1st Annual NBC Yummy Awards (1983)

I remember watching the Yummy Awards and being very excited that they finally were making an award show that I could get behind. Sadly the Yummys did not catch on as they should have and all we are left with are vague memories and poor VHS copies. The show was really just a clever promo for the upcoming NBC Saturday Morning lineup, but I did not pick up on that at the time. I was too blinded by the Star Power and the glitz and glamour that was the Yummys.

If you happened to miss the show and are wondering, what kind of show would appeal to a younger me in 1983, get a load of the impressive star power that was promised in this ad.

I found the distinction between Emcee and Host a bit confusing back then and even watching it now. Which is made even odder because during the show Dwight is referred to as the co-host on multiple occasions. Am I crazy for trying to find logic in this show?

Well, I don’t care! We live in reality and the Yummy Awards need to adhere to some logic. So I just want to say that I am not sure why Ricky and Dwight were labeled as co-hosts in the ad! While they both bring a distinctive flavor to the program, especially Dwight, they are not co-hosting in the traditional manner.

Now that is what I call red carpet. I have yet to see an Oscars or Emmy awards where both the Hulk and Spider-Man are in attendance. If you are wondering if Hulk got his Yummy, wonder no further.

I collect preview shows for Saturday Morning cartoons and each one is a gem, but the Yummy Awards are by far my favorite of the programs made in the 1980s. I loved the premise at the time (and now) and was firmly entrenched in the NBC entertainment camp and watching it as an adult I get to enjoy it on a whole new level. Now I can appreciate watching Schultz earn his paycheck (did he blow off rehearsals? did they send him a script to review?) and trying to figure out how the creative people behind the show arrived at their decisions for the program.

I only wish the show was made more widely available and in a better format so that younger generations can marvel at this high watermark in Saturday Morning cultural domination.