Margrette Bird Pictures releases extended teaser trailer for star-studded ‘Stu’s Show’ documentary
2020 is already bringing exciting new releases in film. Margrette Bird Pictures, the award-winning team behind Perfect Bid: The Contestant Who Knew Too Much and The Fiddling Horse kicked off the new year by releasing an extended trailer for Stu’s Show, a documentary that tells the star-studded story of Stu Shostak.
Who is Stu Shostak?
Stu Shostak was a close personal friend of Lucille Ball, eventually becoming her personal film archivist in 1981, remaining in the role until her death in 1989. He has been an icon and a respected TV historian in Hollywood since the late 1970s. His on-camera debut was in an episode of Ball’s Life with Lucy series, but Shostak made a name for himself in Hollywood well beyond his relationship with Ball.
Stu stepped out from his role as a studio audience procurer on Diff’rent Strokes when the regular warm-up comic for the show was late. From there, he became the regular warm-up comic for Diff’rent Strokes and other live to tape television shows such as Silver Spoons, Mama’s Family and The Jefferson’s.
Shostak now hosts the long-running internet talk program, Stu’s Show, where since 2006, he has interviewed classic TV stars as well as writers, producers, directors, and authors from the “Baby Boomer” generation. His guests include television royalty, like Dick Van Dyke, Bob Barker, Ed Asner, Rose Marie, Jonathan Winters, Shirley Jones, Julie Newmar, Carl Reiner, Alan Young, Shelley Berman and many, many more.
What will the documentary of Stu’s Show cover?
The documentary version of Stu’s Show explores the late-in-life love story of Stu and fellow Lucy super-fan, Jeanine Kasun. When Jeanine develops a Subarachnoid Hemorrhage, a type of brain aneurysm that also causes Hydrocephalus, better known as “water on the brain, she is left deep in a coma fighting for her life. With all guns blazing, Stu takes on the hospital systems and the insurance company, becoming Jeanine’s impassioned healthcare advocate in a fight for time and a chance to heal.
The documentary is expected to be released in early 2020 and will feature countless show business legends who all play an integral part in Stu’s Show and Jeanine’s miraculous story. Audiences can expect to see some of the biggest Hollywood names of all time, including Ed Asner (Mary Tyler Moore, Lou Grant), Dick Van Dyke (Dick Van Dyke Show, Mary Poppins), Michael Cole (The Mod Squad), Margaret O’Brien (Meet Me in St. Louis, Little Women, The Secret Garden), Geri Jewell (The Facts of Life, Deadwood) Tony Dow (Leave it to Beaver), Stanley Livingston (My Three Sons), Wink Martindale (Tic-Tac-Dough), Ken Levine (Cheers, Fraiser, M*A*S*H, The Simpsons), Mark Evanier (Garfield and Friends), Randall Malone (Singled Out) Randy West (The Newlywed Game) and many more.
Where will Stu’s Show debut?
“We intend to make a push for Cannes with this one,” said Filmmaker CJ Wallis on Stu Shostak’s New Year’s Eve show broadcast before premiering the trailer. “It’s a story that deserves to be told.”
‘Stu’s Show’ is produced by CJ Wallis and Mallory Kennedy, whose documentary ‘Perfect Bid: The Contestant Who Knew Too Much,’ about a Texas math teacher who memorized the prices of products on The Price is Right won Best Documentary Feature at the Orlando Film Festival, opened Michael Moore’s Traverse City Film Festival and is now streaming on Netflix.
Neal Grinnell
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I cannot wait to see this excellent documentary about two of the nicest people on earth and their battle to get Jeanine back from her terrible illness. Stu waged one heck of battle with the medical and insurance industries and won!!!
January 8, 2020Chris
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I’m happy that Stu and Jeanine will be able to tell their story, though a respectable and credible filmmake! CJ WALLIS
January 9, 2020Jeff Alexander
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Having been a fan of Stu’s Show long before Jeanine Kasun came on the scene, I know that I will be thrilled when the documentary is made available for public viewing.
January 9, 2020As a longtime listener, I was one of many who endured and ultimately sympathized with Stu’s rants about the health care system on his show and I was sometimes, frankly, was amazed that he didn’t wind up with a night in jail for some of his more-than-justifiable antics in seeing that Jeanine got the best care she deserved in her recovery. Most of all, as stressed out as he was, the then-weekly, audio-only broadcasts were his only form of relief and I was very glad to participate as a listener (and sometimes email-er) to support in my own modest way.
The trailer itself will make anyone who has never heard of Stu Shostak (and shame to those who have not especially if they are a lover of classic TV!!!) want to see this documentary which promises to be both entertaining and informative.
Good luck to all — especially producer/filmmaker C.J. Wallis who probably is the most qualified and had the brilliant idea to come up with the documentary.