There's a report out today that Mick Jagger is getting together with Martin Scorsese to produce a new TV show that will air on HBO.
It reportedly will track the exploits of a "cocaine-fueled record executive in New York City circa 1977," at a time "when punk, disco and a new form of music called hip-hop collided."
Okay, I guess he might have some experience in that area, although his buddy Keith Richards may be a bit more qualified.
Now before they settled on that premise for the show, my sources tell me there were others that were rejected. Here are a few of them.
1. "Three's Company: The Next Generation" Mick Jagger would star as the new Mr. Roper.
2. "Ego Wars" This would pit Mick's ego against others who also think a whole lot of themselves. Donald Trump, Charlie Sheen, Sarah Palin and Brett Favre were all being considered as possible guest stars.
3. "Let's Rob Mick Jagger." Some down and out New Yorkers conspire to rob Mick Jagger's apartment.
4. "Extreme Makeover: Lips Edition" Mick would host a behind the scenes reality program involving the best and the worst from the world of collagen.
5. "Moves Like Jagger" Inspired by the Maroon-5 song, celebrities would try their best to dance like Mick Jagger without falling over laughing.
Confession time.  No, I didn't recently give birth when I was in the hospital, but I did watch a lot of bizarre television that I don't usually watch. Among the shows: "Toddlers and Tiaras," "Long Island Medium," and my new favorite..."I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant."
There is a show called "I Didn't Know I was Pregnant" ??? First of all..that happens enough that there's a show about it? Se cond..this show has been on for several years. Wow.
In the episode I watched, a young woman gave birth in a campground restroom. She was in pain and didn't know why..and the baby just fell out and hit the bathroom floor. The show didn't have any actual footage of course, but did have actors re-enacting the scene. Surprisingly, they did not have a doll-double to use to represent the baby.
What I'm wondering is this..how do these kids feel when they find out about their interesting entrances to the world? Will they sit down with the families and re-watch the show every year after they blow out the candles on the birthday cake?"
"You dropped me on the floor! In a grimy campground bathroom?" I imagine the kid asking. "Those better be some pretty awesome presents for me to even THINK about forgiving you."
And when his friends ask "were dropped on your head as a baby, or what?" He'll have to say.."as a matter of fact I was. Thanks, Mom."
Want to know more about this bizarre show? (And why wouldn't you?)Â Click here.
I was looking through a preview of new TV shows coming out this fall, and I've got to tell you...it's more than a little scary.
I did notice two shows that seem to have a common theme. In the show "Once Upon a Time," none of the characters seem to know they're all living in an actual fairy tale. This comes from the writers of "Lost," and that may be considered a good thing to some people.
In the show "Grimm," the main characters are descendant of the original Brothers Grimm who wrote all those violent fairy tales a couple hundred years ago. One of them's a detective who finds out that fairy tales are real, and he can see some people for the monsters they truly are. (From the executive producers of "Buffy" and "Angel"!)
"Where are we going?" asks a character in the trailer for "Once Upon A Time."
"Somewhere horrible," is the reply.
Somewhere horrible indeed. You can bet on it.
Once Upon A Time will air Sundays at 7pm on ABC and premieres October 23rd. Grimm premieres Friday October 21 on NBC and will air at 8pm.
While neither one of these shows seems promising to me, I bet both of them will seem Oscar-worthy compared to the new Tim Allen comedy that's coming out this fall.
Here are the trailers for the two shows. What do you think?
Have you seen the A&E show Storage Wars? It's a lot like Pawn Stars and American Pickers, except in this case, treasure hunting entrepreneurs bid on the contents of abandoned storage lockers, without knowing what's in them. Sometimes they find something cool, but mostly it's a lot of crap...old shoes, sporting equipment, hangers. But sometimes it's pay dirt...antiques, vintage guitars, or baseball cards.
Now all those shows like that have several things in common: ridicule, drama, and surprise.
I have an idea for a new show that I think will be a huge hit. It has all of those elements...and more.
DRY CLEANER WARS!
First off, this show will offer the viewer a chance to ridicule and feel better than the person on the show.
VEWER: "They're paying money to get THAT cleaned? That is the most hideous dress I've ever seen....He spilled yellow mustard on that shirt! Any discriminating person knows the only appropriate condiment is grey poupon."
The element of drama could be demonstrated in several ways.
For example, this scenario:
CUSTOMER: "Look at this nasty wine stain on my grandma's wedding dress. Can you get it out?"
DRY CLEANER: "Ooh, that looks like it's really set in there. I don't know if there's anything we can do with that..."
CUSTOMER: "Oh, you've got to help me...I'm desperate."
ANNOUNCER: "Will that wine stain come out? Will Rebecca be able to face her family ever again? Find out, right after this."
You can feel the tension, I know you can.
But what about surprise? How can we be surprised at the dry cleaner?
That's easy..all we have to do is dump out the pockets. "Eww, what the heck is that? I've never seen anything like it! What is it? We'll tell you, right after this."
And once this show takes off, which I'm sure it will, I've already got a spin-off idea.
CELEBRITY DRY CLEANER WARS.Dry Cleaner Wars, Celebrity Dry Cleaner Wars, copyright 2011, Kitty Dunn Enterprises.
Pop culture genius Sherwood Schwartz died yesterday at the age of 94. And by now you've probably heard snippets of the themes to "Gilligan's Island" and "Brady Bunch" featured in news stories about his passing. That's because he was the producer of both shows and the writer of their theme songs. But you may not have been treated to this gem from the short-lived show "It's About Time."
I don't really remember this particular show, which aired for one season in 1966 and '67, but I have heard this catchy theme song before.
Enjoy this fine theme song, written by the late Sherwood Schwartz.
Through some quick web research I discovered that the first half the season featured the modern day astronauts back in caveman days, but when ratings started to tank, it was re-tooled so the astronauts came back to the '60's and brought their new cave friends with them.
Obviously that didn't do the trick either since the show was not renewed.
One amusing note: Imogene Coca's character was originally called Shag, but when the big wigs discovered the word was the '60s equivalent of "making whoopee," her character's named was changed to Shad.
Have you seen the new Target commercial with the kids creating a good old summertime ruckus in the store, with the Status Quo song "Pictures of Matchstick Men" in the background?
Not sure this line from the song is a great sales point for the store:
"When I look up to the skies I see your eyes a funny kind of yellow."
Lucky they didn't use the next line, which is somewhat ominous.
"I rush home to bed I soak my head I see your face beneath my pillow."
Here's the original song..
And here's the Target ad. Everything you need for summertime fun, except the hallucinogenic mushrooms.
Pip pip, cheerio!
Cheerios Cereal turns 70 this year, so they're getting some free birthday publicity. I figure I might as well add to that.
I wasn't real surprised when I learned that one out of every 8 cereal boxes sold contains Cheerios, because there are just so many different flavors of Cheerios to choose from these days. I was never a fan of the original Cheerios, because they didn't have nearly enough sugar. But now I'm a fan..especially of the chocolate, fruity, multi-grain, and apple cinnamon varieties.
Some of the old Cheerios commercials were great. One that sticks in my mind had a jingle that went like this:
"Gonna start the day the bright way, the bold way, the get up and go way, gotta get a bowl of them oats. Get a pow, pow, powerful good, good feelin' with with Cheer-cheer-cheerios."
I was hoping to find that commercial on youtube so I could share it with you, but to no avail. But I did find this one which is humorous, although before my time. Enjoy.
Summer is here and the time is right..for special summer only commercials.
I listened to a lot of radio when I was a kid, and even though I should have been spending all my time outside, I did sit in front of the TV quite often.
That means I have some memories about commercials that only rain the summer, like the ads for Bain Du Soleil suntan oil. I always thought the jingle went like this.."Bain Du Soleil for the Central Bay tan." Apparently it's St. Tropez..where's that again?
And does anybody remember QT? The stuff that turned your skin a peculiar shade of orange? Good thing you can't see that on the black and white commercial..
Now this just might get me to go back to the movies!
Warner Bros. is bringing Mel Blanc back to life..because they needed somebody to voice three new cartoon shorts they're making to run before movies, just like in the old days.
Now Mel Blanc has often been impersonated, but it never sounds exactly right, so that's why Warner Bros. decided to call on their friend Dr. Frankenstein to bring the talented cartoon voice artist back from the other side!
Holy reanimation, Batman!
Okay, that's not entirely true.
What they're actually going to do is take Mel Blanc's voice parts as the vocal track for the new cartoons. The first will star Daffy Duck and will be shown before Happy Feet 2 when it comes out in November.
You probably already knew that Mel Blanc was the voice for Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, but he also was the man behind Porky Pig, Sylvester the Cat, Tweety Bird, Foghorn Leghorn, Yosemite Sam, Wile E. Coyote, Woody Woodpecker, Barney Rubble, Mr. Spacely, Speed Buggy, Captain Caveman, Heathcliff, Speedy Gonzales, Elmer Fudd, Secret Squirrel, Hardy Har Har and the Frito Bandito.
I have nothing else to say about this topic, except, "That's All Folks!"
Actor Andy Griffith turns 85 today..and is still a pretty cool old dude, if you ask me.
Not only did I really love the old Andy Griffith show, I also thought it was awesome that he sued a guy in Grant County, Wisconsin when he had his name legally changed to "Andy Griffith" to get publicity for a run for sheriff.
The elder Andy said it was copyright infringement. (And by the way the guy lost the race.)
I never did get on the "Matlock" train, but can watch those same old black and white Andy Griffith show episodes over and over.
It was on a Andy Griffith reunion special that I found out the theme song actually had lyrics.
Give a listen, and then tell me what you think!
My favorite line: "..pull up a weed to chaw, and maybe set and jaw!"
With Oprah signing off from her daytime show today, I feel a little like Scarlett O'Hara in Gone With the Wind. "Where shall I go? What shall I do?" But instead, I'll say "What shall I read?"
I never really could afford to buy any of "Oprah's favorite things." Jeans for $400? AÂ $200 towel? I don't think so.
But I did read a lot of the Oprah book selections. She (or her staff) really seemed to like the same kind of books.
I just looked at The Complete List of Oprah's Book Selections, and found I did read quite a few of them in the early years..before she switched to classics by Tolstoy and Faulkner. I managed to avoid having to read them in school, I wasn't about to start now.
I thought it was great that writers with Wisconsin connections got to be Oprah picks (Jane Hamilton, Jackie Mitchard, David Wroblewski). But the books I loved the most were the ones that were about people who were a little twisted.
My favorites were the two by Wally Lamb--I Know This Much Is True, and She's Come Undone, but I also really liked The Poisonwood Bible, White Oleander, Where the Heart Is, Back Roads, and Gap Creek. Â
So now I have one thing to ask you. Read any good books lately?
So I heard that Seth McFarlane, the so-called genius behind Family Guy, is going to re-make his version of an animated Flintstones. And all I can says is Yabba-dabba-don't.
There's something so innocent about Fred and Barney and his prehistoric friends. Now I know Fred would occasionally take a nip or two of the Cactus Cola, but for the most part he's a pretty upstanding guy. I shudder to think what Seth McFarlane would do to him. I don't want him turned into a sloppy pig like Peter Griffin. And I certainly don't want Pebbles to be a talking baby that's secretly in love with Fred. And if Dino can get a job even though he doesn't wear clothes and eats his own dinosaur dung, I'm afraid I wouldn't be interested in watching.
One thing I enjoyed about the Flintstones was the celebrity cameos, like Ann Margrock, or the Beau Brummelstones singing "Laugh, Laugh," or the thinly veiled references to celebrities. I love that Eppy Brianstone was the manager of a pop band! I'm really not into seeing Simon Cowellstone or Justin Bieberrock getting any more publicity.
Here's a little preview of what Seth McFarlane's Flintstone adventure might look like.
Yawn. I don't think I'll be tuning in when this show starts airing in 2013.
When I heard the news that ABC is canceling "All My Children" and "One Life To Live," I wasn't all that surprised. Networks had already dumped "Guiding Light," "As the World Turns," and several other soaps.
I was surprised to learn what they'll be replacing "All My Children" with. It's a show called "The Chew."
I am not making that up. "The Chew"? That might be the most unappealing name for a show that I've ever heard! I guess it's supposed to be a mix of talk show and cooking show. I suppose they already have shows including "The View," and "The Talk," so why not? I guess that's the hottest thing in daytime. The word "the" with one more word.
With that in mind, I've come up with a few more ideas.
The Smirk: This show would take a cynical look at the bizarre world of politics. Oh wait..we already have The Daily Show.
The Belch: This show would be all about delicious beverages, hosted by Rosie O'Donnell.
The Babble: obviously this show would have to be hosted by Charlie Sheen. Could also be called "The Incoherent."The Drool: I would like this show to be hosted by Matthew McConaughey.
The Chortle: I would have to host this show because I just like the word chortle. I also would be willing to host a show called The Guffaw.
With all the political shenanigans, tomfoolery and downright evilness going on, I decided I had two options to preserve my sanity.
1. Curl up in a little ball and cry myself to sleep.
2. Regress to the safe, warm, comforting days of my childhood.
I know I'll have to resume fighting the fight or my conscience will bug me, but for now, I choose #2.
And I've gone off to the la-la land of fave childhood cartoons. I bet I can remember some you haven't thought of in a while.
Kitty's Top Cartoons She Bets You Forgot
1. Huckleberry Hound
2. Pixie and Dixie (and Jinks the Cat)
3. Augie Doggie and Doggie Daddy
4. Go Go Gophers
5. Snagglepuss
And for your viewing/regression pleasure--enjoy this Snagglepuss snippet that features some classic lines.
First Oprah quits her show, Larry King heads for the golf course, now Regis Philbin is retiring? How can we muddle through our mundane lives without good ol' Reeg?
Regis announced today that he's leaving the Regis & Kelly Show in the fall. The 79 year old has had quite a career..including 28 years on this particular morning talk show.
He didn't give a reason for quitting..but maybe his age has something to do with it. He'll turn 80 in August.
Regis holds the Guiness world record for having the most time in front of a TV camera, but there's another random fact that I enjoy even more. He's one of around 300 people thanked in the liner notes of an album by the Chocolate Watch Band...a 60's psychedelic rock band from California. (Little Steven plays them every once in a while.)
Here's a clip of Chocolate Watch Band from the movie Riot on the Sunset Strip. Can't you just see Regis grooving with these guys?
I know it's just a gimmick to get more viewers, but for some reason I'm feeling very unsettled about this upcoming Jeopardy match pitting humans against an IBM computer.
They did a test run, and the computer frightens me. He's got such a blank look on his face, and his voice is so...machinelike.
I watched a video of the test run, and thought it was interesting that Alex Trebek was not present. Since he is the smartest man in the universe (just ask him), there's a good probability that the computer was really Alex Trebek!
Dick Clark, host of American Bandstand and numerous other TV shows, turns 81 today. While I do remember Bandstand from Saturday mornings, I'm probably most familiar with Dick Clark from game shows like the "$10,000 Pyramid."
He's probably best known in recent years for "Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year's Eve," which still features his name but is now hosted by Ryan Seacrest, following Clark's stroke several years ago.
A quick check of the Internet Movie Database shows that Mr. Clark had a lot of other experience as well. He hosted "Dick Clark's Celebrity Bloopers," did a voice on the cartoon "The Angry Beavers" and played himself on several episodes of "Dharma & Greg." He was also the murderer on the very last episode of "Perry Mason," which is a pretty cool footnote to TV history.
But this might be my favorite cameo of all!
For some reason when I was playing Joe Cocker's "You Can Leave Your Hat On" this morning, a scene from Days of Our Lives popped into my head.
I know the song was used in the movie 9 1/2 Weeks..and that was pretty steamy, but I really thought this scene was hot and heavy especially for 1992!
Thanks to Triple M listener and my Facebook friend Lyndsay for finding the clip for me on youtube.
Bo and Carly--HOT!
On today's date in 1969, America's kids starting learning the fun way--the muppet way! That's the day that Sesame Street premiered on National Educational Television.
While I enjoyed the program..it didn't teach me a whole lot..because I could already read and count.
But it sure was entertaining. And even at my current advanced age, it still makes me smile. And I really enjoy it when celebrities make appearances on the show.
Check out this musical montage and keep an eye out for some of your faves. Caution: Fran Drescher does make an appearance.
So Eminem was on 60 Minutes last night talking to Anderson Cooper. He told Anderson he thinks about rhyming words all the time, and one thing that really pi**es him off is when people say there's no rhyme for orange. He says door-hinge and four-inch are both acceptable.
What he didn't know is that Witchie-poo from H.R. Puf-n-Stuf explored this issue more than 30 years ago.
Witchie-poo was a rapper before her time. Enjoy.
When I heard today of the passing of Tony Curtis, of course I thought of his roles in Some Like it Hot, The Defiant Ones..and another great movie that I loved as a kid, The Great Impostor.
But I would be lying to you if I didn't tell you that the first thing that popped into my head was his role as Stony Curtis in an episode of The Flintstones. Betty and Wilma win a contest in which they get to have Stony Curtis as their "slave boy" for a day, because he's making a movie called Slave Boy. Somehow Fred ends up being Stony Curtis's stand-in, and you guessed it, wackiness ensues.
The fact that the world would learn of his passing on this day (of all days)Â is an interesting coincidence. That's because today is the 50th anniversary of The Flintstones prime time cartoon premiering. So wouldn't it be great if I could find a youtube clip of that particular episode? I did find the entire thing on what I believe was the Japanese version of youtube, but had some trouble getting it to download.
So instead of Stony Curtis..how about a little Ann Margrock?
Having been home on medical leave for around a month, I watched a lot of afternoon TV. In case you haven't had that luxury--here's what you're missing: lots and lots of judge shows, talk shows, infomercials, and a handful of soap operas.
Even though we had fewer channels when I was a kid, it seemed like we had better variety. Yeah, we still had soap operas (and more of them), but we also had quite a few game shows.
Before I started getting hooked on soaps (the first two for me were Guiding Light and Days of Our Lives), I watched a lot of game shows.
Some would seem familiar to you--like The Price Is Right. I remember when that show first came on..it was just a half hour! Later it was expanded to an hour. I liked Bob Barker because I remembered him from Truth or Consequences.
There was also The Gong Show..a talent competition not very different from today's America's Got Talent. Okay..it was quite a bit different..because most of the acts were horrible.
I watched Match Game (star-studded big money Match Game '73!) and also liked another celebrity show...Tattle Tales, even though it was actually kind of stupid.
Here's a fun clip of that show, featuring Betty White with the love of her life, Alan Ludden. Enjoy.
I have become a cynical person, and I blame it all on Oprah Winfrey. (I use her last name with a bit of contempt, in case you don't know of which Oprah I speak).
I'm pretty sure Oprah has made you a bit cynical too. Not sure? Take this little quiz:
How did you feel when Oprah announced she was giving everyone in her audience a trip to Australia?
A)Jealous of those lucky ducks
B)Inspired. You paid it forward and renewed your subscription to O Magazine.
C)You felt sorry for the Australians
If you answered C, you too have become cynical about Oprah, and perhaps other elements of your life as well.
For cynical people like us, it's hard to see the bright side..but there is one to this story.
She only has around 200 shows left.
Were you one of the kids who ran home from school each day to watch Dark Shadows? Then you might be interested in the news that a screenwriter has finally been picked to write a big screen version of the story of Barnabas (the vampire), Quentin (the werewolf), and other ghoulish characters in that gothic soap opera from the 1960's.
Johnny Depp will play Barnabas, and the movie will be directed by Tim Burton. So either it will be really really cool or it will suck. It's going to be written by Seth Grahame-Smith, the guy who wrote books including Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter, and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies..so at least it's some one who understands the material.
I was pretty young when the Dark Shadows big bit (pun intended), but I do recall dashing home from first grade to watch the show with my older brother and his high school buddies. (They all came over to our house to smoke cigarettes and drink Cokes).
The only Dark Shadows memorabilia I got during the time the show was on was a View-master reel..which I still have...but unfortunately not the the picture sleeve.
I have made an attempt though to create the collection I didn't have as a kid...here are a couple of my Dark Shadows items.
(photos by Mike O'Connor..thanks for getting rid of the glare!)
If you were alive in 1977, then chances are you heard an awful lot of the Debby Boone song "You Light Up My Life." At the time, it was the longest running number 1 single in history..at a record ten weeks. Not even the Beatles could beat that.
I really really hated the song. And while I should have had nothing personal against ol' Pat Boone's daughter, I admit I hated her too.  If I never heard that song again, it would be too soon. If I ran into Debby Boone at the mall, I'd hide behind my Orange Julius.
Then today my pal Matt Solomon posted this video on facebook. None other than Patti Smith for some reason left her punk roots at home in the basement or dungeon or somewhere..and gave us her rendition of that hit song.
I miss Debby.
Somebody, please help me.
For some reason, Carol Burnett is ageless to me....so it makes it hard for me to believe that she's 77 years old!
I watched her variety show all the time when I was a kid--and loved the comedy skits. Sometimes she'd have boring singers like Robert Goulet on her show and they'd do a couple numbers. That's when I'd actually consider going to bed early on a Saturday night! And sometimes the second half of the show was a mini-musical or operetta, and while I'm sure that was fun for them, I thought it was a big snooze.
But the comedy tidbits were often HILARIOUS, especially if Tim Conway was on screen, cracking up the other performers.
One running skit that was always good involved Carol Burnett playing the world's lamest secretary, Mrs. Wiggins...and of course Tim was there as Mr. Tudball. (What a great name, Tudball! I think that will be the name of my next band!)
Did you hear the story about the 12 year old girl from New York who saved her friends life--with skills she learned on Spongebob Squarepants? (Read it here).
I have also learned things from cartoons, but nothing quite as remarkable as the Heimlich Maneuver.
Here are just a few:
1)From the Flintstones: Shoes are over-rated.
2)From Scooby-Doo: If you think a house is haunted, it's probably just some old crazy guy trying to scare you to keep you away from his criminal activity. And he would have gotten away with it too..if it weren't those darn kids.
3)From Bugs Bunny: It's always a good idea to take that left turn at Albuquerque.
4)From Road Runner: The company ACME offers a wide variety of products, but the quality of its dynamite is hit or miss.
5)From Rocky & Bullwinkle: The intricacies of the Cold War, as seen through the adventures of Moose and Squirrel (and Boris and Natasha).
I used to love the TV show Scrubs. Last year, when it moved to ABC,  it wasn't as funny ast it used to be. But the new version of the show that they put on the air this year was PATHETIC.
So I was glad to hear from original star, Zach Braff, that the show is kaput. Here's what he said on Twitter:
"Many of you have asked, so here it is. It appears that 'New Scrubs', 'Scrubs 2.0', 'Scrubs with new kids', 'Scrubbier', 'Scrubs without JD' is no more. It was worth a try, but alas... it didn't work. zb"
ABC isn't making it official...but I'm pretty sure that announcement is coming soon.
This got me thinking about other shows that I loved that overstayed welcome.
1) Happy Days: This show tanked way before the episode where Fonzie jumped the shark. In fact all you really need of this show is the first couple seasons...before they were filmed before a live studio audience and all you could hear was applause for Fonzie and overstated laughter.
2)M*A*S*H: My favorite seasons are the first three--with Colonel Blake (played by McLean Stephenson). But the show was still watchable until Larry Linville (Major Frank Burns) left. Charles Emerson Winchester (the third) was thoroughly annoying and I won't watch the re-runs that feature him. Plus, Alan Alda got so preachy by that time that I wanted to throw stuff at him--even though I was on his side!
3) Mork and Mindy: I love Jonathan Winters, but the idea of him playing Mork and Mindy's kid and aging backwards was to much for me to buy. (The idea of Mork drinking through his finger and sitting on his head was completely fine, however).
4)Moonlighting: They never should have let David and Maddie hook up. Sexual tension=funny. Young love=SNORE.
5)X-Files: Apparently David Duchovny left the show and was replaced by that guy from Terminator 2. I never saw these episodes because I already thought the show got bogged down in conspiracy crap and had stopped watching.
Now that has me thinking about shows that got canceled too soon. But I'll leave that for another day.
So the word is out--Betty White is going to be on Saturday Night Live. Apparently half a million Facebook fans can't be wrong.
The campaign to get Betty on SNL was fast and furious..and grew to epic proportions after she appeared on that Snickers ad during the Super Bowl. When she was first asked about the possibility, she said she'd do it, "but no nudity." (Thank goodness).
We still don't know if she's going to be the actual host, or just have a more limited appearance. There's been talk that Tiny Fey and some other fine ladies would be featured as part of a Women of Comedy show, but Lorne Michaels, the SNL producer, has denied that.
I'm pretty sure Betty would be up for most anything..so the comic possibilities are endless. I may even have to try and stay up past 10:00 to watch.
I was searching youtube for some classic Betty White clips...here she is on $25,000 Pyramid..
And I know I've shared this with you before..but here's Betty White doing her best "supermodel walk" on Ellen.
It seems America is obsessed with shows featuring celebrities out of their element, like Dancing With the Stars, or The Celebrity Apprentice.
This is not a new concept. Of course, game shows have always featured celebrities, on shows like $25,000 Pyramid, or Password. But that's not what I'm talking about.
Do you remember a fascinating TV series from the 1970's called "Battle of the Network Stars"? This was a fascinatingly bad program that featured celebrities competing in athletic events, like running, swimming..even obstacle courses and the tug of war. I liked it because it often featured teenage stars, who were still agile enough to compete in these types of events. I was checking youtube for some clips, and found some interesting ones--many featuring female stars who could have used better sports bras. And with none other than Howard Cosell doing the announcing..classic TV history was made.
This one featured two child stars who should have kept up their running skills, especially when running from the law.
So have you seen the new Tonight Show promo featuring Jay Leno in one of his fancy sportscars..with the Beatles tune "Get Back" playing in the background? It's promoting his return to late night ("where he once belonged.")
If you're a fan of Jay, you might find this parody a little cruel, but since I think Conan got a raw deal, I'm amused.
They titled an album "The Who Sell Out," so I guess I shouldn't be surprised that the Who has a whole array of souvenir items that you can buy to tie in with this year's Big Game in Miami. Everything from a Zippo lighter, to coffee mugs, hats, and T-shirts. I say more power to 'em! Merchandising, merchandising, merchandising! (Check out the Who's website and buy crap here.)
The Who (Pete and Keith) have already announced that they'll be doing a medley of hits for their halftime set, but I thought it would be more unique if they changed some of the songs around a bit to fit the occasion. How about "Eminence Front (Line)", "Eyesight to the Blind (Referee)" or "Won't Get Sacked Again?"
With Pete and Keith now in their 60's, it's doubtful they'll have the energy they did, say, back at the Monterey Pop Festival. But I'm hoping that Roger's as animated as he was in this interview with David Letterman back in 1994.
Here's part two of the interview, where Roger talks about that famed performance on the Smothers Brothers show, where Pete screwed up his hearing for life. It's pretty hilarious..except for the hearing loss part.
Is rock music dead? If you have anything to do with this year's Grammys, you certainly think so.
While rock musicians do get nominations in specific rock categories this year, they're pretty much ignored in the major categories in favor of pop, rap R & B, and country.
 Pray for Kings of Leon to win. In the Record Of The Year category, Kings of Leon is the only rock act to be nominated! "Use Somebody" is up against songs by Black-eyed Peas, Lady Gaga, Beyonce, and Taylor Swift. Yeah, even Kings of Leon is sick of that song, but I've gotta pull for rock and roll. "Use Somebody" is also up for Song Of The Year..the only rock act in that category.
Maybe Dave has a shot. The Dave Matthews band album "Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King," is the only rock act in the running for Album of the Year. Can their heartfelt tribute to the late LeRoi Moore beat those same acts that are in the running for Record of the Year?
Most of the time, the Grammy folks at least throw a bone to rock fans like me, and serve up some performances from legendary rock acts to make the show somewhat entertaining. Not this year.
Green Day and the Dave Matthews Band will be performing Sunday night, but when it comes to the performances, I guess I'll be tuning in to see the tribute to Michael Jackson, a portion of which will be in 3D (gotta remember to go to Best Buy to pick up my 3D glasses). Smokey Robinson, Jennifer Hudson, Usher, Carrie Underwood and Celine Dion will be singing along with MJ's voice for the tribute. It should be cool..but I'm not sure I'm ready to hear Ms. Dion hit the high notes on "Beat It." At least I hope she doesn't grab her crotch.
The Grammys air Sunday night on CBS.
Are you sick of the latest episode of the Late Night Wars? I'll admit I've been sucked in so far, and have been rooting for Conan, even though I have to go to bed before any of them are on. But now I'm getting kind of sick of it, so I have a solution!
Bring back Dick Cavett! He was on opposite Johnny Carson in the late 1960's and early '70s. While Johnny would have musical guests on like Steve and Eydie, Dick would have cool musical guests....like Jimi Hendrix, John and Yoko, and Janis Joplin.
I really don't think interviews with today's stars would be all that compelling...I really don't care with Lady Gaga or Justin Timberlake have to say. So why not just run re-runs of the old Dick Cavett show?
Check out this great trio..Dick Cavett with Janis Joplin and...Gloria Swanson. Very awkward and strange, yet cool at the same time.
By the way, today's Janis's birthday! She would have been 67 today. Here she is singing "Try (Just a Little Bit Harder)" on Dick Cavett's show in 1969.
This is alarming. A study done by researchers in Australia says that watching TV can be harmful to your health. More specifically, it says every hour spent watching TV was associated with an 11 percent higher risk of death from all causes.
By all rights, I should already be dead!
When I was growing up, I hardly remember the TV ever being turned off. When I got up in the morning, there was the Today Show or Ray Rayner and cartoons. After I went to bed, it was Johnny Carson. Perhaps somewhere between midnight and 6am we gave the thing a rest, but I doubt it.
I guess it's not a real surprise that having a sendentary lifestyle can be harmful to your health, but the study doesn't give any weight to the quality of life enhancing benefits of television watching. I've learned so much from the old boob tube..I'm not sure I would want to go on living if I didn't know stuff like this:
--When the Mosquitoes visit Gilligan's Island, the group the ladies form is called the Honeybees, and Mrs. Howell is the lead singer.
--There really was a Dialing for Dollars program..like the one mentioned in "Mercedes Benz" Â by Janis Joplin.
--Dr. Johnny Fever got fired from a radio job for saying "booger" on the air.
--The statues on Easter Island were put there by ancient astronauts.
--Don't say "Sock it to me" unless you want some one to sock it to you.
--Irish Spring is manly yes, but it's okay for me to like it too.
--The ancient Chinese secret is Calgon.
And that's just stuff I learned before I graduated from high school!
I'm not worried about dying right now. I figure my never-ending quest for knowledge will keep me going for a while.
NBC has announced the lineup for contestants in the next round of Celebrity Apprentice. The big excitement (for him) is that Former Governor Rod Blagojevich will get to compete for a chance to be Donald Trump's assistant. He's still awaiting trial on all those charges stemming from (allegedly) trying to sell Barack Obama's U.S. Senate seat..but he must have some time before that makes it onto the docket.
Among those competing against Blago and his HAIR are Cyndi Lauper, Daryl Strawberry, and Sharon Osbourne.
My bet is on Sharon..if she can understand anything Ozzy says she should be able to handle the Donald.
But I think the best candidate would be Mrs. Wiggins from the old Carol Burnett Show. Her communication skills were incomparable! And doesn't Mr. Tudball remind you of Donald Trump, just a little bit?
Most of the time, when there's a new TV show that I like, nobody else watches it and it gets canceled within an episode or two. Luckily, that's not the case with the new show Modern Family, which you can watch twice tonight on ABC! (There's a re-run at 7 and a new one at 8pm)
It's kind of got that documentary feel like The Office, and may be a touch crazier! The characters are all part of a very disfunctional family, that somehow still seems to love each other.
You've got the two gay guys who just adopted a baby and are hysterical, a dad that tries way too hard to get everything right, a crusty but loving old guy who just married a hot woman from South America, and her little boy who's wise beyond his years..but is more than a little bit out there.
It's really hard to describe..so do yourself a favor. Just watch it! Here's a funny scene involving the gay couple, who just really want to be great parents..but tend to make a few mistakes...
I was a bit taken aback this morning when I checked the celebrity birthday list, and saw that Anson Williams turns 60 today.
What? Potsie is 60? That's funny as a crutch, Rich.
To me he'll always be that dreamy high schooler with that silky smooth voice. Watch this video, and fall in love, all over again.
The 2009 Fall TV Season is under way! Are you excited?
Neither am I.
I took a look at the fall schedule the networks put together, and noticed some shows with somewhat intriguing titles. But the premises of these shows seem either boring or downright stupid. So I've come up with some suggestions for network execs that I think would make things much better.
-----Shark Tank:Â 7pm Tuesday on ABC.
What it's about: Reality show involving teams in an invention/product development competition.
What it should be: Overexposed celebrities have to face off against a shark in a marine environment, and must complete challenges. (Let's throw a bucket of blood in the water and see what happens.") First guest: Dr. Phil.
-----The Forgotten 9pm Tuesday on ABCWhat it's about: A crime show where investigators discover the identity of Jane or John Doe murder victims.
What it should be:Â Hidden camera show capturing a variety of situations in which items are left on top of people's cars and drive away. It's wild when that milk goes splat on the highway!
-----Three Rivers8pm Sunday on CBSWhat it's about: Another hospital drama/soap opera
What it should be: Sci-fi show in a universe that parallels Two Rivers, Wisconsin. Pronounced "Thrivvers."
-----Modern Family:Â 8pm Wednesday on ABCWhat it is: Mockumentary style family sitcom starring Ed O'Neill from Married with Children
What it should be: Update on the modern Stone-age family, the Flintstones, who have time traveled to modern day Bedrock. They flip out when they're told they can't use an elephant to wash their dishes. Wilma!!!!!
Say it aint so! Paula Abdul is leaving American Idol? She made that show what it has become--just ask her! I'm not quite ready to let her leave TV, so I've got some ideas for new roles for Ms. Abdul. Television executives, are you listening?
1. Join the cast of The View. When it comes to crazy, I think she could give Elisabeth Hasselbeck a run for her money.
2. Host a new show on Animal Planet: Cold Hearted Snake.
3. Bring back Dance Fever! If we can find him, Denny Terrio could be her co-host. You know, he's the guy that taught John Travolta how to dance.
4. Host an info-mercial for a new workout gizmo--the Abdul Dual Ab Dueler.
Or if she decides TV just isn't her thing anymore, she could marry a former professional basketball player. Then she'd be Paula Abdul Abdul-Jabbar.
Walter Cronkite wasn't the sort of guy to be ON the news..he reported it. But I've got to say his timing was impeccable. When he passed away three days before the anniversary of the moon landing, it pretty much was a foregone conclusion that every story about the big anniversary would include at least a sidebar about Uncle Walter and his obsession with the space program.
I watched a bunch of the Walter Cronkite coverage over the weekend, and I'd have to say the one thing that surprised me the most was that he was friends with Mickey Hart of the Grateful Dead.
Apparently he went to a Grateful Dead show years ago..and before it started he was thinking of all sorts of reasons to leave early..but by intermission he said he could think of no reason that he'd want to leave. I think it's cool that Walter was a deadhead, but for some reason can't picture him in tie dye.
As for the moon landing milestone, I remember I was up north in Prentice,Wisconsin on July 20, 1969. I recall watching some of the coverage on my grandpa's ancient black and white TV, and also looking out at the moon from his yard..trying to see the astronauts. I was 7 at the time, and pretty sure I was just hamming it up and knew I couldn't really see them.
I did get to see a moon rock once when one was on loan to the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point. We took a field trip and got to see it inside a glass case. Whoop de doo. I was about impressed with that moon rock as those moon creatures were on those old commercials for Tang.
This one really took me back.
Now Johnny has his right hand man back at his side.
I was sad to hear that Ed McMahon died early today. While many of you know Ed mostly from American Family Publishers ads or Star Search, I feel like I've grown up with Ed McMahon. Johnny Carson started hosting the Tonight Show the year that I was born, so I always felt like Ed was part of the family--you know, like one of the crazy, loud, drunk uncles. (And I am half Irish, by the way...there could be some McMahons in my lineage somewhere).
Speaking of drunk..check out this humorous Tonight Show clip..where Ed was a little extra happy.
Does this mean my childhood is really over?
Okay--on Friday I blogged about the best summertime foods, and despite that it's a beverage, I included Kool-Aid.
So when I was at the grocery store over the weekend, I came upon the Kool-Aid display, and discovered that it's still only 20 cents. What a deal! I So I bought some, and made it yesterday. I don't think I'd had any Kool-Aid for 20 years or so, so I was pretty excited to try it. Would it bring back the happy, sunny care-free days of my youth?Â
Not so much. It was HORRIBLE! It's way too sweet. And to think, back in the day I would occasionally sneak in EXTRA sugar when no one was watching.
So I wonder..would it make me any happier if I put vodka in it?
Here's a freakin' trippy Kool-Aid commercial from the 1950's. Caution, this might give you nightmares.
Here's a commercial you might even remember:
Remembering David Carradine, who died in Thailand this week, and the classic show Kung Fu
Kung Fu was one of the TV shows that we actually watched as a family. Here's a little recap of the plot: Caine was an orphan whose father was Chinese and his mother was American. For some reason he was raised in a Shaolin Temple and trained to be a Shaolin Master. Eventually he came to the United States to find his long lost half brother. He was also wanted for murdering the man who murdered his master...so bad guys from China were after him.
I think every one of us got a little something different out of the show. Of course my younger brother John liked the fight scenes. My brother Tim, who was in his 20's and going to college, appreciated the religious and philosophical angle...but I'm not sure what my mom got out of it. She was probably just crocheting something and paying half attention.
But it was my dad's reaction to the show that I remember most. At some point we noticed that the show was very rigidly formatted, and that at around 10 minutes after the hour, there would always be a cool martial arts fight. Then for around half an hour or so, Caine would try to resolve whatever conflict there was in a peaceful manner. There would be plenty of flashbacks to Caine's days in the Shaolin Temple,where he learned valuable lessons from his wise old master.
Then around quarter to the hour, my dad would make an announcement, "Time for another fight," and sure enough like clockwork, Caine would have to fight off a bunch of bad guys all by himself. That would be followed by some kind of poignant solution. Sometimes, my dad would even plan his bathroom breaks around this schedule. "It's 20 to..better go pee before the big fight scene." (However he probably said it in more colorful language.)
I haven't seen this show in years, and never watched the New Kung Fu, or whatever it was called in the 90's. But I'd be curious to see if I would still enjoy the old show so many years later.
Here's a video of the show's opening. The part at the very end always freaked me out!
So I decided I wasn't going to buy any more board games. The collection was a little too big, and I have no good way to display them. So, why, why, why, do I keep buying them?
Just found another classic game at Savers the other day..it was missing a few marbles (like me), but the box was in perfect shape. I never had this game as a kid, but do remember seeing the commercials. However, I don't remember this one, which starred Vincent Price. I now present to you Stay Alive, which came out way before that annoying disco song from the Bee Gees.
Because I can't resist, here's another board game commercial you may remember. It features a snazzy garage rock tune I think you'll love!
Which celebrity would you LOVE to drop in the jungle?
 "I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here" debuts tonight on NBC. Yeah, that show that disgraced Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich wanted to be on debuts tonight. A bunch of so-called celebrities are dropped in the jungle of Costa Rica...and then supposedly whackiness ensues. So how many of these "celebs" have you heard of? Sanjaya, Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt,Janice Dickinson, Stephen Baldwin, Lou Diamond Phillips, John Salley, Torrie Wilson of the WWE and Patti Blagojevich (blah-GOY'-uh-vitch), yup...the ex-gov's wife.
Supposedly, the viewers get to decide what "punishments" get bestowed on the participants, but I'm not really sure how that would work. What I am sure of is that even if the show doesn't suck..it will probably be too much of a good thing. "I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here" premieres tonight on NBC and runs Monday through Thursday for the next three weeks and Monday through Wednesday in the fourth and final week.
So what celebrities would I really want to drop into the jungle?
Martha Stewart--she would probably be really good at the jungle challenges. And her improvised tent would be spotless and impeccable.
Valerie Bertinelli--I've had enough of her weight loss secrets.
Susan Boyle--even though her 15 minutes of fame are probably already up anyway.
Paula Abdul, Simon Cowell..and dare I say it? Danny Gokey!Dr. Phil--he could make sure every one plays nicely. And he could make friends with the monkeys.
Jay Leno--so I won't have to be subjected to his prime time gabfest. Retire already dude!
I'm ticked off at NBC. They've canceled the best show featuring a cheesy mustache since Evening Shade!*
That's right..they've dumped My Name is Earl. A show that was so smart at being stupid that the network execs weren't smart enough to understand! (Huh?)
Some of the things I loved about Earl:
1. Perfect use of classic rock music (and no songs by the Fray were ever played!)
2. Super-cool guest stars (Betty White as a crazy homicidal lunatic!)
3. Outlandish plots (Crab-man's identity is blown so the witness protection program gives him, Joy and the kids new ones...and sends them somewhere worse than Camden County!)
4. Love for our tiny animal friends (the bond between Crab-man and Mr. Turtle knew no bounds!)
5. Great cliff-hangers. Who was the father of Joy's youngest boy if it wasn't Crab-man? Now we will never know!
There's an effort to save Earl on Twitter. If you're into that whole Tweeting thing, check it out and sign the "twitition"Â here. *Evening Shade: 1980's sitcom featuring Burt Reynolds. How could you forget?
Some people measure time by the school year. Or the job. Or the house they lived in. Archeologists are big on measuring time on a grand scale, with eras ending in "zoic."Â
I've just realized that I measure time with the passing of television seasons. "Oh, that's back in the day when The Cosby Show was hot."Â Or "remember when Friends was a brand new show and we call got hooked on that song from the Rembrandts?"
That's why I'm freaking out a bit that it was ELEVEN YEARS AGO today that the TV show Murphy Brown went off the air. Why it seems like just yesterday that Dan Quayle ridiculed the character played by Candice Bergen for being an unwed mother!Â
Here's a flashback for you..from the last episode. Just keep in mind that there was a running joke throughout the show that Murphy could never keep a secretary....they were usually incompetent or downright crazy.Â
Enjoy!
I stayed up late last night (for me) to watch the season finale of 30 Rock...and I'm glad I did. I got to see a lot of my favorite musicians and singers band together for a great cause..to get a kidney for Jack Donaghy's dad...played by Alan Alda. The We Are the World send-up was hilarious..even if Steve Earle did look really scary with that mountain man hair and beard.
Here's a link to the NBC official Kidney Now site..for some reason they don't mention Steve Earle being there, but I know it's him because he's on the cover of the current issue of Vintage Guitar Magazine.
I'm embedding the video for you here...if it's gone it's because NBC pulled it off youtube. You can also search for 30 Rock Kidney Now video and find it somewhere else online. It's worth it!
Everybody's really hyped about the new Star Trek movie..and I might actually go to this one! I watched WAY more Star Trek than I ever wanted to when I was a kid. Why? Three brothers, only one TV. So I thought I'd share some of my begrudgingly learned Star Trek knowledge with you, in the form of a quiz.
Kitty's Star Trek Quiz
1. According to the show's introduction, how long was their mission?
a. Three years
b. Five years
c. Ten years
2. What is a tricorder?
a. Device used to determine the severity of injury
b. Musical instrument, similar to flute
c. Three-cornered hat
3. What is Captain James T. Kirk's middle name?
a. Tisdale
b. Tiberius
c. Thomas
4. What is Mr. Scott's first name?
a. Montgomery
b. Ward
c. Walter
5. What device is used to "beam me up Scotty"?
a. Transponder
b. Transporter
c. Elevator
What was the number on the original Star Ship Enterprise?
a. 867-5309
b. KL5-3000
c. NCC-1701
7. What is the trouble with Tribbles?
a. They multiply too quickly
b. They're very poisonous
c. They have halitosis
8. Lt. Uhura's name is close to the Swahili word for what?
a. Beautiful
b. Freedom
c. Lion
9. Characters who die early in Star Trek episodes wear what color shirt?
a. Yellow
b. Green
c. Red
10. Who was reportedly the first choice to play Mr. Spock?
a. George Lindsay, "Goober" from the Andy Griffith show
b. Max Baer, Jr., "Jethro" from Beverly Hillbillies
c. Tony Dow, "Wally" from Leave it to Beaver
Answers Below!
It would not be logical for you to peek!
Â
Answers: 1b, 2a, 3b, 4a, 5b, 6c, 7a, 8b, 9c, 10a
1-3 right: I have a moon rock I'd like to sell you.4-7 right: Gene Roddenberry would be impressed. 8-10 right: Welcome to Star Fleet, Captain.
So tonight is the last episode of Scrubs. Or not. In case you're one of the folks who used to watch Scrubs but somehow lost interest or forgot about the show, it moved to ABC this season. It was brought back without a lot of fanfare, and without much promotion..and didn't get the best ratings.
Last night they aired the second to the last episode (the one that got pre-empted because of President Obama's news conference), and tonight is the one-hour season finale. But it was supposed to be the series finale! I even saw the guy who plays Dr. Cox on a talk show around six weeks ago saying he was CERTAIN it was done. But now ABC may renew it...because even though the ratings suck they can still make scads of money on it in syndication.
Bad plan! That's because Zach Braff would likely only be in it on a part-time basis..and we really need him...because most of the quirkiest, most entertaining stuff happens in JD's head.
I love the show..but it's time to let it go. I don't want it to pull a Favre and un-retire..again!
Here's the ending to one of my favorite episodes. If you watch it you will find out why..
With Mother's Day coming up in less than a week, I started thinking about some of the OTHER moms that raised me. That's right, TV moms!
Top 5 TV moms:
1. Mrs. Cunningham, Happy Days. Mrs. C. was always fair, had a sweet spot for that bad boy Fonzie, and enjoyed getting "frisky" with Howard. Great role model!
2. Carol Brady, The Brady Bunch. There's plenty of time to be a supportive parent when you have a housekeeper who does all the work...and you're a stay-at-home mom!
3. Judy Miller, Still Standing. I may be the only person who ever watched this show. But Jami Gertz was the kind of mom I would have been if I had kids..still going to rock concerts, drinking beer, and occasionally pulling a scam on my own children.
4. Samantha Stevens, Bewitched. Wouldn't it be great to have a mom that wouldn't yell at you to clean your room..but would just wiggle her nose and do it for you?
5. Marge Simpson, The Simpsons. She always remembers Maggie's name, puts up with Bart, and has the most excellent tall blue hair the world has ever seen!
WORST TV MOM EVER: Ann Romano, from One Day at a Time. I know it wasn't easy for her, raising Julie and Barbara on her own..but all that woman did was bitch, for nine straight seasons! I'm pretty sure Bonnie Franklin's incessant nagging is what caused all those problems for Mackenzie Phillips.
This whole swine flu "panic" and efforts to protect the public reminded me of a campaign against another health epidemic back in the 1970's. That's right, venereal disease. This public service announcement had a very catchy tune..and was a great target for mockery in my junior high.
Now for your viewing enjoyment--a precautionary tale:
 I used to call it the Show That Would Not Die.
But now at long last, I think According to Jim is going to that old Test Pattern In the Sky.
I was astonished the other night when I noticed that two NEW episodes of that craptastic series were on opposite American Idol. What? Are you kidding me?
Now I see it's on a USA Today list of shows that are dead or nearly dead.
If you've never seen an episode of ATJ (that's what the show's fans call it for short), here is a synopis of every episode since it first aired in October of 2001.
Jim wants to get away something without his wife knowing it. He knows it's really stupid and he does it anyway...and the results are much worse than any one could have imagined! Oh my goodness, the hijinks. The hilarity. The property damage! The wide-eyed OVERACTING. Jim apologizes. He and his wife, played by very bad actress Courtney Thorne Smith, embrace.
Click here if you'd like to see a list of other shows that are going away.
Sometimes it's good to leave your childhood memories in the past. I'm not talking about the scarring effects of mean schoolmates, the insensitive remarks made by teachers or parents, bouts with chicken pox or other childhood diseases.
I'm talking about favorite childhood cartoons.
In the past month or so, Mike has brought home DVD's of some of his favorite cartoons. Now he's a little bit older than me, so believe it or not he watched some shows that I never even heard of. Or if I heard of them, I never watched them.
I'll admit, Top Kat was slightly amusing. But I didn't get Felix the Cat at all. Milton the Monster failed to impress. I was slightly amused that a secret agent type guy named Cool McCool looked more like Robert Goulet than a spy, and the show was only mildly entertaining.
So now I'm wondering..if I put in a DVD of Hong Kong Phooey or Inch High Private Eye would I be bored to tears? Would the wacky hijinks of Tennessee Tuxedo and his pal Chumley leave me emotionally vacant? And would I no longer laugh when the Go Go Gophers got the best of Col. Kit Coyote and the rest of his army?
I know I could look them up on youtube, but I'm frightened. I think I'll stick to the Flintstones, Bugs Bunny, and Rocky and Bullwinkle. Those are classics, and I don't think I'll find any one anywhere of any age that will disagree with me!
For those of you who are pressed for time, here is a one minute condensed version of a classic Flintstones episode.
I was sad to hear the news this week that CBS is cancelling its soap opera, Guiding Light. Most people wouldn't guess that this development would have much of an emotional effect on me, since I really haven't watched the show regularly since the late '80s.
I'm sad because it's another connection to my mom that's going away. Guiding Light was the first soap I watched with my mom, who died in 1987. She had been watching it for years. In fact, she even listened to it on the radio. So I'm sure she was kind of excited when I got interested in the show the summer before my senior year in high school.
Mom told me all the back stories about the characters..stuff the writers probably didn't even remember about the Bauer clan. During that last year in high school, I had no classes scheduled for the last period of the day...so often I would ride my bike to school instead of taking the bus so I could zip home early to catch the 2pm show. (Remember, this is back in the day before any one had VCR's at home).
Mom and I would chat about the plot, what we thought would likely happen. How we felt about the characters. We were interacting as grown-ups, not a mother and child. For some reason, she never seemed to be enthused in my observations about shows like The Brady Bunch and Land of the Lost.
I still remember some of the characters..like the doctor, Ed Bauer and his lawyer brother Mike. The cut-throat businessman Alan Spaulding. The incomparable Reva Shane.  The best villain ever...Roger Thorpe. And I even remember a young teenage character named Tim (played by a young Kevin Bacon.)
And even though I don't watch Guiding Light any more, it was somehow comforting to know it was still there if I needed it.
They're thinking of replacing it with a new version of $25,000 Pyramid. My mom and I watched that too...but somehow I don't think it's quite the same.
Am I the only one that isn't foaming at the mouth with basketball Madness? Yeah, I filled out my brackets so I don't feel left out of the workplace camaraderie (and to hopefully do better than Jonathan).
But unless I can't help it, I don't plan to watch a single minute of the NCAA Tournament. (And by "unless I can't help it," I mean I happen to be in a bar where it's on the TV).
It's not that I'm opposed to basketball in any way, or that I want to begrudge any one else their fun, but it's just that I have other interests.
Tonight, for example, Betty White is guest starring on My Name is Earl. Betty White rocks, so I can't miss that.
Tomorrow night I'm sure there's a Dateline that will be intriguing..and I can't miss America's Most Wanted, can I? There are so many crooks out there to catch, and John Walsh is depending on me.
I hope all of you basketball fans have a good time watching the Big Dance. And if you're rooting for North Carolina, Barack Obama and I have your back.
Can this be true? The movie star stranded on Gilligan's Island with the Professor and Mary Ann (and the rest) is 75 years old? It's a fact! Tina Louise turns 75 years old today..unless of course she lied on her resume and is really older.
Most people I know fancied Mary Anne more..with her girl-next-door Kansas charm and her ability to make coconut cream pies without a cow in sight. But I know a lot of people were hot for Ginger Grant...even if they don't want to admit it.
(As for me, I wouldn't have minded the Professor giving me an algebra lesson or two...)
Which brings me to this question..what's your favorite Ginger Grant moment?
I've got to vote for this one...from the episode where the band the Mosquitoes visit the island, and the gals put together their own singing group. Their costumes are fantastic..and wasn't it lucky they happened to pack their honey bee brooches for a 3-hour tour?
For your viewing and listening pleasure....may I present, the Honey Bees.
Is it possible to pay too much attention to detail? I think, when it comes to pop culture, the answer is yes.
I don't normally watch the TV show "How I Met Your Mother," but the other night I happened to watch because "Antiques Roadshow" was pre-empted.
The whole premise of this episode was based on the fact that Lilly would always bring her husband Marshall (and formerly boyfriend) a six pack of local micro-brew home for him when she returned from an airplane trip. A six pack of beer, in bottles, that she CARRIED ON TO THE PLANE.
I don't know if the airlines ever would have let you carry on your own six pack of beer. And certainly not in this post 9-11 world where all liquids must be two ounces or less! And the glass bottle, I'm thinking, could be used as a weapon.
So I wasn't able to enjoy one minute of the show. I kept saying to myself "they don't let you carry 6 packs onto the plane." When Mike would walk into the room (he actually found other things to do rather than watch TV), I'd ask "don't you think they have some kind of fact checkers? Don't you think they have writers who have ever flown on a plane???" I think he said something to me like "Who cares?"
But he's the same way when it comes to guitars and other musical gear featured in movies. For example, "The Buddy Holly Story" is a great movie but the band is playing guitars that weren't even invented yet before Holly died. (Not to mention they left out an entire Cricket and Norman Petty.)
I remember reading an article in Oprah's magazine where the author said she grew up drinking Diet Coke in the 1970's. IÂ don't think so. Maybe Tab, but not Diet Coke.
I guess I should just try to notice those sorts of errors..and then let them go. If Oprah can't afford fact-checkers, who can?
Where do the Grinch, Rudolph, Yukon Cornelius, and the Christmas Queen go the other 11 months of the year?
So far this year, I've already watched A Charlie Brown Christmas, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and the Grinch Who Stole Christmas. And I'm embarassed to admit, I watched around 20 minutes of Santa Claus is Coming To Town. That one does have some good songs but the story just doesn't hold up once you're past 30.
When you watch those specials, do you try to say the words before the characters do, like "I'll tell you what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown," or "Sandy Claus, why, why, are you taking our Christmas tree?"Â I'm really good at doing the Grinch lines..and Mike is awesome at the Charlie Brown special. But for some reason it's not as fun when some one else does all the lines!
What do you think of Frosty? I think that is the most over-rated piece of Christmas cartoon crap ever. "Happy Birthday!" I'd like to take a blowtorch to that top-hatted snowman.
Any way, I want to thank Star Cinema Steve for leading me to this really cool website that features some of that cool old TV stuff..from special holiday episodes and specials to holiday commercials. Click on the channel changer or check out the TV guide.
Check it out here.
And always remember, and please never forget....Bumbles bounce!
Today is World Goth Day, a day to celebrate the post-punk, anti-establishment, dark clothes-wearing subculture.
I'm pretty sure I was a Goth for at least for little while, for two reasons.
1) I almost hardly ever wear pastels.
2) I used to...
Hello to all from Nfusion. Another round of challenges has moved beyond us all. Congrats to those of us lucky enough to have survived to this point. Sad to see the others eliminated as they were all very creative and talented. Good Bye to our new friends...
This morning it seemed like just about everyone was in the mood for some Funky Cold Medina...except Kitty. This ridiculous song made it all the way to number 3 in 1989. Jonathan says any song that references advertising dogs from the 80's has got...
Madison's summer music festival season kicks off this weekend with Brat Fest at Willow Island, where there are more bands than you can shake a bratwurst at! Check out the Brat Fest website to plan your itinerary.
Next up is the Marquette...
John Fogerty is making the talk show rounds this week, stopping in to see David Letterman Tuesday and Wednesday, and the ladies of "The View" on Thursday.
He's promoting his new album, "Wrote a Song For Everyone" which comes out next Tuesday...
It's a miracle that both Jonathan and KItty wanted to hear Barry Manilow this morning. They were not alone. Plenty of Fanilow's called in to vote yes. One caller claimed to have seen Manilow in concert 25 times!
The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, it is another gorgeous Monday, fit for another great show at the Crystal Corner tonight.
Through locking ourselves in the barn on Irish Lane, tossing some ideas around, as well as a few choice beverages to...
Hey everybody, we were thrown for a loop by the twist this week, but were able to make one of our "oldie but a goldie" songs fit the mold.
We have a few songs that we have played consistently over the years, and we are very happy that we will be...
Today is World Goth Day, a day to celebrate the post-punk, anti-establishment, dark clothes-wearing subculture.
I'm pretty sure I was a Goth for at least for little while, for two reasons.
1) I almost hardly ever wear pastels.
2) I used to...
Hello to all from Nfusion. Another round of challenges has moved beyond us all. Congrats to those of us lucky enough to have survived to this point. Sad to see the others eliminated as they were all very creative and talented. Good Bye to our new friends...
This morning it seemed like just about everyone was in the mood for some Funky Cold Medina...except Kitty. This ridiculous song made it all the way to number 3 in 1989. Jonathan says any song that references advertising dogs from the 80's has got...
Madison's summer music festival season kicks off this weekend with Brat Fest at Willow Island, where there are more bands than you can shake a bratwurst at! Check out the Brat Fest website to plan your itinerary.
Next up is the Marquette...
John Fogerty is making the talk show rounds this week, stopping in to see David Letterman Tuesday and Wednesday, and the ladies of "The View" on Thursday.
He's promoting his new album, "Wrote a Song For Everyone" which comes out next Tuesday...
It's a miracle that both Jonathan and KItty wanted to hear Barry Manilow this morning. They were not alone. Plenty of Fanilow's called in to vote yes. One caller claimed to have seen Manilow in concert 25 times!
The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, it is another gorgeous Monday, fit for another great show at the Crystal Corner tonight.
Through locking ourselves in the barn on Irish Lane, tossing some ideas around, as well as a few choice beverages to...
Hey everybody, we were thrown for a loop by the twist this week, but were able to make one of our "oldie but a goldie" songs fit the mold.
We have a few songs that we have played consistently over the years, and we are very happy that we will be...
So have you seen the new Tonight Show promo featuring Jay Leno in one of his fancy sportscars..with the Beatles tune "Get Back" playing in the background? It's promoting his return to late night ("where he once belonged.")
If you're a fan of Jay, you might find this parody a little cruel, but since I think Conan got a raw deal, I'm amused.
They titled an album "The Who Sell Out," so I guess I shouldn't be surprised that the Who has a whole array of souvenir items that you can buy to tie in with this year's Big Game in Miami. Everything from a Zippo lighter, to coffee mugs, hats, and T-shirts. I say more power to 'em! Merchandising, merchandising, merchandising! (Check out the Who's website and buy crap 
Is rock music dead? If you have anything to do with this year's Grammys, you certainly think so.
While rock musicians do get nominations in specific rock categories this year, they're pretty much ignored in the major categories in favor of pop, rap R & B, and country.
 Pray for Kings of Leon to win. In the Record Of The Year category, Kings of Leon is the only rock act to be nominated! "Use Somebody" is up against songs by Black-eyed Peas, Lady Gaga, Beyonce, and Taylor Swift. Yeah, even Kings of Leon is sick of that song, but I've gotta pull for rock and roll. "Use Somebody" is also up for Song Of The Year..the only rock act in that category.
Maybe Dave has a shot. The Dave Matthews band album "Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King," is the only rock act in the running for Album of the Year. Can their heartfelt tribute to the late LeRoi Moore beat those same acts that are in the running for Record of the Year?
Most of the time, the Grammy folks at least throw a bone to rock fans like me, and serve up some performances from legendary rock acts to make the show somewhat entertaining. Not this year.
Green Day and the Dave Matthews Band will be performing Sunday night, but when it comes to the performances, I guess I'll be tuning in to see the tribute to Michael Jackson, a portion of which will be in 3D (gotta remember to go to Best Buy to pick up my 3D glasses). Smokey Robinson, Jennifer Hudson, Usher, Carrie Underwood and Celine Dion will be singing along with MJ's voice for the tribute. It should be cool..but I'm not sure I'm ready to hear Ms. Dion hit the high notes on "Beat It." At least I hope she doesn't grab her crotch.
The Grammys air Sunday night on CBS.
This is alarming. 
NBC has announced the lineup for contestants in the next round of Celebrity Apprentice. The big excitement (for him) is that Former Governor Rod Blagojevich will get to compete for a chance to be Donald Trump's assistant. He's still awaiting trial on all those charges stemming from (allegedly) trying to sell Barack Obama's U.S. Senate seat..but he must have some time before that makes it onto the docket.
Among those competing against Blago and his HAIR are Cyndi Lauper, Daryl Strawberry, and Sharon Osbourne.
My bet is on Sharon..if she can understand anything Ozzy says she should be able to handle the Donald.
But I think the best candidate would be Mrs. Wiggins from the old Carol Burnett Show. Her communication skills were incomparable! And doesn't Mr. Tudball remind you of Donald Trump, just a little bit?
Most of the time, when there's a new TV show that I like, nobody else watches it and it gets canceled within an episode or two. Luckily, that's not the case with the new show Modern Family, which you can watch twice tonight on ABC! (There's a re-run at 7 and a new one at 8pm)
It's kind of got that documentary feel like The Office, and may be a touch crazier! The characters are all part of a very disfunctional family, that somehow still seems to love each other.
You've got the two gay guys who just adopted a baby and are hysterical, a dad that tries way too hard to get everything right, a crusty but loving old guy who just married a hot woman from South America, and her little boy who's wise beyond his years..but is more than a little bit out there.
It's really hard to describe..so do yourself a favor. Just watch it! Here's a funny scene involving the gay couple, who just really want to be great parents..but tend to make a few mistakes...
The 2009 Fall TV Season is under way! Are you excited?
Neither am I.
I took a look at the fall schedule the networks put together, and noticed some shows with somewhat intriguing titles. But the premises of these shows seem either boring or downright stupid. So I've come up with some suggestions for network execs that I think would make things much better.
-----Shark Tank:Â 7pm Tuesday on ABC.
What it's about: Reality show involving teams in an invention/product development competition.
What it should be: Overexposed celebrities have to face off against a shark in a marine environment, and must complete challenges. (Let's throw a bucket of blood in the water and see what happens.") First guest: Dr. Phil.
-----The Forgotten 9pm Tuesday on ABC
What it's about: A crime show where investigators discover the identity of Jane or John Doe murder victims.
What it should be:Â Hidden camera show capturing a variety of situations in which items are left on top of people's cars and drive away. It's wild when that milk goes splat on the highway!
-----Three Rivers 8pm Sunday on CBS
What it's about: Another hospital drama/soap opera
What it should be: Sci-fi show in a universe that parallels Two Rivers, Wisconsin. Pronounced "Thrivvers."
-----Modern Family:Â 8pm Wednesday on ABC
What it is: Mockumentary style family sitcom starring Ed O'Neill from Married with Children
What it should be: Update on the modern Stone-age family, the Flintstones, who have time traveled to modern day Bedrock. They flip out when they're told they can't use an elephant to wash their dishes. Wilma!!!!!
Say it aint so! Paula Abdul is leaving American Idol? She made that show what it has become--just ask her! I'm not quite ready to let her leave TV, so I've got some ideas for new roles for Ms. Abdul. Television executives, are you listening?
1. Join the cast of The View. When it comes to crazy, I think she could give Elisabeth Hasselbeck a run for her money.
2. Host a new show on Animal Planet: Cold Hearted Snake.
3. Bring back Dance Fever! If we can find him, Denny Terrio could be her co-host. You know, he's the guy that taught John Travolta how to dance.
4. Host an info-mercial for a new workout gizmo--the Abdul Dual Ab Dueler.
Or if she decides TV just isn't her thing anymore, she could marry a former professional basketball player. Then she'd be Paula Abdul Abdul-Jabbar.
Walter Cronkite wasn't the sort of guy to be ON the news..he reported it. But I've got to say his timing was impeccable. When he passed away three days before the anniversary of the moon landing, it pretty much was a foregone conclusion that every story about the big anniversary would include at least a sidebar about Uncle Walter and his obsession with the space program.
I watched a bunch of the Walter Cronkite coverage over the weekend, and I'd have to say the one thing that surprised me the most was that he was friends with Mickey Hart of the Grateful Dead.
Apparently he went to a Grateful Dead show years ago..and before it started he was thinking of all sorts of reasons to leave early..but by intermission he said he could think of no reason that he'd want to leave. I think it's cool that Walter was a deadhead, but for some reason can't picture him in tie dye.
As for the moon landing milestone, I remember I was up north in Prentice,Wisconsin on July 20, 1969. I recall watching some of the coverage on my grandpa's ancient black and white TV, and also looking out at the moon from his yard..trying to see the astronauts. I was 7 at the time, and pretty sure I was just hamming it up and knew I couldn't really see them.
I did get to see a moon rock once when one was on loan to the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point. We took a field trip and got to see it inside a glass case. Whoop de doo. I was about impressed with that moon rock as those moon creatures were on those old commercials for Tang.
This one really took me back.
Remembering David Carradine, who died in Thailand this week, and the classic show Kung Fu
Kung Fu was one of the TV shows that we actually watched as a family. Here's a little recap of the plot: Caine was an orphan whose father was Chinese and his mother was American. For some reason he was raised in a Shaolin Temple and trained to be a Shaolin Master. Eventually he came to the United States to find his long lost half brother. He was also wanted for murdering the man who murdered his master...so bad guys from China were after him.
I think every one of us got a little something different out of the show. Of course my younger brother John liked the fight scenes. My brother Tim, who was in his 20's and going to college, appreciated the religious and philosophical angle...but I'm not sure what my mom got out of it. She was probably just crocheting something and paying half attention.
But it was my dad's reaction to the show that I remember most. At some point we noticed that the show was very rigidly formatted, and that at around 10 minutes after the hour, there would always be a cool martial arts fight. Then for around half an hour or so, Caine would try to resolve whatever conflict there was in a peaceful manner. There would be plenty of flashbacks to Caine's days in the Shaolin Temple,where he learned valuable lessons from his wise old master.
Then around quarter to the hour, my dad would make an announcement, "Time for another fight," and sure enough like clockwork, Caine would have to fight off a bunch of bad guys all by himself. That would be followed by some kind of poignant solution. Sometimes, my dad would even plan his bathroom breaks around this schedule. "It's 20 to..better go pee before the big fight scene." (However he probably said it in more colorful language.)
I haven't seen this show in years, and never watched the New Kung Fu, or whatever it was called in the 90's. But I'd be curious to see if I would still enjoy the old show so many years later.
Here's a video of the show's opening. The part at the very end always freaked me out!
Which celebrity would you LOVE to drop in the jungle?
 "I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here" debuts tonight on NBC. Yeah, that show that disgraced Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich wanted to be on debuts tonight. A bunch of so-called celebrities are dropped in the jungle of Costa Rica...and then supposedly whackiness ensues. So how many of these "celebs" have you heard of? Sanjaya, Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt,Janice Dickinson, Stephen Baldwin, Lou Diamond Phillips, John Salley, Torrie Wilson of the WWE and Patti Blagojevich (blah-GOY'-uh-vitch), yup...the ex-gov's wife.
Supposedly, the viewers get to decide what "punishments" get bestowed on the participants, but I'm not really sure how that would work. What I am sure of is that even if the show doesn't suck..it will probably be too much of a good thing. "I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here" premieres tonight on NBC and runs Monday through Thursday for the next three weeks and Monday through Wednesday in the fourth and final week.
So what celebrities would I really want to drop into the jungle?
Martha Stewart--she would probably be really good at the jungle challenges. And her improvised tent would be spotless and impeccable.
Valerie Bertinelli--I've had enough of her weight loss secrets.
Susan Boyle--even though her 15 minutes of fame are probably already up anyway.
Paula Abdul, Simon Cowell..and dare I say it? Danny Gokey!
Dr. Phil--he could make sure every one plays nicely. And he could make friends with the monkeys.
Jay Leno--so I won't have to be subjected to his prime time gabfest. Retire already dude!
I'm ticked off at NBC. They've canceled the best show featuring a cheesy mustache since Evening Shade!*
That's right..they've dumped My Name is Earl. A show that was so smart at being stupid that the network execs weren't smart enough to understand! (Huh?)
Some of the things I loved about Earl:
1. Perfect use of classic rock music (and no songs by the Fray were ever played!)
2. Super-cool guest stars (Betty White as a crazy homicidal lunatic!)
3. Outlandish plots (Crab-man's identity is blown so the witness protection program gives him, Joy and the kids new ones...and sends them somewhere worse than Camden County!)
4. Love for our tiny animal friends (the bond between Crab-man and Mr. Turtle knew no bounds!)
5. Great cliff-hangers. Who was the father of Joy's youngest boy if it wasn't Crab-man? Now we will never know!
There's an effort to save Earl on Twitter. If you're into that whole Tweeting thing, check it out and sign the "twitition"Â 
Some people measure time by the school year. Or the job. Or the house they lived in. Archeologists are big on measuring time on a grand scale, with eras ending in "zoic."Â
I've just realized that I measure time with the passing of television seasons. "Oh, that's back in the day when The Cosby Show was hot."Â Or "remember when Friends was a brand new show and we call got hooked on that song from the Rembrandts?"
That's why I'm freaking out a bit that it was ELEVEN YEARS AGO today that the TV show Murphy Brown went off the air. Why it seems like just yesterday that Dan Quayle ridiculed the character played by Candice Bergen for being an unwed mother!Â
Here's a flashback for you..from the last episode. Just keep in mind that there was a running joke throughout the show that Murphy could never keep a secretary....they were usually incompetent or downright crazy.Â
Enjoy!
I stayed up late last night (for me) to watch the season finale of 30 Rock...and I'm glad I did. I got to see a lot of my favorite musicians and singers band together for a great cause..to get a kidney for Jack Donaghy's dad...played by Alan Alda. The We Are the World send-up was hilarious..even if Steve Earle did look really scary with that mountain man hair and beard.
Here's a link to the NBC official 
Everybody's really hyped about the new Star Trek movie..and I might actually go to this one! I watched WAY more Star Trek than I ever wanted to when I was a kid. Why? Three brothers, only one TV. So I thought I'd share some of my begrudgingly learned Star Trek knowledge with you, in the form of a quiz.
Kitty's Star Trek Quiz
1. According to the show's introduction, how long was their mission?
a. Three years
b. Five years
c. Ten years
2. What is a tricorder?
a. Device used to determine the severity of injury
b. Musical instrument, similar to flute
c. Three-cornered hat
3. What is Captain James T. Kirk's middle name?
a. Tisdale
b. Tiberius
c. Thomas
4. What is Mr. Scott's first name?
a. Montgomery
b. Ward
c. Walter
5. What device is used to "beam me up Scotty"?
a. Transponder
b. Transporter
c. Elevator
What was the number on the original Star Ship Enterprise?
a. 867-5309
b. KL5-3000
c. NCC-1701
7. What is the trouble with Tribbles?
a. They multiply too quickly
b. They're very poisonous
c. They have halitosis
8. Lt. Uhura's name is close to the Swahili word for what?
a. Beautiful
b. Freedom
c. Lion
9. Characters who die early in Star Trek episodes wear what color shirt?
a. Yellow
b. Green
c. Red
10. Who was reportedly the first choice to play Mr. Spock?
a. George Lindsay, "Goober" from the Andy Griffith show
b. Max Baer, Jr., "Jethro" from Beverly Hillbillies
c. Tony Dow, "Wally" from Leave it to Beaver
Answers Below!
It would not be logical for you to peek!
Â
Answers: 1b, 2a, 3b, 4a, 5b, 6c, 7a, 8b, 9c, 10a
1-3 right: I have a moon rock I'd like to sell you.
4-7 right: Gene Roddenberry would be impressed.
8-10 right: Welcome to Star Fleet, Captain. 
So tonight is the last episode of Scrubs. Or not. In case you're one of the folks who used to watch Scrubs but somehow lost interest or forgot about the show, it moved to ABC this season. It was brought back without a lot of fanfare, and without much promotion..and didn't get the best ratings.
Last night they aired the second to the last episode (the one that got pre-empted because of President Obama's news conference), and tonight is the one-hour season finale. But it was supposed to be the series finale! I even saw the guy who plays Dr. Cox on a talk show around six weeks ago saying he was CERTAIN it was done. But now ABC may renew it...because even though the ratings suck they can still make scads of money on it in syndication.
Bad plan! That's because Zach Braff would likely only be in it on a part-time basis..and we really need him...because most of the quirkiest, most entertaining stuff happens in JD's head.
I love the show..but it's time to let it go. I don't want it to pull a Favre and un-retire..again!
Here's the ending to one of my favorite episodes. If you watch it you will find out why..
With Mother's Day coming up in less than a week, I started thinking about some of the OTHER moms that raised me. That's right, TV moms!
Top 5 TV moms:
1. Mrs. Cunningham, Happy Days. Mrs. C. was always fair, had a sweet spot for that bad boy Fonzie, and enjoyed getting "frisky" with Howard. Great role model!
2. Carol Brady, The Brady Bunch. There's plenty of time to be a supportive parent when you have a housekeeper who does all the work...and you're a stay-at-home mom!
3. Judy Miller, Still Standing. I may be the only person who ever watched this show. But Jami Gertz was the kind of mom I would have been if I had kids..still going to rock concerts, drinking beer, and occasionally pulling a scam on my own children.
4. Samantha Stevens, Bewitched. Wouldn't it be great to have a mom that wouldn't yell at you to clean your room..but would just wiggle her nose and do it for you?
5. Marge Simpson, The Simpsons. She always remembers Maggie's name, puts up with Bart, and has the most excellent tall blue hair the world has ever seen!
WORST TV MOM EVER: Ann Romano, from One Day at a Time. I know it wasn't easy for her, raising Julie and Barbara on her own..but all that woman did was bitch, for nine straight seasons! I'm pretty sure Bonnie Franklin's incessant nagging is what caused all those problems for Mackenzie Phillips.
 I used to call it the Show That Would Not Die.
But now at long last, I think According to Jim is going to that old Test Pattern In the Sky.
I was astonished the other night when I noticed that two NEW episodes of that craptastic series were on opposite American Idol. What? Are you kidding me?
Now I see it's on a USA Today list of shows that are dead or nearly dead.
If you've never seen an episode of ATJ (that's what the show's fans call it for short), here is a synopis of every episode since it first aired in October of 2001.
Jim wants to get away something without his wife knowing it. He knows it's really stupid and he does it anyway...and the results are much worse than any one could have imagined! Oh my goodness, the hijinks. The hilarity. The property damage! The wide-eyed OVERACTING. Jim apologizes. He and his wife, played by very bad actress Courtney Thorne Smith, embrace.
Click 
I was sad to hear the news this week that CBS is cancelling its soap opera, Guiding Light. Most people wouldn't guess that this development would have much of an emotional effect on me, since I really haven't watched the show regularly since the late '80s.
I'm sad because it's another connection to my mom that's going away. Guiding Light was the first soap I watched with my mom, who died in 1987. She had been watching it for years. In fact, she even listened to it on the radio. So I'm sure she was kind of excited when I got interested in the show the summer before my senior year in high school.
Mom told me all the back stories about the characters..stuff the writers probably didn't even remember about the Bauer clan. During that last year in high school, I had no classes scheduled for the last period of the day...so often I would ride my bike to school instead of taking the bus so I could zip home early to catch the 2pm show. (Remember, this is back in the day before any one had VCR's at home).
Mom and I would chat about the plot, what we thought would likely happen. How we felt about the characters. We were interacting as grown-ups, not a mother and child. For some reason, she never seemed to be enthused in my observations about shows like The Brady Bunch and Land of the Lost.
I still remember some of the characters..like the doctor, Ed Bauer and his lawyer brother Mike. The cut-throat businessman Alan Spaulding. The incomparable Reva Shane.  The best villain ever...Roger Thorpe. And I even remember a young teenage character named Tim (played by a young Kevin Bacon.)
And even though I don't watch Guiding Light any more, it was somehow comforting to know it was still there if I needed it.
They're thinking of replacing it with a new version of $25,000 Pyramid. My mom and I watched that too...but somehow I don't think it's quite the same.
Am I the only one that isn't foaming at the mouth with basketball Madness? Yeah, I filled out my brackets so I don't feel left out of the workplace camaraderie (and to hopefully do better than Jonathan).
But unless I can't help it, I don't plan to watch a single minute of the NCAA Tournament. (And by "unless I can't help it," I mean I happen to be in a bar where it's on the TV).
It's not that I'm opposed to basketball in any way, or that I want to begrudge any one else their fun, but it's just that I have other interests.
Tonight, for example, Betty White is guest starring on My Name is Earl. Betty White rocks, so I can't miss that.
