This Day in TV History: Stay tuned after the Super Bowl for...

For a long time, the Super Bowl was not seen as a launchpad for future hits and would-be hits by the TV networks.  On this day 40 years ago, NBC broadcast Super Bowl XV, in which Tom Flores' Oakland Raiders became the first Wild Card team to win the big game by beating the Philadelphia Eagles 27-10.

Just under 69 million viewers tuned into the game, but NBC didn't take that audience for granted. It kept the night going with CHiPs--and not even a new episode, but a repeat of season 3's Thrill Show, which had aired nearly a year earlier.  Perhaps the strike that delayed much of the 80-81 season affected NBC's plans, but, wow, that sounds like an unimpressive Super Bowl leadout.

This Day in TV History: CHiPs premieres on NBC!

On this day in 1977, the only show we have covered twice (so far!) premiered on NBC.  Yes, CHiPs took its first ride on Thursday, September 15, 1977.

The series was a showcase for Erik Estrada and Larry Wilcox, but of course we here at BOTNS are fond of the casting of Sergeant Gertraer.  You might say it was GENIUS!

We talked about the show in our first season and again in our 50th episode extravaganza.

This Day in TV History: Christmas in August on NBC

Where do you stand on Christmas episodes running out of season? Personally, I like everything shown in order in syndication, yet I might skip over a Yuletide installment if I'm watching a series on video or in streaming.

NBC didn't mind having "Christmas in August" 40 years ago today, and I bet they even ran a promo touting it with a Casey Kasem voice-over hyping "Christmas Watch," a rerun of CHIPS.

Then again, that episode stood out as the only such rerun on that night. Bookending it were part 1 of "The Omega Connection" on The Wonderful World of Disney and another encore presentation of part something of the miniseries From Here to Eternity.

Perhaps NBC thought people would enjoy revisiting the CHIPS and getting some Christmas cheer.  Perhaps they had another holiday episode of the series in the works and figured they might as well rerun this one now.  

Or maybe they just didn't care. After all, 1980 was a pretty rough year for NBC.  Anyway, Merry Christmas, everyone!

Merry Christmas from BOTNS and the California Highway Patrol!

The YouTube playlist for our 50th episode is now live!

Among the highlights as we celebrate 50 episodes: Ken Berry WOWs us John Lennon talks to Howard Cosell! Pushball action! And what do Lorenzo Lamas and Milton Berle have in common?

Show Notes: Episode 4-9: 50th episode CHIPS spectacular

*The Great 5K Star Race and Boulder Wrap Party premiered at 8:00 P.M. December 7, 1980, as a two-part episode on NBC. It went up against a Charlie's Angels episode and the first half of Fighting Back on ABC and a CBS comedy block of Archie Bunker's Place, One Day at a Time, Alice, and The Jeffersons.

*For our complete coverage of the classic Roller Disco episode and more discussion of CHIPS, click here.

*Milton Berle's residence may have been in Malibu in 1980, but when he died his estate was in Beverly Hills. Oxnard is about 35 miles away from Malibu.

*Berle feuded with Bob Hope for years, but the BOTNS crack research team could find no evidence that Hope ever pushed rocks down towards Berle's place.

*Actors and Others for Animals, now with JoAnn Worley as president, is still active in Southern California.

*Pushball was invented in 1891 and, according to Miriam-Webster, : a game in which each of two sides endeavors to push an inflated originally leather-covered ball six feet (1.8 meters) in diameter across its opponents' goal; also : the ball used          We're not sure when indoor pushball was invented. Maybe it was after the first pushball rain delay.

*Dody Goodman had a prominent role in Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman and was in both Grease movies in addition to her recurring role on Diff'rent Strokes.

*Here's Boomer lasted two seasons (1980-1982) on NBC. Boomer was played by Johnny the dog. In fact, an episode of the show preceded this episode of CHIPS.

*Don't forget to hit our YouTube page for our playlist for this episode!

4_9: The Great 50th Episode 5K Star Race and Boulder Wrap Party

To celebrate 50th Full Episode, we do something unprecedented and revisit a show--CHiPs! Just as we return to he well, do the men and women of the CHP when they deal with an annoying kid, humorous thieves played by likable character actors, and lots and lots of celebrities! Boulders, push ball, stars, Uncle Miltie, and more!


Check out this episode!

The return of Actors and Other People for Animals

I was reading Peter Marshall's Hollywood Squares memoir, Backstage with the Original Hollywood Squares, when lo and behold, I found an indirect reference to "Roller Disco," the CHiPs  episode that won Best Episode in our Batty Awards (and that we originally covered here).

A Squares producer had a litter of puppies on his hands, and, unable to unload them, brought them to a taping of the show hoping to find someone to adopt them. Marshall got the idea to head out before the show for the warm-up with a basket full of the little dogs, and soon kids in the audience "were clamoring to take those poor pups home." So they actually gave the puppies out "and never heard from them again." Marshall, perhaps convincing himself, writes that he is sure everything turned out OK.

However...

I didn't get out of this escapade unscathed, by the way. Earl Holliman, a very active member of Actors and Other People for Animals, was on the show that night, and he issued me a stern warning never to do something like that again. He was rightfully concerned about what kind of homes the dogs would end up in.

Marshall goes on to say that afterwards, the show started a program with AOPA to find parents for homeless dogs. So I guess everything did turn out for the best.

(Read more of my thoughts on the book on my own blog, Cultureshark)

It's good to know that Earl Holliman wasn't just about the Roller Disco!

Go on with your bad self, Peter Marshall

Watch out, Earl Holliman!


CHiPS Movie Update

We mentioned after our CHiPs episode that Dax Shephard had a feature film version in production at Warner Brothers. Well, it's really happening, and the trailer is here:

To summarize, here is some of what the trailer contains:

*Explosions
*Erections
*Jokes about erections
*Dax Shepherd's flesh
*A Tupac song
*Attempted yuks

Here is what the trailer does NOT contain:

*Actual yuks
*Roller disco
*Robert Pine
*The series theme song

I think my mind is already made up, but let's ask Erik Estrada. Actually, let's not. His official Twitter account retweeted someone calling the new movie pure trash, and The Wrap ran an "article" (this post is more substantial) essentially quoting that tweet and claiming Estrada himself called the movie trash.

Then Estrada called The Wrap's "article" fake news and said he hadn't seen the movie yet. Well, neither have I, but the lack of roller disco alone could make a reasonable person conclude the film is trash.

Head to your local theater March 24 and judge for yourself...or spend a few extra bucks and get one of the DVD sets of the original series.

Your chance to Skate with the Stars!

Before we leave the classic "Roller Disco" episode of CHiPs, let's give you one more chance to...
SKATE WITH THE STARS!

It's Nancy Kulp, Cyndi Williams, and Robert Pine, AKA Gertraer. Yeah, it's not a great pic, but how many times are these 3 in the same location?

 

Hey, it's Todd Bridges!

It's Earl Holliman, JoAnne Worley, Tina Louise, Lee Meriwether, Richard Paul, Johnnie Ray, and Ruth Buzzi!

 

Get down, Victor French!

 

It's the ever-dashing Robert Mandan!

 

"Jimmy Tyler" and his band!

 

 

Jon Baker, peacemaker:

 

 

Guys, did you enjoy this episode?

 

I thought so!

 

 

 

Presenting the CHiPs Roller Disco All-Stars

Before we start the festivities, a moment of quiet reflection for Ponch and Jon, who were humbled by Jim Brown and Fred Williamson earlier in the episode:

Come to think of it, how about a moment of quiet reflection for Jim Brown and Fred Williamson for being put in this situation:

I give you the comedy insurance fraudster team of Larrys Storch and Linville:

Bill Daily is a man of the 1970s:

So long, suckers!

Roller disco wasn't ALL bad, folks:

Come back tomorrow for your chance to SKATE WITH THE STARS!

Episode 12: CHiPs "Roller Disco" Parts I and II

This week, we look at a two-part episode of late '70s, early '80s feel-good show CHiPs and posit the idea that it might be the quintessential show of the era. In just two hours, John (Larry Wilcox) and Ponch (Erik Estrada have to help out a troubled rock star and his manager, stop a duo bent on sparking car accidents, foil a roller-skating gang of thieves, keep a roller-skating kid on the right side of the rink, and most importantly recruit stars for a charity roller disco! Can they do any of it? How many cars will crash? How many stars will show? How many stars will crash? Plus, the return of not one but two BOTNS favorites!

Check out this episode!

Tomorrow on Battle of the Network Shows...