tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042603612494762084.post2359685716788461182..comments2024-03-27T22:27:16.556-04:00Comments on It's About TV: What's on TV? Wednesday, January 4, 1961Mitchell Hadleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08695771505209080030noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042603612494762084.post-76216567014281053232018-01-03T23:32:04.474-05:002018-01-03T23:32:04.474-05:00Thanx to Scott for his correction.
My point (I thi...Thanx to Scott for his correction.<br />My point (I think) was that Howard K. Smith became available at the exact right time for ABC, who needed a Big Name Journo to give the Third Net some instant credibility after John Daly's departure.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05527404061764217504noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042603612494762084.post-72027973164700932972018-01-03T19:42:09.125-05:002018-01-03T19:42:09.125-05:00Actually, Howard K. Smith remained with CBS until ...Actually, Howard K. Smith remained with CBS until the fall of 1961, after the internal uproar over his 'editorializing' on the CBS Reports documentary, "Who Speaks for Birmingham?", didn't subside and Smith refused to back down to Blair Clark, the CBS news director and William Paley, CBS chairman. He joined ABC in January 1962, with his first on air appearance coming on February 14th, 1962. Scotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17269689015712662193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042603612494762084.post-69713932291677870022018-01-02T03:21:42.153-05:002018-01-02T03:21:42.153-05:00Here and/or There:
- Noting that Channel 11, the...Here and/or There:<br /><br /> - Noting that Channel 11, the ABC station in MStP, isn't carrying the ABC network news.<br />This would be just after John Daly quit ABC News in protest of their decision to abbreviate their Election Night coverage.<br />This in its turn forced ABC to reboot its news operation in toto, bringing in Elmer Lower from CBS to run the place, and starting to raid the other nets for talent.<br />It was not long into the New Year that Howard K. Smith jumped to ABC, with the promise that he would have free rein to say whatever he wanted to on air (just to be sure, Smith brought in his own sponsor).<br /><br /> - In 1960-61, there were still a few first-run syndicated series being sold to local stations.<br />Channel 11 has one such show: <i>Johnny Midnight</i>, starring Edmond O'Brien as a Broadway actor who owns his own theater, but sidelines as a private detective.<br />The series was created for O'Brien by his brother, screenwriter Liam O'Brien; it's in my DVD wall, and take my word, it isn't bad at all (it's from Revue, which is what Universal TV was calling itself back then).<br /><br /> - Still on first-run syndication:<br />9:30 on Wednesday was given by NBC to its local stations; Channel 5 is showing <i>Lockup</i>, a lawyer show with Macdonald Carey.<br />Here in Chicago, our Channel 5 used that spot on this Wednesday night yo launch a new sitcom, which had been turned down by all three nets, who were convinced that it would never work.<br />Within a few months, CBS had changed its corporate mind, and <i>Mister Ed</i> was picked up for its second season - in almost-prime time (late Sunday afternoons, but it counted).<br /><br /> - Side Note to the above:<br />The previous Saturday, <i>Bonanza</i> had an episode wherein Ben Cartwright had to shoot down a belligerent drunk in a bar brawl, and then had to contend with that man's vengeful son.<br />Perfect holiday fare, I guess ...<br />The drunk was played by Allan Lane, who had been cowboy star Rocky Lane not long before.<br />This would have been one of Mr. Lane's last on-camera appearances before he got the job as <i>Mister Ed</i>'s voice - the job he couldn't tell anyone about.<br /><br /> - In my Chicago edition, <i>Concentation</i> is carried by three NBC affiliates, and is identified as - nothing. There wasn't enough room left on the type line.<br />As to the difference between a 'game' and a 'contest' - <i>there isn't any</i>.<br /><br />It was a tear or so later that the <i>Dick Tracy</i> cartoon series was launched, and many TV GUIDE editions IDed it as 'Police'.<br />A week or so later, it became 'Cartoon', and nobody noticed.<br />About a year after that, the TVG typographers combined 'Police', 'Mystery', 'Adventure', and a couple of others into the single label 'Crime Drama', for all the effect that that had.<br /><br /> - I see that Channel 4 preempted <i>As The World Turns</i> to carry the Governor's inauguration.<br />Since this was when <i>ATWT</i> was a live broadcast, would you happen to know whether Channel 4 carried a kinescope of the show later at night (what's known in the trade as a 'make-good')?<br />Most likely they didn't (the advent of videotape made that easier), but it never hurts to ask ...<br /><br /> ... and a Happy New Year to you too ... Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05527404061764217504noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042603612494762084.post-75961382176881375062018-01-01T22:34:27.481-05:002018-01-01T22:34:27.481-05:00Paul Sevareid, KMSP's anchorman, was Eric'...Paul Sevareid, KMSP's anchorman, was Eric's brother. He would die in 1971 (his obit can be found online at the New York Times). These listings were exactly one year before I was born. I see another "contest" under Jan Murray. "The Jan Murray Show" was one of Murray's post-Treasure Hunt games and about the only game show to have the host's name in it.timdub70https://www.blogger.com/profile/09891461198896930029noreply@blogger.com