‘Almost Live’ book reminds us how gullible and bad with directions we are
Jun 15, 2016, 2:04 PM | Updated: 4:48 pm
New to Seattle? Still struggling with directions or understanding local culture? Bryan Johnston’s latest book about Seattle’s hometown sketch show, “Almost Live,” is just for you.
Almost Live fed laughter through Seattle-area TVs from 1984 through 1999 when it was cancelled. The show was based around inside jokes that only locals were in on, and had many out-of-towners scratching their heads. Though nearly two decades after its cancellation it is still very much alive through its cult following — it is still on the air. And, although they have all moved on, the former cast remains in touch.
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Johnston interviewed the former cast members of the hit show for “Almost Live: The Show That Wouldn’t Die.” It’s likely to be the hottest sensation since the High Fiving White Guys hung out in Ballard or the biggest event since Speed Walker raced the Monorail.
“They’re very tight,” Johnston said. “They’re a remarkably gracious, kind group of people. They’re so nice.”
Joel McHale has gone to “The Soup,” “Community,” and the upcoming sitcom, “The Great Indoors”; Nancy Guppy to “Art Zone” on The Seattle Channel; and Bob Nelson, to Hollywood as an Oscar-nominated screenwriter. And then there’s Bill Nye, who ended up becoming a science guy.
Despite those successes, Johnston says there is “not a tremendous amount of ego.”
The book is filled with personal stories, including the time Tracey Conway collapsed and almost died on set from an unknown heart condition. Conway was taken to the hospital and was back on the show two weeks later.
Of course, there’s the skit that garnered nationwide attention when the show was live and the cast led viewers to believe the Space Needle collapsed.
According to Johnston, after the dust settled from that skit, representatives from the Space Needle were saying how great the publicity turned out to be. It was the “greatest publicity” the needle had since it opened in 1962, he said.
Johnston interviewed John Kiester, Pat Cashman, Nancy Guppy, Joel McHale and Bob Nelson for the book. You can pick up a copy from the website.
