Showing posts with label Eight is Enough. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Eight is Enough. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 10, 2023
SAG Nominations Live on Instagram Live; Remembering Earl Boen of It's a Living and Adam Rich of Eight Is Enough
Haley Lu Richardson (The White Lotus) and Ashley Park (Emily in Paris) will announce the nominees for the 29th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards® on Wednesday, January 11 on Instagram Live. The nominations will be announced exclusively via Instagram Live on @sagawards beginning at 10 a.m. ET / 7 a.m. PT. SAG Awards Nominations will kick off at 9:50 a.m. ET / 6:50 a.m. PT on @sagawards' Instagram Stories with an introduction by SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher (The Nanny). Nominations for the Outstanding Action Performances by Television and Film ensembles will follow, with announcements made by SAG Awards Committee members Jason George (Station 19) and Elizabeth McLaughlin (Hand of God).
This marks the third year that SAG Awards nominations will be presented exclusively via Instagram Live. The SAG Awards aims to utilize the innovation of social media channels to create an authentic connection with their audience by reimagining the Nominations Announcement as a seamless, virtual experience for both nominees and fans. The 29th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards ceremony will take place on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2023 at Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles.
Actor Earl Boen, who starred as Dennis Hubner on It's a Living and played Reverend Lloyd Meechum on Mama's Family, has died. He died from lung cancer in Hawaii on January 5. Mr. Boen was 81.
Boen starred as Dennis Hubner in 14 episodes of the second season (1981-1982) of the ABC sitcom It's a Living. The series was renamed Making a Living for the second season. It later aired in first-run syndication from 1985-1989. The kitchen at the posh restaurant Above the Top is first the domain of Chef Mario (Bert Remsen), then Dennis Hubner (Earl Boen), and finally Howard Miller (Richard Stahl), who eventually marries Nancy (Marian Mercer). The second season cast included Marian Mercer, Gail Edwards, Ann Jillian, Barrie Youngfellow, Paul Kreppel and Louise Lasser.
He played Reverend Lloyd Meechum, the Harper family's pastor, in four episodes of Mama's Family from 1983-1987. He also appeared as a clergyman in episodes of Three's Company, The Golden Girls (2 episodes), Boy Meets World, Seinfeld, The Wonder Years and The Golden Palace. He played Jim Peterson, Angela Bower's (Judith Light) boss, in five episodes of Who's the Boss? from 1984-1986. He had a recurring role as Dr. Kramer in four episodes of Get a Life from 1990-1991.
Some of his other sitcom guest appearances included What's Happening!!, The Jeffersons, Angie, Soap, M*A*S*H, Barney Miller, Too Close for Comfort, Madame's Place, Benson (2 episodes), Night Court, Family Ties (2 episodes), Newhart (2 episodes), Growing Pains, Silver Spoons (2 episodes), 1st & Ten (2 episodes), Punky Brewster (2 episodes), What's Happening Now!, ALF, Mr. President,Webster (3 episodes), 227 (2 episodes), Sydney, Amen (2 episodes), Family Matters, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Hangin' with Mr. Cooper, Empty Nest (2 episodes) and California Dreams (4 episodes).
Boen starred as Howard on the 1987-1988 CBS mystery crime drama The Law & Harry McGraw. He had a recurring role as Judge Walter L. Swanson in eight episodes of L.A. Law from 1988-1993.
Some of his drama guest appearances included The Streets of San Francisco, Kojak, Hawaii Five-O, Wonder Woman (2 episodes), Police Woman, Eight Is Enough, Lou Grant, The Paper Chase, Barnaby Jones, The Dukes of Hazzard, Code Red, The Powers of Matthew Star, Voyagers!, Fantasy Island (1983), St. Elsewhere, Hill Street Blues, Crime Story, Hotel, Dallas, Matlock (2 episodes) and Family Law (2 episodes).
Boen was also very active in the voice-over field. He was known for voicing characters such as Mr. Bleakman in Clifford the Big Red Dog, Police Chief Kanifky in Bonkers, the narrator and King Terenas Menethil II in World of Warcraft, Señor Senior, Senior in Kim Possible and LeChuck in the Monkey Island series.
He was best known as criminal psychologist Dr. Peter Silberman in The Terminator (1984), Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003) and Terminator: Dark Fate (2019, archive footage only). Some of his other film credits included The Main Event (1979), Battle Beyond the Stars (1980), 9 to 5 (1980), Soggy Bottom, U.S.A. (1981), The Man with Two Brains (1983), To Be or Not to Be (1983), Alien Nation (1988), Marked for Death (1990), Naked Gun 33+1⁄3: The Final Insult (1994) and Nutty Professor II: The Klumps (2000).
Mr. Boen was a talented and versatile character actor. He was a familiar face on many sitcoms. He retired from screen acting in 2003, but continued his work as a voice actor in radio, television cartoons and video games until 2017. We thank him for his work on television and in films. He will be greatly missed.
Share your memories on It's a Living message board. View photos in our galleries.
Actor Adam Rich, who was best known for his role as Nicholas Bradford on Eight Is Enough, has died. He died from an accidental fentanyl overdose at his Los Angeles, California home on January 7, 2023. Mr. Rich was 54.
Rich starred as Nicholas Bradford, the youngest son, on the 1977-1981 ABC comedy-drama Eight Is Enough. The show was modeled on the life of syndicated newspaper columnist Tom Braden, a real-life parent with eight children, who wrote a book by the same title. The cast included Dick Van Patten, Diana Hyland (season 1), Betty Buckley (seasons 2-5), Grant Goodeve, Lani O'Grady, Laurie Walters, Susan Richardson, Dianne Kay, Connie Needham (Newton) and Willie Aames.
He appeared as Nicholas Bradford in a 1980 episode of 3-2-1 Contact. He reprised the role in the NBC reunion movies Eight Is Enough: A Family Reunion in 1987 and An Eight Is Enough Wedding in 1989.
Rich starred as Danny Blake on the 1981-1982 ABC action drama series Code Red, which was produced by Irwin Allen. The series stars Lorne Greene as Battalion Fire Chief Joe Rorchek and his family, some of whom, his elder sons Ted (Andrew Stevens) and Chris (Sam J. Jones), serve as firemen under his direct command as part of the Los Angeles Fire Department. The cast included Julie Adams, Martina Deignan, Joe Maross, James Crittenden, Dennis Haysbert and Jack Lindine.
He starred as Clovis in the final two episodes of the short-lived 1983 CBS sitcom Gun Shy. The series, produced by Walt Disney Productions, was based on its popular comedy-western films The Apple Dumpling Gang (1975) and The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again (1979). The cast included Barry Van Dyke, Tim Thomerson, Geoffrey Lewis, Keith Mitchell, Bridgette Andersen, Henry Jones, Janis Paige and Pat McCormick.
Some of his sitcom guest appearances included The Love Boat, Silver Spoons and Small Wonder (2 episodes).
Some of his drama guest appearances included The Six Million Dollar Man, Fantasy Island (2 episodes), CHiPs (2 episodes), St. Elsewhere and Baywatch.
He provided the voice of Presto, the Magician, on the 1983-1985 CBS animated series Dungeons & Dragons. Presto is the 14-year-old Wizard of the team. His Eight Is Enough co-star Willie Aames provided the voice of Hank, the Ranger. Happy Days star Don Most provided the voice of Eric, the Cavalier.
Rich played Toby Hart in the 1981 feature film The Devil and Max Devlin, which starred Elliott Gould, Bill Cosby and Susan Anspach. He made a cameo as himself in Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star (2003).
Mr. Rich's role on Eight Is Enough led him to be known as "America's little brother." A distinctive feature of his appearance during his years as a child actor was his pageboy haircut, which inspired thousands of parents of that era to imitate the look for their young sons. We thank him for his work on Eight Is Enough and other television series. He will be sorely missed.
Share your memories on Eight Is Enough message board. View photos in our galleries.
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
TV Land Rebrands and Gets New Logo; Remembering Dick Van Patten
TV Land is rebranding and recreating its look with a new logo and a complete overhaul of the network's brand identity to complement a slate of new, original programming. The rebrand debuted on the linear channel yesterday. The new look of the network reflects the three tenets of TV Land's reinvention: quality, cleverness, and truth. This new branding also strives to be more authentic, raw and emotive. With Darren Star's critically-acclaimed Younger – which just wrapped its first season with record growth numbers for the network – TV Land's brand reinvention began, moving towards original programming that is more serialized, takes more risks and reflects the life experiences of the Gen X viewer. That evolution continues with the network's new series premiering this summer – The Jim Gaffigan Show, starring comedian, actor and New York Times best-selling author Jim Gaffigan, and Impastor, a dark comedy starring Michael Rosenbaum (Smallville) and Sara Rue (Less Than Perfect) – and with season two of Younger, as well as the launch of Teachers from Chicago improv group The Katydids. TV Land also recently announced a script deal with Emmy®-winning producers John Wells and John Riggi for a single-camera period comedy project inspired by the life of Kyle Richards (The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills).
Actor Dick Van Patten, who was best known for his role as patriarch Tom Bradford in Eight Is Enough, has died. He died on June 23 at Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, California. The cause of death was listed as complications from diabetes. Mr. Van Patten was 86.
Van Patten's television career began with his role as Nels Hansen in the 1949-1956 CBS comedy-drama Mama. The series was about a Norwegian family of five living in San Francisco in the 1910s. It starred Peggy Wood, Judson Laure, Rosemary Rice, Iris Mann (1949), Robin Morgan (1950-1956) and Ruth Gates.
He starred as Sgt. Nelson Higgenbottom in the 1971-1972 NBC sitcom The Partners. The series was about a pair of bumbling detectives. It starred Don Adams, Rupert Crosse, John Doucette and Robert Karvelas. He later had a recurring role as a soap opera producer Max Mathias in the third season of The New Dick Van Dyke Show in 1973-1974. In 1975, he starred as Friar Tuck in the critically acclaimed but short-lived sitcom ABC sitcom When Things Were Rotten, which was created by Mel Brooks.
Van Patten starred as the father, Tom Bradford, in the 1977-1981 ABC comedy-drama Eight Is Enough. The series was about a newspaper columnist for the fictional Sacramento Register and his family with eight children. It starred Diana Hyland (season 1), Betty Buckley (seasons 2-5), Grant Goodeve, Lani O'Grady, Laurie Walters, Susan Richardson, Dianne Kay, Connie Needham, Willie Aames and Adam Rich. Two reunion movies were broadcast on NBC: An Eight Is Enough Reunion on October 18, 1987, and An Eight Is Enough Wedding on October 22, 1989.
Some of his many sitcom guest appearances included I Dream of Jeannie, Arnie, That Girl, Sanford and Son, The Doris Day Show, Love, American Style, The Love Boat, Maude, What's Happening!!, One Day at a Time, Happy Days, The Facts of Life, Growing Pains, Arrested Development and Hot in Cleveland. He starred as weatherman Floyd Graham in the CBS drama WIOU in 1990-1991.
Van Patten's film credits included Charly, Joe Kidd, Snowball Express and Soylent Green. He appeared in several films directed by Mel Brooks, including High Anxiety, Spaceballs and Robin Hood: Men in Tights. He was interviewed for American Masters – Mel Brooks: Make A Noise (2013) on June 6, 2012.
The Archive of American Television conducted an extensive interview with him on May 11, 2011.
Survivors include his wife Pat Van Patten, whom he was married to for more than 60 years, and three sons: Vincent, Nels and Jimmy.
Mr. Van Patten was a talented and versatile actor. Tom Bradford was one of the best TV dads. We thank him for the many hours of entertainment he brought us. He will be greatly missed.
Share your memories on our Eight Is Enough message board. View photos in our galleries.
Saturday, March 15, 2014
SitcomsOnline Digest: CBS Looking to Fall 2014; Eight is Enough Wrapped Up on DVD
Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest!
Today, we've got news about CBS fall renewals, new Warner Archive updates, and more. Let's get going!
HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB
- The potential reboot of The Odd Couple on CBS now has a Felix to go with the previously cast Oscar (already announced to be Matthew Perry). This week, it was announced that Thomas Lennon will play the role of Felix Unger. (Deadline)
- The headline for this article pretty much says it all: "CBS Renews Practically Everything for Fall 2014." Not included here is The Crazy Ones, but it hasn't exactly been canceled yet either. (Huffington Post)
- One series didn't get renewed just for next season though. It looks like we'll be seeing more of The Big Bang Theory for the next three years. (Deadline)
- Famed production manager Abby Singer died this week at the age of 96. Even if the name doesn't sound familiar, Singer served in this role for countless hit series from MTM Productions during their heyday in the '70s and early '80s. (Variety)
- The Simpsons included a very touching tribute to the late Marcia Wallace in the episode that aired this week. (New York Daily News)
- We don't normally get too excited about reality shows around here, but when one stars Alan Thicke and is considered to be a "reality sitcom" (talk about "blurred lines!"), we do. This week, it was announced that will in fact happen on TVGN... and he'll be getting by with a little help from some friends from another sitcom. (SitcomsOnline)
HOME MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS
- It took years for Warner to even begin releasing Eight is Enough, and it seemed that it would never happen until about two years ago (April 2012, to be specific) when Warner Home Video released the first season. Now, not even two years later, Warner Archive is finishing up the run of the series, as they released Eight is Enough - The Complete Fifth Season this week.
- Warner Archive has another new release next week, with their release of Medical Center - The Complete Fourth Season. This release leaves only three more seasons to complete the series on DVD.
MARCH 18 HOME MEDIA RELEASES
FOLLOW ME- Medical Center - The Complete Fourth Season (DVD, $49.95): The classic medical series arrives on DVD once again from Warner Archive.
- Groundbreaking Sitcoms of the '70s (DVD, $9.98): A Mill Creek release containing selected episodes of Benson, Diff'rent Strokes, Good Times, The Jeffersons, and What's Happening!!
- Great Comedies of the '90s (DVD, $9.98): A Mill Creek release containing selected episodes of 3rd Rock from the Sun, Action, That '70s Show, The Nanny, Newsradio, Just Shoot Me, The Larry Sanders Show, Mad About You, Ned and Stacey, and The Jeff Foxworthy Show.
- Leading Ladies of Comedy (DVD, $9.98): A Mill Creek release containing selected episodes of Bewitched, I Dream of Jeannie, The Flying Nun, Gidget, and Maude.
Who to Follow: The Lonely Island (Twitter)
Claim to Fame: This week's Follow Me may be confusing to those who don't know who (or more accurately, what) The Lonely Island is. The Lonely Island is a comedy group that consists of Jorma Taccone, Akiva Schaffer, and the biggest name in the group is Andy Samberg. Samberg does not have his own Twitter account, and instead this account sort of serves as his own Twitter account, in third person. The group itself is not particularly known for sitcom fame, but many of their music videos appeared on Saturday Night Live as Digital Shorts throughout the past decade. Samberg, though, has reached a more prominent level of fame, being a cast member on Saturday Night Live, and now going on to star in the Fox series Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
Pick of the Tweets: "Congrats to everyone at Brooklyn99! We won Best TV show, musical or comedy at the #GoldenGlobes!" (January 12, 2014)
Saturday, March 01, 2014
SitcomsOnline Digest: An Odd Couple Remake on CBS?; Eight is Enough and In the Heat of the Night DVD Updates
Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! Today, we've got news about Matthew Perry possibly filling the shoes of Felix Unger, updates on DVDs for Eight is Enough and In the Heat of the Night, and more. Let's get going!
HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB
- The Odd Couple seems to be on inching closer to becoming a reality again, with Matthew Perry filling Jack Klugman's shoes of Oscar Madison. Right now, though, it is just an odd person, as there is no Felix Unger. Can a remake about two divorced men sharing an apartment actually make it to air some day? We now just sit and wait. (Deadline)
- Parks and Recreation has always had plenty of politicians stop by for cameos on the series, including Joe Biden, John McCain, Barbara Boxer, and Olympia Snowe. This week, though, it was announced that First Lady Michelle Obama will appear on the season finale. This is far from the first time that a first lady has appeared in an NBC sitcom, though, as First Lady Nancy Reagan appeared in a 1983 episode of Diff'rent Strokes. (Hollywood Reporter)
- Meanwhile, recently revealed documents show that in 1995, another first lady, Hillary Clinton, was approached to appear in Home Improvement (ABC's top-rated series at the time), but couldn't manage to get her. (Deadline)
- Game show host Jim Lange, best known as the host of The Dating Game, died this week at the age of 81. He also made a few sitcom appearances throughout his career on Bewitched, Laverne & Shirley, Parker Lewis Can't Lose, and Moesha. (Time)
- TV One is on the verge of premiering a new series called Unsung Hollywood, which tells the behind-the-scenes stories of some of of Hollywood's rarely told stories. On March 12, What's Happening!! will be featured in this new series. (SitcomsOnline)
HOME MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS
- Warner Archive has been steadily releasing Eight is Enough on DVD, so it should come as no surprise that they would release the fifth (and final) season of the series on DVD. This week, we got some confirmation from the studio that it is not only on the way, but in fact, work is being completed for this release. The studio responds to a Facebook post with the message "We are finishing up work on S5 at the present time. Thanks." We can't wait! No word on any of the post-series movies, though.
- In The Heat of the Night has had a very unusual DVD release history, and TGG is about to release the rest of the series (technically, you can put an asterisk or 28 asterisks next to that) on March 11. On this date, the studio will release In the Heat of the Night - Seasons 2 and 3, In the Heat of the Night - Season 6, and In the Heat of the Night - Seasons 7. This trio of releases means that all eight seasons of the series will be represented on DVD. However, it does not mean that all 142 episodes of the series will be available on DVD. While seasons 1 and 8 (which was technically a series of four movies that followed the show rather than another season in proper terms) are completely available, six episodes were missing from the last two sets of releases (seasons 4 and 5) due to music releases, and a lot more will be missing this time: 16 episodes from the season 2 and 3 set, one episode from season 6, and 5 episodes from season 7. So, in the end, about 114 of the 142 episodes (roughly 80%) will be available on DVD with these newest releases.
- Mill Creek is best known for budget re-releases, but budget doesn't always mean lower quality, and it appears that the studio is bringing fans something a little better than what Sony brought fans (at about 1/6 of the original price even) as they prepare to bring Married... with Children - Seasons 3 and 4 to DVD. Not only will the release contain the original theme song (something that was difficult/impossible for Sony to obtain), but the episodes are expected to be unedited as well. We eagerly await this release!
RECENT HOME MEDIA REVIEWS ON SITCOMSONLINE
- Dr. Kildare - The Complete Second Season: Warner Archive brings together another release of one of TV's first medical dramas to leave a true legacy in a virtually flawless nine disc release, including one episode that was filmed in color as part of a special week of color programming on NBC that season.
MARCH 4 HOME MEDIA RELEASES
- Starsky & Hutch - Season 1 (DVD, $9.98): Mill Creek brings the classic detective duo together again for re-release of the first season on DVD.
Who to Follow: David Hasselhoff (Twitter),
"here and now"
Claim to Fame: David Hasselhoff may be known to some people today from his appearances on talent shows and some of the struggles that he publicly battles in life, but make no mistake: we'd never know who Hasselhoff was if he had not appeared on a classic TV series in the 80s, Knight Rider. Even though the series only ran for four seasons, it left quite a legacy with Hasselhoff playing the starring role of Michael Knight, and of course the uncredited William Daniels as the role of the voice for his car, KITT. He later went on to even more success in the series Baywatch, where he played Mitch Buchannon. In more recent years, of course, he has appeared in Dancing with the Stars, has been a judge on America's Got Talent, and has made cameo appearances in many movies and commercials.
Pick of the Tweets: "My buddy has arrived. #kittinsweden #kittiscold http://instagram.com/p/jTi9N3LwNL/" (January 18, 2014)
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Digital Digest: Night Court, Eight is Enough, Return of the Beverly Hillbillies, and more to DVD; The Streets of San Francisco - Season 5 (Volumes 1 and 2) DVD Review
Welcome to Digital Digest! We've got a lot of news for you this week (quite a change from the past few weeks), along with our review of The Streets of San Francisco - Season 5 (Volumes 1 and 2). Let's get going!
DIGITAL NEWS
Get ready to cue the sax as bang the gavel as Night Court returns to DVD once again! This week, Warner Archive brought the series one season closer to completion with their release of Night Court - The Complete Seventh Season! We'll have more about this set in the upcoming weeks as we learn more information. By the way, remember last week when we said that we had a Warner Archive announcement that we couldn't disclose just yet? Well, you're probably thinking that Night Court was, in fact, that release. However, it is not! We can now tell you that this "mystery release" coming soon from Warner Archive (we don't exactly know when it'll be out, but we anticipate it being very soon) is the second season of Eight is Enough. We'll have more on this when the time is appropriate, but for now, we can tell you that it'll be released as two separate volumes on the same date.
MPI released My Favorite Martian - Season 3 on DVD a few weeks ago, but the set came with an insert that provided a bit of news... and we honestly don't have a whole lot of details about two of the releases mentioned on it. First, it showed packaging for the made for TV movie Return of the Beverly Hillbillies. This was recently made available as a MOD offering on amazon.com, but this MPI offering, whenever it appears, could be more interesting. The problem is, we really have no clue about any details regarding this. We have even fewer details about the packaging shown for Petticoat Junction: Return to Hooterville. Honestly, we're not sure what it is (Is it a retrospective? A collection of episodes?), but it has a banner on it that says "50th Anniversary Collection" which leads us to believe that it may just be a collection of episodes, perhaps similar to the set they released a few years ago. You can see the entire insert (the remaining releases are things that have been out for a while) below.
Mill Creek made a few announcements this week, including one surprise announcement of a complete series of something that they've never released before. On January 8, they'll release the final two seasons of one of the Carsey-Werner sitcoms with 3rd Rock from the Sun - The Complete Season Five and 3rd Rock from the Sun - The Complete Season Six. The big surprise, though, is their announcement of Hearts Afire - The Complete Series. The show itself isn't new to DVD, but the season sets were previously released by Image, which makes this Mill Creek announcement surprising.
Shout! Factory has made many licensing deals, few of which are ever completely surprising, but this week they made a licensing deal which is, in fact, surprising. This week, the studio announced a licensing deal with Warner to release season 2 through 5 of MADtv. This is huge, since Warner almost never does these licensing deals (although they did make a similar one for Max Headroom and Norm with Shout! a few years ago). The deal also includes the animated Beetlejuice series.
Finally, we have some MOD news this week, as Fox recently released Raising Hope - The Complete Second Season as a MOD title. The first season was released as a standard release, so it seems likely that it didn't perform as well as hoped... but nonetheless, fans will get more of the series on DVD.
Shout! Factory has made many licensing deals, few of which are ever completely surprising, but this week they made a licensing deal which is, in fact, surprising. This week, the studio announced a licensing deal with Warner to release season 2 through 5 of MADtv. This is huge, since Warner almost never does these licensing deals (although they did make a similar one for Max Headroom and Norm with Shout! a few years ago). The deal also includes the animated Beetlejuice series.
Finally, we have some MOD news this week, as Fox recently released Raising Hope - The Complete Second Season as a MOD title. The first season was released as a standard release, so it seems likely that it didn't perform as well as hoped... but nonetheless, fans will get more of the series on DVD.
UPCOMING WEEK PREVIEW
Tuesday (November 13) is a huge re-release day, where there isn't actually anything completely new to home media, but instead things upgrade from DVD to Blu-ray or are simply re-released in new packaging. There are two big complete series sets being released on Blu-ray for the very first time, with The Dick Van Dyke Show - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) and Friends - The Complete Series (Blu-ray). Warner Home Video re-releases another complete series on DVD with The Flintstones - The Complete Series. And finally, Inception has a re-release of The Real McCoys - Complete Season 2.
BLOG FEATURE REVIEW
DVD Review: The Streets of San Francisco - Season 5, Volumes 1 and 2 (CBS, $45.98 each or $89.98 together)
by skees53
Lt. Mike Stone (Karl Malden) returns to fight crime in San Francisco in The Streets of San Francisco - Season 5 (Volumes 1 and 2), but this time, he is without his original partner. By the fifth season, Michael Douglas was beginning to see his own career take off (a successful career that continues even through this day), so the producers wrote off the character of Steve Keller, explaining that he had taken a job teaching at a local college, and introduced a new partner for Stone: Inspector Dan Robbins (Richard Hatch). These changes weren't popular for the series at all, and this season ended up marking the last for the series... but regardless, the fifth season still produced many excellent episodes (nearly all of them) that are worth watching again.
The final season begins with the two-part episode "The Thrill Killers," where a murder trial becomes a hostage situation. Michael Douglas appears in this episode as a "special guest star" to explain why he leaves the police force. A millionaire wants his daughter's murderer... dead or alive... in "Dead or Alive." Stone could be the target of a murderer in "The Drop." The father of a 16 year old girl is murdering her "johns" one-by-one in "No Minor Vices." A singer-songwriter could be a murderer in "In Case of Madness." In "'Til Death Do Us Part," Stone is charged with protecting a former bookkeeper's wife. In "Child of Anger," Stone and Robbins have a bigger mystery on their hand after the daughter of a clothing designer confesses to murdering her latest fling. Stone and Robbins are in hot pursuit of a motorcycle gang wreaking havoc on the city in "Hot Dog." Paranoia leads to a cop being shot in "Castle of Fear." In "One Last Trick," a prostitute goes back to work to smoke out the killer of a "coworker." In "Monkey is Back," Stone has to stay one step ahead of an ex-con who is released and now out for revenge.
Volume 2 begins with "The Cannibals," where a mobster steals loot from his father and buys immunity from the Feds by offering to testify against his dad. Stone investigates a domestic violence situation that leads to more complications in "Who Killed Helen French?" In "A Good Cop... But," Stone needs to find a cop killer before it is too late. A dirty copy places a weapon on a drug dealer he roughed up in "Hang Tough." In "Innocent No More," Stone wants to get violent youth gang members tried as adults. Stone has doubts when an ex-con in the midst of rehabilitation is accused of murder in "Once a Con." Stone is on the search for a man who escapes from a mental institution looking for the wife that he allegedly killed in "Interlude." A bodybuilder's short fuse leads to murder in "Dead Lift." A divorce gets very complicated in "Breakup." In "Let's Pretend We're Strangers," Robbins gets romantically involved with a public defender, which throws some more complications into a case she is representing. A San Quentin guard is on the hunt for convicts who escaped under his watch in "Time Out." The series ends with "The Canine Collar," where a jewel thief is determined to find a missing dog collar containing stolen diamonds.
Typically, I like to list guest stars with the episodes, but there were way too many in this set... so we'll just list a few here: Susan Dey, Patty Duke, Norman Fell, Paula Kelly, Doris Roberts, Dick Van Patten, Marion Ross, Ron Glass (the ones listed so far were just in the first episode of the season), Tom Bosley, Max Gail, Dabney Coleman, Eugene Roche, Parker Stevenson, Maureen McCormick, Desi Arnaz Jr., Gerald McRaney, Don Johnson, Ned Beatty, Mark Hamill, Carl Weathers, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Pernell Roberts, and many, many more!
Although there are standard disclaimers on the packaging, the episodes seem to be unedited. I couldn't say for sure, though. One slight exception is the season premiere, which originally aired as a two hour episode, but from what I understand everything is still there, it is just that the episode was split in to two parts. Runtimes are as follows:
Volume 1:
Disc 1:
1. "The Thrill Killers (Part 1)" (50:11)
2. "The Thrill Killers (Part 2)" (48:14)
3. "Dead or Alive" (50:16)
4. "The Drop" (49:46)
Disc 2:
5. "No Minor Vices" (50:15)
6. "In Case of Madness" (50:15)
7. "Till Death Do Us Part" (50:17)
8. "Child of Anger" (50:15)
Disc 3:
9. "Hot Dog" (49:03)
10. "Castle of Fear" (50:16)
11. "One Last Trick" (50:14)
12. "Monkey is Back" (49:04)
Volume 2:
Disc 1:
1. "The Cannibals" (50:15)
2. "Who Killed Helen French" (50:16)
3. "A Good Cop... But" (50:15)
4. "Hang Tough" (50:14)
Disc 2:
5. "Innocent No More" (50:01)
6. "Once a Con" (50:16)
7. "Interlude" (50:18)
8. "Dead Lift" (50:07)
Disc 3:
9. "Breakup" (49:16)
10. "Let's Pretend We're Strangers" (50:14)
11. "Time Out" (49:44)
12. "The Canine Collar" (50:05)
Both of these sets have standard packaging that is very much in line with the previous releases. Both volumes have cover art with Hatch and Malden (different poses) with San Francisco skylines in the background. The back of each Viva case has a few episode snapshots and a brief description of the episodes on the particular volume. Inside the case for each volume, you'll find the three discs, each containing four episodes. The discs are the standard CBS discs with the series title and episodes listed on a gray background. Episode titles, descriptions, and airdates are listed inside each case.
Volume 1:
Disc 1:
1. "The Thrill Killers (Part 1)" (50:11)
2. "The Thrill Killers (Part 2)" (48:14)
3. "Dead or Alive" (50:16)
4. "The Drop" (49:46)
Disc 2:
5. "No Minor Vices" (50:15)
6. "In Case of Madness" (50:15)
7. "Till Death Do Us Part" (50:17)
8. "Child of Anger" (50:15)
Disc 3:
9. "Hot Dog" (49:03)
10. "Castle of Fear" (50:16)
11. "One Last Trick" (50:14)
12. "Monkey is Back" (49:04)
Volume 2:
Disc 1:
1. "The Cannibals" (50:15)
2. "Who Killed Helen French" (50:16)
3. "A Good Cop... But" (50:15)
4. "Hang Tough" (50:14)
Disc 2:
5. "Innocent No More" (50:01)
6. "Once a Con" (50:16)
7. "Interlude" (50:18)
8. "Dead Lift" (50:07)
Disc 3:
9. "Breakup" (49:16)
10. "Let's Pretend We're Strangers" (50:14)
11. "Time Out" (49:44)
12. "The Canine Collar" (50:05)
Both of these sets have standard packaging that is very much in line with the previous releases. Both volumes have cover art with Hatch and Malden (different poses) with San Francisco skylines in the background. The back of each Viva case has a few episode snapshots and a brief description of the episodes on the particular volume. Inside the case for each volume, you'll find the three discs, each containing four episodes. The discs are the standard CBS discs with the series title and episodes listed on a gray background. Episode titles, descriptions, and airdates are listed inside each case.
The menus for the set are basic and functional, just like all of the previous releases. On the main menu of each disc, there are stills of Malden and Hatch, while the theme song and clips from episodes play in the background. Options on the main menu include Play All, Episodes, and Subtitles. There are animated transitions to each menu. Upon selecting Episodes, you get a menu where all of the episode titles are listed. Chapters are placed throughout each episode.
Like the previous releases, the episodes on this set have been remastered. However, something is just not quite right about the remastering this time. The first two episodes of the season (which actually aired as a double length episode originally, but are split up here) really do not look all that great, with a lot of artifacts on the video. However, the remainder of the set appears to be fine, and the audio is fine throughout. Each episode has English subtitles.
The video and audio quality of the episodes on this set is excellent. The episodes do show some age, of course, but I honestly do feel that they look and sound as good as anybody could possibly expect. Unfortunately, the set is lacking on subtitles or closed-captioning.
I was hoping that they'd end the series with a "bang" considering that there have been no special features on any of the sets, but unfortunately, they didn't. It would have been nice to have had some sort of special feature about the introduction of Hatch's character in this season.
Once again, we've got another series wrapped up on DVD! It is always nice when these series get completed on DVD, but also a little sad because it marks the end, at least for now. In general, I think CBS did a great job with this series as far as quality (with a few exceptions, most of the episodes of this series have looked absolutely flawless on DVD), but they certainly did manage to disappoint on the special features. In any event, this is one of those series that I never would have expected to see completed on DVD a few years ago, and in the early days of DVD, I would have never even expected to see it on DVD. Now, the whole series is complete. I actually first discovered the series on DVD, and I've been impressed with the series. It goes without saying that the first four seasons with Michael Douglas were better seasons, but I honestly don't think that this season was bad at all, and it is a shame that it had to end here. If you are a fan of crime dramas in general (particularly the "big ones" of the '70s), you really can't go wrong with this set.
(4/5 stars)To purchase Volume 1, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.com
To purchase Volume 2, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.com
To purchase Volumes 1 and 2 together, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
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Related links:
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The Streets of San Francisco TV.com Page
FOLLOW ME
Who to Follow: Bob Saget (Twitter), "I like long walks on the beach...and then to be dragged through the sand by an off-road vehicle, and then hurled off a catapult."
Claim to Fame: Danny Tanner from Full House, original host of America's Funniest Home Videos, and currently the voice of future Ted on How I Met Your Mother.
Why You Should Follow Him: For a long time, I always had a pretty low opinion of Bob Saget. His claim to fame began with his days on Full House where he played the squeaky clean good father Danny Tanner, and I always believed that his range was just incredibly limited to being one of TV's lamest characters (regardless of what anybody thinks of Full House, Danny Tanner was pretty lame). It wasn't until I saw Saget's appearance on Saturday Night Live in the mid '90s (see his opening monologue) that I realized that Saget has much more dynamic appeal than he demonstrated on Full House, and is actually a very funny person. When you follow his Twitter feed, you get some of his comedic gold every single day, and it is certainly worth reading. You'll find a lot of Tweets on topics including his (seemingly depressing) dating life, his 87 year old mother, politics,
Pick of the Tweets: (well, at least of the G-rated ones) "Excited my grandmother's coming to visit today. A little scared too, cause she passed away fifteen years ago." (June 1, 2011)
Claim to Fame: Danny Tanner from Full House, original host of America's Funniest Home Videos, and currently the voice of future Ted on How I Met Your Mother.
Why You Should Follow Him: For a long time, I always had a pretty low opinion of Bob Saget. His claim to fame began with his days on Full House where he played the squeaky clean good father Danny Tanner, and I always believed that his range was just incredibly limited to being one of TV's lamest characters (regardless of what anybody thinks of Full House, Danny Tanner was pretty lame). It wasn't until I saw Saget's appearance on Saturday Night Live in the mid '90s (see his opening monologue) that I realized that Saget has much more dynamic appeal than he demonstrated on Full House, and is actually a very funny person. When you follow his Twitter feed, you get some of his comedic gold every single day, and it is certainly worth reading. You'll find a lot of Tweets on topics including his (seemingly depressing) dating life, his 87 year old mother, politics,
Pick of the Tweets: (well, at least of the G-rated ones) "Excited my grandmother's coming to visit today. A little scared too, cause she passed away fifteen years ago." (June 1, 2011)
That's all for this week. Until next time, keep it digital!
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Digital Digest: April Showers of DVD Releases; Kojak - The Complete Movie Collection DVD Review
Happy Saturday and welcome to Digital Digest! We are very happy to say that we have a very busy news week this week, perhaps one of our biggest ones in months. And of course, we have our preview of Tuesday's releases and a review of Shout! Factory's upcoming release of Kojak - The Complete Movie Collection. Let's get going!
April is going to be a very busy month for DVD releases, but what will perhaps be the most anticipated release is a series that Warner Home Video is releasing on DVD in season format for the first time ever: Eight is Enough! Finally, the Bradford family is coming to DVD with the April 17 release of Eight is Enough - The Complete First Season. The classic '70s comedy-drama ran for five seasons, and the first season only included nine episodes. But in any case, I'm sure that fans will be happy to see this series make it to DVD.
We mentioned just two weeks ago in our 2012 DVD Preview that there were rumors of Car 54, Where Are You? - The Complete Second Season would be coming to DVD in February, but at that time, it was just that--a rumor. But now, there is confirmation that the second (and final) season of the classic series is coming to DVD, just not in February. Look for Car 54, Where Are You? - The Complete Second Season to arrive on DVD on April 10.
Laverne & Shirley appeared to be an abandoned series with no new releases for almost four years, but that is all about to change on April 10. This week, CBS Home Entertainment announced their upcoming release of Laverne & Shirley - The Fifth Season. There is no word on whether the series related to it (Happy Days and Mork & Mindy) will also have follow-up releases anytime in the near future, but hopefully they will later this year. We'll let you know when and if we know!
The really surprising announcement from CBS Home Entertainment, though, is the announcement of the complete series of a short-lived series from the early '90s starring Bob Newhart. On April 3 (yes, another date in April!), look for Bob - The Complete Series on DVD. The DVD set will contain all 33 episodes of the short-lived series. Speaking of Bob Newhart, there is still no word as to what is going on with his first series, The Bob Newhart Show. The final two seasons have been available to pre-order on amazon.com for months, but they don't appear to be on the way anytime soon.
Yet another April release on the horizon is Designing Women - The Complete Sixth Season. On April 3, Shout! Factory will bring the next-to-last season of this series on DVD, bringing it one step closer to completion. Hopefully, we will see the series completed by the end of the year.
A series that Shout! Factory will complete by the end of the year, though, is Adam-12. While Adam-12 - Season Six isn't even out yet (it will be on Tuesday), Adam-12 - The Final Season (the official title for the seventh and final season) will be out on yet another day in April, on April 10. The series appeared to be abandoned at one point in time, so it is great to see it get all the way to the seventh season finally.
After all of those April releases, we end with one release that is actually coming a bit earlier than April, in fact, in March. On March 27, just ahead of the premiere of the sixteenth season, South Park - The Complete Fifteenth Season heads to DVD and Blu-ray! The three disc DVD set (and two disc Blu-ray) set will contain plenty of special features.
UPCOMING WEEK PREVIEW
Tuesday (January 17) has two releases from Shout! Factory, one which will only be sold as a Shout! Select title and the other that will have a regular retail release. The Shout! Select title that is being released on Tuesday is Webster - Season Four, and the regular retail release is Adam-12 - Season Six. So far, we have not received review copies of either of these.
BLOG FEATURE REVIEW
Blog DVD Review: Kojak - The Complete Movie Collection (Shout! Factory, $29.98)
by skees53
Ever wonder "who loves ya, baby?" Apparently, it is Shout! Factory, as they have recently licensed the classic detective series Kojak for release on DVD. Their next release in the classic series, though, is not one of the five seasons of the series, but rather a collection of all eight of the movies related to the series starring Telly Savalas, beginning with the 1973 pilot movie, movies from 1985 and 1987, and all five of the movies that aired as part of the ABC Mystery Movie series (in rotation with other franchises) in the 1989-1990 TV season.
The first movie included in this set is 1973's "The Marcus-Nelson Murders" (2:18:46), which actually served as the pilot movie for the series and was not included in Universal's original release of the first season. In this movie, Kojak suspects that a black youth who confessed to a murder of two white women is innocent of the crime, and was in fact coerced by the police into a confession by unethical means. Look for appearances by Lawrence Pressman and Ned Beatty in this movie.
Next up is 1985's "The Belarus File" (1:34:32), where Kojak investigates the death of several elderly Russian men. But it becomes disturbing is when Kojak finds who is behind the murders, and how their existence in the United States is with the full knowledge and approval of the US government. In 1987's "The Price of Justice" (1:35:24), the bodies of two young boys are found in the Harlem River, and all evidence seems to point to their mother being the obvious suspect. But Kojak is a smart guy and he is pretty sure that is wrong. So is she innocent, and if so, can he prove it?
The remaining five movies are all from the 1989-1990 season, as part of ABC's Mystery Movie rotation. These begin with "Ariana" (1:36:01), where an enemy of Kojak's and a drug lord use a pretty Greek woman to bait a trap for Kojak. In the next movie, "Fatal Flaw" (1:34:28), Kojak investigates the murder of a writer responsible for a mob exposé, but in the process, discovers that the dead man's wife is an old flame (played by Angie Dickinson). Also look for Don King and Sally Jessy Raphaël in this one. In "Flowers for Matty" (1:35:29), Kojak puts himself into "high society" to investigate some arts thefts that may be tied in with some major crime. In "It's Always Something" (1:35:59), Kojak's latest investigation leads him to being framed as a suspect in the murder of a call girl. The final movie, "None So Blind" (1:36:04), has Kojak becoming suspicious of a wealthy department store owner and his family after the death of an accountant. Jerry Orbach and Rip Torn both appear in this movie
The packaging for the set is very basic, with the set being in a standard Viva case. On the cover, we have a large photo of Kojak sucking a lollipop and standing in front of the New York City skyline. There are several snapshots from the movies, as well as another large photo of Kojak on the back of the case. Inside, you'll find the four discs, all of which have the same artwork as the cover art. There is also a listing of all of the movies, along with descriptions for each one, printed inside the case. The set contains eight movies, and each disc contains two of those movies.
The menus on the set are basic, but very nicely done. They are fairly identical on each disc, with a large photo of Kojak on the main menu, with options of Play All and a listing of the episodes. In the background of all discs, we have the Mike Post ABC Mystery Movie theme from 1989-1990 playing, which is actually really nice to hear on the set, even if it doesn't exactly fit in on the first disc. Chapters are placed throughout each movie.
All of these movies look and sound great. Of course, the 1973 pilot looks worse than the rest of the set, but that is understandable, as it is the oldest movie on here. The audio sounds great all throughout the set. But one thing that I did find interesting about the video is the aspect ratio. The first three movies are presented in full-screen, as one would expect, but the five ABC Mystery Movie ones are presented in anamorphic widescreen. This is an interesting choice, and I'm honestly not sure how it affects this set. For me, I think it made the movies look even better, but some fans may disagree with that assessment. Unfortunately, there are no subtitles or closed-captioning on any of the movies.
Surprisingly, the set does have one special feature, and it is even a special feature that was produced exclusively for this set. On Disc 4, we have the "Who Loves Ya Baby" featurette (31:46), where we have a very nice documentary covering Kojak. This featurette isn't exactly about just the movies, but most of the footage used here is from the movies. Most of the interviews here consist of members of Telly Savalas' family (members of his family often appeared in Kojak), but we also see a few other people, including Angie Dickinson, who starred in the "Fatal Flaw" movie.
Watching this set was actually the first time I've ever truly watched Kojak. I have seen bits and pieces of a few episodes here and there over the years, but I have never actually sat down and watched the series at length, much less full-length movies. But I really enjoyed this set, and wish that there were more of these movies. I really like the detective series where the detectives don't see everything in the world in black or white, and actually have some depth perception and are capable of getting it right without resulting to corruption. And Theo Kojak manages to do that. Honestly, I have to admit that most of the movies on here (aside from the pilot, of course) reminded me of some of the prominent detective series of the 80s, such as Hunter or Miami Vice, but I don't really see that as a bad thing. After all, those were also great series. And I think that fans of series such as those, and naturally fans of Kojak, are guaranteed to love this set.
(4/5 stars)
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Related links:
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Kojak on TV.com
Surprisingly, the set does have one special feature, and it is even a special feature that was produced exclusively for this set. On Disc 4, we have the "Who Loves Ya Baby" featurette (31:46), where we have a very nice documentary covering Kojak. This featurette isn't exactly about just the movies, but most of the footage used here is from the movies. Most of the interviews here consist of members of Telly Savalas' family (members of his family often appeared in Kojak), but we also see a few other people, including Angie Dickinson, who starred in the "Fatal Flaw" movie.
Watching this set was actually the first time I've ever truly watched Kojak. I have seen bits and pieces of a few episodes here and there over the years, but I have never actually sat down and watched the series at length, much less full-length movies. But I really enjoyed this set, and wish that there were more of these movies. I really like the detective series where the detectives don't see everything in the world in black or white, and actually have some depth perception and are capable of getting it right without resulting to corruption. And Theo Kojak manages to do that. Honestly, I have to admit that most of the movies on here (aside from the pilot, of course) reminded me of some of the prominent detective series of the 80s, such as Hunter or Miami Vice, but I don't really see that as a bad thing. After all, those were also great series. And I think that fans of series such as those, and naturally fans of Kojak, are guaranteed to love this set.
(4/5 stars)To purchase this DVD, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.com
Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com DVD Reviews Page
Kojak on TV.com
CLICK OF THE WEEK
Just My Show (www.justmyshow.com) - This week, our Click of the Week is a more general pop culture website rather than a website just about television, but don't worry. We aren't becoming the VH-1 of websites, but instead we bring you this website because in the midst of the content that can be found on it, a great chunk of it (really, a majority) is TV related content on it. So with that long-winded introduction, what exactly is Just My Show? Well, we've actually mentioned it on our blog (though not in Digital Digest) several times in recent years. It is a website that has some very nice interviews with pop-culture icons, particularly classic TV stars, in a convenient podcast form.
There are many different ways to get started with the website, but I suggest going with the alphabetic list that is presented. This seems to make the navigation and finding a celebrity that you may be looking for rather simple, though some may prefer other means of navigating. From there, you can find links to all of the shows, featuring guest stars such as Harry Anderson, Chris Burke, Gary David Goldberg, Dave Madden, Marion Ross, Alan Young, and many others. Many of these are not isolated interviews, but many of the podcasts feature multiple guests, and run anywhere from 10 minutes up to an hour (with most near the 30 minute mark). And the website is on top of the technology curve as well; although you can certainly sit at your computer and listen to these interviews, they are also available to download from iTunes to your iPod, iPhone, or any other of the numerous portable devices. There is a lot to listen to here, and it is definitely worth checking out.
That's all for this week. Until next time, keep it digital!
Monday, November 14, 2011
The Odd Couple Thanksgiving Day Marathon on WPIX; Reimagine That! Episode 3 with Dianne Kay of Eight is Enough
This Thanksgiving join Laurel & Hardy, Oscar & Felix on WPIX-11 in New York. On Thanksgiving Day (Thursday, November 24), PIX11 will continue its Thanksgiving tradition and air March of the Wooden Soldiers (9-11am) followed by a 12-episode viewer's choice marathon of The Odd Couple (11am-5pm). The 1934 classic film has the classic comic team of Laurel and Hardy star in this lighthearted version of Victor Herbert's classic operetta about a fantasy world where toys are made and nursery-rhyme characters live. In this rendition, Stan and Ollie help save Toyland from the Bog. Then its 6-hours of The Odd Couple, starring award-winning actors Tony Randall (as neat-freak, Felix) and Jack Klugman (as everyone's favorite slob, Oscar) which ran for 5 seasons (1970-1975.) Vote for your favorite episodes through PIX Rewards (membership required) http://rewards.wpix.com/. The Odd Couple marathon is sponsored by Time Warner Cable. Too bad a national network is not airing this '70s classic, but if you're in the NYC market or get WPIX on satellite, you won't want to miss this classic sitcom marathon!
Our pal Chris Mann of Retroality.tv is back with episode three of his must-listen podcast, Reimagine That! Well, he premiered it on 11/11/11, so it was released a few days ago. Retro pop meets forward thought as Eight is Enough star Dianne Kay (no relation to Reimagine That! announcer Linda Kay) -- in part one of her exclusive, in-depth interview -- opens her heart about her TV dramedy co-stars, including Dick Van Patten, Susan Richardson, Adam Rich, Grant Goodeve, Betty Buckley, Connie Needham-Newton and the late Lani O'Grady and Diana Hyland. The upbeat and funny blonde beauty also talks about surviving kidney cancer last year as well as surviving the pitfalls of Hollywood. And for the first time ever, she talks about being suspended from an episode of Eight is Enough after standing her ground when show writers decided to make her character, Nancy, pose nude for an art gallery and then receive self-esteem talk from the Bradfords after they show up at the gallery. (One word: Ewwww!)
ALSO: Chris discusses the upcoming literary event (tour?!?) titled "Good Girl vs. Bad Girl: Mary McDonough in conversation with Alison Arngrim," in which the respective authors of "Lessons from the Mountain: What I Learned from Erin Walton" and "Confessions of a Prairie Bitch" offer behind-the-scenes dish while discussing the events and issues that shaped them as women and as advocates. Chris also reveals how the Family Feud home game brought strife to his house in the late '70s/early '80s, shares his cinnamon bun-enhanced fascination with actress-author Carrie Fisher (who once followed him on Twitter -- come back, Carrie, come back!), talks about Showtime's hit new dramedy Shameless, exposes his true feelings about having bowl-resistant hair in the Adam-Rich-bowl-a-riffic '70s, and previews his plans for an updated edition of his book "Come and Knock on Door" for the 35th anniversary of Three's Company in 2012 (James Franco, can Chris borrow your "Chrissy" wig?). Chris mentions Eight is Enough and Three's Company on the same show. Add 8 and 3 and you get 11. 11's are wild on 11/11/11!
Finally, in the third installment of a recurring "dream weaver" segment, Chris and dream weaver Yvonne Ryba (http://YvonneRyba.com) talk lions and tigers and bears (oh, my) while encouraging listeners reimagine their own reality via dream interpretation.
Anyway, listed to episode three on iTunes or on YouTube. You might even hear Dianne slap Chris eight times for calling her Nancy!
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Digital Digest: Tonight - 4 Decades of The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson DVD Review
Welcome back to another week of Digital Digest! This week, along with our regular news and updates, we celebrate the return of a former reviewer who is rejoining us today with a review of Respond 2's mega-set, Tonight - 4 Decades of The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson! And it may not even be Halloween just yet, but we've got some Christmas DVD news for you as well! Let's get going!
DIGITAL NEWS
There have been a few compilations of Christmas episodes released on DVD in the past few years, including the upcoming Christmas Treats DVD from CBS Home Entertainment. But we have an even bigger treat coming sometime next month from Warner Archive (Warner's manufacture-on-demand program) with their just announced Classic TV Christmas Collection! While we don't have specific details on the episodes or cost just yet, we do know that it will be released on November 9, and we also know which series will be included, and some of them have never been released on DVD! The DVD includes episodes from Veronica's Closet, Suddenly Susan, The Courtship of Eddie's Father, Welcome Back, Kotter, Dr. Kildare, Mama's Family, Eight is Enough, Perfect Strangers, Alice, and CHiPs! The best part is that, with the exception of Perfect Strangers, none of these series have had any of their Christmas episodes released on DVD, so just about everything on the set should be new to DVD! It isn't available to order just yet, but should be soon. We do have artwork, which is shown below:
That isn't all for Warner Archive, though! Later in November, on November 30, they are releasing the animated spinoff of The Dukes of Hazzard, The Dukes! Details are a little murky on this release right now, but we assume that it will be a release of the entire series, consisting of 20 episodes.
In other news, Shout! Factory has plans to release a few single disc releases of series that they've already released, including Adam-12 - Season Two, Volume One; Dragnet - Season Two, Volume One; and Spin City - Season One, Volume One. They will all be released on January 11 at a low MSRP of $7.93. Each of these will contain ten episodes, which, unless that episode count is incorrect, suggests that these will not be exact copies of discs from the previous releases.
Finally, we go back to the department of current series on TV that we all knew were coming to DVD anyway, as Amazon.com puts up even more pre-order listings for the current seasons of various series on DVD. This week, NBC/Universal is in the spotlight, with pre-orders appearing for The Office - Season Seven (also on Blu-ray Disc), 30 Rock - Season Five, and Parenthood - Season Two! No release dates or other information is known just yet, but we'll have details when we get them, of course!
UPCOMING WEEK PREVIEW
There isn't much coming out on Tuesday (October 26) in the realm of sitcoms, but there are a few other releases of note, including the 15 disc set, Tonight - 4 Decades of The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, which we have a review of today in Digital Digest. Additionally, we have C.S.I.: NY - The Complete Sixth Season on the way, and The Twilight Zone - Fan Favorites, which contains nineteen popular episodes of the series.
BLOG FEATURE REVIEW
Respond2 Entertainment has compiled a once-in-a-lifetime collection of the greatest moments in Tonight Show history in one 15-disc set - Tonight: 4 Decades From The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. Perfect for the Johnny Carson or Classic Television fan on the holiday list, Tonight features over 50 shows hand-selected by the original Producer as the best episodes from the show's 30-year run, covering the 60's, 70's, 80's, and 90's! The collectable set features over 30 hours of material that has never before been released on DVD including rescued footage from shows originally airing in the 1960's (virtually all episodes and other content from the 1960's were lost) and all-new interviews with some of Carson's most celebrated and regular guest stars including Actress Loni Anderson, Comedian David Brenner, and fan-favorite animal handler Jim Fowler! Here is our review of Tonight: 4 Decades of the Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
DVD Review: Tonight: 4 Decades of the Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
by Greg Brobeck
I'd like to start off this review by first saying it's great to be back writing reviews again after such a long absence (6 years!). I want to thank the staff for so cordially inviting me back. - Greg
Tonight: 4 Decades of the Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (Respond2 Entertainment, $119.99) features 56 episodes of the classic late night talk/variety show hosted by the late, great Johnny Carson for 30 years, in a beautiful 15-disc set. The episodes were hand-picked by one of the show's producers and are intended to give an overview of the best of the show's three decades on the air. This includes great comedy moments with Johnny with such memorable segments as "Tea Time Movie" and "The Great Carnac" and memorable guest appearances that really make up a "who's who" of Hollywood, including the likes of Burt Reynolds, The Muppets, Muhammed Ali, Robin Williams, David Letterman, and then-Governor Bill Clinton just to name a few.
The set includes great moments, including Don Rickles continuously interrupting Frank Sinatra to throw insults, the TV debuts of greats like Jerry Seinfeld and Ellen DeGeneres, and great musical performances from everyone from the Jackson Five to Bette Midler to Luciano Pavarotti. Not to mention hilarious sketches from the Mighty Carson Art Players.
I should explain, though, what this set is and what it is not. This set is not a "greatest moments" set. You will not find such things as Ed Ames throwing a tomahawk at a chalk drawing's crotch, the potato chip lady, or Johnny's last show. All of those can be found on other great DVD sets from Respond2/Carson Entertainment, and very little of those contents seem to be duplicated here. This set is a great sampling of the best shows from Johnny's 30 hears at the helm. These episodes give a great look back at what it would have been like to settle down at 11:30 p.m. to be entertained by Carson and crew.
The episode list speaks for itself on the amount of star power on this set. However, the episodes do seem to be heavily edited from their original broadcasts on NBC. The show was originally one hour and forty-five minutes, reduced to 90 minutes, and then eventually 60 minutes, meaning without commercials each show unedited should be at least 45 minutes long with older ones being even longer. Most of the episodes here on this set were edited down to around 30 minutes, unfortunately, but still include the best parts of the episodes:
Disc 1:
1. December 31, 1965 - Woody Allen, The Muppets (31:35)
2. September 23, 1971 - Della Reese, Bob Uecker (28:26)
3. May 19, 1972 - Adelle Davis, Robert Blake, Gwen Davis (33:01)
4. September 15, 1972 - Vikki Carr, Peter Falk, Albert Brooks (30:08)
Disc 2:
5. November 13, 1972 - Mayor Lindsay, Muhammad Ali, Harry Chapin (30:54)
6. September 12, 1973 - Joan Embery, Bette Midler, David Steinberg (30:10)
7. February 20, 1974 - Joan Embery, David Brenner (33:20)
8. April 9, 1974 - The Jackson 5, Jerry Van Dyke (30:15)
Disc 3:
9. September 2, 1974 - Doris Day, Rodney Dangerfield, Burt Mustin (31:19)
10. September 26, 1974 - Burt Reynolds, Dom DeLuise, Art Carney (41:15)
11. May 6, 1975 - Luciano Pavarotti, Maude Tull (26:27)
12. September 19, 1975 - Don Rickles, Robert Blake(29:40)
Disc 4:
13. September 23, 1975 - Glen Campbell, Fernando Lamas (29:48)
12. December 9, 1975 - Carol Burnett, Burt Convy, Tom Dreesen (30:18)
13. July 28, 1976 - Burt Reynolds, Robert Blake (38:56)
14. November 12, 1976 - Frank Sinatra, Don Rickles, Olivia Newton-John (29:24)
Disc 5:
17. May 4, 1977 - Chevy Chase, Richard Pryor (37:06)
18. June 14, 1977 - Alice Cooper, Jay Leno (33:05)
19. September 9, 1977 - Sid Caesar, Eubie Blake (31:24)
20. March 24, 1978 - Donna Pyle, Milton Berle (30:21)
Disc 6:
21. May 2, 1978 - Sammy Davis Jr. (30:17)
22. February 21, 1980 - Steve Landesberg, Loni Anderson (29:59)
23. September 26, 1980 - Steve Martin, The Mighty Carson Art Players (27:53)
24. November 11, 1980 - David Letterman (28:53)
Disc 7:
25. March 4, 1981 - David Brenner (31:58)
26. March 5, 1981 - Slim Whitman (29:41)
27. March 18, 1981 - Richard Benjamin, Garry Shandling (31:27)
28. May 5, 1981 - Jimmy Buffett, Thalasa Cruso (33:13)
Disc 8:
29. October 14, 1981 - Robin Williams (27:18)
30. October 28, 1981 - Lance Burton, Reba McEntire, Dick Cavett (28:33)
31. October 30, 1981 - Michael Landon (30:06)
32. November 12, 1981 - Dom DeLuise, Jerry Seinfeld, Betty White (28:12)
Disc 9:
33. November 19, 1981 - Suzanne Pleshette, Luciano Pavarotti (27:36)
34. November 25, 1981 - Kenny Rogers (27:53)
35. August 31, 1982 - Bill Maher, Joe Garagiola (24:07)
36. December 31, 1982 - Tina Turner, Joe D'Auria & Jonathan Brown (29:39)
Disc 10:
37. January 5, 1983 - Teri Garr, B.B. King (31:34)
38. May 17, 1983 - Albert Brooks, Brooke Shields (31:33)
39. September 8, 1983 - Bill Cosby, Chuck Mangione (33:00)
40. January 4, 1984 - Dabney Coleman, Paul Rodriguez (27:55)
Disc 11:
41. May 17, 1984 - Garry Shandling, Stephane Grappelli (28:29)
42. May 24, 1984 - John Denver, Michael Davis (25:53)
43. November 20, 1984 - Robert Blake, Louie Anderson (31:39)
44. November 22, 1985 - Jim Fowler, Marty Pollio, Ruben Blades (29:32)
Disc 12:
45. December 17, 1985 - Bette Midler (29:28)
46. March 27, 1986 - Billy Crystal, Buddy Rich (31:47)
47. April 18, 1986 - David Letterman (30:00)
48. June 27, 1986 - David Letterman, Judge Wapner (26:48)
Disc 13:
49. November 26, 1986 - George Carlin, Barney Odom (& Flat Nose) (28:14)
50. January 8, 1987 - Robert Goulet, Waddie Mitchell, Baxter Black (29:07)
51. May 21, 1987 - Eddie Murphy, Ellen DeGeneres (23:47)
52. July 28, 1988 - Bill Clinton, Joe Cocker (30:05)
Disc 14:
53. July 29, 1988 - Michael Landon, k.d. Lang (28:26)
54. November 23, 1989 - Lea Johnson, Tom Wilson (28:07)
55. January 18, 1990 - Joan Embery, Art Donovan (28:59)
56. April 6, 1990 - Jeff Dunham, B.B. King (32:44)
Disc 15 - Special Features:
* Rescued Gems of the 1960s (1:03:51)
* Interviews: The Guests Remember (1:10:57)
The packaging for this set is simply gorgeous. It comes in a sturdy cardboard box with a hinged lid, with the name of the set and a picture of Carson in later days with silver hair. The lid opens up to reveal four removable fold-outs that contain the discs and a booklet. Each fold-out is similar to the outside box, except the picture of Carson is from the same era as the episodes contained therein. The only complaint I have is that some of the discs overlap, meaning you have to take one out to get to another, but this can be overlooked. The booklet has a nice history of Carson and the show with some interesting photos, and a look at some of what you can expect from the set.
The menus are very simple... perhaps too simple. You get the Tonight Show logo, a picture of Johnny, and a list that simply says "Episode 1," "Episode 2," etc. You have to refer to the booklet or the fold-out to determine which episode you want to select. There is a "Play All" button on each disc. After you select your episode, you're then taken to a generic slate giving the airdate and the guests, followed by a generic intro created for this set. The episodes themselves begin with Ed McMahon shouting "Heeeere's Johnny!"
Video and audio quality seems to be good on this set for the most part, especially considering the age of these shows. The show tapes have been kept in a secret salt mine somewhere in the Midwest and the great care taken for them shows. There does seem to be some heavy compression issues with some shows, however. Some sequences seemed very pixilated on my TV screen. Audio is fine. Most of the episodes are in their proper mono sound. Stereo television was introduced in the mid-1980s, and all episodes from that point on are in their proper stereo sound. There unfortunately are no subtitles or closed captions.
The special features are quite interesting. Carson and NBC did not begin maintaining a library of the shows until 1973, so most shows from before then have been lost to time. However, some great bits have managed to survive in clip form. The first special feature is called "Rescued Gems of the 1960s" and is just that. Nearly two hours worth of classic clips from 1960s episodes either thought long lost, or that only survived as clips. The clips are separated by chapter marks. Next is "Interviews: the Guests Remember" which is an interesting piece with frequent guests Loni Anderson, David Brenner, Jim Fowler, and Baxter Black reminiscing about their memories with Carson.
I can recommend this set to pretty much any true Carson fan or to anyone who was either alive and wants to re-experience the Carson viewing experience or wants to see what it was like. The shows contained are highly enjoyable and give a great overview of Carson's three decades as host. On the other hand, I'm not sure I could recommend it to the extremely casual Carson fan who only wants a collection of Carson's most memorable moments. For that there are a number of other great DVDs out there at a less expensive price. Heeeeere's Johnny!
(4/5 stars)
To purchase this DVD, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.com
Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com Full DVD Reviews Page
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson TV.com page
LOOKING AHEAD
Halloween weekend is less than seven days away, and we'll have few tricks and hopefully a lot of treats for you next weekend! We will have some Halloween themed reviews coming up, and, even though we have no "sweeps" standards to be held to, we have some special November sweeps style stunts coming up! Stay tuned and keep it digital!
DIGITAL NEWS
There have been a few compilations of Christmas episodes released on DVD in the past few years, including the upcoming Christmas Treats DVD from CBS Home Entertainment. But we have an even bigger treat coming sometime next month from Warner Archive (Warner's manufacture-on-demand program) with their just announced Classic TV Christmas Collection! While we don't have specific details on the episodes or cost just yet, we do know that it will be released on November 9, and we also know which series will be included, and some of them have never been released on DVD! The DVD includes episodes from Veronica's Closet, Suddenly Susan, The Courtship of Eddie's Father, Welcome Back, Kotter, Dr. Kildare, Mama's Family, Eight is Enough, Perfect Strangers, Alice, and CHiPs! The best part is that, with the exception of Perfect Strangers, none of these series have had any of their Christmas episodes released on DVD, so just about everything on the set should be new to DVD! It isn't available to order just yet, but should be soon. We do have artwork, which is shown below:
That isn't all for Warner Archive, though! Later in November, on November 30, they are releasing the animated spinoff of The Dukes of Hazzard, The Dukes! Details are a little murky on this release right now, but we assume that it will be a release of the entire series, consisting of 20 episodes.
In other news, Shout! Factory has plans to release a few single disc releases of series that they've already released, including Adam-12 - Season Two, Volume One; Dragnet - Season Two, Volume One; and Spin City - Season One, Volume One. They will all be released on January 11 at a low MSRP of $7.93. Each of these will contain ten episodes, which, unless that episode count is incorrect, suggests that these will not be exact copies of discs from the previous releases.
Finally, we go back to the department of current series on TV that we all knew were coming to DVD anyway, as Amazon.com puts up even more pre-order listings for the current seasons of various series on DVD. This week, NBC/Universal is in the spotlight, with pre-orders appearing for The Office - Season Seven (also on Blu-ray Disc), 30 Rock - Season Five, and Parenthood - Season Two! No release dates or other information is known just yet, but we'll have details when we get them, of course!
UPCOMING WEEK PREVIEW
There isn't much coming out on Tuesday (October 26) in the realm of sitcoms, but there are a few other releases of note, including the 15 disc set, Tonight - 4 Decades of The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, which we have a review of today in Digital Digest. Additionally, we have C.S.I.: NY - The Complete Sixth Season on the way, and The Twilight Zone - Fan Favorites, which contains nineteen popular episodes of the series.
BLOG FEATURE REVIEW
Respond2 Entertainment has compiled a once-in-a-lifetime collection of the greatest moments in Tonight Show history in one 15-disc set - Tonight: 4 Decades From The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. Perfect for the Johnny Carson or Classic Television fan on the holiday list, Tonight features over 50 shows hand-selected by the original Producer as the best episodes from the show's 30-year run, covering the 60's, 70's, 80's, and 90's! The collectable set features over 30 hours of material that has never before been released on DVD including rescued footage from shows originally airing in the 1960's (virtually all episodes and other content from the 1960's were lost) and all-new interviews with some of Carson's most celebrated and regular guest stars including Actress Loni Anderson, Comedian David Brenner, and fan-favorite animal handler Jim Fowler! Here is our review of Tonight: 4 Decades of the Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
DVD Review: Tonight: 4 Decades of the Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
by Greg Brobeck
I'd like to start off this review by first saying it's great to be back writing reviews again after such a long absence (6 years!). I want to thank the staff for so cordially inviting me back. - Greg
Tonight: 4 Decades of the Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (Respond2 Entertainment, $119.99) features 56 episodes of the classic late night talk/variety show hosted by the late, great Johnny Carson for 30 years, in a beautiful 15-disc set. The episodes were hand-picked by one of the show's producers and are intended to give an overview of the best of the show's three decades on the air. This includes great comedy moments with Johnny with such memorable segments as "Tea Time Movie" and "The Great Carnac" and memorable guest appearances that really make up a "who's who" of Hollywood, including the likes of Burt Reynolds, The Muppets, Muhammed Ali, Robin Williams, David Letterman, and then-Governor Bill Clinton just to name a few.
The set includes great moments, including Don Rickles continuously interrupting Frank Sinatra to throw insults, the TV debuts of greats like Jerry Seinfeld and Ellen DeGeneres, and great musical performances from everyone from the Jackson Five to Bette Midler to Luciano Pavarotti. Not to mention hilarious sketches from the Mighty Carson Art Players.
I should explain, though, what this set is and what it is not. This set is not a "greatest moments" set. You will not find such things as Ed Ames throwing a tomahawk at a chalk drawing's crotch, the potato chip lady, or Johnny's last show. All of those can be found on other great DVD sets from Respond2/Carson Entertainment, and very little of those contents seem to be duplicated here. This set is a great sampling of the best shows from Johnny's 30 hears at the helm. These episodes give a great look back at what it would have been like to settle down at 11:30 p.m. to be entertained by Carson and crew.
The episode list speaks for itself on the amount of star power on this set. However, the episodes do seem to be heavily edited from their original broadcasts on NBC. The show was originally one hour and forty-five minutes, reduced to 90 minutes, and then eventually 60 minutes, meaning without commercials each show unedited should be at least 45 minutes long with older ones being even longer. Most of the episodes here on this set were edited down to around 30 minutes, unfortunately, but still include the best parts of the episodes:
Disc 1:
1. December 31, 1965 - Woody Allen, The Muppets (31:35)
2. September 23, 1971 - Della Reese, Bob Uecker (28:26)
3. May 19, 1972 - Adelle Davis, Robert Blake, Gwen Davis (33:01)
4. September 15, 1972 - Vikki Carr, Peter Falk, Albert Brooks (30:08)
Disc 2:
5. November 13, 1972 - Mayor Lindsay, Muhammad Ali, Harry Chapin (30:54)
6. September 12, 1973 - Joan Embery, Bette Midler, David Steinberg (30:10)
7. February 20, 1974 - Joan Embery, David Brenner (33:20)
8. April 9, 1974 - The Jackson 5, Jerry Van Dyke (30:15)
Disc 3:
9. September 2, 1974 - Doris Day, Rodney Dangerfield, Burt Mustin (31:19)
10. September 26, 1974 - Burt Reynolds, Dom DeLuise, Art Carney (41:15)
11. May 6, 1975 - Luciano Pavarotti, Maude Tull (26:27)
12. September 19, 1975 - Don Rickles, Robert Blake(29:40)
Disc 4:
13. September 23, 1975 - Glen Campbell, Fernando Lamas (29:48)
12. December 9, 1975 - Carol Burnett, Burt Convy, Tom Dreesen (30:18)
13. July 28, 1976 - Burt Reynolds, Robert Blake (38:56)
14. November 12, 1976 - Frank Sinatra, Don Rickles, Olivia Newton-John (29:24)
Disc 5:
17. May 4, 1977 - Chevy Chase, Richard Pryor (37:06)
18. June 14, 1977 - Alice Cooper, Jay Leno (33:05)
19. September 9, 1977 - Sid Caesar, Eubie Blake (31:24)
20. March 24, 1978 - Donna Pyle, Milton Berle (30:21)
Disc 6:
21. May 2, 1978 - Sammy Davis Jr. (30:17)
22. February 21, 1980 - Steve Landesberg, Loni Anderson (29:59)
23. September 26, 1980 - Steve Martin, The Mighty Carson Art Players (27:53)
24. November 11, 1980 - David Letterman (28:53)
Disc 7:
25. March 4, 1981 - David Brenner (31:58)
26. March 5, 1981 - Slim Whitman (29:41)
27. March 18, 1981 - Richard Benjamin, Garry Shandling (31:27)
28. May 5, 1981 - Jimmy Buffett, Thalasa Cruso (33:13)
Disc 8:
29. October 14, 1981 - Robin Williams (27:18)
30. October 28, 1981 - Lance Burton, Reba McEntire, Dick Cavett (28:33)
31. October 30, 1981 - Michael Landon (30:06)
32. November 12, 1981 - Dom DeLuise, Jerry Seinfeld, Betty White (28:12)
Disc 9:
33. November 19, 1981 - Suzanne Pleshette, Luciano Pavarotti (27:36)
34. November 25, 1981 - Kenny Rogers (27:53)
35. August 31, 1982 - Bill Maher, Joe Garagiola (24:07)
36. December 31, 1982 - Tina Turner, Joe D'Auria & Jonathan Brown (29:39)
Disc 10:
37. January 5, 1983 - Teri Garr, B.B. King (31:34)
38. May 17, 1983 - Albert Brooks, Brooke Shields (31:33)
39. September 8, 1983 - Bill Cosby, Chuck Mangione (33:00)
40. January 4, 1984 - Dabney Coleman, Paul Rodriguez (27:55)
Disc 11:
41. May 17, 1984 - Garry Shandling, Stephane Grappelli (28:29)
42. May 24, 1984 - John Denver, Michael Davis (25:53)
43. November 20, 1984 - Robert Blake, Louie Anderson (31:39)
44. November 22, 1985 - Jim Fowler, Marty Pollio, Ruben Blades (29:32)
Disc 12:
45. December 17, 1985 - Bette Midler (29:28)
46. March 27, 1986 - Billy Crystal, Buddy Rich (31:47)
47. April 18, 1986 - David Letterman (30:00)
48. June 27, 1986 - David Letterman, Judge Wapner (26:48)
Disc 13:
49. November 26, 1986 - George Carlin, Barney Odom (& Flat Nose) (28:14)
50. January 8, 1987 - Robert Goulet, Waddie Mitchell, Baxter Black (29:07)
51. May 21, 1987 - Eddie Murphy, Ellen DeGeneres (23:47)
52. July 28, 1988 - Bill Clinton, Joe Cocker (30:05)
Disc 14:
53. July 29, 1988 - Michael Landon, k.d. Lang (28:26)
54. November 23, 1989 - Lea Johnson, Tom Wilson (28:07)
55. January 18, 1990 - Joan Embery, Art Donovan (28:59)
56. April 6, 1990 - Jeff Dunham, B.B. King (32:44)
Disc 15 - Special Features:
* Rescued Gems of the 1960s (1:03:51)
* Interviews: The Guests Remember (1:10:57)
The packaging for this set is simply gorgeous. It comes in a sturdy cardboard box with a hinged lid, with the name of the set and a picture of Carson in later days with silver hair. The lid opens up to reveal four removable fold-outs that contain the discs and a booklet. Each fold-out is similar to the outside box, except the picture of Carson is from the same era as the episodes contained therein. The only complaint I have is that some of the discs overlap, meaning you have to take one out to get to another, but this can be overlooked. The booklet has a nice history of Carson and the show with some interesting photos, and a look at some of what you can expect from the set.
The menus are very simple... perhaps too simple. You get the Tonight Show logo, a picture of Johnny, and a list that simply says "Episode 1," "Episode 2," etc. You have to refer to the booklet or the fold-out to determine which episode you want to select. There is a "Play All" button on each disc. After you select your episode, you're then taken to a generic slate giving the airdate and the guests, followed by a generic intro created for this set. The episodes themselves begin with Ed McMahon shouting "Heeeere's Johnny!"
Video and audio quality seems to be good on this set for the most part, especially considering the age of these shows. The show tapes have been kept in a secret salt mine somewhere in the Midwest and the great care taken for them shows. There does seem to be some heavy compression issues with some shows, however. Some sequences seemed very pixilated on my TV screen. Audio is fine. Most of the episodes are in their proper mono sound. Stereo television was introduced in the mid-1980s, and all episodes from that point on are in their proper stereo sound. There unfortunately are no subtitles or closed captions.
The special features are quite interesting. Carson and NBC did not begin maintaining a library of the shows until 1973, so most shows from before then have been lost to time. However, some great bits have managed to survive in clip form. The first special feature is called "Rescued Gems of the 1960s" and is just that. Nearly two hours worth of classic clips from 1960s episodes either thought long lost, or that only survived as clips. The clips are separated by chapter marks. Next is "Interviews: the Guests Remember" which is an interesting piece with frequent guests Loni Anderson, David Brenner, Jim Fowler, and Baxter Black reminiscing about their memories with Carson.
I can recommend this set to pretty much any true Carson fan or to anyone who was either alive and wants to re-experience the Carson viewing experience or wants to see what it was like. The shows contained are highly enjoyable and give a great overview of Carson's three decades as host. On the other hand, I'm not sure I could recommend it to the extremely casual Carson fan who only wants a collection of Carson's most memorable moments. For that there are a number of other great DVDs out there at a less expensive price. Heeeeere's Johnny!
(4/5 stars)To purchase this DVD, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.com
Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com Full DVD Reviews Page
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson TV.com page
LOOKING AHEAD
Halloween weekend is less than seven days away, and we'll have few tricks and hopefully a lot of treats for you next weekend! We will have some Halloween themed reviews coming up, and, even though we have no "sweeps" standards to be held to, we have some special November sweeps style stunts coming up! Stay tuned and keep it digital!
Monday, March 01, 2010
Hallmark Channel Cuts AFV, Adds More Cheers Starting Tonight; Remembering Andrew Koenig
Today we remember the life of Andrew Koenig. Andrew Koenig, an actor best known for his role in the 1980's television series Growing Pains, was found dead in Vancouver on Thursday (Feb. 25, 2010). His death was announced by the Vancouver police at a news conference in the downtown park where his body was found. Andrew's father, the actor Walter Koenig, said his son "took his own life." Andrew was visiting friends in Vancouver when he was reported missing more than a week ago.
From 1985 to 1989 Andrew had a recurring role as a friend of Mike Seaver (Kirk Cameron) on the hit ABC sitcom Growing Pains. He also guest starred on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, My Two Dads, 21 Jump Street, My Sister Sam, & Adam-12 . He also worked as a film editor and wrote and directed short films. His father played the part of Pavel Chekov on the original Star Trek.
Growing Pains star Alan Thicke (Dr. Jason Seaver) had this to say about Andrew: "Andrew's light shone brightly on the Growing Pains set. His skill and humor and friendship were important elements in our extended family. May his own family now find comfort in their memories of the good times with this very special young man."
Such a tragic loss. Even though he was not a major star or anything, he will still be missed. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Koenig family. Andrew was only 41.
And if you missed it, view the entire portion of the Eight is Enough cast reunion on Today this morning. And later the cast came back to answer e-mails.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
NBC's Today Show Adds 227 Reunion Next Week on Great TV Families Reunited, Plus More On Other Reunions; Syfy Acquires Merlin for April 2010
Eight is Enough, The Partridge Family and The Brady Bunch reunions are still happening March 1-3 on NBC's Today show. But a few changes are occuring on who will be appearing. On Monday, March 1, The Bradfords from Eight is Enough are reunited with Dick Van Patten, Laurie Walters, Connie Needham, Grant Goodeye, Dianne Kay, Willie Aames, and Betty Buckley all live in studio.
C'mon get happy with The Partridge Family reunion on Tuesday, March 2 featuring cast members Suzanne Crough, Danny Bonaduce, David Cassidy, and Brian Forster live on set. Originally Shirley Jones was set to appear, but now Suzanne Crough will instead.
The Brady Bunch gang will be featured on Wednesday, March 3 with Barry Williams, Eve Plumb, Susan Olsen, Christopher Knight, Mike Lookinland, and Maureen McCormick live from studio 1A. Originally Florence Henderson was set to appear, but now Maureen McCormick will instead.
So, 227 is joining these three classic TV family reunions! Child, that is great! But strange that both the Partridge and Brady mothers are now not appearing. Looks like it is a kids reunion of both of those families now. One other change, all of the reunions will take place sometime during the 8am and 9am hours of the Today show, instead of the 7am and 8am hours as reported earlier. So be prepared and there is nothing like watching TV reunions, child!
Syfy has acquired the basic cable rights from FremantleMedia Enterprises for all 26 episodes (2 seasons of 13 episodes) of the critically acclaimed series Merlin, including the United States television premiere of Season Two, which has never aired on American television. Merlin joins the Syfy primetime lineup in April 2010. There will be a marathon of the first season on Sunday, March 28 from 10am-11pm and again on Thursday, April 1 from 8am-8pm. The series starts with season two episodes in primetime on Friday, April 2 at 10pm airing Fridays at 10pm (with many encores during the week).
Season One of Merlin aired on NBC (Summer 2009), but it will not air there again due to low ratings. Both seasons 1 and 2 aired on BBC One in the UK (2008-09). BBC has commissioned a third season which will air in September 2010. FremantleMedia also handles brand licensing and home entertainment for Merlin.
An imaginative new twist on a timeless legend, Merlin is set in the mythical city of Camelot, before history began. It's a fantastical realm of legendary beasts and mysterious peoples, and a dangerous world where magic has been banned by the ruthless tyrant, Uther Pendragon. The series stars Colin Morgan as Merlin, Bradley James as Prince Arthur, Anthony Head as King Uther, Richard Wilson as Gaius, Katie McGrath as Morgana and Angel Coulby as Gwen.
Monday, February 22, 2010
NBC's Today Show Reunites Greatest TV Families of All-Time Next Week (March 1-3); 2010 WGA Awards Winner
Monday, March 1 - Eight Is Enough: Dick Van Patten, Willie Aames, Grant Goodeve, Betty Buckley, Laurie Walters, Connie Needham, and Dianne Kay.
Tuesday, March 2 - The Partridge Family: Shirley Jones, David Cassidy, Danny Bonaduce, and Brian Forster.
Wednesday, March 3 - The Brady Bunch: Barry Williams, Susan Olsen, Eve Plumb, Christopher Knight, Mike Lookinland, and Florence Henderson.
If there is any more new information, we will bring it to you right away, so stay with us!
The Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) and the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) have announced the winners of the 2010 Writers Guild Awards for outstanding achievement in writing for screen, television, radio, news, promotional, and videogame writing at simultaneous ceremonies at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles and the Hudson Theatre at the Millennium Broadway Hotel in New York City.
We will of course only cover the television portion. The winners are in BOLD.
DRAMA SERIES
* Breaking Bad, Written by Sam Catlin, Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould, George Mastras, J. Roberts, John Shiban, Moira Walley-Beckett; AMC
* Dexter, Written by Scott Buck, Charles H. Eglee, Lauren Gussis, Clyde Phillips, Scott Reynolds, Melissa Rosenberg, Tim Schlattmann, Wendy West; Showtime
* Friday Night Lights, Written by Bridget Carpenter, Kerry Ehrin, Ron Fitzgerald, Brent Fletcher, Etan Frankel, Jason Gavin, Elizabeth Heldens, David Hudgins, Rolin Jones, Jason Katims, Patrick Massett, Derek Santos Olson, John Zinman; NBC
* LOST, Written by Carlton Cuse, Adam Horowitz, Melinda Hsu Taylor, Edward Kitsis, Damon Lindelof, Greggory Nations, Kyle Pennington, Elizabeth Sarnoff, Brian K. Vaughan, Paul Zbyszewski; ABC
* Mad Men, Written by Lisa Albert, Andrew Colville, Kater Gordon, Cathryn Humphris, Andre Jacquemetton, Maria Jacquemetton, Brett Johnson, Erin Levy, Marti Noxon, Frank Pierson, Robin Veith, Dahvi Waller, Matthew Weiner; AMC
COMEDY SERIES
* 30 Rock, Written by Jack Burditt, Kay Cannon, Robert Carlock, Tom Ceraulo, Vali Chandrasekaran, Tina Fey, Donald Glover, Steve Hely, Matt Hubbard, Dylan Morgan, Paula Pell, Jon Pollack, John Riggi, Tami Sagher, Josh Siegal, Ron Weiner, Tracey Wigfield; NBC
* Curb Your Enthusiasm, Written by Larry David; HBO
* Glee, Written by Ian Brennan, Brad Falchuk, Ryan Murphy; Fox
* Modern Family, Written by Paul Corrigan, Sameer Gardezi, Joe Lawson, Steven Levitan, Christopher Lloyd, Dan O'Shannon, Brad Walsh, Caroline Williams, Bill Wrubel, Danny Zuker; ABC
* The Office, Written by Jennifer Celotta, Danny Chun, Greg Daniels, Lee Eisenberg, Anthony Q. Farrell, Brent Forrester, Daniel J. Goor, Charlie Grandy, Mindy Kaling, Ryan Koh, Lester Lewis, Paul Lieberstein, Warren Lieberstein, BJ Novak, Michael Schur, Aaron Shure, Justin Spitzer, Gene Stupnitsky, Halsted Sullivan; NBC
NEW SERIES
* Glee, Written by Ian Brennan, Brad Falchuk, Ryan Murphy; Fox
* The Good Wife, Written by Angela Amato Velez, Corinne Brinkerhoff, Ted Humphrey, Dee Johnson, Todd E. Kessler, Michelle King, Robert King; CBS
* Hung, Written by Colette Burson, Ellie Herman, Emily Kapnek, Brett C. Leonard, Dmitry Lipkin, Angela Robinson; HBO
* Modern Family, Written by Paul Corrigan, Sameer Gardezi, Joe Lawson, Steven Levitan, Christopher Lloyd, Dan O'Shannon, Brad Walsh, Caroline Williams, Bill Wrubel, Danny Zuker; ABC
* Nurse Jackie, Written by Taii K. Austin, Liz Brixius, Rick Cleveland, Evan Dunsky, Nancy Fichman, Liz Flahive, Jennifer Hoppe, Mark Hudis, John Hilary Shepherd, Linda Wallem, Christine Zander; Showtime
EPISODIC DRAMA – any length – one airing time
* "Broken, Part 1 and Part 2" (House), Written by Russel Friend & Garrett Lerner & David Foster & David Shore; Fox
* "Come, Ye Saints" (Big Love), Written by Melanie Marnich; HBO
* "The Grown Ups" (Mad Men), Written by Brett Johnson and Matthew Weiner; AMC
* "Guy Walks into an Advertising Agency" (Mad Men), Written by Robin Veith and Matthew Weiner; AMC
* "I Will Rise Up" (True Blood), Written by Nancy Oliver; HBO
* "Phoenix" (Breaking Bad), Written by John Shiban; AMC
EPISODIC COMEDY – any length – one airing time (**TIE**)
* "Apollo, Apollo" (30 Rock), Written by Robert Carlock; NBC
* "Broke" (The Office), Written by Charles Grandy; NBC
* "Chapter 1" (Eastbound & Down), Written by Ben T. Best & Jody L. Hill & Danny McBride; HBO
* "Gossip" (The Office), Written by Paul Lieberstein; NBC
* "Pilot" (Modern Family), Written by Steven Levitan & Christopher Lloyd; ABC
* "Reunion" (30 Rock), Written by Matt Hubbard; NBC
View the rest of the winners for the television portion.
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Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Monday, August 17
The Neighorhood - "Welcome to Babies and Bathwater" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Dave’s ambitious home improvement plans take a turn, prompting Calvin to step in, while Malcolm seeks Gemma’s help to overcome writer’s block. Meanwhile, Tina’s suggestion for Daphne sparks a parenting dilemma for Courtney.
The Neighorhood - "Welcome to the Hoodwink" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Tina grows concerned about Malcolm’s romantic choices. Meanwhile, Calvin and Dave’s street smarts are put to the test.
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia - "Frank Marries a Corpse" (FX and FXX, 9:00PM ET/PT)
The guys help Frank with his cold feet ahead of his wedding to Sam; Dee tries to scare Sam off the nuptials with testimonies from The Waitress, Artemis and Snail.
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia - "Dennis and Dee Don't Get Rich" (FX and FXX, 9:32PM ET/PT)
The Reynolds twins push themselves to the limit to secure Sam's transfer of wealth; Charlie and Frank plan a proper memorial for Bonnie during the annual Mummers Parade.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of August 17)
Monday, August 17
- Rosie O'Donnell (SMILF/Stand by Your Man/Gimme a Break!) - Rosie guest hosts Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Hannah Waddingham (Ted Lasso) - Watch Hannah on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Ana Gasteyer (American Auto/People of Earth/Lady Dynamite/Suburgatory) - Ana appears on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Will Forte (The Four Seasons/HouseBroken/MacGruber/The Last Man on Earth/The Cleveland Show) - Will stops by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Adam Ferrara (The Job) and Harland Williams (The Geena Davis Show/Simon) - Adam is a guest on a repeat of Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen at 12:37am on CBS.
- Maya Rudolph (Loot/Bless the Harts/Forever/Up All Night) - Maya appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Isla Fisher (Wolf Like Me), Michelle Buteau (Survival of the Thickest/Bless the Harts/Enlisted) and Anna Faris (Mom) - Isla, Michelle, Anna and Leslie Mann talk about Spa Weekend on NBC's Today in the 9am hour.
- Jeff Hiller (Somebody Somewhere/Nightcap) - Jeff talks about Apple TV's Widow's Bay on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
- Emeril Lagasse (Emeril) - Sunny Anderson gets a big surprise from Drew – cooking with the legendary Emeril Lagasse on a repeat of The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
- Jennifer Aniston (Friends/Muddling Through/Ferris Bueller/Molloy) - Drew is chatting with Jennifer about the new season of The Morning Show, her kids cookbook, Cook with Clydeo, and her haircare line on a repeat of The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
New on DVD and Blu-ray
01/20/26 - The Woody Woodpecker and Friends Golden Age Collection (Blu-ray)
01/27/26 - The New Fred and Barney Show - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/11/26 - Tom and Jerry - The Complete CinemaScope Collection (Blu-ray)
03/24/26 - Looney Tunes Collector's Vault - Volume 2 (Blu-ray)
04/11/26 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Fourth Season (DVD)
04/21/26 - Famous Studios Champion Collection (Blu-ray) (DVD)
05/19/26 - I Love Lucy - The Complete Series - 75th Anniversary Edition (DVD)
05/19/26 - Looney Tunes Cartoons - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (DVD)
06/16/26 - Difficult People - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
06/30/26 - Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
07/14/26 - The Office - The Complete Series - Superfan Extended Episodes (Blu-ray)
07/28/26 - The Bill Dana Show - The Complete Series (DVD)
07/28/26 - I Love Lucy - The Complete Series - 75th Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray)
07/28/26 - The Paper - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
08/25/26 - Perfect Strangers - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/08/26 - Looney Tunes Collector's Vault - Volume 3 (Blu-ray)
09/22/26 - Bridget Loves Bernie - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
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