Rob Riggle Channels Walt Disney While Showing Off Holey Moley‘s New Mini-Golf Course

By Garrett Martin  |  May 20, 2020 | 12:00pm
Comedy News Holey Moley
Rob Riggle Channels Walt Disney While Showing Off Holey Moley‘s New Mini-Golf Course

One of the weirder TV hits of last summer was Holey Moley, the mini-golf reality competition show that’s produced by Steph Curry and that turned comedian Rob Riggle into the John Madden of mini-golf. One part gigantic mini-golf game, one part physical challenge in the style of American Gladiators or old Nickelodeon game shows, Holey Moley is a fun, goofy, low-stress hour, and exactly the kind of TV show we could use right now. Good thing it returns for a second season this Thursday, May 21, cheekily titled Holey Moley II: The Sequel, with more competitors vying for a $250,000 grand prize, and new challenges that riff on classic mini-golf obstacles of old.

To set up the new season, Rob Riggle stars in a charming video that pays homage to Walt Disney and the early days of Disneyland. Disney introduced his first theme park to America through the ABC TV show Walt Disney’s Disneyland—the first version of a series of shows and specials that has run consistently since 1954. Disney would give viewers a glimpse of what to expect from the park through miniatures, concept art, a wall-sized map, and more, all with the amiable but serious grandpa vibe he always gave off in public. Today these segments are wonderful little time capsules of the early days of Disneyland, and a true treat for theme park fans.

Riggle’s introduction to Holey Moley taps into that Disneyland tone—which is fitting, since the show airs on ABC, the network Disney’s owned for decades. From the desktop recreation of the Holey Moley course (complete with a Captain Hook-esque pirate ship), to the drawing board illustrations of different hole features, to the giant map of the whole course, laid out in the familiar radial design of Disneyland, this clip captures the look and feel of those classic Disney segments. Of course, Rob Riggle has an entirely different persona than Walt Disney; if Disney was a calm and patient grandparent, Riggle is the dad who won’t let you win at board games and yells at you when you strike out in Little League. He tones it down a good bit in this video, but there’s a constant tension throughout, with the risk of the Step Brothers or 21 Jump Street actor bursting out of his ABC Sports sport coat.

Also you get a preview of The Tomb of Neferteetee—the elaborate Egyptian-based final hole designed by Steph Curry himself. ABC’s calling it a masterpiece, and based on what Riggle shows us in this video, I don’t know if I can disagree.

If you like Holey Moley, or Rob Riggle, or classic Disneyland stuff, you should check out the clip below. Holey Moley II: The Sequel premieres on ABC on Thursday, May 21, at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

 
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