1976: Why Not the Best?

They didn't know it yet in Burbank, ...

... but Jimmy Carter and President Ford are going to win today 1976's New Hampshire presidential primary.

I just love art like that (from Collier's 1977 Year Book Covering the Year 1976) and this (from this 1976 week's TV Guide).

Comments flow.

Tuesday, May 20, 1975

You've probably been wondering what happened with my 1975 reports. Well, I decided to rethink things. 

First, I've realized that it's unsatisfying to experience concurrent football and Christmas seasons. Also, I decided it's more important for my days of week to align than it is for my dates. And I also will note that I am considering at least one more trip back through 1975 (which would be my third at the HP) before turning the calendar to 1976 because 1975 was such a giant year for real me--first year I collected baseball, football and basketball cards; first year I really understood how the TV networks worked, first year in the Concord district, etc. 

So, anyway, I might yet switch things up some more, but, for now, today for fake me is Tuesday, May 20, 1975, and the Channel 6 news just went off, and here's Johnny ...

The Freakin' Weekend (1974)

It's all happening. Rockford Files debuts at 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 13, 1974, on Channel 6 ...

 

Lawrence Welk is on The Tonight Show at 10:30 that night ...

 

It's the big Evel Knievel episode of Wide World of Sports at 4 p.m. Saturday on Channel 3 ...

 

NFL74 starts at noon Sunday on Channel 6 with Browns at Bengals (instead of Dolphins at Patriots, though that's probably for the best) ...

 

Finally, Monday Night Football on Sept. 15 kicks off its new season on Channel 3 with Raiders at Bills ...

 

Just a huge, huge, huge weekend.

The Freakin' Weekend (1974)

Channel 3 at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 6, 1974 ...

 

Channel 6 at 7:30 p.m. Friday ...

Channel 6 at 10:30 p.m. Friday ...

Channel 3 at 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 7 ...

 

In conclusion: TV! Football! 

Comments flow ...

What's On TV (Late) Tonight (1972)?

What's On TV (Late) Tonight (1972)?

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 ..

What's On TV Tonight (1969)?

Here's Lucy. Annnnnd Johnny.

What's On TV Tonight (1969)?

There's no indication in the "Televiewer" published by Hopkinsville's Kentucky New Era on July 28, 1969, that Nina Simone is part of the Harlem Cultural Festival mashup that CBS is broadcasting tonight, but, man, oh, man, I hope she is ...

And Sly and the Family Stone ...

Indeed, there's a load of good TV on tonight 1969. The What Four's on Johnny Carson, and I love Lucy.

What's On TV Tonight (1969)?

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

MLB Update: Johnny Carson on Oct. 29, 1981, reports that the Dodgers have beaten the Yankees, four games to two, in the World Series.

Album Review: John Davidson by John Davidson

Here are some interesting moments in John Davidson's Wikipedia entry.

-- During an appearance on the game show Scrabble in 1987, he told the national TV audience that he appeared as an underwear model in the 1959 Sears catalogue; he would have been 17 at the time.

That's the first sentence in the "career" section of John Davidson's entry.

-- Davidson also guest hosted The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson 87 times.

Wow. That's a lot. I wonder if John Davidson felt ripped off like David Letterman did when Jay Leno got The Tonight Show.

-- Davidson made numerous appearances on the original Hollywood Squares, from the mid-1960s until its cancelation, and was known for his long-winded bluffs. No one was more convincing at getting contestants to believe his (often ridiculous) answers to questions posed by Peter Marshall. Most times, Marshall could barely conceal a grin as Davidson started in on some far-fetched but plausible explanations for his answers, often prefaced with something to the effect of: "I just read about that in the New England Journal of Medicine, it was a fascinating study, and it said that...". Davidson sold these preposterous stories with such sincerity that contestants were often duped more than once in the same show.

John Davidson's Numerous Appearances on the Original Hollywood Squares could be a great made-for-TV movie.

-- In 1977, Davidson was present at the Beverly Hills Supper Club fire in Southgate, Kentucky. He was expected to appear onstage as the headline act of the evening when the fire broke out, killing 165 persons. Davidson helped others escape before fleeing through a back door. Davidson was not injured and later participated in a charity concert to raise funds for the families of fire victims. John Davidson's music director was among those who perished in the fire.

I had never heard John Davidson was there.

-- Davidson, appearing in Lake Tahoe in the 1970s once remarked to a dinner show crowd that the people in the audience the night before must have all been from Petaluma, California. "My God, I have never seen so many Simplicity patterns in my life," the singer quipped.

I had never heard of "Simplicity patterns."

To be fair, Wikipedia stamps this page with the following disclaimer: "This article may need to be rewritten entirely to comply with Wikipedia's quality standards." I think that's a little harsh. But Wikipedia is awesome, and I understand why it would be so unflinching in its commitment to quality.

I've been listening to a 1969 John Davidson record the last couple of days, John Davidson. It's fine. His versions of "Both Sides Now" and "Suzanne" are my favorite male-vocalist versions of those two great songs. The album cover says that one can write to the John Davidson Fan Club at 8966 Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. Here's the Google Maps street-level picture of that address:

Oh, Kentucky

Sheep boom, which, of course, recalls ...

Bridge boom (video here, too, but not Johnny Carson).

Good jobs news from Glasgow, Lexington and Louisville.

I think I vote for "Small City. Big Surprises."

I'm pretty sure I used to get my hair cut in this building.

I'm glad to see that the president scheduled his and Cody Keenan's economics speech so that none of us Hilltoppers have to miss tonight's episode of The Neighbors, which airs at 8:30 Central tonight on ABC but appears to be moving to Fridays next season (Jami Gertz!). ABC truly is the network of WKU.

Well, exactly what would the Kentucky AG do with the "highly spoiled underachiever"?

Good stuff from Nancy Daly of NKy.com on the history of the African Methodist Episcopal church, especially in Elsmere/"South Erlanger."

Apparently, it was fine-free day.

Part 1 of the 411 on meth from Muhlenberg County's sheriff.

The C-J's editor is saying when this week.

Rest in peace, Helen Thomas, who followed fellow Kentuckian Honest Abe north and then to the White House.