Some video clips from KTMA TV23

UPDATE: these are all dead thanks to YouTube's take down first, ask questions never policy. Sorry, they're not going back up because I don't have the files or the time to make them again.


I mentioned a while ago my cool thrift score of a cache of old over the air TV recordings. Well, I've had a little time to upload some clips to YouTube and here they are.

I started with some stuff taped off KTMA TV23. Why I chose this one to begin with is that it was, to me, the most interesting stuff in the lot. KTMA was the channel where Mystery Science Theater 3000 was born and began. Because KTMA was a small UHF station no longer on the air as such, not a ton is known about the station by people like myself who don't live in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area.

I like this stuff for two reasons, one of which being the MST3K connection, shame there's nothing directly MST3K related here though. The other being, I just miss the general lo-fi feeling of UHF television. Now it seems like it's too slick as all the UHFs here are network affiliated (assuming you consider UPN a network.) There's too much reality TV and infomercials and hardly any local flavor to it.

The broadcast I took this from was an airing of the 1961 3D movie The Mask from late 1988. I love this movie. Really, I do. It's a great thinly veiled LSD flick from the time before they got all hippy, it has some cool 3D sequences and was the only 3D flick Canada made. How about that?

Before I dug into these tapes, I assumed they were all locally taped (meaning Indianapolis, for those of you who have no idea what you're reading here.) I was hoping this was the same broadcast of the Mask I'd taped off of WTTV 4 (I think) hosted by Bob & Tom on the old Betamax way back in the day. Well, it wasn't, but whatever.

Two more things, and then we roll film. Someone taped over the first part of the film meaning I've lost the intro and apparently there was a 3D Three Stooges short broadcast as well. I'm really disappointed about that, as I've never see either of the 3D Stooges shorts and I'll never get to see the Movie at 8 intro. Secondly, this TV version of The Mask had commercial bumpers by famous magician Harry Blackstone. Cheesy doesn't begin to describe them. I could throw them up if someone really wants to see them.

The first two commercials are all over this broadcast. One or both appear every commercial break. (Sidenote: TV used to have a lot fewer commercials. Either that or KTMA had a big problem finding advertisers. Maybe a little of both.) Steve's Warehouse Discount Foods is a great example of a local no budget commercial that pretty much ruled the roost on UHF TV. Seriously, would you buy a head of lettuce from this guy?



Then we get to the Rax Workburger. "Fast food with style" = "We can't compete with McDonalds so here's pseudo-sophistication." Is Rax even around anymore? I've heard rumors of one still operating in the Muncie/Anderson area which, frankly, woudn't suprise me a bit.



Next up, 10,000 Auto Parts (who counted them all?) stores, another heavy KTMA advertiser. Or at least they were on my tape. Not really local commercials, as the local content is just tagged on at the end, but, hey, CHUCK YEAGER!!! AMERICA, FUCK YEAH!





Now, let's get serious. Here's the goods. If there's one thing I will always associate with UHF TV, it's cheesy movies. (There's a reason MST3K started on UHF.) So, here's a couple of ads for then upcoming films on KTMA. Neither of these are on DVD, so watch and marvel at these RARE OMG L@@K clips.

Tell me the Plutonium Incident couldn't have been an episode of MST3K.



This one for Catlow looks a little more pro. I'm guessing this commercial was included as part of the movie package they purchased and all they did was slap their logo at the end.



Here's a commercial for some great locally produced content. I'm not a huge wrestling fan, but these shows were all over the UHF stations in the late 80s. This commercial features Jim Cornette and lots of shots of the old NWA wrestlers. I remember some of this stuff.



Finally, here's the end of the movie. Barry ZeVan, who hosted this showing, was as best I can tell the weather guy on KTMA. I guess he was one of those local celebrity types. I love his delivery here. If only he would have thrown in a "who loves ya baby?" at the end, I would marry this man, assuming out type of love is legal in the Minneapolis area.



Top of the hour, so here's the KTMA station ID. Boring, but here for posterity.



And with that, I'm signing off. Enjoy. There's more where this came from.