14 articles from 2009
MTV Stars – Where Are They Now?
23 November 2009 8:00 PM, PST
| Getback - TV
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Ken Ober, the host of one of MTV's early non-music series, the pop culture game show "Remote Control," passed to that great boob tube in the sky recently. Ober was the Wink Martindale of Generation X, going on to host three more game shows ("Make Me Laugh," "Smush," and "Perfect Match") before trading in his blue cue cards for a job behind the camera. Most recently he produced comedies like "Mind of Mencia" and "The New Adventures of Old Christine."
But Ober wasn't the only young hopeful to get his start on the emerging music television channel in its early days. In fact, MTV launched the careers of some of Hollywood's biggest actors and continues to discover future celebrities in unlikely places like the O.C. Take a look at stars who got their start on MTV and see where they are now.
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- AmyandNancy
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R.I.P. Ken Ober
17 November 2009 5:00 PM, PST
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The host of one of MTV's early non-music series "Remote Control" passed to that great game show in the sky this week. The 1980s pop culture quiz show tested contestants' knowledge of TV, music videos, and all things entertainment by strapping them into recliners and handing them a remote used to chose categories. Ober was quick-witted and casual, a perfect combo for the MTV fare. He was the Wink Martindale of Generation X, going on to host three more game shows ("Make Me Laugh," "Smush," and "Perfect Match") before trading in his blue cue cards for a job behind the camera. Most recently he produced comedies like "Mind of Mencia" and "The New Adventures of Old Christine." He is credited with helping launch the careers of several comedians including "Rc" regulars like Adam Sandler who said he was one of "sharpest, quickest, sweetest guys I ever met," and Denis Leary added,
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- AmyandNancy
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Stars in Rewind: Ken Ober & 'Remote Control'
17 November 2009 3:45 PM, PST
| Cinematical
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Attention children of the '80s: If you haven't already heard, television's Ken Ober died at the age of 52. The cause of death is not yet determined, although his agent noted that Ober "complained of headaches and flu-like symptoms on Saturday night." While he produced shows like Mind of Mencia and The New Adventures of Old Christine, he's probably best known for his time as the host of MTV's '80s quiz show: Remote Control.
Remember it? Three players would get strapped into arm chairs, answer questions about television and film (basically anything that could be found on TV), find food raining down on their heads, and get entertained by the likes of Colin Quinn, Kari Wuhrer, Denis Leary, and Adam Sandler. It was part classic MTV ridiculousness, and part media junky geek party.
In memory of the host and show, I thought I'd take us back in time for
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- Monika Bartyzel
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Ken Ober Dies of Unknown Causes
17 November 2009 3:15 PM, PST
| Reel Empire
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Ken Ober, host of "Remote Control" is dead at the age of 53. Ober is remembered as the host from the game show which aired on MTV back in the 1980's. According to the Associated Press, Ober was found dead in his home in Santa Monica on Sunday. The cause of his death is unknown at this time, however, reports said he'd complained of headaches and flu-like symptoms Saturday evening. Ober hosted five season of the previous hit game show "Remote Control" and helped produce shows like "Mind of Mencia" and "The New Adventures of Old Christine". Famous faces who participated on the game show include Adam Sandler, Dennis Leary, LL Cool J, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jerry Mathers and 'Weird Al' Yankovic. Ken's friends and family have our prayers.
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- Michelle Thorton
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Ken Ober: 1957-2009
17 November 2009 7:49 AM, PST
| Comicmix.com
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Ken Ober, best known as the host of the MTV game show Remote Control, has died at the age of 52. No cause of death has been identified as yet.
Ober was the host of the series for five seasons on MTV, airing first in 1987. The series helped launched the careers of several notables, including Colin Quinn, Kari Wuhrer, Denis Leary and Adam Sandler. He followed the series as producer of Mind of Mencia for Comedy Central and also as a consulting producer for several episodes of The New Adventures of Old Christine on CBS. Ober got his start as a stand up comedian on Star Search in 1984 where he was named the Comedian Champion.
If you want to get a bit nostalgic with us, come on along with us back to the late 80's... and yes, there may even be an odd comic book tie-in for this episode:
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- Glenn Hauman
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Mourning MTV's Remote Control Host Ken Ober
17 November 2009 7:48 AM, PST
| E! Online
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Ken Ober, who hosted MTV's pop-culture-centric game show Remote Control for five seasons beginning in 1987, was found dead in his home on Sunday, the network reports. The 52-year-old's cause of death has yet to be determined.
Ober began his career on Star Search but spent recent years behind the scenes, working in production on comedies like The New Adventures of Old Christine and Mind of Mencia.
"Kenny Ober was and always will be the quickest wit in the room," fellow funnyman Denis Leary tells MTV News. "He was fall-down funny from the moment he was born—a smart, fast and hilarious human being who made many of us, including myself, laugh until we cried. As the star and host of Remote
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Mourning MTV's Remote Control Host Ken Ober
17 November 2009 7:48 AM, PST
| E! Online
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Ken Ober, who hosted MTV's pop-culture-centric game show Remote Control for five seasons beginning in 1987, was found dead in his home on Sunday, the network reports. The 52-year-old's cause of death has yet to be determined.
Ober began his career on Star Search but spent recent years behind the scenes, working in production on comedies like The New Adventures of Old Christine and Mind of Mencia.
"Kenny Ober was and always will be the quickest wit in the room," fellow funnyman Denis Leary tells MTV News. "He was fall-down funny from the moment he was born—a smart, fast and hilarious human being who made many of us, including myself, laugh until we cried. As the star and host of Remote
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Ken Ober, MTV legend and host of ‘Remote Control,’ dead at 52.
17 November 2009 4:28 AM, PST
| Atomic Popcorn
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Ken Ober, the humorous and abrasive host of the MTV game show “Remote Control,” has passed on. He was 52.
Airing at the apex of the MTV Network’s history, 1987 through 1990, Remote Control pitted three teenage or young adult contestants in a trivia competition, answering questions about music, television, and pop culture. The show also featured skits and character sketches from new improv comedians, helping launch the careers of Colin Quinn, Denis Leary and Adam Sandler. Several episodes are available online.
Remote Control, aside from being thoroughly enjoyable even two decades later, was notable for being one of MTV’s first forays into non-music video programming. The game show paved a path for all the subversively weird programming MTV would soon become famous for: Liquid Television, Beavis and Butt-Head, The State, Jackass, and Wonder Showzen all owe a debt of gratitude to Ken Ober and his comedic dissidence.
Sadly, following Remote Control’s cancellation,
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- Jaspers
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Paul F. Tompkins Tweets Confirmation of Ken Ober's Death; Host of MTV's Remote Control Was 52
16 November 2009 11:10 AM, PST
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Sad news has been circulating today throughout Twitter, Facebook and elsewhere, that Ken Ober, host of Remote Control -- the MTV game show that featured a pre-fame Colin Quinn and Adam Sandler -- died suddenly over the weekend. No official statement has come from reps for the comedian and TV writer-producer, who in recent years worked on shows like The New Adventures of Old Christine and Mind of Mencia; further confusing the issue are several online reports saying the reports are false. Sadly, however, everything we're hearing is that Ober did pass away, with reputable colleagues like P.F. Tompkins now confirming the news via Twitter. After the jump, some video from 1989 of Ober holding court over Remote Control at the show's tiled podium. Developing
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Ken Ober Dies at 52
16 November 2009 9:36 AM, PST
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Comedian and TV personality Ken Ober died this weekend, according to Mark Measures, an agent at Abrams Artists who worked with him. Ober, who hosted four game shows over the course of his career, was widely known for his role on the MTV game show Remote Control, which he hosted for five seasons, spanning 1987 to 1990. Most recently, he served as producer for the CBS sitcom The New Adventures of Old Christine and Mind of Mencia. He was 52.
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- editor@buddytv.com
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'Remote Control' Host Ken Ober Dead At 52
16 November 2009 1:48 AM, PST
| MTV Music News
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Cause of comedian's death was not clear at press time.
By Eric Ditzian
Ken Ober in 2004
Photo: Peter Kramer/Getty Images
Longtime MTV "Remote Control" host Ken Ober has passed away at the age of 52, the comedian's representative confirmed to MTV News. The cause of his death was not available at press time.
Ober's career began in the mid-1980s with a turn on the talent competition "Star Search" and in more recent years segued into behind-the-scenes production positions on comedy shows like "Mind of Mencia" and "The New Adventures of Old Christine."
Starting in 1987, Ober hosted five seasons of "Remote Control," which, along with "Club MTV" and "The Week In Rock," was MTV's first foray into series television. A quiz show that tested contestants' pop-culture knowledge, the set bore a strong resemblance to a suburban home's basement. Standing behind a makeshift lectern and next to a giant television screen that helped guide the show,
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Guess What Comedy Central's Highest Rated Premiere and Worst Show Ever Have in Common
23 October 2009 4:30 PM, PDT
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Placing The Jeff Dunham Show within Comedy Central's programming array is a challenge. Let's see: It combines Chappelle's Show's sketch format (We're doing Ok so far), South Park's invocation of racism and homophobia -- minus that onus of irony, darn it!-- and the googly-eyed, happy-slappy contrivance of Mind of Mencia. So what do we have? Voila: a quagmire of petty laughs and offensive gags aimed at the desperately ignorant. You'll be relieved to find there is a niche for such obscure humor; The Jeff Dunham Show dragged in Comedy Central's highest premiere ratings ever.
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Party Favors: Leno’s Long Goodbye
14 September 2009 9:50 PM, PDT
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Burbank – Chat Fatigue is coming.
Forget swine flu (or H1N1); Chat Fatigue will be the sickness that will overtake millions this fall. The group most susceptible to this are NBC viewers. Now that Jay Leno will be taking over the 10 p.m. slot from Monday to Friday (starting Sept. 14) on the Peacock network, viewers will get four hours of people sitting behind desks and talking directly to the camera.
Can the average viewer really handle going from Leno to local news to Conan O’Brien to Jimmy Fallon to Carson Daly? How many guys in suits and ties sitting behind a desk do you want to experience after an 8 hours of work day with guys in suits and ties sitting behind desks? They’re all going to stare at you through the boob tube and jibber jabber. Kinda like the doofus with the desk next to you at work.
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- UncaScroogeMcD
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Did you watch Michael and Michael Have Issues?
27 August 2009 1:01 PM, PDT
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Last night was the season finale of Michael & Michael Have Issues on Comedy Central. Which means fans of the show can look forward either to its second season or its quiet death. With rare exceptions (like Important Things with Demetri Martin), shows come and go on Comedy Central with little fanfare. Mind of Mencia and Lewis Black's Root of All Evil weren't renewed, but their cancellations were never really announced, just mentioned by the players on the shows themselves.
So here's your chance to weigh in. Did you like Mmhi? Were you one of the fans who attended the "blarties" and "twarties" (blog parties and twitter parties)? Did you pick up The State on DVD and watch for nostalgia? What did you think of the sketch show within a show format?Continue reading Did you watch Michael and Michael Have Issues?
Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, OpEd, Reality-Free
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- Nick Zaino
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14 articles from 2009
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