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Archive for the 'Television' Category

Happy Days

Thursday, May 25th, 2000

SEASON 1 – ABC

happydays

Theme music: “Rock Around the Clock” written by Max C. Freedman and James E. Myers (as Jimmy DeKnight) and performed by Bill Haley & The Comets (new version recorded in 1973). Closing theme was “Happy Days Theme” written by Norman Gimbel with Charles Fox, performed by Jim Haas.

NOTE: This series is based on an segment entitled “Love and the Television Set” – later re-titled for syndication as “Love and the Happy Days” – on episode #70 of “Love, American Style”

  • 000. Unaired Pilot – 1973
    • Potsie sets up Richie with a girl named Mary Lou Milligan who is said to be easy. Richie has a lot of questions on how to score with this girl, but when he joins her on one of her babysitting jobs, they end up just kissing a couple of times and playing chess. When the other guys assume that he has gone all the way with her, he lets them believe it – but later feels guilty and asks his father for advice. He ends up telling his friends that he had an innocent evening with her, and she tells him that the rumors about her being loose are untrue. Fonzie forgives Richie for the lie, but is a little disturbed that he had set up a date with her based on Richie’s testimony. NOTE: This pilot is nearly identical to the premiere episode All the Way, with some minor changes. The biggest difference is that Joanie is portrayed by Louise “Wish” Foley. 4/19/21

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The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show

Saturday, May 20th, 2000

SEASON 1 – CBS

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Theme music: “The Love Nest” (from the musical comedy “Mary”) by Louis A. Hirsch

NOTE: This series is a continuation of the radio show “The Burns and Allen Show” which aired between 1936-1950. This was preceded by their show “The Adventures of Gracie” which aired 1934-1936, and the team’s appearances on “The Guy Lombardo Show” between 1932-1934 and Rudy Vallee’s “The Fleischmann’s Yeast Hour” in 1932.

  • 000. Pilot – UNAIRED
    • George Burns does a monologue about being a straight man, then he introduces his wife Gracie Allen, their neighbors Harry and Blanche Morton, and Bill Goodwin, the world’s most loved announcer (as he kisses two girls and a cop). Gracie is visited by a salesman selling encyclopedias, and in addition to nearly driving him crazy with her banter, she keeps smashing his hat. George introduces the singing act who perform Do the Huckabuck, and then attempts a duet of the song April Showers. Gracie visits Blanche and the two decide to take the husbands to see the new Gregory Peck movie, but Harry doesn’t want to go with Gracie because she often embarrasses him. George reminds Harry that he has two tickets to the fights so they need to get out of going to a movie. He asks Bill to take the wives, but Bill is shaken up by near plane mishap where he radios for help but can’t help but talking about ‘Dr. Wilson’s toothpaste.’ George and Harry then tell the wives that they have been invited to Bill’s house to play cards. In order to keep them from wanting to join them, they invent a game called Kleebob, which has rules that are indecipherable, hoping that it will discourage them from joining. However, Gracie seems to understand the game since George has tried the same ploy before with a game called ‘Mogo’. 8/24/14 (online)

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That’s My Mama

Friday, May 19th, 2000

SEASON 1 – ABC

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Created by Dan T. Bradley and Allan L. Rice, and developed by Stanley Ralph Ross.

Theme song by Allan Blye, Chris Bearde, and Gene Farmer

  • 001. Pilot (aka Whose Child Is This?) – 9/4/1974
    • Clifton Curtis (Clifton Davis) is a barber in Washington D.C. running Oscar’s Barbershop, which he inherited from his late father and adjoins the home he lives in with his mother Eloise (Theresa Merritt), whom everyone calls ‘Mama’. Mama is upset that Clifton is still staying out late with women and has not yet settled down and started a family. Clifton has a younger sister named Tracy Taylor (Lynne Moody) and his friends include postman Earl Chambers (Ed Bernard) and Junior (Ted Lange). A woman named Judy Wilson (Judy Pace) who claims to have had a fling with Clifton while he was stationed in the Army a year earlier, resurfaced and tells Clifton that he is the father of her baby Clifton Jr., and that she wants him to marry her. Clifton denies knowing who she is but matters aren’t helped when Earl remembers her from a drunken night, and Mama notes how much the baby looks like him. When Clifton refuses to marry her, Judy brings in her lawyer Ted Carruthers (Teddy Wilson) to try to reach a monetary settlement. Mama foils the plan when she agrees on Clifton’s behalf, that he will in fact marry her. Earl also recognizes Carruthers as the bartender where they met Judy. Carruthers is in fact the actual father of the baby and they are just looking for a settlement. Jester Hairston is Wildcat and DeForest Covan is Josh, seniors who often hang around Oscar’s. 5/19/16

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The King of Queens

Saturday, May 13th, 2000

SEASON 1 – CBS

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  • 001. Pilot – 9/21/1998
    • Doug Heffernan (Kevin James) is an overweight IPS driver living in small house in Queens, New York with his wife Carrie (Leah Remini). Carrie surprises Doug by having his big screen TV delivered early to complete his man-den in the basement, so Doug invites his friends Deacon Palmer (Victor Williams), Spencer “Spence” Olchin (Patton Oswalt), and Richard “Richie” Ianucchi (Larry Romano) over to see it. Life couldn’t be better for the Heffernans, until Carrie’s stepmother dies. At the funeral wake, Carrie agrees to let her sister Sara (Lisa Rieffel) stay with them. Her father Arthur Spooner (Jerry Stiller) refuses to live in a retirement home, but then accidentally burns down his house. He too is then taken in by the Heffernans. Both Sara and Arthur start to drive them crazy, as Sara distracts Doug by taking a shower while he is in the bathroom, and Arthur hires a pair of prostitutes. Despite the inconveniences, Doug is willing to give up his basement paradise and move the giant TV into his small bedroom, and continue life with Carrie with the two new additions. 5/12/13 Read the rest of this entry »

The Big Bang Theory

Thursday, May 11th, 2000

SEASON 1 – CBS

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Created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady

Theme music: “Big Bang Theory Theme” by Barenaked Ladies

  • 000. Unaired Pilot – 5/2006
    • After donating sperm to a High-IQ bank, scientists Leonard and Sheldon take their earnings and head out for an Italian dinner, running across an attractive girl named Katie (Amanda Walsh) crying in the street. Katie’s boyfriend has dumped her when he revealed that he is married, and Katie’s mother will not let her stay with her because Katie had slept with the man that her mother is now married to. Much to Sheldon’s irritation, Leonard invites her out to eat with them and then to stay with them for a while until she gets on her feet. Leonard’s research partner Gilda (Iris Bahr) has designs on Leonard and is clearly jealous of Katie. Katie goes out for drinks and stops at home when a guy spill beer on her, only to be questioned by Leonard as to how she can partying given her situation. Katie tries to break it down into a scientific equation citing several external forces contributing to her condition. Leonard corrects her in that she is the constant in the equation, deducing that is her own stupid choices that got her to where she is. She gets angry and moves out. Leonard visits her at her job where she is working as a cosmetician and apologizes. She doesn’t seem receptive, but later shows up and moves back in with them, then takes the guys and Gilda out for a night on the town. Vernee Watson is Althea, the sperm bank secretary. 1/24/16 (online)

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