Top Ten #431

1) Home Box Office: The premium of all premium pay cable services launched 55 years ago today with a screening of...Beastmaster. No, it was Sometimes a Great Notion. For more on the network's legacy and programming, check out our episode from earlier this year!

2) Gone with the Wind: 50 years ago tonight, NBC ran part 2 of its epic presentation of the legendary film. The event, part of NBC's "Big Event" series, set viewership records and led to a GWTW craze of sorts.

3) Three's Company: Castmates Joyce DeWitt and Richard Kline joined other celebs for a stage reading of the show's pilot to benefit the John Ritter Foundation. Hijinks ensued when Mr. Furley, listening just behind the curtain, thought he was overhearing a We've Got It Made reading.

4) Police Squad! Do I know why Netflix decided to add all 6 episodes of this 1982 cult sitcom? I do not. Am I going to complain? Nope! Between this and SCTV, Netflix is on a decent run lately. Hey, maybe they could honor recent documentary subject Martin Mull by adding Fernwood 2Night!

5) Webster: The Eighties cute-com is now on Prime Video, but half the episodes are missing, including the one I have wanted to see for years--the one where Web accidentally burns the place down.

6) The Mouse and the Motorcycle: Part 1 of an adaptation of the Beverly Cleary book debuted 40 years ago today on ABC Weekend Special.

7) Lucy and Ellen canned: In the news 40 years ago today, ABC had announced it canceled the new sitcoms of Lucille Ball and Ellen Burstyn and that the shows' would be pulled after another two airings. Burstyn's show is mostly forgotten; Ball's show is one many wish they could forget.

8) Happy birthday: Entertainment Tonight star Mary Hart turns 75 today, and Leif Garrett turns 65. Leif, of course, is best known for his role in the CHiPs episode "Roller Disco."

9) Dean Martin's Red Hot Scandals of 1926: 50 years ago tonight, NBC continued its night of nostalgia by going back 50 years in time with this Dean Martin special featuring Jonathan Winters, Abe Vigoda, and more. What, no Foster Brooks with a prohibition sketch?

10) Saturday Night Live: The show aired a rare pretaped episode this night in 1986 with guests Rosanna Arquette and Ric Ocasek. Two weeks earlier, Game 6 of the World Series ran long, causing the preemption and a taping instead of a live broadcast. The Jay Leno Show special had run in the 11:30 timeslot on November 1. NBC apparently won't let people upload the beginning of the episode, in which Ron Darling explains what happened, but here is a promo that aired several weeks earlier:

Top Ten #430

1) Susan Saint James: I don't like to get in the habit of "ranking" celebrity deaths, but I want to give special mention to St. James, who has been an integral part of two BOTNS episodes, including one on our most recent season, Kate and Allie (McMillan and Wife was the other). Hoist a "hoagie sandwich" to the TV star and color commentator at Wrestlemania II.

2) Halloween: You may have found some time to watch something scary this week. Halloween was never on the level of Christmas in instigating TV specials, but there is some good stuff out there!

3) Paid political programming: Forget about 2026 because 50 years ago tonight, we were building to a big presidential election, and candidates Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter each bought half-hour blocks in prime time. What interests me is how they did this: The shows aired back to back on ABC at 8, on NBC at 9, and on CBS at 10.

4) The Bionic Woman: The 1970s action series jumps into FETV 's lineup this week.

5) The Jay Leno Show: This night in 1986--yes, 1986--NBC preempted SNL with a special devoted to the rising comedian. David Letterman made an appearance as part of a running gag.

6) Daylight Savings Time: Those of us in the USA turned our clocks back an hour today. Once again, we encourage you to make great use of the extra hour by watching some classic TV. YOLO, am I right?

7) "The Monster of Walnut Grove": Little House on the Prairie got into the Halloween episode game with this one premiering 50 years ago tonight. Laura thinks she sees Nels decapitate Harriet, and this somehow is cause for concern rather than celebration. The episode has major credibility issues because everyone but Laura scoffs at the idea Nels would commit such a horrible crime. I mean, it IS Harriet.

8) National Cinnamon Day:

9) The New Zoo Revue: Greg Ehrbar's Pop Culture Classics podcast featured a charming pocast with series creators Doug and Emmy Jo.

10) R.I.P. Walter Koenig, Barbara Barrie, Patrick Stewart:

Happy Halloween!

From all of us at BOTNS to all of you, Happy Halloween! Here is an assortment of past episodes for your holiday 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!

In our most recent season (Battys still coming eventually!), we discuss the world of MAGIC with Doug Henning!

And one could certainly see some episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, also covered in our recent season, as appropriate for the occasion!

Solomon Grundy says, have a great weekend!

Win me over, Skydance: Warner Brothers shows you can put on HBOMaxParamountPlusWhatever

Recently we looked at 10 shows in the pre-merger Paramount vaults that would be cool to see on streaming. This new megacompany can win me over--well, maybe--if it dips into the Warners holdings post-merger and brings these shows out. 

Warner Brothers is an interesting case. It has released some real rarities on DVD through its Warner Archive label, it seems committed to utilizing its animation library (See the MeTV Toons partnership), and it released many shows on streaming with its Warner Archive Instant service.

Warner Brothers has licensed a lot of interesting material in recent years to modern streamers, like The New Dick Van Dyke Show, and it still "bothers" with DVD (77 Sunset Strip, long thought un-releasable due to music clearances, is on the way).. However, it also has a habit of licensing material out for a short period and then not doing anything with it for a while, like Welcome Back, Kotter.

Paramount is different in that it has apparently given up on using its library. On the other hand, Paramount Plus, though not the most sophisticated streamer out there, at least has an assortment of classic TV shows (Though it still irritates me that it exiles the likes of The Fugitive and Have Gun Will Travel to Pluto), but HBO Max's classic TV selection is practically nonexistent. 

So Warners is different, but there are still some nuggets to pull from the vaults and put on a real streaming service. Here are some of my picks:

Casablanca: This 1983 David Soul reimagining did get a DVD release, but I was too cheap to pay what I thought was a high price (I thought so because it was) from a boutique label, and now it's out of print. My most wanted TV show, period, might be the 1955 version with Charles McGraw, but I'm focusing on the BOTNS era here! Warners loves to exploit the classic film Casablanca, but the TV shows? Not so much.

Harry O: Warner Archive is great and has released a lot of TV over the years, especially in its pre-Blu-Ray era. I find it odd that The FBI, for example, is all over streaming, yet this atmospheric David Janssen private eye show is not. At least it's there on DVD, but it would be great to get this one on streaming.

Banyon: Speaking of private eyes, this one is Quinn Martin, Robert Forster, 30s L.A. 'Nuff said.

The People's Court: Judge Wapner was one of the iconic TV personalities of the Eighties, but the old shows are not easy to see.

Flatbush: I mentioned Makin' It in the previous post, so how about letting us see this notorious flop, also seemingly inspired in part by Saturday Night Fever? The Lorimar sitcom showed a group of recent high school grads, but the Italian-American stereotypes sparked complaints, and CBS yanked it after 3 airings.

Fred and Barney Meet the Thing: I'd settle for The Thing segments! This animated series on NBC combined modern-day Flintstones toons with new ones starring Ben Grimm.

Dallas and Alice: If only there were a 1980s nighttime Lorimar soap called Palace. Earlier I mentioned the tendency of Warners to license shows for brief periods of time. In each case here, that trend combined with the tendency of Prime Video to obtain shows for brief periods of time. So the full run of each long-running series was on Prime for a while, then disappeared and didn't come back. Oh, the shows are available on disc and can be purchased as digital downloads, but it's about time they came back to SVOD. I am surprised Tubi hasn't picked up either of these.

Top Ten #429:

1) Amelia Earhart: The famed aviatrix (I could just use "aviator," but where is the fun in that?) is back in the Top Ten because she's the subject of a TV movie that premiered on NBC 50 years ago tonight. Susan Clark was Amelia, Alex Karras was Fred Noonan, and Henry Polic II had a cameo as Charles Lindbergh. 

I'm kidding about the last two, but Clark did star in the movie.

2) Ebert and Siskel: The iconic pair will get a statue in Chicago in 2028.

Meanwhile, Michael Medved and Jeffrey Lyons are reportedly the subjects of some uncouth graffiti in a public restroom in the NYC subway system.

3) The Don Ho Show: In many markets, this syndicated daytime variety show premiered this day in 1976 with guest Roz Kelly.

4) TV movies: As we gear up for Halloween, Frank Santopadre's Fun for All Ages podcast premiered an episode looking at scary TV movies of yore. I have it on good authority that the discussion ranges wide enough for a Pray for the Wildcats mention!

5) 1986 World Series Game 6: Red Sox fans, please skip to the next item.

40 years ago tonight, the Mets beat the Sox to stay alive in the Series after a memorable groundball from Mookie Wilson got past Bill Buckner. The game went long, pre-empting a pretaped episode of Saturday night Live.

6) Tomorrow: 50 years ago tonight, Tom Snyder welcomed Edgar Bergen, Laurene Tuttle, Jim Backus, Frank Nelson, and Gale Gordon. My kind of roster!

7) Rock and Roll Evening News: On this weekend in 1986, Chuck Berry, Cheap Trick, Bobcat Goldthwait guested on the syndicated program.

8) NBA: The league returned to action this week. In a mere 9 months or so, we'll have a new champion!

9) Battle of the Network Stars: As Roku premieres a well-intentioned (I assume) version with "streamers" this weekend, let's remember the original!

10) R.I.P. Tom Skerritt:

Michael Gray:

Top Ten #428

1) Fish: The Top Ten comes to you a little later this week because we had to stop the presses and adjust for breaking news: Tubi has added FISH to its streaming library. Several episodes are missing, and for some reason it's presented as one single season instead of two, but, hey, at least, as the song goes, we got Fish for supper.

2) World Series: 40 years ago tonight, the Red Sox faced the Mets in Game 1 of a memorable World Series. There is no truth to the rumor that FanDuel is taking action on this.

3) Weekend Special: Liberty and the Littles: This 3-part sequel to the Here Come the Littles movie premiered 40 years ago on ABC and had the gang going to the Statue of Liberty. Statue Fever was everywhere in 1986!

4) Amelia Earhart: Yet another expedition is confident it will track down the missing aviatrix, who we discussed in this episode. I tell you what, if they do find her and she can tell everyone what happened to her, Mike and I will do an emergency pod.

(BTW, speaking of that In Search Of... episode, should we be devoting less resources to finding Earhart and more to finding Nessie?)

5) That's My Mama: The official Sony YouTube channel just uploaded a full episode, "Cousin Albert."

6) Phyllis: And speaking of Mama, Teddy Wilson guested on the episode of Phyllis that aired 50 years ago tonight. Also appearing: Val Bisoglio!

7) National Mashed Potato Day: Respect for those who celebrate, but HARD PASS from me.

8) Howard Shore: Happy 80th to the musical director of the original run of Saturday Night Live.

9) Better Off Dead: Cinemax showed this John Cusack cult classic this night in 1986, and The New York Times dismissed it with, "Better off not watching." Say what?

10) R.I.P. Bernie Orenstein: The writer and producer worked on many, many sitcoms, such as That Girl, Sanford and Son, What's Happening!! and Kate and Allie.

Michael Forest: The actor is perhaps best known for his prolific TV work in the Sixties, but he had a long career that included a stint on As the World Turns in the early Eighties.

Win me over, Skydance: 10 Paramount shows you can put on HBOMaxParamountPlus

I am not happy about two of the media titans combining to eliminate tons of jobs and make one bigger media giant, and I doubt the consumer will gain anything. Want to prove me wrong, Skydance? OK, how's about digging into the archives and adding these shows from your library to Paramount Plus so we can enjoy them via streaming (I've given up on physical media)? 

Note that this list is taken from programs available to the company before the Warners merger. Also note that Paramount Plus has added very little from the Seventies and Eighties to its catalog in some time, so I am well aware this ain't gonna happen.

*Love. American Style: One of the big shows of the 1970s that isn't available, it has seen some air on Weigel's OTA networks like Catchy Comedy, and it did receive a Season One DVD release. However, that video release was in the odious split-season format and was almost 20 years ago.

With its roster of guests and general goofiness, LAS is a natural subject for our podcast. It'd be a fun one to dip into on streaming.

*Ball Four: Longtime listeners/readers can't be surprised to see this short-lived sitcom, based on Jim Boutin's iconic chronicle of his season with the expansion MLB 1969 Seattle Pilots, on this list. Hear more about the series here.

*The NFL Today: Why not roll out some old BOTNS-era tapes of the seminal pregame show? Would the NFL object? I don't watch pregame shows now, and I actually find the series a bit overrated (I watched NBC back in the day), but I would enjoy these. In fact, I do enjoy seeing old episodes on YouTube every now and then,

*Make Me Laugh: The game show has had various incarnations, but I suggest finding a way to get the 1979-1980 version on streaming. Hosted by Bobby Van, the show aired in syndication and then in heavy rotation on USA Network in the Eighties. Come for Garry Shandling and Richard Belzer; stay for Gary Mule Deer and Bruce Baum!

*What a Country!: Yes, it's time to put the entire run on streaming! Just listen to us talk about it in this episode.

*Dear John: I'm surprised this series, which was a part of NBC's Thursday night lineup for a while, didn't already make it to Paramount Plus alongside Caroline in the City.

*Makin' It: Is this any good? It's about what you'd expect from a Miller/Boyett sitcom of the era, but it's a DISCO sitcom, so I want it.

*Entertainment Tonight: I'm not saying you should put thousands of old episodes up, but I'm not saying you shouldn't. Clearances might be a nightmare, but you're a big megacorporation. Make it happen. I'd love to be able to just call up Leonard Maltin's take on Ruthless People whenever I feel like it. Mike and I talk about the series here,

*Soul Train: Speaking of syndicated programs, I think MTV Networks bought this library years ago and essentially buried it. I think American Bandstand is part of the vast catalog of this company now, too. You can click here for our Soul Train episode.

*The Manhunter: One of Quinn Martin's rarest and least successful shows, it still has an interesting premise: Ken Howard as a WWI vet who becomes a bounty hunter during the Great Depression.

And a bonus:

*Aloha Paradise: OK, I can't defend this, but I just want to see this shameless Love Boat clone with Debbie Reynolds. Hey, Aaron Spelling himself produced it, so it's OK.

Top Ten #427

1) Marjoe Gortner: Special shout-out because we lost a GENIUS (Season 3 Battys) last week. We really enjoyed watching the star of Pray the Wildcats in that movie and other TV appearances as well in the Seventies. Rest in peace!

2) Saturday Night Live: The series began its 12th season 40 years ago tonight with a cold opening with Madonna telling us the previous season was just a dream! The show had overhauled its cast, adding Phil Hartman, Jan Hooks, Dana Carvey, Kevin Nealon, and Victoria Jackson.

3) Martin Mull: A new documentary about the late performer premiered on Netflix this week, and I haven't seen it yet, but I sure hope there's a lot of Barth Gimble.

4) Today: The NBC morning show, having recently added Tom Brokaw, continued to transform itself 50 years ago today (Ha!) as Jane Pauley and Gene Shalit joined the cast. Shalit reportedly proclaimed, "This is no plain Jane, and Tom is da bomb!" I know, I know, you're thinking there's no way he would say that and snub Willard Scott. Well, Scott didn't join the show for another several years.

5) It's a Living: I stumbled on an episode that featured both Michael Richards AND Larry Hankin! It's Season 3's "Desperate Hours,", and it's available on multiple streaming outlets.

6) Happy Days meets Sesame Street: I present to you one of the finest compilations in the history of YouTube: A series of segments with Fonz and Richie on Sesame Street. "C" is for "Correctamundo!"

7) The Banana Splits in Hocus Pocus Park: I won't call this 1972 Hanna-Barbera special super-rare--It is on Tubi, after all--but it's on MeTV Toons tonight, and that's a good thing!

8) Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea: Last week we mentioned the new weekday evening lineup on WOR in 1976. Well, 50 years ago today, the lineup changed. It's still  "nightly fun and adventure for the whole family," but Voyage replaces Ironside at 6:00. I hope that there weren't too many kids in the tri-state who were crestfallen.

9) 1976 Country Music Awards: This night in 1976, CBS aired the 10th edition of the show from the Grand Ole Opry. It featured stars like Merle Haggard and Loretta Lynn, but also, being 1976, C.W. McCall!

10) R.I.P. Freddie Jackson: Not a TV star, but the singer was a staple on Video Soul back in the day. Here you can watch an entire episode!

R.I.P. Marjoe Gortner

Rest in peace, Marjoe Gortner, who had a fascinating life and turned up on several episodes of Battle of the Network Shows and in my record collection thanks to Laurie getting me his LP!

If you want to hear Mike and I discuss Marjoe, you can check out our Medical Center episode, our Season 3 Battys ceremony in which we gave him the prestigious Robert Pine Genius Award, and of course the wildness that is Pray for the Wildcats.

Top Ten #426

1) 227: The series aired a season premiere 40 years ago tonight--the Wheel of Fortune episode--and it is now available on Roku Channel for free streaming.

2) The Munsters: The series is back on FETV, which I believe shows the episodes uncut.

3) WOR Channel 9 (NY): I saw a great ad in The New York Times touting its weekday lineup in the early evenings. It started with Ironside at 6:00 and continued with Bowling for Dollars and Liar's Club. The ad called it, "Nightly fun and adventure for the whole family." 

"Mom, can we eat on the TV trays tonight?"
"No, we eat at the dinner table on Mondays."
"Aw, but, Mom, Don Gordon's gonna be on Ironside!"
"All right, just this once!"

4) Michael McDonald: This week we learned that the iconic singer had a son 58 years ago that he never knew. Wow, this news only makes that episode of What's Happening!! that much more poignant, knowing that he and the Doobies were fighting copyright violation not just for the current generation of fans, but for the 10-year-old son he didn't know he had!

5) Mannix: This clip made the rounds a few weeks ago, and it still makes me smile:

6) Saturday Night's Main Event: The Times' TV listings describe it as simply "wrestling exhibitions," but I will give you a bit more. The episode that aired 40 years ago tonight featured Hulk Hogan defending the World title against Paul Orndorff, Ricky Steamboat against Jake Roberts in a Snake Pit match, and a tag team title match pitting the British Bulldogs against the Dream Team. Oh, and Roddy Piper was all over the show!

7) ABC Evening News: On this night in 1976, Barbara Walters joined Harry Reasoner at the anchor desk, and he was not thrilled. In fact, reports state that she asked him what kind of tree he would be and he snapped, "A rotting one so I could be struck lightning and fall over onto your car!"

8) National Trucker Appreciation Day: It's October 4, or 1o-4. Get it? 

9) Sometimes a Great Notion: NBC gave this Paul Newman movie its broadcast TV debut 50 years ago tonight (It was the first film shown on HBO), and it actually changed its name to Never Give an Inch. I mean, I have heard of networks changing language, aspect ratio, even running time, but the title of the movie? 

10) R.I.P. James Sloyan: I really enjoyed his work in a few Murder, She Wrotes, but he had a long and productive career.

Dennis Haskins:

Top Ten 425

1) Fall: OK, OK! Summer is over. I finally admit it! Are you all happy? I now turn from the joys of summer to the delights of autumn, like new TV seasons and new Fall Preview issues of TV Guide, only because I roll that way, I will be focusing on old new seasons old new issues.

2) Dawn: Portrait of a Teenage Runaway: 50 years ago, this memorable TV movie showed you Eve Plumb as you had never seen her before; at least, I sure hope you hadn't.

3) Amen: It may be Sherman Helmsley's second-most-beloved sitcom, but it ran 5 seasons and is worth it if only for the shuffle in the intro (If you know, you know). It's on Cozi TV over the air in a graveyard slot and was on TUBI but now appears to be unavailable for streaming.

4) Bridget Loves Bernie: The complete series was released on Blu-Ray this week, but it will cost you. It aired a single season on CBS and drew big ratings (Granted, it was on Saturday nights), but it was canceled because, well, basically because some people are horrible.

5) Me-TV Toons: If you are lucky enough to get this channel, you can enjoy new additions like month like Fonz and the Happy Days Gang, The Addams Family (1973), Jeannie, and The New Adventures of Gilligan on Sunday nights. What, no Laverne and Shirley in the Army? I guess they need to save something for 2027!

6) A Different World: The Netflix revival of the series is drawing attention to the original Eighties sitcom, a popular spinoff of a megahit that was created and driven by some guy.

7) National Day of Forgiveness: It's time. Universal (Or NBC/Comcast/Whoever), I forgive you for not putting Quincy M.E. on Peacock.

8) Twilight Zone/Hunter/Spenser for Hire: Apologies to Downtown, a crime drama that premiered on CBS this night in 1986 (and did not last 5 seasons like Amen), but let's highlight these 3 shows that celebrated season premieres at 10:00 P.M.  Hunter spars with a reporter who has the temerity to accuse him of police brutality. What does he do? He arrests him! I'm sure that convinces the guy!

In the Zone, co-writers for the two segments include David Gerrold and George R.R. Martin. Meanwhile, on ABC, Spenser has to contend with blackmailing former clients and a D.A. who has it in for him. Maybe he should head over to NBC and ask Hunter to arrest them!

9) A. Martinez: Happy birthday to one of the stars of Exo-Man!

10) R.I.P. Pete Byrne: Not a TV star, but I mention the Naked Eyes singer here because I can remember the happy feeling I got when "Always Something There to Remind Me" came on MTV.

Top Ten #424

1) Rhoda: Before we get to a ton of series premieres that took place on this date, consider the third-season premiere of this show. Remember what it was about? Hint: The episode title is "The Separation"--you know, because people in happy relationships "aren't funny."

2) Hispanic Heritage Month: It began September 15. It's almost a week later, and I'm still waiting for Sony to put more Viva Valdez on its Classic TV Rewind YT channel.

3) Matlock: The long-running legal drama premiered on NBC 40 years ago. Andy Griffith finally gave audiences a memorable character to stand beside, if not supplant, his seminal role of Sam in Pray for the Wildcats.

4) Batman: Yesterday was Batman Day, so chosen to commemorate...uh, DC Comics wanting to celebrate Batman. Nothing says Batman like third Saturday in September! We of course talk about Bats in our Super Friends and Legends of the Superheroes episodes. Shout-out to one of the greatest Batmen of all, Olan Soule.

5) All's Fair: Norman Lear's sitcom premiered 50 years ago tonight. featuring Richard Crenna and Bernadette Peters as conservative and liberal journalists who fall in love, and, boy, does this premise hit differently in 2026.

6) Van Dyke and Company: Dick Van Dyke's comedy-variety show also debuted on this Monday in 1976. Flip Wilson and Chevy Chase guested. The series lasted a mere 11 episodes yet still won an Emmy in 1977. It's only the second-most notable misfire by a sitcom legend, though, because...

7) Life with Lucy: Let's go September 20 in 1986 and the debut of Lucille Ball's ill-fated final sitcom, a series that not only flopped, but it made many fans of the icon scared to watch for fear of seeing her hurt herself.

8) National Pepperoni Pizza Day: Here's a celebration we can all support! Nothing like sitting in front of the tube with a pizza, a cold beverage, and a pronounced aversion to doing something for your own health or for the general betterment of society.

9) Disneyland Presents Captain EO: On this night in 1986, NBC premiered a special devoted to the grand opening of Captain EO at Disney World. Note it didn't show the actual movie--that was exclusive to the theme parks--nor did Jacko himself show up. Yet the Michael Jackson hype was so strong then that NBC aired a hype program with music from Starship and banter from hosts Justine Bateman and Patrick Duffy, plus some making-of footage.

10) R.I.P. Bob Mackie: We always wanted to work with him for the podcast, but now I will have to continue my signature look of TV-related t-shirts and shorts.

RetroFan #46: One of the best issues ever?

I write here about every issue of RetroFan, and it's no surprise that I enjoy any particular issue. That said, issue 46 is a real CORKER!

The lead story is on KISS, a band I admired more as a kid than now, but Mark Voger presents an entertaining overview with just the right amount of Gene Simmons. I was delighted by the idea of a feature on T.J. Hooker, and author Christopher Robinson strikes the right tone, taking the show seriously but not too seriously and fitting a good summary in not too many pages. 

In similar fashion, the article on Banacek provides the flavor of the series, covering production, a list of the character's proverbs, and references in pop culture. Just the fact that RetroFan is venturing out of the A-list and covering the likes of this and Hooker is commendable and proof that there is much to discuss outside the old top-tier classics.

Andy Mangels continues his look at Filmation's Saturday-morning Ark II. Let me say a word in tribute to the late Will Murray, whose piece on the Destroyer novels is a fascinating account of a long book series. The story of the collaboration of the two creators is totally new to me and great reading, and regular contributor Murray will be missed.

There are cool stories on toys, cereal and Slap Shot, but my two favorite pieces are TV-related. Scott Shaw! tells the story of Nat Hiken, focusing on the two brilliant sitcoms he created, Sgt. Bilko and Car 54, Where Are You? Artist Adrian Ropp brings me a big surprise with his tale of working on Pink Panter comics. It's a thoughtful meditation on not just his own career, but the challenges and advantage of working on licensed properties. Ropp provides compelling justifications for his approach and explains how he came to realize the importance of respecting characters and not treating them as brands.

Is this one of the best issues ever? It's a strong statement, but I think this is certainly my favorite issue of the post-Michael Eury era under new editor Ed Catto. The diversity of material in this issue is appealing, and the articles are well executed. There are a few unfortunate typos, but the mag also spotlights some of my favorite stuff and surprises me in places. It's a great installment.

Top Ten #423

1) Emmys: Did you know the Emmys were now spread out over 3 nights? There has to be a way for someone we like to get one, right? Tomorrow night is "the main event." 

2) Captain O.G. Readmore Meets Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: Clearly the big happening on this day in TV history is the premiere of this episode of ABC's Weekend Special in 1986. Nothing against LeVar Burton, but I think Readmore's contribution to childhood literacy is way understated.

3) Miss America 1987: The winner of the pageant held 40 years ago tonight in Atlantic City was Kellye Cash, a great niece of Johnny Cash. That's interesting because before Boardwalk Hall outbid it at the last minute, the original venue for the pageant was going to be San Quentin.

4) National Peanut Day:

5) Inside Television '76: 50 years ago tonight on this ABC season preview special, guests like Farrah Fawcett and the Captain and Tennille took apart a Zenith and analyzed its cathode ray tube before reassembling it.

6) Easy Street: Another high-profile premiere on this night in 1986: The short-lived Hugh Wilson sitcom with Loni Anderson, Jack Elam, and Lee Weaver. 

7) Raging Bull: People who watch network TV deserve to see good movies, too, but really? Raging Bull on CBS on some random Saturday night? Seems wrong.

8) National Grandparents Day:

9) Jean Smart: She's poised to win yet another Emmy tomorrow night or at least be runner-up, and the Designing Women star turns 75 today.

10) Columbo: I was looking at the new COZI-TV schedule, and they are showing 8 episodes of Columbo each Saturday. 8! I love the show, but that's a little crazy.

Happy Labor Day from BOTNS!

 

Top Ten #422

1) Labor Day: Tomorrow in the USA we celebrate the working folks. Well, it's a day off, anyway. For most people. Let's just get to my annual Working Stiffs clip so I can post something else tomorrow.

2) Jerry Lewis: Still the King of Labor Day, Lewis' annual telethon to raise funds to fight Muscular Dystrophy made history 50 years ago tonight. Special guest Frank Sinatra "reunited" the legendary Martin/Lewis team.

3) Mr. T: You might want to read this incredible article about the 80s icon. In the story, he is promoting the upcoming Netflix documentary about his story, and, oh, by the way, he seems to hate it.

4) College football: See the stars of tomorrow before they get CTE! We hope! 40 years ago tonight, Florida State and Nebraska opened the season in prime time on ABC. Here's a clip of...a PUNT from the game--posted by the punter!

5) SCTV: It really happened! The series is now on Netflix. Is it complete? Apparently it has music cuts, and it is reformatted for widescreen, but it's on Netflix, and that's pretty darn good, I say. We talk about the show here.

6) Dukes of Hazzard: Legend TV in the UK just added reruns of the series, and of course it prompted a whole new round of complaints of people in the United States--not people offended, but people offended at the thought of anyone being offended.

Personally, I'm just relieved the channel is in the UK because I saw this news and thought, hey, how did I not know this existed?

7) Rodney Dangerfield: It's Not Easy Bein' Me: This special aired this night in 1986 on HBO and features the likes of Jerry Seinfeld and Sam Kinison. It shouldn't be confused with the 1982 ABC special of the same name, which features the likes of Bill Murray and Aretha Franklin, plus a lot less swearing.

8) Chang and Eng Bunker: Earlier this season, Mike and I talked about HBO, focusing in part on Some Call Them Freaks...a 1980s documentary that includes the story of conjoined twins Chang and Eng. There's a lot more to that story, and you can get some of it in this piece about the annual family reunion of their descendants.

9) US Open Super Saturday 1986: On this day in 1986, the tennis tournament crowned Martina Navratilova champ after a win over Helena Sukova; on the men's side, Ivan Lendl and Miloslave Mecir won their matches to advance to the final.

10) Thames on 9: 50 years ago tonight, WOR-TV in the New York City area kicked off a theme week in which it devoted its evening (way beyond "prime time," going all the way to signoff) schedule to imported UK programs from Thames TV. The lineup included episodes of Bless This House, Rock Follies, and of course Benny Hill.

Brooks on Books: The Dennis the Menace Storybook (1960)

I found this in a box of old stuff at my parents' house recently, and of course I claimed it. Well, I am sure it was mine, but I don't know the provenance considering it's a 1960 publication and I was not on this planet, let alone reading, in 1960.

I loved Dennis as a kid, though, as I said in our Dennis the Menace episode, though I focused on the comic books. This is a great hardback book, still in decent shape. The photo cover with Jay North is appealing, and there are numerous illustrations throughout by Lee Holley.

The book is an interesting concept: An adaptation of TV series scripts in prose form, supplemented by the comic book-style illustrations. I have not read the prose, at least not in this century, but I am enjoying the art. Overall it's a great package and a notable Dennis item!

Top Ten #421

1) Perry Mason: Thanks to the fine folks at FETV, who I believe are showing reruns of the series uncut and uncropped, I was able to watch an episode not in the streaming package: "The Case of the Jaded Joker." It was great! I think maybe music rights is the issue, but at any rate, I was impressed with FETV's presentation.

2) Tom Brokaw: 50 years ago this morning, the newsman began co-hosting Today on NBC. Yes, I said that in a faux Brokaw voice as I typed it.

3) Perfect Strangers: The Complete Series: The whole run was released on Blu-Ray this week. Must avoid saying the catchphrase. Must avoid saying the catchphrase. This is not ridiculous.

4) Power's Play: This unsold pilot aired 40 years ago tonight on CBS. It combined nighttime soap elements like corporate intrigue and villainy with a Western setting, and it starred David Birney, Sheree North, and Noah Beery. Birney plays...Lucas Cord. You thought I was gonna say Lucas Power, didn't you?

5) Amuck in America: Remember this MTV series that Alan Hunter hosted? Hunter and crew took a road trip across the country in August 1986. The episode airing this day in 1986 saw a visit to surfing championships in Huntington beach, CA

6) Making It: A Lorimar pilot also known as Four the Hard Way that aired this night in 1976. Burt Metcalfe produced this sitcom about 4 undergrads boarding with a thrice-divorced woman. Ed Begley Jr. starred. Not to be confused with later disco sitcom Makin' It nor with later Ed Begley Jr. sitcom My Mother the Electric Car (OK, I made up that one).

7) Newman's Drugstore: A pilot co-produced by Paramount and Playboy Productions with Herschel Bernardi as Charlie Newman, a widower/proprietor in Depression-era Brooklyn.

8) Winds of War: Congrats to our pals Steve and Dave, who just launched a podcast devoted to the epic miniseries!

9) Spitting Image: An NBC special of the popular BBC show, "Down and Out in the White House," aired this night in 1986 on NBC. I never could get into this concept. I didn't even like the "Land of Confusion" video!

10) R.I.P. This section is a long one this week. I also want to mention Anissa Jones of Family Affair because the news of this day in 1976 was filled with stories about her death at the age of 18. Not represented with clips below: Leslie Parrish, who was in many TV shows of the Sixties and Seventies; and Michael Wright, who starred as Elias Taylor in V.

Shelley Fabares:

Tim Curry:

Jaye P. Morgan:

Peter Cullen:

Dolly Parton:

Spider-Man (1978) on location

The great TV Days YouTube channel posted the following video, which is full of cool second-unit footage from the making of the CBS Spider-Man series:

I believe this is an updated version of a video he posted several years ago. Read the description for notes on the secret origin of the footage!

Of course we talk about The Amazing Spider-Man in our most recent season. You can find that episode right here!

Top Ten #420

1) The Monkees: It's outside the time frame, but it's great to see The Monkees available for streaming on demand free on Tubi. All episodes are there, and I think they are uncut (though cropped for 16x9). Can The New Monkees be far behind?

I wouldn't be too surprised, actually, to see that one on Tubi.

2) SCTV: The Monkees gets the top spot because it is actually available now, but in some huge news, SCTV is coming to Netflix in September! There is also word that a new documentary will hit the service later.

3) Goodnight America: Geraldo Rivera's late-night show on ABC had an interesting guest list 50 years ago tonight. He had some folks, including Jack Ruby's sister, on to talk about the Ruby/Oswald links. He also had John Denver and Neil Diamond, but sadly, they appeared in separate segments and, as far as I know, did not discuss the JFK assassination.

4) Madonna: Somehow, someway, in 2026, Madonna tied for the most Video Music Awards Nominations.

5) Mork and Mindy: The show is on Prime Video now--Well, most of it. And maybe some of it was already there? Streaming is complicated sometimes.

Now it's time for the unsold pilots section of the list! The next 4 items are shows that aired on this date:

6) Local 306: This failed sitcom pilot starred Eugene Roche as a plumber who headed his local union. Stanley Ralph Ross of Batman fame wrote and produced.

7) Snafu: This followed Local 306 on ABC. Leonard Stern produced this sitcom about U.S. troops in Italy in WWII. Kip Niven, Tony Roberts, and James Cromwell led the cast.

8) Adam's Apple: This 1986 CBS program starred Sydney Walsh as NYC P.I. Toni Adams, not to be confused with the ex-wife of Gentleman Chris Adams from World Class Championship Wrestling.

9) Dark Mansions: This one aired 40 years ago tonight on ABC. It starred Joan Fontaine as the matriarch of a family that built a shipbuilding empire but faced some secrets and issues. Michael York and Melissa Sue Anderson also starred in this Aaron Spelling production.

10 R.I.P. Bill Rasmussen: The founder of ESPN. We can't blame him for Pat McAfee.