Top Ten #408

1) Summer Movies: Yes, we are all about TV here, but I always think of big blockbusters and fun summer movies this time of year, and the commercials touting them were a huge part of the viewing experience. So let's look at what was opening on Memorial Day weekend in 1986. What classic big, fun seasonal but enduring film premiered 40 years ago?

Jake Speed?

Cobra and Top Gun were still around, but, wow, even Siskel and Ebert apparently took the weekend off!

2) Eddie Murphy: Speaking of movies, Murphy gets an AFI tribute in a special premiering on Netflix today. These tributes used to be a staple of network television.

One more movie note: Clint Eastwood turns 96 today. Eastwood got an AFI Lifetime Achievement tribute THIRTY YEARS AGO!

3) Viva Valdez: Part of the wave of "ethnic" sitcoms of the Seventies, this one premiered 50 years ago but didn't last long. Sony has posted some full episodes on its YouTube channels.

4) Monday Night Baseball: 50 years ago tonight, it was an MLB showcase in primetime on national TV, and it featured the Yankees and the Red Sox. The more things change...

5) Al Capone's vault: I just listened to a great episode of the Most Notorious podcast featuring an interview with William Elliott Hazelgrove, who wrote a book about the whole spectacle of Geraldo Rivera's live broadcast in 1986. The book is pricy, but it sounds great.

6) World No Tobacco Day: So don't listen to these guys:

7) The Love Boat: A rerun of the show aired this night in 1986. What's so special about that? Well, the series finale had aired the previous Saturday! So this was the first Saturday with no new Love Boat on the Horizon since the show premiered in 1977. The world kept spinning, but arguably it was much less joyous.

8) Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol: TV Confidential recently interviewed David Spencer about his book The Novelizers, and I was delighted to hear the Magoo special touted as a master class in adaptation!

9) Robert Pine?: I posted this in our Facebook group, and I post it here: Is this our Genius Emeritus Robert Pine in the Bank of America spot at the 26-minute mark?

10) R.I.P. Howard Storm, Jay Daniel, Bob Horner: We wouldn't include every 1980s Atlanta Brave on this list, but how can you not associate Horner, who died this week at 68, with SuperStation TBS? And when he went to St. Louis and faced the Braves, TBS shouted him out in the promo:

Shirley Jones didn't get along with Dick Clark?

A recent video on the "Retro Rules" YouTube channel by Paul Van Scott teased co-stars Shirley Jones hated. Turned out it was guest stars. Van Scott got the info from Jones' autobiography.

Ray Bolger, who played Shirley's father on The Partridge Family was self-centered and demanding in Jones' view. The other name really surprised me: Dick Clark, who has a limited role in the very episode Mike and I discussed this season, "Star Quality!"

Why did she not care for him? There doesn't seem to be a lot of info from Jones on it. Now, far be it from me to jeopardize a possible Batty campaign for Clark, but I feel like I should put this info out there.

Yes, WPIX was the best!

I've talked often here and on the show about my love of the independent New York TV stations I received in Pennsylvania. The king of the trip was WPIX, Channel 11, and there is an excellent YouTube account called Pix Promos and More that reminds us why:

As the channel says in the description, 1987 may have been the channel at its peak, and you can tell by promos like this. In addition to some other high-profile acquisitions and movies, the channel got Cheers reruns, and it actually hired Ted Danson to appear in original PIX-branded marketing.

The description ends with:

If anybody asks what PIX was like at the peak of their power, show them this video, and they'll get it.

Top Ten #407

1) Late Night Television: I just like the fact that it exists and don't want it to just fade away, even if I haven't been watching it for years.

2) Robert Pine: The GENIUS was on the Love Boat podcast the former cast members do each week. They talk about much more than Love Boat, but sadly, Mike and I continue to be the only people who ask Mr. Pine about Lowenbrau.

3) Charo!: ABC premiered this variety special 50 years ago tonight! Mike and I discuss this very same program right here on the podcast.

4) The John Davidson Show: Also 50 years ago tonight, NBC premiered this variety show with guests George Burns, Jimmie Walker, and Tanya Tucker. Davidson had been guest-hosting on The Tonight Show for a while, so the network must have been high on him.

5) Memorial Day/Victoria Day: I remember one year I got flak for wishing Americans a happy Memorial Day--you know the day when people open pools, have barbecues, etc. So maybe this time I will note that tomorrow is May 25, which is sort of a Canadian holiday, though it's actually celebrated the Monday before, so it was last Monday. Let's just all have a good Monday.

6) Star Wars: As a new movie finally hits screens this weekend, we celebrate the TV legacy of the franchise, which includes classics like...this PSA!

7) Life's Most Embarrassing Moments: Steve Allen hosted this ABC special on this date in 1986. He of course invented the concept of embarrassment.

8) National Brother's Day: Celebrate the right way!

9) Ali vs. Dunn: Muhammad Ali is associated with ABC, but he defended his world title against Richard Dunn live from Munich on this night in 1976 on NBC. An ad touted those appearing at ringside: Joe Garagiola, Dick Enberg, Larry Merchant, and Candice Bergen!

10) R.I.P.: Michael Keating:

You don't see this kind of promotion these days!

I love this 1980 ad for an upcoming promotion at Fulton County Stadium:

For one thing, this just doesn't feel like the more glamorous SuperStation TBS of the later Eighties. It sure doesn't feel like the "America's Team" Atlanta Braves.

More to the point, though, "Beech Nut Pouch Redemption Night!" I love that it's not just a promotion sponsored by a chewing tobacco brand, but it involves used tobacco pouches. 1980, ladies and gents!

So how did that 1976 Fall NBC schedule work?

We had a little fun here and on our Facebook group on Thursday. It was a celebration of the schedule reveal--a 1976 NBC schedule reveal. How much was there to celebrate, though?

The network used an array of last-minute changes and big events (like The Big Event!) to load up its schedule, especially early in the new season. Some of its showcase events were the MLB World Series, the network premiere of Gone with the Wind (a huge draw), and NBC: The First 50 Years.

Also in the lineup was Saturday Night Live's infamous Mardi Gras special.

The strategy gave NBC some real momentum early in the season, and it challenged surging ABC for a while, but it was unable to match the success that #1 ABC, which had the event of the year with Roots, enjoyed with its regular series.

New show Quincy would stay in the lineup for years, and Baa Baa Black Sheep made it to a second season (renamed Black Sheep Squadron), but The Gemini Man, Van Dyke and Company, and The Quest were all one and done. If you don't count The Big Event and NBC Monday Night Movie, then the only NBC series in the season-end top 25 was Little House on the Prairie.

Top Ten #406

1) The 1976 NBC Fall Schedule: I don't mean to brag, but I didn't see a lot of other websites reporting on the 1976 NBC Fall schedule reveal Thursday night. Only on BOTNS, folks!

 

2) Emmy Awards: 50 years ago tonight, Mary Tyler Moore and John Denver (He was all over the place back then) hosted the 28th installment of the show. Big winners included Rich Man, Poor Man; The Mary Tyler Moore Show; and Police Story. 

3) On the Rocks: This single-season comedy aired its final episode on this night in 1976, and it got a retrospective episode. The U.S. adaptation of Britcom Porridge never caught on, but it's nice that ABC let it go out with a highlights episode.

4) The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams: NBC aired the 1974 film on this night in 1976 and got big ratings, which led to a series premiering in February 1977.

5) Dom Deluise and Friends Part IV: Switching to 1986, this special premiered 40 years ago tonight. I am not sure, but I suspect it failed to resolve all the loose ends from Part III.

6) Playboy Bunny of the Year Pageant: ABC ran Monday Night Specials in 1976, and the one on this date was Don Adams hosting this spirited competition. You see, John Denver had another gig.

7) Sugar Ray Leonard: Happy 70th birthday to the boxing icon who made an appearance in our HBO episode this season!

8) Fun for All Ages: The Frank Santopadre podcast devoted an episode (and there's a part 2 coming!) to animated adaptations of TV shows, and they even discuss The Mini-Munsters!

9) Saturday Night Live: Eclectic list of folks on this one: Host Jimmy Breslin, Sam Kinison (billed as a featured player), Marvin Hagler (billed as a special guest), musical guest Level 42, and singer E.G. Daily.

10) R.I.P.: John Barbour, Rex Reed, Donald Gibb:

GENIUS ALERT!

The OG of the show, and I mean Original Genius, Robert Pine, is a guest on The Love Boat Podcast this week! I have not been able to listen to it yet, but I felt I should make everyone aware.

Yes, I realize it's odd that I haven't made time to listen to Robert Pine talking about The Love Boat. I have no excuse.

Announcing the 1976 NBC Fall Schedule!

It's finally here! Now you can plan your entire Fall (and well into the Winter) knowing the full schedule. We mean the 1976 NBC Fall schedule, of course! The network once again goes into the season with a third-place schedule.

Without further ado, here we go:

SUNDAY:
7:00 The Wonderful World of Disney
8:00 NBC Mystery Movie
9:30 The Big Event

MONDAY:
8:00 Little House on the Prairie
9:00 NBC Monday Night at the Movies

TUESDAY:
8:00 Baa Baa Black Sheep
9:00 Police Woman
10:00 Police Story

WEDNESDAY:
8:00 The Practice
8:30 NBC Movie of the Week
10:00 The Quest

THURSDAY:
8:00 The Gemini Man
9:00 Best Sellers (Adaptations like Captains and Kings, Once an Eagle, Seventh Avenue, The Rhinemann Exchange)
10:00 Van Dyke and Company

FRIDAY:
8:00 Sanford and Son
8:30 Chico and the Man
9:00 The Rockford Files
10:00 Serpico


SATURDAY:
8:00 Emergency
9:00 NBC Saturday Night at the Movies

Schedule release tomorrow night!

We've been anticipating it for months, and the big day is here! Tomorrow night is the release of the schedule, and we will have all of the details right here on the website--that's right, the 1976 NBC Fall schedule! At 8:00 PM Eastern, we will release the entire lineup.

You've been guessing for weeks. Are there any international shows on the schedule? Will NBC have Bob Hope open on the road? Get the answers right here tomorrow night!

Let's not kid ourselves. There are going to be leaks ahead of the official announcement. I'll be working my sources and following reports, and I will share tidbits throughout the day in our official Facebook group as I get confirmations. It's just a little way to thank our Facebook friends, but remember, the whole schedule will be right here at 8:00 Eastern tomorrow night!

RetroFan is getting a little more out there--and I like it

I am a little bit behind in my RetroFan reviews, but don't let that fool you: It's still my favorite mag, coming right into my home (Well, after a trip to the mailbox) every other month. The only reason I don't read it right away is that I like to reserve time so I can savor it. The only reason I don't then write about the issue right away is because I'm laz--Er, never mind that. Let's look at the recent issue 43.

The lead story on The Brady Bunch is not "out there," and it's a little thin, but I enjoyed it. It repackages material from older interviews with Barry Williams and Maureen McCormick. I'll take another Bunch story, though, if it helps the mag provide some of these other articles.

I was never a huge fan of Don Novello's Father Guido Sarducci character, but L. Wayne Hicks offers an interesting and enlightening overview. It feels just the right length and is a nice center sandwiched between two more mainstream subjects.

The next story is a look at Mary Tyler Moore on TV, and it breaks no new ground but distinguishes itself by going beyond The MTM Show to touch on later flops like Annie Maguire. Next up is an amusing piece on the jobs of TV dads that includes some speculation on those, like Ozzie Nelson, we're not sure about.

Then Lee Weinstein writes about Way Out, an anthology series hosted by Roald Dahl that falls way out of our BOTNS timeframe but still intrigues. I only wish this one were a bit longer!

Another lesser-known effort makes an appearance in this TV-heavy issue. RetroFan got G. Jack Urso, who has maintained an online resource for the series, to profile NBC's short-lived live-action Saturday morning show Hot Hero Sandwich. This is a real highlight of the issue, offering info you don't see anywhere else in print with the mag's usual eye-catching design and appealing illustrations.

Andy Mangels' column is usually one of my favorite segments of any given issue. Since #43 is another in his ongoing look at comic book ads promoting network Saturday morning lineups, the trend continues! You may recognize or even own many of these, but seeing them all together with context is a delight.

Continuing the TV-heavy theme, Will Murray talks about the Gene Barry 1960s series Burke's Law. I enjoy the history of the series and some of the old comments from Barry. Murray also covers the show's sudden transition to a secret agent series at the height of the spy craze.

The other two stories are not TV-centric but still deliver: Comedy group Firesign Theatre is discussed in a story that focuses on its prime as a recording act. I got a real kick out of an article on children's playing cards. It's not just "regular" cards, but Old Maid sets and other specialized games, plus character-themed cards like Marvel and Huckleberry Hound. It's a quirky subject that's well executed and brings a nice touch to a strong issue.

There's a lot of TV but a great mix of topics in RetroFan 43. The magazine is finding ways to branch out a bit while still revisiting the likes of Brady Bunch and Mary Tyler Moore.

Top Ten #405

1) Mutha's Day: Today is the day to celebrate the baddest muthas on TV!

What? Oh.

Never mind.

2) Ted Turner: I feel like we didn't talk about Turner enough in our TBS episode, but then again, how much is enough with a character like him?

3) Junior Miss 1976: 50 years ago tonight, Michael Landon hosted this ceremony. I wonder if he was thinking, "These young ladies are talented and all, but what this show really needs is an elephant."

4) Gemini Man: Sorry, Junior Misses (including a young Deborah Norville, who was one of the contestants), but you were totally upstaged that sane night when NBC unveiled the Gemini Man movie pilot. This Ben Murphy series is on our "kind of fascinates us but not enough for us to do a whole episode on it" list, I think.

After this aired, a series debuted in Fall 1976, but only 11 episodes were made, and only about half of them aired. It had a tough time slot: Thursday nights at 8:00, up against The Waltons on CBS and a combo of What's Happening!! and Barney Miller on ABC.

5) Miss Hollywood 1986: What is it about May 10? On this night 40 years ago, a pageant to crown Miss Hollywood aired. Alan Thicke and Emma Samms hosted, Jerry Seinfeld and Ben Vereen appeared, and one of the judges was Fred Berry!

The winner, Marsha Lee McClelland, won a cash prize and the promise of a future movie role. That role was apparently as "Miss Hollywood" in 1986's Party Camp. According to IMDB, she was also in Dr. T and the Women, an episode of Night Court, and an episode of Walker, Texas Ranger!

7) Pulitzer Prizes: Another week, another set of awards that snub BOTNS. We should just start our own awards.

I mean, we did, but we don't award ourselves!

8) Tony nominations: And don't even get me started on the Tony Awards! Congrats to Richard Thomas, though, for his nomination.

9) The Tonight Show: 50 years ago tonight, guest host Joan Rivers welcomed Richard Thomas (Hey, him again!), Jim Nabors, Paul Lynde, Desi Arnaz.

10) Gunsmoke: As Law & Order prepares for a 26th season, the mere 20 of Gunsmoke starts to look paltry! However, I will note that Gunsmoke ran for 20 consecutive seasons, and it still has a 90+ edge in total episodes: 

Reggie! Reggie! Reggie!

Reggie Jackson just missed "appearing" on our podcast in Season 6 when we talked about Greatest Sports Legends. Reggie hosted that interview/profile TV series for a while.

I'm still including him as an era TV star, and I have an announcement: I have purchased a new Reggie! bar and plan to try it soon. It was the Bun Bar before it was renamed in 1978 to take advantage of Jackson's awesomeness.

I can't help but think of the immortal quote by Catfish Hunter: "When you unwrap a Reggie! bar, it tells you how good it is."

Brooks on Books: "The Art and Making of Peanuts Animation: Celebrating 50 Years of Television Specials" by Charles Solomon

I picked up the Kindle version of this book after we did our Peanuts episode this season. Yes, I would like to have the physical book. Yes, I would have liked to have read this before we did our Peanuts episode. It's not exactly what I expected, but it's a great resource.

On the pod, Mike and I talked about the relative lack of info about specific Peanuts specials aside from a few big holiday ones. While Solomon does not provide a guide to all of the programs, he does offer interesting tidbits about many of them. I hoped for info on each of them and was disappointed that nothing was said about It's an Adventure, Charlie Brown. Yet let's talk about what the book is and not what it is not.

First of all, there is a lot of great art--animation cels, production sheets, and more. You see a lot of work from Dean Spille, and you might think, hey, his characters look kind of funny. Well, he was a vital figure in Peanuts animation, providing production design for much of the original run of specials. Even in the Kindle version, it's cool to see a lot of the vintage artwork, but I imagine it's great in the print edition.

What really gets me is the text. Solomon does have info about a sampling of particular specials, but I think it's more an afterthought; that is, he threw those in when they didn't really fit in with the main text. What he does is produce an excellent look at how the specials were made. He draws on interviews with the creators (Not just Charles M. Schulz, but producer Lee Mendelson and director Bill Melendez) and also cartoonists and others to get an array of insights.

I like that this book delves into some details of how they created the TV programs. There is discussion of the animation itself and how things had to be altered from the strip to the screen so they would look right. There is material on how the stories were adapted and developed. Voice direction is covered, too. There seems to be at least a bit about almost every big aspect of production.

Mendelson talks about how one of the reasons working on the specials was a joy was that CBS left them alone. Another interesting tidbit: It's a Nightmare, Charlie Brown, one of the specials Mike and I thought didn't work, was one of the favorites of those who worked on it, partly because of the freedom that came from not adapting a storyline from the strip.

He also addresses the unpleasantness of Charlie Brown being blamed for missing kicks in It's Your First Kiss, Charlie Brown despite Lucy pulling the ball away. Mike and I didn't like that, either, and Mendelson says many others didn't, to the point that in a rerun they edited out dialogue about Charlie "goofing up."

If like us you crave more info on the specials (and the early movies), check out this informative book. Solomon includes a lot of intriguing details along with the art in this one.

Top Ten #404: Special "Ran for the Roses Yesterday" Edition

1) Paul Williams: The Batty-winning hyphenate is honored at this weekend's TCM festival. I'm sure he appreciates getting something to put beside that Batty on the shelf.

Wait. I am being told he has NOT won a Batty! He was nominated 3 times for his role in Season 5's The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries: Outstanding Hair, Outstanding Guest Star, and Outstanding Song ("the Hell of It"). Wow, I can't believe he went 0 for 3. Shows you how competitive the Battys are.

2) Free Comic Book Day: A shop near you might have some leftover titles from yesterday's big event. Stop on by, grab some comics, and buy a few things if you have the resources! The one title I wanted most of all, I found: The Greatest American Hero!

3) Battlestar Galactica: I saw several stories making a big deal out of the fact that all of Battlestar Galactica was coming to Paramount Plus and Pluto for streaming. Yeah--the modern Galactica. Where's the original?

4) David Cassidy: Man Undercover: Folks, I have started watching the ill-fated series starring, you guessed it, David Cassidy, and it's not that bad. It's certainly 1970s cop show watchable from what I have seen so far.

But what were they thinking with the visuals in the opening?

5) The Incredible Hulk: Tubi added the Bixby/Ferrigno series to its streaming library on Friday!

6) Ann B. Davis turns 100: If anyone from 1970s TV would have been immortal, I would have guessed it would be Christopher George. But if anyone ELSE would have been immortal, I would have guessed, well, obviously TV's Alice Nelson. Alas, she passed away in 2014, but she would have turned 100 today.

7) National Lemonade Day: How about kicking back with a cold one right now?

8) Banjo Hackett: What a name. Do I need to say anything else?

OK, I will. 50 years ago tonight, the movie Banjo Hackett: Roamin' Free premiered on NBC as a pilot for a possible series with Dandy Don Meredith in the title role. I like how he's not roaming, he's roamin'.

This Western did not go to series, but it also featured Slim Pickens, Chuck Connors, Anne Francis, and Jeff Corey.

9) Saturday Night's Main Event: 40 years ago tonight, the show, taped in Providence, Rhode Island, featured one of the most impactful angles I saw in the era: Jake 'the Snake" Roberts DDTing Ricky Steamboat on the concrete arena floor!

10) R.I.P. Mariclaire Costello: