WKRP in Cincinnati

… I thought Turkey’s could fly!

October 30, 2018

“As God is my witness, I thought Turkeys could fly.”

And thus ended one of the most memorable TV episodes in history.

wkrp It was October 30, 1978, and the TV show “WKRP” had been on the air for a mere six weeks. But in that brief time it had become a hit due to the stellar ensemble cast of characters and excellent writing.

The premise of the show is that newly hired program director, Andy Travis (played by Gary Sandy), takes on the challenge of turning around Cincinnati radio station WKRP by changing it from an easy listening to a rock and roll format. Along with disc jockeys Johnny Fever (Howard Hessman) and Venus Flytrap (Tim Reid), he encounters an uphill cultural battle and deals with incompetent management.

Two of the more memorable characters are station manager Arthur ‘Big Guy’ Carlson (Howard Jump) and the milquetoast newsman Les Nessman (Richard Sanders).

A very brief description of the episode from the Infallible Wikipedia:

“Mr. Carlson decides to take a more hands-on managerial approach by doing the greatest Thanksgiving promotion in radio history – dropping live turkeys from a helicopter. Trivia: In 1997 TV Guide ranked this episode at number 40 on its ‘100 Greatest Episodes of All Time’ list. In 2009, it moved to #65. It is based on a real event that happened at WQXI, the station many of the WKRP characters were based on.”

What’s amazing about the October 30th episode, titled ‘Turkey Drop,’ is that the release of the birds – from a helicopter – is never shown. What the viewers saw, however, were the reactions of the cast members to the event as it ‘happened’ in real time. Its classic storytelling as characters stay in character the entire time and the viewer knows without a doubt everything which occurs.

I am including two clips. The first is of Les Nessman in his newsman role reporting live from the scene as the turkeys start falling from the sky. What makes this so very funny is that we also see the staff back at the radio station being appalled at the disaster of the promotion.

Here’s clip one of the turkey drop:

And the classic line:

For those who have the time, watch the entire episode. Even to this day, I laugh whenever I see the second clip which – this time of year – is likely to be several times on social media.

Here’s the entire episode (I apologize for it being backwards – no sooner than these go up and they seem to get taken down):

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I give credit to my brother for bringing it up the other night; he can confirm that I was truly giddy to think I would get to do my blog about this episode. It was appropriate that he was the one who reminded me of it as he has spent his entire adult life working in radio as a disc jockey. He attests to the fact that radio really is that crazy of a business. He’s been fired from more jobs than most people will ever hold. Why? Because the station decides to change format and, boom, you’re gone because you’re not the sound they want. Or because of budget cuts. Or because the program director simply does not like you. As one program director once said “it would be a great business if it weren’t for the jocks (disc jockeys).” He had a point as most of the DJ’s have strong personalities.

My brother has lived in North Bend, Oregon; Eugene, Oregon; Tacoma; Seattle; Denver; Dallas; and Yakima. He’s called some of the places home more than once. I probably have missed a few but he’s truly lived ‘up and down’ the dial like the show’s theme song says!

Nowadays many of the voices you hear on the radio are recorded earlier and are no longer live; in fact many of them are not even in the same city.

Stations like WKRP rarely exist any longer. Thank goodness they produced the show for four seasons, catching a little piece of Americana for all time. What a treasure.

About the show: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WKRP_in_Cincinnati

Survivor

Sep25

The Tribe Has Spoken…

September 25, 2018

The Logo is updated for each season but always include the tagline: Outwit, Outplay, Outlast. This is for the season which begins on September 26, 2018.

In the year 2000, this program captured the imaginations of millions of American’s and was catapulted to the top of the TV ratings. Now, 18 years later, it remains a perennial favorite for some 10 million viewers. The show: Survivor.

In the course of its 36 ‘seasons’ the program has featured 536 contestants who vie for the one million dollar prize and the coveted title of ‘sole survivor.’ The premise of the show is summed up by the Infallible Wikipedia:

“Sixteen or more players, split between two or more ‘tribes’, are taken to a remote isolated location (usually in a tropical climate) and are forced to live off the land with meager supplies for 39 days (42 in The Australian Outback). Frequent physical and mental challenges are used to pit the teams against each other for rewards, such as food or luxuries, or for ‘immunity’, forcing the other tribe to attend ‘Tribal Council’, where they must vote off one of their tribemates.

20121113-jeff-probst-survivor-philippines-interview

Jeff Probst, host and producer of Survivor. “The Tribe Has Spoken.”

Signaling the halfway point in the game, survivors from both tribes come together to live as one, making it to the ‘merge’. At this point, survivor will compete against each other to win Individual Immunity; winning immunity prevents that player from being voted out at Tribal Council. Most players that are voted out after the merge – form the game’s ‘jury’. Once the group gets down to three people, a final Tribal Council is held where the remaining players plead their case to the jury members. The jury then votes for which player should be considered the ‘Sole Survivor’ and win the show’s grand prize. In all seasons for the United States version, this has included a $1 million prize in addition to the Sole Survivor title; some seasons (particularly earlier seasons) have included additional prizes, such as a car.

The U.S. version has introduced numerous modifications, or ‘twists’, on the core rules in order to keep the players on their toes and to prevent players from relying on strategies that succeeded in prior seasons. These changes have included tribal switches, seasons starting with more than two tribes, the ability to exile a player from a tribe for a short time, hidden immunity idols that players can use to save themselves or others at Tribal Council, special voting powers which can be used to influence the result at Tribal Council, chance to return to regular gameplay after elimination through the ‘Redemption Island’ or ‘The Outcast Tribe’ twists, and a final four fire-making challenge as of season 35.”

This description does not, in my opinion, capture what is so fascinating about Survivor. To me, it is seeing how individual people respond to a difficult environment, difficult people, and difficult physical challenges. It is a great study of human behavior and relationships. It’s impossible to predict just who will successfully navigate each season to emerge the victor.

Final Tribal Counsel from season one… Kelly Wigglesworth and Richard Hatch.

When the show first started, the producers imagined that a physically strong man would be the most likely winner. The world was shocked, however, when an overweight, 40 something, gay guy, took the title. Viewers were appalled because Richard Hatch had been manipulative, performed poorly in challenges, and offended his fellow contestants. What they all missed was how persuasive he was and his early vision that to win, one needed to build a coalition – which he called an alliance – and carried him to the end.

In the 35 subsequent seasons his methods have worked – sometimes – but not always. Ultimately, a combination of a person’s social skills and their ability to convince a jury that they deserve the title has proved to be more important than prowess at challenges.

It’s this element of the game which I find most intriguing and, despite not always liking the results, I will tune in this Wednesday, September 26, to watch Season 37.

Back in 2000 and 2001 I considered applying to be on the show. But, with elementary aged children at home, it wasn’t an option. In the subsequent years I determined I would not do well being forced to live in deprivation or sleep on a bamboo platform. Although I’m pretty certain I’d be voted out early due to the fact that I’d suck at the physical challenges and my tribe would (accurately) see me as a detriment to winning.

So instead I have enjoyed each season, but especially the ‘Millennials versus GenX’ and ‘Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers.’ Why?

The autographed photo I received from Michelle Schubert in September 2016.

When they announced the participants for the Millennials season a young woman, Michelle Schubert, from my hometown of Yakima, Washington, was on the show. I got to attend the September 2016 premiere at the Capitol Theatre in Yakima, meet her and have all my ‘behind the scenes’ questions answered during Q &A sessions before, during and after each segment of the premiere. It was a bucket list sort of evening for me! Although Michelle didn’t make it to the finals or win, it was fun to root for the hometown favorite who was one of the members of the ‘jury’ that decided the winner.

The next fall I found myself rooting for contestant Ryan Ulrich as I share the same last (married) name. Cousin Ryan, as I called him, DID make the finals but ended up in third place.

“Cousin” Ryan (right) in his final three appearance in 2017. Ben Driebergen, middle, won Season 35 with Chrissy Hofbeck, second, and Ryan Ulrich, third.

If you ever want to have a conversation about Survivor, I consider myself a super-fan, and can discuss any season! If you ask I’ll tell you my favorite winner and the winner I most disliked. I can discuss bad strategy decisions and my theory on how they give a winner’s edit to the person who ultimately prevails. So bring it on. The tribe has spoken.

As always, a couple of links:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivor_(U.S._TV_series)

https://www.cbs.com/shows/survivor/

The Bionic Woman

May14

May 15, 2018

We can rebuild him. We have the technology.

6MDM and BW.png

Current popular fantasy stories such as Harry Potter and Twilight really have nothing on the ultimate fantasy experience for kids in the 1970’s. Yes, we are talking about the Six Million Dollar Man (T6MDM) and The Bionic Woman (TBW).

Sadly, it was in the spring of 1978 when both TV series were cancelled (Six Million Dollar Man on March 6 and The Bionic Woman on May 15) sending Steve Austin and Jaime Sommers into the dustbin of TV history.

The premise of the T6MDM, according to the Infallible Wikipedia, was this:

“When NASA astronaut Steve Austin is severely injured in the crash of an experimental lifting body aircraft, he is ‘rebuilt’ in an operation that costs six million dollars (just over 34 million in 2017 dollars. His right arm, both legs and the left eye are replaced with “bionic” implants that enhance his strength, speed and vision far above human norms: he can run at speeds of over 60 mph (97 km/h), and his eye has a 20:1 zoom lens and infrared capabilities, while his bionic limbs all have the equivalent power of a bulldozer. He uses his enhanced abilities to work for the OSI (Office of Scientific Intelligence) as a secret agent.”

Not to be outdone, the character of Jaime Sommers was first created as a love interest for Steve Austin. Theirs was a wonderful romance… right up to the point where she parachuted from a plane and was so badly injured that she, too, needed to be rebuilt:

Bionic Woman

“Jaime’s body is reconstructed with parts similar to Steve’s, but the actual cost of rebuilding her is not revealed. It is said humorously in dialogue to be less than the $6 million it cost to rebuild Austin because the replacement parts for her were ‘smaller’ (though in Germany the show was called Die Sieben Millionen Dollar Frau, which translates as The Seven Million Dollar Woman). Like Steve before her, Jaime is given two bionic legs, capable of propelling her at speeds exceeding 60 mph (having been clocked at more than 62 mph in ‘Doomsday Is Tomorrow’ and outpacing a race car going 100 mph in ‘Winning is Everything’) and jumping to and from great heights, and her right arm is replaced by a lifelike prosthetic capable of bending steel or throwing objects great distances. Whereas Austin received a bionic eye, the inner mechanism of Jaime’s right ear is replaced by a bionic device that gives her amplified hearing such that she can detect most sounds regardless of volume or frequency. ”

Both TV series were wildly popular with T6MDM running for five seasons from 1974 until 1978 and TBW for 3 seasons 1976 to 1978. This clip shows some of Jaime’s bionic skills AND the cheesy sound effects that occured with being Bionic:

In both shows Steve and Jaime get into all sorts of challenging situations that, if it were not for their bionic powers, both would have been doomed. And the kids of the 1970’s loved it.

I had my own Bionic Man encounter in July 1976 at the height of Bionic Fever. While on a trip with the Rainbow Girls we had the opportunity to visit Universal Studios. A few years earlier they had reconfigured the tours and, instead of going to sound stages, visitors were herded onto trams and driven around the back lots to ‘experience’ a variety of special effects.

The day our entourage, of about 60 teenage girls, visited we got to go through the newly opened ‘Jaw’s’ exhibit as well as a variety of other attractions. But the most exciting moment of all (for us girls) was when we drove past a dry, scrubby hillside and our tour guide intoned that Lee Majors was there that day filming T6MDM on the slopes just above us. Of course, all our heads snapped around because we wanted to see the dreamy Lee Majors. All I saw were a few random cameramen looking bored with no sign of the mega star.

But that, it turned out, was not the highlight of the day. It was when, as we were approaching the Jaw’s attraction, that our tour guide (a young woman) became quite animated and (I paraphrase) “Oh my God, it’s him! It’s …”

Was it Lee Majors at last? We all craned our necks as we passed a man strolling along the street next to the tram. He waved at us. Whatever, I thought.

“It’s Erik Estrada!”

Chips poster boys.jpg

I swear she was practically screaming his name. Not a single girl on that tram had any idea ‘who’ Erik Estrada was. At the time he had been cast in minor roles in a number of movies but it was the very popular series CHiPs, which premiered a year later, that catapulted Estrada to heartthrob status.

“Later in 1979,” also according to the Infallible Wikipedia, “Estrada was voted one of “The 10 Sexiest Bachelors in the World” by People magazine and was featured on the cover of the November issue.”

erik_estrada_people

I’ve always wondered if our tour guide ever got to meet Estrada. I like to think that she did since she was so clearly a groupie despite the non-reaction of 60 clueless teenage girls.

A few links for those who want to know more:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bionic_Woman

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Six_Million_Dollar_Man

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erik_Estrada

p.s. – go watch the video clip again. Notice anything? Looks to me like she double jumped in sneakers not heels!

Sleepless In Seattle

May1

May 1, 2018

A Sleepless May Day to Remember

Empire_state_building_history When this building opened on May 1, 1931 it was, at 1250 feet, the tallest in the world. More than that, however, it has become an iconic symbol of New York City and America.

Kong dunaway It only took two years for the Empire State Building (ESB) to become an American movie favorite location when a rather large ape named King Kong was seen climbing the structure –Fay Wray grasped in his hairy paw – during the final scenes of the film which bore his name.

I will say that whoever wrote the article on the building for the Infallible Wikipedia had way too much time on their hands. In it there is an exhaustive history of the land beneath the building, what was there before, how they disposed of the materials from the structure they tore down, how tall the antenna on top of the ESB is, and a hundred other trivial facts.

For those who enjoy learning that much minutiae, knock yourself out. My eyes glazed over and I seriously considered consuming more coffee than I should just to get through it.

My interest is primarily on the cultural impact of the structure. From the Infallible Wikipedia:

“The Empire State Building is an American cultural icon and has been featured in more than 250 TV shows and movies since the film King Kong was released in 1933. A symbol of New York City, the tower has been named as one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World by the American Society of Civil Engineers. The Empire State Building and its ground-floor interior have been designated as a city landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, and were confirmed as such by the New York City Board of Estimate. It was also designated a National Historic Landmark in 1986, and was ranked number one on the American Institute of Architects‘ List of America’s Favorite Architecture in 2007.”

A favorite, more recent, movie in which the ESB figures prominently is Sleepless In Seattle. The ESB becomes a main feature of the plot when Annie (Meg Ryan) watches the 1957 movie An Affair To Remember and is inspired to write a letter to the widower Sam (Tom Hanks) asking him to meet her on the observation deck of the ESB on Valentine’s Day just like in the Carey Grant and Deborah Kerr movie.

Sleepless Rainbow Room Through a series of plot twists and turns Annie decides to not go meet him but instead ends up in a Manhattan restaurant with her fiancé on February 14. As fate would have it they are seated near a window with a view of the ESB and Annie looks at the building and knows she must break off her engagement and take a chance with someone she’s seen but never met.

sleepless_in_seattle The movie is recognized by the American Film Industry as one of the top 10 in the category of romantic comedy movies. Although the plot is pretty obvious, Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan are just so adorable that they carry it off in a way that leaves women everywhere searching for a tissue.

Although I never saw the movie in the theater (it was released in June 1993 and I was kinda busy with a toddler and newborn) someone gave me the movie on VHS. Nowadays, it’s a perennial favorite on cable and if I happen to come across it, I’ll watch it. I am, after all, a sucker for a good romance.

Here are the links for the exhaustive history of the ESB and also for the three movies highlighted in the article:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empire_State_Building

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Kong_(1933_film)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleepless_in_Seattle

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/An_Affair_to_Remember

The Princess Bride

Oct17

all time; it earned the same ranking in the Guild’s 2013 update. The film was selected number 88 on The American Film Institute’s (AFI) “AFI’s 100 Years… 100 Passions” listing the 100 greatest film love stories of all time.”

miracle max My brother purchased the Videocassette for our family when my children were little. We’ve since upgraded to DVD. Although they enjoyed it, I loved the film from the moment I saw it and often quote from it. A few of my favorites:

I never tire of the film and the final scene of the movie between Peter Falk and Fred Savage (The two are cast in the roles of a grandfather reading a book to his sick grandson) is guaranteed to bring a lump to my throat every time. So if you have a chance the next couple of days (I’m not sure how LONG it will be in theaters, so go very, very soon!), go see “The Princess Bride” in the theater. For those unfamiliar with the movie (Inconceivable!), an overview of the plot is found here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Princess_Bride_%28film%29

And here’s a link to AMC theaters : https://www.amctheatres.com/movies/the-princess-bride

Peter Falk Fred Savage PB p.s. – This was posted in 2017. Alas, I am unaware of any showings of the film, especially in light of this year’s pandemic lockdowns. But it’s still worth a look on Netflix or other video streaming service. I checked on Amazon Prime Video (which is our service) and found it available to watch for $3.99.

Mary Tyler Moore

Sep19

You’re Gonna Make It After All

September 19, 2017

MTM hat in the air As an impressionable 13 year old on September 19, 1970, the premiere of one particular show – more than any other – no doubt helped to mold who I was and my view of the world.

For the next seven years I kept rooting for Mary Richards to find the love of her life but, alas, she never did. As a romantic I thought this was a tragedy beyond the pale. So every week I would tune in to see what was happening on WJM TV and to see if poor Mary’s love life would ever get launched.

In the course of the series run, it never really did. Certainly Mary had several encounters; and the show pushed many boundaries in the exploration of relationships which were not defined by marriage.

For the life of me, my 13 year old psyche could not understand how a 30 year old attractive woman would not WANT a husband and a family. From a perspective 40 plus years later I understand that not everyone needs or desires the same things.

The Mary Tyler Moore show was groundbreaking. A single woman, pursuing a career rather than choosing the then traditional route of marriage and children, was a foreign concept. From the infallible Wikipedia:

“Mary Richards (Moore) is a single woman who, at age 30, moves to Minneapolis after leaving her fiancé of two years. She applies for a secretarial job at fictional television station WJM, but that is already taken. She is instead offered the position of associate producer of the station’s Six o’clock News. She befriends her tough but lovable boss Lou Grant (Ed Asner), news writer Murray Slaughter (Gavin MacLeod), and buffoonish anchorman Ted Baxter (Ted Knight). Mary later becomes producer of the show.

Mary rents a third-floor studio apartment in a 19th-century house from acquaintance and downstairs landlady, Phyllis Lindstrom (Cloris Leachman), and she and upstairs neighbor Rhoda Morgenstern (Valerie Harper) become best friends. Characters introduced later in the series are acerbic, man-hungry TV hostess Sue Ann Nivens (Betty White), and sweet-natured Georgette Franklin (Georgia Engel), as Ted Baxter’s girlfriend (and later, wife). At the beginning of season 6, after both Rhoda and Phyllis have moved away (providing a premise for two spinoffs), Mary relocates to a one-bedroom high-rise apartment.

In the third season, issues such as equal pay for women, pre-marital sex, and homosexuality are woven into the show’s comedic plots. In the fourth season, such subjects as marital infidelity and divorce are explored with Phyllis and Lou, respectively. In the fifth season, Mary refuses to reveal a news source and is jailed for contempt of court. While in jail, she befriends a prostitute who seeks Mary’s help in a subsequent episode.

In the final seasons, the show explores humor in death in the episode ‘Chuckles Bites the Dust’ and juvenile delinquency; Ted deals with intimate marital problems, infertility, and adoption, and suffers a heart attack; and Mary overcomes an addiction to sleeping pills. Mary dates several men on and off over the years, two seriously, but remains single throughout the series.”

The thing I remember best is that my mother loved the show. At the time of the premiere she was 45 years old and, I know from my own observations, struggling to define who she was going to be since her youngest child was 13 (the others were 15, 17 and 22) and daily chores were no longer all consuming or fulfilling. So she went back to college to study music and find activities which interested her. Somehow she managed to do what she wanted despite push back from my oh-so-traditional father. My mother often felt as if she had been born into the wrong era as she always wondered what it would be like to pursue a career.

But every Saturday evening – when at home – my Mom and I ALWAYS watched the Mary Tyler Moore show together! No doubt it WAS her favorite show and I imagine that if they were to air reruns she’d still love it today despite her advanced dementia and failing health.

For those who don’t know she was recently diagnosed with breast cancer so I know her time is short. In many ways I ‘lost’ my mother years ago with the dementia, then a stroke, and her continuing decline.

I’ve had more than one person say how ‘lucky’ I am to still have both my parents. My response is that I miss the woman who I remember as my mother. The true essence of that woman has, sadly, been gone a long time.

I checked the TV in her room today and confirmed that there’s a DVD player. I may just buy her the complete 7 season set of the Mary Tyler Moore show so she has something to enjoy in these final months.

To read more about this groundbreaking show, click here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mary_Tyler_Moore_Show

And for a short segment that’s wickedly fun:

The Wizard Of Oz

Aug15

Striking terror into the souls of young children since 1939

August 15, 2017

Wizard of Oz flying monkeys “Are you a good witch or a bad witch?” – so asked Glinda of Dorothy when the latter dropped a house into Munchkinland during the classic film “The Wizard of Oz.”

It was August 15, 1939 when the film premiered and, despite costing more to produce than it took in during its theatre run, has become a classic. In fact, it was named by the American Film Institute as the number one fantasy film ever made.

still_dorothy_03 Nominated for six Academy Awards it lost out to Gone With the Wind for best picture. It did win two other awards, however, including best song for the instantly recognizable “Over The Rainbow.”

The film was heralded from the very beginning. From the Infallible Wikipedia:

“The film received much acclaim upon its release. Frank Nugent considered the film a ‘delightful piece of wonder-working which had the youngsters’ eyes shining and brought a quietly amused gleam to the wiser ones of the oldsters. Not since Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs has anything quite so fantastic succeeded half so well.’ Nugent had issues with some of the film’s special effects, writing, ‘with the best of will and ingenuity, they cannot make a Munchkin or a Flying Monkey that will not still suggest, however vaguely, a Singer’s Midget in a Jack Dawn masquerade. Nor can they, without a few betraying jolts and split-screen overlappings, bring down from the sky the great soap bubble in which Glinda rides and roll it smoothly into place.’ According to Nugent, ‘Judy Garland’s Dorothy is a pert and fresh-faced miss with the wonder-lit eyes of a believer in fairy tales, but the Baum fantasy is at its best when the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Lion are on the move.’”

One of my earliest memories is when the film was first broadcast on TV. My family lived in Clarkston, Washington the year I was four and it may have been the first year we had a TV in the house. I do know that my dad made popcorn and we all sat down to watch the movie. Which went pretty well right up to the point that the flying monkey’s made their appearance; I was so afraid I left the room and didn’t see the rest of the movie! Of course I did eventually see the whole movie many, many times and loved our family’s annual tradition to watch it.

The whole story of how the movie was made is a good read. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wizard_of_Oz_(1939_film)

I’m off to see the wizard!

Dark Shadows

Jun27

June 27, 2017

Ask any person of my generation if they know who Barnabas Collins is and you are likely to get an enthusiastic response something to the effect of:

“I made sure I was home by 4 o’clock every day so I wouldn’t miss an episode.”

The aforementioned Barnabas was, by any definition, the romantic hero of the always melodramatic Dark Shadows. One look at his face and you might ask yourself “Really?”

Hold that thought. We’ll get back to his appeal in a bit.

June 27, 1966 marked the date when Dark Shadows premiered on ABC. The show, originally cast in black and white, captured the imaginations of millions of teens and pre-teens and became ‘must watch’ TV. In the course of its five year run, 1,225 episodes were aired. Like other daytime soap operas it featured storylines which took months to resolve and characters that became household names. But unlike any other shows at that time it was centered on vampires and werewolves, time travel and alternate existences.

From the infallible Wikipedia:

“Perhaps one of ABC’s first truly popular daytime series, along with the game show Let’s Make a Deal, Dark Shadows found its demographic niche in teenagers coming home from school in time to watch the show at 4 p.m. Eastern / 3 p.m. Central, where it aired for almost all of its network run, the exception being a 15-month stretch between April 1967 and July 1968, when it aired a half-hour earlier. Originally, it was aired in black-and-white, but the show went into color starting with the August 11, 1967 installment transmission. It became one of ABC’s first daytime shows to actually win its timeslot, leading to the demise of NBC’s original Match Game and Art Linkletter’s long-running House Party on CBS, both in 1969.”

Dark Shadows reached its peak in March 1969. It was in those episodes when Barnabas figured prominently and was romantically involved with Angelique Bouchard. One particular episode stands out.

barnabas angelique Barnabas was in love with the blonde beauty and he takes her to his room. Ahem. Barnabas is conflicted as he wants to be with her but is concerned his passion will carry him away and he will ‘bite’ Angelique’s neck, thus killing her and she, too, will become a vampire. An outcome he does not want. I cannot recall if he did or did not bite her but I do recall that the show implied that the two of them engaged sexually. Powerful stuff for a kid of 12.

Barnabas did not have to be young or classically handsome as he was a compelling character and we Dark Shadow’s fans were completely enthralled.

I know that Dark Shadows influenced me as a writer. The power of the show was derived by what was left out; the idea of mysterious forces at work which left much to the imagination. In the late 1960’s and early 1970’s you couldn’t air a program that showed explicit acts and that, I think, was a good thing.

For viewers, and readers, our imagination is what fuels the enjoyment we derive from a compelling TV show or well told story in a novel.

All but a few of the Dark Shadows episodes survive. I’m pretty sure if I were to watch them now the mystique would evaporate. Instead, I choose to let the snippets of remembered scenes live in my brain to serve as inspiration.

Dark Shadows If you wish to learn more, here’s the Wikipedia link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Shadows

Jaws

Jun20

June 20, 2017

Just When You Thought It Was Safe To Go Back in the water…

“We started the film without a script, without a cast, and without a shark.” Jaws spielberg

As quipped by Richard Dreyfuss on the filming of the classic film, Jaws, which premiered on June 20, 1975. Despite its rocky start, technical problems throughout filming, and costing more than double its budget, Jaws, is regarded as one of the best films of all times. From the Infallible Wikipedia:

“In the years since its release, Jaws has frequently been cited by film critics and industry professionals as one of the greatest movies of all time. It was number 48 on American Film Institute’s 100 Years… 100 Movies, a list of the greatest American films of all time compiled in 1998; it dropped to number 56 on the 10 Year Anniversary list. AFI also ranked the shark at number 18 on its list of the 50 Best Villains, Roy Scheider’s line “You’re gonna need a bigger boat” 35th on a list of top 100 movie quotes, Williams’ score at sixth on a list of 100 Years of Film Scores, and the film as second on a list of 100 most thrilling films, behind only Psycho. In 2003, The New York Times included the film on its list of the best 1,000 movies ever made.”

It took only two weeks for the film to recoup production costs and it is recognized as the first ‘summer blockbuster’ film, setting a template for future filmmakers.

Of course the long term effect was the impact on people’s psyches, preying on our fear of an unknown, unseen killer, lurking in the ocean’s depths. In reality the average number of people killed by great white sharks annually is six. Not exactly an Amity Island level of vicious attacks.

So should we be afraid to go back in the water?

In December 2005 my family and I were about to go snorkeling at a benign looking bay called Kanahena Cove on Maui. It was just after sunrise and we were the only four people there: myself, my husband and our son, age 15, and our daughter, age 12. Because we had to share snorkel sets we decided that my husband and son would go first. So my daughter and I were on the lava rocks near where the guys had, a moment earlier, climbed into the water.

Just then, a car drives past on the road (about 20 yards away) and screeches to a halt. A woman gets out and erupts into a tirade:

“You know, there are sharks in the water,” she yells at us, “and one could take her in a single bite (pointing to my daughter).”

Dumfounded, I stare at the woman, unable to utter a word. She continues her rant:

“The sharks are angry at George Bush for the war in Iraq, which is why there have been increased shark attacks.”

The screed went on for another minute although I don’t recall all she said. What I do know is that my 12 year old daughter WAS afraid to get in the water and all of us retain a rather vivid memory of that day.

Personally, I’m skeptical that politics motivate sharks. I would speculate that other factors such as increased human presence, the El Nino and La Nina changes in ocean water temperatures and food sources, are more likely to influence attacks.

For the record? In 2015 there were 98 shark attacks, six of them fatal. Which is 40 more than the number of attacks in 2005. So much for that woman’s theory. I wonder who the sharks were mad at that year?

For more information about Jaws: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaws_(film)

And about the record setting 2015 year: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2016/02/09/a-record-number-of-people-were-attacked-by-sharks-last-year/?utm_term=.edad50a5906e

And just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water…

Miss Congeniality

Apr25

April 25, 2017: The Perfect Date

Stan Fields: “Miss Rhode Island, please describe your idea of a perfect date.”

Cheryl ‘Rhode Island’: “That’s a tough one. I’d have to say April 25^th. Because it’s not too hot, not too cold, all you need is a light jacket.”

2000 miss congeniality 1 If you’ve never seen the movie Miss Congeniality, I encourage you to request it from your local library, rent it on Netflix or your preferred movie provider. I have always found the movie to be funny, poignant and effectively showcase the human spirit. The casting was superb with Candice Bergen who tries to hold on to her glory days as a former beauty queen turned pageant director; William Shatner is priceless as Stan Fields, the smarmy host of the show; Heather Burns as the naïve Miss Rhode Island; and, of course, Sandra Bullock, as Gracie Hart, FBI agent turned pageant contestant to get to the bottom of an evil plot to take down the fictional Miss United States pageant.

The Infallible Wikipedia provides a more in depth summary. I include the first two paragraphs since, if you have not seen the movie, I would not want to ruin the ending:

“In 1982, a very young Gracie Hart steps into a playground fight to beat up a bully who is threatening a boy she likes. However, the boy feels humiliated at being rescued ‘by a girl’, and rejects her rudely, whereupon she punches him in the nose and leaves to sulk alone. Years later, Gracie is now a tough Special Agent for the FBI. During a sting operation against Russian mobsters, she disobeys her superior’s orders in order to save a mob boss who appears to be choking, which causes one of the other agents to be shot. She is demoted to a desk job as punishment.

Soon after, the agency is alerted, via a letter from the notorious domestic terrorist known only as ‘The Citizen’, to a bomb threat at the upcoming 75th annual Miss United States beauty pageant in San Antonio, Texas. Gracie’s partner Eric Matthews is put in charge, and he relies on Gracie’s suggestions, but he takes credit for them himself. One of Gracie’s ideas is to plant an agent undercover at the event. When all possible candidates are deemed unfit, Eric then suggests that Gracie take on that role, replacing Miss New Jersey, who was to be disqualified. Beauty pageant coach Victor Melling teaches Gracie how to dress, walk, and behave like a contestant. Though initially appalled, she comes to appreciate Victor’s thoroughness. Gracie enters the pageant as ‘Gracie Lou Freebush’, representing New Jersey, and becomes friends with Cheryl Frasier, who is Miss Rhode Island. As the competition begins, Gracie impresses the judges during the talent competition with her glass harp skills and self-defense techniques.”

There are so, so many memorable lines from the movie. The one above is excellent but I think my favorite is this clip:

And, of course, the clip for the April 25^thquote:

What I most like about the movie is watching Gracie’s transformation as a character. While the movie pokes some gentle fun at the beauty pageant industry what shines through, ultimately, is Gracie learning to respect and like these people – so different from herself – which, I believe, is the foundation of all good relationships.

April 25 is also significant for my family as that is one of my two brother’s birthdays. In recent years he’s eschewed his birthday, forbidding us from giving him cards or even acknowledging the day. At my nephew’s marriage a couple weeks ago, I was struck by the fact that my siblings and I had become a part of the older generation. The father of the groom – my oldest brother who was not born on April 25 – had recently celebrated his 50^th wedding anniversary.

I totally get why my other brother prefers to not celebrate his birthday. But then again, none of us can wish ourselves younger than what we are. We are a sum of our lived experiences. Those of us who are Baby Boomers have a shared cultural knowledge, particularly, of our growing up years in the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s. Then again, we can no more step into the shared cultural experiences of those who grew up in the 80’s, 90’s, and 00’s.

So rather than lament getting older, perhaps we all need to find our ‘Perfect Date’ whatever it might be. It might not be April 25. Maybe it changes. For me it’s that day – coming soon – when the temperature hits 75 degrees, there’s a light breeze, and I can soak in the warmth and a bit of sun. My feet will be in sandals, I will FINALLY be able to wear a short sleeved top and my capris, and it will be a day when I won’t have a pressing obligation on my calendar. THAT would be the perfect date. And I plan to embrace it when it arrives.

For more information:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miss_Congeniality_(film)

From weekly blogger to published author, I share my musings on life, love, and the stories which inspire me.

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