bpatrick-8 Reviews

The Judy Garland Show: Episode #1.12 (1963) Season 1, Episode 12

Just might be the gold standard for Christmas variety specials

[8/10 · 22 December 2022]

I'm getting old. I miss Bing Crosby, Perry Como, and Andy Williams at Christmastime, and if I hear "Holly Jolly Christmas" and "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" one more time I'm liable to bust the radio.

Fortunately, we have Judy Garland's 1963 special to remind us of the days when we had animated shows for kids (Rudolph in 1964, Charlie Brown in 1965, the Grinch in 1966) and musical shows for grownups. I was not able to see the Judy Garland show when it first aired; I was living in then-two-station Raleigh-Durham, and CBS affiliate WTVD chose to switch over to NBC and "Bonanza" when the Garland show was on Sunday nights at 9. I have discovered this show in recent years and it has become a personal tradition for me to watch.

I don't like everything about this show, starting with the dancers dressed as Santa who intrude on the proceedings a couple of times; it's also jarring to see Ms. Garland projecting a motherly image (perhaps I'm wrong here--she had numerous personal problems but perhaps her relationship with her kids was better than I think it was ).

But there's a good sampling of Christmas standards by Garland, her kids, Jack Jones and Mel Torme (and I'm eternally grateful that Jones did not sing his hit at the time, "Wives and Lovers," a sign that there was still such a thing as taste on television in 1963). My favorite part of the show, however, is the dance number "Steam Heat," performed by Liza Minnelli and Tracey Everitt.

Ironically, this show aired the same day the month-long official mourning period for JFK ended. The public could have stood a little emotional pick-me-up (which they got a few weeks later in the form of four guys from Liverpool who called themselves the Beatles).

To sum up this show: professional, tasteful, full of Christmas songs that don't seem to get played as much today (or I'm missing something)...a family-friendly show that does not insult anyone's intelligence. It can stand as a model for how to do a musical Christmas show. If you miss it this year (2022), put it on your must-see list for 2023.

Who's Whose (1951– )

Could have been a forerunner of "To Tell the Truth"

[1/10 · 29 June 2022]

During the last season of the original CBS version of "To Tell the Truth," the panel had to determine which of three challengers was married to, or related to, a celebrity guest. They first got a chance to question the celebrity, then the three challengers were brought out and questioned.

This should have been the format for "Who's Whose." The format as described seems too cluttered. Also, if the producers could have found a panel similar to Dorothy Kilgallen, Arlene Francis, Bennett Cerf, and Steve Allen, and a host like Garry Moore or Bud Collyer, this show might have worked. Too bad Mark Goodson and Bill Todman were not involved in the production of this show; they could have made it workable.

Weakest Link (2002– )

Anne may have been the best but I liked George better

[9/10 · 19 October 2020]

Granted, Anne Robinson was a breath of fresh air, just as Richard Dawson was when "Family Feud" was new--a host willing to call contestants on it when they give an obviously stupid answer. That seems to be a trait of British hosts and I'm not sure American audiences are quite as receptive to it, even if they do like Judge Judy making the people who come before her look stupid. That's why I liked George's version of the show--he needled contestants without angering them (sort of like Groucho), and it was clear he was having fun with them. Even comparing him to new host Jane Lynch, I still think he's better; she sounds like she's insulting the contestants because that is what she gets paid to do, but the insults seem to fall flat.

As for the smaller potential payouts on the daytime show, remember that the show's budget had to cover five shows a week instead of one (which is why some of the classic shows with both daytime and primetime versions had higher stakes at night).

Mastermind (2019– )

Not radically different from the BBC version

[10/10 · 24 September 2020]

I've recently gotten hooked on the British version of what is sometimes considered television's toughest quiz, and when I ran across the Australian version on YouTube I decided to compare the two. The result: not much difference. Four "contenders" face that daunting black chair for two rounds of questions, one in a category of their choice, the other one in general knowledge. But because the Australian version is on five days a week, the highest scorers on Monday-Thursday return on Friday for the week's championship and the right to move on. But there are other differences: the rounds on the Australian version seem to be shorter (unlike the BBC, its network is a commercial one), and Jennifer Byrne spends some time chatting with the players. While John Humphrys does grow on you (I may hear from people in the UK about that one), Jennifer is closer to--if not exactly the same as--an American host (Alex Trebek, perhaps). And she has kept the iconic catchphrase, "I've started so I'll finish." There's a slightly more sense of fun on the Australian show, but if you like the British version, you'll like this one too--nothing has been dumbed down. I'd love to see an American version with somebody like Meredith Vieira asking the questions (sorry, ESPN's "Two Minute Drill" doesn't count), but the questions would have to be a lot easier, which would destroy the intent of the show. Or maybe there's someone out there like me who likes tough quizzes.

The Paper Chase: Honor (1986) Season 4, Episode 3

I'm not so sure Zeiss wasn't shafted

[8/10 · 24 August 2020]

I remember this episode, and I also recall that professors don't grade recitations in class (at least, I've never known any that did). So why does Kingsfield (you're probably thinking, Because he's Kingsfield) do it? Anywhere else, Zeiss would more than likely have graduated with honors. I also felt the hearing was stacked against him. I was never really fond of Zeiss, but fair is fair--and I think what happened to him was unfair.

The Milton Berle Show (1966–1967)

Not really a bad comeback attempt for Uncle Miltie

[8/10 · 12 June 2020]

Maybe "The Milton Berle Show" wasn't "Texaco Star Theater," but then again, television was new in 1948 and Berle was about the most "visual" thing on it, what with his physical brand of comedy. Eighteen years later, variety shows were a dime a dozen but Berle's show wasn't any worse than the others of the time. In one show I've seen, acerbic talk-show host Joe Pyne confronts Berle as a motorcycle type straight out of Marlon Brando's "The Wild One"; on the same show, Adam West as Batman, and Van Williams and Bruce Lee as the Green Hornet and Kato, appear in a sketch in which Berle is cast as a bad guy on both their shows (he had played Louie the Lilac on "Batman") and goes back and forth from set to set, getting pummeled every time. I can't say the guest list is so bad; yes, many of the guests, such as West, Williams, and Lee, are stars of ABC shows, as are Phyllis Diller and David Janssen, but there are also top names like Bob Hope and Lucille Ball. And there's a place for popular rock acts of the mid-'60s, such as regulars Bobby Rydell and Donna Loren, Paul Revere and the Raiders, and Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs. If there is a problem it's the same one Ed Sullivan was having by this time, trying to appeal to both sides of the generation gap. Still, you can't fault Uncle Miltie for trying to keep up with the times.

Adventures of Superman: The Bully of Dry Gulch (1955) Season 3, Episode 10

We can all learn something about bullies

[8/10 · 26 March 2020]

First, a few observations. I think it's hilarious when Lois tells Clark on the phone that Gunner Flinch has been making "goo-goo eyes" at her and he responds, "He has? I'll be right out!" Is Clark subtly admitting he has feelings for Lois? (He would, in all probability, come nearer getting a date with Noel Neill's Lois than with Phyllis Coates's.) Second, I, too think George Reeves was the best Clark Kent; his Clark Kent not only had some sense, he didn't have to work that hard to conceal the fact he's Superman.

Now, as for the bullying angle: I can't understand why a grown man like Gunner and his buddies play this little game: Gunner intimidates them and they pretend to be dead every time they do it. And unless this is supposed to be a satire on Westerns, why is Gunner so ticked off at Jimmy? I think maybe this is the point: it seems like every Western cliche gets a mention. Why Gunner has to go around making people think he's so tough is a mystery, but I've personally dealt with people with that mentality, and believe me, they fold when someone stands up to them. That, I think, is the message here on a level kids (at least us baby boomers) can understand. And frankly, Myron Healey doesn't scare me very much as Gunner.

The Paper Chase (1973)

I've encountered my own Kingsfield and he is terrific

[26 February 2020]

I encountered my own Kingsfield during a short time at St. Mary's University at San Antonio. His name is Aloysius Leopold, and he is only the most outstanding property lawyer in Texas. Like Kingsfield, he believed in the Socratic method, and I had my own run-in with him (another student told me I was too glib when I stated the facts so it was a means of reminding me that I was a first-year student and not a lawyer yet). Unlike Kingsfield, however, Prof. Leopold would let you know when you had given a right answer, and he would give you Texas cases (most of the people in the section intended to practice in Texas) you could read and get the Texas approach to the material we were studying. He also helped me out with a personal problem involving a division of land within my family. Yes, he was formidable, but Kingsfield could take a lesson from him re helpfulness.

Dateline: Hollywood: Episode dated 24 April 1967 (1967) Season Unknown, Episode Unknown

I can only go by what I've read

[5/10 · 31 January 2020]

I did not, could not, see this show. I was in sixth grade at the time and was at school when Dateline: Hollywood came on (10:30 AM in the East); further, my local ABC affiliate (WVEC Norfolk, VA) didn't even carry the show. So what I have to say is secondhand, based on Charles Sopkin's "Seven Glorious Days, Seven Fun-Filled Nights," in which he did nothing but watch television for a week. This interview seems to have been the ultimate in tastelessness, 1967-style; Carolyn and hostess Joanna Barnes seem to verbally work over Spelling, and the estranged couple makes light of the fact that (1) Spelling apparently left most of their possessions to Carolyn; and (2) they had the same lawyer. Further, Spelling hardly gets to speak on his own behalf. Sopkin felt as though the whole interview made light of divorce, and he's probably right.

E.S.P. (1958– )

The format was changed.

[5 July 2019]

About the fourth week the format was changed to reenactments of incidents--supposedly true--involving ESP, with Vincent Price interviewing the real people involved after the dramatization. That format didn't work any better and the show was canceled at the end of the summer of 1958.

The Bing Crosby Show (1964–1965)

I'm not sure about sitcoms whose main character and star have the same first names

[7/10 · 30 May 2019]

I have to take some exception with the poster who thinks things are pretty dire when the main character and star of a sitcom have the same first name. Although Bing's show didn't make it past its first season, what about Mary Tyler Moore (Mary Richards), Bob Newhart (Bob Hartley), Bob Cummings (Bob Collins), Roseanne (Roseanne Conner), Andy Griffith (Andy Taylor), Danny Thomas (Danny Williams), or Joey Bishop (Joey Barnes)? Yes, there have been a few forget-its (Phyllis Diller as Phyllis Pruitt comes to mind), but there have been a number of classics and near-classics where star and main character shared the same first name.

The Mike Douglas Show: Episode #13.168 (1974) Season 13, Episode 168

You left out something about Sian Barbara Allen

[8/10 · 2 March 2019]

Sian Barbara Allen did appear with Richard Thomas in "You'll Like My Motjer," but she also played John-Boy's girlfriend Jenny Pendleton in a couple of episodes of "The Waltons". Around the time of this Mike Douglas show, there was speculation that Richard and Sian were going to get married in real life; didn't happen.

The Flintstones: Room for Two (1964) Season 4, Episode 21

Remake of the golf episode?

[17 July 2018]

This episode feels like a remake of the episode where Barney, president of the lodge, wouldn't let Fred have his golf championship cup because he was arrears in dues. Some of the gags seem awfully similar: Wilma and Betty swapping gossip via Morse code, Barney with a cat this time instead of a dog to menace Fred, Fred and Barney pulling different stunts to aggravate each other. Could the writers have already begun to run short of ideas?

The Cats Bah (1954)

This is also a satire but politically incorrect today

[8/10 · 15 May 2018]

Specifically, "The Cat's Bah" bears more than a passing resemblance to "The Continental," a television series of that era in which an actor named Renzo Cesana played an amorous type who offers champagne and cigarettes (and says supposedly-romantic things) to an unseen woman in his apartment, represented by the camera. That is essentially the setup for this cartoon. While funny enough, perhaps the ultimate Pepe cartoon, it is somewhat dated, not only in the presence of cigarettes but his overall treatment of females (in this case, a cat). It is perhaps no wonder that the cartoon has been so chopped up for television airing.

The Flintstones: The Drive - In (1960) Season 1, Episode 13

This episode makes no sense

[8/10 · 28 April 2018]

Why would Wilma and Betty object to Fred and Barney's business, especially when it looks like it's doing pretty well? Is it because the guys didn't tell the wives about it first? Still an enjoyable episode and one of the reasons the first two seasons of the show seem better than the later ones (read: after Pebbles and Bamm Bamm were added).

The Tammy Grimes Show (1966)

Only one good thing about this show

[1 April 2018]

ABC promoted this show as one-third of "Dollhouse 90": Tammy, Elizabeth Montgomery, and Marlo Thomas, whose shows ran in a block from 8:30-10 on Thursdays (when "Love on a Rooftop" moved from Tuesday to Thursday ABC had to redo the thing with Judy Carne in Tammy's place). That is the one and only thing I find worth mentioning.

As for the post referring to Phyllis Diller's show, they should have used the revised format throughout: Phyllis takes in borders and what a cast! Marty Ingels and John Astin reunited (but not as Dickens and Fenster), Paul Lynde, Louis Nye, Richard Deacon. I would have killed just to see a rehearsal for that show!

The Paper Chase: A Case of Detente (1979) Season 1, Episode 21

It's not hard to see why Houseman didn't appear

[24 March 2018]

Actually, it's not very difficult to see why John Houseman refused to appear in this episode. It has no connection to the premise of the show and it doesn't make any sense why Hart is giving up time to escort a Russian gymnast around campus. He even winds up in bed with her! Is that supposed to be the inevitable outcome of every episode of every show that pairs a male and female for the first time? I can imagine Houseman saying something to the effect that this is not what the show is about before turning down the chance to appear. And while I agree that Pernell Roberts was fine as Kingsfield's stand-in, he doesn't have the presence that makes Houseman's portrayal of KIngsfield so unforgettable, whether you've seen the movie or even one episode of the series. I go out of my way to avoid this episode on YouTube. 0/10

The Paper Chase: It's Only a Show (1985) Season 3, Episode 10

A fun episode with some real talent

[9/10 · 31 December 2017]

Except for the standard Hart/Harriman differences on the law review (and for once, she agrees with Hart that Zeiss needs to do a major rewrite on an article), this one gets out of the classroom and actually becomes fun to watch. Bell has been drafted into directing the annual law school show and he throws his considerable weight around (not letting Ford get one line out of the song he wants to do). It looks like the show is going to be a disaster but it is saved by two things: Soloway gets laryngitis, a convenient plot device to let Lainie Kazan sing (she sounds so much like Barbra Streisand it's uncanny), and Bell's dead-on impression of Kingsfield (James Keane really should have become a stand-up comedian). For me, the real fun is watching Kingsfield, in Los Angeles for the American Bar Association convention, trying to cope with the West Coast lifestyle, such as the health-conscious condiments on his sandwich and his interference in the filming of a TV detective show. He decides to head back east in time for the show and is not amused by Bell's imitation of him (Mrs. Nottingham, in contrast, seems to thoroughly enjoy being spoofed). I won't tell you what he does to Bell.

This episode marked Lynn Roth's directorial debut and I think she pulled it off well. One of my favorite episodes.

The Bob Crosby Show (1953–1957)

My mom always missed the daytime variety shows after the '50s and '60s

[19 December 2017]

My mom used to never miss this show and Tennessee Ernie Ford's in the afternoons. She enjoyed not only the music but the cast members on both shows. ("American Bandstand" was also one of her favorites, at least when it was a daily show from Philadelphia.) Although she enjoyed the Mike Douglas and Merv Griffin shows I don't think it was the same for her as the musical-variety daytime shows in the '50s, and she would often get nostalgic for the Crosby show in particular and I still think she liked Bob better than she did Bing. . I think she hoped Don Ho's 1976 ABC show would revive the genre but against "The Young and the Restless" (11 AM in Dallas, where we were living then). there was no chance.

I Love Lucy: Lucy and Superman (1957) Season 6, Episode 13

George Reeves was mentioned in the closing credits

[19 December 2017]

When this show originally aired announcer Roy Rowan did mention that George Reeves appeared as Superman. That was cut, however, from subsequent airings of the episode. One problem the writers had was to make children believe this was indeed Superman, but to let adults know that this was an actor on a publicity tour. That's why Reeves is always referred to as Superman throughout the episode.

I'm surprised anybody was fooled by the makeshift Superman costume Lucy wore.

The Paper Chase: An Act of Desperation (1978) Season 1, Episode 13

A surprise ending

[9/10 · 9 November 2017]

I know just how Brooks felt; I tried law school and decided it wasn't for me (although I never got hold of a copy of an exam in advance). What's so surprising--and pleasantly so--is that when Brooks confesses to Kingsfield, and exonerates the rest of the study group--Kingsfield is actually sympathetic--no sarcasm, no lectures, just a handshake and wishing Brooks good luck in whatever he decides to do with his life. He's aware that Brooks has been uncomfortable in the law-school classroom environment and he knows that one does not do well at what they don't like. It's also one of the times (and there are more than you might think) when Kingsfield shows a softer side (don't worry, though, he'll never be taken for a pushover).

Family Feud (1976–1985)

The only version of Family Feud I watched regularly

[24 July 2016]

I was working at home and my local ABC station carried "Family Feud," "Ryan's Hope," and "All My Children" from noon-2 p.m. I always had to watch "Feud," even if I missed the soaps, and for one reason--Richard Dawson. Dawson, who I understand to have been a prodigious reader, didn't suffer fools gladly and his putdowns of obviously dumb answers probably reflected what the audience was thinking. Let me give you a strictly hypothetical. Say the question is, "Name a country in Europe," top six answers are on the board. The family gets England, France, Germany, Spain, and Italy, but under the pressure of time just can't come up with that sixth one, so the person at bat says "Sweden." It's not up on the board but Sweden is a country in Europe, so Dawson would go easy on that contestant. But let's say the contestant says "Australia," which is about 10,000 miles literally and figuratively from Europe. Then he might tell the hapless contestant to go back to school and relearn their geography. Would you be thinking what he would be thinking? I would. He paved the way for the likes of Anne Robinson, another host who doesn't mind calling out a contestant with an obviously dumb answer.

In short, Dawson had the common touch despite his celebrity status, and I just know he was really rooting for the contestants, just as Groucho ribbed his contestants but was always happy to see them win the big money in the quiz on "You Bet Your Life" (BTW, Dawson hosted a pilot for "YBYL" in 1988; it didn't get on the air but he would have been perfect for that show).

Gene Wood proved he was a better announcer than host; I remember that on "Beat the Clock" he would get as silly as the contestants. That, to me, is the ultimate sin of the game-show host.

Steve Harvey has done extremely well with the show and I wish him many more years, but Dawson is "Family Feud" to me.

The Millionaire (1955–1960)

Can you imagine Donald Trump handing out millions?

[8/10 · 14 May 2016]

Every time I watch an episode of "The Millionaire" on YouTube or even SCTV's parody of the show with John Candy as Michael Anthony and Joe Flaherty as John Beresford Tipton (whose face Anthony reveals to the camera because he hasn't been paid in three weeks), I can't help thinking: what if Donald Trump gave away a million dollars each week? Then I see a problem: whereas Mr. Tipton never wanted anyone to know he was the donor, Trump would be publicizing it to the hilt. And how many assistants would he fire before he found the right one--if any? Would he even embark on such a scheme? Let your imagination run wild. And while you're at it, enjoy the show, especially the Tipton/Anthony conversations at the beginning of each episode.

Twenty-One (1956–1958)

Some additional information

[1 November 2015]

The game which had to be replayed because of a mixup was between Hank Bloomgarden, who had $52,500, and James Snodgrass. Playing at $3500 a point Snodgrass asked for a five-part question on the bones in the spinal column. At one point he said "sacrum" instead of "sacral," and Barry called it wrong. Requesting the same question, Bloomgarden answered "coccyx" instead of "coccygeal," and was counted right and declared the winner. After the show, the NBC switchboard was jammed with calls from doctors and nurses saying that Bloomgarden's answer should be called wrong; Barry and Dan Enright ultimately agreed, meaning a replay at $3500 a point. The two contestants tied again and had to play at $4000 a point. In order to get Snodgrass off, he was given two parts of a four-part question on third world leaders and actually answered three right on the air. Bloomgarden went on to win a final total of $98,500, losing $17,500 to a dairy farmer named Harold Craig.

But both Snodgrass and Craig got the last laugh. Snodgrass had mailed registered letters to himself before each broadcast, with the answers and directions on how to give those answers in great detail. They meshed with everything the investigators saw on the kinescopes. Joe Stone always said it was Craig, however, who really convinced him that "Twenty-One" was rigged; he concluded that Craig's honesty could not be faked since, before his meeting with Stone, Craig had been literally reduced to tears by some assistant DAs trying to intimidate him. But Craig's story meshed with those of Stempel and Snodgrass in every detail. It was too bad that part of the investigation wasn't included in "Quiz Show," nor was Stone's role.

Had I been old enough in the '50s (and I do remember asking my dad about the headphones, which I called "funny hats"--well, I was only about three) and unaware of the rigging, I would have found "Twenty- One" to be an exciting and suspenseful show. Now, as a history teacher, I find it to be an integral part of '50s culture and, if not symbolic of a decline in morality, certainly a symbol of a decline in ethics on the part of the sponsor, producers, and contestants.

Monkey Business (1931)

Groucho looked like his father and made associates like family

[26 July 2015]

Fans of this movie and of the Marx Brothers in general may not know that their father Sam had a small part in "Monkey Business." What's amazing, looking at pictures of him, is the exact resemblance to Groucho. I wonder if Sam Marx had Groucho's wit and knack for wordplay.

Sam Marx outlived his wife Minnie by four years, and I've heard that Groucho was so distraught that when Margaret Dumont helped him get through it, he made her practically a member of the family, just as he did with George Fenneman, whom he once said was like a son to him. It's obvious to me that Groucho may have had his bitter moments, but if he liked you, he really liked you.