Wayback Wedbesday: Charlie’s Angels On The Captain & Tennille Show
I’ve never seen this, but regular readers know how much I love the camp of 70s TV.
How cool that Farrah, Jaclyn and Kate did this – not really in their wheelhouse, but good on them for being good sports.
And to this day, I can still stop in my tracks if I come across an episode of the original Charlie’s Angels.
(tipped by hubby Michael)
70s TV: Opening Sequence From “ElectraWoman And DynaGirl”
Talk about some 1976 TV kitsch realness.
Deidre Hall and Judy Strangis fought the evil-doers on Saturday mornings thanks to producers Sid & Marty Kroft.
Happy Friday!
The Brady Bunch Variety Hour “Get Ready”
The Brady Bunch “Get Ready”
Netflix Announces Bill Murray’s “A Very Murray Christmas” TV Music Special
Who misses the fab holiday TV specials of the 60s and 70s?
Well, so does Golden Globe winner Bill Murray.
So he’s gathered celeb friends like George Clooney, Miley Cyrus, Chris Rock, Amy Poehler and more to take part in a Netflix produced extra-special dose of holiday cheer with this all-star musically-driven holiday special, A Very Murray Christmas.
Trailer description: Set inside New York City’s iconic Carlyle hotel, A Very Murray Christmas opens with Murray preparing to host a live, international holiday broadcast.
After a blizzard shuts down the production, he makes the best of the situation by singing and celebrating with friends, hotel employees and anyone else who drops by.
A Very Murray Christmas premieres Dec. 4 on Netflix.
Matt Baume Explores American TV’s First “Same-Sex Married Couple”
Smart guy Matt Baume reminds us of a truly ground-breaking moment in television history: the night America met it’s first same-sex marriage couple.
From Baume:
When did gay partners become a part of the family on TV? October 9, 1977. That’s the night CBS aired an All in the Family episode entitled “Cousin Liz,” which in just a half hour did three amazing things: it showed America that they could have queer family members. It depicted what may be TV’s first gay marriage. And oh yeah it may have changed the course of an election.
I haven’t thought about this episode since it aired in 1977, but I do remember it. At the time I must have been 14 years old. I didn’t exactly know I was gay yet, but it lodged in my consciousness.
Baume does a great job of breaking down how the storyline at first goes all “comedy” on the idea of a lesbian couple. But then, as only “Edith” could do when given the chance during All In The Family, she steps past the “dingbat” and becomes our teacher.
Definitely worth the watch. Make sure you check the moment at the 5:05 mark.
Happy Birthday Julie Andrews – “At The Ballet”
I am a fan of the fab Julie Andrews. What a talent.
Rather than post something obvious, like the opening of “The Sound of Music” – I found this rather rare, and unusual clip from a 1979 TV special where Julie sings all three parts of “At The Ballet” from the then fantastically popular A Chorus Line.
It gets a little surreal as she tries to interpolate all three parts, but you get the idea.
Gotta love 1970s TV specials….
Matt Baume On 70s/80s Sitcoms And The Homos
In a very worthwhile 7 minute history of the portrayal of gays on sitcoms in the 1970s and 1980s, Matt Baume tracks how gays slowly gained visibility (and a voice) on TV.
When did TV first permit joking while gay? I’ve been combing through sitcoms to figure out when queers stopped being a scary threat, and were allowed to be real people with love lives and funny punch lines. Here are just a few of my favorite early gay characters on sitcoms.
As Baume states at the end, a 7 minute video can’t provide enough time to cover all the good and bad of the gay 70s and 80s. I am a bit surprised he skipped over Showtime’s Brothers which featured an openly gay lead character that was memorably positive.
But, again, how much can you fit into a web video?
Very good watch here.
TV Theme Songs: ‘Eight Is Enough’
Grant Goodeve on ‘Eight is Enough’ (screen capture)
EIGHT IS ENOUGH Star Dick Van Patten Passes Away At 86
BREAKING: Dick Van Patten, the father in #EightIsEnough and #LoveBoat star, has died at 86 http://t.co/0Sr29DZ6MG pic.twitter.com/FxKAOGw54C
— Variety (@Variety) June 23, 2015
From Variety:
Dick Van Patten, who played the paterfamilias on the 1980s TV dramedy “Eight Is Enough,” died on Tuesday morning. He was 86.
Patten died at Saint John’s Hospital in Santa Monica, Calif. due to complications from diabetes.
The always-genial, round-faced actor also appeared in Disney films including “Freaky Friday” (the original, Jodie Foster version) as well as Mel Brooks comedies “High Anxiety,” “Robin Hood: Men in Tights” and “Space Balls.”
He had most recently appeared onscreen in a guest role as Lester on TV Land’s “Hot in Cleveland.” Other relatively recent credits include “7th Heaven” in 2004, “Arrested Development” in 2005, “That ’70s Show” in 2006 and “The Sarah Silverman Program” in 2008.
Van Patten starred as Tom Bradford, the father of eight children, on ABC’s “Eight Is Enough” from 1977-81. The show was based on the life of journalist Tom Braden, who had written a book of the same name. Van Patten also appeared in the 1987 reunion movie and 1989’s “An Eight Is Enough Wedding.”
Broadway legend Betty Buckley, who co-starred opposite Van Patten issued this statement:
I am deeply saddened to hear about Dick Van Patten passing away. I am grateful that I got to see him and his lovely wife Pat when I was in Los Angeles in late January.
He taught me so much when I worked with him on “Eight Is Enough”. He was our rock, our leader, our role model. He was the consummate professional, a wonderful actor and master of comedy. Every day on set he was a happy, jovial person, always generous and ready to play, tease and always keep us all laughing. His love for life and his family were an inspiration.
I loved him very much. I send my deepest condolences to his family.