Cheap Seats
Cheap Seats without Ron Parker, commonly shortened to Cheap Seats, is a television program broadcast on ESPN Classic hosted by brothers Randy and Jason Sklar. The brothers appear as fictional ESPN tape librarians who amuse themselves by watching old, campy sports broadcasts and wisecracking about them. Cheap Seats debuted on February 4, 2004, with an episode that showed ESPN sportscaster "Ron Parker" getting buried under a shelf full of tapes, forcing the Sklars to fill in, as they were behind Parker on the "hosting depth chart". The founding production team behind "Cheap Seats" included Mark Shapiro, Showrunner, Todd Pellegrino, James Cohen and Joseph Maar. Cheap Seats was originally an hour-long program. There were about 10 one hour-long episodes in the first season, all of which were subsequently cut down to fit a 30 minute time slot.
Enter the sacred arena where the episodes you see on air are developed, written and shot. On this special episode we take a look at the intense physical and psychological preparations that go in to making a ½ hour show with two of the most demanding stars on the sports comedy television circuit. The Answer Dog, Beamy, and The Score Settler return to shed some light on intricacies behind, above, and inside Cheap Seats.
Lingering questions are answered and familiar faces return for the conclusion of the 96' Bee. While Rebecca Sealfon concentrates on word origins and crazy people impersonations, Randy and Jason concentrate on keeping their jobs. Ron Parker has one thing on his mind, and it’s not figuring out a way to get the Cheap Seats flat screen home. He is after that elusive comeback host of the year award. The award he is after may not exist, but the new season of Cheap Seats does. Special guests: Paul Rudd , Michael Showalter
Roller skates may be considered passé today, but it doesn’t take long to see why they rocked in the 80’s. We take pride in bringing you the most exciting sport involving competitors racing around an oval track on four wheels. Sorry NASCAR fans, but it’s true. And if the skating isn't hot enough for you, watch as women and men lift their skates in a steamy work out video.
With the help of Evel Kneivels life, we answer the burning question that no one has asked. Is it possible to tell the story of a man in a ½ hour (23 minutes if you take into consideration commercials)? On Cheap Seats we prove that not only is 23 minutes ample time to examine the highs and lows of Kneivel’s life, but it’s enough time to watch an Evel inspired music video as well.
As if getting beat by your own boss isn’t sufficient, here’s a competition where you can lose to bosses and employees from other companies. Three legs will race, tricycles will be mounted, and jobs will be lost, as corporations gather to let less important people (us), have an inside look at this glorified company picnic disguised as a battle. Special Guests - Michael Ian Black, Zack Orth.
Here at Cheap Seats we often embrace some or all of 7 Deadly Sins so it's only natural that something dealing with Gluttony would intrigue us.
Some of the world's strongest men gather, not to chat, but to perform amazing though impractical feats of strength. That is unless you consider being able to hold two mini Liberty Bells for as long as possible, practical.
Sport or Hobby? Some men take themselves too seriously and the next thing you know hobbies are called sports, championships are held, and people who have no business being on TV, get their 15 minutes of fame on "The Ocho" . Watch and judge for yourself, but if your uncle does it at a birthday party (juggling), or your dog does it at the beach (catches a Frisbee), we're fairly certain that a championship is unnecessary.
Future stars show that they have always been stars. Kobe, Baron Davis and Shane Battier are a few competing in the dunk contest and 3 point shootout. A young Ron Artest is also there, and believe it or not, he gets the crowd involved.
Garvey and his gang of C-listers return for a free vacation on the slopes. Buck Rogers is there but sadly no Twiggy. Floorwax returns and brings some new material to the mountain.
Mil Mascaras, Dick "The Bulldog" Brower, Ernie Ladd, and others do their best to make wrestling look both, like a “sport”, and what people outside the business call “real.” We’ll allow them to do there thing. Mil Mascaras will even show us how to avoid socially awkward situations while saving face, when at large gatherings.
The Karate Kid's got nothing on Randy and Jason. In this episode, the brothers offer up their martial arts expertise and overdubbing skills as they watch the 2003 ISKA Karate Championships.
Does calling a sport unbelievable automatically make it unbelievable? We argue no, in an episode that looks at three sports that would not exist if the men and women competing were not unbelievably bored. Broomball? Footbag? Medieval Games? These so-called sports prove that non-athletes can get their day in the sun, and take themselves too seriously while sun bathing.
We are taught at a young age that animals have feelings too, but what they don’t tell you is that these animals, if used properly, can be a source of income and sport. Men gather rattlesnakes in the Arizona desert, young boys ride bulls in Thailand, and horses pull obscene amounts of weight in New England - watch as humans play games with animals, all in pursuit of the almighty buck.
We look at the 1991 version of the granddaddy of them all. We look back at a time when the Rose Bowl was just the Rose Bowl, presented by no one, but for everyone. When Keith Jackson had yet to retire only to return the next season, when midriffs were bare, and when the words "Oh Nellie" forced the hairs on the arms of men young and old to stand on end. Special Guest: Aziz Ansari.
Randy and Jason debate which is better, Snow or Sand.
Radical is an early 90's adjective that has thankfully faded from the American vernacular, but sadly ROC's unradical host, Ryan Seacrest hasn't. Watch as miserable unpaid children run through mud, swim in dirty water, and ride bikes over twigs and rocks . Its summer camp - Radicalized. Special Guests: A.D Miles and Michael Showalter.
The guys watch various auto related events.
Randy and Jason skewer both male and female bodybuilding.
The 1998 Corporate Sports Battle.
The guys watch the 1998 and 1999 College Bowling Championships with the first hosted by David Allan Grier.
The brothers watch Florentine Football, Muay Thai Kickboxing and Mongolian Wrestling.
The Sklar brothers watch excerpts from the 1988 NFL and the 1986 MLB Arm Wrestling Championships.
This batch of unbelievable sports include skim boarding, arctic snow and go, yo-yo and sumo wrestling.
In the second installment of Pimpin' Your Pet the guys watch sports that feature horses, elephants and bulls.
In the final episode of Cheap Seats, the Sklar brothers watch excerpts that were not long enough to warrant an entire episode.
Here at Cheap Seats we often embrace some or all of 7 Deadly Sins so it's only natural that something dealing with Gluttony would intrigue us. Watch for Japanese eating machine Kobayashi as he tries to break all his opponents in half, dunk them in water and consume them. Special Guests: David Cross, Eugene Mirman, Joe LoTruglia and Brian Husky.
More smart kids who need to get out more. Yes, it's another Spelling Bee and we do a little home schooling in our own language of origin, so check it out.
Our salute to women in sports, get your poles out (stop that train of thought) for some Bass Fishing. Then it's two women in the squared circle for a little womano a womano. Finally we look back at Ann Meyer's tryout for the Indian Pacers from 1976. Special Guest: Zach Galifianakas.
Where's the windmill, the Castle with the moat, the oversized clown head on 18? That's what we asked as two teams of kids square off for the 1995 Junior Putters Association Championship. Then it's a jump roping extravaganza as kids try and avoid getting hog-tied as they twist and hop through the whirling ropes. Special Guests: Patton Oswalt and Brian Posehn.
Have you ever wondered if strong men can throw stuff farther if they are wearing kilts? If so, you're in luck because we got lots of that but keep your fingers crossed that the wind doesn't pick up. Then it's off to Ireland for a hurling match from Wide World of Sports. It's kind of like soccer, kind of like field hockey and kind of like idiotic.
Blair Thomas, Ty Detmer, Jo Paterno and a cast of tens square off in a touchdown fiesta. You'll see what was called "the best catch of the decade" and be sure to watch for the visit to Sea World. We had no idea Shamu spoke perfect English.
Think you got the skills to pay the bills? Quite honestly we don't think you do, so we put together a show featuring guys who can. First up it's the 1995 High School Slam Dunk Contest and 3-point shootout featuring future stars- Kevin Garnett, Vince Carter, Paul Pierce and also Louis Bullock. Then it's the 2003 Superskills competition from the NHL All Star Game. Fedorov, Roy, and of course Todd Bertuzzi will be available to hand out cheap shots as warranted.
Started by Donald Trump and taking place at his Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City, it's the World Series of Poker's combed-over half-brother. Top player and top antagonist Phil Helmuth is at the final table and you have to check out his shirt. Gabe Kaplan of Welcome Back Kotter fame hosts the festivities. We also feature some commercials for a few new poker shows hitting the airwaves.
Randy and Jason take Cheap Seats on the road in a quest to try and save Busch Stadium from it's planned demolition. They'll let nothing, including already well-laid architectural and demolition plans get in their way to try and save their beloved Busch. Along the way, they'll watch some footage from the Demolition of the Seattle Kingdome, some Celebrity Demolition Derby from Wide World of Sports and the Demolition of a man's psyche. Just ask Kenny Mayne.
Three words: Ann Rogers Clark. The Dog Show Aficionado returns for more examination of a dog's nether regions. Randy and Jason even pay tribute to Ann with a special Def Poetry Jam. Then it's off to Carson City, Nevada where it's a cast of hundreds (99.5% of them men) showing off their meticulously groomed facial hair. Did you know it was possible to grow your beard to look like a Hot Wheels track?
It's back to Rotonda, FL and another installment of the Superstars. The esteemed Keith Jackson is on hand to host with some help by Reggie Jackson and Bruce Jenner though one could argue they harm more than help. Athletes include Jim Taylor, Kyle Rote Jr, Lynn Swann, the lovable Steve Garvey, Billy Whiteshoes Johnson and everyone's favorite French hurdler, Guy Drut. You don't want to miss Guy's trash talking clinic. Guest appearance by Andre DeBouchet.
Randy and Jason take a road trip to the rolling hills and glowing trees of New Jersey to spend an episode watching some ICW Wrestling from fan Gina Mitolo's couch. They'll ransack her house, exploit her friends and even try to sell her prized possessions. Guest appearance by Don West.
It's the last episode of Season 3 and Charles Barkley always taught us to finish strong. It's an all-star cast featuring Rebecca Sealfon the year before she won the whole Bee, the Quiet Storm Prem Trivedi and everyone's favorite Mogwai- Wendy Guey. It's our season ending show and if Lost taught us anything it's that you should leave your viewers hanging for 6 months with hundreds of unanswered questions.
The inaugural season of Cheap Seats was filled with both highlights and lowlights. From Steve Garvey bill fishing to Rebecca Sealfon spelling, it was an undertaking of epic proportions and filled with many trials and tribulations. How better to tell the "history" of Cheap Seats than to do our own SportsCentury documentary. Of course, we're basically broke so we had to use a lot of interviews from other shows.
The Karate Kid's got nothing on Randy and Jason. In this episode, the brothers offer up their martial arts expertise and overdubbing skills as they watch the 2002 Creative Breaking Championships from Disney World and K-1 Fighting from Tokyo, Japan. Cheap Seats also welcomes a few very special guests to the show to give some commentary of their own. It's a mystery that is grounded in science but full of theater.
Lake Placid, NY probably hasn't seen a competition that rivals the inaugural Great Outdoor Games. Guns, romance, chopping wood. Desperate Housewives wishes it had drama like this. Don't miss the shocking revelation that rocks the skeet shooting world and the end of the show.
This is not your grandmother's Scrabble. In the 21st century, Scrabble is a world of bingo, shot clocks, hugging, and rabid fans. Make a mistake on the board, and be prepared to be verbally assaulted by fans tough enough to make you quiver (18 pts) more than an umpire at a Little League game.
Randy and Jason display their love of animals as they visit the Frog Jumping Championships, The San Francisco Cat Show, & The Hambletonian. People do many strange things to their pets, some more strange than others. With that said, you probably haven't seen anything like this before. As Randy and Jason dive into the world of pet exploitation, you'll see frogs jumping for their lives, cats with way too much makeup on, and horses trotting really, really slow.
Jason and Randy head back to Las Vegas for another installment of the World Series of Poker. It's back to Las Vegas and 1998 for another installment of the World Series of Poker. This episode features a epic battle, not unlike David vs. Goliath, as an amateur takes aim at a professional poker player. While David used his slingshot to slay the mighty beast, this show introduces a much more novel approach. Over-active bladder sufferers unite!
This one's got it all. The return of Pam Minick, heroic rodeo clowns, $2000 belt buckles, ten gallon hats, ten-inch long mustaches, and the shameless celebration of animal cruelty. It's the 1988 Finals Rodeo and it is on!
Randy and Jason investigate the world of Gimmick Sports, featuring the Harlem Globetrotters, Hot Dog Skiing, and Trick Shot Billiards. What would the world of sports be without gimmicks? A bunch of sports that are difficult to make fun of. That's not the case in this episode. Randy and Jason probe the orb of Gimmick Sports with jaunts to Attica Prison for the Harlem Globetrotters, Park City, Utah for Hot Dog Skiing, and South Africa for some trick shot billiards. Three very different venues for three very similarly ridiculous sporting events.
The Sklar brothers delve into America's pastime as they visit Dodger Stadium for the 1980 MLB All-Star Game. After watching this episode, your notion of the Mid Summer Classic will never be the same. The year is 1980 and The American League is trying to stop a streak of 8 straight wins by the National League. For most players, a game like this is the highlight of their careers. However, for one Willie Randolph, it was the farthest thing from a highlight.
Looking to spice up your lackluster sporting event? Just add ice ... and some biting commentary from Randy and Jason. It's motorcycle racing and barrel jumping on ice, a very cool look at the Wide World of Sports.
After the historic 1994 debut of Superdogs! Superjocks! they brought the event back in 1995 for an equally painful sequel. Join Randy and Jason as they watch Poacher the Golden Retriever upstage Dan O'Brien, Bob Golic, Roger Craig, and, of course, Willie Gault.
Spending too much time in the sun can be hazardous to your health, so stay inside and watch Randy and Jason make fun of skateboarding's less than radical beginnings and sail boarding from the 80s.
The final ABA All-Star game lives in sports legend as the origin of the slam dunk competition and, as with many legends, their greatness is exaggerated. Randy and Jason find out the art of the slam has come a long way since the twist around dunks of 1976.
The Kansas City Royals' 5'5" Freddie Patek taking on the Dallas Cowboys' 6'5" Harvey Martin doesn't seem like a fair match, unless the events are swimming and canoeing. Randy and Jason discover that just because the Cowboys and Royals are professional athletes, it doesn't mean they excel in all sports.
Randy and Jason delve into the bygone era of Pro-Wrestling, when a pair of Speedos and a potbelly virtually guaranteed you a spot on the show. The Iron Sheik headlines the Main Event. Guest appearances by: Jon Benjamin, Ian Roberts and Michael Showalter.
Witness the startling similarities uncovered between the 1982 Stanford-Cal college football game featuring 'The Play' and the 1984 screen epic, 'Revenge of the Nerds.' John Elway and Ted McGinley are more alike than you think.
Globe-hop with legendary announcers Keith Jackson and Al Michaels in ABC's Wide World of Sports. It's Cliff Diving from Acapulco, Wrist-Wrestling from Petaluma and Ice Boat Racing from some frozen lake somewhere.
It's Steve Garvey's Celebrity Billfish Tournament and Bobby Bonilla's Celebrity Bowling Tournament. Find out which not-quite-Hall-of-Famer gets the bigger stars, and who abuses the term ""benefit"" as a facade for a free vacation.
Check out the most memorable Bee in recent history as 13-year old Rebecca Sealfon takes the Spelling community by storm as she battles youngsters from across these United States for the much-coveted title.
It’s the once-great sport of Roller Derby reduced to a place where divorced dads can bring their kids on the weekend and get drunk.
It's the second ever World's Strongest Man competition. From Universal Studios, see events like the Girl Lift and the Tram Pull. Featuring NFL players, Olympic power lifters, and the legendary Polish Hammer Ivan Putski, it turns into a battle of Good vs. Evil.
Travel back to the Golden Age of 1994 when ESPN aired this most breathtaking of sports hybrids. Witness the searing drama when three former Olympic Gold medalists join forces with the canine superstars of their day. Quite possibly the most important event held at Marine World in Vallejo, CA.
It's the event that inspired Battle of the Network Stars. Randy and Jason watch the biggest sports stars of their day—Steve Garvey, Deacon Jones, Dwight Stones, and Wayne Grimditch (that's right, Wayne Grimditch!)—as they battle for a cash purse equivalent to A-Rod's dry cleaning bill.
What makes a real man? Cheap Seats turns to the Wide World of Sports archives in search of true masculinity. Is it the he-men of the 1971 World Weightlifting Championships? Is it Arnold Schwarzenegger and the muscle-men of the 1975 Mister Olympia Competition. Or is it fearless NBA Hall of Famer Calvin Murphy? Find out on Cheap Seats.
Cheap Seats heads to Binion's Horseshoe in Vegas for the Silver Anniversary of the World Series of Poker. The competition heats up as the winner of this tournament takes home his weight in silver in addition to the $1 million plus prize. Pass the cheese-fries!
Party Canadian-style as Cheap Seats features Wayne Gretzky's second NHL game ever and the first NHL game played in Edmonton. You'll also meet the man who Gretzky replaced in the starting lineup. Guest appearances by: Mike Bleiden.
Which bitch barks the loudest? You be the judge when our nation's finest canines go at it at the International Kennel Club of Chicago Dog Show and our nation's finest universities sic their cheerleading squads on each other.
Bowling? Sure, have a few drinks. Running from a thousand pounds of angry bovine? You're probably better off with a Shirley Temple. Will the contestants in this episode agree?
It makes perfect sense—horses speeding around tight curves… on a sheet of solid ice. Plus Jim McKay, doing his best Sherlock Holmes impression—tooling around England in a car older than he is and chicks ramming each other.
Watch abstract events determine concrete titles. It's a show where successfully pulling a fire truck with a harness attached to your chest improves your chances of being deemed world's strongest man, and scaling a net in a skimpy outfit makes you worthy of being the sole Ms. for a galaxy. Some consider this the best episode in the solar system.
What happens when you try to spice up two sports that should only be played and never watched? You get NFL players teamed up with Billiards players they could swallow and a young Berman calling a sport he learned during the telecast, Darts.
In their 4th installment of this ABC Sports staple, Randy and Jason delve into the worlds of Lumberjacking and Cyclo Ball. Chopping, oiling, log rolling, and a little tree-climbing mixed with a touch of soccer on bicycles ... on a basketball court? Guest appearances by: Eric Slovin and Leo Allen.
"Putt-Putt" Would you believe that professional mini-golf players can make over a million dollars a year? If so, then you're gullible because they can't; although that doesn't stop them from pursuing their dreams. Join commentators Jay Johnston and former Putt-Putt champion Judy Ward as they take this event far more seriously than anyone every should. Guest appearances by Kerii Kinney-Silver and Jerry Minor.
Join the sports superstars of their day, and Joe Frazier, in chilly Rotonda, Florida, as they battle each other in such extreme sports as golf, bowling, and ping pong in a bid to be named 1973's most super superstar. With Johnny Bench, Evlin Hayes, Johnny Unitas and many more.
Just eight seconds to glory—that's all Luke Perry ever asked for. Take the bumpy ride with Randy and Jason at the George Paul Superstar Bullriding Classic. Then we bring it waaaaaaaay down for some Lawnmower racing, where eight seconds can feel like a lifetime.
They're young, they're awkward, they're geeky. In short, easy targets. So join us as we shamelessly take aim at some of the smartest kids in the world as they compete in the 1994 National Spelling Bee.
In this episode, the guys watch women compete in a sport that began as an activity to root on the men. Watch as high school students shake their pom poms in an effort to get the big trophy.
Yeah, it's fake, but it's how they fake it that matters. Join a bunch of out-of-shape middle-aged men that include Dick "the Bulldog" Brower and "Tex" McKenzie as they struggle with body hair, identity crises, and irrelevance on the world stage known as International Championship Wrestling.
It’s the once-great sport of Roller Derby reduced to a place where divorced dads can bring their kids on the weekend and get drunk. Join 110-year-old Ralphie Valladeras as he and the LA T-Birds battle the Golden State Bombers in a fight to the end of the match. Guest appearances by A.D. Miles and Ed Helms.
Randy and Jason Sklar, hosts of the ESPN Classic series "Cheap Seats" and die-hard St. Louis Cardinals fans, meet Jose Oquendo, the man they wish to see enshrined forever among baseball's greatest players. Having secured his blessing, the Sklar brothers' journey to a number of cities to compile research in support of their quest.
Plot of this episode is not specified yet. Please check back later for more update.
| Location | |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Release | 2004-02-04 |
| Producer |