George Carlin – George Carlin On Location aka at USC (1977)

George Carlin On Location at USC, was the first of fourteen HBO stand-up comedy specials and contains the first on TV list of the 7 Words You Can’t Say On Television. George Carlin On Location at USC is also one of the three best Carlin stand-up comedy DVD, another being the last one, It’s Bad for Ya.

Coincidentally, The Comedy Network airs both these Carlin specials on consecutive Saturdays: May 9th and 16th at 10 P.M. Both these shows are can’t miss. Also can’t miss is the by now rather quaint “adult language” warning by the HBO lady at the beginning of On Location.

The Comedy Network showing these particular two Carlin comedy specials back to back is a great way for fans to see the change / evolution the comic went through over some thirty years. In 1977 Carlin was a bemused observational comic with an eye and ear for the harmlessly ridiculous. In 2008 he was an acidic, dark comic who had given up on the human race.

Carlin fans will recognize a lot of the 1977 On the Road comedy CD in George Carlin On Location at USC. The HBO specials would become a CD soon after.

Routines here include Supermarket, one of the best bits after the material on Class Clown and FM/AM. This is followed by How’s Your Dog? and a bit on cats not fully included on the CD.

This is followed by Old Farts and Young Farts aka Kids Are Too Small and its companion piece, Rules. New News is a fun bit. Familiar expressions sets up what George Carlin was most famous for: his take on words.

The show is even paused a few seconds for an on-screen disclaimer / warning before the final segment of this show. The 7 Words You Can’t Say on Television is Carlin’s trademark. He adds a few to the list in On Location at USC with a revisited list. This is of course the highlight of the show.

George Carlin On Location aka at USC
1977 HBO Comedy Special
Stand-up comedy DVD
MPE
85 minutes

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