By Sylvia Gurinsky
When people of a certain fan base think of "The Avengers," it's not the Marvel Comics movie out today that comes to mind. It's the classic 1960s television series.
Patrick Macnee played John Steed througout the series, which lasted from 1961-69 and was produced by a contractor of British television network ITV (the same network responsible for "Downton Abbey" and "Foyle's War"). Steed evolved from assistant to trenchcoat-wearing spy to the old-fashioned suit and bowler hat that came to symbolize his character.
Steed was teamed with a number of co-stars - Ian Henry as Dr. David Keel in the first season and a number of actresses. But the show was at its most popular from 1965-68, when Diana Rigg played Emma Peel. Aside from the team's chemistry, "The Avengers" also benefitted from the evolution of color television and a pickup by ABC. It was one of the first British imports to find success on American television.
Here's a look at the style and substance of Steed and Peel:
Avengers
"NCIS'" Ziva David would be proud of how Emma Peel puts away that thug!
Macnee just turned 90. Rigg has continued to be a constant television presence, which has included her time as the host of PBS' "Mystery."
It was campy, but fun, and it's available on DVD. (Ignore the 1998 Uma Thurman/Ralph Fiennes movie - please!)
See you next week. Until then, Happy Viewing!
Friday, May 4, 2012
Friday, April 27, 2012
Week of 4/27: Du Mont: The Original Fourth Network
By Sylvia Gurinsky
Television critics, viewers, etc. have marked the 25th anniversary of the Fox network. (Frankly, except for about a half-dozen shows and baseball, the less said about Fox, the better.)
It gives a good opportunity to go back and look at another network that once battled CBS, NBC and ABC: Du Mont, which bowed in 1946.
Du Mont was actually the second network that went on the air, behind NBC. The company was already well known for the electronic products - including television sets - it produced. The idea, according to a website about the network, was probably to sell more television sets.
The network managed to have some prominent shows, such as "Ted Mack's Amateur Hour," - Think "American Idol" without the nastiness - and "Calvacade of Stars," which gave birth to "The Honeymooners." Jackie Gleason originated Ralph Kramden, while Pert Kelton played Alice:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2JUV7zA1NQ
It also featured Bishop (later Archbishop) Fulton Sheen in "Life Is Worth Living," as well as the children's show "Captain Video and His Video Rangers." It featured the first live television, including the first live prime-time football, and the first prime-time soap opera.
Most importantly, Du Mont made early efforts to feature black and Asian actors and actresses in prominent roles at a time when the Big Three did not. Check out this anti-racism public service announcement from 1949, at a time when McCarthyite sentiments had already started bubbling up:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Bj5Rfs-6I0
But Du Mont was hindered by a number of issues. CBS, NBC and ABC all had strong radio show connections. The company had a battle with Paramount Pictures, which owned a piece of Du Mont. And various FCC rules limited Du Mont to lower-power UHF stations. Add to that the lack of money to create quality programming, and Du Mont went off the air in 1956.
The memories live on, as do about 300 kinescopes of Du Mont shows and the website:
http://www.dumonthistory.tv/index.html
See you next week. Until then, Happy Viewing!
Television critics, viewers, etc. have marked the 25th anniversary of the Fox network. (Frankly, except for about a half-dozen shows and baseball, the less said about Fox, the better.)
It gives a good opportunity to go back and look at another network that once battled CBS, NBC and ABC: Du Mont, which bowed in 1946.
Du Mont was actually the second network that went on the air, behind NBC. The company was already well known for the electronic products - including television sets - it produced. The idea, according to a website about the network, was probably to sell more television sets.
The network managed to have some prominent shows, such as "Ted Mack's Amateur Hour," - Think "American Idol" without the nastiness - and "Calvacade of Stars," which gave birth to "The Honeymooners." Jackie Gleason originated Ralph Kramden, while Pert Kelton played Alice:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2JUV7zA1NQ
It also featured Bishop (later Archbishop) Fulton Sheen in "Life Is Worth Living," as well as the children's show "Captain Video and His Video Rangers." It featured the first live television, including the first live prime-time football, and the first prime-time soap opera.
Most importantly, Du Mont made early efforts to feature black and Asian actors and actresses in prominent roles at a time when the Big Three did not. Check out this anti-racism public service announcement from 1949, at a time when McCarthyite sentiments had already started bubbling up:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Bj5Rfs-6I0
But Du Mont was hindered by a number of issues. CBS, NBC and ABC all had strong radio show connections. The company had a battle with Paramount Pictures, which owned a piece of Du Mont. And various FCC rules limited Du Mont to lower-power UHF stations. Add to that the lack of money to create quality programming, and Du Mont went off the air in 1956.
The memories live on, as do about 300 kinescopes of Du Mont shows and the website:
http://www.dumonthistory.tv/index.html
See you next week. Until then, Happy Viewing!
Friday, April 20, 2012
Week of April 20: The Versatile Dick Clark; Mike Wallace's Best
By Sylvia Gurinsky
While YesterTube has been on spring hiatus, the television world lost two giants in Mike Wallace and Dick Clark.
Clark came to national prominence as the host of ABC's "American Bandstand." But he didn't stop there. He was successful as the host of various forms of the "Pyramid" game, and with Ed McMahon of "TV Bloopers and Practical Jokes." By the way, Clark wasn't afraid to poke fun at himself: Here are a couple of his "Pyramid" bloopers:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzsOYtGNHtk
He may have been the most prolific producer in television history, with credits including "Bandstand," the American Music Awards, the Golden Globe Awards and television movies such as 1979's "Elvis," with Kurt Russell as The King, and 1985's "Copacabana," which starred Barry Manilow and was based on Manilow's 1978 hit song.
From time to time, he even acted. One of his appearances, in 1966, was in the final CBS episode of "Perry Mason," called "The Case of the Final Fade-Out" (SPOILER ALERT IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE EPISODE!!!!):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zJP7I0sp6U
And there was New Year's Eve.
Here, again, is Clark from his last countdown, just more than four months ago:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIsvm-hI_P4&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PL0DC19402CB22BBF7
Clark had been a part of all but one of his "New Year's Rockin' Eve" programs - that, of course, was in 2004, after he suffered a stroke. But his last seven, done after the stroke, were his most inspiring to fellow stroke survivors and their families.
Without him, now, to quote his friend Barry Manilow, "It's just another New Year's Eve."
But there won't be another Dick Clark.
**********************************************************************
Mike Wallace, probably the greatest interviewer in television history, could have fun, too. Here he is with Franz Liszt - actually comic pianist Victor Borge, who would later appear on "60 Minutes":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlPguBcwLIQ
The "60 Minutes" web site features the best of Wallace during his 40 years as a correspondent:
http://www.cbsnews.com/8334-504803_162-57413924-10391709/our-favorite-mike-wallace-stories/?tag=cbsnewsMainColumnArea.1
The best of the best:
*Johnny Carson, 1979: Wallace's interview did more than any other to draw out the private side of the longtime "Tonight Show" host.
*"Secret Service Agent #9," 1975: The Secret Service agents currently in trouble should study this Wallace interview with Clint Hill, who blamed himself (wrongly) for not saving President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963.
*Ayatollah Khomeni, 1979: Wallace asking Iran's leader about Anwar Sadat's labelling of Khomeni as a "lunatic" was one of the great- and gutsy - moments in television interviewing.
*Barbra Streisand, 1991: The musical legend and Oscar and Tony winner has been called a control freak, and she proves it in this revealing interview.
*Nancy Reagan, 1989 and 2002: Wallace and the former First Lady were almost lifelong friends. The tense 1989 interview tested that friendship, as Wallace grilled Mrs. Reagan about the problems she and President Ronald Reagan had during his presidency. But the 2002 interview, done eight years after Reagan revealed his Alzheimer's diagnosis publicly, was emotional; it was in that interview that Nancy Reagan referred to "the long goodbye."
*Vladimir Putin, 2005: A good one to rewatch now that Putin is once again becoming president of Russia. Once again, Wallace pulled back the curtain, and what he showed through his questions was quite revealing.
*Vladimir Horowitz, 1977: It's not on the "60 Minutes" website compilation, but Wallace's favorite interview was with the legendary pianist:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZm7OW3ufbc&feature=related
When Steve Kroft, Morley Safer and Scott Pelley led the tribute on "60 Minutes" last Sunday, they made the point that Wallace, along with producer Don Hewitt, had shaped everything the news program was.
And one gets the feeling that, as Wallace joins Hewitt, Harry Reasoner and Ed Bradley in the Great Beyond, "60 Minutes" will, indeed, go on forever.
See you next week.
While YesterTube has been on spring hiatus, the television world lost two giants in Mike Wallace and Dick Clark.
Clark came to national prominence as the host of ABC's "American Bandstand." But he didn't stop there. He was successful as the host of various forms of the "Pyramid" game, and with Ed McMahon of "TV Bloopers and Practical Jokes." By the way, Clark wasn't afraid to poke fun at himself: Here are a couple of his "Pyramid" bloopers:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzsOYtGNHtk
He may have been the most prolific producer in television history, with credits including "Bandstand," the American Music Awards, the Golden Globe Awards and television movies such as 1979's "Elvis," with Kurt Russell as The King, and 1985's "Copacabana," which starred Barry Manilow and was based on Manilow's 1978 hit song.
From time to time, he even acted. One of his appearances, in 1966, was in the final CBS episode of "Perry Mason," called "The Case of the Final Fade-Out" (SPOILER ALERT IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE EPISODE!!!!):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zJP7I0sp6U
And there was New Year's Eve.
Here, again, is Clark from his last countdown, just more than four months ago:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIsvm-hI_P4&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PL0DC19402CB22BBF7
Clark had been a part of all but one of his "New Year's Rockin' Eve" programs - that, of course, was in 2004, after he suffered a stroke. But his last seven, done after the stroke, were his most inspiring to fellow stroke survivors and their families.
Without him, now, to quote his friend Barry Manilow, "It's just another New Year's Eve."
But there won't be another Dick Clark.
**********************************************************************
Mike Wallace, probably the greatest interviewer in television history, could have fun, too. Here he is with Franz Liszt - actually comic pianist Victor Borge, who would later appear on "60 Minutes":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlPguBcwLIQ
The "60 Minutes" web site features the best of Wallace during his 40 years as a correspondent:
http://www.cbsnews.com/8334-504803_162-57413924-10391709/our-favorite-mike-wallace-stories/?tag=cbsnewsMainColumnArea.1
The best of the best:
*Johnny Carson, 1979: Wallace's interview did more than any other to draw out the private side of the longtime "Tonight Show" host.
*"Secret Service Agent #9," 1975: The Secret Service agents currently in trouble should study this Wallace interview with Clint Hill, who blamed himself (wrongly) for not saving President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963.
*Ayatollah Khomeni, 1979: Wallace asking Iran's leader about Anwar Sadat's labelling of Khomeni as a "lunatic" was one of the great- and gutsy - moments in television interviewing.
*Barbra Streisand, 1991: The musical legend and Oscar and Tony winner has been called a control freak, and she proves it in this revealing interview.
*Nancy Reagan, 1989 and 2002: Wallace and the former First Lady were almost lifelong friends. The tense 1989 interview tested that friendship, as Wallace grilled Mrs. Reagan about the problems she and President Ronald Reagan had during his presidency. But the 2002 interview, done eight years after Reagan revealed his Alzheimer's diagnosis publicly, was emotional; it was in that interview that Nancy Reagan referred to "the long goodbye."
*Vladimir Putin, 2005: A good one to rewatch now that Putin is once again becoming president of Russia. Once again, Wallace pulled back the curtain, and what he showed through his questions was quite revealing.
*Vladimir Horowitz, 1977: It's not on the "60 Minutes" website compilation, but Wallace's favorite interview was with the legendary pianist:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZm7OW3ufbc&feature=related
When Steve Kroft, Morley Safer and Scott Pelley led the tribute on "60 Minutes" last Sunday, they made the point that Wallace, along with producer Don Hewitt, had shaped everything the news program was.
And one gets the feeling that, as Wallace joins Hewitt, Harry Reasoner and Ed Bradley in the Great Beyond, "60 Minutes" will, indeed, go on forever.
See you next week.
Friday, March 30, 2012
Week of March 30: Upstairs and Downstairs with "Backstairs at the White House"
By Sylvia Gurinsky
Preparations for the film "The Butler," based on the life of White House butler Eugene Allen, made news this week for potentially unusual casting choices (Jane Fonda as Nancy Reagan and Oprah Winfrey as Allen's wife among them).
One has to wonder how director Lee Daniels, best known for gritty dramas such as "Monster's Ball" and "Precious," will frame this movie. That's because more than 30 years ago, NBC and Ed Friendly Productions gave a four-part look at how it's supposed to be done - "Backstairs at the White House."
"Backstairs," based on the book "My Thirty Years Backstairs at the White House" by Lillian Rogers Parks, covered the experiences of Parks and her mother, Maggie Rogers, as members of the White House staff from the administrations of Presidents William Howard Taft through Dwight David Eisenhower.
The miniseries featured an all-star cast, including Leslie Uggams as Lillian and Olivia Cole as Maggie, Louis Gossett, Jr. as Houseman Levi Mercer, Leslie Nielsen as butler Ike Hoover, Cloris Leachman as the head of the White House staff - and that's just the "downstairs" part. Presidents included Victor Buono as Taft, Robert Vaughn (Woodrow Wilson), George Kennedy (Warren Harding), Ed Flanders (Calvin Coolidge) and "M*A*S*H"'s Harry Morgan as Harry Truman. First Ladies included Julie Harris as Nellie Taft; Kim Hunter and Claire Bloom as the two Mrs. Wilsons; Celeste Holm as Florence Harding; Lee Grant as Grace Coolidge; Eileen Heckart as Eleanor Roosevelt; Estelle Parsons as Bess Truman and Barbara Barrie as Mamie Eisenhower.
Friendly, of course, was the creator and producer of "Little House on the Prairie." Some behind the scenes are familiar to fans of "Hawaii Five-O" - Michael O'Herlihy, who directed, and Morton Stevens, who composed the music.
"Backstairs" received numerous Emmy nominations, but won only for makeup. This was the height of the miniseries era on network television, and there was intense competition in 1979 - especially from "Roots: The Next Generations."
"Backstairs at the White House" is available on DVD.
****************************************************************************
In memory of the great Earl Scruggs:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjVzmIV8gwk
***************************************************************************
YesterTube is taking a three-week hiatus and will return the week of April 20. Happy Spring Holidays, and Happy Viewing!
Preparations for the film "The Butler," based on the life of White House butler Eugene Allen, made news this week for potentially unusual casting choices (Jane Fonda as Nancy Reagan and Oprah Winfrey as Allen's wife among them).
One has to wonder how director Lee Daniels, best known for gritty dramas such as "Monster's Ball" and "Precious," will frame this movie. That's because more than 30 years ago, NBC and Ed Friendly Productions gave a four-part look at how it's supposed to be done - "Backstairs at the White House."
"Backstairs," based on the book "My Thirty Years Backstairs at the White House" by Lillian Rogers Parks, covered the experiences of Parks and her mother, Maggie Rogers, as members of the White House staff from the administrations of Presidents William Howard Taft through Dwight David Eisenhower.
The miniseries featured an all-star cast, including Leslie Uggams as Lillian and Olivia Cole as Maggie, Louis Gossett, Jr. as Houseman Levi Mercer, Leslie Nielsen as butler Ike Hoover, Cloris Leachman as the head of the White House staff - and that's just the "downstairs" part. Presidents included Victor Buono as Taft, Robert Vaughn (Woodrow Wilson), George Kennedy (Warren Harding), Ed Flanders (Calvin Coolidge) and "M*A*S*H"'s Harry Morgan as Harry Truman. First Ladies included Julie Harris as Nellie Taft; Kim Hunter and Claire Bloom as the two Mrs. Wilsons; Celeste Holm as Florence Harding; Lee Grant as Grace Coolidge; Eileen Heckart as Eleanor Roosevelt; Estelle Parsons as Bess Truman and Barbara Barrie as Mamie Eisenhower.
Friendly, of course, was the creator and producer of "Little House on the Prairie." Some behind the scenes are familiar to fans of "Hawaii Five-O" - Michael O'Herlihy, who directed, and Morton Stevens, who composed the music.
"Backstairs" received numerous Emmy nominations, but won only for makeup. This was the height of the miniseries era on network television, and there was intense competition in 1979 - especially from "Roots: The Next Generations."
"Backstairs at the White House" is available on DVD.
****************************************************************************
In memory of the great Earl Scruggs:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjVzmIV8gwk
***************************************************************************
YesterTube is taking a three-week hiatus and will return the week of April 20. Happy Spring Holidays, and Happy Viewing!
Friday, March 23, 2012
Week of March 23: It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad March
By Sylvia Gurinsky
March Madness has taken over television screens, so it's worth going back in time to look at some of the greatest NCAA basketball finishes, all on CBS:
*1985: Villanova beats Georgetown, 66-64 - Many still consider this the greatest upset in NCAA tournament history, as unranked Villanova overcame defending champion Georgetown:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxjYss_dQF8
*1982: North Carolina beats Georgetown - Future NBA legend Michael Jordan is among the rising stars in this game:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxBMwNqGIFs
*1983: Hail the Wolfpack- A bigger Cinderella story than Villanova was North Carolina State University, coached by Jim Valvano. Going up against the University of Houston Cougars, the Wolfpack was seen as overmatched. But with Dereck Whittenburg and Lorenzo Charles in the lead, North Carolina State made it happen:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNQ6JZpjdTY
*1992: Duke vs. Kentucky - Considered the greatest college basketball game ever played, this one ended in overtime at the very last milisecond with Christian Laettner's shot:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AY-iq58_oz4
Enjoy the Madness! And until next week, Happy Viewing!
March Madness has taken over television screens, so it's worth going back in time to look at some of the greatest NCAA basketball finishes, all on CBS:
*1985: Villanova beats Georgetown, 66-64 - Many still consider this the greatest upset in NCAA tournament history, as unranked Villanova overcame defending champion Georgetown:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxjYss_dQF8
*1982: North Carolina beats Georgetown - Future NBA legend Michael Jordan is among the rising stars in this game:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxBMwNqGIFs
*1983: Hail the Wolfpack- A bigger Cinderella story than Villanova was North Carolina State University, coached by Jim Valvano. Going up against the University of Houston Cougars, the Wolfpack was seen as overmatched. But with Dereck Whittenburg and Lorenzo Charles in the lead, North Carolina State made it happen:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNQ6JZpjdTY
*1992: Duke vs. Kentucky - Considered the greatest college basketball game ever played, this one ended in overtime at the very last milisecond with Christian Laettner's shot:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AY-iq58_oz4
Enjoy the Madness! And until next week, Happy Viewing!
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Week of March 16: Most Influential Television Shows
By Sylvia Gurinsky
Last week, CNN came up with its own picks for the most influential programs in television history:
http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/08/showbiz/tv/influential-tv-shows/index.html
Naturally, YesterTube presents picks as well, broken down by decade:
1930s (Yes, 1930s): The 1939 Columbia-Princton football game was the first televised sporting events - a flickering hint to the importance of sports for the prestige and bottom line of television in the future.
1940s:
-"Meet the Press": On the air since 1947, with political newsmakers of all stripes.
-"Truth or Consequences": The first truly successful televised game show, and one that would survive the quiz-show scandals a decade later.
1950s:
-"The Today Show" - This one agrees with the CNN list.
-"Guiding Light": Went from radio to television, ensuring that soap operas would continue to thrive until O.J. Simpson and the Internet began to kill them.
-"See It Now" - Emphasizing the importance of investigative reporting in television; Edward R. Murrow and company shined for showing Joseph McCarthy as the demagogue he was.
-"The Tonight Show" - Also on the CNN list
1960s:
-"CBS Evening News With Walter Cronkite" - Walter Cronkite would become the most trusted anchorman with his coverage of such stories as the moon landings and the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. It would take him a while to pass the NBC duo of Chet Huntley and David Brinkley in the ratings, but once he did, his popularity as a television newsman was - and remains - unsurpassed. His 1968 commentary calling the Vietnam War a "stalemate" changed that year's presidential race and the debate about the conflict.
-"Laugh-In" - Would change the tone of humor programs and let later comedy-variety shows such as "Saturday Night Live" take more chances.
-"Peyton Place" - Heralded the successful future of prime-time soap operas, including "Dallas," "Dynasty" and "Desperate Housewives."
"I Spy" - Innovative for two reasons: Bill Cosby as the first African-American in a successful starring role and location shooting, which encouraged television production to be moved out of Hollywood - and sometimes away from the American mainland.
"60 Minutes" - On CNN list, but has managed to be profitable AND high-quality.
1970s:
-"All In the Family" - On CNN list
-"An American Family" - Inexplicably not on the CNN list, this 1973 PBS documentary was the trigger for so-called "reality" programs that have chronicled - and often helped to destroy - lives.
-"Roots" - Besides triggering the popularity of the miniseries, "Roots" opened television viewers' eyes to the possibilities of diverse storytelling. Sadly, the commercial networks have since abdicated that promise.
1980s:
-"Hill Street Blues" - On CNN list
-"Cagney and Lacey" - "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" opened the door, but this police show walked right in with its honest portrayal of women's lives.
Looks at all of the programs are available in various forms, including DVD and online.
See you next week. Until then, Happy Viewing!
Last week, CNN came up with its own picks for the most influential programs in television history:
http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/08/showbiz/tv/influential-tv-shows/index.html
Naturally, YesterTube presents picks as well, broken down by decade:
1930s (Yes, 1930s): The 1939 Columbia-Princton football game was the first televised sporting events - a flickering hint to the importance of sports for the prestige and bottom line of television in the future.
1940s:
-"Meet the Press": On the air since 1947, with political newsmakers of all stripes.
-"Truth or Consequences": The first truly successful televised game show, and one that would survive the quiz-show scandals a decade later.
1950s:
-"The Today Show" - This one agrees with the CNN list.
-"Guiding Light": Went from radio to television, ensuring that soap operas would continue to thrive until O.J. Simpson and the Internet began to kill them.
-"See It Now" - Emphasizing the importance of investigative reporting in television; Edward R. Murrow and company shined for showing Joseph McCarthy as the demagogue he was.
-"The Tonight Show" - Also on the CNN list
1960s:
-"CBS Evening News With Walter Cronkite" - Walter Cronkite would become the most trusted anchorman with his coverage of such stories as the moon landings and the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. It would take him a while to pass the NBC duo of Chet Huntley and David Brinkley in the ratings, but once he did, his popularity as a television newsman was - and remains - unsurpassed. His 1968 commentary calling the Vietnam War a "stalemate" changed that year's presidential race and the debate about the conflict.
-"Laugh-In" - Would change the tone of humor programs and let later comedy-variety shows such as "Saturday Night Live" take more chances.
-"Peyton Place" - Heralded the successful future of prime-time soap operas, including "Dallas," "Dynasty" and "Desperate Housewives."
"I Spy" - Innovative for two reasons: Bill Cosby as the first African-American in a successful starring role and location shooting, which encouraged television production to be moved out of Hollywood - and sometimes away from the American mainland.
"60 Minutes" - On CNN list, but has managed to be profitable AND high-quality.
1970s:
-"All In the Family" - On CNN list
-"An American Family" - Inexplicably not on the CNN list, this 1973 PBS documentary was the trigger for so-called "reality" programs that have chronicled - and often helped to destroy - lives.
-"Roots" - Besides triggering the popularity of the miniseries, "Roots" opened television viewers' eyes to the possibilities of diverse storytelling. Sadly, the commercial networks have since abdicated that promise.
1980s:
-"Hill Street Blues" - On CNN list
-"Cagney and Lacey" - "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" opened the door, but this police show walked right in with its honest portrayal of women's lives.
Looks at all of the programs are available in various forms, including DVD and online.
See you next week. Until then, Happy Viewing!
Friday, March 2, 2012
Week of March 2: So Long, Davy Jones
By Sylvia Gurinsky
"The Monkees" series had no heads or tails, as a Spanish saying goes. But it was revolutionary. Davy Jones, who died this week, was one of the reasons why.
The British Jones was the lead singer for the mostly American group, created as one of the 1960s answers to The Beatles. The plots were silly, but it was the music that counted.
Video sequences such as the one for "The Last Train To Clarksville" set a precedent that would be followed up during the 1980s by MTV:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUZeZ1e441A&feature=related
Both seasons are available on DVD.
See you next week.
"The Monkees" series had no heads or tails, as a Spanish saying goes. But it was revolutionary. Davy Jones, who died this week, was one of the reasons why.
The British Jones was the lead singer for the mostly American group, created as one of the 1960s answers to The Beatles. The plots were silly, but it was the music that counted.
Video sequences such as the one for "The Last Train To Clarksville" set a precedent that would be followed up during the 1980s by MTV:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUZeZ1e441A&feature=related
Both seasons are available on DVD.
See you next week.
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