By Sylvia Gurinsky
"What's up, Doc?"
Fans of Bugs Bunny know the answer: It's the 70th birthday for the carrot- and mischief-loving wascally wabbit (to quote Elmer Fudd).
Bugs Bunny became an almost instant movie star during the 1940s, with cartoons that spoofed everything from opera to politics. It was inevitable that the character would head to television.
In 1960, "The Bugs Bunny Show" began on ABC, featuring old "Looney Tunes" skits from film and new ones created for the show. Some variation of a Bugs Bunny or Looney Tunes program featuring Bugs Bunny, Elmer Fudd, Daffy Duck and the rest of the gang would continue to run on television into the 21st century. Bugs and the other characters were also featured prominently through the early years of the WB network during the 1990s.
For most of the first 50 years of his existence, Bugs Bunny and many of his Looney Tunes cohorts were voiced by Mel Blanc, who also found fame in front of the cameras on "The Jack Benny Show." Blanc died in 1989.
Bugs has since been played by assorted voice actors, the latest being Sam Vincent. In 2002, Bugs Bunny was TV Guide's choice as the best cartoon character of all time.
Happy Birthday, Bugs! Thank goodness you didn't take that turn at Albuquerque.
**************************************************************************
Larry Keith died this week.
Keith worked in theater and television almost up to his death. His most famous role was as Nick Davis on ABC's "All My Children." Here he is in a scene from the earliest episodes, in 1970, with Frances Heflin as Mona Kane and a kid named Susan Lucci as her troublesome daughter, Erica. Got to watch out for that one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9_QFqGv3W8
**************************************************************************
See you next week. Until then, Happy Viewing!
Friday, July 30, 2010
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Week of July 23: Revisiting "Baseball"
By Sylvia Gurinsky
Recently, PBS rebroadcast Parts (or Innings) 5, 6 and 7 of Ken Burns' 1994 documentary, "Baseball." It was something of a lead-in to "The Tenth Inning," which covers the last two decades and will air September 28.
But the entire series, which is available on DVD, is worth another look. It begins with "Our Game," which was not invented by Abner Doubleday in Cooperstown, N.Y., but may have had its origins during the 1700s, or may have evolved from a British game called Rounders, or maybe something else. In any case, "Our Game" covers the 1800s in baseball.
"Baseball" is OK as history (For those who don't know the game, it's a good introduction, but there are some mistakes and some overemphasis on certain historians and commentators), but at its best as social commentary, tracking the history of the major leagues' exclusion of blacks until Jackie Robinson suited up for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. That story is told in "The National Pasttime," and sources include Robinson's widow, Rachel. That was one of the three parts ("Shadow Ball" and "The Capitol of Baseball" were the other two) in the PBS rebroadcast.
The original series was narrated by the great NBC newsman John Chancellor. "The Tenth Inning" will be narrated by actor Keith David, who narrated the Burns documentary "The War."
The 1994 airing proved something of a salve to baseball fans infuriated by the strike that cancelled that year's World Series. When the ratings were in, 42 million viewers had watched.
That strike, the Steroid Era, the Red Sox' two world championships and Cal Ripken's setting of the all-time record for consecutive games will be part of "The Tenth Inning."
And no, the Chicago Cubs still haven't won a World Series since 1908.
See you next week. Until then, Happy Viewing!
Recently, PBS rebroadcast Parts (or Innings) 5, 6 and 7 of Ken Burns' 1994 documentary, "Baseball." It was something of a lead-in to "The Tenth Inning," which covers the last two decades and will air September 28.
But the entire series, which is available on DVD, is worth another look. It begins with "Our Game," which was not invented by Abner Doubleday in Cooperstown, N.Y., but may have had its origins during the 1700s, or may have evolved from a British game called Rounders, or maybe something else. In any case, "Our Game" covers the 1800s in baseball.
"Baseball" is OK as history (For those who don't know the game, it's a good introduction, but there are some mistakes and some overemphasis on certain historians and commentators), but at its best as social commentary, tracking the history of the major leagues' exclusion of blacks until Jackie Robinson suited up for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. That story is told in "The National Pasttime," and sources include Robinson's widow, Rachel. That was one of the three parts ("Shadow Ball" and "The Capitol of Baseball" were the other two) in the PBS rebroadcast.
The original series was narrated by the great NBC newsman John Chancellor. "The Tenth Inning" will be narrated by actor Keith David, who narrated the Burns documentary "The War."
The 1994 airing proved something of a salve to baseball fans infuriated by the strike that cancelled that year's World Series. When the ratings were in, 42 million viewers had watched.
That strike, the Steroid Era, the Red Sox' two world championships and Cal Ripken's setting of the all-time record for consecutive games will be part of "The Tenth Inning."
And no, the Chicago Cubs still haven't won a World Series since 1908.
See you next week. Until then, Happy Viewing!
Friday, July 16, 2010
Week of July 16: We Love Desi, Too
By Sylvia Gurinsky
Recently, Miamians got to enjoy a concert called "Babalu" and devoted to - who else? - Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball. The show was created by and features their children, Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz, Jr.
One of the treats of watching "I Love Lucy," besides the comedy, was the chance to watch Desi Arnaz' musical performances. He spent years on the road performing many of them before he had the chance to display his singing and drumming talents on the show:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAV3bOJaQuY
Interestingly, what we know today as the introduction for the show, with the iconic theme song, only came about when the show was repeated after the series had ended its run in 1957. The song "I Love Lucy," written by Harold Adamson and Eliot Daniel, would not be presented on the show until close to the end of the second season, when Ricky Ricardo would sing it to his wife during the episode "Lucy's Last Birthday."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fn7PKzf5tk
The most moving moment on this comedy came in "Lucy is Enceinte," which is about......well, just watch and you'll remember:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UPbOtpM5OQ
It staggers the imagination that next year will be the 60th anniversary of the premiere of "I Love Lucy." People will still enjoy it 600 million years from now. Now that's a classic.
*************************************************************************
George Steinbrenner, the New York Yankees owner since 1973, died this week at age 80. Among his television appearances were two great commercials: One for Miller Lite Beer with Billy Martin, his many-times-hired-and-fired manager:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_zDcQV6_6k
And one in 2002 with Yankee star Derek Jeter for Visa:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yH7BaQEguYs
So long to one of a kind.
Recently, Miamians got to enjoy a concert called "Babalu" and devoted to - who else? - Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball. The show was created by and features their children, Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz, Jr.
One of the treats of watching "I Love Lucy," besides the comedy, was the chance to watch Desi Arnaz' musical performances. He spent years on the road performing many of them before he had the chance to display his singing and drumming talents on the show:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAV3bOJaQuY
Interestingly, what we know today as the introduction for the show, with the iconic theme song, only came about when the show was repeated after the series had ended its run in 1957. The song "I Love Lucy," written by Harold Adamson and Eliot Daniel, would not be presented on the show until close to the end of the second season, when Ricky Ricardo would sing it to his wife during the episode "Lucy's Last Birthday."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fn7PKzf5tk
The most moving moment on this comedy came in "Lucy is Enceinte," which is about......well, just watch and you'll remember:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UPbOtpM5OQ
It staggers the imagination that next year will be the 60th anniversary of the premiere of "I Love Lucy." People will still enjoy it 600 million years from now. Now that's a classic.
*************************************************************************
George Steinbrenner, the New York Yankees owner since 1973, died this week at age 80. Among his television appearances were two great commercials: One for Miller Lite Beer with Billy Martin, his many-times-hired-and-fired manager:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_zDcQV6_6k
And one in 2002 with Yankee star Derek Jeter for Visa:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yH7BaQEguYs
So long to one of a kind.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Week of July 2: All-American Entertainment
By Sylvia Gurinsky
It's almost Independence Day. And what could be more American than the Beaver, Wonder Woman and the Boston Pops?
All three have been in the news.
*The entire series of "Leave It To Beaver" was released in a box set this week. Today, people often poke fun at the sunny (and not too diverse) depiction of the life of the Cleaver family in the show that ran on CBS, then ABC from 1957-63, but it remains popular - probably because of that optimistic outlook. Quite a few of the things that happened to Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver (played by Jerry Mathers) were based on real-life incidents of the children of series producers Joe Connelly and Bob Mosher.
Certainly, Mathers, Tony Dow (Wally Cleaver), Ken Osmond (Eddie Haskell) and the rest of the young cast have provided fine examples in the years since of child and teen actors who grew up to have happy, fulfilling lives.
*"Wonder Woman" has been in the news this week because DC Comics is giving the character a clothing makeover. It's a good chance to take a look at how the character has been portrayed on television.
Three probably stand above all:
-The first is in animated form, as part of the ABC series "Super Friends." Shannon Farnon, a character and voice actress whose sister is Charmian Carr (who played Liesel in "The Sound of Music"), did the voice of "Wonder Woman" during the 1970s and 80s.
-In 1974, ABC would air a television movie - and potential pilot - called "Wonder Woman," starring Cathy Lee Crosby ("That's Incredible") and Ricardo Montalban. Some may wince at a blonde title character, and the film wasn't widely embraced. But......
-One of those who auditioned for the role in the ABC film was a young actress named Lynda Carter. The network didn't forget, and cast her as the lead in "The New Adventures of Wonder Woman" a year later. She's been the quintessential Wonder Woman so far.
Working with her on the show, which ran on ABC and CBS from 1975-79, was Lyle Waggoner, who had been part of "The Carol Burnett Show." Another cast member was Debra Winger, who played Drusilla, the sister of Wonder Woman's alter ego Diana Prince; Winger would later win an Academy Award for "Terms of Endearment."
The entire series is available on DVD.
*Finally, the Boston Pops, which is celebrating its 125th anniversary, has become a summer tradition; while CBS currently carries the orchestra's July 4 concerts, the Pops made their national name via "Evening at Pops" on PBS, which ran from 1970-2005 (Blame parent Boston Symphony Orchestra for not continuing to fund the telecasts.) and featured the three men who have been the orchestra's official conductors: Arthur Fiedler, John Williams and Keith Lockhart.
The program has featured a Who's Who of classical, popular and jazz music for the last half-century. Incidentally, during the Fiedler and Williams years, one of the orchestra's primary arrangers was Morton Stevens - composer of the theme for "Hawaii Five-O."
Here's a link to Williams conducting John Phillip Souza's "Stars and Stripes Forever" in a 1980 performance (alas, in Tokyo, and not from "Evening at Pops," but what the heck):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqh4hksjAdA
See you in two weeks! Until then, Happy Independence Day and Happy Viewing!
It's almost Independence Day. And what could be more American than the Beaver, Wonder Woman and the Boston Pops?
All three have been in the news.
*The entire series of "Leave It To Beaver" was released in a box set this week. Today, people often poke fun at the sunny (and not too diverse) depiction of the life of the Cleaver family in the show that ran on CBS, then ABC from 1957-63, but it remains popular - probably because of that optimistic outlook. Quite a few of the things that happened to Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver (played by Jerry Mathers) were based on real-life incidents of the children of series producers Joe Connelly and Bob Mosher.
Certainly, Mathers, Tony Dow (Wally Cleaver), Ken Osmond (Eddie Haskell) and the rest of the young cast have provided fine examples in the years since of child and teen actors who grew up to have happy, fulfilling lives.
*"Wonder Woman" has been in the news this week because DC Comics is giving the character a clothing makeover. It's a good chance to take a look at how the character has been portrayed on television.
Three probably stand above all:
-The first is in animated form, as part of the ABC series "Super Friends." Shannon Farnon, a character and voice actress whose sister is Charmian Carr (who played Liesel in "The Sound of Music"), did the voice of "Wonder Woman" during the 1970s and 80s.
-In 1974, ABC would air a television movie - and potential pilot - called "Wonder Woman," starring Cathy Lee Crosby ("That's Incredible") and Ricardo Montalban. Some may wince at a blonde title character, and the film wasn't widely embraced. But......
-One of those who auditioned for the role in the ABC film was a young actress named Lynda Carter. The network didn't forget, and cast her as the lead in "The New Adventures of Wonder Woman" a year later. She's been the quintessential Wonder Woman so far.
Working with her on the show, which ran on ABC and CBS from 1975-79, was Lyle Waggoner, who had been part of "The Carol Burnett Show." Another cast member was Debra Winger, who played Drusilla, the sister of Wonder Woman's alter ego Diana Prince; Winger would later win an Academy Award for "Terms of Endearment."
The entire series is available on DVD.
*Finally, the Boston Pops, which is celebrating its 125th anniversary, has become a summer tradition; while CBS currently carries the orchestra's July 4 concerts, the Pops made their national name via "Evening at Pops" on PBS, which ran from 1970-2005 (Blame parent Boston Symphony Orchestra for not continuing to fund the telecasts.) and featured the three men who have been the orchestra's official conductors: Arthur Fiedler, John Williams and Keith Lockhart.
The program has featured a Who's Who of classical, popular and jazz music for the last half-century. Incidentally, during the Fiedler and Williams years, one of the orchestra's primary arrangers was Morton Stevens - composer of the theme for "Hawaii Five-O."
Here's a link to Williams conducting John Phillip Souza's "Stars and Stripes Forever" in a 1980 performance (alas, in Tokyo, and not from "Evening at Pops," but what the heck):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqh4hksjAdA
See you in two weeks! Until then, Happy Independence Day and Happy Viewing!
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