Mitchell Hadley's Blog: It's About TV!, page 87
October 8, 2021
Around the dial
At bare-bones e-zine, Jack's Hitchcock Project continues to look at the work of Joel Murcott; this week, it's the third-season episode "
Death Sentence
," a nasty little piece of work starring James Best, Steve Brodie, and Katharine Warren. John returns to the 1970s action series The Professionals at Cult TV Blog, taking us all the way back to " Long Shot ," the series' second episode to be filmed (although it aired later in the season), and along the way he wonders just how "real" the show is supposed to be. Good question.
Fire-Breathing Dimetroden Time has been surveying the tenth season of the new Doctor Who, and this week comes up to " The Doctor Falls ," featuring the always-reliable Cybermen. I have to admit I've long-since given up on the new version; Peter Capaldi's Doctor, whom we see here, is as far as I'll go.
At A Shroud of Thoughts, Terence takes a look at Desi Arnaz and his work on I Love Lucy . We always talk about Lucy, but Desi was a true trailblazer: the first Latino to star in an American sitcom, and thus the first mixed marriage to be shown on American TV.
At The Hits Just Keep on Comin', JB takes a wonderful look back at the marvels of local television , from Chicago's The Prize Movie With Ione to kids' shows to Dialing for Dollars. As the world has become more homogeneous, so has TV—and we lose these lovely little things.
Television Obscurities commemorates the 75th anniversary of Faraway Hill , the first prime time soap opera on network TV, and laments that, as is so often the case with early television, we know so little about a series that presaged so much.
Speaking of which, in a very good review of the career of the Ink Sports, Gary at Soulride drops a couple of fascinating classic TV tidbits : that the Ink Spots first appeared on TV on November 6, 1936, making them the first performers (of any color) to appear on live TV; and that in the same program, Eddie Albert appeared in a drama he wrote called “The Love Nest”, the first original drama to ever be presented on live television. The program in question was an NBC/RCA TV Demonstration: the first live TV demonstration in history. TV
October 6, 2021
October 4, 2021
What's on TV? Wednesday, October 8, 1980
If you've paid attention to these Minnesota State Editions, you'll notice the ways they've changed over the years. A half-dozen or so channels have changed call letters since the statewide editions of the early 1960s, and WXOW in LaCrosse doesn't even come on the scene until 1970; meanwhile, in thenew in the Twin Cities, three stations change their affiliations. There are also several PBS affiliates from around the state, but I didn't include them because their programming was mostly redundant. I did, however, share what you'd be seeing on Superstation WGN.-2- KTCA (PBS) MORNING 6:15 WORK AND SOCIETY 6:45 A.M. WEATHER 7 AM BLACK MUSIC: HISTORY OF JAZZ 7:30 MISTER ROGERS—Children 8 AM SESAME STREET—Children 9 AM ELECTRIC COMPANY—Children 9:30 FEELINGS—Children 10 AM VEGETABLE SOUP II—Children 10:30 ELECTRIC COMPANY—Children 11 AM 3-2-1 CONTACT-Children Closed-captioned 11:30 SESAME STREET—Children AFTERNOON 12:30 MISTER ROGERS’ NEIGHBORHOOD—Children 1 PM DICK CAVETT 1:30 OVER EASY Guest: Ruby Keeler [Closed-captioned] 2 PM MASTERPIECE THEATRE “Crime and Punishment,” part 2 3 PM VICTORY GARDEN 3:30 MISTER ROGERS—Children 4 PM SESAME STREET—Children 5 PM ELECTRIC COMPANY—Children 5:30 3-2-1 CONTACT-Children Closed-captioned EVENING 6 PM OVER EASY Guest: Morey Amsterdam [Closed-captioned] 6:30 MacNEIL. LEHRER REPORT 7 PM DICK CAVETT Guest: Hugh Leonard 7:30 ENCOUNTERS WITH ARTISTS 8 PM ARTHUR MILLER ON HOME GROUND—Documentary Special 9:30 CHARLES M. SCHULZ. . . TO REMEMBER—Profile Special 10 PM MONTY PYTHON’S FLYING CIRCUS 10:30 FOR THE RECORD—Drama Debut 11:30 BILL MOYERS’ JOURNAL 12:30 U.S. CHRONICLE
-3- KDLH (DULUTH) (CBS) MORNING 6:55 FIVE MINUTES TO LIVE BY 7 AM CBS NEWS 8 AM CAPTAIN KANGAROO Guest: Priscilla Lopez 9 AM JEFFERSONS 9:30 ALICE 10 AM PRICE IS RIGHT—Game 11 AM NEWS 11:05 TOWN AND COUNTRY—Linde 11:30 SEARCH FOR TOMORROW—Serial AFTERNOON Noon YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS—Serial 1 PM AS THE WORLD TURNS—Serial 2 PM GUIDING LIGHT 3 PM ONE DAY AT A TIME 3:30 MARY TYLER MOORE—Comedy 4 PM ROCKFORD FILES—Crime Drama 5 PM BARNEY MILLER—Comedy 5:30 CBS NEWS—Walter Cronkite EVENING 6 PM NEWS 6:30 TIC TAC DOUGH—Game 7 PM MOVIE—Comedy-Drama “More Wild Wild West,” conclusion (Made-for-TV; 1980) 8 PM MOVIE—Drama “Portrait of an Escort” (Made-for-TV; 1980) 10 PM NEWS 10:30 CAMPAIGN COUNTDOWN 11 PM MOVIE—Adventure “Golden Needles” (1974)
3 KIMT (MASON CITY) (CBS) MORNING 6 AM PTL CLUB—Religion 7 AM CBS NEWS 8 AM CAPTAIN KANGAROO Guest: Priscilla Lopez 9 AM JEFFERSONS 9:30 ALICE 10 AM PRICE IS RIGHT—Game 11 AM YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS—Serial AFTERNOON Noon NEWS 12:30 SEARCH FOR TOMORROW—Serial 1 PM AS THE WORLD TURNS—Serial 2 PM GUIDING LIGHT 3 PM JOKER’S WILD—Game 3:30 JOHN DAVIDSON Co-host: Larry Wilcox. Guests: Glenn Ford, Phyllis Diller, Black Russian, Bart Braverman, Kitty O’Neil, Don Herbert 5 PM JOKER’S WILD—Game 5:30 CBS NEWS—Walter Cronkite EVENING 6 PM NEWS 6:30 TIC TAC DOUGH—Game 7 PM MOVIE—Comedy-Drama “More Wild Wild West,” conclusion (Made-for-TV; 1980) 8 PM MOVIE—Drama “Portrait of an Escort” (Made-for-TV; 1980) 10 PM NEWS 10:30 CAMPAIGN COUNTDOWN 11 PM MOVIE—Adventure “Golden Needles” (1974) 1:05 NEWS
-4- WCCO (CBS) MORNING 6 AM CBS NEWS 7 AM FRED FLINTSTONE & FRIENDS—Cartoon 7:30 ALICE 8 AM PHIL DONAHUE Guest: Helen Gurley Brown 9 AM HOUR MAGAZINE Guest: Shecky Greene 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 3 PM ONE DAY AT A TIME 3:30 JOHN DAVIDSON Co-host: Lauren Tewes. Guests: Marty Feldman, the Spinners, Betty White, Mike Binder, Marty Leshner 5 PM NEWS 5:30 CBS NEWS—Walter Cronkite EVENING 6 PM NEWS 6:30 PM MAGAZINE 7 PM MOVIE—Comedy-Drama “More Wild Wild West,” conclusion (Made-for-TV; 1980) 8 PM MOVIE—Drama “Portrait of an Escort” (Made-for-TV; 1980) 10 PM NEWS 10:30 CAROL BURNETT AND FRIENDS—Comedy 11 PM CAMPAIGN COUNTDOWN 11:30 MOVIE—Crime Drama “Mitchell” (1975) 1:50 NEWS 2:20 NEWS 4 AM NEWS
-5- KSTP (ABC) MORNING 6 AM NEWS 6:20 FARM/MARKET REPORT 6:30 COUNTRY DAY Guest: Earl Butz 7 AM GOOD MORNING AMERICA—David Hartman 9 AM TWIN CITIES TODAY 10 AM LOVE BOAT 11 AM FAMILY FEUD—Game 11:30 RYAN’S HOPE AFTERNOON Noon ALL MY CHILDREN 12:30 FAMILY FEUD—Game 1 PM BASEBALL PLAYOFF PREGAME SHOW 1:15 BASEBALL PLAYOFF ALCS Game 1 4:30 HAPPY DAYS AGAIN—Comedy [Time approximate after baseball.] 5 PM PRISONER: CELL BLOCK H—Drama 5:30 ABC NEWS—Frank Reynolds EVENING 6 PM NEWS 6:30 TIC TAC DOUGH—Game 7 PM BASEBALL PLAYOFF Special: NLCS, Game 2 10:15 NEWS 10:45 ABC NEWS—Koppel 11:05 LOVE BOAT 12:15 POLICE WOMAN—Crime Drama 1:25 DON LANE Guest: Melissa Manchester 2:25 LITTLE RASCALS—Comedy BW 2:55 MOVIE—Drama BW “Female on the Beach” (1955) 5 AM TO BE ANNOUNCED
-6- KBJR (DULUTH) (NBC) MORNING 6 AM PTL CLUB—Religion 7 AM TODAY 9 AM PHIL DONAHUE Guest: Theodore I. Rubin 10 AM DAVID LETTERMAN Guest: T.G. Sheppard 11 AM WHEEL OF FORTUNE—Game 11:30 DOCTORS—Serial AFTERNOON Noon DAYS OF OUR LIVES—Serial 1 PM ANOTHER WORLD—Serial 2 PM TEXAS—Serial 3 PM EMERGENCY!—Drama 4 PM MIKE DOUGLAS Co-host: John Schneider. Guests: Rex Reed, George Willig, Anthony Hopkins, Jay Johnson, Jane Seymour 5 PM WEEKDAY EVENING 6 PM NBC NEWS—Chancellor 6:30 M*A*S*H 7 PM REAL PEOPLE 8 PM BEULAH LAND—Drama Part 2 9:55 POLITICAL PROGRAM—Democratic 10 PM NEWS 10:30 TONIGHT Guest host: David Steinberg. Guest: Jim Stafford 11:30 TOMORROW—Tom Snyder
6 KAAL (AUSTIN) (ABC) MORNING 7 AM GOOD MORNING AMERICA—David Hartman 9 AM PHIL DONAHUE 10 AM LOVE BOAT 11 AM FAMILY FEUD—Game 11:30 RYAN’S HOPE AFTERNOON Noon ALL MY CHILDREN 12:30 FAMILY FEUD—Game 1 PM BASEBALL PLAYOFF PREGAME SHOW 1:15 BASEBALL PLAYOFF ALCS Game 1 5 PM ABC NEWS—Frank Reynolds 5:30 NEWS EVENING 6 PM FAMILY FEUD—Game 6:30 HAPPY DAYS AGAIN—Comedy 7 PM BASEBALL PLAYOFF Special: NLCS, Game 2 10:15 NEWS 10:45 ABC NEWS-Koppel 11:05 LOVE BOAT 12:15 POLICE WOMAN—Crime Drama 1 AM NEWS
-7- KCMT (ALEXANDRIA) (NBC, ABC) MORNING 6:15 NEWS 6:20 FARM/MARKET REPORT 6:30 COUNTRY DAY Guest: Earl Butz 9 AM DAVID LETTERMAN Guest: T.G. Sheppard 10 AM WHEEL OF FORTUNE 10:30 PASSWORD PLUS—Game Jon Bauman, Joanna Gleason 11 AM FAMILY FEUD—Game 11:30 FARM TODAY AFTERNOON Noon DAYS OF OUR LIVES—Serial 1 PM ANOTHER WORLD—Serial 2 PM TEXAS—Serial 3 PM DOCTORS—Serial 3:30 CARD SHARKS--Game 4 PM NEW ZOO REVUE 4:30 I DREAM OF JEANNIE—Comedy 5 PM HOGAN’S HEROES—Comedy 5:30 NBC NEWS—Chancellor EVENING 6 PM NEWS 6:30 WILD KINGDOM 7 PM REAL PEOPLE 8 PM BEULAH LAND—Drama Part 2 9:55 POLITICAL PROGRAM—Democratic 10 PM NEWS 10:30 TONIGHT Guest host: David Steinberg. Guest: Jim Stafford 11:30 TOMORROW—Tom Snyder 1 AM NEWS
-8- WDSE (DULUTH) (PBS) AFTERNOON 3:30 OVER EASY Guest: Ruby Keeler {Closed-captioned] 4:00 3-2-1 CONTACT—Children 4:30 SESAME STREET—Children 5:30 ELECTRIC COMPANY—Children EVENING 6:00 GED HIGH SCHOOL COURSE 6:30 MacNEIL. LEHRER REPORT 7:00 ARTHUR MILLER ON HOME GROUND—Documentary Special 8:30 CHARLES M. SCHULZ. . . TO REMEMBER—Profile Special 9:00 GOVERNMENT AS IT IS—Jack Anderson 10:00 DICK CAVETT Guest: Marty Feldman 10:30 CAPTIONED ABC NEWS
8 WKBT (LA CROSSE) (CBS) MORNING 5:30 SUNRISE SEMESTER Legacy OF Israel: Biblical prophecies 6 AM PTL CLUB—Religion 7 AM CBS NEWS 8 AM CAPTAIN KANGAROO Guest: Priscilla Lopez 9 AM JEFFERSONS 9:30 ALICE 10 AM PRICE IS RIGHT—Game 11 AM YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS—Serial AFTERNOON Noon NEWS PEOPLE AT NOON 12:30 SEARCH FOR TOMORROW—Serial 1 PM AS THE WORLD TURNS—Serial 2 PM GUIDING LIGHT 3 PM ONE DAY AT A TIME 3:30 MIKE DOUGLAS 5 PM TIC TAC DOUGH—Game 5:30 CBS NEWS—Walter Cronkite EVENING 6 PM NEWS 6:30 M*A*S*H 7 PM MOVIE—Comedy-Drama “More Wild Wild West,” conclusion (Made-for-TV; 1980) 8 PM MOVIE—Drama “Portrait of an Escort” (Made-for-TV; 1980) 10 PM NEWS 10:30 CAMPAIGN COUNTDOWN 11 PM MOVIE—Adventure “Golden Needles” (1974)
-9- KMSP (Ind.) 6:00 700 CLUB—Religion 7:00 KROFFT SUPERSTARS—Children 7:30 UNDERDOG 8:00 POPEYE—Cartoons 8:30 CASPER—Cartoons 9:00 BRADY BUNCH—Comedy 9:30 I DREAM OF JEANNIE—Comedy 10:00 GOOD TIMES 10:30 SANDORD AND SON—Comedy 11:00 RHODA 11:30 MIKE DOUGLAS Co-hosts: Glen Campbell and Rita Coolidge. Guests: Phil Donahue, Tanya Tucker, Craig Claiborne AFTERNOON 1:00 FACE THE MUSIC—Game 1:30 LET’S MAKE A DEAL—Game 2:00 YOU BET YOUR LIFE—Game 2:30 CANDID CAMERA Guest: Sheila MacRae 3:00 FRED FLINTSTONE & FRIENDS—Cartoons 3:30 POPEYE—Cartoon 4:00 SCOOBY-DOO—Cartoons 4:30 GILLIGAN’S ISLAND BW 5:00 ADDAMS FAMILY—Comedy BW 5:30 DICK VAN DYKE—Comedy BW EVENING 6:00 HOLLYWOOD SQUARES—Game David Brenner, Pamela Hensley, Robert Donner, Wayland & Madame, Paul Lynde, Peaches & Herb, George Gobel, Isabel Sanford, Henny Youngman. Host: Peter Marshall 6:30 ALL IN THE FAMILY 7:00 GUNSMOKE—Western 8:00 TONI TENNILLE Guests: Greg Evigan, Skip Stephenson, Thelma Houston, Alan Loy McGInnis 9:00 WORLD OF PEOPLE—Magazine 10:00 BARNEY MILLER—Comedy 10:30 ROCKFORD FILES—Crime Drama 11:40 STREETS OF SAN FRANCISCO—Crime Drama 12:50 TWILIGHT ZONE—Drama BW 1:20 NEWS
10 WDIO (DULUTH) (ABC) MORNING 6:30 COUNTRY DAY Guest: Earl Butz 7 AM GOOD MORNING AMERICA—David Hartman 9 AM HOUR MAGAZINE 10 AM LOVE BOAT 11 AM FAMILY FEUD—Game 11:30 RYAN’S HOPE AFTERNOON Noon ALL MY CHILDREN 12:30 FAMILY FEUD—Game 1 PM BASEBALL PLAYOFF PREGAME SHOW 1:15 BASEBALL PLAYOFF ALCS Game 1 5 PM HAPPY DAYS AGAIN 5:30 ABC NEWS—Frank Reynolds EVENING 6 PM NEWS 7 PM BASEBALL PLAYOFF Special: NLCS, Game 2 10:15 NEWS 10:45 ABC NEWS-Koppel 11:05 LOVE BOAT 12:15 POLICE WOMAN—Crime Drama
10 KTTC (ROCHESTER) (NBC) MORNING 6:50 WEATHER 9 AM DAVID LETTERMAN Guest: T.G. Sheppard 10 AM WHEEL OF FORTUNE 10:30 PASSWORD PLUS—Game Jon Bauman, Joanna Gleason 11 AM CARD SHARKS—Game 11:30 DOCTORS—Serial AFTERNOON Noon NEWS 12:30 DAYS OF OUR LIVES—Serial 1:30 ANOTHER WORLD—Serial 2:30 TEXAS—Serial 3:30 MIKE DOUGLAS Co-host: John Schneider. Guests: Rex Reed, George Willig, Anthony Hopkins, Jay Johnson, Jane Seymour 5 PM PETTICOAT JUNCTION—Comedy 5:30 NBC NEWS—Chancellor EVENING 6 PM NEWS 6:30 HOLLYWOOD SQUARES—Game Dick Van Patten, Leslie Uggams, Marjoe Gortner, Wayland & Madame, Paul Lynde, Jayne Kennedy, George Gobel, Mary Crosby, Fred Willard 7 PM REAL PEOPLE 8 PM BEULAH LAND—Drama Part 2 9:55 POLITICAL PROGRAM—Democratic 10 PM NEWS 10:30 TONIGHT Guest host: David Steinberg. Guest: Jim Stafford 11:30 TOMORROW—Tom Snyder
11 WTCN (NBC) MORNING 6 AM PTL CLUB—Religion 9 AM DAVID LETTERMAN Guest: T.G. Sheppard 10 AM WHEEL OF FORTUNE 10:30 PASSWORD PLUS—Game Jon Bauman, Joanna Gleason 11 AM WHAT’S NEW—Nelson/Martin 11:30 DOCTORS—Serial AFTERNOON Noon DAYS OF OUR LIVES—Serial 1 PM ANOTHER WORLD—Serial 2 PM TEXAS—Serial 3 PM TO TELL THE TRUTH Panelists: Kitty Carlisle, Gordon Jump, Tiiu Leek, Nipsey Russell 3:30 MY THREE SONS—Comedy 4 PM M*A*S*H 4:30 WELCOME BACK, KOTTER—Comedy 5 PM M*A*S*H 5:30 NEWS EVENING 6 PM NBC NEWS—Chancellor 6:30 FAMILY FEUD—Game 7 PM REAL PEOPLE 8 PM BEULAH LAND—Drama Part 2 9:55 POLITICAL PROGRAM—Democratic 10 PM NEWS 10:30 TONIGHT Guest host: David Steinberg. Guest: Jim Stafford 11:30 TOMORROW—Tom Snyder 1 AM MARY TYLER MOORE—Comedy
12 KEYC (MANKATO) (CBS) MORNING 6:20 FARM/MARKET REPORT 6:30 COUNTRY DAY Guest: Earl Butz 7 AM CBS NEWS 8 AM CAPTAIN KANGAROO Guest: Priscilla Lopez 9 AM COFFEE BREAK 9:30 ALICE 10 AM PRICE IS RIGHT—Game 10:30 11 AM YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS—Serial AFTERNOON Noon NEWS 12:30 SEARCH FOR TOMORROW—Serial 1 PM AS THE WORLD TURNS—Serial 2 PM GUIDING LIGHT 3 PM ONE DAY AT A TIME 3:30 JEFFERSONS 4 PM GILLIGAN’S ISLAND 4:30 BIG VALLEY—Western 5:30 CBS NEWS—Walter Cronkite EVENING 6 PM NEWS 6:30 BACKSTAGE AT THE GRAND OLE OPRY—Music 7 PM MOVIE—Comedy-Drama “More Wild Wild West,” conclusion (Made-for-TV; 1980) 8 PM MOVIE—Drama “Portrait of an Escort” (Made-for-TV; 1980) 10 PM NEWS 10:30 CAMPAIGN COUNTDOWN 11 PM MOVIE—Adventure “Golden Needles” (1974)
13 WEAU (EAU CLAIRE) (NBC) MORNING 9 AM PHIL DONAHUE Guest: Helen Gurley Brown 10 AM WHEEL OF FORTUNE 10:30 PASSWORD PLUS—Game Jon Bauman, Joanna Gleason 11 AM CARD SHARKS—Game 11:30 DOCTORS—Serial AFTERNOON Noon NEWSCENTER AT NOON 12:30 DAYS OF OUR LIVES—Serial 1:30 ANOTHER WORLD—Serial 2:30 TEXAS—Serial 3:30 BOB NEWHART—Comedy 4 PM FLINTSTONES—Cartoon 4:30 TOM & JERRY—Cartoon 5 PM GILLIGAN’S ISLAND 5:30 NBC NEWS—Chancellor EVENING 6 PM NEWS 6:30 FAMILY FEUD—Game 7 PM REAL PEOPLE 8 PM BEULAH LAND—Drama Part 2 9:55 POLITICAL PROGRAM—Democratic 10 PM NEWS 10:30 TONIGHT Guest host: David Steinberg. Guest: Jim Stafford 11:30 TOMORROW—Tom Snyder 1 AM LOVING FREE 1:05 EMERGENCY!—Drama
19 WXOW (LA CROSSE) (ABC) MORNING 6:30 NEW ZOO REVUE 7 AM GOOD MORNING AMERICA—David Hartman 9 AM HOUR MAGAZINE 10 AM LOVE BOAT 11 AM FAMILY FEUD—Game 11:30 RYAN’S HOPE AFTERNOON Noon ALL MY CHILDREN 12:30 FAMILY FEUD—Game 1 PM BASEBALL PLAYOFF PREGAME SHOW 1:15 BASEBALL PLAYOFF ALCS Game 1 5 PM ABC NEWS—Frank Reynolds 5:30 JOKER’S WILD—Game EVENING 6 PM NEWS 7 PM BASEBALL PLAYOFF Special: NLCS, Game 2 10:15 NEWS 10:45 ABC NEWS—Koppel 11:05 LOVE BOAT 12:15 POLICE WOMAN—Crime Drama
-9- WGN (CHICAGO) (IND) MORNING 5:55 TOP O’ THE MORNING 6:25 NEWS 6:30 THUNDERBIRDS—Children 7:00 RAY RAYNER—Children 8:00 BOZO SHOW—Children 9:00 MOVIE—Comedy BW “A Touch of Larceny” (English; 1960) 11:00 PHIL DONAHUE AFTERNOON 12:00 HOLLYWOOD SQUARES—Game 12:30 MIKE DOUGLAS 1:30 YOUR NEW DAY—Vidal Sassoon 2:00 GILLIGAN’S ISLAND 2:30 FLINTSTONES—Cartoon 3:00 BUGS BUNNY AND FRIENDS—Cartoons 3:30 SCOOBY-DOO—Cartoon 4:30 MY THREE SONS—Comedy 5:00 GOOD TIMES—Comedy 5:30 WELCOME BACK, KOTTER—Comedy EVENING 6:00 BARNEY MILLER—Comedy 6:30 CAROL BURNETT AND FRIENDS—Comedy 7:00 MOVIE—Comedy “The Magic Christian” (English; 1969) 9:00 NEWS 10:00 MORECAMBE & WISE—Comedy 10:30 PRISONER: CELL BLOCK H—Drama 11:00 MOVIE—Thriller “The Stepford Wives” 1:30 NEWS 2:00 MOVIE—Comedy “The Birds and the Bees” (1958) 4:00 ZANE GREY—Western BW
TV
October 2, 2021
This week in TV Guide: October 4, 1980
The late Ed Asner and Mason Adams, the stars of Lou Grant, are on the cover of this week's issue, and with a name like Lou Grant it has to be good, right?**Bonus points to anyone who gets that joke. If you're not sure, here's a clue.
Seriously, I digress from this TV Guide for a moment to take a look at the issue of April 23, 1977. In the TV Teletype, we read a story about how Asner's going to be doing a new CBS series this fall about the newspaper business. Asner describes the show, to be set in Los Angeles, as a "modern epic," capturing "the ambiance of a newspaper." He admits he's a bit nervous, never having carried an hour-long series before: "I have yet to meet a happy hour-series star," but adds that the show will be about 30% comedy. The writer of the blurb notes that it will have seven recurring characters.
What's interesting here is that nowhere is the name of the series mentioned, nor that it will be spinning off Asner's character from The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Did they even know it would be at this point? Was it something that was added later on, as if they decided the show needed an extra hook? Or were they shying away from it, fearful that viewers would be leery of a sitcom character being spun off into a drama? The always-reliable Wikipedia is no help here , although it does note that none of the main characters from MTM were ever seen or even referenced to in the series, and that the only crossover character to ever appear on both shows was Eileen Heckart as Mary's aunt Flo, a recurring bit in the former series who made a single appearance in the later. So, what's the scoop* here? Inquiring minds want to know.
*A little newspaper lingo there.
The article itself is about Adams, and mentions his famous Smuckers commercial among the extensive radio and commercial work that has distinguished his career. Amongst Lisa See's review of that career and the details of his life (voracious reader, consummate professional, adeptness at playing different voices during rehearsals), one statement stands out that tells us a lot about the life of an actor. Adams strikes me as being just about as well-adjusted as anyone in the business, and yet he's unable to escape that constant worry that unemployment is just around the corner: "I'm lucky. I've always worked. I've never had barren periods. But there's nothing you can count on. My reach has far exceeded my grasp. I guess pessimism is just my nature." Lest that sound like too much of a downer though, he adds, laughing, "Maybe it's just the fear of becoming smug."
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In many of these early October issues, I've gotten the chance to write about coverage of the World Series. But it's 1980 now, and we've got another layer of playoffs to deal with: the League Championship Series. It's quite a contrast to 1963, with the division winners in each league facing off in a best 3-of-5 series to determine who goes to the Series, but it seems positively simple if you compare it to today's setup, with three division winners and two wild card teams from each league, and an LCS that's expanded to 4-of-7. Sometimes the "Fall" Classic even ends in November, which means it's usually the month's first turkey.
At any rate, the regular season comes to an end on Sunday, with ABC's cameras on hand to cover the pivotal games in the pennant chase. Actually, I should say the season is supposed to end on Sunday, and would have if the Houston Astros had been able to defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers in even one of the three games they play to end the season. They don't, however, and the Dodgers' win on Sunday forces a one-game playoff which ABC covers on Monday afternoon. I remember catching that game after coming home from class; pretty much everyone expects the Dodgers to keep rolling and take Houston, but the Astros score an upset win to take the division and go on to face the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLCS.
ABC has no trouble televising the League Championship Series games; the National League starts Tuesday night and continues Wednesday afternoon, while the American League starts on Wednesday night and follows up with a Thursday night game. Friday, the National League plays in the afternoon, the American League in the evening. Not so complicated, is it? Ah, for those simpler days. And the games weren't bad, either: see for yourself, with Game 3 of the NLCS on Friday, October 10, between the Phillies and Astros in Houston.
Oh yeah, the NFL is on as well. In the Twin Cities the Vikings home game against Pittsburgh is blacked out; the rest of the state gets it on NBC, however. The late game, on CBS, has the 49ers playing the Rams in Los Angeles (or Anaheim, to be precise). The Monday night matchup on ABC has Tampa Bay taking on the Bears in Chicago. And that's it: no Sunday night game, no Thursday night game. As I said, simpler.
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Big week for movies, not surprisingly since we're still early in the fall season. On Monday, NBC features the Oscar-winning Julia, starring Jane Fonda, Vanessa Redgrave and Jason Robards. ABC's offering, on Sunday night, is a repeat of Jaws, which goes head-to-head with CBS's made-for-TV A Perfect Match, which draws its prestige from its teleplay, written by the great director/writer John Sayles. Down one rung from that is the third Sunday night movie, NBC's repeat of Burt Reynolds in The End. We won't discuss the Thursday night movie on NBC, The Castaways on Gilligan's Island, which Judith Crist describes as "tedious even with 24 of its 72 mediocre minutes cut." At least it still has Dawn Wells as Mary Ann.
The finest show of the week is probably part two of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, airing on Monday night as part of Great Performances on PBS. If you're only familiar with the big-screen version that came out a few years ago, you really should invest the time in this; it's an exceptional six-part adaptation of John le Carré's spy thriller, starring the incomparable Alec Guinness as master spy George Smiley. It's really one of the finest shows of its type to appear on television—well, you can start here with episode one.
The prime complaint I've had through the years with le Carré's writing is the moral ambiguity of it all, as he attempts to draw some level of equivalency between the actions of the American and Soviet spies. It fits in perfectly with the times, however: in 1980, as today, the United States is a country struggling to find out what it really stands for.
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Speaking of the miniseries, in 1980 it remains a force to be reckoned with. TV Update tells us of NBC's massive success with Shogun; the gamble to kick off the season with the 12-hour drama pays big dividends, the estimated 125 million viewers and 51% share making it the second-highest rated miniseries of all time, outdone only by the original Roots.
In other news from the update, a follow-up on the Reagan-Anderson presidential debate, which President Carter boycotted (he didn't think the independent candidate Anderson should be included). ABC indeed stuck with Midnight Express because of President Carter's absence, but even with one major and one minor candidate and only two networks, the debate scored 42% of all viewers in New York, 44% in Chicago, and 44% in Los Angeles. Express, meanwhile, drew 42% and 39% in New York and Chicago; Priscilla Presley's Thos Amazing Animals, which aired against the debate on the West Coast, scored a mere 24% in Los Angeles.
Finally, "ABC has agreed to grant Kaiser Aluminum air time to reply to a report on 20/20 that asserted that aluminum wiring for homes is unsafe." All the two sides have to do now is decide how much time Kaiser will get, and when it will be broadcast.
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The cross-section of decades represented by these TV Guides gives testimony not only to the role of television within culture, but to the shape of the culture itself, as we can see from some of this week's articles.
In the 1950s, Howdy Doody stirred controversy by asking whether or not children should be watching the same kinds of shows as adults . Back then, it meant the manic comedy of a Milton Berle. This week, Marlo Thomas writes about the role television plays in presenting "the facts of life." It's a companion piece to Thomas' controversial Body Human special "The Facts for Girls," running Tuesday afternoon on CBS. Says Thomas, "Using television to bring accurate, straightforward information about sexual facts and feelings into the home can provide a starting point of shared feelings and information." Almost seems quaintly naive today, doesn't it? It's a far cry from the '50s and '60s, when dramatists had so much trouble writing about adult themes , but it's also light years away from today's television, when even broadcast networks present decidedly adult topics with a frankness that might have made people in the '80s blush. Or maybe not; I don't know.
Speaking of which, there's also a very interesting article by Richard D. Heffner on what the movie ratings system really means. Heffner, who produces David Susskind's Open End* program and teaches communications and public policy at Rutgers, is also the chairman of the Classification and Rating Administration, which helps determine what a movie's rating is.*Also known, by Susskind's detractors, as Open Mouth.
Among other things, Heffner points out that nothing is actually prohibited in today's movies: "Nothing is banned by our system, or refused a rating." And in answer to the question (posed by himself; Heffner the college professor interviews Heffner the CARA chairman) "Don't you ever want to refuse even your ultimate X rating to some of the awful things you see?" he replies, "Don't you think I share your sensibilities, your outrage, your disgust at some of what appears on the screen? Believe me, I do. . . But as an erstwhile American historian, I'm convinced that the price of film censorship in this country would be too great." The Production Code , which held sway until 1968, had gradually given way in the face of competition from television, and the movie audiences' increasing willingness to make box office smashes out of movies that didn't receive the code. (Some Like It Hot, for one.) Again, this article tells us much about how the times have changed, particularly in regards to sex and violence, and how they'll continue to morph.
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Last but not least, there's a full-page ad at the beginning of the programming section touting a new and revolutionary network that will change the way you consume news. Ta-da!
Take a look at that programming guide. Gotta say, it looks a hell of a lot better than what CNN has on today. Back when they had, you know, actual news. TV
October 1, 2021
Around the dial
I'm generally a sucker for courtroom dramas. Maybe it's all the years I spent watching Perry Mason (which has the best of them, by the way), but whenever I run across one, I'll generally stop and see if it's worth watching. (There's one major exception to that; the two-part QB VII, which represents VI hours of my life I'll never get back.) If you're like me, check out David's entry at Comfort TV on three memorable cases from classic TV.The third of those three cases is from The Addams Family, and the Secret Sanctum of Captain Video gives us a look at the animated version from 1973, which hews closely to Charles Addams's original characters. Be sure to keep reading, to see the Addams Family comic book !
I'm not much for using this blog as a confessional, but I have to confess that I've never been a fan of Lucille Ball. I don't make this as an authoritative statement, that you have to agree with me or else, it just is what it is. But that doesn't stop me from reading Television's Last Frontier: The 1960s and this look at the The Lucy Show from 1962 , with some very interesting background information.
I missed the phonomenon that was Rich Man, Poor Man, which wasn't carried in the World's Worst Town, so I probably wouldn't have watched the sequel, Book II, when it aired in 1976; of course, I didn't get the choice, since that wasn't shown up there either. But thanks to Drunk TV, I'm still able to get a feel of this rushed, but entertaining, miniseries .
At Cult TV, John focuses once again on The Avengers (but who wouldn't, given the chance?), with an episode which has a title too long to reprint here, so I'll just call it "(Stop Me If You've Heard This One)." As befits such a title, it has a star-studded comedic guest cast including John Cleese; it also gives us a chance to recall that while Tara King may not be Mrs. Peel, she does have a way of growing on you. TV
September 29, 2021
Television with (Golden) Balls
The brilliance of television, and the tragedy, lies in its uncanny ability to reflect in its tube the essence of human nature. Nowhere is that more apparent, for better or worse, than in reality television, which isn't really real at all—except for when it is.I was reading an article from a few years ago by Joe Posnanski, one of the best sports writers around, and while he may be an unlikely source of information for a TV website (although I think by now you'll agree that I can find inspiration from just about anywhere), he provides a brilliant insight into just how television does this. It concerns a British game show called, believe it or not, Golden Balls. It's a really good piece, and I would have linked to it even if I didn't have one thing to add to it. In fact, I think you should stop right here and read it now. If you don't, though, I'll give you another chance later.
As we learn from the always-reliable Wikipedia, Golden Balls was a show that tested every facet of human emotion—trust, greed, betrayal, passivity, lust—and did it all under the naked lights of a television studio. The premise was simple enough, as Posnanski describes, starting with a team of two contestants. "[They] would open these, well, golden balls and build up money in what was sort of a joint bank account. It’s actually a bit more convoluted than that, but for the point in this post that doesn’t really matter. Just know that money gets piled up."
At the end of the show, with the two having amassed something between £10,000 and £120,000, the denouement comes. Each of the contestants is presented with two golden balls to choose from. One says "Split," the other "Steal." The contestants know which ball is which, so there's no confusion there. Each one of them chooses a ball, in a variation on the old Prisoner's Dilemma . One of three things then happens:
If they both choose to split the money, they will split the money.If one chooses to split the money and the other chooses to steal, the stealer gets everything.If they both choose to steal, nobody wins any money.
When the big moment arrives, you can cut the tension with a knife. It exposes, Posnanski says, "the stark and bare humanity" of our lives. Most of the time the two players agree in advance that they're going to choose "Split"; after all, half of the prize is better than nothing. But what if one of them gets greedy? That's where the psychology comes in. If you can convince your partner that "Split" is the only logical choice, and then choose "Steal" yourself, you get everything. But if your partner is overcome by a case of the greeds and goes for "Steal" as well, thinking that he's going to outsmart you, then each of you winds up with nothing. The only safe, logical choice, therefore, is "Split"—but, as most of you are probably thinking, a man doesn't become rich by playing it either safe or logical. Particularly, when money is concerned, by being safe.
The whole thing is a fascinating, grotesque look at the human psyche. Posnanski focuses on one particular episode involving two gentlemen named Ibrahim and Nick, in what could serve as a master class in psychology, running the gamut of all those emotions I listed above, but centering on trust and greed. You see, unlike most contestants, Nick tells Ibrahim outright that he's going to steal. But—and here's where it starts to get interesting—he adds that if Ibrahim will just choose split, allowing Nick to get all the money, then he—Nick—promises that he will, in fact, split the money with Ibrahim 50/50, as if they had both chosen split.
See the difference? Instead of Nick appealing to Ibrahim’s essential goodness like everyone else does, he challenges Ibrahim’s fury. OK, he’s basically saying, I’m telling you straight out I’m going to steal. I know that ticks you off but, frankly, I can’t help that. I’m stealing. Now, what are you going to do? How badly do you want to punish me for choosing steal? Are you so angry that you will choose steal yourself, assuring that neither of us will get a dime? Or will you choose split and take the chance—however low you might believe it to be—that I really will give you half the money?
Posnanski discusses this in quite a bit more detail which I won't repeat here—he's a much better writer than I am, you'll enjoy his account more—but suffice it to say I found the whole thing spellbinding, if not absolutely brilliant. (You can also see it play out for yourself in this YouTube clip .)
And here's the point of it all, the reason I brought this up in the first place (besides sharing a piece I really liked). Since the beginning of this blog I've talked about how television is an indicator of our culture, our society. It shows us our DNA. No matter what people might say about television influencing the viewer, it's clear to me that most of the time it merely magnifies what's already there. A schemer on Survivor or Big Brother isn't going to be any less of a schemer in real life; television merely gives him or her the chance to magnify that trait in front of a national audience. Granted, reality TV can create a monster, but I'm willing to bet that nine times out of ten it's a monster that was already in there, in the psyche of that individual; the id, the libido, the ego, what have you. Woe be to the producer that magnifies or exploits that particular trait, for they may well find it better had they never been born. But all the same, it's probably true that there's more "reality" in reality TV than we'd like to think.I'm assuming that by now you've read Posnanski's piece and watched the clip of Ibrahim and Nick, but if you haven't, that's all right—I'll wait until you've caught up. Go ahead.
(Sound of absent-minded humming, toe tapping.)
All right, everyone back? What did you think? Was not that one of the greatest examples of psychology you've ever seen on television? I don't want to read too much into it, or exaggerate its importance*, but I thought there was a deep existential element to the whole thing, an exploration of the meaning of trust that goes far beyond what you're likely to see in most scripted programs.
*Exaggeration: something I never, ever, ever do.
I'm not advocating that we all become reality television fans; that's probably the one and only episode of Golden Balls that I'll be checking out, at least anytime soon. But this particular example, and Posnanski's retelling of it, is utterly fascinating. It is as good an example as we're apt to see of the way television can show us what we're all about. I would like to think that the best drama, and even the best comedy, can still do that; unfortunately, at least on the networks, it often doesn't. But, at least in this case, it's given us storytelling every bit as gripping as anything you'll see in scripted TV. TV
September 27, 2021
What's on TV? Thursday, October 3, 1968
It's always nice to be back in the Twin Cities, even though there isn't a lot of remarkable programming this week. The World Series, still an all-daytime affair in 1968, is of course the big show of the day, but I'm sure you can find some other interesting tidbits here. For example, there's an ad for KMSP's Saturday night movie, Lolita, which was such a shock back in the day that the tagline reads, "How did they ever make a movie out of Lolita? The answer: not very well.-2- KTCA (EDUC.) Morning 8:45 CLASSROOM Afternoon 3:00 MISOTA PREVIEW 3:30 TEACHING ENGLISH—Education 4:00 SCIENCE REVIEW 5:00 KINDERGARTEN—Mrs. Marron 5:30 TO BE ANNOUNCED Evening 6:00 POPULATION PROBLEM 6:30 MISOTA PREVIEW 7:00 YOUR SCHOOLS TODAY 7:30 FRENCH CHEF—Cooking 8:00 TOWN MEETING C 8:30 PRIVATE COLLEGE CONCERTS RETURN 9:00 MANY FACES OF 4-H 9:30 TOWN AND COUNTRY COLOR 10:00 FOLIO—U. of M. 10:30 INSIGHT—Religion
-4- WCCO (CBS) Morning 6:00 SUNRISE SEMESTER COLOR 6:30 SIEGFRIED—Children COLOR 6:45 COMMERCIAL—Music COLOR 7:00 CLANCY & CARMEN COLOR 7:30 CLANCY AND WILLIE COLOR 8:00 CAPTAIN KANGAROO COLOR 9:00 LIVE TODAY—Religion COLOR 9:05 MERV GRIFFIN—Variety COLOR Guests: David Soul, Milt Kamen, Maxine Greene, Ruth McFadden 10:00 ANDY GRIFFITH—Comedy COLOR 10:30 DICK VAN DYKE—Comedy 11:00 LOVE OF LIFE—Serial COLOR 11:25 NEWS—Joseph Benti COLOR 11:30 SEARCH FOR TOMORROW—Serial COLOR Afternoon 12:00 NEWS—Montgomery COLOR 12:20 SOMETHING SPECIAL COLOR 12:30 AS THE WORLD TURNS—Serial COLOR 1:00 LOVE IS A MANY SPLENDORED THING—Serial COLOR 1:30 GUIDING LIGHT—Serial COLOR 2:00 SECRET STORM—Serial COLOR 2:30 EDGE OF NIGHT—Serial COLOR 3:00 HOUSE PARTY COLOR 3:25 NEWS—Edwards COLOR 3:30 LUCILLE BALL—Comedy COLOR 4:00 MIKE DOUGLAS—Variety COLOR Guests: Martha Raye, Gordon MacRae, Carlos Montoya, Arthur King 5:30 NEWS—Walter Cronkite COLOR Evening 6:00 NEWS COLOR 6:30 BLONDIE—Comedy COLOR 7:00 HAWAII FIVE-0—Crime Drama COLOR 8:00 MOVIE—Drama “The Night of the Iguana” (1964) 10:00 NEWS COLOR 10:45 MOVIE—Drama COLOR “Scandal at Scourie” (1950) 12:30 CHARLIE CHAPLIN—Comedy
-5- KSTP (NBC) Morning 6:30 CITY AND COUNTRY COLOR 7:00 TODAY COLOR Guests: Donald Pleasence, Susan Saint James, World Series report 9:00 SNAP JUDGMENT—Game COLOR 9:25 NEWS—Nancy Dickerson COLOR 9:30 CONCENTRATION COLOR 10:00 PERSONALITY—Game COLOR 10:30 HOLLYWOOD SQUARES—Game COLOR 11:00 JEOPARDY—Game COLOR 11:30 EYE GUESS—Game COLOR 11:55 NEWS—Edwin Newman COLOR Afternoon 12:00 NEWS COLOR 12:15 DIALING FOR DOLLARS—Game COLOR 12:30 WORLD SERIES PRE-GAME SHOW SPECIAL COLOR Pre-empted: “Let’s Make a Deal” 1:00 WORLD SERIES SPECIAL COLOR Detroit Tigers at St. Louis Cardinals, Game 3 Regular programming is pre-empted 3:30 DIALING FOR DOLLARS—Game COLOR 4:30 WHAT’S MY LINE?—Game COLOR Panel: Bert Convy, Arlene Francis, Soupy Sales, Joanna Simon. Host: Wally Bruner 5:00 NEWS COLOR 5:30 NEWS—Huntley, Brinkley COLOR Evening 6:00 NEWS—Bob Ryan COLOR 6:15 WEATHER—Morris COLOR 6:20 SPORTS—Al Tighe COLOR 6:30 DANIEL BOONE—Adventure COLOR 7:30 IRONSIDE—Crime Drama COLOR 8:30 DRAGNET—Crime Drama COLOR 9:00 DEAN MARTIN COLOR Guests: Lorne Greene, Juliet Prowse, Dom DeLuise, Sammy Shore, Barbara Heller 10:00 NEWS—MacDougall COLOR 10:15 WEATHER—Morris COLOR 10:20 SPORTS—Al Tighe COLOR 10:30 JOHNNY CARSON COLOR 12:00 CRUSADER—Drama
-9- KMSP (IND.) Morning 7:30 TIMMY AND LASSIE—Drama 8:00 DENNIS THE MENACE—Comedy 8:30 IT’S HAPPENING—Variety Guests: Johnny Nash, Rip Taylor-Religion C 8:55 CHILDREN’S DOCTOR 9:30 DICK CAVETT COLOR 11:00 BEWITCHED—Comedy 11:30 TREASURE ISLE—Game Afternoon 12:00 DREAM HOUSE—Game COLOR 12:30 NEWS—Jerry Smith COLOR 1:00 NEWLYWED GAME COLOR 1:30 DATING GAME COLOR 2:00 GENERAL HOSPITAL COLOR 2:30 ONE LIFE TO LIVE COLOR 3:00 DARK SHADOWS COLOR 3:30 MOVIE—Drama “Slander” (1956) 4:55 NEWS—Jerry Smith COLOR 5:00 NEWS—Frank Reynolds COLOR 5:30 McHALE’S NAVY—Comedy Evening 6:00 TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES—Quiz COLOR 6:30 UGLIEST GIRL IN TOWN COLOR 7:00 FLYING NUN—Comedy COLOR 7:30 BEWITCHED—Comedy COLOR 8:00 THAT GIRL—Comedy COLOR 8:30 JOURNEY TO THE UNKNOWN COLOR “The New People” 9:30 COLLEGE TALENT—Variety COLOR 10:00 NEWS—Fahan, Steer COLOR 10:25 SPORTS—Tony Parker COLOR 10:30 JOEY BISHOP COLOR Guests: Frank Fontaine, Sonny James 12:00 77 SUNSET STRIP—Mystery
11 WTCN (ABC) Morning 9:30 SEA HUNT—Adventure 10:00 MUNSTERS—Comedy 10:30 PATTY DUKE—Comedy 11:00 FAMOUS PLAYHOUSE—Drama 11:30 NEWS—Amundson, Martin Afternoon 12:00 LUNCH WITH CASEY—Children 1:00 VIRGINIA GRAHAM—Interviews COLOR Guests: Hermoine Gingold, Pamela Mason 1:30 MOVIE—Adventure “Ramar and the Burning Barrier” (1957) 3:00 NEWS—Stuart A. Lindman 3:05 MEL’S NOTEBOOK—Interview 3:30 POPEYE AND PETE—Children 4:00 CASEY AND ROUNDHOUSE 4:30 GILLIGAN’S ISLAND—Comedy COLOR 5:00 FLINTSTONES—Children COLOR 5:30 BATMAN—Adventure COLOR Guest Villain: David Wayne (The Mad Hatter) Evening 6:00 INVADERS—Drama COLOR 7:00 RUN FOR YOUR LIFE—Drama COLOR 8:00 PERRY MASON—Drama 9:00 MOVIE—Comedy COLOR “Boccaccio ‘70” (Italian; 1962) 11:30 NEWS, WEATHER, SPORTS 12:00 BAT MASTERSON—Western
TV
September 25, 2021
This week in TV Guide: September 28, 1968
Dean Martin is, in 1968, the highest paid entertainer in show business - anywhere. His eponymously-named variety show has just been renewed by NBC for not one but three years, at a cost (to the network) of $34 million. Added to the $5 million that Dean's already making*, the man they call the “King of Cool” is sitting pretty, on a very big pile of cold, hard cash.*$750,000 each for three movies (not including his share of the profits), $825,000 for his records, $150,000 for three weeks at the Sands Hotel, and $2 million for the past season of the show.
It hasn't always been this way. After the tumultuous breakup of Martin and Lewis, Dean had watched as Jerry made it big with a string of solo movies. Martin’s movie career, by contrast, laid an egg - a bomb called Ten Thousand Bedrooms . He’d received $250,000 for that movie, but that wouldn’t do him much good if he wasn’t able to turn things around. That turning point came with a dramatic role in the movie The Young Lions , which Martin eagerly accepted even though it paid him almost $200,000 less than he’d received for Ten Thousand Bedrooms. He then followed up with his own string of hits—Rio Bravo and Some Came Running—and all of a sudden Dean Martin was hot stuff again.
When NBC approached Martin for a weekly series, he exhibited the same lack of interest he has about most things. His answer was no. Still, they pressed, so he gave them his terms. He knew they'd never accept them; he wanted a lot of money, and only wanted to show up for the actual taping—no rehearsal. They said yes anyway. He told his family, "They went for it. So now I have to do it."
It's that laid-back, devil-may-care attitude, the attitude that Frank Sinatra so admired and wished he had, that keeps Dean Martin cool. It's reflected in the way Martin answers questions from writer Dick Hobson. A few examples:
TVG: Tell me, Mr. Martin, is this your third or fourth [television] season?
DINO: You know, I don't know! Boy, that's a tough question!
TVG: I understand you're building a big Spanish home out on your ranch in Hidden Valley, with stables, corrals and a heliport?
DINO: It's a place to live.
TVG: Why so far out? To get away from your admiring public?
DINO: Actually, it's the air. Gettin' away from the smog.
TVG: For a man whose public image is Mr. Devil-May-Care, don't you find those magazine articles about "The Illness Dean Martin is Too Ashamed to Admit" an embarrassment?
DINO: What illness?
TVG: That illness sometimes associated with nervous tension. To be blunt, Mr. Martin, is it true about your ulcer?
DINO: Oh, that. Well, you can say I'm eatin' my spaghetti with butter sauce now.
TVG: [Addressing Martin's lack of rehearsal] What happens when a problem comes up?
DINO: Problems aren't necessary. We don't put up with problems.
TVG: I suppose you have plenty of people to deal with any problem that might come along?
DINO: People who like problems aren't there any more.
TVG: Do you mean to say that you never have problems?
DINO: I have a very peaceful life. [Ironic, given that he pays $2,400 a month in alimony.]
TVG: Can you tell us your philosophy of life in 10 words or less?
DINO: I can do it in less.
TVG: Go ahead.
DINO: Everybody should have fun.
Well, it's hard to argue with that, isn't it? That's cool.
l l l
During the 60s, the Ed Sullivan Show and The Hollywood Palace were the premiere variety shows on television. Whenever they appear in TV Guide together, we'll match them up and see who has the best lineup..Sullivan: Ed launches his 21st season with tentatively scheduled guests Red Skelton, Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme, Diana Ross and the Supremes, the Jefferson Airplane and the winners of the Harvest Moon Ball dance contest. Also: a scene from the movie "The Secret of Santa Vittoria," in which Ed appears as an Italian peasant.
Palace: The Palace's sixth season opens in traditional fashion - with Bing Crosby as host. Bing's guests: Sid Caesar; singers Bobby Goldsboro, Abbey Lincoln and Jeannie C. Riley, and the rock group from off-Broadway's hippie musical "Your Own Thing." Also: the acrobatic Iriston Horsemen from the Moscow State Circus, the tumbling Four Robertes and St. Louis Cardinal pitcher Bob Gibson.
Ed has Red Skelton and Steve & Edie, the Palace has Sid Caesar, Jeannie C. Riley (singing "Harper Valley PTA," natch) and Bob Gibson, promoting Wednesday's start of the World Series. I can't bring myself to go any further: The Verdict: Push.
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Throughout the 60s and early 70s, TV Guide's weekly reviews were written by the witty and acerbic Cleveland Amory. Whenever we get the chance, we'll look at Cleve's latest take on the shows of the era. This week, Cleveland Amory takes on Dick Cavett's morning talk show on ABC, a precursor to his nighttime program. We'll get the suspense over with in a hurry, as Amory does: he likes Cavett and his show; in praising Cavett's low-key approach, he calls it "the least of the many virtues of this fine show."
After analyzing Cavett in relationship to TV's other talkers (he hasn't "the mugging, jack-in-a-box quality of a Johnny Carson, the deep-down goodness as well as on-top funniness of a Joey Bishop, the earnest naughtiness of a Merv Griffin or the nice-nelliness of a Mike Douglas"), he tries to put his finger on the source of Cavett's appeal: "a not-too-cute cuteness which somehow manages to make every woman over the age of discontent want to mother him and yet which somehow also manages not to make every man over the same age want to drown him." Interesting take on the other hosts, no?
Among Cavett's other plusses is an ability to tell jokes without having to get into joke-telling contests, a modesty about his status that adds to his charm, and a sly, often self-deprecating opening monologue that he describes as "a kind of high comedy of low errors." Best of all, though, are his guests: especially "the remarkable comedy team" of Bob and Ray, with their patented satires of everything, including the political scene. (Sample interview question of a possible Vice Presidential candidate: "What would you say if I said you were a backwoods booby?" "I'd say you have a right to your opinion.") Says Amory in conclusion, "Every single one of these satires was head and shoulders over the best of the elaborate kind of sketch on the Carol Burnett or Jerry Lewis shows, and Mr. Cavett deserves high marks for putting them—and us with them—on."
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It's football season, with college and pro games galore: on Saturday, it's Purdue vs. Notre Dame (1:00 p.m. CT, ABC); Sunday belongs to the pros, with the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers in the NFL Game of the Week (1:00 p.m., CBS), and an AFL doubleheader on NBC, with the New York Jets taking on the Buffalo Bills at 12:30 p.m., followed by the Oakland Raiders and Houston Oilers ar 3:00.
Despite all this, the big story of the week is the World Series between the defending champion St. Louis Cardinals and the Detroit Tigers, commencing with Game 1 Wednesday afternoon in St. Louis (1:00 p.m., NBC). The 1968 World Series is a milestone for many reasons, foremost being the last to be held before the start of divisional play the following season. For the last time, the American and National League champions would face off without having to go through a playoff series first—it would be good enough merely to finish with the best record in the league. This presents a unique, never-again-to-be-repeated World Series preview on Saturday's Game of the Week (1:00 p.m., NBC), with cameras shuttling between the Astros-Cardinals and Senators-Tigers games. There's nothing left to settle, with the pennant races long over and the two teams just waiting for Wednesday, and if you think that sounds boring, then you've put your finger on the reason why both leagues introduced playoffs the following year.The 1968 Series is one of the last to be played entirely in daytime (the first night game is introduced in 1971), and in this "Year of the Pitcher" it is the last to take place before the pitching mound is lowered and the strike zone redefined. As befits this year of superior pitching, two other accomplishments which haven't been duplicated since: in Game One, Bob Gibson strikes out 17 Tigers to set a World Series record, and in Game Seven Mickey Lolich becomes the last pitcher (to date) to start a Series game on two days' rest. Today's pitchers require four, and sometimes five, days' rest between starts; Lolich pitches three games in eight days, going the distance all three times, winning all three games. These guys today are such wimps!
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When last we met Lee Marvin, it was on the set of M Squad, his early-60s Chicago cop show. At that time, he gave what can only be called
a remarkable interview with TV Guide
, in which his interviewer had barely any chance to say anything. Now Marvin's a big star; an Oscar winner for Cat Ballou, with the highly-anticipated (!) musical Paint Your Wagon coming up. This week he's in TV Guide for the network television premiere of Cat Ballou, and we asked ourselves: could this interview possibly be anything like the other one?"What has TV Guide ever done for me?" it starts out. "I never had a cover in TV Guide; all the crocodiles and dancing bears and honeysuckle farm boys got the covers. All those big stars of TV, and where are they now, baby? Where are they now?
"I don't make any deals with TV any more, " he continued. "What for? The reason to do a TV series is to get accredited, to establish yourself so you can go into features. You hit 35 million people a week for three years and they start to know who you are. I did that with M Squad, so I don't have to do it any more. Now I can burn my union card. Or maybe I'll dip it in the blood of Ronnie Reagan."
All right, it's not the M Squad interview, but it's not bad.
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A brief political note—it is an election year, after all. According to The Doan Report, there's a general consensus in Congress on suspending the Equal Access provision of the FCC regulations in order to allow presidential debates, but only if they include George Wallace, the American Independent candidate. Wallace is all for it, of course, as is Democratic nominee Hubert Humphrey. Against it, however, is Republican candidate Richard Nixon, to nobody's surprise—not only is he the front-runner, with everything to lose in a series of debates, he has bad memories from the last time something like this happened. You'll still be seeing plenty of Nixon in the last few weeks, though - he has a huge monetary advantage over Humphrey, who winds up holding telethons to raise the funds for his final push.
It's no wonder Humphrey finds himself in the hole, after that disastrous convention in Chicago. The TV coverage of that riot-filled week hasn't escaped the notice of Congress, which is threatening an investigation of the networks after the FCC was flooded with complaints from viewers upset about the images being beamed into their homes - most of them accusing the networks of bias in favor of the protesters and against Mayor Daley and Chicago police.
It's a sentiment shared by Mrs. Eugene Robinson of Schriever, Louisiana, whose Letter to the Editor complains about the reference to "Stalag Daley". "Mayor Daley is one leader in this country today who is trying to live up to his responsibilities," she writes. As Godfrey Hodgson would point out in his book America In Our Time , the media had, to a man, been shocked and appalled by the brutality they'd witnessed on the streets of Chicago, and they'd brought what they felt was the truth to the viewers. They were even more shocked to find that those viewers, by a wide margin, rejected their editorializing and sided instead with Daley and his police against the media. It is, in retrospect, a turning point in the way Americans saw the American media, one which Spiro Agnew would build upon in the next year, and which continues to play itself out today.
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Even though it's the end of September, it's still the honeymoon period for the shows of the new fall season. It's great to see so many ads for ABC's new series, since so many of them will be around for so little a time. The Don Rickles Show? Journey to the Unknown? The Ugliest Girl in Town? That's Life? The Outcasts? Easy come, easy go. They're not all flops, naturally—The Mod Squad has a nice run, and Here Come the Brides runs for two seasons.Besides, ABC doesn't have a corner on the market for unsuccessful series: Lancer, The Good Guys and Blondie fail to crack the top of the charts for CBS, while NBC's sole disappointment is The Outsider. On the other hand, Hawaii Five-0 starts its long run for CBS, with Here's Lucy, Mayberry R.F.D. and The Doris Day Show among CBS's other successes; NBC, meanwhile, will be able to celebrate the debut of the very solid Adam-12, with Julia, The Name of the Game and The Ghost and Mrs. Muir as, at the very least, minor successes.
Returning series undergo changes of their own; Peyton Place, one of ABC's worthies, is going through some growing pains of its own, as Carolyn See points out, with the show attempting to assimilate a more realistic demographic; "the population has become younger and blacker." June Lockhart signs on to Petticoat Junction, where she'll become the female lead following the death of the beloved Bea Benaderet. And Roy Rogers and Dale Evans will host the Country Music Association awards on an upcoming episode of NBC's Kraft Music Hall (Wednesday, 8:00 p.m., NBC). Now's, it's got a show of it's own.
It's not only the new season for TV series, but for movies as well, and two of Hollywood's bigger hits make their TV debuts this week. ABC's offering is Cat Ballou (Wednesday, 8:00 p.m., ABC) which, as we pointed out, won a Best Actor Oscar for Lee Marvin in a duel role as "Kid Shelleen, the lushest gun in the West, and Tim Strawn, the villainous silver-nosed gunfighter." Judith Crist calls it a classic comedy, and adds that it's "a family film in the finest sense, with good rousing fun for all." It's followed on Thursday night by a completely different movie, Tennessee Williams' The Night of the Iguana (8:00 p.m., CBS), which Crist calls "a penetrating and affectingly compassionate exploration of the human agony." Richard Burton, Deborah Kerr, Ava Gardner and Grayson Hall headline the cast.
And finally, one more look at Letters to the Editor. I don't know anything about the 1968 Miss America Pageant other than that Judith Ford, Miss Illinois, comes away with the crown. It must not have been a very impressive show, though; according to Mickey Falton of Carle Place, NY, "After seeing the girls on this year's 'Miss America Pageant,' I cast my vote for Bert Parks." As Jack Benny would say, "Well!" TV
September 24, 2021
Around the dial
Xt bare-bones e-zine, Jack's Hitchcock Project continues to survey the work of Joel Murcott with the third season episode "
Flight to the East
," which sounds like it should be a Cold War drama but in reality is something quite different. Different also is Murcott's teleplay compared to the original short story—find out how.Garroway at Large is back, and this week Jodie tells the story of the time Dave one-upped Milton Berle on Today. It's not often that Uncle Miltie becomes the straight man, so enjoy the story and pictures.
David poses an interesting question at Comfort TV: are classic TV fans introverted? It's an interesting question. David thinks they are, but I'm not sure—I'd ask someone, but I'm afraid to, and besides, I nevefr see anyone.
At the Broadcast Archives, a look back at the career of trailblazing newswoman Ann Corrick , who began working in radio news in the 1940s, and was on Group W radio from 1958 to 1967. There's not much of a record about her life, and there should be; I've heard recordings of her on Westinghouse's coverage of the JFK assassination, and was surprised that I couldn't find out more about her.
At Eventually Supertrain, Dan and I are back discusing Search . You'll also want to stick around for Planet of The Apes with Amy the Conqueror and Kolchak with Tim. A good time is had by all, including, we hope, the listeners.
And finally, in the Mailbag, an email from David, who writes:
"I am looking to replay an episode of Colonel the Clown (Channel 30 , Hartford, Conn) which I appeared on TV when I was about 8 years old in approx 1966. I was on the show with a few other youth because I won a contest related to 'Peanuts/Charlie Brown' and was awarded a Peanuts Character Bus! Do you have access to those as I would love to watch it. PLEASE let me know, if you do or know any other means by which I can view and/or obtain it.
David, I don't know how to get that video, if it hasn't been wiped by the local station, but one of our readers might know?
TV
September 22, 2021
Ratings to die for
"Being happy with what you've got is the one sin that is never forgiven."
That line appears on page 5 of William L. DeAndrea's Killed in the Ratings, a murder mystery set in the world of television, and I'll have more on the profound nature of that line at the end of this review. The book came to me as a gift from our loyal reader Mike Doran, who thought I would appreciate it and looked forward to what I'd have to say about it. Well, Mike, this one's for you.
Killed in the Ratings
By William L. DeAndrea
HBJ; 243 pages
$7.99 in Kindle; available at used booksellers
The headquarters of a national television network would seem an obvious setting for murder, given that it rivals Washington, D.C. in terms of infighting, backstabbing, ambition, dishonesty, and greed, all the while producing a product that too often insults, corrupts, and dehumanizes the hearts and minds of its viewers. And while none of the murders in Killed in the Ratings actually takes place inside network HQ itself—in other words, no dead body slumped over a control panel with a knife sticking out of his back—they're all most assuredly connected with the industry.
Our narrator and protagonist is one Matt Cobb, troubleshooter extraordinare in the network's Department of Special Projects. Cobb is what we'd call in politics a fixer, following the network's stars and cleaning up after them before they can bring the network into disrepute. As he says, "We do everything that's too touchy for Public Relations, and too messy for the legal department."
As the story begins, Cobb is the recipient of a phone call from someone who refuses to give his name, but suggests he has information that could be extremely damaging to the network: the accident that put network president Walter Schick in the hospital in what could be a permanent coma might not have been an accident, after all. Naturally, with a bombshell like that floating around, Cobb has no choice but to meet this mysterious source and find out just what he knows. Naturally, when he gets to the hotel room where they've agreed to meet, Cobb finds the man dead. Naturally, he then gets knocked out by someone who was hiding behind the door when he came in.
And naturally, he becomes the prime suspect in the eyes of the police—especially Detective Second Grade Horace Rivetz, one of those cops who makes up his mind after about five minutes of investigation and shows little inclination to go out of his way looking for any evidence that might upset his pat theory. Cobb, being a reasonably reliable narrator (he's refreshingly upfront when it comes to his occasional lack of judgment), leaves us with little doubt of his innocence. So, like many an innocent man who finds himself in the middle of a murder investigation, he realizes he can only clear his name by finding the real murderer. (I consider myself fortunate that in my 61 years, I've never been in such a situation myself. I must be the only one.) At the same time, Cobb has to keep an eye on the scandal involving Schick, one that could conceivably bring down the network, as well as the possibility that the beloved ratings system, at the heart of commercial television, might be rigged. It's obviously all connected—but how?
Fortunately for an innocent man trying to exonerate himself, Cobb has no lack of suspects to choose from, including:
Monica Tibaldi, television star, Cobb's former inamorata, and—unluckily for Cobb—the ex-wife of the dead man. She wants to get back together, but is it just a ruse to trap Cobb?Cynthia Schick, not-quite-widow of Walter Schick, and daughter of the network chairman. She and her husband quarreled before the accident—was she looking to finish the job?Roxanne Schick, daughter of Cynthia and Walter. Years ago she was one of Cobb's projects, strung out on drugs. He saved her life; are her intentions romantic or devious?Thomas Falzet, Walter Schick's rival for power at the network, passed over for president in favor of Schick. Could this have been his revenge?Herschel Goldfarb, who utilized his talent for accounting to buy up bad debt from the city's gamblers, and may have had murder—and a bad credit risk—on his mind
As you may be able to tell, Killed in the Ratings isn't exactly hard-boiled detective fiction. It is, however, an enjoyable story that delivers a twist or two about the business and builds up to a conclusion that is both satisfying and unexpectedly moving. Cobb is an engaging protagonist (this represents the first of eight Matt Cobb mysteries written by DeAndrea), and his frequent asides show a shrewd (and cynical) knowledge of the network television industry. (At first, I found his narrative style distracting, even annoying, but he's the kind of guy that grows on you, and his insider insight into the business of television is shrewd and on the point; not surprising, considering his background in the industry.)
And now for that line that led off this review. It's a penetrating comment, not only on life in general, but the television industry in particular. In a 1966 issue of TV Guide, Gore Vidal wrote that what television could use is "a sense that getting people to buy things they do not need is morally indefensible." DeAndrea's quote is in reference to the inadvisability of turning down a promotion (your career's "death sentence"), but it could apply to the very nature of commercial television. After all, the entire system of American television (and radio before that) was built on the idea of selling commercial time to sponsors, who would in turn sell their products to viewers and listeners. And isn't mass consumption a form of ambition, of keeping up with those rich and famous people we see on television every night?
It's a vicious circle, even more vicious than the murders that Matt Cobb encounters in Killed in the Ratings. Those people only lose their lives; the rest of us risk losing our souls. TV
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