Week of November 18: How Regis Became Big

By Sylvia Gurinsky

Well, it wasn't because of the Nehru jacket:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMXpahmPDFI

Regis Philbin took the slow path to stardom. He hosted a local show in San Diego and eventually played the second banana role to Joey Bishop. After that, Philbin would go back to local television for a while, interviewing and presenting people such as legendary drummer Buddy Rich:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzXMuXO2-6w&feature=related

The first key to Regis' climb took place with a series of hosting partners. Early in the 1980s, he worked with Cristina Ferrare and Cyndy Garvey. Here he is with Garvey and a young Jay Thomas, in a format not much different from what he's done since:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRefS6fRXRM

But it was his next-to-last partner - Kathie Lee Gifford - with whom he would rise to the top of morning television - with "The Morning Show," which was nationally syndicated and retitled "Live With Regis and Kathie Lee":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJi3a8Ea2y0

Gifford continued with the show until 2001, when she was replaced with Kelly Ripa. Philbin and Ripa didn't miss a beat:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbKcR53MnFo&feature=related

Philbin's appearances on "Late Show With David Letterman" - including a guest-host stint when Letterman had his heart bypass surgery in 2000 - have added to the fun:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Txz5g17XSBg

But Regis went into the stratosphere with the 1999 success of "Who Wants To Be a Millionaire." Here he is with John Carpenter, the show's first successful winner (Sorry about those little boxes):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeqPJojGqxc

We trust Regis won't disappear, though he won't be on in the morning anymore. No doubt he'll add more to those thousands of hours he's logged in television.

Thanks, Reege.

**************************************************************************

YesterTube will take next week off for Thanksgiving. Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Viewing!

Week of 11/11: Ali-Frazier, Hal Kanter and More

By Sylvia Gurinsky

With the death of boxer Joe Frazier this week, many recalled his sport in its 20th century heyday on television. At the center of that was the three fights Frazier had with Muhammad Ali.

In 1971, Frazier won the first fight; many had argued that Ali, rusty from missing three-and-a-half years of boxing because of his courageous stand against the Vietnam War, simply wasn't ready:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyezmRI-7cE

Frazier won the title, but George Foreman won that from him in 1973. By the time Frazier and Ali met for their second match in 1974 in New York's Madison Square Garden, it was a grudge match. Calling it for ABC was the incomparable Howard Cosell; the clip includes a look at Frazier and Ali's studio scuffle during an interview with Cosell:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Unpw2QHMDMs

They met for the third and last time in the "Thrilla In Manila" in 1975. Ali had already taken back his title from Foreman, and Frazier was trying to win it back. Ali kept his title and his legend grew, but the fight was physically tough on both boxers, both that night and in the long term:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRth-5w0Lt8

Various documentaries and the entire 1975 fight are available on DVD.

***************************************************************************

Hal Kanter wrote for Ed Wynn and George Gobel, and was actually involved in two groundbreaking series for NBC, creating "Julia" and writing for "Chico and the Man."

Here's a look at "Julia" (an episode that includes a young Robert Guillaume):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BobgR99qWxM

This "Chico and the Man" episode features Della Reese:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ld39sBWRZFk

**************************************************************************

Besides Andy Rooney, whom I saluted on his retirement last month, Hal Bruno, ABC's longtime political editor, has also died.

Bruno was the ultimate professional of a type that's disappearing from ABC News. He helped with the transition of political coverage into the computer age and moderated the 1992 vice presidential debate; he introduced Admiral James Stockdale, Ross Perot's running mate, leading to Stockdale's famous response:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKpX-5jQjQ0&feature=related

**************************************************************************

And in tribute to Sid Melton, who also died this week, about 20 seconds in:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cxh0Nx2q48E

See you next week. Until then, Happy Viewing!

Week of November 4: Forgetting the "Independent Woman" and Remembering Gil Cates

By Sylvia Gurinsky

PBS' "America In Primetime" series got off to an inauspicious start with part 1,
"Independent Woman."

Some parts were good: Segments on "The Good Wife," "Murphy Brown" and "The Mary Tyler Moore Show." But there was too much focus on modern-day cable characters who are not truly independent, and are also bad role models.

Meanwhile, the program managed to ignore the following:

*First lady of television Betty White, the only person to work in the medium for more than six decades.

*Carol Burnett, still the only woman to host a successful weekly variety show.

*"One Day at a Time," Norman Lear's groundbreaking sitcom about a divorced woman, which starred Bonnie Franklin.

*"That Girl." While many women are ambivalent about Marlo Thomas' cheerful actress Ann Marie, the fact remains that she laid the cornerstone for the career woman.

*"Maude." This omission is inexcusable - particularly for the groundbreaking stands the show took on political and social matters.

*"The Golden Girls" - Also inexcusable because of its portrayal of the independent mature woman.

*"Cagney and Lacey" - Still the best depiction of women juggling career and personal lives.

*"Designing Women" - Also a fine mix of political and personal.

The show also left out any mention of the lack of shows featuring African-American, Asian-American and Hispanic women as lead characters.

It doesn't leave one optimistic about the remaining three parts of the "America in Primetime" series.

If PBS wants a good, comprehensive documentary series about the history of television, they might want to ask Ken Burns to do it.

*************************************************************************************

Gilbert Cates, who died earlier this week at age 77, was best known for his producing role at numerous Academy Awards telecasts and other specials. But Cates was also a producer and director of various made for television movies, including "A Death in the Family," (PBS, 2002) "Call Me Anna," starring Patty Duke in the film based on her autobiography (ABC, 1990), "After the Fall" (NBC, 1974) and "The Affair," which starred real-life couple Robert Wagner and Natalie Wood (ABC, 1973).

Some are available on DVD. Here's a look at the beginning of "The Affair," which is one of them:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWfxYmexfl0

Cates was one of those credited with a 1990 telecast that saved the Academy Awards after an abysmal 1989 broadcast. So was Billy Crystal, who would work with Cates other times, including 1992, the year of "The Silence of the Lambs":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9cERvUX6sE

In Cates, Hollywood has lost some gold.

See you next week.