Book Review: It Seemed Like a Bad Idea at the Time

Bruce Vilanch is known as a go-to comedy writer for award shows, sitcoms, and top-heavy variety specials, but he has also been responsible for quite a few of the worst shows ever put on television—legendarily bad productions. Some of his work lives in infamy: The Star Wars Holiday Special, The Paul Lynde Halloween Special, Rob Lowe dancing with Snow White at the Oscars, and The Brady Bunch Variety Hour. How did these ever seem like a good idea?

Well, everyone has screwed up a few times, or had their work screwed up by others. It Seemed Like a Bad Idea at the Time is a lifetime reflection of what Vilanch has experienced, learned, forgotten, dismissed, and embraced in decades of working in show business, specifically the south forty acres known as comedy. It involves very famous people and people who were not very famous but should have been.

And it explains to the person in the audience who says to himself, once he has gotten his jaw off the floor, “’How did this ever get made?” Don’t we all want to know?

It Seemed Like a Bad Idea at the Time: The Worst TV Shows in Hostiry and Other Things I Wrote by Bruce Vilanch will be published on March 4, 2025. IPG/Chicago Review Press provided an early galley for review.

As a child of the 70's, I grew up in the twilight of the variety show era. Back when we only had three networks, if something special was airing I would know about it (and not just because I had a subscription to TV Guide). So, I remember watching so many of these productions on which Vilanch worked as they aired for the very first time. Were they cheesy? Sure. But then again, I have always been a a fan of cheesy goodness and fun in my entertainment.

Vilanch is great at his comedy craft with a very comfortable, conversational approach to telling the reader about the making of these "masterpieces" (I found them all enjoyable). I found myself laughing out loud so many times as I read this book. His turn-of-the-phrase and colorful analogies are so good. I also too like the footnotes about famous people and shows that will be very useful for younger fans who discovered his productions online and very entertaining for those of us old enough to know exactly who or what he is referring to. There is something for everyone here.