By Sylvia Gurinsky
A chance viewing of an episode of the British comedy "To the Manor Born" generates this column about, of all things, videotape.
The episode of this comedy, aired by the BBC from 1979-81, featured a lot of exterior shots. All of those, as was the tradition at the time, were shot on film, while the interior shots were on videotape. That was a tradition in Britain as late as 1992, when early exterior shots on the comedy "As Time Goes By" were on film.
The genesis of videotape on live television in the United States took place during the 1950s; the first major color videotape presentation was the NBC special "An Evening With Fred Astaire" in 1958.
Daytime television programs such as soap operas and game shows were starting to show up on color videotape during the late 1960s (Sadly, many were erased and are now lost.). But the first primetime television series to be shown on videotape was "All In the Family" in 1970.
Exterior shots on videotape on American television series were already common by the mid-1980s. One of the most famous examples was on a soap opera - Luke and Laura's wedding on "General Hospital" in 1981. It was watched by 30 million viewers.
These days, most American prime-time television shows are shot on film. While film provides a sense of "urgency," one misses the you-are-there, intimate atmosphere generated by videotape.
See you next week. Until then, Happy Viewing!
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Week of 9/21: One-O (That's 10) Classic Five-O Episodes
By Sylvia Gurinsky
Viewers as a whole seemed to be underwhelmed by the debut of a new "Hawaii Five-O" on CBS last night - particularly viewers who loved the original series.
That's not surprising. Leonard Freeman's "Hawaii Five-O," which ran on CBS from 1968-80, set standards for location shooting and casting, as well as the quality of writing and directing; the show had some of the best of both in the business.
"Five-O" was a bridge between the "Dragnets" and "Hill Street Blues" - a bit personal with the lives of its police without getting too personal and socially conscious besides, with themes (terrorism, police conduct, rape, drug abuse, gun control) that still resonate today.
The most useful function of the new show might be to make viewers curious about the original. For those who haven't been exposed, here are 10 classic "Five-O" episodes to watch from the first five seasons (Everything through Season 9 has been released on DVD.):
*"And They Painted Daisies On His Coffin" (Season One; Air date: November 7, 1968): John D.F. Black, who wrote some of "Five-O's" best episodes, penned this one about the consequences when Danny Williams (James MacArthur) shoots a teenaged boy who is apparently unarmed. Directed by John Peyser, this episode includes a lot of hand-held camera work; the sequence in which Steve McGarrett (Jack Lord) goes over the shooting scene with Honolulu Police Department internal affairs investigators is especially good, as is the scene with McGarrett's admonitions to Williams about the consequences of shooting someone.
*"Once Upon a Time" (Season One; February 19 and 26, 1969): Freeman, who would die after heart surgery in 1974, wrote this two-parter based on some of his experiences with medical quacks. McGarrett's sister, Mary Ann Whalen (played by Nancy Malone), is desperate to save her infant son, who is dying from leukemia. When she can't, McGarrett sets out to have the quack who took Mary Ann and hubby Tom's money prosecuted - for murder. Joanne Linville plays the evil doc. Lots of great moments in these episodes, shot mostly in Los Angeles, without a gunshot fired. Look for Beah Richards in Part 2. Look for McGarrett crying in Part 1.
*"The Singapore File" (Season Two; November 19, 1969): One of the most fun episodes of the show, in which McGarrett heads to Singapore (which was played by Honolulu after dark) to rescue witness Nicole Wylie (Marj Dusay) from a mobster intent on murder. Jack Lord has never been looser than in this episode, where McGarrett is trying to keep romance out of his relationship with Nicole.
*"Three Dead Cows at Makapuu" (Season Two; February 25 and March 4, 1970): In a season filled with fantastic shows, this two-parter about a biological terror threat was the capper, with Ed Flanders in a heartbreaking performance as scientist Alexander Kline, who is debating whether to set off the destructive force he created on Oahu. A pre-"M*A*S*H" Loretta Swit is excellent as the telephone operator who tries to help him. Joseph Sirola, the best actor to play the government bigwig Jonathan Kaye, is chilling in his defense of maintaining the biological hazard, triggering this McGarrett quote: "You people frighten me." Indeed.
*"Over Fifty? Steal!" (Season 3; November 25, 1970): Hume Cronyn is memorable as Lewis Avery Filer, the master of disguise who takes McGarrett and Five-O on a wild goose chase. There is an undertone of sadness to Filer's actions, and it's nicely counterbalanced by the humor in E. Arthur Kean's script. Watch Jack Lord play the straight man to Cronyn in a scene involving a safe.
*"To Kill Or Be Killed" (Season 3; January 13, 1971): Freeman and Anthony Lawrence's script was no doubt inspired by the reporting of the My Lai massacre in Vietnam; McGarrett and Williams - and the audience - are sad observers as a military family literally tears itself in two over the war and the actions of one of its members.
*"Rest In Peace, Somebody" (Season 4; November 16, 1971): Who's out to kill someone connected to McGarrett? And who is to be killed? Another John D.F. Black-written episode does a great job with the twists and turns of this mystery, from the shooter to the target. Suggestion: Don't watch the episode promo first; it gives away the target.
*"The Ninety-Second War, Part 1" (Season 4; January 11, 1972): One of the best of the McGarrett battles with Wo Fat (Keigh Deigh), his nemesis throughout the series, features the Five-O boss temporarily paralyzed and framed for embezzlement. His quest both to walk and to find answers is compelling. Part 2 is so-so; this is the one to watch.
*"The Clock Struck Twelve" (Season 5: December 5, 1972): Season 5 was another terrific year, capped by the Vashon trilogy, but this is a suspenseful episode about Williams' efforts to disarm two bombs placed inside the old Honolulu courthouse.
*"I'm a Family Crook - Don't Shoot!" (Season 5: December 12, 1972): The following week saw a switch from suspense to humor, as Andy Griffith played a small-time con family patriarch who messes with the mob. Carol Burnett was originally supposed to play his wife, but Joyce Van Patten does just fine in the role (including her classic quote, "You're not Errol Flynn!" when hubby considers leaping out the window).
Those episodes will give a taste of this excellent series, which proves just how good it is by what follows.
Next week, be here. Aloha.
And until then, Happy Viewing!
Friday, September 17, 2010
Week of 9/17: Aloha To a Distinguished Trio
By Sylvia Gurinsky
How strange and sad, when a new CBS show called "Hawaii Five-0" is about to debut, that three men who distinguished themselves on the original, classic series die in the same week.
The first was Morgan White, who appeared occasionally during the first season (1968-69) as Hawaii Attorney General Walter Stewart, but was beloved by Hawaii television viewers as Pogo on the "Checkers and Pogo" children's series.
Kevin McCarthy had a distinguished career as a movie and television actor, and was working up until recently - at age 96! IMDB.com lists his first television appearance in 1949 on "The Ford Theatre Hour" in "The Man Who Came To Dinner." He was a frequent performer in the live television dramas of the 1950s and had a long line of guest-starring roles on successful television series, including "The Fugitive," "Mission: Impossible," "Columbo," "The Love Boat," "Murder, She Wrote" and "Early Edition." He co-starred in three series - "Flamingo Road," "Bay City Blues" and "The Colbys."
"Five-O" fans remember him for two episodes - as forger Hunter R. Hickey in Season 9's "The Last of the Great Paperhangers," and as widow murderer Victor Reese in the series' first regular episode, "Full Fathom Five":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FhDGWTsUiw
Later in the week, Harold Gould, also working until recently, died.
Gould's television career started in 1961. It included two stints as the dad in a television pilot - Lou Marie in the pilot of "That Girl" (Lew Parker wound up playing the role.) and Howard Cunningham in the "Love and Happy Days" segment of "Love, American Style that was turned into "Happy Days" (in which Tom Bosley played Howard).
But the third time was the charm - as Martin Morgenstern, father of Rhoda (Valerie Harper) - first on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," then on "Rhoda":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lC9_YNmUbts&feature=related
Later, he played the boyfriend of Rose Nylund (Betty White) on "The Golden Girls."
His Five-O turn came in what series fan Karen Rhodes called the show's magnum opus in her "Booking Hawaii Five-O": The Vashon trilogy.
He played Honore Vashon, the second generation of a crime family that Five-O was determined to bring to justice. These scenes are from the first episode of the original three-parter, "V For Vashon: The Son":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tmh_xd59uew
He also appeared in a followup episode, "The Case Against McGarrett."
Lots of good viewing with this trio. The first nine seasons of "Hawaii Five-O" are available on DVD, as are the first season of "Rhoda," all of Gould's appearances on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and "The Golden Girls" and many of McCarthy's appearances on various shows.
Aloha to all.
**************************************************************************
See you next week. Until then, Happy Viewing!
How strange and sad, when a new CBS show called "Hawaii Five-0" is about to debut, that three men who distinguished themselves on the original, classic series die in the same week.
The first was Morgan White, who appeared occasionally during the first season (1968-69) as Hawaii Attorney General Walter Stewart, but was beloved by Hawaii television viewers as Pogo on the "Checkers and Pogo" children's series.
Kevin McCarthy had a distinguished career as a movie and television actor, and was working up until recently - at age 96! IMDB.com lists his first television appearance in 1949 on "The Ford Theatre Hour" in "The Man Who Came To Dinner." He was a frequent performer in the live television dramas of the 1950s and had a long line of guest-starring roles on successful television series, including "The Fugitive," "Mission: Impossible," "Columbo," "The Love Boat," "Murder, She Wrote" and "Early Edition." He co-starred in three series - "Flamingo Road," "Bay City Blues" and "The Colbys."
"Five-O" fans remember him for two episodes - as forger Hunter R. Hickey in Season 9's "The Last of the Great Paperhangers," and as widow murderer Victor Reese in the series' first regular episode, "Full Fathom Five":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FhDGWTsUiw
Later in the week, Harold Gould, also working until recently, died.
Gould's television career started in 1961. It included two stints as the dad in a television pilot - Lou Marie in the pilot of "That Girl" (Lew Parker wound up playing the role.) and Howard Cunningham in the "Love and Happy Days" segment of "Love, American Style that was turned into "Happy Days" (in which Tom Bosley played Howard).
But the third time was the charm - as Martin Morgenstern, father of Rhoda (Valerie Harper) - first on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," then on "Rhoda":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lC9_YNmUbts&feature=related
Later, he played the boyfriend of Rose Nylund (Betty White) on "The Golden Girls."
His Five-O turn came in what series fan Karen Rhodes called the show's magnum opus in her "Booking Hawaii Five-O": The Vashon trilogy.
He played Honore Vashon, the second generation of a crime family that Five-O was determined to bring to justice. These scenes are from the first episode of the original three-parter, "V For Vashon: The Son":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tmh_xd59uew
He also appeared in a followup episode, "The Case Against McGarrett."
Lots of good viewing with this trio. The first nine seasons of "Hawaii Five-O" are available on DVD, as are the first season of "Rhoda," all of Gould's appearances on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and "The Golden Girls" and many of McCarthy's appearances on various shows.
Aloha to all.
**************************************************************************
See you next week. Until then, Happy Viewing!
Friday, September 3, 2010
Week of Sept. 3: Emmy Suggestion Reflects How Networks Have Fallen in Prestige Programming
By Sylvia Gurinsky
Now that the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences is looking for a new contract for the televising of the Emmy Awards, there are some downright goofy suggestions for future telecasts. The goofiest would split up the programming awards between commercial and cable television. Cable, which does most movies and miniseries, would televise those categories.
It says a lot about the mess network television has become. Remember when movies and miniseries used to be part of the prestige claims for networks? These days, with rare exceptions in hour-long series, CBS, NBC and ABC (Never mind Fox, which never aspired to the prestigious) are the equivalent of fast-food restaurants - filling and sometimes enjoyable, but hardly ever nourishing.
On the other hand, cable networks such as HBO are at the other end of the spectrum - like dinner at Elaine's, which is certainly fancy, but not affordable by everyone.
That leaves PBS, whose development of programming depends on funding from everywhere. PBS is a class act, of course, but even its long-form programming depends on the kindness of friends on both sides of the Atlantic.
The last time a commercial network movie was nominated for an Emmy was in 2008, when ABC's "A Raisin In the Sun" was tapped. The last time a network movie won an Emmy was in 2000, when the Oprah Winfrey-produced "Tuesdays With Morrie" took the statue, also for ABC. Only a handful have been nominated since 1994, when four of the five nominees were from networks (but interestingly, the HBO-produced "And the Band Played On" won that year).
As for miniseries, PBS is the only network that has seen Emmy nominations and glory since 2005, when CBS' "Elvis" was one of the nominees. ABC's "Anne Frank" was the last commercial-network miniseries to win, in 2001. The last time all miniseries nominees did not include a cable entry was 1997.
It's depressing for those who love the history of commercial television and know how good it was when it scaled the peaks. While much of what's produced on cable is excellent, it doesn't transform the landscape because it's not available to the entire television audience.
What if "Roots" had been telecast on HBO, instead of on ABC? It still would have won awards, but it wouldn't have been the revolutionary program it was, not just for the craft of television, but also for society.
One of the reasons network television is in so much trouble is that it's gotten out of the creativity business to save money. Viewers still want their imaginations stirred. But if commercial networks don't do it, they'll go elsewhere. Splitting up the Emmys won't help that. It will only reflect how far the mighty have fallen.
**************************************************************************
YesterTube will be on hiatus next week. Enjoy Labor Day and Happy Jewish New Year to those who celebrate. Meanwhile, Happy Viewing!
Now that the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences is looking for a new contract for the televising of the Emmy Awards, there are some downright goofy suggestions for future telecasts. The goofiest would split up the programming awards between commercial and cable television. Cable, which does most movies and miniseries, would televise those categories.
It says a lot about the mess network television has become. Remember when movies and miniseries used to be part of the prestige claims for networks? These days, with rare exceptions in hour-long series, CBS, NBC and ABC (Never mind Fox, which never aspired to the prestigious) are the equivalent of fast-food restaurants - filling and sometimes enjoyable, but hardly ever nourishing.
On the other hand, cable networks such as HBO are at the other end of the spectrum - like dinner at Elaine's, which is certainly fancy, but not affordable by everyone.
That leaves PBS, whose development of programming depends on funding from everywhere. PBS is a class act, of course, but even its long-form programming depends on the kindness of friends on both sides of the Atlantic.
The last time a commercial network movie was nominated for an Emmy was in 2008, when ABC's "A Raisin In the Sun" was tapped. The last time a network movie won an Emmy was in 2000, when the Oprah Winfrey-produced "Tuesdays With Morrie" took the statue, also for ABC. Only a handful have been nominated since 1994, when four of the five nominees were from networks (but interestingly, the HBO-produced "And the Band Played On" won that year).
As for miniseries, PBS is the only network that has seen Emmy nominations and glory since 2005, when CBS' "Elvis" was one of the nominees. ABC's "Anne Frank" was the last commercial-network miniseries to win, in 2001. The last time all miniseries nominees did not include a cable entry was 1997.
It's depressing for those who love the history of commercial television and know how good it was when it scaled the peaks. While much of what's produced on cable is excellent, it doesn't transform the landscape because it's not available to the entire television audience.
What if "Roots" had been telecast on HBO, instead of on ABC? It still would have won awards, but it wouldn't have been the revolutionary program it was, not just for the craft of television, but also for society.
One of the reasons network television is in so much trouble is that it's gotten out of the creativity business to save money. Viewers still want their imaginations stirred. But if commercial networks don't do it, they'll go elsewhere. Splitting up the Emmys won't help that. It will only reflect how far the mighty have fallen.
**************************************************************************
YesterTube will be on hiatus next week. Enjoy Labor Day and Happy Jewish New Year to those who celebrate. Meanwhile, Happy Viewing!
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