Top Ten #279: Special "Get that shopping down now" Edition

1) Christmas: Yes, decorations are already being marked down. Stock up for 2024! I have really picked up my holiday-themed watching the last week, focusing on things I have never seen or have not seen in years.

2) Catchy Comedy: The diginet has a marathon this weekend featuring Christmas episodes many of you probably have seen, today spotlighting the likes of Bob Newhart, Taxi, Cheers, and Night Court.

3) The Bear Who Slept Through Christmas: This animated special premiered 50 years ago tonight on NBC! Click here to listen to our podcast about it.

4) The Odd Couple: Good news: The complete series was released on Blu-Ray this week. Bad news: Don't ASSUME that the music cut from the DVDs (including many nonsensical edits) was restored for the BD. You know what happens when you ASSUME...

5) John Schneider's Christmas Holiday: 40 years ago, the Dukes star got an hour special from CBS. 

6) Perry Como's Christmas in New York: Two hours later, on ABC, another TV icon celebrated the holidays. I guess ABC put it on so late because of Como's notoriously hard-edged material.

7) Eugene Levy: Happy birthday!

8) The Bobby Van and Elaine Joyce Special: 50 years ago tonight, CBS broadcast this variety show from the couple, and a print ad to promote it touted the singing and dancing debut of Richard Thomas! (Note: The clip below does not feature singing nor dancing, but it does feature 1973)

9) Sports Illustrated: Heads rolled last week after the revelation that the website had run AI-generated stories under fake bylines. The CEO was fired, and I hope they at least gave him a free Football Follies video as part of his severance package.

10) R.I.P. Ellen Holly: The first Black regular lead on a network dayltime soap (One Life to Live) died December 6/

For Your Batty Consideration: The Littlest Hobo (Season 11, Episode 3)

We returned to Canada to consider memorable CTV series The Littlest Hobo, a half-hour adventure/drama fronted by a mysterious canine. "Small Change" features 1980s arcade action, cranky old dudes, bumbling hoods...and MIME! Oh, yes, plenty of mime. Throw in a beloved theme song, and you get a series that may linger in the mind more than you expect.

Our podcast episode

Show notes and YT playlist

Anonymous Batty insider says: "Maybe not the biggest show in the lineup, but one that has a big pull for a lot of people. Ultimately, though, we are talking about two guys deciding the awards, though maybe the nominating committee will be generous. One thing we know is that Rick's wife Laurie has lobbied for the Hobo to be Outstanding Non-Human. That seems like a shoo-in nomination, at least. Canadian shows haven't exactly dominated the Battys, but there haven't been a lot of them, either."

For Your Batty Consideration: Entertainment Tonight (Season 11, Episode 2)

The winner of our infotainment listeners' choice poll was venerable syndicated hit Entertainment Tonight, and we discussed a pair of episodes, including the series premiere! It was interesting to see the peak Tesh/Hart era compared to the early days of the show, and we got a good look at a lot of different aspects of 1980s pop culture.

Fun fact: Movie critic Leonard Maltin was nominated for Outstanding Facial Hair last season for our Siskel and Ebert (and more) movie critics episode.

Links:

Our podcast episode
Show notes and YT playlist

Anonymous Batty insider says: "One of the big factors come Batty time, one the shows themselves can't control, is episode selection. BOTNS went with the very first episode, yes, but the other they discussed separated John Tesh and Mary Hart, with Mary on assignment in Boston (We still don't know why she was there, do we?). That may hurt ET's chances. However, this should be a big player in the "as oneself" category, and I'll be interested to see how that theme song does."

Top Ten #278

1) Norman Lear: We often reserve the 10 spot for the deceased, but we have to make an exception for this icon.CBS paid tribute with a new special, and the likes of Me-TV are showing the likes of All in the Family, but I was pleased to see this rarity uploaded: An episode of 1977's All That Glitters:

2) Happy Hanukkah:

3) Bob Hope: The holiday season belongs to Bob and Bing, and, yes, that is still true in 2023. Check out Bob and Emanuel Lewis doing a Miami Vice parody with Brooke Shields in this recent upload. Yes, the special was sponsored by Texaco!

4) Opposable Thumbs: I am very much looking forward to reading Matt Singer's new book about the Siskel and Ebert partnership. Maybe Santa will bring it to me!

5) CBS Monday Night: 50 years ago tonight, the network showed the Grinch, Frosty, and Perry Como. Now, that's how you celebrate the season.

6) Who's the Boss: Hulu just added all 8 seasons of the series but refused to take a stand on who in fact the boss is. Meanwhile, we are a third of the way into the month, and the nation still awaits My Three Sons on Prime Video after it missed its announced December 1 launch.

7) The Love Boat: In the eighth season's "Christmas Show," the crew celebrates the holidays by hiring 3 Santas: Ray Walston, Avery Schreiber, and Scatman Crothers!

8) The Independence Bowl: Bowl games just aren't what they used to be. 40 years ago tonight, this game was syndicated and pitted Ole Miss against Air Force for no particular reason. The randomness of December bowl games rules!

9) Joe Castiglione: Congrats to the longtime Red Sox radio announcer, honored this week with the Ford Frick Award by the Baseball Hall of Fame

10) Theodore Wilson: Happy (what would have been) 80th birthday to a true classic!

For Your Batty Consideration: Night Court (Season 11, Episode 1)

We began our eleventh season of Battle of the Network Shows with a look at the beloved 1980s NBC sitcom Night Court, talking about its cast changes, its variations in quality, and its place in the Eighties NBC pantheon. We are big fans of the show, and we saw that people were excited to see this as the season opener. 

Links:

Our podcast episode
Show notes and YT playlist

Anonymous Batty insider says: "Chatter around the podcast spiked when this episode dropped, but was it because people loved Night Court or because it was the first of the season? Maye a bit of both. This show will be a major contender in all the main categories and likely even stuff like the hair ones. Ultimately the two guys who vote are Mike and Rick, and they made it clear how much they enjoyed Night Court. Could be a big winner. Only thing to look out for is the show competing against itself in some divisions."

And now, a word from their sponsor: Is this guy doing a Bruce Willis?

 Check out this beer commercial, and tell me if there isn't something familiar about this guy's persona:

Top Ten #277: Special Post-Thanksgiving/Pre-Christmas Edition!

1) Chico and the Man: I haven't seen a lot of this show, and I bet a lot of people haven't because it hasn't been in circulation much. I was pleasantly surprised by how funny the pilot was when I saw it a few days ago. Bravo to Tubi for making this sitcom available to everyone starting this month.

2) Soul Train: The Soul Train Awards, held last week, ain't what they used to be, but I like seeing the show remembered. That's right, I said the show, not the brand.

3) Melody Anderson: Happy birthday to the star of Manimal! As far as I know, she didn't get the opportunity to turn into animals, though.

4) Quarterback Princess: "What is the original nickname Jim Rome gave Jim Everett?" No, it's actually the CBS original movie that premiered 40 years ago tonight and starred Helen Hunt.

5) The Heisman Trophy: Also 40 years ago, it was Mike Rozier of Nebraska (Nobody called him "Running Back Princess" who won the prestigious award.

6) National Roof Over Your Head Day: You know who has one of the best roofs in television? Snoopy. Of course, in his case, the roof was under his, er, head.

7) Writers of variety shows: There was a flap this week over the Emmy organizers removing the Outstanding Writing in Vareity Series/Special category from the main telecast. You're playing with fire when you risk incurring the wrath of Bruce Vilanch!

8) Big John: On this night in 1983, NBC aired this unsold pilot starring Dale Robertson as a Montana cop who joins the NYPD. Sound a bit like McCloud? Well, let me give you the X-factor: Robertson's partner on the force? You guessed it, Joey Travolta.

9) From Star Wars to Jedi: Yet another program telecast 40 years ago tonight, this PBS program looked at George Lucas and the movies that were then known as the trilogy, not the original trilogy. I am sure Lucas talks in the special about how he accomplished everything he wanted to and would never change a thing about those movies.

10) R.I.P. Marty Krofft, Frances Sternhagen: