The Terrible Catsafterme

SEASON 1 – CBS

Theme song: “You’re My Greatest Love,” composed by Jackie Gleason and performed by an orchestra led by Ray Bloch

NOTE: This series was based on sketches that originally appeared on “The Cavalcade of Stars” between 1951-1952, then on “The Jackie Gleason Show” between 1952-1955. Although those programs have never been released in their entirety, the existing sketches have been released as stand-alones and are listed below following the TV series entries.

• 001. TV or Not TV – 10/1/1955
  • Ralph Kramden (Jackie Gleason), a bus driver for the Gotham Bus Company in Brooklyn, New York, is too cheap to buy his wife Alice (Audrey Meadows) a new television, even after she attempts to sweet talk and pamper him, so he asks his friend and neighbor Ed Norton (Art Carney), a sanitation engineer working in the sewers, who is married to Trixie (Joyce Randolph), to split the cost and then share the TV. Through a shady coin flip, Ralph wins the right to have the TV in his house. Unfortunately, Ralph and Ed can’t agree on what they watch, with Ed monopolizing the TV to watch Captain Video and His Video Rangers. Ralph initially throws Ed out, but then they try to agree on a program to watch together. Ed tricks Ralph into leaving the apartment to get a better reception with the antenna, and then locks him out so he can resume watching Captain Video. Ed later sneaks into the apartment to watch TV after the Kramdens go to bed. Ralph is initially enraged, but then joins Ed for a late night movie – but both immediately fall asleep. Alice finally agrees that it was a bad idea to bring a TV into the house. George Petrie is the voice of Captain Video. 4/17/13 Read the rest of this entry »

SEASON 1 – CBS

Theme music: “WKRP In Cincinnati Main Theme” composed by Tom Wells, lyrics by Hugh Wilson, performed by Steve Carlisle

• 001. Pilot – 9/18/1978
  • Program director Andy Travis (Gary Sandy) arrives in Cincinnati from Sante Fe, New Mexico after being hired by Station Manager Arthur Carlson (Gordon Jump). He meets WKRP employees secretary Jennifer Marlowe (Loni Anderson), salesman Herb Tarlek (Frank Bonner), newsman Les Nessman (Richard Sanders), DJ Johnny Caravella (Howard Hesseman), and Bailey Quarters (Jan Smithers), who assists with the traffic reports. Andy announces his intentions to help the station turn a profit by converting them from Easy Listening’ music to all rock and roll. Once he sets this into motion, Carlson’s mother Lillian Carlson (Sylvia Sidney), who owns the station, shows up to get rid of Andy. After Andy pleads his case and Carlson finally stands up to his mother, she decides to give them a shot at revamping the station. Johnny changes his on-air name to “Johnny Fever” and Andy brings in a New Orleans DJ named Venus Flytrap (Tim Reid). 4/17/13

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SEASON 1 – CBS

Theme song: “The Toy Parade” composed by David Kahn, Melvyn Leonard, and Mort Greene

• 001. Beaver Gets ‘Spelled – 10/4/1957
  • Theodore “Beaver” Cleaver’s (Jerry Mathers), resident of the town of Mayfield, second-grade teacher Miss Canfield (Diane Brewster) sends a note home with Beaver to give to his parents, Ward (Hugh Beaumont) and June (Barbara Billingsley), the subject of which is merely asking if Beaver can participate in the class play as Smokey the Bear. After prompting from his fellow classmates, Beaver naturally fears the worst. At first he simply throws the note under his desk, then when confronted by Miss Canfield, Beaver actually loses the note. Beaver’s brother Wally (Tony Dow) ‘assists’ him by typing a ‘response’ letter from their parents, detailing how they have whipped Beaver and how sorry they are for what Beaver has done. When Miss Canfield receives the response, she shares it with the school principal Mrs. Rayburn (Doris Packer), who then requests a meeting with June. Beaver, fearful of the reprisals of such a meeting, skips school and runs away. 4/16/13

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SEASON 1 – NBC

Theme music composed by Jonathan Wolff

• 001. Pilot (aka Love and Marriage) – 9/21/1998
  • Lawyer Will Truman (Erik McCormack) and interior designer Grace Adler (Debra Messing) are best friends living separately in New York. Will is recently out of a long-term homosexual relationship and Grace is living with her boyfriend Danny. After a fight, Grace decides to stay the night with Will, which precludes Will’s other gay friend Jack McFarland (Sean Hayes) from moving in temporarily while his apartment floors are being refurbished. She then tries to break it off with Danny, but he unexpectedly proposes to her and she accepts. She is encouraged to stay with Danny by her ultra-rich assistant Karen Walker (Megan Mullally), but Will can’t hold his tongue and eventually tells Grace that a marriage to Danny would be a serious mistake. This initially infuriates Grace, but eventually she comes to realize that his advice was heartfelt and the two resume their friendship. Gary Grubbs stars as Will’s biggest client Harlin Polk. Tom Gallop and Leigh-Allyn Baker star as friends Rob and Ellen. 4/15/13

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SEASON 1 – ABC

Created by Max Wylie and Harry Ackerman, based on the book “The Fifteenth Pelican” by Tere Rios.

Theme music: “Who Needs Wings to Fly?” by Dominic Frontiere

• 001. The Flying Nun (Pilot) – 9/7/1967
  • Sister Jacqueline (Marge Redmond) narrates this one hour-long pilot and introduced us to Sister Bertrille (Sally Field) as she arrives in San Juan, Puerto Rico where she is slated to enter the Convent San Tanco. She soon discovers that the high winds combined with her light weight of 90 pounds enables her to fly when she catches the wind just right. She also sees many opportunities to raise money for the convent much to the chagrin of Reverend Mother Placido (Madeleine Sherwood). One idea involves taking the kindergarten class she is teaching on a musical odyssey through the streets. Another involves pressuring a local casino tycoon named Carlos Ramirez (Alejandro Rey) into donating a plot of land that the convent needs. While taking her longest ‘flight’, the tycoon sees her out the window of his plane and decides to donate the land. Bertille then lands on a military base where she is questioned and accused of being a spy. In the end the Reverend Mother vouches for her legitimacy and gives her permission to use her best judgement on any future flights. Dabney Coleman appears as a submarine captain. Among the other nuns at the convent are Sister Sixto (Shelly Morrison), Sister Marguerita (Serena Sande), Sister Teresa (Naomi Stevens), and Sister Ana (Linda Dangcil). Vito Scotti is the police captain Dominic Lopez. Jean Marie Ingels is Maria. SONG: Felicidad. NOTE: This is a 60-minute episode. 4/15/13 Read the rest of this entry »