Shark Bytes

Getting Nimoy was good, but Ricky could have scored a coup if he'd gotten Shatner. Imagine the Malibu U bimbos trying to dance to "Lucy in the Sky..." HA!

Actually, they had a few decent musical acts (e.g., The Doors, in a horrific attempt at lyp-synching) but Mrs. Miller & the Fifth Estate? Sheesh!!

Malibu U was an ABC summer replacement piece of drek. Once the Ozzie & Harriet money express ran out of gas in '66, Ricky must have been desperate to find something, anything. What he found was a "concept" that some ABC suit must have thought up over a 3 martini lunch. Capitalizing on the beach/surfing movie craze (and I use that term loosely), Ricky played the "Dean" of a college that existed on the beach in Malibu to teach surfing, butt wiggling, partying, and listening to the lamest musical acts possible.

This whole hunk of junk would have disappeared into blessed obscurity but for the entrance of one of rock and rolls most perfect acts: Leonard Nimoy. That's right, Mr. Spock himself, who warped into musical infamy by gigging with the spaced out hippie girl who played the hubcap in the original Star Trek.

Anyway, Nimoy, who must have had some serious money issues, was convinced to sing a thing called "The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins." For those of you sufficiently curious, go to YouTube and check out the B&W version. It's become a cult classic.

There were some other lame acts that showed up as well, but nothing came close to Nimoy.

Live long & prosper.