Week of January 20: Happy 90th Birthday, Betty White!

By Sylvia Gurinsky

In honor of Betty White's 90th Birthday, here's a link to my old classic television blog, Rabbit Ears, and a commentary written about her almost two years ago:

http://classtv.blogspot.com/2010/02/week-of-feb-19-hail-betty-white.html

The link to the hilarious "Mary Tyler Moore Show" episode "The Lars Affair" is obsolete, so here's a new link to the second half of that episode:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ewZcsQvj1g

Here's to another 90, Betty!

See you next week. Until then, Happy Viewing!

Weekend of January 13: So Long, "One Life To Live"

By Sylvia Gurinsky

And so, "One Life To Live" has lived its life.

Now that a Prospect Park rescue seems unlikely, the only thing that is likely is that ABC will replace it with a similar piece of garbage to what they replaced "All My Children" with in September. Total viewership for the two replacement programs won't reach the population of a child's ant farm, but the replacements are cheaper for ABC to air, alas.

Much better, then, to reminisce about Llanview, the town that was the focus of "OLTL." Agnes Nixon, who also created "All My Children," was responsible for this show as well. "One Life To Live" was a bit in the shadow of the more glamourous "AMC" and the more adventurous "General Hospital."

But the show lasted 43 years by breaking ground from the very beginning. It was the first soap opera to feature major African-American and Hispanic characters. It focused on the middle class, and its supercouples tended to be middle-aged. During its golden period - the early 1990s - its storylines educated viewers about rape, incest and homophobia. It won a truckload of Daytime Emmy awards.

It's fitting, then, that four of the top five storylines were set during that golden period. Here they are:

5. The Murder of Marco Dane (1979): The kind of plotline that put the "soap" in "soap opera." Pimp Marco Dane (Gerald Anthony) was supposedly murdered, and Viki Lord (played all except the first three years of the show by Erika Slezak) was indicted. Viki wasn't guilty, but the plotline took a dramatic twist with the revelation of Karen Wolek (Judith Light) as a prostitute - scenes that won Light an Emmy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ez79MbbIeFA&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PL5BE32849752CC4D0

4. Megan Dies (1992): The couple of Megan and Jake (Jessica Tuck and Joe Lando) charmed viewers with adventure and humor. By 1992, Lando had left "OLTL" to star on "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman" for CBS, and Tuck also intended to leave the show to try her luck in primetime. A moving storyline had Megan dying of lupus, a connective tissue disease, and Jake being rescued by Rev. Andrew Carpenter (Wortham Krimmer) and coming back in time to be with Megan in her last minutes. The music is a gem in these scenes as well:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhKMFDp-4oQ

3. Rape of Marty Saybrooke (1993): In 1993, troubled Marty Saybrooke (Susan Haskell) was gang-raped by several college students led by Todd Manning (Roger Howarth). The aftermath led to major changes in the character of Marty, and certainly raised the awareness of the crime of rape. The storyline also was part of the introduction of the character of Nora Gannon (Hillary B. Smith), who was the defense attorney. Nora would later go on to be part of the most enjoyable romantic duo ever on the show, with Bo Buchanan (Robert S. Woods).

2. Billy Douglas Comes Out (1992): Young Ryan Philippe movingly played Billy Douglas, a teenaged friend of Joey Buchanan who was gay. All sides of what people still go through are shown in these scenes in which Billy tells Andrew, while Marty eavesdrops:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u901Pj69J3c&feature=related

1. Viki/Niki (entire series): Erika Slezak has had fun contrasting the prim and proper (and nice) Viki with her alters - especially Niki Smith:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcGYT_dzq_E&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PL6828D1989EA984CA

But there's a serious side to the story: Viki being a victim of abuse by her own father, Victor Lord - triggering multiple personality disorder, which was explored in another excellent 1990s storyline:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YqL9vciXdg&feature=related

And yes, that is young Nathan Fillion ("Castle"), one of the actors to play Joey Buchanan.

If ABC and Prospect Park aren't going to bring back the show in over-the-air form, and ABC plans to end "General Hospital" as well (ABC execs were tight-lipped about that show's future this week, but it's easy to assume they'll pull the plug as soon as Katie Couric's show goes on the air next fall), here's a proposal:

Create an online archive for all three shows, and let those fans who have loved and supported "All My Children," "One Life To Live" and "General Hospital" all these years enjoy the memories of Erica Kane, Viki Buchanan, Luke and Laura Spencer and company in perpetuity.

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See you next week. Until then, Happy Viewing!

Week of January 6: Cold War Spies and "Bosom Buddies"

By Sylvia Gurinsky

The new film release of "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" is drawing awards notice and comparisons to the 1979 British series that was shown on PBS.

The 1979 series starred Sir Alec Guinness as George Smiley, a semi-retired spy who goes back to work for MI6 during the Cold War. Guinness won a BAFTA, the top British award for film and television, and the show was nominated for an Emmy. Here's a clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILYP9YnCZUs

Cast members included Sir Ian Richardson, later to star in the "House of Cards" trilogy shown on PBS' "Masterpiece Theater," and Michael Jayston, who has been seen in "Foyle's War" and other programs.

Guinness himself returned to the part three years later in "Smiley's People," which also featured Eileen Atkins ("Upstairs/ Downstairs").

In the United States, the broadcast was part of PBS' "Great Performances" series and was hosted by journalist Robert MacNeil.

"Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" is available on DVD.

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To some, the most insulting aspect about the new ABC show "Work It" relates to the fact that it's a retread of "Bosom Buddies."

"Bosom Buddies," which ran on ABC from 1980-82, was an unlikely launching pad for the career of Tom Hanks. Created by Miller-Boyett, the team that would later be responsible for the successful "Full House," the show starred Hanks and Peter Scolari as two men who disguise themselves as women to be able to find an affordable place to live:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Un1gmFXFDOg&feature=related

It never found a home among ABC's hit comedies. But Scolari would go on to success with three Emmy nominations for "Newhart." And then there's Hanks, who would do much better on the big screen.

For the curious, "Bosom Buddies" is available on DVD.

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See you next week. Until then, Happy Viewing!

Week of 12/22-29: Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

By Sylvia Gurinsky

YesterTube will be back in 2012. Happy Holidays, Happy New Year and Happy Viewing!

Week of December 16: Some "Silver Bells"

By Sylvia Gurinsky

Enjoy the holiday season with some "Silver Bells," courtesy of Bob and Dolores Hope in 1978:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaXX4zU6S68


See you next week. Until then, Happy Viewing!

Week of December 9: The Best of Harry Morgan on "M*A*S*H"

By Sylvia Gurinsky

After a decent career as a supporting player in films, Harry Morgan had another decent career, including the role of Detective Frank Gannon on "Dragnet," in television.

Then came "M*A*S*H."

Hard-core series fans will remember that Morgan made his "M*A*S*H" debut during the third season not as the beloved Col. Sherman Potter, but as the crazy General Bartford Hamilton Steele in the episode "The General Flipped at Dawn."

Aside from a scene in which he mistakes cross-dressing Cpl. Klinger (Jamie Farr) for his mistress, Steele completely loses it at a hearing in which he accuses Hawkeye Pierce (Alan Alda) of insubordination:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tW-JNn49ZN0&feature=related

That guest-starring role won Morgan the role of Col. Potter when McLean Stevenson, who played Col. Henry Blake, left the show. Potter instantly won the hearts of "M*A*S*H" fans with his combination of toughness, humor, sensitivity and intelligence.

Here are five essential Col. Potter episodes:

1. "Change of Command" (Season 4): The character of Potter first appears in the last minute of "Welcome To Korea," the hourlong episode that introduces Capt. B.J. Hunnicutt (Mike Farrell). That scene - with the immortal greeting of Radar (Gary Burghoff), who doesn't see Potter: "Stick that horn in your ear" - is repeated in this episode, along with Potter's introduction to the principal characters. It's capped off with his recounting of his own experiences with a moonshine still.

2. "Dear Mildred" (Season 4): Just a few episodes later, a celebration of Potter's anniversary gets him quite a gift: Sophie, the horse (The horse was male in this episode, and no name was given.). It's a moving scene when Radar brings the horse into Potter's office. And I think the bust looks like Potter, not the carver.

3. "Bug Out" (Season 5): The one-hour opener to the fifth season has the 4077th evacuating, and Morgan has some of the funniest scenes in the episode - including the one in which he calls a camp meeting to reassure everyone, only to be handed a telegram by Radar that says they are bugging out.

4. "The Price" (Season 7): A touching episode concerning a retired Korean soldier and Sophie. Potter goes through various emotions when his beloved horse disappears - until he figures out why.

5. "Old Soldiers" (Season 8): The best episode, in which Potter mourns the death of a World War I comrade while toasting his friendship with his 4077 family. Beautifully done.

The entire series, of course, is available on DVD.

To quote the Colonel, "To me, that's a tiptoe through the tulips."

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See you next week. Until then, Happy Viewing!

Week of December 2: The Television Evolution of the Muppets

By Sylvia Gurinsky

With last week's successful release of the film "The Muppets," it's good to go back and review where they began - on the small screen.

Jim Henson was just 19 years old when he created "Sam and Friends," a five-minute show in Washington, D.C. But a certain frog named Kermit became the star of the show from the beginning.

Here's a 1961 Kermit interview with the Muppet versions of two famous newsmen:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9R5dov0VIw

Almost from the beginning, the Muppets appeared on various variety shows, with Kermit being a consistent character. Here's an appearance on "The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson" from 1965. About halfway through, there's proof that Kermit wasn't always such a nice frog:


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


Kermit wasn't the only Muppet star during the 1960s. Jimmy Dean had a cute and furry co-star: Rowlf the Dog:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-dHo7sIIb4



The Muppets were popular, but they'd start to go into the stratosphere in 1969, with the creation of a new children's show for public broadcasting, with Henson making an appearance in front of the camera. Forty-two years later.....well, you know the story ( but Big Bird looks considerably different - and much bigger):


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laEyKDxRUd8



The original pilot for "The Muppet Show" in 1976 was stream-of-consiousness - so much so that all three major networks passed on it. Lord Lew Grade, head of the ATV studios in Great Britain, said yes, though, and the show was aired in the UK and syndicated to the United States. It would become the most successful syndicated show in American television history.

It became the "go-to" show for the biggest stars - including opera star Beverly Sills, who suddenly became a country singer:


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


Sills' performance was actually in Season 4. The DVD release of that season has been announced, but no date yet. There are licensing issues over music. Meanwhile, the first three seasons are available on DVD.


The show was done in vaudeville format, and here's a treat: Closing credits from a British airing in 1976:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iu4jH0Ts3aY&feature=related

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See you December 9. Until then, Happy Viewing!