As one of the hosts of Thrift Store Horde, rare VHS tapes are something I always look for at thrift stores. I’m always surprised at the selections we find each month that vary from rare cartoons to cult classic movies. We find a good amount of novelty videos as well which includes everything from fish tank videos to celebrity workouts. I would also include TV specials in this category which usually air just a single time on primetime television (unless your name is Rudolph or Garfield.)
One of my favorite comedic actors is Leslie Nielsen. I was first introduced to him through The Naked Gun movies and then became a fan of his earlier performances like in Airplane!. I also loved his films in the ’90s like Wrongfully Accused and even picked up his book Bad Golf My Way.
Earlier this year I found a VHS copy of the television special World’s Funniest Commercials that originally aired on ABC in 1993 and was hosted by Nielsen. After giving it a watch, I vaguely remember seeing it just by some of the commercials that are featured. What I didn’t remember was Nielsen’s fun bits that setup the commercials during the special. Here is the description from the back of the slip cover:
Laugh at the funniest commercials from around the world. Hosted by Leslie Nielsen (Airplane, Naked Gun), the funniest guy we could find. You’ll see hilarious commercials about video dating, falling in and out of love, cute babies and animals (to name a few). No matter what the brand, which country it was filmed in or who the actors are, all these commercials have one thing in common – they’ll make you laugh. Anyone who likes a good chuckle will thoroughly enjoy this entertaining video – the funniest moments in TV advertising!
The special is on YouTube but the videos I watched were poor quality and incomplete. So, for the sake of preservation, I have digitized the complete VHS presentation which includes a PSA from the Partnership For A Drug Free America, a movie trailer for the Jim Carrey/Steve Oedekerk film High Strung and a 2-minute preview of Nielsen’s video “Bad Golf Made Easier.” Do yourself a favor and dedicate the next 40 minutes to watch the World’s Funniest Commercials from the VHS archive on the TRN TV YouTube channel…
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