I cannot begin to express how much I loved Donny & Marie. I was so proud of how much I had matured to appreciate this program. I think it's possible that it's the first prime-time program (other than Monday Night Football) that I truly enjoyed. Probably this or Happy Days. But by the point I turned on to Happy Days, my parents thought it was silly and for kids. They seemed to actually like Donny & Marie, so I felt pretty grown up to actually like it, too.
Rest in peace, Ernest Taylor Pyle (1900-1945) of Dana, Indiana (about 150 miles north of the EVV) and Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (1903-2003) of Eltham, County of London, England (which I always forget).
My mom was an excellent hobbyist tap dancer and a discerning fan of the pros, and she sure loved it when my daughter would visit and she got to teach her a few steps.
OK, now that the Family Viewing Hour is over, 8-year-old me is pretty much done with TV for this Friday night in 1976, unless I choose to play with my basketball cards while Mom watches Rockford Files on Channel 6. Channels 3 and 12, respectively, have a couple of modified-for-TV blockbusters at 8:
— “Jon Voight in Deliverance (1972), tense takeoff businessmen on a camping trip”
— “Robert Culp in Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969), swinging couples mix and match”
After the news at 10, CBS has another racy one on its late movie: “Kim Novak in Boys Night Out (1962), suburban jocks set up Manhattan hideaway."
Denver accepts in an all-Honolulu blue tuxedo with bow tie, ruffled shirt and cummerbund. It's all Honolulu blue, and the sandy-haired 32-year-old looks like every groomsman in my siblings' 1970s weddings before they started drinking and dancing at the receptions. I liked John Denver when I was a little boy, and then I quit liking him when I felt like I had outgrown the Muppets, and now I love him again.
Now here are our young friends from Friday night, Donny and Marie Osmond, to announce the winner for favorite pop male vocalist from among nominees Denver, Sedaka and Elton John. Pausing for effect and to make the mortgage ...
They send out that boy who was on the last season of Brady Bunch--the little guy with glasses who was a nephew or whatever--to actually give John Denver his second award, and he's also in an all-Honolulu blue tuxedo.
Now we have Brenda Vaccaro and George Burns to give the award for favorite pop group. Nominees: Eagles; Earth, Wind & Fire, and Tony Orlando and Dawn ...
Now we have a performance of the hit "Fire" by the Ohio Players and a provocative dance troupe wearing see-through raincoats and gold bikinis and carrying fire hoses. Hard to imagine that Minneapolis Central High School senior Prince Rogers Nelson was not a pretty big Ohio Players fan.
Nominees: Earth, Wind & Fire; K.C. and the Sunshine Band and Gladys Knight and the Pips. I'm rooting for Earth, Wind & Fire here because I thought Phillip Bailey looked hacked when Tony Orlando and Dawn got pop group.
Yes! If your bid is within $100 of the actual retail price without going over (and closer than your opponent's bid on the other showcase), then you win both showcases. In this case, both contestants underbid significantly. The poor guy who lost seemed totally bummed.
I cannot begin to express how much I loved Donny & Marie. I was so proud of how much I had matured to appreciate this program. I think it's possible that it's the first prime-time program (other than Monday Night Football) that I truly enjoyed. Probably this or Happy Days. But by the point I turned on to Happy Days, my parents thought it was silly and for kids. They seemed to actually like Donny & Marie, so I felt pretty grown up to actually like it, too.
ReplyDeleteDonny Osmond was 18 here; Marie, 16. They are obviously massive talents.
ReplyDeleteHard to believe they were that young.
DeleteA world full of mes would turn down the prominence of figure skating and synchronized swimming at the Olympics but turn it back up in variety television programs.
ReplyDeleteI didn't realize how funny Bob Hope was until YouTube.
ReplyDeleteRegardless of how he always left Johnny Carson to go off and do something else or what his real play was there, that dude was funny.
ReplyDeleteErnie Pyle was a huge Bob Hope fan.
DeleteRest in peace, Ernest Taylor Pyle (1900-1945) of Dana, Indiana (about 150 miles north of the EVV) and Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (1903-2003) of Eltham, County of London, England (which I always forget).
DeletePer Wikipedia: "The songs on the show were all lip-synched. The mics were just props, with an XLR plug and an antenna attached, to make them look real."
ReplyDeleteJoe Tex should've totally used this sequence of dancing ice skaters and Harlem Globetrotters clips for the video for "I Gotcha."
ReplyDeleteTap dancers!
ReplyDeleteMy mom was an excellent hobbyist tap dancer and a discerning fan of the pros, and she sure loved it when my daughter would visit and she got to teach her a few steps.
Big patriotic finish ... Donny, Marie, Bob Hope, the Globetrotters, Ted Knight, Jimmy, the tap dancers now all on stage together ... singing and march ... they love America ...
ReplyDeleteOh, cool, Meadowlark Lemon and Ted Knight appear to have become friends.
ReplyDeleteVery entertaining show. Rah!
ReplyDeleteOK, now that the Family Viewing Hour is over, 8-year-old me is pretty much done with TV for this Friday night in 1976, unless I choose to play with my basketball cards while Mom watches Rockford Files on Channel 6. Channels 3 and 12, respectively, have a couple of modified-for-TV blockbusters at 8:
ReplyDelete— “Jon Voight in Deliverance (1972), tense takeoff businessmen on a camping trip”
— “Robert Culp in Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969), swinging couples mix and match”
After the news at 10, CBS has another racy one on its late movie: “Kim Novak in Boys Night Out (1962), suburban jocks set up Manhattan hideaway."
The final scene of Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice does make me want to check out that movie some time.
ReplyDeleteLast night in 1976, Channel 3 had the broadcast of the third-annual American Music Awards broadcast. Our cohosts are—in alphabetical order—Glen Campbell, Aretha Franklin and Olivia Newton-John.
ReplyDeleteFavorite male soul singer nominees: James Brown, Smokey Robinson and Barry White.
ReplyDeleteIt's Barry White!
ReplyDeleteBest male country vocalist nominees: John Denver, Merle Haggard and Charlie Rich.
ReplyDeleteNow, to build suspense, I'm going to take a pause to write a work paragraph ...
It's John Denver!
ReplyDeleteDenver accepts in an all-Honolulu blue tuxedo with bow tie, ruffled shirt and cummerbund. It's all Honolulu blue, and the sandy-haired 32-year-old looks like every groomsman in my siblings' 1970s weddings before they started drinking and dancing at the receptions. I liked John Denver when I was a little boy, and then I quit liking him when I felt like I had outgrown the Muppets, and now I love him again.
ReplyDeleteHe's great. The Muppets were great. They were great together.
DeletePresenters for the first award were Dinah Shore and Paul Anka; for the second, Tony Orlando and Dawn.
ReplyDeleteNice shot of the Carpenters in the crowd. They're sitting in front of Dionne Warwick. This must be the Burt Bacharach section. I don't think I'd recognize Jackie DeShannon, but maybe she's in there, too.
ReplyDeleteNow here are our young friends from Friday night, Donny and Marie Osmond, to announce the winner for favorite pop male vocalist from among nominees Denver, Sedaka and Elton John. Pausing for effect and to make the mortgage ...
ReplyDeleteI just want to say that I am actually pausing the video for myself, too, and I can't wait to find out whether John Denver pulls the double!
ReplyDeleteYes, he did it! It's John Denver!
ReplyDeleteThey send out that boy who was on the last season of Brady Bunch--the little guy with glasses who was a nephew or whatever--to actually give John Denver his second award, and he's also in an all-Honolulu blue tuxedo.
ReplyDeleteEvery time I get to thinking that pop culture in the 1970's was actually great, I'm reminded of a character like Cousin Oliver.
DeleteYes, very good! Cousin Oliver!
DeleteNow we have Brenda Vaccaro and George Burns to give the award for favorite pop group. Nominees: Eagles; Earth, Wind & Fire, and Tony Orlando and Dawn ...
ReplyDeleteIt's Tony Orlando and Dawn!
ReplyDeleteTony says the award is "difficult to accept for an Eagles fan." That's nice.
Now we have a performance of the hit "Fire" by the Ohio Players and a provocative dance troupe wearing see-through raincoats and gold bikinis and carrying fire hoses. Hard to imagine that Minneapolis Central High School senior Prince Rogers Nelson was not a pretty big Ohio Players fan.
ReplyDeleteIt's Rich Little and Tex Williams on to present the award for favorite country duo, group or chorus. The nominees are Donny and Marie Osmond, the Statler Brothers and Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty.
ReplyDeleteDonny and Marie!
ReplyDeleteNot much Donny and Marie played in 2023 on Madisonville's 730 AM WFMW, "Classic Hit Country," but I'd be fine with hearing more of it.
ReplyDeleteOK, now we have the award for soul group, and we have the first standing ovation of our program. It's for Stevie Wonder, who comes on to present the award with Melissa Manchester.
ReplyDeleteNominees: Earth, Wind & Fire; K.C. and the Sunshine Band and Gladys Knight and the Pips. I'm rooting for Earth, Wind & Fire here because I thought Phillip Bailey looked hacked when Tony Orlando and Dawn got pop group.
ReplyDeleteNo, it's Gladys Knight and the Pips, and here's Michael Jackson to accept. He tells us that Gladys is occupied in Alaska making a film!
ReplyDeleteMichael Jackson?
DeleteToday 1976's is the best combination of Price Is Right Showcase Showdown prizes I've ever seen. I would love to have won either showcase.
ReplyDeleteWasn't there a way you could win both showcases?
DeleteYes! If your bid is within $100 of the actual retail price without going over (and closer than your opponent's bid on the other showcase), then you win both showcases. In this case, both contestants underbid significantly. The poor guy who lost seemed totally bummed.
DeleteI want the billiards table, the air-hockey game and the game carpet (I always loved that game carpet).
ReplyDeleteThat game carpet is fantastic.
DeleteI want the drums, the tape deck and the VW bus.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how much Price Is Right paid to use the Beatles song.
ReplyDelete