An over-the-hill, swashbuckling star of the silver screen of decades yore is slated to appear on the popular King Kaiser Show (great title), and shows up for rehearsals late, drunk, and chasing every woman in sight. When show execs panic and decide to go with option B, a young staff member promises to look after the old rascal and deliver him, sober and promptly, to the taping. Richard Benjamin's "My Favorite Year" is based on Mel Brooks' reminiscence of an infamous Errol Flynn appearance on the Sid Caesar show which, despite a great set-up and a riotous ending, come off like someone doing a cheap Brooks riff. Unsurprisingly, the only redeemable element of the story is Peter O'Toole, who delivers a hearty and intensely likable performance as the bawdy actor. The rest of the cast is absolutely stagnant, engaging in extremely broad comedy that mostly comes off as unfunny.
