Mitchell Hadley's Blog: It's About TV!, page 40

December 23, 2023

This week in TV Guide: December 24, 1955

If you couldn't already tell from the cover, Christmas is coming right at ya this week, with Christmas Eve on Saturday. With that in mind, I thought I'd do something a little different this week: rather than just tell you about the holiday programs, I'll show you as well!
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We start with this Saturday afternoon presentation on WNBQ, Chicago's NBC affiliate, starring Ned Locke as Santa. Locke was a Chicago television legend, "Ringmaster Ned" on WGN-TV's Bozo's Circus from 1961 to 1976. It also features John Conrad's Elmer the Elephant, the beloved Chicago children's character. It's notable for being the first all-live color program to originate from Chicago.

This program remains a much-loved Christmas memory for many, as it was shown not just in Chicago but all around the country, sponsored by local Bell Telephone companies throughout the 1950s and 1960s; it's this kind of tradition that means so much to people and precisely what we seem to be missing today. You can see it here .

"Babes in Toyland," loosely based on the Victor Herbert operetta, was first shown to great acclaim in 1954; this is a repeat performance on Max Liebman Presents. But in 1955, a repeat performance means that it's being done all over again, live, and on Christmas Eve to boot. It's not the Laurel & Hardy version, but stars Dave Garroway as a Macy's Santa taking care of a lost girl until her mother can show up; in the meantime, he reads her the story of "Babes in Toyland." The performances, particularly by Garroway, are charming. Both the 1954 and 1955 broadcasts were preserved on kinescope and issued on DVD a few years ago; you can see the 1954 broadcast (the better of the two) here .

Moving now from Christmas Eve to Christmas Day, "No Room at the Inn" is the inaugural presentation of NBC's His Way, His Word program, a series of four religious dramas, to be shown monthly on Sunday afternoons. There's nothing I was able to find on who stars in this special, but I'm sure there's one of you out there who can tell us more about it.

Why, oh why, did the networks do this to us? On Sunday night, it's NBC's annual presentation of Gian-Carlo Menotti's modern classic "Amahl and the Night Visitors," on The Alcoa Hour, versus The General Electric Theater's presentation of Bernard Hermann's "A Child is Born," based on the play by Stephen Vincent Benét. Fortunately for us (though it didn't do much good for viewers back then), they're both available; you can see "A Child is Born" here , while "Amahl," in addition to being commercially issued on DVD , can be seen here .

Finally, here's an early television appearance of It's a Wonderful Life (its Chicago TV debut, and on Christmas night to boot), being marketed not as a Christmas movie, but as a romantic drama.

There's more, of course; specials and Christmas episodes of regular series are on throughout Christmas Day, and you'll be able to read more about them in the listings for December 25. In the meantime, though, let's see what's on for the rest of the week.
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There's plenty of Christmas programming on Saturday besides what we've already looked at.
It's the time for regular series to offer their Christmas episodes, starting with Paul Winchell's Saturday morning show, joined by Carol Burnett singing "All I Want for Christmas," and Milton Delugg as Santa (10:30 a.m., NBC). Locally, Chicagoland legend Ray Raymer hosts a Christmas party for all of the children of WBBM employees (1:00 p.m.), and at 1:30 p.m., WBKB's Curtain Up has a double-feature of half-hour made-for-TV stories: " Joe Santa Claus " and "Christmas for Sweeney," the latter with a script by Rod Serling. I've included links to both.

Moving on to primetime, we've got The Honeymooners, as Alice tells Ralph that the gift one of their neighbors received is "pretty sad," not knowing that Ralph has bought the same gift for her. (7:30 p.m., CBS; see it here ) And on Damon Runyon Theater, Broderick Crawford stars in "Dancing Dan's Christmas," the story of a big-time gangster moving in on a previously happy couple. My bet is that love triumphs over all. (9:30 p.m., CBS)
If you're in the mood for some Christmas Eve music, there's plenty of that as well. Ozark Jubilee (6:30 p.m., ABC), The Perry Como Show (7:00 p.m., NBC), Stage Show (7:00 p.m., CBS), and The Lawrence Welk Show (8:00 p.m., ABC) all offering Christmas shows; Your Hit Parade (9:30 p.m., NBC) broadcasts from the skating rink at Rockefeller Center, and you can see it here . On WGN, the Fifth Army Show, with music and variety from the Fifth Army Chorus and other military members. (7:00 p.m.)
Did someone mention movies? We've got them! The Cheaters (2:00 p.m., WBBM) was a familiar feature on Christmas throughout the 1960s and 1970s, while Escape into Dreams (2:30 p.m., WBKB) deals with Italian POWs in a WWII American POW camp at Christmastime, looking back at their past romances.

The king of Christmas movies is A Christmas Carol, and we get it twice on Saturday, first in a half-hour version narrated by Vincent Price (6:00 p.m., WBKB)—well, let's face it, it's mostly told by Price, with a minimum of action accompanying his narration, but when you've got Vincent Price telling your story, you're still in pretty good shape. See it for yourself here . And at 9:30 p.m. on WTMJ, it's the famed 1951 version starring Alastair Sim in the title role of Scrooge. Until George C. Scott's version came out in 1984, this was pretty much considered the definitive movie, although the versions with Reginald Owen and Sir Seymour Hicks have their fans. Today, it still holds up as a great adaptation. (It's also on Sunday on WGN.)
Christmas, as Andy Williams once dryly remarked, is a very religious time of the year, and that's reflected in the Christmas Eve church services on network and local television. Prior to NBC's yearly telecast of Midnight Mass from the Vatican (which started in the late 1970s), the network's tradition was to carry the Mass from St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City (11:00 p.m. CT), and so it is this year. Over on CBS, the Midnight Mass comes to us from the chapel at the famous Boys' Town, Nebraska. (12:00 a.m.) Locally, WBKB telecasts the Mass from Chicago's Holy Name Cathedral, beginning with a musical prelude at 11:30 p.m.; the celebrant is Samuel Cardinal Stritch, after whom the well-known college is named. And in Milwaukee, it's WTMJ with a religious program from the Milwaukee Council of Churches at 11:30 p.m., followed at midnight by the Mass at St. Roberts Church in Milwaukee.
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Here's a show that doesn't seem to have anything to do with Christmas, but is worth mentioning: The Children's Corner (Saturday, 9:00 a.m., NBC) returns for a second season, with hosts Fred Rogers and Josie Carey and their puppets, "Daniel S. Tiger, King Friday 13th, X-Scape the Owl. Henrietta the Cat, and Grandpere." Sound familiar? It's that Fred Rogers.
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Monday afternoon football? Well, why not? Sports has not yet intruded on Christmas Day itself, which means that the NFL Championship game between the defending champion Cleveland Browns (yes, you read that right) and the Los Angeles Rams. (2:45 p.m., NBC) It's the first time the championship game has been telecast on NBC; the four prior title games had been shown on DuMont. Playing before a championship-record crowd of nearly 90,000, the Browns repeat as champs, defeating the Rams 38-14. It was the third NFL championship won by the Browns in the decade of the 1950s; they'd win again in 1964, and haven't won since. The Rams, for their part, would not return to the title game until 1980, and didn't win it until 2000.
The NFL would again move the championship game from Sunday to Monday because of Christmas in 1960; shortly after that, the title games started being played in January. Although there are three games on Christmas this year, for the most part the league still avoids scheduling a full slate of games on Christmas Day itself.
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A last word on Christmas: nowadays, it seems that, as soon as December 25 is over, everyone is on to the next holiday. But, of course, the twelve days of Christmas start on December 25, and it used to be a given that the festivities would continue on through New Year's Day. So it is with TV as well; on Monday, WTTW, the educational station, presents "The Juggler of Notre Dame," performed by students from the Barton elementary school (4:15 p.m.), and The Star of Bethlehem (6:45 p.m.). Meantime, Robert Montgomery Presents has "The Second Day of Christmas" (8:30 p.m., NBC), a story of Hans Christian Anderson and Jenny Lind. Looking back, Tony Martin presents the hits of 1955 (6:30 p.m., NBC); looking ahead, both Topper (6:30 p.m., WBKB) and Caesar's Hour (7:00 p.m., NBC) have New Year's-themed stories. I say, let the good times last as long as possible!
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Anything else on this week? Well, NBC's Project 20 documentary series premieres on Tuesday with "Nightmare in Red," a newsreel history of Russia from the 1905 revolution to the death of Stalin (8:30 p.m.). Project 20, which also goes by the name of Project XX, will air on an occasional basis until 1970.
I thought I knew about most of the Titanic television stories, but here's one I wasn't aware of: "Titanic Incident," an episode of Screen Director's Playhouse (Wednesday, 7:00 p.m., NBC). It tells the fictional story of a cardsharp and his wife who've targeted a wealthy Britisher during the voyage; after meeting up with the iceberg, only two of the three can be saved. I'm not sure how they arrive at this considering there were roughly 400 spaces available on the Titanic's lifeboats as they left the ship, but I suspect the story will explain how they waited until the last minute to leave, when the last boats were full. Incidentally, while several episodes of the series exist on YouTube, this is apparently not one of them.

Thursday's episode of Climax, "Bail Out at 43,000" (7:30 p.m., CBS) has a well-known cast: Charlton Heston, Richard Boone, and future First Lady Nancy Davis, who in 1952 married Ronald Reagan. At 8:00 p.m., Dragnet has a New Year's episode; Joe Friday, attending a New Year's Eve party at the home of his partner Frank Smith, looks back about some of the most memorable cases of the past year. Mary Dean appears as Frank's oft-mentioned but seldom-seen wife, Fay. And Edward G. Robinson makes a rare television appearance in Ford Theatre as a former gangster trying to dissuade his son from following in his footsteps. (8:30 p.m., NBC)
One of the things you might have noticed this week is that, aside from the NFL Championship on Monday, there's been very little sports, and in particular no bowl games. That's because all the bowl action comes next Monday, when six of the season's seven bowl games are played. Here's something on Friday, though: the final of the ECAC Holiday Festival college basketball tournament, live from Madison Square Garden in New York (9:00 p.m., NBC). For years, some of the best college teams from the East Coast Athletic Conference would take on powerhouse teams from the rest of the country in an eight-team tournament, with the winner sure to be a major contender for the national title. The Holiday Festival still exists, in a muted form, with two games played on one day and no overall champion, but in its day it was a game worthy of national television coverage. In the 1955-56 season, the great Bill Russell will lead undefeated San Francisco to the second of two consecutive national championships (and 55 consecutive victories); one of their wins comes in the Holiday Festival championship game, where they defeat UCLA 70-53.
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There's a pictorial story near the end of this issue on the offspring of famous stars trying for their own careers in show biz. Looking through them, it's clear that some succeeded more than others.

Most successful, I think it's safe to say, was Elizabeth Montgomery, daughter of Robert Montgomery and future star of Bewitched. Although her dad was a movie star and television pioneer, many of you will think of him as Liz's father, rather than the other way around. She got her start as part of her dad's summer repertory company, but now she's setting out on her own. I wonder if anyone anticipated the success she'd attain?
Another big success story is James MacArthur, adopted son of Helen Hayes and Charles MacArthur. He's gotten plaudits for a recent performance on Climax (in an episode directed by John Frankenheimer and starring Macdonald Carey and Phyllis Thaxter), but his lasting fame will come from eleven years as Danno on Hawaii Five-O.

David and Ricky Nelson were already stars at this point, having played fictionalized versions of themselves in The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. Both of them had entertainment careers; of the two, I suppose Ricky's is the better-known, as well as the more tragic, but David did work as a producer and director as well as an actor through 1990. A better career than mine, at least.
Gary Crosby, son of Bing, had a pretty good career on television, and did some singing. It's possible, however, that he's best known for the abuse allegations he'd later make against his father—allegations for which, Crosby biographer Gary Giddins has said, there is no substantive proof, Bing's brother, bandleader Bob Crosby, has an offspring of his own; despite frequent appearances as a vocalist on Bob's afternoon show, however, her career never really takes off except for appearances in a half-dozen movies. Ronnie Burns, son of George and Gracie, appeared on his parents' show and a few others, but leaves show business early. And Arthur Godfrey's son, Dick, is currently working as a newscaster for a San Francisco radio station, but doesn't make the big time.
Still, as I said at the top, it's always hard to say what the future will bring.
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Pretty good issue this week, I'd say. Next week we'll be ringing out the old year by looking at an issue that celebrates a new year. In the meantime, though, here are my wishes for a happy, safe, and blessed Christmas one and all! Let's close with this week's two-page ad from WBKB.

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Published on December 23, 2023 05:00

December 22, 2023

Around the dial

During its nine-year run, The Facts of Life aired five Christmas episodes, and this week at Comfort TV, David ranks those five episodes , from worst to first. There's still time to add them to your pre-Christmas viewing list!
At Garroway at Large, Jodie looks back at the past year , which included the publication of Peace, and what's ahead for the future. There's also a video of Dave with Arlene Francis and Betty White; as Jodie says, what better way to get ready for Christmas?
John visits the wonderful world of Sherlock Holmes at Cult TV Blog, with the 1968 episode " The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle ," starring Peter Cushing as Holmes and Nigel Stock as Watson. I quite enjoy Cushing's Holmes, and John's review helps explain why. As a bonus, John includes a recipe for Christmas pudding, and a couple of podcast recommendations!
Remembebr how, at Drunk TV, Paul had just received the complete box set of Bonanza? Well, this week, he's back with a look at the show's excellent first season , which sets the stage for the following 13 seasons. This set is a textbook example of how a complete series collection ought to be done.
Let's keep with the Western motif for a moment, as Television's New Frontier: the 1960s looks at the 1962 episodes of Cheyenne . It's the seventh and final season for television's first hour-long drama with recurring characters, and while it doesn't have a final episode per se, the season seems to serve as a fitting end to the popular series.
It's the 40th anniversary of the classic A Christmas Story, which we watched a couple of nights ago, and at A Shroud of Thoughts, Terence celebrates the anniversary with some great background information that's sure to increase your appreciation for the film.
Can you imagine the original Star Trek without James T. Kirk? That's the question Mike asks at The View from the Junkyard, and he answers it with the animated episode " The Slaver Weapon ," an outstanding and thought-provoking story written by Larry Niven, one of the genre's greats.
Variety looks at the 100 greatest TV shows of all time, and before I've even looked at it, I can tell you two things: 1) it will be controversial, and 2) it will be weighted toward more contemporary programs. Nonetheless, it's here if you're interested!
I'll be back tomorrow with the TV Guide Christmas issue from—well, stick around and see what year we visit this time. However, for those of you who may be offline or traveling on this holiday weekend, let me take the opportunity to wish you all a safe and blessed Christmas, and to end with links to a couple of beloved local favorites from my youth: " Walking in My Winter Underwear " from Lunch with Casey , and " The Night Before Christmas " from Axel's Treehouse . I don't think you need to be from the Twin Cities to enjoy these! TV

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Published on December 22, 2023 05:00

December 20, 2023

Book Review: The FBI Dossier, by Bill Sullivan with Ed Robertson

I've told this story before, but it bears repeating: when I was growing up, the opening to The FBI was one of the most thrilling things I'd ever seen. This was before the real-life Federal Bureau of Investigation had become as controversial as it is today; back then, it was one of the most respected law enforcement agencies in the world, headed by J. Edgar Hoover, who'd attained legendary status from his wars against organized crime and communism. There were a lot of things we didn't know back then, perhaps things we didn't want to know, but that wouldn't have meant anything to a kid back then.

The FBI Dossier: A Guide to the Classic TV Series Produced by Quinn Martin and Starring Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.

by Bill Sullivan with Ed Robertson
Black Pawn Press, 900 pages, $49.99

My rating: ★★★★ (out of ★★★★)

Anyway, the first thing to appear on the screen (after the "In Color" slide) was the FBI's mission: "to protect the innocent and identify the enemies of the United States Government." That opening title scene was perfect, really; perhaps only the start of Perry Mason did a better job of summarizing what the show was all about. After a cold opening that gave us a look at the episode’s criminal, along with the case number and why he or she was wanted by the FBI, the scene dissolved into shots of Washington icons: the Capitol, the Washington Monument, and the Supreme Court, ending with a zoom-in on the Justice Department, home of the Bureau. Between that and the majestic theme, written by Bronislaw Kaper, it was enough to make you run right out there and sign up. I’m sure Hoover must have loved it.
After all that, it's pretty obvious that I'd be about as receptive as anyone could possibly be to a book about the show. Enter Bill Sullivan and Ed Robertson, authors of The FBI Dossier: A Guide to the Classic TV Series Produced by Quinn Martin and Starring Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. At nearly 900 pages, this is a big book: but then, this is a big topic. The FBI ran for nine seasons and 241 episodes between 1965 and 1974, with stories based on actual FBI cases. It was the centerpiece of the great Quinn Martin's television empire, and one of the hallmark series of the time; it even helped knock one of television's institutions, The Ed Sullivan Show, off the air. As for its cultural impact, one need go no further than the number of agents through the years who were inspired to join the Bureau because of the series. Including me; who knows but what, had I been older at the time it came on the air, you might be reading the musings of a former FBI agent.
And yet, it's strangely overlooked today; as the authors point out in the introductory section, even the FBI's Wikipedia pages fails to mention the series in its "Media Portrayal" section. It is, as radio host Tom Gulley says, "the most successful long-running show that no one seems to remember." One wonders how we could be so shortsighted as to forget it? Fortunately, the entire series has been issued on DVD, and it's currently streaming for free on Tubi, making it possible for a new generation to discover and enjoy it. This book should do the same.
As you might gather from the page count, The FBI Dossier is much more than just an episode guide; it begins with a brief history of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, before guiding the reader through the show's origins, from Quinn Martin’s initial reluctance to take on the job (he was, he thought, "too liberal" to tell the "conservative" Bureau's stories), to the close relationship between Zimbalist and FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover (he was invited to sit in the FBI section of mourners at Hoover's funeral). We read about behind-the-scenes activities involving both the series and the network, and we see a lineup of guest stars as good as that of any television series of the time: Richard Anderson, Anne Archer, Ed Asner, Michael Bell, Eric Braeden, Beau Bridges, Henry Darrow, Robert Hooks, Ketty Lester, Donna Mills, Stefanie Powers, Suzanne Pleshette, Peter Mark Richman, Roy Thinnes, Joan Van Ark, Lindsay Wagner, and Dawn Wells, among many others. The writing is knowledgeable, literate, and to the point.
There is an episode guide, of course, with each one getting between two and five pages on average, including credits for the cast and production personnel (many of which include interesting personal details). Additionally, there are recaps of off-season developments, ads for the show, reviews, pictures, and other production notes, plus appendices that provide neat details, such as "Episodes that depict FBI investigations into mob activities," and the transcript of the speech that former FBI director Robert Mueller gave honoring Efrem Zimbalist Jr. in 2009. An extensive bibliography and list of sources follow, for anyone who wants to pursue one or two of the rabbit holes that a book like this will invariably produce. Honestly, I can't think of anything that isn't covered in this book.
The authors, Bill Sullivan and Ed Robertson, are well-equipped to take on a project of this scope; Sullivan, in addition to a collection of 888 TV Guides from 1954 to 1971 (I must meet this man!) previously authored a guide to the Perry Mason series, while Robertson has written books on television classics such as The Fugitive, Maverick, The Rockford Files, and Star Trek, and hosts the syndicated talk show Television Confidential.* The FBI Dossier was seven years in the research and writing, interviewing many people involved in the making of the series, both in front of and behind the cameras, some of whom have passed away since; as I've often mentioned, these people from the era of classic television aren't going to be with us forever, and we owe a debt of gratitude to Sullivan and Robertson for capturing and documenting their stories before it was too late.
*Full disclosure: In the past, I have appeared as a guest (albeit one of the lesser ones) on Television Confidential. I believe both you and Ed Robertson trust me enough to know that this would not and does not influence my review.
The book is dedicated to one of those actors, William Reynolds, who played Erskine's longest-running partner, Special Agent Tom Colby. Reynolds, who died just over a year ago at age ninety, was an important part of The FBI Dossier, with his insights, memories, and background on the early days of television. Ed Robertson's warm remembrance confirms what I, and anyone watching the show, might have suspected: that William Reynolds, in addition to being a talented actor and integral part of the success of The FBI, was a good guy. Don't let the book's size be daunting; if you’re a fan of The FBI—either from its original run or through the DVDs that Warner issued in the last few years—The FBI Dossier is a must-have. If you’re unfamiliar with the series, or have seen just a few episodes, you’ll find yourself wanting to read, and watch, more. If you're already watching, you'll want to use the book to follow along, episode by episode. If you want to just pick it up at random and read about a few episodes, or the series in general, it's perfect. I’ve seen every episode of The FBI and own the DVDs, I’ve read articles about the series and its stars, and I found myself learning many things that I didn’t know—and things that I didn’t know I wanted to know.
What more can I say, other than this: The FBI Dossier is a book I would have been proud to have written. I wish I had, except I couldn’t have done nearly as good a job. Bill Sullivan and Ed Robertson have given readers a wonderful book: not just a trip back in time, but a companion on a journey that's bound to continue. TV

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Published on December 20, 2023 05:00

December 18, 2023

What's on TV? Tuesday, December 16. 1969

Ron Magers, the anchor of the KPIX morning news at 7:30, would go on to be the anchor of the 6:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. news on KSTP in St. Paul-Minneapolis from 1974-81. (His younger brother Paul would be the principal anchor at another Twin Cities station, KARE, from 1983-2003.) He was a popular figure in the Twin Cities (during his time there, KSTP broke the ratings dominance of rival giant WCCO), never more so than in 1979, when he endeared himself to viewers during a newsbreak with his acidic commentary on the show then being broadcast on KSTP, ABC's Playboy's Pajama Party. You can see it here, thanks to TCMedia; I didn't see this when it happened, but you can bet I read about it the days to follow. Whether or not it was the professional thing to do, almost everyone agreed it was the right thing to do. No such excitement with these listings from the Northern California edition, but fun nonetheless.
-2- KTVU (BAY AREA) (IND.)

MORNING

8:00

NEWS

-C- 8:15

RELIGION—Salvation Army

-C- 8:30

JACK LA LANNE—Exercise

-C- 9:00

POPEYE—Children

-C- 9:30

BEVERLY HILLBILLIES—Comedy

-C- 10:00

ANDY GRIFFITH

-C- 10:30

FARMER’S DAUGHTER—Comedy

11:00

DANNY THOMAS—Comedy

11:30

ROMPER ROOM—Children

-C- AFTERNOON

12:30

BEAT THE CLOCK—Game

-C- 1:00

MOVIE—Melodrama

-C- “Escape to Burma” (1955)

3:00

GOMER PYLE, USMC

-C- 3:30

POPEYE—Children

4:00

FLIPPER—Drama

-C- 4:30

TARZAN—Adventure

-C- 5:30

McHALE’S NAVY—Comedy

EVENING

6:00

STAR TREK—Drama

-C- 7:00

I LOVE LUCY—Comedy

7:30

BEAT THE CLOCK—Game

-C- Guest: Gretchen Wyler

8:00

WHAT’S MY LINE?—Game

-C- Panel: Arlene Francis, Gail Sheldon, Nipsey Russell, Soupy Sales

8:30

HE SAID! SHE SAID!—Game

-C- Couples: Jack Cassidy and Shirley Jones, Phyllis Diller and Ward Donovan, Jack Klugman and Brett Somers

9:00

DELLA REESE—Variety

-C- 10:00

NEWS—Gary Park

-C- 11:00

UNTOUCHABLES—Drama

12:00

NEWS

-C- 12:30

NEWS

-C-

-3- KCRA (SACRAMENTO) (NBC)

MORNING

5:55

FARM MARKET REPORT

-C- 6:00

V.I.T.A.—Education

6:30

RHYME AND REASON

7:00

TODAY

-C- Guests: World Almanac editor Boyd Lewis, Richard Lawrence, Roy Andries de Groot

9:00

IT TAKES TWO

-C- Guests: Edie Adams, Norm Crosby, Mel Torme and spouses

9:30

CONCENTRATION

-C- 10:00

SALE OF THE CENTURY—Game

-C- 10:30

HOLLYWOOD SQUARES—Game

-C- Guests: Sebastian Cabot, Nanette Fabray, Stu Gilliam, Arte Johnson, Paul Lynde, Meredith MacRae. Regulars: Wally Cox, Rose Marie, Charley Weaver

11:00

JEOPARDY—Game

-C- 11:30

NAME DROPPERS

-C- Guests: Shelley Berman, Kathy Garver, Michael Landon

11:55

NEWS—Floyd Kalber

-C- AFTERNOON

12:00

NEWS

-C- 1:00

DOCTORS—Serial

-C- 1:30

ANOTHER WORLD

-C- 2:00

BRIGHT PROMISE

-C- 2:30

MOVIE—Drama

“Crash Landing” (1958)

4:00

BATMAN—Adventure

-C- Guest villain: Vincent Price (Egghead)

4:30

TIME TUNNEL—Adventure

-C- 5:30

DICK VAN DYKE—Comedy

EVENING

6:00

NEWS—Chet Huntley/David Brinkley

-C- 6:30

NEWS—Whitten/Michaels

-C- 7:30

I DREAM OF JEANNIE

-C- 8:00

DEBBIE REYNOLDS

-C- 8:30

JULIA—Comedy

-C- 9:00

MOVIE—Drama

-C- “Silent Night, Lonely Night” (Made-for-TV; 1969)

11:00

NEWS C

11:30

JOHNNY CARSON

-C- Tentatively scheduled: Barbara Tai-Song, Charlie Callas

-4- KRON (BAY AREA) (NBC)

MORNING

6:30

NEWS—Dick Doughty

-C- 7:00

TODAY

-C- Guests: World Almanac editor Boyd Lewis, Richard Lawrence, Roy Andreas de Groot

9:00

IT TAKES TWO

-C- Guests: Edie Adams, Norm Crosby, Mel Torme and spouses

9:30

CONCENTRATION

-C- 10:00

SALE OF THE CENTURY—Game

-C- 10:30

HOLLYWOOD SQUARES—Game

-C- Guests: Sebastian Cabot, Nanette Fabray, Stu Gilliam, Arte Johnson, Paul Lynde, Meredith MacRae. Regulars: Wally Cox, Rose Marie, Charley Weaver

11:00

JEOPARDY—Game

-C- 11:30

NAME DROPPERS

-C- Guests: Shelley Berman, Kathy Garver, Michael Landon

11:55

NEWS—Floyd Kalber

-C- AFTERNOON

12:00

NEWS

-C- 12:30

DAYS OF OUR LIVES

-C- 1:00

DOCTORS—Serial

-C- 1:30

ANOTHER WORLD

-C- 2:00

BRIGHT PROMISE

-C- 2:30

LETTERS TO LAUGH-IN

-C- Guests: Jimmy Dean, Jack E. Leonard, Janis Paige, Kaye Stevens. Host: Gary Owens

3:00

YOU’RE PUTTING ME ON

-C- Guests: Peter Lawford, Peggy Cass, Bill Cullen, Corbett Monica, Rita Moreno, Brenda Vaccaro

3:30

F TROOP—Comedy

4:00

FLINTSTONES—Children

-C- 4:30

BIG VALLEY—Western

-C- 5:25

SANTA CLAUS—Children

-C- 5:30

NEWS

-C- EVENING

6:30

NEWS—Chet Huntley/David Brinkley

-C- 7:00

WIDE WONDERFUL WORLD

-C- 7:30

I DREAM OF JEANNIE

-C- 8:00

DEBBIE REYNOLDS

-C- 8:30

JULIA—Comedy

-C- 9:00

MOVIE—Drama

-C- “Silent Night, Lonely Night” (Made-for-TV; 1969)

11:00

NEWS

-C-

11:30

JOHNNY CARSON

-C- Tentatively scheduled: Barbara Tai-Song, Charlie Callas

-5- KPIX (BAY AREA) (CBS)

MORNING

5:55

SUNRISE SEMESTER

-C- Math: theorems from topology

6:25

COMMUNICATION IS

6:55

SKI SCENE

-C- 7:00

NEWS—Joseph Benti

-C- 7:30

NEWS—Ron Magers

-C- 8:00

CAPTAIN KANGAROO

-C- 9:00

LUCILLE BALL

-C- 9:30

HOTLINE—Discussion

-C- 10:30

LOVE OF LIFE

-C- 11:00

WHERE THE HEART IS—Serial

-C- 11:25

NEWS—Douglas Edwards

-C- 11:30

SEARCH FOR TOMORROW—Serial

-C- AFTERNOON

12:00

NEWS

-C- 12:30

AS THE WORLD TURNS—Serial

-C- 1:00

LOVE IS A MANY-SPLENDORED THING—Serial

-C- 1:30

GUIDING LIGHT

-C- 2:00

SECRET STORM

-C- 2:30

EDGE OF NIGHT

-C- 3:00

MIKE DOUGLAS—Variety

-C- Co-hosts: Ozzie and Harriet Nelson. Guests: Robert Ryan, Tom Paxton

4:30

DAVID FROST—Variety

-C- Guests: Noel Coward, Joseph E. Levine, Ozie and Harriet Nelson, Ronnie Dyson

EVENING

6:00

NEWS

-C- 6:30

NEWS—Walter Cronkite

-C- 7:00

NEWS—John Weston

-C- 7:30

LANCER—Western

-C- 8:30

RED SKELTON

-C- Guests: Jack Wild, Cyril Ritchard

9:30

GOVERNOR AND J.J.

-C- 10:00

60 MINUTES

-C- Special

11:00

NEWS

-C-

11:30

MERV GRIFFIN

-C- From Hollywood: Tentatively scheduled: David Janssen

12:30

MOVIE—Western

-C- “Adventures of Gallant Bess” (1948)

-6- KVIE (SACREMENTO) (NET)

MORNING

9:15

CLASSROOM—Lessons

11:30

SESAME STREET

-C- Guest:

Tony Saletan AFTERNOON

12:30

MISTEROGERS—Children

5:00

FRIENDLY GIANT—Children

5:30

SESAME STREET

-C- Guest: Tony Saletan EVENING

6:30

MISTEROGERS—Children

7:00

WHAT’S NEW—Children

7:30

FRENCH CHEF—Cooking

Ham dinner in 30 minutes

8:00

PETER AND THE WOLF—Children

8:30

INTERFACE

9:00

NET FESTIVAL—Music

-C- “Jazz at Tanglewood”

10:00

GOVERNOR’S NEWS CONFERENCE

10:30

SCIENCE REPORTER

-7- KGO (BAY AREA) (ABC)

MORNING

6:00

EDUCATION

-C- 6:25

A.M.—Jim Dunbar

-C- 8:30

ANNIVERSARY GAME

-C- 9:00

HIS AND HER OF IT

10:30

MOVIE GAME

-C- Celebrities: Red Buttons, Carolyn Jones, George Kennedy, Dorothy Lamour. Host: Sonny Fox

11:00

CANDID CAMERA

11:30

GALLOPING GOURMET

-C- AFTERNOON

12:00

BEWITCHED—Comedy

12:30

THAT GIRL—Comedy

-C- 1:00

DREAM HOUSE—Game

-C- 1:30

LET’S MAKE A DEAL

-C- 2:00

NEWLYWED GAME

-C- 2:30

DATING GAME

-C- 3:00

GENERAL HOSPITAL

-C- 3:30

ONE LIFE TO LIVE

-C- 4:00

DARK SHADOWS

-C- 4:30

MOVIE—Adventure

-C- “Seven Cities of Gold” (1955)

EVENING

6:00

NEWS

-C- 7:00

NEWS—Frank Reynolds/Howard K. Smith

-C- 7:30

MOD SQUAD

-C- 8:30

MOVIE—Western

-C- “The Silent Gun” (Made-for-TV; 1969)

10:00

MARCUS WELBY, M.D.

-C- 11:00

NEWS

-C-

11:30

JOEY BISHOP

-C- Guest host: Regis Philbin. Tentatively scheduled: Susan Saint James, Kreskin, Albert T. Berry

-7- KRCR (REDDING) (ABC, NBC)

MORNING

7:00

TODAY

-C- Guests: World Almanac editor Boyd Lewis, Richard Lawrence, Roy Andreas de Groot

9:00

IT TAKES TWO

-C- Guests: Edie Adams, Norm Crosby, Mel Torme and spouses

9:30

CONCENTRATION

-C- 10:00

SALE OF THE CENTURY—Game

-C- 10:30

HOLLYWOOD SQUARES—Game

-C- Guests: Sebastian Cabot, Nanette Fabray, Stu Gilliam, Arte Johnson, Paul Lynde, Meredith MacRae. Regulars: Wally Cox, Rose Marie, Charley Weaver

11:00

JEOPARDY—Game

-C- 11:30

NAME DROPPERS

-C- Guests: Shelley Berman, Kathy Garver, Michael Landon

11:55

NEWS—Floyd Kalber

-C- AFTERNOON

12:00

YOU’RE PUTTING ME ON

-C- Guests: Peter Lawford, Peggy Cass, Bill Cullen, Corbett Monica, Rita Moreno, Brenda Vaccaro

12:30

DAYS OF OUR LIVES

-C- 1:00

DOCTORS—Serial

-C- 1:30

ANOTHER WORLD

-C- 2:00

NEWLYWED GAME

-C- 2:30

DATING GAME

-C- 3:00

GENERAL HOSPITAL

-C- 3:30

ONE LIFE TO LIVE

-C- 4:00

DARK SHADOWS

-C- 4:30

LET’S MAKE A DEAL—Game

5:00

THAT GIRL—Comedy

5:30

NEWS

-C- EVENING

6:30

NEWS—Chet Huntley/David Brinkley

-C- 7:00

GREEN ACRES—Comedy

-C- 7:30

MOD SQUAD

-C- 8:30

JULIA—Comedy -C-

9:00

MOVIE—Drama

-C- “Silent Night, Lonely Night” (Made-for-TV; 1969)

11:00

NEWS

-C-

11:30

JOHNNY CARSON

-C- Tentatively scheduled: Barbara Tai-Song, Charlie Callas

-9- KIXE (REDDING) (NET)

MORNING

9:00

CLASSROOM—Lessons

11:30

SESAME STREET

Guest: Tony Saletan

AFTERNOON

3:00

SESAME STREET

Guest: Tony Salatan

5:00

MISTEROGERS—Children

5:30

SESAME STREET

Guest: Tony Saletan EVENING

6:30

WHAT’S NEW—Children

7:00

NEWSROOM—Mel Wax

8:00

SEVENTH STEP—Report

8:30

INTERFACE

9:00

NET FESTIVAL—Music

“Jazz at Tanglewood”

10:00

GOVERNOR’S NEWS CONFERENCE

10:30

HEALTH AND MEDICINE

10 KXTV (SACRAMENTO) (CBS)

MORNING

6:00

CALENDAR

-C- 6:30

SUNRISE SEMESTER

-C- Math: theorems from topology

7:00

NEWS—Joseph Benti

-C- 8:00

CAPTAIN KANGAROO

-C- 9:00

LUCILLE BALL

-C- 9:30

BEVERLY HILLBILLIES—Comedy

-C- 10:00

ANDY GRIFFITH

-C- 10:30

LOVE OF LIFE

-C- 11:00

WHERE THE HEART IS—Serial

-C- 11:25

NEWS—Chris Harris

-C- 11:30

SEARCH FOR TOMORROW—Serial

-C- AFTERNOON

12:00

NEWS

-C- 12:30

AS THE WORLD TURNS—Serial

-C- 1:00

LOVE IS A MANY-SPLENDORED THING—Serial

-C- 1:30

GUIDING LIGHT

-C- 2:00

SECRET STORM

-C- 2:30

EDGE OF NIGHT

-C- 3:00

GOMER PYLE, USMC

-C- 3:30

McHALE’S NAVY—Comedy

4:00

MIKE DOUGLAS—Variety

-C- Co-hosts: Ozzie and Harriet Nelson. Guests: Robert Ryan, Tom Paxton

5:30

NEWS—Walter Cronkite

-C- EVENING

6:00

NEWS

-C- 7:00

WHAT’S MY LINE?—Game

-C- Panelists: Nipsey Russell, Joanna Barnes, Bert Convy, Mark Goodson. Host: Wally Bruner

7:30

LANCER—Western

-C- 8:30

RED SKELTON

-C- Guests: Jack Wild, Cyril Ritchard

9:30

GOVERNOR AND J.J.

-C- 10:00

60 MINUTES

-C- Special

11:00

NEWS

-C-

11:30

MOVIE—Musical

“In Old Chicago” (1938)

12 KHSL (CHICO) (ABC, CBS)

MORNING

6:30

FILM

-C- 7:00

NEWS—Joseph Benti

-C- 8:00

CAPTAIN KANGAROO

-C- 9:00

LUCILLE BALL

-C- 9:30

BEVERLY HILLBILLIES—Comedy

-C- 10:00

ANDY GRIFFITH

-C- 10:30

LOVE OF LIFE

-C- 11:00

WHERE THE HEART IS—Serial

-C- 11:25

NEWS—Douglas Edwards

-C- 11:30

SEARCH FOR TOMORROW—Serial

-C- AFTERNOON

12:00

BEWITCHED—Comedy

12:30

AS THE WORLD TURNS—Serial

-C- 1:00

LOVE IS A MANY-SPLENDORED THING—Serial

-C- 1:30

GUIDING LIGHT

-C- 2:00

SECRET STORM

-C- 2:30

EDGE OF NIGHT

-C- 3:00

GOMER PYLE, USMC

-C- 3:30

DREAM HOUSE—Game

-C- 4:00

PERRY MASON—Mystery

5:00

MR. DEEDS—Comedy

-C- 5:30

NEWS

-C- EVENING

6:30

NEWS—Walter Cronkite

-C- 7:00

ROOM 222—Comedy-Drama

-C- 7:30

LANCER—Western

-C- 8:30

RED SKELTON

-C- Guests: Jack Wild, Cyril Ritchard

9:30

GOVERNOR AND J.J.

-C- 10:00

MARCUS WELBY, M.D.

-C- 11:00

NEWS

-C-

11:30

MERV GRIFFIN

-C- From Hollywood: Tentatively scheduled: David Janssen

13 KOVR (SACRAMENTO) (ABC)

MORNING

6:25

NEWS

-C- 6:30

JACK LA LANNE—Exercise

-C- 7:00

AGRICULTURE TODAY

-C- 7:15

NEWS—Chuck Rossie

-C- 7:20

CARTOONLAND—Children

-C- 8:50

JACK LA LANNE—Exercise

-C- 9:20

FASHIONS IN SEWING

-C- 9:30

STEVE ALLEN—Variety

-C- Guests: Lynn Kellogg, Timmy Rogers, Jim Lange, Michael Elias, Frank Shaw

11:00

TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES

-C- 11:30

GALLOPING GOURMET

-C- Seafood pancakes

AFTERNOON

12:00

BEWITCHED—Comedy

12:30

THAT GIRL—Comedy

-C- 1:00

DREAM HOUSE—Game

-C- 1:30

LET’S MAKE A DEAL

-C- 2:00

NEWLYWED GAME

-C- 2:30

DIVORCE COURT—Drama

-C- 3:00

GENERAL HOSPITAL

-C- 3:30

ONE LIFE TO LIVE

-C- 4:00

DARK SHADOWS

-C- 4:30

GILLIGAN’S ISLAND

-C- 5:00

I LOVE LUCY—Comedy

5:30

NEWS—Frank Reynolds/Howard K. Smith

-C- EVENING

6:00

NEWS

-C- 6:30

PERRY MASON—Mystery

7:25

OUTDOORSMAN—Lange

-C- 7:30

MOD SQUAD -C- 8:30

MOVIE—Western

-C- “The Silent Gun” (Made-for-TV; 1969)

10:00

MARCUS WELBY, M.D.

-C- 11:00

NEWS

-C-

11:30

JOEY BISHOP

-C- Guest host: Regis Philbin. Tentatively scheduled: Susan Saint James, Kreskin, Albert T. Berry

19 KLOC (MODESTO) (IND.)

MORNING

7:00

CHESTER SMITH—Variety

8:30

WARREN STONE—Variety

10:30

FILM

AFTERNOON

12:00

NEWS

12:05

KEN BELLVILLE—Variety

2:00

NEWS C

2:05

MIKE STEWART—Variety

4:00

NEWS

4:05

GLENN STEPP—Variety

EVENING

6:00

NEWS

6:05

MOVIE—Documentary

“It’s a Big Country” (1951)

40 KTXL (SACRAMENTO) (Ind.)

AFTERNOON

12:00

YOU’RE PUTTING ME ON

-C- Guests: Peter Lawford, Peggy Cass, Bill Cullen, Corbett Monica, Rita Moreno, Brenda Vaccaro

12:30

DAYS OF OUR LIVES

-C- 1:00

MOVIE—Drama

“The Crooked Way” (1949)

2:30

LETTERS TO LAUGH-IN

-C- Guests: Jimmy Dean, Jack E. Leonard, Janis Paige, Kaye Stevens. Host: Gary Owens

3:00

CAP’N’S LOCKER—Children

-C- 3:30

THREE STOOGES—Children

4:00

OUR GANG—Children

4:30

MUNSTERS—Comedy

5:00

MY FAVORITE MARTIAN

-C- 5:30

I SPY—Drama

-C- EVENING

6:30

MOVIE—Drama

“Sin Town” (1942)

8:00

OF LANDS AND SEAS

-C- 9:00

MOVIE—Biography

“Reach for the Sky” (English; 1956)

11:00

HONEYMOONERS—Comedy

11:30

MERV GRIFFIN

-C- From Hollywood: Tentatively scheduled: David Janssen

12:30

TRIM TIME—Exercise

-C-
TV

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Published on December 18, 2023 05:00

December 16, 2023

This week in TV Guide: December 13, 1969

I'll admit that, as I was leafing through this week's issue, I wasn't sure what I was going to use as a lede. Oh, there'll be no problem filling up space, don't worry about that. But I was looking for something that leapt out at me, something besides the usual stories —you know, changing trends, updated technology, things like that. I might get to David Lachenbruch's article on killer X-rays by the end of the day, but as the first story? It just doesn't sing. And then I ran across Burt Prelutsky's profile of Michael Parks, and my problem was solved.
Parks, the star of NBC's Then Came Bronson, is, let's say, intense; "the angriest young man on two wheels." He's also undiplomatic, having told producers and studio heads where they could go and what they could do with their cameras. Prelutsky describes him as "brash, arrogant, defensive and insecure. He is also undeniably talented." When he first interviewed Parks for another story, it took him less than ten minutes to take an extreme dislike to him. "l didn't know you from Adam—pardon the joke— when you rang my doorbell," he told Parks. "I didn’t dislike you; I had no reason to. But, believe me, I’m working on it now." That seemed to satisfy Parks, and from there on they developed a common ground, if not a close friendship.
What we come to learn about Parks is that he is honest to a fault, unable to pull his punches, almost allergic to tact. He'd just finished producing an anti-capital punishment film for the ACLU, and so Prelutsky assumed he was a liberal, but far from it. He's against the Pill ("I'm opposed to birth control. People are beginning to look at children as a plague. That's terrible."), against welfare* ("the way it is now. Too many people collecting it own new cars and go to the race track all the time."), the Warren Supreme Court ("It’s a laugh; it's not a good laugh. They’re undermining justice and destroying the Constitution."), and gun registration ("I’m opposed to it. In 1936 Hitler made the Germans register their guns, and in 1939 he just went around and collected them with no trouble."). His candidate in 1968 was George Wallace. I mention this not to make any kind of political point, but to illustrate the issues of the day, and how similar they seem to be to the issues of our day. Once again, the more things change. . .

*Lest you think he doesn't put his money where his mouth is, so to speak, he once tried to return payment he was contractually owed for a Quinn Martin project that was cancelled, on the grounds that he'd done nothing to earn it; because he desperately needed the money, his agent and Martin agreed to make it a loan that Parks would pay in full after he'd made three more movies.
Visiting Parks on the set of Then Comes Bronson, Prelutsky finds a changed man. His agent, Jack Fields, says Parkes had evolved; "Maybe for the first time in his life, he's happy." He's enjoying the series, and enjoying having his family around. "You know what they key is with that kid?" Fields asks. "Don't ever give him orders; if you just take the time to talk to him, he'll deliver the goods." I knew there was a reason I liked him.
It doesn't last, of course. After disputes with Bronson's producers, Parks will say that he was informally blacklisted in Hollywood, but continues to work in independent projects. He'll find late-life success working with directors who, like him, are nonconformists: David Lynch, Quentin Tarantino, Kevin Smith, and Robert Rodriguez. No matter how difficult he could be to work with, everyone agreed that he was a true talent; as Prelutsky says, "If he were half as talented and twice as diplomatic, he would have had this town by the tail." Jack Fields told him once that he was winning Pyrrhic victories but losing the war, but I guess there are some of us who will always keep thinking that if you win enough victories, the war will take care of itself.
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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: Ed's guests are singers John Davidson, Lainie Kazan and the Jackson Five; comics Guy Marks, and Wayne and Shuster; puppets in a dance number choreographed by Peter Gennaro and featuring Muppet Big Bird (from Sesame Street); El Conquistador Strolling Violins; the Mecners, novelty act; puppet Topo Gigio; and the Ed Sullivan Singers.
Palace: Flip Wilson co-hosts with Andy Williams’ scene-stealing bear (Janos Prohaska). Guests: O.C. Smith, Judy Carne, singer. Dana Valery, the Friends of Distinction, comic Gene Baylos, the juggling Villams and the Dancing Devils, Argentine folk dancers.
A situation like this calls for honesty, and as you all know, I'm nothing if not honest around here. I'm not a fan of John Davidson. I'm not a fan of the Jacksons. All right, there's Lainie Kazan, but she has other assets working for her as well. It's all there for Palace to steal, but can it take advantage? I'm not a fan of Judy Carne, and I'm not a fan of O.C. Smith (I don't eat green apples). Note that I'm not putting down any of these acts; they're not my flavor, but you may disagree, and you're prtobably more well-rounded if you do. As for me, well, this week's a Push.
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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 shows of the era.
It's rare that we get a Cleveland Amory review about a program that is well-done. (Do you know how long it took me to come up with that line?) We've seen Cleve dole out faint praise to shows that are good enough, but how often have we seen him nearly faint with pleasure over a program that may well exemplify the future of entertainment? I speak of The Forsyte Saga, the landmark 26-episode BBC series from 1967, now being shown on NET, and if you think I exaggerate Amory's praise of it, let me use his own words: The Forsyte Saga is "entertainment—prime, rare, rib-roast, Kansas City-cut entertainment. To say it is great is an understatement. It would be hard to imagine how it could be any better. It is, in short, television’s shining hour—and if you are lucky enough to be in a locality where The Forsyte Saga is shown, you will see not only what might have been, but also, and perhaps more important, what in the future must be." Is that good enough for you?
The Forsyte Saga, based on a series of novels by John Galsworthy, tells the saga of an English family over the course of nearly a half-century, from 1879 to 1926. So successful was it in England that evening church services were rescheduled in order to allow parishioners to catch the next episode. And it's not just the mother country that's gone wild over it. In the Netherlands, sporting events and public meetings have been rescheduled; in Israel, it's prohibited from being shown on the Sabbath to allow bigger audiences. It's a smash in Norway, in Zambia, in Taiwan and the Soviet Union. And now it has come to America, and Amory is right: it will change the face of television here. It's progenitor of the miniseries, gives birth to Masterpiece Theatre, and introduces the glories of British television to American audiences.
But, Amory reminds us, as good as The Forsyte Saga is—and proper credit belongs not only to Galsworthy's novel, but to the writers "apparently prepared to admit that Galsworthy was Galsworthy and they were not", the producers who cast great actors and actresses, and those stars, who are "magnificent" one and all—it is "no impossible dream that has somehow managed to come true once and can never again." It can be done here, tomorrow or even today. It needs only three things: a good book, the ability to stick to it, and good actors to bring it to life. That isn't asking too much, is it?
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One of these years, I'm going to spend the entire month of December with issues from the same year and in the same market; it's the only real way to get a true picture of when your favorite Christmas specials are shown. As I recall, I did come close to doing that sometime in the distant past, but I'm too lazy to check on it now, and in any case, it leaves me with something to look forward to in the future, and where would we be without that?
Anyway, the point is not what might happen next year, but what is happening in the here and now: Northern California in 1969. And for that, we'll start with the deeply moving special J.T., making its debut on the CBS Children's Hour (11:00 a.m. PT). It stars Kevin Hooks, son of actor Robert Hooks, and later on one of the stars of The White Shadow, as a shy black youngster from Harlem, trying to nurse a sick alley cat back to health as Christmas approaches. Ja'Net Dubois plays J.T.'s mother, and Michael Goran is the store owner who comes to understand what J.T. needs. J.T. will later win a Peabody Award, as well as a place in the hearts of those who see it. (Take that, Hallmark!) You can be one of them, as it's available here . Later on Saturday, the Doodletown Pipers host a musical Christmas special (7:30 p.m., KXTV in Sacramento; also Sunday at 6:00 p.m. on KCRA in Sacramento), and while Lawrence Welk and his Champagne Music Makers have their annual Christmas show next week, there's plenty of holiday spirit tonight as well. (8:30 p.m., ABC)
Sunday features one of those "family specials" that are so often a part of the holiday season even though they have nothing to do with Christmas: Hans Brinker (7:00 p.m., NBC), starring Eleanor Parker, Richard Basehart, and Cyril Ritchard, with Robin Askwith as Hans. (You can see that one here .) Monday, Carol Burnett welcomes back her old colleagues Garry Moore and Durward Kirby, along with the Mitchell Boys Choir, for Christmas music and comedy. (10:00 p.m., CBS)
Tuesday's Red Skelton Hour features, in Red's "Silent Spot" pantomime section, "The Magic of Christmas," with Santa at work in his toy shop. (8:30 p.m., CBS; view it here ) And on ABC's Movie of the Week (9:00 p.m.), Lloyd Bridges and Shirley Jones star in Silent Night, Lonely Night, about two lonely people who meet at Christmastime. (By the way, this airs opposite another made-for-TV movie starring Lloyd Bridges, The Silent Gun, on NBC. I wonder how often someone has appeared on two different movies airing on two different networks at the same time? And with similar titles?)

Now here's something I don't understand—a couple of things, in fact. On Thursday, we find something called "Christmas Story" at 7:30 p.m. on NBC. What is it? The Little Drummer Boy, the Rankin-Bass classic narrated by Greer Garson, with Jose Ferrer, Teddy Eccles, Paul Frees, and the Vienna Choir Boys. That's followed on the same network at 8:00 p.m. by "Variety Special," which happens to be Bing Crosby's Christmas special, with Carol Burnett, Juliet Prowse, and Roy Clark. (The Close-Up at right is from a different TV Guide issue.) Could we get any more generic in our program descriptions? Why didn't TV Guide just use the actual titles of the shows? (Bing Crosby uses less space than Variety Special.) Especially since the Crosby clambake is followed by "Bob Hope" at 9:00 p.m. Or would that have been asking too much? (This isn't the Bob Hope Christmas special, by the way, although it is his year-end show, with an appearance by the Football Writers Association All-America team.)
Friday features high drama for The Brady Bunch—Carol has laryngitis, and may have to cancel her solo at the church's Christmas service. Will she recover in time, or will Dr. Marcus Welby be called in at the last minute? Tune in at 8:00 p.m. on ABC. Later, Jimmy Durante Presents the Lennon Sisters celebrates Christmas in a big way, with Lorne Greene, Jimmy's eight-year-old daughter Cece, and 25 members of the Lennon family, before an audience made up entirely of Lennon family members, friends, and neighbors. (10:00 p.m., ABC)
By the way, remember that Lloyd Bridges doubleheader on Tuesday? We've got something similar tonight, although on a much smaller scale; Antoinette Bower guests on NBC's Name of the Game at 8:30 p.m., while she's also playing Berlin Betty on Hogan's Heroes at the same time on CBS. So maybe it wasn't quite as unusual as I thought; at the very least, it shows who the working actors are. Meanwhile, the CBS Friday Night Movie at 9:00 p.m. is Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, while the TV series it's said to have inspired, Here Come the Brides, airs opposite it on ABC. Coincidence?
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All right, here's that story on the dangers of X-rays emitted by color television sets. It's written by TV Guide's resident tech expert, David Lachenbruch, so it should be reliable. Not surprisingly, the opinions of top radiation scientists have been mostly buried because they're not as sensational as the scare headlines newspapers love to run.
The concern isn't that the rays given off by TVs are harmful to individual viewers; rather, it's that the collective release from some 20, 40, or 80 million sets might add to background radiation, which could increase the pollution of the atmosphere. It's also possible that people who spent a lifetime in front of a color set could experience a cumulative exposure that could cause illness or defects in future generations, but there's considerable doubt within the scientific community about this.

In fact, because radiation is so easy to block by using metal shielding within the set, it's never been considered that much of a problem. The standard for acceptable radiation emission was set extremely low—five times stricter than that used by UL. All the fuss started in 1967, when an unnamed television manufacturer (General Electric, for the record) discovered a higher-than-permitted amount of radiation escaping from their sets due to inadequate shielding and a poorly designed regulator tube. The sets were recalled, the tube replaced, and additional shielding added.
Most important, says Lachenbruch, "Even though some of the sets radiated hundreds and even thousands of times the amounts specified by [the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements], there have been no reports of any harm to any individual." According to Dr. Victor P. Bond, associate director of Brookhaven National Laboratory, it's certainly prudent to limit exposure to radiation; nevertheless, "it is quite clear that the probability of significance or even detectable medical effects from X-rays emitted by faulty color receivers is vanishingly small." Even the Public Health Service has decided the risk is too small to continue with further tests on existing sets.
So, the bottom line is this: John C. Villforth, director of the Bureau of Radiological Health, Department of Health, Education and Welfare, says there's no reason for people to "go easy" on color TV watching. "There is no danger in color TV." Now, when it comes to the programs on TV . . .
l l l

Finally, no cultural review of TV Guide would be complete without a look at one of the dominant figures in American television in the last part of the 20th century: Aaron Spelling. Dick Hobson calls him a "Triple T," which stands for "Tremendous Television Tycoon." (His associates call him "Big A".) Keep in mind that at this point in his career, Spelling is only 43, yet he has "made-to-order suits, a big black Cadillac, and a $275,000 house in the Golden Triangle section of Beverly Hills. He plays softball on Sunday afternoons with Tony Curtis, Bill Cosby, Paul Newman and James Garner." And his weight never goes over 145, because he works so hard.
He's become ABC's chief independent supplier of prime-time programs, numbered among which are The Mod Squad, The New People, seven of the 25 Movie of the Weeks, and more pilots in the pipeline than the Air Force. (He was also responsible for one of my favorite shows, Burke's Law.) He believes that what's in today is the youth movement, and when someone asks about The New People, which is getting smothered by Laugh-In, Gunsmoke, and Here's Lucy, he replies, "At least it's a show of today. I'd rather fail with The New People than get rich with Petticoat Junction." I suppose, although I'm not sure the network, let along Paul Henning, would agree.
We get a chance to see Spelling at work: in his office, at meetings with ABC executives, and on the set of The Mod Squad, where he helps comfort Peggy Lipton, still grieving over the recent murder of her close friend, Sharon Tate. "Driving to the studio I had to pull over," she tells her costars. "I couldn't see through the tears." "When your phone didn't answer," Clarence Williams replies, "I thought you were up identifying bodies or something." If that doesn't give you an idea of the atmosphere in Hollywood at the end of the Sixties, nothing will.
What I find most interesting about this article, though, is the temptation that must have existed back in 1969 to see Aaron Spelling at the top of his game—and yet we haven't even begun to approach Peak Spelling. So many of the people we read about in these pages are of the moment, if you will; movers and shakers, stars and starlets who were big at the time, or about to be big—and yet they're either strangers to us today, or people who were already as big as they were going to get, though nobody knew it yet.
Not Aaron Spelling. I'm sure he never doubted that there were more hits in his in box, but could anyone have predicted how many, or how big? This is the man who goes on to give us Charlie's Angels, The Love Boat, Hart to Hart, Dynasty, Beverly Hills, 90210, Melrose Place, 7th Heaven, and Charmed, and those are only the biggest hits. By comparison, in 1969 he's just getting started. Had TV Guide surveyed his career based only on those eight series I listed above, he would have been considered one of Hollywood's most successful producers ever. But to think that he was already there well before any one of them—well, we should all be so lucky. I wonder what level comes after Triple T? TV

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Published on December 16, 2023 05:00

December 15, 2023

Around the dial

At bare-bones e-zine, Jack kicks things off this week with the first of Thomas Grant's Hitchcock scripts, " I Can Take Care of Myself ," a thin if nasty story with Myron McCormick, Linda Lawson, and Will Kuluva. Not a great episode, but it is Hitchcock.
John returns to the mysterious world of Sapphire & Steel at Cult TV Blog with part four of " Assignment Six ," continuing the story that he's been relating the last few days. This assignment has its strengths and weaknesses, but it's an interesting glimpse into the direction the series might have taken had it continued for another series.
At Classic Film & TV Café, Rick reviews the streaming service Tubi and answers the question of whether or not it's worth watching . The answer is "yes," if you don't mind commercial interruptions in return for it being a free service. Read it and find out why it might be an essential part of your viewing options.
Let's stay on FAST (free, ad supported TV) for a moment, as Silver Scenes presents us with some December picks that are currently streaming on Roku . If you're looking primarily for Christmas favorites, you can find that out here . Again, if the commercials don't bother you (as they didn't for the first 50 or so years of TV history), you'll find some good viewing options.
At Drunk TV, Paul enlightens us on a massive DVD undertaking: the complete series box set of Bonanza . For those of you keeping score at home, that amounts to 431 remastered episodes on 112 discs. Stay tuned for season-by-season reviews—good luck, Paul!
We're currently making our way through the classic ABC WWII series Combat!, so it was sad to see that Jack Hogan , who played PFC Kirby, died last week, aged 94. I get that information courtesy of Terence at A Shroud of Thoughts, who has a thoughtful review of Hogan's career and credits, which include Detective Sergeant Miller on Adam-12.
At The View from the Junkyard, Roger and Mike compare notes on the Avengers episode " The Joker ," a Steed/Peel adventure that's a remake of the black-and-white story "Don't Look Behind You." How does it work? Read and find out.
And let's end on a Yuletide note: The Imaginative Conservative compares versions of A Christmas Carol, including the acclaimed made-for-TV movie starring George C. Scott. How do they shape up, and how does this compare to your own rankings? TV

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Published on December 15, 2023 05:00

December 13, 2023

Divorce Court, White Christmas-Style

In the world of TV Heaven, it's time once again for the latest episode of one of the most popular shows of the 1950s, Divorce Court. Tonight, an all-star cast is on hand to give us what promises to be one of the most exciting courtroom dramas of this or any other season.
Bill Welsh: This week on Divorce Court, we bring you a case from the world of entertainment, between two singers whose marriage appears to have hit a sour note: Bob Wallace, famous song-and-dance man, successful Broadway impresario, one-half of the act of Wallace and Davis, versus Betty Haynes Wallace, part of the Haynes Sisters, appearing in many of the shows of Wallace and Davis. Presiding is Judge Voltaire Perkins.
Bailiff: All rise.
Judge: Greetings, gals and guys. (To Welsh): So what’s the action, Jackson?
Bailiff: Wallace vs. Wallace, married for four years, the grounds are irreconcilable differences.
Bettina Lovelace: Council for Mrs. Wallace, your honor.
Shyster McQuirk: Council for Mr. Wallace, your honor.
Judge: So, you want me to permit the split, eh? Well, let’s hear it. Ladies first, I always say.
Betty: Your honor, I gave up a successful act with my sister when I got married. Judy and I were starting to really go places, play some of the bigger clubs. We met Wallace and Davis in Miami just before Christmas, four years ago, and we asked for some advice on our act, what we might be able to do to make the act bigger.
Bob: Seems like you know how to get bigger all on your own.
Judge: Quiet, you! You’ll get your turn.
Betty: Anyway, he tells me that everyone has an angle, and I figure that means he’s going to help us hit the big time, maybe even television. Well, we’re on our way to Vermont to play in a lodge there, and he follows me there. I don’t know what he’s up to but, well, he was so famous, and so important in the business, that I thought I’d better be nice to him if we want to go anywhere. We had a few drinks, some laughs, and I thought that was it. And then I get a job at a club in New York, and he follows me there!
Bob: That’s not how I remember it.
Betty: And I think that, well, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to be involved with someone like him. He’s always talking about how he can introduce us to people who can help our career go places, somebody like Frank Sinatra, or even Lawrence Welk. That’s all it was, though, talk, talk, talk. As soon as we get married, suddenly all that’s over, and I’m stuck at home taking care of the kids while he and Phil go on the Ed Harrison show. He never listened to me when I asked him about it. I think he was jealous, if you want to know the truth. He was afraid I’d become a bigger star than he was because I was younger and better looking than him. You may not believe it now, but I was quite a looker back then, but he took care of that, too. Whenever I had trouble sleeping, he'd tell me to go downstairs and have something to eat. Look at me now! I weigh 350 pounds. Do you think anyone's interested in hiring a 350-pound singer who's not Kate Smith?
Judge: I don’t know. Can you sing “God Bless America”?
Lovelace: Your honor, my client is entitled to recompense not only for the lost income from the Haynes Sisters act that Mr. Wallace ruined, but for the mental anguish that he’s caused by his comments. She should be kept in a lifestyle to which she’s become accustomed.
Bob: (To McQuirk): Say something! She’s making me out to sound like a cross between Simon Legree and Ivan the Terrible!
McQuirk: Your honor, my client wants to throw himself on the mercy of the court!
Bob: Wait a minute! Who’s side are you on here, Junior?
McQuirk: Mine. I always make sure they get my good side.
Bailiff: Order in the court!
Judge: I’ll have corned beef on rye, hold the pickle.

Bob: Judge, can I say something?
Judge: It’s your dime, Charlie.
Bob: What she’s telling you isn’t how it happened at all. Sure, I was willing to give her a break. They were a couple of nice kids, and my partner Phil was interested in Judy, so we followed them to Vermont. But that’s all there was. Jealous of her? Are you kidding? I’m just a crooner who’s trying to stay ahead. Do you think I’m worried about some sister act from Florida?
But that’s the kind of person she is. Everything was fine, and then we get married, and it all went to her head. Suddenly she was Mrs. Bob Wallace, and she wanted all the fine things in life. The new cars, the clothes, the apartment in New York and the winter place in Florida. As if I could keep up with all that. I have trouble just paying the grocery bill every month. Would you believe she had a 26-inch waist when we were married? I didn't expect her to stay like her sister--she has a waist so small you can wrap your hand around it. But this? When they asked her to appear in the Macy's parade, I didn't know if she was supposed to sing or if they were going to inflate her and float her down the street.
Betty: Your honor, are you going to let him insult me like that?
Judge: I don’t know. How would you like him to insult you?
Bob: I just can’t figure out what makes this chick click. One minute everything’s hearts and flowers, and I’m her knight in shining armor, and then all of a sudden it’s like I’m trying to pull something over on her, and I get the passive-aggressive third degree. “You never listen to me,” “You never take me anywhere,” When I ask her what's the matter, she says, “If you don’t already know, there’s nothing I can say.” What am I supposed to be, a mind-reader? Trying to get her to tell me what’s wrong is like trying to pull out a tiger’s front teeth. I get dizzy just trying to keep up with her. (To himself) Gary warned me to stay away from women like her.
Betty: See—he doesn’t try to understand me.
Bob: Look at how defensive she gets—there’s been something wrong with her thinker since she was a kid. You can’t reason with someone like that—not listening to her, it’s just self-defense. She’s always talking about what she needs—she needs to see a shrink, is what she needs. And speaking of shrinking—
Betty: There he goes again with the insults!
Judge: Quiet, everybody!
McQuirk: Your honor—
Judge: Scram, Sam!
At this point Phil Davis, Bob's partner, and a man in a marshal's uniform enter the courtroom.
Judge: Ah, there’s the man with my sandwich. It’s about time!
Phil: Bob, we've got a problem.
Bob: You've got a problem? What do you think this is?
Phil: This is a marshal from Miami. It seems there's a hotel manager there who's suing us over an unpaid bill from the Haines sisters. They're waiting for us over on The People's Court. TV

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Published on December 13, 2023 05:00

December 11, 2023

What's on TV? Sunday, December 12, 1965

It's hard to imagine a more normal Sunday than today; three football games in the morning and afternoon, and some entertainment in prime time. Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea has a plotline that sounds like it borrowed from Fail-Safe, as the men of the Seaview try to figure out why an unmanned, remote-controlled submarine has malfunctioned, heading toward New York with all missiles armed and ready. Meanwhile, Efrem Zimbalist Jr. and Stephen Brooks try to head off a mad bomber who threatens to blow up a passenger train unless he's given $100,000. And on Amos Burke, Secret Agent, Burke and his fellow agents are in trouble. Kind of vague there, but at the end of the day I suspect all three of these stories will have happy endings, don't you? Today's listings are from the Northern California edition.
-2- KTVU (BAY AREA) (IND.)

Morning

9:00

LIVING WORD—Religion

9:15

SACRED HEART—Religion

9:30

MOVIE—Drama

“Minesweeper” (1943)

10:30

MOVIE—Drama

“The Amazing Mr. X” (1948)

Afternoon 12:00

TOP STAR BOWLING