Super Dave Osborne (Bob Einstein)
Super Dave Osborne was a fictional character created and played by Emmy-winning actor, comedian, and writer Bob Einstein. Bob developed Super Dave in the early 70s, with his first televised appearance was October 7th, 1976 on the John Byner Comedy Hour. Einstein’s comedic depiction was of a naïve but optimistic stuntman who was frequently gravely injured when his stunts went horribly wrong and were a parody of Evel Knievel. Super Dave shockingly became a household name in the 80s and 90s. Super Dave was a parody of daredevil in a jumpsuit Evel Knievel, but with Super Dave, there was always something that went wrong, causing catastrophic injuries to Super Dave.
Super Dave was a regular on the John Byner Comedy Hour, Bizarre, and even had his own show, first, it was “The Super Dave Osborne Show” (1987 to 1991) and later it was “Super Dave” on Showtime. Dave had two animated series “The Extreme Adventures of Super Dave” and “Super Dave: Daredevil for Hire” on Fox.
Dave’s stunt coordinator Fuji Hakayito (played by Art Irizawa) was often as hapless as Dave was, but Dave insisted that he used genuine fire-resistant Saskatchewan sealskin bindings.
“This character allows me to do anything I want, comedically, and get away with it,” the comedian told The Associated Press in 1995.
Spanning more than 3 decades Super Dave repeatedly failed at all of his stunts on national television shows such as The Tonight Show, Late Night with David Letterman, Conan, Norm Macdonald Live, and a hand full of commercials like Nike, and Haggar Clothing.
After Super Dave, Bob went on to appear as a regular on shows like HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm (as Marty Funkhouser) and Arrested Development (as Larry Middleman).
Over the next few months, I will post some of Super Dave’s best skits and stunts. I hope you enjoy it, here are a few of them.
Sadly Bob Einstein is no longer with us, passing away in 2019.
Super Dave Osborne - Rambo
Super Dave is the stunt coordinator on the new Rambo movie “Footlocker”. Super Dave demonstrates this stunt and is put into handcuffs, lined with genuine, fire-resistant Saskatchewan sealskin. Of course, this stunt goes horribly wrong and Super Dave is run over by a steamroller.
Super Dave Osborne - Bungee Jump
Super Dave arrives on a mini quad cycle and talks about how he trains others in Bungee Jumping. When it becomes Super Dave’s time to jump, of course, there is something that goes horribly wrong.
Super Dave Osborne - Sports Chair
Super Dave is testing a new invention, the Sports Chair, he tests it with Golf, Baseball, and Tennis, however, there are a few bugs that need to be worked out in the auto racing part of the chair.
Super Dave Osborne - Garbane
Super Dave tests out his new automotive fuel called Garbane, which is a mix of methane, propane, and garbage. Garbane promises to be the future of automotive fuel. However, there is just one major problem with it.
Super Dave Osborne - Computer car
Super Dave is testing a new computer in his car that promises to make servicing your car an exact science and no longer guesswork. The computer can track when you need fuel, oil, and even tires. Oh wait, it will also tell you when you have no brakes.
Source:
https://www.newyorker.com/culture/postscript/super-dave-in-memoriam-bob-einsteins-mass-culture-parody
https://www.chimesfreedom.com/2019/01/02/super-dave-osborne-was-really-super/
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/television/article-super-dave-actor-bob-einstein-represented-true-canadian-pop-culture/
https://triblive.com/aande/celebrity-news/super-dave-osborne-actor-bob-einstein-dead-at-76/
