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50th Anniversary Viewing (Part 3)
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Super Friends
"The Fantastic FRERPs"
Originally aired November 10, 1973
iTunes said:
King Plasto has been intercepting every shipment of raw plastic powder on its way to the government space research station because he intends to use the raw powder for his own means.
King Plasto (Alden)--a wannabe monarch who schemes to create his own country--and his jester, Styro (Welker), intercept a shipment of raw plastic by creating a life-size duplicate of the GREPS (Government Research and Experiment Project for Space) research station that it's headed for from a hand-tossed egg-shaped container filled with the titular substance of Plasto's invention--fiber reinforced epoxy resin plastic. For some reason the pair of do-badders watch the Super Friends giving a charity golf demonstration from a FRERP shack on top of a truck, in which snoopy Marvin and Wonder Dog are driven to the concealed entrance of Plasto's secret HQ inside a cliff...where Plasto works on FRERP constructs to be used in his future schemes. After returning to the Hall of Justice, Marvin has trouble describing what he saw to the Super Friends.
At the GREPS facility, project chief Mike Rosecope (Casey) describes to the Super Friends how an advanced plastic formula was stolen from their facility a year prior, followed by various raw plastic shipment hijacks. Rosecope is unaware that his assistant, Polly (Alberoni), is secretly Plasto's inside princess. Plasto deploys a plastic flying saucer and berserk killer whale to divert Superman and Aquaman, respectively; while Batman investigates the identity of the criminal who's been signing for the hijacked shipments as Roy La Post...and a rearrangement of the letters reminds Marvin of the King Plasto signage on the truck.
Marvin takes the Dynamic Duo to the cliff, where the entrance is accidentally opened by the Batmobile driving off to investigate the area, so the JSF end up entering without the Caped Crusaders...who end up heading to the waterfront where another shipment is expected while leaving the kids behind. The JSF find a storage area of the egg-shaped containers, and a FRERPs arena of unknown purpose. On the waterfront, the Dynamic Duo see a tugboat taking the shipment's freighter past its intended pier. The tug pilot, Plasto, takes the freighter to a FRERP pier and has the raw plastic deposited into a FRERP truck. The Batmobile spots Plasto in the truck and follows it, as Plasto diverts them by tossing eggs that release various constructs...eventually blocking their path with a FRERP factory.
Wendy and Marvin return to the GREPS facility to show Wonder Woman the initialed egg containers that they found. One marked KPS releases a King Plasto statue; while one labeled RG releases a robot goose. Listening via a device in Polly's brooch to Rosecope and Wonder Woman trying to develop a solvent for FRERP, Plasto deploys various robot gooses carrying disruptive egg-contained payloads. (The geese themselves are sprung from the egg containers, but are carrying same-sized egg containers inside them, so try to figure out how that works.)
Knight's narration: The petulant potentate of plastic purposely plans to panic the public by perpetrating a perverse ploy, peppering the peaceful populace with pernicious plastic pranks.
Superman moves a FRERP dam, then picks up a spray can of the solvent that Wonder Woman's developed, which will dissolve the largest FRERP objects to raw plastic powder. The man of steel dissolves various objects, including the factory and a replica of the Eifel Tower...which dissolve into huge mounds that still have to be cleared by bulldozers. The Dynamic Duo head back to the entrance of Plasto's HQ, but run over an egg that expands into a Ferris wheel that the Batmobile gets stuck atop. The following JSF enter the lair to grab one of the eggs, deploying a FRERP roller coaster on which the Batmobile is driven down from the wheel. Instead of waiting for the Caped Crusaders, the JSF proceed back into the arena, where they end up being pursued by Plasto, Polly, and Styro, whom they attempt to hold off by tossing eggs that spring various FRERP buildings. The Dynamic Duo, Wonder Woman, and Superman join the party, and attempting to take refuge, the trio of do-badders end up caught in Plasto's FRERP jail. The Super Friends very briefly lecture them about how their scheme was wrong.
The episode ends with Wendy pulling a prank on Marvin by tossing a real egg onto his head; followed by Superman narrating a preview of next week's episode...which is actually the episode airing in three weeks.
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Star Trek
"Mudd's Passion"
Originally aired November 10, 1973
Wiki said:
The USS Enterprise receives orders to arrest Federation outlaw Harry Mudd, who is accused of selling fake love crystals. Intercepting Harry on the mining colony of Motherlode, they bring him aboard the Enterprise.
Captain's log, stardate 4978.5: We are approaching the Arcadian star system on a mission to locate an old friend.
The Enterprise enters orbit of the planet Motherlode to locate Mudd (Roger C. Carmel reprising his two-time role from TOS).
Mudd selling a potion at a remote outpost is very much in the Space Western spirit of TOS. I don't think we ever saw hand phasers do something like dig that trench. Nichols is the female Ursinoid miner; Doohan, the male human and Ursinoid miners; and Barrett is Lora.
Mudd is taken to Sickbay, where we're caught up on his criminal history since he escaped the robot planet from "I, Mudd" by stealing a spaceship in a manner reminiscent of the similar bit of business in that episode. Mudd catches on to Chapel's attraction to Spock and, when they're alone, offers her a love crystal to use on the Vulcan. She breaks the crystal in her hands as instructed and experiences side effects from the potion, with Harry seizing the opportunity to pilfer her phaser, with which he escapes from his cell. At Harry's prompting, Chapel goes to look for Mr. Spock, whom she has to touch with the liquid. Meanwhile, the Enterprise explores an uncharted binary system with a class-M planet.
Spock goes to the bridge to report his emotions. Mudd, attempting to avoid stunning phaser fire, drops a handful of the crystals, which get in the ventilation system. He then overpowers her and takes her in a shuttle down to the planet. Spock is uncharacteristically passionate about saving his love. Then the crystal vapors begin to affect the bridge crew.
Captain's log, supplemental: Harry Mudd has escaped from the Enterprise, taking Head Nurse Chapel with him, apparently as a hostage. Meanwhile, Mr. Spock is acting very strange.
McCoy discovers and reports how the potion has gotten in the air system. On the bridge, we see it mutually affect Scotty and M'Ress. After Kirk and Spock beam down, the crew generally start acting very casual...Arex strumming an instrument at his console. The landing party and Mudd are assaulted by a pair of giant rock creatures, but the transporter officer is busy dancing. As Kirk and Spock find themselves bickering, Spock realizes that they've been affected by the potion, and he and Spock attempt to reign in their emotional impulses. At Kirk's urging, Mudd reluctantly hands over his last of the crystals. Kirk tosses them in the mouth of one of the creatures, and they turn on each other as the landing party watches in disbelief. The crew on the ship now experiencing a hangover of resentment toward one another, the landing party is beamed up and Mudd is taken back into custody to face more rehabilitation therapy.
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Emergency!
"Insomnia"
Originally aired November 10, 1973
Wiki and Frndly mashed up said:
Johnny is suffering from insomnia due to the lack of night runs. Cases include a marijuana smoker dying of an unidentifiable malady; and a boy who has fallen into a gravel pit.
Unable to sleep, Johnny stays awake all night by himself. When he mentions the late, late movie that he watched...
Chet: That's one of my favorite flicks! If I'd have known it was on, I would've stayed up and kept you company.
Johnny: That might have put me to sleep.
The station and other units are called to an explosion on a trailer-mounted boat on an inland street. The paramedics climb inside the listing craft to see to an injured but conscious man inside. It turns out he was stowing away to make some coffee while dreaming of owning a boat when a propane tank blew. At Rampart, Roy asks Johnny about his problem, and Johnny explains how he thinks that he's wound up because of how his sleep is usually interrupted by night runs.
A man (Dick Yarmy) walks into the hospital about an arm injury that he sustained when he swerved into a telephone pole to avoid a dog; but the doctors become more interested in his son, Scotty (Stephen Manley), who shows signs of a head injury and is diagnosed with a skull fracture. In a later aside, we're told that he's been released.
As Johnny frets over his lack of sleep at the station--making it apparent that the psychological stress of needing to get sleep is now contributing--the squad is called to a see to a heart attack victim at a computer center. They're met by an employee named Fred (Ronnie Schell), who points them to his coworker, Dan (uncredited Craig Chudy), who's conscious and acting berserk, climbing onto a glass divider. Fred explains that Dan just had a little grass. The paramedics approach Dan and have to chase him down and tackle him. As Brackett is advising that they stabilize Dan and bring Fred with him, the victim starts to experience respiratory distress. At the hospital...
...Brackett finds that the symptoms are indicative of a heroin overdose, but Fred maintains that Dan only had marijuana, expressing disbelief that he could be dying from that.
As Johnny's obsession with his issue is becoming more of a point of contention at the station, the crew is called to assist a man named Joe Wilson (Joe Pizzorusso), who's been pinned between a semi-trailer and a loading dock. When Early learns that the victim is experiencing euphoria, he becomes concerned about the reaction when the pressure is released. Joe collapses as the truck is driven out, and the paramedics assess his injuries before bringing him in.
Back at Rampart, Brackett is stumped by the negative test results for anything that might have caused Dan's symptoms when Early recalls cases of similar symptoms from a crop-dusting chemical called parathion. Brackett questions Fred to learn that Dan was growing his own, and using not-commercially available chemicals on his plants. Brackett explains how Dan could have both absorbed the chemical through his skin and inhaled more of it from smoking the weed. Knowing what he's dealing with, Brackett is able to pull Dan through it between scenes.
At the station, the firefighters prank Johnny, setting up a cradle for him by suspending a Stokes from the ceiling...and Roy suggests that he actually try it. The station is called to rescue a boy who's been buried in a gravel pit that he and a friend were playing in; as well as a worker named Ted (uncredited George Sawaya) who's been pinned down by rocks while attempting to go in after the boy. Roy is lowered in via a winch which is subsequently used to raise Ted out. The firefighters determine that the best way of getting to the boy is to turn on the conveyor at the bottom of the pit so he'll be drawn down. The boy (uncredited Robbie Rist, right around the corner from his infamous role as an eleventh-hour Brady family addition) is freed and promptly revived.
Back at the station, Johnny mixes a bedtime concoction that he's sure will put him out, but is lying awake at 2:30 when the real cure arrives in the form of a call...which is just for the engine, but a semi-conscious Johnny climbs aboard the back anyway, leaving Roy behind.
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The Mary Tyler Moore Show
"Love Blooms at Hemples"
Originally aired November 10, 1973
Wiki said:
Rhoda falls madly in love with one of the Hemples' heirs, but she is clueless as to how he really feels about her.
Newsroom business always seems kind of obligatorily tacked on in Rhoda episodes...maybe that's why they spun her off. In this case, there's a subplot about Mary having produced a documentary about chimps at the zoo that got a good review, and Ted feeling threatened because an anthropologist narrated it; in addition to some time-filling nonsense about Lou trying to bum a donut off of first Murray and then Mary. At the apartment, Rhoda tells Mary about how Doug Hemple, the grandson of the store's founder, sat with her in the tea room at lunch. Rhoda thinks they that hit it off, but is bothered that he didn't even vaguely hint at seeing her again. Rhoda takes Mary's advice to arrange to bump into him and ask him out, and secures a date. Mary's on the scene as Rhoda's getting ready for Doug (William Burns) to pick her up at her place, while acting uncharacteristically giddy and optimistic.
After she's been seeing Doug for a couple of weeks, Rhoda has Mary read a letter that she wrote for Doug asking him to describe how he feels about her. Mary advises her not to send it as it's too early in the relationship and could scare him off. Rhoda subsequently drops by the newsroom before a date to tell Mary that she plans to ask Doug how he feels, though Mary advises her not to rush things. Mary returns home to find Rhoda crying in the stairwell and Doug acting supportive...Rhoda having dropped the bomb while they were watching
The Waltons. After Doug leaves, Rhoda describes how his answer was that he "doesn't hear bells". Rhoda and Mary both anticipate a slow emotional recovery ahead for Rhoda.
Along the way, the anthropologist, Dr. Margaret Kellogg (Barbara Barnett), visits the newsroom for the shooting of a promo for a re-airing of the special. The shy chimp that she brings with her, Hugo, surprisingly takes an instant liking to the least likely member of the cast...
Ted ends up doing the promo with Hugo.
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The Bob Newhart Show
"Mutiny on the Hartley"
Originally aired November 10, 1973
Wiki said:
Bob's patients revolt against him when he raises his hourly rates.
A visit from an overpriced plumber (Henry Corden) and a building-wide raise in the apartment's rent encourage Bob to raise his session rates for the first time ever. When he asks Jerry about it, Jerry gives him mixed signals, but ultimately encourages it.
Jerry: You shouldn't feel guilty, Bob. D'you think your patients feel guilty about not paying their bill on time?
Bob: My patients feel guilty about everything.
Bob subsequently finds that a quintet of the usual suspects--Elliot Carlin, Mrs. Bakerman, Michelle Nardo, Mr. Peterson, and Mr. Gianelli--have arrived early for their group therapy session to throw a surprise party over it being their second anniversary as a group together. Each gives Bob a present--Mrs. Bakerman's is a wallet that she just finished knitting; Mr. Carlin's is $5. Against his better judgment, Bob follows up on this gesture by announcing that he plans to raise his session rate by $5. Elliott takes his gift back, and guilts Bob about having been his first patient. Mr. Peterson tells Bob that he hates him, then meekly apologizes.
At home, Bob has seond thoughts about the whole thing. On the next group therapy date, nobody shows up, the group leaving a message via Carol: "Tell Dr. Rip Off we've decided to go it alone." The group meets at Bakerman's house instead, with the session led by Mr. Peterson. The members' various issues quickly lead to squabbling and insecurity. Elliott ends up calling Bob to make a house call. Once he's there, they announce as a group that they feel he's worth the increased rate...though he volunteers not to raise Mrs. Bakerman's because of her low income. The session commences as usual.
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I wonder if the actors ever complained about stuff like that.
I think it was the main reason for bringing in Oliver...the youngest siblings were too old to do little kid stuff.
Did he do the "Wipeout" laugh?
Nope.
Any clue how she got that nickname? Was she into ballet or something?
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to watch the episode on Paramount Plus and let me know what, if any, explanation was given. Good luck,
RJ!
So now Marcia has to pretend to still like him until the mission is accomplished.
She wasn't in on the fake playbook scheme.
I'm not sure what the point of that anecdote was, but I wonder if he kept the film.
Oscar was also asking about it.
But not in this one, where his signature talent didn't come into play at all.
The kid from Courtship of Eddie's Father.
Who needs to be advised that because of a genetic abnormality, he should avoid excessive gamma ray exposure.
Fairly frequently seen character actor. Possibly a former football player?
I knew him mainly from game shows...but apparently he did a stint in minor league baseball.
Aww, that's cute, if mildly disturbing.
It might have been cuter if you swapped the parents...the boy's dad looks like she was imagining, and the girl's mother looks like what he was imagining.
