A tv series that was filmed but never meant to be seen that was so
unfunny it couldn't possibly have found an audience. For reasons that
are beyond stupid, Warner Bros. was contractually obligated to make this
tv series (I think there were 22 epiosodes altogether) to maintain
distribution rights for Blazing Saddles (1974) but it didn't actually
have to get sold.

CBS aired the pilot.

Black Bart was a title considered before Blazing Saddles came to Mel
Brooks whilst he was taking a shower.

Nothing in the script captures the magic, nor the humor, missing the
satire of Blazing Saddles.

There's nothing wrong with the cast. Sheriff Bart (Lou Gossett), Reb
Jordan the drunken deputy (Steve Landesberg), Mayor Fern (Noble Willingham),
and Curley (Gerrit Graham from Now and Again). Belle (Millie Slavin) is
played by an actress I never heard of but, relatively speaking, her
character acts less illogically than everybody else. She kind of stood a
chance of doing something with the role.

There's a corruption in small town politics theme but the black
prejudice stuff doesn't work in any way (the word "n*" is said twice to
Bart's face). Gossett is supposed to make people fear Bart, but doesn't
pull that off either, and does the line about not believing in guns but
shoots anyway (and doesn't find humor in hypocrisy either).

Belle loves Bart; Bart won't reciprocate because he'll get beaten up.

Belle owns the saloon that Curley keeps destroying as he wants to fight
everybody. Curley is the mayor's idiot nephew. The mayor won't let the
sheriff arrest him or keep him in jail and gets Reb drunk while Bart is
away.

In the "plot twist" (or we blew our budget and couldn't afford another
guest star), Bart cannot get a judge to take the case and gets appointed
judge anyway. He's also sort of prosecutor. All the witnesses are gone
or extorted and Curley is innocent. But Bart finds another way to charge
him. It's not possible to make this work as farce, not that the script
tries in any way.

There's an Indian but he's played by Ruben Moreno (never heard of him)
and couldn't even pull off the Jewish actor gag.

I laughed once at one of Belle's lines near the end but I've forgotten.

Intended to run in a 30 minute time slot but it seemed like it ran for
close to 3 hours.

It was on the Blazing Saddles disk. Now, that's a great movie but it was
best with the audience I saw it with when it was new, and you had to see
the movie with older adults who recognized the Western movie cliches
Mel Brooks was spoofing. It's not as much fun watching on tv.

On Sun, 13 Aug 2023 20:25:04 -0000 (UTC), "Adam H. Kerman"
<ahk@chinet.com> wrote:

>A tv series that was filmed but never meant to be seen that was so
>unfunny it couldn't possibly have found an audience. For reasons that
>are beyond stupid, Warner Bros. was contractually obligated to make this
>tv series (I think there were 22 epiosodes altogether) to maintain
>distribution rights for Blazing Saddles (1974) but it didn't actually
>have to get sold.
>
>CBS aired the pilot.

Here's the link to the movie:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1X6DXwVrwI

>Black Bart was a title considered before Blazing Saddles came to Mel
>Brooks whilst he was taking a shower.
>
>Nothing in the script captures the magic, nor the humor, missing the
>satire of Blazing Saddles.

Yes, and looking at the previous work from the writers I can see why.

>There's nothing wrong with the cast. Sheriff Bart (Lou Gossett), Reb
>Jordan the drunken deputy (Steve Landesberg), Mayor Fern (Noble Willingham),
>and Curley (Gerrit Graham from Now and Again). Belle (Millie Slavin) is
>played by an actress I never heard of but, relatively speaking, her
>character acts less illogically than everybody else. She kind of stood a
>chance of doing something with the role.
>
>There's a corruption in small town politics theme but the black
>prejudice stuff doesn't work in any way (the word "n*" is said twice to
>Bart's face). Gossett is supposed to make people fear Bart, but doesn't
>pull that off either, and does the line about not believing in guns but
>shoots anyway (and doesn't find humor in hypocrisy either).

He just seems awkward in the role just judging by the first few
minutes of this made for TV movie.

>Belle loves Bart; Bart won't reciprocate because he'll get beaten up.
>
>Belle owns the saloon that Curley keeps destroying as he wants to fight
>everybody. Curley is the mayor's idiot nephew. The mayor won't let the
>sheriff arrest him or keep him in jail and gets Reb drunk while Bart is
>away.
>
>In the "plot twist" (or we blew our budget and couldn't afford another
>guest star), Bart cannot get a judge to take the case and gets appointed
>judge anyway. He's also sort of prosecutor. All the witnesses are gone
>or extorted and Curley is innocent. But Bart finds another way to charge
>him. It's not possible to make this work as farce, not that the script
>tries in any way.
>
>There's an Indian but he's played by Ruben Moreno (never heard of him)
>and couldn't even pull off the Jewish actor gag.
>
>I laughed once at one of Belle's lines near the end but I've forgotten.

I'll give them some credit for the robbery bit at the end as that got
a smile out of me.

>Intended to run in a 30 minute time slot but it seemed like it ran for
>close to 3 hours.
>
>It was on the Blazing Saddles disk. Now, that's a great movie but it was
>best with the audience I saw it with when it was new, and you had to see
>the movie with older adults who recognized the Western movie cliches
>Mel Brooks was spoofing. It's not as much fun watching on tv.