Checkin' in with Check It Out (whoa-oh) #1: How we got here

A while back, my tag team partner and co-conspirator Mike gifted me a TV DVD box set. The show assembled, in its entirety, on that set: The immortal Canadian sitcom Check It Out!

"Immortal" is a vast exaggeration. I think the only time I mentioned the show here on the site is a Don Adams birthday post 5 years ago. We have never come close to giving it a full episode on the podcast. It has hit multiple streaming services in recent years, but it's not like there was some Suits effect that kindled a new appreciation of the show.

(If you want to watch along, the DVD set is still in print and available, and the show is on demand for free streaming at Tubi, Plex, and Pluto among other outlets.)

So why, then, did Mike buy this set for me?

Wouldja believe--No, wait, wrong Don Adams show.

The answer is simple: Mike is awesome, and he knew I would enjoy this.

Now it is time for me to start enjoying this set. I have watched a few episodes, but we are between seasons (Season 13 Battys will come!) and have time to do some other things. So I am going to begin a journey through Check It Out!, watching every episode and checking in (Ha! I'm already on a roll) here on a regular basis.

Note that I didn't write "weekly." I am not 100% sure I will make it through this journey. The series lasted 3 seasons and 66 episodes. Will I?

Top Ten #409

1) Masters of the Universe: A new movie hits theaters this weekend based on the decades-old cartoon series we talked about here, and in case you're wondering, we think they are saving Monteeg for a sequel.

2) NBC Nightly News: David Brinkley joined John Chancellor at the main desk 40 years ago tonight as NBC returned to its old dual-anchor format. This of course led to the catchphrase that swept the nation: "John, you ignorant slut."

3) The Tony Awards: Don't quote me, but I believe one of the scheduled highlights of tonight's ceremony is the presentation of a posthumous award for Tony Roberts' performance as Julie's love interest Jack in several episodes of The Love Boat.

4) The Great Heep: This special premiered 40 years ago tonight on ABC. In it, the great C3PO and R2-D2 team up to remind everyone that Droids is still a thing on Saturday mornings!

5) Byron Allen: With CBS intent on destroying 60 Minutes, I wonder if Allen is prepping Journalists Unleashed.

6) Lorne: The new documentary premieres on Peacock this weekend because if there's one thing we need, it's another/special about Saturday Night Live. I mean, don't get me wrong; I still want to see it!

7) Steve Allen's Laugh-Back: What a title! 50 years ago tonight, this syndicated program premiered. Allen welcomed colleagues from his old shows to reminisce and show old clips from his programs--interestingly, it seems that he showed clips from his shows on all networks. All barriers fall for Steve Allen!

8) Good Times: In The New York Times on this date, an interesting article discussed the departure of John Amos from the series and how it prompted complaints that not replacing him removed one of the few positive Black father figures in prime time. "Not to mention," the story continues, "he's liable to win a Genius Award in 45 years and make letting him go look like a disaster."

9) The French Open: 40 years ago on this date, Chris Evert beat Martina Navratilova in 3 sets to win the title.

10) NBA and NHL Playoffs:

Top Ten #408

1) Summer Movies: Yes, we are all about TV here, but I always think of big blockbusters and fun summer movies this time of year, and the commercials touting them were a huge part of the viewing experience. So let's look at what was opening on Memorial Day weekend in 1986. What classic big, fun seasonal but enduring film premiered 40 years ago?

Jake Speed?

Cobra and Top Gun were still around, but, wow, even Siskel and Ebert apparently took the weekend off!

2) Eddie Murphy: Speaking of movies, Murphy gets an AFI tribute in a special premiering on Netflix today. These tributes used to be a staple of network television.

One more movie note: Clint Eastwood turns 96 today. Eastwood got an AFI Lifetime Achievement tribute THIRTY YEARS AGO!

3) Viva Valdez: Part of the wave of "ethnic" sitcoms of the Seventies, this one premiered 50 years ago but didn't last long. Sony has posted some full episodes on its YouTube channels.

4) Monday Night Baseball: 50 years ago tonight, it was an MLB showcase in primetime on national TV, and it featured the Yankees and the Red Sox. The more things change...

5) Al Capone's vault: I just listened to a great episode of the Most Notorious podcast featuring an interview with William Elliott Hazelgrove, who wrote a book about the whole spectacle of Geraldo Rivera's live broadcast in 1986. The book is pricy, but it sounds great.

6) World No Tobacco Day: So don't listen to these guys:

7) The Love Boat: A rerun of the show aired this night in 1986. What's so special about that? Well, the series finale had aired the previous Saturday! So this was the first Saturday with no new Love Boat on the Horizon since the show premiered in 1977. The world kept spinning, but arguably it was much less joyous.

8) Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol: TV Confidential recently interviewed David Spencer about his book The Novelizers, and I was delighted to hear the Magoo special touted as a master class in adaptation!

9) Robert Pine?: I posted this in our Facebook group, and I post it here: Is this our Genius Emeritus Robert Pine in the Bank of America spot at the 26-minute mark?

10) R.I.P. Howard Storm, Jay Daniel, Bob Horner: We wouldn't include every 1980s Atlanta Brave on this list, but how can you not associate Horner, who died this week at 68, with SuperStation TBS? And when he went to St. Louis and faced the Braves, TBS shouted him out in the promo:

Shirley Jones didn't get along with Dick Clark?

A recent video on the "Retro Rules" YouTube channel by Paul Van Scott teased co-stars Shirley Jones hated. Turned out it was guest stars. Van Scott got the info from Jones' autobiography.

Ray Bolger, who played Shirley's father on The Partridge Family was self-centered and demanding in Jones' view. The other name really surprised me: Dick Clark, who has a limited role in the very episode Mike and I discussed this season, "Star Quality!"

Why did she not care for him? There doesn't seem to be a lot of info from Jones on it. Now, far be it from me to jeopardize a possible Batty campaign for Clark, but I feel like I should put this info out there.

Yes, WPIX was the best!

I've talked often here and on the show about my love of the independent New York TV stations I received in Pennsylvania. The king of the trip was WPIX, Channel 11, and there is an excellent YouTube account called Pix Promos and More that reminds us why:

As the channel says in the description, 1987 may have been the channel at its peak, and you can tell by promos like this. In addition to some other high-profile acquisitions and movies, the channel got Cheers reruns, and it actually hired Ted Danson to appear in original PIX-branded marketing.

The description ends with:

If anybody asks what PIX was like at the peak of their power, show them this video, and they'll get it.

Top Ten #407

1) Late Night Television: I just like the fact that it exists and don't want it to just fade away, even if I haven't been watching it for years.

2) Robert Pine: The GENIUS was on the Love Boat podcast the former cast members do each week. They talk about much more than Love Boat, but sadly, Mike and I continue to be the only people who ask Mr. Pine about Lowenbrau.

3) Charo!: ABC premiered this variety special 50 years ago tonight! Mike and I discuss this very same program right here on the podcast.

4) The John Davidson Show: Also 50 years ago tonight, NBC premiered this variety show with guests George Burns, Jimmie Walker, and Tanya Tucker. Davidson had been guest-hosting on The Tonight Show for a while, so the network must have been high on him.

5) Memorial Day/Victoria Day: I remember one year I got flak for wishing Americans a happy Memorial Day--you know the day when people open pools, have barbecues, etc. So maybe this time I will note that tomorrow is May 25, which is sort of a Canadian holiday, though it's actually celebrated the Monday before, so it was last Monday. Let's just all have a good Monday.

6) Star Wars: As a new movie finally hits screens this weekend, we celebrate the TV legacy of the franchise, which includes classics like...this PSA!

7) Life's Most Embarrassing Moments: Steve Allen hosted this ABC special on this date in 1986. He of course invented the concept of embarrassment.

8) National Brother's Day: Celebrate the right way!

9) Ali vs. Dunn: Muhammad Ali is associated with ABC, but he defended his world title against Richard Dunn live from Munich on this night in 1976 on NBC. An ad touted those appearing at ringside: Joe Garagiola, Dick Enberg, Larry Merchant, and Candice Bergen!

10) R.I.P.: Michael Keating:

You don't see this kind of promotion these days!

I love this 1980 ad for an upcoming promotion at Fulton County Stadium:

For one thing, this just doesn't feel like the more glamorous SuperStation TBS of the later Eighties. It sure doesn't feel like the "America's Team" Atlanta Braves.

More to the point, though, "Beech Nut Pouch Redemption Night!" I love that it's not just a promotion sponsored by a chewing tobacco brand, but it involves used tobacco pouches. 1980, ladies and gents!