A mixture of talk show and sitcom featuring a puppet (the ‘Madame’ of the title) running a talk show from her luxurious mansion in Hollywood.
For years, the character of Madame had been seen on American TV in Solid Gold, Hollywood Squares and Laugh-In and live onstage in Las Vegas with puppeteer Wayland Flowers. Now she had her own show.
Madame had been a struggling comedian working the dingy nightclub circuit before making it “big” in movies such as A Woman Named Hey You (with Clint Eastwood) and Trampoline Honeymoon.
She was a member of the ‘Fetish-of-the-Month Club’, had been married six times and had 200 boyfriends.
Like many stars, Madame had her harrowing moments: she was once kidnapped by Egbert Tegley, a famous criminal known as “Sweet Tooth” Tegley, who held her hostage at an Atlantic City saltwater taffy stand.
She was also the target of a crazed fan (played by Archie Hahn) who believed she was the most beautiful woman in the world (he also believed that when the moon is full, he turns into a parakeet).
Madame was assisted by human characters, including her British butler, “Pinky” Pinkerton (Johnny Haymer); her shy, mousy secretary, Bernadette Van Gilder (Susan Tolsky); her exasperating, superfast talking agent and owner of the Lunch Agency, Larry Lunch (John Moschitta Jr); and Rollin Espinoza (Hector Elias), the leader of the Madame’s Place All-Divorced Orchestra.
Ray Randall (voiced by R. Chandler Garrison) was the never-seen (Madame called him “No Face”) head of the unnamed network on which Madame’s Place aired. He was regularly heard over a speakerphone. Barney Wolfe (Ty Henderson) was her producer.
Other regular characters included Madame’s ultra-sexy blonde niece, Sara Joy Pitts (Judy Landers) – the daughter of Madame’s sister, Marmalina – who came to Hollywood from Georgia (where Madame was born) to become an actress (“just like my Auntie Madame”), and Buzzy St. James (a young Corey Feldman), the 11-year-old kid who lived next door.
Madame’s main competitor was Lynn LaVecque (Barbara Cason), a former “two-bit band singer” and the host of Naked All-Star Bowling.
Guest stars included the likes of William Shatner, Frankie Avalon, Anthony Newley, Eva Gabor, Phyllis Diller and Debbie Reynolds, Pee-Wee Herman, Arsenio Hall, Jay Leno, and Steve Allen.
Madame (voice) Wayland Flowers
Buzzy St James Corey Feldman
Walter ‘Pinky’ Pinkerton Johnny Haymer
Sara Joy Pitts Judy Landers
Bernadette Van Gilder Susan Tolsky Barney Wolfe
Ty Henderson Larry Lunch
John Moschitta Jr Ray Randall
R. Chandler Garrison (voice) Rollin Espinoza
Hector Elias Solaria
Edie McClurg Patty Sue
Bonnie Urseth Lynn LaVecque
Barbara Cason
Video
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Madame had been a struggling comedian working the dingy nightclub circuit before making it “big” in movies such as A Woman Named Hey You (with Clint Eastwood) and Trampoline Honeymoon.
Madame was assisted by human characters, including her British butler, “Pinky” Pinkerton (Johnny Haymer); her shy, mousy secretary, Bernadette Van Gilder (Susan Tolsky); her exasperating, superfast talking agent and owner of the Lunch Agency, Larry Lunch (John Moschitta Jr); and Rollin Espinoza (Hector Elias), the leader of the Madame’s Place All-Divorced Orchestra.
