Top Ten #302

1) Webster: As we mentioned in our post the other day, 40 years ago (ish), Webster had to make the biggest decision of his life: Whether to tape the new Bob Hope special or to do a lucrative personal appearance at a mall in San Diego.

2) Broadcast networks: TV used to revolve around them, and the upfronts were a big deal. The just-concluded ones were lower-key. I think we should have some "downfronts" and celebrate what was gonna be new in Fall 1984.

3) Ricardo Montalban: "Corinthian" may not be in the dictionary, but if you want a definition of "charming," watch this great interview the actor did with David Letterman.

4) David Hartman: Happy 89th birthday to the former Good Morning America host. I am pretty sure he did not have a long-running feud with Bryant Gumbel.

5) Barnaby Jones: 50 years ago tonight, CBS ran the episode "Gold Record for Murder," in which GENIUS winner Marjoe Gortner stars in a story about a hot songwriter whose parents ask for Barnaby's help when he is found dead of a heroin overdose. That is, the writer is found dead. Barnaby is just trying to remember what happened to his Mills Brothers records. Also in the episode are Leonore Kasdorf and Meg Foster.

By the way, both Gortner and Buddy Ebsen sing in the episode!

6) Carol Lynley: Just listened to Ed Robertson interview Lynley biographer Tom Lisanti on the podcast version of the TV Confidential radio program. Lynley, of course, enlisted Roarke's help in fighting a formidable foe on Fantasy Island.

7) Baby names: The list of most popular names came out again, and once again "Rewind" and "Stubbs" failed to make the top 10.

8) Classic Creatures: 40 years ago today, CBS reran a special devoted to Return of the Jedi.

9) Dabney Coleman: A week after we do our voting for a Gary Coleman TV movie to discuss, we lose the great Dabney Coleman. Fortunately, Jack Coleman of Dynasty is still alive and well.

10) R.I.P. Bob Ellison, David Sanborn, Gloria Stroock:

Inside the Guide: TV Guide 40 years ago this week(ISH) (April 28-May 4, 1984) Part 10: A Very Special Display Ad

Let's close our look at the display ads in this issue with a look at a Very Special Webster:

And the episode even gets a close-up (along with a look at Benson):

Do you want to see what happens? I sure do! Well, don't bother trying to see the whole thing on streaming even though Prime and Pluto have the series. This episode, the last of the first season, is not up on either service. It's a 3-parter, and only the middle part, the season 2 opener, is streaming. Parts 1 and 3 are two of the many interesting episodes that didn't make it to streaming for some reason.

Inside the Guide: TV Guide 40 years ago this week(ISH) (April 28-May 4, 1984) Part 9: Friday night!

Continuing our look at the 40-year-old TV Guide, here is some of what was on Friday night, May 4:

Remember Sidelines? I certainly did not, but now I am curious!

Our cat was apparently intrigued by Oliva Hussey's sultry new role.

CBS brings some energy with this ad for the Friday lineup:

I love those old original programs USA Network had it when it was still the quirky USA network:

This ad is somehow dynamic but also less dynamic than it appears. I thought he was leaping onto KITT, but is he just...caressing him?

Inside the Guide: TV Guide 40 years ago this week(ISH) (April 28-May 4, 1984) Part 8: BOTNS!

Just one photo today from this Guide because it stands on its own.

The starpower has dimmed a bit by this 16th installment of the series, but there are some big names and some future stars. The broadcast team of Howard Cosell, Scott Baio and Debby Boone won't make anyone forget the classic days of Monday Night Football.

This edition of the mag also has a feature story by Kenneth Turan on the series that focuses on the glory days, and, yes, there is are extensive comments from Robert Conrad airing his old grievances. The article is kind enough to not point out the show is nearing the end.

Top Ten #301: Special "301 is almost as cool a number as 300!" Edition!

1) Gary Coleman: We asked for votes to determine the TV movie we will discuss in the upcoming season of the podcast, and you spoke! We'll keep the winner a secret for now, but I can tell you that it won't be this one (It wasn't a selection). It might be too intense for our coveted 2-11-year-old demographic anyway.

2) Mother's Day: Have a happy holiday, everyone, whether you're a mother or not. Antenna TV offers a Family Ties marathon, or you can take out your DVDs and let Mom her real Eighties fave: Tour of Duty.

3) The Fall Guy: The new movie may not be huge, but the show is on Thursdays and Heroes and Icons, and we still have our memories of it. Hey, remember a few days ago when we posted this awesome 1984 ad?

Seriously, I need to see this episode. I only wish it were Dave Winfield and not Paul Winfield guest-starring.

4) Pulitzer Prizes: Just seeing the announcement of the 2024 winners made me want to see some Lou Grant.

5) Pee Wee's Playhouse: The iconic Eighties show is now streaming on Shout! TV or, if you aren't into needing 60 minutes to see a 22-minute show, Tubi.

6) Bugs Bunny Mother's Day Special: 40 years ago tonight, CBS reran this 1979 special, which co-stars fan favorite Granny.

(I doubt she is a fan favorite, but, come on, it's a day for grandmas, too).

7) Tom Selleck: The TV star has a new memoir out this week, and it seems like he has some cool stories, including one related to generating publicity for the Magnum series finale. As someone who saw the ad bwlow dozens of times in the Eighties, I want to see an ad with him holding up the book and saying, "Of course I love the humor. It's a very funny book."

8) Saturday Night Live: On this night in 1984, Saturday Night Live took an unusual approach to its ninth-season finale, bringing back 5 guests to serve as hosts: Betty Thomas, Billy Crystal, Edwin Newman, Ed Koch, and Father Guido Sarducci. Talk about overkill, SNL! You had me again at "Edwin Newman."

9) Apple's Way: 50 years ago tonight, the short-lived Earl Hamner sitcom reached its apex with guest star (and BOTNS fave) Alan Fudge making an appearance.

10) R.I.P. Jeannie Epper: Lynda Carter gave a wonderful tribute to her stunt double on Facebook.

Inside the Guide: TV Guide 40 years ago this week(ISH) (April 28-May 4, 1984) Part 7: Must See TV?

Here's NBC's Thursday 40 years ago, beginning with a Cheers that you know is good because--well, because it's Cheers. Also, have you ever wondered, was Jim Carrey always like that? Take a look?

Closing it out is Hill Street Blues:

Inside the Guide: TV Guide 40 years ago this week(ISH) (April 28-May 4, 1984) Part 6: Wednesday night is HOT on ABC!

Look who's bringing the HEAT on ABC on this Wednesday night in 1984! I love the idea of Paul Winfield as a superstar ballplayer for some reason:

Then a notable Dynasty featuring the first appearance of Diahann Carroll!

And finally, whoa, what is happening on Hotel? And most important, is Connie Sellecca gonna be OK?

Poll: Choose our Season 12 TV movie!

Season 12 of the podcast is in the works! Some of your suggestions are already in our lineup, but we have one more slot to finalize. Help us determine our TV movie this season by selecting the Gary Coleman "Kid" classic that YOU want us to discuss!

Update: Voting has now closed! Stay tuned for info on Season 12, and you won't have to wait long to see which movie we spotlight in our Gary Coleman episode!

Vote here in the comments or by sending an email to mailbag@battleofthenetworkshows.com. You can also vote in the poll in our official Facebook group (membership is free and easy!) by Saturday, May 11!

The choices are:

1. The Kid from Left Field (1979)
2. The Kid with the Broken Halo (1982)
3. The Kid with the 200 I.Q. (1983)

Inside the Guide: TV Guide 40 years ago this week (April 28-May 4, 1984) Part 5: Tootsie on HBO

I believe the tradition of "world television premieres" of theatrical films on HBO started in the Nineties, but it feels like it has been even longer than that. It amuses me, then, to see the hype for the week's big movie debut in May 1984. It begins with this ad on Sunday:

May was only a couple days away! The actual premiere for the acclaimed flick Tootsie is not on the following Saturday, but on Thursday, May 3, and HBO has a big ad for that day, too.

In her column previewing the week's movies, Judith Crist says "hoorahs are in order" for Tootsie, calling it a delight. "It's not only a delicious comedic perception of bisexual humanism," (Note: I am not sure I know what that means) "but also a knockout farce that made Dustin Hoffman, in the title role, a prime candidate for Best Actor Oscar and Best Actress."

Top Ten #300!

1) The Rockford Files: Mike was on the great 200 Dollars a Day Plus Expenses podcast with Friend of the Show Steve and Dave. I listen to a lot of podcasts at double speed to save time, but for this one, I listened at one-quarter speed to prolong the experience.

2) 300: Hey, what a nice round number! I set my goals big, so my next milestone is gonna be 305. I think I can make it! Maybe we can match Knots Landing's number of episodes (344).

Here's a nice 300 moment to enjoy:

3) Phil Donahue: The iconic talk host was awarded a Presidential Medal of Freedom, but more importantly, the man was on in Albany 3 times with 3 different episodes at the same time!

4) The New Fred and Barney Show: I recently discovered the From Pencils to Pixels podcast, and I was delighted last week to discover the hosts just released a tribute--including an audio commentary--to this NBC "modern" Flintstones series.

5) National Cartoonists Day: May you not be interrupted by your daughters' annoying friend Monroe today so that you can get a few strips done.

6) Free Comic Book Day/Star Wars Day: Hope you got something cool yesterday and maybe spent some money supporting a local business.

7) Frankenstein: The True Story: This 1973 British TV movie with Jane Seymour (not as the Monster), James Mason, David McCallum, and Leonard Whiting is the subject of a book by Sam Irvin, who just won a Rondo Award for Best Writer!

8) Goldfinger: 50 years ago tonight, ABC reran this classic James Bond flick. I believe it would be on ABC and TBS approximately 00700 times over the next 20 years.

9) The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp: The series was added to FreeVee this week, and it was also announced as joining FETV's lineup. Why mention a 1955 TV series here? Well, because we love Fifties TV, too, but also because it stars BOTNS legend Hugh O'Brian!

10) Cinco de Mayo: OK, some say it's a not a real holiday. I don't care if it gives Sony an excuse to post another episode of Viva Valdez.

Inside the Guide: TV Guide 40 years ago this week (April 28-May 4, 1984) Part 4

You know how big Donahue was in the Eighties?

He was so big that in a market like Albany, his show was on 3 different channels at the same time every weekday--and all of them different episodes!

(Unfortunately, unlike the show we discussed, Gary Deeb is in none of these episodes listed above.)

Inside the Guide: TV Guide 40 years ago this week (April 28-May 4, 1984) Part 3

You know what happened on May 1, 1984. The NFL Draft. Yes, it was televised, but it was only on ESPN, and it was on TUESDAY, May 1, 1984, in the daytime. 

It was not the big TV event (and ratings-grabber) it is today!

By the way, I always loved it when something went on so long that TV Guide decided it had to put in another listing. "1984 NFL Draft Continues."  "We gotta put something there, or people will think ESPN went off the air."

Inside the Guide: TV Guide 40 years ago this week (April 28-May 4, 1984) Part 2

Rolling on with this Albany edition of the Guide from 40 years ago this week!

Monday is dominated by reruns, but I enjoyed a few of the ads. I can't help but admire this low-key local ad for daily Love Boat reruns. No official art, no photos, just a list of the guests. Was this done with any involvement with the syndicator?

Then look at this striking ad for a show I don't remember seeing: First-run syndie Video Hits.

I think people forget that music videos were not just the domain of MTV. There were shows like this all over the place, plus Radio 1990 on USA, Friday Night Videos on NBC, and occasional filler blocks of music like HBO's Video Jukebox.

Let's close on a serious note with this ad and close-up based on a re-air of Adam, the movie based on John Walsh's efforts to find his kidnapped son.

CBN's actual Saturday schedule 40 years ago

We had a good time recently looking at the classic TV schedule Christian Broadcasting Network presented on a weekday in 1984, so today let's look at what it offered on a Saturday 40 years ago. No, today is not Saturday, but, er, just go with it. This is the lineup for May 5, 1984, and afterwards we'll throw in the Sunday schedule, too. There is a distinct Western theme to the CBN weekend!

10:00 saw The Cisco Kid, followed by a Edgar Buchanan movie, 1955's Silver Star. 

Noon brought an episode of The Westerners. What exactly was that? Hard to say. TV Guide and The New York Times have no specifics for this day. The Westerners was the umbrella title given to a batch of old Four-Star Westerns, including the great one-season wonder starring Brian Keith called...The Westerner. Also included are Johnny Ringo, Law of the Plainsman, and Black Saddle.

At 12:30, CBN aired The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickock with Guy Madison in the title role and Andy Devine as sidekick Jingles P. Jones. 

This program has an interesting history. Produced by William F. Broidy for first-run syndication, it moved to CBS and then ABC over its 8-year run. I was surprised to learn it ran 8 seasons, but I note it did mostly 13-episode seasons, meaning it accumulated "only" 113 episodes. Screen Gems bought out the Broidy company and got rights to the series, which ran in color its last season.

Another film was next, 1942's American Empire at 1:00. This Paramount Western stars Richard Dix, Preston Foster, and Leo Carrillo.

At 2:30, Call of the West is on, and I don't remember watching it, but I am 99% sure this is one of the rerun packages carved out of the massive 450+ episode library of Death Valley Days. New host segments with John Payne were shot for old installments.

It was back to films at 3:00 with 1936's Avenging Waters with Ken Maynard.

Next up, Wyatt Earp with BOTNS fave Hugh O'Brian in the title role, followed by Wagon Train at 4:30. I wasn't watching a lot of Westerns in 1984, but I don't remember anyone else showing these programs in that era.

The Monroes came next at 6:00. I don't remember anyone else showing this one anywhere in my day. It's another one-season (1966-67) wonder, with Barbara Hershey as one of 5 orphans experiencing frontier life. The show got a DVD release from Shout!

Alias Smith and Jones followed at 7:00.

8:00 was Carole Lombard in Made for Each Other. It's not a Western, but it's an acclaimed picture co-starring James Stewart and Charles Coburn. It's also public domain, which may be one reason why CBN was showing it!

10:00, it was back to vintage TV with I Spy, a show it aired during the week as well. Of course I have to remember that in 1984, the series was not even 20 years old! 

CBN ended the night with religious programming.

On Sunday, May 6, CBN began with more spiritual programming before offering a block of Flipper and Gentle Ben at 1:00.

2:00 was Abeline Town with Randolph Scott, another public domain oater.

Wagon Train was next at 4:00, followed by a Roy Rogers flick at 5:00: 1940's The Ranger and the Lady. After that it was religious programming the rest of the day, kicking off with The Flying House, a Japanese Bible-themed animated show.

Inside the Guide: TV Guide 40 years ago this week (April 28-May 4, 1984) Part 1

This week we're taking a look at an Albany edition of TV Guide covering the week of April 28, 1984.

The mag, as we know, runs Saturday through Friday, and I am starting this a day "late," so I have to backtrack a bit.

Saturday night featured new episodes from NBC (check out our NBC '84 episode here).

Sunday, April 29 has some cool stuff, too.  Also in the ads, I think I recognize this guy:

And we all recognize this guy, who will be on GMA this week:

HBO is excited about a new movie coming to the service:

But I am intrigued by this one:

More from this issue later this week!

Top Ten #299: Special "Next one is 300!" Edition

1) Cher: Announced this week as a new inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, surely riding the wave of her Season 11 appearance on the podcast. While she has said she never wanted to join the Hall, I am sure she would have loved a Batty.

2) National Superhero Day: It is, believe it or not!

(You can hear our discussion about that episode here.)

3) Delta Burke: Entertainment Weekly offers this juicy summary of what it calls a "rare interview" Burke did on the Glamorous Trash podcast. She talks about using meth to control her weight, discusses issues with the Thomasons, and accuses the Clintons of running an off-the-books operation to get Major Dad canceled (Just kidding about that one).

4) David Susskind Show: 50 years ago this weekend, the topic: "We Still Love Richard Nixon." People ever loved Nixon? 

5) Jay Leno: Happy 74th to the stand-up comedian also known for his Good Times appearance.

6) Andy Warhol's TV: 40 years ago tonight, Warhol welcomed guests Brooke Shields, Keith Haring, and others on this episode that aired on Madison Square Garden network.

7) Double albums: Taylor Swift made her new album in essence a surprise double last week with an unexpected extra release. I remember the days when a surprise launch was seeing a K-Tel commercial come on during a Three's Company rerun.

8) Mindy Cohn: The Facts of Life star, now promoting Palm Royale, checks out a 1983 TV Guide profile in this video:

9) The Princess and the Pea: 40 years ago tonight, Showtime aired this episode of Fairie Tale Theater with Liza Minnelli, Tom Conti, Beatrice Straight, and Tim Kazurinsky:

10) R.I.P. Terry Carter:

CBN's actual schedule 40 years ago

In Sunday's Top Ten, I mentioned a 1984 mention of CBN's ratings surge and added a comment about how it showed The 700 Club about 5 times a day. Well, the channel had a great lineup surrounding the religious programming. For context, let's look at the schedule on the Christian Broadcast Network 40 years ago tonight.

We'll start at 6:30 because 6:00 has a rerun of game show Treasure Hunt hosted by Geoff Edwards. 6:30 brings The Rifleman, a show we heartily endorsed last season.

Next up: Here Come the Brides, which to me doesn't hold up next to some of these other programs, but it was not one you saw everywhere, so it's cool CBN had it.

I Spy aired at 8:00. It's a cool show, and could you blame CBN for thinking the show fit in with its family values message in 1984?

700 Club follows and is on for a whopping 90 minutes.

Classic TV resumes at 10:30 with My Little Margie. For many years, this was the only place I ever saw the series.

11:00 is Another Life. Now, this is interesting: A nightly soap and CBN original that was syndicated as well as aired on the channel.

Now is when it really gets good: Late night on CBN.

11:30 is Best of Groucho, AKA You Bet Your Life. Excellent choice!

Burns and Allen follows at midnight. Tremendous program.

12:30 is Jack Benny, and I needn't tell you this is a classic.

I think that 11;30-1:00 block is up there with any block on Nick at Nite in its prime.

1:00 is I Married Joan, and CBN must have really loved it because it also aired earlier at 2:30 as a lead-on to The 700 Club.

1:30 is Love That Bob, a series that is mostly forgotten today but is often pretty funny, though I will grant that Bob Cummings and his character might not be for everyone.

2:00 is Bachelor Father, a program I enjoyed on those occasions when Young Master Brooks was up that late. It was not prominent for years, then RTV brought it back (the glory days when it showed old Universal library shows), followed by Antenna TV later.

It's followed by Life of Riley, another forgotten show that is quite enjoyable. I believe CBN showed the William Bendix episodes (a local NY station I got showed the Jackie Gleason episodes for a while in a super-early timeslot).

Then classic TV ends at 3 because it's time for The 700 Club again.

Is that a pretty good schedule or what? It would change over the years, and a few would drop out and others would come in, but CBN, not Nick at Nite, was my favorite cable source for vintage TV for several years.

Top Ten #298: Special "Is Spring almost over?" edition

1) Earth Day: My personal favorite Earth is Earth-2, but I guess this one is OK, too.

2) Battlestar Galactica: I'm so proud of this recent purchase, I have to show it again. How about a line of brand-new figures from the classic series?

3) Transformers: Hasbro has announced a "special event" coming in mid-May: A theatrical presentation of the first 4 episodes of the original animated series! I am hoping for an exclusive new presentation by Hector Ramirez.

4) National Record Store Day: Hope you found something cool yesterday! If you don't have a local store to support, Sam Goody is acceptable.

5) The 1974 Tony Awards: 50 years ago tonight, CBS aired the annual extravaganza,

6) Tony Danza and Brutus Beefcake: Two men who, in their own ways, epitomized masculinity in the Eighties celebrate birthdays today. By the way, Tony Danza did not win a Tony in 1974.

7) Skag: Anytime someone posts a promo for 1980 NBC, we pay attention:

8) CBN: 40 years ago in The New York Times, an article discussed the ratings success of the cable channel's vintage reruns, saying, "The network's schedule includes 1950's and 60's programs such as The Jack Benny Show and The Rifleman, as well as some religious programs." Some? Hey, I loved CBN's late-night schedule in that era, but it showed The 700 Club about 5 times a day, and I find it od the piece doesn't mention the initials stood for Christian Broadcast Network.

9) Mother Lode: What is special about this 1982 movie with Charlton Heston (it was written by him and directed by his son Fraser), Nick Mancuso, and Kim Basinger? I don't know, but for some reason, 40 years ago tonight, it aired at 6:00 P.M. on Showtime and then two hours later on competitor HBO! I guess the film was too good to be limited to just one premium cable network!

10) R.I.P. Robert McNeill: Both have their adherents, but for my money, he was always the sexier half of The McNeill/Lehrer News Hour.

Collectible Corner: A wonderful mix of beautiful and generic

I recently acquired this great-looking Battlestar Galactica toy. The toy itself is simple but effective, but, oh, what a card! 

I'd show you the card back, but there is nothing on it! They spent the money on that glorious front. I love the stylized "BattlestaR."

It's funny because back in the day, I cared little about the packaging after I got the toy. I would have torn this up and ditched it, then ran around the house zooming this cruiser through the sky. Now, of course, the cruiser is cool enough, but I got it for the packaging.

I will admit that once again I am tempted to open a vintage toy, if only to try that "free rolling." Don't sell short that "non toxic paint," either. It's good to know I could take this off the card and put it in my mouth with no ill effects!

Infinity: The Magazine Beyond Imagination is a slick, entertaining read

I have seen Infinity many times on the magazine shelves at Barnes & Noble. After the demise of so many other periodicals in the Entertainment section, it stands out even more for several reasons: It always has a cool cover, its glossy, slick look pops, and it's really expensive!

In fairness, the $12 cover price is because it's an import. It's only 4.5 quid in the UK! As so many of our domestically produced mags have faded, these Brit mags take up more space on the rack, but they often look great. Infinity is no exception, but I wonder if the cover space is designed with regards to the international market. It seems like the more Britcentric subjects get blurbs while the more "universal" (That is, stuff that we Yanks know and like) get the big pics!

That's fine with me. I finally purchased an issue a few weeks ago, and I admit it was almost by accident. I went out of my way to go to a store to get a baseball magazine, and a week after its newsstand date, it wasn't there. Couple that aggravation with a gift card in my pocket, and, folks, there was no chance I was leaving that building without buying something. So after years of admiring it, I finally picked up Infinity, in this case issue 68. It's likely several months behind, but, you know, import and all. Besides, it's not like it dates; this is a magazine about sci-fi/fantasy/genre nostalgia!

I was pleased with the mag. It's attractive in its design and loaded with great pics, and I am not saying that only because of the one of Sherry Jackson's Star Trek appearance on page 13. There is a nice mix of vintage publicity photos and shots of memorabilia. The articles are relatively short but impactful. A fanatic of cover subject Superman: The Movie might not learn a whole lot, but author Ernie Magnotta gives an excellent summary of the film's production and also includes interviews with stars Valerie Perrine and Jeff East. In a similar vein, John Martin's look at the career of Bruce Lee packs a lot into 6 pic-filled pages.

TV fans like us might enjoy the profile of Roddy McDowall, though, sadly, it doesn't mention his role as the Devil on Fantasy Island--a missed opportunity for a mag like this! There is an interesting choice of interview subject in stuntman Tony Brubaker, who doubled Mr. T on The A-Team. I am not so sure that the reports of strife between T and George Peppard are as overblown as Brubaker asserts, but I like hearing from him.

Those Britcentric pieces are cool, too. There are spotlights on Bob Monkhouse and a spectacular feature on the comic annuals of Stamford Pemberton Publishing, including books on the likes of Vega$ and Kojak.

The price is high, but I plan to keep an eye on this one now that I know it's so entertaining. I see digital copies are available, too, and I bet this looks good on a tablet. I recommend Infinity for fans of retro-focused magazines!

Top Ten #297

1) Good Times: A new show with that title is on Netflix this weekend. Let's just say the original is complete on DVD, streaming on Peacock, and on over the air on Get TV. You can hear us talk about that show right here.

2) Rulebreaker: The new book about Barbara Walters is out this week. If this book were made from a tree, what kind of tree would it be made from?

3) Franklin?: As we mentioned last week, Michael Douglas stars as Ben Franklin in a new Apple Plus series beginning this week. This comes on the heels of its original special in February spotlighting Franklin from Peanuts.

Is the next step a prestige documentary about Season 11 Batty winner Franklin Cover?

4) Check It Out!: For the second week in a row, VEI drops a surprising complete series DVD release. Clearly the world was not ready for the combined hilarity of this and Too Close for Comfort in one single week!

5) National Gardening Day: The perfect way to get outside and enjoy some sunshine, especially if maybe you can take a little TV out there with you.

6) Lionel Richie: I shared this extended version in our official Facebook group this week, and to me it's peak Lionel: Energetic, upbeat, and on message. And check out a cameo by a certain future TGIF star.

7) Verne Lundquist: I am not a big golf guy, save a brief era when I played Lee Trevino's Fighting Golf, but I want to salute this great sportscaster, who hangs it up after this weekend's Masters.

8) NBC Reports: You're Too Fat: On this night in 1974, NBC News looked at this then-pressing issue and concluded that surely advances in nutritional science and education along with sensible policy would make obesity obsolete in 50 years.

9) The Care Bears Battle the Freeze Machine: This special aired in syndication this weekend in 1984. I haven't seen it, but I am pretty sure I know who won.

10)  O.J. Simpson: In BOTNS World, we don't dwell on the NFL Hall of Famer killing two people in 1994. We try to focus on his post-football career as a mediocre actor, mediocre color commentator, and mediocre sideline reporter,

Actually, let me put this here: I have the following memory: One year on Thanksgiving, while I was watching football with extended family, towards the end of the telecast, O.J. got a bad cue or something on an NBC broadcast, and he cursed on the air before they could get the camera off him. I have never found a reference to this moment anywhere. Did anyone else see it?

Collectible Corner: Welcome (not back) to my collection!

Laurie and I attended a cool vintage toy show recently, and it seemed to be a huge success. I love seeing shows with low admission fees in contrast to the comic book shows that charge high ticket prices just to get in and buy stuff. This event was a success to me if only because I bought this beautiful item from 1976:

Now my question is: Dare I open this? This is in original shrinkwrapped form and in great shape. It almost seems like a shame to remove that and break up the packaging.

On the other hand, the box will still be in great shape, and Mr. Kotter will still look spectacular, even if I do open it up and check out the paper dolls inside.

For now, I am going to enjoy the box as is, but who knows if I will resist the urge to try out some different outfits on Mr. Kotter!

Top Ten #296: Special "Protect your eyes tomorrow" edition!

1) Total Eclipse of the Heart: I have this video in my head for some reason today.

Remember, people, be smart tomorrow and always. Never, ever look directly at Doc Severinsen's outfit.

2) Joe Flaherty: Special shout to the late Joe Flaherty, our Robert Pine Genius Award winner at the Season 9 Battys. What else can I say except he made us laugh real good.

3) National Beer Day: Speaking of Mr. Pine, you know we suggest you celebrate with a Lowenbrau:

4) Too Close for Comfort: VEI surprised by releasing a complete series set of the1980s sitcom this week. Unfortunately, it looks like they used syndicated (and edited) prints. So it's technically incomplete, but all the episodes are there!

Also, 40 years ago tonight, the series' fourth season premiered.

5) Dinah, Won't You Please Come Home: 50 years ago tonight, Dinah Shore starred in this music special from Nashville on NBC, welcoming guests like Glen Campbell, Isaac Hayes, and...Jack Benny? Maybe he played fiddle.

6) Michael Douglas: The star of Streets of San Francisco has been making the media rounds to promote upcoming Apple Plus show Franklin, in which he plays the legendary stateman--Ben, not Franklin Pierce--with a twinkle in his eye.

Come to think of it, has he reached the age when he plays everything with a twinkle in his eye?

7) National No Housework Day: The boys can give Mickey the day off.

8) The National Invitational Tournament: I have always maintained that the winner of the NCAA tourney is just a paper champ unless it accepts the challenge of the NIT winner.

9) Sanford: In a lean month for new shows on streaming, this show stands out as one of the few adds I saw--the 1980 version of the show. Tubi now has, uh, a handful of episodes of each of its two seasons. Well, I said it was a lean month.

10) R.I.P. Barbara Rush, Barbara Baldavin:

(Note: Post was edited to correct an error in the Joe Flaherty item. We featured SCTV in Season 9, not Season 10. We may be able to pick Geniuses, but apparently I am far from one!)

Are these streaming services really paying attention?

We know that all streaming services, Internet sites, and anything that can be accessed via a smartphone, smart TV, or connected device is mining our data and throwing it out into the universe, right? Well, then why aren't any of the streamers doing anything useful with it, like, say, helping me find something I might to watch on their platforms?

I am not going to launch a numbing discussions of algorithms, but are any of you satisfied with "recommendations" or "you might also like" rows on your streaming services? I think they are particularly inept in assisting those of us who prefer material made in the 20th century. It's like the systems can't even fathom that someone would rather see a 50-year-old sitcom than a brand-new direct-to-streaming thriller starring The Guy Who Was in That Show We Don't Watch and The Woman Who Was in the Reality Show That We Never Cared About.

I will give you an example: Last year, I started watching Sony's acclaimed series Family (1976-1980), a series in my wheelhouse--earnest, often corny family-centric dramedies--that I never got to see growing up. I really enjoyed discovering the series from the beginning, and I think it was on Crackle I started, but when Crackle started ditching all the Sony library programs, I found it again on Tubi.

Tubi then lost the series (along with fellow Sony fixture Fantasy Island, another show that was on Crackle and Tubi but is now nowhere), and I bemoaned that here. At some point, Sony's own Classic TV Rewind channel started dropping episodes in order verrrrry slowly. Oh, and Tubi added the series again.

Wait, what?

Yes, Tubi re-added it, but I found out by accident last week. I have no idea when Family returned, and my question is, why not? Tubi is a channel that sends me emails all the time. It tells me what's leaving. It tells me what I have in my queue as if I needed a reminder. It tells me what's coming to Tubi and what's new on Tubi. Yet somehow it never got around to telling me a show I had been watching in order on its own platform was back. 

What's the use of their collecting all my viewership data if they aren't going to make use of it? Whatever else they might be doing with my watching habits, they ought to be luring me in to spend more time on Tubi, thus watching their ads, by letting me know when they get back something I actually watched!

When I think of all the goofy stuff they bother to email about and some of the ridiculous recommendations they make on the site, I can only shake my head. I don't think it's a Tubi thing; it's all of them. They just don't care about what we really want to see. They care about what they think we should see. 

Top Ten #295: Special Easter Edition!

1) Easter: Enjoy the holiday! If you want to revisit our season 10 opener, The Easter Bunny Is Comin' to Town again right here.

2) Major League Baseball: CATCH IT! 

3) Upstairs, Downstairs: The series finale of the original version aired on PBS 50 years ago tonight.

4) Shirley Jones and Richard Chamberlain: Happy 90th to each!

5) Wrestlemania: The first of the annual events happened on this date in 1985 and culminated a week of promotion all over the place, including NBC.

6) The Black Gold Awards: 40 years ago tonight, this syndicated awards show aired in many markets. It was hosted by Lou Rawls and honored excellence in R&B music. Michael Jackson won pretty much every award--but not all:

7) National Prom Day: Celebrate responsibly! Maybe you'll be lucky enough to enjoy a tune.

8) The Movies: 50 years ago tonight, ABC aired part 1 of a two-part special celebrating the history and legacy of Hollywood films. How much could they talk about when Paternity was still 7 years away?

9) March Madness: 40 years ago today, the Final Four featured Georgetown vs. Kentucky and Houston vs. Virginia. the big men in those games: Patrick Ewing, Sam Bowie, Akeem Olajuwon, and Olden Polynice (Yes, UVA actually got to the Final Four the year after Ralph Sampson left).

10) R.I.P. Louis Gossett:

Top Ten #294: Special Springtime Edition!

1) Spring: I'd say it's been a long, cold Winter, but it really kind of flew right by. Warm weather brings all kinds of goodness, like midseason replacement series. You generally think of those as debuting in January or somewhere in Winter, but shows like Dallas premiered in April. 

Does Dallas really feel like a Spring show? No, but it doesn't seem Summer-y, either. Winter? I think it's just one of those all-time Fall shows.

Where was I? Oh, yeah, Spring! Married with Children premiered in April, too,

2) Norman Fell: Today would have been the 100th birthday of this icon! That's a whole lot of "building shelves."

3) Pretty much everyone on Head of the Class except Dan Schneider: No explanation necessary. I do kind of wonder what Brian Robbins, who was linked with him for years professionally, is thinking.

4) Women's History Month: To educate myself before the month is over, I think it's time I finally dove into that TV Guide with Donna Mills on the cover. 

5) Byron Allen: The bad news is, he may not get Paramount. The good news is, he might save $24 billion he was putting together! Byron, call us up. Maybe we can do business together.

6) People Are Funny: This show hosted by Flip Wilson premiered on NBC 40 years ago tonight. After Charlie and Company, Flip might have pronounced the title as People ARE Funny.

7) Donna Pescow and Robert Carradine: Happy 70th to both of them! It was Robert Hays who co-starred with Pescow in Angie, but we celebrate him anyway!

8) Entertainment Tonight: Imagine our delight when we came across a new upload of the show with the original cast led by Ron Hendren! Most of the ads are removed, but one that remains is for Paternity, the same movie Burt was plugging when we covered the program.

9) Ernie Hudson: It's good to see the star of The Last Precinct headlining the #1 movie this weekend.

10) R.I.P. M. Emmet Walsh and General Hospital stars Beth Peters, Robyn Bernard:

What a false alarm! (Accidentally wrong-dated this earlier)

 I like checking Just Watch for new additions to streaming, but it's not a perfect site. It lags behind a bit, and it is at the mercy of the information it pulls. Last week, I was looking over new additions to Plex, and I saw a thumbnail consisting of an old TV Guide cover.

Wait, that's Larry Hagman! Can that mean that Plex is showing The Good Life, Hagman's 1971 sitcom with Donna Mills as husband and wife who pose as servants because--Well, I'm not really sure.

I clicked through and saw that, yes, the listing indicated that was the show. Amazing! Well, Plex added WB's original Kung Fu before anyone else had it, so it's not impossible. Lorimar co-produced it, so Warner Brothers might have it (Actually, I believe Screen Gems owns the rights). I reasoned, well, maybe it really is on Plex!

Only thing is, that's not the Good Life Plex has. It's not even the 1975 Britcom of the same name (itself easy to find). I went to Plex itself and started playing it, and after a few ads, I saw some kind of reality show about pastoral life, I think. I didn't see credits, and I was too disappointed to bother to find out. 

As a group of famous Brits once sang (I wonder which The Good Life they enjoyed), I should have known better. I did, actually, but I let myself feel hopeful for a moment.

Top Ten #293: Special St. Patrick's Day Edition!

1) St. Patrick's Day: Happy birthday to all the Patricks out there!

(Actually, Patrick Duffy does turn 75 today.)

2) Murder, She Wrote: The series had several episodes set in Ireland, but one of its best-titled is set here in the States: "Corned Beef and Carnage." I mean, anything I can tell you about the plot can only disappoint, right?

3) Magnum P.I.: The series gets the spotlight in a revamped episode of long-running podcast The Retroist this week, plus Friend of the Show Ian talks to Babs Greyhosky, writer of multiple episodes, on his Ian Talks Comedy podcast.

4) Oppenheimer: I'm surprised to hear everyone making so much fuss out of this 1980 BBC series lately. Was there an atomic incident or something?

5) Saturday Night Live: 40 years ago tonight, Billy Crystal hosted with Al Jarreau as the musical guest. I don't remember this particular episode, but I have a sinking feeling that at some point Billy tries to imitate Al.

6) Lesley-Anne Down: Happy 70th!

7) 6 RMS RIV U: This TV movie premiered 50 years ago tonight, based on a play by Bob Randall. Carol Burnett and Alan Alda meet when both respond to an ad for a river-view apartment.

8) NCAA Hoops: March Madness is among us. This year, BOTNS will continue its tradition of not hosting a pool.

9) American Parade: We the Women: This installment of CBS News' series of documentary specials celebrating the Bicentennial premiered 50 years ago tonight. Hosted by Mary Tyler Moore, it focused on the Suffragette movement in 1920.

10) Sledge Hammer: Catchy Comedy runs episodes of this and Police Squad all day today.