USA Table Tennis Visits TV Land!

In the last issue, USA Table Tennis Magazine visited the movies. Now we invade TV! Here are TV shows that featured table tennis. If you know of others, let us know!

Gary Shandling Show (30 min, 1980s)

This is the best table tennis show of all – if you can find a copy. It’s a takeoff on the baseball movie "The Natural," starring Robert Redford – one of the greatest (if not the greatest) sports movies ever. In the Shandling Show, Shandling’s background is told in flashbacks – how he carved a paddle out of a tree that had been struck by lightning, how he challenged and beat "The Champ" (actually muscle-man and 2400 player Craig Manoogian) in a match in an open field, how The Champ’s girlfriend pretended to be his girlfriend, and then shot him in his playing arm as soon as they were alone. (All of this mirrors what happens in "The Natural.") You also meet the Goddess of Ping Pong along the way. After the flashbacks, we’re back to the present, where Shandling still has his paddle (which he named "Pad dle"), and he’s recruited as part of the company team against another company. In the big company match, we see 2100 player Chi Ngo losing to 2300 player Masaru Hashimoto (and saying how he has disgraced himself for this), until finally Shandling goes up against Hashimoto. Despite the return of his old arm injury during the match (as in The Natural), and a broken "Pad dle," Shandling wins, with the game-winning smash going up into the lights and setting off sparks everywhere (again, from "The Natural"). This is a must see – if you can find it.

Get Smart "Die, Spy" (Episode #86)

I didn’t see this episode, and was unable to locate a tape of it – they are not for sale anywhere, so to get a copy, you’ll have to tape it yourself. (If you do, let me know – I want one!) The show is a takeoff on an episode of "I Spy," and even features "I Spy" star Robert Culp in a cameo as a waiter. In the show, Smart and a fellow agent become traveling ping pong performers, which is just a cover for their spying activities. It’s rated one of the best Get Smart episodes.

The Odd Couple "The Pig Who Came To Dinner" Episode

I didn’t see this episode, but it’s rated one of the best. Tennis star Bobby Riggs visits the Odd Couple, and bets Oscar that he can beat him at ping-pong using anything available. He beats Oscar using the heel of his shoe, and wins the apartment. Felix has to win it back, but I don’t know how. Both Bobby Riggs and Billie Jean King are in the episode as themselves. (Most of this info was contributed by John Vos.)

On April 6, there was a Sesame Street episode where Alan gets a Ping-Pong table. Miles tries to teach Elmo to play, even though he thinks Elmo’s too small to play. Alan assists by holding Elmo up by the waist. Alan teaches Telly to play Ping-Pong, and they sing "The Practice Song." Telly imagines he can play Ping-Pong while playing the tuba and eating.

Most Sesame Street episodes include a 10-minute Elmo’s World segment. In each segment, Elmo learns about a subject. Table tennis appears in a Elmo’s World segment where he learns about balls. In the segment, Elmo’s fish Dorthy imagines Elmo playing several sports that include balls: Football, Golf, and Table Tennis. Elmo is shown hitting several forehands until his opponent smashes the ball past him. His opponent is another Elmo. Elmo is left-handed and plays shakehands style. (Most of the info regarding Elmo’s World was contributed by Kevin Walton.)

As we were going to press, I was told that there is an episode of this that features a series of macho table tennis matches and rematches between Raymond and his father.