RetroFan #36 is another strong issue

I gave the mag some mild criticism last time out, but I did renew my print subscription, and, let me tell you, folks, that's putting my money where my mouth is because that is no small investment. Issue 36 with cover gal Stefanie Powers is a solid issue that gives me my money's worth.

The mag is always going to rely on a mixture of repurposed material, but this issue is better about not overdirecting readers to other sources.  The Powers feature draws from a 2011 interview Mark Voger did with the actress, which could be a disappointment considering she is around and doing press now. However, Voger blends that material with other info to create a fine piece. I enjoy his capsule descriptions of 10 prominent Girl from UNCLE episodes, a sidebar that adds entertainment and value to the profile of Powers.

Scott Saavedra's section on TV catchphrases is one of the lighter pieces in the mag, for sure (And the publication itself is not exactly Foreign Affairs), but his entertaining layout/design enhances it, and his text adds enough tidbits to make the story a plus.

RetroFan goes outside its usual lineup to provide an article on Battle of the Planets. Contributor Jason Hoifus lays out the convoluted history of the show in entertaining fashion and with a compelling angle: He focuses on the involvement of multiple creators involved with Hanna Barbera.

Rick Goldschmidt, leading Rankin Bass historian, offers a Christmas piece each year, and this time it examines Santa Claus Is Coming to Town. This one does reference a lot of the author's other works, but he provides a lot of information, does some myth busting, and gives a fine overview of the beloved special just in time for Christmas (Hey, just because you are reading this after the holiday doesn't mean I didn't read it before the holiday).

Now let's get to my favorite stories in issue 36. Will Murray talks about two "one-season TV wonders," Coronet Blue and T.H.E. Cat. Much like last issue's The Name of the Game profile, this story takes a lesser-known topic and tells me things I didn't know. Excellent work, and I want to see more of this kind of thing in the magazine, much as we love seeing stuff about the old favorites.

One standout of each issue is the illustrations, and this article is a great example. Numerous cool pics accompany Murray's text. We see comic book covers, 1960s merch, publicity photos, and an excerpt from a vintage TV Guide. You're always gonna get interesting visuals in a TwoMorrows publication.

While I am talking interesting visuals, Andy Mangels' fantastic and comprehensive (as can be) look at advertising of Saturday morning network programming continues in #36 with ads from 1975-1977. Some of these I have seen or have elsewhere, but seeing them all in one spot is a delight and a great way to consider the history of Saturday morning TV. I only wish they gave the feature more pages and made every ad a full-page reproduction!

Finally, I want to highlight two features relevant to recent episodes of the podcast. A "Retro Sports" piece covers the career of Chuck Connors, who was nominated for a Batty for Outstanding Male Actor due to his work in The Rifleman (And note that the episode we discussed did win a Batty in Season 11). Scott Shaw! takes on SCTV, which is a huge subject, but he does it justice and adds some personal memories of working with castmembers on various projects.

It's great reading again from RetroFan, with the usual visual appeal. This issue is highly recommended!

Top Ten #334

1) The Holidays: We hope you all had a stupendous holiday week. It ain't over yet because we have New Year's Day ahead! One thing about having the big holidays smack dab in the middle of the workweek is you get a whole weekend right in between them. You know, I honestly thought that was awesome when I started writing that sentence.

2) Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas: My viewing of the traditional specials was way down this year, and this was the first year in a long time I didn't see any of the Rankin Bass shows. However, I managed to get this one in, and I am glad I did because it's one of the most underappreciated of the Christmas specials--not by those who have seen it, though.

3) The Bob Newhart Show: Only because I got the complete series DVD set for Christmas. Whoo-hoo!

4) Blake's 7: And Wife of the Show Laurie got Season 1 on Blu-Ray after falling in love with the series as Mike and I prepared to talk about it this season.

5) Ted Danson: Happy birthday to the icon! What do you get for the man who has already had like half a dozen hit sitcoms?

6) AFC/NFC Championship Games: On this date in 1974, the Vikings played the Rams in the NFC, whole the Steelers played the Raiders in the AFC, setting up the glorious Super Bowl in which Pittsburgh began its run of dominance.

7) New Year's preparations: It's time to stock up on food, beverages, and old Dick Clark videos.

8) 1974: A Television Album: CBS aired this program 50 years night and looked back at the most important stories of the year, like the debut of Paul Sand in Friends and Lovers.

9) ABC News Closeup: On this night in 1984, ABC took a look at an important subject, the Supreme Court, with an important documentary special--a program so important it could only air it at 10:00 on a Saturday night.

10) R.I.P. Greg Gumbel: What a class act! Gumbel was outstanding in the booth and in the studio, a pro who elevated ESPN, NBC, and CBS, among other outlets, with his presence.

Merry Christmas from BOTNS!

Another year over, and what have we done? Well, we are proud of our just-completed Season 12 and looking forward to another Battys ceremony! We thank you for listening and for enjoying old-school TV in all forms along with us!

Here for your convenience are some links to past holiday episodes if you want to enjoy a podcast today:

Our first Christmas episode combines The Leprechauns' Christmas Gold with A Family Circus Christmas! There is even a bonus at the end.

We enjoy the holiday toons! Here is The Bear Who Slept Through Christmas. An awe-inspiring array of classic characters gather for Yogi Bear's All-Star Comedy Christmas Caper! Speaking of classic characters, how about the Eighties special The Little Rascals Christmas Special?

Finally, enjoy our look at Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July!

As is our tradition, from all of us at BOTNS to all of you, we wish you Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, Happy Kwanzaa, and of course Happy EVEN, even!

12 Days of Watching (2024) #12: Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol (1962)

I like to use this "12 Days of Watching" feature to spotlight videos I have not seen before, or at least not for a long time, but it's crunch time now, and my viewing of the old reliables has been way off pace this year. So I have but a few days to watch a lot of my favorites!

I watched Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol for the first time in a couple years, and I am glad I did. It's a true classic and a landmark in TV history as the first animated TV Christmas special--that is, the first created for TV. I can't post a link because the misers at the company that owns the special haven't seen to fit to make it available this year except for purchase or rental (I see it may be available on Sling), but here is a clip:

I watched my old DVD copy and had a blast. For me, Quincy Magoo is Ebeneezer Scrooge. Everyone talks about the 1951 Alistair Sim movie as the definitive adaptation of Dickens' classic story, but when I was a lad, Magoo was on each year. If Sim was, I wasn't aware of it, and, hey, where is that version shown nowadays?

Oh, wait, I took a minute to look it up, and Tubi and Plex and other streamers have it. Well, all right, then! That makes it all the more appalling that the Magoo version isn't there!

Anyways, I loved this as a kid, and I loved it now. It's a real shame Quincy Magoo didn't do more work in the legit theater. His Scrooge is a heartfelt performance, loaded with pathos and fire without being treacly. Magoo has issues getting to the theater, but once he is there, he is a master. How lucky we are to have such a faithful recording of the Broadway experience in the form of this special.

12 Days of Watching (2024) #11: Archie Bunker and a bunch of other characters celebrate the holiday

When we prepared to talk about All in the Family for our season opener this year, I sampled a bit of Archie Bunker's Place, a series I was aware of back in the day but never focused on much. It really feels like a different show, especially when you get to the fourth and final season, which is the source for this Christmas episode Sony posted on YouTube:

Archie Bunker is the heart of All in the Family, but in this setting, I find myself asking, who are these people? It's like, OK, I came to terms with Archie playing off a little girl named Stephanie. In this episode, she seems much older. And just when you are used to her, here comes Billie. Wait, who's Billie? And who's this nebbish who is dating her (No offense meant, and none taken, I would assume, given that Barry Gordon made a great living playing nebbishes).

And those are just the regulars! "Father Christmas" brings us another Bunker relative--Archie's brother, Fred. He's Billie's dad, and she doesn't want to see him, so much so she is willing to go on a ski trip with Barry Gordon (just kidding) to avoid spending the holiday with her father. 

The story goes for emotion, but it's a little clumsy in parts. There's a side plot in which Stephanie laments not hearing from HER dad, and Archie handles that in a sweet but predictable fashion. What really gets me is when they have a tense family dinner and start talking about Fred abandoning Billie years earlier. At one point, Billie makes a cutting remark about Fred's serial divorcing, and Archie puts down his fork and says, "Well, gee, this suddenly stopped being funny."

For some reason, that remark really hits me the wrong way. It's true enough in that Billie has finally killed Arch's attempts to maintain light conversation and inject some humor. But it feels too obvious and like something Archie shouldn't say--not because he's Archie, but because he's the main character. At least I think he is, but it's hard to tell in this episode. This is the kind of line the sidekick blurts out loud. Allen Melvin as Barney could sell that line and make it seem right, but he's in a minor subplot about playing Santa Claus.

So while I appreciate the effort and enjoy the novelty of a series I am not familiar with, Archie Bunker's Place just seems strange to me. "Father Christmas," despite great intentions, is no exception.

Top Ten #333: Special "I always thought .333 was a cool batting average" Edition!

1) Chico and the Man: I enjoyed a Christmas episode, sort of, from this show's troubled fourth season this week. Well, at least they tried to do a holiday episode. A surprising number of successful programs didn't.

2) Hal Linden: The multitalented star does a fantastic job as emcee on the 1984 Christmas in Washington special I watched this week.

3) CBS Saturday Night: Catchy Comedy announced this week it would replicate the fabled CBS Saturday night lineup on its own airwaves beginning in January. That's right, we're talking Early Edition, Martial Law, and Walker, Texas Ranger!

Wait, I looked at my notes again. It's actually the early Seventies lineup of All in the Family, MASH, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Bob Newhart Show, and The Carol Burnett Show. I guess that's cool, too.

4) Holiday shopping: I don't want to see anyone get trampled, but I kind of miss the days of in-store frenzies over the hot toy. Missing out on an online "Lightning Deal" just isn't the same.

5) Double Trouble: The short-lived sitcom with the Sagal sisters (Well, 2 of them) aired a Christmas episode 40 years ago tonight, preceded by a Smurfs special and followed by a holiday offering of Gimme a Break.

6) Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol: I like to keep it positive around here, but I listened to a podcast purport to cover the classic animated TV special, and...let's just say I didn't get much out of it. At least it prompted me to get out my DVD and watch it. Why the heck isn't this on Peacock?

7) Bryant Gumbel: The longtime broadcaster and sometime Dave Letterman nemesis was inducted into a sports broadcasting ahll of fame this week along with Hubie Brown, Andrea Kremer, Steve Gorusch, and others.

8) Bowl games: Supposedly there is some kind of playoff going on right now, but don't sleep on the Liberty Bowl coming this Friday!

9) The Sonny Comedy Revue: The final episode aired 50 years ago tonight. At least he knew he would never, ever, ever reunite for a show with Cher.

10) R.I.P. Rickey Henderson: He wasn't a TV star, exactly, but indulge me. He was one of the most exciting baseball players to watch, one of the all-time greats, and he happened to be my favorite player when I got into the sport.

12 Days of Watching (2024) #10: Ernie Anderson would have made a good Santa Claus

Today's clip isn't all Christmas, but it has enough! You get to hear Ernie Anderson say, "Christmas Comes to Pacland!" And the Joanie Loves Chachi holiday episode preview is so nice you gotta watch it twice!

I think I want to see that Too Close for Comfort episode mentioned during the Happy Days end credits and then shown in a promo. That episode of It Takes Two looks ridiculous. 

The Benson clip has promise of holiday hijinks. It all ends with Ernie Anderson teasing Dr. No in part with his silky smooth utterance of "Ursula Andress."

As varied as this assortment of TV entertainment is, it reminds of how I was talking the other day about CBS being number one for the holidays in the Eighties. It gave us Peanuts, Rudolph, Frosty, and more. ABC gave us Christmas Comes to Pacland.