The first time I saw “The Abbott And Costello Show” was on “The STM Club”, a local kiddie TV show in Syracuse, NY. (The TV station was WSTM, hence the title.) The headliner of the club was Scooby-Doo, and A&C filled most of the second half of the hour. The show was run from grubby, … Continue reading “Heyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy Abboooooooott!”
This is an extremely, weirdly specific article. This weekend has got me thinking about real world adult-type problems, so I’m giving myself a distraction. So ever since the 1950s, prime-time network series would look to a certain goal: Be popular and stay high in the ratings long enough to make 100 episodes or thereabouts. With … Continue reading Wentyworld (Syndication Title: Jason Wentworth, Family Blogger)
Boy, that Charles Dickens didn’t a have a clue what he had unleashed upon the world. There have been, oh, let’s say, 487, 211 film and television adaptations of “A Christmas Carol.” Here are 5 I like. Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol If artistic and musical quality were the only qualifiers, “Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol” would … Continue reading Wenty’s Top Christmas Specials Volume 2 (“Whoops! All Christmas Carols” Edition)
Originally Broadcast May 8, 1984 on ABC “Happy Days”, like all good things (including those things that were at one point really, really good but are now not quite so good) must come to an end. “Passages” finds our favorite Milwaukee residents (you heard me, Laverne and Shirley) at important milestones of life. Joanie and … Continue reading Happy Days Epics: “Passages”
Ever since I was a kid, I’ve had a pretty fair knack for spotting voices. When, as a kiddo, I figured out from a book or magazine article I’d read that Mel Blanc did all of the Looney Tunes voices, I started hearing him elsewhere…usually anytime an old sitcom had a parrot, or sometimes in … Continue reading Sunday Voicespotting: Bern Bennett
I hope you had a marvelous Thanksgiving! Mine was typically quiet, spent hosting Thanksgivng programming at Radio City, then heading home to enjoy a Black Friday vaca day. PBS had a marvelous Christmas special on Thanksgiving night (I admire their restraint–CBS yet again aired “Rudolph” three full days before Turkey Day, the scoundrels). The special … Continue reading Ladies And Gentlemen…The Weekend (Blog Post)
“Welcome Home” Part 1 Originally Aired October 25, 1983 on ABC“Welcome Home” Part 2 Originally Aired November 1, 1983 on ABC A quick word about where “Happy Days” stands at the beginning of its final season. Flip, K.C., Ashley and her daughter Heather are all gone. The opening, with a re-recorded theme song done in … Continue reading Happy Days Epics: “Welcome Home”
This “Happy Days Epics” is dedicated to the memory of Gavan O’Herlihy, who recently passed away at age 70. O’Herlihy was one of two actors to play the character of Chuck Cunningham. oldest of the three Cunningham kids. The Chuck character stopped appearing when the series changed from a single camera to multi-camera “in front … Continue reading Happy Days Epics: “Babysitting”/”Turn Around…And You’re Home”
Since 1996 or thereabouts I have attended a mess of television show tapings. “Late Night With Conan O’Brien”, “Donahue”, “Sally Jesse Raphael”, “The Price Is Right”, “Late Show With David Letterman”, “The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson”, “Family Feud”, “The Arsenio Hall Show” (reboot) and “Jimmy Kimmel Live”. I might be missing one or … Continue reading BOOK REVIEW: “The Warmup Guy”
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
