tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042603612494762084.post1250331033806308325..comments2024-03-17T18:19:49.076-04:00Comments on It's About TV: This week in TV Guide: January 13, 1979Mitchell Hadleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08695771505209080030noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042603612494762084.post-82197627899135139312017-04-23T18:37:11.218-04:002017-04-23T18:37:11.218-04:00And what happened in the Gator Bowl was that ABC i...And what happened in the Gator Bowl was that ABC in trying to save money(even back then) didn't purchase a net return feed which would have allowed the truck to see what they were sending back to New York. So in saving about 5K(in 1978 dollars)theywere unable to replay the incident and missed one of the biggest stories of the yearpaulsonj72https://www.blogger.com/profile/18118231322032199900noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042603612494762084.post-34549582721542957992017-01-17T14:55:08.640-05:002017-01-17T14:55:08.640-05:00I wonder if "Co-Ed Fever" got done in by...I wonder if "Co-Ed Fever" got done in by terrible reviews.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042603612494762084.post-23958242882162996152017-01-16T16:34:09.138-05:002017-01-16T16:34:09.138-05:00*There were constant disputes between the producer...<b>*There were constant disputes between the producers, one of which was Ivan Reitman, and the network; obviously, the ratings weren't good enough for ABC to consider it worth the price.</b><br />No surprise there, translating an R-rated movie into a TV sitcom means <i>a lot</i> had to go by the wayside due to 'standards and practices'. Not to mention the fact that TV has time and budget constraints that a feature film doesn't. The short-lived <i>Police Squad!</i> had the same problem - though it did well as a movie franchise.YIHhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16149048850538200399noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042603612494762084.post-52220034411224240362017-01-15T20:31:55.703-05:002017-01-15T20:31:55.703-05:00I do remember watching Delta House every week. So...I do remember watching Delta House every week. Somewhat of a substitute for Animal House, which I did not see until about two years later. There would be a newscast that would go to an hour eventually. The MacNeil/Lehrer Report on PBS originally took the whole half hour of the program on one issue, and that format continued from 1975-83. In 1983, that newscast expanded to an hour and changed its format.timdub70https://www.blogger.com/profile/09891461198896930029noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042603612494762084.post-26275662725008544792017-01-15T13:31:33.880-05:002017-01-15T13:31:33.880-05:00Clarification Time:
The show you've got here,...Clarification Time:<br /><br />The show you've got here, <i><b>Challenge</b> Of The Superheroes</i>, was an hour-long spoof of a standard superhero adventure-type show from not too long before; the villains were all comedians (Gorshin, Charlie Callas, Howard Morris, Gabe Dell, et al), and all was played for broad laughs.<br /><br /><i><b>Legends</b> Of The Superheroes: The Roast</i>, the show Jon H is referring to, aired one week later on NBC.<br />Per the title, this was a spoof not only of the characters but of the 'roast' format, which Dean Martin's producer Greg Garrison cleaned up and made into "family entertainment" a few years before.<br />Garrison had nothing to do with this show, which was produced by Hanna-Barbera, burning off the remainder of an old contract with DC (or whatever they were calling themselves at that point).<br />Mark Evanier has a post or two telling how these shows came to be at his blog, <i>News From ME</i>.<br />Also, Warner Archive has out an MOD/DVD of both shows, available wherever these are ... well, available ...<br /><br />As to how something like this would play today:<br />Obviously, Mitch, you've had little experience with modern-day comics buffs, who are almost unfailingly grim in their approach to the genre. They'd steer far clear of this, possibly to the point of organized boycotts.<br />And since they're the only ones who go to these things at all any more (multiple times, admittedly), you can forget about "millions!".<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05527404061764217504noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042603612494762084.post-21250987589361803352017-01-14T13:30:28.801-05:002017-01-14T13:30:28.801-05:00Sorry, that last show should be LEGENDS OF THE SUP...Sorry, that last show should be LEGENDS OF THE SUPERHEROES, with the first part called "The Challenge". I remember what I saw of it being a goofy game show/roast format, where Batman yells at Robin and wants to punish him at 1 point for giving a wrong answer in the game show part, which I think was a bit like FAMILY FEUD.Jonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00483417885845331990noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042603612494762084.post-30810291240499643252017-01-14T13:26:36.399-05:002017-01-14T13:26:36.399-05:00Thanks again for great coverage of a time in tv th...Thanks again for great coverage of a time in tv that I can somewhat remember.<br /><br />I think that a couple of your statements about the network news chiefs are a bit off. First you credit Crystal for the "eat your vegetables" quote for which Salant is credited on the cover, then you state that NBC stopped ABC's hour-long newscast but quote how CBS news chief knew about it but claimed it wasn't his decision.<br /><br />I loved watching TURNABOUT more than THE ROCKFORD FILES myself, but then my tastes ran more toward sitcoms with fantastic premises than private eye dramas at the time. I also watched HELLO LARRY pretty often as well and was amazed how long it lasted on NBC. NBC did force crossover episodes between it and DIFF'RENT STROKES, making Phil Drummond an old Army buddy who bought Larry Adler's radio station. I remember these shows being scheduled back-to-back as well, whether on Friday or Wednesday nights. MAD magazine had fun with this setup in its DIFF'RENT STROKES satire called "Diff'rent Jokes", where McLean Stevenson crossed onto the show. When he was told that Stevenson's character was supposed to help his ratings, "Arnut" said "That's like using Shelley Winters to help Cheryl Ladd look beautiful!".<br /><br />I didn't see CO-ED FEVER, but I remember reading that it was cancelled after its 1 well-rated episode because, while its rating was good, it should've been much higher based on ROCKY's excellent rating just before it.<br /><br />I remember watching ROOTS II as well. As Mr. Horn stated above, its ratings were good. I read that each installment fell in the Top 11 (not quite Top 10) for the week when it aired, but it wasn't the absolute smash that ROOTS was (and probably never could have been as highly-rated).<br /><br />CHALLENGE OF THE SUPERHEROES wasn't so much a movie as a long variety show on videotape with laugh track, hosted by Ed McMahon. It was very strange, since to me the camp appeal of shows like BATMAN was how the show played everything straight. On this show everything was a big joke. Here's part of a review that includes links from the show:<br /><br />https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUTCePDSYy8&list=PL2E357F39746D52F1Jonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00483417885845331990noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042603612494762084.post-18288575916436138062017-01-14T12:48:37.069-05:002017-01-14T12:48:37.069-05:00Perfect timing with the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders...Perfect timing with the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders movie, what with the team at the height of its 1970's run, the defending Super Bowl champions one week away from trying to defend the title against the Steelers in what likely became the most remembered Super Bowl of the decade. The movie was medicore at best as you mention, but was predictably a ratings smash, finishing third for the week behind MORK AND MINDY and LAVERNE AND SHIRLEY.<br /><br />On DELTA HOUSE: it was 37th out of 61 programs by its third episode. As was common for mid-season replacements of the era, it started strong, but faded quickly. CO-ED FEVER benefitted from a choice time slot for its premiers a few weeks later (following the network premiere of "ROCKY") but also fell off dramatically.<br /><br />The initial episode of ROOTS II was 8th for the week (and as you guessed, still won its timeslot) with a 27.5 rating and 41 share airing during the second week of February. Viewership increased for subsequent installments, and all 5 were in the top 10 the following week. It averaged a 30.1 rating and a 45 share for six nights overall.<br />Halhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09291930694234773688noreply@blogger.com