The Freakin' Weekend (1973)

So much to address here on this Nov. 23-25, 1973, #freakinweekend: the Kings Island Brady Bunch, No. 1 vs. No. 4 and No. 8 vs. No. 9 in college football, the debut of the HP's International House of Pancakes National Football League e-Magnetic Team Standings Board and more!

Friday

After a run of seasons in which the networks turned out new series that became some of the most iconic programs of our lives, TV73 came up a clunker. Good Times and Happy Days are going to turn up this winter, but nothing much at all took from the fall debuts. Kojak was the lone new fall 1973 series to qualify for the Nielsen top 30 for the season.

The writers had struck, and there wasn't a single week crammed with debuts, so that the new series might market for each other. Plus, it appears to me that so many highly popular series were still so early in their runs that the brand-new series couldn't peel away viewers. Take Calucci's Department, a pretty compelling setup for Broadway's James Coco in a New York unemployment office. From the little bit of it I've seen, there's no reason for me to think that this show couldn't've found the quirky, low-burn stroke that Barney Miller ultimately found ...

But it was pitted against NBC's red-hot Sanford and Son at 7 Central on Friday nights, and Calucci's Department is going to be finito after 11 episodes. By the way, ABC's 7 p.m. Central Friday entry, The Brady Bunch, is nearing the end, too. The Bradys are all going to Kings Island on Nov. 23, 1973, which is one of my very favorite episodes of this show ...

Indeed, I'm sticking with Channel 3 the rest of this Friday night: The Odd Couple, a Julie Andrews variety special with Perry Como and the Muppets and then a Love American Style ...

Saturday

Here's the current Associated Press Top 20 in college football:

1. Ohio State 9-0

2. Alabama 10-0 (after beating Louisiana State on Thanksgiving, Nov. 22)

3. Oklahoma 8-0-1

4. Michigan 10-0

5. Notre Dame 9-0

6. Penn State 10-0

7. LSU 9-1 (after losing to Alabama on Thursday)

8. UCLA 9-1

9. Southern California 8-1-1

10. Nebraska 8-1-1

11. Texas 7-2

12. Texas Tech 9-1

13. Arizona State 9-1

14. Houston 8-1

15. Miami (Ohio) 10-0

16. North Carolina State 7-3

17. Tulane 8-1

18. Oklahoma State 5-2-2

19. Missouri 7-3

T20. Kansas 6-3-1

T20. Pittsburgh 6-3-1

So, as you can see, we've got ourselves a pretty compelling Saturday afternoon in front of Channel 3 to look forward to ...

I'm not sure on which Saturday this little Hee Haw snippet aired on Channel 12, but I think Nov. 24, 1973, is a pretty good bet because it was on Nov. 11, 1973, that Louis "Grandpa" Jones of Niagara, Kentucky, had discovered the corpse of his Nashville-suburbs neighbor, David "Stringbean" Akeman of Annville, Kentucky ...

Now on to happier Saturday-night fare ...

Sunday

NBC's got a pretty good noon Central kickoff in 8-2 Steelers at 6-3-1 Browns ...

But we're not seeing that. Channel 12's got the double-header this afternoon: 3-6-1 Cardinals at 6-4 Bengals at noon and then 7-3 Falcons at 3-7 Jets at 3. Channel 6 is holding fire until 6-3-1 Chiefs at 5-3-2 Broncos at 3. 

Here's where things stand in Week 11 of NFL73, after the 8-3 Redskins beat the 4-6-1 Lions, 20-0, and then the 10-1 Dolphins beat the 7-4 Cowboys, 14-7, on a very happy Thanksgiving ...

What's On TV Tonight (1969)?

This stuff:

But I don't care. Rich Hoptown 1969 me and my fancy movie camera flew down to Houston to watch the Astro Bluebonnet Bowl ...

Everything's coming up Houston these days ...

I am sorry that we will be missing the Elks dance ..

The Channel 6 Telethon

The 59th Channel 6 telethon--officially, the "Annual Lions Club/WPSD Local 6 Telethon of Stars Celebration Concert"--is happening this weekend.

"This is primarily an entertainment and information concert, with 4 hours of live music with features, client interviews, and officials of the four centers and area Lions clubs interspersed. The Telethon of Stars is one of the longest running, locally produced Telethons in the USA and is telecasted in the 81th largest DMA market in the USA (Paducah, KY-Cape Girardeau, MO-Harrisburg/Marion, IL). It is also streamed LIVE via this website."

The beneficiaries of the event are Easter Seals West Kentucky in Paducah, T.L.C. of Southern Illinois, UTM Infant Stimulation Program-Martin, Tennessee, and Easter Seals Southeast Missouri.  "These centers deal with disabled children and adults," says TelethonofStars.org. "All of the money raised by the Telethon goes directly to these centers." You can mail a donation to ...

Telethon of Stars

c/o Independence Bank

P.O. Box 966

Paducah, KY 42002-0966

Lee Greenwood headlined last night's broadcast, 6:30-10:30 on Channel 6, and he was great. We'd been out late Friday night, up early Saturday and out of town to a kid's birthday party most of the afternoon and evening. Man, I'm telling you, I was beat by 9 o'clock and ready to konk out. But I flipped on Channel 6 and saw Lee Greenwood coming on, and he kept me going until about 9:45--that's saying something. I didn't realize how many Lee Greenwood hits I knew ("Ring On Her Finger, Time On Her Hands" is an excellent song), and I'm sorry I couldn't stay awake long enough to catch his closer, which, of course, had to be "God Bless the USA."

Now we've got a pre-recorded gospel concert happening on Channel 6 until 8, and we might have a comment or two until the little girl gets up and wants to watch Curious George or I need to get my shower for church, whichever comes first.

What's On TV (In Canada) Tonight (1969)?

"WHERE IT'S AT's final show was broadcast on June 20th 1969. It was hosted by Fred Latremouille who had hosted the very first show then titled LET'S GO (under the umbrella title of MUSIC HOP) on July 16th 1964. Teen favourites The Wiggy Symphony provided the music. It was the end of an era, the last 'youth' show planned by the CBC. Its basic principle was to entertain young Canadians, develop new Canadian talent and present the pop music scene as it was. ..."

"Glen Campbell was the last guest interview by Terry David Mulligan on the final show on June 20th, 1969 in the CBC TV teen series WHERE IT'S AT, hosted by Fred Latremouille with performers The Wiggy Symphony. The group was comprised of brothers Ray (lead singer & rhythm guitar) and Don Thompson (lead guitar), Bob Blow (piano & organ), Gerry Matte (drums) and Buzz Carate (bass). .It was the end of an era. Since January 1967, almost 100 new Vancouver names and groups were introduced to Canadian national television audiences, a training ground for youngsters. Ask your parents and grandparents."

I love Nashville Skyline, and I'm going to have to check out more work by The Wiggy Symphony.