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Archive for Television

This Day in History: Neil Diamond’s 1977 NBC TV Special

by tvears · Comments (0)
21 Feb

Neil Diamond, (born Neil Leslie Diamond on January 24, 1941), is best known for his eight number one hit singles, including “Cracklin Rosie”, “Song Sung Blue”, “Desiree”, “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers”, “Love On The Rocks”, “America”, “Yesterday’s Songs”, and “Heartlight”. Although he spent his early career as a songwriter in the Brill Building, it was his deal with Bert Berne’s Bang Records in 1966 that enabled his first hit, “Solitary Man”, to soar.

Over the next eleven years, Diamond proved to be not only a talented songwriter, but an energetic performer and talented showman. He continued to play for audiences in sold-out concerts and even won a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score and a Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture.

On this day in history, (February 21, 1977), Neil Diamond fans remember when his in-concert TV special aired on NBC. To watch six of his classic hits played in that concert, check out the video below!

What is your favorite Neil Diamond song?

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Top 10 “Father Knows Best” Trivia Facts

by tvears · Comments (0)
13 Feb

“Father Knows Best” was originally a radio show that became a hit sitcom in 1954. In the show, children Betty, Bud, and Kathy know they can always turn to their father, Jim Anderson, for advice, because father knows best. While you may be familiar with the show, which ran from 1954-1960, you may be surprised to learn some of the following trivia facts:

  1. The show began on radio in 1949 and was adapted for TV in 1954. After a 6-year run, CBS and ABC  ran reruns through 1967.
  2. Series star Lauren Chapin said she found out the show was canceled for good when she reported to work and the guard would not let her into the studio.
  3. The show took place in the town of Springfield, and although the state was never specified, the town of Altoona (an actual city in Pennsylvania) was often mentioned.
  4. Father ‘Jim Anderson’ was ranked #6 in TV Guide’s list of the “50 Greatest TV Dads of All Time” (20 June 2004 issue).
  5. In the original radio show, Jim Anderson was portrayed as a clumsy, but in the TV show his character was much wiser.
  6. Ellen Drew played the mother (Margaret Anderson) in the pilot but was replaced in the series by Jane Wyatt.
  7. Mother ‘Margaret Anderson’ was played in the radio version of “Father Knows Best” by June Whitley Taylor and later by Jean Vander Pyl.
  8. When Father Knows Best first aired on radio, it was sponsored by Maxwell House.
  9. Robert Young was the only member of the radio cast to make the transition to the TV sitcom adaptation.
  10. A re-run of Father Knows Best was interrupted when New Yorker’s first viewed the news on WABC-TV that John F. Kennedy had been assassinated.

For more great Father Knows Best trivia facts, visit IMDb by clicking here. Do you know some Father Knows Best trivia you’d like to share? Let us know by commenting below or visiting our forum!

Watch “Father Knows Best”!

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Ernest Borgnine of “McHale’s Navy” Turns 95!

by tvears · Comments (0)
26 Jan

Just two years before a 3-hour tour landed 7 men and women shipwrecked on Gilligan’s Island, Lt. Commander Quinton McHale,  (played by Ernest Borgnine), began leading a misfit PT Boat crew through the South Pacific in the WWII comedy series McHale’s Navy.

The show, which premiered on ABC in October of 1962, was nominated for 5 Primetime Emmys during the course of its 4-year run. But according to actor Ernest Borgnine, he had little support when he first accepted this television role.

“When I decided to go into making ‘McHale’s Navy,’ people said, “Why are you lowering yourself?”  Lowering myself?  What do you mean, lowering?  It’s all show business, isn’t it?  I mean, whether you’re in front of a small camera or a big camera, it makes no difference, you’re still entertainment,” Borgnine said in his interview with EmmyTVLegends.org.

During the 2008 two-and-a-half hour interview, McHale also recalled his own enlistment into the Navy, the production schedule for McHale’s Navy and his impression of his fellow cast members, as well as details about his personal and professional life on and off screen.

This Tuesday, January 24, 2012, the actor had something greater than surviving with a crew of individuals whose unmilitary antics often got them into trouble – he turned 95! He shows no sign of slowing down either. According to the Emmy TV Legends blog, Borgnine’s carreer continues to move ahead at full steam -  his next appearance will be as “Rex Page” in the film The Man Who Shook the Hand of Vicente Fernandez, due out later this year.

Please enjoy Part 2 of 3 from Borgnine’s 2008 interview with EmmyTVLegends.org below. In this part of the interview, Borgnine talks about how the series McHale’s Navy came about and his initial reluctance.

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Top 5 Episodes of The Mary Tyler Moore Show

by tvears · Comments (0)
12 Jan

What is your favorite episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show?

The Mary Tyler Moore Show was a light-hearted comedy about a young, single woman named Mary Richards who worked as an associate producer in a small television newsroom. The show, which aired from 1970-1977, won 3 Golden Globes, 7 Emmys, and a host of other awards (click to view).

Also starring in the show was Edward Asner, who played Mary’s boss “Lou Grant”, Gavin MacLeod, who played the humorous writer “Murray Slaughter”, and Ted Knight, who played Anchor Man “Ted Baxter”. Later, Valerie Harper joined the cast as Mary’s friend “Rhoda Morgenstern”.

The Mary Tyler Moore Show is beloved by all generations, but what episodes do audiences enjoy the most? The following 5 episodes are considered the “Top 5 Episodes of All Time”, according to Hulu.com. Click on the links to view these episodes.

1. The Mary Tyler Moore Show: Mary Richards and the Incredible Plant Lady – Season 3, Episode 24

“Mary and Rhoda’s friendship is strained after Rhoda borrows money to set up her new plant store and then doesn’t pay Mary back.” (Hulu)

2. The Mary Tyler Moore Show: Put on a Happy Face – Season 3, Episode 23

“Once Mary gets nominated for a Teddy Award everything starts going disastrously wrong for her at work—and at the awards dinner.” (Hulu)

3. The Mary Tyler Moore Show: Remembrance of Things Past - Season 3, Episode 22

“Against her better judgment, Mary gets drawn back into a romantic affair when an ex-boyfriend who broke her heart returns to Minneapolis.” (Hulu)

4. The Mary Tyler Moore Show: Murray Faces Life – Season 3, Episode 21

“Murray sinks into a deep depression and feels life has totally passed him by after he learns that a former writing classmate has won a Pulitzer Prize for journalism.” (Hulu)

5. The Mary Tyler Moore Show: What Do You Say When the Boss Says, “I Love You”? Season 3, Episode 20

“Lou Grant realizes he’s in over his head when the new boss at the Television station turns out to be a woman—who promptly falls in love with him.”

Do you have a favorite episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show? Please share it below!

 

 

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The Jack Benny Program: Reminiscing About Last New Year’s

by tvears · Comments (0)
31 Dec

As we get ready to ring in the New Year, there’s a lot we’re looking forward to, both personally and as a company. This past week, however, between spending time with our families and relaxing with co-workers at our holiday Christmas party, we’ve had a wonderful opportunity to reflect.

While we’re thankful for our health and safety, and eager to help improve the lives of those whose health and safety need assistance, there is one quality we’ve been fortunate to share amongst the staff at TV Ears and our families… and that is happiness! Ever since we decided to immerse ourselves in the classic television programs we all once knew and loved, we’ve shared more than one chuckle.

Please enjoy the following episode from The Jack Benny Program, and have a safe, healthy, and happy New Year’s, from all of us at TV Ears!

The Jack Benny Program: Reminiscing About Last New Year’s (1953)

This episode opens with Andre Baruch endorsing Lucky Strike cigarettes. Jack Benny reminisces about this Christmas and last New Year’s.

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