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.

**************************************************************************

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.

***************************************************************************

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.

****************************************************************************

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.

*************************************************************************

See you next week. Until then, Happy Viewing!

Week of March 26: Remembering Robert Culp; Scarecrow and Mr. Jones; A Gift of "GE Theater"

The risk of doing a blog about classic television shows is that it will include a lot of obituaries.

Sadly, there's another one this week: Robert Culp, possibly one of the most unselfish men to ever star in a television series. He was the star of "I Spy," but didn't complain when his co-star won three Emmys and became a television icon. That co-star, of course, is Bill Cosby, who said this week that Culp was like a brother.

Culp was also featured in "The Greatest American Hero," which starred William Katt (son of Barbara Hale, who played Perry Mason's loyal secretary, Della Street) and Connie Sellecca, and ran on ABC from 1981-83. He also played the father of Debra Barone (Pamela Heaton) in "Everybody Loves Raymond" (CBS, 1996-2005).

Here's a link to an interview by Culp about "Greatest American Hero," which would make a superb film (And please, not a re-made TV series):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRSEKj1cU8c

And to watch the treat of the Culp-Cosby partnership and chemistry, the final episode of "I Spy":

http://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/i-spy-last-episode-pinwheel-13751



****************************************************************************

A couple of great DVD releases in recent weeks:

*Season 1 of "Barnaby Jones," which ran on CBS 1973-80. The title character, played so well by Buddy Ebsen, spun off into his own series from "Cannon," which starred William Conrad.

Also starring was Lee Merriwether, Miss America 1955, as Jones daughter-in-law, Betty. In later seasons, Mark Shera would play a cousin, J.R. (or Jedidiah, as Barnaby called him).

The show was, as the announcer intoned each week, "A Quinn Martin Production.":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATUILf51B3c

*Also newly released is Season 1 of "Scarecrow and Mrs. King," which ran on CBS from 1983-87.

Kate Jackson underwent quite an image transformation from the cool agent Sabrina Duncan of "Charlie's Angels" to domestic divorcee Amanda King in this series. She discovered the dangers of taking a package from a stranger in the first episode - especially when the stranger turned out to be handsome agent Lee Stetson, played by Bruce Boxleitner. Amanda kept her life secret from mother Dotty (Beverly Garland, who had been in "My Three Sons") and her two sons. Lee and Amanda were overseen by Billy Melrose (Mel Stuart, who had played Henry Jefferson in "All in the Family") and aided by agent Francine Desmond (Martha Smith).

The show was fun, if increasingly implausible as time passed (While fans cheered Lee and Amanda's eventual romance and marriage, they did not cheer the pair keeping it a secret from Amanda's family.).

Eventually, real life intervened: Kate Jackson contracted breast cancer, and struggled to complete the last season of the show.

Today, she continues to work in television, and has survived both cancer and a hole in her heart, which was repaired by surgery. Boxleitner has continued in various TV roles as well.

Here's the beginning of that first episode:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJBucQp-fws&feature=PlayList&p=2BEF207731FC5F9D&index=0&playnext=1

******************************************************************************

NBC's present doesn't look very good, but it recently had a great find from its past: All of the episodes of General Electric Theater that were hosted by an actor named Ronald Reagan.

The 208 episodes have been sent to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library as part of the library's celebration of Reagan's 100th birthday:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jRNYUmlrFBmq-_NOS_dfgR2aWwSAD9EGP6IO0

Reagan began his hosting duties for the program, which ran on CBS on Sunday nights after "The Ed Sullivan Show," during the third season.

http://www.museum.tv/eotvsection.php?entrycode=generalelect

Most of the productions were drama; Reagan himself starred with his wife and future First Lady Nancy Reagan in one production. Occasionally, the program would draw a different kind of entertainment, like the legendary Judy Garland:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYCFtWzz3gw

******************************************************************************

Rabbit Ears will return in two weeks.

Until then, Happy Passover, Happy Easter, Happy Spring and Happy Viewing!

Week of March 19: How Peter Graves Became Mr. Phelps; Fess Parker Tribute

Until the DVD of the first season of "Mission Impossible" came out a few years ago, a lot of people had forgotten that Peter Graves did not play the iconic role of Jim Phelps throughout the entire series.

Steven Hill, who would later play the district attorney modeled after real-life New York DA Henry Morgenthau on "Law & Order," played Dan Briggs, the man who received those strange missions via reel-to-reel tape recorder, during "MI's" first season.

Hill is an Orthodox Jew, and thus could not film from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday, or on major holidays. Under today's standards, accomodations might be made, but Hill had struggles with the show's producers over that and other issues. He was then replaced by Graves.

The show did not achieve high ratings during that first season, despite Lalo Schifrin's memorable opening theme song, possibly the best in television history. But it did win an Emmy for best dramatic series. That and Graves' entry opened the door to "Mission's" glory years.

Here's a link to America Online for "Mission's" 3 most memorable moments:

http://insidetv.aol.com/2010/03/16/peter-graves-on-mission-impossible-3-most-memorable-moments/

Good night, Mr. Phelps.

*************************************************************************

Late word, sorry to say, of the death of Fess Parker, who was great at playing two 19th century men: Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone. Appropriately, Parker had a history degree.

Parker had a second life, as a successful developer and vintner. He was most successful in family life, being married for 50 years. Sadly, he died on his wife's birthday.

The legacies of all his lives remain, including an inn in California. Here's a link to the best-known one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2Tu8NskR-E

Hail to the King of the Wild Frontier.

See you next week.

Week of March 12: So Long, Father Murphy

Yesterday came the sad news of the death of Merlin Olsen, a Hall of Fame football player during the 1960s, a stellar football announcer and actor afterwards, and a class act always.

Olsen teamed up first with the legendary Curt Gowdy, then with Dick Enberg, on NBC's Sunday National Football League telecasts. In 1988, when Enberg was headed to Seoul to co-host the network's coverage of the Summer Olympics with Bryant Gumbel, Olsen and Gowdy reunited in the broadcast booth:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X91l6IuTJLs

And Gowdy was sure right about Olsen: "He's never missed at any effort in his life."

Those efforts included television drama. Olsen was a Mormon, and that influenced his choice of roles. Michael Landon tapped him to play Jonathan Garvey, Charles Ingells' friend, on NBC's "Little House On the Prairie" in 1977:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzB8rVCNrjA&NR=1

This scene also included a young Patrick Labyorteaux (later Lt. Bud Roberts on the CBS program "JAG") as Jonathan's son, Andy.

In 1981, Landon would produce, and Olsen would star in "Father Murphy," in which he played a prospector who pretended to be a priest in order to protect a group of orphans. The show lasted two seasons:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nf2LTOlaKc4

Moses Gunn and Katherine Cannon were also part of the cast.

So long to Merlin Olsen, gentle giant.

Week of March 5: Oscar Nominees On the Small Screen

Sunday night will be the Academy Awards, Hollywood's shiniest night of the year.

Before all the glitter, it's fun to take a look back at the experience of some of the nominees on some classic (and not-so-classic) television shows.

Best Actor

*Who's that Easy Reader? Why it's nominee Morgan Freeman. Long before he was playing Nelson Mandela, Freeman was playing a number of characters on the first version of the PBS children's program "The Electric Company":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkwCynNm18c

*George Clooney's television contributions have been well-noted: Two versions of ER (one not-so-good on CBS as well as the classic NBC series), and, of course, "The Facts of Life":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIZ7ACvfwds

Not-so-classic mullets, either. :)


*Colin Firth is another actor with a classic television background, including everyone's favorite TV interpretation of the classic "Pride and Prejudice":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHNwtGBbODg&feature=PlayList&p=QP_6Bmwu4-8

I'll take you, Mr. Darcy; I'll take you.


Best Actress

*Helen Mirren's contribution to television is unquestioned. She set standards as Jane Tennison in "Prime Suspect," all of which was shown on PBS and is available on DVD (and begs yet another question: Like "The Rockford Files" and "Hawaii Five-O," why remake this when the original was so good?).

*"Working Girl," of course, is a classic Academy Award winning (for Carly Simon's song "Let the River Run") movie. It later became a series, with one of this year's nominees, Sandra Bullock:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crW8CVZ8f1M


*Meryl Streep has been a movie star almost since the beginning. But a year before she would win her first Oscar for "Kramer vs. Kramer," she starred in the groundbreaking NBC miniseries "Holocaust":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4ECsTESTxA



Best Supporting Actor

We conclude with Woody Harrelson, who joined the cast of "Cheers" in its third season, after the death of Nicholas Colasanto and the character he played, Coach. Look for Harrelson about five minutes in (and the added bonus of one of the greatest theme songs in television history):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpcWtujp9PE

Enjoy the Oscars. Until next week, Happy Viewing!

Week of Feb. 26: The Rockford Files: The Other Show That Doesn't Need a Remake

It may be the most famous answering machine in television history:

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

That, of course, was the beginning of "The Rockford Files," which ran on NBC from 1974-80 and was the definitive television role (even more than Maverick) for James Garner. Each week, the answering machine had a new - and funny - message.

Garner played private eye Jim Rockford, and if it can be said that a role looked comfortable on an actor, this one did. The supporting cast was excellent, including Noah Beery, Jr. as "Rocky," his father; Joe Santos as Police Sgt. Dennis Becker; Gretchen Corbett as Beth Davenport, Rockford's lawyer and sometime girlfriend; Stuart Margolin as con artist Angel and Isaac Hayes as former prisonmate Gandolph Fitch, who referred to Rockford as "Rockfish."

The trailer where Rockford lived and the Pontiac he drove could also be considered supporting characters.

All six seasons have been released on DVD. The first three are available at Hulu.com.

After all that success, NBC wants to remake "Rockford," just as CBS will try with "Hawaii Five-O," (which sounds worse and worse the more information comes out).

The question is the same for both remakes:

Why?

Just enjoy the originals. And until next week, Happy Viewing!

Week of Feb. 19: Hail Betty White

It's nice to see Betty White received deserved accolades for almost a lifetime of television work.

White is one of the rare people who has performed in a television program of some sort each decade since the medium became a national touchstone.

Her first series was a brief one, called "Life With Elizabeth:"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miPyaWgrn2w


She appeared in a number of guest-starring roles from the 1950s through the early 1970s.

Her first truly successful chapter came during the 1960s and 70s, as a game show panelist. She could be seen on "To Tell the Truth," "Match Game" and, in particular, "Password." That's where she met the love of her life, host Alan Ludden, whom she married:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDjeaChO7YE&feature=PlayList&p=6F1A15CEE23D19B9&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=20

Sadly, he died in 1981.

Then came 1973 - and White's turn in "The Lars Affair," an episode of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show." The snarky "Happy Homemaker" Sue Ann Nivens, played so well by White, has an affair with Lars Lindstrom, the unseen husband of Phyllis (Cloris Leachman):

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

White would become a series regular and play Sue Ann through the rest of its run.

She would continue the guest-starring roles, including a significant part on NBC's "Mama's Family," and game shows until 1984. Then came a second transformational role.

Originally, the producers of "The Golden Girls" sought to have White play Blanche, the widow with a very active (to say the least) social life. They had planned for Rue McClanahan to play the sweet, naive Rose. White asked for a reversal, playing Rose while McClanahan played Blanche. The result was magic:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHz8mn3mm_o&feature=related

Long may you work, Ms. White.

See you next week. Until then, Happy Viewing!

Week Of Feb. 12: Greatest TV Winter Olympic Moments and Inspiration For Garry Marshall

The Winter Olympics in Vancouver begin tonight, and it's a good time to review those heart-stopping great televised moments in Winter Olympics history:

-Grenoble, France, 1968: The first Winter Olympics to be televised in color had two made-for-television heroes. The first was French skier Jean-Claude Killy, who won three golds. The second was figure skater Peggy Fleming, who won the United States' only gold and many hearts.

-Innsbruck, 1976: Another American figure skater captured the imagination: This time it was Dorothy Hamill, with her camel spin and her wedge haircut that sent a lot of young women and girls (including me) to the beauty salon.

-Lake Placid, 1980: No contest for the greatest Winter Olympics moment ever, called on ABC by the great Al Michaels: "Do you believe in miracles? Yes!" as hockey Team USA defeated the Soviets.

-Sarajevo, 1984: Queen Elizabeth may have been the only Brit to receive more respect than ice dancers Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean, who received perfect scores for their exquisite routine to Ravel's "Bolero." Perfection, indeed.

-Calgary, 1988: The last Winter Olympics that took place in Canada was a feast for figure skating fans, highlighted by the "Battle of the Brians," in which the USA's Brian Boitano took gold and Canada's Brian Orser took silver in a marvelous duel of athleticism and artistry. British ski jumper Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards won hearts, if not medals. So did the Jamaican bobsled team, mon.

-Lillehammer, 1994: Hello Daehlie......Bjorn Daehlie, the cross-country skier and hometown hero in these Norwegian Olympics, showed what a true sportsman was in this Tonya-and-Nancy saturated event. So did American speed skater Dan Jansen, who finally won gold after three heartbreaking Olympics.

-Nagano, 1998: The Czechs made me a hockey fan with their amazing win over powerhouse Russia for the gold.




-Salt Lake City, 2002: The somber moment during the opening ceremony when the American flag that flew at the devestated World Trade Center in New York was carried into the stadium was a fitting tribute to 9/11. A much happier moment occurred almost two weeks later, when a joyous Sarah Hughes learned she had won gold in women's figure skating.

What will make the list at these Olympics? Stay tuned.......


*******************************************************************************

The release of the Garry Marshall-directed movie "Valentine's Day" generates recollections of "Love, American Style." The ABC show, which ran from 1969-74, seems to have had a similar, vignette-style form of storytelling - as well as a cool theme song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNHuI0Pw0m8

Marshall wrote two of the vignettes for "Love, American Style." One of them, of course, was "Love and the Happy Days," which featured Ron (still known as Ronny) Howard and Anson Williams. Of course, it went on to become the long-running series "Happy Days."

Only Season 1 has been released on DVD so far (in that annoying multi-volume method).

Happy Valentine's Day and Happy Viewing!

Week of Feb. 5: The Most Super Ad Of Them All

There was nothing high-tech about it. It was an injured football player, a little boy and a bottle of Coca-Cola.

It didn't even make its debut during the Super Bowl.

But the commercial featuring Pittsburgh Steeler star "Mean" Joe Greene being offered the soda by little Tommy Okon and then throwing the boy his jersey is normally cited among the top Super Bowl commercials of all time. (It was shown during the Super Bowl in 1980, after having made its debut the previous fall.)

The commercial was honored with a Clio award in 1980. Greene, who is now a Pro Football Hall of Famer, and Okon, who is married and the father of four, were honored before last year's Super Bowl.

Here's a link to the classic ad:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xffOCZYX6F8

See you next week. Until then, Happy Viewing!

Week of Jan. 29: Tributes and Questions

Sadly, three more wonderful performers have left us:

*James Mitchell: He had two careers. The first one was in dance, including the beautiful dream ballet in the 1954 film version of "Oklahoma." The second one was on television - particularly in the 30 years he spent on "All My Children" as the schemer-with-a-heart-of-well, some gold Palmer. Here he is with his original family - Gillian Spencer as first wife Daisy and Taylor Miller as daughter Nina:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YN4xBDz5sCY


*Jean Simmons: The main part of her career was in films, but she appeared on television from time to time, including a very entertaining episode from Season 10 of "Hawaii Five-O," "The Cop On the Cover."

*Pernell Roberts: He bookended a long and lucrative television career between two plum roles - Adam Cartwright on NBC's "Bonanza" (from 1958-65) and Trapper John McIntyre on "Trapper John, M.D." (CBS, 1979-86). Here's a look at the first moments of the pilot:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQ0zZP77aUU

Assorted curiosities (including current Broadway star Brian Stokes Mitchell as young Dr. Jackson).....And the biggest curiosity is the difference between the portrayal of the lead character by Roberts, as compared to Wayne Rogers on "M*A*S*H." Rogers played him as a tough-talking New Yorker, while Roberts played him as a far more urbane character.

They all leave behind wonderful performances for viewers to continue to enjoy.

*********************************************************************************

Besides Jean Simmons, Pernell Roberts also guest-starred on "Hawaii Five-O," in an excellent Season 3 two-parter called "The Grandstand Play."

"Five-O" is worth mentioning because CBS may put a new version on.

Movie writers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, who wrote last year's "Star Trek" movie, have been working on a pilot episode. If what's described here is the actual premise, let's hope this never sees air:

http://www.spoilertv.com/2010/01/hawaii-five-o-cbs-pilot-plotline-and.html

The worst season of the original Five-O was the last, Season 12, when James MacArthur (the original "Danno") left and William Smith played the much-reviled "Kimo" Carew. This plot premise (Kono as a WOMAN?) is worse than that.

Ah, well, we do have some good Five-O to look forward to.....Season 8, which includes the delightful "Retire In Sunny Hawaii....Forever" with the legendary Helen Hayes (MacArthur's mom), will be released in March. Later this year, Season 9, which includes one of the finest series episodes, "Nine Dragons," will also be released.

See you next week. Until then, Happy Viewing!

Week of Jan. 22: David Gerber's Legacy

Producer David Gerber died a couple of weeks ago. His legacy includes two very successful series, a number of well-done mini-series and some entertaining television.

Here is some of what he produced:

*"Nanny and the Professor," (ABC, 1970-71): This series, done in a "Mary Poppins"-vein, starred Juliet Mills (oldest daughter of Sir John and Hayley's big sister) as the always cheerful and somewhat mysterious Nanny, serving the household of Professor Everett, played by "The Big Valley's" Richard Long, who died much too young of a heart attack. That house included children Hal, Butch and Prudence (who was played by Kim Richards, Paris Hilton's aunt). The show is enjoyable; I love the name of Nanny's antique car - Arabella. Early episodes are available at Hulu.com.

*"Police Story," (NBC, 1973-78): Created by Joseph Wambaugh, this show took "ripped from the headlines" stories long before "Law & Order." It's one of the police series that were bridges between "just the facts" programs like "Dragnet" and more introspective shows like "Hill Street Blues." Inexplicably, this series has never been released on DVD.

*"Police Woman," (NBC, 1974-78): Spun off from "Police Story," this program was the first successful show to focus on a female police officer, Sgt. Suzanne "Pepper" Anderson, played by Angie Dickinson, with Earl Holliman as her boss. It was also a cool show, starting with the theme, which was written by the legendary Henry Mancini. Only the first season is available on DVD.

*"George Washington," (miniseries, CBS, 1984) and "George Washington II: The Forging of a Nation," (miniseries, CBS, 1986): A great high-school aid for me, and two excellent miniseries, anchored by Barry Bostwick's portrayal of the nation's first president. In an all-star cast, Patty Duke also shined as Martha Washington. Both miniseries are available on DVD.

See you next week. Until then, Happy Viewing!

Week of Jan. 15: Leno and Letterman: A Look Back

With all the furor over NBC's late night, here's a chance to look back at a far different time: Jay Leno on "Late Night With David Letterman" (and a picture of Letterman's bandleader, Paul Shaffer, with hair):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coacWEhWT50&feature=related

Leno and Letterman took slightly different routes to success; though Letterman did standup, his role on television through his early career was primarily as a host or announcer. He did become a supporting player on Mary Tyler Moore's ill-advised variety show for CBS during the late 1970s.

NBC gave Letterman his own talk show in 1980 - at 10 in the morning. Letterman began to develop the comedy routines, such as "Small Town News," that are still part of his "Late Show" on CBS.

Letterman's daytime show was cancelled three months after its debut. Fortunately, Brandon Tartikoff, who soon came in as NBC's programming chief, figured out that late nighttime was the right time for Dave.

Meanwhile, Leno was becoming prominent in comedy clubs and for his standup routines on "The Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson. After Joan Rivers, the original permanent guest host for Carson, went to host her own talk show on the then-new Fox network, Leno was named the permanent guest host.

The rest, for both comedians, is history - not always pleasant, but definitely successful.

See you next week. Until then, Happy Viewing!

Week of January 8: Some Leftover Tributes From 2009

Here's wishing Paul Kangas the best of good-byes (and buys).



Kangas stepped down after 30 years at PBS' Nightly Business Report. Kangas, whose status as a broadcaster of business news preceded that show's creation, was a steady presence on a program that avoids the hype of the cable business channels. He was also known for his rapid-fire reports on stock movements.



As Kangas wrapped up his last broadcast last week, he received a round of applause from those at Miami's NBR studios who are usually behind the camera. He certainly deserves it.



*************************************************************************************



Sad news in the obituaries of 2009, included two who really got lost in the hype.



One was Lou Jacobi, who died in October at the age of 95. Jacobi established a career on the stage, screen and in recordings.


His television career included the brief 1976 CBS comedy "Ivan the Terrible," in which Jacobi played the patriarch of a family of nine (including a Cuban exchange student) living in a very small apartment in Soviet Moscow. Though critics and audiences seemed to like it, international politics may have played a role in its quick cancellation.

The series is best remembered today for its trivia aspects. It was produced by comedian Alan King; its cast included Maria Karnilova (the original Goldie in Broadway's "Fiddler On the Roof"), Phil Leeds, who would later be on "Archie Bunker's Place," and Christopher Hewitt, who would later star in "Mr. Belvedere." Harvey Korman of "The Carol Burnett Show" also appeared.

"Ivan the Terrible" may fall into the "Brilliant, But Cancelled" category.

************************************************************************************

Another television star who died last year was Mollie Sugden, best known as Mrs. Slocombe in the great British comedy "Are You Being Served?"

Here's a link to Mrs. Slocombe in all her glory - multicolored hair, pussy and all:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19AQgpsIMVY

************************************************************************************

See you next week. Happy New Year - and Happy Viewing!