The Dick Van Dyke Show
Bob Crane
April 05, 2010
by David Krell
david@davidkrell.com
Most of us know Bob Crane as the actor who played Colonel Robert Hogan in Hogan’s Heroes, a kind of Mission: Impossible set in a POW camp in Germany during World War II.
Some of us know Bob Crane as a darker figure in his private life. The 2002 movie Auto Focus explores this area.
Bob Crane began his career as a disc jockey. He made his way to the West Coast where he starred in his own radio show in morning drive time on KNX in Los Angeles. Crane branched out into television. His resume includes guest appearances on The Dick Van Dyke Show and The Twilight Zone.
He increased his exposure with a regular role on The Donna Reed Show.
And in 1965, Crane got his big break when he was cast as the lead role in Hogan’s Heroes.
During the run of Hogan’s Heroes, Crane met John Henry Carpenter, a video expert from Sony. Fascinated by the new technology of the VCR only available to the elite in the 1960’s, Crane formed a friendship with Carpenter. The video salesman introduced the television star to a world of underground sex. Crane frequently photographed and videotaped his bedmates.
The Murder of Bob Crane by Robert Graysmith details Crane’s biography and his murder that took place on June 29, 1978 in Scottsdale, Arizone where Crane was performing in a dinner theatre production of Beginner’s Luck.
Paul Schrader directed Auto Focus based on Graysmith’s book.
In Auto Focus Greg Kinnear plays Bob Crane. Kinnear’s dramatic portrayal of a television icon reveals a private side of Bob Crane that the public never knew about when he was alive.
Crane was bludgeoned to death in his sleep. Allegedly, on the night that he was killed, Crane told Carpenter that he wanted a new life. No more parties or anonymous women. The friendship was over.
DNA testing did not exist in 1978. But Carpenter was arrested and indicted on murder charges in 1992. He was acquitted in 1994. He died in 1998.
The murder of Bob Crane remains an unsolved case.
Bob Crane’s story is one of a gradual but inevitable rise to television icon status that he could never recapture after Hogan’s Heroes ended.
But it is also a story of sadness.
david@davidkrell.com
Most of us know Bob Crane as the actor who played Colonel Robert Hogan in Hogan’s Heroes, a kind of Mission: Impossible set in a POW camp in Germany during World War II.
Some of us know Bob Crane as a darker figure in his private life. The 2002 movie Auto Focus explores this area.
Bob Crane began his career as a disc jockey. He made his way to the West Coast where he starred in his own radio show in morning drive time on KNX in Los Angeles. Crane branched out into television. His resume includes guest appearances on The Dick Van Dyke Show and The Twilight Zone.
He increased his exposure with a regular role on The Donna Reed Show.
And in 1965, Crane got his big break when he was cast as the lead role in Hogan’s Heroes.
During the run of Hogan’s Heroes, Crane met John Henry Carpenter, a video expert from Sony. Fascinated by the new technology of the VCR only available to the elite in the 1960’s, Crane formed a friendship with Carpenter. The video salesman introduced the television star to a world of underground sex. Crane frequently photographed and videotaped his bedmates.
The Murder of Bob Crane by Robert Graysmith details Crane’s biography and his murder that took place on June 29, 1978 in Scottsdale, Arizone where Crane was performing in a dinner theatre production of Beginner’s Luck.
Paul Schrader directed Auto Focus based on Graysmith’s book.
In Auto Focus Greg Kinnear plays Bob Crane. Kinnear’s dramatic portrayal of a television icon reveals a private side of Bob Crane that the public never knew about when he was alive.
Crane was bludgeoned to death in his sleep. Allegedly, on the night that he was killed, Crane told Carpenter that he wanted a new life. No more parties or anonymous women. The friendship was over.
DNA testing did not exist in 1978. But Carpenter was arrested and indicted on murder charges in 1992. He was acquitted in 1994. He died in 1998.
The murder of Bob Crane remains an unsolved case.
Bob Crane’s story is one of a gradual but inevitable rise to television icon status that he could never recapture after Hogan’s Heroes ended.
But it is also a story of sadness.
Sixties Sitcom Music
November 17, 2009
by David Krell
david@davidkrell.com
If music be the food of 1960’s television sitcoms, play on.
In the 60’s, the Beatles headed a British invasion across the Atlantic Ocean and inspired sitcom versions of themselves.
We saw the real-life Standells perform I Want To Hold Your Hand on The Munsters.
And who could forget the Bedbugs -- the F Troop answer to the boys from Liverpool.
Gilligan’s Island welcomed the Mosquitoes, known individually as Bingo, Bango, Bongo, and Irving.
On the same episode featuring the Mosquitoes, we saw the girls from Gilligan’s Island transform themselves into the Honeybees. It was an homage to Diana Ross and the Supremes and other members of the girl group genre.
The Beach Boys introduced us to the surfing sound and we heard Jimmy Darren sing Surfing Craze on The Flintstones as Stone Age rock and roller Jimmy Darrock.
The modern Stone Age family embraced rock and roll as a cornerstone of its adventures. By the way, the puns in the previous sentence are intended.
One example is Ann Margret as prehistoric singing sensation Ann Margrock. To the Flintstones and Rubbles, though, she was simply Annie -- Pebbles’ babysitter.
Fred and Barney take Annie under their wing and even bring her into their soft shoe act. They quite a a shocker at the concert when they realize that Annie is really superstar Ann Margrock.
This episode featured Ann Margret’s wonderful rendition of the lullaby The Littlest Lamb and an nergized performance of I Ain’t Gonna Be Your Fool No More.
Another family sitcom benefited from the musical talents of its stars -- The Dick Van Dyke Show. This program frequently featured title star Dick Van Dyke and co-star Mary Tyler Moore dancing and singing.
She, of the 50,000 watt smile, Capri pants, and famous cry Oh Rob! The whole cast got into the act during the only Christmas themed episode -- The Alan Brady Show Presents. For those who need a reminder, Dick Van Dyke’s character -- Rob Petrie -- is Head Writer for The Alan Brady Show, a network television variety program.
The premise was simple. In a show within a show, Alan Brady gives his staff a chance to perform during his Christmas show. Larry Matthews (Richie Petrie) sings The Little Drummer Boy.
Another scene features Rob Petrie, Laura Petrie, Buddy Sorrell, Sally Rogers, and Mel Cooley sing an old favorite -- I Am A Fine Musician.
The characters are played respectively by Dick Van Dyke, Mary Tyler Moore, Morey Amsterdam, Rose Marie, and Richard Deacon.
The Dick Van Dyke Show also gave us its version of the Twist -- the Twizzle. It’s a song and dance made popular at a local bowling alley by Randy Twizzle (Jerry Lanning).
Apparently, Rob Petrie also dabbled in writing songs along with writing comedy. When he hears a certain song on the radio, he claims that he co-wrote the song -- Bupkis. Bupkis is a Yiddish term with a not so family friendly translation. In family friendly terms, Bupkis is a lot of nothing. The song’s lyrics reflect that definition.
david@davidkrell.com
If music be the food of 1960’s television sitcoms, play on.
In the 60’s, the Beatles headed a British invasion across the Atlantic Ocean and inspired sitcom versions of themselves.
We saw the real-life Standells perform I Want To Hold Your Hand on The Munsters.
And who could forget the Bedbugs -- the F Troop answer to the boys from Liverpool.
Gilligan’s Island welcomed the Mosquitoes, known individually as Bingo, Bango, Bongo, and Irving.
On the same episode featuring the Mosquitoes, we saw the girls from Gilligan’s Island transform themselves into the Honeybees. It was an homage to Diana Ross and the Supremes and other members of the girl group genre.
The Beach Boys introduced us to the surfing sound and we heard Jimmy Darren sing Surfing Craze on The Flintstones as Stone Age rock and roller Jimmy Darrock.
The modern Stone Age family embraced rock and roll as a cornerstone of its adventures. By the way, the puns in the previous sentence are intended.
One example is Ann Margret as prehistoric singing sensation Ann Margrock. To the Flintstones and Rubbles, though, she was simply Annie -- Pebbles’ babysitter.
Fred and Barney take Annie under their wing and even bring her into their soft shoe act. They quite a a shocker at the concert when they realize that Annie is really superstar Ann Margrock.
This episode featured Ann Margret’s wonderful rendition of the lullaby The Littlest Lamb and an nergized performance of I Ain’t Gonna Be Your Fool No More.
Another family sitcom benefited from the musical talents of its stars -- The Dick Van Dyke Show. This program frequently featured title star Dick Van Dyke and co-star Mary Tyler Moore dancing and singing.
She, of the 50,000 watt smile, Capri pants, and famous cry Oh Rob! The whole cast got into the act during the only Christmas themed episode -- The Alan Brady Show Presents. For those who need a reminder, Dick Van Dyke’s character -- Rob Petrie -- is Head Writer for The Alan Brady Show, a network television variety program.
The premise was simple. In a show within a show, Alan Brady gives his staff a chance to perform during his Christmas show. Larry Matthews (Richie Petrie) sings The Little Drummer Boy.
Another scene features Rob Petrie, Laura Petrie, Buddy Sorrell, Sally Rogers, and Mel Cooley sing an old favorite -- I Am A Fine Musician.
The characters are played respectively by Dick Van Dyke, Mary Tyler Moore, Morey Amsterdam, Rose Marie, and Richard Deacon.
The Dick Van Dyke Show also gave us its version of the Twist -- the Twizzle. It’s a song and dance made popular at a local bowling alley by Randy Twizzle (Jerry Lanning).
Apparently, Rob Petrie also dabbled in writing songs along with writing comedy. When he hears a certain song on the radio, he claims that he co-wrote the song -- Bupkis. Bupkis is a Yiddish term with a not so family friendly translation. In family friendly terms, Bupkis is a lot of nothing. The song’s lyrics reflect that definition.
The Official Dick Van Dyke Show Book
October 23, 2009
by David Krell
david@davidkrell.com
From 1961 to 1966, America watched the adventures and misadventures of a television comedy writer at work and at home.
The Dick Van Dyke Show broke ground as the first sitcom to regularly show the father’s workplace as a significant part of the show. The workplace was the writers’ room for The Alan Brady Show. It also provided a rich source for story lines.
In 1994, Vince Waldron wrote the definitive book about the program -- The Official Dick Van Dyke Show Book.
It’s a terrific resource.
The episode guide has the following information -- episode titles, air dates, guest stars and their respective characters, writers, directors, and story synopses.
In addition, Waldron details Carl Reiner’s pilot -- Head of the Family. It was the progenitor of The Dick Van Dyke Show.
Head of the Family aired on CBS on July 19, 1960 with Carl Reiner in the lead role of Rob Petrie.
Reiner tweaked his creation and it became The Dick Van Dyke Show.
Waldron also plunges into other parts of the show’s history.
The casting of Mary Tyler Moore as Laura Petrie.
The brink of cancellation because of sponsor Procter & Gamble almost pulling its sponsorship.
The effect of the John Kennedy assassination on the show’s production schedule, not to mention the emotions of the cast and production staff.
Waldron also describes the background, history, and production of key episodes. One example is It May Look Like A Walnut, a takeoff on The Twilight Zone.
The Dick Van Dyke Show was successful largely because of Carl Reiner’s devotion to reality. In the chapter Playing To An Empty House, writer Jerry Belson tells Waldron about Reiner’s commitment to finding realies.
He was always saying, “We need more realies! Give me more realies!” Carl would ask us, “How do you use that rubber thing on the end of a toothbrush? Well, put that in the show!” Carl didn’t care about funny, he wanted realies. If you sat down with Carl, instead of saying, “What’s funny?” he would sit you down and say, “Okay, what happened to you this week? What’d you fight with your wife about?” And those things that happened to you were the realies that Carl wanted. And so we were always searching for more realies.
The Dick Van Dyke Show aired 158 episodes in black and white. Was color given serious thought? Waldron explains in a footnote in the chapter Curtain Calls.
Although Reiner chose not to heed his executive producer’s [Sheldon Leonard] advice to keep the series on the air, Reiner insists that both he and Sheldon Leonard had given serious thought to filming The Dick Van Dyke Show in color as early as the show’s third season. But, says Reiner, the plan was quickly abandoned as soon as they discovered that filming the show in the more expensive color process would have added about seven thousand dollars to their weekly budget. “It didn’t seem to make any sense at the time,” explains the producer. “There was no big argument. It was like, ‘What do we do? It’ll cost us seven thousand dollars a week more to go to color.’ ‘Oh. Well, in that case, let’s not.’”
For a fan of television sitcoms in general and The Dick Van Dyke Show in particular, The Official Dick Van Dyke Show Book by Vince Waldron is a fine addition to the bookshelf.
david@davidkrell.com
From 1961 to 1966, America watched the adventures and misadventures of a television comedy writer at work and at home.
The Dick Van Dyke Show broke ground as the first sitcom to regularly show the father’s workplace as a significant part of the show. The workplace was the writers’ room for The Alan Brady Show. It also provided a rich source for story lines.
In 1994, Vince Waldron wrote the definitive book about the program -- The Official Dick Van Dyke Show Book.
It’s a terrific resource.
The episode guide has the following information -- episode titles, air dates, guest stars and their respective characters, writers, directors, and story synopses.
In addition, Waldron details Carl Reiner’s pilot -- Head of the Family. It was the progenitor of The Dick Van Dyke Show.
Head of the Family aired on CBS on July 19, 1960 with Carl Reiner in the lead role of Rob Petrie.
Reiner tweaked his creation and it became The Dick Van Dyke Show.
Waldron also plunges into other parts of the show’s history.
The casting of Mary Tyler Moore as Laura Petrie.
The brink of cancellation because of sponsor Procter & Gamble almost pulling its sponsorship.
The effect of the John Kennedy assassination on the show’s production schedule, not to mention the emotions of the cast and production staff.
Waldron also describes the background, history, and production of key episodes. One example is It May Look Like A Walnut, a takeoff on The Twilight Zone.
The Dick Van Dyke Show was successful largely because of Carl Reiner’s devotion to reality. In the chapter Playing To An Empty House, writer Jerry Belson tells Waldron about Reiner’s commitment to finding realies.
He was always saying, “We need more realies! Give me more realies!” Carl would ask us, “How do you use that rubber thing on the end of a toothbrush? Well, put that in the show!” Carl didn’t care about funny, he wanted realies. If you sat down with Carl, instead of saying, “What’s funny?” he would sit you down and say, “Okay, what happened to you this week? What’d you fight with your wife about?” And those things that happened to you were the realies that Carl wanted. And so we were always searching for more realies.
The Dick Van Dyke Show aired 158 episodes in black and white. Was color given serious thought? Waldron explains in a footnote in the chapter Curtain Calls.
Although Reiner chose not to heed his executive producer’s [Sheldon Leonard] advice to keep the series on the air, Reiner insists that both he and Sheldon Leonard had given serious thought to filming The Dick Van Dyke Show in color as early as the show’s third season. But, says Reiner, the plan was quickly abandoned as soon as they discovered that filming the show in the more expensive color process would have added about seven thousand dollars to their weekly budget. “It didn’t seem to make any sense at the time,” explains the producer. “There was no big argument. It was like, ‘What do we do? It’ll cost us seven thousand dollars a week more to go to color.’ ‘Oh. Well, in that case, let’s not.’”
For a fan of television sitcoms in general and The Dick Van Dyke Show in particular, The Official Dick Van Dyke Show Book by Vince Waldron is a fine addition to the bookshelf.
The Official Dick Van Dyke Show Book
October 23, 2009
by David Krell
david@davidkrell.com
From 1961 to 1966, America watched the adventures and misadventures of a television comedy writer at work and at home.
The Dick Van Dyke Show broke ground as the first sitcom to regularly show the father’s workplace as a significant part of the show. The workplace was the writers’ room for The Alan Brady Show. It also provided a rich source for story lines.
In 1994, Vince Waldron wrote the definitive book about the program -- The Official Dick Van Dyke Show Book.
It’s a terrific resource.
The episode guide has the following information -- episode titles, air dates, guest stars and their respective characters, writers, directors, and story synopses.
In addition, Waldron details Carl Reiner’s pilot -- Head of the Family. It was the progenitor of The Dick Van Dyke Show.
Head of the Family aired on CBS on July 19, 1960 with Carl Reiner in the lead role of Rob Petrie.
Reiner tweaked his creation and it became The Dick Van Dyke Show.
Waldron also plunges into other parts of the show’s history.
The casting of Mary Tyler Moore as Laura Petrie.
The brink of cancellation because of sponsor Procter & Gamble almost pulling its sponsorship.
The effect of the John Kennedy assassination on the show’s production schedule, not to mention the emotions of the cast and production staff.
Waldron also describes the background, history, and production of key episodes. One example is It May Look Like A Walnut, a takeoff on The Twilight Zone.
The Dick Van Dyke Show was successful largely because of Carl Reiner’s devotion to reality. In the chapter Playing To An Empty House, writer Jerry Belson tells Waldron about Reiner’s commitment to finding realies.
He was always saying, “We need more realies! Give me more realies!” Carl would ask us, “How do you use that rubber thing on the end of a toothbrush? Well, put that in the show!” Carl didn’t care about funny, he wanted realies. If you sat down with Carl, instead of saying, “What’s funny?” he would sit you down and say, “Okay, what happened to you this week? What’d you fight with your wife about?” And those things that happened to you were the realies that Carl wanted. And so we were always searching for more realies.
The Dick Van Dyke Show aired 158 episodes in black and white. Was color given serious thought? Waldron explains in a footnote in the chapter Curtain Calls.
Although Reiner chose not to heed his executive producer’s [Sheldon Leonard] advice to keep the series on the air, Reiner insists that both he and Sheldon Leonard had given serious thought to filming The Dick Van Dyke Show in color as early as the show’s third season. But, says Reiner, the plan was quickly abandoned as soon as they discovered that filming the show in the more expensive color process would have added about seven thousand dollars to their weekly budget. “It didn’t seem to make any sense at the time,” explains the producer. “There was no big argument. It was like, ‘What do we do? It’ll cost us seven thousand dollars a week more to go to color.’ ‘Oh. Well, in that case, let’s not.’”
For a fan of television sitcoms in general and The Dick Van Dyke Show in particular, The Official Dick Van Dyke Show Book by Vince Waldron is a fine addition to the bookshelf.
david@davidkrell.com
From 1961 to 1966, America watched the adventures and misadventures of a television comedy writer at work and at home.
The Dick Van Dyke Show broke ground as the first sitcom to regularly show the father’s workplace as a significant part of the show. The workplace was the writers’ room for The Alan Brady Show. It also provided a rich source for story lines.
In 1994, Vince Waldron wrote the definitive book about the program -- The Official Dick Van Dyke Show Book.
It’s a terrific resource.
The episode guide has the following information -- episode titles, air dates, guest stars and their respective characters, writers, directors, and story synopses.
In addition, Waldron details Carl Reiner’s pilot -- Head of the Family. It was the progenitor of The Dick Van Dyke Show.
Head of the Family aired on CBS on July 19, 1960 with Carl Reiner in the lead role of Rob Petrie.
Reiner tweaked his creation and it became The Dick Van Dyke Show.
Waldron also plunges into other parts of the show’s history.
The casting of Mary Tyler Moore as Laura Petrie.
The brink of cancellation because of sponsor Procter & Gamble almost pulling its sponsorship.
The effect of the John Kennedy assassination on the show’s production schedule, not to mention the emotions of the cast and production staff.
Waldron also describes the background, history, and production of key episodes. One example is It May Look Like A Walnut, a takeoff on The Twilight Zone.
The Dick Van Dyke Show was successful largely because of Carl Reiner’s devotion to reality. In the chapter Playing To An Empty House, writer Jerry Belson tells Waldron about Reiner’s commitment to finding realies.
He was always saying, “We need more realies! Give me more realies!” Carl would ask us, “How do you use that rubber thing on the end of a toothbrush? Well, put that in the show!” Carl didn’t care about funny, he wanted realies. If you sat down with Carl, instead of saying, “What’s funny?” he would sit you down and say, “Okay, what happened to you this week? What’d you fight with your wife about?” And those things that happened to you were the realies that Carl wanted. And so we were always searching for more realies.
The Dick Van Dyke Show aired 158 episodes in black and white. Was color given serious thought? Waldron explains in a footnote in the chapter Curtain Calls.
Although Reiner chose not to heed his executive producer’s [Sheldon Leonard] advice to keep the series on the air, Reiner insists that both he and Sheldon Leonard had given serious thought to filming The Dick Van Dyke Show in color as early as the show’s third season. But, says Reiner, the plan was quickly abandoned as soon as they discovered that filming the show in the more expensive color process would have added about seven thousand dollars to their weekly budget. “It didn’t seem to make any sense at the time,” explains the producer. “There was no big argument. It was like, ‘What do we do? It’ll cost us seven thousand dollars a week more to go to color.’ ‘Oh. Well, in that case, let’s not.’”
For a fan of television sitcoms in general and The Dick Van Dyke Show in particular, The Official Dick Van Dyke Show Book by Vince Waldron is a fine addition to the bookshelf.
The Ultimate TV Network
July 21, 2009
by David Krell
david@davidkrell.com
If I created the ultimate television network, the prime time program lineup would probably look like this:
On Sunday, I would start with the legends. I Love Lucy at 8:00pm followed by The Jack Benny Program at 8:30pm.
The pairing makes sense since Lucille Ball and Jack Benny were not only show business icons, but also neighbors in real life. They lived next door to each other on North Roxbury Drive in Beverly Hills.
Then, we turn to the rural heavyweights. The Andy Griffith Show at 9:00pm and The Beverly Hillbillies at 9:30pm.
Sunday nights should be nice and easy, after all. And what's nicer and easier than our friends in Mayberry and the hillbilly transplants to the land of Rodeo Drive?
At 10:00pm, The Sopranos.
On Monday nights, I would pair The Dick Van Dyke Show and Mary Tyler Moore in the 8 o'clock hour, followed by M*A*S*H and Murphy Brown in the 9 o'clock hour.
At 10:00pm, St. Elsewhere.
Tuesday nights would start with family comedy. The Cosby Show and Family Ties 8:00pm and 8:30pm respectively.
Everybody Loves Raymond at 9:00pm and Two and a Half Men at 9:30pm.
At 10:00pm, Law & Order.
Wednesday nights would start with sophistication.
Frasier at 8:00pm and The Odd Couple at 8:30pm. I'm sure Felix Unger would have enjoyed talking wine, opera, and art with the Crane brothers.
The 9 o'clock hour would consist of You'll Never Get Rich starring Phil Silvers as Sergeant Bilko and The Twilight Zone.
At 10:00pm, Hill Street Blues.
Of course, Thursday nights would truly be Must See TV with Cheers, Taxi, Seinfeld, and Friends followed by ER at 10:00pm.
Friday night would be another family-friendly night, starting with The Brady Bunch at 8:00pm and The Wonder Years at 8:30pm.
At 9:00pm, Friday Night Lights, a depiction of a west Texas town obsessed with high school football.
At 10:00pm, The Wire.
Saturday night begins with cartoons.
The Simpsons at 8:00pm and King of the Hill at 8:30pm.
The Honeymooners at 9:00pm and Curb Your Enthusiasm at 9:30pm.
At 10:00pm, Homicide: Life on the Street, an undervalued, underrated, and underwatched program during its tenure on NBC in the 1990's.
Reasonable minds can differ.
Should Happy Days be in the lineup instead of The Brady Bunch?
What about L.A. Law, thirtysomething, Scrubs, or All in the Family?
What's the standard for making the linuep?
All good questions.
For now, it's merely instinctive.
Programs can be replaced.
Or I can start another network.
david@davidkrell.com
If I created the ultimate television network, the prime time program lineup would probably look like this:
On Sunday, I would start with the legends. I Love Lucy at 8:00pm followed by The Jack Benny Program at 8:30pm.
The pairing makes sense since Lucille Ball and Jack Benny were not only show business icons, but also neighbors in real life. They lived next door to each other on North Roxbury Drive in Beverly Hills.
Then, we turn to the rural heavyweights. The Andy Griffith Show at 9:00pm and The Beverly Hillbillies at 9:30pm.
Sunday nights should be nice and easy, after all. And what's nicer and easier than our friends in Mayberry and the hillbilly transplants to the land of Rodeo Drive?
At 10:00pm, The Sopranos.
On Monday nights, I would pair The Dick Van Dyke Show and Mary Tyler Moore in the 8 o'clock hour, followed by M*A*S*H and Murphy Brown in the 9 o'clock hour.
At 10:00pm, St. Elsewhere.
Tuesday nights would start with family comedy. The Cosby Show and Family Ties 8:00pm and 8:30pm respectively.
Everybody Loves Raymond at 9:00pm and Two and a Half Men at 9:30pm.
At 10:00pm, Law & Order.
Wednesday nights would start with sophistication.
Frasier at 8:00pm and The Odd Couple at 8:30pm. I'm sure Felix Unger would have enjoyed talking wine, opera, and art with the Crane brothers.
The 9 o'clock hour would consist of You'll Never Get Rich starring Phil Silvers as Sergeant Bilko and The Twilight Zone.
At 10:00pm, Hill Street Blues.
Of course, Thursday nights would truly be Must See TV with Cheers, Taxi, Seinfeld, and Friends followed by ER at 10:00pm.
Friday night would be another family-friendly night, starting with The Brady Bunch at 8:00pm and The Wonder Years at 8:30pm.
At 9:00pm, Friday Night Lights, a depiction of a west Texas town obsessed with high school football.
At 10:00pm, The Wire.
Saturday night begins with cartoons.
The Simpsons at 8:00pm and King of the Hill at 8:30pm.
The Honeymooners at 9:00pm and Curb Your Enthusiasm at 9:30pm.
At 10:00pm, Homicide: Life on the Street, an undervalued, underrated, and underwatched program during its tenure on NBC in the 1990's.
Reasonable minds can differ.
Should Happy Days be in the lineup instead of The Brady Bunch?
What about L.A. Law, thirtysomething, Scrubs, or All in the Family?
What's the standard for making the linuep?
All good questions.
For now, it's merely instinctive.
Programs can be replaced.
Or I can start another network.
thirtysomething
April 09, 2009
by David Krell
david@davidkrell.com
ABC turned decidedly yuppie when it debuted thirtysomething in 1987.
Sure, we saw young, upwardly mobile professionals before we had a media-friendly phrase for them.
Dr. Hartley on The Bob Newhart Show.
Rob Petrie on The Dick Van Dyke Show.
And Darrin Stephens on Bewitched are just some examples of this class-conscious, status-seeking, and career-climbing group.
In fact, the previous owner of the Tuesday 10:00 pm time slot on the Alphabet Network was a show called Jack and Mike about a yuppie couple, played by Tom Mason and Shelley Hack.
But thirtysomething was unique.
thirtysomething did not merely acknowledge yuppiedom, it embraced it.
thirtysomething did not merely speak to the people it represented, it reflected them.
thirtysomething did not merely show problems with neatly wrapped solutions, it showed the character’s journeys in dealing with these problems.
More often than not, thirtysomething dealt with failure.
A failed business. The Michael and Elliot Company folded soon after it began.
A failed marriage. Elliot and Nancy broke up, though the winds of change had been in the air for quite some time.
A failed quest for romance. Melissa constantly sought a man who could appreciate her unique fashion sense, wry humor, and simple passion.
But thirtysomething also showed triumphs and the prices associated with them.
Michael and Elliott got high-level jobs at DAA, an advertising agency headed by advertising legend Miles Drentell.
They had to deal with Miles’s ego that was roughly the size of Saturn.
Elliott and Nancy reconciled, but not before some painful realizations about marriage, love, and the hard work needed to sustain them.
And Melissa seemed to find the start of something big when she went to Hollywood to photograph a television star for a magazine article.
She lost all preconceptions, insecurities, and worries about herself when she was 3000 miles away from home. She realized she could be liked for simply being herself.
It paid off when the article’s writer said, I don’t know you, but I’d like to.
The thirties are a person’s settling down years. Marriage stabilizes the personality, children expand the responsibility, and career compounds the pressure.
Parents passing away. New babies. Search for religious identity.
In its four-year run, thirtysomething tackled the everyday issues of life and showed us there are no easy answers.
Michael’s constant struggle with his Jewish identity posed a terrific problem in the first season episode, I’ll Be Home For Christmas.
When his non-Jewish wife wants Christmas decorations and a tree, Michael is immediately uneasy. After fighting with his cousin Melissa about a business matter and venting to Elliot, Michael buys a tree, his form of an olive branch and trying to make peace during the holiday season.
The tearjerking payoff comes when Michael opens the door and sees Hope holding their baby and lighting a menorah. When he asks where she got it, Melissa enters the room. The expressions on their faces say it all. Michael and Melissa make up, and Michael and Hope find a middle ground on the holidays.
On a business trip in the episode Sifting the Ashes, Elliot explores his Catholic roots when he went to Baltimore, his hometown. While there, he encounters a priest with whom his mother is friendly. The day after a tense conversation about Catholicism with his mother and the priest, Elliot goes to the school where the priest worked. He admits, I want God in my life. It’s religion that keeps getting in the way.
Hope’s friend Ellyn had an affair with a married man.
Michael’s long-time friend Gary died in an accident.
And Nancy battled cancer, thankfully with success.
thirtysomething never preached about the consequences of actions.
It never drew a bright line to separate good from bad.
And it never talked down to us.
It simply showed us as we are. Imperfect people in a truly demanding world.
thirtysomething aired from 1987 to 1991.
Sure the styles of clothes may have changed.
The pop culture and historical references may be off-target for today’s audiences.
And the CD player has been replaced by the Ipod.
But the issues are timeless for thirtysomethings of any decade.
And that’s what classic television is all about.
david@davidkrell.com
ABC turned decidedly yuppie when it debuted thirtysomething in 1987.
Sure, we saw young, upwardly mobile professionals before we had a media-friendly phrase for them.
Dr. Hartley on The Bob Newhart Show.
Rob Petrie on The Dick Van Dyke Show.
And Darrin Stephens on Bewitched are just some examples of this class-conscious, status-seeking, and career-climbing group.
In fact, the previous owner of the Tuesday 10:00 pm time slot on the Alphabet Network was a show called Jack and Mike about a yuppie couple, played by Tom Mason and Shelley Hack.
But thirtysomething was unique.
thirtysomething did not merely acknowledge yuppiedom, it embraced it.
thirtysomething did not merely speak to the people it represented, it reflected them.
thirtysomething did not merely show problems with neatly wrapped solutions, it showed the character’s journeys in dealing with these problems.
More often than not, thirtysomething dealt with failure.
A failed business. The Michael and Elliot Company folded soon after it began.
A failed marriage. Elliot and Nancy broke up, though the winds of change had been in the air for quite some time.
A failed quest for romance. Melissa constantly sought a man who could appreciate her unique fashion sense, wry humor, and simple passion.
But thirtysomething also showed triumphs and the prices associated with them.
Michael and Elliott got high-level jobs at DAA, an advertising agency headed by advertising legend Miles Drentell.
They had to deal with Miles’s ego that was roughly the size of Saturn.
Elliott and Nancy reconciled, but not before some painful realizations about marriage, love, and the hard work needed to sustain them.
And Melissa seemed to find the start of something big when she went to Hollywood to photograph a television star for a magazine article.
She lost all preconceptions, insecurities, and worries about herself when she was 3000 miles away from home. She realized she could be liked for simply being herself.
It paid off when the article’s writer said, I don’t know you, but I’d like to.
The thirties are a person’s settling down years. Marriage stabilizes the personality, children expand the responsibility, and career compounds the pressure.
Parents passing away. New babies. Search for religious identity.
In its four-year run, thirtysomething tackled the everyday issues of life and showed us there are no easy answers.
Michael’s constant struggle with his Jewish identity posed a terrific problem in the first season episode, I’ll Be Home For Christmas.
When his non-Jewish wife wants Christmas decorations and a tree, Michael is immediately uneasy. After fighting with his cousin Melissa about a business matter and venting to Elliot, Michael buys a tree, his form of an olive branch and trying to make peace during the holiday season.
The tearjerking payoff comes when Michael opens the door and sees Hope holding their baby and lighting a menorah. When he asks where she got it, Melissa enters the room. The expressions on their faces say it all. Michael and Melissa make up, and Michael and Hope find a middle ground on the holidays.
On a business trip in the episode Sifting the Ashes, Elliot explores his Catholic roots when he went to Baltimore, his hometown. While there, he encounters a priest with whom his mother is friendly. The day after a tense conversation about Catholicism with his mother and the priest, Elliot goes to the school where the priest worked. He admits, I want God in my life. It’s religion that keeps getting in the way.
Hope’s friend Ellyn had an affair with a married man.
Michael’s long-time friend Gary died in an accident.
And Nancy battled cancer, thankfully with success.
thirtysomething never preached about the consequences of actions.
It never drew a bright line to separate good from bad.
And it never talked down to us.
It simply showed us as we are. Imperfect people in a truly demanding world.
thirtysomething aired from 1987 to 1991.
Sure the styles of clothes may have changed.
The pop culture and historical references may be off-target for today’s audiences.
And the CD player has been replaced by the Ipod.
But the issues are timeless for thirtysomethings of any decade.
And that’s what classic television is all about.
The Sopranos
April 07, 2009
by David Krell
david@davidkrell.com
We miss The Sopranos.
The show about a North Jersey mobster ended its run on June 10, 2007.
And we miss it terribly.
We miss the meetings in Satriale’s, the Bada Bing, and Tony’s basement.
We miss the malapropisms.
Sacred and the propane.
Senator Sanatorium.
And Carmine Lupertazzi’s statement -- There’s no stigmata connected with going to a shrink.
And we miss Tony Soprano.
His anger captivated us.
His ruthlessness scared us.
His affection softened us.
As head of the DiMeo crime family, Tony Soprano faced tremendous struggles to keep the organization afloat.
First, Tony’s uncle tried to have him killed with the express approval of Tony’s mother.
Second, business associates did their best to undermine Tony, sometimes unwittingly.
Richie Aprile wreaked havoc after he was released from prison because he wanted to be boss.
Cousin Tony Blundetto killed Billy Leotardo and inspired a bloodlust in Billy’s brother Phil.
And the New York family bosses were tough negotiators for profit skimming, no-show jobs, and construction bids.
Third, the elephant in the room -- the ever present threat of family members ‘flipping’ and singing to the Feds in exchange for witness protection.
As head of the Soprano family, Tony also faced struggles familiar to any suburban dad.
Teenage daughter Meadow frequently rebelled while basking in a luxurious home in North Caldwell, New Jersey.
Wife Carmela relied on Tony for household chores, like getting the food for barbecues, a staple of life in the Soprano household.
And mother Livia needed Tony to look out for her, despite her malicious feelings towards him.
In some respects, Tony was no different than the first television dad to show life at work and at home.
Of course, I’m talking about Rob Petrie, expertly portrayed by Dick Van Dyke on The Dick Van Dyke Show.
Rob dealt with a tough, emotional, and high-strung boss -- Alan Brady.
Tony dealt with a tough, emotional, and high-strung mob boss -- Phil Leotardo.
Rob had a broker in keeping peace with Alan Brady – Mel Cooley, Alan’s brother-in-law and producer of The Alan Brady Show.
Tony had several brokers to keep peace between families, including Carmine Lupertazzi, Junior or Little Carmine.
And when life got unbearable for Laura Petrie, she would cry out Oh, Rob!
When life got unbearable for Carmela Soprano, the cry of Tony! would not be far behind.
The Sopranos broke ground for the television medium, pushing the edge of the envelope in the areas of language, violence, and storytelling.
Language. We heard the C-word used in every day conversation.
Violence. We saw people beat to death, not merely stabbed or shot. First, Ralphie did it to his pregnant stripper girlfriend Tracy. Then Tony did the same to Ralphie.
We never saw a clear connection, though, between the two incidents.
Storytelling. We enjoyed storylines that were never quite tied up.
Did the Russian survive the ordeal in the Pine Barrens with Paulie and Christopher?
Did Dr. Melfi’s rapist ever get caught?
And finally, what happened when the screen cut to black in the final scene?
Did Tony get killed?
Did Tony get arrested?
Or did life merely go on with Tony looking over his shoulder more than ever before?
As Junior Soprano once told Tony, All good questions.
david@davidkrell.com
We miss The Sopranos.
The show about a North Jersey mobster ended its run on June 10, 2007.
And we miss it terribly.
We miss the meetings in Satriale’s, the Bada Bing, and Tony’s basement.
We miss the malapropisms.
Sacred and the propane.
Senator Sanatorium.
And Carmine Lupertazzi’s statement -- There’s no stigmata connected with going to a shrink.
And we miss Tony Soprano.
His anger captivated us.
His ruthlessness scared us.
His affection softened us.
As head of the DiMeo crime family, Tony Soprano faced tremendous struggles to keep the organization afloat.
First, Tony’s uncle tried to have him killed with the express approval of Tony’s mother.
Second, business associates did their best to undermine Tony, sometimes unwittingly.
Richie Aprile wreaked havoc after he was released from prison because he wanted to be boss.
Cousin Tony Blundetto killed Billy Leotardo and inspired a bloodlust in Billy’s brother Phil.
And the New York family bosses were tough negotiators for profit skimming, no-show jobs, and construction bids.
Third, the elephant in the room -- the ever present threat of family members ‘flipping’ and singing to the Feds in exchange for witness protection.
As head of the Soprano family, Tony also faced struggles familiar to any suburban dad.
Teenage daughter Meadow frequently rebelled while basking in a luxurious home in North Caldwell, New Jersey.
Wife Carmela relied on Tony for household chores, like getting the food for barbecues, a staple of life in the Soprano household.
And mother Livia needed Tony to look out for her, despite her malicious feelings towards him.
In some respects, Tony was no different than the first television dad to show life at work and at home.
Of course, I’m talking about Rob Petrie, expertly portrayed by Dick Van Dyke on The Dick Van Dyke Show.
Rob dealt with a tough, emotional, and high-strung boss -- Alan Brady.
Tony dealt with a tough, emotional, and high-strung mob boss -- Phil Leotardo.
Rob had a broker in keeping peace with Alan Brady – Mel Cooley, Alan’s brother-in-law and producer of The Alan Brady Show.
Tony had several brokers to keep peace between families, including Carmine Lupertazzi, Junior or Little Carmine.
And when life got unbearable for Laura Petrie, she would cry out Oh, Rob!
When life got unbearable for Carmela Soprano, the cry of Tony! would not be far behind.
The Sopranos broke ground for the television medium, pushing the edge of the envelope in the areas of language, violence, and storytelling.
Language. We heard the C-word used in every day conversation.
Violence. We saw people beat to death, not merely stabbed or shot. First, Ralphie did it to his pregnant stripper girlfriend Tracy. Then Tony did the same to Ralphie.
We never saw a clear connection, though, between the two incidents.
Storytelling. We enjoyed storylines that were never quite tied up.
Did the Russian survive the ordeal in the Pine Barrens with Paulie and Christopher?
Did Dr. Melfi’s rapist ever get caught?
And finally, what happened when the screen cut to black in the final scene?
Did Tony get killed?
Did Tony get arrested?
Or did life merely go on with Tony looking over his shoulder more than ever before?
As Junior Soprano once told Tony, All good questions.