One episode is a tribute. The other is Bill Nye asking Space Ghost to prove he exists. This week has a lot of mood whiplash.
Alyx, Jon, and Sam cover "Sharrock" and "Boo!" Episodes 5 and 6 of Space Ghost: Coast to Coast Season 3.
"Sharrock" is the show breaking its own norms, dialling it back to present a genuinely touching tribute to a fallen friend. Sonny Sharrock, the avant-garde jazz guitarist who composed the Coast to Coast theme, died in May 1994. The episode aired nearly two years later and takes the form of an extended tribute, the opening theme runs long, Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth appears in character as a musician named Fred Cracklin, and the whole thing is structured less like a talk show and more like a music video. Then "Boo!" pivots to comedy: Michael Norman, a ghost expert and author, hopes to use Space Ghost as a subject for scientific study. Space Ghost is not cooperative. Bill Nye the Science Guy also appears, expressing concern that he may never be able to determine what exactly Space Ghost is, a reasonable concern, scientifically.
We discuss what "Sharrock" accomplishes as a piece of television that is mostly vibes, what Bill Nye does with a role that gives him almost nothing to work with, and Sonny Sharrock's legacy.
📌 This episode covers:
– Space Ghost: Coast to Coast S3E5 "Sharrock" (feat. Thurston Moore as Fred Cracklin)
– Space Ghost: Coast to Coast S3E6 "Boo!" (feat. Michael Norman & Bill Nye)
","author_name":"Toonami Absolution"}