Let's Bowl

*Let's Bowl*
Let's Bowl
Genre	Game show
Created by	Tim Scott
Developed by	Tim Scott; Rick Kronfeld;
Written by	Tim Scott; Ken Bradley;
Directed by	Harry E. Nelson
Presented by	Rich Kronfeld; Steve Sedahl;
Starring	Amanda Brewer; Lisa Bartholomew; Matt Sarazine;
Narrated by	Drew Jansen
Ending theme	"Let's Go Bowling"
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	20
Production
Executive producers	Tim Scott; Rick Kronfeld;
Producer	Danny Breen
Editors	Ken Gammell; Craig Gooder; Noah Rosenstein; Eric Notti;
Running time	30 minutes
Production companies	The Scott-Kronfeld Experience; Comedy Partners;
Original release
Network	Comedy Central
Release	August 19, 2001 –; May 5, 2002

Let's Bowl is a scripted bowling game show that aired on the Comedy Central television network from 2001 to 2002 after a brief run on several TV stations across the U.S. in the mid-1990s, the first three being Minneapolis-St. Paul stations: KXLI-TV 41 (Now KPXM-TV), KLGT-TV 23 (now WUCW), and KARE channel 11.^[1]

Overview

Hosts Steve "Chopper" Sedahl (himself) and Wally Hotvedt (Rich Kronfeld) wore outfits and headsets reminiscent of sportscasters of the 1970s and early 1980s, and did play-by-play as contestants bowled against each other.^[2] Described as a cross between The People's Court and Bowling for Dollars, the show had participants play against each other to settle feuds and win nearly worthless prizes. For example, in the second 1998 episode, a player received merchandise for a radio station that had been defunct for two years. Gift certificates for Old Country Buffet were common that year. Another episode gave a foodservice-sized can of tuna to the runner up, while the winner received a 21⁄2 gallon consumer-strength jug of Roundup.

Two women known as the "Queen Pins" were on each show — while women are often used to provide visual stimuli in TV programs, these two acted differently, usually taunting the contestants as they tried to compete. Drew Jansen played unctuous Announcer/Musical Commentator Ernie Jansen (aka "Trip Stuyvesant" in the original pre-cable pilot). The pre-cable pilot was shot at Bryant-Lake Bowl in Minneapolis, and featured yet another host, played by John Brady. Brady's name in the pilot was "Ernie," but that name was transferred to Jansen when shooting resumed, primarily because the polyester jacket Brady sported with "Ernie" stitched on the lapel fit Jansen pretty much as well as it had Brady.

Another character in the show was "The Pig" played by Matt Sarazine. The original shows, pre-Comedy Central also featured "Butch the Janitor", played by Nick Schenk, and "Berni the Scorekeeper", played by Berni Sarazine. Schenk went on to become one of the writers for the Comedy Central episodes of Let's Bowl and also wrote the screenplay for the film Gran Torino.

The show also included a halftime performance by a local musical band, most notably Ruth Adams and the World's Most Dangerous Polka Band, a fixture from northeast Minneapolis.^[3] It would be followed by a special "Inside Bowling" segment where Chopper and Wally interviewed unusual people and participated in bizarre escapades. Michael J. Nelson of Mystery Science Theater 3000 (also produced locally in the Twin Cities) fame was one of the writers for the show, both in 1998 and during the run on Comedy Central (though possibly only for the pilot).^[4]

The series was filmed in several different bowling alleys in the Twin Cities. Outside of the region, the 1998 season was carried on stations in markets such as Reno, Nevada; Madison, Wisconsin; and Chicago, Illinois.

Bowling centers used

Bryant-Lake Bowl, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Chanhassen Lanes, Chanhassen, Minnesota (Closed)
Stardust Lanes (now Memory Lanes), Minneapolis, Minnesota (interior used for some Comedy Central pilot shows, exterior seen at beginning of all Comedy Central shows)
Wallaby's Lanes, Columbia Heights, Minnesota (Closed)
Wells Lanes (now Concord Lanes), South St. Paul, Minnesota
White Bear Bowl, White Bear Lake, Minnesota (Closed)

Bands showcased

Man or Astro-man?
The Blue Up?
Soul Asylum
Manplanet
Ruth Adams and the World's Most Dangerous Polka Band
Trailer Trash
House of Large Sizes
Detroit (no relation to Mitch Ryder's band from the 1970s)
The Dust Bunnies
Jack Knife and the Sharps
Flipp
The VibroChamps
The Joint Chiefs
The Senders
Tina and the B-Sides
The Mouldy Figs
Martini & Olive
James "Cornbread" Harris

References

^ Zurawik, David (August 19, 2001). "Comedy Central rolls out 'Let's Bowl'". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved February 21, 2019.
^ Stasi, Linda (August 17, 2001). "Bowl Brummel – Think Judge Judy Meets 'Bowling for Dollars'- Sort of". New York Post. Retrieved February 21, 2019.
^ Swensson, Andrea (March 31, 2011). "Ruth Adams memorialized with video, photos, and memories". City Pages. Retrieved February 21, 2019.
^ Baenen, Jeff (April 13, 2002). "'MST3K' Humorist Comes Down to Earth". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 21, 2019.

External links

[rolls-1] Zurawik, David (August 19, 2001). "Comedy Central rolls out 'Let's Bowl'". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved February 21, 2019.

[Brummel-2] Stasi, Linda (August 17, 2001). "Bowl Brummel – Think Judge Judy Meets 'Bowling for Dollars'- Sort of". New York Post. Retrieved February 21, 2019.

[memorial-3] Swensson, Andrea (March 31, 2011). "Ruth Adams memorialized with video, photos, and memories". City Pages. Retrieved February 21, 2019.

[humorist-4] Baenen, Jeff (April 13, 2002). "'MST3K' Humorist Comes Down to Earth". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 21, 2019.

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