Week of July 22: "All In the Family"'s Pilot Trio

By Sylvia Gurinsky

Last week's look at the original pilot of "That Girl," with Harold Gould and Penny Santon playing the parents of Ann Marie (Marlo Thomas) - in roles played in the regular series by Lew Parker and Rosemary DeCamp - triggered another find - in fact, two of them.

Check out this unaired 1968 pilot of "Justice For All," featuring Tim McIntire ("Rich Man Poor Man," "Soap") and character actress Kelly Jean Peters as young newlyweds - along with her parents, Archie and Edith, played by Carroll O'Connor and Jean Stapleton.

What? You say it sounds just like "All In the Family?" It is in every way - except for some changed words in "Those Were the Days," sung by O'Connor and Stapleton, O'Connor's haircut (thankfully) - and the casting of the young newlyweds:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xwKhHoQ-_w

That pilot was taped for ABC, which said, "Not now." Series creator Norman Lear tried again in 1969 with Oakland Raider football player Chip Oliver and character actress Candice Azzara as the young couple:

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

The show was getting closer to full bloom, with familiar opening titles and the classic song. It was obvious that O'Connor and Stapleton were magic as Archie and Edith. But not to ABC, which said No again.

Then CBS said Yes to the gutsiest show in television history and re-titled it "All In the Family." And, of course, the third time was the charm, with "Smothers Brothers" comedy writer (and Carl's son) Rob Reiner cast as Mike and up-and-comer Sally Struthers as Gloria (not to mention "Good Times" co-creator Mike Evans as Lionel Jefferson):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sf0sgaB3mkc&feature=related

The two rejected pilots are on the "All In the Family" first season DVD. Of course, the entire series is now available on DVD.

See you next week. Until then, Happy Viewing!

Week of July 15: Remembering Schwartz and Denoff

By Sylvia Gurinsky

Sherwood Schwartz and Sam Denoff were two people who captured the formula to make people laugh during the 1960s and early 1970s.

Schwartz was the better known of the pair because he created "Gilligan's Island," which perfectly corresponded to the sillier notions of '60s comedy, and "The Brady Bunch," which became a family favorite, then a cult favorite because of the changing fashions, the groovy lingo and the situations.

Schwartz began as a writer for the comedy series "I Married Joan," then wrote for Red Skelton's comedy shows. Then he came up with an idea for a boat captain and his mate out on a three-hour pleasure cruise with five tourists.

The result was television history. "Gilligan's Island" ran on CBS from 1964-67 and immortalized its cast and the characters they played - as well as Schwartz. This writer still believes that show inspired the ABC hit "Lost."

Schwartz came up with an idea for a show about a blended family even before the success of the 1968 movie "Yours, Mine and Ours," which was based on a true story. That movie is what prompted the green light for Schwartz to develop what became "The Brady Bunch."

The show ran on ABC from 1969-74 and was particularly popular among teenagers and young children. It evolved from blended family issues to campiness - which has helped it gain a cult following (including follow-up specials and two feature films) in subsequent years.

Sam Denoff was not as well known as Schwartz, but probably more prolific in his talent. He came out of the "Your Show of Shows" writing stable and wrote for programs such as "McHale's Navy" before he put his experience on "Your Show of Shows" to work as a writer for "The Dick Van Dyke Show."

In 1966, Denoff and Bill Persky created "That Girl," a landmark sitcom. Running on ABC until 1971, the show starred Marlo Thomas as aspiring actress Ann Marie. It was considered the springboard to more feminist shows such as "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and "Murphy Brown."

Here's something fun: A look at the unaired pilot of "That Girl." Ted Bessell, who of course would play Ann's boyfriend, journalist Donald Hollinger, throughout the series, was originally cast as her agent, named Donald Blue Sky (!) :

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

It wasn't the last time Harold Gould, who lost the role of Ann's dad to Lew Parker, would be in this situation: He played Howard Cunningham in the "Love, American Style" episode that led to the creation of "Happy Days." Rosemary DeCamp would play Ann's mother in the series.

All of Schwartz and Denoff's principal shows are available on DVD. Here's to their work.

See you next week. Until then, Happy Viewing!

Week of July 8: All Star and Space Shuttle Memories

By Sylvia Gurinsky

Major League Baseball has been having a competition for the best moment in an All Star Game. Many great moments have been featured at MLB.com.

Alas, such moments as Reggie Jackson's 1971 tape-measure home run in Tiger Stadium in Detroit and Dave Parker's putout at home plate in Seattle in 1979 are shown in film clips, not the original live television. And Tony Perez' 15th-inning home run in Anaheim in 1967 isn't shown at all.

But what's there is still worth watching. Just go to

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/events/all_star/y2011/midsummer_classic_moments/index.jsp

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With today's final launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis, it's good to remember the first Space Shuttle launch - of Columbia, which carried astronauts John Young and Bob Crippen in April, 1981.



ABC News coverage that day included Frank Reynolds anchoring, Apollo 17 astronaut Gene Cernan providing commentary and Jules Bergman - so important to ABC's coverage of many space triumphs and disasters for three decades - providing analysis:





http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pt6Bt1pZ4Is





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See you next week. Until then, Happy Viewing!

Week of 6/24: Just One More Thing, Lt. Columbo

By Sylvia Gurinsky

Today, there is the late-breaking news that Peter Falk, who was Lt. Columbo, has died at age 83.

Falk distinguished himself in Academy Award-nominated roles in movies. But starting in 1967, he played Police Lt. Frank Columbo - first in various television movies, then as one of the troika (along with "McCloud" and "McMillan and Wife") in the successful "NBC Mystery Movie," then in another series of television movies for ABC from the 1980s through 2003.

Unlike any previous television detective, Columbo dressed in a rumpled raincoat and drove a beat-up car. His method of making inquiries was usually polite ("just one more thing") and often stream-of-consciousness: He could throw in a statement about his wife's favorite television programs alongside queries about where a suspect was at the time of a murder. The format of the program ensured that the viewer knew who the murderer was. The fun was in watching Columbo figure out how a crime was committed.

Here's the ending to "A Friend in Deed," in which Columbo's trail leads him right to the police commissioner, played by the great Richard Kiley:

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

"Columbo" is available on DVD, so it is possible to have "just one more question."



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This week brings the unfortunate news that country singing star Glen Campbell has Alzheimer's - the disease Falk had. As everyone hopes for progress in fighting the disease, we take a look back at his biggest shining moment on television.

Launched by CBS in 1969 as a summer replacement for the Smothers Brothers' variety show, "The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour" was a variety show in which Campbell would perform some of his hits and other popular songs and have a number of guest stars, both musical and not. It stayed on CBS' lineup until 1972.

Here's Campbell performing one of his biggest hits, "Wichita Lineman," on the show:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HFCuBLAjXo

No DVD releases yet, and whatever VHS tapes are available are expensive, so YouTube's the best bet for now.


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Fans of classic television are embracing Antenna TV, which is showing up on some of the newer digital channels in many communities.

Named because the shows were created in an age of analog television, Antenna TV, created by Tribune, has a schedule including shows ranging from "Burns & Allen" to "Mad About You" and old movies as well. Here's the website, which includes a daily schedule:

http://www.antennatv.tv/

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Next week, YesterTube will be on holiday hiatus. Happy Viewing!

Week of June 17: Banner Achievements

By Sylvia Gurinsky

Producer Bob Banner's specialty was variety.

Indeed, Banner, who died this week, left plenty - not just in entertainment shows, but also in television films, during a career that lasted almost 45 years.

After producing and directing "The Dinah Shore Chevy Show" during the late 1950s, he then worked for the "Garry Moore Show," where he came into contact with a young talent named Carol Burnett; among the specials he produced for Burnett was 1964's "Once Upon a Mattress." Here's the definitely not bashful Burnett singing "Shy":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouL9ZMzEZ4k

Banner would later go on to produce the first three seasons of "The Carol Burnett Show."

Banner worked on variety shows with singers Perry Como and Andy Williams and the occasional television movie, such as "Lisa, Bright and Dark," a Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation that aired on NBC in 1973 and is considered a landmark in the portrayal of mental illness.

For three seasons, he was the executive producer of "Star Search," a syndicated show hosted by Ed McMahon that introduced quite a few of today's top musical and comedy performers. Here's a 1984 opening including an image of Brad Garrett, years before "Everybody Loves Raymond":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jMdxd4NS-Y

Alas, neither the 1964 version of "Once Upon a Mattress," nor "Lisa, Bright and Dark" are yet available on DVD. Someday, perhaps, it will be possible to celebrate those banner achievements of Bob Banner.

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See you next week. Until then, Happy Viewing!

Week of June 10: The _________ Leonard Stern

By Sylvia Gurinsky

Leonard Stern, who died this week, will probably always be best known for creating "Mad Libs," the game in which millions (including Yours Truly) have had fun filling in the blanks.

But Stern also made a mark in television - most notably with two series.

The first was "Get Smart!" which ran on NBC from 1965-70 and starred Don Adams as bumbling (but effective) Agent 86, Maxwell Smart, and Barbara Feldon as Agent 99. Stern executive-produced the first three seasons and the series, created by Mel Brooks and Buck Henry, was a pointed spoof not only of the popular spy movies of the era, but of Washington:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5NBIyPmB0g

In 1971, Stern created his greatest television success: "McMillan & Wife," which ran as part of the "NBC Mystery Movie" and starred Rock Hudson as San Francisco Police Commissioner Stewart McMillan and Susan Saint James as his wife, Sally. It was more "Thin Man" than "Law & Order," but audiences loved it. Here's a scene from the pilot, "Once Upon a Dead Man":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JCRJjO8It0

"McMillan & Wife" has been widely syndicated, and the first four seasons have been released on DVD so far. Season 5 is scheduled to be released next month.
Hudson and Saint James were delightful together, and the show is a lot of fun.

Leonard Stern's programs left us with a _______ on our faces. (In "Mad Libs," I would put "smile.")

See you next week. Until then, Happy Viewing!

Week of June 3: So Long, Marshall Dillon

By Sylvia Gurinsky

Today brings the late-breaking news that James Arness, best known as Marshall Matt Dillon on CBS' "Gunsmoke," has died.

A World War II veteran and Purple Heart recipient, Arness acted in movies and television during the late 1940s and 1950s - including an appearance as William Tell in a 1955 Hallmark Hall of Fame production.

1955 was a terrific year for Arness because he proceeded to get the lead role as Dillon; rumors always had the role being offered to John Wayne, who wound up introducing the show when it went on the air.

Westerns were extremely popular on television during the 1950s and 60s. "Gunsmoke" was among the best because it took its lead from movies such as "High Noon." During the glory years, its supporting cast included Dennis Weaver ("McCloud") as Festus and Amanda Blake as saloon owner Kitty Russell. Despite the 1800s setting, "Gunsmoke" managed to address issues relevant to the mid-20th century - including civil rights.

(Viewers can catch "Gunsmoke" on TVLand and the first four seasons are available on DVD - but in that annoying format that splits seasons.)

While Arness would have less screen time during the later seasons of the show, he and Milburn Stone, who played Doc, were the only primary cast members to stay until "Gunsmoke" finally went off the air in 1975. Later, Arness would appear in several "Gunsmoke" movies, a miniseries version of "How the West Was Won" on ABC and the detective series "McClain's Law" for NBC in 1981-82.

Here's a clip from the "Gunsmoke" episode "The Killer," featuring Charles Bronson:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqyojnM9tlc

You did fine, Marshall. Just fine.

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Note: Today is Jim Lehrer's last day as "NewsHour" anchor. YesterTube will pay tribute next week.