TROOP BEVERLY HILLS

Ménage Á Pop is a three times a week intimate discussion between two people and a piece of pop culture.

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Still waiting out the election count? Still anticipating the burning of democracy? Or did you come here for 20 minutes of escapism on the entertainment of your youth? If its that last one, then welcome comedian Candace Kregg as she recounts her childhood obsession with the Shelly Long film Troop Beverly Hills. But wasn't Shelly Long, like, thirty-something in that? Find out what a kid could find in watching the VHS exploits of a 1980s adult.

Candace Kregg is a comedian and writer working out of the West Coast.

POP NOTES

  • TROOP BEVERLY HILLS opened in 7th place on Friday, March 24th 1989. The top three films that weekend were RAIN MAN (#3), THE RESCUERS re-release (#2) and FLETCH LIVES (#1).

  • The film’s director, Jeff Kanew, had previously directed REVENGE OF THE NERDS (1984) and GOTCHA (1985) and was the Film Editor for the academy award winning drama ORDINARY PEOPLE (1980).

  • The film’s screenwriters, PAMELA NORRIS and MARGARET OBERMAN had both been writers for SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE in the early 80s. Pamela Norris was also a writer and supervising producer for DESIGNING WOMEN (1988) as well as well as a consulting producer on MAD ABOUT YOU (1992). Margaret Oberman wrote for the 1989 tv special ANDREA MARTIN … TOGETHER AGAIN as well as for the Lifetime series ARMY WIVES (2007).

  • Betty Thomas, who played antagonist Velda Plendor, would later direct Shelly Long in THE BRADY BUNCH MOVIE (1995) as well the Howard Stern film PRIVATE PARTS (1997) and the Eddie Murphy comedy DOCTOR DOOLITTE (1998).

  • Actresses in the Wilderness Girl Troop included Kellie Martin (LIFE GOES ON), Tori Spelling (BEVERLY HILLS 90210), Emily Schulman (SMALL WONDER) and Jenny Lewis of the band RILO KILEY.

  • 60s film sensations Annette Funicello (THE MISADVENTURES OF MERLIN JONES) and Frankie Avalon (DOCTOR GOLDFOOT AND THE BIKINI MACHINE) cameo as joggers in the film.

Tune back on Monday when Eisner nominated comic book creator MEREDITH MORIARTY (author of THE THIRD SHIFT SOCIETY) shares her thoughts on the ever changing medium of comics.


This episode of MÉNAGE Á POP was recorded by CAST, an online audio platform that lets you create and record a multi-guest podcast straight from your web-browser.    It was then mastered by AUPHONIC, a web-based post-production service. Check out both sights for trial and subscription information.

MUSIC FEATURED IN TODAY’S EPISODE:

“Three Ways To Do That” (opening theme) composed and performed by The Madeline Prior. All rights reserved with Not A Holograms podcasts.

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Try to understand the present while living in the past with Tim’s weekly podcast 20TH CENTURY POP! at www.nahpods.com/20popcast

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