Loyal listener Amy recommended this Saturday-morning drama about an Army-trained German shepherd on the run for a crime he didn't commit! Kristy McNichol guests as a girl who takes in Joe against her father's wishes. Plus, "What We'd Like to See"!
Thursday, May 4, 2017
Wednesday, May 3, 2017
Tuesday, May 2, 2017
Untold* Stories of "The Golden Girls"
I said that we would go into the saga of Coco--the ill-fated gay houseboy character scrapped after (and technically during) the pilot episode, but I have been reading the excellent book Golden Girls Forever: An Unauthorized Look Behind the Lanai by Jim Colucci, and I think that story will have to wait for another day. Today I will bring you 3 other untold* stories.
(*"Untold" is a sketchy term considering I am telling you right now that they were told in this book, but it sounds good, doesn't it?)
1) His Burtness: Our episode discusses "Ladies of the Evening," a story built around the gals obtaining tickets to a Burt Reynolds movie premiere. One of the series' writers, Kathy Speer, says the Burt Reynolds Dinner Theatre kept coming up in the writers' room and that she thinks he only did the show to thwart the speculation that he had AIDS at the time.
Barry Fanaro, credited co-writer on "Ladies," says Betty White told them Burt Reynolds loved the show, so they asked her if he'd do a guest shot. Fanaro says Burt was a little nervous about botching his big appearance at the end of the episode but that "it worked perfectly."
One of the "ladies of the night" the Girls share a holding cell with is played by Rue McClanahan's niece Amelia. According to an associate director of the episode, she opted not to wear a bra during dress rehearsal and experienced a "wardrobe malfunction." It caused chaos in the booth, and then everyone settled down and figured, "OK, she's just being a little ambitious." They fixed the situation before the version that aired.
2) Thank you for being an earworm: The book details the origin of the famous theme song, Cindy Fee's cover version of Andrew Gold's AM Gold hit (and not a huge hit at that) "Thank You for Being a Friend." The original concept was a series of stock shots of Miami on screen to the sounds of Bette Midler's "(You Got to Have) Friends," but the original choice of that tune was too expensive to license.
The producers went with a female rendition of Gold's old hit, and the then-23-year-old Fee showed up, said she was gonna nail it in one take (she had a lot of other gigs lined up that day) and did so. She had no idea what the series was even about, but she declared today that the song put her kids through college.
3) Coming up after The Smurfs: Perhaps the most amazing untold story of all is the fact that the series producers actually considered a Saturday morning animated spinoff of The Golden Girls. Production associate Robert Spina dreamed up The Animated Everyday Adventures of Sophia Petrillo and the Golden Gang, with the lead to be voiced by Estelle Getty. Disney actually considered this, but alas, it was never to be.
The concept included Sofia teaming up with the kids from the neighborhood, plus the dog from Empty Nest, while her roommates were away during the day. There would be stories of Sicily and cameos by the other Girls.
(*"Untold" is a sketchy term considering I am telling you right now that they were told in this book, but it sounds good, doesn't it?)
1) His Burtness: Our episode discusses "Ladies of the Evening," a story built around the gals obtaining tickets to a Burt Reynolds movie premiere. One of the series' writers, Kathy Speer, says the Burt Reynolds Dinner Theatre kept coming up in the writers' room and that she thinks he only did the show to thwart the speculation that he had AIDS at the time.
Barry Fanaro, credited co-writer on "Ladies," says Betty White told them Burt Reynolds loved the show, so they asked her if he'd do a guest shot. Fanaro says Burt was a little nervous about botching his big appearance at the end of the episode but that "it worked perfectly."
One of the "ladies of the night" the Girls share a holding cell with is played by Rue McClanahan's niece Amelia. According to an associate director of the episode, she opted not to wear a bra during dress rehearsal and experienced a "wardrobe malfunction." It caused chaos in the booth, and then everyone settled down and figured, "OK, she's just being a little ambitious." They fixed the situation before the version that aired.
2) Thank you for being an earworm: The book details the origin of the famous theme song, Cindy Fee's cover version of Andrew Gold's AM Gold hit (and not a huge hit at that) "Thank You for Being a Friend." The original concept was a series of stock shots of Miami on screen to the sounds of Bette Midler's "(You Got to Have) Friends," but the original choice of that tune was too expensive to license.
The producers went with a female rendition of Gold's old hit, and the then-23-year-old Fee showed up, said she was gonna nail it in one take (she had a lot of other gigs lined up that day) and did so. She had no idea what the series was even about, but she declared today that the song put her kids through college.
3) Coming up after The Smurfs: Perhaps the most amazing untold story of all is the fact that the series producers actually considered a Saturday morning animated spinoff of The Golden Girls. Production associate Robert Spina dreamed up The Animated Everyday Adventures of Sophia Petrillo and the Golden Gang, with the lead to be voiced by Estelle Getty. Disney actually considered this, but alas, it was never to be.
The concept included Sofia teaming up with the kids from the neighborhood, plus the dog from Empty Nest, while her roommates were away during the day. There would be stories of Sicily and cameos by the other Girls.
Monday, May 1, 2017
Further Viewing: The Golden Girls "Larceny and Old Lace," or the Golden Girls Meet the Mickster
If you've listened to our Golden Girls episode (see in player above), you know we love Burt, but we also love Mickey Rooney (The Mickster going forward). In "Larceny and Old Lace" (season 3, episode 21), The Mickster pays a visit as Sophia's new boyfriend Rocco. Sophia met him at the police station while trying to identify a purse snatcher, and they hit it off. Rocco was caught spray-painting something obscene on a billboard of Spuds MacKenzie.
Dorothy doesn't much care for Rocco, and this creates a role-reversal gag throughout the episode with Dorothy playing mom to Sophia's rebellions teenager. She tells Rose that Sophia came home "with NyQuil on her breath and his surgical stockings in her pocket." She doesn't know what that means, but she doesn't like it.
Rocco certainly talks a big game. At one point, he tells Dorothy if she had a suit and a higher voice she could pass for notorious gangster Frank Nitti, and he claims to have known him, Dutch Schultz, and Al Capone. He also says he "ran Detroit." Later, Rocco shows up with a grocery cart full of his stuff (most notably a deer head and a satchel) because he doesn't have room on his apartment...or does he?
In the slightly predictable and quickly dispensed with B story, Blanche has been giving Rose an extra hard time. She found and broke into Rose's diary only to read about two awful, snoring, belching pigs. Dorothy chastises Blanche for reading the diary, but of course, she succumbs to temptation and tries to break into it as soon as Blanche leaves the room. Later, Rose catches them and rightly gets angry at their violation of her privacy, refusing to talk to them. Guilt-ridden, Dorothy and Blanche end up in Sophia's bedroom, seeking advice, and then Rose comes along and reveals the diary was her 4-H pig diary...about literal pigs. They make up.
Rocco's satchel falls on the floor, opening and dumping out thousands of dollars in cash. Sophia says they stopped by a bank earlier, and he ran out, and they know he must have held up the bank. She calls him, and he admits the truth, saying he did it for her and that he's coming over.
While they wait for Rocco, the other girls reminisce about the most romantic moments of their lives. Blanche tells a touching (but of course sexy) story about her courtship with her late husband punctuated with a stupid question by Rose and two amazing takes by McClanahan and Arthur.
Dorothy's tells a more rough-around-the-edges story about her ex-husband Stan proposing to her. It includes a ring in a champagne glass, Dorothy accidentally swallowing it, and the phrase "three days later."
Finally, Rocco arrives, struggling to climb over the patio wall, then trying to get Sophia to run away with him. She refuses. He comes clean. He's no tough guy. He told those stories to impress her. He was an "assistant" cook at a chowder house in Bayonne, New Jersey. He robbed the bank so he could treat her like a queen. Sophia explains he doesn't need to do fancy things for her. He always treats her like a queen. They reconcile.
Except a mention in the last scene, Rocco never appears on the show again. Did he go to jail? Did he die? Did they just break up?
Forget it, Jake. It's Sitcom Town.
Other thoughts:
 |
| The man, the myth, The Mickster |
Dorothy doesn't much care for Rocco, and this creates a role-reversal gag throughout the episode with Dorothy playing mom to Sophia's rebellions teenager. She tells Rose that Sophia came home "with NyQuil on her breath and his surgical stockings in her pocket." She doesn't know what that means, but she doesn't like it.
Rocco certainly talks a big game. At one point, he tells Dorothy if she had a suit and a higher voice she could pass for notorious gangster Frank Nitti, and he claims to have known him, Dutch Schultz, and Al Capone. He also says he "ran Detroit." Later, Rocco shows up with a grocery cart full of his stuff (most notably a deer head and a satchel) because he doesn't have room on his apartment...or does he?
In the slightly predictable and quickly dispensed with B story, Blanche has been giving Rose an extra hard time. She found and broke into Rose's diary only to read about two awful, snoring, belching pigs. Dorothy chastises Blanche for reading the diary, but of course, she succumbs to temptation and tries to break into it as soon as Blanche leaves the room. Later, Rose catches them and rightly gets angry at their violation of her privacy, refusing to talk to them. Guilt-ridden, Dorothy and Blanche end up in Sophia's bedroom, seeking advice, and then Rose comes along and reveals the diary was her 4-H pig diary...about literal pigs. They make up.
Rocco's satchel falls on the floor, opening and dumping out thousands of dollars in cash. Sophia says they stopped by a bank earlier, and he ran out, and they know he must have held up the bank. She calls him, and he admits the truth, saying he did it for her and that he's coming over.
While they wait for Rocco, the other girls reminisce about the most romantic moments of their lives. Blanche tells a touching (but of course sexy) story about her courtship with her late husband punctuated with a stupid question by Rose and two amazing takes by McClanahan and Arthur.
Dorothy's tells a more rough-around-the-edges story about her ex-husband Stan proposing to her. It includes a ring in a champagne glass, Dorothy accidentally swallowing it, and the phrase "three days later."
Finally, Rocco arrives, struggling to climb over the patio wall, then trying to get Sophia to run away with him. She refuses. He comes clean. He's no tough guy. He told those stories to impress her. He was an "assistant" cook at a chowder house in Bayonne, New Jersey. He robbed the bank so he could treat her like a queen. Sophia explains he doesn't need to do fancy things for her. He always treats her like a queen. They reconcile.
 |
| Aww. |
Except a mention in the last scene, Rocco never appears on the show again. Did he go to jail? Did he die? Did they just break up?
Forget it, Jake. It's Sitcom Town.
Other thoughts:
- Sophia says Rocco is 85, but The Mickster was a youthful 68 in 1988.
- The Mickster kills it, playing puffed up, weird (the scene with the grocery cart), hurt, and sweet. He also gets some good jokes and reactions.
- All the Golden Girls have moments, too, both comedic and serious:
- Rose seems genuinely hurt by her friends' betrayal of her, but she also has a number of classic naive/dumb lines.
- The role reversal with Dorothy works well, and she gets annoyed by just about everyone, plus she shows remorse for hurting Rose.
- Blanche tells that wonderful story (it really is nice if a little "intimate"), but she gets plenty of funny business and a number of good takes not just reacting to Rose but reacting to Dorothy trying to open the diary.
- Sophia shoots off her normal zingers and insults but has that nice moment with Rocco.
- At the end, Dorothy has a one-sided phone call with Sophia (who says she's staying at Rocco's) and says, "I should do what to myself?" Don't say this show didn't have an edge.
- Pop culture references:
- The aforementioned Spuds MacKenzie
- Sophia calls Dorothy Donald Trump (page hits, here we come) after she breaks up Sophia and Rocco's game of strip poker
- Dorothy has a line about Spiro Agnew
- Rose questions whether George Bush (H.W. model) is married to his mother.
- No one eats cheesecake in this episode either. Big-name guest stars must have affected the cheesecake budget.
- Can anyone identify this board game? It involves trivia but looks like a Sorry type game. Probably isn't real, but I thought I'd ask.
Friday, April 28, 2017
Show Notes: The Golden Girls
*"Ladies of the Evening" premiered Saturday, October 4, 1986, on the NBC television network and was the second episode of the series' second season.
*NBC's slogan at the time was indeed "Let's All be There!" NBC was also "The Place to Be" in the early 1990s.
*What was the approximate age of the characters? Hard to find definitive proof, though I read in two places that Dorothy said Rose was 55 in one episode. These are the ages of the actresses when the show debuted:
Bea Arthur 63
Betty White 63
Estelle Getty 61
Rue McClanahan 51
*Check here next week for another BOTNS Investigative Report on the story behind the rise and fall of gay houseboy Coco.
*Herb Edelman, AKA Stan Zbornac, had a long and prolific career in character parts, though he died way too young at 62. He was Murray the cop in the original fiLm version of The Odd Couple and co-starred in the sitcom The Good Guys with a post-Gilligan Bob Denver.
*Golden Girls spinoff Empty Nest ran a staggering 7 seasons and 170 episodes on NBC!
*Burt Reynolds needs no introduction nor summary of his legendary career, but in case you forgot about Cop and a Half, it was a 1993 comedy flop directed by Henry Winkler and teaming His Burtness with a precocious 8-year-old. Oh, and Burt's character hates kids, of course. And they work together to solve a crime--not just a crime, mind you, but a murder.
*Jerry Reed was a country star and actor and also the creator of the theme for Burt's smash hit Smokey and the Bandit.
*The Golden Girls' house apparently had 4 bedrooms. Sophia moved in and shared a bed with her daughter Dorothy when a guest came over (well, not counting the "guests" that Blanche brought home). SOURCE: An episode I watched after we taped this episode.
*We have been unable to verify the existence of any Golden Girls conventions, but we dd discover there is a well-regarded podcast, one we did not know about before taping our episode: http://www.outonthelanai.com/
*Golden Palace attempted to keep the show going without Bea(trice) Arthur (who did appear in several episodes). The other 3 gals opened a hotel, moved to CBS (well, the show did) and flopped, though not as badly as did Cop and a Half.
*NBC's slogan at the time was indeed "Let's All be There!" NBC was also "The Place to Be" in the early 1990s.
*What was the approximate age of the characters? Hard to find definitive proof, though I read in two places that Dorothy said Rose was 55 in one episode. These are the ages of the actresses when the show debuted:
Bea Arthur 63
Betty White 63
Estelle Getty 61
Rue McClanahan 51
*Check here next week for another BOTNS Investigative Report on the story behind the rise and fall of gay houseboy Coco.
*Herb Edelman, AKA Stan Zbornac, had a long and prolific career in character parts, though he died way too young at 62. He was Murray the cop in the original fiLm version of The Odd Couple and co-starred in the sitcom The Good Guys with a post-Gilligan Bob Denver.
*Golden Girls spinoff Empty Nest ran a staggering 7 seasons and 170 episodes on NBC!
*Burt Reynolds needs no introduction nor summary of his legendary career, but in case you forgot about Cop and a Half, it was a 1993 comedy flop directed by Henry Winkler and teaming His Burtness with a precocious 8-year-old. Oh, and Burt's character hates kids, of course. And they work together to solve a crime--not just a crime, mind you, but a murder.
*Jerry Reed was a country star and actor and also the creator of the theme for Burt's smash hit Smokey and the Bandit.
*The Golden Girls' house apparently had 4 bedrooms. Sophia moved in and shared a bed with her daughter Dorothy when a guest came over (well, not counting the "guests" that Blanche brought home). SOURCE: An episode I watched after we taped this episode.
*We have been unable to verify the existence of any Golden Girls conventions, but we dd discover there is a well-regarded podcast, one we did not know about before taping our episode: http://www.outonthelanai.com/
*Golden Palace attempted to keep the show going without Bea(trice) Arthur (who did appear in several episodes). The other 3 gals opened a hotel, moved to CBS (well, the show did) and flopped, though not as badly as did Cop and a Half.
Thursday, April 27, 2017
Episode 2_4: The Golden Girls "Ladies of the Evening"
Tickets to the world premiere and after party for Mr. Burt Reynolds' latest movie land the Golden Girls in exactly the wrong place--jail...for prostitution. Will they get out in time to meet Burt and the rest of the Burt Pack? Will Rose ever get over losing Butter Queen? Will Burt lead a game of Win, Lose, or Draw? It all depends on the kindness of Sophia! Uh-oh.
Wednesday, April 26, 2017
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