Here's a terrific find: The Classic TV Database (http://classic-tv.com). A couple of their choices for top Thanksgiving episodes jibe with a couple of choices here. Theirs and ours include:
*WKRP In Cincinnati, "Turkeys Away": We talked about this one last week.
*The Bob Newhart Show, "Over the River and Through the Woods": When Emily (Suzanne Pleshette) is away, Bob, Jerry (Peter Bonerz), Carlin (Jack Riley) and Howard (Bill Daily) order some moo-moo-goo-goo - uh, moo goo gai pan.
*Mad About You, "Giblets For Murray": Just how many turkeys did Paul and Jamie (Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt) have to buy? Have fun counting with this hilarious episode.
Another comedy episode not listed at the database:
*Murphy Brown, "Mission Control": Murphy (Candice Bergen) and the gang serving Thanksgiving dinner at a homeless shelter? Yikes! (I still remember Corky (Faith Ford) saying a turkey is a very stupid animal.)
And among episodes of dramas:
*The West Wing, "Sibboleth" and "The Indians in the Lobby": Think of Press Secretary C.J. Cregg (Alison Janney) and her dilemma with two turkeys the next time you watch a president pardon a turkey in "Sibboleth." In "The Indians in the Lobby," C.J. also had the job of meeting with the title characters, who wanted to meet President Bartlett (Martin Sheen).
*The Waltons, "The Thanksgiving Story" and "Reunion": No series did holiday drama better than this one; in "The Thanksgiving Story," an accident threatens the sight of John-Boy (Richard Thomas). "Reunion" was a post-series movie that united the surviving members of the original cast in the Thanksgiving week that followed the horrible events of November 22, 1963.
All of these are available on DVD.
Happy Thanksgiving! And until next week, Happy Viewing!
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Friday, November 20, 2009
Week of Nov. 20: Maybe Think of Me Once In a While
In one review for the new movie "Pirate Radio," the critic recalled the television series "WKRP In Cincinnati."
The underappreciated series ran on CBS from 1978-82. This look at a radio station was a star-maker for Loni Anderson, who played brainy and beautiful receptionist Jennifer Marlowe; Howard Hesseman, who played burned-out DJ Johnny Fever, and Tim Reid, who played fellow DJ Venus Flytrap. The show also starred Gary Sandy as program director Andy Travis, Gordon Jump as station manager Arthur Carlson, Frank Bonner as sales manager Herb Tarlek, Richard Sanders as newsman Les Nessman and Jan Smithers as employee of all trades Bailey Quarters.
The show was offbeat and featured such episodes as "Turkeys Away," with the famous Mr. Carlson quote, "As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly."
CBS had a habit of moving it around the schedule, which didn't help matters.
The DVD release has also been problematic. Only the first season has been released because of issues over music copyright. The first season, including "Turkeys Away," is also available on Hulu.com.
***********************************************************************************
Farewell to Edward Woodward, who distinguished himself on American television in the 1980s CBS series "The Equalizer."
The series, which ran from 1985-89, was often criticized for its violence. But Woodward was well received - winning a Golden Globe in 1987.
So far, only Season 1 has been released on DVD.
Also gone is Paul Wendkos, best known for directing the "Gidget" movies, but also a director of many television episodes - including "Cocoon," the two-hour pilot of "Hawaii Five-O." Kam Fong, who played Detective Chin Ho Kelly on the series, gave Wendkos the credit for discovering him for the role of the family-man cop.
"Cocoon" is available, uncut, on Five-O's Season 1 DVD.
***********************************************************************************
See you next week with a special Thanksgiving edition. Until then, Happy Viewing!
The underappreciated series ran on CBS from 1978-82. This look at a radio station was a star-maker for Loni Anderson, who played brainy and beautiful receptionist Jennifer Marlowe; Howard Hesseman, who played burned-out DJ Johnny Fever, and Tim Reid, who played fellow DJ Venus Flytrap. The show also starred Gary Sandy as program director Andy Travis, Gordon Jump as station manager Arthur Carlson, Frank Bonner as sales manager Herb Tarlek, Richard Sanders as newsman Les Nessman and Jan Smithers as employee of all trades Bailey Quarters.
The show was offbeat and featured such episodes as "Turkeys Away," with the famous Mr. Carlson quote, "As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly."
CBS had a habit of moving it around the schedule, which didn't help matters.
The DVD release has also been problematic. Only the first season has been released because of issues over music copyright. The first season, including "Turkeys Away," is also available on Hulu.com.
***********************************************************************************
Farewell to Edward Woodward, who distinguished himself on American television in the 1980s CBS series "The Equalizer."
The series, which ran from 1985-89, was often criticized for its violence. But Woodward was well received - winning a Golden Globe in 1987.
So far, only Season 1 has been released on DVD.
Also gone is Paul Wendkos, best known for directing the "Gidget" movies, but also a director of many television episodes - including "Cocoon," the two-hour pilot of "Hawaii Five-O." Kam Fong, who played Detective Chin Ho Kelly on the series, gave Wendkos the credit for discovering him for the role of the family-man cop.
"Cocoon" is available, uncut, on Five-O's Season 1 DVD.
***********************************************************************************
See you next week with a special Thanksgiving edition. Until then, Happy Viewing!
Friday, November 13, 2009
Week of November 13: The Full Measure of Bill Cosby
One of the most frustrating things about PBS' version of the Kennedy Center's Mark Twain Award for Humor being given to Bill Cosby is that so much was edited out. So good in tributes for Bob Newhart, Billy Crystal and others, the 90-minute program didn't seem to be long enough for the full fabric of Cosby's career.
That illustrates just how much Cosby's done.
The PBS special did show Cosby's famous "Noah" routine, and standup was how he began his career. Of course, scenes from the classic "The Cosby Show" were also shown. Here's what PBS viewers didn't see, or see much of:
*For whatever reason, the special gave short shrift to "I Spy," the groundbreaking NBC series that teamed Cosby up with Robert Culp (Where was Culp, by the way?). Culp played Kelly Robinson and Cosby played Alexander Scott - two spies undercover as a tennis star (Culp) and his trainer (Cosby). It was the first successful series with an African-American as one of the leads. It was also the first series to go on location - a lot. It was not unusual to see Robinson and Scott in Hong Kong, or other exotic places.
Cosby won three Emmys for his role. Years later, he and Culp teamed up as the characters again for a television movie. And a 1987 episode of "The Cosby Show" in which Culp guest-starred featured his character playing Scott Kelly, a friend of Cosby's Cliff Huxtable who had just had open-heart surgery. Actress-dancer-choreographer Ann Reinking played Culp's wife in that episode.
The entire series is available on DVD, and the first season can be seen on Hulu.com.
*Cosby starred as phys-ed teacher Chet Kincaid in "The Bill Cosby Show," also for NBC, for two seasons from 1969-71. The show did not have a laugh track, unusual for comedies of that time. The first season is available on DVD.
*Cosby was featured in the original version of PBS' "The Electric Company," geared toward elementary school children and also featuring Rita Moreno (who would co-star later with Cosby in NBC's brief "The Cosby Mysteries") and Morgan Freeman. Cosby was also seen on "Sesame Street."
*HEY! HEY! HEY! Where were "Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids" in that PBS special? Fat Albert was a character in Cosby's standup routines, and the animated series, which ran on CBS from 1972-85 (and later on NBC during the run of "The Cosby Show"), was loosely based on Cosby's youth in Philadelphia; characters included Cosby as a teen and his brother, Russell. It mixed humor and education, and Cosby voiced many of the characters. Here's a link to the original open for the series:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Btb_pAoTkfM
*Cosby would have comedy success during the 1990s with CBS' "Cosby," loosely based on the British series "One Foot In the Grave." Cosby played Hilton Lucas, who had been laid off his job. The show, which ran from 1996-2000, once again teamed him with Phylicia Rashad, who had played Claire Huxtable, and also starred Madeline Kahn, who died of ovarian cancer several years into the show's run. "Cosby" guest-starred many people who had worked with Cosby before, including Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee. The show has not been released on DVD.
*While "The Cosby Show" was mentioned on the PBS series, this look wouldn't be complete without it. One of the greatest sitcoms in television history, the show ran from 1984-92 on NBC. Here's the full "Regular People" scene from the pilot episode between Cliff and Theo (Malcolm Jamal-Warner):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7avCwhKtE7g&feature=related
And of course, a link to la famille Huxtable lip-synching to Ray Charles:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSvGdfOfLFw
See you next week. Until then, Happy Viewing!
That illustrates just how much Cosby's done.
The PBS special did show Cosby's famous "Noah" routine, and standup was how he began his career. Of course, scenes from the classic "The Cosby Show" were also shown. Here's what PBS viewers didn't see, or see much of:
*For whatever reason, the special gave short shrift to "I Spy," the groundbreaking NBC series that teamed Cosby up with Robert Culp (Where was Culp, by the way?). Culp played Kelly Robinson and Cosby played Alexander Scott - two spies undercover as a tennis star (Culp) and his trainer (Cosby). It was the first successful series with an African-American as one of the leads. It was also the first series to go on location - a lot. It was not unusual to see Robinson and Scott in Hong Kong, or other exotic places.
Cosby won three Emmys for his role. Years later, he and Culp teamed up as the characters again for a television movie. And a 1987 episode of "The Cosby Show" in which Culp guest-starred featured his character playing Scott Kelly, a friend of Cosby's Cliff Huxtable who had just had open-heart surgery. Actress-dancer-choreographer Ann Reinking played Culp's wife in that episode.
The entire series is available on DVD, and the first season can be seen on Hulu.com.
*Cosby starred as phys-ed teacher Chet Kincaid in "The Bill Cosby Show," also for NBC, for two seasons from 1969-71. The show did not have a laugh track, unusual for comedies of that time. The first season is available on DVD.
*Cosby was featured in the original version of PBS' "The Electric Company," geared toward elementary school children and also featuring Rita Moreno (who would co-star later with Cosby in NBC's brief "The Cosby Mysteries") and Morgan Freeman. Cosby was also seen on "Sesame Street."
*HEY! HEY! HEY! Where were "Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids" in that PBS special? Fat Albert was a character in Cosby's standup routines, and the animated series, which ran on CBS from 1972-85 (and later on NBC during the run of "The Cosby Show"), was loosely based on Cosby's youth in Philadelphia; characters included Cosby as a teen and his brother, Russell. It mixed humor and education, and Cosby voiced many of the characters. Here's a link to the original open for the series:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Btb_pAoTkfM
*Cosby would have comedy success during the 1990s with CBS' "Cosby," loosely based on the British series "One Foot In the Grave." Cosby played Hilton Lucas, who had been laid off his job. The show, which ran from 1996-2000, once again teamed him with Phylicia Rashad, who had played Claire Huxtable, and also starred Madeline Kahn, who died of ovarian cancer several years into the show's run. "Cosby" guest-starred many people who had worked with Cosby before, including Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee. The show has not been released on DVD.
*While "The Cosby Show" was mentioned on the PBS series, this look wouldn't be complete without it. One of the greatest sitcoms in television history, the show ran from 1984-92 on NBC. Here's the full "Regular People" scene from the pilot episode between Cliff and Theo (Malcolm Jamal-Warner):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7avCwhKtE7g&feature=related
And of course, a link to la famille Huxtable lip-synching to Ray Charles:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSvGdfOfLFw
See you next week. Until then, Happy Viewing!
Friday, November 6, 2009
Week of November 6: Brought To You By the Letter S and the Number 40
Happy 40th Anniversary, Sesame Street!
For those of us who have grown up since the late 1960s, the landmark PBS children's program has always been part of our lives. Who hasn't grown up watching Big Bird, Cookie Monster, Oscar the Grouch, Grover (my favorite) and their human friends, Susan, Gordon, Bob, Luis and Maria? And all of the humans and Muppets who have moved to Sesame Street ever since?
Sesame Street was truly the first show to celebrate American diversity. Here's a link to a 1970s opening. (In fact, most of these links will be from the 1970s, when I grew up.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmcdBnj4ZOg
The program has featured many famous and soon-to-be-famous faces. One was actor Paul Benedict, who would later play the urbane Mr. Bentley on "The Jeffersons." On Sesame Street, Benedict was the Mad Painter, who used his painting to teach numbers. Remember this yummy look at the Number 6?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2dTJJ0PdTI
Throughout the 1970s and 80s, composer Joe Raposo would put his musical imprint on the show. Some of his songs became popular standards beyond Sesame Street. One was "Bein' Green," a celebration of one's identity, originally sung by Kermit the Frog in 1969:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIOiwg2iHio
Raposo succeeded with the serious and the silly.....You'll never look at a bird on an animal the same after this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbluA8ZWw80
Raposo died in 1989. Jim Henson, who created the Muppets and the Sesame Street characters, and voiced Kermit, Ernie and many others, died in 1990.
Another Sesame Street member who was mourned was Will Lee, who played Mr. Hooper (or Mr. Looper, as Big Bird called him), the store owner. Both Lee and his character died in 1982. This moving scene is a tribute:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZTvDZHRFrU
The objective of Sesame Street, of course, is education. One of the most memorable examples of this came with Herry Monster and John-John (who later enlisted in the U.S. Air Force):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scu9zzC5U3g
Sesame Street's residents can also have fun spoofing various aspects of pop culture. During the heyday of PBS' "Masterpiece Theater," when Allistair Cooke was the host, Sesame Street came up with its own reference, poking fun both at Cooke and Alfred Hitchcock's classic film "The 39 Steps":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzjM67rS9ZM
That's why I love Grover.....He's a hard worker!
We'll wrap up with another Joe Raposo song, the best known of the series, later made into a hit by The Carpenters. Here, Bob (Bob McGrath), Susan (Loretta Long) and Luis (Emilio Delgado) sing a bilingual version with the kids of Sesame Street:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOFY52PAPoc
May Sesame Street have 40 more.....and beyond!
See you next week! Until then, Happy Viewing!
For those of us who have grown up since the late 1960s, the landmark PBS children's program has always been part of our lives. Who hasn't grown up watching Big Bird, Cookie Monster, Oscar the Grouch, Grover (my favorite) and their human friends, Susan, Gordon, Bob, Luis and Maria? And all of the humans and Muppets who have moved to Sesame Street ever since?
Sesame Street was truly the first show to celebrate American diversity. Here's a link to a 1970s opening. (In fact, most of these links will be from the 1970s, when I grew up.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmcdBnj4ZOg
The program has featured many famous and soon-to-be-famous faces. One was actor Paul Benedict, who would later play the urbane Mr. Bentley on "The Jeffersons." On Sesame Street, Benedict was the Mad Painter, who used his painting to teach numbers. Remember this yummy look at the Number 6?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2dTJJ0PdTI
Throughout the 1970s and 80s, composer Joe Raposo would put his musical imprint on the show. Some of his songs became popular standards beyond Sesame Street. One was "Bein' Green," a celebration of one's identity, originally sung by Kermit the Frog in 1969:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIOiwg2iHio
Raposo succeeded with the serious and the silly.....You'll never look at a bird on an animal the same after this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbluA8ZWw80
Raposo died in 1989. Jim Henson, who created the Muppets and the Sesame Street characters, and voiced Kermit, Ernie and many others, died in 1990.
Another Sesame Street member who was mourned was Will Lee, who played Mr. Hooper (or Mr. Looper, as Big Bird called him), the store owner. Both Lee and his character died in 1982. This moving scene is a tribute:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZTvDZHRFrU
The objective of Sesame Street, of course, is education. One of the most memorable examples of this came with Herry Monster and John-John (who later enlisted in the U.S. Air Force):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scu9zzC5U3g
Sesame Street's residents can also have fun spoofing various aspects of pop culture. During the heyday of PBS' "Masterpiece Theater," when Allistair Cooke was the host, Sesame Street came up with its own reference, poking fun both at Cooke and Alfred Hitchcock's classic film "The 39 Steps":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzjM67rS9ZM
That's why I love Grover.....He's a hard worker!
We'll wrap up with another Joe Raposo song, the best known of the series, later made into a hit by The Carpenters. Here, Bob (Bob McGrath), Susan (Loretta Long) and Luis (Emilio Delgado) sing a bilingual version with the kids of Sesame Street:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOFY52PAPoc
May Sesame Street have 40 more.....and beyond!
See you next week! Until then, Happy Viewing!
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