TCM Party watch: Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid, 'Carnival Story' pre-emption recalled

moviesMay 18, 20261491

Turner Classic Movies hosted a TCM Party watchalong of Steve Martin’s Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982), the gag-heavy noir pastiche that pastes Martin into vintage film footage. The broadcast also included the 1957 short Birds Anonymous and brought renewed attention to TCM's notorious Carnival Story pre-emption, when Carnival Story was run repeatedly and displaced scheduled programming. The screening highlighted Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid's practical-effects gags, like the coffee bit, explaining why the film remains a repeatable oddity in classic-film lineups.

Up next on TCM

@tcm-up-next.bsky.social

THE JERK (1979) — 9:45 pm ET — 1h 44m (TCM Special Theme: Starring Steve Martin | Part 2) Steve Martin, Bernadette Peters, M. Emmet Walsh; directed by Carl Reiner A naive young man seeks his fortune while trying to escape a deranged killer. #TCM #TCMParty

1521d ago

Coming Up On TCM

@comingupontcm.bsky.social

#ComingUpOnTCM DEAD MEN DON'T WEAR PLAID (1982) Steve Martin, Rachel Ward, Reni Santoni Dir.: Carl Reiner 5:00 PM PT A hard-boiled detective hunts for a Nazi for a tough dame and meets some familiar rough customers. 1h 2m | Noir Comedy | TV-MA #TCM #TCMParty

1421d ago

@7295murphy.bsky.social

Is #DeadMenDontWearPlaid one of the movies that was pre-empted by (she whispers) Carnival Story? #TCMParty

1121d ago

Gregory Maupin8

I feel like we who survived it all need Carnival Story tshirts or pins or something. #TCMParty

dwayneadd.bsky.social5

Yep. TCM had "Carnival Story" on a loop that evening. #TCMParty

shaver4

I remember that.... what was the explanation? #tcmparty

Gregory Maupin

@gjmaupin.bsky.social

Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid is Exhibit A for the pointlessness of something we're told we need ai for. These effects sell the gag and are all the more delightful for being practical. #TCMParty

1221d ago

teamrickandilsa.bsky.social

@teamrickandilsa.bsky.social

TCM getting the Looney Tunes library was one of the best things to ever happen in the history of civilization. #TCMParty

821d ago

millerfilm

@millerfilm.bsky.social

It's funny. We had that time with "Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid" going wrong and being replaced with "Carnival Story." This time, the movie's on again and BlueSky goes down for a while. Trouble follows "Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid" EVERYWHERE. #TCMParty #DeadMenDontWearPlaid

721d ago

Rd bacon

@doublechinner.bsky.social

I’m still giggling about, “You know how to phone, don’t you? You put your finger in the hole and make little circles.” #DeadMenDontWearPlaid #tcmparty

821d ago

dwayneadd.bsky.social

@dwayneadd.bsky.social

Yep. TCM had "Carnival Story" on a loop that evening. #TCMParty

521d ago