On this day in 1969: "The Voice of Christmas" episode of ๐๐๐ ๐ฝ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฝ๐๐๐พ๐ aired on ABC-TV.
In this classic episode, the 12th of the series, Carol Brady gets laryngitis from overusing her voice rehearsing for an upcoming solo at a church Christmas service. Meanwhile there are the usual goings-on with preparations for the family's first Christmas together. However, youngest daughter Cindy is prompted to ask a department store Santa for her mommy's voice back instead of any toys for herself. Will the family receive their own Christmas miracle? I think you know the answer.
This was the only Christmas episode produced during the series' five season run and the only one written by John Fenton Murray. The ratings obtained by this episode likely contributed to a full season pickup of the series. The episode also received a callback in 1988's ๐ผ ๐๐๐ง๐ฎ ๐ฝ๐ง๐๐๐ฎ ๐พ๐๐ง๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ข๐๐จ, which recreated the now adult kids unable to sleep due to their individual problems. At the conclusion, Carol leads a crowd singing "O Come All Ye Faithful" as an inspiration of faith for Mike Brady, stuck in a collapsed building.
On This Day in 1988: ๐ผ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฝ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐พ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ผ๐ debuted on CBS-TV!
This 1988 made-for-TV movie reunited almost the entire original cast of the 1969-1974 sitcom The Brady Bunch and was the second-highest rated telefilm that year. The movie follows Brady parents Mike and Carol with secret gift vacation plans for each other to Japan and Greece ร la "Gift of the Magi." Instead, they decide to use the vacation fund to bring all of their children and their families home for Christmas.
The Brady children are each facing their own personal challenges: Greg's wife is spending Christmas with her own family, Peter is struggling with self-confidence at work as his fiancรฉ is his boss, Bobby has dropped out of grad school to become a race car driver, Marcia's husband Wally was fired from his job, Jan is separated from husband Philip, and Cindy is lying about college issues and planning to go skiing. In the end, all of the children and their spouses are able to spend Christmas together and resolve their issues. The climax where Mike responds to a construction emergency invokes a classic early episode where Carol sang "O Come, All Ye Faithful", bringing forth a Christmas miracle.
This was the first time viewers revisited the Bradys since the 1981 debacle of The Brady Brides, but to the credit of the producers, story continuity from that short series was continued, bringing back Jerry Houser as Wally Logan, Marcia’s husband, and Ron Kuhlman as Philip Covington III, Jan’s husband. Unfortunately, Allan Melvin did not return as Sam the butcher, with that role filled by Lewis Arquette mostly covered by a Santa costume. (Mike read Sam's 'Dear Alice' letter, which was full of meat-themed double entendres, jarringly out of tone with the rest of the film.) All the Brady actors returned, with the exception of Susan Olsen who was on her honeymoon in Jamaica at the time. According to Olsen, producers only had to deliver five out of six kids returning for the movie to be greenlit-and in order to save on salary, considered Cindy’s character to be the most expendable and didn’t want to pay her on par with the other five. So she decided to head to Jamaica with her new husband. Jennifer Runyon replaced her. You might remember her from Charles In Charge or Ghostbusters. ๐ฐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐…8 ๐’๐๐๐๐๐?
The telefilm was very well received (a 39 share!) triggering a dramatic series in the form of The Bradys in 1990, which continued the story of the now-adult children, in an attempt to emulate Thirtysomething. The show was quietly taken off the schedule and canceled after six episodes. However, Paramount Home Video released AVBC on VHS in 1992 - in limited quantities - as the special was largely critically panned. Over time, however, viewer nostalgia took hold as it was recognized as the final decent effort of the original Brady franchise, especially with the deaths of Robert Reed and Ann B. Davis. The demand for the video increased and it was a frequent rental at video stores.
On this day in 1989: ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐พ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐๐๐พ๐๐ผ๐ debuted on FOX-TV!
Also known as "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire," this holds the distinction of being both the first episode of The Simpsons series, and the only episode to air in the 1980s, as the series proper began airing January 14, 1990.
Written by Mimi Pond and directed by David Silverman, the episode was originally intended to be the 8th series episode, but due to animation issues with "Some Enchanted Evening", it effectively became the series premiere. The episode introduces the Simpson family as they prepare for the Christmas season, with Bart getting a tattoo and Marge spending the family's Christmas money to have it removed. Homer, facing the cancellation of his Christmas bonus, takes a job as a mall Santa, leading to a series of events that ultimately bring the family closer and introduce them to their pet dog, Santa's Little Helper. This Christmas episode laid the foundation for the blend of humor and heart that would define the series.
The creation of The Simpsons began when Matt Groening was asked by James L. Brooks to pitch ideas for animated shorts for The Tracey Ullman Show. Groening initially planned to use his Life in Hell series, but instead created a dysfunctional family, which became the Simpsons, first appearing as short interstitials in 1987.
The production of this episode included a few notable details. The "Santas of Many Lands" scene was based on Groening's own second-grade experience with a report on Christmas in Russia. In the episode, Barney Gumble had yellow hair, which was later changed because it was decided that only the Simpson family should have that color hair. The episode lacked the now famous opening sequence, which was added in the second episode. Many characters made their first appearances in this episode, including Seymour Skinner, Milhouse Van Houten, and Ralph Wiggum. The episode was well-received, nominated for two Emmy Awards in 1990.
On this day in 1979: HOUSE CALLS debuted on CBS-TV.
Produced by Universal Television and based on the 1978 film of the same name, this sitcom focused on hospital administrator Ann Atkinson (Lynn Redgrave) and the doctors she managed. The main character dynamic was her relationship with Dr. Charley Michaels (Wayne Rogers), with whom she had a romantic tension, while Dr. Solomon (Ray Buktenica) acted as Dr. Michaels's pal and a counterbalance to his headstrong nature, and Dr. Weatherby (David Wayne) was an older, mean-spirited doctor close to retirement. Other characters included Head Nurse Bradley (Aneta Corsaut), Mrs. Phipps (Deedy Peters), a somewhat over-the-hill but enthusiastic candy striper, and Conrad Peckler (Mark L. Taylor), who served as the antagonist trying to bring order to the hospital.
Notably, Lynn Redgrave was fired from the series after the birth of her child because she insisted on bringing her daughter to work to breastfeed on schedule. The studio interpreted this as her holding out for more money and being disruptive, leading to a lawsuit, which she ultimately lost. Halfway into the third season, Redgrave was replaced by Sharon Gless, who also had a love/hate relationship with Dr. Michaels, but the show's ratings suffered from the transition. Despite still finishing the season in the Top 25, the show was cancelled.
Still, House Calls received awards and nominations. Lynn Redgrave was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 1981, and she and Wayne Rogers were nominated for Golden Globes. House Calls enjoyed limited reruns in the 80s, but since then is one of the many shows that simply disappeared, never to surface on DVD or streaming. 57 episodes were produced over 3 seasons.
On this day in 1975: ๐๐๐ ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ ๐ผ๐ ๐ผ ๐๐๐๐ debuted on CBS-TV.
This well-remembered sitcom followed the lives of newly divorced mother Ann Romano (Bonnie Franklin) and her two teenage daughters, rebellious Julie (Mackenzie Phillips), and wisecracking Barbara (Valerie Bertinelli). The family's life was often interrupted by nosy building super Schneider (Pat Harrington Jr.), who offered well-meaning but unsolicited advice. Set in Indianapolis, the unapologetically independent Ann and her daughters tackled serious issues revolving around life and relationships, particularly those related to second-wave feminism.
In addition to the main cast, Richard Masur played Ann's love interest David Kane in the first season but left early in the second season. Mary Louise Wilson was brought in as a replacement, playing Ann's neighbor and friend Ginny Wroblicki, but the character proved unpopular, and Wilson left after one season. Mackenzie Phillips faced personal issues and was let go after the fifth season but later returned in a recurring role. Other notable supporting characters included Michael Lembeck as Julie's husband Max, Glenn Scarpelli as Alex, the son of Ann's boyfriend Nick (played by Ron Rifkin), Boyd Gaines as Barbara's husband Mark, and Shelley Fabares as Ann's business partner and friend Francene. Nanette Fabray also joined the cast in later seasons as Ann's mother.
The show was created by husband-and-wife writing duo Whitney Blake and Allan Manings and was based on Whitney Blake's own experiences as a single mother. Produced by TV legend Norman Lear, One Day at a Time was a ratings success, consistently ranking among the top twenty programs. It received numerous awards and honors, including Golden Globe Awards for Valerie Bertinelli and Primetime Emmy Awards for Alan Rafkin and Pat Harrington.
The show was widely syndicated and released on DVD https://amzn.to/4iBEfmJ and a remake with a Latino cast aired on Netflix from 2017 to 2020, featuring the return of several original cast members. 209 episodes were produced over 9 seasons.
The introduction of the Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew characters in 1927/1930 is considered, as well as the Nancy Drew 1938/39 Warner Brothers films; the Hardy Boys Mickey Mouse Club serials; 1957 Nancy Drew CBS pilot; 1967 Hardy Boys NBC pilot; 1969 Hardy Boys animated ABC series; and especially The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries 1977-79 ABC series.
The behind-the-scenes segment covers the origin, production, scheduling, merchandising, recasting of the Nancy Drew role, infamous Playboy appearance, show cancellation, and issues with music clearances.
Timecodes (chapters supported on some podcast players):
2:30 The Stratemeyer Syndicate: Origins of the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew 20:00 Nancy Drew, Detective Warner Bros. 1937-38 films 24:32 The Hardy Boys 1956-57 Mickey Mouse Club serials 34:16 The Hardy Boys books get a makeover 40:10 The Mystery of the Chinese Junk 1967 NBC pilot 41:54 The Hardy Boys 1969 animated ABC series 49:24 Arlene Sidaris and Joyce Brotman concieve a new TV version 54:15 The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries 1977 ABC series 1:33:10 Behind the Scenes 2:16:04 Post Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries 2:37:45 Coming soon/credits
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Original audio clips included are for the purposes of historical context, review, commentary, and criticism only and are not intended to infringe.
Amazing Plan by Kevin MacLeod used under a Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.
Forgotten TV is not affiliated with or authorized by any production company, TV network, or rights holder involved in the making of any TV show or film mentioned. The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew are the property of Simon & Schuster.
Simply listed as "Star Wars" in some newspapers, young viewers that scoured the TV listings and saw a two-hour timeblock on Friday night taken up by a program with this title flipped their lids. Fighting against Mom's desired choice of a Thanksgiving Love Boat, and Dad wanting to watch part two of the miniseries Pearl; the ones that were successful were treated to Wookie uncle Itchy watching what amounted to Wookie porn, a femme looking Luke with tons of makeup hiding a recent injury, Bea Arthur singing at the Tattooine bar, and other cocaine-fueled fantasies of TV writers... The Special was rarely spoken of again, (and then only in legend) and George Lucas denied its existence for decades. But it was no fantasy – no careless product of wild imagination. No, my friends. Its existence is a matter of undeniable fact.
The ๐๐ฉ๐๐ง ๐๐๐ง๐จ ๐๐ค๐ก๐๐๐๐ฎ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐ก, which aired only once on November 17, 1978, is often considered one of the worst television programs ever made. CBS, hoping to capitalize on the success of the 1977 film Star Wars, approached George Lucas about producing a holiday special. Lucas was focused on other projects and handed creative control to producers with only one caveat: the special must revolve around Chewbacca and his family celebrating “Life Day” on their home planet of Kashyyyk. (Gesundheit.) What resulted was one of the more inexplicable entries in sci-fi history. Faced with a limited budget and a cast that seemed less than enthusiastic about participating, producers created a bizarre variety show that included musical numbers, comedy skits, and even a virtual reality-induced sexual fantasy sequence involving Chewbacca’s father and singer Diahann Carroll. ๐ถ๐... ๐๐... ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ , ๐๐๐๐'๐ ๐๐?
While viewers had high hopes as it opened with Han and Chewbacca in the Millennium Falcon, after the credits, a nine-minute segment of Chewbacca's Wookie family grunting at each other in the Wookie language with no subtitles gave viewers an idea of what they were in for. In true 70s variety show tradition, guest stars like Bea Arthur sang in the Mos Eisley cantina, Harvey Korman appeared in multiple roles (including a four-armed chef and a malfunctioning android - ๐บ๐๐๐, ๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐๐!), and Jefferson Starship performing their song “Light the Sky on Fire”.
The special was met with widespread criticism from fans and critics alike, and many questioned Mark Hamill's visual appearance, as he wore heavy stage makeup to disguise scars from a recent car accident. However, one of the better contributions of the special was an animated segment that introduced bounty hunter Boba Fett to the Star Wars universe. This cartoon, produced by Nelvana Ltd., was praised for its animation style and its exciting storyline.
George Lucas has famously disowned the Star Wars Holiday Special, claiming he would destroy every copy if he could. Carrie Fisher also was known to play the special on home video if she wanted guests to leave. Despite its infamy, the Star Wars Holiday Special has achieved cult status among some fans, who appreciate its unintentional humor and its bizarre place in Star Wars history. For many years, it was only found on bootleg videos sold at conventions, but several years ago a new copy was discovered at a local TV station and posted to YouTube for our viewing pleasure.
๐๐๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ ๐ฝ๐๐๐ originally exploded onto the book scene in 1927. Published by the Stratemeyer Syndicate, the Hardy Boys followed the formula that had been established over the prior 22 years with book series such as The Rover Boys, Tom Swift, the Motorcycle Chums, the Speedwell Boys, the Boy Aviators, the Racer Boys, the Motion Picture Chums, the Radio Boys, and the list went on, totaling some 70 different book series.
The strong, athletic, brave, and resourceful Frank Hardy, 16, and Joe Hardy, 15, attended the same grade at Bayport high school and investigated the numerous mysteries that inexplicably presented themselves in their small seaside town. Throughout the depression, the Hardy Boys – with their access to motor cars, motorbikes, boats and airplanes – not only offered young readers an escapist story to lose themselves in, but would also present a fantasy that was a far cry from the ‘brother, can you spare a dime’ reality of breadlines and soup kitchens much of working America found themselves in.
30 years after their debut, the Hardy Boys were adapted into 15-minute serialized episodes that aired on The Mickey Mouse Club. The segments featured 15-year-old Tim Considine as Frank Hardy and 14-year-old Tommy Kirk as Joe Hardy. Keeping in line with the young audience, here the rather rambunctious Hardy Boys were portrayed as being much younger than in the books, likely intended to be as young as 11-13 years old.
The Mystery of the Applegate Treasureadapted the original book, The Tower Treasure, into 19 episodes. The following year’s The Mystery of Ghost Farm presented the clearly older boys investigating a 'haunted' farm while Joe is greatly irritated at Frank's discovery of girls.
The Mystery of the Chinese Junk 1967 NBC TV pilot starred Rick Gates as Frank Hardy and Tim Matheson as Joe. Based on the 1960 Hardy Boys book of the same title, it was sort of old-school Hardy Boys meets 60s beach movies. The pilot did not sell but was aired as a special.
The Hardy Boys 1969 animated series had the boys be members of a rock band that also includes Chubby Morton, Pete Jones, and Wanda Kay Breckenridge. The band travels around the country in a mod Rolls Royce Silver Ghost. Notable for featuring the first animated black character on US television, Pete Jones was voiced by Filmation regular Dallas McKennon, who unfortunately was not black.
By 1976, the Hardy Boys books were still strong sellers, moving some 2 million copies per year. Producing partners Arlene Sidaris and Joyce Brotman pitched a modernized version first to Paramount, then to Universal, who encouraged them to also obtain the rights to detective counterpart Nancy Drew. Glen Larson hopped on the project, and The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries aired on ABC from 1977-1979.
Look for a podcast on The Hardy Boys coming soon from Forgotten TV.
๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฟ๐ debuted on this day 41 years ago! Featuring Matthew Laborteaux, Todd Porter, Jeffrey Jacquet and Andrea Elson as the titular “whiz kids”, 9th graders who became amateur detectives using computer technology to solve mysteries. The show also starred Max Gail as newspaper reporter and A Martinez as the sometimes-friendly police detective.
The series was notable for its early depiction of home computer technology, including the use of modems, speech synthesizers, laptop computers, etc. The main character Richie had an ad-hoc patchwork computer system he called RALF. Concepts such as wardialing, password brute-forcing, man-in-the-middle and denial of service attacks, and the dangers of talking to strangers online were all presented to viewers many years before any of this became mainstream.
As originally envisioned by co-creator Bob Shayne (who was working on Simon & Simon at the time), he intended it to be a modern take on the Hardy Boys featuring junior high aged kids investigating mysteries. He specifically envisioned it for the early Sunday evening timeslot for either NBC or ABC to compete against 60 Minutes. Meanwhile, Phil DeGuere (creator of Simon & Simon) had long been interested in computer technology and had already presented what likely was the first instance of "computer hacking" on television in a Simon & Simon episode featuring Robbie Rist.
DeGuere took Shayne to pitch the idea to Universal Television, who was producing Simon & Simon. In the pitch meeting, once Shayne had related the concept, DeGuere added "and they'll do it all with computers!" and came up with the title on the spot. The two concepts were combined, and Whiz Kids was born. However, the series was unexpectedly sold to CBS who slotted Whiz Kids on Wednesdays as a lead-in show against Real People and The Fall Guy. The show was never able to do well in the ratings, and a January move to Saturday night did not help matters. The series was canceled early, and episodes were burned off in random airings over the next few months.
The fact that the series debuted in the fall after WarGames had been released that June, as well as Newsweek using the term 'hacking' for the first time exactly one month previously, bringing kids and computer 'hacking' to nationwide attention, was entirely coincidental. DeGuere had envisioned a 'computer kids' series by the summer of 1981, and what became Whiz Kids was pitched to Universal in late 1982, some 8 months before WarGames was released.
A series of documentary podcasts is available from Forgotten TV here on this websitewhich thoroughly covers the series and features interviews with several actors from the show as well as co-creator Bob Shayne.
๐ฝ๐ถ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐น๐บ! debuted on this day in 1982!
"We travel through time to help history along...give it a push where it's needed. When the Omni's red, it means history's wrong. Our jobs to get everything back on track."
With a protagonist name sounding suspiciously like a character from a Jules Verne novel, voyager Phineas Bogg teams up with perhaps the unlikeliest of partners – 11-year-old orphan Jeffrey Jones – to use his knowledge of world history as Bogg’s time travel device, the Omni, facilitates travel through both time and space, depositing them in one situation after another where some historical detail has not played out correctly.
Created by James D. Parriott specifically for NBC's early Sunday evening timeslot, Voyagers offered an enjoyable romp through history with an eye to young viewers. Unfortunately, the series faced challenges in the form of the hand-wringing National Coalition on Television Violence that named it the most violent show on television; and CBS stalwart 60 Minutes which simply could not be budged in the ratings. Ultimately, NBC chose to cancel Voyagers and try to challenge CBS at their own game with news program Monitor but failed miserably.
A documentary podcast is streaming from Forgotten TV (just scroll down) that covers the full story of the creation, production, public and critical reactions, casting, locations, and the legacy of ๐ฝ๐ถ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐น๐บ! Available wherever you listen to podcasts.
#OnThisDay in 1984, ๐๐'๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ debuted on NBC. Starring a 15-year-old Jason Bateman, fresh off of ๐๐๐ก๐ซ๐๐ง ๐๐ฅ๐ค๐ค๐ฃ๐จ, the show offered a unique brand of humor that resonated with many teenage viewers and has become something of a cult classic sitcom in the last 40 years. The show followed the antics of Matthew Burton, a silver-tonged teenager who was an accomplished con man, a fact known to just about everyone but his mother Eileen (Caren Kaye). The character of Matthew was quite similar to Derek, the character he had played on ๐๐๐ก๐ซ๐๐ง ๐๐ฅ๐ค๐ค๐ฃ๐จ. This is because the show was originally intended as a spin-off of Spoons, but either as a result of show development or inability to use the character, Derek became Matthew.
What set ๐๐ฉ'๐จ ๐๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐๐ค๐ซ๐ apart from your typical family sitcom was its willingness to eschew sappy wholesomeness and embrace Matthew's unapologetically manipulative personality. When the series started, Matthew, assisted by goofy friend Eli (Adam Sadowsky) was an established operator, usually dodging sister Julie's (Tricia Cast) attempts to throw a wrench into the works of his schemes. Matthew wasn't all bad, his good-hearted side was also shown when he would secretly help his single mother by sneaking cash into her purse and later finagles free rent for his family. But when magazine writer Norman (David Garrison) moves in across the hall and becomes a potential boyfriend to his mom, Matthew finds Norman to be a sharp-witted adversary, introducing the shows catchphrase: "You're gonna laugh..."
Created by Ron Leavitt and Michael G. Moye, series episodes depicted Matthew's elaborate scams, now often targeting Norman - who presents a threat to the status quo - especially with his new position as substitute teacher at Matthew's school. The show's most memorable episode was "Dregs of Humanity", a fan-favorite that highlighted Matthew's outlandish schemes. When Eli loses money set aside to hire a band for the school dance, Matthew fabricates an entire rock band using skeletons borrowed from the school's biology lab puppeteered by Eli. Things quickly get out of hand when Norman 'interviews' the Dregs for a music magazine with Eli ad-libbing the answers!
"๐ช๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ฏ๐ท๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐น๐๐๐. ๐ช๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐บ ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ. ๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐น๐ถ๐ธ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐ฑ๐ผ ๐ถ๐ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ผ ๐๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ต๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐น...๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐๐ฆ๐ง๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ! ๐ช๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ฆ." Incredibly, the second part was pre-empted by President Reagan, and to make matters worse NBC briefly took the show off the air the week after that. Although the show was later rerun on USA Network, some fans never saw the conclusion until decades later when it was finally posted to YouTube. Columnist Mark Dawidziak noted getting "lots and lots of letters" about the missing show at the time.
The show was well-received by critics and loved by fans, but it wasn't competitor Dynasty that did the show in. Unfortunately, the show ultimately was a victim of the infamous NETWORK RETOOLING. In response to letters from parents complaining about the antics of Matthew that supposedly had inspired their own kids to imitate his shenanigans, NBC forced a change in storyline and tentatively ordered 5 episodes at mid-season.
In episode 14, Matthew's mother catches him red-handed breaking into her place of work as part of his latest scheme. With Eileen now aware of things, the core premise and appeal of the show was lost. The remaining four episodes neutered the Matthew character into a 'nice boy.' As Caren Kaye noted to writer Bob Leszczak, “What I think happened was that NBC presented a mandate that if we wanted to have any chance at renewal for another season, Jason Bateman’s character had to be softened somewhat. In the end, it ruined the original chess match premise, and the show suffered as a result. This really should have been a five-season or more show.”
A couple of seasons later, Moye and Leavitt got another chance to bring an edgy comedy to the air, bringing David Garrison along with them: ๐๐๐ง๐ง๐๐๐... ๐ฌ๐๐ฉ๐ ๐พ๐๐๐ก๐๐ง๐๐ฃ. Sadly, Adam Sadowsky quietly passed away three years ago at age 50; something that only became known in SAG-AFTRA's yearly In Memoriam bulletin.
Extended article on ๐๐'๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ found at ForgottenTV's Patreon page.
An episode-by-episode consideration of NBC's 1982 series Voyagers! starring Jon-Erik Hexum and Meeno Peluce. Series created by James D. Parriott. Followed by a full behind the scenes documentary exploring the origin and production of the series, public and critical reactions, casting, locations, the tragic fate of Jon-Erik Hexum, and the legacy of Voyagers.
0-1:15:32 intro/episode rundown
1:16:45 Behind the Scenes: show creation, critical reception, casting, the Omni
2:15:36 Jerrold Immel composer, Universal backlot
2:33:00 After Voyagers/Meeno Peluce's later roles/Jon-Erik Hexum's fate
2:51:25 Voyagers reruns, VHS movie, DVD. Additional series by James Parriott
Amazon links are affiliate, and Forgotten TV earns royalties from qualifying purchases made at no additional cost to you. Please support Forgotten TV while doing your regular Amazon shopping.
Original audio clips included are for the purposes of historical context, review, commentary, and criticism only and are not intended to infringe.
Forgotten TV is not affiliated with or authorized by any production company or TV network involved in the making of any TV show or film mentioned.
NEW SHOW TONIGHT! They face frontier of the 1850s - ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ
Debuting 50 years ago right before the season premiere movie of ๐๐ช๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ช was ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฃ๐ on ABC, that brought the incredible story of Swedish immigrants settling in Minnesota to life. Based on the classic 1972 film ๐๐๐ ๐๐ข๐๐๐ง๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐จ and its sequel ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฃ๐, this short-lived series captivated audiences with its beautiful portrayal of the American dream, family, and perseverance.
The series starred Bonnie Bedelia, Scott Thomas, Kurt Russell, Debbie Lytton, and Todd Lookinland as the Larsen family. The show was filmed on location in California and central Oregon, and theme song vocals provided by John Denver. Though critically acclaimed, the series was the third period drama featuring "warm, virtuous people" on the air that year, in addition to The Waltons on CBS and the just debuted ๐๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ก๐ ๐๐ค๐ช๐จ๐ ๐ค๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ง๐๐๐ง๐๐ on NBC. It was also in a tough Saturday lead-in timeslot against NBC hit ๐๐ข๐๐ง๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ฎ! and ๐ผ๐ก๐ก ๐๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐๐ข๐๐ก๐ฎ on CBS.
The show failed to gain the ratings necessary to keep it on the air, and it was booted after only six airings, leaving the remaining seven filmed episodes unseen. I find no evidence it was ever rerun, and given that this was the pre-VCR days of 1974, any home recordings would have to be on pre-VCR formats like U-Matic or Cartrivision, none of which have ever seem to have surfaced, making the series truly...ForgottenTV.
An overview of the post-Voyagers roles of Jon-Erik Hexum and an extended look at his tragic death on the set of Cover Up. Part of an upcoming full podcast on NBC's Voyagers, coming to this podcast feed.
Amazon links are affiliate, and Forgotten TV earns royalties from qualifying purchases made at no additional cost to you. Please support Forgotten TV while doing your regular Amazon shopping.
Original audio clips included are for the purposes of historical context, review, commentary, and criticism only and are not intended to infringe. This podcast is intended for entertainment purposes only. Information presented is based on a combination of firsthand personal accounts, period news media, books and magazine articles, and high-quality online sources. While reasonable effort has been made to include only factual information, Forgotten TV Media cannot guarantee the accuracy of every detail included and makes no representations or warranties for the content in this podcast and cannot be held liable for errors or omissions.
Forgotten TV is not affiliated with or authorized by any production company or TV network involved in the making of any TV show or film mentioned.
This is the first of a new podcast format that will focus on a segment broken out of the regular show. It is my hope these will expose Forgotten TV to a wider audience in a much more digestible format.
This focus on the life and work of composer Jerrold Immel is part of a consideration of the 1982 NBC TV series Voyagers! coming soon to this podcast feed.
Sources of quotes and background information came from the books:
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Podcast episode 57. An examination of the post-MASH work of McLean Stevenson, who chose to leave the series in 1975. Series considered include The McLean Stevenson Show, In the Beginning, Hello, Larry, Condo, and Dirty Dancing.
A look at the extreme popularity of MASH as well as the national mania revolving around the series finale "Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen" is included.
0:00 Intro/Stevenson's early work, MASH 16:50 The McLean Stevenson Show 29:15 In the Beginning 50:05 Hello, Larry 1:48:15 Condo 2:05:43 Dirty Dancing 2:20:50 The end of MASH, retirement and death 2:33:00 Next time on Forgotten TV/credits
Amazon links are affiliate, and Forgotten TV earns royalties from qualifying purchases made at no additional cost to you. Please support Forgotten TV while doing your regular Amazon shopping.
Original audio clips included are for the purposes of historical context, review, commentary, and criticism only and are not intended to infringe.
Sound effects/some music used under license from Epidemic Sound. If you need music for your podcast or YouTube channel, please visit Epidemic Sound.
Forgotten TV is not affiliated with or authorized by any production company or TV network involved in the making of any TV show or film mentioned. MASH is the copyright and property of 20th Century Fox Television and possibly additional rights holders.
