Nice effects though.

Gripping story with well-crafted characters

An action-packed slog

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

The 70s had a number of shows that broke new ground and changed TV. Before there was All in the Family, there was The Flip Wilson Show. It was the first variety show to be hosted by an African-American comedian and it was a major hit in its first two seasons.I remember watching the show on Thursday nights and I thought it was very funny. It proved that Flip can handle a variety show as he interacted well with celebrities such as Redd Foxx and George Carlin and as characters he created such as Geraldine and The Reverend Leroy. To me, he was one of the best comedians to perform in drag since Monty Python debuted on British TV in 1969.But in the fall of 1972 a new show came on the scene which would cause Flip's ratings to flop. It would be the most successful family drama of the 70s, The Waltons. Although the ratings took a tumble, the show would hang on for two more seasons until NBC canceled it in 1974.Before NBC had "Must See TV" in the 80s and 90s, The Flip Wilson Show was a must see that was a groundbreaker. The past tense of one of Geraldine's catch phrases best described the show "What you saw was what you got."

When I was a kid, my brothers and I never missed Flip Wilson's show. We didn't know it was pioneering. We didn't know Flip Wilson was breaking through barriers. We just knew it was funny funny funny. Flip's catch phrases were frequently quoted in our all-white household. I was surprised on viewing the show all these years later just how brilliant it was, and just how many times I still laughed out loud. The theater in the round was such a fantastic idea, one that no shows dare to try now. This may be the best of all those variety shows from the 70s, per its hilarious (and sometimes even touching) skits, great LIVE (no Pro Tools!) musical performances (Flip was never afraid to sing a duet with anyone, including country music standards) and amazing lineup of guest stars (his friendship with Bobby Darin is oh-so-evident on the show - they adored each other). And this final note: many years later, when Flip Wilson came to our tiny town to do a charity golf event, we were beside ourselves! It was like royalty was coming to town.

This show was the first major variety show hosted by an African-American (NBC had tried before in the 1950's with Nat King Cole, but the racial attitudes of the time doomed it to failure). The late, great Wilson was funny. His humor came out of situations and people's personality quirks; Wilson depended little on racial humor, which is probably why his appeal was so across-the-board. One of my favorite bits was the funky handshake that was done at least once during each episode. My favorite character, outside of the sassy Geraldine, was the Rev. Cleothis Wilson, pastor of the Church of What's Happening Now. Another bit Wilson used always involved meeting a woman for something naughty: "Meet me in the booth, in the corner, in the back, in the dark." New school comedians owe a lot to Flip Wilson.

One The Funniest Shows I have ever seen. I now watch The Re runs on TV Land and love it when the infamous Gereldean says "What you see is What you Get!"