Before They Were Stars (2-for-1 Special): Michael Keaton and James Belushi on “Working Stiffs”

It’s always amusing to see future stars cross paths in a failed project before they were famous. Michael Keaton and James Belushi were both unknowns in 1979 when they got their first lead roles on a sitcom called Working Stiffs, playing a pair of janitor brothers who try to work their way up in the business world. Nine episodes of Working Stiffs were filmed, but only four wound up airing after the show got low ratings. However, years later, after Keaton and Belushi became stars, the lost five episodes were finally released on home video. I don’t have a clip of him, but Working Stiffs is also notable for providing Paul “Pee-Wee Herman” Reubens with one of his earliest roles in a couple of episodes.