Watching TV: Fred Willard

By Tom Rose
Fancast.com

Fred Willard will be making an appearance this week on “Pushing Daisies” in a role he’s never played before: Over-the-Top Magician. That’s a bit surprising for a man whose career has spanned more than 40 years on both the big and little screen. But as always Fred is up to the task, pulling off a memorable turn for the down-on-its-knees TV series. Hopefully a little Fred Willard magic will rub off and ABC will finally pick up the show for a third season.

Taking on a challenge is nothing new for the Second City veteran. Since the late ’60s he has been dotting the entertainment landscape with solid, off-beat roles that invariably work because Fred Willard always plays a version of himself. And audiences love it.

From his bumbling Agent Lundy on “Get Smart” right up to Old-School Sportscaster Marsh McGinley on “Back To You” Fred Willard has been a fixture on our televisions whenever we find the time to sit back and enjoy.

Naturally, we were interested in finding out which TV shows the beloved funnyman enjoys when it’s time for him to relax in front of the tube for awhile. Pretty much what you’d expect: funny, athletic and real - just like Fred Willard himself!

1. 30 Rock: “At times there it was getting a little bit too campy, but boy, the last couple of episodes were so funny. So funny! I mean who wouldn’t want to have the throwaway lines on that show?”

2. The Sarah Silverman Program: “It’s so funny, I don’t know what it is. I love her, I love the writing, I love those 2 gay guys with the beards. It’s just a delicious show.”

3. The Girls Next Door: “I got hooked because I’m fascinated with the whole Hugh Hefner thing at that mansion.”

4. The Tonight Show With Jay Leno: “I hurry home on a Monday night just to watch Headlines With Jay Leno, and when they don’t have it, if it’s a repeat or something, I get so disappointed, I’m like a little kid. ‘Awww… I thought I was gonna get a bike this Christmas!’”

5. Monk: “I’ve gotten into it because my wife loves it. I’ve met Tony Shalhoub and he’s such a terrific guy that we’ll watch that. It’s a very easy show to watch. It’s not a very easy show to go along with, you say ‘wait a minute! What the?’ but it’s such a fun show to watch.”

Guilty Pleasures? “I got into some of these shows like Whacked Out Sports and World’s Most Amazing Videos. Lately I just can’t get into scripted shows, like police shows. Two-thirds of the way through they’ll pull out some clue and you think ‘wait a minute! Where’d that come from?’

But “Life On Mars” is quite interesting. We watched the UK version, but this one is a little more interesting because it’s about New York. You have a feeling it was like a hundred years ago, but when you realize it, you know, they have shots of the Twin Towers on there and I lived in New York then.”

Ain’t that just like Fred Willard? Always where the action is.

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