The Classic/Retro Pop Culture Thread

[RJDiogenes]

Dhani Harrison gave an interview in support of the fiftieth anniversary release of George's "Living in the Material World" box set and he said that he's working with Peter Jackson on restoring the "Concert for Bangla-Desh" and one other concert.
Seeing as "Dark Horse" is the next album in George's catalogue, it stands to reason that the "Dark Horse" tour will be included, at least all or highlights from the performances.​

Hopefully. It's nice when stuff like this is available to aficionados in a quality format.

Stephen King, in his non-fiction book "Danse Macabre" said that while critics may have dismissed the book and movie as pulp horror, the reason so many readers and viewers latched onto the novel/movie, was that in a decade of "stagflation" and national malaise, the thought of home ownership, was increasingly out of reach for many middle class families.​

I read Danse Macabre when it first came out. Like everything else, I agree with some of his opinions and disagree with others, but he's certainly right that Horror very often reflects the specific angst of the times. He kind of lost me when he described the appeal of Night Stalker as "the siren song of crap," though.

$80,000 for the house/property might not seem like a lot today - but mortgage rates were hovering at 10% and the minimum wage was $2.10/hour.

I remember the 70s well. It kind of makes me laugh when people complain about the economy today.

Snookeroo b/w/ Oo Wee​

If Twitter had existed, this could have been a Tweet.

The formula established with the previous album, Ringo, "with a little help from his friends",

And he's got some heavy-duty talent among his friends.

The title comes from Liverpool slang meaning "It's all over."

That's an interesting little factino.

Lennon also suggested that Ringo record a version of "Only You (And You Alone)" as he felt that it suited Ringo's vocal delivery. John's instincts were correct, and the song provided Ringo with the only top ten hit off the album.

Lennon had a little Elton moment there.

Elton and Bernie both admit they dashed off the song in about five minutes before going to the studio to record it.

Amazing.

Hoyt Axton wrote the "No No Song" about a woman offering a man various temptations and the man refusing - ironic considering the problems Ringo would have with substance abuse into the early eighties.

Wishful thinking, no doubt.

Ringo's next album "Rotogravure" wouldn't chart at all in the UK and make No. 28 on the US chart, the last Ringo album to chart anywhere.

That's kind of a raw deal. Ringo deserves better.

 

[The Old Mixer]

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50th Anniversary Viewing (Part 1)

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Hawaii Five-O
"How to Steal a Masterpiece"
Originally aired November 5, 1974

Thieves break through three security systems to steal art from a millionaire.

This is the first episode to air that was produced after the point at which Al Harrington left the show, and thus the first in which he doesn't appear in the credits. (He's replaced in the credits by a shot of an HFD worker welding something.) Apparently, if viewed in production order, his last episode was the 13th, and this is the 17th. Douglas Mossman--who's already appeared on the show a number of times in various guest roles--begins his recurring stint as Ben's non-main-credits substitute for the remainder of the season, Frank Kamana. He'll even be doing a one-shot guest role in a yet-to-air episode that was produced before Harrington left, which must have been confusing when the show originally aired. #SubstituteArtieSyndrome

On the palatial Ogden estate, a pair of masked burglars conduct a daylight burglary of the private gallery, circumventing elaborate security systems with inside knowledge--which includes spraying hardening foam into an alarm box and dealing nonlethally with two guards--to steal a Gauguin. While Danno and Chin talk with Ogden's grandson and heir, Jeff Koestler (Michael Anderson Jr.), and Ogden's secretary, Miss Forbes (Gail Strickland), appraiser/restorer Jacob Durkin (George Voskovec) arrives with his assistant, Sills Anderson (George Herman), and tells Danno of how Ogden recently pushed for an evaluation of the collection, causing Danno to suspect a tax write-off angle...while Forbes eavesdrops with interest/concern. When McGarrett arrives, he meets the owner, Charles Ogden (Luther Adler), who emphasizes his willingness to pay a ransom; while Durkin indicates that there's little market for selling a stolen masterpiece, as the buyer wouldn't be able to show it.

After Five-O leaves, Bob Sevey from KGMB calls the estate to inform Forbes of a ransom demand relayed through the station. But Ogden insists on handling the deal himself, not involving McGarrett. Sevey (himself) informs Five-O of the tape, which Ogden and company find just has music on it...until Jeff interprets a cryptic note and finds the ransom instructions written on the back of the tape itself. Five-O tails Ogden as he stops at a bank with a briefcase, and they split up when Forbes gets out of the limo with a case to switch into a taxi. Ogden subsequently switches into another car while also carrying a case. Both of them, and Jeff bearing a third case, arrive at Five-O HQ to inform McGarrett that while they were leading the team on a goose chase, the payment was being made quietly from money Ogden had at home. Steve's about to go for a Sunday sail on his boat (which we don't see, but this is a notably rare hint at his off-duty life) when he's informed that the painting was returned. At the estate, Ogden insists that it's a copy. And while Durkin verifies that it's the stolen painting from a system he uses of color-coded staples in the frames (which he'd explained to McGarrett in an earlier scene), he also verifies that the painting was already a forgery.

In Che's lab, Durkin explains to him and McGarrett how the painting was purchased decades prior, and more sophisticated methods of detection have emerged since then; and also that the painting could have been switched somewhere along the way, having traveled for exhibitions. Jeff narrows things down when he tells Durkin of how he'd accidentally left fracture marks on the painting years back, which were still there six months ago, and aren't on the forgery. After Jeff leaves, Durkin and Anderson pull out the copy and start working on the same spot. Jeff reappears to catch Durkin altering the painting, but he's taken away at gunpoint by Anderson. His body is later found between scenes in a crashed, burned van.

Steve learns from flirtatious art reporter Evvy Bernstein (Danielle) how Durkin has a history of having twice before discovered long-embedded forgeries, following which the originals turned up. Five-O, including Frank, searches Durkin's hotel room for the painting. Durkin acts insulted and goes into a rage, brandishing a wall painting and daring McGarrett to check it. As Five-O's leaving, Steve realizes that Durkin was waving the masterpiece right in his face. They return and Steve takes apart the backing to find the Gauguin hidden behind the landscape. Durkin and Anderson are booked for Jeff's murder and grand theft, and Ogden indicates that he'd trade his paintings and the ransom to have Jeff back.

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The Odd Couple
"The Paul Williams Show"
Originally aired November 7, 1974

When Felix prevents his daughter from camping out overnight for Paul Williams tickets, she runs away from home to follow Williams.

Felix is acting extra fussy about Oscar's cigar-smoking because Edna is visiting (Doney Oatman, who took over the role from Pamelyn Ferdin in a Season 3 episode). Felix's method is spraying air freshener, apparently being quaintly unaware at this point of the greater dangers of second-hand smoke. Felix shares that his new philosophy for getting along with his kids is taken from the Beatles: "let them be". When Oscar learns that Edna's going to a Paul Williams concert, she name-drops a number of songs that he's written: "We've Only Just Begun," "You and Me Against the World," and "Rainy Days and Mondays". But when Felix learns that she's planning to stand in line for tickets overnight with friends, he forbids it and sends her to her room. As Felix complains about Edna's new obsession with Williams...

Oscar: Better him than Alice Cooper.​

Oscar offers Felix to try to get tickets because he'd previously interviewed Williams about gliding. We then get a segue of a glider plane doing loops to Paul singing "You and Me," recently a hit for Helen Reddy. Edna's fretting over Oscar's return when Paul himself brings home Oscar, who's traumatized from gliding with Paul. Edna's speechless and agape with shock, but after Paul leaves, Felix finds that she's running a temperature and refuses to let her go to the concert, offering to entertain her with opera instead (and shocked that she knows what a hooker is). While Felix is out and Oscar is preoccupied with placing a bet on the phone, a recovering Edna slips out of the apartment. When Felix returns, Oscar shows him Edna's running-away note, though Felix initially mistakes who it's from.

Felix (reading note): "I'm leaving. I can't take it anymore. I can't stand being treated like a child." Oh, Oscar, we've been through this a thousand times...​

Cut to a bus arriving at the Dew Drop Inn in Albany, as Paul is performing "You and Me" inside. Felix and Oscar enter, interrupting the show, and are shown a table as Paul proceeds into "An Old Fashioned Love Song." (Okay, I'm impressed to learn that he wrote that.) When the show's over and the lights go on, Felix is shocked to find Edna, disguising her age with heavy makeup, working as a waitress. Oscar sits her down for a talk and she shares her plan to follow Paul on the road, trying to explain how although Williams doesn't know her, he expresses his understanding of her through his songs. Felix and Oscar enlist Paul's help, but not wanting to lecture her, he has her sit down with him at the piano while he performs a new song he's working on, which expresses a father's love for his growing daughter. He then gives Felix credit for having written it, the words having been based on things that Felix wrote in a note about his situation with Edna. Seeing her father in a new light, Edna talks with him and expresses an interest in doing something together the next day.

In a coda at the apartment after Edna has left, Felix expresses his gratitude to Oscar by singing "You and Me Against the World".

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Ironside
"Run Scared"
Originally aired November 7, 1974

Ironside's goddaughter witnesses a murder—and becomes the next target.

TRIGGER WARNING--This episode has MIMES! One of them is entertaining a crowd of onlookers in a department store window when she witnesses a man across the street (Ed Nelson) stab another man and hide him in the bushes. Then he looks up and locks eyes with his witness. Once out of the window, the mime, Peggy Lynch (Kathleen Quinlan)--costumed so that she's not easily identifiable as female--frantically tells the mime she's been tag-teaming with, Jamie (Ron Thompson), what she saw. While the murderer casually enters the store to scope out the location of The Mime Who Saw Too Much and Might Squeal, one of the onlookers finds the body.

Peggy tries calling her godfather, Uncle Bob, but she's interrupted by Jamie, who doesn't want her going to a cop. The Chief heads to the store and talks to the manager, Saunders (Phillip Pine), who's under the impression that Jamie was performing the entire show; and gets a call from an alleged nightclub operator looking to book the act. Bob calls Peggy's mother, Sylvia Harris (Bettye Ackerman), and asks her to come out from Detroit. She brings her new husband, Eliot (John Lupton), with her to the Cave. Sylvia tells Bob of a boyfriend from back home, Jamie Fields, whom she didn't approve of.

The Chief talks the restaurant proprietor across the street, Armand (Paul Picerni), who tells him of how the victim was having a quarrel there with another man. At their hideout and out of costume, Jamie insists that Peggy not put the heat on him because there's a warrant out on him. Ed's already dug up Jamie's record, which includes a year-old address. There he talks to mime theater coach Eileen Fields (Claire Brennen), who's maybe supposed to be Jamie's older sister, though that isn't made clear. She describes the girl Jamie was seeing as being a more naturally talented mime and a good influence on Jamie, whom Eileen kicked out for pushing. At the Cave, Sylvia tells Bob of how Peggy's father, whom Bob thinks Peggy might run to, was a lowlife drinker who's believed to be living in Vegas. The killer questions a theater manager (uncredited J. S. Johnson) about a harlequin act he saw, followed by Fran, whom the manager tells about the guy who was just asking.

Fran talks to the landlady of Jamie and Peggy's now-vacant apartment (Ann Doran) and learns that they were making long-distance calls on the hall pay phone to an agent in L.A. Peggy's father, Joe Lynch, is located at a hotel in Frisco. When the desk clerk there (Louis Quinn) gives him a message from Chief Ironside, we learn that he's...the killer! He tears out a yellow page for theatrical agencies and starts asking around...getting ahold of a Frisco agent who tells him that the harlequin act went to L.A. for a TV gig. The Chief and Ed, who've pieced together that Jamie and Peggy were secretly tag-teaming and the killer would think he was looking for Jamie, head to L.A. along with Fran. Ed talks to the agent there, Leo Gulden (Kenneth O'Brien), and learns of the gig. He and the Chief head to the TV studio, where the director (Michael Bell) lets them into the dressing room and they find...a dead mime!

This turns out to be Jamie, and the team looks for Peggy. Ed shares with Fran how he and the Chief have pieced together from what the desk clerk told them that Joe Lynch is also the killer, and wouldn't know that the mime he's after happens to be his daughter. Peggy tries to call the Cave again, to be informed by Mark that Uncle Bob is in town. She goes to him just as a TV newsman is getting the word out that the surviving mime will be performing on the show, as a lure for Joe Lynch...who ends up sneaking into a dressing area at the studio (again) until a female mime comes in to work on her makeup. When he goes after her with a dagger, he finds that he's surrounded--Ed having a gun on him from the window and the mime actually being Fran. Here's your trigger!

Lynch is surprised to find Peggy at the door, and tearfully claims that he was doing it all for her (apparently the murder had something to do with him being in gambling debt)...only to learn that she was the witness he was after, and she might never have told anyone.

In the Cave coda, Uncle Bob helps Peggy to reconnect with her mother and new stepfather.

They could've gotten bonus points if they'd titled this one "Run Silent, Run Scared".

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[RJDiogenes]

He'll even be doing a one-shot guest role in a yet-to-air episode that was produced before Harrington left, which must have been confusing when the show originally aired. #SubstituteArtieSyndrome

Hopefully the characters have very different appearances.

circumventing elaborate security systems with inside knowledge--which includes spraying hardening foam into an alarm box and dealing nonlethally with two guards

Mission: Impressionism. (Actually he was Post-Impressionist, but I'm claiming artistic license.)

--to steal a Gauguin.

Did they show the painting? I wonder if it was a copy of a real Gauguin or if somebody cooked up something similar.

When McGarrett arrives, he meets the owner, Charles Ogden (Luther Adler), who emphasizes his willingness to pay a ransom

That's a nice subtle red herring, since there's no indication there will be a ransom request.

Bob Sevey from KGMB

A local celebrity, apparently.

Jeff interprets a cryptic note and finds the ransom instructions written on the back of the tape itself.

Interesting that Jeff would do this and not one of the team. Another subtle red herring?

while they were leading the team on a goose chase, the payment was being made quietly from money Ogden had at home.

Handled by Durkin, presumably. You'd think McGarrett would want to question him about the details.

Steve's about to go for a Sunday sail on his boat (which we don't see, but this is a notably rare hint at his off-duty life)

Golfing and sailing-- you'd think they'd want to make the guy more interesting.

he also verifies that the painting was already a forgery.

So how did he explain not sharing this information and letting Ogden pay the ransom?

Jeff reappears to catch Durkin altering the painting, but he's taken away at gunpoint by Anderson. His body is later found between scenes in a crashed, burned van.

This seems unnecessary, as if the producers felt an art theft wasn't exciting enough.

Durkin has a history of having twice before discovered long-embedded forgeries, following which the originals turned up.

In similar ransom situations? Why go to all the trouble of embedding a forgery? Why not just steal and ransom the original?

They return and Steve takes apart the backing to find the Gauguin hidden behind the landscape.

Nice scene, I'm sure, but it makes no sense. What was he going to do with it? What did the art reporter mean that the originals always "turn up?"

Durkin and Anderson are booked for Jeff's murder and grand theft, and Ogden indicates that he'd trade his paintings and the ransom to have Jeff back.

Aw, that's a sad ending. Aside from the art thieves MO not completely making sense, this was a pretty good episode. Interesting premise, several very subtle red herrings, good detective work, sympathetic characters, and as much culture as your average episode of Shazam.

Felix is acting extra fussy about Oscar's cigar-smoking because Edna is visiting

I'm on his side here. Oscar should accommodate him.

As Felix complains about Edna's new obsession with Williams...

Oscar: Better him than Alice Cooper.

You'd think Felix would agree. Paul Williams is a pretty benign obsession.

Oscar offers Felix to try to get tickets because he'd previously interviewed Williams about gliding.

At least they kept the sports angle this time.

Edna's speechless and agape with shock, but after Paul leaves, Felix finds that she's running a temperature

I don't think it's the flu, Felix.

Felix (reading note): "I'm leaving. I can't take it anymore. I can't stand being treated like a child." Oh, Oscar, we've been through this a thousand times...

Cut to a bus arriving at the Dew Drop Inn in Albany, as Paul is performing "You and Me" inside.

Not exactly a major venue.

"An Old Fashioned Love Song." (Okay, I'm impressed to learn that he wrote that.)

Yeah, I didn't know either.

Felix is shocked to find Edna, disguising her age with heavy makeup, working as a waitress.

She landed that job pretty quick. She should work for the Mod Squad.

she shares her plan to follow Paul on the road, trying to explain how although Williams doesn't know her, he expresses his understanding of her through his songs.

Sounds more like Roberta Flack.

Felix and Oscar enlist Paul's help, but not wanting to lecture her, he has her sit down with him at the piano while he performs a new song he's working on, which expresses a father's love for his growing daughter. He then gives Felix credit for having written it, the words having been based on things that Felix wrote in a note about his situation with Edna.

That's cute. Was it a real song or just some lines put together for the episode?

Seeing her father in a new light, Edna talks with him and expresses an interest in doing something together the next day.

"Have you ever heard of Alice Cooper?"

TRIGGER WARNING--This episode has MIMES!

I'm speechless.

the mime, Peggy Lynch (Kathleen Quinlan)

She was everywhere in the 70s and 80s, usually in speaking roles.

frantically tells the mime she's been tag-teaming with

"First word, first syllable-- oh, just say it!"

to scope out the location of The Mime Who Saw Too Much and Might Squeal

"I've got to silence her!"

Peggy tries calling her godfather, Uncle Bob

They should shorten that to goduncle, for the sake of efficiency.

Sylvia tells Bob of a boyfriend from back home, Jamie Fields, whom she didn't approve of.

"He's quiet. Too quiet."

At their hideout and out of costume

The Mime Squad. That's a horrifying idea for a superhero show.

he talks to mime theater coach Eileen Fields (Claire Brennen), who's maybe supposed to be Jamie's older sister, though that isn't made clear

She's his godaunt.

She describes the girl Jamie was seeing as being a more naturally talented mime

It's a talent? I thought it was a disorder.

Sylvia tells Bob of how Peggy's father, whom Bob thinks Peggy might run to, was a lowlife drinker who's believed to be living in Vegas.

Shouldn't her goduncle know that sort of thing?

When the desk clerk there (Louis Quinn) gives him a message from Chief Ironside, we learn that he's...the killer!

The claws of coincidence clutch closely.

a Frisco agent who tells him that the harlequin act went to L.A. for a TV gig.

"A show about a cop in a wheelchair is lookin' for mimes."

Jamie and Peggy were secretly tag-teaming

Why would this be a secret? Is it a violation of some unspoken rule?

lets them into the dressing room and they find...a dead mime!

Let's have a moment of silence, please.

Ed shares with Fran how he and the Chief have pieced together from what the desk clerk told them that Joe Lynch is also the killer

A lot of deductions on this show seem to happen offscreen and are never really explained.

and wouldn't know that the mime he's after happens to be his daughter.

To be fair, it's an unusual circumstance.

a TV newsman is getting the word out that the surviving mime will be performing on the show

"Mime's never say die!"

Joe Lynch...who ends up sneaking into a dressing area at the studio (again)

"How many mimes must I kill?"

Here's your trigger!

View attachment 42842

She's using a silencer. That's what I call being thoroughly prepared.

and tearfully claims that he was doing it all for her (apparently the murder had something to do with him being in gambling debt)

No, dad, none of it makes any sense. Don't even try.

...only to learn that she was the witness he was after, and she might never have told anyone.

"I wouldn't have said anything."

In the Cave coda, Uncle Bob helps Peggy to reconnect with her mother and new stepfather.

"Use your words, Peggy."

They could've gotten bonus points if they'd titled this one "Run Silent, Run Scared".

Much better. The episode didn't make much sense, but at least it provided opportunities for a lot of mime jokes. The main question I'm left with is how the Chief got to be this girl's goduncle.

 

[The Old Mixer]

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50th Anniversary Viewing (Part 2)

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The Six Million Dollar Man
"Straight On 'til Morning"
Originally aired November 8, 1974

Steve uses his power to help a radioactive alien return to her mother spacecraft.

Steve's hanging around Mission Control for the impending launch of a lunar probe that Oscar's been overseeing. Taking a break outside, Steve sees a blob of light slowly descending from the sky. The MC radar picks up nothing, but they do get a call from the local sheriff about UFO sightings.

By day, four humanoids swim to a shoreline. In the rural town of Denbow, one of them, a shiny-skinned man whom we later learn is named Eymon (Christopher Mears) is caught stealing clothes and fruit from the property of Ed Hermon (Al Dunlap). When Eymon touches Hermon, Hermon collapses in pain. Despite Oscar's skepticism, Steve proceeds to Denbow, where he liaises with Sheriff Bob Kemp (Cliff Osmond) and a local doctor named Waters (Jimmy Lydon) who also saw the object. Shown photos of burns on Hermon's body, Steve informs them that they're from radiation. The quartet of visitors, who also include Eymon's sister, Minonee (Meg Foster's uncanny eyes being put to good use), and their parents, Keron and Ilea (uncredited Vincent Chase and Frances Osborne), are hiding out under a railroad bridge. Minonee is the only one who talks, and is able to read the thoughts of the others. When a pair of deputies spot them and approach, Minonee says that they're travelers from a far-off galaxy. When contact is made, one of the deputies also collapses in pain. The quartet makes a break for it, Eymon hurling a rock at the other deputy by pointing at it. As the sheriff, Steve, and others pursue the quartet, Keron projects an image of the four of them running in a different direction...but Steve is able to see through it with his bionic eye, with which he locates the quartet heading into a wood and pursues them.

Eymon stays behind the others to try to stop Steve with his telekinesis, but a flying rock and falling tree are deflected and hurled away by Steve's bionic arm, while his bionic eye thwarts an attempt at covering tracks. Steve catches up with them in a cave and talks to Minonee, learning that the parents are also suffering an unknown sickness, which she thinks she's avoided because she hasn't had physical contact with humans. Minonee reads Steve's mind to learn of his accident and bionics, and that she can trust him. When Steve expresses curiosity about a similar UFO that he saw on a space mission three years prior, she explains that it was a probe. She informs him that their mother ship waits near the orbit of Pluto, which motivates Steve to quote the line in the title.

teve persuades Eymon to use his powers to stall the others while he tries to help Minonee. At Steve's behest, Ilea transmits a code for contacting the mother ship to Minonee, then passes; soon followed by her husband. Their bodies subsequently disappear while Steve's not in the cave. Elsewhere, Eymon collapses after trying to stop the search party with a rockslide. When they catch up with him, he dies and vanishes before their eyes. Steve takes Minonee to the launch facility, breaking through an electric fence with his bionic arm and sneaking into a room with computer equipment for controlling a laser, which Steve has Minonee use to arrange a rendezvous on the dark side of the moon with the probe capsule, which he plans to smuggle her off-planet in.

Oscar walks in on them with other ideas, wanting to have Minonee studied and not wanting to risk the probe; but Steve persuades him to cooperate by filling him in that she's the last surviving alien, and arguing that her life is worth more than the up to six million dollars that the probe cost. Oscar has the area cleared of security so they can take her to the capsule, which Steve clears of probe equipment to make room for Minonee, giving her an oxygen canister. She shares that she can withstand the pressure of the launch and place herself in a state of unconsciousness to use less oxygen; though he's still concerned that her mother ship might not have received the message. After Steve and Minonee finally exchange names, he and Oscar return to Mission Control, where they tell the sheriff that all of the aliens have died, then watch as Minonee blasts off via the usual Apollo footage.

In the morning, MC fails to reacquire contact with the probe when it's scheduled to be coming back around the Moon. The project director (John Calvin) picks up a faint signal, which sounds to him like "straight on 'til morning"...clueing Steve in that Minonee made it.

Credited deputies included Lohrman (Donald Billett), Cockrell (Kurt Grayson), and Packer (Lucas White). There wasn't much to go on regarding who was supposed to be who.

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Shazam!
"The Brain"
Originally aired November 9, 1974

Billy must help a nerdy newcomer to the community who will do anything to be accepted, including taking foolish risks.

A gang of teenagers are playing football on a beach while Mentor and Billy watch, still in their usual outfits. When a bikini-clad ginger named Wendy (Tita Bell) goes into some bushes to retrieve the ball, she's frightened by another kid who jumps out in a fright mask and opera cape. Jocky blond Greg (Biff Warren), apparently auditioning for the part of Fred, identifies the perp by the titular nickname, and tackles and unmasks him (Christopher Man). After "the Brain" is sent on his way, the other kids explain that he's Jim Carter (billed as "Jimmy" in the credits), a bookworm newcomer who likes to play dumb pranks. Then Mentor and Billy get a call from the Elders, who apparently have a strict dress code. They tell Billy of people who'll do what is wrong and put themselves in danger to be accepted by others. Billy thinks he knows who they're talking about.

Zeus: Just heed the motto of the American hero Davy Crockett, who said, "Be always sure you're right, then go ahead."​

Billy and Mentor approach Jim, Billy bonding with him over a copy of Oliver Twist that he's carrying. (Double your cultural quota!) Jim takes them home to see his book collection, learn that he's a Captain Marvel fan (from what appears to be a publicity shot hanging on his bedroom wall), and mention that they know how to get in touch with him. They encourage Jim to try to make friends the conventional way, despite his lack of athletic ability. Back at the beach, Billy and Jim ask to join the game, where Jim suggests the play that Joe Namath used to win the Super Bowl, which he read about. Jim scores a touchdown, causing Greg's team to lose. Obviously trying to save face, Greg informs Jim of an initiation to join the gang, which Billy and Mentor try to discourage him from going through with, encouraging him to be himself.

But while Billy and Mentor are waiting at the beach with a dinner they prepared for the kids as an alternative, the gang--now sporting shirts and shoes--shows up at Jim's window to take him to the initiation. Jim looks to his Captain Marvel poster before complying.

They take him to a dockside ore conveyor, where he's supposed to climb up the tower and walk on the belt. When a concerned Wendy chastises Greg for making him do something so dangerous, Greg follows Jim up to prove that he can do it.

Cap lands at a spot ahead of Greg and slows the belt with his hands, producing a lot of friction smoke while allowing the lad to jump off. Back on terra firma, Greg's impressed to learn how Jim saved him with his book smarts, and expresses his gratitude with a friendly handshake.

Jim: Captain Marvel, can I shake your hand?​

Cap: Sure, Jim, if you don't squeeze too hard.​

Cap: Hi. You know, we all want to be liked. But today we saw why scaring and daredevil stunts aren't the way to go about it. If a person can't like you for what you are, then maybe they're not worth having as friends. See you next week!​

I have a feeling that we haven't seen the last of Jimmy Carter...

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Emergency!
"Quicker Than the Eye"
Originally aired November 9, 1974

A pregnant woman is accidentally shot by her husband. Tired of Chet's antics, the station gets their revenge by playing a practical joke of their own. A construction worker caught under a boat refuses an IV, and a man in an accident communicates through the use of his thumb.

Chet's taunting the station crew for not being able to catch his sleight of hand when the station is summoned to the suburban home of Pete and Dora Barlow (Special Guest Star Mark Spitz and his wife, Suzy), where Officer Vince has surmised that the pregnant Dora was shot when a gun in a drawer accidentally went off. The bullet is determined not to have exited, and when Brackett needs to know exactly how far along she is, Pete, seemingly in shock, starts to tell Johnny but passes out. He comes to after the ambulance leaves, still too dazed and confused to give the info directly to Roy, but is able to give him the name of Dora's doctor, who informs Rampart that she's at eight months. It's determined that the bullet entered the uterus and that Dora has massive kidney damage. A conscious Dora chooses to prioritize saving the baby, and Brackett informs her that they're going to try simultaneous operations to remove the baby while also saving her.


When the paramedics return to the station, the others fill them in on a prank they've baked up to get back at Chet by gaslighting him (my choice of term this time), which includes turning lights on and off while pretending nothing's happening and Roy swatting a fly that isn't there. Then the station is called to a motion picture studio where a PT boat (according to IMDb, the one from McHale's Navy) being moved through a Western lot has collapsed, trapping a worker in the underpinnings. While the boat is shored up with beams, the semi-conscious man refuses to let them inject an IV, so Johnny does what he can to stop the flow of the man's injured artery while he's removed and loaded into an ambulance. When the man gets to Rampart, Brackett declares that they got him there in time, and updates Roy and Johnny that Mrs. Barlow and her baby are fine, though Mr. Barlow has been continuing to faint.

At the station, the others use crib notes to make Chet think that they're all able to read an eye chart from across the room...but he becomes so concerned that he's losing his eyesight that he dismisses their attempt to come clean about the pranks. Then the station is called to a motorcycle accident on a rural road, where they find that the fire has been put out by a farmer (former cattle drive cook Paul Brinegar, whose character is oddly credited as "Husband (Tom)"). The rider, identified as Lou Marsh, is clearly conscious and worked up about something, but due to a head injury is unable to respond in any way but moving his right thumb. The paramedics have him respond with yes or no signals as they question him, ultimately determining that there may be another victim up the road whom he's concerned about. The paramedics find an overturned camper with an unconscious boy in the back. Mr. Marsh, who was apparently riding for help, is able to inform them that the boy wasn't injured in the accident,. On the Rampart end, we see Early multitasking, alternating between 51 and two other squads. When the Marshes are brought in, Early is able to determine that the boy is diabetic. At Early's request, Mr. Marsh is able to move his left hand, which Joe considers to be a good sign.

At the station, the paramedics announce that the Marshes are both going to be alright. When Johnny tries to have a talking-to with Chet, Chet makes like he was putting the others on, but he still falls for an additional prank of Johnny's.

---

The Mary Tyler Moore Show
"Not a Christmas Story"
Originally aired November 9, 1974

The gang is furious at each other over an office dispute. When they are all snowed in at the office, they spend a tense evening on the set of Sue Ann's Christmas dinner special.

Murray's come up with a new opening line for Ted, which Ted initially likes, but he overthinks it and decides that he wants to switch around the phrasing from "with news from around the world and around the corner" to "with news from around the corner and around the world". It's Friday and everyone wants to go home, so Lou delegates the decision of which version to use to Mary, who puts it off until Monday. At home, Mary has to get out of the tub to answer the door in a towel, to find that it's Murray, who's ostensibly there to apologize over the fuss about the opening line, but probably more to sway her decision.

Come Monday, the already wintry weather in what's confirmed to be November has kicked into high gear, with sixteen inches of snow threatening to fall. Sue Ann comes in, dressed for the impending season because she's been taping a Christmas special, to wax eloquent about how the delicate snowflake, when numbered in the billions, "can screw up a whole city"; and also to invite everyone to come enjoy the dishes she made, though they all make excuses. When Ted comes in just as he's due to go on the air, having walked fifteen blocks after leaving his car stuck with Georgette in it, an escalating fracas ensues about Mary having gone with Murray's original line...Murray getting sore about any attempt by Mary to soothe Ted's ego. Coming out of his office in full sarcasm mode...

Lou: Excuse me? I-I'm sorry to interrupt...but could anyone tell me why our show is on the air, and Ted isn't?​

Ted rushes onto the set and reads the line the way he wanted it, causing Murray to declare that he's quitting and storm out.

Murray returns not because he's changed his mind, but because he can't get his car out of the parking lot until the roads are cleared, which could be overnight. When Lou blows his top about how his delegating one little decision to Mary led to Murray quitting, a shouting match ensues among the three of them and Ted. Then Sue Ann comes in to bear the happy news that they're all snowed in, delighted to have captive diners for her banquet. The others unenthusiastically file out of the newsroom just as Georgette is arriving.

Ted: Come on, Georgette.​

Georgette: Where are we going?​

Ted: Christmas dinner.​

Georgette: Oh, Ted, just once, couldn't we please pay the full price and have it on December 25th?​

She and Sue Ann are the only ones in good moods...Sue Ann taking advantage of Lou standing under what he mistakenly thinks is mistletoe.

The still-seething newsroom crew avoid sitting next to each other. Acting like an overbearing mother, Sue Ann makes everyone follow the theme of her special by insisting that they don hats from different countries.


A tense singalong of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" falls victim to a very awkward syndication edit, causing Sue Ann to suddenly teleport from the table to join Georgette behind the kitchen counter.

The tension continues as everyone starts to dig in. Things reach a low point when an outburst from Lou gets through Sue Ann's skin, clearly hurting her feelings, followed by everyone clamming up. In what appears to be a classic holiday-saving moment, Georgette breaks into a solo of "Silent Night" and the camera pans around to everyone's expressions of shame.

Mary (misty-eyed): Can anyone remember...why we were angry with each other? [Chuckle and sheepish grin, followed by a pause.]​

Murray: Yeah, I can remember.​

Lou: So can I!​

Ted: I sure can!​

Mary: Yeah, well, me too!​

By the after-dinner coda, everyone's genuinely apologetic, and Mary leads a chorus of "Deck the Halls" over the closing credits...which are shown in their entirety for once. Catchy usually runs them silently in a small window in the lower left corner of the screen during the coda. The really awkward edit described above must've been the alternative.

---

The Bob Newhart Show
"Ship of Shrinks"
Originally aired November 9, 1974

Because of an embarrassing article published under his byline, Bob has second thoughts about attending a psychology conference in Hawaii.

Bob goes to the office wearing a suit that he reserves for special occasions and bearing champagne because it's the day that a psychology book for which he contributed a chapter will be released. Carol takes some pride in it, too, as she typed it up and mailed it. But when the book is delivered, Bob's mortified to learn that the 20-page manuscript has been edited down to two typeset pages, entire sections of "The Importance of Office Furniture in Psychology" having been cut out, so that it only deals with chairs. This makes Bob reluctant to go to the conference in Hawaii, as the plane will be full of his colleagues. Emily's looking forward to going, an initial handwaving-away of her fear of flying paying off when she learns that Howard has arranged for him and Ellen to get on the flight, which he'll be navigating. Even while Ellen has encouraged Bob to go through with the trip, Emily is clearly nervous about her life being in Howard's hands.

Jerry starts working on a book of his own, Tooth or Consequences, which turns out to be written for children, and we learn that his middle name is Merle. Meanwhile, Ellen has backed out of the trip because Howard refuses to do any of the usual tourist stuff with her as they're all things that he did with his wife on their honeymoon. And Emily gets more nervous when Howard shares his concern about the bad weather that they're facing.

On the flight, Bob tries to be the voice of optimism for Emily, who's sure she's going to die. Then he meets the colleague in the seat behind him, Dr. Rimmer (Bobby Ramsen), who identifies him as the one whose chapter was severely snipped. Bob introduces Emily to Madeline Kalisher (Dolores Sutton), the wife of the book's author, Dr. Murray Kalisher (Jerome Guardino). It turns out that Madeline's means of dealing with her own fear of flying is her husband having hypnotized her into thinking that she's on a train. Meanwhile, Howard is obsessively hovering around the seat that would have been Ellen's, not letting anyone else sit in it, which becomes a concern to Bob's fellow shrinks. They watch as Bob sits Howard down for a talk, telling him about a boyhood mistake he made of being so overprotective of a replacement dog that the dog came to hate him and ran away. This bolsters Howard into going up to the cockpit and focusing on his job. On his way up he snaps his fingers, causing Mrs. Kalisher to freak out as she realizes that the train is flying!

In the coda, Jerry gets a rejection letter in the same style as his manuscript--one word per page.

---

Hopefully the characters have very different appearances.

The actor has a pretty distinctive look.

Mission: Impressionism. (Actually he was Post-Impressionist, but I'm claiming artistic license.)

Rudy nods and grunts.

Did they show the painting? I wonder if it was a copy of a real Gauguin or if somebody cooked up something similar.

(That's Steve's sailing outfit.)

Handled by Durkin, presumably.

Actually, by Ogden's houseman.

So how did he explain not sharing this information and letting Ogden pay the ransom?

He supposedly only determined it after examining the fake.

In similar ransom situations? Why go to all the trouble of embedding a forgery? Why not just steal and ransom the original?

Nice scene, I'm sure, but it makes no sense. What was he going to do with it? What did the art reporter mean that the originals always "turn up?"

Rewatching the relevant expository scenes, it seems to have been more about Durkin enhancing his reputation than the ransoms. It's unclear if the first such incident was genuine...it may have motivated him to manufacture similar situations.

and as much culture as your average episode of Shazam.

"Gee, Mentor, that Gauguin sure is a swell painter! I really dig his style!"

You'd think Felix would agree. Paul Williams is a pretty benign obsession.

I have a vague anecdotal memory that young girls being fans of Paul Williams was a thing in the day. My uncle once bought my sister one of his albums due to her interest in him...though I have no recollection of his presence in her life that looms as large as Shaun Cassidy, Leif Garrett, or Barry Manilow.

I don't think it's the flu, Felix.

She actually was showing signs of illness at the beginning of the episode, which is what motivated Felix to make such a fuss about the cigar smoke.

Not exactly a major venue.

But a modest throng of screaming girls did show.

She landed that job pretty quick. She should work for the Mod Squad.

Somewhere in California, a physician/scientist is taking notes.

That's cute. Was it a real song or just some lines put together for the episode?

It was a song, but probably just one made up for the episode.

It's a talent? I thought it was a disorder.

Why would this be a secret? Is it a violation of some unspoken rule?

Apparently Jamie was motivated to take credit for Peggy's talent.

"How many mimes must I kill?"

There's our episode title!

She's using a silencer. That's what I call being thoroughly prepared.

There's no silencer.

"Use your words, Peggy."

Is that paraphrasing Squiggy?

The main question I'm left with is how the Chief got to be this girl's goduncle.

For a guy who came up from being a tough-talking beat cop, the Chief is unusually well-connected socially, which serves as a frequent generator of plots. In addition to his usual duties, he's sort of a part-time Jessica Fletcher.

 

[RJDiogenes]

"Straight On 'til Morning"

This is another one that was in the batch of shows we watched.

Steve's hanging around Mission Control for the impending launch of a lunar probe that Oscar's been overseeing.

Considering the type of projects that Oscar oversees, I have to wonder what's really going on here.

By day, four humanoids swim to a shoreline.

Aliens are great at crossing vast distances in space, but they don't handle atmospheric flight too well.

Meg Foster's uncanny eyes being put to good use

"Did it hurt... when you fell from outer space?"

and their parents

I forget if they ever explained why this family unit came to Earth. Exploration? Infiltration? Vacation? Does their culture just do everything with their family?

Keron projects an image of the four of them running in a different direction...but Steve is able to see through it with his bionic eye

Nice touch.

When Steve expresses curiosity about a similar UFO that he saw on a space mission three years prior, she explains that it was a probe.

"What about the one that Jimmy Carter saw?"

She informs him that their mother ship waits near the orbit of Pluto, which motivates Steve to quote the line in the title.

That's pretty far off to stash your mother ship.

Their bodies subsequently disappear while Steve's not in the cave.

But they will become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.

breaking through an electric fence with his bionic arm and sneaking into a room with computer equipment for controlling a laser

Because there is no security on the grounds and no staff in the computer room.

Steve has Minonee use to arrange a rendezvous on the dark side of the moon with the probe capsule

"Calling Floyd! Condition Pink!" Unfortunately, it will take hours for that signal to get to the mother ship, the exact time depending on where they are relative to Earth. The aliens could probably reply faster than light, but that won't help much.

Oscar walks in on them with other ideas, wanting to have Minonee studied and not wanting to risk the probe; but Steve persuades him to cooperate

This is probably the best part of the episode, an edgy confrontation between Steve and Oscar's dark side.

Oscar has the area cleared of security

"Tell Festus to take five."

which Steve clears of probe equipment to make room for Minonee, giving her an oxygen canister.

Oh, my goodness. No. No no no.

though he's still concerned that her mother ship might not have received the message.

The mother ship must have realized that the offspring ship was lost by now, so you'd think they'd send a rescue mission or something.

In the morning, MC fails to reacquire contact with the probe when it's scheduled to be coming back around the Moon.

That's a damn fast probe, but not impossibly so-- at least not by today's standards.

The project director (John Calvin) picks up a faint signal, which sounds to him like "straight on 'til morning"...clueing Steve in that Minonee made it.

Nice little ending, but not the greatest episode overall. Really just a sequence of events with random Sciffy tropes thrown in, like mind powers and vanishing alien corpses, along with the usual cavalier treatment of things like complex technology and the laws of physics. Not to mention that it's basically about a family visiting Earth and almost all of them dying tragically for no good reason.

on a beach while Mentor and Billy watch, still in their usual outfits.

That's hilarious.

When a bikini-clad ginger named Wendy (Tita Bell) goes into some bushes to retrieve the ball, she's frightened by another kid who jumps out in a fright mask and opera cape.

This is a pretty high-stakes show for Saturday mornings.

the Elders, who apparently have a strict dress code

True, they never change either.

Billy thinks he knows who they're talking about.

"It's the girl in the bikini, right?"

bonding with him over a copy of Oliver Twist that he's carrying. (Double your cultural quota!)

It makes me want to read!

They encourage Jim to try to make friends the conventional way

"How's that?"

Jim suggests the play that Joe Namath used to win the Super Bowl, which he read about.

Actually, that's a nice little twist.

Billy and Mentor try to discourage him from going through with, encouraging him to be himself.

"Make up your mind! Should I be myself or have friends?"

When a concerned Wendy chastises Greg for making him do something so dangerous, Greg follows Jim up to prove that he can do it.

Considering how accident prone people are on this show, this is a particularly bad decision.

Greg's impressed to learn how Jim saved him with his book smarts, and expresses his gratitude with a friendly handshake.

"I've learned my lesson, even though the episode is about Jim learning his lesson."

Cap: Sure, Jim, if you don't squeeze too hard.

One of Captain Marvel's powers is the ability to be a condescending jerk.

Cap: Hi. You know, we all want to be liked. But today we saw why scaring and daredevil stunts aren't the way to go about it. If a person can't like you for what you are, then maybe they're not worth having as friends.

Or maybe you were alienating them with your fright mask and opera cape. Answer unclear. Ask again later.

I have a feeling that we haven't seen the last of Jimmy Carter...

Encounters with Captain Marvel lead to greatness.

Pete and Dora Barlow (Special Guest Star Mark Spitz and his wife, Suzy)

Well, that's mighty weird.

where Officer Vince has surmised that the pregnant Dora was shot when a gun in a drawer accidentally went off. The bullet is determined not to have exited, and when Brackett needs to know exactly how far along she is, Pete, seemingly in shock, starts to tell Johnny but passes out.

It's especially weird because it's a couple of meaty, dramatic roles. It doesn't seem like they were trying to break into acting or anything-- not judging from IMDB, anyway.

A conscious Dora chooses to prioritize saving the baby, and Brackett informs her that they're going to try simultaneous operations to remove the baby while also saving her.

Pretty good in 1974. I presume he called in a specialist to assist.

a PT boat (according to IMDb, the one from McHale's Navy)

Interesting. In the Webbverse, McHale's Navy was still on the air in 1974.

While the boat is shored up with beams, the semi-conscious man refuses to let them inject an IV

Some kind of religious issue? Jehovah's Witness refuse blood transfusions, but not saline solution, to my knowlege.

Mrs. Barlow and her baby are fine, though Mr. Barlow has been continuing to faint.

Well, unlike most husbands on TV shows, he's got legitimate reasons.

At the station, the others use crib notes to make Chet think that they're all able to read an eye chart from across the room...but he becomes so concerned that he's losing his eyesight that he dismisses their attempt to come clean about the pranks.

It's a little hard to believe that the master prankster would be so gullible.

The rider, identified as Lou Marsh, is clearly conscious and worked up about something, but due to a head injury is unable to respond in any way but moving his right thumb. The paramedics have him respond with yes or no signals as they question him, ultimately determining that there may be another victim up the road whom he's concerned about. The paramedics find an overturned camper with an unconscious boy in the back.

That's an interesting little scenario.

Murray's come up with a new opening line for Ted, which Ted initially likes, but he overthinks it and decides that he wants to switch around the phrasing from "with news from around the world and around the corner" to "with news from around the corner and around the world".

Good conflict, since neither version is clearly superior-- although I'd argue that going from the smaller to the larger is better English.

the already wintry weather in what's confirmed to be November has kicked into high gear, with sixteen inches of snow threatening to fall.

I guess they don't preemptively close down ahead of a storm in Minneapolis.

When Ted comes in just as he's due to go on the air, having walked fifteen blocks after leaving his car stuck with Georgette in it

I'm not sure if the joke was supposed to be about Ted leaving Georgette in the car, but it seems like a good moment for Ted, showing his commitment to the job.

Lou: Excuse me? I-I'm sorry to interrupt...but could anyone tell me why our show is on the air, and Ted isn't?

If Gordy was still around, he'd have plenty to do.

She and Sue Ann are the only ones in good moods...Sue Ann taking advantage of Lou standing under what he mistakenly thinks is mistletoe.

Poor Lou.

Acting like an overbearing mother, Sue Ann makes everyone follow the theme of her special by insisting that they don hats from different countries.

If I'm not mistaken that's a Hun helmet from WW1-- I don't think Germans would consider that representative of their culture.

In what appears to be a classic holiday-saving moment, Georgette breaks into a solo of "Silent Night" and the camera pans around to everyone's expressions of shame.

Leave it to Georgette.

Mary (misty-eyed): Can anyone remember...why we were angry with each other? [Chuckle and sheepish grin, followed by a pause.]
Murray: Yeah, I can remember.
Lou: So can I!
Ted: I sure can!
Mary: Yeah, well, me too!

I like how they can subvert the cliche, yet ultimately reinforce it.

But when the book is delivered, Bob's mortified to learn that the 20-page manuscript has been edited down to two typeset pages

I hope it was the galley proof, at least.

Emily is clearly nervous about her life being in Howard's hands.

Geez, Emily, he's only the navigator. Although I suppose he could get them stranded in a lost world of dinosaurs and cave people and stuff.

Ellen has backed out of the trip because Howard refuses to do any of the usual tourist stuff with her as they're all things that he did with his wife on their honeymoon.

Interesting role reversal there.

It turns out that Madeline's means of dealing with her own fear of flying is her husband having hypnotized her into thinking that she's on a train.

This goes a bit beyond the limits of realism....

On his way up he snaps his fingers, causing Mrs. Kalisher to freak out as she realizes that the train is flying!

But this makes it all worthwhile.

In the coda, Jerry gets a rejection letter in the same style as his manuscript--one word per page.

This was an interesting episode, because it doesn't seem to have any actual plot.

Rudy nods and grunts.

View attachment 42889
(That's Steve's sailing outfit.)
View attachment 42890

Yep, that's a Gauguin, all right.

Actually, by Ogden's houseman.

Hm. There must have been somebody else working with Durkin.

He supposedly only determined it after examining the fake.

Ah, okay.

Rewatching the relevant expository scenes, it seems to have been more about Durkin enhancing his reputation than the ransoms. It's unclear if the first such incident was genuine...it may have motivated him to manufacture similar situations.

Okay, that makes it a bit more interesting.

"Gee, Mentor, that Gauguin sure is a swell painter! I really dig his style!"

"He draws naked women and I don't get in trouble for looking at them."

I have a vague anecdotal memory that young girls being fans of Paul Williams was a thing in the day. My uncle once bought my sister one of his albums due to her interest in him...though I have no recollection of his presence in her life that looms as large as Shaun Cassidy, Leif Garrett, or Barry Manilow.

Interesting. I remember him as being kind of obscure. I think my main memory of him is showing up on Carol Burnett in his Planet of the Apes makeup.

She actually was showing signs of illness at the beginning of the episode, which is what motivated Felix to make such a fuss about the cigar smoke.

Ohh, okay.

Apparently Jamie was motivated to take credit for Peggy's talent.

That was mainly an excuse to say "unspoken rule."

There's our episode title!

There's no silencer.

No, just one of the endless torrent of mime jokes.

Is that paraphrasing Squiggy?

You know Squiggy. He would not go for the mimes.

For a guy who came up from being a tough-talking beat cop, the Chief is unusually well-connected socially, which serves as a frequent generator of plots. In addition to his usual duties, he's sort of a part-time Jessica Fletcher.

That was an overused cliche in the 70s across the board. In fact, I think I remember reading that it was actually written into the story bible of Barnaby Jones.

 

[The Old Mixer]

50 Years Ago This Week


November 17

• Serial killer Paul John Knowles, who had murdered 18 people since his escape from jail on July 26, was captured by a civilian in Henry County, Georgia. David Clark, a Vietnam War veteran and hospital maintenance worker, had been on a hunting trip when he encountered Knowles, who was fleeing police, and held him at gunpoint until officers could arrive at the scene. The day before, Knowles had kidnapped and murdered his last two victims, a Florida state trooper and a motorist whom he had taken hostage. Knowles himself would be shot to death on December 18 after attempting to disarm a sheriff.

November 18

• U.S. President Gerald Ford and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger arrived in Tokyo to begin an eight-day trip to East Asia. Ford's visit to Japan was the first ever by an incumbent U.S. President.
• Napoleon Lechoco, the head of the Filipino Political Action Committee in Washington, D.C., held Eduardo Romualdez, the Ambassador of the Philippines to the United States, hostage at gunpoint for over 10 hours at the Philippine Embassy on Embassy Row, demanding that his 16-year-old son in Manila receive an exit visa. This was believed to be the first time a foreign ambassador was held hostage in the United States. Lechoco released Romualdez and surrendered to police after Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos gave assurances that his son could leave the country. Lechoco's son departed the Philippines for the United States on November 19.
• Spanish tenor José Carreras made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City, in the role of Cavaradossi in the opera Tosca by Giacomo Puccini.

November 20

• John Stonehouse, British Member of Parliament for Walsall North, faked his own death, leaving a pile of clothes on Miami Beach to make it appear that he had drowned. He would be arrested on December 24 in Melbourne, Australia, and later imprisoned for three years for fraud, deception and theft.
• The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund filed a class action lawsuit against NASA and the U.S. Civil Service Commission over alleged discrimination against African-Americans and women in hiring and promotion at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

November 21

• In Birmingham, England, two pubs on New Street were bombed, killing 21 people and injuring 182 others, many of them seriously, in an attack widely believed at the time to be linked to the Provisional Irish Republican Army. At 8:17 in the evening, a time bomb exploded at the Mulberry Bush pub, killing 10 people, two of whom had been walking past the establishment. Ten minutes later, at 8:27, another bomb detonated at the Tavern in the Town and killed 11 others. The bombings were the deadliest terrorist acts in the Britain in the 20th century.
• The bombings were wrongly blamed on the "Birmingham Six", six men from Northern Ireland who were longtime residents of the city, who were coerced by police abuse into signing confessions to a crime that they had not committed. The six men—Hugh Callaghan, Paddy Joe Hill, Gerry Hunter, Richard McIlkenny, Billy Power and Johnny Walker—would be sentenced to life imprisonment on August 15, 1975, until their convictions were overturned by an appellate court on March 14, 1991. Later, a witness would identify Mick Murray as the organizer of the bombings.
• The U.S. Freedom of Information Act was amended after both Houses of Congress voted to override U.S. President Ford's October 17 veto.

November 22

• United Nations General Assembly Resolution 3236 was enacted by a vote of 89 in favor, 8 against and 37 abstentions. The resolution declared its reaffirmation (after a 1948 resolution) of "the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people in Palestine, including...the right to self-determination without external interference; the right to national independence and sovereignty [and] the inalienable right of the Palestinians to return to their homes and property from which they have been displaced and uprooted." In a separate resolution, the General Assembly granted the Palestine Liberation Organization observer status as a representative of the Palestinian people in and around Israel.

November 23

• U.S. President Ford and Secretary of State Kissinger arrived in the Soviet Union at the Vozdvizhenka Airbase near Vladivostok, where they were greeted by Soviet Communist Party General Secretary Leonid Brezhnev and Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko for a summit meeting on arms control.
• In Lexington, Massachusetts, the historic Hancock–Clarke House was moved 100 yards (91 m) across the street to its original site in preparation for the United States Bicentennial.

Also, George Harrison played in Denver, St. Louis, Tulsa, and Fort Worth.


Selections from Billboard's Hot 100 for the week:

1. "I Can Help," Billy Swan
2. "Do It ('Til You're Satisfied)," B. T. Express
3. "My Melody of Love," Bobby Vinton
4. "Tin Man," America
5. "Longfellow Serenade," Neil Diamond
6. "Everlasting Love," Carl Carlton
7. "Kung Fu Fighting," Carl Douglas
8. "When Will I See You Again," The Three Degrees
9. "Back Home Again," John Denver
10. "Cat's in the Cradle," Harry Chapin
11. "The Need to Be," Jim Weatherly
12. "Whatever Gets You Thru the Night," John Lennon w/ The Plastic Ono Nuclear Band
13. "I've Got the Music in Me," The Kiki Dee Band
14. "Angie Baby," Helen Reddy
15. "Wishing You Were Here," Chicago
16. "Life Is a Rock (But the Radio Rolled Me)," Reunion
17. "Sha-La-La (Make Me Happy)," Al Green
18. "Rockin' Soul," The Hues Corporation
19. "Jazzman," Carole King
20. "You Got the Love," Rufus feat. Chaka Khan

23. "Promised Land," Elvis Presley

25. "Touch Me," Fancy
26. "Fairytale," The Pointer Sisters
27. "You're the First, the Last, My Everything," Barry White
28. "Junior's Farm" / "Sally G", Paul McCartney & Wings
29. "I Feel a Song (In My Heart)" / "Don't Burn Down the Bridge", Gladys Knight & The Pips
30. "La La Peace Song," Al Wilson
31. "Love Don't Love Nobody, Pt. 1" The Spinners
32. "Laughter in the Rain," Neil Sedaka
33. "Ain't Too Proud to Beg," The Rolling Stones
34. "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" / "Free Wheelin'", Bachman-Turner Overdrive

38. "Must of Got Lost," J. Geils Band

40. "Willie and the Hand Jive," Eric Clapton

42. "Carefree Highway," Gordon Lightfoot

44. "The Bitch Is Back," Elton John
45. "You Haven't Done Nothin'," Stevie Wonder

49. "One Man Woman / One Woman Man," Paul Anka w/ Odia Coates
50. "Bungle in the Jungle," Jethro Tull
51. "Boogie on Reggae Woman," Stevie Wonder

53. "Only You," Ringo Starr

56. "Never Can Say Goodbye," Gloria Gaynor
57. "Mandy," Barry Manilow

63. "Morning Side of the Mountain," Donny & Marie Osmond

66. "Overnight Sensation (Hit Record)," Raspberries

69. "Dark Horse," George Harrison

77. "Please Mr. Postman," Carpenters

79. "Do It Baby," The Miracles

81. "Dancin' Fool," The Guess Who

83. "Then Came You," Dionne Warwick & The Spinners

87. "Free Bird," Lynyrd Skynyrd

90. "Get Dancin'," Disco-Tex & The Sex-O-Lettes feat. Sir Monti Rock III

93. "Distant Lover," Marvin Gaye
94. "My Eyes Adored You," Frankie Valli

96. "Stop and Smell the Roses," Mac Davis
97. "Can't Get Enough," Bad Company

99. "Love Me for a Reason," The Osmonds
100. "I Honestly Love You," Olivia Newton-John

Leaving the chart:

• "Honey, Honey," ABBA (10 weeks)
• "Skin Tight," Ohio Players (11 weeks)
• "Steppin' Out (Gonna Boogie Tonight)," Tony Orlando & Dawn (13 weeks)
• "Sweet Home Alabama," Lynyrd Skynyrd (17 weeks)

New on the chart:

"Free Bird," Lynyrd Skynyrd

(#19 US; #191 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time [2004])

"Get Dancin'," Disco-Tex & The Sex-O-Lettes feat. Sir Monti Rock III

(#10 US; #3 Dance; #32 R&B; #8 UK)

"Please Mr. Postman," Carpenters

(#1 US the week of Jan. 25, 1975; #1 AC; #2 UK)

"My Eyes Adored You," Frankie Valli

(#1 US the week of Mar. 22, 1975; #2 AC; #5 UK)


New of the album chart, Al Green Explores Your Mind, which includes this non-single:

"Take Me to the River," Al Green

(#117 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time [2004])


And new on the boob tube:

• Happy Days, "Not with My Sister, You Don't"
• Adam-12, "Lady Beware"
• M*A*S*H, "There Is Nothing Like a Nurse"
• The Odd Couple, "Our Fathers"
• Ironside, "Far Side of the Fence"
• The Six Million Dollar Man, "The Deadly Replay"
• Planet of the Apes, "The Tyrant"
• Shazam!, "The Delinquent"
• Kung Fu, "Besieged – Part Two: Cannon at the Gates"
• All in the Family, "Archie and the Miracle"
• Emergency!, "Camera Bug"
• The Mary Tyler Moore Show, "A Boy's Best Friend"
• The Bob Newhart Show, "An American Family"

---

Timeline entries are quoted from the Wiki page for the month.

---

Considering the type of projects that Oscar oversees, I have to wonder what's really going on here.

Yeah, he seems to be very involved in the space program.

"Did it hurt... when you fell from outer space?"

Not Capped. Apparently a meme?

I forget if they ever explained why this family unit came to Earth. Exploration? Infiltration? Vacation? Does their culture just do everything with their family?

Exploration, looking for a place where their people could live.

"What about the one that Jimmy Carter saw?"

Or John Lennon.

But they will become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.

You're not supposed to Cap that.

Because there is no security on the grounds and no staff in the computer room.

Apparently this particular room wasn't in active use.

Unfortunately, it will take hours for that signal to get to the mother ship, the exact time depending on where they are relative to Earth. The aliens could probably reply faster than light, but that won't help much.

But it'd take the capsule days to get to the Moon.

"Tell Festus to take five."

Gunsmoke in your batch?

That's a damn fast probe, but not impossibly so-- at least not by today's standards.

I wasn't thinking about the time to get to the Moon there. Maybe it was supposed to be days later, but it was strongly implied that Steve waited in Mission Control overnight after the launch.

That's hilarious.

This is a pretty high-stakes show for Saturday mornings.

True, they never change either.

But their attire is closer to the kids on the beach than to Mentor's layers. Come to think of it, Billy and Mentor don't even look like they're dressed for the same day.

"Make up your mind! Should I be myself or have friends?"

"Be yourself" was a very popular mantra aimed at my crowd in those days.

Considering how accident prone people are on this show, this is a particularly bad decision.

They're living in that universe, they don't have meta-vision.

"I've learned my lesson, even though the episode is about Jim learning his lesson."

"I think we've all learned something today."

One of Captain Marvel's powers is the ability to be a condescending jerk.

Nah, it was played in appreciated good humor.

Encounters with Captain Marvel lead to greatness.

This'd be a good place to post that "Ask President Carter" clip, if I hadn't already done it so recently.

It's especially weird because it's a couple of meaty, dramatic roles. It doesn't seem like they were trying to break into acting or anything-- not judging from IMDB, anyway.

Maybe they learned better. She didn't seem bad for the part. He was maybe overplaying his, because I was under the impression that there was something more serious wrong with him that would come out at Rampart.

Pretty good in 1974. I presume he called in a specialist to assist.

We didn't get any OR scenes.

Interesting. In the Webbverse, McHale's Navy was still on the air in 1974.

We don't know that it was being used for that.

Some kind of religious issue? Jehovah's Witness refuse blood transfusions, but not saline solution, to my knowlege.

They didn't get into it. Maybe just afraid of needles. And the usual IV on the show is Ringer's lactate.

Good conflict, since neither version is clearly superior-- although I'd argue that going from the smaller to the larger is better English.

The way Murray read it made it seem like the whole point was to put the local scale second, as a selling point. I didn't question that until later in the episode.

I'm not sure if the joke was supposed to be about Ted leaving Georgette in the car

It was.

If Gordy was still around, he'd have plenty to do.

The odd thing here is that the unseen cameramen and director would go on the air at all without the anchor present. That's what those station identification cards are for. I remember once when my uncle, who was a former director for a local CBS affiliate, saw one of those on the screen for a long pause and proclaimed that it meant somebody had screwed up.

I like how they can subvert the cliche, yet ultimately reinforce it.

This was a pretty enjoyable episode overall, but it seemed a bit forced/contrived that everyone would be at odds over Ted screwing something up. The others are routinely all on the same page regarding that.

I hope it was the galley proof, at least.

It was the bound book. He got a copy by delivery.

Geez, Emily, he's only the navigator. Although I suppose he could get them stranded in a lost world of dinosaurs and cave people and stuff.

They were navigating through weather.

But this makes it all worthwhile.

I missed the finger-snapping the first time.

This was an interesting episode, because it doesn't seem to have any actual plot.

That's a bit harsh.

Yep, that's a Gauguin, all right.

You coulda dropped the name.

Fatata te Miti (By the Sea) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Hm. There must have been somebody else working with Durkin.

His assistant was his accomplice, though I'm sure if you had a specific inside angle in mind.

Interesting. I remember him as being kind of obscure. I think my main memory of him is showing up on Carol Burnett in his Planet of the Apes makeup.

He kinda came outta nowhere for me when my sister got that album. Maybe my uncle was more into him than my sister. I recall him having a part in Oliver Stone's The Doors (1991), as a crony of Andy Warhol (Crispin Glover).

That was mainly an excuse to say "unspoken rule."

Ah...didn't catch that one.

Now that one I'd only caught the second time around. Sometimes it's good that I don't post my replies first thing in the morning.

No, just one of the endless torrent of mime jokes.

With all those Five-O Specials, you never know.

You know Squiggy. He would not go for the mimes.

True.

 

[RJDiogenes]

Ford's visit to Japan was the first ever by an incumbent U.S. President.

That's an interesting little factino. That's twenty-nine years since the end of the war.

Lechoco released Romualdez and surrendered to police after Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos gave assurances that his son could leave the country.

This is really weird. I wonder if there really was some problem with the visa or if the guy was just mentally ill or something.

John Stonehouse, British Member of Parliament for Walsall North, faked his own death, leaving a pile of clothes on Miami Beach to make it appear that he had drowned. He would be arrested on December 24 in Melbourne, Australia, and later imprisoned for three years for fraud, deception and theft.

That's fantastic. It didn't take them long to figure it out, though.

U.S. President Ford and Secretary of State Kissinger arrived in the Soviet Union

Gerry did a lot of globe trotting for a temp.

"Free Bird," Lynyrd Skynyrd

Is there such a thing as anti-nostalgia?

"Get Dancin'," Disco-Tex & The Sex-O-Lettes feat. Sir Monti Rock III

I don't remember this at all. Maybe I blocked it out.

"Please Mr. Postman," Carpenters

Not their best, of course, but it's always nice to listen to Karen Carpenter.

"My Eyes Adored You," Frankie Valli

Good one. Strong nostalgia.

"Take Me to the River," Al Green

Good grief. I always assumed this was a Talking Heads original.

Not Capped. Apparently a meme?

Kind of. It's a cliched pickup line:
"Did it hurt?"
"Did what hurt?"
"When you fell from Heaven."

Exploration, looking for a place where their people could live.

Back to the old drawing board on that one.

Or John Lennon.

True. They did a lot of probing, but missed some vital nuances.

You're not supposed to Cap that.

Apparently they've been traveling a long time and a far, far distance.

Gunsmoke in your batch?

Heh. No, but my Mother talks about it a lot. It's one of her favorites.

I wasn't thinking about the time to get to the Moon there. Maybe it was supposed to be days later, but it was strongly implied that Steve waited in Mission Control overnight after the launch.

I think it's another case of the writers just not thinking it through, or not doing their research.

Come to think of it, Billy and Mentor don't even look like they're dressed for the same day.

Their outfits are the equivalent of superhero costumes, like Columbo's raincoat and Kolchak's seersucker suit.

"Be yourself" was a very popular mantra aimed at my crowd in those days.

Mine, too, and I think it still is. One of those simplistic bumper-sticker affirmations that don't stand up to scrutiny.

"I think we've all learned something today."

Nah, it was played in appreciated good humor.

Yeah, I was just being snarky.

This'd be a good place to post that "Ask President Carter" clip, if I hadn't already done it so recently.

I was thinking about that clip when he brought out the Joe Namath play.

We didn't get any OR scenes.

Too bad. Presumably Brackett handled the kidney while an OB surgeon handled the c-section and a neonatologist checked the baby for injuries. That would have made a good scene.

We don't know that it was being used for that.

Just my usual musings on the Multiverse.

They didn't get into it. Maybe just afraid of needles.

Could be. Some people are irrationally phobic about needles.

And the usual IV on the show is Ringer's lactate.

Ah, that's right. It's a similar thing, though, in that it's inorganic. The Jehovah's Witnesses object to blood because it came from another person.

The way Murray read it made it seem like the whole point was to put the local scale second, as a selling point. I didn't question that until later in the episode.

Yeah, and my thinking was that the audience would prefer the local to be the priority. But that's what made it a good argument.

I remember once when my uncle, who was a former director for a local CBS affiliate, saw one of those on the screen for a long pause and proclaimed that it meant somebody had screwed up.

"Please Stand By. We Are Experiencing Human Error."

It was the bound book. He got a copy by delivery.

So he didn't even have a chance to withdraw his article. I don't blame him for being upset.

That's a bit harsh.

Just an observation, really. It seems like the episode was fine.

You coulda dropped the name.

Fatata te Miti (By the Sea) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Oops, yeah, I suppose that would have been a good idea.

His assistant was his accomplice, though I'm sure if you had a specific inside angle in mind.

Well, Ogden's houseman would have been familiar with Durkin and the other guy, or at least had a good chance of encountering them in the future. The swap would have to have been made by somebody who they were sure would never be recognized or associated with them.

Ah...didn't catch that one.

There were so many.

Now that one I'd only caught the second time around. Sometimes it's good that I don't post my replies first thing in the morning.

Like I do.

 

[DarrenTR1970]

"Take Me to the River," Al Green (#117 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time [2004])

Good grief. I always assumed this was a Talking Heads original.

I've always associated it with Big Mouth Billy Bass

 

[The Old Mixer]

That's an interesting little factino. That's twenty-nine years since the end of the war.

Gerry did a lot of globe trotting for a temp.

There are AP clips of Ford's visits to Japan and Russia, but they're mostly soundless. You can find pics of Jerry (as I've typically seen his nickname spelled) sporting a ushanka for the latter visit.

Fun fact that I just came across--Ford was renamed after his stepfather. His original name was Leslie Lynch King Jr.

This is really weird. I wonder if there really was some problem with the visa or if the guy was just mentally ill or something.

It's hard to tell from the description.

Is there such a thing as anti-nostalgia?

They're using words, what more do you want? The version I posted was from the song's original release on Skynyrd's 1973 album. The edited-down single was only belatedly released, possibly owing to the song already having gotten album-oriented rock exposure.

I don't remember this at all. Maybe I blocked it out.

This is new to me as well, and I can't say that I'm motivated to get it, as it's pretty annoying. I might've enjoyed it if it had been Joe Tex.

Not their best, of course, but it's always nice to listen to Karen Carpenter.

Glad it's not just me. This was pretty weaksauce for a chart-topper--coming in third to the original and a much more memorable cover.

Good one. Strong nostalgia.

Hey, we haven't seen this guy in a while! A pretty, distinctive soft pop classic.

Good grief. I always assumed this was a Talking Heads original.

And you may find yourself listening to a song that you did not know was written by Al Green...

Kind of. It's a cliched pickup line:
"Did it hurt?"
"Did what hurt?"
"When you fell from Heaven."

According to my search, it went from cliche to meme, with people inserting other things as the second part of the line...just like you did.

Mine, too, and I think it still is. One of those simplistic bumper-sticker affirmations that don't stand up to scrutiny.

It'd be nice if more people lived by it today.

Could be. Some people are irrationally phobic about needles.

I'm not crazy about 'em, but if I need a shot, I grit my teeth and bear it.

So he didn't even have a chance to withdraw his article. I don't blame him for being upset.

Yeah, he really should have had the opportunity to review an edited manuscript and/or typeset proofs.

Well, Ogden's houseman would have been familiar with Durkin and the other guy, or at least had a good chance of encountering them in the future. The swap would have to have been made by somebody who they were sure would never be recognized or associated with them.

Ah...I think the swap was made when the painting was returned. As Durkin was the culprit, he could have put the color-coded staple in the forgery to pass it off as the same painting that was stolen.

There were so many.

And so cruel, when they can't say anything in their defense.

I've always associated it with Big Mouth Billy Bass

I read about the song's use there, and vaguely remember that being a thing. Reportedly the song's cowriter, Mabon "Teenie" Hodges, said he made more royalties from Big Mouth Billy Bass than from any previous version.

 

[RJDiogenes]

I've always associated it with Big Mouth Billy Bass

Throw him back!

There are AP clips of Ford's visits to Japan and Russia, but they're mostly soundless. You can find pics of Jerry (as I've typically seen his nickname spelled) sporting a ushanka for the latter visit.

I guess he had a more interesting presidency than I gave him credit for.

Fun fact that I just came across--Ford was renamed after his stepfather. His original name was Leslie Lynch King Jr.

Hmm. I wonder how keeping the name King might have affected his career.

They're using words, what more do you want? The version I posted was from the song's original release on Skynyrd's 1973 album. The edited-down single was only belatedly released, possibly owing to the song already having gotten album-oriented rock exposure.

Most of my exposure was literally from albums-- kids in high school playing it endlessly.

Glad it's not just me. This was pretty weaksauce for a chart-topper--coming in third to the original and a much more memorable cover.

I forgot about the Beatles' version. The Marvelettes are definitely the definitive.

And you may find yourself listening to a song that you did not know was written by Al Green...

Indeed.

According to my search, it went from cliche to meme, with people inserting other things as the second part of the line...just like you did.

That sounds about right.

It'd be nice if more people lived by it today.

Too vague.
"You should just be yourself."
"Thanks! I'm a Flat Earther!"

I'm not crazy about 'em, but if I need a shot, I grit my teeth and bear it.

I've had so many at this point that I just kind of watch it happening with a strange detachment.

And so cruel, when they can't say anything in their defense.

 

[The Old Mixer]

---

50th Anniversary Viewing (Part 1)

---

Adam-12
"Point of View"
Originally aired November 12, 1974

Sgt. MacDonald is suffering a marital crisis and turns to Malloy for advice. On today's patrol, a female cashier is taken hostage inside a grocery store by a couple of trigger-happy robbers who attempt to escape on the roof, and an elderly woman turns up missing from her retirement home.

When Mac gives the guys a hard time over lingering in the parking area while they fix their radio, it comes up that he's been short-fused with everyone lately. On patrol, the officers are sent to a 211 at a market, where they find the manager (Howard Culver) inside, and learn that Brinkman's unit is dealing with a hostage situation, as the two robbers are holding the cashier hostage on the roof. Mac is also on the scene, coordinating the situation and calling in Air-10 for support. Malloy and Reed are sent to cover the door to the roof. The robbers discover that they've been locked out of the stairwell by the fire door, making them more desperate. The officers listen to radio chatter about the robbers jumping to an adjacent rooftop and are sent up to help the cashier, who didn't make it and is hanging off the edge. They leap over like action heroes and pull her up, then take cover as the robbers take shots at them from across the roof behind their own cover. When Brinkman and his partner catch up, Malloy and Reed sneak their way closer to the robbers' nest. With Air-10's guidance, they end up getting the drop on the robbers from behind, forcing their surrender.

Back as Team 12 HQ, Pete overhears a phone conversation indicating that Mac's having issues with his wife. Mac chats to Pete about it afterward in the breakroom, divulging that Mary's now working a job, which is causing tension in the household as he's expected to help with the traditionally wifely duties, including seeing to the kids. Pete gabs with Jim about this in the squad car, Pete being sympathetic to Mac's side of the issue, while Jim teases him for being a chauvinist, sharing how Jean's supposed to be going back for her teaching credentials when Jimmy's older.

The officers are sent to a senior citizens' home, where one of the occupants, Mr. Ferguson (Pat Cranshaw), wants them to find his wheelchair-bound wife (Freda Jones), who's at a nearby pizza parlor enjoying upright-piano playing by an also-elder fellow named Charlie. Mrs. F sends them on their way, protesting that she's not breaking any laws. An orderly (John Kirk Gregory) comes on to the scene to explain to the officers and Mac that they've been trying to reign in Mr. F's overprotectiveness, as the staff consider her outings to be a harmless and natural attempt to get out on her own once in a while. This clearly informs Mac's perspective of Mary's activities, and he accepts Pete's offer to help by picking up the kids for him.

---

M*A*S*H
"Alcoholics Unanimous"
Originally aired November 12, 1974

As acting commanding officer, Frank dismantles the Swamp's gin still and declares Prohibition at the 4077th.

After a rainy movie night is ruined by a leaky tent, Hawk and Trap return to the Swamp to find that Burns--in command while Blake is giving a lecture in Seoul--is having Radar dismantle the still. Burns argues that the guys are alcoholics despite their defense of having good reason for hitting the booze, and declares total prohibition for the unit. Finding the still gone after a surgery session, the guys go to Mulcahy, desperate for a hit of sacramental wine. When Margaret learns what Frank's done, she confesses that she keeps a flask of brandy, which she uses for the same reasons as the guys, and Frank makes excuses for her. Later the guys break into the supply room looking for something alcoholic when Houlihan walks in to fill her flask from the bottle that she keeps hidden there. Burns later walks into the Swamp to find Margaret and the guys drinking, Hot Lips again being thoroughly smashed. He threatens severe discipline, but they all just laugh it off.

Houlihan (after Burns leaves): Who wuzzat?​

Burns enlists Mulcahy to give a lecture on temperance, with attendance to be mandatory. Devoid of their liquor, the guys start getting under each other's skin, almost coming to blows. Concerned that Burns might be right about them, they become motivated to attend the lecture. Backstage, Klinger gives a nervous Mulcahy a glass of wine to get him through the lecture, and Mulcahy stumbles through his sermon while clearly under the influence himself. A little fracas ensues among the audience during which Burns is hit and Margaret gives him her flask. As he takes to it like a baby bottle, Hawkeye declares that the Eighteenth Amendment has been repealed.

---

Ironside
"Act of Vengeance"
Originally aired November 14, 1974

A parolee is determined to avenge his son's murder.

In a bit of street warfare, the Trappers conduct a drive-by Molotov cocktail tossing against the Hawks while the latter gang is working on their van. Sgt. Keller (Ned Romero) alerts the Chief to the situation. The Chief goes to the Parkos home to confront a known Trapper, Tony Parkos (Scott Colomby), whose mother, Laverne (Kathie Browne), falsely backs up his alibi. Also present is Tony's brother, Barney (Butch Patrick is everywhere!). The Chief proceeds to San Quentin, where he visits the Parkos patriarch, Carl (Paul Burke lives!), who was sent up by Ironside and is about to get out on parole. Back at Parkos Manor, Tony catches his mother with his father's old accomplice, Len Harter (Anthony Eisley), who's having an affair with her and is eager to get his hands on the payroll money that Carl took the rap for stealing. Tony goes to police HQ--which is shown here to be a different building from the one that the Cave is in--to ask Ed about talking to Ironside. The busy-beaver Chief then visits hermit widow Carrie Stephens (Anne Seymour) at her mansion. The scene seems to be cut off by a commercial, but it has to do with a pilot-project wayward children's home run by ex-convicts that the Chief is getting heat in the press for spearheading.

Tony has just called Ironside from a phone booth to arrange for a visit with his father when he's shot up in a drive-by, the vehicle being the Hawks' van. Carl is escorted to his son's hospital bed, where Barney threatens to lead the Trappers' retaliation against his father's orders. Hawks leader Mario Garcia (Paul Berrones), who wouldn't talk regarding the attack on them, denies having been responsible for the hit, despite the Hawks' van having been used. The Chief argues for Carl to help prevent his kids from going all the way and ending up like him. Returning home, Carl finds that Laverne has run out on him. The Chief brings Barney to Carrie's place as the home's first resident, and although Carrie hasn't committed herself to the project yet, she quickly slips into the role of stern den mother.

The discarded van is found, with an Army rifle left in it despite the vehicle having been burned to destroy evidence. The Chief gets a call from the hospital and proceeds to Q to inform Carl that Tony is dead. The Chief then goes on a local talk show hosted by Paul Carlton (Bob Hastings) to discuss the program, including Carl's involvement with it; while Laverne and Len watch from a bar, Len expressing his confidence that Carl will get himself locked up again avenging Tony, the idea of which upsets Laverne. The team later locates Laverne working at a bar, where Fran gets a job to keep an eye on her. The Chief goes back to Carl to talk to him about the program, but Carl's only interested in nailing the gang who killed Tony. It's found that Laverne is seeing Harter, and that Harter is ex-Army.

Carl has Len pick him up from Q. As Barney's resentfully polishing furniture at the home, the Chief tells him of how his father, while being taken into custody, saved the Chief from a car accident when he could have used the opportunity to get away. The Chief then learns of how Carl got out early, and Carl has Len, who's anxious for his cut, drop him off at the Hawks' "clubhouse". When Mario arrives, Carl confronts him about Tony, and while Garcia continues to deny involvement, Carl threatens him with a pipe. Hearing the Chief's voice in his head, Carl stands down, just in time for the Chief to arrive and inform him that the Hawks didn't kill Tony. After Len calls Laverne to arrange a getaway and Laverne is brought in by Mark, denying that she knows where Len is, Carl proceeds to help flush Harter out by retrieving the money and meeting Len to give him his cut. Carl pulls a pistol on Len, and when Len tries to make a break, he finds himself surrounded by the team and is taken in. Carl explains to the Chief that the pistol is empty and he intended to donate the stolen money to the home.

In the coda, the home is given a go, Carl apparently having convinced his parole board of his good intentions, and Carrie reveals to Carl that they're naming the home's library after Tony, which was Barney's idea.

---

The Six Million Dollar Man
"The Midas Touch"
Originally aired November 15, 1974

When Oscar disappears, Steve investigates a lead involving a government-operated gold mine.

In Elk Horn, Nevada, Oscar makes a gas stop while looking for the Bull Frog Mine. Immediately after he leaves, the proprietor, Pop (Woodrow Chambliss), calls a man named Mac to warn him that Goldman's coming. Oscar's let in the mining camp by a guard at the gate and met by the operator, MacGregor (Noam Pitlik), who informs him that they've mined and processed $25 million's worth.

Steve's working in the buggy shop again, lifting an engine with his arm, when he gets a call from Oscar's secretary, Julie Farrell (Kate McKeown), who's looking for Oscar, having last heard from him in Vegas. Steve goes to OSI and finds an empty file envelope code-marked as concerning lithanium, a gold-smelting by-product that could be used as an energy source. Farrell indicates that the file belongs to Goldman's old college friend, Bert Carrington, and Oscar shouldn't have it, so Steve talks to Carrington (Farley Granger), who indicates that he found a data leak regarding the lithanium operation, which Oscar asked him to sit on, and that he's been getting mining equipment orders from Oscar. Steve breaks into the vacant office that the equipment was delivered to and finds a hidden safe, which he pulls out of concrete in front of Farrell after asking about her security clearance. The safe contains documents about the lithanium operation and the Bull Frog Mine, so Steve heads to Nevada, stopping at the same station, following which Pop makes another call. Steve's tire is shot out by a rifle and he's taken prisoner by a man named Connors (Richard D. Hurst), who gleefully promises to sentence him to hard labor for trespassing.

While being taken into the mining camp, Steve spots a building with barred windows. He's greeted by MacGregor, who says that Oscar's busy but expecting him, and Connors proceeds to take him down to the mine. Connors is perturbed at how effortless the shoveling seems to Steve. When an ore car train breaks loose of its tether and threatens to crush Connors, Steve stops it just in the nick of time, blowing off his feat of superhuman power. Later Steve busts out of his guarded quarters by pulling up the floorboards and investigates the barred building, finding Oscar inside and drugged. Oscar comes to enough to indicate that he was trying to stop Carrington from being incriminated in the scheme, and Steve informs Oscar that there's a lot of evidence against him as well. Steve tries to carry Oscar out, but his efforts are stymied by his precious cargo and he's caught at rifle-point. Then the boss of the illicit operation arrives--Bert Carrington.

A recovering Oscar is shocked at his old friend's betrayal, unable to believe that Bert set him up to take the fall for his misdeeds. Carrington, who harbors an odd resentment with Oscar--his way with money--needs Oscar to secure him a military transport plane to France...first offering Oscar a cut in the operation, then threatening to kill Steve. Steve is repeatedly insistent that Oscar won't cooperate before he's taken away. After Oscar leaves with Carrington, MacGregor orders Connors to take Steve a couple days' walk into the desert with a canteen, then takes the driver, Eric (uncredited Louie Elias), aside to implicitly order him to kill Austin. On the drive out, Steve sounds out Connors about what's really happening, which Connors doesn't believe until they stop and Eric struggles with him over a shotgun. Steve, who's broken the cuffs and ankle chains he's been wearing, grabs the barrel and bends it apart in front of Connors's disbelieving eyes, then has Connors tell him where the gold is.

Steve takes the Jeep to the storehouse and spots MacGregor driving away in a van. Steve pursues, jumping onto its side, squeezing Mac's gun barrel, and gaining a foothold during their struggle by kicking a hole into the body. Steve ends up going over the top and into the other door, commandeering the vehicle. Meanwhile, at Neville Air Base, Oscar has used a code word that Bert knows about to immediately secure them a C-130 that they drive their car into. They inform the pilot, Major Conlan (Dave Morick), that a truck will be coming. For whatever reason, Steve's hiding on the floor of the passenger side when they arrive; but Mac signals Carrington's driver, George (uncredited Jim Connors), who gives Steve a surprise conking and leaves him on the tarmac. The truck boards the plane and it begins to taxi away. Steve comes to just in time to catch up with it and leap into the cargo area before the ramp closes, all in front of a disbelieving Lt. Evers (Gary Cashdollar). Steve quickly dispatches of Mac and George while Bert can't see what's going on because of the truck. Steve then gets the drop on Carrington from atop the truck.

After the plane comes back down, Carrington and crew are taken into custody, and Oscar's informed that the miners who'd stayed behind to try to squeeze more gold out have also been taken in; but Oscar considers it a bitter victory.

---

Hmm. I wonder how keeping the name King might have affected his career.

"President King" does have an odd ring to it, seeming contradictory to what the Founding Fathers had intended.

Too vague.
"You should just be yourself."
"Thanks! I'm a Flat Earther!"

That's my point, though...that people nowadays seem to identify themselves with their tribes rather than as individuals.

 

[Santa Kang]

That's my point, though...that people nowadays seem to identify themselves with their tribes rather than as individuals.

 

[DarrenTR1970]

I guess he had a more interesting presidency than I gave him credit for.

That's future President, Gerald Ford playing basketball on the light carrier USS Monterey during World War II.

Future President Gerald Ford, front row, second from right.

Though enemy planes had been unable to damage Monterey, she did not complete her first full year of service unscathed. In December, she steamed into the path of Typhoon Cobra, with winds over 100 knots (185 km/h; 115 mph). At the height of the storm, which lasted two days, several planes tore loose from their cables, causing several fires on the hangar deck. During the storm future US President Gerald Ford, who served on board the ship, was almost swept overboard. Ford, serving as General Quarters Officer of the Deck, was ordered to go below to assess the raging fire. He did so safely and reported his findings back to the ship's commanding officer, Captain Stuart Ingersoll. The ship's crew was able to contain the fire, and the ship got underway again​

 

[RJDiogenes]

Mac is also on the scene, coordinating the situation and calling in Air-10 for support.

"Bombs away! I'm pissed at my wife!"

the cashier, who didn't make it and is hanging off the edge.

They tried to make her jump too? These guys ain't too bright.

They leap over like action heroes and pull her up

This is what separates Adam-12 from Dragnet.

Mac chats to Pete about it afterward in the breakroom, divulging that Mary's now working a job, which is causing tension in the household as he's expected to help with the traditionally wifely duties, including seeing to the kids.

Welcome to the 70s, Mac.

Pete gabs with Jim about this in the squad car, Pete being sympathetic to Mac's side of the issue, while Jim teases him for being a chauvinist, sharing how Jean's supposed to be going back for her teaching credentials when Jimmy's older.

Actually, there are two legitimate sides to this-- being the boss of Team 12 is a pretty high-stress job.

An orderly (John Kirk Gregory) comes on to the scene to explain to the officers and Mac that they've been trying to reign in Mr. F's overprotectiveness

Overprotectiveness? His wife is fooling around with the piano player!

This clearly informs Mac's perspective of Mary's activities, and he accepts Pete's offer to help by picking up the kids for him.

Okay, that's not quite the solution to Mac's domestic drama that I anticipated.

Burns--in command while Blake is giving a lecture in Seoul--is having Radar dismantle the still.

This is pretty drastic action for a covering physician-- Henry would just countermand it as soon as he got back.

and declares total prohibition for the unit.

Officers have been fragged for less.

Burns later walks into the Swamp to find Margaret and the guys drinking, Hot Lips again being thoroughly smashed. He threatens severe discipline, but they all just laugh it off.

A little foreshadowing regarding the straw couple relationship.

Houlihan (after Burns leaves): Who wuzzat?

Concerned that Burns might be right about them, they become motivated to attend the lecture.

This theme is also revisited a few years later.

Klinger gives a nervous Mulcahy a glass of wine to get him through the lecture, and Mulcahy stumbles through his sermon while clearly under the influence himself.

Funny, but Mulcahy is no stranger to public speaking.

As he takes to it like a baby bottle, Hawkeye declares that the Eighteenth Amendment has been repealed.

Not a bad episode. It's evolving into the show it will become.

In a bit of street warfare, the Trappers conduct a drive-by Molotov cocktail tossing against the Hawks while the latter gang is working on their van.

So this was just a random attack led by Tony for no particular reason?

Laverne (Kathie Browne)

Mrs Kolchak.

Barney (Butch Patrick is everywhere!)

For a while, anyway. Good for him.

Tony catches his mother with his father's old accomplice

Yet says nothing to his father?

it has to do with a pilot-project wayward children's home run by ex-convicts that the Chief is getting heat in the press for spearheading.

Said heat seemingly irrelevant to the plot.

Mario Garcia (Paul Berrones), who wouldn't talk regarding the attack on them, denies having been responsible for the hit, despite the Hawks' van having been used.

It does seem like a pretty obvious setup.

The Chief brings Barney to Carrie's place as the home's first resident

Butch Patrick is playing a teenager?

The discarded van is found, with an Army rifle left in it despite the vehicle having been burned to destroy evidence.

It's hard to believe that any of them would believe it was a legitimate gang attack.

The team later locates Laverne working at a bar, where Fran gets a job to keep an eye on her.

Drink!

Barney's resentfully polishing furniture at the home

"Wait'll my Grampa finds out about this!"

the Chief tells him of how his father, while being taken into custody, saved the Chief from a car accident when he could have used the opportunity to get away.

A nice detail.

Carl stands down, just in time for the Chief to arrive and inform him that the Hawks didn't kill Tony.

"I figured it all out off camera."

Len calls Laverne to arrange a getaway

Does Carl ever find out about Laverne? This guy is having a bad week. Come to think of it, was Laverne the least bit upset about Tony?

Carl explains to the Chief that the pistol is empty and he intended to donate the stolen money to the home.

Or maybe, y'know, give it back to the people he stole it from. If he's so reptentant, why didn't he ever just tell Ironside where it was?

In the coda, the home is given a go, Carl apparently having convinced his parole board of his good intentions, and Carrie reveals to Carl that they're naming the home's library after Tony, which was Barney's idea.

Well, I like the redemption theme, but there were a few plot holes-- most notably the use of the van in the hit and Carl's failure to offer up the stolen money during his incarceration.

calls a man named Mac to warn him that Goldman's coming.

It's never a good sign when the gas station attendant calls ahead for you.

Oscar's let in the mining camp by a guard at the gate and met by the operator, MacGregor (Noam Pitlik), who informs him that they've mined and processed $25 million's worth.

"I'll never have to beg Congress for money again!"

Steve breaks into the vacant office that the equipment was delivered to and finds a hidden safe, which he pulls out of concrete in front of Farrell after asking about her security clearance.

She'd have to have pretty high clearance to be Oscar's secretary.

who gleefully promises to sentence him to hard labor for trespassing.

"Not that I'm associated with law enforcement in any way."

When an ore car train breaks loose of its tether and threatens to crush Connors, Steve stops it just in the nick of time, blowing off his feat of superhuman power.

Were we overdue for a bionic moment? This seems worse than pointless, since it should have tipped off Connors that Steve needed extra security.

Steve busts out of his guarded quarters by pulling up the floorboards

See!

Oscar comes to enough to indicate that he was trying to stop Carrington from being incriminated in the scheme

What scheme?

Then the boss of the illicit operation arrives--Bert Carrington.

Gasp!

A recovering Oscar is shocked at his old friend's betrayal, unable to believe that Bert set him up to take the fall for his misdeeds.

Okay, so Oscar set up a gold mine to smelt lithanium as a power source for one of his projects, but Carrington and his cohorts are just keeping the gold?

Carrington, who harbors an odd resentment with Oscar--his way with money--

"Curse your frugality, Oscar Goldman!"

After Oscar leaves with Carrington, MacGregor orders Connors to take Steve a couple days' walk into the desert with a canteen, then takes the driver, Eric (uncredited Louie Elias), aside to implicitly order him to kill Austin.

Connors can't be trusted to kill Steve? He doesn't really seem like a softie.

Steve sounds out Connors about what's really happening, which Connors doesn't believe

So Connors is a bad guy, but not privy to the full badness of what he's involved in?

Steve takes the Jeep to the storehouse and spots MacGregor driving away in a van. Steve pursues, jumping onto its side, squeezing Mac's gun barrel, and gaining a foothold during their struggle by kicking a hole into the body. Steve ends up going over the top and into the other door,

That was plenty of bionic action. They didn't really need the runaway mine cart.

After the plane comes back down, Carrington and crew are taken into custody, and Oscar's informed that the miners who'd stayed behind to try to squeeze more gold out have also been taken in; but Oscar considers it a bitter victory.

I consider it a confusing victory, because I'm not entirely sure what just happened. I just hope they got the gas station guy too.

"President King" does have an odd ring to it, seeming contradictory to what the Founding Fathers had intended.

That's just what I was thinking. Would it have been a barrier, or just comedian fodder?

That's my point, though...that people nowadays seem to identify themselves with their tribes rather than as individuals.

Yeah, that's certainly very true.

That's future President, Gerald Ford playing basketball on the light carrier USS Monterey during World War II.​

Is he one of the guys jumping for the ball? I can only imagine he was flat on his face two seconds later.

Future President Gerald Ford, front row, second from right.​

He's very recognizable.

Though enemy planes had been unable to damage Monterey, she did not complete her first full year of service unscathed. In December, she steamed into the path of Typhoon Cobra, with winds over 100 knots (185 km/h; 115 mph). At the height of the storm, which lasted two days, several planes tore loose from their cables, causing several fires on the hangar deck. During the storm future US President Gerald Ford, who served on board the ship, was almost swept overboard. Ford, serving as General Quarters Officer of the Deck, was ordered to go below to assess the raging fire. He did so safely and reported his findings back to the ship's commanding officer, Captain Stuart Ingersoll. The ship's crew was able to contain the fire, and the ship got underway again​

Kind of ironic that he was able to hang on the deck of an aircraft carrier during a typhoon, but couldn't cross a room without tripping.

 

[The Old Mixer]

Actually, there are two legitimate sides to this-- being the boss of Team 12 is a pretty high-stress job.

And she was expecting him to pick up the kids while he was on duty...hence Pete volunteering to do it for him.

Overprotectiveness? His wife is fooling around with the piano player!

That's what Mr. F thought, but she was just enjoying the music from a table.

Okay, that's not quite the solution to Mac's domestic drama that I anticipated.

Baby steps. He was coming to accept the situation and putting aside his pride in accepting help.

Officers have been fragged for less.

A little foreshadowing regarding the straw couple relationship.

Interesting.

Funny, but Mulcahy is no stranger to public speaking.

Yeah, I didn't catch why this was so different from the usual sermon. He did liken it to having given a sex talk.

So this was just a random attack led by Tony for no particular reason?

Apparently.

Mrs Kolchak.

And Kirk's quickest fling.

For a while, anyway. Good for him.

And now that you made me look, it turns out that this is literally his last acting credit until the '90s other than a music video he made in '83.

Yet says nothing to his father?

That's what he was trying to arrange with the Chief.

Said heat seemingly irrelevant to the plot.

We were supposed to be invested in Carl not doing something stupid that would jeopardize the program.

Butch Patrick is playing a teenager?

He would've been 20-21 at the time, so that's SOP for television even today. The kids in the last episode of Shazam! were all 18-20.

I meant to mention that the other morning, I woke up to an episode of Barnaby Jones playing in the background that had the novelty of guest actors in their early-to-mid-teens, rather than older actors playing that age.

It's hard to believe that any of them would believe it was a legitimate gang attack.

That he left the rifle in the van didn't make a lot of sense, even with the lampshading of the Chief and Mark trying to reason out why the shooter would leave the rifle in the van.

Drink!

Does Carl ever find out about Laverne?

Yes, there was a confrontation scene prior to the climax.

Come to think of it, was Laverne the least bit upset about Tony?

There may have been an immediate reaction, but overall her plot thread seemed oddly detached from her son having been killed.

Or maybe, y'know, give it back to the people he stole it from. If he's so reptentant, why didn't he ever just tell Ironside where it was?

That's been an issue on the show before, AIR...you'd think that not divulging the location of your loot would be a parole ineligibility.

It's never a good sign when the gas station attendant calls ahead for you.

True.

She'd have to have pretty high clearance to be Oscar's secretary.

Actually, she was a four and needed to be a six. Steve quipped that it was about to get raised. (IIRC, he's done that before.)

Were we overdue for a bionic moment? This seems worse than pointless, since it should have tipped off Connors that Steve needed extra security.

It maybe informed Connors being ready and willing to comply to Steve when the chips were down.

What scheme?

Okay, so Oscar set up a gold mine to smelt lithanium as a power source for one of his projects, but Carrington and his cohorts are just keeping the gold?

That scheme.

Connors can't be trusted to kill Steve? He doesn't really seem like a softie.

So Connors is a bad guy, but not privy to the full badness of what he's involved in?

Steve could tell that he wasn't a hardened killer and sounded him out about it, which is what turned him against Eric.

That was plenty of bionic action. They didn't really need the runaway mine cart.

But not a single sound effect other than the eye.

Kind of ironic that he was able to hang on the deck of an aircraft carrier during a typhoon, but couldn't cross a room without tripping.

From what I've heard, he was actually a very athletic guy, and one stumbling incident, which fueled Chevy Chase's entire Ford schtick, gave him the reputation for clumsiness.

 

[RJDiogenes]

And she was expecting him to pick up the kids while he was on duty...hence Pete volunteering to do it for him.

It just occurred to me that Mac is 47 years old. He decided to have kids rather late in life.

That's what Mr. F thought, but she was just enjoying the music from a table.

So cute. They still love each other.

Baby steps. He was coming to accept the situation and putting aside his pride in accepting help.

Change is hard when you're that old.

Yeah, I didn't catch why this was so different from the usual sermon. He did liken it to having given a sex talk.

Maybe he prefers to give more inoffensive sermons.

And Kirk's quickest fling.

Ah, yes.

That's what he was trying to arrange with the Chief.

Ah.

I meant to mention that the other morning, I woke up to an episode of Barnaby Jones playing in the background that had the novelty of guest actors in their early-to-mid-teens, rather than older actors playing that age.

Were they celebrity kids from other shows? That would make a difference.

Yes, there was a confrontation scene prior to the climax.

Okay, that's good.

There may have been an immediate reaction, but overall her plot thread seemed oddly detached from her son having been killed.

Yeah, that's how it felt. Maybe he was the guy's kid from a previous marriage or something.

"reptentant"

I don't know how I let that get through. I proofread these things a half dozen times.

That's been an issue on the show before, AIR...you'd think that not divulging the location of your loot would be a parole ineligibility.

It does seem familiar.

Actually, she was a four and needed to be a six. Steve quipped that it was about to get raised. (IIRC, he's done that before.)

Yeah, that sounds familiar too.

It maybe informed Connors being ready and willing to comply to Steve when the chips were down.

That works.

That scheme.

I had a particular reason for asking that, but now I forget what it was.

From what I've heard, he was actually a very athletic guy, and one stumbling incident, which fueled Chevy Chase's entire Ford schtick, gave him the reputation for clumsiness.

I'm sure it was exaggerated, but it's one of those beloved 70s tropes.

 

[The Old Mixer]

We lost Colin Petersen, drummer for the early Bee Gees, a couple of days ago.

So cute. They still love each other.

They were social distanced and he had his back to her.

Ah, yes.

And that was the episode with the then-notably naughty bit of business of Kirk pulling his boots back on.

Were they celebrity kids from other shows? That would make a difference.

I wasn't able to find much directly on IMDb, but a bit of general browsing turns up that the girl who was the focus of the episode, Stacey Baldwin, was 12 at the time (1977; I would have thought a bit older), and the interesting factoid that she's known for having originated the role of Laura on General Hospital, which she left in '76.

Maybe he was the guy's kid from a previous marriage or something.

I was wondering if I might have missed something about that.

I don't know how I let that get through. I proofread these things a half dozen times.

It had the squiggly red line under it.

 

[RJDiogenes]

We lost Colin Petersen, drummer for the early Bee Gees, a couple of days ago.

RIP, Colin Petersen. Early Bee Gees are still the best Bee Gees. And that song is the best of the early Bee Gees.

They were social distanced and he had his back to her.

The piano player? I meant the married couple. He was still possessive in their old age.

And that was the episode with the then-notably naughty bit of business of Kirk pulling his boots back on.

Was that the one? I thought that was France Nuyen.

I wasn't able to find much directly on IMDb, but a bit of general browsing turns up that the girl who was the focus of the episode, Stacey Baldwin, was 12 at the time (1977; I would have thought a bit older), and the interesting factoid that she's known for having originated the role of Laura on General Hospital, which she left in '76.

I would have thought older too. That means the Luke and Laura of the GH fad were teenagers-- or at least Laura was.

It had the squiggly red line under it.

I blame the sleepy seeds.

 

[The Old Mixer]

---

50th Anniversary Viewing (Part 2)

---

Shazam!
"Little Boy Lost"
Originally aired November 16, 1974

Billy and Mentor befriend a young boy and his puppy. Captain Marvel is later called upon when the boy's father is in need of help as he is trapped in an old ghost town accident.

After Sam Winstead (John Carter) and his young son, Howard (Mark Edward Hall), return from a rented bike ride, the renter, Lou (Eddie Firestone), tries to sell Howard a puppy, which Howard, who doesn't talk, lights up about. But his father turns down the offer, indicating that Howard's not ready for the responsibility. While Sam's paying Lou, Howard slips away clutching the puppy.

Somewhere nearby, another game of chess is interrupted by a call from the Elders, who tell Billy that he'll have to teach the patience he's learned to those who speak but do not hear, and those who hear but do not speak. (The Elders' voices are overprocessed here, or otherwise of poor sound quality. I couldn't have understood half of what they were saying without the captions.) Billy takes a contemplative stroll along the beach and spots a frightened Howard clutching the puppy on a jetty as the surf is getting rough. Billy gets Howard off the jetty and back to where the van is camped, where Howard is given one of Billy's shirts to wear. Howard is unresponsive to their attempts to get to know him, but Billy gets through to him enough that the boy pulls out an emergency note with his father's name and number. A grateful Sam arrives to pick Howard up, and explains to Mentor and Billy how Howard hasn't spoken since an incident a couple of months prior when a friend of his was endangered after Howard talked him into playing at a construction site. Sam also emphasizes that the dog doesn't belong to Howard, and will have to be returned.

Along the way, the Winsteads stop to take a walk in a nearby ghost town, where the roaming puppy falls into an old mine shaft. Howard wants to go in after him, but Sam makes his son stay topside while he climbs down with a rope. Sam gets the puppy out, but the ladder inside gives out and, to make matters worse, the entire facade of the building the rope was tied to comes down on the shaft opening. Sam calls for Howard to go get Billy and Mentor, which he does, leaving the dog behind.

The Wiki description takes a really wrong turn at this point...

In order to save the dogs life, his father is forced to absorb the dogs mind and exchanges places with the pup.

Not knowing the reason for Howard's distress, Mentor takes the boy aside so Billy can change to Cap. Searching the area, Cap hears Sam calling for help and goes down to lift the facade back into place.

Mentor and Howard arrive as Cap is lifting Sam above his head out of the shaft with the help of a slow levitate up. Howard runs to Sam and calls out for his daddy. Howard exchanges hugs with everyone and Cap and Mentor underscore that when parents say no to their children, they have a good reason. Sam then tells Howard to get his dog, making clear that he's not misspeaking. As Sam and Howard discuss naming the puppy, Cap teases Mentor about having a tear in his eye.

Cap: Hi. Today we learned if you don't communicate, you will never solve your problems. And the most important communication for all of us is with the ones we love. Remember, there are times when everyone needs help...even you. See you next week.​

---

Emergency!
"Foreign Trade"
Originally aired November 16, 1974

John and Roy consider trading cars. A frat pledge chokes during initiation. Dixie takes on hospital management after budget cuts affect her nursing staff. A young patient cures Dr. Early's hiccups. A basketball player gets stuck in his car. A vehicle teeters on the edge of a drawbridge.

Out in the station's parking lot, Johnny's talking about wanting to sell his Land Rover to get a sports car, and Roy mentions that he's been thinking about selling his mid-'60s Porsche, which is parked right next to the Rover. Chet suggests a trade, which Roy is reluctant about, but Johnny encourages him to be spontaneous.

Squad 51 is called to the Kappa Kappa Omega frat house, where one of the members (Donald Mantooth) shows the paramedics to Danny Zimmerman (Christopher Stafford Nelson)--one of several new pledges wearing diapers--who's lying unconscious after having choked on raw liver he was made to eat blindfolded. Johnny manages to remove the obstruction from the airway, but as Roy's filling in Dr. Morton, the lad stops breathing. Morton has them insert an airway and an IV (this time D5W) and transport. Two of the frat members, the one who showed them in and one played by Reb Brown, express concern about whether what they did will be reported, and Roy points them in the direction of an arriving police officer. At Rampart, Dixie's typing up a letter of complaint to the new administrator who's cut her staff when Danny's distraught parents arrive (Than Wyenn and Anne Seymour). Dix takes them into the staff lounge and does her best to reassure Mrs. Z and calm her down.

Back at the station, Roy and Johnny inspect each other's vehicles and, while some awkwardness ensues (such as Johnny not knowing where the Porsche's engine is), they ultimately agree to an even trade. Then Chet immediately tells Johnny that he's been had. At Rampart, Early's treating a Little Leaguer named Jimmy (uncredited Peter Halton) for a minor injury when the doctor starts hiccupping. Jimmy recommends soda pop, then Dix brings in the other doctors and they all amusedly recommend other treatments that don't work. Jimmy slips out to the staff lounge and brings back a cup of soda, which to everyone's surprise produces immediate results.

Brackett: Well, so much for medical school.​

Dix gets an unexpected visit from the new administrator, Nathan O'Brien (James Shigeta doesn't look Irish...), who, impressed with the experience exhibited in her letter, offers her the job of nursing supervisor. He shows her the rather plush office that would come with the job and asks for an answer that afternoon.

For God's sake, Dix, to hell with the series format, take the job!!!

Back at the station, Johnny's having second thoughts about the trade, but Chet and Capt. Stanley agree that the deal was consummated. The station is then called to assist a basketball player who can't get out of his Mercedes after a woman (uncredited Barbara Allyne Bennet) accidentally backed into the driver's side door...not being flexible enough to get out the other side, having injured his knee in the accident, and being tall enough that his head sticks out of his sun roof when he's sitting upright.


Hey, I know you, you're Roger Murdock!

Johnny pries open the door and he and Roy help the driver raise up through the sun roof so that Johnny can swing his legs out. When he stands up outside, we get Kareem-Cam shots of Chet and Johnny gawking up in amazement at the 7'2" victim (the shots seeming out of continuity with the surrounding long-shots of them helping him out).

The awkwardness of the situation continues as the player helps fit himself onto the stretcher and recommends angling him into the back of the ambulance feet-first. At the player's request, Johnny tries to repark his car, but he can't reach the pedals, so the others push.

O'Brien comes to Dix needing her answer, but a timely encounter with the Zimmermans, who give her a batch of home-baked cookies in gratitude as they're wheeling Danny out, motivates her to stay in the job that she finds so rewarding.

Back at the station, a phone call with Joanne clues us in that Roy is also having second thoughts, but he overhears Johnny enthusing about his new car to contradict Chet. Then Station 51 and a couple of other units are called to assist with a hot-rod pickup that's balancing precariously on the edge of a raised drawbridge. As Boat 2 moves into position underneath the open bridge with a diver standing by, Station 51 fires a line over to Engine 2 on the other side of the bridge that allows the paramedics to climb up their steeply angled side. They toss a line over to firefighters on the other side and pull it tight against the back of the pickup for the paramedics to use in getting to the truck, while also helping balance the vehicle. They help the older female driver out, across, and down, as she explains that it's her grandson's car and she didn't know how fast it was. (Her lines are very conspicuously voiced over and they never let us get a good look at her face. What we do see suggests that she isn't as old as she's playing. Probably a stunt woman.)

At the station, Roy gets back in his old car to say goodbye, and he and Johnny agree to re-trade, to Chet's disbelief.

---

The Mary Tyler Moore Show
"What Are Friends For?"
Originally aired November 16, 1974

Mary and Sue Ann have an unusual time bonding when they both attend a broadcasters' conference in Chicago.

Murray and Ted are each hoping to be selected as a station delegate to attend the conference, but their enthusiasm motivates Lou to go himself. Then he learns that Sue Ann, who's coming onto him heavily, is also going, so he declares that he's sending Mary. Once at their hotel, Sue Ann takes advantage of their rooms' connecting doors to treat Mary's room as her own, calling a Chicago station that she used to work at to find that various male colleagues are supposedly in meetings...even a janitor. Mary's looking forward to settling in for a quiet evening, but Sue Ann promptly rounds up a couple of middle-aged male convention-goers eager for a good time named Hal and Freddy (Noble Willingham and David Huddleston).

Mary tries to stand up for herself, but the alternative of spending the evening alone with Sue Ann motivates her to go to dinner with the guys, who turn out to be morticians who like to buck the stereotype. But they both gravitate toward Mary at Sue Ann's expense, causing Sue Ann to vent about her history of rejection afterward and express her resentment of Mary's lack of experience with it. (Now she's starting to play Rhoda beats.) Finally, when Sue Ann's attempt at making a chocolate souffle on a hot plate goes awry, she breaks down crying and is comforted by Mary, who acknowledges Sue Ann as a friend.

Back at the station, when it comes time for Mary to explain to Lou the rowdiness that he heard over the phone while Hal and Freddy were in her room, she teases everyone by claiming that she and Sue Ann were having an orgy.

---

The Bob Newhart Show
"Life Is a Hamburger"
Originally aired November 16, 1974

Carol announces her engagement to her weird poet boyfriend (Richard Schaal).

Schaal's character, Don Fezler, is clearly supposed to be the same one that he played in last season's "By the Way...You're Fired," but his surname was Livingston then. Then again, Bob's opening patients are addressed as Judge and Mrs. Lockhurst (John J. Fox and Meg Wyllie), but are billed as Flemings. After Don leaves from a visit to Carol at the office, she's quick to tell everyone that she and Don are getting married. Jerry--who, like Bob and Emily, remember Don as "the guy with the feet"--expresses his disapproval to Bob, but volunteers to host an engagement party. Bob tells Howard and Emily the news at a Western-themed restaurant that Ellen's writing a review of.

Bob also has a line in which he refers to Ellen as Lois Lane; and the menu is niftily in the form of hands of oversized playing cards.

At the party, Howard's the only one who actually thinks that Don's philosophical musings are deep. (The episode title is an example.) Carol's embarrassed when Don insists on reading the morbid, unflattering vows he's written. After everyone else leaves, Jerry sits down with Carol and suddenly plants one on her. After they agree that it never happened, she responds in kind.

Jerry shows up early at the office to talk to Bob about what happened. Bob advises that he shouldn't get in the way because he's not willing to make the commitment that Don's made. And while Jerry denies being in love, he insists that Carol's crazy about him. Meanwhile, Carol shows up at the Hartleys' to talk to Emily before she leaves for school. Emily advises that she not rush into marriage, but Carol's feeling the biological clock pressure. However, when Emily agrees with Carol's listing of Don's faults, Carol stands up for Don. When Carol gets to the office, Bob is manning her desk, engaging in a two-part phone gag relaying an argument between one of Jerry's young patients (Bobby Eilbacher) and his mother. (Maybe they picked the wrong profession for Bob.) After Bob and Carol compare notes about the Jerry situation, Bob facilitates a meeting between Carol and Jerry in his office. Jerry, who assumes Carol's going to be shook up about not taking what happened the night before any further, comes out of the office looking crestfallen. Then Don, who's since arrived, is sent in so that Carol can call off the wedding.

In the coda, Bob and Emily discover that the section of the paper with Ellen's review of the restaurant has been used to line the cage of a duck that Emily's been taking to class.

---

RIP, Colin Petersen. Early Bee Gees are still the best Bee Gees. And that song is the best of the early Bee Gees.

It's your favorite song ever, isn't it?

The piano player? I meant the married couple. He was still possessive in their old age.

Ah.

Was that the one? I thought that was France Nuyen.

Yep and nope, respectively.

I would have thought older too. That means the Luke and Laura of the GH fad were teenagers-- or at least Laura was.

Genie Francis, who took over the role, was a few years older and was cast to play the teenage Laura. Guess she would have grown up onscreen from there.

 

[RJDiogenes]

Sam Winstead (John Carter)

Dejah Thoris's boyfriend.

While Sam's paying Lou, Howard slips away clutching the puppy.

Ironically proving dad's point.

who tell Billy that he'll have to teach the patience he's learned to those who speak but do not hear, and those who hear but do not speak.

"Whoa, hold on, I'm writing this down-- those who speak but what?"

(The Elders' voices are overprocessed here, or otherwise of poor sound quality. I couldn't have understood half of what they were saying without the captions.)

I wonder if it's one of those things where the master copy disappeared and they had to use a copy from a local station. Or maybe the Elders were drunk.

Billy takes a contemplative stroll along the beach and spots a frightened Howard clutching the puppy on a jetty as the surf is getting rough.

Yeah, Howard is not exactly the picture of responsibility.

Howard hasn't spoken since an incident a couple of months prior when a friend of his was endangered after Howard talked him into playing at a construction site.

Sounds reminiscent of last week's conveyor belt incident.

Along the way, the Winsteads stop to take a walk in a nearby ghost town, where the roaming puppy falls into an old mine shaft.

Even the pets on this show are clumsy oafs.

Sam gets the puppy out, but the ladder inside gives out and, to make matters worse, the entire facade of the building the rope was tied to comes down on the shaft opening.

Then an earthquake strikes, setting off a brush fire that blocks Howard's escape from the buffalo stampede!

Sam calls for Howard to go get Billy and Mentor, which he does, leaving the dog behind.

This dog is no Lassie.

The Wiki description takes a really wrong turn at this point...

Now that would have been cool.

Not knowing the reason for Howard's distress, Mentor takes the boy aside so Billy can change to Cap.

Did the kid lose the ability to write, too?

Howard runs to Sam and calls out for his daddy.

It might have been a bit more dramatically touching if he had recovered his voice when daddy was actually in danger.

Cap teases Mentor about having a tear in his eye.

Does Cap generally interact with Mentor? This seems like a new thing.

Out in the station's parking lot, Johnny's talking about wanting to sell his Land Rover to get a sports car, and Roy mentions that he's been thinking about selling his mid-'60s Porsche, which is parked right next to the Rover. Chet suggests a trade, which Roy is reluctant about, but Johnny encourages him to be spontaneous.

They do seem to have each other's vehicles, Roy being the old married man and Johnny being the dashing young stud.

Squad 51 is called to the Kappa Kappa Omega frat house

"Look, I'm a zit!"

one of the members (Donald Mantooth)

Johnny: "Say, you look familiar."

several new pledges wearing diapers

Click. So what's on ABC?

lying unconscious after having choked on raw liver

It's not much better cooked, kid.

Morton has them insert an airway and an IV (this time D5W)

"No! The Church of the FSM forbids D5W!"

one played by Reb Brown

Capped.

concern about whether what they did will be reported, and Roy points them in the direction of an arriving police officer.

Cue ominous Dragnet theme.

Dixie's typing up a letter of complaint to the new administrator who's cut her staff

Apparently her scheduling skills are too good.

Then Chet immediately tells Johnny that he's been had.

Cost? Quality? Fuel efficiency?

Jimmy recommends soda pop, then Dix brings in the other doctors and they all amusedly recommend other treatments that don't work.

I seem to remember posting my foolproof hiccup cure here a while back.

Brackett: Well, so much for medical school.

Nathan O'Brien (James Shigeta doesn't look Irish...)

He was as surprised by the ancestry.com results as anyone.

He shows her the rather plush office that would come with the job and asks for an answer that afternoon.

View attachment 43006
For God's sake, Dix, to hell with the series format, take the job!!!

Indeed. She could put that office, authority, and higher paycheck to good use.

having injured his knee in the accident

Ouch. This may not be good for his basketball career.

Hey, I know you, you're Roger Murdock!

Capped.

we get Kareem-Cam shots of Chet and Johnny gawking up in amazement at the 7'2" victim

He's a tall drink o' water.

View attachment 43008View attachment 43009

They seem a little exaggerated, but that's hilarious.

At the player's request, Johnny tries to repark his car

Do they ever mention the player's name? Is it implied to be Kareem or just a Webbverse alternative?

Then Station 51 and a couple of other units are called to assist with a hot-rod pickup that's balancing precariously on the edge of a raised drawbridge.

This sounds like a pretty impressive sequence. I wonder how they managed to film it.

(Her lines are very conspicuously voiced over and they never let us get a good look at her face. What we do see suggests that she isn't as old as she's playing. Probably a stunt woman.)

Awkward. I wonder why. Maybe the actress they hired didn't show up or something.

At the station, Roy gets back in his old car to say goodbye, and he and Johnny agree to re-trade, to Chet's disbelief.

Talk about a rigid format. They can't even change vehicles.

Then he learns that Sue Ann, who's coming onto him heavily

This will be a recurring, and escalating, theme.

calling a Chicago station that she used to work at to find that various male colleagues are supposedly in meetings...even a janitor.

Ouch.

But they both gravitate toward Mary at Sue Ann's expense, causing Sue Ann to vent about her history of rejection afterward and express her resentment of Mary's lack of experience with it.

There's no such thing as an unsympathetic character on Mary Tyler Moore.

Finally, when Sue Ann's attempt at making a chocolate souffle on a hot plate goes awry, she breaks down crying and is comforted by Mary, who acknowledges Sue Ann as a friend.

That was a nice little character study for Sue Ann. I don't remember ever seeing it.

when it comes time for Mary to explain to Lou the rowdiness that he heard over the phone while Hal and Freddy were in her room, she teases everyone by claiming that she and Sue Ann were having an orgy.

"Life Is a Hamburger"

Excellent. I had heard it was a box of chocolates.

Schaal's character, Don Fezler, is clearly supposed to be the same one that he played in last season's "By the Way...You're Fired," but his surname was Livingston then.

Again, the timelines shift....

Jerry--who, like Bob and Emily, remember Don as "the guy with the feet"

Not a very distinguishing characteristic.

View attachment 43011

It's all in the delivery.

After everyone else leaves, Jerry sits down with Carol and suddenly plants one on her. After they agree that it never happened, she responds in kind.

I knew it. FWBs.

(Maybe they picked the wrong profession for Bob.)

He could have just sat there every episode doing his phone routines.

Jerry, who assumes Carol's going to be shook up about not taking what happened the night before any further, comes out of the office looking crestfallen. Then Don, who's since arrived, is sent in so that Carol can call off the wedding.

Carol is quite the heartbreaker. This sounds like a good episode. Lots of character stuff going on. I wonder if this is the ultimate resolution of Carol and Jerry.

It's your favorite song ever, isn't it?

Actually, that would be "The 59th Street Bridge Song," but this one is up there.

Yep and nope, respectively.

Damn. It's clearly been way too long since I actually watched TOS.

Genie Francis, who took over the role, was a few years older and was cast to play the teenage Laura. Guess she would have grown up onscreen from there.

I watched it briefly when it was faddish and my Sister was obsessed with it. I didn't realize they were supposed to be teenagers.