68 reviews
"The Barkleys" is one of my all-time favorite cartoon series. It, as well as two other favorites, "The Roman Holidays" and the kids' game show "Runaround," was part of NBC's Saturday morning schedule during the 1972-1973 season ("The Terrific Ten").
My favorite episodes had to be "For Love of Money," where Arnie tries to set Roger up with a stuck-up society girl named Elsie Schnauzer, and "The Great Disc Jockey," in which Arnie, fed up with the music the kids listen to, takes a job at a radio station playing "square" music, which the kids strongly objected to. (I received a cassette tape recorder for Christmas in 1972 - I was 10 - and recorded the soundtrack of the latter episode. I drove everybody in my family nuts after playing said "Barkleys" audio track incessantly!)
And if Agnes Barkley's voice sounded familiar to some people, it was actress Joan Gerber; she was in another concurrent animated "All in the Family" spoof, "Wait Till Your Father Gets Home," as the Boyle family's matron, Irma. Ms. Gerber's characters, Agnes Barkley and Irma Boyle, sounded very much alike.
After "The Barkleys" left NBC in September 1973, it would be quite some time before I would enjoy the series again. (I was unaware that around 1986 Family Home Entertainment released select episodes of "The Barkleys" on VHS tape; this was still when Marvel Comics Animation - the successor to DePatie-Freleng Enterprises, who made "The Barkleys" - still owned the copyrights to the show. Pity I didn't know about that when my family bought their first VCR in the spring of 1987.)
So, it would be *43* years before I would see "The Barkleys" again; in March 2016 it was picked up by Retro TV after NBC Universal had cheerfully taken the rights to the Filmation series Retro was airing away from them (NBC Universal had just completed its purchase of DreamWorks Classics, which owned the Filmation shows; they have *hoarded* all those Filmation series ever since).
So, I finally got to enjoy "The Barkleys" again; it was a real treat after a long absence, but once Retro aired the series after four rerun increments I stopped watching. I didn't want the special memories of when I first watched the show as a kid in 1972 worn away, and I didn't want to memorize the dialogue a la that one syndicated set of "Looney Tunes" many stations aired at that time.
Retro had aired "The Barkleys" continuously until earlier this year, on Saturday, February 22, 2025, after which they replaced it with a set of uninteresting Australian live-action kids' shows. Thus, Retro TV has now joined the ranks of those networks no longer airing cartoons on Saturday mornings. (Apparently Marvel didn't renew the copyright on "The Barkleys" after it expired in 2000, possibly explaining why Retro reran the series for nearly a decade.) So, Saturday mornings have for the most part been a good reason for me to sleep in, with the exception of a few shows on MeTV Toons, which I receive over-the-air where I live. So apparently now MeTV Toons is *the* only place you can see classic cartoon series on Saturday mornings. (Weigel Broadcasting, owners of MeTV Toons, claims they are seeking more over-the-air stations to carry the network, but so far nothing has come of it. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.)
But - all is *not* lost. I discovered "The Barkleys," along with another DFE show from the same time, "The Houndcats," was released on DVD by Film Chest Media Group, and in March of this year I purchased a copy from Ebay. Now I won't have to worry ever again about "When will I see 'The Barkleys' again?;" I can see them anytime I want without it being continuously run over and over again, and without those special childhood memories getting erased (certainly at age 63 I have more will power). There was one episode on the disc Retro failed to rerun during that near decade, the last one entitled "The Great Talent Scout Caper," in which a con artist named Bilkhound tries to make stars out of Chester, Terry, Roger, and Arnie, but fails (why *didn't* Retro air this one? I didn't see anything politically incorrect or otherwise in it). So now I can rest easy knowing I have the entire "Barkleys" series on DVD (and somehow I seemed to enjoy it *even better* after hearing Retro no longer airs the show, because I now own the DVD for posterity)!
For the special memories it evokes whenever I watch it again, I give "The Barkleys" a perfect 10!
My favorite episodes had to be "For Love of Money," where Arnie tries to set Roger up with a stuck-up society girl named Elsie Schnauzer, and "The Great Disc Jockey," in which Arnie, fed up with the music the kids listen to, takes a job at a radio station playing "square" music, which the kids strongly objected to. (I received a cassette tape recorder for Christmas in 1972 - I was 10 - and recorded the soundtrack of the latter episode. I drove everybody in my family nuts after playing said "Barkleys" audio track incessantly!)
And if Agnes Barkley's voice sounded familiar to some people, it was actress Joan Gerber; she was in another concurrent animated "All in the Family" spoof, "Wait Till Your Father Gets Home," as the Boyle family's matron, Irma. Ms. Gerber's characters, Agnes Barkley and Irma Boyle, sounded very much alike.
After "The Barkleys" left NBC in September 1973, it would be quite some time before I would enjoy the series again. (I was unaware that around 1986 Family Home Entertainment released select episodes of "The Barkleys" on VHS tape; this was still when Marvel Comics Animation - the successor to DePatie-Freleng Enterprises, who made "The Barkleys" - still owned the copyrights to the show. Pity I didn't know about that when my family bought their first VCR in the spring of 1987.)
So, it would be *43* years before I would see "The Barkleys" again; in March 2016 it was picked up by Retro TV after NBC Universal had cheerfully taken the rights to the Filmation series Retro was airing away from them (NBC Universal had just completed its purchase of DreamWorks Classics, which owned the Filmation shows; they have *hoarded* all those Filmation series ever since).
So, I finally got to enjoy "The Barkleys" again; it was a real treat after a long absence, but once Retro aired the series after four rerun increments I stopped watching. I didn't want the special memories of when I first watched the show as a kid in 1972 worn away, and I didn't want to memorize the dialogue a la that one syndicated set of "Looney Tunes" many stations aired at that time.
Retro had aired "The Barkleys" continuously until earlier this year, on Saturday, February 22, 2025, after which they replaced it with a set of uninteresting Australian live-action kids' shows. Thus, Retro TV has now joined the ranks of those networks no longer airing cartoons on Saturday mornings. (Apparently Marvel didn't renew the copyright on "The Barkleys" after it expired in 2000, possibly explaining why Retro reran the series for nearly a decade.) So, Saturday mornings have for the most part been a good reason for me to sleep in, with the exception of a few shows on MeTV Toons, which I receive over-the-air where I live. So apparently now MeTV Toons is *the* only place you can see classic cartoon series on Saturday mornings. (Weigel Broadcasting, owners of MeTV Toons, claims they are seeking more over-the-air stations to carry the network, but so far nothing has come of it. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.)
But - all is *not* lost. I discovered "The Barkleys," along with another DFE show from the same time, "The Houndcats," was released on DVD by Film Chest Media Group, and in March of this year I purchased a copy from Ebay. Now I won't have to worry ever again about "When will I see 'The Barkleys' again?;" I can see them anytime I want without it being continuously run over and over again, and without those special childhood memories getting erased (certainly at age 63 I have more will power). There was one episode on the disc Retro failed to rerun during that near decade, the last one entitled "The Great Talent Scout Caper," in which a con artist named Bilkhound tries to make stars out of Chester, Terry, Roger, and Arnie, but fails (why *didn't* Retro air this one? I didn't see anything politically incorrect or otherwise in it). So now I can rest easy knowing I have the entire "Barkleys" series on DVD (and somehow I seemed to enjoy it *even better* after hearing Retro no longer airs the show, because I now own the DVD for posterity)!
For the special memories it evokes whenever I watch it again, I give "The Barkleys" a perfect 10!
I remember this version of "Mr. Magoo" very well. I was 15 years old and had begun my sophomore year of high school at Lansing Catholic in Lansing, Michigan. One episode I do remember was when Magoo went to an amusement park called "Dizzyland."
In 2015, I was finally able to see "What's New, Mr. Magoo" again when it aired on Retro TV. It bought back some nice memories of my "wonder years." Sadly, Retro abruptly dropped the show the following year without any explanation. Then a few months later I discovered NBC Universal - by virtue of their purchase of DreamWorks Classics/Classic Media - got their greedy hooks on the show and has been hoarding it ever since. It seems a miracle if "What's New, Mr. Magoo" will ever turn up again (it *was* on DVD, but only as part of a box set of "Mr. Magoo" TV shows released by Shout! Factory. The show *wasn't* available by itself in its own box set or "best of" episode compilations).
But, now there is *some* glimmer of hope: MeTV launched its own cartoon network, MeTV Toons, in June of this year. They seemed to have been successful in twisting NBC Universal's greedy arm since they are airing "Rocky and Bullwinkle," which NBC Universal also owns as a result of the DreamWorks purchase. So if MeTV Toons could get "Bullwinkle," perhaps they could also persuade NBC to let them air "What's New, Mr. Magoo?"
I would strongly suggest you go to MeTV Toons' website and check their contact information. Let MeTV Toons know you'd like to see "What's New, Mr. Magoo?" again and that if they were able to coax NBC Universal into a deal for "Bullwinkle," then perhaps they could do the same for "What's New, Mr. Magoo?" (MeTV Toons *is* showing some Mr. Magoo now, but those are the UPA/Columbia Pictures theatrical shorts, which Sony Pictures Television syndicates. So that obviously is *not* the same thing.)
One correction to the information rcj5365 presented in his review: "What's New, Mr. Magoo?" originally aired on CBS from September 10, 1977 to September 9, *1978.* I don't ever recall CBS airing the reruns on Sunday mornings, especially since the following spring (March 1979) "Sunday Morning" made its debut; it still airs to this day.
In 2015, I was finally able to see "What's New, Mr. Magoo" again when it aired on Retro TV. It bought back some nice memories of my "wonder years." Sadly, Retro abruptly dropped the show the following year without any explanation. Then a few months later I discovered NBC Universal - by virtue of their purchase of DreamWorks Classics/Classic Media - got their greedy hooks on the show and has been hoarding it ever since. It seems a miracle if "What's New, Mr. Magoo" will ever turn up again (it *was* on DVD, but only as part of a box set of "Mr. Magoo" TV shows released by Shout! Factory. The show *wasn't* available by itself in its own box set or "best of" episode compilations).
But, now there is *some* glimmer of hope: MeTV launched its own cartoon network, MeTV Toons, in June of this year. They seemed to have been successful in twisting NBC Universal's greedy arm since they are airing "Rocky and Bullwinkle," which NBC Universal also owns as a result of the DreamWorks purchase. So if MeTV Toons could get "Bullwinkle," perhaps they could also persuade NBC to let them air "What's New, Mr. Magoo?"
I would strongly suggest you go to MeTV Toons' website and check their contact information. Let MeTV Toons know you'd like to see "What's New, Mr. Magoo?" again and that if they were able to coax NBC Universal into a deal for "Bullwinkle," then perhaps they could do the same for "What's New, Mr. Magoo?" (MeTV Toons *is* showing some Mr. Magoo now, but those are the UPA/Columbia Pictures theatrical shorts, which Sony Pictures Television syndicates. So that obviously is *not* the same thing.)
One correction to the information rcj5365 presented in his review: "What's New, Mr. Magoo?" originally aired on CBS from September 10, 1977 to September 9, *1978.* I don't ever recall CBS airing the reruns on Sunday mornings, especially since the following spring (March 1979) "Sunday Morning" made its debut; it still airs to this day.
In the fall of 1972, my younger sister and I were alternating weeks on Saturday mornings (I was 10, she was 9). I liked the cartoons on CBS but after watching "Roman Holidays" after the first few episodes, my sister got me hooked on this show thereafter, as well as most of NBC's Saturday morning lineup (e.g. "The Houndcats," "The Barkleys," "Sealab 2020," and "Runaround;" the last show mentioned no longer survives as NBC "wiped" all the tapes it was recorded on, but that's a different story).
My all-time favorite episode of "Roman Holidays" was #9, "Double Dilemma," which originally aired on Saturday, November 3, 1972. That's the one in which Precocia is practicing her drums for a music recital, but the same night Gus is also involved in a bowling tournament, and he is literally torn between the two.
Something about that particular episode "jumped out" at me and I regarded it as more special than all the other episodes in the series. So much so, in fact, that when NBC reran said episode of "Roman Holidays" on Saturday, February 3, 1973, I had recorded the entire episode's soundtrack (minus the commercials) on my portable cassette recorder (which I received that last Christmas as a present). I practically drove the rest of my family nuts playing that soundtrack of "Double Dilemma!"
Even more related to the topic was that I soon developed a crush on Pamelyn Ferdin; the next morning, on Sundays, I would watch her on "Curiosity Shop" on ABC (which, sadly, is now also lost), and then I would say, "That's Precocia!" (In real life Ms. Ferdin played guitar; she did so on a few episodes of "Curiosity Shop.") And in 2003, when Ms. Ferdin hosted her own website, she wrote back (!) and later sent me a genuine, autographed picture of herself. How cool is that?
It's also hard to believe most of the voice cast is deceased. The only ones still alive besides Ms. Ferdin are (as of this posting) Stanley Livingston (Happius) and Judy Strangis (Groovia).
And to correct a piece of raysond's info: There were *13* episodes of "Roman Holidays" made, not 21. As I said in another show's posting, this was because NBC was able to run the entire series in 4 increments in order to fulfill a 52-week commitment. To be sure, I was rather disillusioned when NBC canceled the show in September 1973, and I didn't see it again until 9 years later when the USA network ran "Roman Holidays" as part of their afternoon "Cartoon Express" block. After that, not again until around 1999 when it was rerun on Cartoon Network, and then again on Boomerang a few years later.
But to raysond, Teach-8 and anyone else who's longing to see this show again: "Roman Holidays" *is* finally available on DVD as a manufactured-on-demand title from the WB Shop, Warner Bros.' online store (you can only purchase the show on DVD through that website; it *isn't* available through any mainstream retail outlets). So that now makes it two ultra-rare Hanna-Barbera faves I finally own on DVD, the other being "Top Cat."
And wouldn't you know it? I have the DVD machine cued up to play "Double Dilemma!" Let the good times roll!
My all-time favorite episode of "Roman Holidays" was #9, "Double Dilemma," which originally aired on Saturday, November 3, 1972. That's the one in which Precocia is practicing her drums for a music recital, but the same night Gus is also involved in a bowling tournament, and he is literally torn between the two.
Something about that particular episode "jumped out" at me and I regarded it as more special than all the other episodes in the series. So much so, in fact, that when NBC reran said episode of "Roman Holidays" on Saturday, February 3, 1973, I had recorded the entire episode's soundtrack (minus the commercials) on my portable cassette recorder (which I received that last Christmas as a present). I practically drove the rest of my family nuts playing that soundtrack of "Double Dilemma!"
Even more related to the topic was that I soon developed a crush on Pamelyn Ferdin; the next morning, on Sundays, I would watch her on "Curiosity Shop" on ABC (which, sadly, is now also lost), and then I would say, "That's Precocia!" (In real life Ms. Ferdin played guitar; she did so on a few episodes of "Curiosity Shop.") And in 2003, when Ms. Ferdin hosted her own website, she wrote back (!) and later sent me a genuine, autographed picture of herself. How cool is that?
It's also hard to believe most of the voice cast is deceased. The only ones still alive besides Ms. Ferdin are (as of this posting) Stanley Livingston (Happius) and Judy Strangis (Groovia).
And to correct a piece of raysond's info: There were *13* episodes of "Roman Holidays" made, not 21. As I said in another show's posting, this was because NBC was able to run the entire series in 4 increments in order to fulfill a 52-week commitment. To be sure, I was rather disillusioned when NBC canceled the show in September 1973, and I didn't see it again until 9 years later when the USA network ran "Roman Holidays" as part of their afternoon "Cartoon Express" block. After that, not again until around 1999 when it was rerun on Cartoon Network, and then again on Boomerang a few years later.
But to raysond, Teach-8 and anyone else who's longing to see this show again: "Roman Holidays" *is* finally available on DVD as a manufactured-on-demand title from the WB Shop, Warner Bros.' online store (you can only purchase the show on DVD through that website; it *isn't* available through any mainstream retail outlets). So that now makes it two ultra-rare Hanna-Barbera faves I finally own on DVD, the other being "Top Cat."
And wouldn't you know it? I have the DVD machine cued up to play "Double Dilemma!" Let the good times roll!
I was browsing through the Periscope Films channel on YouTube last night when this film was posted as a recommendation. When I saw the opening shot of that telephone on the desk, I thought: "This looks like that movie I saw in 3rd grade." And *indeed* it was. What especially rang bells were the sequences with the animals in the circus and the phone book listings. What nice, untapped childhood memories!
I also remember AT&T had an accompanying filmstrip with scenes from this short with onscreen captions the teacher read (remember those?), along with workbooks the whole class received and used. This film was also the first time I heard of that notorious phone number "555-2368." A month or so later in the spring of 1971 I heard that number repeated in an episode of "Sabrina and the Groovie Ghoulies." How funny!
Shame this isn't available on DVD. (Or is it? Does anybody know?)
I also remember AT&T had an accompanying filmstrip with scenes from this short with onscreen captions the teacher read (remember those?), along with workbooks the whole class received and used. This film was also the first time I heard of that notorious phone number "555-2368." A month or so later in the spring of 1971 I heard that number repeated in an episode of "Sabrina and the Groovie Ghoulies." How funny!
Shame this isn't available on DVD. (Or is it? Does anybody know?)
I saw one of the episodes of this show recently on You Tube. When "The Duck Factory" was first broadcast on NBC in the summer of 1984, I was watching "Simon and Simon" on CBS, which was on against it.
Glad I stuck with "Simon and Simon" then (which blitzed "Duck Factory" in the ratings). Like "Paul Sand in 'Friends and Lovers'" and the two Newhart "comedies," this was yet another of MTM's exercises into the dumb and ultimately *soporific.* If Disney (which now owns 20th Television, who succeeded to the MTM shows when the latter company went out of business in 1998) was smart, they'd *burn* the film elements of this sorry "comedy" and then this dumb show would be *lost* forever.
At least Jim Carrey went on to *much* better things, beginning with "In Living Color." I liked his performances as the Riddler in "Batman Forever" and as Dick Harper in the remake of "Fun with Dick and Jane." Now *those* were funny.
Glad I stuck with "Simon and Simon" then (which blitzed "Duck Factory" in the ratings). Like "Paul Sand in 'Friends and Lovers'" and the two Newhart "comedies," this was yet another of MTM's exercises into the dumb and ultimately *soporific.* If Disney (which now owns 20th Television, who succeeded to the MTM shows when the latter company went out of business in 1998) was smart, they'd *burn* the film elements of this sorry "comedy" and then this dumb show would be *lost* forever.
At least Jim Carrey went on to *much* better things, beginning with "In Living Color." I liked his performances as the Riddler in "Batman Forever" and as Dick Harper in the remake of "Fun with Dick and Jane." Now *those* were funny.
I remember first watching this Popeye short when I was a kid living in Warren, Michigan in the late 60's - early 70's (I was 5 in 1967 when I first saw it). This and the other Popeye shorts were shown in the Detroit area as part of "Bozo the Clown" on CKLW-TV (now CBET), Channel 9, in Windsor, Ontario/Detroit. Then after my family and I moved to Lansing, Michigan in 1971, it was part of the "Looney Tunes" compilation running on WOOD-TV, Channel 8 in Grand Rapids weekday afternoons until September 1975.
It was somewhat funny when I first saw "Canine Caprice" as a youngster. Now, after having seen this short again on YouTube recently, at age 58 it seemed a little too *deep* for me to enjoy. There was some symbolism I sensed when Roger got kicked out and was in the street baying - I lost my father in 1992 to cancer, and then a little over 2 years ago my mother passed at age 90 because of pneumonia. So now all I have left in the way of my immediate family is my younger sister, who I still keep in touch with.
In short: Roger's getting kicked out onto the street was somewhat of a metaphor to me for being alone, especially (in my case) when your folks aren't around anymore. But I *don't* condemn anybody who does like this short; I'm sure others think it's funny and enjoyable. But it's hard for me to enjoy now for the above reason. Sorry.
It was somewhat funny when I first saw "Canine Caprice" as a youngster. Now, after having seen this short again on YouTube recently, at age 58 it seemed a little too *deep* for me to enjoy. There was some symbolism I sensed when Roger got kicked out and was in the street baying - I lost my father in 1992 to cancer, and then a little over 2 years ago my mother passed at age 90 because of pneumonia. So now all I have left in the way of my immediate family is my younger sister, who I still keep in touch with.
In short: Roger's getting kicked out onto the street was somewhat of a metaphor to me for being alone, especially (in my case) when your folks aren't around anymore. But I *don't* condemn anybody who does like this short; I'm sure others think it's funny and enjoyable. But it's hard for me to enjoy now for the above reason. Sorry.
....especially in some of the musical numbers. For example: Connick plays his large white piano and a miniature drum set simultaneously in one segment (as if to prove he's a showoff), then toward the end of said segment Connick stands on top of his piano and conducts his band in a contrived, unconvincing manner.
And some of the other segments are just plain *stupid, goofy, and inane* (e.g. "Harry Tries....," "My Hidden Talent").
I was flabbergasted to read last March NBC Universal decided to give this waste of time a second season (hopefully it'll be its *last*). I wonder how much Connick bribed the NBC brass with to keep his sorry show alive?
Only for those who can stand this clown, his "square" music, and his over-the-top theatrics; otherwise not recommended. As dbborroughs said in his review of the Our Gang short "Doin' Their Bit" with regard to this program, "Take a pass."
And some of the other segments are just plain *stupid, goofy, and inane* (e.g. "Harry Tries....," "My Hidden Talent").
I was flabbergasted to read last March NBC Universal decided to give this waste of time a second season (hopefully it'll be its *last*). I wonder how much Connick bribed the NBC brass with to keep his sorry show alive?
Only for those who can stand this clown, his "square" music, and his over-the-top theatrics; otherwise not recommended. As dbborroughs said in his review of the Our Gang short "Doin' Their Bit" with regard to this program, "Take a pass."
I have vague recollections of seeing this special when it originally aired in 1965 (I was only 3 then). If I remember correctly, it was introduced by the Peanuts characters (Charlie Brown and Lucy also appear in a short bumper after the closing credits).
But please tell me if this is the version I'm thinking of:
What I distinctly remember is the Golden Goose's production number, "Oh, Them Golden Eggs;" one of the lines she sings is "I have golden feet" and as the chorus sings the refrain of the song the Goose is doing a "jazz square" and the camera then gives us a closeup of her "golden feet" (actually long, gold-sequined spats).
If this is indeed the version I'm thinking of, then: (1) The last time I saw this was around Thanksgiving 1971, when CBS aired it as a special that afternoon for the *very last* time (minus the Peanuts intro and outro), after which it faded into obscurity forever; and (2) I liked *this* version of "Jack and the Beanstalk" *much* better than that sorry, overblown Hanna-Barbera version with Gene Kelly from two years later.
So, CBS, is this version of "Jack and the Beanstalk" still in your vaults? I can only hope so (and also that the tape wasn't "wiped" after the final 1971 airing, as well as that the copyrights on this special were renewed), and that you might unearth it and put it on DVD (or if you don't want to yourselves, lease the rights out to Shout! Factory or another DVD label). It would sure bring back some nice, untapped childhood memories, and as I said before, this "Jack and the Beanstalk" was *much more* enjoyable. (Sad to say, Warner Home Video has already released that sorry Hanna-Barbera version of "Jack and the Beanstalk" on DVD as a "manufactured-on-demand" title - to be sure, I *won't* be wasting my money on that one.)
So *please,* CBS - say this version of "Jack and the Beanstalk" *isn't* "lost," and that hopefully you'll dig it out of your vaults for a DVD release! (Maybe you could also include the Peanuts opening and closing as extras on the disc?)
But please tell me if this is the version I'm thinking of:
What I distinctly remember is the Golden Goose's production number, "Oh, Them Golden Eggs;" one of the lines she sings is "I have golden feet" and as the chorus sings the refrain of the song the Goose is doing a "jazz square" and the camera then gives us a closeup of her "golden feet" (actually long, gold-sequined spats).
If this is indeed the version I'm thinking of, then: (1) The last time I saw this was around Thanksgiving 1971, when CBS aired it as a special that afternoon for the *very last* time (minus the Peanuts intro and outro), after which it faded into obscurity forever; and (2) I liked *this* version of "Jack and the Beanstalk" *much* better than that sorry, overblown Hanna-Barbera version with Gene Kelly from two years later.
So, CBS, is this version of "Jack and the Beanstalk" still in your vaults? I can only hope so (and also that the tape wasn't "wiped" after the final 1971 airing, as well as that the copyrights on this special were renewed), and that you might unearth it and put it on DVD (or if you don't want to yourselves, lease the rights out to Shout! Factory or another DVD label). It would sure bring back some nice, untapped childhood memories, and as I said before, this "Jack and the Beanstalk" was *much more* enjoyable. (Sad to say, Warner Home Video has already released that sorry Hanna-Barbera version of "Jack and the Beanstalk" on DVD as a "manufactured-on-demand" title - to be sure, I *won't* be wasting my money on that one.)
So *please,* CBS - say this version of "Jack and the Beanstalk" *isn't* "lost," and that hopefully you'll dig it out of your vaults for a DVD release! (Maybe you could also include the Peanuts opening and closing as extras on the disc?)
I had vague recollections of seeing this short on TV when I was just 4 years old in 1966 and living in Warren, Michigan; we could receive CKLW (now CBET)-TV, Channel 9 in Windsor, Ontario, very clearly (Windsor was right across the river from Detroit), and sometimes the CBC would air shorts like this one when time permitted. Sad to say, this film was a *waste* of time; having seen it again on You Tube recently, it also helped cement why math was *never* one of my favorite subjects.
The worst aspect of "Rhythmetic," however, had to be the soundtrack, which consisted of drum-like sounds and mouth noises a la Victor Borge's "Phonetic Punctuation" monologue; that, coupled with the lifeless and limited animation, becomes tantamount to Chinese water torture after 2 minutes. For anybody who has to endure sitting through this, might I suggest you synchronize it to some *music* of the same tempo and length; perhaps then it might be more tolerable (some ideas: Bob Dylan's "Rainy Day Women," Pink Floyd's "Money," or Amii Stewart's 1979 remake of "Knock on Wood," preferably the album or 12-inch single versions).
"Rythmetic" is thus *not* recommended, especially for anybody like myself who has bad memories of math classes in elementary and/or high school. But, replace the inane soundtrack with some *real* music of the same beat and it *might* turn out to be funny.
The worst aspect of "Rhythmetic," however, had to be the soundtrack, which consisted of drum-like sounds and mouth noises a la Victor Borge's "Phonetic Punctuation" monologue; that, coupled with the lifeless and limited animation, becomes tantamount to Chinese water torture after 2 minutes. For anybody who has to endure sitting through this, might I suggest you synchronize it to some *music* of the same tempo and length; perhaps then it might be more tolerable (some ideas: Bob Dylan's "Rainy Day Women," Pink Floyd's "Money," or Amii Stewart's 1979 remake of "Knock on Wood," preferably the album or 12-inch single versions).
"Rythmetic" is thus *not* recommended, especially for anybody like myself who has bad memories of math classes in elementary and/or high school. But, replace the inane soundtrack with some *real* music of the same beat and it *might* turn out to be funny.
I heard much about this revival of "Masquerade Party" when it first aired in the 70's via magazine and press reviews (I was then only 12), and now having read F. Gwynplane MacIntyre's review of it, made me wish I could have seen this revival of the show (I, too, never saw any episodes of the 1950's original via film or home video, and when that version originally aired I *wasn't* even around - I was born in April 1962!).
Why couldn't I see this version of "Masquerade Party?"
Because this show was *syndicated* (20th Television was the distributor), and having lived in Lansing, Michigan at that time, *no* receivable stations in that area (including Jackson, Flint, Battle Creek, Kalamazoo, and Grand Rapids) bothered purchasing and airing the show. Instead, we got crap like local outdoors shows, nationally syndicated nature shows, old movies, "That Nashville Music," and "Hee Haw" (yeecch!). I don't doubt this "Masquerade Party" revival *was* shown in major markets like New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago - lucky for them!
And, recently having read a trade ad for the show in a 1975 issue of Broadcasting Magazine online, that heightened my wanting to see this 70's revival of "Masquerade Party" even more.
(I remember one station in the area, WOTV - now WOOD-TV - Channel 8, in Grand Rapids aired some syndicated 20th Television programs during the 70's, including "Circus!" from 1972 and "That's Hollywood!" from 1976. Unfortunately, the brain trust who was then the program director at that station made the *big* mistake of electing not to buy this "Masquerade Party" revival from 20th, which I understand lasted *only one year.* Sad!)
I myself submitted this version of "Masquerade Party" to TV Shows on DVD.com; as of today (December 9, 2015) it has been posted on that site. I *strongly* suggest for anybody who *was* lucky to see the show back in the 70's when it first aired, or for others like myself who are curious to see what this version was like, go to TV Shows on DVD's website and *vote* for the show. If it eventually amasses 100> votes, then maybe 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (if they still own the rights) or Monty Hall's production company, who could maybe lease the rights out to Shout! Factory or a similar TV nostalgia DVD label, would release "Masquerade Party" on DVD. (Shortly before Monty Hall's passing, his production company was purchased by Fremantle Media; Fremantle produces the current revival of "Let's Make a Deal" starring Wayne Brady for CBS.)
*Then,* hopefully, I'll be able to see what these avant-garde (or, more appropriately, "below-grade") TV station programmers in Michigan blithely denied us of in September 1974, and I'll get a good laugh.
(Postscript: September 9, 2023: Fremantle Media *does indeed* own the rights to this revival of "Masquerade Party," as well as the other Hatos/Hall Productions properties; 20th Television - as they are now known - held only the syndication rights (20th Television is now part of the Disney/ABC empire). The chances *still* look very fat for this version of "Masquerade Party" seeing a DVD release.)
Why couldn't I see this version of "Masquerade Party?"
Because this show was *syndicated* (20th Television was the distributor), and having lived in Lansing, Michigan at that time, *no* receivable stations in that area (including Jackson, Flint, Battle Creek, Kalamazoo, and Grand Rapids) bothered purchasing and airing the show. Instead, we got crap like local outdoors shows, nationally syndicated nature shows, old movies, "That Nashville Music," and "Hee Haw" (yeecch!). I don't doubt this "Masquerade Party" revival *was* shown in major markets like New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago - lucky for them!
And, recently having read a trade ad for the show in a 1975 issue of Broadcasting Magazine online, that heightened my wanting to see this 70's revival of "Masquerade Party" even more.
(I remember one station in the area, WOTV - now WOOD-TV - Channel 8, in Grand Rapids aired some syndicated 20th Television programs during the 70's, including "Circus!" from 1972 and "That's Hollywood!" from 1976. Unfortunately, the brain trust who was then the program director at that station made the *big* mistake of electing not to buy this "Masquerade Party" revival from 20th, which I understand lasted *only one year.* Sad!)
I myself submitted this version of "Masquerade Party" to TV Shows on DVD.com; as of today (December 9, 2015) it has been posted on that site. I *strongly* suggest for anybody who *was* lucky to see the show back in the 70's when it first aired, or for others like myself who are curious to see what this version was like, go to TV Shows on DVD's website and *vote* for the show. If it eventually amasses 100> votes, then maybe 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (if they still own the rights) or Monty Hall's production company, who could maybe lease the rights out to Shout! Factory or a similar TV nostalgia DVD label, would release "Masquerade Party" on DVD. (Shortly before Monty Hall's passing, his production company was purchased by Fremantle Media; Fremantle produces the current revival of "Let's Make a Deal" starring Wayne Brady for CBS.)
*Then,* hopefully, I'll be able to see what these avant-garde (or, more appropriately, "below-grade") TV station programmers in Michigan blithely denied us of in September 1974, and I'll get a good laugh.
(Postscript: September 9, 2023: Fremantle Media *does indeed* own the rights to this revival of "Masquerade Party," as well as the other Hatos/Hall Productions properties; 20th Television - as they are now known - held only the syndication rights (20th Television is now part of the Disney/ABC empire). The chances *still* look very fat for this version of "Masquerade Party" seeing a DVD release.)
I *totally* forgot about "Dodo" until I saw a few clips of it again on You Tube recently (the one I saw was about where Professor Fingers threw a first anniversary party for Dodo, and he and Dodo recall how they met each other; unfortunately, the soundtrack was *out of sync* on that You Tube video). One short I remember in particular was the one in which Professor Fingers takes How, Why, and a group of kids to the ice-skating rink; Dodo just sat on the side wall and dangled his feet while everyone else was skating, and the Professor fell flat on the ice!
When "Dodo" premiered in 1965, I was only 3, but I don't recall seeing these shorts until 1967, when I was 5. At that time, they were shown daily as part of the "Bozo the Clown" show on CKLW-TV (now CBET), Channel 9, in Windsor, Ontario, Canada/Detroit; I would watch that every weekday afternoon after coming home from kindergarten.
Although I couldn't find any info on the voice cast, I'll probably bet Dodo was voiced by Lucille Bliss ("Crusader Rabbit" and Smurfette in "The Smurfs"), How and Why by June Foray, and Professor Fingers by Don Messick. As I said, this is only a *speculation,* so once I get more facts about who voiced whom, I'll start a thread on the bulletin board for this show.
I also wondered what that drawing was in the lower right corner of the Halas/Batchelor title card during the opening credits; I thought it was a smiling worm or possibly a representation of an alien from Dodo's home planet. It turned out to be a drawing of an artist's palette with a smiling paintbrush! I also thought the singers sang "lone pixie-dixie" in the theme's lyrics, but it was actually "science fiction pixie" (which I didn't find out until recently).
I believe "Dodo" is now in the public domain, since I discovered somewhere on the web a DVD was put out by one of those small-time video companies that made the disc compatible for all regions; I'll bet they *didn't* remaster the shorts and used scratchy, deteriorating film elements. I can only hope Shout! Factory or some other "TV classics" DVD company might contract with Halas and Batchelor's estates themselves (John Halas and Joy Batchelor were husband and wife; Halas died in 1995 and Batchelor died four years earlier) - perhaps they have archival copies of "Dodo" - and give the series a *proper* treatment for a DVD box set!
("Dodo" was first syndicated by Embassy Television, when Joseph E. Levine was President of the company; the company became Avco Embassy Television in 1968, and held onto the TV syndication rights until the early 1980's, although most stations were no longer airing "Dodo" by then. In 1982, Norman Lear purchased Embassy from Avco and renamed the company Embassy Pictures, then around 1985 Embassy was bought out by Coca-Cola and finally - in 1989, three years before "Dodo"'s copyrights expired - by Sony Pictures Entertainment, who promptly absorbed Embassy Television into Columbia Pictures Television. It is a *real* shame Sony wasn't even aware they had this series in their vast library and didn't even bother renewing the copyrights on it - sad for us baby-boomers!)
In the meantime, *please* be sure to vote for "Dodo" at TV Shows on DVD.com; so far, it has amassed a puny *43* total votes. If the number of votes is 100 or more, then it just might get Shout! Factory's, or another DVD label's, attention. (You might also want to telephone or e-mail Shout! Factory about "Dodo;" their addresses and phone number are given at their website. That should also help influence them to get the DVD rights to "Dodo.")
When "Dodo" premiered in 1965, I was only 3, but I don't recall seeing these shorts until 1967, when I was 5. At that time, they were shown daily as part of the "Bozo the Clown" show on CKLW-TV (now CBET), Channel 9, in Windsor, Ontario, Canada/Detroit; I would watch that every weekday afternoon after coming home from kindergarten.
Although I couldn't find any info on the voice cast, I'll probably bet Dodo was voiced by Lucille Bliss ("Crusader Rabbit" and Smurfette in "The Smurfs"), How and Why by June Foray, and Professor Fingers by Don Messick. As I said, this is only a *speculation,* so once I get more facts about who voiced whom, I'll start a thread on the bulletin board for this show.
I also wondered what that drawing was in the lower right corner of the Halas/Batchelor title card during the opening credits; I thought it was a smiling worm or possibly a representation of an alien from Dodo's home planet. It turned out to be a drawing of an artist's palette with a smiling paintbrush! I also thought the singers sang "lone pixie-dixie" in the theme's lyrics, but it was actually "science fiction pixie" (which I didn't find out until recently).
I believe "Dodo" is now in the public domain, since I discovered somewhere on the web a DVD was put out by one of those small-time video companies that made the disc compatible for all regions; I'll bet they *didn't* remaster the shorts and used scratchy, deteriorating film elements. I can only hope Shout! Factory or some other "TV classics" DVD company might contract with Halas and Batchelor's estates themselves (John Halas and Joy Batchelor were husband and wife; Halas died in 1995 and Batchelor died four years earlier) - perhaps they have archival copies of "Dodo" - and give the series a *proper* treatment for a DVD box set!
("Dodo" was first syndicated by Embassy Television, when Joseph E. Levine was President of the company; the company became Avco Embassy Television in 1968, and held onto the TV syndication rights until the early 1980's, although most stations were no longer airing "Dodo" by then. In 1982, Norman Lear purchased Embassy from Avco and renamed the company Embassy Pictures, then around 1985 Embassy was bought out by Coca-Cola and finally - in 1989, three years before "Dodo"'s copyrights expired - by Sony Pictures Entertainment, who promptly absorbed Embassy Television into Columbia Pictures Television. It is a *real* shame Sony wasn't even aware they had this series in their vast library and didn't even bother renewing the copyrights on it - sad for us baby-boomers!)
In the meantime, *please* be sure to vote for "Dodo" at TV Shows on DVD.com; so far, it has amassed a puny *43* total votes. If the number of votes is 100 or more, then it just might get Shout! Factory's, or another DVD label's, attention. (You might also want to telephone or e-mail Shout! Factory about "Dodo;" their addresses and phone number are given at their website. That should also help influence them to get the DVD rights to "Dodo.")
In June 1983, my family and I moved from the Chicago area to Saddle River, New Jersey, a New York City suburb (I was then 21, and about to begin my sophomore year at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck). One Saturday afternoon in July, after we had settled in, I was watching TV and perusing the channels when I came across "El Gran Circo" on WNJU-TV, Channel 47 in Linden/Newark.
Just for kicks, I checked this show out (I understand Spanish a little bit). It was rather funny to watch, and somehow it seemed to evoke fond memories of shows of this same genre my younger sister and I used to watch when we were youngsters living in Warren, Michigan in the 60's (e.g. "Bozo the Clown," "Oopsy"). And for some reason, I always thought the song heard over the opening credits was funny, especially while watching the kids in the audience rocking back and forth in their seats singing along!
One episode of "El Gran Circo" I remember watching on WNJU featured one of the clowns, Fofito, playing the song "People" (from the musical "Funny Girl") on his clavinet in one segment (a clavinet is an instrument that resembles a mini-keyboard; you blow into it, and it sounds a little like a harmonica). I don't remember the comedy sketches in that particular episode, however.
A few months ago, I checked You Tube to see if any episodes of "El Gran Circo" were posted. Sure enough, there *were* - but *not* the one I saw in New Jersey in the summer of 1983 (one of those You Tube videos of "El Gran Circo" featured a literal remake of a "Honeymooners" sketch, and another featured a medley of songs from "Mary Poppins," naturally sung in Spanish). Still, just seeing those few episodes again made me long for my college days.
I recently submitted this show to TV Shows on DVD.com; to date, it received only *2* (!) paltry votes, one from myself and another from somebody else who also remembers this show.
I appeal to anyone else who remembers "El Gran Circo" and would like to see it rereleased on DVD - *please* - go to TV Shows on DVD.com and vote for it. If it gets more than 100 votes, it might attract an American DVD label's attention, and maybe the original Spanish producers could arrange to have it issued here in the States. (And to said producers - do you think you could also include English subtitles? After all, it seems no less ridiculous when you consider many movies and TV shows on DVD are either dubbed into another language on a separate audio track or have subtitles in said language that can be selected from the DVD menu. Indeed, "El Gran Circo" can be enjoyed by *all* ages.)
So *don't* wait - vote for "El Gran Circo" at TV Shows on DVD.com *now!*
Just for kicks, I checked this show out (I understand Spanish a little bit). It was rather funny to watch, and somehow it seemed to evoke fond memories of shows of this same genre my younger sister and I used to watch when we were youngsters living in Warren, Michigan in the 60's (e.g. "Bozo the Clown," "Oopsy"). And for some reason, I always thought the song heard over the opening credits was funny, especially while watching the kids in the audience rocking back and forth in their seats singing along!
One episode of "El Gran Circo" I remember watching on WNJU featured one of the clowns, Fofito, playing the song "People" (from the musical "Funny Girl") on his clavinet in one segment (a clavinet is an instrument that resembles a mini-keyboard; you blow into it, and it sounds a little like a harmonica). I don't remember the comedy sketches in that particular episode, however.
A few months ago, I checked You Tube to see if any episodes of "El Gran Circo" were posted. Sure enough, there *were* - but *not* the one I saw in New Jersey in the summer of 1983 (one of those You Tube videos of "El Gran Circo" featured a literal remake of a "Honeymooners" sketch, and another featured a medley of songs from "Mary Poppins," naturally sung in Spanish). Still, just seeing those few episodes again made me long for my college days.
I recently submitted this show to TV Shows on DVD.com; to date, it received only *2* (!) paltry votes, one from myself and another from somebody else who also remembers this show.
I appeal to anyone else who remembers "El Gran Circo" and would like to see it rereleased on DVD - *please* - go to TV Shows on DVD.com and vote for it. If it gets more than 100 votes, it might attract an American DVD label's attention, and maybe the original Spanish producers could arrange to have it issued here in the States. (And to said producers - do you think you could also include English subtitles? After all, it seems no less ridiculous when you consider many movies and TV shows on DVD are either dubbed into another language on a separate audio track or have subtitles in said language that can be selected from the DVD menu. Indeed, "El Gran Circo" can be enjoyed by *all* ages.)
So *don't* wait - vote for "El Gran Circo" at TV Shows on DVD.com *now!*
Well, again, as I said in my review of "Puttin' on the Hits," if you can't say anything nice....
But, here are three observations that should easily exceed the 10-line minimum:
(1) The only good part of this show was after the closing credits rolled, the copyright notice was shown at the top of the screen with the "Ownership of this program is protected by copyright and other applicable laws...." warning at the bottom with the IATSE union bug and the AMPTP (Association of Motion Picture and Television Producers, of which production company 20th Century Fox Television was - and *still is* - an active member) logo in between - superimposed over the crowd - then cutting to the pretty woman proclaiming "Dance Fever" was recorded live, then the animated Merv Griffin Enterprises "blinking eye griffin" logo and then - the *best* part of all - the "20th CTELEVISION FOX" (as it was sometimes humorously referred to) logo with the short version of the Alfred Newman fanfare. Fade to black;
(2) For those who wondered why this ultra-cutesy and insipid personality parade managed to survive six years after the disco craze ended in 1981 and despite poor ratings, former Chicago Tribune TV critic Gary Deeb - who rightly labeled "Dance Fever" as being "fatuous" - observed that Merv Griffin had "deep pockets, and as long as his bankroll holds out, the show will be around for a while." Mercifully, in the spring of 1987 Griffin and Fox finally saw the writing on the wall; and
(3) As with "Puttin' on the Hits," because of ultra-expensive music clearances - the majority of the music on this show was recorded - 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, glad to say, has *no* plans to release "Dance Fever" on DVD anytime soon, nor will they lease the rights out to other companies like Shout! Factory, who also complained of the same problem. One might remember when Fox decided to release the first season of "WKRP in Cincinnati" on DVD in 2007, they could not afford to include the original recordings featured in the episodes because of said high royalties and instead used "generic" music, causing an uproar among many fans. With regard to "Dance Fever," however, it appears Fox is acting *very* wisely in their decision to withhold any DVD releases.
(April 22, 2014. Update:
According to an article at Wikipedia.org listing all shows syndicated by 20th Television - the current syndication arm of 20th Century Fox - "Dance Fever" is *no longer* owned and syndicated by 20th but - along with all other Merv Griffin Enterprises properties - is now owned and syndicated by Sony Pictures Television. Still, although they inherited the original "Dance Fever," Sony is *also* very smart in *not* doing anything about putting the show on DVD at this time.)
*Touche! Au revoir!*
But, here are three observations that should easily exceed the 10-line minimum:
(1) The only good part of this show was after the closing credits rolled, the copyright notice was shown at the top of the screen with the "Ownership of this program is protected by copyright and other applicable laws...." warning at the bottom with the IATSE union bug and the AMPTP (Association of Motion Picture and Television Producers, of which production company 20th Century Fox Television was - and *still is* - an active member) logo in between - superimposed over the crowd - then cutting to the pretty woman proclaiming "Dance Fever" was recorded live, then the animated Merv Griffin Enterprises "blinking eye griffin" logo and then - the *best* part of all - the "20th CTELEVISION FOX" (as it was sometimes humorously referred to) logo with the short version of the Alfred Newman fanfare. Fade to black;
(2) For those who wondered why this ultra-cutesy and insipid personality parade managed to survive six years after the disco craze ended in 1981 and despite poor ratings, former Chicago Tribune TV critic Gary Deeb - who rightly labeled "Dance Fever" as being "fatuous" - observed that Merv Griffin had "deep pockets, and as long as his bankroll holds out, the show will be around for a while." Mercifully, in the spring of 1987 Griffin and Fox finally saw the writing on the wall; and
(3) As with "Puttin' on the Hits," because of ultra-expensive music clearances - the majority of the music on this show was recorded - 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, glad to say, has *no* plans to release "Dance Fever" on DVD anytime soon, nor will they lease the rights out to other companies like Shout! Factory, who also complained of the same problem. One might remember when Fox decided to release the first season of "WKRP in Cincinnati" on DVD in 2007, they could not afford to include the original recordings featured in the episodes because of said high royalties and instead used "generic" music, causing an uproar among many fans. With regard to "Dance Fever," however, it appears Fox is acting *very* wisely in their decision to withhold any DVD releases.
(April 22, 2014. Update:
According to an article at Wikipedia.org listing all shows syndicated by 20th Television - the current syndication arm of 20th Century Fox - "Dance Fever" is *no longer* owned and syndicated by 20th but - along with all other Merv Griffin Enterprises properties - is now owned and syndicated by Sony Pictures Television. Still, although they inherited the original "Dance Fever," Sony is *also* very smart in *not* doing anything about putting the show on DVD at this time.)
*Touche! Au revoir!*
If you can't say anything nice....
Well, okay, maybe two minor observations (and I hope it will be more than 10 lines this time):
(1) The only good part of this program was two title cards following the closing credits, the first one showing the copyright notice at the top of the screen along with that "This program is protected under copyright laws of the United States...." warning at the bottom and a miniature MCA logo sandwiched in between, cutting to a static MCA/Universal Television logo title card 4 seconds later while that classic Universal Television/Revue Productions music jingle ("Daaaah, da-da-da-da, dit-diddle-it, dit-diddle-it, dit") - written by Electronic Pop music pioneer Esquivel along with Stanley Wilson - was heard during all that; the MCA/Universal title card "tumbled off" the screen once the music ended (this was the same Universal Television music jingle heard after the closing credits of "The Munsters," but a rare, longer version was used for this program); and
(2) Because of astronomical music royalties, this sorry time-waster should hopefully *never* see a DVD release.
Enough said!
Well, okay, maybe two minor observations (and I hope it will be more than 10 lines this time):
(1) The only good part of this program was two title cards following the closing credits, the first one showing the copyright notice at the top of the screen along with that "This program is protected under copyright laws of the United States...." warning at the bottom and a miniature MCA logo sandwiched in between, cutting to a static MCA/Universal Television logo title card 4 seconds later while that classic Universal Television/Revue Productions music jingle ("Daaaah, da-da-da-da, dit-diddle-it, dit-diddle-it, dit") - written by Electronic Pop music pioneer Esquivel along with Stanley Wilson - was heard during all that; the MCA/Universal title card "tumbled off" the screen once the music ended (this was the same Universal Television music jingle heard after the closing credits of "The Munsters," but a rare, longer version was used for this program); and
(2) Because of astronomical music royalties, this sorry time-waster should hopefully *never* see a DVD release.
Enough said!
I found a pristine 45 RPM copy of Jerry Wallace's 1959 Challenge Records hit "Primrose Lane" at a record meet recently (I am getting a 1976 Seeburg jukebox restored and hope to put this oldie in it when it's fully functional later this year).
I vaguely remembered "Primrose Lane" was the theme of some TV show produced by Don Fedderson Productions, and could never think of the title until now. I do remember my folks had seen a few episodes of "The Smith Family" and it would bring back many untapped childhood memories if I could see this series again (I was only 9 years old in 1971 when "The Smith Family" premiered; we were living in the Detroit suburb of Warren, Michigan and were getting ready to move to Lansing, Michigan that summer. After we had settled into our new home in Lansing, I remember my folks had seen some of the last episodes in early 1972). It sounds as if "The Smith Family" was a show where the father was devoted to his duties as a police officer, yet also cared about his family - his character was treated with *respect,* not ridicule.
"The Smith Family" was also noteworthy in that it was one of the last original network television series produced by Don Fedderson Productions. After "The Smith Family" and "My Three Sons" were canceled in 1972, Fedderson's company didn't make any new series except for a few TV movies; by the mid-1970's until 1982 Don Fedderson Productions was reduced to syndicating (Gag! Choke!) "The Lawrence Welk Show." Then in the fall of 1982 when Welk's show ended Don Fedderson Productions became history.
Perhaps CBS DVD owns the DVD rights to this show? I do believe that, like "My Three Sons," the copyright notice in the closing credits credited the show's ownership to CBS (CBS Television Studios co-produced "The Smith Family" with Don Fedderson Productions; back then, it seemed rather unusual for one network's product to air on another network - in this case, ABC - whereas today it doesn't seem all that uncommon). Or, perhaps, as the other reader pointed out, Don Fedderson's estate might still own "The Smith Family?" Maybe Shout! Factory could get the DVD rights?
(At TV Shows on DVD.com, "The Smith Family" has amassed 67 total votes as of this writing, 96% of which - including myself - have voted for the series in a full season set. If you haven't already done so, you might want to visit TV Shows on DVD.com's website - it's free to become a member if you aren't one already - and vote for "The Smith Family" in a season set. If it gets 100 or more total votes, that might get the attention of CBS DVD, Shout! Factory, etc. - then perhaps they'll consider getting the DVD rights to "The Smith Family.")
In any event, I hope all ownership rights to "The Smith Family" get ironed out and that it may eventually find its way onto DVD. It sounds like a police drama done with much care and attention to *quality,* and as I said above, it'd also bring back some nice, forgotten childhood memories.
I vaguely remembered "Primrose Lane" was the theme of some TV show produced by Don Fedderson Productions, and could never think of the title until now. I do remember my folks had seen a few episodes of "The Smith Family" and it would bring back many untapped childhood memories if I could see this series again (I was only 9 years old in 1971 when "The Smith Family" premiered; we were living in the Detroit suburb of Warren, Michigan and were getting ready to move to Lansing, Michigan that summer. After we had settled into our new home in Lansing, I remember my folks had seen some of the last episodes in early 1972). It sounds as if "The Smith Family" was a show where the father was devoted to his duties as a police officer, yet also cared about his family - his character was treated with *respect,* not ridicule.
"The Smith Family" was also noteworthy in that it was one of the last original network television series produced by Don Fedderson Productions. After "The Smith Family" and "My Three Sons" were canceled in 1972, Fedderson's company didn't make any new series except for a few TV movies; by the mid-1970's until 1982 Don Fedderson Productions was reduced to syndicating (Gag! Choke!) "The Lawrence Welk Show." Then in the fall of 1982 when Welk's show ended Don Fedderson Productions became history.
Perhaps CBS DVD owns the DVD rights to this show? I do believe that, like "My Three Sons," the copyright notice in the closing credits credited the show's ownership to CBS (CBS Television Studios co-produced "The Smith Family" with Don Fedderson Productions; back then, it seemed rather unusual for one network's product to air on another network - in this case, ABC - whereas today it doesn't seem all that uncommon). Or, perhaps, as the other reader pointed out, Don Fedderson's estate might still own "The Smith Family?" Maybe Shout! Factory could get the DVD rights?
(At TV Shows on DVD.com, "The Smith Family" has amassed 67 total votes as of this writing, 96% of which - including myself - have voted for the series in a full season set. If you haven't already done so, you might want to visit TV Shows on DVD.com's website - it's free to become a member if you aren't one already - and vote for "The Smith Family" in a season set. If it gets 100 or more total votes, that might get the attention of CBS DVD, Shout! Factory, etc. - then perhaps they'll consider getting the DVD rights to "The Smith Family.")
In any event, I hope all ownership rights to "The Smith Family" get ironed out and that it may eventually find its way onto DVD. It sounds like a police drama done with much care and attention to *quality,* and as I said above, it'd also bring back some nice, forgotten childhood memories.
I, too, remember seeing an episode of the original "You Are There" in elementary school in 1973 (I don't remember which episode, however). And since selected episodes of the original 1950's series are now on DVD, I hope to check out some of them.
But, having been born in April 1962 - and *this* is the one I *really* remember, having seen it on some Saturday afternoons when I was a kid - I'd like to know:
*What about the 1971-72 revival of "You Are There?"*
I recently saw just the opening and closing of one episode from the "You Are There" revival on YouTube; it was the one about the Alamo. According to the credits, Fred Gwynne of "The Munsters" had a brief role in this segment (for some strange reason, the poster of that video *didn't* include the body of that episode in his submission).
Also, I discovered some episodes of the 1971 "You Are There" were made available for school use; following the closing credits, a title card read: "Distributed by BFA Educational Media." I did some research on Google and found out BFA morphed into a company now called The Phoenix Learning Group, Inc.; when I went to PLG's website, I checked to see if any episodes of the 1971 "You Are There" were still available on DVD or VHS. Sadly, PLG is *no longer* printing any episodes of the 1971 "You Are There" on DVD or other formats, including the above-mentioned "Alamo" episode. (The 1971 revival of "You Are There" was recorded on videotape rather than film; perhaps that's another reason hampering a DVD release of this version? I can only hope not, since that "Alamo" episode was converted to film from videotape without any problem.)
So, CBS, if you and your sister company Paramount Home Entertainment don't want to release the 1971 version of "You Are There" on DVD yourselves, why don't you lease it out to Shout! Factory, Real Gone, or some other "Classic TV" DVD company? I'm sure there are others who remember the 1971 revival of the show and might enjoy seeing these episodes again, too (hopefully you still have the 1971 "You Are There" in your archives and didn't let the copyrights expire)!
In the meantime, I hope to purchase some of those original 50's "You Are There" episodes on DVD and watch them. After viewing the brief snippet of that one 1971 episode on YouTube, that made me want to see other episodes of the original series even more!
But, having been born in April 1962 - and *this* is the one I *really* remember, having seen it on some Saturday afternoons when I was a kid - I'd like to know:
*What about the 1971-72 revival of "You Are There?"*
I recently saw just the opening and closing of one episode from the "You Are There" revival on YouTube; it was the one about the Alamo. According to the credits, Fred Gwynne of "The Munsters" had a brief role in this segment (for some strange reason, the poster of that video *didn't* include the body of that episode in his submission).
Also, I discovered some episodes of the 1971 "You Are There" were made available for school use; following the closing credits, a title card read: "Distributed by BFA Educational Media." I did some research on Google and found out BFA morphed into a company now called The Phoenix Learning Group, Inc.; when I went to PLG's website, I checked to see if any episodes of the 1971 "You Are There" were still available on DVD or VHS. Sadly, PLG is *no longer* printing any episodes of the 1971 "You Are There" on DVD or other formats, including the above-mentioned "Alamo" episode. (The 1971 revival of "You Are There" was recorded on videotape rather than film; perhaps that's another reason hampering a DVD release of this version? I can only hope not, since that "Alamo" episode was converted to film from videotape without any problem.)
So, CBS, if you and your sister company Paramount Home Entertainment don't want to release the 1971 version of "You Are There" on DVD yourselves, why don't you lease it out to Shout! Factory, Real Gone, or some other "Classic TV" DVD company? I'm sure there are others who remember the 1971 revival of the show and might enjoy seeing these episodes again, too (hopefully you still have the 1971 "You Are There" in your archives and didn't let the copyrights expire)!
In the meantime, I hope to purchase some of those original 50's "You Are There" episodes on DVD and watch them. After viewing the brief snippet of that one 1971 episode on YouTube, that made me want to see other episodes of the original series even more!
I saw this film on the Retroplex movie channel a little over a month ago; I was curious to see what Kate Capshaw's movie debut (before "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom") was like (I didn't see "A Little Sex" when it was in theaters in March 1982). Also, I had read various reviews about "A Little Sex" beforehand, which were mostly negative.
The critics were right: *This film sucked!*
A sampling:
One reviewer said this sorry flick was "(so) full of clichés it's pathetic." Us Magazine put it in their "Don't Bother" column and likened the film to "(a) sitcom which would have worked better on the small screen." Yet another reviewer called "A Little Sex" " (a) nearsighted sexual soap opera with a (snickering and) cynical view of relationships and fidelity." The Catholic News Service's movie rating system rightfully classified the film "morally offensive" (that rating system was administered at that time by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Office for Film and Broadcasting). And, I also remember (the late) Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune gave it only 2 stars, meaning barely tolerable.
In fact, this film was so bad - and, as they used to say on "Match Game," "How bad was it?" - it was so bad that the theater in Homewood, Illinois where it was playing (Cineplex Odeon's Diana 3, which I understand - along with the mall in which it was contained, Washington Square - was demolished in the early 2000's) yanked "A Little Sex" off after only one week and replaced it with the *much* better "Chariots of Fire," which won the Oscar for the Best Picture of 1981.
And as for the reader who was expecting to see "boobies" but was disappointed: Well, after all, this was an MTM Enterprises production, and apparently they were trying to transfer their "quality" aura from their TV productions onto the big screen. Still, that "quality" formula *didn't* work in this film, and it certainly couldn't help "A Little Sex" escape its well-deserved R rating. (MTM made only two more big-screen films after "A Little Sex," which were "Just Between Friends" in 1986, starring Mary Tyler Moore and Ted Danson and released by Orion Pictures - but now owned by MGM - and "Clara's Heart" in 1988, starring Whoopi Goldberg and Neil Patrick Harris and released - and still owned - by Warner Bros. Of the two, only "Just Between Friends" was successful, but not by very much.)
But, as the saying goes, "You have to start somewhere," and most of the actors and actresses *indeed* went on to better things. Kate Capshaw, of course, starred as Willie Scott in "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" two years later, and eventually became Mrs. Steven Spielberg, as well as the mother of actress Jessica Capshaw and part-owner of DreamWorks Pictures. John Glover starred in "My Dinner With Andre" shortly after this film, and had a co-starring role in "Gremlins 2: The New Batch" in 1990. And, (the late) Bruce Paltrow, who "directed" the film, later became the father of actress Gwyneth Paltrow; he directed Gwyneth and Huey Lewis in the somewhat-better "Duets" 18 years later. Tim Matheson, on the other hand, starred in another forgettable flop the following year, "Up the Creek," and had difficulty trying to land another big role in feature films. He did mostly TV movies after that, the best one being "The Littlest Victims" in 1989.
And, for those who weren't aware, MTM Enterprises is now *out of business;* in 1998 they were bought out by 21st Century Fox, Inc. (then doing business as NewsCorp) and absorbed into 20th Century Fox. However, "A Little Sex" was co-bankrolled and released by Universal Pictures (perhaps MTM chose Universal to distribute "A Little Sex" because Mary Tyler Moore herself began her big-screen career at Universal in the mid-60's; the most notable films in which she co-starred in for the studio were "Thoroughly Modern Millie" and "Change of Habit"), and Universal eventually wound up owning the film (it was most likely a 60/40 split, the 40% owned by MTM and the remainder by Universal). Universal Pictures Home Entertainment now distributes "A Little Sex" on DVD, and NBC Universal Television Distribution syndicates the film for regular broadcast television, cable and satellite.
But - on the bright side - "A Little Sex" is one less turkey 20th Century Fox has to worry about owning (and God knows Fox already has *plenty* in their long history; the notorious "Myra Breckinridge" quickly comes to mind in that department, but that's another story). Pity Universal!
The critics were right: *This film sucked!*
A sampling:
One reviewer said this sorry flick was "(so) full of clichés it's pathetic." Us Magazine put it in their "Don't Bother" column and likened the film to "(a) sitcom which would have worked better on the small screen." Yet another reviewer called "A Little Sex" " (a) nearsighted sexual soap opera with a (snickering and) cynical view of relationships and fidelity." The Catholic News Service's movie rating system rightfully classified the film "morally offensive" (that rating system was administered at that time by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Office for Film and Broadcasting). And, I also remember (the late) Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune gave it only 2 stars, meaning barely tolerable.
In fact, this film was so bad - and, as they used to say on "Match Game," "How bad was it?" - it was so bad that the theater in Homewood, Illinois where it was playing (Cineplex Odeon's Diana 3, which I understand - along with the mall in which it was contained, Washington Square - was demolished in the early 2000's) yanked "A Little Sex" off after only one week and replaced it with the *much* better "Chariots of Fire," which won the Oscar for the Best Picture of 1981.
And as for the reader who was expecting to see "boobies" but was disappointed: Well, after all, this was an MTM Enterprises production, and apparently they were trying to transfer their "quality" aura from their TV productions onto the big screen. Still, that "quality" formula *didn't* work in this film, and it certainly couldn't help "A Little Sex" escape its well-deserved R rating. (MTM made only two more big-screen films after "A Little Sex," which were "Just Between Friends" in 1986, starring Mary Tyler Moore and Ted Danson and released by Orion Pictures - but now owned by MGM - and "Clara's Heart" in 1988, starring Whoopi Goldberg and Neil Patrick Harris and released - and still owned - by Warner Bros. Of the two, only "Just Between Friends" was successful, but not by very much.)
But, as the saying goes, "You have to start somewhere," and most of the actors and actresses *indeed* went on to better things. Kate Capshaw, of course, starred as Willie Scott in "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" two years later, and eventually became Mrs. Steven Spielberg, as well as the mother of actress Jessica Capshaw and part-owner of DreamWorks Pictures. John Glover starred in "My Dinner With Andre" shortly after this film, and had a co-starring role in "Gremlins 2: The New Batch" in 1990. And, (the late) Bruce Paltrow, who "directed" the film, later became the father of actress Gwyneth Paltrow; he directed Gwyneth and Huey Lewis in the somewhat-better "Duets" 18 years later. Tim Matheson, on the other hand, starred in another forgettable flop the following year, "Up the Creek," and had difficulty trying to land another big role in feature films. He did mostly TV movies after that, the best one being "The Littlest Victims" in 1989.
And, for those who weren't aware, MTM Enterprises is now *out of business;* in 1998 they were bought out by 21st Century Fox, Inc. (then doing business as NewsCorp) and absorbed into 20th Century Fox. However, "A Little Sex" was co-bankrolled and released by Universal Pictures (perhaps MTM chose Universal to distribute "A Little Sex" because Mary Tyler Moore herself began her big-screen career at Universal in the mid-60's; the most notable films in which she co-starred in for the studio were "Thoroughly Modern Millie" and "Change of Habit"), and Universal eventually wound up owning the film (it was most likely a 60/40 split, the 40% owned by MTM and the remainder by Universal). Universal Pictures Home Entertainment now distributes "A Little Sex" on DVD, and NBC Universal Television Distribution syndicates the film for regular broadcast television, cable and satellite.
But - on the bright side - "A Little Sex" is one less turkey 20th Century Fox has to worry about owning (and God knows Fox already has *plenty* in their long history; the notorious "Myra Breckinridge" quickly comes to mind in that department, but that's another story). Pity Universal!