We haven't really given this talented actor his due on the podcast yet, but BOTNS salutes the late Darren McGavin, formerly William Lyle Richardson, on what would have been his 98th birthday.
On the TV side, McGavin is best known for Kolchak: The Night Stalker, but he was in the Six Million Dollar Man pilot, had a recurring role on Murphy Brown, and of course starred in this:
Thursday, May 7, 2020
Tuesday, May 5, 2020
1970s and 1980s TV on Hoopla
One of the coolest resources for borrowing books and streaming TV and movies is Hoopla, which is accessible through participating library systems. The number of borrows you get each calendar month is determined by your local library, and mine recently doubled the number, making it easier to "burn" them on TV episodes.
Even as the world attempts to emerge from quarantine, Hoopla remains a valuable and totally FREE resource, and you can view TV shows on your computer, your phone, or best of all on its Roku app. Here is the 1970s and 1980s television I found on Hoopla. Most of them are courtesy of an apparent licensing agreement with MPI Home Video.
Poldark: Not the modern version, but the original BBC production of the Winston Graham novels. Both seasons are available.
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The Doris Day Show: The ever-changing sitcom aired on CBS 1968-1973. All 5 seasons are available.
Family Affair: Brian Keith and Sebastian Cabot co-star with adorable kids in this gentle CBS family sitcom that ran on CBS 1966-1971. All 5 seasons are on Hoopla.
Dark Shadows: The original run lasted till 1971, just peeking into the BOTNS era, but the Hoopla offerings only span 1967-1968--"Collections" 1-9 from MPI.
Robin of Sherwood: This 1984-1986 series debuted on ITV but also aired in the USA on Showtime and on PBS stations. All 3 seasons are on Hoopla.
Here's Lucy: Lucille Ball's follow-up to The Lucy Show ran 6 seasons (1968-1974) on CBS, and the whole series is available.
The Merv Griffin Show: A package of compilations--I think the same one that has been on streamers like Hulu, IMBD TV, and Tubi--of the long-running talk show is on Hoopla. There are 38 "episodes" ranging from the 1960s to the 1980s.
The "one episode=one borrow" policy doesn't seem too bad for hourlong episodes, but it seems a little stingy when you consider you might be able to borrow a whole disc of them from a physical library. However, the service is easy to use and FREE. if you are into classic TV and don't have the DVDs or other streaming outlets, you can get older material like The Honeymooners Lost Episodes, The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Donna Reed Show, and more.
Even as the world attempts to emerge from quarantine, Hoopla remains a valuable and totally FREE resource, and you can view TV shows on your computer, your phone, or best of all on its Roku app. Here is the 1970s and 1980s television I found on Hoopla. Most of them are courtesy of an apparent licensing agreement with MPI Home Video.
Poldark: Not the modern version, but the original BBC production of the Winston Graham novels. Both seasons are available.
'
The Doris Day Show: The ever-changing sitcom aired on CBS 1968-1973. All 5 seasons are available.
Family Affair: Brian Keith and Sebastian Cabot co-star with adorable kids in this gentle CBS family sitcom that ran on CBS 1966-1971. All 5 seasons are on Hoopla.
Dark Shadows: The original run lasted till 1971, just peeking into the BOTNS era, but the Hoopla offerings only span 1967-1968--"Collections" 1-9 from MPI.
Robin of Sherwood: This 1984-1986 series debuted on ITV but also aired in the USA on Showtime and on PBS stations. All 3 seasons are on Hoopla.
Here's Lucy: Lucille Ball's follow-up to The Lucy Show ran 6 seasons (1968-1974) on CBS, and the whole series is available.
The Merv Griffin Show: A package of compilations--I think the same one that has been on streamers like Hulu, IMBD TV, and Tubi--of the long-running talk show is on Hoopla. There are 38 "episodes" ranging from the 1960s to the 1980s.
The "one episode=one borrow" policy doesn't seem too bad for hourlong episodes, but it seems a little stingy when you consider you might be able to borrow a whole disc of them from a physical library. However, the service is easy to use and FREE. if you are into classic TV and don't have the DVDs or other streaming outlets, you can get older material like The Honeymooners Lost Episodes, The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Donna Reed Show, and more.
Monday, May 4, 2020
This Day in TV History: 40 years ago, a spectacular night on ABC
I could tell you about May 4, 1980 on ABC, but why don't I let Ernie Anderson do it?
The Battle episode features the following team captains: William Devane for NBC, Cathy Lee Crosby for ABC, and Chad Everett for CBS. Among the luminaries competing are BOTNS faves Grant Goodeve, Larry Wilcox, Randi Oakes, and Patrick Simmons--er, Gary Sandy.
The Ritter special is a showcase for the star at the height of Three's Company fame. Directed by longtime Company helmsman Dave Powers, co-starring Joyce DeWitt and Suzanne Somers, and coming from Ritter's own production company, the hourlong broadcast features several sketches with costars like Vincent Price and Howard Hesseman.
The special got a seemingly random DVD release in 2004--or was it random? Well, Whitney Pastorek doesn't seem to think so in this blistering review from Entertainment Weekly. Reaction today to the special is indeed mixed at best.
People didn't care for it in 1980, as you can tell by this brief Picks and Pans review:
The concept—a spoof of America’s neurotic hang-ups—and the cast are too good for the material. Vincent Price is smooth as a behavioral psychologist, and Howard Hesseman is zonked out as a rock star’s shrink. The ubiquitous Ritter is, as ever, likable. But the skits drone on, as if this were a run-through, not an edited show.
(Vintage ad from http://vincentpriceexhibit.blogspot.com/ via rewatchclassictv.com)
The Battle episode features the following team captains: William Devane for NBC, Cathy Lee Crosby for ABC, and Chad Everett for CBS. Among the luminaries competing are BOTNS faves Grant Goodeve, Larry Wilcox, Randi Oakes, and Patrick Simmons--er, Gary Sandy.
The Ritter special is a showcase for the star at the height of Three's Company fame. Directed by longtime Company helmsman Dave Powers, co-starring Joyce DeWitt and Suzanne Somers, and coming from Ritter's own production company, the hourlong broadcast features several sketches with costars like Vincent Price and Howard Hesseman.
The special got a seemingly random DVD release in 2004--or was it random? Well, Whitney Pastorek doesn't seem to think so in this blistering review from Entertainment Weekly. Reaction today to the special is indeed mixed at best.
People didn't care for it in 1980, as you can tell by this brief Picks and Pans review:
The concept—a spoof of America’s neurotic hang-ups—and the cast are too good for the material. Vincent Price is smooth as a behavioral psychologist, and Howard Hesseman is zonked out as a rock star’s shrink. The ubiquitous Ritter is, as ever, likable. But the skits drone on, as if this were a run-through, not an edited show.
(Vintage ad from http://vincentpriceexhibit.blogspot.com/ via rewatchclassictv.com)
Sunday, May 3, 2020
Top Ten #66
1) CBS Evening News: The long-running nightly newscast premiered this day in 1948. Of course, the show hits its peak in the 1960s and 1970s when legendary anchor Walter Cronkite landed on the
2) Alison Arngrim: The Little House star was on the TV Confidential podcast talking about her ongoing project of donning bonnets and reading from the original Laura Ingalls Wilder books, often joined by her costars. A pandemic would be about the sixth-worst thing that happened on Little House on the Prairie.
3) Stars in the House: Speaking of stars doing good things during quarantine, this ongoing YouTube show featured TV child stars this week, with Mindy Cohn, Mackenzie Phillips, Jill Whelan, and Glenn Scarpelli!
4) Bernie Kopell: I conclude that Bernie Kopell is one of the finest actors of his generation. A first-season Fantasy Island episode has Kopell portraying a nebbishy henpecked husband who gets no respect form his family. We all know from Love Boat that he is actually an alpha super-desirable Lothario. Yet I was still able to buy him in his Island role. It just goes to show the power of a craftsman to totally immerse himself in a character.
5) Dallas: The megahit soap went out with a bang on this date in 1991. No, I mean this was the series finale, not the Who Shot J.R. thing--that was a decade earlier. It did have over 350 other episodes, you know.
6) George Gaynes: Happy birthday to the late actor. I can hear my podcast partner in crime saying "Punky" right now.
7) Jim Bouton: The excellent Baseball by the Book podcast just featured author Mitchell Nathanson, whose new biography of the pitcher talks about the short-lived Ball Four sitcom that we wanted to see and one of us actually did. Nathanson says the series was hampered by the emphasis on joke-joke-joke and the fact that Bouton was spreading himself thin as star and producer while training for an MLB comeback.
8) Fruit Stripes gum: We discussed this on the Charo episode this season. See, it's not ALL highfalutin scholarly theory on our podcast.
9) Murder, She Wrote: After being so rudely yanked from Prime Video a couple months ago, the hard-hitting, racy romp of a detective show is now on IMDB TV (the first 5 seasons).
10) Barnaby Jones: Decades is running a marathon this weekend of one of the only TV detectives who makes Jessica Fletcher look vigorous.
2) Alison Arngrim: The Little House star was on the TV Confidential podcast talking about her ongoing project of donning bonnets and reading from the original Laura Ingalls Wilder books, often joined by her costars. A pandemic would be about the sixth-worst thing that happened on Little House on the Prairie.
3) Stars in the House: Speaking of stars doing good things during quarantine, this ongoing YouTube show featured TV child stars this week, with Mindy Cohn, Mackenzie Phillips, Jill Whelan, and Glenn Scarpelli!
4) Bernie Kopell: I conclude that Bernie Kopell is one of the finest actors of his generation. A first-season Fantasy Island episode has Kopell portraying a nebbishy henpecked husband who gets no respect form his family. We all know from Love Boat that he is actually an alpha super-desirable Lothario. Yet I was still able to buy him in his Island role. It just goes to show the power of a craftsman to totally immerse himself in a character.
5) Dallas: The megahit soap went out with a bang on this date in 1991. No, I mean this was the series finale, not the Who Shot J.R. thing--that was a decade earlier. It did have over 350 other episodes, you know.
6) George Gaynes: Happy birthday to the late actor. I can hear my podcast partner in crime saying "Punky" right now.
7) Jim Bouton: The excellent Baseball by the Book podcast just featured author Mitchell Nathanson, whose new biography of the pitcher talks about the short-lived Ball Four sitcom that we wanted to see and one of us actually did. Nathanson says the series was hampered by the emphasis on joke-joke-joke and the fact that Bouton was spreading himself thin as star and producer while training for an MLB comeback.
8) Fruit Stripes gum: We discussed this on the Charo episode this season. See, it's not ALL highfalutin scholarly theory on our podcast.
9) Murder, She Wrote: After being so rudely yanked from Prime Video a couple months ago, the hard-hitting, racy romp of a detective show is now on IMDB TV (the first 5 seasons).
10) Barnaby Jones: Decades is running a marathon this weekend of one of the only TV detectives who makes Jessica Fletcher look vigorous.
Saturday, May 2, 2020
YouTube Spotlight: Rudy Vallee and Casey Kasem
This week's Fame Game #5 bonus episode spotlights a long-time star of live action and animation. One of the clips in this week's YouTube playlist is this curio: Rudy Vallee performing Winchester Cathedral on Shebang.
Yes, the show is a good 4-5 years out of our time frame, but, come on! Casey Kasem is a 1970s and 1980s icon, and Rudy Vallee--Well, Rudy Vallee was on an episode of CHiPs.
Yes, the show is a good 4-5 years out of our time frame, but, come on! Casey Kasem is a 1970s and 1980s icon, and Rudy Vallee--Well, Rudy Vallee was on an episode of CHiPs.
Friday, May 1, 2020
Fame Game #5 You Tube playlist is now live!
This week we celebrate our Fame Game subject with a list of commercials, clips. and more! In addition to our Famer, you'll see Raquel Welch! The Muppets! Dean martin! Multiple cartoons! And finally, The Burns and Schreiber Comedy Hour makes its triumphant debut in the BOTNS playlists! Click below!
And remember, for all of our past podcasts and episode-specific playlists for each one, head to our official YouTube channel!
And remember, for all of our past podcasts and episode-specific playlists for each one, head to our official YouTube channel!
Show Notes: Fame Game #5
Remember, if you want to play along with us, listen to this week's bonus episode BEFORE reading these show notes and before watching this week's YouTube playlist!
*Our Famer was born July 24, 1936.
*Granny Goodwitch was in Sugar Crisps cereal ads and on Linus the Lionhearted.
*The Pound Puppies cartoon, based on the toy line by Tonka, aired as a special in October 1985, then as a regular series on ABC 1986-1989. A 2010 revival on Hub lasted several more seasons.
*Paw Paws is a syndicated 1985-1986 Hanna Barbera series.
*Henry's wife Chloe appeared on only one episode of Alice: Season 5's Henry's Bitter Half.
*Our Famer did NOT kill the rest of the participants in the Dean Martin Roast of Frank Sinatra.
*One role we did not mention but that we have discussed on the podcast: Aunt Minerva from Legends of the Superheroes: The Roast.
*The Love Boat episode with our Famer as herself is one of the post-main-run movies, 1987's Who Killed Maxwell Thorn? in which she appears along with other BOTNS faves like Alan Thicke, Bert Convy, The Bos, Charo, Gordon Jump...the list goes on and on. Robert Reed and Florence Henderson play Mike and Carol Brady!
You can see the opening to the episode in this week's video playlist on our official YouTube channel.
*Our Famer, as we mention, is active on Twitter and is also on Cameo.
*Our Famer was born July 24, 1936.
*Granny Goodwitch was in Sugar Crisps cereal ads and on Linus the Lionhearted.
*The Pound Puppies cartoon, based on the toy line by Tonka, aired as a special in October 1985, then as a regular series on ABC 1986-1989. A 2010 revival on Hub lasted several more seasons.
*Paw Paws is a syndicated 1985-1986 Hanna Barbera series.
*Henry's wife Chloe appeared on only one episode of Alice: Season 5's Henry's Bitter Half.
*Our Famer did NOT kill the rest of the participants in the Dean Martin Roast of Frank Sinatra.
*One role we did not mention but that we have discussed on the podcast: Aunt Minerva from Legends of the Superheroes: The Roast.
*The Love Boat episode with our Famer as herself is one of the post-main-run movies, 1987's Who Killed Maxwell Thorn? in which she appears along with other BOTNS faves like Alan Thicke, Bert Convy, The Bos, Charo, Gordon Jump...the list goes on and on. Robert Reed and Florence Henderson play Mike and Carol Brady!
You can see the opening to the episode in this week's video playlist on our official YouTube channel.
*Our Famer, as we mention, is active on Twitter and is also on Cameo.
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