While I don’t always faithfully watch NBC’s Up All Night, last night’s episode, titled “Daddy Daughter Time,” promised to be a good one primarily because it had Sharon Osbourne and Henry Winkler (a.k.a. Fonzie from Happy Days) guest-starring as Maya Rudolph’s father. As popular children’s author Martin Alexander, “the grooviest Jew since Neil Diamond first donned a rhinestone cape,” it was good to see Henry utilized for more than just a One-Reverse Mortgage commercial or a supporting role in an Adam Sandler movie, as he’s a fantastic, classically-trained actor and, all-in-all, a wonderful human being.
I really enjoyed Henry’s performance as Martin Alexander, author of such books as Daddy Daughter Time, the award-winning Snow on the Sidewalk and A Hot Day for Hopscotch, because Henry is also the accomplished co-author of a children’s book series in real life. Titled Hank Zipzer, the World’s Greatest Underachiever, his series is inspired by true-life experiences from his own childhood. Described as funny and touching, the series deals with topics appropriate for elementary/middle-school-aged children, ranging from passing difficult tests to being sent to the dreaded principal’s office.
As his writer character on the show, one of the stand-out moments was when he was describing how he came up with the inspiration for one of his popular characters:
Martin Alexander: “So, I’m walking along the street and I see this little Afro-American boy stepping in other people’s footsteps in the snow and a spiritual door opened for me and I found my voice. The voice of a young black boy.”
Throughout the episode, I really felt sorry for Ava, as she had all these extra-special “daddy/daughter” activities planned that were ruined when her father brought his new wife and her two kids along with him for his visit. If he were my father, I probably wouldn’t want to share him and his awesomeness either. Despite their obvious differences, I especially liked the bonding moment that occurred between the two characters, as they predictably made their peace by the episode’s end:
Martin Alexander: “This is what I really want to say. I haven’t been the father I should be. I wasn’t there when I should’ve been. You’re trying to connect, I’m avoiding. And I’m just … I’m so filled with guilt.”
Ava: “Just like Jesse in A Hot Day for Hopscotch when he’s afraid to tell the fuzz who opened that fire hydrant but when he did, it felt so good.”
Martin Alexander: “And Officer Kindly, he understood, because he was sweltering too.”
It was good to see Henry back on a sitcom, but I will always hold a special place reserved in my heart just for the Fonz in his shiny leather jacket and tight jeans.
Other stand-out quotes from the episode:
Sharon Osbourne (arguing with Ava over a parking space): “That sign says ‘talent.’ Maybe there’s a sign over the other side of the lot that says ‘lucky to be on television.’ You should park there.”
Ava: “Why don’t I just go ahead and park a double-decker bus up your ass?”
Ava: “The audience doesn’t want to do the math. If they could do the math, they wouldn’t be watching TV in the middle of the day.”
Henry Winkler: “Mary Tyler Moore … for a white woman, very foxy.”
Ava (eating crow and approaching Sharon Osborne after their parking confrontation): “My family loves you and would love to take a picture.”
Sharon Osbourne: “Would they? Because just this morning I was a limey old rooster head. Now you want me to meet the family and give them the whole ‘chip-cheerio’ and prance around like the old Artful Dodger for ‘ya. Or we could give them the old Mr. Bean. … Let me tell you something Mrs., it would take for the Thames to freeze over in July before I’d do anything for you.”
Henry Winkler: “Don’t be so dramatic. You know who you sound like? J.K. Rowling. I mean God bless her success but you write a story on 12 pages of strong cardstock. That is magic.”
Henry Winkler: “I think it’s jive, but I don’t want to be a hater.”
Clacked by Kim Tibbs
on Mar 23, 2012 @ 16:01 EST5EDT
