OK, so we are 40 years behind! Still, it was reported 40 years ago Sunday in The New York Times that ABC, already excited about the upcoming 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, had won the May Nielsen ratings Sweeps period, besting CBS and NBC.
Among the highlights for ABC in May 1984: The series finale of Happy Days, miniseries The Last Days of Pompeii and The Mystic Warrior, and season finales of Hotel and Dynasty. Surprising me, another score noted in the article is The Dollmaker, a TV film with Penny Marshall, John Ritter, and Jane Fonda. I forgot all about this one, but Fonda earned an Emmy for her performance.
The Times noted the big difference was the movies and specials, as CBS got good numbers with its regular programs, like season finales of Dallas and Falcon Crest, but ABC's movies were much stronger. NBC was not even really mentioned. Numbers for the period: ABC 14.9%, CBS 13.5%, NBC 13.3%.
It's been a while since I reported on RetroFan magazine, available here, so let's take a look at the latest issue, which happens to have a few features with direct ties to recent BOTNS episodes. As always, the whole package is a great read, but this issue's (May 2024, #32) topic selection is a bit more esoteric than usual.
The cover feature on David Cassidy is a good read, delving into the more complicated parts of the actor's legacy. Mark Voger covers his whole career in brief but with clarity, touching on the 1970s NBC misfire David Cassidy Man Undercover.
Andy Mangels' column is always a treat, and his in-depth look at Thundarr the Barbarian is a highlight of the issue. I only wish it had been around when Mike and I talked about the show on the pod!
One of the more unusual pieces is the "Retro Music" look at Sonny and Cher, whose variety show we covered last seasonwhose variety show we covered last season. Paula Finn focuses on a personal encounter she had with the duo as a starstruck teen in 1967!
Other pieces aren't as directly related to BOTNS, but the Mighty Mouse article is very good, and I enjoy the Retro Travel feature, which goes to Roswell, New Mexico this issue.
I expect the next issue, with a bionic cover duo, to arrive in a couple of weeks, and I look forward to it as always. I get no compensation for plugging the mag, but especially now that it is not going to be sold at Barnes and Noble anymore (Publisher decision in response to changes in B&N rates and policies, I gather), I like to do what I can to make people aware of it.
On Free Comic Book Day, I got (not for free) some "funny animal" comics, including these two DC issues from 1952:
Fox and Crow are legit screen stars (I quite enjoy their old Columbia cartoons), but the addition of "Hollywood" to the title of Funny Folks is a bit of a misnomer because the characters that dominated that title, like headliner Nutsy Squirrel, weren't actually in cartoon shorts.
The latter title also features Tito and his burrito (insert standard disclaimer about it being of its time) and Flippity and Flop (insert standard disclaimer about any resemblance to other cartoon cat/bird teams being purely intentional). All were indeed in 'toons of the era. I have seen Fox and Crow on TV but not the others, but I am sure they have been on the tube at some point, so let's count them!
Hollywood Funny Folks relies on Nutsy, Biggety bear, and Nip and Chip (Parrot and chipmunk who seem to have much the same dynamic of Fox and Crow). Both titles are filled out with colorful ads. What kid wouldn't be thrilled by a comic as for Ludden's cough drops? There are also text features and puzzles.
My favorite part of each issue is this ad with the future Miss America host Bert Parks, who was apparently hip enough in 1952 to be the star of this campaign:
1) Memorial Day in the USA: Thanks to all who served and especially those who sacrificed.
2) Lenny and Squiggy: In his latest episode of Martini Shot, TV writer Rob Long talks about the Lenny and Squiggy spinoff pilot that was never broadcast, saying, "By many accounts, it is the worst half-hour of television ever produced." Of course now I want to see it.
3) High School USA: 40 years ago tonight, NBC reran this TV movie classic because why not? It should still be an annual tradition each year either at the beginning or the end of the school year. Or in the middle. Really, anytime people are in the mood for good old-fashioned zany entertainment.
4) James Brown: The Godfather of Sports Broadcasting was honored this past week with a Lifetime Achievement award at the Sports Emmys. After his speech, Bill Cowher rushed onstage to put a cape over his shoulders.
5) Phil Donahue: The New York Times on this date 40 years ago had an interesting piece on an FCC ruling that Donahue was exempt from the Fairness Doctrine's equal-time provision, meaning he could welcome guests running for office and not have to offer time to everyone else running for that office. The interesting quote to me comes from a producer of The Merv Griffin Show: "It certainly has been a problem. Often, when we want to being a candidate on the air, we don't because we'd have to invite every jerk who has filed."
6) Philip Michael Thomas: Happy 75th birthday! Let's hope it's not spoiled by Calderon.
7) The Indianapolis 500: 50 years ago tonight, ABC showed the event in prime time. That's the good news. The bad news: It was on tape delay.
8) What Have We Learned, Charlie Brown? 40 years ago tonight, CBS reran this 1983 special that showed the Peanuts gang looking at war sites in France.
9) National Blueberry Cheesecake Day: Any cheesecake day (and apparently there are many of them) is an excuse to post a clip of a Bea Arthur take on The Golden Girls.
We wrap up our look at this classic 40-year-old TV Guide with some notes on what was in it apart from the listings. Hey, we all know people who read it for the articles!
In this issue, there are some good ones. I mentioned in this postin this post Kenneth Turan's piece on Battle of the Network Stars. That is my favorite article in the issue!
Garry Marshall's cover story is a warm look back at Happy Days, which was not officially canceled yet but seemed to be headed there. I question some of Marshall's anecdotes, though. He talks about the famous softball team and how it was one of the ways he tried to keep the team together and keep the younger folks out of trouble. That's great, but he says Henry Winkler was pitching one day and thought he was so big nothing could touch him but was getting lit up. Marshall says he went to the mound and told him he was human, and after that Winkler never had a big head. Marshall is not unkind, but his interpretation seems odd. Isn't it possible Winkler was just upset he was sucking?
The review of the week is one I will not mention now but will mention on the podcast later this season!
A two-page story spotlights missing children in light of the pending reair of Adam.
Barbara Bosson comes off as quirky in her profile, and the news section says USFL executives are pleased with the TV ratings.
In the back, after the listings, we get an interesting but brief look at TV in East Germany and a profile of Harry Morgan, then in AfterMASH.
1) Webster: As we mentioned in our post the other day, 40 years ago (ish), Webster had to make the biggest decision of his life: Whether to tape the new Bob Hope special or to do a lucrative personal appearance at a mall in San Diego.
2) Broadcast networks: TV used to revolve around them, and the upfronts were a big deal. The just-concluded ones were lower-key. I think we should have some "downfronts" and celebrate what was gonna be new in Fall 1984.
3) Ricardo Montalban: "Corinthian" may not be in the dictionary, but if you want a definition of "charming," watch this great interview the actor did with David Letterman.
4) David Hartman: Happy 89th birthday to the former Good Morning America host. I am pretty sure he did not have a long-running feud with Bryant Gumbel.
5) Barnaby Jones: 50 years ago tonight, CBS ran the episode "Gold Record for Murder," in which GENIUS winner Marjoe Gortner stars in a story about a hot songwriter whose parents ask for Barnaby's help when he is found dead of a heroin overdose. That is, the writer is found dead. Barnaby is just trying to remember what happened to his Mills Brothers records. Also in the episode are Leonore Kasdorf and Meg Foster.
By the way, both Gortner and Buddy Ebsen sing in the episode!
8) Classic Creatures: 40 years ago today, CBS reran a special devoted to Return of the Jedi.
9) Dabney Coleman: A week after we do our voting for a Gary Coleman TV movie to discuss, we lose the great Dabney Coleman. Fortunately, Jack Coleman of Dynasty is still alive and well.
10) R.I.P. Bob Ellison, David Sanborn, Gloria Stroock:
Let's close our look at the display ads in this issue with a look at a Very Special Webster:
And the episode even gets a close-up (along with a look at Benson):
Do you want to see what happens? I sure do! Well, don't bother trying to see the whole thing on streaming even though Prime and Pluto have the series. This episode, the last of the first season, is not up on either service. It's a 3-parter, and only the middle part, the season 2 opener, is streaming. Parts 1 and 3 are two of the many interesting episodes that didn't make it to streaming for some reason.
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