May 22: Sorry for the delay...

If anyone's trying to access YesterTube and getting a message that it's been delayed, blame AT&T, which had something happen in my parts. So the official YesterTube launch will be delayed a few days. Sorry......

Week of May 14: Golden Horne and Blog News

Lena Horne's talents were able to shine in their full glory when the barriers of race started to come down. Her greatest triumph came in 1981, when her Broadway one-woman show, "Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music," won her two Tony Awards and was a smash hit.

Horne, who died earlier this week at age 92, was able to show her talents - and her honesty - to television audiences for decades.

She performed on countless variety shows. Here she is with another legend, Judy Garland, on Garland's CBS program in 1963:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlYxppElUM4

During the 1970s and 1980s, Horne graced the PBS program "Sesame Street." Here she is teaching my favorite character, Grover, to say "Hello":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_Y0lJ8ELvI

She also guest-starred on a number of television series as herself. Here's a classic appearance from NBC's "The Cosby Show" during its first season, when the Huxtable clan was celebrating Cliff's birthday:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bxp47BPI9FY


One of Ed Bradley's finest stories for CBS' "60 Minutes" was his 1981 interview with Horne. Here's a small snippet - too small:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWCdhmD6Z2I


And here she is, in golden voice, with her standard "Stormy Weather" and "If You Believe" from "The Wiz." Not sure of the source, but this is likely from PBS around 1982:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMf0Z7EPdLo

Her voice will ring forever.

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Get ready to say "so long" to Rabbit Ears. But don't worry: Just the name and the appearance of the blog are changing. Starting next week, it'll be YesterTube.

Each week, YesterTube will still be devoted to looking at classic television. You can find it at:

http://yestertube.blogspot.com/

It's not much to look at yet, but tune in next week. And Rabbit Ears' archives will still be available for a time.

Until next week on YesterTube, Happy Viewing!

Week of May 7: Of "House Calls and "Chicken Soup"

Lynn Redgrave, who died earlier this week at age 67 of breast cancer, had a fascinating television career, if not a long one.

First, she co-starred in the CBS hit comedy "House Calls." Patterned after the hit 1978 romantic comedy film that starred Walter Matthau, Glenda Jackson, Art Carney and Richard Benjamin, the show starred Wayne Rogers (M*A*S*H) as Dr. Charley Michaels. Redgrave played hospital administration employee Ann Atkinson. Character actor David Wayne (the 1949 film "Adam's Rib") played the semi-senile Dr. Amos Weatherby. Ray Buktenica (Rhoda) played Dr. Norman Solomon.

During the first two seasons, the show was a hit and Redgrave was nominated for an Emmy. Before Season 3, she had a falling out with Universal Studios, which produced the show for CBS. The most prominent story has been that the studio was not willing to accept Redgrave bringing her then-newborn daughter, Annabel, on the set or letting Redgrave breastfeed her.

John Clark, who was married to Redgrave at the time, wrote years later that it wasn't as simple as that:

http://www.johnclarkprose.com/house-calls-house-calls-what-really-happened.html

In any case, even with the talented Sharon Gless coming aboard, "House Calls" didn't last very long after Redgrave left. But the public battle gave a prominent face to the concerns of working mothers.

Her next television series was "Teachers Only," more notable for who produced it (Johnny Carson's production company) and who co-starred in it (Norman Fell of "Three's Company" and Jean Smart, later of "Designing Women," "24" and possibly the new "Hawaii Five-O"). It lasted one season on NBC, 1982-83.

Redgrave did her last, and possibly strangest, series in 1989. It was called "Chicken Soup," and paired her with comedian Jackie Mason as a couple in an interfaith (she Catholic, he Jewish) relationship. The show was produced by Carsey-Werner, the team behind "The Cosby Show" and "Roseanne." It followed "Rosanne" in the ABC schedule and drew viewers early, but couldn't follow up on the success and was cancelled after seven episodes. Mason made disparaging remarks about David Dinkins, soon to become mayor of New York, in the period the show was on the air.

None of the shows has been released on DVD. Here's hoping "House Calls" gets the call, in tribute to Redgrave.

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Note to readers: "Rabbit Ears" will be undergoing revisions, and possibly a new title, during the next few weeks. More news to follow.

Happy Viewing!

Week of April 30: The Long Reach of "Bosom Buddies"

It limped through two seasons and 37 episodes. In this corner, at least, the program was silly and juvenile. The best thing about it was its use of the Billy Joel hit song "My Life" (though not sung by Joel).

But "Bosom Buddies," which ABC featured from 1980-82, has a long reach.

To recall: The program was "Some Like It Hot" meets semi-real life. Kip Wilson and Henry Desmond needed to find a place to live that was affordable. The only place they could find was a building for women only. Voila! Kip and Henry got women's clothing and became Buffy and Hildegarde.

The series was produced by Thomas L. Miller and Robert L. Boyett, who went on to much greater success with other ABC sitcoms, including "Full House," "Perfect Strangers" and "Family Matters."

Peter Scolari, who played Henry/Hildegarde, later co-starred on "Newhart" and received three Emmy nominations as Michael Harris, the stuffy boyfriend of the equally snooty Stephanie Vanderkellen, played by Julia Duffy.

Then there's the guy who played Kip/Buffy. Some fellow named Hanks.......I certainly wouldn't have predicted stardom for him based on that show.

But he impressed a few people, including "Happy Days" star and budding director Ron Howard, who cast Hanks in a mermaid film called "Splash." You know the rest.

And Tom Hanks is the primary reason "Bosom Buddies" has received a second look....and honors at last week's TV Land Awards.

Go figure.

See you next week. Until then, Happy Viewing!

Week of April 23: Best Television Theme Songs

The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences plans to remove the category of Main Title Theme Music from the Emmy Awards. Let's face it, there's not a lot of theme music to be judged these days - in quantity, quality or length.

So here's an ode to Rabbit Ears' best odes in television history:

10. The Beverly Hillbillies: "Come listen to my story 'bout a man named Jed....." Paul Henning, who created the show, wrote "The Ballad of Jed Clampett." Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs backed singer Jerry Scoggins. Y'all come back now, y'hear?

9. Peter Gunn: Henry Mancini wrote the theme, which is remembered far more than the series. The young piano player who performed those opening notes - John Williams - would later go on to his own greatness.

8. All In the Family: The simplicity of Carroll O'Connor and Jean Stapleton, as Archie and Edith Bunker, singing "Those Were the Days" by Charles Stouse and Lee Adams won those days - especially when Edith hit that high note.

7. Cheers: Gary Portnoy sang the song he co-wrote with Judy Hart Angelo, "Where Everybody Knows Your Name." The title drawings were an elegant match with the song.

6. The Brady Bunch: Another fine story song, written by series creator Sherwood Schwartz. Frankly, it was the most tolerable thing the Bradys ever sang.

5. The Addams Family: Vic Mizzy, who wrote the music to "Green Acres" and many other series, wrote this show's catchy theme song. Snap, snap.

4. Gilligan's Island: Probably the best of the story theme songs, written again by Sherwood Schwartz with George Wyle. Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale.....

3. The Mary Tyler Moore Show: Who can turn the world on with her smile? Writer and singer Sonny Curtis showed us that "Love Is All Around" in a great merger of lead character, scenes, music and lyrics. Mary's joyous hat throw is the exclamation point.

2. Hawaii Five-O: Morton Stevens' song combined with Reza Badiyi's combination of images (including Jack Lord on that Ilikai porch) to show Hawaii as it had never been shown before.

1. Mission: Impossible: Lalo Schifrin, quite simply, has written the best television theme song ever. Perfect display of the show's action and mystery.

Anyone out there have their choices for top theme songs?

See you next week. Until then, Happy Viewing!

Week of April 16: The Best of Julia Sugarbaker

In tribute to Dixie Carter, here is the "Designing Women" scene that truly represents the best of Julia Sugarbaker. It came in the episode "Killing All the Right People," whose title came from this scene:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCR-5XnHyyE

Rest in peace, Ms. Carter.

Week of April 9: The Other Carol Burnett Shows (Including The Garry Moore Show)

Carol Burnett has published a new book, "This Time Together." Much of it is about her extraordinary television career.

The crowning achievement, of course, was "The Carol Burnett Show," which came into our homes via CBS at 10 p.m. on Saturday nights from 1967-78. Burnett has also had a rich television presence in variety series and specials beyond that.

Burnett speaks fondly of "The Garry Moore Show," which aired on CBS 1958-64. She was a member of the cast from 1959-62 and won an Emmy during her last season. At about 3 minutes into this clip, there is a great sketch spoofing game shows featuring Burnett, Moore, George Gobel and Marion Lorne (who would memorably go on to play Aunt Clara on "Bewitched"):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxNith1q4Nc

Burnett would win another Emmy in 1963 for the first of three specials she's done with good friend Julie Andrews. Here's the intro to their second special, in 1971:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7nn9t952Do

During the run of her variety series, Burnett also made time for a CBS special with another good friend, legendary soprano Beverly Sills. "Sills and Burnett at the Met" got plenty of raves and laughs:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Evnf7T-nIPI

She also had another variety series, this one for NBC in 1990-91, called "Carol & Company." The young cast she worked with included Jeremy Piven ("Entourage"), Peter Krause ("SportsNight," "Dirty Sexy Money" and "Parenthood") and Richard Kind, who later co-starred in NBC's "Mad About You," in which Burnett played the mother of Jamie Buchman (Helen Hunt).

While variety is her forte, Burnett has also guest-starred on plenty of comedy and dramatic series, including "The Lucy Show," "Magnum, P.I." and her favorite soap opera, "All My Children," which also has another famous fan/guest star:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSJGBYvm_Es

We say "So Long" to this tribute by going back to the centerpiece, from the end of the 1969-70 season, which features the full version of the song that inspired the book title - "I'm So Glad We Had This Time Together."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgbYZ3F4DjM&feature=related

So are we, Carol. So are we.

"This Time Together" is on sale online and at bookstores.

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Reluctantly, we say goodbye to another television icon: John Forsythe.

Obviously, most tributes mentioned his work on "Charlie's Angels" and "Dynasty," but he had another hit: "Bachelor Father," from 1957-62. Forsythe played Bentley Gregg, who raised his niece, Kelly:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pb_1A5Dzukc

Some trivia: Linda Evans, who would be Forsythe's co-star on "Dynasty," also guest-starred on "Bachelor Father," which hopped through all three main networks during its run.

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See you next week. Until then, Happy Viewing!