Mitchell Hadley's Blog: It's About TV!, page 124

This week in TV Guide: January 19, 1980

I don't generally review consecutive issues from the same year, but this week's issue offers something that's just too good to resist.* It was just last week, as I write this, that we were introduced to the term " Megxit ," and while I'm already sick to death of it, as a television historian it's a gift of manna, because this week we have the premiere of a new costume drama from Britain that couldn't be more timely: the six-part miniseries Edward & Mrs. Simpson.

*Besides, I didn't have any other issue from this week, and since I promised 52 new issues this year, I didn't think it was a good idea to go back on that promise three weeks into the new year.  (Feel free to thank me for my thoughtfulness.)

Back in 1979, Mobil had sponsored the national broadcast of a 12-part British series, Edward the King, the colorful story of King Edward VII. The series was marketed directly to commercial stations; nearly 50 of them picked up the series (including 27 network affiliates, wreaking havoc with network programming), which turned out to a huge critical and commercial success. For an encore, it was decided to show another drama concerning British royalty, one that had a twist sure to appeal to the Colonies: Edward & Mrs. Simpson, which told the story of King Edward VIII and his ill-fated love affair with American divorcee Wallis Simpson, a romance which caused the king to eventually abdicate his throne in order to marry "the woman I loved."

Bob Bach, associate producer of the original What's My Line?, tells a wonderful story in his TV Guide Background feature about what a TV junkie Wallis Warfield Simpson was, belting out the themes to the Murial cigar and Skippy peanut butter commercial jingles at a table in New York's El Morocco while Bach and Dorothy Kilgallen looked on; she and the Duke were great fans of WML, and TV in general. "We watch all the shows," she told Bach, who meditated on the idea that "this man, once 'By the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of the British Dominions beyond the Seas, King, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India,' sitting up there in the Waldorf Towers watching Strike it Rich or The Big Payoff." It just goes to show that television, unlike the British class system, knows no boundaries.

The Windsors photographed by Karsh in 1971,
a year before the Duke's death.To get back to the main story, the world was captivated by the romantic drama taking place during Edward's efforts to marry the twice-divorced Simpson, even while the British public was, for the most part, kept in the dark due to the British press' self-imposed censorship. Had Edward chosen to marry Wallis despite her previous marriages (the Church of England, at the time, disapproved divorce and remarriage), the government would have been forced to resign, and a constitutional crisis would have resulted. Rather than give up Wallis, Edward chose to abdicate, making his brother George the king—and, indirectly, resulting in the conflict we have today.

Leave it to the British tabloids to cut to the heart of the matter by pointing out that Meghan Markle, the apparent center of the current drama, is the second American to throw the monarchy into turmoil. "You have a very popular and senior member of the royal family who falls for an American divorcee and his world falls apart. Sound familiar? Talk about history repeating itself," writes Virginia Blackburn in The Express. One commentator compared Markle to a combination Wallis Simpson/Yoko Ono, a comparison that flatters nobody. Frankly, I've already spent enough time thinking about these two twits that I can see the appeal of a root canal without anesthesia as an alternative. The Windsors were often viewed as superficial social dilettantes, members of café society; yet Harry and Meghan manage to give them class by comparison.

While Edward & Mrs. Simpson failed to reach the heights of Edward the King, either with critics or viewers, it still radiates a sense of dignity that today's psychodrama fails to reach. It's a sure bet that the story of Megxit will make it to television as well, but you can bet it won't be on something like Mobil Showcase. Look for it on whatever sleazy reality channel offers them the most money.

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James MacGregor Burns  is one of America's most respected political scientists and an expert on the Presidency, and in this election year, he addresses one of the questions of the campaign: can any candidate deliver on what they promise? "Since the start of our Government in 1789, the nub of the problem of Presidential leadership has been Congress," he writes in this week's issue. "All the 'strong' Presidents have had to invent ways of putting across their legislative programs." We've certainly seen that in the last few Presidencies, haven't we?

President Carter's problem, according to Burns, is "a modern case in Presidential-Congressional frustration." After a brief honeymoon period, Carter's determination to "not play old, Washington-type politics" has resulted in his bills being "lacerated or lost in the labyrinthine channels of Congressional committees and subcommittees." The Carter administration lacks "a clear and convincing set of goals," as well as "the political skill and electricity necessary to line up Congressional support." Burns, an advocate of a strong Presidency, wonders if the fragmentation of power that the Founders deliberately designed is the right one for the times. The only alternative, he says, is "strengthening our party system," which in the old days drew the separated powers of Government together. "Parties both supported and stabilized Presidential power" back then, he says. That may be the only chance we have in 1980 to "prevent holy wedlock from turning into holy deadlock."

We'll get the first indications into this on Monday night at 11:30 p.m. ET, as both CBS (Walter Cronkite, Morton Dean, Bruce Morton and Roger Mudd) and NBC ("NBC News correspondents") present coverage of the nation's first presidential test, the Iowa Caucuses, delaying the start of late-night programming. On the Democratic side, President Carter wins a decisive victory over his only serious challenger, Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy, 59%-31%, setting the standard for the Democratic race. It's a different story for the Republicans, as George Bush upsets Ronald Reagan 31%-29%, with Howard Baker coming in third at 15%. It leads to the dramatic "I am paying for this microphone" moment for Reagan in his 1:1 debate with Bush in Nashua, New Hampshire. Reagan routs Bush in the primary by over two-to-one, spelling the end of Bush's "Big Mo" and propelling Reagan to the nomination and. subsequently, the Presidency.

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For those of you who might not be as politically inclined, this week brings another contest that might interest you: the Super Bowl.


Super Bowl XIV takes place Sunday at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, with the defending champion Pittsburgh Steelers going against the (sort-of) hometown favorite Los Angeles Rams on CBS. You might say the coverage starts on Saturday at 5:00 p.m. with CBS Sports Spectacular's Super Bowl-themed "Battle of the NFL Cheerleaders" pitting the Minnesota Viking Parkettes (so named because the team's original cheerleaders were the St. Louis Park High School Parkettes) against the Miami Dolphin Starbrites. I don't know how I missed that when it was on. (Thankfully, we've passed on from the Super Night at the Super Bowl era.)

CBS's Super Bowl Sunday begins at 2:30 p.m. with coverage of the final round of the Phoenix Open golf tournament, one of the few sporting events that actually insists on being held the same weekend as the Super Bowl. (Winner: Jeff Mitchell, by four strokes over Rik Massengale. OK, the winners haven't always been the biggest names.) That's followed by a special 90-minute The NFL Today, renamed for the day as The Super Bowl Today, including commentaries by Jack Whittaker and Andy Rooney and analysis by John Madden. Finally, at 6:00 p.m. it's the game itself, with Pat Summerall and Tom Brookshier behind the mic, Cheryl Ladd singing the national anthem, and a halftime show featuring Up with People doing "A Salute to the Big Band Era." Yup, times have changed, haven't they? The evening wraps up with 60 Minutes, sometime around 10:00 p.m. Oh yeah, the game: Pittsburgh rallies in the second half to beat the Rams 31-19, successfully defending their championship, and becoming the first time to win four Super Bowls.

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That brings us to a look at some of the shows attracting attention this week. We do have a Kirchner-Midnight Special matchup this week, but it isn't much of a contest. Don Kirshner's Rock Concert (Saturday, 1:30 a.m., WAVE) has Bob Welch, Maxine Nightingale, America, and comic Denny Johnston, while The Midnight Special (Friday, 1:00 a.m., NBC) celebrates its seventh anniversary with Captain & Tennille hosting, and past performances by Rod Stewart, Donna Summer, Steve Martin, Linda Ronstadt, Barry Manilow, the Jacksons, Willie Nelson, and Olivia Newton-John. I can't say that many of these acts float my boat, but on sheer star power, Special takes the win.

Saturday offers the kind of special programming that reminds us again that Saturday used to be a big TV night. The Love Boat (8:00 p.m., ABC) has one of those two-hour star-studded voyages that they're known for, with Loni Anderson, Eve Arden, Pam Grier, Robert Guillaume, Rich Little, Denise Nicholas, Donny Osmond, Richard Paul, Slim Pickens, Marion Ross, and Richard Roundtree. Meanwhile, CBS debuts the western The Chisholms as a weekly series (8:00 p.m.), starring Robert Preston and Rosemary Harris; it had originated as a miniseries in 1979. That's followed at 10:00 p.m. by The Beatrice Arthur Special, yet another example of a series star getting her own variety special (see Lynda Carter from last week); the "outrageous, hilarious, musical special from a multi-talented superstar" includes appearances by Rock Hudson, Melba Moore, and Wayland Flowers & Madame. I swear, this sounds like something you would have seen on SCTV.

Bob Hope is back for another of his NBC specials Monday at 9:00 p.m., celebrating the songs from Bob's career in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in radio and movies. Joining Bob are the aforementioned Bea Arthur, Debby Boone, Diahann Carroll, and Shirley Jones. (I'll bet at least the Kraft recipes are good.) Speaking of which, the Hollywood TV Teletype reports that NBC will be airing a six-hour retrospective looking at Hope's 30 years of entertaining at military bases worldwide; you'll be able to see it February 3 and 10. Tom Snyder gets out of the late-night spotlight at 10:00 p.m., with an hour of celebrity interviews; his subjects are Clint Eastwood, Bo Derek, Gary Coleman, and Barry Manilow. It's too bad the network didn't give Tom more time; he always was at his best with long-form interviews.

A Happy Days-esque series, Goodtime Girls (not to be confused with The Golden Girls or The Goodbye Girl) debuts Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. on ABC, with Annie Potts, Lorna Patterson, Georgia Engel, and Francine Tacker as four girls enduring various hardships during World War II. Worst of all—the man shortage. At 9:00 p.m., it's dueling TV-movies: CBS's GE Theater presents Once Upon a Family, starring Barry Bostwick in what Judith Crist calls "a California version of Kramer vs. Kramer," with a fine performance from Bostwick, and excellent support from Nancy Marchand as Bostwick's mother, and Marcia Strassman as his new love interest. That's up against NBC Theatre's Death Penalty, with Colleen Dewhurst as a dedicated psychologist trying to save a 15-year-old killer from the electric chair. Crist labels it "plodding, predictable and dated," and calls Dewhurst's performance "surprisingly monotoned."

Wednesday features another star-studded special (I don't know what else you'd call it), The Tenth Annual Entertainer of the Year Awards (9:00 p.m., CBS), with George Burns (in his lecherous old-man period) hosting, and starring Benji, David Copperfield, Wayland Flowers & Madame, Mitzi Gaynor, Gilda Radner, Kenny Rogers, Doc Severinsen, Red Skelton, Suzanne Somers, Donna Summer, Tanya the Elephant, Rip Taylor, Gino Vannelli, The Village People, Dottie West, and Robin Williams. For those of you keeping score at home (or even if you're just reading), that makes two appearances on shows this week by Wayland & Madame, two by Bea Arthur, two by Dottie West (she's also on Merv Griffin's show Tuesday), Gilda Radner (she was also in Saturday Night Live, which was a rerun from 1977), two by Robin Williams (including Mork & Mindy), and probably six by Doc Severinsen, if he's on all five episodes of The Tonight Show. Speaking of which, it's only the third week of the year and already Johnny's got the week off*; his guest hosts this week are Kenny Rogers on Monday (whoops—that makes two appearances for him this week as well), David Letterman on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and George Carlin on Friday. One of George's guests is Donna Summer, so she's on TV twice this week!

*Or maybe he's still off from the holidays; with him, it was always kind of hard to tell.

The highlight on Thursday is the sixth annual People's Choice Awards (9:00 p.m., CBS), hosted by Mariette Hartley, Bert Parks, and Hollywood columnist Army Archard. It's an odd pairing; Mariette's looking for James Garner, Army's looking for someone to interview, and Bert's looking for Miss America. Anyway, we can be sure that they weren't as controversial as Ricky Gervais. The thing about the People's Choice Awards is that, having been voted on by the public, they're a pretty good barometer of what's popular at the time. The TV winners: Alan Alda is the Favorite All-Around Male Entertainer, Carol Burnett the Favorite All-Around Female Entertainer, Dallas the Favorite Dramatic Show, M*A*S*H the Favorite Comedy, Hart to Hart the Favorite New Program, and its stars Robert Wagner and Stefanie Powers the Favorite Performers in a New Program, and Gary Coleman as the Favorite Young TV Performer.

Friday it's the final episode of Shirley Jones's comedy-drama Shirley, ending its 13-week run. Why did a show starring the mother of The Partridge Family only last 13 weeks? Here's the description: "A recent widow moves from a big city to a small town with her three children, her stepson and her housekeeper." Perhaps that lack of imagination has something to do with it. Oh, and that means Shirley Jones was on twice this week as well! Friday night's TV movie is Mother and Daughter: The Loving War (9:00 p.m., ABC), and it makes us all feel old that the "mother" is Tuesday Weld. As Judith Crist says, "Tuesday in middle-age?" It just doesn't seem possible.

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Finally, you've read me complaining, as recently as last week, about the lack of intellectual heft of the modern TV Guide compared to, say, 1980. However, it seems as if the publishers didn't think that even this was enough.


"Panorama's informative and entertaining articles explore television and its impact on you and everything it touches. From the news to the arts. From the people to the programs. From the sports arena to the political arena. From the present to the future." Throw in the past, and that, in a nutshell, is what I try to do with this website.

Panorama only lasted 17 months, from February, 1980 to June, 1981. Walter H. Annenberg, publisher of TV Guide and Panorama, told The New York Times that ''Our subject matter proved successful in attracting advertising, but circulation results proved beyond doubt that few readers were interested in our editorial content.'' I had a chance to read one issue of Panorama, the June, 1980 issue as it turns out, and I thought it was pretty good—I wasn't into the history of television as much as I am now, although I doubt that even a subscription from me would have saved it. Fortunately, all 17 issues of Panorama have been preserved and are available here. Perhaps, when I run out of TV Guides to review, I'll start in on these and see what the future of TV looks like from the past. TV  

Around the dial

We've got a full slate of goodness this week, so let's get right to it.

At Garroway at Large, Jodie has a wonderful look back at Today 's 25th anniversary show on January 14, 1977, a classic demonstration of how a show with the history of Today should celebrate it. Dave's there, of course, with Jack Lescoulie and Frank Blair, and Pat Weaver's on hand as well. It's wonderful when a program can take advantage of having its stars still alive to celebrate a landmark occasion—and when they want to celebrate that history.

St. Valentine's Day isn't until next month, but David at Comfort TV has another Valentine in mind: Karen Valentine , who for some reason never had the success of Mary Tyler Moore, but whose body of work is more widely available now, thanks to YouTube.

At  bare •bones e-zine, Jack continues his look at the Hitchcock work of Sterling Silliphant with the third-season episode "The Perfect Crime," adapted from the classic story by Ben Ray Redman, directed by Alfred Hitchcock himself, and starring Vincent Price and James Gregory. Silliphant's script makes a strange (and probably unnecessary) addition to the story, but even that can't ruin a great episode.

From Silver Scenes, a story that aired on last week's Sunday Morning on CBS, about the legendary Kim Novak and her hobby , at which she excels: painting. She's been doing it since she was a girl, and recently her work appeared in a show at the Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown, Ohio. You'll see some examples when you click on the link.

I've always enjoyed Glenn Ford's work; there's a toughness about him that I find very appealing, and that shades his portrayal of good guys, making them a little more complex than usual. This week. Rick takes a look at Ford's 1971 telefilm The Brotherhood of the Bell at Classic Film and TV Café; it's "an absorbing film that goes on too long and opts for a contrived, unbelievable ending" but survives thanks to the performances of Ford and Dean Jaggar, another favorite.

Carol Serling, widow of Rod, passed away a few days ago; it's thanks in part to her dedication that the Twilight Zone Magazine came to be. This week at The Twilight Zone Vortex, Jordan looks at the September, 1982 issue , which includes (among other things) Thomas Disch reviewing books by Philip K. Dick and Robert Heinlein, and an interview with director Paul Schraeder.

At Thrilling Days of Yesteryear, Ivan is prompted by last month's death of actress Shelley Morrison to revisit  The Flying Nun , in which Morrison appeared as Sister Sixto. I was never a big fan of the show myself, but I wholeheartedly agree with Ivan's assessment that "The Flying Nun is just a solid example of why 60s TV was so wonderfully demented…and why I’ll take any of those classic shows over the inanity of “reality” television any day of the week."

Edd Byrnes, one of the stars of 77 Sunset Strip, died last week at the age of 87. Until I started watching Strip a couple of years ago, I didn't really have much on which to base an opinion of Byrnes, but I've come to have a real appreciation for him since. I enjoy the show anyway, but there seems to be just that little more spark when Kookie's part of the action. At A Shroud of Thoughts, Terence has a nice remembrance of the man and his work , which deserves to be remembered. TV  

Just call him Bill

In honor of the late, great Jack Sheldon—jazz trumpeter, comedian, music director of The Merv Griffin Show, and star of Run, Buddy, Run—let's take a look at one of his most famous roles, that of the eponymous Bill in the great Schoolrock House feature "I'm Just a Bill."


Sheldon, who died last month at age 88, ought to be remembered for more than this. Not only was he a very funny guy (as Merv's sidekick, he prefigures Paul Shaffer), he was a brilliant jazz musician. Here he is in a 1978 clip, performing "Rocky Raccoon" with Benny Goodman at Carnegie Hall—and I can't believe I just used "Rocky Raccoon," "Benny Goodman," and "Carnegie Hall" in the same sentence.


TV  

What's on TV? Monday, January 14, 1980

Just as this is the first of several issues from 1980 that we'll be looking at this year, it's also the first of several that feature the programs from one of my favorite cities, Chicago. This particular issue is the Illinois-Wisconsin edition, so we have two major cities to work from; Milwaukee as well as Chicago. It may mean we'll have twice as many good shows, or it could double the mediocrity. We'll just have to see.



 2  WBBM (CHICAGO) (CBS)
MORNING
   6 AM SUNRISE SEMESTERPresidential Power and American Democracy: The Electoral College
    6:30 IT’S WORTH KNOWING
   7 AM SUNDAY MORNING—Bob Schieffer
   8 AM CAPTAIN KANGAROOGuest: Charles Kimbrough
   9 AM BEAT THE CLOCKCharlie Brill, Elaine Joyce, Mitzi McCall, Bobby Van. Host: Monty Hall
    9:30 WHEW!—GameBrian Patrick Clarke, Gina Hecht. Tom Kennedy is the host
    9:55 CBS NEWS—Edwards
 10 AM PRICE IS RIGHT—Game
 11 AM YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS
  11:30 SEARCH FOR TOMORROW—Serial
AFTERNOON
  Noon NOONBREAK
  12:30 AS THE WORLD TURNS—Serial
    1:30 GUIDING LIGHT
    2:30 LOVE OF LIFE
   3 PM ONE DAY AT A TIME
    3:30 MATCH GAME
   4 PM JIM ROCKFORD, PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR—Crime Drama
   5 PM NEWS
    5:30 CBS NEWS—Cronkite
EVENING
   6 PM NEWS
   7 PM PEANUTS—CartoonSpecial: “It’s Your First Kiss, Charlie Brown”
    7:30 WKRP IN CINCINNATI
   8 PM M*A*S*H
    8:30 HOUSE CALLS—Comedy
   9 PM LOU GRANT
 10 PM NEWS
  10:30 HARRY O—Crime Drama
  11:40 McCLOUD—Crime Drama
    1:15 MOVIE—Comedy“It Started in Naples” (1960)
    3:20 NAME OF THE GAME—Drama
Yes, I know it's hard to believe, but it's true; the Electoral College was a bone of contention even before the most recent election.


 4  WTMJ (MILWAUKEE) (NBC)
MORNING
    5:55 GIGGLESNORT HOTEL—Children
    6:25 EXERCISE BREAK
    6:30 SUPERMAN—Adventure
   7 AM TODAY—Tom Brokaw
   9 AM NEW DAYCo-Host: Jon McGlocklin
 10 AM DINAH! & FRIENDSCo-Host: Charles Nelson Reilly. Guests: Ed Koch, Robert Klein, Kool & the Gang, Ann Miller, Anne Murray
 11 AM CHAIN REACTION—GameDebut: Patty Duke Astin, Joyce Bulifant, Fred Grandy, Nipsey Russell. Host: Bill Cullen
  11:30 PASSWORD PLUS—GameGreg Morris, Betty White. Host: Allen Ludden
AFTERNOON
  Noon DAYS OF OUR LIVES
   1 PM DOCTORS—Serial
    1:30 ANOTHER WORLD
   3 PM DATING GAME
    3:30 MERV GRIFFINGuests: Mel Tillis, Lynda Carter, Rupert Holmes, Freddie Sales, Nikki the Magician, Lill’s Chimps
   5 PM NEWS
    5:30 NBC NEWS—Chancellor/Brinkley
EVENING
   6 PM NEWS
    6:30 FAMILY FEUD—Game
   7 PM LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE
   8 PM MOVIE—Drama“Power,” Part 1 (Made-for-TV; 1980)
 10 PM NEWS
  10:30 TONIGHTGuest host Martin Mull, Rita Moreno, Billy Crystal
    Mid. TOMORROW
   1 AM JAPAN BOWLSpecial
I'm not really a television historian, but I did stay at a Gigglesnort Hotel last night.

 5  WMAQ (CHICAGO) (NBC)
MORNING
   6 AM KNOWLEDGE
    6:30 TODAY IN CHICAGO
   7 AM TODAY—Tom Brokaw
   9 AM CARD SHARKS—Game
    9:30 HOLLYWOOD SQUARES—GameKip Addotta, Elayne Boosler, Billy Braver, George Gobel, Shecky Greene, Jay Leno, George Lindsey, Jan Murray, Wayland & Madame. Host: Peter Marshall
 10 AM HIGH ROLLERS—Game
  10:30 WHEEL OF FORTUNE
 11 AM CHAIN REACTION—GameDebut: Patty Duke Astin, Joyce Bulifant, Fred Grandy, Nipsey Russell. Host: Bill Cullen
  11:30 NEWS
AFTERNOON
  Noon DAYS OF OUR LIVES
   1 PM DOCTORS—Serial
    1:30 ANOTHER WORLD
   3 PM PASSWORD PLUS—GameGreg Morris, Betty White. Host: Allen Ludden
    3:30 NEWLYWED GAME
   4 PM MARY TYLER MOORE—Comedy
    4:30 NEWS
    5:30 NBC NEWS—Chancellor/Brinkley
EVENING
   6 PM NEWS
    6:30 FAMILY FEUD—Game
   7 PM LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE
   8 PM MOVIE—Drama“Power,” Part 1
 10 PM NEWS
  10:30 TONIGHTGuest host Martin Mull, Rita Moreno, Billy Crystal
    Mid. TOMORROW
   1 AM MARCUS WELBY, M.D.—Drama
   2 AM TODAY IN CHICAGO
I don't mean to be overly critical (of course you don't!), but let's face it: without Paul Lynde, that Hollywood Squares lineup just isn't all that impressive, is it?


 6  WITI (MILWAUKEE) (CBS)
MORNING
   6 AM MONDAY MORNING—Schieffer
   7 AM LONE RANGER—Western BW 
    7:30 FURY—Drama BW 
   8 AM CAPTAIN KANGAROOGuest: Charles Kimbrough
   9 AM BEAT THE CLOCKCharlie Brill, Elaine Joyce, Mitzi McCall, Bobby Van. Host: Monty Hall
    9:30 WHEW!—GameBrian Patrick Clarke, Gina Hecht. Host: Tom Kennedy
    9:55 CBS NEWS—Edwards
 10 AM PRICE IS RIGHT—Game
 11 AM PHIL DONAHUE
AFTERNOON
  Noon NEWS
  12:30 AS THE WORLD TURNS—Serial
    1:30 GUIDING LIGHT
    2:30 YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS—Serial
   3 PM ONE DAY AT A TIME
    3:30 STREETS OF SAN FRANCISCO—Crime Drama
    4:30 JIM ROCKFORD, PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR—Crime Drama
    5:30 CBS NEWS—Cronkite
EVENING
   6 PM NEWS
    6:30 JOKER’S WILD—Game
   7 PM PEANUTS—CartoonSpecial: “It’s Your First Kiss, Charlie Brown”
    7:30 WKRP IN CINCINNATI
   8 PM M*A*S*H
    8:30 HOUSE CALLS—Comedy
   9 PM LOU GRANT
 10 PM NEWS
  10:30 MARY TYLER MOORE—Comedy
 11 PM COLUMBO—Crime Drama Guest murderer: Janet Leigh
    1:15 BLACK SHEEP SQUADRON—Adventure
    2:25 NEWS
    2:55 MOVIE—Drama BW “The House Across the Bay” (1940)
I remember watching It's Your First Kiss, Charlie Brown; it really wasn't up to the standards of the early Peanuts cartoons. It might be heresy to suggest it, but I think that as Peanuts moved into the 1980s, the quality of both the strip and the animated specials went downhill; Calvin and Hobbes was the top of the heap at that point.

 7  WLS (CHICAGO) (ABC)
MORNING
    5:55 REFLECTIONS
   6 AM NEWS
    6:10 PERSPECTIVES
    6:35 ED ALLEN SHOW
    6:55 TODAY’S WOMAN
   7 AM GOOD MORNING AMERICA—David HartmanGuest: George Martin
   9 AM A.M. CHICAGO
 10 AM LAVERNE & SHIRLEY
  10:30 FAMILY FEUD
 11 AM $20,000 PYRAMID—Game Tony Randall is a guest. Host: Dick Clark
  11:30 RYAN’S HOPE—Serial
AFTERNOON
  Noon ALL MY CHILDREN—Serial
   1 PM ONE LIFE TO LIVE—Serial
   2 PM GENERAL HOSPITAL
   3 PM EDGE OF NIGHT
    3:30 MOVIE—Musical BW “Rock Around the Clock” (1956)
   5 PM NEWS
    5:30 ABC NEWS—Frank Reynolds
EVENING
   6 PM NEWS
   7 PM LAVERNE & SHIRLEY
    7:30 ANGIE
   8 PM STONE—Crime DramaDebut
   9 PM FAMILY
 10 PM NEWS
  10:30 BARNEY MILLER
  11:05 POLICE STORY—Crime Drama
  12:15 MOVIE—Drama BW “Angel Face” (1952)
Apparently, we're not sure who Tony Randall's opponent is on The $20,000 Pyramid. Whoever it is faces an uphill fight, though; I'm sure Randall's a very good player, as long as the category isn't " Ancient Greek Playwrights ." 

 9  WGN (CHICAGO) (Ind.)
MORNING
    5:55 TOP O’ THE MORNING
    6:25 NEWS
    6:30 STAR BLAZERS—Cartoon
   7 AM RAY RAYNER—Children
   8 AM GROVER GOOLIES—Cartoons
    8:30 I DREAM OF JEANNIE—Comedy
   9 AM MOVIE—Musical BW “The Great Ziegfeld” (1936)[The movie, shown in two parts, concludes tomorrow at this time.]
 11 AM PHIL DONAHUE
AFTERNOON
  Noon BOZO’S CIRCUS
   1 PM LOVE, AMERICAN STYLE
    1:30 LOVE, AMERICAN STYLE
   2 PM ANDY GRIFFITH—Comedy
    2:30 GROOVIE GOOLIES—Cartoons
   3 PM FLINTSTONES—Cartoon
    3:30 BUGS BUNNY AND FRIENDS—Cartoons
   4 PM GILLIGAN’S ISLAND
    4:30 I DREAM OF JEANNIE—Comedy
   5 PM GOOD TIMES—Comedy
    5:30 MY THREE SONS—Comedy
EVENING
   6 PM ODD COUPLE—Comedy
    6:30 CAROL BURNETT AND FRIENDS—Comedy
   7 PM MAUDE—Comedy
    7:30 TWILIGHT ZONE—Drama BW 
   8 PM MOVIE—Comedy BW t“My Favorite Spy” (1951)
 10 PM NEWS
  10:30 MOVIE—Comedy-Drama“The Thomas Crown Affair” (1968)
  12:30 NEWS
   1 AM FBI—Crime Drama
   2 AM SEA HUNT—Adventure BW 
Great minds may disagree, but I'll always prefer this version of The Thomas Crown Affair—with Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway—to the remake with Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo. Not to mention "The Windmills of Your Mind" as sung by Noel Harrison.


10 WMVS (MILWAUKEE) (PBS)
MORNING
    7:45 A.M. WEATHER
10 AM ELECTRIC COMPANY
  11:30 SESAME STREET—Children
AFTERNOON
  12:30 MISTER ROGERS—Children
   2 PM MEMORIES OF EUBIE—DocumentarySpecial: Eubie Blake , Alberta Hunter, Lynnie Godfrey, Billy Taylor
   3 PM OVER EASY—Hugh Downs
    3:30 DICK CAVETT
   4 PM MISTER ROGERS—Children
    4:30 SESAME STREET—Children
    5:30 ELECTRIC COMPANY—Children
EVENING
   6 PM WILDLIFE IN CRISIS
    6:30 MacNEIL/LEHRER REPORT
   7 PM MKE AT 7: AT ISSUE—Debate
    7:30 LIVE FROM LINCOLN CENTER—MusicLuciano Pavarotti, with Zubin Mehta and the New York Philharmonic
 10 PM DICK CAVETTGuest: Norman Cousins
  10:30 WORLD WAR II: G.I. DIARY
 11 PM EXPLORERS
  11:30 SNEAK PREVIEWS
I've never been that big a fan of Pavarotti; I've always preferred Domingo myself. But tonight's live concert on Live From Lincoln Center sounds like a terrific show.


11 WTTW (CHICAGO) (PBS)
MORNING
    6:45 A.M. WEATHER
   7 AM SESAME STREET—Children
   8 AM ZOOM—Children
    8:30 MISTER ROGERS—Children
   9 AM SESAME STREET—Children
 10 AM ZOOM—Children
  10:30 ELECTRIC COMPANY—Children
 11 AM INSIDE/OUT
  11:15 FRAMEWORK
  11:30 INSIGHT
AFTERNOON
  12:30 OVER EASY—Hugh Downs
   1 PM DICK CAVETT
    1:30 MOVIE—Adventure“The Elusive Pimpernel” (English; 1950)
    3:30 MISTER ROGERS—Children
   4 PM SESAME STREET—Children
   5 PM 3-2-1 CONTACT—Children
    5:30 AS WE SEE IT
EVENING
   6 PM OVER EASY—Hugh DownsGuest: Alexis Smith
    6:30 MacNEIL/LEHRER REPORT
   7 PM ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL
   8 PM MEDIA PROBES
    8:30 LIVE FROM LINCOLN CENTER—MusicLuciano Pavarotti, with Zubin Mehta and the New York Philharmonic
 11 PM MASTERPIECE THEATRE“The Duchess of Duke Street II,” Part 5
    Mid. CAMERA THREE
  12:30 ABC NEWS—Frank ReynoldsCaptioned for the hearing-impaired
It's probably a good idea that the late ABC News is done with closed-captioning rather than sign language. Think of someone trying to sign for Frank Reynolds while he was, for instance, doing the coverage of the assassination attempt against Ronald Reagan—how do you sign this?

 


12 WISN (MILWAUKEE) (ABC)
MORNING
    6:30 BODY BUDDIES—Exercise
   7 AM GOOD MORNING AMERICA—David HartmanGuest: George Martin
   9 AM ALL MY CHILDREN—Serial
 10 AM LAVERNE & SHIRLEY
  10:30 FAMILY FEUD
 11 AM $20,000 PYRAMID—Game Tony Randall is a guest. Host: Dick Clark
  11:30 MATCH GAME
AFTERNOON
  Noon DIALING FOR DOLLARS
   1 PM ONE LIFE TO LIVE—Serial
   2 PM GENERAL HOSPITAL
   3 PM EDGE OF NIGHT
    3:30 COURTSHIP OF EDDIE’S FATHER
   4 PM HAPPY DAYS AGAIN—Comedy
    4:30 M*A*S*H
   5 PM ABC NEWS—Reynolds
    5:30 NEWS
EVENING
   6 PM TIC TAC DOUGH—Game
    6:30 PM MAGAZINE
   7 PM LAVERNE & SHIRLEY
    7:30 ANGIE
   8 PM STONE—Crime DramaDebut
   9 PM FAMILY
 10 PM NEWS
  10:30 M*A*S*H
 11 PM BARNEY MILLER
  11:35 POLICE STORY—Crime Drama
  12:45 SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN—Adventure
    1:45 NEWS
Nope, we still don't know who Tony Randall's playing against.

18 WVTV (MILWAUKEE) (Ind.)
MORNING
 11 AM ROSS BAGLEY—Religion
  11:30 700 CLUB—Religion
AFTERNOON
   1 PM NEWS
    1:30 ED ALLEN—Exercise
   2 PM BEVERLY HILLBILLIES BW 
    2:30 CASPER THE FRIENDLY GHOST
   3 PM KROFFT SUPERSTARS—Cartoon
    3:30 FLINTSTONES—Cartoon
   4 PM BUGS BUNNY—Cartoons
    4:30 TOM & JERRY—Cartoons
   5 PM BRADY BUNCH—Comedy
    5:30 BEWITCHED—Comedy
EVENING
   6 PM I LOVE LUCY—Comedy BW 
    6:30 ANDY GRIFFITH—Comedy BW 
   7 PM BOWLING GAME
   8 PM MOVIE—Biography BW “The Helen Morgan Story” (1957)
  10:15 BENNY HILL—Comedy
  11:15 RAT PATROL—Adventure
  11:45 DRAGNET—Crime Drama
  12:15 LOVE, AMERICAN STYLE
  12:45 NEWS
Who is Helen Morgan that a movie should be made about her? The answer can be found here .

26 WCIU (CHICAGO) (Ind.)
MORNING
   9 AM MARKET REPORTS, NEWS
 10 AM NEWS
  10:30 ASK AN EXPERT
 11 AM NEWS
  11:30 ASK AN EXPERT
AFTERNOON
  Noon NEWS
  12:20 ASK AN EXPERT
  12:50 MARKET REPORTS, NEWS
    1:30 ASK AN EXPERT
   2 PM MARKET REPORTS, NEWS
    2:30 ASK AN EXPERT
   3 PM MARKET REPORTS, NEWS
    3:30 CHICAGO TODAY—Discussion
   4 PM MOON MAN CONNECTION—Music
    4:30 BLACK’S VIEW OF THE NEWS
    4:45 TODAY’S RACING
   5 PM LOS RICOS TAMBIEN LLORAN—Novella
    5:30 MAMA CAMPANITA—Drama
EVENING
    6:30 NOTICIAS
   7 PM AMOR PROHIBIDO—Novela
   8 PM LUCHA LIBRE
   9 PM EL MUNDO DE LOS ESPECTACULOS
 10 PM NOTICIAS
  10:30 ACOMPANAME
  11:30 VARIEDADES EN LA NOCHE
WCIU, home of Svengoolie, is, as of 2019, a CW affiliate. I'll let you decide if that means their programming has improved.

32 WFLD (CHICAGO) (Ind.)
MORNING
   6 AM NEWSTALK
    6:30 BRADY KIDS—Cartoons
   7 AM WOODY WOODPECKER—Cartoon
    7:30 TOM & JERRY—Cartoons
   8 AM POPEYE—Cartoons
   9 AM ROMPER ROOM—Children
    9:30 PLEASE DON’T EAT THE DAISIES—Comedy
 10 AM PARTRIDGE FAMILY—Comedy
  10:30 GREEN ACRES—Comedy
 11 AM BATMAN—Adventure Guest villain: Burgess Meredith (The Penguin)
  11:30 TENNESSEE TUXEDO—Cartoon
AFTERNOON
  Noon UNDERDOG—Cartoons
  12:30 BANANA SPLITS—Children
   1 PM COURTSHIP OF EDDIE’S FATHER
    1:30 LUCY SHOW
   2 PM BEVERLY HILLBILLIES
    2:30 MAGILLA GORILLA—Cartoons
   3 PM CASPER THE GHOST—Cartoon
    3:30 SPIDERMAN—Cartoons
   4 PM WOODY WOODPECKER—Cartoons
    4:30 TOM & JERRY—Cartoons
   5 PM BRADY BUNCH—Comedy
    5:30 HAPPY DAYS AGAIN—Comedy
EVENING
   6 PM SANFORD AND SON—Comedy
    6:30 ALL IN THE FAMILY
   7 PM JOKER’S WILD—Game
    7:30 TIC TAC DOUGH
   8 PM MAKE ME LAUGH—GameBob Saget, Steve Bluestein, Bruce Baum, Robert Hegyes
    8:30 MERV GRIFFINGuests: Tom Jones, Jay Leno, Ann Turkel, Gordon Mills, Monique St. Pierre
    9:55 NEWS
 10 PM M*A*S*H
  10:30 LIFE AND TIMES OF EDDIE ROBERTS—Serial
 11 PM BENNY HILL—Comedy
  11:30 NEWSTALK
    Mid. TAKE FIVE WITH STILLER AND MEARA
I'd never heard of The Life and Times of Eddie Roberts before; according to the always-reliable Wikipedia , it was a comedy—or, to be precise, a soap opera spoof a la Mary Hartman. It only ran for 13 weeks, but since it was on five nights a week, that adds up to 65 episodes, or about two years' worth in conventional terms. I guess it all depends on how you look at it.


36 WMVT (MILWAUKEE) (PBS)
AFTERNOON
   3 PM HATHA YOGA—Exercise
    3:30 VILLA ALEGRE—Children
   4 PM ELECTRIC COMPANY—Children
    4:30 FORSYTE SAGA—Drama
    5:30 WALLY’S WORKSHOP
EVENING
   6 PM FOREST SPIRITS—Documentary
    6:30 FORSYTE SAGA—Drama
    7:30 HATHA YOGA—Exercise
   8 PM WHAT TO DO ‘TIL THE WRECKER COMES—Instruction
    8:30 HELIX—Skiing
   9 PM DAVID SUSSKIND
 10 PM FOOTSTEPS
I find it hard to believe that David Susskind can hold his show to one hour, but miracles do happen.

44 WSNS (CHICAGO) (Ind.)
MORNING
    9:30 MUNDO HISPANO
  10:30 700 CLUB—Religion
AFTERNOON
  Noon WACKY RACES—Cartoons
  12:30 NEW THREE STOOGES—Cartoons
   1 PM DINAH! & FRIENDSCo-Host: Charles Nelson Reilly. Guests: Ed Koch, Robert Klein, Kool & the Gang, Ann Miller, Anne Murray
    2:30 GET SMART—Comedy
   3 PM SPECTREMAN—Children
    3:30 SPEED RACER—Cartoons
   4 PM SUPERHEROES—Cartoons
    4:30 LEAVE IT TO BEAVER BW 
   5 PM GONG SHOW—Game
    5:30 DATING GAME
EVENING
   6 PM BONANZA—Western
   7 PM ROOKIES—Crime Drama
   8 PM 700 CLUB—Religion
    9:30 DIMENSIONS ’79—Public Affairs
 10 PM DRAGNET—Crime Drama
  10:30 IT TAKES A THIEF—Adventure
  11:30 MARSHALL DILLON—Western BW 
If you were to combine WFLD's daytime schedule with the primetime lineup of WSNS here, you'd have a pretty good classic TV lineup, wouldn't you? TV  

This week in TV Guide: January 12, 1980

As you're probably aware, I'm not a big fan of TV Guides from the 1980s. They just don't sing to me, if you know what I mean. However, it's occurred to me that self-improvement makes for a fine New Year's Resolution, and that a particularly good way to improve one's self is to challenge one's assumptions, to consider the possibility, however remote, that one could be wrong about some long-held opinions. It is, therefore, with that in mind that I've committed to write about at least three TV Guides from the year 1980, in hopes that some good, either personal or professional, might come from it.*

*These are also issues that I can look at for free on the Internet Archives, which constitutes a type of self-improvement of the budgetary kind.

We know we're in the 1980s just by looking at the cover, whicgh features two of the starts of one of the bigger hits of the era, CHiPS. The stars are Eric Estrada and Larry Wilcox, and I confess that I didn't give them must thought until I saw them appear together at the Mid Atlantic Nostalgia Convention a couple of years ago, when they proved to be a delight to listen to: charming, interesting, and very funny. That doesn't necessarily mean I'd automatically become a fan of CHiPS, but it does make it more likely I'd approach it without prejudice, which is not nothing.

This week's issue focuses on the "responsible" member of the duo, Wilcox, who confesses to Bill Davidson that he's got one eye on his post-CHiPS career, when he'll have more freedom. As an example, here's a recent day in the life of the co-star of a successful series: at 10:30 a.m., Wilcox has a scene in which he reads his first line of the day: "May I see your driver's license, please?" His second scene comes at 6:31 p.m., when he and Estrada do close-ups for chase scenes that have already been filmed. His second line of the day comes a half-hour later: "You've got traffic backed up to the freeway. What's this all about?" Shooting for the day ends at 7:30 p.m. So you want to be a TV star?

He's a complex young man who talks about his experiences in Vietnam and how he was affected by the murder of his sister; clearly. life is about more than acting. The previous season, Wilcox directed an episode of CHiPS; he says it was "much more fascinating being director Wilcox, planning eight scenes ahead, than being actor Wilcox." As an actor, it was his fondest hope to play Tom Jordache in Rich Man, Poor Man; when he lost out to Nick Nolte, he took the CHiPS role on the rebound. He's made a good living as an actor, and he's intensely loyal to his show, but still the challenges await, and when he thinks about his production company and the future that lies ahead, he can't help but wonder, "If a show about traffic cops can work. . ."

t  t  t
With the TV season almost half over, Rick Cohen takes stock of the ratings race. ABC, the perennial third-place network, has been in first for four years, but CBS took the prize in the November sweeps, and the publicity department was so excited that they prepared a brochure proclaiming CBS as "The Intelligent Alternative—The Adult Alternative"; top executives were so shocked that they killed the brochure. "That's not the way we do things around here," one said.

Dallas has become a monster hit, five of the six shows on CBS's Sunday night schedule are in the top ten, and shows like Knots Landing and The White Shadow have provided strong ratings. For ABC, the news has been less encouraging; ratings are down almost a full point from last year, Laverne & Shirley has dropped from #1 last year to #23 this year, while Mork & Mindy has gone from #3 to #20 and Happy Days from #4 to #15. Their only new success has been Benson, which is only #24. And then there's NBC, which counts Real People and The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo among hits successes, and has high hopes for Sanford and The Big Show. Not too high, I hope.

t  t  t
At the risk of sounding like a broken record (although some of you might think I’m cracked already), past issues are full of articles that we’d never see in a popular magazine today, let along the celebrity-obsessed pages of TV Guide. Whether this is a commentary on television, TV Guide, or both, I’ll leave to your discretion.

Case in point is this week’s “Background” article on PBS’s five-part Great Performances series on the French actor, playwright, and poet, Molière (1622-1673), written by poet and Molière translator Richard Wilbur. Molière, according to Wilbur, is probably the most versatile comic genius since Charlie Chaplin; not only did he write more than 30 stage pieces, he also acted as theater manager, director, and leading actor. And, as Wilbur notes, this doesn’t include such things as tennis and marriage, which he was also able to cram into his brief 51 years. His patron was Louis XIV, which helped him fend off some malicious gossip (such as the accusation that his wife, Armande, who was half his age, was actually his own daughter by his former mistress—and we thought people today were slanderous), as well as publish and produce his plays.

Molière’s work is primarily that of social comedy, set in “a world that is fundamentally orderly and good and governed by ‘natural’ laws and relationships.” The characters who bear the brunt of Molière’s humor are those who wind up being consumed by greed and avarice, pretentions, or power, and Molière’s goal is to show us how laughable these pretentions are, and how they risk upsetting society’s delicate balance.

Although there’s a temptation to look at Molière’s work as autobiographical, Wilbur tells us not to read too much into that; while “certain events and concerns of Molière’s life are reflected in his art,” it would be wrong to read them to learn more about his life, for “his art transforms [those events] utterly.” Neither is he a satirist, a philosopher, or a reformer; “while reflecting contemporary realities in a generalized way, he did not make direct attacks on real persons.” Even though “a few personal convictions do make themselves felt, Molière’s thought is on the whole the thought of comedy itself.” I wonder how contemporary comedians might feel about that. After all, here we are, talking about Molière almost 350 years after his death.

t  t  t
I don’t usually stray outside of the Cleveland Amory era when writing about TV Guide’s reviews, but we’ll make an exception this week to look at Robert MacKenzie’s take on one of PBS’s landmark series: Free to Choose, the 10-part primer on economics hosted by Nobel Prize-winner Milton Friedman, one of the most highly-respected economists around. Friedman, whom MacKenzie identifies as “the last of the unrepentant free-market economists,” has for years urged the government to get out of the business of business, while, “everyone else—from corporation fatcats to stoop laborers—has been doing the opposite: demanding Government protection, subsidy and general tinkering in the marketplace.” Considering the situation we’re in, with “prices are going crazy and everyone getting poorer at a breathtaking rate,” MacKenzie is ready to think that perhaps Friedman has something at that.

The format of the show is straightforward: Friedman lectures on a topic, introducing real-life examples that serve to prove his point, and then follows it up with a discussion featuring guests who often disagree with his theories. In an episode on government deregulation, former Delaware governor Russell Peterson pointed out that market regulation helps evils like pollution, to which Friedman retorted that “Air and water are cleanest in the advanced countries.” It helps being the host.

MacKenzie points out gaps in Friedman’s theories, such as child labor laws, unemployment, and the 40-hour week. In fact, Friedman wasn’t against all government power; he believed in the role of the government to protect the nation from foreign enemies, and to provide law and order. His concern with welfare programs was that they could create welfare dependency, and required a different type of government policy, such as a negative income tax. Presumably, MacKenzie’s grasp of television is slightly stronger than it is of economics. Nonetheless, he concludes that this program, and Friedman’s theories, are “worth a listen. Who knows, they might even work.”

t  t  t
I won't spend a lot of time on this, but we do have a matchup between The Midnight Special and Don Kirshner's Rock Concert. The Special features Isaac Hayes as host, with the Spinners, KC and the Sunshine Band, Kool & the Gang, and The Outraged and Outrageous comedy players, including Bruce Vilanch and Pat McCormack. Meanwhile the performers on Kirshner include Ashford & Simpson, Kansas, Michael Jackson, Brooklyn Dreams, Stephanie Mills and comic Garry Shandling. It's a close one, but I'll give the edge to Kirshner.*

*Milwaukee's WTMJ has last week's Special on Saturday night, which featured Dr. Hook as host, with Rupert Holmes, Cliff Richard, and Prince. Prince! If they knew what they had, he could have done the entire 90 minutes, without needing The Outraged and Outrageous comedy players to pad things out.

If you want music, you might want to check out the 7th annual American Music Awards instead (Friday, 8:00 p.m., ABC), hosted by Cher and Elton John, with an eclectic lineup featuring Peabo Bryson, Dottie West, Natalie Cole, Cheap Trick, Kenny Rogers, Charlie Daniels, Lionel Hampton, Michael Jackson, Chuck Berry, Eddie Rabbitt, the Captain & Tennilie, and Rick James. Seriously, if you can't find someone to listen to from that lineup, you might as well just give up.

t  t  t
And now, the portion of our program that looks at highlights of the week.

Saturday: Remember the days when stars like Vince Edwards and Richard Chamberlain were able to spin their acting success into a musical career, and from that to their own variety special? This week it's Wonder Woman's turn, as Lynda Carter hosts her first special (7:00 p.m., CBS), with guests Kenny Rogers and Leo Sayer. ABC counters with a preview of the upcoming Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, with former Olympic champion Peggy Fleming and special music by Chuck Mangione! (Let's see, Lynda Carter or Chuck Mangione?) And a reminder that Jerry Lewis doesn't have the only long show in town; at 10:30 p.m., it's the start of the 29th United Cerebral Palsy telethon (WISN and WREX), with a cast of stars including John Ritter, Henry Winkler, Paul Anka, Gavin McLeod, Dick Van Patten, and Dennis James, the host of the telethon since its beginning in 1950. The show runs until 6:00 p.m. Sunday; unfortunately, telethons now seem to be a thing of the past. It would be better if it were the diseases that were a thing of the past.

Sunday: At 6:00 p.m., ABC presents a Closeup on the more than 200 Nazi war criminals reported to be living in the United States. Simon Wiesenthal is among the guests looking at efforts by the Justice Department to track down and bring to justice the fugitives, who avoided deportation because of "government indifference or negligence or through the efforts of influential friends or agencies that needed their brainpower." If that's too heavy for you (and the whole idea of the morality of war crimes trials is a fascinating, if grim, subject that we'l save for another day), you might think about tuning in to ABC's Sunday night movie, Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders II (8:00 p.m.) You might, that is, until you look at the cast; it’s a sad commentary that a movie dealing with “The Private Lives of the Most Gorgeous Girls in America” gives top billing to—John Davidson?

Monday: Dennis Weaver stars as Joseph Wambaugh in a new show, Stone. (8:00 p.m., ABC) Oh sure, they call him Daniel Ellis Stone, "a best-selling author-detective whose beat is so dangerous every case could be his final chapter!" We all know better, but if that’s the way they want it, that’s fine by me. The show's run: 10 episodes. (By the way, why does it seem as if the only people who go by three names are politicians, authors, and assassins?)

Tuesday: It's the exciting conclusion of Power (8:00 p.m., NBC), a two-part movie that is, according to Judith Crist, a "brazen rehash of Norman Jewison's 1978 F.I.S.T. with Joe Don Baker in the Sylvester Stallone role of a Chicago warehouse worker who rises to the top of the union. "Trouble is, Baker takes almost twice as long in this attenuated two-parter. (That will be no surprise to the writers at MST3K.) Unfortunately for us, while part one is "action-packed," tonight's part two is "padded and muddled."

Wednesday: "For Janet, having an affair is the only way to hold a marriage together." That's the tag line for If Things Were Different (8:00 p.m., CBS), a movie that sounds as if it should fit right in with the titillating fare that's so typical of made-for-TV movies from the era. Suzanne Pleshette stars as Janet, whose husband (Don Murray) is in a catatonic state after a nervous breakdown, leaving her to wonder if co-worker Tony Roberts might be able to tend to her, well, needs. I don't know; this could be a terrific movie, but it sure seems to me that Pleshette deserves better than this.

Thursday: Mork tries to reunite a father (Tom Posten) and his blind son (Tom Sullivan), whom he hasn't seen in 12 years, on a (very special?) Mork & Mindy (7:00 p.m., ABC) What else? Well, do you remember the series Skag? It's OK if you don't; it only ran for five episodes plus the pilot. It stars Karl Malden as a Pittsburgh steel worker, and Piper Laurie as his wife. On the CBS late movie, John Cassavetes is the killer du jour on Columbo (10:30 p.m.), an orchestra conductor who kills his mistress. (10:30 p.m.) Cassavetes is terrific playing off his old buddy Peter Falk, but he does one of the worst impressions of a conductor that I've ever seen. If you think that might bother you, flip over to The Tonight Show on NBC, where the great Benny Goodman is one of Johnny Carson's scheduled guests on The Tonight Show.

Friday: Art Carney and Lily Tomlin are outstanding in Robert Benton’s The Late Show (8:00 p.m., NBC). Carney plays an aging detective out to solve his partner’s murder, and Judith Crist says "you’re guaranteed the total pleasure of his company as an ailing, irascible man of heart and intelligence." It’s an affectionate homage to the Hammett-Chandler tradition of detective stories, but, being made in 1977, it also displays all the drawbacks of modern filmmaking, as Tomlin and Carney "are constantly interrupted by blood-soaked fatalities and violence. Present-day admirers of the genre would do well to take a blood count of the classics and see the superb restraint and power of suggestion that were used. It is a tribute to Carney that his performance emerges unsplattered."

And there's this programming note, appearing each evening before the 10:30 p.m. shows:


That update would, of course, become Nightline. But it does show that the roots of our present crises run very deep, don't they?

t  t  t
Finally, here’s one of those situations that makes you realize entertainment executives are just like the rest of us—no smarter, at least. Last Friday, NBC showed us the movie Two-Minute Warning, an action/heist drama that garnered mostly negative reviews when it was released in 1976. That’s less than four years ago, yet—believe it or not—what we saw on Friday was, according to Rick Cohen, the third different version of the film:

“When NBC telecast the theatrical movie last February, it cut out about a half hour of the original footage, which was deemed too profane and violent. [How quaint.] Then, for a half-million dollars, NBC had the producer, Universal, shoot about an hour’s worth of new film and add new characters, a plot diversion and an identity for its sniper character. Now NBC has spent an additional $50,000 to shrink that three-hour TV version to two hours.” This, on top of the fee NBC presumably paid Universal for the rights to the movie in the first place.

And so, one has to wonder, might it not have cost just as much for the network to make a movie itself, about anything it wanted to, absolutely the way it wanted it to be? It certainly would have been easier, you’d think. Talk about trying to make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. . . TV  

Around the dial

It's Friday, which means it's also time for us to take a spin around some of the classic TV blogs. Remember, you can find most of these over at the sidebar, and I'd encourage you to check them out weekly; even when I don't link to them, they have some great reading material.

I was a little young for Superman; I wasn't unfamiliar with the George Reeves version when I was growing up, but Underdog was probably more my speed back then, and it's a show I've never really gotten into. Which is why it's good for me to read an article like Rick's at Classic Film and TV Café on seven things to know about The Adventures of Superman.

Being a sucker for Christmas, I've always enjoyed Joanna's Christmas TV History blog, and now you can catch up on her activity from last year with this review of her 2019 podcasts, radio, and press appearances . I can't think of a better way to get back in the Christmas spirit.

For a show that lasted only one season, Jonny Quest has done pretty well at achieving iconic status. Martin Grams has always been a big fan of the 1964-65 series, so it's appropriate that this week he brings us a review of the BluRay release . Hint: if you like the show, you'll love the BluRay.

One of the simple pleasures of The Rockford Files was Noah Beery's memorable portrayal of Rockford's father, Rocky, but Those Were the Days reminds us that his resume includes a lot more than that . (I did not know, by the way, that Beery's paternal uncle was Wallace Beery. Where have I been?)

We keep hearing about how streaming has changed television forever, and certainly the TV landscape has evolved radically over a very short period of time, but The Wall Street Journal's John Jurgensen reminds us how  old-school TV tactics helped make The Mandalorian a hit .

Finally, Buck Henry died this week, and it's a testament to his success and longevity that almost everyone has a different memory of him based on how old they are and when they started watching TV. (I always think, not of Get Smart, but of his samurai bits on SNL.) The Land of Whatever brings us one of the more recent memories, from 30 Rock . TV  

Eyewitness to history

When we think about the chroniclers of the passing scene, the witnesses to the cultural history of our times, how many of us think of John Charles Daly? And yet, once you think about it, he seems so obvious, I wonder why it took me this long to figure it out.

Most people probably think of John Daly as the urbane host of CBS's What's My Line? from 1950 to 1967, a job at which he excelled. But if you'd been around back then, you likely would have been familiar with a different side of John Daly: that of a newsman, first for CBS Radio, and then at ABC television. And as it happens, Daly reported on some of the biggest news stories of the era.

He became known to audiences as CBS's White House correspondent, where he announced many of President Roosevelt's speeches. Later, he moved to New York to become the anchor for CBS's long-running news program The World Today, and that's where Daly was on December 7, 1941 when he was first on the air with the bulletin that the Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbor.


During the war, Daly was a correspondent on the front lines in the European and North African theaters. In 1942, he was " one of the first to report . . .of the growing concerts regarding the Nazi treatment of the Jews" based on reports coming from unoccupied France. He was covering the American advances through Italy in 1943 when  General George Patton slapped two soldiers  he accused of malingering (they were suffering from "shell shock") and was one of the reporters who brought the story to the attention of General Eisenhower. (Daly agreed to sit on the story at Eisenhower's request; "I need this man. I can't win the war without Patton.") Back home, it was Daly who broke another story on CBS: the death of President Roosevelt in Warm Springs, Georgia on April 12, 1945.


After the war, Daly hosted You Are There, the program that dramatized historic events as if they'd been covered on the radio. By 1952, Daly had moved to ABC, where he'd become vice president of news and public affairs, winning three Peabody awards, and he was anchor of ABC's evening news from 1953 to 1960. At Daly's suggestion, the network carried live coverage of Senator Joseph McCarthy's hearings on communist infiltration of the Army; neither CBS nor NBC were doing so, and it was cheap programming for a network that was a distant third in the ratings. Daly's "worldly charm" was so apparent, NBC responded by replacing longtime anchor John Cameron Swayze with a team of anchors, Chet Huntley and David Brinkley. In 1959, when Vice President Richard Nixon engaged Nikita Khrushchev in the famous " Kitchen Debate ," guess who was there to cover it? John Daly. He wasn't one of the panelists of the Kennedy-Nixon debates, which might have been one of the few things he didn't do, but he represented ABC in the negotiations with the other two networks and the campaigns.

In his 17+ years on What's My Line?, Daly was witness to people from every segment of society: politics, entertainment, sports, and art. Joe Louis was one of the Mystery Guests, as was Colonel Sanders. Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra, Bishop Fulton Sheen, Herman Wouk, Ronald Reagan*, Victor Borge, Lucille Ball, Walt Disney, Frank Gifford, Sean Connery, Gypsy Rose Lee, Edward R. Murrow, Carl Sandburg, Billy Graham, Steve Allen, Ernie Kovacs, Jacques Cousteau, Chuck Yeager, Pearl Buck, Eleanor Roosevelt; all sat next to Daly as the blindfolded panel tried to guess who they were. Blonde bombshells, Supreme Court justices, political party chairmen, football heroes, various Congressmen and governors, television stars: they were all on What's My Line?, either as Mystery Guest or guest panelist or both. And Daly saw them all.

*Ronald Reagan wasn't the only future president to appear as Mystery Guest; on the syndicated version, which Daly didn't host, Georgia governor Jimmy Carter stumps the panel.

In addition to the celebrities, there were the ordinary people who made up the bulk of What's My Line?'s guests, and from that chair as moderator, Daly could see how the American workforce was changing, how jobs that were done by people in 1950 were becoming mechanized by 1967, and how women were increasingly present in jobs that had formerly been done exclusively by men. People working in the aerospace industry were now side-by-side with those twisting pretzels by hand; it had to be a profound demonstration of the new American economy, presaging perhaps the economy of today.

Daly's life at the center of things doesn't end here, though. After What's My Line? ended, Daly served as head of the Voice of America through 1968. His second wife, Virginia, was the daughter of Chief Justice Earl Warren, and it was Daly who served as an intermediary between Warren and the Nixon administration in negotiating the date of Warren's resignation from the Supreme Court. He was a member of the Peabody Awards Board of Jurors, and throughout the 1980s he hosted forums for the American Enterprise Institute; indeed, a 1982 forum he moderated was on the topic " Terrorism: What Should Be Our Response? "

What, then, do we have? As a newsman, John Daly covered the New Deal, Pearl Harbor, World War II, political conventions, and the Cold War. As host of What's My Line?, Daly saw most of the cultural icons and political leaders of the 1950s and 1960s, not to mention the changing work habits of Americans from the post-war boom to the space age. During these times, he was, in the words of authors Jeff Allen and James M. Lane, "one of the most well known and highly regarded people in the country." For over 50 years, he observed the evolution of trends in politics, entertainment, sports, and American culture itself. By any definition, it is a remarkable career. Does anyone else compare? The only name that comes to mind is Edward R. Murrow, whose impact was formidable, but I'm not sure even Murrow's experience equals the length and breadth of Daly's.

John Charles Daly died in 1991. He never wrote his autobiography, which is a shame, because it would have been one of the most fascinating cultural histories of the 20th century, by one of the most fascinating men of the century: a man who was an eyewitness to history. TV  

What's on TV? Wednesday, January 4, 1967

We've visited Philadelphia before, but not very often, and I thoroughly enjoyed going through this issue. I particularly like the local programs: Florence (Philadelphia always had a strong local television presence; it's where Ernie Kovacs got his start.) Captain Philadelphia was played by Stu Nahan, who was also the original voice of the Philadelphia Flyers; I remember him from the hockey broadcasts on CBS in the late '60s. It's fun when you can see a familiar name like that. I suspect you'll find some of today's programs familiar as well.



 3  KYW (NBC)
Morning
    5:55 FARM AND MARKET NEWS
    6:00 ON STAGE: THE ACTOR’S ART
    6:35 FARM, HOME AND GARDEN
    6:45 LOCAL NEWS
    7:00 TODAYGuests: Frank Elli, Ruggiero Ricci, Joe Garagiola
    9:00 CONTACT—Interviews
    9:55 NEWS—Lou Davis
  10:00 REACH FOR THE STARS—Game  COLOR 
  10:25 NEWS—Vanocur  COLOR 
  10:30 CONCENTRATION  COLOR 
  11:00 PAT BOONE—Variety  COLOR Guest: Bernice Massi
  11:30 HOLLYWOOD SQUARES—Game  COLOR 
Afternoon
  12:00 NEWS, WEATHER, SPORTS
  12:30 MIKE DOUGLAS—VarietyCo-hosts: Allen and Rossi
    2:00 DAYS OF OUR LIVES—Serial  COLOR 
    2:30 DOCTORS—Serial  COLOR 
    3:00 ANOTHER WORLD  COLOR 
    3:30 YOU DON’T SAY!—Game  COLOR Guests: Dan Rowen and Dick Martin
    4:00 MATCH GAME  COLOR Guests: Carol Lawrence, Ed McMahon
    4:25 NEWS—Kalber  COLOR 
    4:30 MERV GRIFFIN—VarietyGuests: Milt Kamen, Totie Fields, Carmel Quinn
Evening
    6:00 NEWS, SPORTS AND WEATHER  COLOR 
    6:30 NEWS—Chet Huntley, David Brinkley  COLOR 
    7:00 ZORRO—Adventure
    7:30 VIRGINIAN—Western  COLOR 
    9:00 BOB HOPE—Drama  COLOR “Code Name: Heraclitus”
  10:00 I SPY—Adventure  COLOR 
  11:00 NEWS, WEATHER AND SPORTS  COLOR 
  11:30 JOHNNY CARSON  COLOR 
    1:00 NEWS—Jim Collis


 6  WFIL (ABC)
Morning
    6:00 NEWS—Wes Sarginson
    6:15 R.F.D. #6—Agriculture
    6:30 CARTOON CARNIVAL  COLOR 
    7:00 WORDLAND WORKSHOP
    7:30 CARTOON CIRCUS  COLOR 
    9:00 GIRL TALK—PanelGuests: Dodie Goodman, Harriet Bell, Carol Loomis
    9:30 PHILADELPHIA GIRL TALK
    9:45 SCHOOLHOUSE—Fine Arts
  10:00 BEN CASEY—Drama
  11:00 SUPERMARKET SWEEP
  11:30 DATING GAME
Afternoon
  12:00 MOVIE—Drama“Double Deal” (1950)
    1:30 TELEVISION KITCHEN  COLOR 
    2:00 NEWLYWED GAME
    2:30 DREAM GIRL—ContestGuests: Don Drysdale, Jack Kelly, Fernando Lamas
    2:55 NEWS—Marlene Sanders
    3:00 GENERAL HOSPITAL—Serial
    3:30 NURSES—Serial
    4:00 POPEYE THEATER  COLOR 
    5:30 MOVIE—Comedy“The Smiling Ghost” (1941)
Evening
    7:00 NEWS, WEATHER AND SPORTS  COLOR 
    7:15 NEWS—Peter Jennings
    7:30 BATMAN—Adventure  COLOR 
    8:00 MONROES—Western  COLOR 
    9:00 MAN WHO NEVER WAS  COLOR Last show of the series. Next Wednesday, ABC debuts a movie at 9 P.M.
    9:30 PEYTON PLACE—Serial  COLOR 
  10:00 ABC STAGE 67—Drama  COLOR “The Trap of Solid Gold”Beginning next week “ABC Stage 67” moves to Thursday night at 10 P.M.
  11:00 NEWS, WEATHER AND SPORTS  COLOR 
  11:30 MOVIE—Drama“Now Voyager” (1942)
    1:45 PETER GUNN—Mystery


8W WGAL (LANCASTER) (NBC)
Morning
    7:00 TODAYGuests: Frank Elli, Ruggiero Ricci, Joe Garagiola
    9:00 MIKE DOUGLAS—VarietyCo-host: Joan Fontaine
  10:00 REACH FOR THE STARS—Game  COLOR 
  10:25 NEWS—Vanocur  COLOR 
  10:30 CONCENTRATION  COLOR 
  11:00 PAT BOONE—Variety  COLOR Guest: Bernice Massi
  11:30 HOLLYWOOD SQUARES—Game  COLOR 
Afternoon
  12:00 MONDAY ON 8  COLOR 
  12:30 EYE GUESS—Game  COLOR 
  12:55 NEWS—Newman  COLOR 
    1:00 MERV GRIFFIN—Variety
    1:30 MAKE A DEAL  COLOR 
    1:55 NEWS—Dickerson  COLOR 
    2:00 DAYS OF OUR LIVES—Serial  COLOR 
    2:30 DOCTORS—Serial  COLOR 
    3:00 ANOTHER WORLD  COLOR 
    3:30 YOU DON’T SAY!—Game  COLOR Guests: Dan Rowen and Dick Martin
    4:00 MATCH GAME  COLOR Guests: Carol Lawrence, Ed McMahon
    4:25 NEWS—Kalber  COLOR 
    4:30 MISTER ED—Comedy
    5:00 HUCKLEBERRY HOUND  COLOR 
    5:30 COLT .45—Western
Evening
    6:00 NEWS, SPORTS AND WEATHER  COLOR 
    6:30 NEWS—Chet Huntley, David Brinkley  COLOR 
    7:00 McHALE’S NAVY—Comedy
    7:30 VIRGINIAN—Western  COLOR 
    9:00 BOB HOPE—Drama  COLOR “Code Name: Heraclitus”
  10:00 I SPY—Adventure  COLOR 
  11:00 NEWS, WEATHER AND SPORTS  COLOR 
  11:30 JOHNNY CARSON  COLOR 
    1:00 NEWS


10 WCAU (CBS)
Morning
    5:40 NEWS
    5:45 SUNRISE SEMESTER
    6:15 WHAT IN THE WORLD?
    6:45 BILL BENNETT
    7:00 NEWS—Gene Crane
    7:05 NEWS—Benti  COLOR 
    7:30 GENE LONDON  COLOR 
    8:00 CAPTAIN KANGAROO
    9:00 PIXANNE—Children  COLOR 
    9:30 DENNIS THE MENACE—Comedy
  10:00 CANDID CAMERA—Comedy
  10:30 BEVERLY HILLBILLIES
  11:00 ANDY GRIFFITH—Comedy
  11:30 DICK VAN DYKE—Comedy
Afternoon
  12:00 LOVE OF LIFE—Serial
  12:25 NEWS—Benti  COLOR 
  12:30 SEARCH FOR TOMORROW
  12:45 GUIDING LIGHT—Serial
    1:00 LEAVE IT TO BEAVER—Comedy
    1:25 NEWS—Jim Rogers  COLOR 
    1:30 AS THE WORLD TURNS
    2:00 PASSWORD—Game  COLOR Guests: Dorothy Loudon, Chester Morris
    2:30 HOUSE PARTY  COLOR 
    3:00 TO TELL THE TRUTH
    3:25 NEWS—Edwards
    3:30 EDGE OF NIGHT—Serial
    4:00 SECRET STORM—Serial
    4:30 MOVIE—Musical  COLOR “Nancy Goes to Rio” (1950)
Evening
    6:00 NEWS, SPORTS AND WEATHER  COLOR 
    7:00 NEWS—Cronkite  COLOR 
    7:30 LOST IN SPACE—Adventure  COLOR 
    8:30 BEVERLY HILLBILLIES  COLOR 
    9:00 GREEN ACRES—Comedy  COLOR 
    9:30 GOMER PYLE, USMC  COLOR 
  10:00 DANNY KAYE—Variety  COLOR Guests: Louis Armstrong, the Kessler Twins, Victoria Meyerink
  11:00 NEWS, WEATHER AND SPORTS  COLOR 
  11:25 MOVIE—Western  COLOR “Run for Cover” (1955)
    1:10 MOVIE—Comedy Time approximate. “Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer: Boris Karloff” (1949)
    2:50 NEWS


12 WHYY (EDUC.)
Morning
    9:15 CLASSROOM—Education“Magic Talking Machine,” Western Hemisphere, Jr. High Science, Speech Improvement, Jr. High Math, 4th Grade Spanish, Sr. High Biology (until 12:05), Ninth Grade Math (12:20-12:45), Franklin to Frost, French I, III and II, Fifth Grade Science (1-3 P.M.)
Afternoon
  12:05 TALES OF POINDEXTER
  12:45 FRIENDLY GIANT—Children
    3:00 ABOUT PEOPLE—Psychology
    3:30 HERE’S SCIENCE—Education
    4:00 SEGOVIA MASTER CLASS
    4:30 FILM FEATURE
    5:00 MISTEROGERS—Children
    5:30 FRIENDLY GIANT—Children
    5:45 TALES OF POINDEXTER
Evening
    6:00 LOCAL NEWS—Shaw, Lang
    6:30 WHAT’S NEW—Children
    7:00 HIGH SCHOOL ENGLISH
    7:30 LET’S LIP-READ—Education
    8:00 BOOK BEAT—Interview
    8:30 FRENCH CHEF—Cooking
    9:00 IN MY OPINION—Comedy
    9:30 YOUR DOLLAR’S WORTH
  10:00 CINEPOSIUM—Films
  10:30 MUSEUM OPEN HOUSE
  11:00 LOCAL NEWS—John Lang


17 WPHL (IND.)
Morning
    9:00 LA LANNE—Exercise  COLOR 
    9:30 CARTOON CAPERS  COLOR 
  10:00 MR. PIPER—Children  COLOR 
  10:30 LOVE THAT BOB!—Comedy
  11:00 DIVORCE COURT—Drama
Afternoon
  12:00 JEOPARDY—Game  COLOR 
  12:30 EYE GUESS—Game  COLOR 
  12:55 NEWS—Newman  COLOR 
    1:00 PIONEERS—Drama
    1:30 MAKE A DEAL  COLOR 
    1:55 NEWS—Dickerson  COLOR 
    2:00 MOVIE—Mystery“The Black Glove” (English; 1953)
    4:00 CARTOONS—Webber  COLOR 
    4:45 LOST CITY OF THE JUNGLE
    5:00 ASTROBOY—Cartoon
    5:30 QUICK DRAW McGRAW  COLOR 
Evening
    6:00 EIGHTH MAN—Cartoon
    6:30 PATTY DUKE—Comedy
    7:00 MARINE BOY—Cartoon  COLOR 
    7:30 FURY—Drama
    8:00 SECRET AGENT—Adventure
    9:00 MOVIE—Drama“Cry the Beloved Country” (English; 1952)
  11:00 MOVIE—Drama“I See a Dark Stranger” (English; 1946)


29 WIBF (IND.)
Morning
  10:00 YOUR ALL-STAR THEATER
  10:30 VIEW FROM 29
Afternoon
  12:00 DONNA REED—Comedy
  12:30 FATHER KNOWS BEST
    1:00 SCARLET HILL—Serial
    1:30 DECEMBER BRIDE—Comedy
    2:00 YOUR ALL STAR THEATER
    2:30 MOVIE—Comedy“Rings on Her Fingers” (1942)
    4:00 DARK SHADOWS—Serial
    4:30 WHERE THE ACTION ISGuests: Music Machine, Sandy Posey
    5:00 ROY ROGERS—Western
Evening
    6:00 CIRCLE 29 RANCH
    6:50 SPORTS—Don Henderson
    7:00 MOVIE—Comedy “Casanova in Burlesque” (1944)
    8:25 MOVIE—Comedy“Mr. Deeds Goes to Town” (1936)
  10:30 NEWS
  10:35 MOVIE—Drama“No Man’s Woman” (1955)



48 WKBS (IND.)
Morning
  10:30 MODERN SUPERVISION
  11:00 ROMPER ROOM  COLOR 
Afternoon
  12:00 DICKORY DOC  COLOR 
    1:00 MOVIE—Drama“Men Are Not Gods” (English; 1937)
    3:00 OUR MISS BROOKS—Comedy
    3:30 CAPT. PHILADELPHIA  COLOR 
    5:00 MICKEY MOUSE CLUB
    5:30 GIGANTOR—Cartoon
Evening
    6:00 SUPERMAN—Adventure  COLOR 
    6:30 FLINTSTONES—Cartoon  COLOR 
    7:00 McHALE’S NAVY—Comedy
    7:30 TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES—Game  COLOR 
    8:00 MOVIE—Drama“The Street with No Name” (1948)
  10:00 PERRY MASON—Mystery
  11:00 ALFRED HITCHCOCK—Drama
  12:00 MOVIE—Drama“The Street with No Name”
TV  

This week in TV Guide: December 31, 1966

We've discussed TV disasters before, you and I, and although the circumstances differ from show to show, there's one thing that remains constant, one statement that you can take to the bank with the assuredness that it will generate more interest than the show itself: someone should have known better.

This brings us to The Tammy Grimes Show, one of this week's cover stories. That the series was cancelled after four weeks wouldn't be such a big deal today, when shows come and go while creating barely a ripple, but in 1966 this is a big deal, "one of the fastest and most ignominious nose dives in TV history," according to authors Neil Hickey and Joe Finnigan.* The show's failure implicates a lot of big names in the process: executive producer Bill Dozier, responsible for Batman and The Green Hornet; writer George Axelrod, author of Broadway smashes such as The Seven Year Itch and Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter; Grimes herself, who's just come off of two years on Broadway in The Unsinkable Molly Brown; and a supporting cast that includes Dick Sargent, Hirman Sherman, and Maudie Prickett. Oh, and by the way, the cost of the four-week failure amounts to $1,000,000.

*At the time, the only competition in terms of rapid cancellations is ABC's 1963 quiz show 100 Grand , which lasted but three weeks.

So what happened with "Grimes' Fairy Tale" to cause such a debacle? Dozier was enthusiastic; he'd been pursuing Grimes to play the lead in Bewitched, and though she'd turned it down, he still wanted to create a vehicle for her. Axelrod produced the script, based on the "madcap heiress" idea that appealed to Grimes. And everyone agreed: the pilot was terrible, so bad that General Foods pulled out as a sponsor. However, Bristol-Myers liked the talent involved with the show and thought it had a chance, so it pushed for a place on the schedule, between F Troop and Bewitched. Reluctantly, ABC decides to go ahead, with reservations, and sends the show back to the drawing board. The revised version, however, is no better: "It wasn't like we just had a bad show," one of those involved says. "This was an unfixable show. There was nothing to fix. The whole premise was cockeyed. There was no natural nor well-reasoned flow of events in the stories. The main character wasn't related properly to the basic premise."

The solution seems easy enough—admit defeat and move on. But it's too late for that; the network has already included it on the schedule and in the promotions. Fearing the worst, ABC decided to move ahead; after all, sometimes a show becomes a smash despite all expectations. Er, no. The ratings are an absolute disaster, plummeting from the heights delivered by Batman and F Troop; Chevrolet, primary sponsor of Bewitched, makes clear their unhappiness with Grimes as a lead-in. Something has to be done—and ABC decides to play its trump card, an idea that they'd kept in reserve as they'd watched the difficulties surrounding Grimes. The idea is called The Dating Game, and with that, The Tammy Grimes Show is off the air four weeks after its debut, "the quickest casualty of any comedy or drama series in TV history."

Why was this an "unfixable show"? Depends on who you ask. According to some, Dozier was too involved with Batman and The Green Hornet to give the show proper attention. Likewise, Axelrod lacked the time to get more involved. Others point to Grimes herself as someone whose talent doesn't translate to television; "She has a brittle quality which just doesn't work on TV. You've got to be warm on that cold tube," according to co-producer Alex Gottlieb. "If she were one-tenth as warm and likable on film as Dick Sargent was, the show would have been a hit." Sargent has nothing bad to say about Grimes, calling her "the greatest performer I've ever worked with." Co-producer Richard Whorf, who came out of the experience with bleeding ulcers, would rather not talk about it, saying it wouldn't be "gentlemanly." And Grimes, who disagrees with the assessment that she's not right for TV, simply says, "You cannot blame anyone for this. Please don't blame anybody".'

In the end, the death of The Tammy Grimes Show may be more notable for what replaced it—The Dating Game—than anything else. As a disaster, it will soon enough be eclipsed by one of the greatest of all time, ABC's Turn-On . It is interesting, though, that unlike most disasters, this doesn't seem to be one where everyone was afraid to point out that the emperor had no clothes. It was a show that just didn't work.

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During the 60s, the Ed Sullivan Show and The Hollywood Palace were the premiere variety shows on television. Whenever they appear in TV Guide together, we'll match them up and see who has the best lineup..
Sullivan: Scheduled guests: pianist Peter Nero; the New Vaudeville Band; ballerina Sandra Balsti of the New York City Opera Company; comics Joan Rivers, Georgie Kaye, and Hendra and Ullett; singers Lana Cantrell and the Castro Brothers; Les Ballets Africans, a native dance troupe; the acrobats Tovarich Troupe; and the Three Houcs, jugglers.

Palace: Host Bing Crosby presents singers Dorothy Collins, Charles Aznavour and the Mills Brothers; pianist Skitch Henderson, formerly of The Tonight Show; the comedy team of Burns and Schreiber; Johnny Puleo and his Harmonica Gang; dancers Szony and Claire; and the Volentes' unicycle act.

Sometimes you can't tell who's going to come out on top until the very end, and sometimes the outcome is clear from the start. This week it's the latter; Bing gives Palace an edge at the outset, and by the time we get to Skitch Henderson it's all over. Peter Nero is a fine pianist in his own right, but he's not enough to keep Palace from winning in a landslide.

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Throughout the 60s and early 70s, TV Guide's weekly reviews were written by the witty and acerbic Cleveland Amory. Whenever we get the chance, we'll look at Cleve's latest take on the series of the era. 

In case you're not sure whether or not Cleveland Amory likes the NBC sitcom Occasional Wife, starring Michael Callan and Patricia Harty, he settles the issue in the opening sentence: "If you haven't seen this show yet, you've been missing something. It's a fine, fast, funny situation comedy—and, for once, the situation is comic."

The premise of Occasional Wife is guaranteed to outrage modern sensibilities: a young man (Callan) whose boss has a policy of married executives ("I'm sorry, Peter—no marriage, no promotion.") teams up with a young woman, Greta, (Harty) who agrees to pose as his wife in return for rent, art lessons and contact lenses. It's a patently illegal premise today, and for all I know it might have been even when the series was made, but if we're going to appreciate this series in the way that Cleve does, we're going to have to look beyond that to the humor that arises from it. The couple live in the same building; Peter on the seventh floor, Greta on the ninth floor, and they commute back and forth via the fire escape (including those times when Peter's boss unexpectedly drops by), to the consternation and amusement of the "Man in the Middle" (Bryan O'Byrne) who views the comings and goings from his apartment on the eighth floor.

The show is set up for misunderstandings aplenty, which, as Amory notes, come not from the idea of a couple trying to hide the hanky-panky, but from the fact that there is no hanky-panky (both Peter and Greta have their own dating lives) and they have to pretend that there is. The writing is good, the situations are funny, and the acting—particularly from Callan and Jack Collins, who plays his boss—deserves credit. The best thing, though, might be the "peerless tones" of the narrator, none other than the Voice of the Dodgers, Vin Scully. Occasional Wife lasts for 30 episodes, but don't cry for Vin: he'll have his job with the Dodgers to fall back on for the next 50 seasons.

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As you would have noticed by the date on this issue, Saturday is the last day of 1966, and even though we did that "ring-out-the-old-ring-in-the-new" bit with last week's issue, we have a chance to do it over again.

We'll clear up one thing at the outset: whenever New Year's Day falls on a Sunday, the parades and bowl games are moved to Monday. This has nothing to do with the NFL, as some youngsters with no sense of history seem to think; the Tournament of Roses Committee has a policy, dating back to 1893, against holding the parade on a Sunday, as organizers did not wish to disturb horses hitched outside Sunday church services. When the Rose Bowl came along, it followed suit, as did all the other bowl games and parades that were created over the years. Even though most other sporting events have since come to bend Sundays to their will without regard to church (or anything else), the New Year's tradition remains sacrosanct. Besides, nowadays it would conflict with the NFL.

Anyway, enough of all that. New Year's Eve is lively enough; the Cotton Bowl (2:15 p.m. ET, CBS, preceded by the Cotton Bowl Parade at 1:00 p.m.) is being held on December 31 to get away from the glut of games on New Year's. (Georgia 24, SMU 9.) At 7:30 p.m., it's the prime-time King Orange Jamboree, in color on NBC, with Lorne Greene and Florence Henderson. At 10:30 p.m., Philadelphia's WIBF presents the WGN-produced Big Bands, a four-hour extravaganza featuring the music of Tommy Dorsey, Si Zentner, Guy Lombardo, Hary James, Sammy Kaye and Count Basie. And at 11:30 p.m. on WFIL, it's Guy Lombardo himself, ringing in the New Year on a syndicated network, with his Royal Canadians, Nelson Eddy, and Gail Sherwood at the Waldorf-Astoria, and Jack Lescoulie live in Times Square.

While the New Year's festivities may have moved to Monday, that doesn't mean there aren't fireworks waiting for us on Sunday. Today the American and National Football Leagues select their champions for the inaugural Super Bowl, to be played in two weeks. (You're right; who could have imagined it would become such a big deal?) It begins in Buffalo, as the two-time AFL champion Buffalo Bills take on the Kansas City Chiefs (1:00 p.m., NBC) for the AFL crown, followed at 4:00 p.m. by the defending champion Green Bay Packers playing the Cowboys in Dallas for the NFL title. We all know how those games turned out. A pair of terrific music programs round out the day: at 6:30 p.m., NBC's Bell Telephone Hour features "The First Ladies of Opera," four of the greatest voices around: Birgit Nilsson, Leontyne Price, Joan Sutherland, and Renata Tebaldi. Trust me when I say that the word "great" is not hyperbole. And at 10:00 p.m., also on NBC, Andy Williams welcomes Ella Fitzgerald, Henry Mancini and his orchestra, Phyllis Diller, and Rose Queen Barbara Hewitt and her court. And late night (10:00 p.m., WHYY), David Susskind's Open End features, along with night club owners and Congress of Racial Equality director Floyd McKissick, Dr. Sam Sheppard, who last month was acquitted in the retrial of the 1954 murder of his wife, Marilyn.

If you love a parade, Monday's for you. The Mummers parade is a Philadelphia tradition, and it's covered on not one but two local channels. WFIL's six hour coverage begins at 8:30 a.m., while CBS affiliate WCAU offers an hour of coverage, after which the network picks up an additional hour, with Allen Ludden and Betty Furness hosting. All three networks cover the Rose Parade in Pasadena, starting at 11:30 a.m. Take your choice of hosts: Elizabeth Montgomery and Vin Scully on ABC, Bess Myerson and Mike Douglas on CBS, or Bill Cullen, Betty White, Barry Sullivan, and Pat Boone on NBC. (Network coverage runs for between 15 and 30 minutes longer than it does today, by the way.) The bowl games are the exclusive province of NBC, kicking off with the Sugar Bowl at 1:45 p.m., with Jim Simpson and Charlie Jones (Alabama 34, Nebraska 7), followed by Lindsey Nelson and Terry Brennan covering the Rose Bowl at 4:45 p.m. (Purdue 14, USC 13), and wrapping up at 7:45 p.m. with Curt Gowdy and Paul Christman at the Orange Bowl (Florida 27, Georgia Tech 12). None of these games have any significance; top-ranked Notre Dame, which doesn't play in bowl games, has already been named National Champion.

On Tuesday it's The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. at 7:30 p.m. on NBC; Richard Warren Lewis's cover story is on the star of Girl, Stefanie Powers. Stefanie wasn't the first choice to play April Dancer, the female counterpart to Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin; former Miss America Mary Ann Mobley had originally been cast in the role, before network brass, for some reason, decided on Powers. She works out using Royal Canadian Air Force exercises, has killed bulls in a slaughterhouse in Mexico, and performs countless stunts, all with a $1,000 per episode wardrobe budget. (Robert Vaughn should do so well.) Later in the evening, it's the final episode of the comedy The Rounders (8:30 p.m., ABC); next week it will be replaced by the debut of the new science-fiction series The Invaders, the success of which helps fuel the cancellation of Occasional Wife. And on CBS at 10:00 p.m., it's another in the continuing series of audience-participation tests; this one is the National Current Events Test, with Walter Cronkite, Harry Reasoner, and Mike Wallace. I suspect people back then did better than they would today.

Wednesday sees Batman take on his latest villain, the Mad Hatter, played by David Wayne (7:30 p.m., ABC), and it's the final episode of the Robert Lansing spy series The Man Who Never Was (9:00 p.m.) On I Spy (10:00 p.m., NBC), singer Leslie Uggams plays a straight dramatic role as a Communist revolutionary trying to break up Kelly and Scott's partnership. And perhaps it's because I'm watching Boris Karloff in Colonel March of Scotland Yard as I type this, but at 1:10 a.m. on WCAU, it's Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer: Boris Karloff. At that time of the night, what do you expect? NBC leads off Thursday with the Battle for Asia, looking at developments in "Laos: The Forgotten War." (7:30 p.m.) At 10:00 p.m., Dean Martin's guests are Florence Henderson, Jack Jones, Dom De Luise, Bob Melvin, and Kaye Stevens; opposite that on ABC, it's a special report on the pro football merger between the NFL and AFL, which gives its first sign with the upcoming Super Bowl, and culminates in four years with a complete merger between the two leagues. Finally, Friday brings us comedian Victor Borge's TV dramatic debut on The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (8:30 p.m., NBC), and we can certainly use the laugh.

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Finally, a Letter to the Editor worth sharing. It's from Sheila Ryan Buttram of Hollywood, the wife of Green Acres actor Pat Buttram. It seems that the October 22 issue featured a very commendable article on Pat which gave him wonderful publicity, for which Mrs. Buttram is most grateful. However, there's just one thing: the mention that Buttram collects buttonhooks, a fact that immediately captivated the readers of TV Guide. "So far we have received 1734 beautiful antique buttonhooks, and offers for hundreds more. Meanwhile, Pat has forgotten about buttonhooks and gone on to some other hobby. I won't say what it is for fear of receiving mail boxes full of 'it.' Now what do I do with 1734 buttonhooks?" Merrill Panitt didn't seem to have an answer for that, but he did helpfully add this note: "Pat now collects sheet music of old songs."  There's no record of Mrs. Buttram's response to that. TV  

Around the dial

Did you see any of the Twilight Zone marathon over New Year's? It's keeping in that spirit that FredFlix offers 40 favorite Twilight Zone episodes. How many of yours made the list? Amazing how many memorable ones there are.

Speaking of the new year, Comfort TV looks at the classic TV year in review . It's fascinating how, as one gets older, time goes more quickly, and yet it becomes harder to remember everything that happened. Thanks, David!

At bare•bones e-zine, Jack gets 2020 off to a good start with the latest Stirling Silliphant entry in the Hitchcock Project. It's the second-season episode " A Bottle of Wine ," and aside from the story itself, it's interesting to see how a writer changes the original story to make it a better fit for TV.

I very nearly wrote " Len Dawson " when I linked to this piece at Cult TV Blog that John wrote about British comedian Les Dawson and his 1979-80 series The Dawson Watch . I hadn't heard of Les before, but then I'm sure John hasn't heard of Len, so we're even. Read about this very funny show.

One of my favorite blogs (and Twitter feeds) is by Rick at Classic Film and TV Café; in case you're new to his site, here's a great place to start: his top 10 posts of 2019 . Take some time to go through them, and I promise you'll make him a regular read.

We weren't able to get through the last week of 2019 without a couple more legends passing on: Lee Mendelson and Sue Lyon. Mendelson was best known for his work with Charles Schulz in bringing the Peanuts characters to TV; fittingly, considering A Charlie Brown Christmas, he died on Christmas Day. Sue Lyon, who died the following day, is best known for Lolita, although she did many movies and television shows. At A Shroud of Thoughts, Terence has fine appreciations of them both .

At The Lucky Strike Papers, Andrew has a fine review of Stars in My Eyes , a memoir from choreographer and director Tony Charmoli, who has quite a lot to say about his days in early television. It sounds quite interesting, and I do trust Andrew's recommendations!

So much for the first few days of 2020, and so much more when you tune in tomorrow for another look at a TV Guide from the past. TV