothers and sisters, and to brush my teeth twice a day and drink milk after every meal."

Ralph complains that all he has watched on this set for three nights is westerns, space shows, cartoon frolics and puppet shows and that if he ever bothers Ralph again while watching his show, he will cut off his air supply. Ha! Ralph changes the channel but Ed doesn't like what he is watching, so he changes the channel back to Captain Video. They go back and forth changing channels just to watch their respective shows that they want to watch. I can only imagine what their conversation would be like if that TV had a "Picture-In-Picture" feature. They argue off course so they agree to find a show that they will both want to watch. They pick out a boxing match. During the boxing match, the reception on the TV is bad, so Ed suggests to Ralph to take the antenna and go outside in the hallway to get the perfect reception. Thankfully, with cable and satellite, we rarely have these problems. Ralph does that. Ed says that the reception now is perfect so he slams the door and locks Ralph out so he can turn back to Captain Video. Ha!

Ralph is watching TV. It's getting late. Alice says that Ralph will be late for work. Ralph is getting very tired. When TV Land first acquired "The Honeymooners" in 1999, the image of Ralph with his eyes closed was one of the first Honeymooners images to appear on TV Land. Ralph gets up and thinking that the hallway is the bedroom, he goes into it and falls down the stairs. He realizes his error and goes into the correct room. Ed Norton comes in to watch TV with a big sandwich. He gets Ralph up and as he came in, you can see Art is trying his best to cover up his laughter. Ralph and Ed have a fight over Ed coming downstairs to watch TV. Alice says that he should take the TV set upstairs. Ralph says that he isn't allowed to. Ed: "We flipped a coin. He said: 'Heads, I win. Tails, you lose.' It was tails and I lost." Ralph: "I learned that trick from you Alice. That is how we got married." Alice says that Ralph and Ed are both in the wrong for coming up with this idea and that they should stop acting like babies. Ralph and Ed reconcile and they agree to watch another TV show to which they fall asleep as it is airing. Alice comes in and puts blankets on them. She says: "Ralph, you were right. We should have never got a TV set."

I should point out that if you view this episode on the original DVD versions (the ones that came out before the Blu Ray), for whatever reason the volume is lower than it is for the rest of the episodes. This flaw was not on the VHS tape nor is it on the Blu-Ray Set.

Episode #111 (Syndicated Episode #2)
TV: Half-hour.
VCR: Attached to "Ralph Kramden, Hero At Large" (aka "Trapped.") On some tapes, it is attached to “The Golfer”, “Better Living Through TV”, “Young At Heart” & “ Oh My Aching Back.” On some tapes, it’s attached to “TV or Not TV” & “The Golfer.”
DVD: Attached to the other first eight classic 39 episodes. On the Fan Favorites: Best of The Honeymooners, it is attached to “Funny Money”, “The Golfer”, “The Sleepwalker”, “Better Living Through TV”, “The Man From Space”, “$99,000 Answer” & “Young At Heart.”
Air Date: Sat. 10/8/55

To see the script, click here: https://www.springfieldspringfield.c...episode=s04e02

A bunch of crooks in their hideout are shown. One of them lost the groups counterfeit money on a bus. The head of the group gets information that if the person, who lost the money, doesn't claim it in 30 days doesn't get the money from the person who found it but if they do claim it, the person who found the money has to give it to them. The head man says that they will get the money back.

Alice is home and Alice's mother visits. She says that every time she visits, something else in this house is broken. Ralph comes home with a briefcase. Alice's mom: "What is that, your lunch box?" Ralph and Alice's mom immediately start up their traditional argument He found it on the bus and since nobody claimed it in 30 days, it is his. Ralph: "It can't be of any value or they would have claimed it." Alice's mom: "It can't be of any value or you would have not found it." Ralph: "One of these days, you are going to push me too far." Alice's mom: "The only thing that can push you is a bulldozer." Ralph kicks her out. She leaves. Ralph asks money so he can pay his dues at the lodge. (He used up all his money.) Alice says no because she wants to buy furniture. Ralph: "We got furniture." They argue some more. She goes into the bedroom.

Ed Norton comes in and Ralph explains everything about the briefcase to him. He opens it up and finds the counterfeit money. He thinks it is real money. Ralph and Ed can't believe what they see. Alice spots the money and says this whole thing is fishy." Ralph: "Alice, you are complaining about when my ship is going to come in. Well, here it is: 'The Queen Mary!'"

In the next scene, there are a whole lot of new conveniences in the apartment, including a stove, a TV set and a new phone. I think this is the furniture that is used for the Nortons apartment set. Ed is now a limo driver for Ralph. Ralph comes in with a loud jacket on. On the cover of the tape that has this episode, you can see an artist's drawing of Ralph with the loud jacket on along with Ed in his limo driver's outfit. He calls his boss to tell him that he quit and calls him a bum. Gee, that was so not nice. Alice walks in and can't believe what Ralph has done. She thinks that Ralph should have never done what he did now. Alice's mother comes in. She asks for money for her husband. Ralph obliges. She asks for money to go to Florida. Ralph says no but changes his mind when she says that she will stay here instead if she can't go. Alice's mom: "Sonny Boy (Ralph) knows what he is doing." Ralph: "She is not a bad crow at that. I'll say that."

Ralph makes a call. He wants a new boat with three propellers. Alice comes in with the news that since Ralph lent one of his friends some of his new money; he went to jail when he used it to pay something, so the money is counterfeit. Ralph can't believe it. Ed Norton comes in and hears the news. The group from scene one knock on the door. Thinking it is the police, Ralph and Ed hide the money. They hide it in the stove. The group comes in and knows that Ralph and Ed think that they are policemen. They give their names which Ed says that they are a group which he heard of: 'Marilyn, Linch, Pierce, Vinner and Ziggy.' The real cops come in with Alice's mother. (She found out that the money Ralph gave her was counterfeit.) She says that Ralph is the leader of this evil group. The police send the whole entourage to the police station. Ed (to Alice's mother): "Fine way to treat your son-in-law."

Ralph talks to Alice back home. He has nothing to be ashamed of, according to him. He has been a millionaire for a couple of days and that is more than anyone else in this building can say. Ralph: "And that is the way I would be if I had it. Easy come! Easy go!" Alice brings up the fact that Ralph lost his job and that all of the rest of things that Ralph bought needs to go back except the jacket (the tailor can take those back since he doesn't know of any person that big.) She goes into the bedroom. Ralph gets on the phone with the operator and asks if anyone can disconnect the phone and with that the episode ends.

Credit I think goes to (the original) Bill's 'Mooners Archives, eBay.com, the now defunct tv.com, Honeymooners Lost Episodes Book, tvguide.com, honeymooners.net, Honeymooners Lost Episodes DVD booklet, Wikipedia.org, the now defunct Yahoo Groups You're A Riot! & Amazon.com.