"LIVE SHOT" Compilation Pratfalls January 17, 1998

by
Gordon Hom

"Live Shot" is what is known as a compilation episode, in which old episodes are used to string together a new episode. It's used to save money on production costs, and also occurs when a series has enough episodes under its belt to provide a rich background to dig back into. On a show like HAWAII FIVE-O or WALKER, our police hero is usually seriously wounded, while his friends and colleagues recall moments from the past.

On NASH BRIDGES, using the framework of guest Geraldo Rivera coming to tape a show, we're given flashbacks on the topics of shoot-outs, Nash's father Nick, humor with Joe, Nash's ex-wives, and the relationship between Nash and Joe. Total time of all the flashbacks was about 17 minutes, which means that over one third of a typical 46 minute episode was used up. This translates into saved production time and money. Series production is on a grueling schedule - the cast and crew of NASH BRIDGES could probably use the time off, or maybe it was just time set aside to party with Mayor Brown.

The NASH BRIDGES production and Don Johnson finally pull in the Mayor of San Francisco - how could Willie Brown refuse with the NASH BRIDGES production pumping so much money into the City economy with its location shooting? It's a hilarious moment too, with a kind of drunken Nash (due to a dose of LSD) close to sassing the Mayor. We see a kind of anti-authoritarian streak in Nash, but it's too watered down to be disrespectful. Maybe in those MIAMI VICE days, a younger Sonny Crockett was more threatening, but not a middled aged Nash Bridges. Nash is downright cozy.

There is something amusing about Nash barfing over the side of the SIU boat just as the smarmy Geraldo Rivera is about to come aboard. Geraldo's brand of hyped-up talk show is several notches above Tidy Bowl king Jerry Springer, though both kinds of talk shows feature guests that beat up on each other. Geraldo's more macho and a bit of a brawler himself, having earned respect by getting his nose busted on air. Don's drunken act of pratfalls is quite a bit of physical comedy itself - is NASH BRIDGES now borrowing from I LOVE LUCY? Nash falls down twice in "Live Shot" - once from falling out of his seat and again ramming himself into a window pane. What's next? Nash is going to go undercover in a chocolate factory and....

For more, see synopsis for Episode 45

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