Top Ten #352: Special "It's beginning to feel a lot like Summer" edition!

1) The ABC Superstar Saturday Movie: The From Pencils to Pixels podcast has a great episode taking an affectionate look at this animated 1970s franchise, including The Man Who Hated Laughter. Hey, guys, you're not alone in enjoying that one! I recommend the podcast in general, this episode in particular, and I always recommend watching Seventies animated specials with wild assortments of characters.

2) May the 4th: Celebrate the world of Star Wars all day today! I wish I could have a big bowl of this to mark the occasion:

3) Free Comic Book Day: Yesterday was the annual event in which people line up to get into stores they never visit during the year because FREE! I got a nice stack of freebies and old dollar comics, including this 1987 issue:

4) Kojak: Tubi added the iconic 1970s cop show to its library, meaning after years of MIA status on streaming, it's now on two outlets. It's good to have it on Tubi, both because it's free and because Prime Video has a tendency to license shows for short periods of time.

5) One Day at a Time: Tubi also added this sitcom, but only the first two seasons. Unfortunately, that's standard procedure for Sony (I assume it's not Tubi's choice to license only a few seasons at a time). Don't you realize that it lessens the chance of Mike and and I ever doing this on the podcast, Sony? What would Norman Lear think? Or, uh, what did he think, since this was happening while he was around?

6) Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees: Mike pointed out this week that Chubby Checker now adds this honor to his Batty win. Other winners include Eighties megastar Cyndi Lauper.

7) Hawaii Five-0: I watched another 70s cop show episode based on our friend John's recommendation in our Facebook group, and "Two Doves and a Heron" is a doozy. There is some very interesting work by pre-fame John Ritter, a striking turn from Vic Morrow, and some flirtation with "social relevance" that is resolved in a very establishment-affirming manner. 

8) American Video Awards: 40 years ago this weekend, stations around the country aired the third edition of this syndicated awards program. Casey Kasem was one of the big drivers of this event's creation. In 1985, bug winners were Weird Al and Cyndi Lauper and Huey Lewis & the News. Michael Jackson won a few lesser awards but didn't bother showing up. Instead, sister Rebbie accepted on his behalf. What a substitiution!

9) At the Movies: Also 40 years ago this weekend, Siskel and Ebert devoted a show to "Flex, Pecs, and Sex," "a look at muscles in the movies." The show asked, "Are the results worth the sweat?"

10) R.I.P. Ruth Buzzi: