I had no memory of this before working on the podcast, but I did remember The Terry Fox Story. I didn't remember the movie itself so much as it being on or at least promoted all the time. This promo from our YT playlist for the episode is from 1985, a full two years after the premiere, and HBO is still running (no pun intended) the thing:
Was it really on ALL the time? No. Was it on a lot? Well, let's take a look! The YT channel and website HBO Database posted a countdown of the 50 most-aired movies on HBO in the Eighties, Here is the full video:
I love that this uses data and gives the number of screenings and the screening dates!
Spoiler alert if you haven't watched the clip yet:
The Terry Fox Story is "only" third, with 54 screenings from 1983-1987, but it ties with #2, so I am counting it as second!
The other number two, The Cannonball Run, surprises me; and number one surprise me--number two because I associate it with network TV, and number one because it's a concert movie (Hint: It stars The Cos).
The other number two, The Cannonball Run, surprises me; and number one surprise me--number two because I associate it with network TV, and number one because it's a concert movie (Hint: It stars The Cos).
Right of Way was on 44 times! I guess I just never took notice of it.
There are some other ones that make total sense. The Man from Snowy River was another HBO original, so of course they are gonna play the heck out of it. I associate Superman: The Motion Picture with ABC, but as a Warner Brothers movie, it makes sense it got heavy airplay here.
The Four Seasons? Yep, that was on all the time. I'm actually stunned that The Incredible Shrinking Woman was on only 40-some times. 9 to 5 and Finnegan Begin Again--Yes, absolutely.
Then there are the ones that surprise a bit more, mostly forgotten theatricals from the early part of the decade: Dirty Tricks? Threshold? St. Helens?
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