Mitchell Hadley's Blog: It's About TV!, page 79
February 19, 2022
This week in TV Guide: February 24, 1962
Troy Donahue, this week's cover boy, is nothing if not an accidental star, at least in name. His real name is Merle Johnson, and the way he came to be Troy Donahue is more interesting than many other aspects of his life. His agent, Henry Wilson, had the name "Troy" left over when one of his clients, Jimmy Ercolani, decided to keep his own first name while taking Wilson's suggestion for a new last name—he became James Darren. The name "Donahue" came from another Wilson client, Timothy Durgin, who had his first name changed to Rory, and chose "Calhoun" over "Donahue." So just think—we could be talking about Troy Calhoun here.Anyway, Troy Donahue is Hollywood's current glamour boy, coming off the movie A Summer Place, which made him a household heartthrob, and currently starring in ABC's detective series Surfside 6. So what kind of guy is Troy? One of his movie costars, Suzanne Pleshette, was prepared to dislike him based on the publicity, but instead found him to be "a very unusual boy—gracious and considerate." I guess so, because the two of them were married in January 1964. Of course, they divorced in less than nine months.
There's some thought that Donahue is letting the fame get to his head; he's more demanding than he used to be, more outspoken, urging colleagues to mention in interviews how lousy their director was. He's late to the set and often comes unprepared, blowing his lines more times than anyone would like to admit. He's not an actor yet, but he's still learning.
And though he's got a very well-known name, and has a fairly long career, Troy Donahue never really does achieve the fame that seems to be his for the taking. He never achieves the long-running television series that, at the time, substitutes for movie stardom, he never has the defining role that makes him a genuine star, never gets the Oscar nomination that sometimes comes to the pretty boy that turns into an actor. He's never anything other than Troy Donahue—which is still a lot more than a lot of us ever achieve.
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After a career of ups and downs, Judy Garland is on top again. Her recent concert tours have been critical and popular successes, particularly her Carnegie Hall concert in April of 1961, which many have called "the greatest night in show business history," and resulted in a gold album and a Grammy for Album of the Year. She's been nominated for an Academy Award for her supporting role in Judgment at Nuremberg. And now she's returning to television for the first time in six years, with a deal in place for a new round of specials with CBS.
Her first, this Sunday (8:00 p.m. CT, CBS), is treated as a television event, and it isn't hurt by the appearance of Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin as co-stars, and that it's produced and directed by Norman Jewison. The show's a smash—as you might expect with that kind of star power; it's also nominated for four Emmys—and it results in a deal for Garland to return in a weekly series, with Jewison later coming in as executive producer. The show only runs for one rocky season, and Garland returns to the stage and her final sad years. For Norman Jewison, though, the future is much brighter. Although his experience with the Garland show is hardly what one would call a success (as the second of the show's three executive producers, he only works on eight episodes), Tony Curtis suggests he start directing movies, which he does, amassing a brilliant portfolio that includes The Cincinnati Kid; The Russians are Coming, The Russians are Coming; The Thomas Crown Affair; Fiddler on the Roof, and his best-known movie, the Oscar-winning Best Picture In the Heat of the Night.
So this special is the start of a great career for Jewison. A pity that it wasn't able to turn things around for Judy Garland as well.
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Garland's Sunday special is not the only interesting programming on tap that day. In fact, Sunday might be the best TV day this week.
In the sports world, CBS Sports Spectacular has the 1961 Formula One United States Grand Prix (1:30 p.m.), taped last October 8 at Watkins Glen, New York. That was fairly common back in the day, networks covering Formula One races weeks or even months after the fact. If race fans were really lucky, they might get to see the race only a week or two later on Wide World of Sports. (I'll admit, though, four months is a bit extreme.) Speaking of which, the U.S. Grand Prix was notable in that 1961 was the year that Phil Hill became the first and, to date, only American-born Formula 1 World Champion. Having the final Grand Prix of the year on his home turf should have been a tremendous personal as well as professional moment for him—but it wasn't. Hill had clinched the world title in the previous race, the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, when his Ferrari teammate and rival, Wolfgang von Trips, was killed in a horrible accident that also claimed the lives of 15 spectators. Out of respect for Trips, Ferrari withdrew all of their cars from the U.S. Grand Prix, including Hill. Instead of racing for the championship of his country, Hill got a drive around the circuit in a convertible. Phil Hill was a great champion (among other achievements, he won the 24 Hours of LeMans three times), and he deserved better than that.
Meanwhile, NBC Opera Theatre is back with Italo Montemezzi's rarely performed The Love of Three Kings (2:00 p.m.), starring Phyllis Curtin and Giorgio Tozzi. (No video, but you can hear the audio of that broadcast here .) ABC's Issues and Answers (3:00 p.m.) features a face more familiar to viewers of CBS: Edward R. Murrow, appearing in his role as Director of the U.S. Information Agency, in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Voice of America. And speaking of the Tiffany Network, Ed Sullivan comes to us tonight live from Miami Beach (7:00 p.m., CBS), with guests Lloyd Bridges; the singing and dancing Crosby Brothers; opera singer Patrice Munsel; comedian Jan Murray; singer Damita Jo; the Gimma Brothers, acrobats; and Brascia and Tybee, dance team.
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A look at the Teletype this week gives us a snapshot of the times. First, we see that Merv Griffin and Hugh Downs are two of the guest hosts who'll be filling in on Tonight during the interregnum between the departure of Jack Paar in March and the debut of Johnny Carson when his ABC contract expires in October. ABC's reporting a flood of requests for interviews with Carson, but they're pretending not to know whether they want to talk about Carson's upcoming gig with NBC, or his current ABC show Who Do You Trust? Yes, I'm sure everyone wanted to talk about that. Paar himself is gearing up for his once-a-week prime time show on NBC, to debut in the fall.
ABC's got a World War II drama in development, Combat, which would star Rick Jason, Vic Morrow and Shecky Greene. Unlike so many of the pilots we read about in this section, Combat not only debuts on ABC in the fall of 1962, it becomes one of the most successful war dramas on television, running for five seasons before leaving in 1967. Shecky Greene only lasts for the first season, but Rick Jason and Vic Morrow alternate as episode leads throughout the show's run.Speaking of the war, Peter Brown, one of the stars of ABC's Lawman series, is said to be testing f or the role of JFK in the upcoming big screen adaptation of PT 109, the story of Kennedy's wartime exploits in the Pacific. The movie will indeed come out in June of the following year, while Kennedy is still alive and in office, but with Cliff Robertson in the starring role.
Finally, in April, Burt Lancaster is scheduled to host At This Very Moment, a "Cancer Control Month" special on ABC. I didn't know this, but April is still Cancer Control Month by presidential proclamation. I've mentioned how, prior to the telethon years, Jerry Lewis used to host a one-hour Muscular Dystrophy special, and this seems to have been the same type of show. I checked it out on IMDB and the guest list is impressive, so much so that I wonder how they all fit into an hour-long show: Harry Belafonte, Richard Chamberlain, Bobby Darin, Jimmy Durante, Connie Francis, Greer Garson, Charlton Heston, Bob Hope, Lena Horne, Rock Hudson—well, you get the picture. The cast is listed in alphabetical order, so I've only gotten about halfway through. The special includes taped remarks by President Kennedy and Vice President Johnson, and an archival message from Eleanor Roosevelt.
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Let's see what the rest of the week's highlights are.
Saturday: Boxing is still prime-time box office, and ABC's got a good one this week: the lightweight championship fight between Joe Brown and Carlos Ortiz from Las Vegas (9:00 p.m.). Or at least that's what's in TV Guide, but for whatever reason—an injury, probably—the fight doesn't come off until April, when Ortiz ends Brown's five-year reign as champion. Since this was a special rather than a regularly-scheduled broadcast, I'm not sure what ABC wound up showing.
Sunday: The Breck Golden Showcase (9:00 p.m., CBS) presents "Saturday's Children," a play written by Maxwell Anderson and produced by Leland Hayward,* and starring Ralph Bellamy, Cliff Robertson, Inger Stevens, and Lee Grant.► At the same time, an NBC White Paper takes an inside look at "Red China," which would seem to be a relevant topic today.*In addition to being a very successful Hollywood and Broadway producer (including South Pacific and The Sound of Music), Leland Hayward was also co-founder of Southwest Airlines, and father of actress Brooke Hayward.
Monday: According to the Teletype, the police drama 87th Precinct (9:00 p.m., NBC) has been renewed for another season; unfortunately, because it was unable to find a sponsor, that second season never came off. Too bad; the series, based on Ed McBain's series of hard-hitting 87th Precinct police procedurals, was very good, with a strong cast that included Robert Lansing, Ron Harper, Gregory Walcott and Norman Fell (and occasional appearances by Gena Rowlands as Lansing's deaf-mute wife).
Tuesday: Bob Hope's on with his third special of the season (8:00 p.m., NBC), and he has an interesting collection of guest stars: Jack Paar, the current (for now) host of Tonight: Steve Allen, the original host of Tonight, Joan Collins, who's co-starring with Bing and Bob this year in The Road to Hong Kong and looks painfully young; singer Joanie Sommers; and comedians Robert Strauss and Sid Melton. Sid's one of the co-stars on Danny Thomas' show, and coincidentally there happens to be an article on Thomas in this week's issue. On the other hand, you can watch the show that precedes Bob, The World of Sophia Loren.
Wednesday: Kraft Music Hall gives Perry Como the night off for Music Hall Goes West (8:00 p.m., NBC), hosted by country singer Rex Allen, with Jaye P. Morgan, the Sons of the Pioneers, Carl Ballentine (as the Great Ballentine), and Vic Schoen and his orchestra. Music Hall would have a recurring association with country music, hosting the Country Music Association Awards and devoting several shows to country, hosted by Eddy Arnold. At 9:00 p.m., Armstrong Circle Theater (CBS) has a docudrama on "Teen-Aged Junkies," a problem that's apparently going to be with us as long as drugs are. Or, if these two shows are too exciting for you, KTCA debuts a new series at 6:00 p.m., Aspects of Supervision.
Thursday: I've written before about how circuses are a dying breed, but that isn't the case back in 1962, when WTCN presents coverage of the opening night of the Zuhrah Shrine Circus (9:00 p.m.), taped earlier in the evening. This was a big deal when I was growing up; there were always special matinee performances for schoolchildren (the area around the Minneapolis Auditorium always looked like a used school bus lot), and it was a rare opportunity for me to see the grand Auditorium and Convention Center. Unlike Ringling Bros., though, the Zuhrah Shrine Circus continues in Minneapolis to this day, and I think that's a good thing.Friday: The best night of the work week is here, and it's a great night for music, with the Bell Telephone Hour presenting an hour of the songs of Irving Berlin (8:30 p.m, NBC). If that's not your cup of tea, there's a fine episode of Route 66 with guest star Ed Asner (7:30 p.m., CBS), a suspenseful episode of The Detectives Starring Robert Taylor (7:30 p.m., NBC), and an exciting episode of 77 Sunset Strip (8:00 p.m., ABC). Of course, you could always try out the return of KTCA's Efficient Reading at 6:30 p.m.
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Finally, while we've yet to welcome Cleveland Amory to the scene, the very able Gilbert Seldes is on hand to provide us with a review of ABC's hit medical series, Ben Casey. And Mr. Seldes proves himself able indeed as he describes, "on my honor," the following cases that came up in a single one-hour episode of Casey (and I quote):A woman who has been coming to the clinic for years with imaginary ailments.A tough kid, supposed to have swallowed a razor blade.A rather dear old man whose family is trying to get rid of him, alleging failing memory.A woman who, so far as I could gather, was sick.A dipsomaniac.A man who got an ice pick accidentally in his heart but survived two hours on the city's transit system.A girl in a state of shock—mute.A victim of a gang war.
Remember, this all happened in 60 minutes. But, says Seldes, "the individual fragments were sharp and effective," the cases were all presented to viewers in moments, and there was interaction between the characters, As for the elements that tied the story together—well, that's another story: there were "three lectures on medical ethics, two at least on race relations, and assorted lofty epigrams on life, society and fate." And lines such as, "These hands are for healing, not for violence," and "It's the verge of midnight—it could be the verge of a new life." They're only missing exclamation points to make it complete.Maybe the story isn't very true to life. Most certainly the dialog from the doctors and nurses isn't. But the episode was exciting, which I suppose is what's important. And a tip to the writers: if the characters "shortened their sentences and spoke like human beings we could have three more episodes as good as the eight we got—in an hour!" TV
February 18, 2022
Around the dial
Where should we start today? How about at Drunk TV, where Paul takes a look at the first season of the syndicated series
Ripcord
, of which I have fond memories from back in the day. I don't remember the stories so much, but the idea of guys jumping out of planes with parachutes was tremendously appealing. Remember the toy plastic skydivers they used to make with the flimsy parachutes attached to them? They never worked for me, either.And then there's the sitcom Julia , which I remember but seldom ever watched. There's no question that it was a significant program in the television history of the 1960s, although, as Terence points out at A Shroud of Thoughts, it would be seen as fairly innocuous today. Still, it was, appropriately enough, a groundbreaking series.
At The Lucky Strike Papers, Andrew shares a heartfelt tribute to his father , who died on New Year's Day at the age of 100. For anyone who's read Andrew's book on his mother, the elegance of his writing will come as no surprise.
In that nostalgic mood? Over at The Hits Just Keep on Comin', JB looks back to February 15, 2003 —what was in the news back then, and how it all looks in retrospect today. As with Andrew, there is a strong sense of remembering the warm embrace of the past, and I don't think it's coincidental. Aren't we all feeling a little bit—or maybe a bit more than a little—that way right now? Yup, back to the grind.
Once upon a time, and maybe once again in the near future, it was a big deal when a television show went to the Soviet Union. At Comfort TV, David recalls the Head of the Class episode " Mission to Moscow ," which was just such an event when it aired in 1988.
At Cult TV Blog, John continues to look at orphaned episodes with 1964's comedy The Diary of a Nobody , a quasi-silent program (with only narration), directed by none other than Ken Russell. I always enjoy these links.
It's time again for Love That Bob!, and at The Horn Section, Hal reviews the 1957 episode " Chuck at College ," wherein we see Chuck (Dwayne Hickman) heading off to school, where he's expected to live up to (or is it down to?) the reputation of his famous Uncle Bob (Bob Cummings).
And finally, I'm back on Eventually Supertrain this week, where Dan and I have another pleasant chat on Search. And look at that who's on the cover of the TV Guide that Dan shares—why, it's none other than our intrepid heroes from World Sercurities! TV
February 16, 2022
February 14, 2022
What's on TV? Tuesday, February 14, 1967
There isn't anything very Valentine-y about it, but I did hold out a couple of items from Saturday for use today. First, on Today has a very interesting pairing of guests: the young actress Lynn Redgrave, riding a high from Georgy Girl and now appearing on Broadway, and John T. Scopes. And if that name sounds kind of familiar, it should, as in the Monkey Trial. That's right: John T. Scopes was the schoolteacher who was hauled into court in Tennessee in 1925 for teaching the theory of evolution. His defense attorney was Clarence Darrow. Assisting the prosecution was William Jennings Bryan. And here Scopes is, the man at the center of it all, on television. Think about how remarkable that is.* Talk about history coming to life. *Scopes also appeared on To Tell the Truth in 1960, as a tie-in for the movie release Inherit the Wind. He was probably on Today promoting his memoirs, which would come out later in 1967.
Later, on The Mike Douglas Show (4:00 p.m., WCCO), one of the guests is Joseph Pilates. And that name ought to sound familiar as well; he only created the exercise regime that bears his name. Who could have guessed?
A couple of other interesting items in this Minnesota State Edition: the Pillsbury Bake-Off, live from Los Angeles and hosted by Art Linkletter; and Hall of Kings, a documentary look at 900-year-old Westminster Abbey, hosted by James Mason. And who's one of the actresses also appearing on the show? Why, it's none other than Lynn Redgrave.
-2- KTCA (EDUC.) Morning 8:55 CLASSROOM—Education Afternoon 2:15 AMERICANS AT WORK 2:30 BIG PICTURE—Army 3:00 EFFICIENT READING 3:30 INDUSTRY ON PARADE 3:45 TEACHING SCIENCE 5:00 KINDERGARTEN—Education 5:30 OF MEN AND MOTIVES Evening 6:00 PROFILE—Discussion 6:30 YOUR RIGHT TO SAY IT 7:00 ANTIQUES—Education 7:30 CONTINENTAL COMMENT 8:00 WHAT’S IN A WORD? 8:30 MACALESTER COLLEGE 9:00 CHILD PSYCHOLOGY 9:30 SKIING TECHNIQUES 10:00 PSYCHOLOGY—LaBerge
-3- KDAL (DULUTH) (CBS) Morning 7:35 FARM AND HOME 7:45 TREETOP HOUSE—Children 8:00 CAPTAIN KANGAROO 9:00 CANDID CAMERA 9:30 BEVERY HILLBILLIES—Comedy 10:00 ANDY GRIFFITH—Comedy COLOR 10:30 DICK VAN DYKE—Comedy 11:00 LOVE OF LIFE 11:25 NEWS COLOR 11:30 SEARCH FOR TOMORROW—Serial 11:45 GUIDING LIGHT—Serial Afternoon 12:00 TOWN AND COUNTRY—Becker 12:30 AS THE WORLD TURNS—Serial 1:00 PASSWORD COLOR Panelists: George Segal, Gretchen Wyler. Allen Ludden is the host. 1:30 BAKING CONTEST—Los Angeles SPECIAL COLOR Pillsbury Bake-Off. Art Linkletter hosts. 2:00 TO TELL THE TRUTH—Game COLOR 2:25 NEWS COLOR 2:30 EDGE OF NIGHT—Serial 3:00 SECRET STORM—Serial 3:30 MIKE DOUGLAS—Variety Co-hosts: Marty Allen and Steve Rossi. Guests: Lesley Gore, Murray Siegel, the Ellie Frankel Sextet 5:00 LEAVE IT TO BEAVER—Comedy 5:30 NEWS—Walter Cronkite COLOR Evening 6:00 NEWS 6:30 DAKTARI COLOR 7:30 RED SKELTON COLOR Guests: George Gobel, Chad and Jeremy 8:30 PETTICOAT JUNCTION—Comedy COLOR 9:00 CBS NEWS SPECIAL—Documentary SPECIAL COLOR “Vietnam Perspective: Air War in the North” 10:00 NEWS 10:15 MOVIE—Drama “The Restless Years” (1959)
-3- KGLO (MASON CITY) (CBS) Morning 7:30 NEWS—Joseph Benti COLOR 7:55 NEWS 8:00 CAPTAIN KANGAROO 9:00 JOE EMERSON—Music 9:15 SPANISH—Education 9:30 BEVERY HILLBILLIES—Comedy 10:00 ANDY GRIFFITH—Comedy COLOR 10:30 DICK VAN DYKE—Comedy 11:00 LOVE OF LIFE 11:25 NEWS COLOR 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 COLOR Panelists: George Segal, Gretchen Wyler. Allen Ludden is the host. 1:30 BAKING CONTEST—Los Angeles SPECIAL COLOR Pillsbury Bake-Off. Art Linkletter hosts. 2:00 TO TELL THE TRUTH—Game COLOR 2:25 NEWS COLOR 2:30 EDGE OF NIGHT—Serial 3:00 SECRET STORM—Serial 3:30 HOME NURSING—Red Cross 4:00 BART’S CLUBHOUSE 5:00 CANDID CAMERA—Comedy 5:30 NEWS—Walter Cronkite COLOR Evening 6:00 NEWS 6:30 DAKTARI COLOR 7:30 RED SKELTON COLOR Guests: George Gobel, Chad and Jeremy 8:30 PETTICOAT JUNCTION—Comedy COLOR 9:00 CBS NEWS SPECIAL—Documentary SPECIAL COLOR “Vietnam Perspective: Air War in the North” 10:00 NEWS 10:40 ALFRED HITCHCOCK—Drama
-4- WCCO (CBS) Morning 6:00 SUNRISE SEMESTER—Education 6:30 SIEGFRIED—Children 7:00 CLANCY & COMPANY COLOR 8:00 CAPTAIN KANGAROO 9:00 DR. YOUNGDAHL COLOR 9:05 NEWS—Montgomery COLOR 9:10 HI NEIGHBOR—Women COLOR 9:30 BEVERY HILLBILLIES—Comedy 10:00 ANDY GRIFFITH—Comedy COLOR 10:30 DICK VAN DYKE—Comedy 11:00 LOVE OF LIFE 11:25 NEWS COLOR 11:30 SEARCH FOR TOMORROW—Serial 11:45 GUIDING LIGHT—Serial Afternoon 12:00 NEWS COLOR 12:20 SOMETHING SPECIAL COLOR 12:30 AS THE WORLD TURNS—Serial 1:00 PASSWORD COLOR Panelists: George Segal, Gretchen Wyler. Allen Ludden is the host. 1:30 BAKING CONTEST—Los Angeles SPECIAL COLOR Pillsbury Bake-Off. Art Linkletter hosts. 2:00 TO TELL THE TRUTH—Game COLOR 2:25 NEWS COLOR 2:30 EDGE OF NIGHT—Serial 3:00 SECRET STORM—Serial 3:30 CANDID CAMERA—Comedy 4:00 MIKE DOUGLAS—Variety Co-host: Roberta Peters. Guests: Tony Martin, Jeane Dixon, Earl Grant, Joseph Pilates, Joey Adams 5:30 NEWS—Walter Cronkite COLOR Evening 6:00 NEWS COLOR 6:30 DAKTARI COLOR 7:30 RED SKELTON COLOR Guests: George Gobel, Chad and Jeremy 8:30 PETTICOAT JUNCTION—Comedy COLOR 9:00 CBS NEWS SPECIAL—Documentary SPECIAL COLOR “Vietnam Perspective: Air War in the North” 10:00 NEWS COLOR 10:30 MARSHAL DILLON—Western 11:00 MOVIE—Mystery “Circle of Death” (Mexican; 1960) 12:35 MOVIE—Comedy Time approximate. “Hard Boiled Mahoney” (1947)
-5- KSTP (NBC) Morning 6:00 CONTINENTAL CLASSROOM American Government: “Restraints on Judicial Power” 6:30 CITY AND COUNTRY COLOR 7:00 TODAY COLOR Guests: Lynn Redgrave, John T. Scopes Local news at 7:25 and 8:25 A.M. 9:00 REACH FOR THE STARS—Game COLOR 9:25 NEWS COLOR 9:30 CONCENTRATION—Game COLOR 10:00 PAT BOONE COLOR Guest: Chris Noel 10:30 HOLLYWOOD SQUARES—Game COLOR 11:00 JEOPARDY—Game COLOR 11:30 EYE GUESS—Game COLOR 11:55 NEWS COLOR Afternoon 12:00 NEWS COLOR 12:15 DIALING FOR DOLLARS—Game COLOR 12:30 LET’S MAKE A DEAL—Game COLOR 12:55 NEWS COLOR 1:00 DAYS OF OUR LIVES—Serial COLOR 1:30 DOCTORS—Serial COLOR 2:00 ANOTHER WORLD—Serial COLOR 2:30 YOU DON’T SAY!—Game COLOR Guests: Shari Lewis, Mickey Manners 3:00 MATCH GAME COLOR Panelists: Robert Culp, Connie Stevens. Host: Gene Rayburn. 3:25 NEWS COLOR 3:30 DIALING FOR DOLLARS—Game COLOR 4:30 OF LANDS AND SEAS COLOR 5:25 DOCTOR’S HOUSE CALL—James Rogers Fox COLOR 5:30 NEWS—Chet Huntley, David Brinkley COLOR Evening 6:00 NEWS COLOR 6:30 GIRL FROM U.N.C.L.E.—Adventure COLOR 7:30 OCCASIONAL WIFE—Comedy COLOR 8:00 MOVIE—Drama COLOR “Wings of Fire” (1967) 10:00 NEWS COLOR 10:30 JOHNNY CARSON—Variety COLOR Guest: Gov. Norbert T. Tiemann (R., Neb.) 12:00 NEWS AND SPORTS COLOR 12:15 M SQUAD—Police Time approximate
-6- WDSM (DULUTH) (NBC) Morning 7:00 TODAY COLOR Guests: Lynn Redgrave, John T. Scopes Local news at 7:25. A.M. “Vietnam Report” in color at 8:25 A.M. 9:00 JACK LA LANNE—Exercise 9:25 NEWS COLOR 9:30 CONCENTRATION—Game COLOR 10:00 PAT BOONE COLOR Guest: Chris Noel 10:30 HOLLYWOOD SQUARES—Game COLOR 11:00 JEOPARDY—Game COLOR 11:30 EYE GUESS—Game COLOR 11:55 NEWS COLOR Afternoon 12:00 GIRL TALK—Panel 12:30 LET’S MAKE A DEAL—Game COLOR 12:55 NEWS COLOR 1:00 DAYS OF OUR LIVES—Serial COLOR 1:30 DOCTORS—Serial COLOR 2:00 ANOTHER WORLD—Serial COLOR 2:30 YOU DON’T SAY!—Game COLOR Guests: Shari Lewis, Mickey Manners 3:00 MATCH GAME COLOR Panelists: Robert Culp, Connie Stevens. Host: Gene Rayburn. 3:25 NEWS COLOR 3:30 REACH FOR THE STARS—Game 3:55 BOZO AND HIS PALS COLOR 5:00 YOU ASKED FOR IT—Smith 5:30 NEWS—Chet Huntley, David Brinkley COLOR Evening 6:00 NEWS, ROCKY TELLER COLOR 6:25 VIETNAM REPORT COLOR 6:30 GIRL FROM U.N.C.L.E.—Adventure COLOR 7:30 OCCASIONAL WIFE—Comedy COLOR 8:00 MOVIE—Drama COLOR “Wings of Fire” (1967) 10:00 NEWS COLOR 10:25 VIETNAM REPORT COLOR 10:30 JOHNNY CARSON—Variety COLOR Guest: Gov. Norbert T. Tiemann (R., Neb.)
-6- KMMT (AUSTIN) (ABC) Morning 10:00 MARKET SWEEP 10:30 DATING GAME 11:00 EVERYBODY’S TALKING—Game 11:30 DONNA REED—Comedy Afternoon 12:00 BEN CASEY—Drama 1:00 NEWLYWED GAME 1:30 DREAM GIRL—Contest Celebrities: Elizabeth Ashley, Burt Reynolds, Peter Deuel, Bobby Rydell 1:55 NEWS—Marlene Sanders 2:00 GENERAL HOSPITAL 2:30 NURSES—Serial 3:00 DARK SHADOWS—Serial 3:30 WHERE THE ACTION IS—Music Performers: the Mojo Men, Paul Revere and the Raiders, Letta 4:00 CHEYENNE—Western 5:00 NEWS—Peter Jennings COLOR 5:30 RIFLEMAN—Western Evening 6:00 YOU ASKED FOR IT—Smith 6:15 SPORTS, WEATHER, NEWS 6:30 COMBAT!—Drama COLOR 7:30 INVADERS—Adventure COLOR 8:30 PEYTON PLACE—Serial COLOR 9:00 HALL OF KINGS SPECIAL COLOR “The Fugitive” will not be seen tonight. 10:00 NEWS 10:30 TRAILS WEST—Drama 11:00 NEWS
-7- KCMT (ALEXANDRIA) (NBC, ABC) Morning 7:00 TODAY COLOR Guests: Lynn Redgrave, John T. Scopes Local news at 7:25 and 8:25 A.M. 9:00 REACH FOR THE STARS—Game COLOR 9:25 NEWS COLOR 9:30 CONCENTRATION—Game COLOR 10:00 PAT BOONE COLOR Guest: Chris Noel 10:30 HOLLYWOOD SQUARES—Game COLOR 11:00 JEOPARDY—Game COLOR 11:30 EYE GUESS—Game COLOR 11:55 NEWS COLOR Afternoon 12:00 NEWS 12:20 TRADING POST—Jon Haaven 12:30 LET’S MAKE A DEAL—Game COLOR 12:55 NEWS COLOR 1:00 DAYS OF OUR LIVES—Serial COLOR 1:30 DOCTORS—Serial COLOR 2:00 ANOTHER WORLD—Serial COLOR 2:30 YOU DON’T SAY!—Game COLOR Guests: Shari Lewis, Mickey Manners 3:00 MATCH GAME COLOR Panelists: Robert Culp, Connie Stevens. Host: Gene Rayburn. 3:25 NEWS COLOR 3:30 GENERAL HOSPITAL—Serial 4:00 EXTENSION NEWS, VIEWS 4:15 CARTOONS 4:30 CASPER—Cartoons 5:00 GREEN HORNET—Adventure 5:30 NEWS—Chet Huntley, David Brinkley COLOR Evening 6:00 NEWS 6:30 GIRL FROM U.N.C.L.E.—Adventure COLOR 7:30 TWILIGHT ZONE—Drama 8:00 MOVIE—Drama COLOR “Wings of Fire” (1967) 10:00 NEWS 10:30 JOHNNY CARSON—Variety COLOR Guest: Gov. Norbert T. Tiemann (R., Neb.)
-8- WDSE (DULUTH) (EDUC.) Afternoon 5:00 KINDERGARTEN—Education 5:30 TURN OF THE CENTURY Evening 6:00 AUTHORS, INC. 6:30 WHAT’S NEW—Children 7:00 SEGOVIA MASTER CLASS 7:30 CONTINENTAL COMMENT 8:00 FILM FEATURE 8:30 GREAT DECISIONS—1967 9:30 SKIING TECHNIQUES 10:00 N.E.T. JOURNAL—Documentary
-9- KMSP (ABC) Morning 7:30 MORNING SHOW—Jerry Smith 8:00 WHERE THE ACTION IS—Music 8:30 ROMPER ROOM—Children 9:30 JACK LA LANNE COLOR 10:00 MARKET SWEEP 10:30 DATING GAME 11:00 EVERYBODY’S TALKING—Game 11:30 DONNA REED—Comedy Afternoon 12:00 BEN CASEY—Drama 1:00 NEWLYWED GAME 1:30 DREAM GIRL—Contest Celebrities: Elizabeth Ashley, Burt Reynolds, Peter Deuel, Bobby Rydell 1:55 NEWS—Marlene Sanders 2:00 GENERAL HOSPITAL 2:30 NURSES—Serial 3:00 DARK SHADOWS—Serial 3:30 MOVIE—Drama “Subway in the Sky” (1959) 5:00 NEWS—Peter Jennings COLOR 5:30 TIMMY AND LASSIE—Drama Evening 6:00 McHALE’S NAVY—Comedy 6:30 COMBAT!—Drama COLOR 7:30 INVADERS—Adventure COLOR 8:30 PEYTON PLACE—Serial COLOR 9:00 HALL OF KINGS SPECIAL COLOR “The Fugitive” will not be seen tonight. 10:00 NEWS 10:30 MOVIE—Adventure COLOR “Watusi” (1959)
10 WDIO (DULUTH) (ABC) Morning 8:30 WHERE THE ACTION IS—Music Performers: the Mojo Men, Paul Revere and the Raiders, Letta 9:00 CARTOONS—Children 9:15 ROMPER ROOM—Children 10:00 MARKET SWEEP 10:30 DATING GAME 11:00 EVERYBODY’S TALKING—Game 11:30 DONNA REED—Comedy Afternoon 12:00 BEN CASEY—Drama 1:00 NEWLYWED GAME 1:30 DREAM GIRL—Contest Celebrities: Elizabeth Ashley, Burt Reynolds, Peter Deuel, Bobby Rydell 1:55 NEWS—Marlene Sanders 2:00 GENERAL HOSPITAL 2:30 NURSES—Serial 3:00 DARK SHADOWS—Serial 3:30 MOVIE—Western COLOR “Dallas” (1950) 5:15 NEWS, WEATHER, SPORTS 5:30 NEWS—Peter Jennings COLOR Evening 6:00 TWILIGHT ZONE 6:30 COMBAT!—Drama COLOR 7:30 INVADERS—Adventure COLOR 8:30 PEYTON PLACE—Serial COLOR 9:00 HALL OF KINGS SPECIAL COLOR “The Fugitive” will not be seen tonight. 10:00 NEWS 10:15 MOVIE—Drama “The Fugitive Kind” (1959)
10 KROC (ROCHESTER) (NBC) Morning 7:00 TODAY COLOR Guests: Lynn Redgrave, John T. Scopes Local news at 7:25 and 8:25 A.M. 9:00 REACH FOR THE STARS—Game COLOR 9:25 NEWS COLOR 9:30 CONCENTRATION—Game COLOR 10:00 PAT BOONE COLOR Guest: Chris Noel 10:30 HOLLYWOOD SQUARES—Game COLOR 11:00 JEOPARDY—Game COLOR 11:30 EYE GUESS—Game COLOR 11:55 NEWS COLOR Afternoon 12:00 NEWS 12:20 MEMOS FROM MARY BEA 12:30 LET’S MAKE A DEAL—Game COLOR 12:55 NEWS COLOR 1:00 DAYS OF OUR LIVES—Serial COLOR 1:30 DOCTORS—Serial COLOR 2:00 ANOTHER WORLD—Serial COLOR 2:30 YOU DON’T SAY!—Game COLOR Guests: Shari Lewis, Mickey Manners 3:00 MATCH GAME COLOR Panelists: Robert Culp, Connie Stevens. Host: Gene Rayburn. 3:25 NEWS COLOR 3:30 SERGEANT PRESTON 4:00 MISTER ED—Comedy 4:30 LEAVE IT TO BEAVER—Comedy 5:00 CISCO KID—Western COLOR 5:30 NEWS—Chet Huntley, David Brinkley COLOR Evening 6:00 NEWS 6:30 GIRL FROM U.N.C.L.E.—Adventure COLOR 7:30 OCCASIONAL WIFE—Comedy COLOR 8:00 MOVIE—Drama COLOR “Wings of Fire” (1967) 10:00 NEWS 10:30 JOHNNY CARSON—Variety COLOR Guest: Gov. Norbert T. Tiemann (R., Neb.)
11 WTCN (IND.) Morning 8:55 NEWS—Gil Amundson 9:00 CARTOON CARNIVAL COLOR 9:30 GLORIA—Exercise COLOR 10:00 PDQ—Game Celebrities: Nick Adams, Kaye Stevens, Mickey Manners 10:30 WHIRLYBIRDS—Adventure 11:00 WILD CARGO—Travel COLOR 11:30 COOKING WITH HANK 11:45 NEWS—Gil Amundson Afternoon 12:00 LUNCH WITH CASEY—Children 1:00 MOVIE—Musical “Sunny Side of the Street” (1951) 2:30 MEL’S NOTEBOOK—Interview 3:00 GIRL TALK—Panel Guests: Dorothy Lamour, Sheilah Graham 3:30 MISTER ED—Comedy 4:00 POPEYE AND PETE—Children 4:30 CASEY AND ROUNDHOUSE 5:30 FLINTSTONES—Cartoon COLOR Evening 6:00 WOODY WOODPECKER COLOR 6:30 PATTY DUKE—Comedy 7:00 TWILIGHT ZONE—Drama 7:30 COLLEGE BASKETBALL Minnesota at WisconsinRegular programs are pre-empted 9:30 NEWS, WEATHER, SPORTS 10:00 MOVIE—Western “Yellow Sky” (1948)
12 KEYC (MANKATO) (CBS) Morning 7:30 NEWS—Joseph Benti COLOR 7:55 FILM SHORT 8:00 CAPTAIN KANGAROO 9:00 CANDID CAMERA 9:30 BEVERY HILLBILLIES—Comedy 10:00 ANDY GRIFFITH—Comedy COLOR 10:30 DICK VAN DYKE—Comedy 11:00 LOVE OF LIFE 11:25 NEWS COLOR 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 COLOR Panelists: George Segal, Gretchen Wyler. Allen Ludden is the host. 1:30 BAKING CONTEST—Los Angeles SPECIAL COLOR Pillsbury Bake-Off. Art Linkletter hosts. 2:00 TO TELL THE TRUTH—Game COLOR 2:25 NEWS COLOR 2:30 EDGE OF NIGHT—Serial 3:00 SECRET STORM—Serial 3:30 TAKE 12—Chuck Pasel 4:00 BART’S CLUBHOUSE 5:00 COMMUNITY CAMPUS—Mankato 5:30 NEWS—Walter Cronkite COLOR Evening 6:00 NEWS 6:30 DAKTARI COLOR 7:30 RED SKELTON COLOR Guests: George Gobel, Chad and Jeremy 8:30 PETTICOAT JUNCTION—Comedy COLOR 9:00 CBS NEWS SPECIAL—Documentary SPECIAL COLOR “Vietnam Perspective: Air War in the North” 10:00 NEWS 10:40 ALFRED HITCHCOCK—Drama TV
February 12, 2022
This week in TV Guide: February 11, 1967
On Sunday February 12 (11:30 a.m. CT), NBC's Meet the Press presents a special one-hour edition with William Manchester, author of the controversial book The Death of a President, the authorized account of the assassination and funeral of John F. Kennedy. Manchester is to be quizzed by Alistair Cooke, whom we'll get to know better as host of Masterpiece Theatre but at this point is the American correspondent for The Guardian; Chuck Roberts, White House correspondent for Newsweek, who was in Dallas and flew back on Air Force One with President Johnson; Robert MacNeil of NBC, the network's man in Dallas who covered the assassination; and Meet the Press producer Lawrence Spivak. Edwin Newman is the moderator.To understand why Manchester's book is so controversial, one has to step back in time to shortly after the funeral. The Kennedy family realized that books about the assassination would come out; they worried about how both the event itself and the family would be depicted. In an effort to control the story, they had commissioned Manchester, who had earlier written a flattering article about JFK, to write the book, and have exclusive access to family, friends, and political allies of the late president.
Once the manuscript had been produced, however, the family began to have second thoughts. There were concerns that Manchester had revealed too many personal glimpses into the family's life, that Manchester's prose was "overwrought," and that his unfavorable portrayal of Lyndon Johnson could prove troubling to Robert F. Kennedy's political ambitions. Jacqueline Kennedy had spoken frankly and personally with Manchester, but now feared the thought of those revelations in print.* Bobby Kennedy, who was fanatically loyal to Jackie, got into the middle of the dispute. An agreement for a four-part serialization in Look magazine was, RFK charged, a breach of the agreement that "the final text" was not to be published until approved by the two Kennedys. Manchester countered that Bobby had been in agreement that the book should be published as soon as it was finished, to avoid playing a part in the 1968 elections and also to counter the Warren Report critics, and that in fact Look was Kennedy's preferred magazine of choice. Lawyers were called, negotiations were conducted, Manchester himself almost suffered a nervous breakdown over the interference by the Kennedys and their Boston cronies. When Jackie went to court, Manchester went to Meet the Press to tell his side of the story.*Mrs. Kennedy later admitted that she never actually thought the public would read the book, but that it “would be bound in black and put away on dark library shelves.
In the end, things were settled. As the family saw their popularity take a dive in the polls (people suspected the worst about their efforts to control the story, and that doesn't even take into account the conspiracy buffs already in full swing), Bobby decided he'd had enough; a drop in the polls is never welcome news for a politician. As Spivak says on Meet the Press, everyone involved "has been hurt or somehow damaged—you, Mrs. Kennedy, Senator Robert Kennedy, President Johnson and the book itself." The two parties settled out of court, with Manchester removing 1,600 words from the Look serialization and seven pages from the book—"less than one percent," according to Manchester. Look hits the newsstands at the end of January and immediately sells out; the book, published in April, becomes an instant bestseller. But, as Alistair Cooke would later note, "the dispute is already more famous than the book."I've not been able to find any video of the program, but if you're interested, you can read the transcript of the sometimes-contentious interview here . And you don't even have to send ten cents to Merkle Press to do it.
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During the 60s, the Ed Sullivan Show and The Hollywood Palace were the premiere variety shows on television. Whenever they appear in TV Guide together, we'll match them up and see who has the best lineup.Palace: Host Sammy Davis Jr. welcomes Mickey Rooney, Liberace, singer Kaye Stevens, comic Lee Tully, the acrobatic Mascots, and Mr. and Mrs. Bob Top, English high-pole roller skaters.
Sullivan: Scheduled guests: comic-actor Jack Gilford, who appears in a sketch with comedienne Nancy Walker; comics Joey Adams, Joan Rivers and Richard Pryor; singers Sally Ann Howes, Jerry Vale and Lola Falana; the rock 'n' rolling Young Rascals; dancer Peter Gennaro; and teh roller-skating team of Ravic and Babs.
Short and sweet. Sammy Davis Jr. If there hadn't been anyone else on the show, Palace still would have won. As it is, include Mickey Rooney and Liberace, and you've got it made. Palace dances to this week's title.
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Throughout the 60s and early 70s, TV Guide's weekly reviews were written by the witty and acerbic Cleveland Amory. Whenever we get the chance, we'll look at Cleve's latest take on the shows of the era. "Well, you can look if you want to," Cleveland Amory begins in his review of CBS's new sitcom Mr. Terrific, "but do me a favor, will you? Don't expect, along the [air] waves, any raves. For the fact is, Mr. Terrific, like its Siamese twin, Captain Nice, is not only not terrific, it's pretty terrible."
Mr. Terrific, for those of you unfamiliar with the title, is a superhero spoof starring Stephen Strimpell as Stanley Beamish, a mild-mannered gas station attendant who, with the help of a special pill, gains superhuman strength and the ability to fly, which he uses to help fight crime. The problem, according to Amory, is that despite his new superpowers, "he still remains basically the same stumblebum he always was." And since the pill apparently only works on him, the government has to make do with its imperfect hero. There wouldn't be much of a show otherwise, would there?
Speaking of strength, the show is not without its own, chief among them the "peerless performance" of John McGiver as the head of the government agency for which Stanley moonlights as Mr. Terrific; I'd expect no less from a pro like McGiver; there is, as Amory says, only one of him. But—and here we'll let Cleve's comments on the second episode serve for the entire series, "the individual shortcomings of the script, the acting and the directing were matched only by the innate tastelessness of the whole idea." In fact, the whole thing can be summed up by an acknowledgement from Harley, another government agent. "Stanley is accident prone. Even when he does something right, it's an accident." Concludes Amory, "The same might be said, at almost any moment, of this show."
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I don't think we've ever had the chance to look at dueling ice shows, have we?
First up, on Monday, is your 1967 Ice Capades (7:00 p.m., NBC), hosted by Jimmy Durante and featuring Jimmy Dean and the Supremes. The Ice Capades first appeared on NBC in 1965, and their annual show ran through 1970, with various hosts such as Arthur Godfrey, Lorne Greene and Florence Henderson. (These ice shows are something of a regular occurrence on NBC;
later in the year
, Ed Ames hosts a similar presentation of the Ice Follies.)Not to be outdone, Milton Berle hosts Holiday on Ice (one of the Ice Follies' bitter competitors) Thursday night (9:00 p.m., ABC). Perhaps a little more glamour here; whereas Capades show was taped in Rochester, New York, Holiday on Ice comes to you from Paris. Berle ought to be a good MC for this; it's much like his hosting jobs on his other variety shows, and there are probably plenty of pretty girls in skimpy outfits for him to leer at.
Interestingly enough, the Ice Capades went out of business in the mid-90s, while in 1979 the Ice Follies merged with Holiday on Ice. There's no limit to themed ice shows out there even today, though.
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And now a brief pause for some culture, and I'm not talking about what you'd find in a petri dish, either.
On Monday, Gilligan's Island and the aforementioned Mr. Terrific are preempted for a musical rendition of Pinocchio by New York's Prince Street Players (6:30 p.m., CBS). This is just one of a number of productions of classic family stories that Prince Street Players did for CBS between 1965 and 1970, including Jack and the Beanstalk, The Emperor's New Clothes, and Aladdin. Fortunately, several of them exist on YouTube—including Pinocchio !
Wednesday, KTCA, the public broadcasting station, has An Age of Kings (7:00 p.m.), a continuing series of the Bard's historical plays. You'll see this pop up throughout the '60s, especially the early part of the decade—it was made by the BBC in 1960. Later the same evening, WTCN has The Wars of the Roses (8:30 p.m.), another BBC production of Shakespeare's first series of historical plays, made in 1965. I find it interesting that this was being shown on commercial, rather than public, television; possibly it was some kind of syndicated package similar to when Edward the King was broadcast in America in the mid-70s.
Friday night, NET Opera Theatre (7:00 p.m., WDSE) presents Jack Beeson's opera Lizzie Borden, based on the ax murderess of the same name. The production is from the acclaimed world premiere staged by the New York City Opera in 1965, adapted for the television stage. The music is modern and at times atonal, and Beeson has taken liberties with the story for dramatic effect, but it makes for compelling viewing both as an opera and a television production. The broadcast is a prime example of the advantage to staging an opera in a television studio (as opposed to simply bringing in cameras to cover a live performance, as is done with the Metropolitan Opera's HD broadcasts), giving viewers camera angles and views that would be impossible to replicate in a live theater broadcast. Following the opera, there's a half-hour profile of composer Beeson, looking at his work methods and motivations.l l l
Some other selections from the week:
The Golden Globes are broadcast Wednesday at 9:00 p.m. on NBC, hosted by Andy Williams. You remember the Golden Globes, don't you? I know they've only been off television for one year, but memories are short, nowadays. Anyway, I wrote a while back about the Golden Globes and their colorful history; for a few years the awards were actually presented on Andy's variety show, but this year they get their own place in the sun. It's a short spotlight, though; the show still runs for only an hour, but that's plenty of time to give out a handful of awards, most of them to the movie A Man for All Seasons. You'll recall that this would have been during the period of time when winners were actually tipped off in advance that they were bringing home the award; it was often the only way to get them to attend the show. Today, the problems faced by the Hollywood Foreign Press Assocation, presenter of the Globes, are not so much because of being colorful, but colorless, shall we say.
One of the great Star Trek episodes of all time airs on Thursday (7:30 p.m., NBC)—"Space Seed." It introduces us to a ruthless dictator played by Ricardo Montalban, and without it we'd never have gotten this immortal scene.
OK, maybe it didn't last that long. . .
The cover story this week, by Leslie Raddatz, is on Steven Hill, the original head of the Mission: Impossible team. After decades of reruns with Peter Graves as Jim Phelps*, it can be a little surprising to remember that for the first season of Mission: Impossible, it was Hill's Dan Briggs who listened to the recordings at the beginning of each show and pulled the same pictures out of the dossier each time.
*Who is not a traitor to his country, no matter what Brian DePalma thinks.
Hill is very good in the role, with just the right amount of menace to suggest that, if things were to get tough, Dan Briggs could get even tougher. It doesn't work out, though, and the reasons are clear in the article. Hill is an observant Orthodox Jew who leaves the set on Fridays in order to get home before sundown, and does not work on Jewish holy days, and while his beliefs are respected, there's no doubt that it puts a crimp in shooting a complicated television series. Many times Briggs' visible role is limited to the beginning and end of the story, and there's at least one episode in which he isn't seen at all. His level of involvement in each week's mission is seldom as large as it becomes for Jim Phelps in future seasons. So it's one year and out for Steven Hill, but don't worry too much—Law & Order will be by in a couple of decades, and he'll get ten seasons out of that.
Our starlet of the week is "comely" Pat Moore, who is moving from a $60 per hour model to a bit player in television (a semi-regular on Hullabaloo and Perry Como, but with no speaking lines) and commercials (where, as is usual in commercials, her voice is dubbed). For her, the big time is simple: being able to talk.
In the TV Teletype, we're told that Batman producer Howie Horwitz is "looking for a Batgirl to 'fight evil' next fall. Batman won't know her real life identity and vice versa." Thanks to retrovision, we do know the identity of Batgirl, though—the lissome Yvonne Craig, who packs quite a kick.
And speaking of Batman. . .
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Dwight Whitney spends some quality time with Adam West, learning about what it's like being the star of the hottest television show around. His portrait of West paints a restless man who has already been married and divorced twice, an ambitious man who gave up a successful radio show in Honolulu (and his second wife) when Hollywood called, an actor who wants to be thought of in the same company with Marcello Mastroianni. Batman, Adam West says, "will make it possible for me to do what I want to do the way I want to do it." And that is? "Like be a big fat star."Lest this sound too serious though, there's a wonderful bit at the beginning of the article that is pure West, speaking in that stiff, breathless staccato full of odd pauses, as campy and self-deprecating as we've come to see him in the years since Batman. The scene: West's dressing room trailer as he prepares for the day's shooting.
"It's hero time," says Adam West lightly, tugging the top of the tights up over the flat of his stomach and starting on the skintight tunic. "In a moment I will step from this humble dwelling and, to the plaudits of the crowd, plummet from a platform fully three and a half feet high."
The chant "We want Batman!" rises in shrill crescendo. "Ah, the adulation!" he continues, undulating like a Girl Scout in a tight girdle. "Oh, I love it, basking in the sincere warm smiles of the little children. What! You say Chief O'Hara isn't working today? Oh, I miss the Chief. The family's disintegrating—Robin off to college, Aunt Harriet drafted and being shipped to Vietnam. Oh, the heartbreak of it all. Here, give me that!"
His dresser hands him the tiny gray skullcap worn beneath the Batman helmet. West places it with exaggerated care. "I wonder if I should go out and bless the crowd? No, perhaps not." He jams the fiberglass-and-nylon helmet down over his ears. "Marvelous bit of haberdashery," he mumbles. "It's hot. The sound bounces. Can't hear. My nose pinches and gives me a cleft palate. Can't see. And I owe it all to that peerless Prince of Trivia, our producer Bill—'Bull'—Dozier, who refuses to supply me with a seeing-eye dog. Now off to give another Academy Award-winning performance."
[...]
"Sign my autograph, Batman, please!"
"Later, kids," says the Caped Crusader coolly. "Got to rescue Alfred from the clutches of that infernal scoundrel, The Archer."
"Aw, Batman, you couldn't hurt a flea!" says one.
"Yeah," replies Adam West amiably. "Disillusioning, isn't it?"
And that, my friends, makes this whole blog worth it. TV
February 11, 2022
Around the dial
I've often written about sports announcers who were what I called "big-game announcers," and since there's apparently a big game this weekend, it's appropriate to start with Bryan Curtis's profile at The Ringer of one of the last big-game announcers around:
Al Michaels
. Not only is it an interesting look at Michaels, it's a very good reminder of just what it is that makes announcers like him worthy of the title.Richard Long is a familiar face to any classic television viewer: Bourbon Street Beat, 77 Sunset Strip, The Big Valley, and Nanny and the Professor roll off the tongue, and he did guest appearances on just about every show of the 1960s, which makes Rick's " Seven Things to Know " feature about Long at Classic Film & TV Cafe particularly fun.
" See the Monkey Dance "--a title like that tells me that this story isn't going to turn out well. It's the name of Lewis Davidson's first teleplay for The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, and it's Jack's first look at him in this Hitchcock Project entry at bare-bones e-zine.
At Cult TV Blog, John continues his look at "orphaned episodes" with " The Facts of Life ," an episode of the 1960s series Our Man at St. Mark's. Like the American series of the same name, "The Facts of Life" is a comedy, but the similarities end there. John also has a couple of requests for those who might be able to help.
At A Shroud of Thoughts, Terence commemorates the truly impressive career of special effects genius Douglas Trumbull , who died this week, aged 79. Trumbull played a pivotal role in the design of 2001: A Space Odyssey, directed the movie Silent Running, worked on all kinds of films (including Close Encounters and Blade Runner), and animated the beloved opening graphics for ABC's Movie of the Week.
Martin Grams has a very interesting story on the 1976 British anthology series Plays for Britain , which he refers to as "the British Playhouse 90." It's available on DVD now, and while not every episode is a home run, he feels it's well worth checking out. Have you heard of this, John?
From the email inbox, Brendan Somers poses this question: "After coming from England and hitch hiking from the East Coast I somehow got on Dick Martin's new game show Mindreaders on the 15th August 1979 and would love to have a copy of that show. Sadly nearly all that series shows were destroyed except about 4 of which one was mine. Whilst Youtube has a video of this show purporting to be a "full" episode there's no footage of the men (of whom I was one) being questioned etc, but only the women. I wonder if you can help me in any way to get the footage of me. Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In was a favourite show of mine and I'd love to get a record of my meeting with him and the show." Brendan, I think it's a longshot, but I'll throw this out for anyone to comment on. Thanks! TV
February 9, 2022
Review: The O. Henry Playhouse, Volume 1
Xn television's earliest days, dramatic anthologies were, if not the rule, at least quite common. They were populated by young, hungry actors and actresses, and since New York was still the center of television activity, there was no shortage of stage talent looking to make a break into television or the movies. And while we're familiar with the biggest of them—Studio One, Playhouse 90, The Twilight Zone, Hallmark Hall of Fame, Kraft Television Theatre—there were dozens of lesser-known shows that, nonetheless, introduced viewers to up-and-coming performers, directors, and writers. They may have been modest in their ambitions, but for that they were no less entertaining.
Thanks to the miracle of video (and, considering how negligent networks and studios were with their inventory, it is something of a miracle), we've had the opportunity to catch glimpses from many of these shows. Some survive almost intact, while others have but an episode or two as their legacy. And while some can best be described as, well, time fillers—you know, shows that are maybe a step or two above amateur productions—others have proved to be well worth watching. And, thanks to David Kawas and our friends at
ClassicFlix
, we have another of these programs that we can consider: The O. Henry Playhouse.**Full disclosure: I received this disc gratis for the purposes of 1) reviewing, and 2) enjoying. Thanks to David for supplying both.
You're probably familiar with O. Henry (real name: William Sydney Porter,), or at least with his most famous stories, such as "The Gift of the Magi" and "The Ransom of Red Chief." His stories were best-known for their surprise endings, and while critics often panned them, they were immensely popular with readers of the magazines in which they appeared.
In 1957, The O. Henry Playhouse came to television as a syndicated series which ran for 39 episodes. Starring as O. Henry (and that's always the way people referred to him; I guess neither "Mr. Henry" nor "O"—or would that be pronounced "Oh"?—would have felt right) was veteran character actor Thomas Mitchell, who appears in each episode through the framing device of telling his publisher, or some other acquaintance, his latest story. Sometimes, as in the early episode, "Man About Town," O. Henry is himself an active participant in the story; but most of the time he's simply content to let the story unfold, luring his listener in until he springs the surprise ending on them. Mitchell's very good in the role, exuding a warmth that immediately draws you in, while exhibiting a little of the larceny of the real O. Henry (who was, among other things, a convicted bank embezzler), as when he repeatedly asks his publisher for an advance on his next story.
The stories themselves are, for the most part, fun and entertaining. No, it's not Shakespeare, but, as I've mentioned many times in the past, it doesn't have to be. It does, however, need to be enjoyable, and it succeeds. And, in keeping with one of the great charms of early television, it's a kick seeing some of the stars in their early years, such as Charles Bronson, DeForest Kelley, Johnny Crawford, Chuck Connors, Claude Akins, Jean Cooper, and Roger Smith—as well as more established not just stars like Ernest Borgnine (in the very first episode!), John Carradine, Morey Amsterdam, Tom Conway, Beverly Garland, Louis Hayward, and Gerald Mohr. Even if the names don't always ring a bell, you're likely to recognize their faces or voices.
As for the product itself, the first (of three) volume of The O. Henry Playhouse (the volume I'm reviewing) comes with 13 half-hour episodes on one disk. There are no extras, but the prints are clear and crisp ("lovingly restored") and are far better than what you might find on YouTube. Volume 1 retails for $11.99 at Amazon; you'll have to decide whether or not that fits your price point. Volumes 2 and 3 are scheduled to be released later this year.
I can't say that The O. Henry Playhouse is going to make or break your classic television collection, but who doesn't have room for an enjoyable 30-minute story that isn't going to get you upset, will probably give you a chuckle or two, and might just introduce you to some classic faces you haven't seen for awhile? If you watch television for pleasure, then this comes strongly recommended. TV
February 7, 2022
What's on TV? Friday, February 13, 1981
I never noticed at the time how many British comedies were being aired in the Twin Cities in 1981. Sure, there was Monty Python, but look at the rest: The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin on KTCA; Dave Allen and Morecambe and Wise on WCCO. (I was probably too preoccupied with my college studies.) Soon, you won't be able to spit without seeing Britcoms everywhere. (Of course, you might have had them even earlier in your market.) And that doesn't even include the ones that have been Americanized, from All in the Family to Sanford and Son to Three's Company. And yes, if you're sharp-eyed, you'll notice that those are TV Guide critic Robert MacKenzie's fingers drumming away on the typewriter on the left. Enjoy these listings from the Twin Cities edition.-2- KTCA (PBS) MORNING 6:15 DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL CONFLICT 6:45 A.M. WEATHER 7 AM VILLA ALEGRE—Children 7:30 MISTER ROGERS—Children 8 AM SESAME STREET—Children 9 AM ELECTRIC COMPANY—Children 9:30 ONCE UPON A CLASSIC “The Mill on the Floss,” part 6 10 AM 3-2-1 CONTACT—Children 10:30 ELECTRIC COMPANY—Children 11 AM UP AND COMING 11:30 SESAME STREET—Children AFTERNOON 12:30 MISTER ROGERS—Children 1 PM DICK CAVETT Guest: Peter Ustinov 1:30 OVER EASY 2 PM BEGIN WITH GOODBE 2:30 OLD FRIENDS, NEW FRIENDS 3 PM JULIA CHILD & COMPANY—Cooking 3:30 MISTER ROGERS—Children 4 PM SESAME STREET—Children 5 PM ELECTRIC COMPANY—Children 5:30 3-2-1 CONTACT EVENING 6 PM OVER EASY 6:30 MacNEIL, LEHRER REPORT 7 PM THE BOTTOM LINE 7:30 DICK CAVETT Guest: Lillian Roberts 8 PM WASHINGTON WEEK IN REVIEW 8:30 WALL STREET WEEK 9 PM HARD CHOICES—Medical Report 10 PM FALL AND RISE OF REGINALD PERRIN—Comedy 10:30 MOVIE—Musical “In the Good Old Summertime” (1949) 12:15 SNEAK PREVIEWS 12:45 NIGHTTIMES—Variety
-4- WCCO (CBS) MORNING 6 AM CBS NEWS—Charles Kuralt 7 AM NEWS 7:30 ALICE 8 AM PHIL DONAHUE Guest: Mike Royko 9 AM HOUR MAGAZINE 10 AM PRICE IS RIGHT—Game 11 AM YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS—Serial AFTERNOON Noon MIDDAY 12:30 SEARCH FOR TOMORROW—Serial 1 PM AS THE WORLD TURNS—Serial 2 PM GUIDING LIGHT—Serial 3 PM JOKER’S WILD—Game 3:30 JOHN DAVIDSON Guests: Shelly Winters, Skip Stephenson, Stuart Damon, Marty Leshner 5 PM NEWS 5:30 CBS NEWS—Walter Cronkite EVENING 6 PM NEWS 6:30 PM MAGAZINE 7 PM INCREDIBLE HULK 8 PM DUKES OF HAZZARD 9 PM DALLAS 10 PM NEWS 10:30 CAROL BURNETT AND FRIENDS—Comedy 11 PM DAVE ALLEN AT LARGE 11:30 MORECAMBE & WISE—Comedy Mid. BONANZA—Western 1 AM NEWS 1:30 NEWS 4 AM NEWS
-5- KSTP (ABC) MORNING 6 AM COUNTRY DAY—Gary Schendel 6:30 NEWS 7 AM GOOD MORNING AMERICA 9 AM TWIN CITIES TODAY 10 AM LOVE BOAT 11 AM FAMILY FEUD—Game 11:30 RYAN’S HOPE—Serial AFTERNOON Noon ALL MY CHILDREN—Serial 1 PM ONE LIFE TO LIVE—Serial 2 PM GENERAL HOSPITAL—Serial 3 PM MATCH GAME David Doyle, Charles Nelson Reilly, Brett Somers, Marcia Wallace, Susan Howard, Gary Burghoff 3:30 STARSKY & HUTCH—Crime Drama 4:30 HAPPY DAYS AGAIN—Comedy 5 PM NEWS 5:30 ABC NEWS—Frank Reynolds EVENING 6 PM NEWS 6:30 TIC TAC DOUGH—Game 7 PM BENSON 7:30 I’M A BIG GIRL NOW—Comedy 8 PM MOVIE—Drama “Inmates: A Love Story” 10 PM NEWS 10:30 FRIDAYS Guests: Kool and the Gang 11:40 AMERICA’S TOP 10—Music 12:10 DON LANE Guests: Tiny Tim, the Dance Theater of Harlem Inc. 1:10 LAUREL AND HARDY—Comedy BW 1:40 MOVIE—Drama BW “Now and Forever” (1934) 3:20 MOVIE—Comedy BW “The Palm Beach Story” (1942) [Time approximate.] 5 AM TO BE ANNOUNCED
-9- KMSP (Ind.) MORNING 6 AM 700 CLUB—Religion 7 AM FRED FLINTSTONE & FRIENDS 7:30 GREAT SPACE COASTER 8 AM KROFFT SUPERSTARS—Children 8:30 ROCKY & FRIENDS—Cartoon 9 AM CANDID CAMERA 9:30 DICK VAN DYKE—Comedy BW 10 AM MERV GRIFFIN Guests: Bill Cosby, Elliot Gould, Susan Anspach, Julie Budd, Adam Rich 11:30 MIKE DOUGLAS Co-host: Anthony Geary. Gusts: Leigh McCloskey, Lauren Chapin, the Imperials, Hildegard Knef, Liona Boyd AFTERNOON 1 PM $50,000 PYRAMID—Game 1:30 LET’S MAKE A DEAL—Game 2 PM YOU BET YOUR LIFE—Game 2:30 HOLLYWOOD SQUARES—Game 3 PM CASPER—Cartoon 3:30 POPEYE—Cartoon 4 PM SCOOBY-DOO—Cartoon 4:30 GILLIGAN’S ISLAND 5 PM BRADY BUNCH—Comedy 5:30 GOOD TIMES EVENING 6 PM BARNEY MILLER—Cartoon 6:30 ALL IN THE FAMILY 7 PM GUNSMOKE—Western 8 PM TONI TENNILLE Guests: Flip Wilson, Betty White and Allen Ludden, Mumenschanz, Stephanie Mills 9 PM WORLD OF PEOPLE 9:30 NEWS 10 PM RHODA—Comedy 10:30 MOVIE—Thriller “Frenzy” (English; 1972) Mid. MOVIE—Mystery “Look Back in Darkness” (English; 1975) 1:30 NEWS
11 WTCN (NBC) MORNING 5:30 WHAT’S NEW—Nelson/Martin 6 AM JIM BAKKER—Religion 7 AM TODAY—Tom Brokaw 9 AM LAS VEGAS GAMBIT—Game 9:30 BLOCKBUSTERS—Game 10 AM WHEEL OF FORTUNE—Game 10:30 PASSWORD PLUS—Game Audrey Landers, Nipsey Russell 11 AM TO TELL THE TRUTH—Game 11:30 DOCTORS—Serial AFTERNOON Noon DAYS OF OUR LIVES—Serial 1 PM ANOTHER WORLD—Serial 2 PM TEXAS—Serial 3 PM MY THREE SONS—Comedy 3:30 WELCOME BACK, KOTTER—Comedy 4 PM CHICO AND THE MAN—Comedy 4:30 M*A*S*H 5 PM M*A*S*H 5:30 NEWS EVENING 6 PM NBC NEWS—John Chancellor 6:30 FAMILLY FEUD—Game 7 PM HARPER VALLEY P.T.A.—Comedy 7:30 BRADY GIRLS—Comedy 8 PM NERO WOLFE—Crime Drama 9 PM NBC MAGAZINE WITH DAVID BRINKLEY 10 PM NEWS 10:30 TONIGHT Scheduled: Bob and Ray. 11:30 MIDNIGHT SPECIAL Host: Bob Uecker. Guests: Howard Cosell, Rick Nelson, Devo 1 AM MARY TYLER MOORE—Comedy
17 KTCI (PBS) AFTERNOON 5:30 VILLA ALEGRE—Children EVENING 6 PM DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL CONFLICT 6:30 DICK CAVETT 7 PM WASHINGTON WEEK IN REVIEW 7:30 WALL STREET WEEK 8 PM MacNEIL, LEHRER REPORT 8:30 OVER EASY 9 PM LAWMAKERS 9:30 OLD FRIENDS, NEW FRIENDS 10 PM DICK CAVETT 10:30 CAPTIONED ABC NEWS
TV
February 5, 2022
This week in TV Guide: February 7, 1981
Xere's Jane Seymour, looking not at all like the future Dr. Quinn, but with a bit of a slutty, come-hither appearance to her, quite consistent with the role she's playing in ABC's three-part miniseries, East of Eden (starting Sunday, 7:00 p.m.). And for those who think we don't need another version of John Steinbeck's classic, especially when we have one with James Dean in it, TV Guide assures us that we do—this one is "more faithful to Steinbeck," and Seymour, as the "Satanic siren" Cathy Ames, is a major attraction.In Bill Davidson's profile, Seymour (real name: Joyce Penelope Wilhelmina Frankenberg) confesses she likes "evil parts," as did Barbara Stanwyck, Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. She's just now coming into her own as an actress; despite her appearance as a Bond Girl in Roger Moore's 007 debut Live and Let Die, her most recent fame comes from her Emmy-nominated turn in Captains and the Kings, followed by another miniseries, Seventh Avenue. With East of Eden, she's ready to cement her status as "Queen of the Miniseries." And this is before appearing in War and Remembrance.
Perhaps her fame today rests on her ability to sell jewelry, but Jane Seymour has come a long way from being mistaken for one of Henry VIII's wives.
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There's another movie on this week, CBS's A Gun in the House (Wednesday, 8:00 p.m.), starring Sally Struthers, and that's the subject of this week's editorial. As one might imagine from the title, there's a gun involved in the story, and it's the violence surrounding the gun that's attracted TV Guide's "anger and disgust." "Television drama," Merrill Panitt writes, "had gone too far again, in pursuit of a Serious Issue." Surprisingly, given the movie's title and TV Guide's political leanings, the Issue is not gun control, at least as far as this editorial goes.
In the movie Struthers plays a woman terrorized by two robber-rapists who resorts to a gun "only when she has good reason to believe it is her only chance to avoid being raped and possibly murdered." So far, so good. "But the script establishes this by offering scenes of prime-time soft-core sadism that go considerably beyond the artistic requirements of showing a woman who fears for her life." To cite one extreme example, "Was it really necessary for the would-be rapist to pour pear brandy over the head of his intended victim? Two glasses of pear brandy? (What is this, 9½ Weeks?) And then force her to wipe the floor with her body?" Ooh, kinky. Too bad Jane Seymour wasn't available for the role.But I get what Panitt is saying here. It sounds campy today (and even he described it as blackly humorous), but over thirty years ago, something like this quite possibly would have earned a theatrical release an R rating. And, in fact, what does it have to do with the main story? Are the writers trying to establish the rapist as a sadistic, possibly psychotic, criminal? It is, as Panitt says, "an excuse for scenes of gratuitous nastiness."
The point, the editorial concludes, is that scenes like this aren't necessary. "For lessons on how to create terror without sleaze, they should see any movie of Hitchcock's."* But in this case, it was business as usual for the writers, who simply followed the maxim of "hasty TV writing" that "tastelessness is a shortcut to powerful effects."
*Notwithstanding that Hitch received much of the same criticism for a movie called Psycho.
It isn't just Panitt feeling that way, though. Judith Crist's review calls it a "simple-minded" movie that winds up "exploiting sex and violence," is more interested in "sadistic perversions," and "loses all its credibility with the introduction of a near-manic district attorney and Struthers' being left to solve her own case." Says Crist, "It's true that social-issue movies need juicing-up to hold the viewer, but lascivious drool isn't the lubricant."
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And now a local note: I've had occasion in these reviews to allude to the Great Affiliate Switch of 1979 , in which three of the Twin Cities' four commercial stations changed their affiliation, with KSTP switching from NBC to ABC; WTCN teaming with NBC instead of being an independent; and KMSP, the former ABC affiliate, winding up with the short end of the stick, becoming the new independent.
Or maybe things didn't turn out so bad after all.
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As I said a couple of weeks ago, I'm not going to take up space with another of my gratuitous shots at what's become of the Hallmark Hall of Fame—I mean, it's like catching fish in a barrel, isn't it? Instead, I'm just going to concentrate on this week's presentation, the one-man show Mister Lincoln (Monday, 9:00 p.m., PBS), starring Roy Dotrice and taped at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C.
The broadcast is one of three that appear this season on PBS*, the other two being Casey Stengel, another one-man show with Charles Durning, and Dear Liar, a two-person play with Jane Alexander and Edward Herrmann. It's one of the Hall of Fame's most interesting recent seasons, the only one since 1979 in which the presentations were staged as plays rather than movies. As for Mister Lincoln, I recall having seen this when it was first broadcast. Dotrice, an English actor known as a man of many faces, is a most convincing Abraham Lincoln, and TV Guide's description of his "stirring reading of the Gettysburg Address" is no exaggeration. This is one of the few instances in which Hall of Fame was done before a live audience, and at the end of that reading the audience burst into spontaneous applause. But here—see for yourself. The Address comes about an hour and 10 minutes in.
*Somewhat disingenuously, back when PBS still pretended to be commercial-free, these presentations were simply called the Hall of Fame, with Hallmark providing the grant. Today, using the full title would hardly be an issue.
There's also a nice article by Herbert Mitgang, author of the play, putting Lincoln's life in context and debunking many of the myths that have grown up around him, such as his being a hick lawyer, and that he opposed racial equality. TV Guide would do this from time to time under the label "Background," with an article, often by an outside expert, providing added information regarding one of the more significant programs being shown during the week.
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A warning, though—if you want to see Mister Lincoln, you're going to have to pass up part two of East of Eden (8:00 p.m., ABC), and the remake of the Doris Day movie Midnight Lace (8:00 p.m., NBC), starring Mary Francis Crosby in Dodo's role. Capitalizing on the whole Dallas angle, the teaser proclaims, "She Shot J.R. Now Who's Trying To Kill Her?"
That's the way of it during Sweeps Weeks of course, and February has long been known for the networks packing as much star power into their programming as possible. East of Eden has it particularly hard; not only does it go up against Midnight Lace on Monday and A Gun in the House on Wednesday, its Sunday night premiere has to face NBC's three-hour docudrama Kent State (7:00 p.m.), which Crist calls a "stunning film [that] allows us our individual judgment but, more important, does not allow us to forget."
And that's not all. Both Kent State and East of Eden have some real competition with the week's other blockbuster movie, Burt Reynolds' Hooper (7:00 p.m., CBS), co-starring Sally Field and Jan-Michael Vincent. It was one of the big box-office hits of 1978, and Crist's favorable review describes it as "wonderfully rowdy, funny and on occasion touching."
On the other hand, all this week Family Feud features competition between Miss USA and Miss Universe. I don't suppose that has anything to do with Sweeps, do you?
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What else is on this week?
With Howard Hesseman's death last week, there's only one choice for Saturday: a special one-hour edition of WKRP in Cincinnati (7:00 p.m., CBS) in which Johnny Fever moonlights as a TV disco host.
On Sunday night, it's part 6 of one of the most popular Masterpiece Theatre stories of the '80s, Danger UXB (8:00 p.m., PBS), the story of a bomb disposal unit during World War II. I must admit I never saw an episode of it, but I hear it was a blast.
With all the sensationalism on Monday's shows, it's nice to know you can depend on a wholesome family drama like The White Shadow (7:00 p.m., CBS). Tonight: "Falahey's girl friend is young, pretty, and pregnant!" Never mind.
TV Update reports that Fred Silverman's job as programming boss at NBC is in jeopardy, and we might have a glimpse into why by looking at the network's Tuesday night lineup. Whereas top-rated ABC has Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, Three's Company, Too Close for Comfort, and Hart to Hart, NBC counters with Lobo, BJ and the Bear, and Flamingo Road. Maybe that's it, or maybe it's something else?
Wednesday, NBC presents The Bob Hope Valentine Special (8:00 p.m.), with the usual lineup of beauties: Cathy Lee Crosby, Barbara Mandrell, Charlene Tilton, and, of course, Phyllis Diller—plus "surprise guest stars!" The listing mentions Dr. Joyce Brothers, but I can't believe that's all, can you?Thursday NBC rolls out a brand-new series, The Gangster Chronicles, starring Joe Penny, Michael Nouri, and Brian Benben, with a three-hour premiere. This was later repackaged into movie form as Gangster Wars. The series itself runs for 13 episodes, after which it's edited down into a 121-minute VHS presentation also called Gangster Wars. Confused? So am I.
I'm also a bit confused by Friday's movie Inmates: A Love Story (8:00 p.m., ABC), starring Perry King (Joe Penny's old running mate from the series Riptide) and Kate Jackson as residents of an experimental co-ed prison (!) who fall in love. Gee, who could have seen that coming? Fortunately, Judith Crist reports that it wasn't made available for preview.
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As I was running through those blockbuster Sweeps matchups, I wondered how much any of this would mean to younger viewers, those who've grown up with DVRs and streaming video. I mean, when you can record a half-dozen or shows at once, or go to your computer and watch a show any time you want, what difference does it make if there are two or three good ones simultaneously?
Remember, though, that this particular electronic age is in its infancy right now. I was reminded by an ad that appeared just before the programming section. It was for Audio King, an electronics chain that was big in the Twin Cities at the time. It asks you to imagine the absolute wonder of being able to play a television program over again and again. But be forewarned: this technical marvel will cost you. The top-of-the-line MGA HS300U features infrared remote control, speed search, slow motion and a 7-day timer, all for $1,450. If that's a little too rich for you, there's the Hitachi—it's compact and easily programmable, and only sets you back $1,250. And for those of you on a budget, JVC has a two-speed model that still offers remote control, still-frame and slow motion for $950.
These are all in the VHS format, but don't forget there's another player in the field. An ad for Video Images offers you your favorite movies and television shows on either VHS or Beta! And when you buy three, you'll get a fourth title free! What a deal! And free with your order, you'll get their giant video catalog with "over 400 all-time favorite TV shows, feature films, cartoons, etc!" (That should just about cover it all.) The cost? Well, each Beta is $39.95, while VHS runs you $42.95. And to think - today you can get a movie on DVD, a far-superior format, out of the bin at Walmart for a buck.*
*And you can download to your laptop or the cloud and not even have to have it physically in your possession. How far we've come.
With prices like that, it's no wonder people are still complaining that they always put all the good shows on at the same time. TV
February 4, 2022
Around the dial.
I think we'll start this week with something we see far too little of these days, longform journalism, and a kind of remarkable piece by Andy Greene at Rolling Stone. He'd come to know the late Michael Nesmith fairly well over the last few years, and in
A Final Visit With Michael Nesmith
, he sheds some light on the former Monkee, his relationship with his costars, and some surprising insights as to how he really felt about his most famous role.At Comfort TV, David reviews one of the classic sitcom tropes: two dates on the same night . In a comedy, it can be a cause of charming discomfort; in a drama, it usually results in a double homicide.
Cult TV Blog returns with another entry in the " orphaned episodes " series, in which John looks at shows from the past with only a handful of surviving episodes. As he points out, the pleasure of finding these assorted fragments is somewhat offset by "a genuine sense of sadness at how much no longer exists."
The always-interesting Inner Toob is back with a trip through the three miniseries in which Hal Holbrook portrayed President Abraham Lincoln . Appropriate for February, don't you think?
At Drunk TV, Paul reviews the first season of I Dream of Jeannie , a series that never failed to please its fans. He also has a well-placed word or two about those who might love to "cancel" a show that's so obviously oppressive to women. Well played, Paul!
At A Shroud of Thoughts, Terence leads the way with remembering the career of Howard Hesseman , who died last week, the latest in an apparent non-stop passing of classic TV icons. And from someone in the business, JB offers his own tribute to Johnny Fever at The Hits Just Keep on Comin'.
Finally, Television's New Frontier: the 1960s goes in-depth on calendar year 1962 for Bonanza , television's top-rated program, with reviews, guest stars, and a recounting of how physically demanding the show was for its stars. Glad I chose a more sedate occupation. TV
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