Mitchell Hadley's Blog: It's About TV!, page 45
September 25, 2023
What's on TV? Sunday, September 27. 1970
Good memories of Sundays back in the day: remember Bullwinkle and The Perils of Penelope Pitstop? Or Notre Dame football replays with Lindsey Nelson and Paul Hornung, and Bill Fleming narrating highlights of other games? Or the Boston Patriots? As I said, good memories. A couple of other things I noticed: despite having a dozen stations in this Central Virginia edition, there are no independent stations; all of them are network affiliates. Not unprecedented, just something I noticed. Also, despite Raleigh being the capital of North Carolina, they have only two stations: WRAL, then with ABC, now with NBC; and WTVD, in Durham, a dual CBS-NBC affiliate then, but now with ABC. That area now has 15 stations; times do change, don't they?-2- WFMY (GREENSBORO) (CBS) MORNING 8:00 INSIGHT—Religion -C- 8:30 SUNDAY CHAPEL -C- 9:00 TOM & JERRY -C- 9:30 PENELOPE PITSTOP -C- 10:00 RELIGIOUS SPECIAL -C- Special 11:00 CAMERA THREE -C- “Wishes, Lies and Dreams: Teaching Children to Write Poetry” 11:30 COLLEGE FOOTBALL HIGHLIGHTS -C- Purdue vs. Notre Dame AFTERNOON 12:30 MY FAVORITE MARTIAN -C- 1:00 ADVENTURE CALLS -C- 1:30 PRE-GAME SHOW -C- 2:00 PRO FOOTBALL -C- Washington Redskins at St. Louis Cardinals 5:00 KING FAMILY—Music -C- Special: Time approximate EVENING 6:00 HILLBILLIES -C- 6:30 CBS NEWS -C- 7:00 LASSIE -C- 7:30 HOGAN’S HEROES -C- 8:00 ED SULLIVAN -C- Holiday on Ice Revue, Bobby Vinton, Karen Wyman, the Rare Earth 9:00 GLEN CAMPBELL -C- Guests: Nancy Wilson, Lily Tomlin, Buck Owens, Shecky Greene 10:00 TIM CONWAY -C- Guests: David Janssen, Barbara Feldon 11:00 NEWS, WEATHER, SPORTS -C- 11:15 CBS NEWS -C- 11:30 MERV GRIFFIN -C- Guests: Ann-Margret, Eddie Albert, the Mills Brothers
-3- WSVA (HARRISONBURG) (NBC, ABC) MORNING 7:45 FILM -C- 8:00 REX HUMBARD—Religion -C- 9:00 DAY OF DISCOVERY -C- 9:30 SMOKY BEAR -C- 10:00 JONNY QUEST -C- 10:30 CATTANOOGA CATS—Children -C- 11:00 BULLWINKLE -C- 11:30 DISCOVERY -C- AFTERNOON 12:00 QUESTION OF FAITH 12:25 DATELINE: RELIGION 12:30 VIRGINIA FOOTBALL—George Blackburn -C- 1:00 PRO FOOTBALL -C- New York Jets at Boston Patriots 4:00 PRO FOOTBALL -C- Cleveland Browns vs. San Francisco 49ers EVENING 7:00 YOUNG REBELS—Adventure -C- 8:00 FBI -C- 9:00 MOVIE—Drama -C- “Hurry Sundown” (1967) 12:00 ABC NEWS -C-
-5- WRAL (RALEIGH) (ABC) MORNING 6:45 CHRISTOPHERS—Religion -C- 7:00 BIG PICTURE—Report -C- 7:30 GOSPEL SINGING JUBILEE -C- 8:30 DAY OF DISCOVERY -C- 9:00 ORAL ROBERTS—Religion -C- 9:30 SISTER GARY—Religion -C- 10:00 JONNY QUEST -C- 10:30 CATTANOOGA CATS—Children -C- 11:00 LIGHT UNTO MY PATH -C- 11:30 DISCOVERY -C- AFTERNOON 12:00 COLLEGE FOOTBAL 1970 -C- 1:00 CHURCH OF OUR FATHERS -C- 1:30 BOXING—Championship -C- Special: Ismael Laguna vs. Ken Buchanan, World Lightweight Championship 3:00 MOVIE—Science Fiction -C- “Dimension 5” (1966) 5:00 TO BE ANNOUNCED EVENING 6:50 NEWS -C- 7:00 YOUNG REBELS—Adventure -C- 8:00 FBI -C- 9:00 MOVIE—Drama -C- “Hurry Sundown” (1967) 12:00 NEWS, WEATHER, SPORTS -C- 12:15 ABC NEWS -C-
-6- WHIS (BLUEFIELD) (NBC) MORNING 8:00 GOSPEL SINGING JUBILEE -C- 9:00 INSPIRATION TIME -C- 9:30 REV. LEONARD REPASS -C- 10:00 CONCORD COLLEGE PRESENTS -C- 10:30 VIOLA CLARK SPIRITUALS -C- 11:00 THIS IS THE LIFE—Religion -C- 11:30 PRO FOOTBALL HIGHLIGHTS -C- AFTERNOON 12:30 BONNIE LOU AND BUSTER -C- 1:00 PRO FOOTBALL -C- New York Jets at Boston Patriots 4:00 PRO FOOTBALL -C- Cleveland Browns vs. San Francisco 49ers EVENING 7:00 WILD KINGDOM -C- 7:30 WORLD OF DISNEY -C- “The Boy Who Stole the Elephant,” conclusion 8:30 BILL COSBY -C- 9:00 BONANZA -C- 10:00 BOLD ONES -C- The Lawyers 11:00 NEWS, WEATHER, SPORTS -C- 11:30 PRESIDENT NIXON’S TRIP -C- Special: Departure from Washington, D.C., arrival in Rome 12:00 JOHNNY CARSON -C-
-7- WDBJ (ROANOKE) (CBS) MORNING 7:55 LIGHT OF LIFE -C- 8:00 REVIVAL FIRES -C- 8:30 CARTOON THEATER -C- 9:00 TOM & JERRY -C- 9:30 PENELOPE PITSTOP -C- 10:00 RELIGIOUS SPECIAL -C- Special 11:00 CAMERA THREE -C- “Wishes, Lies and Dreams: Teaching Children to Write Poetry” 11:30 FACE THE NATION -C- AFTERNOON 12:00 THIS IS THE LIFE -C- 12:30 TO BE ANNOUNCED 1:00 VIRGINIA TECH FOOTBALL—Clairborne -C- 1:30 PRE-GAME SHOW -C- 2:00 PRO FOOTBALL -C- Washington Redskins at St. Louis Cardinals 5:00 INSIGHT -C- 5:30 AMATEUR HOUR -C- EVENING 6:00 HILLBILLIES -C- 6:30 CBS NEWS -C- 7:00 LASSIE -C- 7:30 HOGAN’S HEROES -C- 8:00 ED SULLIVAN -C- Holiday on Ice Revue, Bobby Vinton, Karen Wyman, the Rare Earth 9:00 GLEN CAMPBELL -C- Guests: Nancy Wilson, Lily Tomlin, Buck Owens, Shecky Greene 10:00 TIM CONWAY -C- Guests: David Janssen, Barbara Feldon 11:00 CBS NEWS -C- 11:15 FILM -C- 11:30 MERV GRIFFIN -C- Guests: Ann-Margret, Eddie Albert, the Mills Brothers 1:00 LIGHT OF LIFE -C-
-8- WGHP (HIGH POINT) (ABC) MORNING 7:10 CHURCH NEWS -C- 7:30 REVIVAL FIRES -C- 8:00 TV PULPIT—Religion -C- 8:30 REX HUMBARD—Religion -C- 9:30 I BELIEVE IN MIRACLES -C- 10:00 DAY OF DISCOVERY -C- 10:30 ORAL ROBERTS—Religion -C- 11:00 REACTION—Religion -C- 11:30 DISCOVERY -C- AFTERNOON 12:00 BILL DOOLEY -C- 12:30 HELP YOURSELF -C- 1:00 FOCUS—Discussion -C- 1:30 ISSUES/ANSWERS -C- 2:00 MOVIE—Drama “Never a Dull Moment” (1950) 4:00 COUNTRY CARNIVAL -C- 4:30 NASHVILLE MUSIC -C- Guests: Jim Ed Brown, Jerry Reed, Lynn Anderson 5:00 PORTER WAGONER -C- Guest: Charlie Walker 5:30 WILBURN BROTHERS -C- Guests: the Glazer Brothers EVENING 6:00 MISTER ED—Comedy 6:30 F TROOP—Comedy 7:00 YOUNG REBELS—Adventure -C- 8:00 FBI -C- 9:00 MOVIE—Drama -C- “Hurry Sundown” (1967) 12:00 ABC NEWS -C- 12:15 NEWS, WEATHER, SPORTS -C- 12:25 MOVIE—Drama “Souls at Sea” (1937)
10 WSLS (ROANOKE) (NBC) MORNING 6:25 WORDS TO LIVE BY -C- 6:30 ASPECT—Agriculture 7:00 GOSPEL SINGING JUBILEE -C- 8:00 OLD TIME GOSPEL HOUR -C- 9:00 INSPIRATION TIME -C- 9:30 FILM -C- 10:00 ORAL ROBERTS—Religion -C- 10:30 GOSPEL SING -C- 11:00 CHURCH SERVICE—Lutheran AFTERNOON 12:00 INSIGHT—Religion -C- 12:30 PRO FOOTBALL HIGHLIGHTS -C- 1:00 PRO FOOTBALL -C- New York Jets at Boston Patroits 4:00 PRO FOOTBALL -C- Cleveland Browns vs. San Francisco 49ers EVENING 7:00 WILD KINGDOM -C- 7:30 WORLD OF DISNEY -C- “The Boy Who Stole the Elephant,” conclusion 8:30 BILL COSBY -C- 9:00 BONANZA -C- 10:00 BOLD ONES -C- The Lawyers 11:00 NEWS, WEATHER, SPORTS -C- 11:30 PRESIDENT NIXON’S TRIP -C- Special: Departure from Washington, D.C., arrival In Rome 12:00 JOHNNY CARSON -C-
11 WTVD (DURHAM) (CBS, NBC) MORNING 6:30 ACROSS THE FENCE -C- 7:00 CAPTAIN NOAH -C- 7:30 THE ANSWER—Religion -C- 8:00 HERALD OF TRUTH -C- 8:30 GUMBY—Children -C- 9:00 TOM & JERRY -C- 9:30 NBC CHILDREN’S THEATRE -C- Special: “For the Love of Fred” 10:30 TO BE ANNOUNCED 11:00 CAMERA THREE -C- “Wishes, Lies and Dreams: Teaching Children to Write Poetry” 11:30 FACE THE NATION -C- AFTERNOON 12:00 SAM RAGAN REPORTS -C- 12:30 FILM -C- 1:00 TOM HARP—Football -C- 1:15 EARL EDWARDS—Football -C- 1:30 PRE-GAME SHOW -C- 2:00 PRO FOOTBALL -C- Washington Redskins at St. Louis Cardinals 5:00 MEN FROM SHILOH -C- Time approximate EVENING 6:00 HILLBILLIES -C- 6:30 CBS NEWS -C- 7:00 WORLD OF DISNEY -C- “The Boy Who Stole the Elephant” part one 8:00 ED SULLIVAN -C- Holiday on Ice Revue, Bobby Vinton, Karen Wyman, the Rare Earth 9:00 BONANZA -C- 10:00 TIM CONWAY -C- Guests: David Janssen, Barbara Feldon 11:00 NEWS, WEATHER, SPORTS -C- 11:15 CBS NEWS -C- 11:30 HIGH CHAPARRAL -C-
12 WSJS (WINSTSON-SALEM) (NBC) MORNING 7:30 WILLIAM TELL—Adventure 8:00 INSPIRATION TIME -C- 8:30 GOSPEL SONGS -C- 9:30 MOVIE—Western “Pals of the Saddle” (1938) 10:30 THIS IS THE LIFE—Religion -C- 11:00 CHURCH SERVICE—Baptist AFTERNOON 12:00 BIG PICTURE—Report -C- 12:30 CAL STOLL—Football -C- 1:00 PRO FOOTBALL -C- New York Jets at Boston Patriots 4:00 PRO FOOTBALL -C- Cleveland Browns vs. San Francisco 49ers EVENING 7:00 WILD KINGDOM -C- 7:30 WORLD OF DISNEY -C- “The Boy Who Stole the Elephant,” conclusion 8:30 BILL COSBY -C- 9:00 BONANZA -C- 10:00 BOLD ONES -C- The Lawyers 11:00 FELONY SQUAD -C- 11:30 PRESIDENT NIXON’S TRIP -C- Special: Departure from Washington, D.C., arrival n Rome 12:00 JOHNNY CARSON -C-
13 WLVA (LYNCHBURG) (ABC) MORNING 9:00 FARM AND HOME -C- 9:30 SMOKY BEAR -C- 10:00 JONNY QUEST -C- 10:30 CATTANOOGA CATS—Children -C- 11:00 BULLWINKLE -C- 11:30 PRO FOOTBALL HIGHLIGHTS -C- AFTERNOON 12:30 FOOTBALL—Bradford 1:00 DIRECTIONS -C- 1:30 ISSUES/ANSWERS -C- 2:00 COLLEGE FOOTBALL 1970 -C- 3:00 SHOWCASE 13—Discussion 3:30 BONNIE LOU AND BUSTER -C- 4:00 CALL OF THE WEST -C- 4:30 MOVIE—Double Feature 1. “Block Busters” (Drama; 1944) 2. “The Flying Deuces” (Comedy; 1939) EVENING 6:30 JIM & JESSE—Music -C- 7:00 YOUNG REBELS—Adventure -C- 8:00 FBI -C- 9:00 MOVIE—Drama -C- “Hurry Sundown” (1967) 12:00 ABC NEWS -C- 12:25 MOVIE—Drama “Cheers for Miss Bishop” (1941)
15 WBRA (ROANOKE) (NET) AFTERNOON 5:30 KALEIDOSCOPE—Variety -C- EVENING 6:30 MISTEROGERS—Children 7:00 SESAME STREET -C- Guest: Burt Lancaster 8:00 CHICAGO FESTIVAL -C- Guest: Grant Robbin 8:30 CHILDREN’S SPECIAL -C- Special: “Mr. Smith and Other Nonsense” 9:00 FORESYTE SAGA Chapter 25, “Portrait of Fleur” 10:00 EVENING AT POPS -C- Guests: the Four Statesmen [Last show of the series]
27 WRFT (ROANOKE) (ABC) MORNING 9:00 AMERICA SINGS 9:30 SMOKY BEAR -C- 10:00 JONNY QUEST -C- 10:30 CATTANOOGA CATS—Children -C- 11:00 BULLWINKLE -C- 11:30 COLLEGE FOOTBALL HIGHLIGHTS -C- Purdue vs. Notre Dame AFTERNOON 12:30 DISCOVERY -C- 1:00 FILM -C- 1:30 ISSUES/ANSWERS -C- 2:00 COLLEGE FOOTBALL 1970 -C- 3:00 BIG PICTURE—Report -C- 3:30 PERSPECTIVE -C- 4:00 ACROSS THE FENCE -C- 4:30 HERALD OF TRUTH 5:00 PROFILES OF PROGRESS -C- 5:30 FAITH FOR TODAY -C- EVENING 6:00 DISCOURSE—Discussion 6:30 CHRISTOPHERS—Religion -C- 6:45 SACRED HEART -C- 7:00 YOUNG REBELS—Adventure -C- 8:00 FBI -C- 9:00 MOVIE—Drama -C- “Hurry Sundown” (1967) 12:00 ABC NEWS -C-
TV
September 23, 2023
This week in TV Guide: September 26, 1970
Occasionally I'll run across people talking about how, back in the "good old days" (i.e. unlike today), the news on TV was just that—news, without any bias, given by real newscasters without a partisan angle. Now, there's something to this; I think the newscasters of the past—Cronkite, Huntley and Brinkley, Smith, Reynolds, Reasoner—were men of gravitas who presented the news with a seriousness and, dare I say, dignity, that dwarfs what we see on television today. I have great respect for them; sometimes I'll go on YouTube and watch an old newscast from the 1960s or '70s just to see how things used to be.But when it comes to bias, let's be honest: claims of bias in news reporting go way back, even beyond those good old days to the very beginning of television. And as we enter the decade of the Seventies, the clamor and discontent with TV newsmen is in full swing, articulated by Vice President Spiro Agnew's attacks on the "nattering nabobs of negativism," the influential journalists who "espouse a liberal or anti-Establishment breed of politics and display that bias in their reporting." Seldom, he complains, are the conservative viewpoints represented or even honestly explained.
And so we come to this week's lead story by Max Gunther looking at media coverage of one particular aspect of the race riots in Asbury Park, New Jersey on July 7-8, 1970. The fulcrum around which this story centers is reporter Dell Wade, covering the riots for WABC in New York. Appearing with his head bandaged and face bruised, Wade went on to tell of police firing shots into black crowds, using clubs to keep people away, and in one case, "pushing a man through a plate glass window." When he tried to report on this violence, he said, he was beaten by police and arrested. Their purpose, Wade believes, was to prevent him from "trying to tell it like it was."
"Maybe the story was true," Gunther writes. "On the other hand, maybe it wasn't. A doubt exists, and its existence illustrates some prickly and so far intractable problems facint the TV news business in this nervous age."
In the wake of Wade's reporting, residents of Asbury Park flooded newspapers and television stations with complaints about coverage of the riot, protesting "erroneous information, slanted editing, leading questions, inflammatory comments." Police officials, led by chief Thomas S. Smith (himself a black officer) agreed with the comments. "It seems to me the news media should try to be constructive in a situation like this," he tells Gunther. "Help cool things off, not get everyobody heated up stil worse." While he wouldn't comment further on the situation, he gave Gunther carte blanche to talk with his officers on the spot, without time for them to prepare or coordinate any comments. And while their stories—at first—parallel Wade's account, the two versions soon diverge "so sharply that it's hard to believe you're hearing about the same episode."
In contrast to Wade's accusations of police brutality, the officers single out Wade as the sole reporter on the scene who refused to stay behind the line set up for media reporters; says Special Officer Patrick Barrett, "[T]here was this guy with his tape recorder—no helmet, no protection. State police lieutenant tells me, 'Get that guy out of here while he's still alive!'" Barrett moved Wade back to where the other reporters were stationed, "But a while later I see him out there again!" This version is backed up by one newspaperman who says that "Wade was distinctly out of line. He didn't need to go prancing iup there 10 feet from the kids. I could see everything perfectly from where I was, behind the police line."
Wade tells Gunther the police "started firing. I didn't actually see anybody hit, but I did see that the police were shooting level—I mean, not into the air. Shooting level. And I saw one cop push a man through a plate-glass window with a baton at his throat." According to Patrolman Charles Rockhill, however, "There was a kind of hush, you know? Both sides waiting to see what was going to happen. And then I heard this man Wade shouting into his tape recorder, 'They're shooting people! They just pushed a man through a plate-glass window1' Nothing of the kind was happening." Adds Barrett, "The crowd was falling back. We didn't need to use violence." And Asbury Park Evening Press reporter Raymond Tuers notes, "I've never known Pat Barrett to lie to me." There were protesters treated for gunshot wounds following the riot. But a doctor at Jersey Shore Medical Center says "most of the wounds were small—like birdshot, not police bullets." And many in the group were themselves carrying guns. There are further discrepencies throughout the stories, including Wade's treatment at the police station.
Wade, a reporter with excellent credentials, insists, "I'm a trained observer. I don't report what I don't see." Special Officer Barret says, "My post takes in the black district. I like the people there and they like me. Why would I be shooting them? Why would I cover up if I saw anybody else pushing them around?"
Scenes from Asbury ParkWhat to make of it all? Writes Gunther, "Only three conclusions are possible, and each is unpleasant in its own peculiar way." One, the police are lying, or "recalling the events inaccurately." Two, Wade is lying, or "gripped by hysteria, simply didn't see what he imagined he saw." Or three, both Wade and the police are telling the story inaccurately. "This conclusion may be twice as bad as either of the others." Whatever conclusion you come to, Gunther concludes, "it can't conceivably make you content."Covering breaking news stories such as a riot is never an easy thing. Having witnessed the reporting first-hand during the 2020 riots in my former home (those, like the one in Asbury Park, were race-based), I heard a great deal of criticism that news reporters were shading the news, presenting an inaccurate version of events (particularly when it came to the killing of George Floyd), ignoring the violence that continued in the aftermath of events. I also read the reports of the police brutalizing citizens, using excessive violence, and targeting people based on their race. Leaving aside the specific events in the Floyd case, I've read plausible stories supporting critics of the police, and other stories supporting critics of the media.
One of the problems we have today, in a society that has lost trust in virtually every institution, is that when that trust is gone, it isn't easy to tell who's telling the truth. There is, in fact, a tendency to assume what Gunther called option three, that everyone is lying about some aspect of the story. But, as we see here, this isn't something new, something that's just started in the last few years. It may be more pronounced today, but it has, in fact, been around forever.
l l l
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. One sure sign of fall, in addition to the turning of the leaves, is the return of Cleveland Amory to the pages of TV Guide, What new, exciting program will he have in his sights this week? One of the breakout shows of the new season? A returning series with a retooled format?
Or maybe a once-a-month newsmagazine?
If you're feeling a bit let-down, don't be. We all know our Cleve is a sucker for thoughtful, intelligent programming, and NBC's First Tuesday certainly fits the bill. Hosted by veteran newsman Sander Vanocur, First Tuesday is a two-hour, once-a-month examination of news features big and small—not just the stories we know about, but the stories we ought to know more about. There was, for instance, a story about baton twirling, and while that might seem trite on the surface, it morphed into what Amory calls "a truly powerful expose of an awful mother-daughter push." He also praises Tom Pettit's report on chemical and biological warfare, "The Secrets of Secrecy," done without the cooperation of the Department of Defense, which was "a sterling example of TV reporting at its all-too-rare in[depth and investigative best"—think of what a reporter like Pettit might have been able to come up with in Wuhan, if news outlets still adhered to reporting instead of partisan shilling. A later feature on an increasing Soviet presence in the Middle East included a memorable interview with Israeli prime minister Golda Meir, who was asked if U.S. policy in the Middle East had encouraged a deeper Russian involvement. "Let me put it more kindly," she replied. "It hasn't discouraged them."
Remember that First Tuesday aired in an era when 60 Minutes had yet to become an institution; in fact, Mike Wallace and Harry Reasoner weren't even on every week back then, only every other Tuesday, meaning that once a month First Tuesday and 60 Minutes opposed each other for an hour. Just think: NBC's quixotic effort to mount a successful clone of 60 Minutes went through no less than fifteen failed attempts prior to landing on Dateline NBC. And here they'd had it all along, if only they'd stuck to it.
l l l
ABC has a lot of ad space in this week's issue, touting its new fall lineup. When I see this kind of advertising, I usually think one of two things: either these programs are really good, or they need all the help they can get. Which is it this time? I'll let you be the judge.
The lineup on Saturday is a bit misleading, insofar as ABC is sticking with it's tried-and-true favorites: Let's Make a Deal at 7:30 p.m. and The Dating Game at 8:00 p.m., followed by The Lawrence Welk Show at 8:30 p.m. Its only new Saturday offering, The Most Deadly Game, doesn't premiere until October, possibly because of the need to recast Inger Stevens' role after she committed suicide following the pilot; the role goes to Yvette Mimieux. Its timeslot tonight is filled by a comedy-variety special, "Howdy," hosted by Ferlin Husky, with guest stars Glenn Ford, Pat Buttram, Nanette Fabray, and Terry-Thomas. (9:30 p.m.)
Sunday night starts off with The Young Rebels (7:00 p.m.), a Revolutionary War drama that tries—and fails—to show that today's kids are really no different from their predecessors, willing to fight for what they believe in. As we'll see tomorrow night, it's not the only show on the network to emphasize the word Young. How did it do? Well, it's up against Lassie and The Wonderful World of Disney, if that gives you any ideas. (15 episodes) That's paired with the only other returning shows to get the ad treatment: The FBI (8:00 p.m.), starting its sixth season, and The ABC Sunday Night Movie (9:00 p.m.), this week presenting Hurry Sundown, starring Michael Caine, Jane Fonda, and Diahann Carroll. Despite the big-name cast, Judith Crist pans it as "unadulterated tastelessness," and for good measure adds that it has "idiot plotting and [a] patronizing approach to blacks." Monday it's a double-dose of new programming, beginning at 7:30 p.m. with The Young Lawyers, with Lee J. Cobb mentoring a group of, well, young lawyers—no, make that idealistic young lawyers—including Zalman King, who tonight defends a young man currently serving time for murder-two as the result of a plea bargain; he insists he's innocent. (24 episodes) That's followed by The Silent Force, starring Ed Nelson as the leader of a undercover government team fighting against the mob. He's aided by Percy Rodriguez and Lynda Day; Day will receive a promotion next season, as she moves over to Mission: Impossible. (15 episodes)
On Tuesday, we get a full-page layout for the Movie of the Week, Night Slaves (8:30 p.m.), starring James Franciscus, Leslie Nielsen, and Lee Grant. It's a science-fiction thriller with Franciscus as a man who, one night, witnesses various townsfolk, including his wife, boarding trucks to leave town; the next morning, they're back, with no memory of it ever happening. Sounds suspicious, but then Franciscus is recovering after an auto accident that left him with a metal plate in his head—can we believe what he thinks he saw?
Wednesday starts off with a new show that's not really new; it's Danny Thomas in the revival of Make Room for Daddy, only now he's Granddaddy. (8:00 p.m.) Marjorie Lord and Rusty Hamer are back, and Angela Cartwright makes an appearance in the first episode. The only thing that doesn't come back are the viewers, even with big-name guest stars, such as tonight's guest, Sammy Davis Jr.* (24 episodes) Later, Burt Reynolds stars in the crime drama Dan August (10:00 p.m.), a rare misfire from Quinn Martin. Later, Reynolds would memorably say, "I swore I'd never play a cop on TV because you can't make jokes or have a broad. You wind up loving your car a lot. I was halfway out the door when Quinn said the magic words–$15,000 a week." (24 episodes)*Sammy also guest-stars as himself on Monday's Here's Lucy, on opposite The Silent Force.
Thursday gives us another example of a returning star in a new vehicle: Vince Edwards as the "community psychiatrist" Matt Lincoln* (7:30 p.m.), who tonight tries to prevent killer Martin Sheen from killing again. Sheen's character is named Charlie—after his son, perhaps? I'd hate to think he'd name his son after this kind of character. (16 episodes) At 9:00 p.m., it's back-to-back Neil Simon adaptations, beginning with Barefoot in the Park, starring Scoey Mitchell and Tracy Reed playing the roles made famous by Robert Redford and Jane Fonda. (12 episodes) That's followed by another of Simon's hits, The Odd Couple, with Jack Klugman and Tony Randall taking over for Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon. As opposed to some of ABC's other offerings, this one pays dividends for both the network and audiences. (114 episodes)
*As Matt Lincoln was championing a new and relevant kind of psychiatry, perhaps it should have been named The Jung Rebels.
Come Friday, and it's time for ABC to pair the returning Brady Bunch with The Partridge Family (8:30 p.m.), starring Shirley Jones, David Cassidy, Susan Dey, Suzanne Crough, Jeremy Gelbwaks, and Danny Bonaduce—oh, and Dave Madden, who keeps things from getting too sugary. Tonight Harry Morgan plays the heavy, which must have been a nice change from being Jack Webb's sidekick on Dragnet. (96 episodes, eight albums)There's one other new series I forgot to mention earlier, one that's had a fair amount of success. It's called Monday Night Football, and this week it's the second-ever MNF game, featuring the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs and the Baltimore Colts. (9:00 p.m.) The Chiefs win the game, 44-24; the Colts, however, wind up winning the Super Bowl. (719 episodes—er, games—and counting)
l l l
I don't want you to have the wrong impression here; there are some non-ABC programs worth mentioning this week.
Personally, I think ABC could have left The Hollywood Palace on Saturday night; it couldn't have underperformed any more than The Most Deadly Game. It also gives me one more easy mark each week, when I can compare it to Ed Sullivan. But while Palace is no more, Ed is still hanging in there for one more season, and on Sunday (8:00 p.m., CBS) he presents highlights from the Holiday on Ice Revue, a competitor to ice shows like the Ice Capades and Ice Follies. As a bonus, he also has performances from Bobby Vinton, Karen Syman, and the Rare Earth rock group. I'm not sure, but I think I'd probably go with Palace no matter what the lineup might have been.
OK, one more ABC mention: on Monday night following the football game, Dick Cavett welcomes author Norman Mailer as his only guest for the entire 90 minutes (12:15 a.m., time approximate). The controversial Mailer is scheduled to discuss his reasons for quitting politics (he ran for mayor of New York City in 1969); his new book Of a Fire on the Moon, about the Apollo 11 mission; and his recent movie Maidstone , about a film director who runs for president.
The Men from Shiloh, which we all knew and loved as The Virginian before it changed its name for its final season, features a rare television appearance by Janet Leigh as the Virginian's old flame, who's being threatened by three mysterious men. (Wednesday, 7:30 p.m., NBC)
Kraft Music Hall presents another in its occasional series of Friars Club roasts on Wednesday (9:00 p.m., NBC), with Don Rickles in the role of the victim. Those on the dais make up an odd collection: Johnny Carson, Milton Berle, and Henny Youngman, but also George C. Scott, Dick Cavett, and Chet Huntley (!). If you've not seen the Friars Club roasts before, they're the model for the popular Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts, although the Friars, in their unedited formats, could get a bit m, ore, well, adult. Joseph Campanella turns in a "powerful" performance as a heroin addict on Ironside (Thursday, 8:30 p.m., NBC), with Ironside trying to nurse his old friend through withrdawal when the men are isolated in a mountain cabin by a heavy snowfall. Also on Thursday, it's the network premiere of the movie Butterfield 8 (9:00 p.m., CBS), which won Elizabeth Taylor her 1960 Best Actress Oscar. It's a movie with "a certain nostalgia for those interested n our changing mores" according to Judith Crist, who added that when it was made it was considered a "lingerie meller."
l l l
This week's cover story is a profile of Michael Constantine, the beleagered principal Seymour Kaufman on ABC's Room 222, and a man with no illusions about his fame within the Greek community, a community which includes such luminaries as Telly Savalas, Christopher George, George Maharis, and Melina Mercouri. "Greek people couldn't care less what kind of parts I play," Constantine says. "All they care about is that they can look at our show and bask in the refledtion of a good Greek face on the screen."
He's proud of his Greek upbringing, having grown up in a home where everyone spoke Greek and he didn't speak a word of English until he was seven. (He can still read and write in the language.) Although he loved being Greek, he hated being patronized for being different. He still hates it, but he doesn't let it define him; "Nobody makes me feel inferior without my permission," he recalls hearing and old black woman say. "And that's how I feel."Constantine honed his acting chops in New York, working in off-Broadway shows and the occasional TV drama, but found Hollywood more profitable. "I"d fly out to do an Untouchables or a Fugitive and they'd pay me twice as much as I got in New York doing Defenders or Naked City. 'What am I doing in New York?' I finally asked myself. 'What am I proving, how artsy-craftsy I am?' The next time I went to Hollywood I stayed, and nothing wil get me back." There are other benefits to working on the West Coast as well; "An actor in New York is treated like contemptible dirt—humiliated by receptionists, made to feel worthless by producers, made to feel desperately grateful for crumbs. Contrary to legend, in Hollywood they treat actors like human beings."
So Michael Constantine is living the good life, with his wife and two children. When he's not on Room 222, he's at Theater East, an L.A. workshop for actors. He studies photography, reads, and enjoys the sun. His colleagues love him; "The show spins around him," says producer Gene Reynolds, "and he holds it all together." Co-stars Lloyd Haynes and Denise Nicholas are great admirers. And every once in a while, he gets to head back to his home town of Reading, Pennsylvania, where he found himself invited to a Greek wedding. "I sang, I danced, I had a ball," he says. "It was sublimely, soul-nourishingly Greek."
l l l
MST3K alert: San Francisco International (Made-for-TV, 1970) This TV-movie, filmed on location, previews one part of the new "Four in One" series. Like the movies "Airport" and "The V.I.P.s," this behind-the scenes airport drama is jam-packed with plot angles: a plan to rob $3,000,000; a kidnapping; a marriage near collapse. Pernell Roberts, Clu Gulager, Tab Hunter. (Tuesday, 9:00 p.m., NBC) It isn't often that we see a riffed movie during its network run, but this effort deserves it. And while Pernell Roberts is the putative star of this pilot, he'll be replaced by Lloyd Bridges when the series begins. Including tonight's movie, there are seven episodes in total, beginning at the end of October. According to Wikipedia, the MST3K airing "rescued" the movie from obscurity. A double-edged sword, if you ask me. TV
September 22, 2023
Around the dial
Let's start this week at bare-bones e-zine, where Jack welcomes a new writer to the Hitchcock Project. It's Dick Carr, author of the first season episode "
The Big Switch
," a story of gunfighters and possibly divine intervention, with a stirling cast including Gene Barry, Darren McGavin, and Ellen Corby.At Classic Film & TV Cafe, Rick applies his "Seven Things to Know" talent to Zorro , the late-1950s Walt Disney-produced series for ABC, starring Guy Williams as the famed masked crimefighter. Did you know that Annette was a big fan of Zorro and appeared on four episodes?
The Secret Sanctum of Captain Video goes the graphic route, with this Kung Fu story " The Rising Storm ." Excellent artwork in this adaptation, which reminds me that I really should go back and watch this series again at some point.
Roger takes on the 1995 Columbo episode " Strange Bedfellows " over at The View from the Junkyard. Reading the description, the story didn't sound familiar, and I've got the Columbo boxed set. It made sense when I saw the 1995 date; we skipped most of the movies, which failed to live up to the standards of the original series. As for this episode? Sounds like we made the right choice.
A couple of anniversary recognitions from Terence at A Shroud of Thoughts. First, it's the 60th anniversary of The Fugitive , one of the great TV shows of all time. Next, it's 60 years for The Patty Duke Show , the series that made "identical cousins" a thing, even though the odds on that happening are something like a billion to one. (Like so much else, you can actually look it up online!)
At The Hits Just Keep On Comin', JB posts some random thoughts, including a review of what sounds like an interesting book, TV Snapshots: An Archive of Everyday Life, by Lynn Spigel. (Embedded is a link to another interesting piece, this one by Drew Magary, on the meaning a television set can have .)
David raises an interesting question at Comfort TV: what does it mean when we say a television character has "integrity"? Some interesting examples follow; I always enjoy it when someone measures television charactes as if they were actual people, and David does a very good job of it. Good comments here as well.
At Cult TV Blog, John wraps up (for now) his excellent series on The X-Files and the American Dream , and comes to some conclusions. You'll want to make sure to catch up on the latest entries from the past week, Thought-provoking as always. TV
September 20, 2023
Leftovers from the Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Convention
When I made my
original on-site report
from the Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Convention a couple of weeks ago, it was Friday morning, meaning there were still two more days to come. As I mentioned, we had an absolutely great time on Thursday, and if we'd left then, it would have been one of our greatest vacations ever. Having driven nine hours to get there, however, we were going to make sure we got our money's worth, and in fact there was still a lot more fun to come. Herewith a report on some of the things we did during the last two days, not only to gloat about what a great time we had, but to show you all what kind of an experience MANC is, in hopes that you'll be encouraged to become a regular attendee as well.At the time of my Friday post, I mentioned that we were off to a What's My Line? recreation, and that was great fun (as John Daly would have put it). Martin Grams played the role of John (and I'm so jealous), while three volunteers from the convention served as the panel, and the guests were ordinary people with regular occupations that the panel had to guess. (There were some great questions, by the way; these people were clearly familiar with how the show worked.) Filling the role of Mystery Guest: two of the cosplayers who wandered the corridors of the convention all weekend, "Commando Cody" and "Jake Blues." Martin says they'll be reprising this next year, and I'm looking forward to it.
Friday evening was highlighted by an interview featuring Hal Linden and Max Gail from Barney Miller, and Tim Matheson, from many shows and movies. It was a charming hour, with the three guests sharing stories and insights from their years in the business, and answering questions from the audience. It was particularly fun watching Matheson, who, when he wasn't answering questions, was watching Linden and Gail and taking it in as if he was in the audience with the rest of us. Three great raconteurs, especially Linden, who at age 92 has neither missed a step nor forgotten a story. You'll remember that I mentioned how nice each of them was when we met them in the autograph line; they were just as nice in this appearance. You can see a video of the interview here .
After that, in the movie room, it was a showing of the 1957 Playhouse 90 drama "A Sound of Different Drummers," which was never repeated on television, and has seldom been seen anywhere since then, It was a terrific opportunity for me to do some first-hand research, as you'll be reading a "Descent into Hell" essay on "A Sound of Different Drummers" in the next couple of weeks, and I'll leave it at that. That was followed by the 1970 Hawaii Five-O episode "Bored, She Hung Herself," another controversial episode that was never reaired, nor included in the syndication package or Five-O boxed set, because some fool accidentally hanged himself after trying to copy a move from the episode. I wouldn't put it in the upper tier of Five-O episodes, but neither would I ban it from being reshown, and since I'm something of a completist when it comes to series television, I'm glad we were able to see it. That's one of the great things about MANC; it isn't limited to meeting celebrities, but includes seminars, special showings such as these, and vendors. Something for everyone.
Nostalgia isn't limited only to television and movies, of course. My friend David Krell is a fan of both classic television and classic baseball, which helps explain why we're friends. On Saturday morning he gave a talk on primetime television in the 1960s, which included a tough 50-question trivia quiz on various aspects of '60s TV, made all the tougher because it was a multiple-choice quiz in which "all the possible answers are plausible, but only one is correct." Modesty prevents me from identifying the winner of the quiz, but I am saving my answer sheet for posterity. At a previous convention I'd purchased his book "Our Bums": The Brooklyn Dodgers in History, Memory and Popular Culture, and this year I picked up two of his new books, 1962: Baseball and America in the Time of JFK , and Do You Believe in Magic? Baseball and America in the Groundbreaking Year of 1966, and I'm looking forward to reading both of them. I also purchased Veeck as in Wreck , the autobiography of baseball visionary Bill Veeck, for two bucks at a used book table; I've been wanting to read this for years. (The magazine is a publication of the Society for American Baseball Research, in which David has an article; it was given out as a prize for the trivia quiz, which, again, is all I'll say regarding the winner of the quiz.)
I also got a few minutes to chat with fellow author Garry Berman , who confessed that, like me, he always worries that a question-and-answer segment will expose him as a poseur. After we left, my wife asked me if we were all like that, since I'm always expressing the same apprehensions, almost word-for-word, as Garry. I suspect that at some level we all think we're just playing at this, and I'm not sure I'd want it to be any other way; I'd hate to be one of those snooty academics who's so cocksure about everything and talks down from the Ivory Tower. Anyway, Garry has nothing to worry about—yours truly, on the other hand, has every reason to be afraid.
We wound up getting some classic TV boxed sets at ridiculously good prices, including The Lawless Years, starring James Gregory (who's also a recurring actor in Barney Miller), a progenitor to The Untouchables, for $8. You can't beat that. The Loner, created by Rod Serling and starring Lloyd Bridges, is a philosophical Western that CBS didn't really allow to bloom; Serling found it a typically frustrating experience, but it's well worth watching. Arrest and Trial was a failed experiment on the part of ABC, a 90-minute drama with Ben Gazzara as a police detective making the arrest in the first half of the story, and Chuck Connors as the defense attorney trying to get the suspect off in the second half. It's an interesting concept and features some terrific actors, so I wasn't afraid to buy it at that price. And then there's Nichols, the one-season Western from James Garner that's part-Maverick, part-Rockford Files, and one of the few shows that I actually remember having watched back in the day.
There were other things we'd have liked to have seen or done while we were there, but just as it was impossible in the era of classic television to watch two shows at once, it was impossible to be in two places at once. I think we made the right choices, but I can't imagine that any choice would have been wrong. As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, it was such a nice experience being around people who shared your interests, understood what you were talking about (instead of starring at you with blank expressions), and looking for nothing more than having a good time. We'll be back next year, God willing, and I hope we'll see some of you there! TV
September 18, 2023
What's on TV? Friday, September 23, 1955
We looked at that big Park Forest event on Saturday, and I'm not sure anything else is going to compare to that today. You may have noticed, however, if you're an observant viewer of these Chicagoland editions, that we have a new station in the lineup: WTTW, the educational station. It began a two-days-a-week test schedule on Monday, with programs being broadcast between 4:00 and 10:00 p.m. every Monday and Friday while its permanent studio is being constructed. They're expecting to go to a full 30-hours-per-week schedule in the fall. So you can't say these little news items aren't educational. -2- WBBM (CBS) MORNING 6:40 Today’s Thoughts 6:45 Farm Daily—Menard 7:00 The Morning Show—Variety (Five minutes of local news at 7:25, 7:55, 8:25, 8:55 A.M.) 9:00 Garry Moore—Variety 10:30 Strike It Rich—Quiz 11:00 Valiant Lady—Serial 11:15 Love Of Life—Serial 11:30 Search For Tomorrow 11:45 Guiding Light—Serial AFTERNOON 12:00 Luncheon with Bill 12:30 Welcome Travelers 1:00 Robert Q. Lewis—Variety 1:30 Linkletter’s House Party 2:00 Big Payoff—Quiz 2:30 Bob Crosby—Music 3:00 Brighter Day—Serial 3:15 Secret Storm—Serial 3:30 On Your Account—Quiz 4:00 The Early Show—Drama 4:30 Shopping with Miss Lee 5:00 Range Riders—Western 5:30 Gene Autry—Western EVENING 6:00 SPORTS—Bob Elson 6:15 NEWS—Julian Bentley 6:30 News—Douglas Edwards 6:45 Eye on Chicago—News 7:00 PANTOMIME QUIZ 7:30 TOPPER—Comedy 8:00 PLAYHOUSE OF STARS “The Quitter” 8:30 RAY MILLAND SHOW 9:00 UNDERCURRENT—Drama ”No Great Hero” 9:30 PERSON TO PERSON Guests: Leonard Bernstein and Felicia Montealegre; Jessie Owens 10:00 NEWS, WEATHER, SPORTS 10:15 IN TOWN TONIGHT 10:30 NEWS—John Harrington 10:45 KUP’S SHOW—Irv Kupcinet 11:00 The Howard Miller Show 1:00 Playhouse—Drama
-4- WTMJ (MILWAUKEE) (NBC) MORNING 8:00 Today—Dave Garroway Today in Milwaukee at 8:25, 8:55 A.M. 9:00 Ding Dong School—Kids 9:30 Hollywood Backstage 10:00 Home—Women’s News COLOR 11:00 Tennessee Ernie Ford 11:30 Feather Your Nest AFTERNOON 12:00 What’s New In The Kitchen 12:45 Let’s Look At The News 1:00 Hot Shot Review—Music 1:30 Bob Heiss—Interviews 1:55 Weather—Bill Carlsen 2:00 Ted Mack—Variety 2:30 It Pays to Be Married 3:00 Way of the World—Serial 3:15 First Love—Serial 3:30 World of Mr. Sweeney 3:45 Modern Romances 4:00 Beulah Donohue—Women 4:30 Howdy Doody—Puppets COLOR 5:00 Cartoon Carnival—Kids 5:30 Foreman Tom—Western EVENING 6:00 SPORTS—Larry Clark 6:15 NEWS—Bob Kelly 6:25 Weather—Bill Carlsen 6:30 Eddie Fisher—Songs 6:45 News—John Cameron Swayze 7:00 MIDWESTERN HAYRIDE 7:30 BIG STORY—Drama 8:00 MAN BEHIND THE BADGE 8:30 STAR STAGE—Drama “On Trial” 9:00 BOXING—Cleveland Rocky Castellani vs. Ralph “Tiger” Jones 9:30 JUNGLE MACABRE 9:45 GADABOUT GADDIS 10:00 PATTI PAGE—Songs 10:15 LET’S LOOK A THE NEWS 10:25 WEATHER—Bill Carlsen 10:30 SCIENCE FICTION THEATER 11:00 Tonight—Steve Allen 12:00 MOVIE—Mystery 1:30 NEWS 1:35 MOVIE—To Be Announced
-5- WNBQ (NBC) MORNING 6:45 Everett Mitchell—Talks 7:00 Today—News, Interviews (Five minutes of local news with Len O’Connor at 7:25, 7:55, 8:25, 8:55 A.M.) 9:00 Ding Dong School—Kids 9:30 Hollywood Backstage 10:00 Home—Women’s News COLOR 11:00 Tennessee Ernie Ford 11:30 Feather Your Nest AFTERNOON 12:00 Noontime Comics—Kids 12:30 Cartoonland—Ken Bowers 12:45 Bob & Kay with Doucette 2:00 Ted Mack—Variety 2:30 It Pays to Be Married 3:00 Way of the World—Serial 3:15 First Love—Serial 3:30 World of Mr. Sweeney 3:45 Modern Romances 4:00 Pinky Lee—Comedy, Games 4:30 Howdy Doody—Puppets COLOR 5:00 Elmer The Elephant—Kids 5:35 Adults Only—Variety Five minutes of sports with Joe Wilson at 5:45, five minutes of weather news with Clint Youle at 6 P.M. and five minutes of news with Jack Angell at 6:05 EVENING 6:25 Les Paul and Mary Ford 6:30 Eddie Fisher—Songs 6:45 News—John Cameron Swayze 7:00 MIDWESTERN HAYRIDE 7:30 WALT’S WORKSHOP—Crafts 8:00 BIG STORY—Drama 8:30 STAR STAGE—Drama “On Trial” 9:00 BOXING—Cleveland Rocky Castellani vs. Ralph “Tiger” Jones 9:45 SPORTS—Red Barber 10:00 WEATHER—Clint Youle 10:10 DORSEY CONNORS—Ideas 10:15 NEWS—Jack Angell 10:25 SPORTS—Norm Barry 10:30 PATTI PAGE—Songs 10:45 AMES BROTHERS—Music 11:00 Tonight—Steve Allen 12:00 MOVIE—Western “Sudden Death”
-7- WBKB (ABC) MORNING 7:00 Chicago Parade—Variety 8:55 News—Ulmer Turner 9:00 Time for Uncle Win—Kids 9:30 Play House—Kids 10:00 Hollywood Playhouse 11:00 Creative Cookery—Recipes 11:55 NEWS & WEATHER—Turner AFTERNOON 12:00 Happy Pirates—Kids Fun 12:55 NEWS & WEATHER—Turner 1:00 Tom Duggan—Variety 1:55 NEWS & WEATHER—Turner 2:00 Mid-day Matinee—Drama (1) “One Thing Leads to Another (2) Yesterday’s Newsreel (3) “The Vicker’s Vacation” 3:30 The Doctor Answers—Talk 3:45 The Smile Club—Dental 4:00 Crazy Acres—Kids 4:30 Little Rascals—Comedy 5:00 Five O’Clock Theater “Loophole” 5:30 SPORTS—Jack Drees 5:45 NEWS—Paul Harvey EVENING 6:00 Kukla, Fran and Ollie 6:15 News—John Daly 6:30 Rin Tin Tin—Drama 7:00 OZZIE AND HARRIET RETURN 7:30 TREASURY MEN IN ACTION 8:00 DOLLAR A SECOND—Quiz 8:30 THE VISE—Melodrama “Side Entrance” 9:00 MR. DISTRICT ATTORNEY 9:30 MR. DISTRICT ATTORNEY 10:00 COURTESY HOUR—Variety 11:00 Norman Ross Presents 11:10 Tom Duggan—Comments 12:00 Theater—Double Feature (1) “Polly” (2) “Solitaire”
-9- WGN (Du Mont) MORNING 9:30 Paul Fogarty—Exercises 10:00 Hi Ladies—Mike Douglas 10:55 News—Steve Fentress 11:00 The Romper Room—Kids 11:55 News—Steve Fentress AFTERNOON 12:00 Lunchtime Little Theater 12:45 All About Baby—Tips 1:00 MOVIE—Drama “Cry Murder” (1950) 3:00 TV GUIDE Jamboree SPECIAL 4:00 Bandstand Matinee—Music 5:05 NEWS—Les Monypenny 5:10 Bandstand Matinee—Music 5:30 Garfield Goose and Friend EVENING 6:00 Curbside Cut-up—Simon 6:15 SPORTS—Vince Lloyd 6:30 NEWS—Spencer Allen 6:45 Chicagoland Newsreel 7:00 MOVIE—Western “Guns and Guitars” (Chicago TV Debut) 8:00 BROADWAY STAR THEATER DEBUT “Second Elopement” 8:30 THE WORLD IS YOURS 9:00 POLICE CALL—Drama 9:30 CITY DETECTIVE—Drama 10:00 MOVIE—Drama “The Sullivans” 11:30 NEWS—Les Nichols
11 WTTW (Educational) AFTERNOON 4:15 Mr. Murgle’s Musee 4:30 The Children’s Corner 5:00 Test Pattern EVENING 6:00 Test Pattern 7:00 FRONTIERS OF THE SEA 7:15 TO BE ANNOUNCED 7:30 THE AMERICAN COWBOY 8:00 WITH A VIEW TO MUSIC 8:30 BEFORE THERE WAS A USA 9:00 THROUGH THE WINDOW 9:30 CHANNEL 11 SHOWCASE
TV
September 16, 2023
This week in TV Guide: September 17, 1955
Let's start the week off right with a look at two legends and their relationship to TV, beginning with Judy Garland and her television debut on next Saturday's 90-minute Ford Star Jubilee. It will be telecast live and in color (on the East Coast, anyway), with special guest David Wayne, playing the Fred Astaire role in a song from Easter Parade.
Garland is only 33 and without the gaunt look that we'd see a decade later—in fact, don't you think she looks like daughter Liza in the picture on that album cover below? And even though she cancelled the remainder of her national tour in order to do the special, she's nervous all the same. "I’ll probably come out on the stage, take one look at those three-eyed TV monsters and faint dead away," she says. "And then where am I going to find another medium to make my comeback?"
Still, it's a time of excitement, and she's not going to worry about it. "I’ll just work my head off, get good and sick 30 minutes before air time, and by Sunday morning we’ll know whether or not I’ve laid an egg." The writer is confident that she won't. And I don't think she did, either; included in the show is the only video performance of "Over the Rainbow" while wearing the famous tramp outfit that she so often wore in concert. As a matter of fact, you can see most of the show
here
and decide for yourself. As I frequently say, we're fortunate we have this much of our television history still intact.l l l
From one legend to another: Frank Sinatra says he has no interest in doing television on a regular basis—it's "too tough," he says—but the networks keep coming after him, and he's not above doing the occasional special, such as this Monday's now-famous Producers' Showcase presentation of Thornton Wilder's "Our Town" (7:00 p.m. CT, NBC) in which Sinatra plays the Stage Manager and introduces the song "Love and Marriage."* The cast includes Paul Newman and Eva Marie Saint, the two teenagers at the heart of the story, plus Shelley Fabares and well-known character actors Paul Hartman, Ernest Truex, Sylvia Field, and Peg Hillias.
*It's also the first of a long collaboration between songwritesr Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen.
But back to The Chairman; he's happy with "Our Town" ("a great script"), but he says he doesn't have any TV plans for the future. "I like movies better," he tells Dan Jenkins, although he makes fun of an early effort, 1948's The Miracle of the Bells, now popular on The Late, Late Show, in which he plays a priest, "walking through the role with all the grace and animation of a wooden Indian" according to Jenkins ("Pretty awful, wasn't it?" Sinatra acknowledges.) A man can afford to do that when he has an Academy Award on the mantlepiece, which Sinatra won five years later for From Here to Eternity. "Takes a guy that long to learn how to act," he says. "You gotta keep watching all the other guys and pretty soon you absorb enough of it or it just rubs off on you or something. Anyway, you learn." He learns pretty good; later in the year he'll star in The Man with the Golden Arm, for which he'll receive another Oscar nomination the following year. And despite his protestations to the contrary, he's got one more TV series up his sleeve, a
1957 effort for ABC
that was to combine dramatic efforts with occasional music specials.That series fails (as did an earlier CBS effort in 1950), but no matter; he remains a powerhouse in records and movies, and his frequent singing specials are always ratings hits. This must be our lucky week, though; "Our Town" is available on YouTube as well, and you can see it here .
l l l
Another week, another story about CBS's struggle to field a competitive morning show to go against Today. It seems as if this has been the case ever since television started, but that's an exaggeration; it's only been several decades. Anyway, we've already seen Walter Cronkite and Jack Paar try, and fail, to make a dent in NBC's dominance of the two-hour timeslot, but according to the New York TV Teletype, the network has a radical new idea: "Bill Leonard, local New York CBS commentator, will do feature stories; Charles Collingwood will continue with the news, and Bob Keeshan, original 'Clarabell' on Howdy Doody, will do a kid show, Captain Kangaroo."Now, isn't that something? CBS does, in fact, cut The Morning Show down to an hour, and giving the second hour to The Captain. Paar actually stays with the show until the following year, when CBS moves him to a late-morning program of his own. Paar's replaced by Will Rogers, Jr.; that format lasts 14 months before Rogers is replaced in turn by country singer Jimmy Dean; that show runs for 45 minutes, with a 15-minute morning news program leading into Captain Kangaroo; the whole shebang lasts another nine months, after which CBS gives up altogether until The CBS Morning News debuts in 1963.
Meanwhile, Captain Kangaroo continues weekdays until 1982, when it's moved to the weekend in order to make room for an expanded CBS Morning News, hosted by Bill Kurtis and Diane Sawyer, which actually worked for while—before failing again.
l l l
Let's stay with the industry news for a bit longer. Dan Jenkins takes a not-so-fond look back at the summer season just ended; "If 'good riddance' is too strong a term, and it probably is, let it be said that it was a 'normal' summer. As such, it in no way measured up to the exciting promises voiced by the networks." Only one program, The $64,000 Question, emerged from the season to become a hit, and while Jenkins questions its cultural value, rest assured that it's going to become a symbol of television culture—cough, scandal—before long.
Johnny Carson debuted his variety program on CBS*; the "bright young comic" is still in the launching stage, but when he takes off, it'll be quite a flight. Julius La Rosa, standing in for Perry Como, was "pleasant, if not inspiring." His old boss, Arthur Godfrey, turned the reins over to Frankie Laine, "who poses no immediate threat." Many of the "spectaculars" promised for the summer were less than special, including "One Touch of Venus," which I mentioned just
a few weeks ago
. Jenkins wastes fewer words than I did in describing it; it was "a bore." *You can find this on DVD, and while I think the makers would like you to mistake this for The Tonight Show, it's worth it anyway, to see his legendary career in its embryonic stage.
I don't want to give the impression that everything was bad, though. Jenkins liked Ethel and Albert, the Peg Lynch-created crossover from radio, writing that it was "one of the few intelligently written husband-and-wife situation comedies extant and should be jealously preserved for the benefit of the American sanity." He also liked The Dunninger Show, starring the famed mentalist (you can read about the TV Guide profile here ), calling him a pheonmenon, and adding that "there aren't many phenomenons on TV." Then or now, if you ask me. And the anthologies that continued throughout the summer, such as Studio One, were satisfying.
All in all, says Jenkins, good television "is somewhat akin to the weather. Everybody talks about it, nobody does anything about it—yet occasionally, as though all by itself, along comes that rare day in June. It’s the waiting that can kill you."
l l l
John Cameron Swayze, anchor of NBC's Camel News Caravan, is the latest to weigh in on the effect television has on children, and surprise: he believes they'll profit from it.
While acknowledging that "a few programs are not what they should be," Swayze points out that "our youngsters' TV experiences are in no way limited to specifically designed 'children's programs,' either good or bad; their interest isn't limited to programs tailor-made for their particular age group." Because of its visual impact and sense of immediacy, "televisison has captured the child's imagination and boosted interst in areas of thought and activity often considered outside his own sphere." In support of his contention, Swayze points to his own experience with News Caravan; more than 35 percent of the mail he gets is from children between six and 16, a "tremendous response" from a demographic that's not the target market. In one week, he received letters from an entire New Jersey elementary class commenting on world problems; had a letter from a 14-year-old in Arkansas asking about use of the H-bomb for defense; heard from a 15-year-old with her views on the power struggle in the Kremlin; and had a 10-year-old write asking for ideas on the president's foreign policy." Many colleagues, he reports, have received similar kinds of mail from young viewers; among other things, he concludes, "we parents are slow to realize how much youngsters are interested in what’s going on in the world beyond their own particular family and school realm."
The lesson, he says, is that parents should "take advantage of this painless, entertaining 'schoolroom,' i.e., the TV set," and understand that children "are quite capable of interest in good adult programming." It's not enough to make sure they see they monitor children's programs; "a little effort should be put to surveying personally the type and quality of the many TV programs available and scanning daily schedules for shows overlooked that could spark their child’s interest." It might surprise them, as it surprised Swayze, to find out "they have been selling young folks a bit short when it comes to enjoying and profiting from the better type of so-called grown-up TV fare."
l l l
We'll wrap things up for the week with a look at more programming highlights, beginning with the debut of Perry Como's one-hour primetime show (Saturday, 7:00 p.m., NBC). Perry's guests are an all-star lineup including Frankie Laine, Rosemary Clooney, Marion Lorne, Leo DeLyon, and Dave Barry. Como had hosted the three-times-weekly Chesterfield Supper Club since 1948, and his hour-long show is an instant hit, becoming the Kraft Music Hall in 1959, and remaining on the air until 1963, when Como decides to cut back to several specials per year.
On Sunday, it's the premiere of Famous Film Festival (6:30 p.m., ABC), notable for being the first primetime movie series on network television, featuring nearly three dozen recent movies from Britain. Tonight's premiere is Carol Reed's grim 1947 thriller Odd Man Out, starring James Mason in one of his greatest performances, supported by Robert Newton and Kathleen Ryan. If you're looking for something a little more lighthearted, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis are back to kick off the new season of the Colgate Variety Hour. (7:00 p.m., NBC) Included in tonight's features a satire on the recent differences of opinion between the two stars; Less than a year later, the partnership is dissolved. I wonder if the "differences" referred to here are what precipitated the break, or if it's something else. They're going up against Ed Sullivan's Toast of the Town (7:00 p.m., CBS), tonight spotlighting the U.S. Navy's World Wide Talent Contest, with the finalists coming from all over the world. Julius La Rosa and the Marquis Chimps are also part of the fun. Besides "Our Town," Monday also features opera star Roberta Peters on Voice of Firestone (7:30 p.m., ABC), where in addition to the classics, she sings pieces by Noel Coward and Richard Rodgers. And later, on WTMJ in Milwaukee, Orson Welles' brings film noir to Shakespeare in his 1948 black-and-white adaptation of Macbeth, with Jeanette Nolan in her film debut as the murderous Lady Macbeth. (Midnight)
A pair of premieres are on tap for Tuesday, starting with Cheyenne (6:30 p.m., ABC), one of the three rotating elements of Warner Brothers Presents, and the only one to survive to a second season. Cheyenne is not only the first hour-long Western, it's the first hour-long show with continuing characters to survive beyond one season. Meantime, at 7:30 p.m. on CBS it's the inaugural episode of You'll Never Get Rich, later to be known as The Phil Silvers Show, starring Silvers in his most famous role as Master Sergeant Ernie Bilko.
Wednesday, Arthur Godfrey and Friends begins the night for CBS (7:00 p.m.), which leads us to one of the week's cover stories, part two of Godfrey's feud with the press. The star himself shrugs off any significance to what's written about him; "I learned a long time ago to read as little as possible about myself," he told one interviewer. "First they build you up; then they tear you down." And such is the case with Godfrey; for years he enjoyed laudatory writeups from the press, but the tide began to turn with the firing of Julius La Rosa, when his role suddenly switched "from hero to villain, from crusader to bully." Says Ben Gross of the New York Daily News, "to see the Great Man requires the eating of more humble pie than trying to interview the Queen of England. He is the master of the brush-off, with a generally contemptuous manner toward newspapermen." Godfrey's vow to even the score in his upcoming autobiography doesn't help things any, and despite his best efforts he never regains the popularity he once enjoyed.Thursday belongs to guest stars, with Nina Foch and Vincent Price starring on Climax! (7:30 p.m., CBS); naturally, Price is the heavy, and meets an untimely ending. Ida Lupino, one of the four stars of Four Star Playhouse, stars in "With All My Heart" (8:30 p.m., CBS), while Brian Donlevy and Bobby Van are the leads in "The Policy of Joe Aladdin" on Ford Theatre (8:30 p.m., NBC) And WTMJ's midnight movie is The Lie, with Lee Bowman as a man who wakes up to find a dead body in his room. How many times has this happened to you?
Throughout the week, the merchants of the modern Park Forest Plaza in Park Forest, Illinois ("60 modern stories! Parking for 3500 cars!") have been celebrating the "Park Forest-TV Guide Jamboree," and Friday features a musical-variety hour with local celebrities, headlined by a non-local celebrity: Sammy Davis Jr., who also crowns the queen of the festival. (3:00 p.m., WGN) In case you were curious, the
Park Forest Plaza
is no more, but it's not a victim of the recent downturn in retail malls; it came to an end in 1996. Later, on Edward R. Murrow's Person to Person (9:30 p.m., CBS), it's a great doubleheader: first Ed interviews conductor and composer Leonard Bernstein and his wife, Felicia Montealegre; then his guest is Olympic legend Jesse Owens. Not a bad way to end the week, right? TV
September 15, 2023
Around the dial
Well, we're back this week after
last week's special report
from—where was I again? Oh yeah, the Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Convention. (By the way, I'll have a final entry on that next Wednesday.) As is always the case when this feature takes a week off, we've got a full batch of links, so let's get right to it!We'll start off with my latest appearance on the Dan Schneider Video Interview. This week, we look at the history of special event news coverage, from the death of Stalin to the Gulf War. There's a lot more to this than you might think, and I'd be interested to see what you all think. You can see the entire episode here .
John takes another break from his excellent series at Cult TV Blog on The X-Files and the American Dream for a look at The Avengers, and the early episode " Box of Tricks ," a rare Steed-Venus Smith story. I like it not only because he mentions yours truly (thanks, John!) but because he goes deeper into an episode which has received valid criticism but still entertains.
At Classic Film & TV Café, Rick reviews the 1964 version of Ernest Hemingway's short story The Killers , starring Lee Marvin and Clu Gulager. Most of you probably know it was originally slated to be the first TV movie, but wound up in the theaters due to its violence; like Rick, I quite like this movie. He also reviews Tenebrae, Dario Argent's 1982 giallo thriller, which might be worth a look.
The latest entry in the Hitchcock Project is Allan Gordon's " The Man Who Found the Money ," from Hitchcock season six. Jack takes a deep look at this very nasty episode, starring Arthur Hill and Rod Cameron, at bare-bones e-zine.
Much of the appeal to classic television lies in its uncanny ability to revive happy memories of the past, and David demonstrates this at Comfort TV with his fond review of the superb PBS children's show The Electric Company , featuring Bill Cosby, Rita Moreno, Morgan Freeman, and Irene Cara. It's proof that educational television doesn't have to be boring at the same time.
Cult TV Lounge pulls up a blast from the past—an episode of the 1950-51 Dick Tracy TV series , included as a bonus in the box set of Dick Tracy serials. It's an excellent look at the challenges involved in doing a half-hour drama series, and how the writers have to really know what they're doing.
Collider has an interesting article on how the excellent neo-noir movie Experiment in Terror may have influenced David Lynch , especially in the making of Twin Peaks and Blue Velvet. Now, the article doesn't actually quote Lynch as acknowledging this, though I wouldn't doubt it; still, I'm in a kind of prove-it mindset. Nevertheless, it seems hard to refute!
Not long ago, I posted a review of the 1970s miniseries Captains and the Kings, looking primarily at the striking coincidences between the story's Armagh family and the real-life Kennedys, and author Taylor Caldwell's political message. If you're interested in the ins and outs of the series itself, Paul has an excellent extended look at Drunk TV.
At Travalanche, it's a nostalgic look back at the Labor Day tradition that was the Jerry Lewis Telethon, an annual tradition for so many of us around here. Labor Day just isn't the same anymore, sad to say, but that doesn't make it unique.
A View from the Junkyard takes a look at what must be one of the most famous non-cartoonish animated shows, Star Trek: The Animated Series. It really was quite something at the time: a cancelled primetime show making a comback as a Saturday-morning show, feauring the voices of the original cast members; as Mike says, it's essentially season four of the series.
At A Shroud of Thoughts, Terence dips way back into the memory files for NBC Follies , the network's 1973 attempt to revive the variety show genre. The fact that NBC Follies is, as Terence says, "largely forgotten except by television historians and fans of Sammy Davis Jr. and Mickey Rooney," tells you what you need to know about its success. Of course, since he's describing me, I had to link to it. TV
September 13, 2023
NBC Week, 1965
Here's something I thought might be a fun follow-up to Saturday's 1965-66 Fall Preview edition of TV Guide. It's an eight-page insert from that issue, advertising NBC's new fall lineup, which premieres during NBC Week, September 12 through 19. For those of you who don't remember, the networks used to roll out their fall lineups over the course of a week-long extravaganza. You'd get your first glimpse at new shows, the return of old favorites, and probably some blockbuster movies along the way. It was a great way to do business, and NBC Week ("NBC: The Full Color Network!") was one of the best of the promotions.
The illustrations in this advertisement are by the legendary MAD magazine artist Jack Davis, and they appeared in the program section in individual ads for each night as well as in this section. I think you'll enjoy it!
As an added bonus, here is a half-hour special promoting NBC's new season, hosted by Don Adams, star of the new series Get Smart!. Will it be a hit? We'll see! TV
September 11, 2023
What's on TV? Wednesday, September 15, 1965
Art Linkletter's guest on House Party, "physical culturist" Verne Gagne, was better known to me (and millions in the Midwest) as the American Wrestling Association's world heavyweight wrestling champion, and one of the great "good guys" in wrestling history. He was a native of Minnesota, having played college football at the U of M (where he was all-Big Ten), before turning to wrestling, and was a dynamic personality on television. He was an old-school wrestler; there was nothing flamboyant about him, no outrageous costume or over-the-top persona—just good, clean wrestling (his submission hold was "The Sleeper") and a warmth that endeared him to fans. According to the always-reliable Wikipedia, he's one of only seven men inducted into each of the WWE, WCW and Professional Wrestling halls of fame. Too bad this issue isn't from Minneapolis-St. Paul; the programs come from the Northern California edition.-2- KTVU (BAY AREA) (IND.) Morning 9:50 RELIGION TODAY—Protestant 10:00 NEWS—Walt Harris 10:30 JACK LA LANNE—Exercise 11:00 ROMPER ROOM—Children Afternoon 12:00 TV HOUR OF STARS—Drama “I Passed by Your Window” 1:00 I WANT TO KNOW—Mel Venter 1:30 MOVIE—Drama “Moontide” (1942) 2:55 NEWS 3:00 CAPTAIN SATELLITE—Children 4:30 LLOYD THAXTON—Music Guest: Ken Coleman 5:30 MICKEY MOUSE CLUB Evening 6:00 MAGILLA GORILLA—Cartoons 6:30 HUCKLEBERRY HOUND 7:00 LITTLEST HOBO—Adventure 7:30 SURVIVAL!—Documentary 8:00 EAST SIDE/WEST SIDE—Drama 9:00 THRILLER—Mystery 10:00 NEWS—Helmso, Jacobs, Mann 10:30 BEST OF GROUCHO—Quiz 11:00 MOVIE—Musical COLOR “Neptune’s Daughter” (1949)
-3- KCRA (SACRAMENTO) (NBC) Morning 5:55 FARM NEWS 6:00 RHYME AND REASON 7:00 TODAY COLOR Guests: Richard Whalen, Sheldon Leonard, Ralph Schoenstein. Guest host: Douglas Fairbanks 9:00 TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES—Game COLOR 9:30 WHAT’S THIS SONG?—Game COLOR Celebrities: Robert Q. Lewis, Pat Carroll 9:55 NEWS 10:00 CONCENTRATION 10:30 JEOPARDY COLOR 11:00 CALL MY BLUFF—Game COLOR Celebrities: Roger Smith, Eileen Farrell 11:30 I’LL BET—Game COLOR Celebrities: Art and Peggy Ann Fleming, Tom and Betty Kennedy 11:55 NEWS—Frank McGee Afternoon 12:00 NEWS 12:25 NEWS 12:30 MOMENT OF TRUTH—Serial 1:00 DOCTORS—Serial 1:30 ANOTHER WORLD—Serial 2:00 YOU DON’T SAY!—Game COLOR Celebrities: Jerry Van Dyke, Jaye P. Morgan 2:30 MOVIE—Drama “Park Row” (1952) 4:00 MOVIE—Adventure Time approximate. “Legion of the Doomed” (1958) Evening 6:00 NEWS—Chet Huntley, David Brinkley 6:30 NEWS 7:30 VIRGINIAN—Western COLOR 9:00 BOB HOPE—Drama COLOR “The Game” 10:00 I SPY—Drama DEBUT COLOR 11:00 NEWS 11:30 JOHNNY CARSON—Variety COLOR Guests: the Four Freshmen 1:00 NEWS
-4- KRON (BAY AREA) (NBC) Morning 5:55 FARM NEWS 6:00 OF MEN AND MOTIVES 6:30 PROFILE—San Diego State 7:00 TODAY COLOR Guests: Richard Whalen, Sheldon Leonard, Ralph Schoenstein. Guest host: Douglas Fairbanks 9:00 TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES—Game COLOR 9:30 WHAT’S THIS SONG?—Game COLOR Celebrities: Robert Q. Lewis, Pat Carroll 9:55 NEWS 10:00 CONCENTRATION 10:30 JEOPARDY COLOR 11:00 CALL MY BLUFF—Game COLOR Celebrities: Roger Smith, Eileen Farrell 11:30 I’LL BET—Game COLOR Celebrities: Art and Peggy Ann Fleming, Tom and Betty Kennedy 11:55 NEWS—Frank McGee Afternoon 12:00 LET’S MAKE A DEAL—Game COLOR 12:25 NEWS 12:30 MOMENT OF TRUTH—Serial 1:00 DOCTORS—Serial 1:30 ANOTHER WORLD—Serial 2:00 YOU DON’T SAY!—Game COLOR Celebrities: Jerry Van Dyke, Jaye P. Morgan 2:30 MATCH GAME COLOR Celebrities: Phyllis Diller, Wally Cox 2:55 NEWS 3:00 ELEVENTH HOUR—Drama 4:00 WHIRLYBRDS—Adventure 4:30 MAYOR ART—Children 5:30 SEA HUNT—Adventure Evening 6:00 NEWS—Chet Huntley, David Brinkley 6:30 NEWS 6:55 SPORTS 7:00 MEN IN CRISIS—Documentary 7:30 VIRGINIAN—Western COLOR 9:00 BOB HOPE—Drama COLOR “The Game” 10:00 I SPY—Drama DEBUT COLOR 11:00 NEWS 11:30 JOHNNY CARSON—Variety COLOR Guests: the Four Freshmen 1:00 NEWS
-5- KPIX (BAY AREA) (CBS) Morning 5:55 SUMMER SEMESTER Civil Rights and Civil Liberties: “The Incomplete Agenda” 6:25 OPERATION ALPHABET 6:30 5 KPIX EDITORIAL 7:00 JACK’S PLACE—Cartoons COLOR 7:30 35 NEWS—Mike Wallace 8:00 CAPTAIN KANGAROO 9:00 I LOVE LUCY—Comedy 9:30 McCOYS—Comedy 10:00 ANDY GRIFFITH 10:30 DICK VAN DYKE—Comedy 11:00 LOVE OF LIFE 11:25 NEWS—Charles Kuralt 11:30 SEARCH FOR TOMORROW—Serial 11:45 GUIDING LIGHT—Serial Afternoon 12:00 NEWS 12:30 AS THE WORLD TURNS—Serial 1:00 PASSWORD—Game Celebrities: the Smothers Brothers 1:30 HOUSE PARTY Guest: Verne Gagne 2:00 TO TELL THE TRUTH—Panel Panelists: Tom Poston, Peggy Cass, Orson Bean, Gretchen Wyler. Host: Bud Collyer 2:25 NEWS—Douglas Edwards 2:30 EDGE OF NIGHT 3:00 SECRET STORM 3:30 WELLS FARGO—Western 4:00 MIKE DOUGLAS—Variety 5:30 TWILIGHT ZONE—Drama Evening 6:00 NEWS 6:30 NEWS—Walter Cronkite 7:00 MARSHAL DILLON—Western 7:30 LOST IN SPACE DEBUT 8:30 BEVERLY HILLBILLIES COLOR 9:00 GREEN ACRES—Comedy DEBUT COLOR 9:30 DICK VAN DYKE—Comedy 10:00 DANNY KAYE RETURN COLOR Guests: Harry Belafonte, Nana Mouskouri 11:00 NEWS 11:20 MERV GRIFFIN—Variety Guests: Sybil Burton, Marchesi Kids, Howard Storm, Richard Pryor, Leslie Fiedler 12:50 MOVIE—Comedy “Madame Racketeer” (1932)
-6- KVIE (SACREMENTO) (EDUC.) Afternoon 5:00 FRENCH CHEF—Cooking Cold turkey Galantine 5:30 TURN OF THE CENTURY Evening 6:00 MUSIC IN THE TWENTIES 6:30 STOCK MARKET REPORT 6:35 MUSICAL PORTRAITS 7:00 WHAT’S NEW—Children 7:30 EXISTENCE—Agriculture 8:00 WHERE IS JIM CROW? 8:30 NEGRO TODAY—Discussion SPECIAL 9:30 INTERTEL—Documentary SPECIAL 10:30 HEIFETZ MASTER CLASS
-7- KGO (BAY AREA) (ABC) Morning 5:30 MY LITTLE MARGIE—Comedy 6:00 COMPUTER PROGRAMMING 6:30 DIXIE SINGIN’—Music 7:00 MARSHAL ‘J’—Children COLOR 8:00 ON THE SCENE—Bill Gordon 8:30 GYPSY ROSE LEE—Panel Guests: June Havoc, Cecelia Chiang 9:00 GIRL TALK—Panel Panelists: Eva Gabor, Fritzi Burr, Ruth Douglas Mann. Virginia Graham hosts 9:30 MOVIE—Mystery “Lady on a Train” (1945) 11:00 YOUNG SET—Variety Guest: Paul Anka. Phyllis Kirk is the moderator Afternoon 12:00 DONNA REED—Comedy 12:30 FATHER KNOWS BEST—Comedy 1:00 REBUS—Game 1:30 PETER GUNN—Mystery 2:00 WHERE THE ACTION IS Guests: James Brown, Joey Paige 2:30 A TIME FOR US 2:55 NEWS 3:00 GENERAL HOSPTAL 3:30 YOUNG MARRIEDS 4:00 TRAILMASTER 5:00 MOVIE—Comedy “Ma and Pa Kettle Go to Town” (1949) Evening 6:25 LEAVE IT TO BEAVER—Comedy 6:55 SPORTS 7:00 NEWS—Roger Grimsby 7:15 NEWS—Peter Jennings 7:30 OZZIE AND HARRIET COLOR 8:00 PATTY DUKE—Comedy 8:30 GIDGET—Comedy DEBUT COLOR 9:00 BIG VALLEY—Western DEBUT COLOR 10:00 AMOS BURKE—Mystery 11:00 NEWS 11:30 NIGHTLIFE—Variety 1:00 MOVIE—Triple Feature 1. “Yesterday’s Enemy” (English; 1959) 2. “Apache Warrior” (1957) 3. “Beware of Children” (English; 1961)
-7- KRCR (REDDING) (ABC, NBC) Morning 7:55 AGRICULTURE REPORT 8:00 TODAY COLOR Guests: Richard Whalen, Sheldon Leonard, Ralph Schoenstein. Guest host: Douglas Fairbanks Picked up in progress 9:00 TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES—Game COLOR 9:30 WHAT’S THIS SONG?—Game COLOR Celebrities: Robert Q. Lewis, Pat Carroll 9:55 NEWS 10:00 CONCENTRATION 10:30 JEOPARDY COLOR 11:00 CALL MY BLUFF—Game COLOR Celebrities: Roger Smith, Eileen Farrell 11:30 I’LL BET—Game COLOR Celebrities: Art and Peggy Ann Fleming, Tom and Betty Kennedy 11:55 NEWS—Frank McGee Afternoon 12:00 DONNA REED—Comedy 12:30 FATHER KNOWS BEST—Comedy 1:00 REBUS—Game 1:30 ANOTHER WORLD—Serial 2:00 YOU DON’T SAY!—Game COLOR Celebrities: Jerry Van Dyke, Jaye P. Morgan 2:30 A TIME FOR US 2:55 NEWS 3:00 GENERAL HOSPTAL 3:30 YOUNG MARRIEDS 4:00 TRAILMASTER 5:00 PETER POTAMUS—Cartoon 5:30 JONNY QUEST—Cartoon Evening 6:00 NEWS 6:30 NEWS—Chet Huntley, David Brinkley 7:00 SHENANDOAH—Western DEBUT 7:30 VIRGINIAN—Western COLOR 9:00 MOVIE—Drama “Stopover: Tokyo” (1957) 11:00 NEWS 11:15 JOHNNY CARSON—Variety COLOR Guests: the Four Freshmen
-8- KSBW (SALINAS) (CBS, NBC) Morning 7:00 TODAY COLOR Guests: Richard Whalen, Sheldon Leonard, Ralph Schoenstein. Guest host: Douglas Fairbanks 9:00 TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES—Game COLOR 9:30 WHAT’S THIS SONG?—Game COLOR Celebrities: Robert Q. Lewis, Pat Carroll 9:55 NEWS 10:00 CONCENTRATION 10:30 JEOPARDY COLOR 11:00 LOVE OF LIFE 11:25 NEWS—Charles Kuralt 11:30 I’LL BET—Game COLOR Celebrities: Art and Peggy Ann Fleming, Tom and Betty Kennedy 11:55 NEWS—Frank McGee Afternoon 12:00 LET’S MAKE A DEAL—Game COLOR 12:25 NEWS 12:30 AS THE WORLD TURNS—Serial 1:00 PASSWORD—Game Celebrities: the Smothers Brothers 1:30 HOUSE PARTY Guest: Verne Gagne 2:00 TO TELL THE TRUTH—Panel Panelists: Tom Poston, Peggy Cass, Orson Bean, Gretchen Wyler. Host: Bud Collyer 2:25 NEWS—Douglas Edwards 2:30 EDGE OF NIGHT 3:00 SECRET STORM 3:30 MOVIE—Drama “It’s a Small World” (1950) 5:30 SUPERMAN—Adventure Evening 6:00 NEWS 6:30 NEWS—Walter Cronkite 7:00 MEN IN CRISIS—Documentary 7:30 VIRGINIAN—Western COLOR 9:00 BOB HOPE—Drama COLOR “The Game” 10:00 DANNY KAYE R COLOR Guests: Harry Belafonte, Nana Mouskouri 11:00 NEWS 11:15 JOHNNY CARSON—Variety COLOR Guests: the Four Freshmen
-9- KQED (BAY AREA) (EDUC.) Afternoon 5:00 CREATIVE PERSON 5:30 WHAT’S NEW—Children Evening 6:00 KINDERGARTEN—Education 6:30 WHAT’S NEW—Children 7:00 PORTRAIT IN MUSIC 7:30 STANDWELLS—Puppets 8:30 ANATOMY OF A HIT SPECIAL 9:00 FULLER WORLD DEBUT 9:30 NEGRO TODAY—Discussion SPECIAL 10:30 KQED REPORT—James Day 10:45 REPERTOIRE WORKSHOP 11:15 OPINION IN THE CAPITAL
10 KXTV (SACRAMENTO) (CBS) Morning 6:20 FOCUS ON FARMING 6:30 SUMMER SEMESTER Civil Rights and Civil Liberties: “The Incomplete Agenda” 7:00 WEATHER—Bob Douglas 7:05 NEWS—Mike Wallace 7:30 DIVER DAN—Cartoons 8:00 CAPTAIN KANGAROO 9:00 I LOVE LUCY—Comedy 9:30 McCOYS—Comedy 10:00 ANDY GRIFFITH 10:30 DICK VAN DYKE—Comedy 11:00 LOVE OF LIFE 11:25 NEWS—Charles Kuralt 11:30 SEARCH FOR TOMORROW—Serial 11:45 GUIDING LIGHT—Serial Afternoon 12:00 NEWS 12:30 AS THE WORLD TURNS—Serial 1:00 PASSWORD—Game Celebrities: the Smothers Brothers 1:30 HOUSE PARTY Guest: Verne Gagne 2:00 TO TELL THE TRUTH—Panel Panelists: Tom Poston, Peggy Cass, Orson Bean, Gretchen Wyler. Host: Bud Collyer 2:25 NEWS—Douglas Edwards 2:30 EDGE OF NIGHT 3:00 SECRET STORM 3:30 MIKE DOUGLAS—Variety 4:30 LLOYD THAXTON—Music Guest: Dickey Lee 5:30 NEWS Evening 6:00 NEWS—Walter Cronkite 6:30 LAWMAN—Western 7:00 RIFLEMAN—Western 7:30 LOST IN SPACE DEBUT 8:30 BEVERLY HILLBILLIES COLOR 9:00 GREEN ACRES—Comedy DEBUT COLOR 9:30 DICK VAN DYKE—Comedy 10:00 DANNY KAYE DEBUT COLOR Guests: Harry Belafonte, Nana Mouskouri 11:00 NEWS 11:30 MOVIE—Drama “Wild Harvest” (1947)
11 KNTV (SAN JOSE) (ABC) Morning 8:00 CONTINENTAL CLASSROOM American Government: “American Tax System” 8:30 GOSPEL SINGING—Music 9:00 HOCUS POCUS—Children 9:30 BUCKAROO 500—Buck Weaver 9:45 HOCUS POCUS—Children 10:00 GIRL TALK—Panel Panelists: Nancy Steel, Nora Hayden, Nancy Austin 10:30 PEOPLE’S CHOICE—Comedy 11:00 YOUNG SET—Variety Guest: Paul Anka. Phyllis Kirk is the moderator Afternoon 12:00 DONNA REED—Comedy 12:30 FATHER KNOWS BEST—Comedy 1:00 BINGO—Game 1:30 AFTERNOON—Jess and Lu 2:00 WHERE THE ACTION IS Guests: James Brown, Joey Paige 2:30 A TIME FOR US 2:55 NEWS 3:00 GENERAL HOSPTAL 3:30 YOUNG MARRIEDS 4:00 TRAILMASTER 5:00 MARSHAL DILLON—Western 5:30 NEWS 5:45 NEWS—Peter Jennings Evening 6:00 HAVE GUN—WILL TRAVEL 6:30 CHEYENNE—Westesrn 7:30 OZZIE AND HARRIET COLOR 8:00 PATTY DUKE—Comedy 8:30 GIDGET—Comedy DEBUT COLOR 9:00 BIG VALLEY—Western DEBUT COLOR 10:00 AMOS BURKE—Mystery 11:00 NEWS 11:30 MOVIE—Drama “Return from the Sea” (1954)
12 KHSL (CHICO) (ABC, CBS) Morning 7:35 NEWS—Mike Wallace 8:00 CAPTAIN KANGAROO 9:00 I LOVE LUCY—Comedy 9:30 McCOYS—Comedy 10:00 ANDY GRIFFITH 10:30 DICK VAN DYKE—Comedy 11:00 LOVE OF LIFE 11:25 NEWS—Charles Kuralt 11:30 SEARCH FOR TOMORROW—Serial 11:45 GUIDING LIGHT—Serial Afternoon 12:00 PEOPLE AR FUNNY—Linkletter 12:30 AS THE WORLD TURNS—Serial 1:00 PASSWORD—Game Celebrities: the Smothers Brothers 1:30 HOUSE PARTY Guest: Verne Gagne 2:00 TO TELL THE TRUTH—Panel Panelists: Tom Poston, Peggy Cass, Orson Bean, Gretchen Wyler. Host: Bud Collyer 2:25 NEWS—Douglas Edwards 2:30 EDGE OF NIGHT 3:00 SECRET STORM 3:30 MOVIE—Comedy “The Barefoot Mailman” (1951) 5:00 CARTOONS—Children COLOR 5:30 HAVE GUN—WILL TRAVEL Evening 6:00 NEWS 6:30 NEWS—Walter Cronkite 7:30 LOST IN SPACE DEBUT 8:30 BEVERLY HILLBILLIES COLOR 9:00 GREEN ACRES—Comedy DEBUT COLOR 9:30 DICK VAN DYKE—Comedy 10:00 DANNY KAYE DEBUT COLOR Guests: Harry Belafonte, Nana Mouskouri 11:00 NEWS 11:30 MOVIE—Melodrama “Larceny” (1948)
13 KOVR (SACRAMENTO) (ABC) Morning 6:55 NEWS 7:00 CARTOONLAND—Children 8:15 KING AND ODIE—Cartoons 8:30 WELLS FARGO—Western 9:00 JACK LA LANNE—Exercise 9:30 JOSEPH TOMES—Interviews 10:00 DONNA REED—Comedy 10:30 BAT MASTERSON—Western 11:00 YOUNG SET—Variety Guest: Paul Anka. Phyllis Kirk is the moderator Afternoon 12:00 NEWS 12:15 TODAY IN AGRICULTURE 12:30 FATHER KNOWS BEST—Comedy 1:00 REBUS—Game 1:30 TRAILMASTER—Western 2:30 A TIME FOR US 2:55 NEWS 3:00 GENERAL HOSPTAL 3:30 YOUNG MARRIEDS 4:00 WHERE THE ACTION IS Guests: James Brown, Joey Paige 4:30 CAP.N DELTA—Children 5:00 ROCKY AND HIS FRIENDS 5:30 CAP’N DELTA—Children 5:45 NEWS—Peter Jennings Evening 6:00 NEWS 6:30 MARSHAL DILLON—Western 7:00 WESTERNERS—Drama 7:30 OZZIE AND HARRIET COLOR 8:00 PATTY DUKE—Comedy 8:30 GIDGET—Comedy DEBUT COLOR 9:00 BIG VALLEY—Western DEBUT COLOR 10:00 AMOS BURKE—Mystery 11:00 NEWS 11:30 NIGHTLIFE—Variety
TV
September 9, 2023
This week in TV Guide: September 11, 1965
It's always a good idea to know what you're in for, and in this special issue previewing the new season, the Editors let you know right away: it should be an amusng season. "It won't be packed with entertainment innovations or impressive drama or cultural uplift, but by and large it should be amusing." (That's encouraging, I guess.) They go on; "The trial and error of past seasons apparently has proved to the networks that nighttime hours are most profitably filled with a week-in, week-out schedule of pure escape—comedy and games and vaudeville and adventure and soap opera. As a result, 97 of the new season’s 100 nighttime network programs are escapist; the other three are informational." (Perhaps they meant "weak-in, weak-out.") All is not lost, however; we can still look forward to programs that exhibit "high standards of quality and a semblance of balance" to our viewing. Those programs are called "specials," and one wonders if there is some wishful thinking involved in saying that they will "frequently" pre-empt the regular schedules. As always, however, "television will be most satisfying to those who use the on-off knob most discreetly."
And with that as an introduction, let's dive right in. Just don't say you weren't warned.
l l l
The Editors, as you could probably tell, weren't exactly, shall we say, enthusiastic about the season's new shows, yet I think you'll agree that several of them have since attained, if not iconic status, a prized place in the classic TV pantheon. (It could, on the other hand, be that we've simply lowered our standards.) I won't say too much about any of them; I think you're probably pretty familiar with them.
The weekend alone sees the debuts of Get Smart! and I Dream of Jeannie (both Saturdays on NBC) and The FBI (Sundays, ABC). Get Smart! is described as "a cluck-and-dagger series" (was this written by Cleveland Amory?), with deadpan comedian Don Adams as "the compleat secret agent" except for one thing: he's an idiot. Barbara Feldon is part of the group bailing him out. I Dream of Jeannie, meanwhile, stars Barbara Eden as a "dish" of a genie and Larry Hagman as a "poor sap" of an astronaut; since Jeannie "wears the latest in harem fashions, she’s bound to enchant at least part of the audience." Oh, I think she enchanted more than just a part of the audience, and she still does, 58 years later.The FBI "applies the melodramatic touch of Quinn Martin" to actual cases from the files of the Bureau, with Efrem Zimbalist Jr. playing stolid G-Man Lewis Erskine. There's also mention of "a running romance—and an accompanying conflict" because Lew Erskine's daughter (Lynn Loring) is in love with Erskine's partner (Steven Brooks), but Erskine doesn't want her marrying an FBI agent. That subplot lasted about nine episodes before everyone figured out love and justice didn't mix. The lack of attention paid to the private lives of the agents is one of the big things that helped this series last for nine seasons.
Monday sees the debut of Run for Your Life (NBC), with Ben Gazzara as the man suffering from a terminal illness, trying to "cram a full lifetime into a day—or a minute." Tuesday, the standout is ABC's cavalry sitcome F Troop, which only runs two seasons but takes hold in the hearts of many a viewer, including our friend Hal Horn; its stars include Larry Storch and Forrest Tucker as frontier versions of Bilko, and Ken Berry as the helpless commander. Wednesday gives us a quartet of solid hits: The Big Valley (ABC), starring Barbara Stanwyck as the matriarch of a sprawling family; Lost in Space (also CBS), about "an average American family pioneering the frontiers of the future"; Green Acres (CBS), the latest member of the Hooterville universe, with Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor as the farm transplants; and I Spy (NBC), with Robert Culp and Bill Cosby as globe-trotting spies.On Thursday, CBS premieres their first movie series, the Thursday Night Movies, which promises 30 big-time features throughout the season. (If this week's selection is any indication, they're more than living up to the hype, but you'll find that out below.) If you want to catch the movie, though, you're going to have to pass up the other sterling debut of the night, The Dean Martin Show (NBC), which Dean describes as "the kind of show where a man can take his wife and kids, his father and mother—and sit around a bar and watch." The blurb promotes big name guest stars but "no sketches"; of course, we know that the sketches, with Dean valiantly trying to keep a straight face, become one of the show's highlights.
Watch Honey West on a new Magnavox; $498.50 Friday won't be left out in the cold, beginning with CBS's The Wild Wild West; it would be called a "steampunk" Western today, but back then it was just a lot of fun, with Robert Conrad and Ross Martin. The preview sees Martin as more of a sidekick, a "Gabby Hayes" to Conrad's leading man, but we know that Martin more than held his own throughout four successful seasons. There's also Hogan's Heroes (CBS), "escapist entertainment in more ways than one," with Bob Crane leading his merry bunch of POWs through six seasons. And then there's "television's slinkiest sleuth," Anne Francis as Honey West (ABC); it lasts only one season, but maintains a popular cult following, and goes into the history books as the first American television action series to feature a female lead.There are a few other shows that merit mention, even though they weren't big hits: The Loner (Saturday, CBS) is a Rod Serling-helmed Western starring Lloyd Bridges; although it too runs for just a single season, it's admired by many today simply because of Serling's reputation. Since it came out on DVD, people have also found out it's pretty good. Trials of O'Brien (Saturday, CBS) is known today as Peter Falk's favorite series of all those he worked on; to my mind, the combination of courtroom drama and domestic humor doesn't really work, but I'll admit I could be wrong about that. Gidget (Wednesday, ABC), stars Sally Field and Don Porter, and just most people agree it just wasn't very good. And then, there's—well, there's My Mother the Car (Tuesday, NBC), which stars Jerry Van Dyke and the voice of Ann Sothern, and remains one of the dumbest ideas ever for a television show. I won't say any more.
So as we look back on everything, there are some pretty successful series debuting this season, shows that to this day have loyal and loving audiences, and have guaranteed their spots in pop culture history. I counted thirteen, not including the honorable mentions; most of them have since come out on DVD, and you can find many of them on YouTube or the Internet Archive as well. I'd think that over the last 40 years or so, networks would have given a lot to have had a season introducing as many popular shows as this.Of course, there are the also-rans as well, series such as The Wackiest Ship in the Army, The Legend of Jesse James, The John Forsythe Show, A Man Called Shenandoah, The Steve Lawrence Show, Please Don't Eat the Daisies, O.K. Crackerby!, The Long, Hot Summer, Laredo, Mona McCluskey, Tammy, Camp Runamuck, The Smothers Brothers Show (the sitcom, not the variety show), Hank, Mr. Roberts, and Convoy. All of them have their fans, none of them had the ratings to last more than a season or—in the case of Laredo and Daisies—two.
l l l
First Lady Johnson tours D.C. on Thanksgiving (ABC) Since the Editors made a point of praising the many specials on tap for the season, I guess I ought to spend a couple of paragraphs on these as well. And they're good, too: Julie Andrews and Gene Kelly team up for a special on NBC; Harry Belafonte does one for CBS, and A Charlie Brown Christmas makes its premiere in December on CBS. Carol Channing (CBS), and Sammy Davis (ABC) host variety hours; Jack Benny, Danny Thomas, Perry Como, and Bob Hope have their regular specials on NBC; Mary Martin returns with Peter Pan, also on NBC; and Andy Griffith hangs out with Jim Nabors and Don Knotts in a CBS special
On the cultural front, Sir John Gielgud performes selections from Shakespeare on Ages of Man for CBS; NBC Children's Theatre presents "Stuart Little" (narriated by Johnny Carson) and others; the United Nations series (Carol for Another Christmas, The Poppy is Also a Flower) returns with two more ponderous dramas on ABC; and Hallmark Hall of Fame boasts six programs for NBC. Peter Ustinov plays the voice of Michelangelo in a two-part special narrated by Jose Ferrer (NBC), and Dick Van Dyke hosts the late Stan Laurel on CBS.
We're also promised space shots and news specials on all three networks, parades on Thanksgiving and New Year's Day, the Ringling Bros. Circus on NBC, awards shows, and beauty pageants. On the sports front, NBC televises football from the colleges and the AFL, plus the World Series; CBS has the NFL, the Masters golf tournament, and the Triple Crown horse races; ABC has the U.S. Open and PGA golf championships, plus games of the week for major league baseball and the NBA. They all sound special to my way of thinking.
And by the way, if you enjoy these highlights of the fall season, you'll want to tune in again on Wednesday, when I'll have a special insert from this week's issue!
l l l
Meanwhile, time and tide and television wait for no one, so while we're talking about what's upcoming, let's not forget to watch what's on right now.
I'm blowing off the usual "Sullivan vs. The Palace" feature this week for two reasons: first, The Hollywood Palace is a rerun, with Roy Rogers and Dale Evans hosting, and we already looked at that episode here . More important, however, is the headliner for Ed's 18th season opener: The Beatles.
It is the fifth and final "live" performance by the Fab Four on Sullivan, although it was taped on August 14 for airing on this date;* hence, the precise details on their playlist. Interestingly, the Beatles don't kick off the show; they're the fourth act on the bill, following Soupy Sales, Cilla Black, and Fantasio. They perform "I Feel Fine", "I'm Down", and "Act Naturally" in their first set, and then close the show with "Ticket to Ride", "Yesterday", and "Help!"
*The Beatles were in New York for their legendary Shea Stadium concert on August 15, so their apperance was worked around this schedule. The Sullivan show was usually aired live; I've read contradictory accounts as to whether this particular show was taped in its entirety on August 14, or only the Beatles segment, which was then integrated into the live broadcast. A close look at the way Ed's pocket handkerchief is folded suggests it could have been the former, but maybe Ed just left his hanky in the suit for a month. You can watch the entire show here and make up your own mind.
The show garners Ed a 60 share of the audience. It's also the last black-and-white episode; from next week on, the show will be broadcast in color. Too bad the studio wasn't ready for that in August.
l l l
Barbra Streisand with her Emmy for "My Name is Barbra." It was
close, though: she won by a nose. Sunday turns out to be a big start to the new season; following Sullivan and the Beatles, it's the 17th annual Emmy Awards (10:00 p.m., ABC on tape delay), hosted by Sammy Davis Jr. at the Hilton Hotel in New York, and Danny Thomas at the Hollywood Palladium. This year, the Academy is rolling out a new format for the show; "the categories have been boiled down to four, and the word 'excellence' has replaced 'best,' so that more than one nominee in each category—or none—may get the Academy's nod. The categories: Outstanding Program Achievements in Entertainment; Outstanding Individual Achievements in Entertainment; Outstanding Program Achievements in News, Documentaries, Information and Sports; and Outstanding Individual Achievements in News, Documentaries, Information and Sports."
In the event, only eleven awards are handed out, covering just five different programs. The big winner is NBC's Hallmark Hall of Fame, with three wins for "The Magnificent Yankee" (not Babe Ruth or Mickey Mantle, but United States Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes), including "Outstanding Program Achievements—" ah, hell, I'm still calling it "Best Show"—along with Alfred Lunt as Best Actor, and Lynn Fontanne as Best Actress. This new format is used only this year; next year's Emmys go back to the old way, which has been used ever since.
By the way, NBC led with 21 nominations, followed by CBS with 14. ABC garners exactly two.
l l l
Merv Griffin was never one to shy away from controversy (as CBS finds to its dismay during his brief tenure with the network), and on Friday, his syndicated show welcomes one of the most controversial literary figures in the country, poet and playwright LeRoi Jones. (11:20 p.m., KSBW in Salinas) You can see a clip from the interview hereJones, one of the leaders of the black liberation movement. Jones, who will later change his name to Amiri Baraka, is one of the leaders of the black liberation movement, has spoken out against Dr. Martin Luther King's anti-violence campaign, and has been accused of, variously, anti-Semitism, anti-white racism, armed resistance, and advocating rape; if that doesn't quality as controversial, I'm not sure what does. Merv's other guests include musical-comedy performer David Burns, Boston columnist George Frazier, comic George Carlin, and singers Fleury D‘Antonakis and Johnny Desmond, and that's about as eclectic a combination of guests as you can get. If I'm not mistaken, in the clip you'll see Frazier sitting behind the desk with Merv; he had been an influential jazz columnist for the Boston Herald, while Jones, in 1963, had written Blues People: Negro Music in White America. Meanwhile, Carlin was one of the best-known countercultural comedians in the business. so there's some synergy in the guest lineup; I would have enjoyed seeing them all sitting on the couch together.
l l l
Warren McVea in the AstrodomeThe rest of the week's fun begins Saturday with the season kickoff of NBC's college football Game of the Week (10:45 a.m. PT), as Tulsa takes on Houston in the historic first football game ever played in Houston's "Harris County Domed Stadium," known to one and all as the Astrodome.* Although the listing doesn't mention this, the game is significant for one additional reason; Houston's Warren McVea becomes the first black player in the university's history. He'll be with them next season as well, when Houston plays Washington State in the first football game ever played on artificial turf. TV Guide refers to previous games between the two teams as being "high-scoring," but Tulsa comes out on top in this one, 14-0.*Not the first indoor college football game, though, nor even the first one televised, as we saw here.
Sunday, like Saturday, starts off with sports: the American Football League opens its sixth season (and first on NBC) with the New York Jets visiting the Oilers in Houston (11:00 a.m.) Note that this game is not played in the Astrodome, but at Rice Stadium; the Oilers wouldn't move into the Dome until the following season. Meanwhile, the U.S. National Tennis Championships finish up at Forest Hills, New York (2:00 p.m., ABC), with Spain's Manuel Santana defeating Cliff Drysdale of South Africa to win the men's championship; Margaret Smith beats Billie Jean Moffitt to win the women's title. It's not called the U.S. Open yet, since professional players aren't allowed to compete.
Monday, the new-look 12 O'clock High debuts, as Paul Burke takes over the lead from Robert Lansing when General Savage's plane is shot down. (7:30 p.m., ABC) Don't get me wrong; I like Paul Burke a lot, and he was excellent in Naked City, but Quinn Martin never should have replaced Robert Lansing. Elsewhere, the new season of Hullabaloo opens with Sammy Davis Jr., fresh from the Emmys, hosting; the guests are Sonny and Cher, The Supremes, the Lovin' Spoonful, and the Strangeloves. (7:30 p.m., NBC)
Speaking of format changes, it's not just 12 O'clock High; the fourth-season opener of McHale's Navy (Tuesday, 8:30 p.m., ABC) sees McHale and his entire crew (including Fuji) transfered to southern Italy, along with Binghamton and Carpenter. I've never been sure just how plausible this would have been, and besides: I thought the Americans wanted to win in Europe. But maybe I'm overthinking this; perhaps I should learn how to watch TV. For a more realistic view of warfare, the Korean War drama The Bridges at Toki-Ri, starring William Holden and Grace Kelly, makes its television debut on NBC's Tuesday Night at the Movies. (9:00 p.m.)
Among Wednesday's debuts, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet begins its 14th season, and its first in color. (7:30 p.m., ABC) Compared to them, returning hits like The Beverly Hillbillies (fourth season), The Virginian (also fourth), and The Dick Van Dyke Show (fifth season) look like pikers. And here's another series that found out a format change doesn't necessarily mean an improvement, either in quality or ratings: Burke's Law is now Amos Burke, Secret Agent. (10:00 p.m., ABC) No Detective Tilson. No Detective Hart. No Henry, the chauffeur. No charm. No fourth season.
Here's a change that worked! My Three Sons starts its sixth season on a new network, CBS, after five seasons on ABC. (Thursday, 8:30 p.m.) It will remain on CBS for seven seasons, until it goes off the air in 1972 after a run of 12 years. And just to show that the Tiffany Network is serious about making tonight special, My Three Sons is followed by the debut of the CBS Thursday Night Movie and the TV debut of one of the greatest political thrillers ever: The Manchurian Candidate. (9:00 p.m.) Frank Sinatra stars, in what I think is his finest role, along with Angela Lansbury, Laurence Harvey, Janet Leigh, and James Gregory. On Friday, it's The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'s turn to turn to color. as Rip Torn stars in part one of the second-season opener "The Alexander the Greater Affair." (10:00 p.m., NBC) This is, I think, U.N.C.L.E.'s best season, but its successful first season, with its cheeky combination of spy thriller and satire, has already influenced other shows—including, unfortunately, Burke's Law. And on the late night schedule, it's the 1959 movie The Wasp Woman (11:20 p.m., KSBW). "Janice Starlin’s beauty treatments are made up of wasp enzymes—but they have unexpected effects." Susan Cabot and Anthony Eisley star, and if this movie sounds like it belongs on MST3K, you're almost right: it was riffed on Cinematic Titanic, Joel Hodgson's successor to MST3K, which featured many of the show's original performers. And speaking of MST3K. . . l l l
MST3K alert: It Conquered the World (1956) A scientist discovers that one of his associates is helping some beings from outer space to conquer the Earth. Peter Graves, Beverly Garland, Lee Van Cleef. (Saturday, 5:30 p.m., KSBW). "He learned almost too late that man is a feeling creature… and, because of it, the greatest in the universe. He learned too late for himself that men have to find their own way, to make their own mistakes. There can't be any gift of perfection from outside ourselves. And when men seek such perfection… they find only death… fire… loss… disillusionment… the end of everything that's gone forward. Men have always sought an end to the toil and misery, but it can't be given, it has to be achieved. There is hope, but it has to come from inside — from man himself." TV
It's About TV!
Insightful commentary on how classic TV shows mirrored and influenced American society, tracing the impact of iconic series on national identity, cultural change, and the challenges we face today.
- Mitchell Hadley's profile
- 5 followers
