Monday, March 31, 2025

"Chico and the Man" welcomes two superstars

I was watching an episode of Chico and the Man when I was surprised by two very special guest stars we have discussed on the podcast. The episode, "Louie's CanCan," is near the end of the third season, and Freddie Prinze's absence is a bummer. However, anyone's spirits will be elevated when they see this guy:


Yes, it's George Gobel! The Batty-nominated guest star of Donny and Marie has several key scenes in the episode.

But wait, there's more!

Yes, it's Captain America himself (Click here for more), Reb Brown!


Apologies for the quality on these grabs; Tubi, like many other streamers, has made it more difficult to grab a nice, crisp screenshot. But when you have George Gobel and Reb Brown in the frame, the starpower shines through anyway!

Sunday, March 30, 2025

Top Ten #347: Baseball is back, baby! Edition

1) Saturday Night Live: A momentous occasion happened 40 years ago this weekend, as original host Steve Landesberg (who did end up appearing on the episode) called out sick and was replaced by Mr. T and Hulk Hogan as they promoted the first Wresetlemania.


2) Barney Miller: Antenna TV celebrates 50 years of the show this weekend with a marathon.




3) Major League Baseball: The season began in full this week, and let's hope the only outbreak we hear about over the next few days is a wave of Baseball Fever.




4) Easter Sunday 1975: 50 years ago tonight, the networks gave the nation some themed entertainment for the holiday. CBS ran a two-hour Waltons Easter episode. ABC ran part 2 of The Ten Commandments. NBC began the evening at 6:30 with a screening of The Wizard of Oz...and ended it with a news special on the impact of inflation. Bummer!

5) Almost Easter Sunday 1985: 40 years ago tonight was a Saturday, actually, but ABC showed The Fourth Wise Man, a special from Paulist Productions with Martin Sheen; and CBS marked the holiday weekend with a reair of a Bugs Bunny special.



6) John Astin: Happy 95th birthday! We talked about John a bit when we covered McMillan and Wife.

7) Suzanne Somers: Just gonna leave this story here if you want to look at it.
https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/suzanne-somers-ai-replica-speaks-to-late-stars-husband-alan-hamel/

8) Paul Reiser: Happy birthday to the My Two Dads star.



9) National Take a Walk in the Park Day: Or maybe even a good jog! Or a softball game!



10) R.I.P. Bill Mercer:



Sunday, March 23, 2025

Top Ten #346: March Madness edition!

1) The Battys: Things have been a tick slower around here because we're all recovering. As usual, the Batty Awards sent shockwaves through the industry. I heard that triple winner Mickey Rooney is even repeating that old story that he turned down the lead in Magnum P.I.

2) March Madness: When else but this special time of year can sports fans indulge in some legal gambling--Oh, wait. Pretty much all the time now.




3) Who Shot J.R.?: 45 years ago this weekend, the nation wondered whodunit after seeing perhaps the greatest cliffhanger in TV history. As far as TV cliffhangers go, that was something, but I'd like to see this one:



4) Ellery Queen: 50 years ago tonight, NBC aired the pilot for what would become the ongoing series starring Jim Hutton as the titular sleuth. Long before J.R. got shot, viewers were invited to match wits with Ellery and guess whodunit!



5) Space Mountain: Also 40 years ago tonight, The Wonderful World of Disney broadcast a tour of Walt Disney World to commemorate the opening of the legendary attraction. Ric Flair was not in attendance.

6) Teresa Ganzel: Happy birthday to the Eighties-ubiquitous performer!




7) Looney Tunes: Hey, Warners, if you guys don't want them, we'll take them!




8) Perry Mason: The first 5 seasons of the classic legal drama, a show we talk about here, are now on Tubi.

9) National Melba Day: OK, it's actually Melba TOAST Day. Still!




10) R.I.P. George Foreman and Wings Hauser: One of my all-time faves, Big George really had me on his side during his Nineties run. We just saw veteran actor Hauser in a Murder, She Wrote not too long ago (Granted, that isn't an exclusive club).




Monday, March 17, 2025

Season 12 Batty Awards: In Memoriam

As is our tradition, we present here the list of names of those we lost over the course of the most recent season of the podcast. 
 

Peter Marshall
Phil Donahue
James Darren
James Earl Jones
Ron Ely
Terri Garr
Alan Rachins
Quincy Jones
Earl Holliman
Chuck Woolery
Thom Christopher
The Amazing Kreskin
Michael Cole
Greg Gumbel
Linda Lavin
Wayne Osmond
David Duclon
David Lynch
Bob Uecker
Rudy Martzke
John Erwin
Dick Button
Bob Uecker
John Amos


Sunday, March 16, 2025

Top Ten #345: Special post-Battys edition!

NOTE: This post contains spoilers for the Season 12 Battys released Thursday. It was a long episode, so I want to make sure everyone who wants to has a chance to hear it before knowing the results.

1) The Battys: The Season 12 version of the award ceremony delivered excitement, surprises, and random number generation. I'd call that a success!

2) The Mickster: Perhaps the biggest individual winner of the evening was the legendary Mickey Rooney, who took home 3 Battys, or almost as many awards as he had wives!

OK, that's a cheap shot. The Mickster would be angered by that, not without justification. But Kenny O'Malley would recognize the wives thing was a vulnerability.

3) Bert: Another multiple Batty recipient this week? Bert, who won Outstanding Non-Human against a slew of tough candidates and, maybe more impressive to me, edged Burt Reynolds and Burt Mustin for a listener's choice victory.

4) Sesame Street: We don't give out Battys based on current events--I mean, everything we talk about is at least several decades old--but it does feel good to recognize the series' legacy given its uncertain present status.

5) Blake's 7: If we gave a Batty for "Show Laurie and I fell in love with," it would have gone to this one, but even without such a category, the cult sci-fi show did pretty well.

6) Paul Darrow: Congratulations to the latest Robert Pine Genius recipient, the man who gave so many delicious moments as Kerr Avon on Blake's.

7) Ed Brown's Garage: It proved to be an excellent venue for this year's ceremony--spacious, good acoustics--but the occasional gas fumes were a bit distracting. This year proved the lack of "home field advantage" at the Battys; Chico and the Man didn't get any trophies.

8) Gilligan's Island: Our retro retro show garnered several awards and contended in most of the major categories.

9) The Bionic Woman: 50 years ago tonight, the character debuted on an episode of Holmes and Yoyo. No, wait, check that. It was The Six Million Dollar Man.

10) Designing Women: Antenna TV runs a marathon of the 1986-1993 sitcom today.

Friday, March 14, 2025

Season 12 Battys: Complete List of Nominees and Winners!

We hope you enjoy our Season 12 Battys, live from The Man's garage! If you haven't listened to the episode, posted yesterday, please do so before reading the following list of categories, nominees, and WINNERS! 

Winners are in BOLD below!

OUTSTANDING YOUTH: Gary Coleman, Kim Fields, Tammy Lauren (The Kid with the Broken Halo); Adam Rich (Dungeons and Dragons); Big Bird (Sesame Street)

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE AS ONESELF: Jim McKay, Peter Jennings, Carl Lewis (1984 Summer Olympics); Donny, Marie, George Gobel (Donny and Marie); Robin Leach, Charlene Tilton, Julio Iglesias (Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous); Dick Clark, Ed McMahon, Joyce Brothers, Nancy McKeon, Philip McKeon (TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes)

BIGGEST EXASPERATION: Kenny O’Malley (Dan August); Archie Bunker (All in the Family); Paul Lynde (Donny and Marie); Philip McKeon, the news reporter who got the Golden Bloopers…award (TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes); Joe (Rhoda); The Man (Chico and the Man)

OUTSTANDING HAIR:  Chico (Chico and the Man); Michael Douglas, Michael Lerner (Streets of San Francisco); Sally Knevette, Jacqueline Pearce, Gareth Thomas (Blake’s 7); Marie Osmond (Donny and Marie); Luis (Sesame); Tina Louise (Gilligan's Island); Joan Collins (Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous)

OUTSTANDING FACIAL HAIR: Freddie Prinze, Jack Albertson (Chico and the Man); Rob Reiner (All in the Family); Gordon (Sesame Street); Billy Dee Williams (Dan August); Harold Gould (Streets of San Francisco); Richard Masur (Rhoda)

BIGGEST DOPEEric (Dungeons and Dragons); Gilligan (Gilligan's Island); Meathead (All in the Family); all the dope fueling the rich and famous (Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous); Konstantin Cherenenko (1984 Summer Olympics); Arthur Lavery (Streets of San Francisco); Julie McNulty (Kid with the Broken Halo)

OUTSTANDING HEEL:  Kenny O’Malley (Dan August); Paul Lynde (Donny and Marie); Mary Decker and Zola Budd (1984 Summer Olympics); Archie Bunker (All in the Family); Rex Riley (Streets of San Francisco); Ed and Dick (TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes); Dorothea Powell (Kid with the Broken Halo)

OUTSTANDING VILLAIN: Imposter Mr. Howell (Gilligan's Island); Venger (Dungeons and Dragons); Space Commander Travis, Servalan (Blake’s 7); The System (Chico and the Man, Kid with the Broken Halo); Fred Bowers (Dan August); Lynn Chase (Streets of San Francisco)

OUTSTANDING NON-HUMAN: Michael, Blake (Kid with the Broken Halo); Uni, Dungeon Master (Dungeons and Dragons); Zen (Blake’s 7), Kermit, Cookie, Grover, Bert, Ernie, Count (Sesame Street); Alien Visitor (1984 Summer Olympics); Bathtub (Chico and the Man)

OUTSTANDING DUO: Bert and Ernie (Sesame Street), Donny and Marie, Chico and the Man, Ed and Dick (TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes), Stone and Keller (Streets of San Francisco), Rhoda and Joe (Rhoda), the Howells (Gilligan's Island)

OUTSTANDING BURT/BERT (Listener Award #1): Burt Reynolds (Dan August), Burt Mustin (Rhoda), Bert (Sesame Street)

(Voting ended in tie, winner determined by random number generator)

OUTSTANDING THEME SONG (LYRICS): All in the Family, Donny and Marie ("May Tomorrow Be a Perfect Day"), Chico and the Man, Gilligan’s Island, Sesame Street

OUTSTANDING THEME SONG (INSTRUMENTAL):  All in the Family (end theme), 1984 Olympics, Dan August, Lifestyles ("Come with Me Now" by Bill Conti), Rhoda, Dungeons and Dragons, TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes, Blake’s 7, Streets of San Francisco

OUTSTANDING SONG: “All Night Long” (1984 Summer Olympics); “I Just Want to Celebrate” (Donny and Marie); John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt," "What’s the Name of That Song?, “I’m Going Somewhere,” “Sing” Sesame Street

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING FEMALE: Julie Kavner, Nancy Walker (Rhoda);  Ena Hartmann (Dan August); Maria (Sesame Street); Jan Chappell (Blake's 7); Sally Struthers (All in the Family)

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING MALE: Robert Guillaume, Mason Adams, Georg Stanford Brown (Kid with the Broken Halo); Rob Reiner (All in the Family); Norman Fell (Dan August); Harold Gould, Richard Masur (Rhoda); Scatman Carothers (Chico and the Man); Jim Backus, Russell Johnson (Gilligan’s Island); David Jackson (Blake’s 7); Bob, Gordon, David (Sesame Street)

OUSTANDING GUEST PERFORMER: Mickey Rooney, David Soul, Billy Dee Williams, Harrison Ford (Dan August); Burt Mustin (Rhoda); Milton Berle (Donny and Marie); Penny Marshall, Ralph Manza (Chico and the Man); Harold Gould, Michael Lerner, Barbara Baxley (Streets of San Francisco)

OUTSTANDING CHARACTER NAME (Listener Award #2): Rudy Desautel (Kid with the Broken Halo), Dan August (Dan August), Nick Lobo (Rhoda), Roj Blake (Blake’s 7), Count von Count (Sesame Street)

(Voting ended in tie, winner determined by random number generator)

OUTSTANDING SEPTET: The 7 of Blake’s 7, the castaways of Gilligan’s Island, the kids from Dungeons and Dragons

OUTSTANDING FEMALE:  Sally Knevette, Jacqueline Pearce (Blake’s 7), Tina Louise, Dawn Wells, Natalie Schaefer (Gilligan's Island); Valerie Harper (Rhoda); Jean Stapelton (All in the Family)

OUTSTANDING MALE:  Gary Coleman (Kid with the Broken Halo); Carrol O’Connor (All in the Family); David Groh (Rhoda); Freddie Prinze, Jack Albertson (Chico and the Man); Bob Denver, Alan Hale (Gilligan's Island); Burt (Dan August); Mike and Karl (Streets of San Francisco), Gareth Thomas (Blake's 7); Luis (Sesame Street)

BEST EPISODE: All in the Family, “Archie and the Bowling Team,”; 1984 Summer Olympics Closing Ceremonies; The Kid with the Broken Halo; Dan August, “The Manufactured Man;”  Donny and Marie, “September 24, 1976, TV Hall of Fame;” Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, “Charlene Tilton/Julio Iglesias;” Rhoda, “The Honeymoon;” ; Dungeons and Dragons, “In Search of the Dungeon Master;” Chico and the Man; Chico and the Van; TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes, “Philip McKeon/Joyce Brothers;” Gilligan’s Island, “Will the Real Mr. Howell Please Stand Up?;” Blake’s 7, "Pressure Point;" Streets of San Francisco, “The Takers;” Sesame Street, ‘Sing-along in Ernie and Bert’s Bathroom.”

BEST SHOW: All in the Family, Dan August, Donny and Marie, Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, Rhoda, Dungeons and Dragons, Chico and the Man, TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes, Gilligan’s Island, Blake’s 7, Streets of San Francisco, Sesame Street

ROBERT PINE GENIUS AWARD: Paul Darrow (Blake's 7)




Thursday, March 13, 2025

Season 12 BATTY Awards

Get ready for the biggest night in retro TV podcasting, the Season 12 BATTY Awards! Actors clash with actors, duos duel with duos, mustaches face off with eyebrows all for the chance to win a coveted BATTY Award! We have some all-time classic shows like All in the Family and Sesame Street up against each other. We also have Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous and TV's Blooper's and Practical Jokes. Will the Quinn Martin shows cancel each other out? Will Donny and Marie cancel each other out? Will someone finally become a BEGOT, and who will win the Robert Pine Genius Award? Tune in, download, and find out!

#podcast #tv #retrotv #seventies #eighties #battyawards #awardshows

 

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

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Check out this episode!

Tuesday, March 11, 2025

For Your Batty Consideration: Season 12 Episode 14: Sesame Street

We concluded our epic 12th season Thanksgiving week with a look at one of the most beloved programs of all time, Sesame Street. If you don't feel the belove on at least some level for the show, you might want to look back at your childhood because you may have been deprived. Muppets, humans, music, animation--All of it was on display in the Bert-and-Ernie-centric episode we picked. We did get into a lot of classic characters and segments outside of that particular installment as well. 



Links:



Anonymous Batty insider says: Traditionally, segments talked about on the podcast but not in the actual episode being talked about are not eligible for Battys. Just something to consider for all you Batty mavens out there. Sesame Street inspires a lot of warm and fuzzies, but can it really compete against everything else? This may be the kind of program that makes you smile 30-40 years later but isn't in the same league as "grown-up" shows. 

For Your Batty Consideration: Season 12 Episode 13: The Streets of San Francisco

For this episode, inspired in large part by our friends Charlie and Trevor reporting in our Facebook group about they had been watching The Streets of San Francisco, we made the unprecedented move of covering TWO Quinn Marin programs in one season! 

Actually, covering ONE QM Production had been unprecedented when we did Dan August! For Streets, we had already talked about a lot of general QM stuff and were able to dig down into the more successful cop show. We enjoyed the location shooting, the chemistry of the leads, the character actors, and overall we were very impressed by what feels like a bit of a forgotten show.


Links:



Anonymous Batty insider says: It doesn't take a buddy boy to see that this could really do something at the Battys. The guys agreed Streets is superior to Dan August, but given the insane guest cast (not to mention His Burtness) of the latter, could the two QM Productions hurt each other? This is one of the more intriguing contenders for Batty Night.

Monday, March 10, 2025

For Your Batty Consideration: Season 12 Episode 12: Blake's 7

One of our longer episodes in Season 12 focuses on cult sci-fi show Blake's 7. We covered the history of the series while focusing on pivotal Series 2 installment "Pressure Point." Mike and I had a lot to say in this one, having truly embraced Blake's and read up quite a bit on it. I can say it was one of my personal favorite episodes to record this season.




Links:



Anonymous Batty insider says: Does this relatively underseen series have a chance at competing with the some of the legendary shows of Season 12? Let me just say this: Both guys watched the entire series. Rick's household actually has the Season 1 Blu-Ray, and that ain't cheap. 'Nuff said.

For Your Batty Consideration: Season 12, Episode 11: Gilligan's Island

Our retro retro show this season is one of the iconic sitcoms of the 20th century. We had a great time talking about Gilligan's Island. We didn't delve into Ginger vs. Mary Ann so much as...Jim Backus vs. Jim Backus? Yes, the episode we discussed featured the star in a rare dual role! We had fun, but there is no truth to the rumor we were fortified with pina coladas and cocoanut cream pies. And it's not a video podcast, but we paid homage to the Skipper by looking at the camera several times.




Links:



Anonymous Batty insider says: Last season proved, if there was any doubt, that the so-called retro retro shows can be big winners, as The Rifleman got the Batty for the best single episode. There are a lot of possibilities here, but I'm really curious how the theme song does. Will the fact that the episode showcases Backus hurt the chances of Alan Hale? One more thing: This may be sacrilege, but I'd love to see the Professor take a crack at modifying that random number generator.

Sunday, March 9, 2025

Top Ten #344: Special "Hey, where'd that hour go?" Edition

1) Batty hype: It's peaking, folks. Or maybe it's already peaked. Either way, the Season 12 Battys are coming very, very soon.

2) Mr. Belvedere: Deepest appreciation to Jason from our Facebook group for posting this the other day: An ad for a "fun kit" fans of the show could order. This is legit and legit hilarious.



Now, more then ever, in the wake of Bob Uecker's passing, the series' 40th anniversary, and the imminent wave of nostalgia about the funk kit, it's time for Hulu to add Mr. Belvedere.

3) Joyce Van Patten: Happy 90th birthday, JVP!



4) Women's History Month: An episode of one of the shows I thought might be nice to view for the occasion, Kate McShane, just popped up this month:




5) 1985 Writers Strike: 40 years ago today, Hollywood was in the middle of a writer strike focused in large part on revenue generated by VHS.

6) Game Shows: In addition to all the fun Laurie and I are having watching old pilots on Wink's Vault, this weekend sees the return of the modern version of Pyramid. If Michael Strahan doesn't come over at the end of the bonus round and show up the celebrity by giving the perfect clue, I don't wanna see it!




7) Search for the Gods: On this night in 1975, Kurt Russell starred in this movie that was intended as a pilot for an ongoing series. The Douglas Cramer production seemed to be hitting a lot of Seventies touchstones by centering on ancient otherworldly astronauts having visited Earth.




8) Diff'rent Strokes: 40 years ago tonight, the show aired "Blue Collar Drummond," in which Mr. D. donned a hardhat and blue jeans to "blend in" with his blue-collar workers. As to whether this was a successful storyline or not, I will just say the series had been on for over 6 seasons at this point.



9) National Barbie Day: And the Rockers! Don't forget the Rockers!



10) R.I.P. Peter Engel: The late producer is perhaps best known for Saved by the Bell, but I'm hoping this sad passing ignited a search for Sirota's Court.





For Your Batty Consideration: Season 12, Episode 10: TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes

This seemed like a staple of NBC's programming schedule in the Eighties, a mish-mosh of bloopers, practical jokes, international commercials, and Robert Klein! Once again in Season 12, we had some differences of opinion--Did I mention Robert Klein?--but we certainly shared the joy of welcoming Ed McMahon to the pod for the umpteenth time.

By the way, the preparation of this post continues my yearlong struggle to call the series by its proper title and not Practical Jokes and Bloopers.






Links:



Anonymous Batty insider says: This may not be high art, but at least it's not Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous! I don't expect a big night for this series, but Ed McMahon may be in the running for some kind of Lifetime Achievement Batty if he keeps showing up. There are a lot of notable names here, though, so that could generate some nominations.

Saturday, March 8, 2025

For Your Batty Consideration: Season 12, Episode 9, Chico and the Man

It wasn't quite a Very Special Episode, but we had to confront the tragic death of Freddie Prinze Jr. as we discussed Chico and the Man. Like Rhoda, which we had covered a few weeks earlier, Chico came out of the gate strong, but its decline was obviously much different.

Nevertheless, we had a good time enjoying the chemistry of Prinze and Jack Albertson, plus Scatman Carothers is always welcome. I know I was excited when Tubi added the whole series, which has not been widely available for years. The episode we talked about offered many surprises, including a Seventies superstar making a seemingly random appearance. All this plus some bathtub talk!




Links:



Anonymous Batty insider says: "Could challenge for some of the big ones as long as the guys don't penalize Chico for its fourth season! This is another show that Rick and Mike seemed to have different thoughts about, so it could be hard to get consensus at the Battys. You have to look at the theme song and the male acting categories, plus maybe a guest star, as the main possibilities here. Overall, I feel there are stronger comedy contenders for Season 12."

For Your Batty Consideration: Season 12, Episode 8: Dungeons and Dragons

The podcast took an amazing journey into role playing games, or at least cartoons based on RPGs. Dungeons and Dragons, the Eighties CBS animated series, gave us plenty to discuss in the 50th anniversary year of the original game. For example, what is the deal with the Dungeon Master? We don't solve that one, but we explore the origins of the show while considering an action-packed story.


Links:



Anonymous Batty insider says: "Saturday mornings aren't always fodder for big winners at the Batty Awards, but I am calling this one the sleeper contender of this season. You have a large and diverse cast of characters that will provide plenty of nominees, and there are lots of possibilities in some of the less conventional categories. If Outstanding Villain is featured again this year, we could have a winner here. Remember, too, how much Rick in particular praised the theme song. All I'm saying is, for a show with only 27 episodes, D&D will have a big impact. I think a lot of people might root for the Random Number Generator to make an appearance with an award involving this series."

Friday, March 7, 2025

For Your Batty Consideration: Season 12, Episode 7: Rhoda

We went back to the MTMverse for our seventh episode this season, looking at Rhoda. In addition to a fun episode involving Rhoda and Joe's honeymoon cruise, up for discussion was the way the show handled their relationship, the changes the series went through over its run, and the highs and lows of a program that came out of the gate red hot.



Links:



Anonymous Batty insider says: "This one could go either way, but the guys really got into it on the series. Watch out for the guest stars in this one. Anytime you have Burt Mustin and Charles Lane in the same episode...Mike and Rick seemed to have more differences of opinion than usual when discussing Rhoda, and you wonder if that will manifest in the Battys. Valerie Harper and Julie Kavner stand out as obvious contenders here."

Sunday, March 2, 2025

Top Ten #343: Special "Gene Hackman ruled" Edition

1) The Academy Awards: Sit back tonight and enjoy the next-to-last big awards show of the season (See item #3). Here's a look at the 1985 edition:



2) The Barbara Walters Specials: Imagine a pre-Batty version with Robert Pine, Jackee, and Leonard Lightfoot.



3) The Kid with the Broken Halo: This week, we continued our Batty prep by revisiting this TV movie. I will go out on a limb here and say the NBC Kid Trilogy (Halo, 200 IQ, Left Field), is the single-greatest collection of comedy-drama TV movies made for NBC in a period of several years.

4) Donny and Marie: We also looked back at the Osmonds and found them still adorable, still toothy.



5) Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous: We did "For Your Batty Consideration" posts for 3 shows this week. This was one of them.




6) The Retroist, "Quincy and the Metric System": Excellent post here with a great piece of Seventies culture.

7) Juvenile Diabetes Foundation Telethon: The organization had run a regional event in 1984, but 40 years ago this weekend, it broadcast its first national telethon fromt he Tropicana in Atlantic City, new Jersey.



8) National Old Stuff Day: Finally, a chance to celebrate...my closet!

9) Katherine Crawford: Happy 80th birthday to one of the stars of Gemini Man (She wasn't the Gemini Man).



10) R.I.P. John Lawlor, Al Trautwig, Lynne Marie Stewart, David Johannsen, Gene Hackman: Hackman didn't do a lot of TV after the Sixties, but it's Gene Hackman.









Saturday, March 1, 2025

For Your Batty Consideration: Season 12, Episode 6: Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous

We returned to the world of first-run syndication and examined the Eighties glory of Robin Leach in Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. It's a show that many might argue epitomizes the decade, for better or for worse. We talked about the glitz, the glamour, and the greed on display in a globetrotting hour of television. Oh, yeah, plus we discussed the original commercials included in the version we saw! Speaking of which, here is that episode:


Links:


Anonymous Batty insider says: "I'll be stunned if this one contends in more than a few categories. It should get a lot of folks into the Outstanding Performance As Oneself division, but I didn't get the sense these guys were won over by the show as a whole. The original commercials added some spice to the episode but don't figure to be involved in the awards. Call me crazy, but I think Rick and Mike are more steak and Lowenbrau than champagne wishes and caviar dreams."