YouTube Spotlight: Sanford Arms is open for business

One clip in our playlist this week for That's My Mama is from Sanford Arms, the short-lived attempt to keep the Sanford and Son franchise going. Isn't it funny to call it a franchise?

Teddy Wilson (Earl from That's My Mama) couldn't make this work, and it lasted a mere 4 episodes (some more were made but unaired). An official Sanford YT channel posted the above clip and many others, but I don't think it is making full episodes available. 

Episode 13-7: That's My Mama

On short-lived sitcom "That's My Mama," barber Clifton lives with his mama and gets into hijinks with his best friend Earl, and in the episode "The Witness," Earl moves in with Clifton and Mama after testifying against criminal Croaker Connelly. If he's not careful, Mama will kill him before Croaker does. Plus Ted Lange and Gordon Jump!

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#podcast #tv #retrotv #seventies #sitcom #thatsmymama

 

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Tomorrow on Battle of the Network Shows...

 

Top Ten #383

1) The Love Boat: Love...exciting and--Well, not new, but this week on the podcast, enjoy an encore presentation of what I like to call the quintessential series of the BOTNS era. We talk about an interesting episode, and, hey, if you haven't heard it, it's new to you!

2) Warner Brothers: I'm not going to repeat the old joke about Mike and I having a bid rejected. Obviously there's no way we could approach a purchase of any piece of the WB empire.

If the rights to Search were up for bid, though...

3) Snow: We got a winter blast this week at BOTNS Headquarters, which reminds us of the perils of the season.

4) The Carol Burnett Show: Sitcoms Online reports that FETV purchased rights to the uncut episodes (The Carol Burnett Show was syndicated in truncated form for years) and will begin showing them on New Year's Day. Harvey Korman just broke up.

5) Christmas Specials: 40 years ago tonight, CBS brought us this combo: Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas followed by Frosty the Snowman.

6) Barbara Mandrell's Christmas Special: This syndicated program also aired 40 years ago tonight. We associated Mandrell and her sisters with NBC, but just a few months earlier, she starred in her first CBS variety special, and here she was doing a holiday event for first-run syndication.

So here's a mystery: The New York TV listings for the date contain this program. However, IMDB does not list a 1985 show, but it does list a "Christmas Family Reunion" special for 1986. Someone in the comments on the above video asks if the promo is really for 1986. I believe that person is basing the question on IMDB, but I think these may be two distinct specials. The 1986 special was on CBS. Yet I can't find any other reference to this special. Anyone have any more info?

7) 60 Minutes: The program's eighth season premiered 50 years ago tonight, and if you think it's weird that the series kicked off a season on December 7, well, so do I. CBS had been running Three for the Road in the 7:00 EST slot since September.

8) Chartbusters Year End Special: Remember this music video show on TBS? It was a countdown show that was a companion to Night Tracks. 40 years ago tonight, the series looked back at the hits of 1985. I don't see a clip for that one, but here is a glimpse of the series:

9) Sports: A couple notable televised sporting events on this date in 1985: Bo Jackson won the Heisman Trophy, and later, Martina Navratilova topped Chris Evert in the Australian Open final. This was the last year the tennis tournament happened in December; Beginning in 1987, it was a January event.

10) Priscilla Barnes: According to most sources, it's the star's 70th birthday, and we send well wishes to the star of The American Girls!

Encore: The Love Boat

While we recover from all the delicious Thanksgiving Mulligan Stew, enjoy this special encore presentation of our episode about The Love Boat. As usual, you get a heaping helping of of guest stars, including Maureen McCormick, the late Bobby Sherman, Vicki Lawrence, DVP, Vernee Watson, and the great Scatman Crothers! We'll be back next week with a brand-new episode. Hoo-whee!

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#podcast #tv #retrotv #seventies #eighties #loveboat #scatmancrothers

 

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Mulligan Stew: The Comic Book (Part 2)

We continue our look inside the Mulligan Stew comic book today! 

Here is a recipe for that 4-4-3-2 superstar, pizza!

And here is another page of story. Note that the stories are not adaptations of the TV episodes, but many seem to be continuations or at least reference those episodes.

Here's a groovy game that is inside the comic. 

Finally, here is another recipe, but not just any recipe. Read on to learn how to make Mulligan stew! "Everybody likes it!"

Tomorrow and Previously on Battle of the Network Shows...

 

Mulligan Stew: The Comic Book (Part 1)

Today and tomorrow, we present some pics from the Mulligan Stew comic book we discuss on the latest podcast! Thanks again to Mike for getting this for me and setting us down this path!

Here's the cover and back cover of the comic, which is pretty thick. There's a lot of value in here, what with the stories, recipes, games, songs, and more!

There are more lyrics inside, like the following. Check out my personal favorite, "Good Nutrition":

And here's a look at an actual story page. The original owner of the comic book beat me to the puzzles in this issue!

Tomorrow, we'll look at a recipe!

Inside the Guide: Thanksgiving Day 1975!

I may be a few days late with this, but after all, we are talking about 50 years ago! I don't want to miss the chance to share a few items from a TV Guide in my collection: A Northern Indiana edition for November 22-28, 1975.

Let's focus on Thursday, the Thanksgiving holiday. On the Wednesday page is this ad for some morning programming for the kids:

Speaking of the kids, it's interesting that ABC was just like, hey, let's make this a Saturday morning all day:

You may remember this Waltons episode from our podcast!

Of course there are parades galore:

But here is the oddest thing: Look at the second Donahue here. 

On Thanksgiving Day?

Top Ten #382

1) Mulligan Stew: Our podcast topic this week is this charming, eccentric live-action kidvid series from the Seventies. Maybe you learned something! We sure did. Just check out item 4.

2) Thanksgiving: Hope all who celebrated the U.S. holiday were able to have an enjoyable and festive weekend.

3) Macys Day Parade: I spent some time on the holiday watching the 2025 version, yes, but I also saw some of this edition hosted by Lorne Greene and Betty White:

4) Pizza: All hail the king of all foods according to Mulligan Stew. At least that's how we interpreted it. Pizza contains all the food groups!

5) Football: If only someone could figure out a safe and easy way to deep-fry a football, this holiday weekend would be perfect.

6) Teddy Ruxpin: The lovable and cuddly old bear debuted on ABC's Weekend Special 40 years ago today. I don't remember how much that toy cost when it came out, but I know that in today's money, it would be...even worse.

7) David Letterman's Holiday Film Festival: It wasn't all Saturday Night's Main Event when SNL took a break back then. 40 years ago tonight, Dave took over the 11:30 timeslot and presented films with Michael Keaton, Harry Shearer, Bette Midler, and more!

8) McCoy: 50 years ago tonight, the second episode of Tony Curtis' short-lived NBC Mystery Movie series aired, and it starred BOTNS fave Nita Talbot.

9) Dick Clark: Today is the late icon's birthday. He would have been 18, of course.

10) Ed McMahon: He's still the king of the holiday!

YouTube Spotlight: Thinkabout (1979-1980s)

Due to the nature of this week's subject, Mulligan Stew, we don't have the usual assortment of material in our official video playlist. We do have some interesting nutrition-related clips, though, and a look at another educational program that aired on PBS stations.

Thinkabout, according to Wikipedia, was a Canadian/U.S. production from the Agency for Instructional Television in 1979. It aired well into the Eighties, though.

I didn't remember this one at all until coming across this clip and watching some other videos on YouTube. Maybe you saw it in the classroom or on your local PBS station back in the day.

Happy Thanksgiving!

We don't want you to miss our brand-new episode today, but we also want to share our traditional Thanksgiving favorite with you. Have a great holiday, everyone!

Show Notes and Video Playlist: Episode 13-6: Mulligan Stew

*Thanks for listening to our exploration of USDA/4H educational 1970s series Mulligan Stew. Do you remember seeing this one? 

The show premiered on PBS stations in 1972 and aired in syndication and in classrooms throughout the decade and beyond.

*Here is the 1974 New York Times article I mention.

*RFK Stadium opened in 1961. The Washington Senators played there until 1971 and then moved to Texas and became the Rangers.

*Teisco was a Japanese guitar brand big in the Sixties. It was owned by Kawai at the time of this series.

*4-4-3-2 = 4 bread and cereal, 4 fruits and vegetables, 3 from milk, 2 from meat.

*This series should not be confused with short-lived 1977 NBC series Mulligan's Stew starring Elinor Donahue.

*ABC aired The Monkees 1966-1968.

*I couldn't find any more information about nutrition expert Peggy Walton.

*Here's a great look at the series and the tie-in comic book!

*I can't find the other series mentioned in the above article: 1986's "Blue sky below my feet adventures in space technology" from 4-H and NASA.

*Leesburg is in Loudon County in Northern Virginia, about 40 miles from Washington D.C.

*Please enjoy our video playlist for this episode with nutritional PSAs, commercials, and more! We put all 6 Mulligan Stew episodes at the front of the list, so just skip through if you don't want to watch all of them. Click below to go right to the list, or you can always visit our official YouTube page for all of our past episodes and similar lists for each one of them!

Episode 13-6: Mulligan Stew

Just in time for Thanksgiving, we whip an episode about Mulligan Stew, the little-remembered but perhaps oft-seen early seventies show about healthy eating habits. Most of the kids of Mulligan Stew fall prey to the easy appeal of the Flim-Flam Man's fad diets, and only Mulligan and Wilbur can save them. Along the way, they sing some songs and teach us such vaulable lessons as 4-4-3-2, VITAMIN D FOR HEALTHY BONES AND TEETH, and meat comes from hogs!

#podcast #tv #retrotv #seventies #eighties #educationaltv #nutrition

 

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YouTube Spotlight: Kate and Allie for TV Guide

One of the clips in this week's playlist for Kate and Allie is this promo for an issue of TV Guide.

I wish there were more of these ads where the cover subjects touted their own appearances in the issues. Usually we'd get a rundown of the contents, maybe a jingle, but not the stars themselves telling us to check it out! I wonder how far in advance this was planned. It would be great to hear Susan and Jane say, "And check out Robert MacKenzie's review of The Rousters!"

Power Rankings: Show titles that wouldn't lose any impact if the names were reversed

I was thinking about this week's subject, Kate and Allie, and pondering what would the world be like if it were named Allie and Kate? In my opinion, not that much different! However, Son and Sanford would be an abject disaster, and such a program would have flamed out and made NBC's 1970s even tougher.

So, then, we rank 10 shows of the BOTNS era that would not lose if the titular names were reversed. the course of TV history would not have changed. If you're thinking the trick is to have the old "one syllable name, conjunction, then two-syllable name" pattern, well, I ask you? What about Hutch and Starsky? Would that sound right?

Well, anything Ernie Anderson said in 1977 sounded right, but you get my meaning.

This list reflects how these reworked show titles would fare on a neutral field in Schenectady, New York.

1) Simon and Simon: Call me crazy, but...I think it sounds better this way.

2) TV's Practical Jokes and Bloopers: I mean, I think I said it this way a half-dozen times on the podcast, so...

3) Marie and Donny: Ladies first, right? I believe it's somewhat gallant to put Marie first. Sonny and Cher and Captain and Tennille are fine, though, because it's like you're rewarded for putting up with the first name.

4) Shirley and Laverne: Would this reversal intensify their feud or lessen it? I'm not sure.

5) Mindy and Mork: No problem at all with "leading up to" Mork.

6) Lacey and Cagney: I think only their agents would care.

7) Tina and Mr. T: The show was doomed to begin with, or was it? There's something pleasing about doing it this way instead of as Mr. T and Tina. I'm not sure what it is, but it's there.

8) Makepeace and Dempsey: I'm no expert on this British show, but does this lose anything? Absolutely not.

9) Alice and Ted and Carol and Bob: I'm gonna wager that unless you were of moviegoing age when the feature film was released, you'd need a minute or two to get the order right anyway for the 1973 ABC adaptation.

10) Alias Jones and Smith: I mean, how can it matter? They're aliases!

Also receiving votes: Bones and Fitz, Hart to Hart, McCormick and Hardcastle, Company and Charlie.

Top Ten #381

1) Allie & Kate: Yes, the subject of this week's podcast is actually Kate and Allie, but what's wrong with mixing it up every now and then?

2) Susan St. James and Jane Curtin: And I am only putting her first because the Emmys put Curtin first by giving her two Emmys.

3) Deli: Coming out of "Kate's Friend," which we focus on in our Kate and Alliei discussion, who doesn't enjoy a good assortment of deli meats (unless there is some kind of health, philosophical,  or religious reason)?

4) Celebrity Cooks: Our pal Steve talks about this series on this excellent podcast crossover event.

5) The Legend of Valentino: Maybe you're not interested in Rudolph Valentino, the subject of this TV movie that debuted 50 years ago tonight. Well, how can you not be interested in this cast? Franco Nero has the title role, and he's joined by Suzanne Pleshette, Yvette Mimieux, Milton Berle, Lesley Ann Warren, and Judd Hirsch!

6) National Cashew Day: Still my favorite of all nuts.

7) Columbus Circle: 40 years ago today, ABC premiered this Weekend Special comedy which features Nancy Walker in a supporting role as a New York City bag lady.

8) Johnny Mandel: It's the 100th birthday of the composer of the theme from MASH.

9) Open All Night: A couple recent videos by Paul Van Scott have me thinking about this short-lived but very funny (as I remember) ABC sitcom starring George Dzunda. Johnny Mandel had nothin' on this theme!

10) R.I.P.: Bob Caudle, longtime wrestling announcer; and Ralph Senetsky, who died several weeks ago at the age of 102 (!) and left behind a great website, a lot of sharp memories, and an amazing resume of TV direction.

Show Notes and Video Playlist: Episode 13-5: Kate and Allie

*Kate and Allie aired 6 seasons, 1984-1989, Monday nights on CBS, for a total of 122 episodes. It was a top-20 show for its first 4 and a top-10 series in its short first season.

*If you want to check out our McMillan and Wife episode, go here. You will find our original-cast Saturday Night Live episode here.

*The Weekly Reader publication Laurie spotted is 1986's Cosby, Punky, Kate and Allie. Much to my amazement, it's a hardcover.

*"Rear Window" is in the series' second season.

*The episode with "lesbian panic/misunderstandings" we mention is Season 2's "Landlady."

*"Along Comes a Friend" by John Loeffler is the series' theme song.

*"Kate's Friend" premiered December 16, 1985 as the tenth episode of the series' third season.

*Season 3's "Too Late the Rebel" is the episode with Fran Brill and Ben Stiller.

*Walt Simonson's run on the Thor comic book lasted from 1983-1987, with him writing and drawing for most of it.

*The would-be pilot Mike mentions with Andrea Martin is "Stage Mother" in Season 4. Martin and the setting also appear in the next episode, "The Goodbye Girl." The Lindsay Wagner episode is "Late Bloomer," the finale of the third season.

*Kate becomes Joe Namath's assistant in Season 5's "The Namath of the Game."

*Season 5's "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?" is when Allie is mistaken for a homeless person.

*"Reruns" in Season 4 has the tribute to I Love Lucy.

*"Gift of the Magi" is also in Season 4.

Please enjoy our video playlist for this episode with promos, intros, commercials, and more! It also contains the full special that we discuss on the podcast. Click below to go right to it, or you can always visit our official YouTube page for all of our past episodes and similar lists for each one of them!

Episode 13-5: Kate and Allie

Things get iffy between everyone's favorite single-mom roommates Kate and Allie when Kate's demanding college friend moves in for an extended stay. Allie tries to handle it with aplomb because she's "just great!" Plus, a cool T-shirt and a lively guest star turn as a bartender, so get yourself some authentic New York bread and deli, pop on your headphones, and remember just when you think you're all by yourself you're not.

#podcast #tv #retrotv #sitcoms #eighties #kateandallie #susanstjames #janecurtin #breadanddeli

 

Read full show notes and more at https://www.battleofthenetworkshows.com/

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Top Ten #380

1) Program lineups: We had a great time counting down our choices for the best lineups in the BOTNS era! Back to our regular format next week, but we thank you for the kind words and reactions!

We focused on primetime broadcast, but there are all kinds of other lineups, too, of course:

2) Fred Silverman: We can't talk about programming and lineups in the BOTNS era without talking about The Man with the Golden Gut. He may not have always directed each program schedule, but I still think however much we mentioned him on the podcast this week, it wasn't enough!

3) Donny and Marie Osmond Show: 50 years ago tonight, a Donny and Marie special aired on ABC, and it was in essence a pilot for the famous variety show we discussed in our Season 12. In this one, the Osmonds welcomed Bob Hope, Paul Lynde, and Lee Majors.

You know who was instrumental in the siblings getting a weekly series? That's right: Fred Silverman.

4) Joe's World: This great YT account is uploading episodes, and I am enjoying this rare NBC sitcom built around Ramon Bieri. The theme song is a classic, and wait till you see who wrote it!

5) The Love Boat: I just discovered an episode-by-episode Love Boat podcast, and not only that, the official one with Jill Whelan, Fred Grandy, and Ted Lange debuted this month. Do I really need two regular Love Boat podcasts in my life? Well, to paraphrase Clint Eastwood, "Need's got nothing to do with it."

Why was Clint Eastwood never on The Love Boat? Scheduling conflicts, I guess.

6) The Golden Girls: ABC broadcast a new anniversary special this week, and while I haven't seen it, I am sure it was a celebration of the series, a salute to its legacy, and a chance for us all to laugh about how much younger the stars were than we perceived.

7) Sanford and Son/One Day at a Time: Antenna TV announced the series will join its lineup in January. Did Fred Silverman have anything to do with this?

8) National Fast Food Day: Wellllll, I don't usually indulge, but since it's a holiday, I could be persuaded.

9) Lisa Bonet: Happy birthday to someone who is older than all the Golden Girls were when that series started. OK, I told myself I wasn't gonna do that...

10) Richie Brockelman: Shout-out to our pals at Two Hundred Dollars a Day Plus Expenses for tackling this character on their latest episode!

3's Company/Man About the House in 1983: Pairing the original with the remake!

No Power Rankings this week since yesterday's episode is a ranking, but it's a good day to talk about a scheduling quirk I spotted the other day. One of my go-to stations when I was a youth, WNEW in New York, did something interesting for a while:

Yes, they showed Three's Company at 6:00 P.M. weeknights, and then they followed it with Man About the House. As the above promo notes, the station paired reruns of the smash American remake with its British predecessor.

I think this is an interesting decision. I do remember seeing Three's Company on Channel 5 as a kid--quite often--but I don't remember Man About the House being on, let alone back to back with the remake like that. Does anyone out there remember their local stations doing something similar with, say, Sanford and Son, All in the Family, or other United-States-produced sitcoms based on Britcoms?

Show Notes and Video Playlist: Episode 13-4: The Greatest TV Lineups of the '70s and '80s

*We hope you enjoy this subjective examination of the network lineups of the BOTNS era. We'd love to hear from you if we missed or misranked anything! We'd love even more if you told us we nailed it.

*Remember the factors I mention on the pod: pop culture relevance, critical appeal, collective memory, ratings and commercial success, flow, my own personal experience, longevity, and of course just what I felt like when compiling the list.

*Below, we list the rankings as we revealed them on the podcast. If you want to follow along and not have the list spoiled, please listen first, then come back here!

(Shows listed from 8:00 to 11:00, from start to finish)

10) CBS Monday Night 1979:

White Shadow, MASH, WKRP, Lou Grant.

Honorable mention: CBS Sunday Night (1979, 1980, 1981):
60 Minutes, Archie Bunker's Place, One Day at a Time, Alice, The Jeffersons, Trapper John M.D.

9) NBC Saturday Night (1987, 1988 1989):

227, Amen, Golden Girls, Empty Nest, Hunter

8) ABC Tuesday Night (1978):
Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, Three's Company, Taxi, Starsky & Hutch

Honorable mention: ABC Tuesday Night (1977):
Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, Three's Company, Soap, Family

7) CBS Thursday Night (1976, 1977, 1978, 1979):
The Waltons, Hawaii Five-0, Barnaby Jones

6) ABC Saturday Night (1982, 1983):

T.J. Hooker, Love Boat, Fantasy Island

5) CBS Thursday Night (1982, 1983, 1984, 1985):
Magnum P.I., Simon and Simon, Knots Landing

4) ABC Friday Night (1971, 1972):
The Brady Bunch; The Partridge Family; Room 222; The Odd Couple; Love, American Style

3) CBS Friday Night (1979, 1980, 1981):
The Incredible Hulk, The Dukes of Hazzard, Dallas

Honorable mention: CBS Friday Night (1982, 1983, 1984):

The Dukes of Hazzard, Dallas, Falcon Crest

2) NBC Thursday Night (1984, 1985, 1986):
The Cosby Show, Family Ties, Cheers, Night Court, Hill Street Blues

Honorable mention: NBC Thursday Night (1988, 1989):

The Cosby Show, A Different World, Cheers, Dear John, L.A. Law

1) CBS Saturday Night (1973):

All in the Family, MASH, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Bob Newhart Show, The Carol Burnett Show

Honorable mention: CBS Saturday Night (1972):
All in the Family, Bridget Loves Bernie, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Bob Newhart Show, Mission Impossible

Bonus selections (Some lineups of interest that didn't make the list):

The worst lineup? NBC Friday Night (1983):

Mr. Smith, Jennifer Slept Here, Manimal, For Love and Honor

Click here for our episode talking about NBC's disastrous 1983-84 season!

More honorable mentions:

ABC Monday Night (1980, 1981, 1982, 1983):
That's Incredible, Monday Night Football

CBS Sunday Night (1986-1994):
60 Minutes; Murder, She Wrote; CBS Sunday Night Movie

In case people wonder about the ABC TGIF phenomenon:

ABC Friday Night (1989):

Full House, Family Matters, Perfect Strangers, Just the Ten of Us, 20/20

ABC Friday Night (1988):

Perfect Strangers, Full House, Mr. Belvedere, Just the Ten of Us, 20/20

CBS Monday Night (1987):
Frank's Place, Kate and Allie, Newhart, Designing Women, Cagney and Lacey

NBC Wednesday Night (1980):

Real People, Diff'rent Strokes, Facts of Life, Quincy

ABC Tuesday Night (1987):

Who's the Boss, Growing Pains, Moonlighting, Thirtysomething

ABC Tuesday Night (1988):
Who's the Boss, Roseanne, Moonlighting, Thirtysomething

NBC Friday Night (1974):
Sanford and Son, Chico and the Man, Rockford Files, Police Woman

ABC Wednesday Night 1976:
Bionic Woman, Baretta, Charlie's Angels

CBS Monday Night 1974:

Gunsmoke, Maude, Rhoda, Medical Center

CBS Wednesday Night (1973):

Sonny and Cher, Cannon, Kojak

NBC Thursday Night (1972):

Flip Wilson Show, Ironside (sometimes Bob Hope), The Dean Martin Show

Please enjoy our video playlist for this episode with promos touting most of the top 10 lineups! We even kick it off with a tribute to...flow?  Click below to go right to it, or you can always visit our official YouTube page for all of our past episodes and similar lists for each one of them!

Episode 13-4: The Greatest TV Lineups of the '70s and '80s

We've talked about a lot of great shows over the course of the podcast, and sometimes, we've mentioned great lineups that dominated a particular night and era or even single season. This week, we go more in depth with a completely subjective list of the top 10 greatest TV lineups of the BOTNS era. Using strict criteria, Rick compled this list, and he justifies his choices. Mike pipes in with his two cents. Expect a few suprises and maybe even a controversy or two along the way.

#podcast #tv #retrotv #seventies #eighties #lineups #schedules #greatestlineups

 

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Check out this episode!

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Happy Veterans Day!

It's Veterans Day here in the United States, and we thank all who have served. We hope everyone has a happy and safe holiday.

Top Ten #379

1) The Heights: We had a departure from the usual format and talked TV star heights this week--not career heights, but "actual" heights. I say "actual" because when it comes to celebrity info, can we really trust any of it? I'm pretty sure the dog from Here's Boomer was fudging his vitals to get roles.

By the way, since I mentioned her on the show but she wasn't in the book, Farrah Fawcett's listed height was 5'6" (including her hair, I guess)?

2) TV Superstars '81: Our thanks again to this fine book from Weekly Reader publications for providing the impetus for this week's episode! In a world of cheap tie-in paperbacks geared to the scholastic market, this one stood tall. 

Too much?

3) Saturday Night Live: 40 years ago tonight, Saturday Night Live started a new era with guest Madonna and a new cast. The era did not last.

4) Good Morning America: The ABC show celebrated its 50th anniversary this past week, including visits with the likes of OG hosts David Hartman and Nancy Dussault.

5) Doug Henning Project: After last week's World of Magic episode, we received a kind message from Neil at that great website, and we appreciate the shout-out and the link. Keep up the good work in maintaining that legacy!

6) Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: Congratulations to the inductees next week, including former WWF manager Cyndi Lauper!

7) Darkroom: I have not been able to listen yet, but Chris Cooling's Forgotten TV podcast is always a treat, and the latest installment explores short-lived anthology Darkroom. I'll just remind everyone that if you haven't yet done so, you can hear Mike and I focus on a specific episode right here.

8) Night of 100 Stars: I also didn't hear Ian Talks Comedy's latest episode, but he does a watchalong of this awesome special that we talk about on the pod here. Can't wait to hear Ian's thoughts!

9) Risky Business: 40 years ago tonight, CBS aired this popular Tom Cruise movie, which seems like a total mismatch for CBS--now, 1985, ever.

10) R.I.P. Diane Ladd, Bob Trumpy:

Celebrity Heights Game: TV Superstars '81!

Here's a closer look at the original paperback that spawned our game on this week's podcast! It's TV Superstars '81 by Ronald W. Lackmann from Weekly Reader Books. I got this one for a few books at a great used books store.

The Celebrity Height Game

New from the BOTNS Games Lab: The Celebrity Height Game! Mike has to guess if the celebrity heights listed in one Rick's vintage books match the "official" heights listed on IMDB! Can you get this kind of action anywhere else?

Read full show notes and more at https://www.battleofthenetworkshows.com/

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Support the show by buying merch at http://tee.pub/lic/FM0uOqq3xzE

 

#podcast #tv #retrotv #seventies #eighties #games #celebrityheights

 

Check out this episode!

Tomorrow on Battle of the Network Shows...

 

Top Ten #378

1) Doug Henning: This week on the podcast, we discussed the magician and his popular NBC specials. As we say, he was huge in the BOTNS era, and it was cool to remember him and check out some of those programs.

2) Daylight Savings Time: It's the good one, as we all gain an extra hour, almost as if by...magic. Hey, you don't suppose this is the handiwork of...

3) Joey Heatherton and Michael Landon: We salute the guest stars on Henning's second World of Magic special. Joey could have guested on Little House, maybe as a substitute teacher who catches the eye of all the men in Walnut Grove (except Charles, who of course treats her with dignity and acts normally) and the ire of their jealous wives.

4) Candy: Maybe you have a lot sitting around the house after Halloween. Maybe you don't. Either way, wouldn't some candy taste good right about now?

5) It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown: If you didn't get candy, hopefully you at least didn't get a rock. During my annual viewing this weekend, I reflected that when I watched it on CBS growing up, I don't think I noticed that you could see the rock go into Charlie's bag with such clarity at each house they visited.

6) The Six Million Dollar Man: Check out the description, courtesy of Ultimate70s.com, of "One of Our Running Backs Is Missing" from 50 years ago tonight: Steve Austin is caught in the middle when a star football player is kidnapped as part of a betting swindle

Plus it has Larry Csonka, Dick Butkus, and Carl Weathers! I gotta see this one.

7) Puzzlers: Laurie and I watched this Sajak-hosted rarity courtesy of the awesome Game Show Vault. It's a very young Sajak with a rather airy contestant.

8) Stefanie Powers: Happy birthday to the Hart to Hart star!

9) Saturday Night's Main Event: 40 years ago tonight (aired but taped earlier), Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant faced King Kong Bundy and Big John Studd at Hersheypark Arena in Pennsylvania.

10) Sammy and Company: I get a kick out of Sammy's guest list in this episode that ran in syndication 50 years ago: Carroll O'Connor, Waylon Jennings, Vicki Lawrence, Willie Tyler & Lester. I'm sure they all got together for regular bridge games after this.

YouTube Spotlight: Mandrake the Magician!

This week, we talk about Doug Henning's World of Magic specials on NBC. Our video playlist has all kinds of ads and promos, but today let's look at this clip:

I believe this is an extract taken from a special talking about unsold pilots. That is indeed what this Mandrake is. The 1979 production from Universal aired on NBC January 24, 1979.

Anthony Herrara plays the titular magician, who dates back to 1934's King Features comic strip. This somewhat snide clip doesn't highlight the rest of the cast: BOTNS favorite Gretchen Corbett, James Hong, Robert Reed, and Harry Blackstone!

The full movie is available on YouTube if you are interested.

Happy Halloween, friends!

YouTube Spotlight will not be seen today so that we can bring you this special post.

From all of us at BOTNS to all of you, Happy Halloween!

On this holiday we like to post Batty winner Solomon Grundy celebrating his favorite adult beverage, and we like to suggest some past episodes that might fit the mood this weekend. So we're going to do it again!

Our magic-themed episode this week with Doug Henning could fit the bill, but here are selections from our archives for your Halloween listening pleasure:

In Season 1, we looked at In Search Of...'s "comprehensive" analysis of the Loch Ness Monster.

Our Season 4 exploration of Buck Rogers involved not just a vampire, but a SPACE VAMPIRE!

Later in Season 4, we talked about "Werewolf" on Barney Miller.

Early in Season 5, we had our first direct Halloween episode with a show about Halloween Is Grinch Night.

It may be a stretch, but we followed that one up with Dr. Strange, which does feature Halloween-adjacent elements like a cool purple costume, not to mention supernatural elements.

Also in Season 5, The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew Mysteries met Dracula!

Who can forget our Season 8 combo of Poor Devil...

...followed by Tucker's Witch?

And then there was Darkroom!

And in season 9 we looked at The Munsters...

...and Mr. Roarke against Satan on Fantasy Island!

In season 10, we discussed another 'Werewolf" episode--Kolchak the Night Stalker!

If you're stuck looking for a last-minute costume, we suggest Exo-Man from our Season 11 TV movie! Just remember to get it right, or you may be accused of a...

Show Notes and Video Playlist: Episode 13-3: Doug Henning's World of Magic II

*We hope you find this episode full of WONDER and magic!

*Doug Henning (1947-2000) was a fixture on network television in the BOTNS era, appearing in NBC specials from 1975 to 1982 in addition to countless other shows and specials.

*He is listed as 5'5" 3/4" on IMDB.

*The Doug Henning project website is right here.

*Henning was indeed featured in Dynamite magazine. Also, I found this image from Retrontario of a similar mag:

*Henning's Muppet Show episode is 1980's Season 4, Episode 21.

*We talk about Night of 100 Stars here, and in the broadcast, Henning does an illusion with Ricky Schroeder, Maureen Stapleton, Florence Henderson, and Priscilla Lopez.

*The former Little Miss World is Cherish Alexander, who appeared in the 1982 Henning special. 

*This World of Magic special premiered on NBC Thursday, December 23, 1976. 

*Gibbsville lasted a mere 6 episodes on NBC.

*I have yet to find TV ratings info for this Doug Henning special. Everyone loooooooves to cite the reported 50 million for the 1975 special, but no one wants to talk about the numbers for this one!

*Of course CBS went another direction than what we wish would have happened with Henning and Marvel, and it aired its own Dr. Strange movie with Peter Hooten.

*There is a circus episode of Little House on the Prairie that features an elephant: "Annabelle" in Season 6.

Please enjoy our video playlist for this episode with promos, intros, commercials, and more! It also contains the full special that we discuss on the podcast. Click below to go right to it, or you can always visit our official YouTube page for all of our past episodes and similar lists for each one of them!

Episode 13-3: Doug Henning's World of Magic

In the seventies and early eighties, magic had a face, and that face had a big mustache. It also had long hair and wore sparkly versions of hippie clothes and had assistants in hot pants. That face appeared on Broadway in two magic-themed musicals and all over TV from talk shows to the Muppet Show to a series of successful specials on NBC. That face had a name--Doug Henning. He invited audiences to believe in illusions and wonder and joy. In his second World of Magic special, he invited Michael Landon, Joey Heatheron, and Ricky Jay along for the fun, and we talk about it all on Battle of the Network Shows!

#podcast #tv #retrotv #seventies #eighties #magic #illusions #doughenning

 

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Check out this episode!

Tomorrow on Battle of the Network Shows...

 

Brooks on Books: "Wanna Be Smiled At?" ("Affectionately Drawn by Bil Keane")

I'm gonna just say it right here once again: The Family Circus rules.

At least the original version of the strip does. Sure, it has its cloying moments, but in its earliest days, the panel offers some genuine laughs. 

Lest you wonder why we are talking about this book here, remember we discussed A Family Circus Christmas way back in our first season!

I dug up this book from my archives and tore through it this week. I loved it!

First off, P.J. rules. OK, so this cover does get at the occasional sentimentality of the strip. Also, though, P.J. IS adorable.

Here's the thing: Even if the gags aren't the best, there is often some kind of amusing facial expression that sells the panel. You get Billy scowling, Jeffy worrying, Dolly being earnest, and many times P.J. just sitting there with a goofy grin. Sometimes the kids are creating a total disaster scene in, say, the kitchen, and P.J. is in the background with a serious facial expression, and that's just as funny.

There are variations on some recurring themes: Kids say darndest things, kids embarrass their folks in public, kids create utter chaos, etc. Keane's drawing is not just affectionate, though, but it's effective. Subtleties in the faces and backgrounds often enhance the joke. Yes, I just referred to "subtleties" in The Family Circus.

It's a great book and about a 5-mintue read. I probably looked at this a lot when I was a kid, and I am paying for it now because it's starting to fall apart. I think I got my parents' 75 cents worth, though.

Top Ten #377

1) The Girl, The Gold Watch, and Everything: OK, so it isn't the best TV movie we have discussed. Well, it's certainly ONE of them!

2) Richie Havens: His "Two Hearts in Perfect Time" is arguably the best thing about that movie!

3) Halloween: It's time to start serious preparations for the holiday. if you haven't started assembling your Exo-Man costume, you might already have run out of time!

4) NBA: Pro basketball returned this week and was immediately rocked by a betting scandal. I think I miss the good, old days when the league was plagued only by crippling drug problems.

5) Jaclyn Smith: Happy 80th to the star who, in retrospect, should have been in our trinity of brunettes along with Connie Sellecca, Lynda Carter, and Erin Gray! I just didn't watch Charlie's Angels much as a kid.

6) The Teller and the Tale: 40 years ago this weekend, this syndicated special aired. I don't remember it at all, but it features Vincent Price, Scatman Carothers, and Sally Struthers! I can't vouch for the recording below:

7) Mother-in-Law Day: Let's take time to celebrate all the mothers in law out there who may hate their daughters' husbands but who give us such comic gold.

8) Mighty Mouse: I know many of us growing up in the BOTNS era enjoyed Terrytoons in reruns, and now after years of neglect, they are getting a new showcase on the great MeTV Toons each Sunday at 3:00 P.M. ET.

9) Poindexter Yothers: I mentioned him twice this week in our Facebook group after commemorating the 50th anniversary of Afterschool Special "Fawn Story." Is he having a moment?

10) R.I.P. June Lockhart: