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American Morning

Ozzy and Harriet Make Way for Ozzy Osbourne

Aired March 05, 2002 - 08:50   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Remember the classic television families, the Cleavers, the Bradys and the Huxtables? There's nothing like what MTV has in store for us tonight. Ozzy and Harriet make way for Ozzy Osbourne, a show that followed the real life adventures of atypical American family, the family of heavy metal rocker Ozzy Osbourne. The reality sitcom, as they're calling it, "The Osbournes" premiers tonight on MTV. We thought we'd invite someone with family TV experience to review the Osbournes for us.

And so joining us now from Los Angeles is Barry Williams who, as you may remember, played Greg Brady on "The Brady Bunch."

Thanks very much for being with us.

BARRY WILLIAMS, ACTOR: My pleasure. Good morning, Anderson.

COOPER: So you have seen the first episode of the Osbournes, what did you think?

WILLIAMS: Just when you don't think they can do anything new with a sitcom along comes this quasi-reality TV with Ozzy. I think it's funny as heck. It's irreverent. It's not like anything we've seen before, and of course the big difference is that for those of us who are playing roles on the shows that you mentioned, the "Ozzie and Harriets" and "Partridges" and "Bradys," we all had scripts, and we were playing characters. Here it's -- the "f" word flies, and things go on. It's not like any family that I've ever come up against.

COOPER: It's certainly not "The Brady Bunch." I understand in the first episode, in 30 minutes, there are 59 expletives that have to be bleeped out. What did you think of the family members? Can you actually understand what Ozzie Osbourne says?

WILLIAMS: Not all the time. I mean, you've got to really listen to what is going on. It's a little more like "The Addams Family," I think would be the direction here, kind of the Pugsly and Wednesday of that sitcom, because it's definitely out there. It's going to be interesting to see where it goes. And It's true, I can see where the producers got the hook for, because they are like sitcom characters. I mean, they're definitely bigger than life. The episodes will have to expand beyond what we would expect in your -- quote -- "normal family."

COOPER: This apparently started as an episode of MTV Cribs, which I actually happened to see, that was quite compelling, quite fun to watch. What happens in the first episode? Is there a big drama? Or is the drama that it's basically a pretty mundane family?

WILLIAMS: Ozzie moves to Beverly Hills, where else? And so you have this wonderful, hardcore metal rocker coming in to the gentile, pristine neighborhood of Beverly Hills. And I'm sure the neighbors are looking over the fences.

COOPER: I'm sure they're all thrilled.

I understood there's a scene where movers are moving boxes, and one of the box says "linens," and the other says "bath towels," and then one box says "dead things."

WILLIAMS: Yes dead things, devil's heads, things like that, idols of worship.

COOPER: Now, I got to ask you, you have a show coming up on Fox, and I've read a lot about this. What are you thinking?

While he fixes this, let me just explain to the audience.

Barry Williams has a show coming up on Fox where he goes toe to toe against Danny Bonaduce from "The Partridge Family," also apparently in the same billing, Tonya Harding will go toe to toe with Paula Jones now. It was going to be Amy Fisher.

Barry, what are you thinking? Why are you doing this?

WILLIAMS: Well, first of all I think there is a score to settle here. There's the Bradys versus the Partridges, and also Danny took out my Christopher Knight, who played Peter Brady, so I'm sort of avenging for him, but I have a wonderful charity that I'm going donate money to, which is the Dorel (ph) Lupus Foundation, so it's a good way to get out there and settle a score, and throw some money to a good cause.

COOPER: Does the winner of your match with Bonaduce take on who wins the Harding-Paula Jones fight?

WILLIAMS: Well, it depends what they're fighting with, because if Tonya Harding comes in with, for instance, a baseball bat, I want to stay away from it.

COOPER: So when is this thing coming on? I got to tell you, I'm sort of appalled, and yet at that time same time, oddly fascinated and will probably watch.

WILLIAMS: Intrigued. It's an interesting thing to be partner of a bit of a carnival here.

COOPER: A bit of a carnival?

WILLIAMS: Yes, yes.

COOPER: A sideshow maybe. WILLIAMS: I can tell you this, that the match-up will be legitimate. We are training. Danny is a boxer. I've been training for a couple of weeks. But there will be no punches pulled, and it should be satisfying entertainment. It will be on March 13th, Wednesday night, March 13th on Fox.

COOPER: All right, no doubt to all America will be tuned in.

Barry Williams, thank you.

WILLIAMS: Wish me luck, Anderson.

COOPER: You're going to need it, I think. Danny Bonaduce fights dirty from what I've heard.

WILLIAMS: That's what I hear.

COOPER: Barry Williams, thanks very much for joining us this morning.

WILLIAMS: Thank you, Anderson.

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