The Silver Screen Oasis

I remember there were two Smothers Brothers shows and one is not that hot. I really liked the other one, the one with Leigh French and I believe Super Dave was on it too. You are probably right, you kind of had to be there to get it.

I sure do wish they had the entire run of My World and Welcome To It somewhere. I'd go back to see that one too.

I think we're talking about the same "Smothers" series. It may have been better later. The discs I've seen may be from the early part of the show. Super Dave came later in that same series.

I tend to fast forward over the music guests so I can get back to Tom and Dick.

All I know is, when I was at the tender age of 7 or 8, I disliked the older, swinger -style of Laugh In, and enjoyed the more druggie, folkie, youthful, pointed, generation gap Smothers Brothers. And surprisingly, my parents did too, though they probably belonged to Rowan and Martin's generation. I don't know how I'd feel today, watching them both side by side.

You seem to be in a Private Lives mood, Jackie.

It really is tough to narrow down by decade and for many of the reasons (and shows) you list. I LOVE the anthology series..I'm still longing to see "Robert Montgomery Presents"...and the early, serious dramas as well as anything like "Alfred Hitchcock Presents", "TZ" and even some "Outer Limits" and "One Step Beyond". Oddly enough, though, I loathe the modern equivalents (the so-called reality "ghost hunter" shows...they both repulse and bore me). So many of those anthology shows managed to capture character, tone and ambiance instead of focusing on technical reality (which was probably both intentional and unintentional at times due to the newness of it all).

My all time favorite shows had a good run for at least part of their existence in the 1960s: "The Dick Van Dyke Show", "Alfred Hitchcock Presents", "The High Chaparral", "Have Gun, Will Travel", "The Rifleman" and "Gunsmoke"; that decade probably would win out for sheer numbers. However, I can't imagine going without my favorite cops, Kojak, McGarrett or detectives like Harry-O, Jim Rockford and Columbo so the 1970s held a lot for me as well. I'd struggle with a single channel unless it was Me-TV.

Yes, and sometimes there wasn't any programming at all - early on... so we'd have to get used to only 3 channels. No TCM...

I forgot about Have Gun Will Travel! I still haven't seen High Chaparral yet.

MissGoddess wrote:I feel like there are still so many undiscovered treasures in pre-70s television.

And all in glorious black and white!

I wonder how many remember "listening" to the first color broadcast, hosted by Arthur Godfrey. It was put on by CBS, of course, using their competing system which involved a spinning color wheel in front of the screen, so all we could see was "static."

Too bad they lost out. We could all have giant TV screens with spinning wheels that extend up a slot in the ceiling into the attic!

crazy stuff! but not really as crazy as Wii or running on your treadmill in front of a TV screen, when you stop and think of it.

Clearly, I'm a little older than some posters. I did watch Mary Martin as PETER PAN, though I don't know if it was live. And there were two Smothers Brothers shows. Prior to their controversial variety format, they did a half hour sit-com. Tommy's character was an angel, having been killed in an accident! Not a great show, but the theme song was adorable!

DAVY CROCKETT was the most important thing in my young life. Its first broadcast was before I was born. But Mr. Disney knew a gold mine when he saw one. The show returned several times! I still think it's some of the best TV programming for young people I've ever seen.

DAVY CROCKETT was the most important thing in my young life. Its first broadcast was before I was born. But Mr. Disney knew a gold mine when he saw one.

Yes indeedy, Red (though I was around for the first broadcast). My Mother still has my coonskin hat stashed away. And Spin & Marty, The Hardy Boys, The Swamp "Don't Call Me Shirley" Fox and, most importantly...

Annette.

Did anyone watch Me-TV on Sunday night after Downton Abbey? I only caught the episode of Hitchcock and then The Fugitive, but both were excellent examples of how good television could be back in the sixties.

The Hitchcock program was called Night Fever and involved Colleen Dewhurst as a spinster nurse swayed into helping an injured criminal escape from the hospital. I believe the guy was played by Tom Simcox, a very familiar looking actor. I barely recognized my favorite modern actress here, but couldn't help noticing her economy of expression and that's when it hit me who she was...she really got me watching this cat and mouse episode, just to see what would happen. Very suspenseful and A WONDERFUL performance.

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Up next was a Fugitive episode entitled Fatso. It starred Jack Weston as a man with a learning disability whose family life is a shambles because of an accident that happened years ago.

The rest of the cast included the really underrated Burt Brinckerhoff, (who later became a noted television director) as Weston's bullying younger brother; and almost as if on cue, Glenda Farrell! as Weston's doting but misguided mother. I really loved this episode, thanks to a stellar cast and Kimble's role in rehabilitating the family.

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Loved the ending! Ooh, how harsh was her speech.

It took me a minute to figure out it was Glenda too, because she didn't have on that snappy patter voice....

When it comes to mature, kind of harsh-looking blondish women in 60s TV shows, I'm apt to assume that they are all Jo Van Fleet.

I'm really bad at spotting these aging players in later film/TV appearances and only recognize many of them after I see their names in the end-credits. I nearly fell over when I saw Alan Napier's name in an episode of "Kojak" (that frowsy old Greek neighbor was the once meticulously groomed Alan???)

Jo Van Fleet! giggle They DO all look alike with their poofed up hair and everything.

i need to find that episode of Kojak! I can't IMAGINE Alan Napier that way!