TV Party Time and Make-Up Show

Glenn O’Brien says “TV Party is interesting as a TV show, but it’s a pretty good painting too.” This show opens with a still frame. Just when you’re ready to go nuts, a voice reassures: “There is nothing wrong with your television set.” And mad action begins. TV Party was cable TV as pop art. It appeared sloppy and crude but it was deliberate sloppiness and crudeness. This episode plays with ideas of time and space, (“time is money” and “dead air”) alternating between aggressive boredom and quick wit. The TV Party Orchestra (Walter Steding on violin, Lenny Ferrari on the New Yorker magazine, and Tim Wright on guitar) jams while host O’Brien performs the sublime feat of rolling a joint blindfolded while smoking a joint. The now legendary fashion photographer Steven Meisel joins the gang, performing a makeover on a hillbilly gal found in the bar across the street. Percussionist extraordinaire David van Tieghem makes music with toys and kitchen utensils. Tim Wright and his girlfriend Marianne are “Fifi and Claude” performing a punk Parisian accordion/guitar duo. Ferrari’s “Italian cousin” sleight of hand artist Luigi Ciccolini performs magic. Richard Sohl of the Patti Smith Group, artists Fab Five Freddie and Ronnie Cutrone and guitarist Robert Fripp answer phone calls from home viewers. It’s all about “the makeup of time.” LENN O’BRIEN’S TV PARTY produced by GLENN O’BRIEN directed by AMOS POE with GLENN O’BRIEN CHRIS STEIN WALTER STEDING DEBBIE HARRY LENNY FERRARI TIM WRIGHT STEVEN MEISEL DAVID VAN TIEGHEM LUIGI CICCOLINI RICHARD SOHL FAB FIVE FREDDIE RONNIE CUTRONE ROBERT FRIPP Brodcast live from ETC Studios, August 19, 1979