Phil Hartman: Flat TV (CD)

Sadly, "Flat TV" reminds us of the talent Phil Hartman truly had, what was possible and what was lost. This Phil Hartman tour-de-force was essentially a precursor of The Simpsons - a day in the life of a 50's dysfunctional American family, the Sphincters, with all voices (except the women) provided by Phil. Its' skits around the television, and within the television - a family eating dinner by the TV, or news and commercials on the TV. The master tapes of "Flat TV" were thought to be lost for many years and Phil never noticed because he was preoccupied with SNL. Now, another generation of people will have the opportunity to enjoy the brilliant lunacy of the comic mastermind of Phil Hartman. Phil was a chameleon. He could be quiet, gentle, and reflective but at the drop of a hat, he could also become any one of a boxful of characters, many of whom are featured here, including John Wayne, Johnny Carson, Jimmy Carter, Henry Kissinger, Howard Cosell and Peter Lorre. This is the only Phil Hartman work that he created that was not subject to censorship and the liner notes were written by Phil's brother John and producer Chad Stuart. Work was also started on an animated feature length version of "Flat TV" and selected clips are available online for promotional use.

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