June 11, 2005
Legacy
Please note, I am not a part of the TV series. Just a fan. The recipes here are mine or ones I’ve copied.
Cookin’ Cheap was a TV show out of Roanoke Virginia PBS (WBRA) back in the 80′s and 90′s. Larry Bly and Laban Johnson. Your PBS station might have carried it. Sadly, Laban has passed on to the great canned soup kitchen of the beyond. Larry is still around. They showed me that cooking can be fun and cheap.
Many folks have commented that they really loved the show and one person has sent me some DVD’s he made from some VHS tapes he had. If you’re interested in those click here or use the Video link at the top of each page. Maybe we can find more episodes.
Other resources and links:
Larry Bly has a DVD or two and some memorabilia at his site. He’s also on Facebook, MySpace, and YouTube [note you might have to be a member]
You might find the recipes, here.
A collector wrote to me:
As far as I know, Blue Ridge Public TV has disowned the show and Larry now owns the copyright; according to his column and another article, WBRA pulled the show from syndication (and threw all the master tapes in the trash) after he demanded royalties.
The comment policy on this site is simple. If you leave a comment, only I can see your email address and I might respond privately in email. I also delete spam and anything way off topic. I don’t censor, but I do a little housecleaning when needed.
April 15th, 2008 at 5:00 pm
We “stumbled”across the show shortly after we got our big dish. We lived in the country and without the dish at that time we wouldn’t have seen much tv. We really enjoyed that show and were greatly saddened to hear of Labin’s passing. We sent an email with our condolences and Larry was nice enough to reply. I look back at that show and realize to keep it simple.
May 7th, 2008 at 12:26 pm
i loved cc so much, thank god i taped alot of episodes i wish they would put out the shows on dvd
May 12th, 2008 at 1:41 am
I loved that show, too. my father turned me onto it when I went to live with him when he was terminally ill. We’d always watch the shows together and laugh and laugh. I wish I had them on dvd. Larry and Laban were great!
July 7th, 2008 at 5:07 am
I loved that show so much on Saturday. It kept me in stitches! I really wish they would put the seasons on DVD!!!
July 23rd, 2008 at 7:01 pm
I also LOVED the show and would buy it on DVD.
Maybe Larry Bly could look into that…
July 25th, 2008 at 7:39 pm
I’ve been looking for Cookin’ Cheap episodes all over the Internet, and haven’t found a single one. I’m going to spend this weekend browsing all the VHS tapes I have left in the hopes of finding one. I haven’t much hope – I might have taped one or two, but I also don’t have a lot of tapes from that era any more. I did tape their radio show one day in 1994, and listened to it today. They were just as funny on radio. They had an old South kind of charm and gentleness that is rarely seen these days.
September 29th, 2008 at 10:24 pm
It IS indeed time to bring back Cooking Cheap !
Great show with great guys
October 13th, 2008 at 8:40 am
please put it on dvd. many people would buy it.
November 26th, 2008 at 2:23 pm
I emailed Larry a few years back and asked him about “Cookin’ Cheap” and he said that the PBS station where they were produced owned the rights to the episodes. He didn’t believe that they would be releasing them for purchase. I hope that this situation has changed though because I too would love to see them again.
Larry currently writes a column for the Roanoke Times http://www.roanoke.com/entertainment/food/wb/184798
December 10th, 2008 at 5:11 am
I am trying to order the tapes I saw advertized
yesterday on tv for around $21.00. I can’t
get the website to come up.
December 19th, 2008 at 8:53 am
Larry Bly has a new website http://www.cookincheap.net and among other cooking cheap stuff, has created Volume 1 (of several to come) DVDs of past shows. You can purchase on line, and Larry has always responded to several emails I have sent him.
December 19th, 2008 at 9:24 am
And if you decide to purchase, tell him enduring patriot sent you!
January 9th, 2009 at 11:39 am
i got my dvd today & im kinda disappointed with it
i thought the first volume would be from the early 80′s shows, instead they’re from the late 90′s when labam was frail & in bad health.
January 9th, 2009 at 11:40 am
laban
February 10th, 2009 at 2:31 pm
Come visit Larry and relive Cookin’ Cheap memories with friends and fans. Larry is now on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/profile.php?id=1330787884); MySpace (http://www.myspace.com/cookincheap); and YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/user/CookinCheap). Stop by and say hello!
February 26th, 2009 at 9:04 pm
I was kind of disappointed with the DVD as well; I know that the jerks at WBRA threw out all the master tapes when they canceled the show, but I was also hoping for earlier episodes. Hopefully Larry will be able to find broadcast-quality tapes of earlier seasons from some of the other PBS affiliates that broadcast the show over the years.
I’ve got 5 1/2 episodes from 1983 (EP, but watchable) and 20 SP episodes from 1989 (including the infamous spoiled duck). If anyone wants free copies or has episodes to trade, contact me at chiefzabu at earthlink dot net.
March 14th, 2009 at 5:50 pm
my fave episode is when laban made a chef boyardee dinosaur casserole
March 14th, 2009 at 5:51 pm
it looked soo good,better then the pigs feet dinner he made in another show
March 16th, 2009 at 4:06 pm
im looking for episodes from 1980-82
i will pay for them on vhs or dvd
boothscorner@gmail.com
March 16th, 2009 at 7:03 pm
also looking for 84-87
June 4th, 2009 at 3:10 pm
I too was a fan and look forward to receiving my Cookin Cheap DVD. I was impressed that Larry replied in person to my submission to the Cookin Cheap web site:
http://www.cookincheap.net. If you are a fan and haven’t ordered yet, get to it!
February 12th, 2010 at 11:40 pm
I found The Cookin’ Cheap Cookbook published in 1988 at a sale. Reminds me of the fun.
March 1st, 2010 at 2:26 pm
The Chicago channel ran cookin’ cheap and so many Chicagoans watched it but trying to find re-runs is impossible. Their home station at Blue Ridge Broadcasting threw out the Master Tapes held at the TV station. Stupid management. They did not work out an arrangement with Larry which they should have in honor of the viewres of WBRA. Sorry totell.
April 23rd, 2010 at 8:06 am
I watched the show in King of Prussia, PA every week after work until our PBS TV station took it off the air. I used to copy the recipes and try them out on my family. Look forward to checking out what this website has to offer.
August 28th, 2010 at 10:01 pm
i loved cookin’ cheap!!! made me the foodie i am today. i also as a kid had the chance to be in a play “Tracks of Big Lick” tracing the growth of Roanoke starting with the native American, to a colony, into a city..Directed by Laban.(summer youth program through Patrick Henry H.S.) he kept us laughing and was a wonderful director. the show Cookin’ Cheap if lost is in deed one of this area’s greatest lost it was a true gem and if put on t.v today would more than hold its own against ANY cooking show. Larry and Laban had great chemistry!(could laugh an intire show):) i truely miss this show!!!
December 30th, 2010 at 1:48 pm
I agree with the comment above (Charles said . . . ) loved Cookin’ Cheap. Was on WTTW-TV Channel 11 Chicagoland PBS station! ! ! Let me have a DVD if you have one:
[Admin here. Don, please see this page for who to contact for DVD's]
March 26th, 2011 at 11:02 am
Please, fans, encourage your fans to purchase Vol 1 of the DVD eposodes Larry has put together. They are only $20 and worth every penny. Help others purchase so Larry can bring out more volumns. THKS!
March 26th, 2011 at 11:03 am
Sorry, but I misspelled “episodes”!!
November 4th, 2011 at 2:23 pm
i was sorry to here that laban passed away, but larry and laban were the greatest, i had a chance to meet them at the reading terminal in philadelphia which they they were signing autographs, i am priviliged and honored to have been able to meet them both. MR BLY WHERE EVER U ARE I WISH U ALL THE BEST, MUCH LOVE AND RESPECT
November 4th, 2011 at 3:01 pm
I WAS SADDENED TO HERE OF LABAN’S PASSING, MR.BLY I HEARD U GAVE THE EULOGY THAT’S A TRUE FRIEND. U GUYS WERE THE CREAM OF THE CROP ALWAYS LAUGHING AND HAVING FUN AN.I HAD THE PLEASURE OF MEETING BOTH LABAN AND LARRY@ THE READING TERMNIAL IN PHILA I ALSO GOT 2 SIGNED AUTOGRAPHS FROM BOTH GENTLEMAN. I WILL NEVER FORGET HOW SWEET AND CHARMING THEY BOTH WERE. GOOD LUCK MR BLY IN UR FUTURE ENDEAVORS AND GOD BLESS YOU, AND IF I MAY ADD IT WAS AN HONOR AND MY PLEASUSE TO MEET YOU BOTH.