This series of articles is about broadcasters. A broadcaster is a versatile, sharp-minded talent with the gift of gab and the ability to spontaneously deliver entertainment and information. Broadcasters can often be identified by the breadth of their work–Hugh Downs, for example, hosted serious news programs like “Today” and “20/20”; served as Jack Paar’s “Tonight … Continue reading FORGOTTEN ICONS OF BROADCASTING: Bud Collyer
First item of business: If you read the last article, I apologize for “To Be Continued”-ing you. I just had a lot of miscellaneous stuff to cover and I realized it was a post all by itself. Second item of business: Today’s installment of “Happy Days Epics” is dedicated to the memory of the recently … Continue reading Happy Days Epics: “Home Movies” (For Real)
Originally Aired October 6, 1981 on ABC (60-Minute Episode) Before we get into the season-opening summer soap opera “Home Movies”, some housekeeping regarding season 7 of “Happy Days”. As you know if you’ve been following along, I am doing recaps of every multi-part or double-length episode of the series. Season 7 has two instances of … Continue reading Happy Days Epics: “Home Movies”
Today marks Mike Glesinger’s 35th anniversary with KCOW and Eagle Radio. This is a major milestone and an incredible accomplishment in a business where job security is so lousy it’s memorialized in a TV theme song (“Town to town, up and down the dial…”) Gles, you see, has no truck for self-aggrandizement. (I, on the … Continue reading 10 Facts About Gles (Half of Which Are False)
Harris Sales in Alliance distributes bread to supermarkets and other stores. Plus snack foods, tortillas, and more. With that information, I have written many, many commercials for them. I have written commercials about the old saying “greatest thing since sliced bread”. And how bread gets a bum rap sometimes because people say a lazy person … Continue reading Anatomy Of A Silly Commercial: Harris Sales “Bread Song”
It’s 1:00am. I am reminded of what Paul Harvey used to say after communicating a sad or upsetting news story: “Wash out your ears with this.” Right now I am washing out my ears by listening to my favorite old time radio theater stream after dis-joining a Facebook group called “I WAS A DISC JOCKEY … Continue reading Late Night Distemper: Old Time Radio Is Great. Old People Who Spent Time In Radio: It Varies.
Part 1 Originally Aired February 20, 1979 on ABCPart 2 Originally Aired February 27, 1979 on ABC In my very first “Happy Days Epics” I said that “Happy Days” is one of my favorite sitcoms in spite of the fact that it is one of the most tonally uneven series of its kind. For example: … Continue reading Happy Days Epics: “Fonzie’s Funeral” Parts 1 & 2
Part 1 Originally Aired September 12, 1978 on ABC (60-minute episode)Part 2 Originally Aired September 19, 1978 on ABC Before we go west with the Cunninghams… what do Sherwood Schwartz and Garry Marshall have in common? Well, they both gained experience writing for comedy legends; Schwartz for Red Skelton and Bob Hope, and Marshall for … Continue reading Happy Days Epics: Westward Ho Parts 1 & 2
I have a few things to chat about on this beautiful late summer Sunday, and just like those little boxes of cereal it comes in convenient single-serve helpings. First: my pal Dave Kuskie and I have produced an all-new episode of “The Dr. J And Dangerous Dave Dog And Pony Show”, our internet radio variety … Continue reading Blog a La “Kellogg’s Variety Pack”
Part 1 Originally Aired November 8, 1977 on ABCPart 2 Originally Aired November 15, 1977 on ABC “Remember Pinky Tuscadero?” Joanie asks the guys at Arnold’s. Richie, Potsie and Ralph remember Pinky with great fondness. The actors and crew of “Happy Days” remember Roz Kelly, who played Pinky, quite differently. It is rumored that her … Continue reading Happy Days Epics: “Fonzie The Rock Entrepreneur” Parts 1 & 2
