Mitchell Hadley's Blog: It's About TV!, page 5
August 11, 2025
What's on TV? Wednesday, August 15, 1973
One of the many good things about Fred Rogers, and one of the things missing from modern children's shows, can be seen in today's episode, in which his guest is pianist Van Cliburn. Cliburn was one of the most famous classical musicians of the time, a heroic figure dating back to his triumph at the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow in 1958, during the Cold War. Besides his musical talent, he, like Rogers, was a gentle and articulate soul, a perfect guest for bringing classical music to children. Rogers had many such guests, from all walks of middlebrow culture, and he invariably had the gift of making these people "real" to his small viewers. Could anyone do that today? This is not a referendum on public broadcasting, which encompasses a far broader discussion, only a meditation on why nobody seems interested in bringing arts to the people anymore, in a message-free manner. We're looking at the Eastern New England edition.-2- WGBH (BOSTON) (PBS) AFTERNOON 3:25 BEATRICE TRUM HUNTER’S NATURAL FOODS 3:30 MAGGIE AND THE BEAUTIFUL MACHINE—Exercise 4:00 SESAME STREET 5:00 MISTER ROGERS Guest: Van Cliburn 5:30 ELECTRIC COMPANY EVENING 6:00 CLASSIC JULIA CHILD BW Broiled chicken 6:30 NEWS AND COMMENT 7:00 THE REPORTERS 7:30 ZOOM 8:00 FILMS OF THE GATSBY ERA BW “Our Dancing Daughters" (1926) 10:00 MASTERPIECE THEATRE “Cousin Bette,” Chapter 4
-3- WTIC (HARTFORD) (CBS) MORNING 6:00 SUMMER SEMESTER The Immigrant in American Life: Anti-Semitism and Immigration Laws 6:30 WHAT’S NEW 7:00 CBS NEWS—Hughes Rudd/Sally Quinn 8:00 CAPTAIN KANGAROO 9:00 HAP RICHARDS 9:15 YOGI BEAR 9:30 GAMBIT—Game 10:00 MOVIE—Comedy BW “Postman’s Knock” (English; 1961) 11:30 LOVE OF LIFE 11:55 CBS NEWS—Douglas Edwards AFTERNOON 12:00 NEWS 12:30 SEARCH FOR TOMORROW 1:00 LIVING EASY WITH DR. JOYCE BROTHERS Guest: Fannie Flagg 1:30 AS THE WORLD TURNS 2:00 GUIDING LIGHT 2:30 EDGE OF NIGHT 3:00 PRICE IS RIGHT 3:30 RANGER STATION 4:00 ANDY GRIFFITH—Comedy BW 4:30 MERV GRIFFIN EVENING 6:00 NEWS 6:30 CBS NEWS—Roger Mudd 7:00 AMERICAN ADVENTURE 7:30 THE NEW PRICE IS RIGHT 8:00 SONNY AND CHER COMEDY HOUR Guest: George Burns 9:00 DAN AUGUST 10:00 CANNON 11:00 NEWS 11:30 MOVIE—Musical “Centennial Summer” (1946)
-4- WBZ (BOSTON) (NBC) MORNING 6:15 SIGN ON SEMINAR 6:45 DAILY ALMANAC 7:00 TODAY Guest: Dr. Henry Cathey 9:00 JEOPARDY 9:30 WHO, WHAT OR WHERE—Game 9:55 NEWS 10:00 DINAH SHORE Guest: Margaret Truman Daniel 10:30 BAFFLE—Game 11:00 WIZARD OF ODDS—Game 11:30 HOLLYWOOD SQUARES AFTERNOON 12:00 NEWS 12:30 SONYA HAMLIN Co-host: Bobby Short. Guest: Shelley Berman 1:30 THREE ON A MATCH—Game 2:00 DAYS OF OUR LIVES 2:30 DOCTORS 3:00 ANOTHER WORLD 3:30 RETURN TO PEYTON PLACE 4:00 SOMERSET 4:30 MIKE DOUGLAS Guests: Chuck Connors, Mabel Albertson, ALan Burke, the O.J.'s, Katie Kelly, Howard Curtis, Jean Epper EVENING 6:00 NEWS 7:00 NBC NEWS—John Chancellor 7:30 DOCTOR IN THE HOUSE—Comedy 8:00 ADAM-12 8:30 BANACEK—Crime Drama 10:00 SEARCH—Adventure 11:00 NEWS 11:30 JOHNNY CARSON Guest: Trini Lopez 1:00 NEWS 1:05 MOVIE—Musical “Duchess of Idaho” (1950)
-5- WCVB (BOSTON) (ABC) MORNING 6:25 MORNING GLORY 6:30 NEW ENGLAND CONSUMER 6:45 OPPORTUNITY LINE 7:00 NEWS 7:30 LEAVE IT TO BEAVER—Comedy BW 8:00 FATHER KNOWS BEST—Comedy BW 8:30 JABBERWOCKY 9:00 ROMPER ROOM 9:30 MEDICAL CSALL 10:00 ARNOLD ZENKER Guests: Judge Irving Younger, Dr. John Money 11:00 LOVE, AMERICAN STYLE 11:30 BRADY BUNCH AFTERNOON 12:00 NEWS 12:30 SPLIT SECOND 1:00 ALL MY CHILDREN 1:30 LET’S MAKE A DEAL 2:00 NEWLYWED GAME 2:30 GIRL IN MY LIFE 3:00 GENERAL HOSPITAL 3:30 ONE LIFE TO LIVE 4:00 BIG VALLEY—Western 5:00 PERRY MASON BW EVENING 6:00 NEWS 6:30 ABC NEWS—Howard K. Smith/Harry Reasoner 7:00 TO TELL THE TRUTH Gene Rayburn, Kitty Carlisle, Bill Cullen, Peggy Cass. Host: Garry Moore 7:30 THE INVESTIGATORS 8:00 LOVE THY NEIGHBOR Return 8:30 MOVIE—Thriller “Duel” (Made-for-TV; 1971) 10:00 OWEN MARSHALL 11:00 NEWS 11:30 THE HOUSE AND THE BRAIN—Thriller 1:00 NEWS 1:05 ALFRED HITCHCOCK—Drama BW 1:35 MOVIE—Mystery BW “Charlie Chan in London” (1934) 3:00 ROGUES—Drama BW 4:00 ENSIGH O’TOOLE—Comedy BW 4:30 THE INVESTIGATORS 5:00 MEDICAL CALLL 5:30 BEST OF ZENKER
-6- WTEV (NEW BEDFORD) (ABC) MORNING 6:30 JACK LaLANNE 6:45 NEWS 7:00 FLINTSTONES 7:30 LEAVE IT TO BEAVER—Comedy BW 8:00 FLYING NUN—Comedy 8:25 NEWS 8:30 COMMUNITY 9:00 ROMPER ROOM 9:30 GOMER PYLE, USMC—Comedy 10:00 DICK VAN DYKE—Comedy BW 10:30 ANDY GRIFFITH—Comedy BW 11:00 SPLIT SECOND 11:30 BRADY BUNCH AFTERNOON 12:00 PASSWORD 12:30 NEWS 1:00 ALL MY CHILDREN 1:30 LET’S MAKE A DEAL 2:00 NEWLYWED GAME 2:30 GIRL IN MY LIFE 3:00 GENERAL HOSPITAL 3:30 ONE LIFE TO LIVE 4:00 LOVE, AMERICAN STYLE 4:30 SAINT—Crime Drama BW 5:30 HOGAN’S HEROES EVENING 6:00 NEWS 6:30 ABC NEWS—Howard K. Smith/Harry Reasoner 7:00 THE NEW PRICE IS RIGHT 7:30 WAIT ‘TILL YOUR FATHER GETS HOME 8:00 LOVE THY NEIGHBOR Return 8:30 MOVIE—Thriller “Duel” (Made-for-TV; 1971) 10:00 OWEN MARSHALL 11:00 NEWS 11:30 THE HOUSE AND THE BRAIN—Thriller 1:00 NEWS
-7- WNAC (BOSTON) (CBS) MORNING 6:10 REFLECTIONS 6:15 FARM AND MARKET REPORT 6:20 SUMMER SEMESTER The Immigrant in American Life: Anti-Semitism and Immigration Laws 6:50 LAS NOTICIAS DE HOY 7:00 CBS NEWS—Hughes Rudd/Sally Quinn 8:00 CAPTAIN KANGAROO 9:00 PAUL BENZAQUIN 10:00 JOKER’S WILD—Game 10:30 $10,000 PYRAMID—Game 11:00 GAMBIT—Game 11:30 LOVE OF LIFE 11:55 CBS NEWS—Douglas Edwards AFTERNOON 12:00 NEWS 12:30 SEARCH FOR TOMORROW 1:00 TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES 1:30 AS THE WORLD TURNS 2:00 GUIDING LIGHT 2:30 EDGE OF NIGHT 3:00 PRICE IS RIGHT 3:30 MATCH GAME ‘73 4:00 SECRET STORM 4:30 MERV GRIFFIN EVENING 6:00 NEWS 6:30 CBS NEWS—Roger Mudd 7:00 WHAT’S MY LINE? Panel: Jack Cassidy, Arlene Francis, Anita Gillette, Soupy Sales 7:30 MASS. REACTION 8:00 SONNY AND CHER COMEDY HOUR Guest: George Burns 9:00 DAN AUGUST 10:00 WORLD UNIVERSITY GAMES Special 11:00 NEWS 11:30 MOVIE—Western BW “Shoot-Out and Medicine Bend” (1957)
-8- WTNH (NEW HAVEN) (ABC) MORNING 6:10 DAVEY AND GOLIATH 6:25 BLACK IS 6:55 NEWS 7:00 LOST IN SPACE—Adventure BW 8:00 CARTOON CARNIVAL 8:30 I LOVE LUCY—Comedy BW 9:00 PHIL DONAHUE 10:00 DONNA REED—Comedy BW 10:30 LOVE, AMERICAN STYLE 11:00 NEWS 11:30 BRADY BUNCH AFTERNOON 12:00 PASSWORD 12:30 SPLIT SECOND 1:00 WHAT’S MY LINE? Panel: Leonard Harris, Anita Gillette, Arlene Francis, Soupy Sales. Host: Larry Blyden 1:30 LET’S MAKE A DEAL 2:00 NEWLYWED GAME 2:30 GIRL IN MY LIFE 3:00 GENERAL HOSPITAL 3:30 ONE LIFE TO LIVE 4:00 MOVIE—Drama BW “Winter Meeting” (1948) EVENING 6:00 NEWS 6:30 ABC NEWS—Howard K. Smith/Harry Reasoner 7:00 TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES 7:30 LET’S MAKE A DEAL 8:00 LOVE THY NEIGHBOR Return 8:30 MOVIE—Thriller “Duel” (Made-for-TV; 1971) 10:00 WORLD UNIVERSITY GAMES Special 11:00 NEWS 11:30 MOVIE—Adventure “The Bandit of Zhobe” (English; 1959) 1:00 THE HOUSE AND THE BRAIN—Thriller
-9- WMUR (MANCHESTER) (ABC) MORNING 10:00 MOVIE—Drama BW “Letter from an Unknown Woman” (1948) 11:30 BRADY BUNCH AFTERNOON 12:00 PASSWORD 12:30 SPLIT SECOND 1:00 ALL MY CHILDREN 1:30 LET’S MAKE A DEAL 2:00 NEWLYWED GAME 2:30 GIRL IN MY LIFE 3:00 GENERAL HOSPITAL 3:30 ONE LIFE TO LIVE 4:00 JEFF’S COLLIE—Drama BW 4:30 UNCLE GUS 5:30 TIMMY AND LASSIE—Drama BW EVENING 6:00 NEWS 6:30 ABC NEWS—Howard K. Smith/Harry Reasoner 7:00 CAR AND TRACK 7:30 WESTERNERS—Drama BW 8:00 LOVE THY NEIGHBOR Return 8:30 MOVIE—Thriller “Duel” (Made-for-TV; 1971) 10:00 OWEN MARSHALL 11:00 NEWS 11:30 THE HOUSE AND THE BRAIN—Thriller
10 WJAR (PROVIDENCE) (NBC) MORNING 6:25 TV CLASSROOM BW 6:55 NEWS 7:00 TODAY Guest: Dr. Henry Cathey 9:00 NOT FOR WOMEN ONLY 9:30 COMLEY IN THE MORNING 10:00 DINAH SHORE Guest: Margaret Truman Daniel 10:30 BAFFLE—Game 11:00 WIZARD OF ODDS—Game 11:30 HOLLYWOOD SQUARES AFTERNOON 12:00 JEOPARDY 12:30 WHO, WHAT OR WHERE—Game 12:55 NEWS 1:00 I LOVE LUCY—Comedy BW 1:30 THREE ON A MATCH—Game 2:00 DAYS OF OUR LIVES 2:30 DOCTORS 3:00 ANOTHER WORLD 3:30 RETURN TO PEYTON PLACE 4:00 SOMERSET 4:30 MIKE DOUGLAS Guests: Chuck Connors, Mabel Albertson, ALan Burke, the O.J.'s, Katie Kelly, Howard Curtis, Jean Epper EVENING 6:00 NEWS 7:00 NBC NEWS—John Chancellor 7:30 TO TELL THE TRUTH Panel: Kitty Carlisle, Peggy Cass, Bill Cullen, Gene Rayburn 8:00 ADAM-12 8:30 BANACEK—Crime Drama 10:00 WORLD UNIVERSITY GAMES Special 11:00 NEWS 11:30 JOHNNY CARSON Guest: Trini Lopez
12 WPRI (PROVIDENCE) (CBS) MORNING 6:30 SUMMER SEMESTER The Immigrant in American Life: Anti-Semitism and Immigration Laws 7:00 CBS NEWS—Hughes Rudd/Sally Quinn 8:00 CAPTAIN KANGAROO 9:00 DIALING FOR DOLLARS 9:30 COOKING WITHER BERNHARD 10:00 JOKER’S WILD—Game 10:30 $10,000 PYRAMID—Game 11:00 GAMBIT—Game 11:30 LOVE OF LIFE 11:55 RONA BARRETT AFTERNOON 12:00 NEWS 12:30 SEARCH FOR TOMORROW 1:00 DRAGNET—Crime Drama 1:30 AS THE WORLD TURNS 2:00 GUIDING LIGHT 2:30 EDGE OF NIGHT 3:00 PRICE IS RIGHT 3:30 MATCH GAME ‘73 4:00 SECRET STORM 4:30 MERV GRIFFIN EVENING 6:00 NEWS 6:30 CBS NEWS—Roger Mudd 7:00 WHAT’S MY LINE? Panel: Leonard Harris, Anita Gillette, Arlene Francis, Soupy Sales. Host: Larry Blyden 7:30 BEAT THE CLOCK Guest: Johnny Brownis. Host: Gene Wood 8:00 SONNY AND CHER COMEDY HOUR Guest: George Burns 9:00 DAN AUGUST 10:00 CANNON 11:00 NEWS 11:30 MOVIE—Western BW “Shoot-Out and Medicine Bend” (1957)
27 WSMW (WORCESTER) (Ind.) AFTERNOON 12:00 CHURCH SERVICE—Catholic 3:00 MOVIE—Drama “Forever Amber” (1947) 4:30 BOZO AND FRIENDS 5:00 SUPERMAN—Adventure BW 5:30 GOMER PYLE, USMC—Comedy EVENING 6:00 PETTICOAT JUNCTION—Company 6:30 MOVIE—Documentary BW “For Those in Peril” (English; 1944) 8:30 LAUREL AND HARDY—Comedy BW “The Laurel and Hardy Murder Case" (1930) 9:00 1973 US1 GOLF CLASSIC 10:00 NEWS 10:30 MANTRAP—Discussion
36 WSBE (PROVIDENCE) (PBS) AFTERNOON 4:00 SESAME STREET 5:00 MISTER ROGERS Guest: Van Cliburn 5:30 ELECTRIC COMPANY EVENING 6:00 HODGEPODGE LODGE 6:30 BOOK BEAT Guest: Patricia O’Brien 7:00 SILENT COMEDY FILM FESTIVAL Debut 8:00 WHAT’S THE BIG IDEA?—Interview 9:00 MUSICAL ENCOUNTER 9:30 MAN BUILDS, MAN DESTROYS—Ecology 10:00 FREE STAGE—FREDDIE KING—Music Special
38 WSBK (BOSTON) (Ind.) MORNING 11:20 NEWS 11:30 JACK LaLANNE AFTERNOON 12:00 TOM LARSON 1:00 NOT FOR WOMEN ONLY 1:30 TENNESSEE TUXEDO 2:00 BUGS BUNNY 2:30 MR. MAGOO 3:00 PORKY PIG AND FRIENDS 3:30 ADDAMS FAMILY—Comedy BW 4:00 ADDAMS FAMILY—Comedy BW 4:30 McHALE’S NAVY—Comeddy BW 5:00 THREE STOOGES EVENING 6:00 WILD WILD WEST—Adventure 7:00 HOGAN’S HEROES—Comedy 7:30 I DREAM OF JEANNIE—Comedy 8:00 BEAT THE CLOCK—Game Guest: Robert Q. Lewis. Host: Jack Narz 8:30 STUMP THE STARS—Game Guests: Peter Brown, Will Hutchins, Vera Miles, Barbara Stewart 9:00 SAINT—Crime Drama BW 10:00 SUSPENSE THEATRE—Drama 11:00 MOVIE—Thriller “Die, Monster, Die!” (English; 1965)
44 WGBX (BOSTON) (PBS) AFTERNOON 3:30 MAGGIE AND THE BEAUTIFUL MACHINE—Exercise 4:00 SESAME STREET 5:00 MISTER ROGERS Guest: Van Cliburn 5:30 ELECTRIC COMPANY EVENING 6:00 HODGEPODGE LODGE 6:30 NEWS AND COMMENT 7:00 ANTIQUES 7:30 FRENCH CHEFPateCaptioned for the hearing-impaired 8:00 JUST JAZZGuest: Ray Norton 8:30 CATCH 44 9:00 FIRING LINEGuest: Norman Cousins 10:00 MARTIN AGRONSKY: EVENING EDITION 10:30 THE REPORTERS
53 WEDN (NORWICH) (PBS) AFTERNOON 4:00 SESAME STREET 5:00 MISTER ROGERS Guest: Van Cliburn 5:30 ELECTRIC COMPANY EVENING 6:00 SESAME STREET 7:00 FRENCH CHEF Upside-down tarts and French cream 7:30 MAKING THINGS GROW BW 8:00 WHAT’S THE BIG IDEA?—Interview 9:00 GOVERNOR’S REPORT 9:30 MAN BUILDS, MAN DESTROYS—Ecology 11:00 JANAKI
56 WKBG (BOSTON) (Ind.) MORNING 10:30 GALLOPING GOURMET French fillet of beef, part 1 11:00 NEWSTALK 11:30 NEW ZOO REVUE AFTERNOON 12:00 UNDERDOG 12:30 MOVIE—Drama “Dangerous Mission” (1954) 2:30 KIMBA 3:00 YOGI BEAR 3:30 LOST IN SPACE—Adventure 4:30 BATMAN—Adventure BW Guest villain: Cesar Romero (The Joker) 5:00 FLINTSTONES 5:30 GILLIGAN’S ISLAND—Comedy EVENING 6:00 I LOVE LUCY—Comedy 6:30 IT TAKES A THIEF—Adventure 7:30 DRAGNET—Crime Drama 8:00 CANADIAN PRO FOOTBALL Montreal at Toronto 10:30 SPORTS ACTION PRO-FILE 11:00 MOVIE—Drama “Dangerous Mission” (1954)
TV
August 9, 2025
This week in TV Guide: August 11, 1973
We lead off this week's lesson in television and sociology with Leonard Gross's meditation on why television has been reluctant to offer women in strong, heroic roles. The impetus for this discussion comes from an ABC Movie of the Week entitled The Bait, starring Donna Mills as a policewoman, which aired last January. It received positive reviews from the critics and terrific ratings. The Movie of the Week franchise itself was known as a proving ground for future series, such as The Night Stalker, Kung Fu, and The Six Million Dollar Man.And yet, when it came to the new fall season, The Bait remained on the shelf, just one of many series featuring strong female leads that failed to make it to series status. As far as prime time is concerned, says Gross, "women continued to be portrayed as they had been through the years: at best as professional auxiliaries, at worst as self-denigrating, if amusing, idiots in the tradition of Lucille Ball." The closest thing we've seen to an "emancipated" woman may well be Mary Tyler Moore, and we never see her character in front of the camera on her series.
Lee Rich, producer of The Waltons, looks back at the history of strong women on television, actresses such as Barbara Stanwyck, Loretta Young, and Jane Wyman. "I think there are some fantastic actresses who could carry dramatic TV shows today," he says. "But the networks aren't buying women." He points to a proposal for a series that would have starred Stella Stevens as a nurse. "Who wants to see a prime-time series about a woman," he was told by a network official. A similar proposal for a legal drama starring Susan Hayward met a similar fate.
So what gives? Martin Antonowsky, director of research for ABC, says that males always score higher than females in the testing done by the network. And keep in mind, he says, that women outnumber men 52 percent to 48 (no additional genders in those days), which can only mean that women prefer seeing heroic men as well. In fact, he points out, although The Bait scored very high marks from test audiences, their response when asked if they'd like to see it as a series was only "marginally above average." "People tend to accept situations that they consider real," Antonowski says. "When people think of a doctor, lawyer, or detective, they don't tend to think of women. The change has to be a social phenomenon before you can accept it on television."
Aaron Spelling, who made The Bait, and would go on to offer Charlie's Angels, in which women were unquestionable heroic figures (even though the program itself fell somewhat short on the prestige drama meter), speculates that "for me there's something threatening about watching women in lead roles." This is a viewpoint seconded by writer Fay Kanin: "You can be strong in a comedy show as long as you're funny, but when you're serious, it seems to disturb the men who make the decisions."
Ethel Winant, director for talent and casting at CBS, counters that this is a concern that women share as well as men, looking at the post-war period when women viewed themselves as "perfect mothers" and were inclined to view with resentment heroic female figures on television. "There was a whole period when we created this monster—and we resented the woman who didn't believe in all this. Women of this generation found women leads bossy, unfeminine and not concerned about the things that concerned them." Women, by nature and cultural custom, tend to project a certain vulnerability, something that falls flat with many viewers. "They want a hero who is invulnerable," Winant says. "When Jim Arness walks on in Gunsmoke, you know that all will be OK. The Marshal will always work it out. In daytime, women can relate to mistakes. I could look at my heroine and say, 'She's going through the same things I am.'"
This all makes for a fascinating discussion, particularly when viewed in retrospect. We've become accustomed to strong woman on the screen, taking on roles ranging from police enforcer to political schemer. Antonowski's point, that viewers see these things through a plausibility filter, makes for an interesting proposition, because it seems to run counter to today's view that television itself can—and, in many cases, should—act as an advocate in shaping societal convention. In other words, television could help society as a whole view women as strong figures in traditionally male-dominated positions.This sounds very much like what Fay Kanin is getting at with her insistence that "You don't ask people questions about what they're going to like. You give them what you believe in. You can very often create your hit that way." It sounds, at least to me, as if she's also suggsting that you can create the environment in which your show not only becomes successful, but helps to change and shape a society in which this viewpoint will become more acceptable, more common.
The discussion strikes at the heart of the conundrum regarding television, which I've written about many times, as to whether it reflects society's attitudes or molds them. The answer is both, but I don't think you can dispute the fact that the pendulum has swung over the years, from a quasi-Lincolnesque attitude that television can't get too far ahead of what the viewer is willing to accept, to one based on advocacy, in which television forcefully demonstrates a particular viewpoint as to how things should be, and continues to beat the drum accordingly.
The reason we enjoy these kinds of discussions is because we've seen what has happened in the half-century that followed this article. Think about Angie Dickinson in Police Woman, Helen Mirren in Prime Suspect, Susan Dey in L.A. Law, Sharon Gless and Tyne Daly in Cagney & Lacey, Sarah Michelle Gellar in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Robin Wright in House of Cards (and her counterpoint in the superior British version, Susannah Harker)—well, those just pop off the top of my head, but there are many, many more. In fact, one might argue that television today features more strong female characters than it does male.
Whether or not this is a good thing is not something I'm about to discuss right here, right now. However, I'd mention one character we haven't discussed here: Donna Reed in The Donna Reed Show. Her character managed a busy household, took on the primary responsibility for successfully raising her children, was an influential partner to her husband as well as a supportive one, and did it all while wearing dresses and pearls and looking glamorous. If that isn't heroic, I don't know what is. And considering the role that Reed played behind the scenes in the production and shaping of the show, I'd say that was pretty strong as well. Which, perhaps, means that strong and heroic female characters come in all kinds.
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Two of television's definitive rock music shows, NBC's The Midnight Special and ABC's In Concert, faced off on Friday nights in the early '70s. Whenever the two slug it out, we'll be on hand to see who's better, who's best.Midnight: Comedian Richard Pryor (host), Cajun musician Doug Kershaw, blues singer Albert King, the Electric Light Orchestra, rock singer Joe Walsh, and pop singers Melissa Manchester and Joe Hicks.
Concert: The gentle sounds of singer-songwriter John Sebastian, complimented by rock from Black Oak Arkansas, Lee Michaels, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and the Electric Light Orchestra.
Ordinarily, I'd automatically give the edge to whichever show featured ELO, but unfortunately that isn't an option, as Jeff Lynne and company do double duty this week. So, we'll see how deep the benches are, and since I'm in the mood for something a little harder, I think I'll stay away from John Sebastian and his granny glasses, and throw my hat in the ring with Richard Pryor, et al. This week, the Special hits all the right notes.
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TV Guide's occasional feature, "The Way It Was," which we last saw in this March 1973 article by Robert Alan Aurthur , returns this week to commemorate the twenty-first anniversary of the premiere of Omnibus, one of the most fascinating and creative programs seen on American television, in an article written by the show's producer, Robert Saudek. The contents of that first program are indicitave of the variety displayed on the series: Rex Harrison and Lili Palmer as Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn; excerpts from a play by William Saroyan and the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta The Mikado; x-rays demonstrating "human innards at work"; Haitian dancer Jean Leon Destine in a witch-doctor dance; and a slow motion look at a giant jack rabbit in mid flight. All in one 90-minute program, broadcast live on a Sunday afternoon.
I've made the point before, but it bears repeating: Omnibus, like NBC Opera Theatre and G-E College Bowl, was the kind of program networks used to show on Sunday afternoons before they became dominated by sports and infomercials. It was often referred to as the cultural graveyard, because Sunday afternoon was a time when networks could afford to air programs that attracted small, if loyal, audiences, but what these also offered was culture, entertainment, and programs that were interesting as well as educational. They were, as I mentioned on Wednesday while talking about Ayn Rand's appearance on The Tonight Show, the mark of middlebrow culture, something that has disappeared from the scene as surely as the middle-class has followed along.
Live television was its own breed of cat, as it were, and in the case of Omnibus, which proved particularly challenging considering its multiple segments, things could become especially dicey. Saudek recalls one particular occasion during a production of Boswell's "Life of Samuel Johnson" when, following an execution scene, the technicians and extras rushed to another corner of the studio for the next scene, leaving the actor playing the villain hanging from a harness that was intended to hold his weight while his head was in the noose. Soon enough, he felt the harness give way, and only the quick actions of a stagehand who happened to see the unfolding drama prevented some extra excitement in the studio.Omnibus was a true variety show in every sense of the word. Leonard Bernstein made several apperances on the program, prefiguring his Young People's Concerts, including a never-before-seen look at various sketches of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony that the conductor had rejected, while Jack Benny reprised his role in a television version of his movie The Horn Blows at Midnight, (which I write about in Darkness in Primetime), and the then-husband and wife team of James and Pamela Mason read a series of letters between Napoleon and Josephine. A series of episodes portrayed various events in the life of Abraham Lincoln, dramatized by playwright James Agee. (Stanley Kubrick was one of the second-unit directors on that project.) Not every Omnibus was bent on culture; one episode, included in anoter DVD collection from the show, featured a behind-the-scenes look at a meeting of the editorial board of The New York Times, showing what goes into the preparation of the next day's edition; another show presented the young comedic couple of Mike Nichols and Elaine May, launching them to stardom in the process.
Omnibus, in Saudek's words, "served its drinks straight"—it was not "a TV reporter giving you secondhand samples of 'newsworthy' performances," but the performances themselves; "theater as theater; music as music; dance, history, literature, athletics as living ideas and shows and people. It left journalism to others, and pursued first-generation, 200-proof performance for its own sake." It remains one of the shining monuments of American television, and the fact that we have nothing to compare to it today says much—about the television networks, about the evolution of our culture, about us ourselves. Because those who make television and those who watch it all come from the same gene pool, so to speak: if the fault lies not with ourselves, then where?
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The final major golf tournament of the year, the PGA Championship, wraps up this weekend from the Canterbury Golf Club in Cleveland, and ABC is on hand for coverage of the final two rounds, Saturday at 5:00 p.m., and Sunday at 4:30 p.m. The winner? Ohio's own Jack Nicklaus, who finishes at -7, for a four-stroke victory over Bruce Crampton. Also on Saturday is one of those pilots featuring strong women that was "left on the shelf": Partners in Crime (9:30 p.m., NBC), starring Lee Grant as a former judge-turned-private detective who's on the search for a cool $750,000 stolen in a robbery. Lou Antonio, Harry Guardino, Richard Jaeckel, and Bob Cummings (!) co-star.
Sunday night's treat is a delightful Columbo episode (8:30 p.m., NBC) featuring Martin Landau in a dual role, as twins suspected of murder. They've implemented an ingenious plan, but do you think it's going to fool the good lieutenant? Not a chance. That's followed by the final episode of Night Gallery (9:30 p.m., NBC) featuring Chuck Connors and Gary Lockwood in a story that bears a passing resemblance to The Twilight Zone's "A Game of Pool." At least, I think so. With the NFL season opener a month away, it may be too early for Monday Night Football, but that doesn't mean we're rid of Howard Cosell; Monday's late-night feature on ABC is Howard Cosell with the Miami Dolphins, a two-part look at the defending Super Bowl champions (11:30 p.m.; part two airs tomorrow night at the same time). Among the features are interviews with head coach Don Shula and members of his staff, plus key players and their wives. It'll have to be some preview to fill three hours over two nights.
Tuesday has a little something for everyone, beginning with a repeat of part one of the controversial two-part Maude in which the titular character deals with an unwanted pregnancy. (8:00 p.m., CBS) Opposite that is part one of John Wayne's sprawling Oscar-nominated The Alamo (8:00 p.m., NBC, with part two on Friday). Judith Crist, not surprisingly, isn't that impressed, although she does concede that Wayne makes for a better movie star than director, and "at most it builds to excitement in the last half of the second half." Marginally preferable, in her eyes, is the Rowan and Martin feature The Maltese Bippy (9:30 p.m., CBS), "intended for the pair's insatiable addicts," but highlighted by Mildred Natwick and Martin as Mary Astor and Humphrey Bogart, which justifies "that tolerance, if not the drear in between." And PBS chimes in with a concert by Pink Floyd from the Fillmore East in San Francisco (9:00 p.m.) I must admit, however, that as a Floyd admirer, I've never heard them referred to as "Acid rock."
I mentioned on Monday that we aren't to the beginning of the NFL season, but that doesn't mean we're without football: on Wednesday, we're treated to some north-of-the-border CFL action, as the Montreal Alouettes take on Joe Theismann and the Toronto Argonauts (8:00 p.m., WKBG in Boston). But the highlight of the night, if not the week, is the repeat of the acclaimed 1971 TV movie Duel (8:30 p.m., ABC), directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Dennis Weaver. Interestingly, Judith Crist isn't overwhelmed by it, saying that it "builds to moderately good suspense, enough to make up for the surplus of voice-over interior thinking." It's since gone on to be considered one of the greatest thrillers of the decade.Marty Allen and Steve Rossi were one of the more successful comedy teams of the 1960s, but they were no Rowan and Martin, and their 1966 movie The Last of the Secret Agents? (Thursday, 9:00 p.m., CBS) proves it. The plot, such as it is, involves a plan to steal the Venus de Milo, and Crist allows as to how the duo aren't completely to blame for the fiasco; "one should note that they were given pure sow's ear to play with." Elsewhere, Chief Dan George stars in a topical episode of Kung Fu (9:00 p.m., ABC) involving Indian land rights, and any resemblance to contemporary issues of the 1970s is, I'm sure, purely intentional.
As CBS demonstrated with Tuesday's Maude repeat, the summer is a terrific time to bury those controversial programs that the network may be contractually obligated to repeat, and another example is David Rabe's Tony Award-winning play "Sticks and Bones" (Friday, 9:00 p.m., CBS). I wrote about this anti-Vietnam play here , so there's no point in going over it again; suffice it to say that a Friday night during the dog days of summer is a perfect place to hide it.
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One of the most storied records in all of sports is Babe Ruth's record of 714 home runs. The number itself is burned in the mind of the most casual baseball fan, and for generations, the record seemed so far out of reach that it was unthinkable it would ever be broken. But as we enter the final two months of the baseball season, it's not only thinkable, it's a virtual certainty that the record will fall, at the hands of Atlanta's Hank Aaron. And when it happens, as Marty Ralbovsky tells us, NBC will be there.
NBC is, of course, the network of record for Major League Baseball, and Til Ferdenzi, sports publicity manager of NBC, says that the network will have crews following Aaron full-time once he reaches 710. "He's going to break the greatest record in sports," Ferdenzi says. "After 713, we might broadcast all Atlanta games live. . . We could pull in an audience of 50 million people for those games. Everybody wants to see history when it happens."Well, not everybody; Ralbovsky does make mention of the hate mail which Aaron receives, the most threatening of which have been turned over to the Atlanta PD. An example: "You can hit all dem home runs over dem short fences but you can't take dat black off yo face." Fortunately, since the publc learned of the volume and viciousness of the mail, things have turned around; Carla Koplan, assigned by the Braves to serve as Aaron's personal secretary, reports that up to 99 percent of recent mail has been positive, particularly among young people.
At the beginning of the season, Aaron needed 42 home runs to break Ruth's record; after a season in which he finished with 40 home runs and a .301 batting average, he wound up, incredibly, one short of tying the Babe. When it comes time for the 1974 season to begin, a comedy of errors threatens to overshadow the chase; despite Aaron being tantalizingly close, and with the Braves hoping the historic moment can take place at home, the league inexplicably schedules them to begin the season on the road, in Cincinnati. Aaron promptly homers on Opening Day to tie the record, but with the team talking about keeping him on the bench until they return to Atlanta, commissioner Bowie Kuhn threatens the Braves with disciplinary action unless they agree to play Aaron. Fortunately for all concerned, he goes homerless in the remaining games in Cincy, and then breaks the record in the Braves home opener— carried on NBC . For some of us, he's still the all-time home run champion.
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MST3K alert: War of the Monsters, aka Gamera vs. Barugon (Japanese; 1966) Previously shot to Mars in a rocket, but now back for an encore, the monstrous reptile Gamera effects a fateful meeting with the horrible Barugon. Result: civic chaos. Kojiro Hongo. (Thursday, 11:00 p.m., WSBK in Boston) It's the long-awaited sequel to 1965's Gamera, the Giant Monster, and the 13th movie in the epic saga of the flying, flame-spewing turtle who started out as a monster determined to wreak havoc on Tokyo but morphed into "a protector of humanity especially children, nature, and the Earth from extraterrestrial races and other giant monsters." The lesson, I suppose, is to be good to giant monsters, and they'll be good to you. TV
August 8, 2025
Around the dial
I claim the top spot for myself this week, with a couple of notes. First, if you haven't yet ordered your copy of Darkness in Primetime, you've still got a couple of weeks to get in on the introductory pricing; go here for details. In support of Darkness, I've launched a new series of two-ish minute videos focusing on the book, what went into its writing, behind-the-scenes stories, and more. You can
see that video here
, and keep up on additional episodes by subscribing to my YouTube channel, or signing up for my newsletter.You can also hear me on the latest episode of Eventually Supertrain , as Dan and I discuss the latest on Garrison's Gorillas, plus segments on Bronk and Ghosted. As I am prone to say, don't you dare miss it. And now on to some non-Mitchell related goodies.
At bare•bones e-zine, Jack's Hitchcock Project continues full steam ahead, with " The Impossible Dream ," which is not about Don Quxiote but does tell a nasty story of blackmail, written by Meade Roberts and starring Franchot Tone, Carmen Mathews, and Mary Astor.
We're visiting 1961 in the latest episode of Cult TV Blog, as John looks at The Seven Faces of Jim (not to be confused with The Seven Faces of Dr. Lao), part of a succession of three comedy series starring Jimmy Edwards. This week features a comic spin on Quatermass, and sounds like a hit.
It's short but sweet at the Broadcast Archives, with a singing commercial message from Pottsylvainan TV . If you know what the reference means, you know you're in for something fiunny; if you don't, all the more reason to check it out.
At Comfort TV, David's journey through 1970s TV has arrived at Wednesday nights in 1976 , and memories of the dominant ABC schedule, including The Bionic Woman, Baretta, and Charlie's Angels. What did NBC and CBS have to counter them? You'll find out.
The Twilight Zone Vortex returns with a look at the final-season episode " The Long Morrow ," with Robert Lansing and Mariette Hartley. I agree for the most part, with Jordan's negative assessment, but I've got to make allowances for the episode's lovely score, made up of stock music.
At Classic Film and TV Corner, Maddie visits the TV adaptation of The Ghost & Mrs. Muir , based on the movie with Gene Tierney and Rex Harrision, which ran from 1968-1970. Our TV version, which more than holds its own, stars Hope Lange and Edwards Mulhare.
Apparently the message that we've had enough of death for one year hasn't kicked in yet, as we add Loni Anderson to the list of those leaving us; at A Shroud of Thoughts, Terence pays tribute to this native of Minnesota, so familiar from WKRP and television appearances of all kinds.
Finally, if you know anything about nuclear power, you know that heavy water has nothing to do with heavy bread; no, " Recipe for Heavy Bread " is the latest episode of The A-Team to fall under Roger's microscope at The View from the Junkyard. TV
August 6, 2025
Ayn Rand on The Tonight Show, 1967
Late night talk shows have been quite the topic of conversation lately, and so it seems like a good time to at how an actual, real-life talk show handled an actual, real-life guest.Ayn Rand, political philosopher and author of Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead, among other novels, has never really been out of the public eye, though it's likely that few of the people who read her and debate her ideas today ever had the chance to see her live. So let's take this opportunity to look at footage of Rand appearing with Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show on August 11, 1967. (Johnny's other guests included Florence Henderson and the Temptations—an eclectic show to say the least.)
This was the first of three 1967 appearances by Rand with Carson, and not only does this give us a chance to hear Rand describe the philosophy of Objectivism in her own voice, it points out the vapidity of today's late night talk shows. In fact, Carson's own version of The Tonight Show was a shadow of its former self by the time it came to an end, but it towers as an ivory tower of intellectualism compared to the Three Stooges of late night we currently suffer with. I don't think she suffered fools gladly, and Lord knows she would be confronted with them today*; I rather suspect she would have handed Colbert his head on a platter, while Kimmel and Myers would have been the appetizer and dessert, respectively.
*They remind me of one of my favorite Tom Wolfe quotes, from The Right Stuff: "It was the kind of crowd that would have made the Fool Killer lower his club and shake his head and walk away, frustrated by the magnitude of the opportunity."
I've frequently written in the past about the decline of what Terry Teachout used to refer to as "middlebrow" culture on television. Usually I'm talking about the lack of classical music, drama or documentary shows, but this reminds us that the dearth of smart programming extends to the talk show as well. Sure, you might have been able to find something like this from Charlie Rose (as a matter of fact, offhand he's the only one I can think of who would have done something like this), but perish the thought that a stimulating political discussion (that wasn't also a piece of partisan advocacy) would appear on one of the broadcast networks today.
As for daytime talk shows—well, we won't even go there; although it would have been interesting to see what Ayn Rand would have done to Oprah. TV
August 4, 2025
What's on TV? Monday, August 1, 1960
Xhe 10:00 p.m. special on NBC, Holltwood Swings, would seem at first an unlikely vehicle for a trio of Boris Karloff, Tammy Grimes, and Eddie Albert. Karloff acts as host, while Grimes and Albert take a fond (and tongue-in-cheek) look back at musicals, from the early days of sound to more recent offerings. Karloff, of course, has such a cultivated, dignified voice, he could probably read the phone book and make it worthwhile. It originally aired in April, so in case you missed it, here's your chance. We're in the Eastern New England edition again this week.-2- WGBH (CAMBRIDGE) (Educational) EVENING 6:15 FRIENDLY GIANT—Homme 6:30 NEWS—Robert Baran 6:45 BACKGROUNDS—Louis Lyons 7:00 RESOURCES AND SECURITY 7:30 ALGEBRA—High School 8:15 AMERICANS AT WORK 8:30 NATIONALISM, COLONIALISM 9:00 LET’S MAKE SONG 9:30 GREAT PLAINS TRILOGY 10:00 YESTERDAY’S WORLDS 10:30 BACKGROUNDS—Louis Lyons 10:45 NEWS, SPORTS, WEATHER
-4- WBZ (BOSTON) (NBC) MORNING 6:30 SIGN ON SEMINAR—Hanley 6:45 DAILY ALMANAC 7:00 TODAY—Dave Garroway 7:25 NEWS, WEATHER 7:30 TODAY—Garroway 8:25 NEWS, WEATHER 8:30 TODAY—Garroway 9:00 NEWS AT NINE—Adams, Chase 9:30 AFFLICTED—Arthritis 10:00 DOUGH RE MI—Quiz 10:30 PLAY YOUR HUNCH 11:00 PRICE IS RIGHT—Bill Cullen COLOR 11:30 CONCENTRATION AFTERNOON 12:00 NEWS—Jack Chase 12:10 WEATHER—Don Kent 12:15 BIG BROTHER—Bob Emery 12:45 MOVIE—Drama “Woman They Almost Lynched” (1952) 2:20 NEWS—Leo Egan 2:30 LORETTA YOUNG 3:00 YOUNG DR. MALONE 3:30 FROM THESE ROOTS 4:00 THIN MAN—Mystery 4:30 SS POPEYE—Cartoons 5:00 MOVIE—Mystery “Cry Wolf” (1947) EVENING 6:30 NEWS, WEATHER 6:45 NEWS—Chet Huntley, David Brinkley 7:00 BRAVE STALLION—Adventure 7:30 RIVERBOAT—Adventure 8:30 WELLS FARGO 9:00 PETER GUNN—Mystery 9:30 GOODYEAR THEATER “Squeeze Play” 10:00 HOLLYWOOD SINGS SPECIAL COLOR Host: Boris Karloff. Guests: Tammy Grimes, Eddie Albert 11:00 NEWS, WEATHER 11:15 MOVIE—Double Feature 1. “Humoresque” (1946) 2. “Murder of Dr. Harrigan” (1936)
-5- WHDH (BOSTON) (ABC, CBS, NBC) MORNING 6:30 CARTOONS—Children 7:00 BIG MAC—Cartoons 7:30 CAPTAIN BOB—Variety COLOR 8:30 DING DONG SCHOOL—Horwich 9:00 ROMPER ROOM COLOR 9:45 MARJORIE MILLS 10:00 NEWS COLOR 10:10 ALMANAC 10:15 WE BELIEVE—Religion COLOR 10:30 MOVIE—Drama “Guilty of Treason” (1950) AFTERNOON 12:00 RESTLESS GUN 12:30 FARM AND HOME COLOR 12:55 ALMANAC 1:00 ABOUT FACES 1:30 WAY OF LIFE—Drama 2:00 DAY IN COURT 2:30 GALE STORM—Comedy 3:00 BEAT THE CLOCK 3:30 WHO DO YOU TRUST? 4:00 AMERICAN BANDSTAND—Dick Clark 5:00 BOZO THE CLOWN COLOR 5:30 CAPTAIN GALLANT EVENING 6:00 DATELINE BOSTON—Jim Britt COLOR 6:30 BURNS AND ALLEN—Comedy 7:00 NEWS—Douglas Edwards 7:15 NEWS, SPORTS COLOR 7:25 WEATHER—Loring 7:30 CHEYENNE—Western 8:30 BOURBON STREET BEAT 9:30 ADVENTURES IN PARADISE—Drama 10:30 AMATEUR HOUR—Ted Mack 11:00 NEWS, WEATHER 11:15 JACK PAAR—Variety Guests: Louise O’Brien, Ed and Pegeen Fitzgerald, Renee Taylor, H.V. Kaltenborn
-6- WCSH (PORTLAND) (NBC) MORNING 6:20 FARM REPORT—Jake Beofee 6:30 SUNRISE SEMESTER 7:00 TODAY—Dave Garroway 7:25 NEWS, WEATHER 7:30 TODAY—Garroway 8:25 NEWS, WEATHER 8:30 TODAY—Garroway 9:00 ROMPER ROOM—Connie Roussin 9:30 LIFE OF RILEY—Comedy 10:00 DOUGH RE MI—Quiz 10:30 PLAY YOUR HUNCH 11:00 PRICE IS RIGHT—Bill Cullen COLOR 11:30 CONCENTRATION AFTERNOON 12:00 TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES—Contest 12:30 IT COULD BE YOU 1:00 WEEKDAY ON SIX—Variety 2:00 QUEEN FOR A DAY—Jack Bailey 2:30 LORETTA YOUNG 3:00 YOUNG DR. MALONE 3:30 FROM THESE ROOTS 4:00 THIN MAN—Mystery 4:30 BUCKSKIN—Western 5:00 POPEYE—Cartoons 5:30 ROBIN HOOD—Adventure EVENING 6:00 QUICK DRAW McGRAW 6:30 NEWS, SPORTS, WEATHER 6:45 NEWS—Chet Huntley, David Brinkley 7:00 UNCOMMON VALOR—Marines 7:30 RIVERBOAT—Adventure 8:30 WELLS FARGO 9:00 PETER GUNN—Mystery 9:30 GOODYEAR THEATER “Squeeze Play” 10:00 HOLLYWOOD SINGS SPECIAL COLOR Host: Boris Karloff. Guests: Tammy Grimes, Eddie Albert 11:00 NEWS, WEATHER 11:15 JACK PAAR—Variety Guests: Louise O’Brien, Ed and Pegeen Fitzgerald, Renee Taylor, H.V. Kaltenborn
-7- WNAC (BOSTON) (CBS) MORNING 7:00 LAUREL AND HARDY—Comedy 8:15 CAPTAIN KANGAROO 9:00 MORNING STAR TIME 10:00 MY LITTLE MARGIE—Comedy 10:30 I MARRIED JOAN—Comedy 11:00 I LOVE LUCY—Comedy 11:30 CLEAR HORIZON AFTERNOON 12:00 LOVE OF LIFE—Serial 12:30 SEARCH FOR TOMORROW—Serial 12:45 GUIDING LIGHT—Serial 1:00 LOUISE MORGAN—Woman 1:30 AS THE WORLD TURNS 2:00 TOPPER—Comedy 2:30 HOUSE PARTY 3:00 MILLIONAIRE—Drama 3:30 VERDICT IS YOURS 4:00 BRIGHTER DAY—Serial 4:15 SECRET STORM 4:30 MOVIE—Drama “Washington Melodrama” (1941) EVENING 6:15 NEWS—Roy Leonard 6:30 QUCK DRAW McGRAW 7:00 CHARLIE CHAN—Mystery 7:30 CHARLIE FARRELL RETURN 8:00 TEXAN—Western 8:30 FATHER KNOWS BEST 9:00 CELEBRITY TALENT SCOUTS—Sam Levenson DEBUT Scouts: Ann Sheridan, Audrey Meadows, Phil Silvers 9:30 SPIKE JONES—Variety RETURN 10:00 NEW COMEDY SHOWCASE DEBUT 10:30 JUNE ALLYSON “The Doctor and the Redhead” 11:00 NEWS, WEATHER 11:15 MOVIE—Double Feature 1. “Radio Stars on Parade” (1945) 2. “Jungle Patrol” (1948)
-8- WMTW (POLAND SPRING) (ABC) MORNING 8:45 TEDDY BEAR CARTOONS 10:00 FARMER AL FALFA—Cartoons 10:30 MOVIE—Comedy “Lost in a Harem” (1944) AFTERNOON 12:00 RESTLESS GUN 12:30 LOVE THAT BOB!—Comedy 1:00 ABOUT FACES 1:30 FILM FEATURE 2:00 DAY IN COURT 2:30 GALE STORM—Comedy 3:00 BEAT THE CLOCK 3:30 WHO DO YOU TRUST? 4:00 AMERICAN BANDSTAND—Dick Clark 5:30 MOVIE—War Drama “The Fighting Seabees” (1944) EVENING 7:20 NEWS, WEATHER 7:30 CHEYENNE—Western 8:30 BOURBON STREET BEAT 9:30 ADVENTURES IN PARADISE—Drama 10:30 AMATEUR HOUR—Ted Mack 11:00 NEWS, WEATHER 11:15 MOVIE—Drama “The Citadel” (1938)
-9- WMUR (MANCHESTER) (ABC) MORNING 10:00 CARTOONS—Chldren 10:50 MOVIE—Police “Arson Racket Squad” (1938) AFTERNOON 12:00 RESTLESS GUN 12:30 COUNTRY STORE—Clyde Joy 1:00 ABOUT FACES 1:30 CATHOLIC THOUGHT—Religion 1:45 AIR FORCE STORY 2:00 DAY IN COURT 2:30 GALE STORM—Comedy 3:00 BEAT THE CLOCK 3:30 WHO DO YOU TRUST? 4:00 AMERICAN BANDSTAND—Dick Clark 5:00 POPEYE—Cartoons EVENING 6:00 JOE PALOOKA—Drama 6:30 NEWS, SPORTS, WEATHER 6:45 PLAY BALL—Sports 7:00 WRESTLING—Chicago 8:00 DAMON RUNYON THEATER 8:30 ALL STAR THEATER—Drama 9:00 GOV. WESLEY POWELL—Talk 9:30 MOVIE—Mystery “Murder in Bergen” (English; 1956) 11:00 NEWS, WEATHER 11:05 MOVIE—Drama “Cheer, Boys, Cheer” (English; 1939)
10 WJAR (PROVIDENCE) (ABC, NBC) MORNING 7:00 TODAY—Dave Garroway 7:25 NEWS, WEATHER 7:30 TODAY—Garroway 8:25 NEWS, WEATHER 8:30 TODAY—Garroway 9:00 MOVIE—Drama “Cruel Tower” (1956) 10:30 PLAY YOUR HUNCH 11:00 PRICE IS RIGHT—Bill Cullen COLOR 11:30 CONCENTRATION AFTERNOON 12:00 TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES—Contest 12:30 IT COULD BE YOU 1:00 MOVIE—Drama “The Come On” (1956) 2:30 LORETTA YOUNG 3:00 YOUNG DR. MALONE 3:30 FROM THESE ROOTS 4:00 THIN MAN—Mystery 4:30 BUCKSKIN—Western 5:00 MOVIE—Suspense “Three for Jannie Dawn” (1956) EVENING 6:30 NEWS, WEATHER 6:45 NEWS—Chet Huntley, David Brinkley 7:00 DEATH VALLEY DAYS—Drama 7:30 RIVERBOAT—Adventure 8:30 WELLS FARGO 9:00 PETER GUNN—Mystery 9:30 GOODYEAR THEATER “Squeeze Play” 10:00 HOLLYWOOD SINGS SPECIAL COLOR Host: Boris Karloff. Guests: Tammy Grimes, Eddie Albert 11:00 NEWS, WEATHER 11:15 JACK PAAR—Variety Guests: Louise O’Brien, Ed and Pegeen Fitzgerald, Renee Taylor, H.V. Kaltenborn
11 WENH (DURHAM) (Educational) EVENING 6:00 CLASSICAL MUSIC 6:25 EVENTS—New Hampshire 6:30 NEWS—Robert Baran 6:45 BACKGROUNDS—Louis Lyons 7:00 FRIENDLY GIANT—Children 7:15 CANADA—Documentary 7:30 HOW TO WATER SKI 8:00 SUMMER SESSION—Education 8:30 BRIEFING SESSION 9:30 HERITAGE—Jacob Malik
12 WPRO (PROVIDENCE) (CBS) MORNING 7:00 POPEYE—Cartoons 7:30 STORYTIME—Beth Chollar 8:00 NEWS—Dave Mohr 8:30 CAPTAIN KANGAROO 9:00 ROMPER ROOM—Bonnie Riker 9:30 MOVIE—Mystery “Hell's Crossroads” (1957) 10:45 NEWS—Stuart Mohr 11:00 I LOVE LUCY—Comedy 11:30 CLEAR HORIZON AFTERNOON 12:00 LOVE OF LIFE—Serial 12:30 SEARCH FOR TOMORROW—Serial 12:45 GUIDING LIGHT—Serial 1:00 MEDIC—Drama 1:30 AS THE WORLD TURNS 2:00 LIFE OF RILEY—Comedy 2:30 HOUSE PARTY 3:00 MILLIONAIRE—Drama 3:30 VERDICT IS YOURS 4:00 BRIGHTER DAY—Serial 4:15 SECRET STORM 4:30 EDGE OF NIGHT—Serial 5:00 WOODY WOODPECKER 5:30 SALTY BRINE’S SHACK EVENING 6:25 NEWS, SPORTS, WEATHER 6:45 NEWS—Walter Cronkite 7:30 BOURBON STREET BEAT 8:30 FATHER KNOWS BEST 9:00 CELEBRITY TALENT SCOUTS—Sam Levenson DEBUT Scouts: Ann Sheridan, Audrey Meadows, Phil Silvers 9:30 SPIKE JONES—Variety RETURN 10:00 NEW COMEDY SHOWCASE DEBUT 10:30 JUNE ALLYSON “The Doctor and the Redhead” 11:00 NEWS, WEATHER 11:15 MOVIE—Drama “The Champ” (1931)
13 WGAN (PORTLAND) (CBS) MORNING 8:00 NEWS 8:15 CAPTAIN KANGAROO 9:00 MOVIE—Drama ”Navy Wife” (1935) 10:00 DECEMBER BRIDE—Comedy 10:30 VIDEO VILLAGE—Jack Narz 11:00 I LOVE LUCY—Comedy 11:30 CLEAR HORIZON AFTERNOON 12:00 LOVE OF LIFE—Serial 12:30 SEARCH FOR TOMORROW—Serial 12:45 GUIDING LIGHT—Serial 1:00 WAY OF LIFE—Drama 1:30 AS THE WORLD TURNS 2:00 FULL CIRCLE—Serial 2:30 HOUSE PARTY 3:00 MILLIONAIRE—Drama 3:30 VERDICT IS YOURS 4:00 BRIGHTER DAY—Serial 4:15 SECRET STORM 4:30 EDGE OF NIGHT—Serial 5:00 THREE STOOGES—Comedy 5:30 GRAY GHOST—Adventure EVENING 6:00 SILENT SERVICE—Drama 6:30 NEWS, SPORTS, WEATHER 6:45 NEWS—Walter Cronkite 7:30 CHARLIE FARRELL RETURN 8:00 TEXAN—Western 8:30 FATHER KNOWS BEST 9:00 CELEBRITY TALENT SCOUTS—Sam Levenson DEBUT Scouts: Ann Sheridan, Audrey Meadows, Phil Silvers 9:30 SPIKE JONES—Variety RETURN 10:00 NEW COMEDY SHOWCASE DEBUT 10:30 JUNE ALLYSON “The Doctor and the Redhead” 11:00 NEWS, WEATHER 11:15 MOVIE—Drama “Security Risk” (1954)
TV
August 2, 2025
This week in TV Guide: July 30, 1960
Usually, we don't think of a tightrope as being particularly violent. Dangerous, yes, but when someone falls off one while working without a net, we call it tragic, horrible, many other words; but violent isn't generally one of them. And then there's the series Tightrope!, which appears to have fallen victim to precisely that—violence.For those who aren't familiar with it, Tightrope! was a series that ran on CBS during the 1959-60 season, starring Mike Connors as an undercover agent who, each week, would infiltrate a criminal organization in order to get the goods on their leaders. He was assigned to a different case in a different city each week, assuming an identity appropriate to the situation, but nobody—not even the local police departments—knew his true identity, thus putting him in jeopardy from both the criminals and the cops while carrying out his assignment. So secret was his assignment, even viewers didn't know his real name; he was referred to in the credits as "Nick," but I think I heard I heard his boss refer to him by that name only once. I ran across Tightrope! while perusing the TV Guides of the era (it was syndicated for several years after its initial run), and, the last time I looked, almost every episode was available on YouTube or the Internet Archive. (I reviewed it here a few years ago.)
So far, so good. It wasn't the greatest show on television, but it was far from being the worst, either. The premise was different, the stories were decent, and Mike Connors is always a watchable personality; even the weakest Mannix episodes benefit from his presence. The sponsor, Pharmaceuticals, Inc., liked Tightrope!, complimenting the show's creators, Clarence Greene and Russell Rouse, with doing a "magnificent job." The show's ratings were good: going head-to-head with the successful Western The Rifleman, it had succeeded in knocking that show down from #3 to #9 in the national ratings. While the episodes consistently ran over budget, Greene and Rouse were more than willing to put aside any chance of the show making a profit in order to keep the show's standards high. In April, Pharmaceuticals, Inc. told them to go ahead and get started on the new season, causing Greene and Rouse to give up several other projects, including a "lucrative movie deal."
However, as Dwight Whitney recounts in this week's cover story, and as so often happens in the slimy world of network television, things changed. On April 15, without any warning, Greene and Rouse "read in a trade paper that CBS had filled their time slot with The Tom Ewell Show, a new comedy." The duo got, in Greene's words, "nothing but double talk" when they talked to the network. The sponsor, while praising the show, told them that, regretfully, "network problems were such that they made continuation of our sponsorship impossible." Greene and Rouse finally went straight to the top, sending a three-page letter to CBS president Frank Stanton and television division president James Aubrey asking for an explanation. They were told that said explanation would come from Oscar Katz, VP in charge of network programming.
And those explanations, for there were very many of them forthcoming, were as follows: first, that the network "'owned a substantial financial interest in the Ewell show' and therefore gave it 'preferential treatment.'" This turned out to be more than a little B.S.; Four Star, the show's producer, claimed the network shared in less than ten percent of the show's profits, and those only when it went to reruns. A second explanation was that the network was looking to establish a comedy block on Tuesday nights, and Tightrope! was the odd man (or show) out.*
*Indeed, the 1960-61 Tuesday night schedule would be made up of comedy and variety shows: repeats of Father Knows best, followed by Dobie Gillis, the Ewell show, The Red Skelton Show, and The Garry Moore Show. However, the network chose to leave the 7:30 p.m. half-hour slot open to the affiliates. Hmm.
Whether or not either of these explanations passes the plausibility test, though, neither would preclude another network from picking up Tightrope! And that brings us to the third, and perhaps most important, factor. As Whitney recounts it, "Under the fire of Congressional investigations rising out of the quiz and payola scandals, 'violence' had become a word to be feared. And there was no denying that Tightrope! was dealing in violence. Its ratings were simply not robust enough to justify the risk." In other words, had Tightrope! been a top-10 performer for the network, its violence would have been perfectly acceptable. But the last time I checked, violence is pretty much the same wherever you go, and whatever you do. Just because it's more popular, or comes with a higher (or lower) pricetag, doesn't make it more or less acceptable. Does it?
So this seems to be the final answer. And the last word comes from someone formerly "high up in the business," who told Whitney this: "What makes a good show? This is the impossible thing to answer. So, because it's impossible, we compound the felony. You don't know what you want, but only what you don't want. Everybody looks at it from their own point of view—like the blind men and the elephant. In TV it all depends on which end you grab. You grab the tail and, if you're not careful, you end up imagining the whole elephant is a rope."
Come to think of it, that explains pretty much everything about the world we live in today, doesn't it? We don't know what we like, only what we don't like. Before you know it, the only choices you have left are bad ones, which really means no choice at all. In the end, you're left with nothing to do but complain about it. And we do a lot of complaining nowadays, don't we?
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I'd like to think that the other item on the cover this week, on how violence on television can be curbed, was meant to be ironic placement. If it wasn't, it should have been. It's a summary of an outline sent to television producers by Kenneth Adam, the controller of television for the BBC, on how said producers should deal with violence. A few highlights:Children's Programming: The "main danger points" in which the reactions of adults and children may differ are situations "which upset a child's emotional security, arising out of adoption, desertion, cruelty in the house, unwanted children, friction between parents, especially in contemporary settings"; portrayals of injuries or illnesses; "villainous" actions that could be imitated, such as using traps and pitfalls; "bad" habits in "good" characters, such as smoking; the use of weapons that are "easily available," such as knives;* and eerie or fearful atmospheres, especially when accentuated by music. These concerns should be considered regarding any program airing prior to 9:00 p.m.
*The tool of choice for attackers in Great Britain nowadays.
Adult Programs: According to the code, violence "should arise naturally from the story, and be therefore dramatically necessary and defensible"; violence that is "extraneous and designed for depraved effect" should be rejected, and any such natural sequences should not be "unduly prolonged; as with children's programmong, dangerous instruments, other than guns, should be carefully considered to avoid imitation; sound effects should not "distort or magnify the impact of violence," and anyone engaged in fisticuffs should not use "tactics of a vicious or bestial nature"; finally, violence against women or animals "must require special scrutiny."
Interestingly, the guidelines make a clear distinction between violence, brutality, and combat. "Brutality is not the same thing as violence. Violence is not the same thing as combat. Yet because combat, which is healthy, and brutality, which is not, both contain violence, they tend to become identified." Battle scenes can be mitigated by using long-range camera shots, and there should be no shots "which dwell upon the more gruesome and bloody physical aspects of a combat." Some of these recommendations are quite commonsensical, while others are, I think, a little spurious. I would question, however, the idea that combat is "healthy"—let's see what the soldiers involved in it have to say about it.
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And now, here's the kind of item that I search these TV Guides for. On Sunday's Chevy Mystery Show (9:00 p.m. ET, NBC), the summer replacement for The Dinah Shore Chevy Show, the episode is "
Enough Rope
," starring Richard Carlson and Bert Freed, and written by William Link and Richard Levinson. The description: "Psychiatrist Roy Flemming has one too many women in his life. He has a wife, Claire, and a girl friend, Susan. The solution is a simple one: murder the wife and live happily ever after with the girl friend." Carlson is the adulterous doctor, while Freed, who often plays the heavy, portrays the detective investigating the crime. The play not only airs in color, it's also broadcast live.Now, I don't know if this description sounds vaguely familiar to you, but it should. It's based on a play, "Prescription: Murder," written by Link and Levinson. In 1968, it was remade as a TV-movie, again on NBC. This time, Gene Barry took on the role of the suave Dr. Flemming, while the detective, named Lieutenant Columbo, was played by Peter Falk. Well, you can probably figure out the rest. Technically, the movie Prescription: Murder was not the pilot for Columbo; it wasn't until another Columbo movie, Ransom for a Dead Man, aired in 1971 that the network decided to turn the concept into a series later that year. But while there are differences between Freed's portrayal of Columbo, Falk's first time in the role, and the way the character is played in the subsequent series, there's no doubt that the good Lieutenant is displaying the primary characteristics that we all know and love.
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What else? I'll admit, sometimes it seems like a chore trying to find interesting programs to watch each night. I look at them and think that if I'm not interested, being the biggest nerd around, will anyone else be interested? And then I think maybe it will be better in the fall, when we're flooded with new series, specials, big movies, and the like. We'll see about that. But in the meantime, we'll turn over to NBC on Saturday at 9:30 p.m., where Herb Shriner hosts World Wide 60's look at the Boy Scouts of America's 50th Anniversary Jamboree from Colorado Springs. I have some thoughts about the Boy Scouts, what they were and what they are, and I'll not share them at the moment, but with the Blue Angels, the Army's K-9 corps, and trained falcons from the nearby Air Force Academy, I'm sure it's a colorful pageant—or would be, at least, if the show was in color.A show that is in color is Music on Ice (Sunday, 8:00 p.m., NBC), the summer replacement for Sunday Showcase, hosted by Johnny Desmond; and if you remember those Ice Capades specials that I've highlighted here from time to time, this weekly series will look somewhat familiar. This week's non-skating guest is singer June Valli, and she's joined by skaters Jo Ann McGowan, Peter Firstbrook, and Willie Kali; and Steve Gibson's Redcaps vocal group. At the same time on CBS, Ed Sullivan's headliners are Gordon and Sheila MacRae, Harry James and his orchestra, comics Wayne and Shuster, and singer Jane Morgan. Your choice.
You remember Arthur Godfrey, surely; I just wrote about him last week . When Godfrey was at his peak, one of the multiple shows he hosted was called Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts. Well, the idea, if not the host, returns on Monday, with Celebrity Talent Scouts (9:00 p.m., CBS), hosted by the genial comedian Sam Levenson. The premise is simple: each week, three celebrities present their "discoveries" for our entertainment. Tonight's celebrities are Ann Sheridan, Audrey Meadows, and Phil Silvers (who introduces something of a ringer, Mickey Freeman, who played Zimmerman on the Bilko series). Another summer entry is the return of the anarchic Spike Jones and his band (9:30 p.m., CBS). Spike swears he's off the slapstick schtick for this series, although Bill Dana is on hand as one of the regulars, playing his Jose Jiminez character.
Tuesday's Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, starring Hugh O'Brian (8:30 p.m., ABC) is often credited with being the first adult Western, and rightly so. Something that's not generally recognized, though, is that it is one of the few series of the time that came to a natural end. The series did progress chronologically—perhaps it wasn't a serial in the way we think of them today, but it followed Earp from Ellsworth to Dodge City to Tombstone; in two months, it begins its sixth and final season, building up inexorably to the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral with a multi-part story that brings the series to a conclusion. If that's not a great way to go out, I don't know what is. Later on CBS, catch Ernie Kovacs in 'I Was a Bloodhound," a great private detective spoof originally seen on G.E. Theater last year, on Comedy Spot. (9:30 p.m.)Bette Davis makes a rare television dramatic appearance on Wednesday's Wagon Train (7:30 p.m., NBC), as Elizabeth McQueeny, taking her group of girls out West to start a finishing school. Johnny Carson, not yet the Tonight host, is the guest on I've Got a Secret (9:30 p.m,. CBS), trying to stump the panel with his "secret," which is that he's answering their questions while hooked up to a lie detector. And Armstrong Circle Theater (10:00 p.m. CBS) tells the story of police narcotics squad members who go undercover in Greenwich Village to bust a drug ring on "Raid in Beatnik Village." Douglas Edwards, anchorman of the CBS evening news, narrates.
Thursday night sees the debut of Wranger (9:30 p.m., NBC), a new half-hour Western starring Jason Evers as a wandering cowpoke named Pitcairn. Tonight, he runs into a ranch owner named McQueen; alas, the perfect crossover promotion is missed, as it's not Steve McQueen from Wanted—Dead or Alive, but a character named McQueen, a "gorgeous blonde" played by Susan Oliver, who is, indeed, both. The series is the first to be created by Gene Roddenberry, who had a long history with Westerns; it runs for only six episodes as a summer replacement for Tennessee Ernie Ford, but never made it beyond that. Perhaps the other McQueen would have helped.
On Friday, a Project 20 repeat from 1956 takes a look at "
The Jazz Age
," in a documentary narrated by the late Fred Allen (10:00 p.m., NBC). The special chronicles "America and Americans" from the end of World War I to the 1929 stock market crash. A lot happened during that decade-plus, from the Treaty of Versailles to Prohibition to the KKK to Lindbergh's flight. I've read that the documentary was
edited down from 23 hours of film
; Ken Burns probably would have used it all, and it would have taken two months to tell the same story.l l l
Finally, you may recall a 1962 feature on Tuesday Weld that appeared last month. There's a similar article about Tuesday this week, relevant in that she's currently appearing as one of the Many Loves of Dobie Gillis. I won't recount the details, as most of it is already covered in the 1962 article. However, I would be remiss if I didn't share this rather, uh, entertaining photo spread of Tuesday, in her words, "becoming a teen-ager!" as she dances along to an Elvis record. (Funny, I don't recall knowing any teens quite like that back in the day; I clearly went to the wrong high school.)
I don't think you even try to follow that, do you? TV
August 1, 2025
Around the dial
Xt Comfort TV, David has a very nice piece on
the things you can learn from classic TV
. Not necessarily in the way that television might inform your worldview, but something simpler, like Schoolhouse Rock or science lessons. For me, it was the gift of classical music, courtesy of Saturday mornings with Bugs Bunny. No better gift!John reaches back to 2017 to continue his series on the Brit sitcom They Came from Somewhere Else at Cult TV Blog. Very strange stuff, this, as a pastiche satire on horror films, but if you're enough of a horror fan that you don't mind seeing it spoofed, this is for you.
It's going to be somber, when 2025 comes to a close, to see the year's remembrance role. At A Shroud of Thoughts, Terence adds to the list with tributes to Malcolm-Jamal Warner and Ozzy Ozbourne , the latter being perhaps the most unlikely reality TV star in history. RIP to both.
Adding to that, the satirist Tom Lehrer died this week at 97 ; The Broadcast Archives takes a look at the songs he wrote for the American version of That Was the Week That Was, including "Pollution," "A Song for World War III" ("So long, Mom/I’m off to drop the bomb") and "Wernher von Braun."
At A View from the Junkyard, it's Mike's continuing review of the Doctor Who novelizations that Target books put out during the show's heyday. Up now is Malcolm Hulke's Doctor Who and the Dinosaur Invasion , based on his Invasion of the Dinosaurs adventure, starring Jon Pertwee's Third Doctor. TV
July 30, 2025
Win a Copy of Darkness in Primetime!
What can we learn from landmark television episodes of the 1950s and ’60s that predicted today’s social concerns—like conformity, loss of liberty, family breakdown, and the silencing of public faith?In anticipation of the August 12 release of Darkness in Primetime, I’m excited to offer one lucky Goodreads reader a free copy—winner’s choice of paperback or eBook edition!
Here’s how to enter:
Add Darkness in Primetime to your Goodreads Want to Read shelf.Email me at mitchell-at-itsabouttv-dot-com OR leave a comment below with your Goodreads username or a screenshot showing you've added the book.Optional but appreciated: Follow me on Goodreads to stay updated on future news and giveaways.
Deadline to enter: August 10Winner notified: August 12
If you have a Goodreads account, now’s the perfect time to join the fun!
Also, today (July 30), I can be heard on Channel 2 of The Authors Show® discussing "Darkness in Primetime." It's about 15 minutes and can be heard throughout the day tomorrow. Tune in if you have a few; I'd appreciate it! TV
July 28, 2025
What's on TV? Monday, July 25, 1955
Usually, it's not too difficult to figure out network affiliations, even without looking at the channel guide at the beginning of the listings. I have to admit, however, that this Lake Ontario edition is a challenge. Not only do we have a couple of Canadian stations broadcasting American programming, we still have DuMont to deal with, not to mention an ABC lineup that's so negligible, almost every split affiliate (and there are none solely dedicated to ABC in this issue) chooses to air the other network's programming. But you'll have a great time looking at them anyway!-2- WGR (Buffalo) (ABC, Du Mont, NBC) MORNING 7:00 Today—Garroway 9:00 Welcome Travelers 9:30 Rumpus Room—Cartoons 10:00 Ding Dong School 10:30 Parents’ Time—Horwich 10:45 Sheilah Graham Guest: Gale Storm 11:00 Home—Arlene Francis AFTERNOON 12:00 Tennessee Ernie Ford 12:30 Feather Your Nest 1:00 MOVIE—Drama Mid-Day Matinee: “Call of the Blood” 2:15 Ladies’ Day—Kay Russell 3:00 Helen Neville—Interviews 3:30 It Pays to Be Married—Quiz 4:00 Way of the World 4:15 First Love—Serial 4:30 World of Sweeney 4:45 Modern Romances 5:00 Pinky Lee Show 5:30 Howdy Doody—Kids EVENING 6:00 NEWS AND SPORTS 6:30 Masquerade Party—Game Guest: Dagmar. Panelists: Ogden Nash, Ilka Chase, Bobby Sherwood. Host: Peter Donald 7:00 WATERFRONT—Drama 7:30 MATT DENNIS—Songs 7:45 NEWS—John Cameron Swayze 8:00 PRODUCERS’ SHOWCASE COLOR “The Foreposter” 9:30 ROBERT MONTGOMERY “Thunder Stone” 10:30 BADGE 714 11:00 NEWS 11:30 Tonight—Steve Allen Guest: Frank Fontaine
-3- WSYR (Syracuse) (NBC) MORNING 7:00 Today—Garroway 9:00 MOVIE—Mystery Coffee Cup Theater: "Mr. Wong in Chinatown” 10:00 Ding Dong School 10:30 Parents’ Time—Horwich 10:45 Sheilah Graham Guest: Gale Storm 11:00 Home—Arlene Francis AFTERNOON 12:00 Jim Deline Gang—Variety 12:45 MOVIE—Drama Hollywood Matinee: “A Bride for Henry” 2:30 Meet the Millers—Guests 3:00 Tennessee Ernie Ford 3:30 It Pays to Be Married—Quiz 4:00 Way of the World 4:15 First Love—Serial 4:30 World of Sweeney 4:45 Modern Romances 5:00 Pinky Lee Show 5:30 Howdy Doody—Kids EVENING 6:00 Western Theater—Adventure 6:30 The Six-thirty CLub--Music 6:45 NEWS AND SPORTS 7:00 SCIENCE FICTION—Adventure 7:30 MATT DENNIS—Songs 7:45 NEWS—John Cameron Swayze 8:00 PRODUCERS’ SHOWCASE COLOR “The Foreposter” 9:30 ROBERT MONTGOMERY “Thunder Stone” 10:30 MR. DISTRICT ATTORNEY 11:00 Film Feature 11:30 Tonight—Steve Allen Guest: Frank Fontaine
-4- WBEN (Buffalo) (CBS, ABC, Du Mont) MORNING 7:00 Morning Show 8:55 LOCAL NEWS 9:00 It’s Fun to Reduce 9:15 Marion Roberts Presents 9:45 Learn and Live—Education 10:00 Garry Moore Show 10:30 Arthur Godfrey 11:30 Strike It Rich—Hull AFTERNOON 12:00 NEWS—Jack Ogilvie 12:15 Love of Life—Serial 12:30 Search for Tomorrow 12:45 The Guiding Light 1:00 Valiant Lady—Serial 1:15 Matinee Playhouse—Drama 1:45 Johnny’s Show—Shopping 2:00 Robert Q. Lewis 2:30 Linkletter’s Party 3:00 The Big Payoff—Quiz 3:30 Bob Crosby 4:00 The Brighter Day 4:15 Secret Storm 4:30 On Your Account 5:00 Fun to Learn—Books 5:15 Children’s Theater 5:45 Sagebrush Trail—Western EVENING 6:30 NEWS AND SPORTS 7:00 SOLDIERS OF FORTUNE 7:30 NEWS—Douglas Edwards 7:45 JULIUS LA ROSA 8:00 BURNS AND ALLEN 8:30 TALENT SCOUTS 9:00 THOSE WHITING GIRLS—Family Comedy 9:30 SHERLOCK HOLMES DEBUT 10:00 STUDIO ONE “The Tall Dark Stranger” 11:00 NEWS 11:30 MOVIE—Mystery Eleven-thirty Theater: “Charlie Chan’s Murder Cruise”
-5- WHAM (Rochester) (NBC, Du Mont) MORNING 7:00 Today—Garroway 8:55 Morning Prayer 9:00 Home Cooking—McNall 10:00 Ding Dong School 10:30 Parents’ Time—Horwich Sheilah Graham Guest: Gale Storm 11:00 Home—Arlene Francis AFTERNOON 12:00 Tennessee Ernie Ford 12:30 Feather Your Nest 1:00 MOVIE—Drama Feature Movie: “Amiable Lady” (1954) 2:30 Ladies’ Fair—Ann Rogers 3:00 Ted Mack—Variety 3:30 It Pays to Be Married—Quiz 4:00 Way of the World 4:15 First Love—Serial 4:30 World of Sweeney 4:45 Modern Romances 5:00 Pinky Lee Show 5:30 Howdy Doody—Kids EVENING 6:00 Superman—Adventure 6:30 Cartoon Theater—Comedy 6:40 NEWS AND WEATHER 7:00 NEWS AND SPORTS 7:30 MATT DENNIS—Songs 7:45 NEWS—John Cameron Swayze 8:00 PRODUCERS’ SHOWCASE COLOR “The Foreposter” 9:30 ROBERT MONTGOMERY “Thunder Stone” 10:30 BADGE 714 11:00 NEWS 11:30 Tonight—Steve Allen Guest: Frank Fontaine
-7- WCNY (Watertown) (CBS, ABC, Du Mont) AFTERNOON 3:25 WORLD NEWS 3:30 Bob Crosby 3:45 For Your Information 4:00 Ladies Invited—Variety 4:15 Secret Storm 4:30 MOVIE—Western Circle-7 Ranch: “Raiders of the South” (Part 1) 5:30 Funny Bunny—Puppets 5:35 Red Barry—Adventure EVENING 6:00 MOVIE—Drama Early Movie: “The Enchanted Forest” 7:10 SPORTSCAP—John Foster 7:15 LOVE OF LIFE—Serial 8:00 T-MEN IN ACTION—Drama 8:30 TO BE ANNOUNCED 9:00 TV READER’S DIGEST—Drama “Top Secret” 9:30 ETHEL AND ALBERT 10:00 BADGE 714—Jack Webb 10:30 VARIETY THEATER—Drama “Murder Without Apology” 11:00 NEWS 11:10 MOVIE—Drama Late Movie: “Under the Big Top”
-8- WHEN (Syracuse) (CBS, ABC, Du Mont) MORNING 7:00 Morning Show 8:55 Morning Prayer 9:00 Film Featurette 9:15 Film Featurette 9:30 The Magic Toy Shop—Kids 10:00 Garry Moore Show 10:30 Arthur Godfrey 11:30 Strike It Rich—Hull AFTERNOON 12:00 Valiant Lady—Serial 12:15 Love of Life—Serial 12:30 Search for Tomorrow 12:45 The Guiding Light 1:00 Kay’s Kitchen—Kay Larson 1:30 Welcome Travelers 2:00 Robert Q. Lewis 2:30 Linkletter’s Party 3:00 The Big Payoff—Quiz 3:30 Bob Crosby 4:00 The Brighter Day 4:15 Secret Storm 4:30 On Your Account 5:00 The Gal Next Door—Kay Larson 5:15 Party Line—Discussion 5:30 Fun Fair—Kids 5:45 These Things We Share EVENING 6:00 MOVIE—Western Western Theater: “Ghost Rider” (Part 1) 6:30 Dean Harris Calling—Quiz 6:45 NEWS AND SPORTS 7:00 THE BIG PICTURE—Army 7:30 NEWS—Douglas Edwards 7:45 JULIUS LA ROSA 8:00 BURNS AND ALLEN 8:30 TALENT SCOUTS 9:00 THOSE WHITING GIRLS—Family Comedy 9:30 ETHEL AND ALBERT 10:00 STUDIO ONE “The Tall Dark Stranger” 11:00 NEWS 11:15 MOVIE—Drama Hour of Mystery: “The Sicilian” (Italian)
-9- CBLT (Toronto) (CBC) AFTERNOON 5:00 World Passport—Education 5:30 Howdy Doody—Kids EVENING 6:00 Holiday in Paris—Music 6:30 Kieran’s Kaleidoscope 6:45 CBC NEWS 7:00 TABLOID—News 8:00 PRODUCERS’ SHOWCASE COLOR “The Foreposter” 9:30 PORT WATCH—Documentary 10:00 DRAMA AT 10 “Roman Gesture” 11:00 NEWS 11:30 BOXING—Toronto
10 WHEC (Rochester) (CBS, ABC) MORNING 7:00 Morning Show 9:00 MOVIE—Drama Coffee Cup Theater: “Specter of the Rose” 10:00 Garry Moore Show 10:30 Arthur Godfrey 11:30 Strike It Rich—Hull AFTERNOON 12:00 Valiant Lady—Serial 12:15 Love of Life—Serial 12:30 Search for Tomorrow 12:45 The Guiding Light 1:00 Jack Paar Show—Variety 1:30 Welcome Travelers 2:00 Robert Q. Lewis 2:30 Linkletter’s Party 3:00 The Big Payoff—Quiz 3:30 Bob Crosby 4:00 The Brighter Day 4:15 Secret Storm 4:30 On Your Account 5:00 MOVIE—Western Early Show: “Hidden Valley” EVENING 6:00 Serial Adventure—Kids 6:15 NEWS AND WEATHER 6:30 Film Feature 7:00 CHANCE OF A LIFETIME DEBUT 7:30 NEWS—Douglas Edwards 7:45 JULIUS LA ROSA 8:00 BURNS AND ALLEN 8:30 TALENT SCOUTS 9:00 THOSE WHITING GIRLS—Family Comedy 9:30 ETHEL AND ALBERT 10:00 STUDIO ONE “The Tall Dark Stranger” 11:00 NEWS 11:15 Masquerade Party—Game 11:45 MOVIE—Mystery Late Show: “Secrets of Chinatown”
11 CHCH (Hamilton) (Independent) AFTERNOON 4:45 Cartoon Capers—Comedy 5:00 Bar—11 Ranch—Western EVENING 6:30 NEWS AND SPORTS 7:00 HOPALONG CASSIDY 8:00 PRODUCERS’ SHOWCASE COLOR “The Foreposter” 9:30 MARK SABER—Adventure 10:00 BIG TOWN—Drama 10:30 CAPTURED—Drama 11:00 NEWS 11:25 MOVIE—Drama Late Show: “Crooked Passage” (English)
13 CKCO (Kitchener) (Independent) AFTERNOON 3:00 Memo from Ev Smith—Talk 3:15 Woman and News—Cole 3:30 Love of Life—Serial 3:45 Secret Storm—Serial 4:00 Come Into the Kitchen 4:30 Sagebrush Sagas—Western 5:00 World Passport—Education 5:30 Howdy Doody—Kids EVENING 6:00 Teletune—Ev Smith 6:25 SPORTS AND NEWS 7:00 FARM DIGEST—Jack Lanthier 8:00 PRODUCERS’ SHOWCASE COLOR “The Foreposter” 9:30 GUY LOMBARDO—Music 11:00 NEWS 11:20 MOVIE—Drama Playhouse of Stars: “Silent Witness”
TV
July 26, 2025
This week in TV Guide: July 23, 1955
I don't know if the editors of TV Guide have a vendetta against Arthur Godfrey, or if they just know a good story when they see one, but ever since the Old Redhead sacked Julius LaRosa on a live broadcast, and then began purging employees on a scale not equaled since, except, perhaps, by George Steinbrenner firing New York Yankees managers). This week, the magazine continues a series on former Godfrey employees (LaRosa himself was on the cover of last week's issue), and the latest to join this not-so-select group is vocalist Marion Marlowe.Marlowe was dismissed by Godfrey in April, along with singer Haleloke and vocal group The Mariners—two months later, she says she still has no idea why Godfrey fired them. She has to maintain a certain circumspection, considering that her husband, Larry Puck, still works for Godfrey as producer of his Talent Scouts program, and so while she continues to insist that she isn't bitter, she answers other questions by saying, "I refuse to answer on the grounds that it might incriminate me." When she was fired, following a Friday morning program, her first thought was that she supports her mother and grandparents, and that, "come next Monday, I won't have a job." The concern didn't last long; one of Godrey's nemeses, Ed Sullivan, promptly signed her for six appearances on his show for $18,000, a handsome improvement on her $1,500 per week she earned with Godfrey. She also has a deal working for a gig in Vegas, and clubs in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and Chicago.
Marlowe with husband Puck and hisgrandson from a previous marriage.Still, despite those protestations, Marlowe pleaded the fifth when asked if Godfrey showed favoritism to any members of his "family." She also refuses to parrot the standard line from other former Godfrey employees that, "All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to Mr. G." Instead, she says, "Now that it’s all over, I feel happy and free. It’s a whole new life, like a page being turned in a book. You look back at that last page with gratification, then forward to the next." Rumors have swirled that Godfrey was opposed to her relationship with Puck, which culminated in their marriage in May, and tried to break up the romance; when asked if this was true, she evasively replies, "Not in so many words. But you can bet that we heard about it on the grapevine." (Puck had already been fired from Godfrey's main show the previous December.) There's no doubt, though, that she looks forward to the future; she's hoping for a Broadway show, and perhaps her own series on TV. "I think I’m a very lucky girl that all this happened to me." Although, the article concludes, "What 'all this' means, she doesn’t say."
The series continues next week with a look at The Mariners, and if TV Guide is determined to feature a former Godfrey employee each week, it looks as if they aren't going to be running out of material any time soon. As I said, whether you're on his side or not, he makes for good copy.
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Regular readers know how I can seldom pass by a mention of The $64,000 Question (or other quiz shows of the era) without stopping to mention the Quiz Show Scandal. I just can't help it; one of the small pleasures of being a historian is finding articles such as these, where we know how the story ends, and thus have the privilege of reading them with a certain ironic hindsight. In this case, the article in question (no pun intended) is Dan Jenkins's review of "the most talked-about show on all television," and how it's likely to retain its place until the money runs out.
As is the case with so many early television programs, The $64,000 Question traces its roots to radio, in this instance The $64 Question, in which the grand prize was, indeed, $64.00—"the epitome of loot" back in the day. In the TV version, the questions start at $64. Jenkins runs briefly through the rules of the game (Jean Renoir pun intended): answer four questions, and you're up to $512; three more get you to $4,000 plus a Cadillac convertible; the $8,000, $16,000, $32,000 and $64,000 levels follow, with the contestant having a week to decide whether or not to go for the additional dough, or keep what he's already won. The catch, of course, is that if he misses, he loses everything, except the Caddy. And the lucky contestant gets to answer these questions from the comfort of a soundproof glass booth. It really is the perfect setup for drama.As Jenkins points out, we have the guarantee of the producers that the questions, "compiled by a scholarly Board of Editors," have been locked in a vault, and even host Hal March doesn't know what they are. I suppose this might technically be true, since Jenkins doesn't actually say the contestants themselves don't know the answers, because, of course, some of them do. (As, apparently, March did not.) The show seems to have a promising future; Jenkins describes it as "enormously entertaining," and reminds us that "Money, after all, still talks." As do disgruntled former contestants.
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There aren't many actors associated with a single role as much as Jack Webb is with Dragnet. Although he was responsible for several other programs, most notably Emergency! and Adam-12, it is the stoic sergeant Joe Friday that most resonates with the public when they think of Jack Webb. And that's a problem. For Jack Webb.
Joe Friday swings!Dragnet began on radio in 1949, and it's about to begin its fourth television season, with production starting in October. It's one of the most successful programs on television, a pioneer in the genre to be known as the police procedural. But Webb's tired of the role. With his contract requiring him to produce 55 more episodes, he's been "desperately" trying to promote Friday to lieutenant and bring in a new actor to play sergeant.* Webb's not looking to take it easy, though. He has his eyes on a new project, called Pete Kelly's Blues, the pilot for which is scheduled to premiere in theaters later this month at a price tag of $1,100,000, making it the most expensive pilot ever made. It boasts big-name co-stars, including Janet Leigh, Edmond O'Brien, Peggy Lee, and Ella Fitzgerald. It has the added draw of being shot in color and CinemaScope. Should the movie be a commercial hit, Webb will have the option of turning Kelly into a weekly series. *When Dragnet premiered on television, Webb actually wanted Lloyd Nolan to play Friday, but it was thought that Webb was too associated with the role from the radio series for anyone else to take it on.
The question remains: will the viewing public accept Webb in a different role, that of a jazz musician? That is, to coin a phrase, the $64,000 question. (Where have I heard that before?) Webb himself is a jazz enthusiast, and the role obviously has a great personal appeal for him; he developed and wrote the original 13 Kelly episodes that played on radio in the summer of 1951. He denies, though, that his interest in the new project has caused him to "slough off" Dragnet; "If we spent less time on the last batch, it was only because the crew has shaken down to the point of having one of the smoothest filming organizations in the business," he says. "But just ask any of the actors around here if I’ve been sloughing off on ’em. Dragnet is still as good as we can make it, and I think the ratings bear me out."
I probably don't need to tell you the rest of the story: although Peggy Lee cops a supporting actress Oscar nomination, Pete Kelly's Blues does not lead immediately to a series; and when it does, in 1959, Webb casts William Reynolds in the title role. Dragnet, meanwhile, continues on television until 1959 (pumping out 39 episodes a year for most of that run), and though Friday does eventually win his promotion to lieutenant, it's only temporary; when Dragnet returns to the small screen in 1967, he's back as a sergeant again. And still popular.
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In the 1950s, you could expect to see almost anything on television, including a version of Musical Chairs. At least that's the title of this quiz show (Saturday, 9:00 p.m., NBC), which has perhaps the most distinguished panel we've ever seen on such a show: Johnny Mercer, Mel Blanc, and Bobby Troup*. Bill Leyden is the emcee. Later on, we have Star Tonight (10:30 p.m., ABC), the show that casts "rising young actors and actresses" in leading roles. Tonight's new star: Theodore Bikel, who will go on to a pretty fair career as actor and singer both.
*Fun fact: Bobby Troup will marry Jack Webb's ex-wife, Julie London, in 1959. They'll both star in Webb's later series Emergency!
The Colgate Variety Hour (Sunday, 8:00 p.m., NBC) is hosted by the man of the issue, Jack Webb, in an hour-long preview of Pete Kelly's Blues, with co-stars Peggy Lee, Ella Fitzgerald, and Janet Leigh, and backed by the "Pete Kelly Combo," led by Ray Anthony. Talk about an hour-long infomercial! That's up against Ed Sullivan's Toast of the Town (8:00 p.m., CBS), with Guy Mitchell guest-hosting for the vacationing Ed; his guests are Polly Bergen, ventriloquist Arthur Worsley, and the band and color guard of the First Infantry Division. And at 9:00 p.m. on NBC, it's the Philco Television Playhouse, with Paul Newman starring in "The Death of Billy the Kid," written by Gore Vidal. This isn't the only time Newman plays The Kid; in 1958, he reprises the role in the big-screen movie The Left Handed Gun, based on Vidal's teleplay.
Monday night on Producers' Showcase (8:00 p.m., NBC, in color), the husband-and-wife tandem of Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy star in the two-character drama "The Fourposter," the story of a married couple spanning 35 years, based on the Broadway play of the same name, in which they also starred. Meanwhile, Voice of Firestone (8:30 p.m., ABC) features another husband-and-wife team, opera stars William Warfield and Leontyne Price, singing selections from Gershwin's "Porgy and Bess," as well as duets from Mozart and Jerome Kern. Jack Webb's talent obviously doesn't extend to writing program descriptions for TV Guide; check out the one for Tuesday's episode (8:00 p.m., NBC): "Sgt. Joe Friday and Officer Smith investigate a crime." Well, that ought to narrow it down a bit. Looking at more specific descriptions, the summer replacement show Music 55, hosted by bandleader Stan Kenton, features a pair of musical greats as guests: violinist Yehudi Menuhin and jazz pianist and composer Duke Ellington. It doesn't get much better than that. (8:30 p.m., CBS)
We seldom stop to look at the boxing cards here, even though boxing remains a dominant fixture in primetime, but the Pabst Blue Ribbon Bouts (Wednesday, 10:00 p.m., CBS) features what one insider predicts could be "one of the best fights of the summer," with future light-heavyweight champion Willie Pastrano taking on up-and-coming Chuck Spieser, live from Chicago Stadium. After that, Steve Allen's Tonight (11:30 p.m., NBC) features singer-actor Allan Jones, father of Jack Jones.
One of Thursday's highlights comes from the suspense drama Climax! (8:30 p.m., CBS), with Michael Rennie starring in "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," adapted from the Robert Louis Stevenson novel by the prolific Gore Vidal. Sir Cedric Hardwicke co-stars. On Ford Theatre, Edward G. Robinson makes a rare television appearance in "And Son," a domestic drama about a husband and wife quarreling over whether or not their soldier-son should join the family business. And once again, Steve Allen rounds off the evening on Tonight with jazz great Dave Brubeck and Jonathan Winters. (11:30 p.m., NBC)
Windows—no, not the operating system, but a half-hour anthology series that serves as the summer replacement for Person to Person—presents a one-character drama tonight (10:30 p.m., CBS), "Rose's Boy," with Judith Evelyn as a woman explaining to an unseen young man how his mother died. What I find interesting about this is not the episode itself, but the handwritten note in the margin of the issue I'm looking at, which had to come from the announcement of the following week's story at the end of this episode: "The Love Letters of Smith," starring Eileen Heckart. You don't often get that kind of first-hand interaction from these old issues, and it's kind of cool to see the reminder that a real person actually read this. l l l
Finally, a plea for sanity when it comes to television weather coverage. The man making the plea is Francis K. Davis, Jr., a staff meteorologist at WFIL in Philadelphia (a station we've seen frequently), and a member of the American Meteorological Society. It seems that sponsors have fallen in love with the five-minute TV spots that have become a standard part of local news coverage, so much so that the airwaves are now filled with "a rash of so-called 'weathermen' and 'weathergirls,' who breeze through alleged weather information, 'embellished' with philosophy, wisecracks, costume changes and gimmicks. And for this," Davis notes, "they earn up to $40,000 a year."
The problem with all this jocularity is that weather is important. "To many viewers," Davis says, "it may determine where they go, how they go, what they wear, even what they earn." In other words, viewers deserve personnel who take their jobs as seriously and with as much dignity as those presenting the news. Instead, "most 'weathermen' were primarily entertainers, whose only qualification was an ability to use a telephone and a pencil—the first, to call the nearest U.S. Weather Bureau office; the second, to jot down the results of the conversation."
Davis goes on to say that "if TV weathermen are going to pose as experts, we feel they should be experts." Among his recommendations is that weathermen make use of on-air display of the "seal of approval," indicating that they're qualified to prepare forecasts, something that has, by and large, come to pass.
One of the trends that has evolved as a result of weather's popularity is the advent of the "weathergirl." Ah, yes, the weathergirl. Did you have them in your local market? Here's but a sampling of some of the nation's most popular practitioners of the art:
The one example I left off this montage is Milwaukee's Judy Marks; it's not that she isn't attractive, but she really doesn't count for our purposes, since she actually did study basic meterology before joining the staff of WOKY.
Lest there be any misunderstanding, Davis stresses that this is not necessarily a bad thing. "For don’t misunderstand. We heartily approve TV’s use of pretty girls, like the ones shown. But unless they’re qualified, we’d be happier if—on TV, as on a date—they’d talk about anything except the weather." TV
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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.
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