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50th Anniversary Viewing
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Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Season 2, episode 1
Originally aired September 16, 1968
The Wiki list of guest appearances said:
Barbara Feldon, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Hugh Hefner, Bob Hope, Jack Lemmon, Richard Nixon, Sonny Tufts, John Wayne, John B. Whitney
Probably
Laugh-In's most iconic moment:
The Mayor of Beautiful Downtown Burbank formally welcomes the show back.
And here comes the judge! Pigmeat Markham has joined the show:
This episode includes multiple small judge bits throughout the show.
Jack Lemmon said:
Has this kind of stuff won sixteen Emmies?
Future
Partridge Family co-star Dave Madden is introduced as a new cast member.
The onscreen blurb said:
George Wallace...your sheets are ready.
Comedy duo McCall & Brill appear in this one. I saw their act on the February 9, 1964, episode of
The Ed Sullivan Show, thanks to a
Best of installment that featured other performers from that historic hour. What I didn't realize until I looked them up related to this week's viewing is that
Brill also played Arne Darvin in "The Trouble with Tribbles".
Another recurring gag throughout this episode involved several cast members using an automat.
Multiple cast members dress as Tiny Tim to perform the song introducing the news segment, and continue to appear in costume for various bits:
New to this season: the episode includes more than one cocktail party segment.
Mod, Mod World takes a look at Higher Education.
A side-note on the origin of the phrase "sock it to me"...in a recent
Cousin Brucie appearance, Mitch Ryder credited his use in the song "Sock It to Me, Baby!" to Aretha's use in "Respect". That just muddies the issue, however, as the Mitch Ryder single was released in January 1967, and charted in February. Whereas the album on which Aretha's version of "Respect" first appeared was released in March 1967. Unless Mitch was privy to the song pre-release, his claim seems gracious but unlikely.
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Ironside
"Shell Game"
Originally aired September 19, 1968
Wiki said:
Ironside matches wits with a master jewel thief intent on adding more to his collection.
Guesting Sorrell Booke as Arthur Justin, the charming but potentially murderous thief with whom Ironside engages in a battle of wits. Ironside's not using the Ironsidemobile serves as a clue to Justin as to what the Chief is up to, which is the source of the episode's title. But the Chief is a step ahead of Justin, and the Ironsidemobile itself proves to be a diversion.
And this episode, for the first time that I've noticed, the term "Ironsidemobile" is actually used on the show, as a radio callsign!
I thought it was my idea, but I guess the writers were about 49 years ahead of me! We also get an interior that can been seen from the outside when the back doors are open; last season they always had the back conspicuously dark in such shots.
Other guests include Robert DoQui, whom I recognize from roles on
Tarzan, as one of Justin's men.
Apparently some are still saying "HEELeycopter" in 1968.
Sign o' the times: Justin's gas gadget is activated by a garage door remote...something that may have been around for a while at that point, but was still newfangled enough to require explanation.
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Hawaii Five-O
"Cocoon"
Originally aired September 20, 1968
Series premiere
Wiki said:
Stephen Aloysius "Steve" McGarrett (Jack Lord) is embroiled in a tale of espionage and murder in this story, which marks the first appearance of villain Wo Fat (Khigh Dhiegh). Andrew Duggan, Leslie Nielson, Soon-Tek Oh and Nancy Kwan guest stars. Only appearance of Tim O'Kelley as Danny "Danno" Williams.
What I recorded from Decades was actually the two-part rerun edit of the pilot movie, whatever the differences may be. I was disappointed to discover that James MacArthur wasn't in it, but it has a few other familiar faces, mentioned above. The credits show some different footage where Danno should be. Note that Soon-Tek Oh is uncredited. Other guests not listed above include Philip Ahn as Hawaii's attorney general and James Gregory as an American intelligence official.
Wo Fat's electronic monitoring system for his sensory deprivation chamber make what sounds like the classic Trek communicator activation noise, as well as bridge sounds from "The Cage".
Duggan and Nielsen are playing operatives of "(Local) Intelligence," whatever that's supposed to be, who are investigating the death of one of their men. The Chinese are after the identity of an intelligence chief named "Control," which seems a little too James Bond. The identities of American intelligence agency heads are public knowledge.
Sign o' the times: In a romantic interlude with Rosemary Quong (Nancy Kwan), McGarrett likens his reason for becoming a cop to her reason for becoming a hippie...because he cares.
One scene had Pilot Danno way overexplaining how pieces of a word on partially burnt fragments of paper fit together...I could see the word coming way before he got around to what was clearly meant to be the "a-ha" moment.
McGarrett proves what a big damn hero he is by lasting 8 hours in Wo Fat's chamber--over twice as long as the agent in the teaser--without being turned into a vegetable. He does "break," but only to spill false information that was drilled into him via hypnosis. And somehow, the entire interrogation process, including the information that McGarrett divulges, occurs while it's night outside.
Quong: To cops.
McGarrett: To hippies.
Quong: Peace?
McGarrett: Peace.
Overall this was pretty good. In contrast to
Ironside, it was more espionage/intrigue than mystery, and kept my interest but wasn't hard to follow. It's too bad that this is all I've currently got for the series.
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Star Trek
"Spock's Brain"
Originally aired September 20, 1968
Stardate 5431.4 (or maybe 4351.5)
H&I said:
A woman beams directly aboard the Enterprise and uses a device to render the crew unconscious. When they awaken, McCoy discovers that the alien visitor has removed Spock's brain.
See my post here.
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Adam-12
"Log 1: The Impossible Mission"
Originally aired September 21, 1968
Series premiere
Wiki said:
Three weeks earlier, Officer Pete Malloy's (Martin Milner) beat partner was shot and killed during an attempt to arrest an armed robber. Malloy is deeply saddened to a point where he plans to retire. On what is to be his last day on the police force, he is assigned to take rookie Officer Jim Reed (Kent McCord) out for his first night on the force. Reed shows tremendous potential on the job but, like all rookies, still has much to learn. With encouragement from Lieutenant Moore, Malloy agrees to help mold Reed and guide him through his probationary period. During their first watch together, they pursue a suspect vehicle, respond to a baby in distress call, encounter a lady who thinks she felt something and at the end, after Malloy hears gunfire, he lectures Reed but soon they get along well.
The Wiki descriptions won't always be so overflowing with detail.
Since I first saw it several years back, I've always found this to be a good "origin" episode for the series. A circumstantially cynical Malloy is paired with a comically extra-green Reed. Malloy acts more Joe Friday-ish than will be usual, lecturing Reed while chewing him out for this and that. I always cite this as an example when people think that Pike's situation in "The Cage" was an unusual way to start a series.
This episode jokingly begins the ongoing situation of Reed never getting to drive, which you think would be part of his training. And in what won't become a tradition, their first call-in for a Code 7 is miraculously approved! Here it serves the purpose of giving Reed and Malloy a chance to get better acquainted while Malloy shares some exposition about his situation.
The episode also features the first appearances of William Boyett as Sgt. MacDonald (complete with black-and-white station wagon) and Art Gilmore, whom IMDb credits as Lt. Val Wangsgard, though his character will be known as Lt. Moore in future appearances.
Bits of police business in this episode include a car chase in a channel of the Los Angeles River (with the fleeing suspects' car managing to burst into flames in true TV fashion, even though it crashes in the water); and Malloy giving mouth-to-mouth to a baby, while the audience and parents are teased into thinking that the child won't make it. I'm not sure what the bit in the description about the lady who "thinks she felt something" is about...possibly a story beat that fell victim to the syndication edit.
In the climactic park shoot-out, Reed disobeys orders and takes a chance to get the drop on the bad guys. Malloy, of course, finds new purpose in seeing that his overeager rookie partner stays alive long enough to become a seasoned officer.
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Get Smart
"The Impossible Mission"
Originally aired September 21, 1968
Wiki said:
Max and 99 infiltrate Herb Talbot's Tijuana Tin (a parody of Herb Alpert and his Tijuana Brass) to stop KAOS agent The Leader from smuggling the Hellman theory out of the country. This is the episode in which Max reveals his feelings for 99 and first kiss, ultimately agreeing to marry 99 if they both survive this dangerous mission. A spoof of Mission: Impossible.
And this one actually does spoof M:I, at least in its earlier scenes.
The recording of the Chief said:
Should you decide to accept this assignment, this department will disavow any knowledge of your actions. Should you decide not to accept it, you're fired. As usual, this tape will self-destruct in exactly five seconds.
Maybe six.
After the credits, Max goes through a portfolio of photos that includes Alfred E. Neuman, Mona Lisa, and Tiny Tim (the latter of which he tears up).
Other gags include a silent movie-style chase while Max and 99 are dressed as Charlie Chaplin.
Guesting Jamie Farr as a murdered informant who was a trumpet player in the Tijuana Tin.
Ann Elder's Dr. Simon seems to be a continuation of the Dr. Steele character from last season, but renamed.
Regarding Herb Alpert parody "The Leader"...
Max said:
If only he'd used his music for niceness instead of evil.
Maybe I'm appreciating this show's brand of humor a bit better after enduring two seasons of
The Monkees, but this episode seemed to be the show on its farcical game.
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More good retro TV news: This TV is getting
The Avengers! They seem to be starting it on October 1 with early British episodes featuring Cathy Gale and Dr. King.
ETA: Have Movies! on in the background, playing
Sands of Iwo Jima (1949), and just caught a scene with a
really young Martin Milner--He would've been about 17 at the time!
