One final (for now) personal Batty: Outstanding Season 10 Book

Before we turn the page on the Season 10 Battys, I would like to give one more personal unofficial award--a literary one, if you will. This season, as discussed on the podcast, I did a lot of reading for prep. I want to recognize one more time the fine books I read that helped provide info for the shows we covered:

Michael Landon: His Triumph and Tragedy by Aileen Joyce
Confessions of a Prairie Bitch by Alison Arngrim
The Case of the Alliterative Attorney: A Guide to the Perry Mason TV Series and TV Movies by Bill Sullivan with Ed Robertson

It's Garry Shandling's Book by Judd Apatow

Laugh Lines by Alan Zweibel

Enemies, A Love Story

Bob Hope on TV: Thanks for the Video Memories by Wesley Hyatt
The Laugh Makers: A Behind-the-Scenes Tribute to Bob Hope's Incredible Gag Writers by Bob Mills

An American Saga: The Definitive History of High School USA (OK, I made that one up, but if anyone ever writes it...)

And my unofficial yet sincere Batty for Outstanding Book goes to...

Wow, this is a tough choice. There are biographies and reference guides mixed in, and I got something out of all of these. Attorney and Video Memories are tremendous resources I refer to often, and the latter's lively reviews are quite enjoyable. Alison Arngrim's memoir was even better than I expected. The Shandling and Zweibel books are entertaining and revealing. Mills' book, despite the title, is really a fascinating look at Hope himself and his later career as much as anything. Even the Landon book taught me a lot I didn't know about the icon.

However, if someone asked me to recommend one book on this list, it would be Enemies, A Love Story. Yes, it is an oral history, and it is a Kindle Single. But I am counting it as a book, and what a book! It's addictive, and it offers tremendous insight into all aspects of the long-running movie show--not just their fabled relationship, but the production and business aspects of the program as well. Therefore I am giving my unofficial Outstanding Book Batty to Enemies, A Love Story.

Season 10 Battys: Snubs and Surprises

After another eventful Batty Awards show, It's Garry Shandling's Show stands as the single biggest winner from the Season 10 Battys. What were the biggest snubs and surprises from the show? Let's take a look.

We have mentioned on the page that the big snubbees were Bob Hope and Spider-Man, as their shows each got zero Battys. It's a particular surprise in the case of Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, a fun listener-suggested series that we enjoyed talking about on the podcast.

Carrie from Little House played a pivotal role in "Blizzard" yet didn't make the noms for Outstanding Youth. And whither so many of the crew from High School USA? The sheer numbers of the massive cast of that TV movie might have worked against some potential candidates, but it should be proud that its lone choice, Todd Bridges, won.

The "as oneself" category is loaded with snubs. There were so many people in the Bob Hope special, and in the 21st century, whenever there's a chance for Muhammad Ali to get an award and he does not, it's an upset. There might be some controversy over Jeff Goldblum being nominated in this category and for Outstanding Supporting Male, and we hear the questions. That's something for the Blue Ribbon Committee to answer someday,

One of the most controversial categories each year is Outstanding Facial Hair, and while some might think Arthur Coleman from Perry Mason deserved a nod, I ask, do you remember Arthur Colemar? Actually, Hair and Facial Hair were rather straightforward this year. Garry Shandling losing for his hair might be a cruel shock to him, but Michael Landon getting that Batty is by no means a surprise.

Willie Oleson may not have had a shot at Youth, but his paste eating carried him to a mild upset over Conrad Bain's buffoonish Arthur Harman for Biggest Dope.

Perhaps the biggest upset came in the Non-Human category, where Goldblum's meat locker rode the positive wave of energy generated by It's Garry Shandling's Show to knock off robots, Rankin-Bass characters, and beloved Mister Rogers' Neighborhood icons like Trolley.

Outstanding Song saw Fred Astaire win for an Easter Bunny song in a surprise considering competition from TV staples Charo, Dean Martin, and Mac Davis. Perhaps the Easter songs didn't split the votes as much as the Hope votes did.

Nita Talbot scored a big upset by becoming a two-time winner for Supporting Female and knocking off favorites Nancy Walker and Barbara Hale in the process. But what about Bosom Buddies' Donna Dixon and Thelma Hopkins, who weren't even nominated?

The Supporting Male category was loaded with talent even without snubbed actors like Tony Dow and Crispin Glover, plus the likes of Bert Freed and the other guest stars in Perry Mason. Robert Redford is one of the more notable exclusions from the list. John Astin's win has to be considered a surprise when you look at the competition: Popular William "Paul Drake" Hopper, plus 3 men who won other Battys that evening--Goldblum, Astaire, and Victor French.

Looking at the Outstanding Male Batty, Fred Rogers' win is not a huge shock, but there are some notable exclusions. Spider-Man didn't even get a chance here. The lack of Bill Macy for Maude stands out, and poor Michael J. Fox didn't get a single nom for being the lead in High School USA. Outstanding Heel Beau Middleton gets the last laugh after all!

Overall, the show didn't really have an upset on the level of Battlestar Galactica's infamous win for Outstanding Theme Song last season, and the Random Number Generator didn't even make an appearance. Is this a sign that we are on the same page when voting? Was this season filled with more clear-cut choices? That's for you, the listeners, to decide.

Season 10 Battys: In Memoriam

Here is the list of names we read in the In Memoriam segment on the Season 10 Batty Awards show. No disrespect is intended to any of the TV personalities we lost but did not recognize in this segment. R.I.P. to all as we pay tribute one last time by listing them here:

Clu Gulager
Roger E. Mosely
Olivia Newton John
Nichelle Nichols
Burt Metcalfe

Tony Dow
Taurean Blacque
Pat John
Larry Storch
David Birney

Philip Baker Hall
Charles Siebert
Bo Hopkins
Robert Morse
Liz Sheridan

Gilbert Gottfried
Barrie Youngfellow
Nehemiah Persoff
Scoey Mitchell
Emilio Delgado

Conrad Janis
Johnny Brown
Howard Hesseman
Ralph Emery
Bob Saget

Dwayne Hickman
Marilyn Bregman
John Madden
Betty White
Bernard Shaw

Season 10 Battys: Complete list of nominees and winners

Thanks to everyone for listening to this season's Batty Awards. As a handy guide, here is a list of all the categories and the winners in bold. SPOILERS if you haven't heard the podcast yet!

OUTSTANDING YOUTH: King Bruce (Easter), Grant Schumacher (Shandling), Kitty Pryde (Spidey), Laura Ingalls (LHOP) Mary Ingalls (LHOP), Willie Oleson (LHOP), Todd Bridges (High School USA)

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE AS ONESELF: Bob Hope (Bob Hope Specials), Sammy Davis Jr. (Bob Hope Specials), Gene Siskel (Siskel and Ebert), Roger Ebert (Siskel and Ebert), Jeff Goldblum (It's Garry Shandling's Show), Bert Convy (It's Garry Shandling's Show)

OUTSTANDING HAIR: Bert Convy (It's Garry Shandling's Show), Michael Landon (LHOP), Nancy McKeon (High School USA), Garry Shandling (It's Garry Shandling's Show)

FACIAL HAIR: Leonard Maltin (Siskel and Ebert) Bill Macy (Maude), Sammy Davis Jr. (Bob Hope Specials) Victor French (LHOP), Gene Shalit (Siskel and Ebert)

OUTSTANDING EXPLANATION:
Lady Elaine and Queen Sara explaining what love is to Lady Aberlin (Mister Rogers)
Texaco explaining it doesn't really make much money off gas and oil (Bob Hope Specials)
Stanley Roderick's explanation of toupees on the witness stand (Perry Mason)
Siskel explaining what Ebert thought about Batman (Siskel and Ebert)
Sunny explaining how to eat an Easter egg (Easter Bunny)

BIGGEST DOPE: Wille Oleson (LHOP), Mr. Plaza (High School USA), Mel Tartar (Kolchak), Hamilton Burger (Perry Mason) Arthur Harmon (Maude)

OUTSTANDING HEEL: Anne-Marie Conklin (High School USA), Beau Middleton (High School USA), Captain Wells (Kolchak), Miss Beadle (LHOP), Mr. Fontaine (McMillan and Wife)

OUTSTANDING VILLAIN: Countess (Easter), Cyberiad (Spidey), Werewolf (Kolchak), Monica Fontaine (McMillan and Wife), Colemar (Perry Mason)

OUTSTANDING NON-HUMAN: Sunny (Easter), Gadzooks (Easter), The Robot (High School USA), X the Owl (Mister Rogers), Trolley (Mister Rogers), Jeff Goldblum's meat freezer (It's Garry Shandling's Show)

Listener Award #1: Best Friends Award
This Batty is for the outstanding besties who displayed their friendship in an episode we discussed on the podcast this season!

Nominees: Kip and Henry (Bosom Buddies) Spider-Man, Firestar, Iceman (Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends); Charles Ingalls and Isiah Edwards (Little House on the Prairie); Mac and Enright (McMillan and Wife); Garry Shanding and Jeff Goldblum (It's Garry Shandling's Show)

Listener Award #2: Missing in Action Award
This Batty is for the regular character in a series who was not featured in an episode we covered and whose presence was missed the most.

Nominees: Aunt May (Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends); Jonathan Garvey  (Little House on the Prairie); Mr. McFeely (Mister Rogers' Neighborhood); Mrs. Naugatuck (Maude); Emmanuel Lewis (Bob Hope Specials)

OUTSTANDING THEME SONG (LYRICS): Easter Bunny is Comin' to Town, It's Garry Shandling's Show, High School USA, Bosom Buddies, Maude

OUTSTANDING THEME SONG (INSTRUMENTAL): Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, Perry Mason, Kolchak, McMillan and Wife, Little House on the Prairie, Thanks for the Memories (Bob Hope), Siskel and Ebert

OUTSTANDING SONG: 
From Easter Bunny:

Which Came First, the Chicken or the Egg? - The Hendrews Sisters
All You Have to Do is Think "Can Do" - Fred Astaire and the Cast

From Bob Hope Special:
Poor Boy Music by Mac Davis and the Struts
I've Grown Accustomed to His Face by Dean Martin
Fernando by Charo

From Maude:
Hard-Hearted Hannah, the Vamp of Savannah by Bea Arthur as Maude

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING FEMALE: Nancy Walker (McMillan and Wife), Wendy Jo Sperber (Bosom Buddies), Nita Talbot (Kolchak), Adrienne Barbeau (Maude), Barbara Hale (Perry Mason) Charlotte Stewart (LHOP)

OUTSTANDING FEMALE: Susan St. James (McMillan and Wife), Firestar (Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends), Lady Aberlin (Mister Rogers), Bea Arthur (Maude), Nancy McKeon (High School USA), Karen Grassle (LHOP)

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING MALE: Fred Astaire (Easter Bunny), John Astin (McMillan and Wife), William Hopper (Perry Mason), Victor French (LHOP), Kevin Hagan (LHOP), Jeff Goldblum (It's Garry Shandling's Show)

OUTSTANDING MALE: Fred Rogers (Mister Rogers), Michael Landon (LHOP), Darren McGavin (Kolchak), Rock Hudson (McMillan and Wife), Garry Shandling (It's Garry Shandling's Show), Raymond Burr (Perry Mason)

BEST EPISODE: Easter Bunny Is Comin' to Town; Mister Rogers, “What Is Love;” Spidey, “The X-Men Adventure;” Maude, “Maude's Musical;” Bob Hope's All-Star Comedy Spectacular from Lake Tahoe; LHOP, “Blizzard;” Bosom Buddies, 'Waterballoongate;” Kolchak, “Werewolf;” McMillan and Wife, “Cop of the Year;” High School USA; It's Garry Shandling's Show, “Go Go Goldblum;” Siskel and Ebert, “Batman/Ghostbusters 2/Honey, I Shrunk the Kids.”

BEST SHOW: Mister Rogers, Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, Maude, Siskel and Ebert, Perry Mason, It's Garry Shandling's Show, Kolchak, McMillan and Wife, Bosom Buddies, LHOP

ROBERT PINE GENIUS AWARD: John Schuck (McMillan and Wife)

Season 10 Battys by the Numbers

Let's take a look at the 10th Battys by the number of awards won per show:

It's Garry Shandling's Show: 5

Little House on the Prairie:3

High School USA: 2

Mister Rogers' Neighborhood: 2
McMillan and Wife: 2 (plus the Genius Award)
Maude: 1
Kolchak: 1

Perry Mason: 1
Bosom Buddies: 1

The Easter Bunny Is Comin' to Town: 1
Siskel and Ebert: 1

Shut out: Bob Hope Specials, Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends

A few more numbers of note:

Temperature of average walk-in meat freezer (recommended): -10 to 0 degrees F

Average annual income per family in Walnut Grove circa 1870s: -.45 cents
Minimum wage in 1983: $3.35/hour
Beau Middleton's allowance in 1983: $500/week

Per capita corn consumption circa 1970s: 28 pounds

Per capita potato consumption circa 1972: 122 pounds

Per capita corn AND potato in the same meal consumption circa 1972: too low for accurate measurement

Episodes of Maude dealing with a certain controversial subject: 1

Episodes of Maude in which the sound of Maude's voice may have served as de facto birth control: 84

Number of stars Roger Ebert gave Cop and a Half: 3

Number of series (not specials/movies) we covered in Season 10: 10
Number of those available for official streaming as of this writing: 6

Number of Battys won by Bob Hope: 0

Number of jokes about the Battys that Bob Hope would make if he were around today to give a monologue: 2

Number of jokes about Dwight D. Eisenhower that Bob Hope would make if he were around today to give a monologue: 3

Tomorrow on Battle of the Network Shows...

 

For Your Batty Consideration: Little House on the Prairie

We closed out the tenth season of BOTNS with one of the few bright spots of its era for NBC: Little House on the Prairie. It's a program we discussed doing for years, and we finally got to it with Season 3's "Blizzard," a wild episode that proves our feeling that it's one of the most disaster-filled series in television history. We're still kind of surprised we weren't attacked by locusts while recording.

Links:

Our podcast episode
Show notes and YT playlist

Anonymous Batty Insider says: "This episode had everything--most all of the cast, a disaster, death, great hair..There are plenty of chances for noms here and maybe even some wins. The podcast's affection for late 1970s NBC is obvious, but then again, that didn't necessarily make Real People a Batty king. Ultimately, it should be said that it's pretty tough to forecast these awards when we don't even know the categories until the actual show!"

For Your Batty Consideration: Bosom Buddies

In our penultimate episode of this tenth season, we discussed a sitcom that seems much more remembered than it might merit at first glance. Bosom Buddies may not hold up as much as we would like it to, but in our discussion of the second-season episode "Waterballoongate," we talk about how ditching the attention-grabbing gimmick that sold the show led to a better show.

Links:

Our podcast episode
Show notes and YT playlist

Anonymous Batty Insider says: "Hanks and Scolari received Batty attention in past seasons, but they are underdogs here. They could play spoiler in a few categories, but I think Bosom Buddies might have to settle for that TV Land award it won. Part of me wishes Richard Nixon had actually guested in 'Waterballoongate' so that he'd be eligible."

For Your Batty Consideration: McMillan and Wife

After a failed attempt to get John Schuck on the podcast in Season 9, we delivered with McMillan and Wife, an NBC Mystery Wheel show that also features Rock Hudson and Susan Saint James. "Cop of the Year" is not only a great Schuckcase, but a solid example of the series in fine form (I called it my favorite of the series) and a story loaded with interesting performers.

Links:

Our podcast episode
Show notes and YT playlist

Anonymous Batty Insider says: "If John Schuck doesn't get some kind of Batty after the guys seemingly built an entire episode around him, I'll eat my Rewind Stubbs t-shirt! I've been talking about episode selection this Batty season, and this is an example of the series being helped by the choice of an exceptional installment. We'll see if it pays off for Mac and Wife at the ceremony."

For Your Batty Consideration: Kolchak the Night Stalker

Our good friend John Holm suggested we look at Kolchak the Night Stalker this season, and we enjoyed perusing the short-lived but fondly remembered cult series. In "Werewolf," intrepid reporter Carl Kolchak didn't have to do much digging to find the title creature; it shared a cruise ship with him! Unlike many of the podcast subjects, Kolchak is something neither of us really grew up watching, so it was a fun experience for us. 

OR WAS IT?

Yes. Yes, it was, very much so.

Links:

Our podcast episode
Show notes and YT playlist

Anonymous Batty Insider says: "Mike and Rick have given other shows a lot more praise this season, but they love Darren McGavin, and that alone makes Kolchak a Batty player. Throw in a colorful guest cast and a fun episode, and this could be a much bigger force than you might expect after hearing the episode."

For Your Batty Consideration: High School U.S.A (1984)

This season's listener-voted episode was High School U.S.A., which beat out 3 other teen-centric 1980s TV movies, possibly due to its all-star cast. The movie blends the 'stars of the future" with the stars of, er, yesterday, throwing in a lot of familiar veteran TV faces. Our listeners knew what they were doing! This movie is a fun watch and gives us plenty to discuss on the podcast: Robots, cars, TEEN HIJINKS, and more!

Links:

Our podcast episode
Show notes and YT playlist

Anonymous Batty Insider says: "This one could be a big player at the Battys. It has potential in numerous categories, and the huge cast with all the familiar faces means it could really flood the acting categories. On the other hand, you could see a narrative with people thinking, oh, this already won just by being selected by the listeners. I don't know about that, but it's a possibility. I'd expect this to lead in nominations and maybe sneak in a few wins."

For Your Batty Consideration: it's Garry Shandling's Show

This is the podcast about Garry's show, the BOTNS podcast about Garry's show...

Our tenth season continued with a look at one of the funniest sitcoms of the Eighties, It's Garry Shandling's Show. We talked about Shandling's career, great episodes of the show, and, oh, what a good one we used as the focal point: "Go Go Goldblum" with Grant Shumacher's favorite actor, Jeff Goldblum. 

Links:

Our podcast episode
Show notes and YT playlist

Anonymous Batty Insider says: "Rick went on kind of a weird crusade to point out how much he disliked the show's last season. I don't know what was up with that, but otherwise, they loved It's Garry Shandling's Show, and I expect it to score some major wins. It should be a big contender for theme song and some of the biggest Battys, too."

For Your Batty Consideration: Perry Mason

Our now-regular "retro retro" show, one looking at a TV series from the "Silver Age" or the 1950s/1960s, is a popular new feature on our BOTNS podcast schedule. This season we talked about CBS' long-running classic legal drama Perry Mason, covering the history of the series and talking about the original novels and even The New Perry Mason as we focused on the show's fourth-season opener, "The Case of the Treacherous Toupee." A young Robert Redford is among the guest cast in a fun Mason installment. We had a great time exploring the world of Perry Mason and hope that you continue to enjoy these steps outside our "official" time frame.

Links:

Our podcast episode
Show notes and YT playlist

Anonymous Batty Insider says: "It's obvious the guys enjoy Perry Mason, but it'll be interesting to see how the Batty committee handles it. Is it fair to throw an older show in there against the usual Seventies and Eighties stuff? I'm not saying it is or isn't, just that the question is going to be asked. Another factor might be the disappearance of the show from FreeVee, which might give the guys some residual anger. If everyone gets past those issues, this could be a big-time Battys player."

For Your Batty Consideration: Bob Hope

As we neared the midway point of our tenth season, we dove into the world of Bob Hope specials, inspired by our friend Geno (though he may not want to take responsibility for the Tahoe special since he suggested a different program that we may get to in the future!).  Bob Hope's All-Star Comedy Spectacular Live from Tahoe debuted January 1977 and featured stars like Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Charo, Mac Davis, and many more! Yet with all that entertainment going on, one of the biggest things we talked about was the messaging spread throughout the program by sponsor Texaco.

Links:

Our podcast episode
Show notes and YT playlist

Anonymous Batty Insider says: "It might be tempting to snub Bob just to envision the jokes he would make, but I see this being a bit of a Batty sleeper. For one thing, it has plenty of songs that are eligible in a category for which many episodes will not have nominees. Also, a variety show has a lot of variety. Look for a surprising number of nominees but perhaps a relatively low number of winners."

For Your Batty Consideration: Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends

In episode 5, we had our first listener request of the season: Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends as suggested by our friends James and Lucille. Regular listeners know we can talk about all sorts of stuff when it comes to the cartoons, and this episode is no exception as we discuss "The X-Men Adventure." We learn about the Danger Room, about Firestar's background, and a little something about the bittersweet combination of love and attempted assassination by a cyborg.

Links:

Our podcast episode
Show notes and YT playlist

Anonymous Batty Insider says: "The episode they talk about really shows the class Spider-Man has because while he does give some tender words to Firestar, he gives much of the spotlight to her and to the X-Men. In fact, the focus on so many other lesser-seen characters may hurt Spidey's Batty chances."

For Your Batty Consideration: Siskel and Ebert

The fourth episode of our latest season focused on movies--that is, reviews of movies by TV critics, with a particular focus on Siskel and Ebert. We built the episode around a great 1989 installment of the two critics' long-running program, one that looked at Batman, Ghostbusters II, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, and Kung Fu Fighter. That's 3 blockbusters and a really, really cringy-sounding "art film" that is made by an acclaimed filmmaker and so Siskel and Ebert try to find meaning in it.

Links:

Our podcast episode
Show notes and YT playlist

Anonymous Batty Insider says: "This was a fun episode that provided something a little different--too different to win Battys? Could one be nominated for something without the other? It'd be nice to see S&E get something, but smart money doesn't see a lot of opportunities."

For Your Batty Consideration: Maude

In our tenth season's third episode, we went back to the Learverse, and there was Maude! Specifically, we focused on the "put on a show" episode "Maude's Musical," but we had a wide-ranging about the show's politics and even some of the issues it explored in its controversial 6-year-run.

Links:

Our podcast episode
Show notes and YT playlist

Anonymous Batty Insider says: "Episode selection can really have an impact on Batty contention. Look at Happy Days and think how it might have been different had they not gone with a musical episode from the later years. In this case, Maude should be a strong contender in several categories--theme song for sure--but covering 'Maude's Musical' rather than a more conventional example might have an effect in others."

For Your Batty Consideration: Mister Rogers' Neighborhood

In our tenth season's second episode, we took a journey to the hood--Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, surely thrilling our coveted 2-11-year-old demographic for the second week in a row! In addition to pondering the question, "What Is Love?" as asked in the episode premiering April 26, 1973, we talked about the show's overall impact and many other topics.

Links:

Our podcast episode
Show notes and YT playlist

Anonymous Batty Insider says: "This could be a Batty sleeper this time out, based on the affection the guys showed for the program. Will they feel the need to confirm that everyone on Mister Rogers was in fact special? Does Fred get recognized for his singing? His hosting? His kindness? Don't be surprised to see a few upsets come out of this one."

For Your Batty Consideration: Season 10: Easter Bunny Is Comin' to Town

We kicked off our tenth season of Battle of the Network Shows on April 22 with an Easter Special looking at Rankin-Bass' beloved The Easter Bunny Is Comin' to Town, which premiered April 6, 1977 on ABC.

We discussed the mysteries of Easter EXPLAINED, the odd economic system of Town, our own Easter memories, and much more!

Links:

Our podcast episode
Show notes and YT playlist

Anonymous Batty Insider says: "Rankin-Bass shows score well in the Best Song category, and this year should be no exception, but they have not proven to be be big winners in the major categories. Does the fact that Bunny was back in April mean it will be hazier in voters' minds?"

Show Notes and Video Playlist: Episode 10-13: Little House on the Prairie

*Thanks again for supporting us for our tenth season, and stick around for the upcoming Batty Awards!

*Below is the video playlist for this week's episode! Click to see promos, commercials, clips, and even a little bit of history! Plus the circus, PSAs, and how about some disco!

Remember you can always visit our official YouTube channel for past episodes and playlists for each one!

*Little House on the Prairie, a series based on Laura Ingalls Wilder's popular series of books, aired on NBC for 9 seasons, 1974-1983. The 1982-83 season is the "New Beginning" year without Michael Landon. In addition to those 204 episodes, several movie-length specials aired afterwards.

*An ABC miniseries produced under the Wonderful World of Disney banner adapted the books in 2005.

*The show started as a Wednesday night program and then moved to Monday nights for season 3. In its prime, the next 5 or so seasons, it was a big hit for NBC--a top 20 show and a top 10 show in two seasons.

*The books I mention on the podcast are Michael Landon: His Triumph and Tragedy by Aileen Joyce and Confessions of a Prairie Bitch by Alison Arngrim.

\

*The series' directors include Landon (89 episodes), William Claxton (68), Maury Dexter (21), Victor French (18), and then Leo Penn (3) and a handful of guys who did one episode each.

*The series won multiple People's Choice Awards but was left out of most Emmy categories throughout its run.

*"Blizzard" premiered Monday, January 3, 1977, leading off the night on NBC and followed by Judge Horton and the Scottsboro Boys. 

CBS' lineup was Rhoda, Phyllis, Maude, All's Fair, and Executive Suite. ABC welcomed some of the Happy Days cast to a rerun of Captain and Tennille, followed by Paul Winfield in Green Eyes.

*I want to mention the episode-by-episode podcast From Plum Creek with Love. I listened to John Hernandez's summary of "Blizzard" after we recorded this podcast. The episode mentions the real-life Schoolhouse Blizzard of 1888, an inspiration for "Blizzard." The storm caught many folks off guard due to relatively (I mean, it was still January, and this was after a big storm and a cold spell) warm weather early in the day before the snow hit.

*The episode with Ernest Borgnine is Season 1's "The Lord Is My Shepherd," a two-parter in streaming that was originally aired as one movie-length episode.

*Season 3's "The Monster of Walnut Grove" is the episode with the Headless Horsemen...or is it? The big baseball game is Season 2's "In the Big Inning." Merlin Olsen debuts as Jonathan Garvey in Season 4's premiere, "The Castoffs." Season 9's "For the Love of Blanche" is the orangutan episode!