Comedy Is on the Air

Began the morning with breakfast while watching more Green Eggs and Ham. Guy and Sam flee the train after cops McWinkle and Glutz try to get the Chickagriffe. Michellee isn't happy, either. She thinks Guy lied to her about the Chickagriffe and where EB was the night before. The guys first end up in a quarry, but when they figure out that the Chickagriffe (which EB dubbed Mr. Jenkins) likes to eat ribbons, they make their way to a farm. The only tie at the nearby farmhouse belongs to a neurotic "Fox"  named Michael, who is in love with a green hen and doesn't want anyone - including them - to know.

Quickly made my bed, then went on Zoom for my appointment with Irene Perez. She suggested looking up government jobs. That would be a great idea, if most of them didn't seem to be for legal secretaries, teaching, lawyers, or nurses. She pointed to a communications operator...which turned out to be someone who could repair and operate radios and similar media. I don't think she really understood what I'm good at. 

Truth be told, I'm not sure what I'm good at, either. I agreed to send her updates once a month, but I don't know if anything will come of this. I know I don't want retail, but I'm not really sure what I'm good at, besides reading, writing, and editing. I'm not even sure I can handle an office job, or how fast I can type. What can I do? I wish I knew what was right for me. I do need to write a cover letter; I already signed the paper that says where I want to work.

Headed out after I finished with the paperwork. I wanted to get to the Westmont Plaza before the weather starts getting nasty. It looks like we're going to have another heavy rainstorm tomorrow night, and maybe even some snow Tuesday evening. In addition to the precipitation, it's supposed to drop into the upper 20's-lower 30's, too. Next week is not going to be a good time for long walks. 

Today, however, remained gorgeous. It was sunny and relatively warm, in the upper 40's, and the wind from yesterday had long blown itself out. It was so nice, I walked to Westmont with the cart instead of taking Uber. 

Hit Sprouts first when I arrived. Decided I would try a different brand of coconut milk that was on sale and had less sugar. The breakfast cookies remain on sale, too. Made Good granola bars were also on a decent sale; I picked up the mixed berry. They had vegan chocolate chip cookie samples out; they were so good, I decided to try a box on clearance. 

Mainly needed fish oil vitamins at Target. Figures they'd be out of their generic brand. I bought the second-cheapest brand I could find. Grabbed more of that Listerine Gum mouthwash; they're the only ones who sell the smaller size. Picked up one container of yogurt for tomorrow. 

Dollar Tree was the only one of the three stores that was even remotely busy, and even that wasn't bad. Grabbed two Zest soaps here. Was going to pick up a Pepsi Zero, but opted to try their giant off-brand grape electrolyte drink instead. Oooh, glad I went with the water. It was terrific, better than Propel's, and came in a bottle twice the size of Propel. 

Enjoyed a nice, long hike up Cutbert and the White Horse Pike to the pretzel shop down the street from me. I was the only one there when I picked up a cheesesteak-stuffed pretzel, two small pretzels, and a can of Diet Pepsi. Got my lunch, headed home.

Watched Tattletales while I put everything away and had lunch. The week with Greg Morris and his wife Lee, Janet Lynde and William Gray Espy, and Jack and Keiko Douglas continues. This time, Janet and William were the ones who couldn't get anything going. Although they did managed to get the last question right, Greg and Lee just barely won over Jack and Keiko.

Looked at more jobs online, then switched to Silver Skates on Amazon Prime. I go further into the first vehicle for charming British figure skating star Belita at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Silver Skates

Worked on my review while watching more WKRP In Cincinnati. Andy learns that he's not so different from Arthur Carlson when the punk group he hires for WKRP's first sponsored concert, Scum of the Earth, turn out to play "Hoodlum Rock." They're polite and well-dressed, but also cause trouble wherever they go and even drive Johnny crazy. Andy and Arthur wonder what happened to bands who just get up onstage and play instead of making demands and doing damage.

Johnny's doing his latest morning broadcast from an electronics store when there's a "Hold-Up" by a desperate former disc jockey. Turns out the guy just really, really wants a chance to be on the air. Meanwhile, the others at the station try to figure out how to get Johnny and the store's nervous owner (Hamilton Camp) some help.

"Bailey's Show" is the first big project for the sweet, shy assistant. She's hoping to have Johnny interview people off the street, but most of those people are a bit too weird to broadcast. The arrival of a seemingly legitimate child psychologist gives Bailey hope, but he turns out to be even stranger than her earlier interviewees. 

Andy's back in the spotlight when "Love Returns" in the form of country star Linda Taylor (Barrie Youngfellow). Linda was his girlfriend in New Mexico, but they broke up when she took her act on the road. They rekindle her romance, making him wonder if he wants to stay in Cincinnati or be with her. 

Did some things online before I broke for dinner and Match Game '79. The first episode began with Brianne Leary finally doing a cartwheel after she said she would earlier in the week. Joyce Bulifant is also very happy when she's able to match a question about what the musician's wife gave birthday and Bob Barker next to her not only misses it, but spells his answer wrong. In the second, Jon Bauman isn't impressed when Joyce gives him pearls to wear with his black t-shirt, and Gene gets really scary when he shoves his face at the camera to get them to switch to a commercial!

Finished the night at YouTube, which seems to be the only place I can find the original Fantasy Island at the  moment. Went with one of the episodes from the last season, when Christopher Hewlett's butler replaced Tattoo. Said butler is constantly getting splashed by the angry sea princess Nadia in "The Mermaid and the Matchmaker." She claims she's bored and wants to be a mortal, at least before she falls in love with a handsome former diver. A loan analyst (Bert Convy) thinks he's "The Obsolete Man" when a woman engineer (Gloria Loring) creates a computer that can do his job. He's worried about being replaced, until his secretary tries to destroy the machine, and he realizes how much she loves him...and how important human communication is. 

Windy Harts

Began the morning with breakfast and Green Eggs and Ham on Netflix. After Sam runs the car off a cliff, he and Guy end up taking a "Train." EB and her mother Michellee are also on the train. EB is excited, until her mother literally chains her with handcuff-like "friendship bracelets." She manages to slip them when she sees the Chickagriffe and pursues it. She and Sam end up having the time of their lives on the roof of the train, especially when it rides around loops. Meanwhile, Guy and Michellee make a connection and seem to be rather interested in each other.

Called Uber right after the cartoon ended. The drivers came in decent time - the one this morning arrived in 7 minutes, the one this afternoon in 5 - but the one going to work took a little longer getting there when something was blocking Nicholson and they had to duck into Audubon to go around. The one going home avoided Nicholson and cut through Oaklyn. 

I had more trouble getting to work than at work. We were dead all morning. While the rain was gone by 9:30, it was still pretty wet early-on and very windy and cold, with in and out sunshine. Considering the mess on Nicholson, I wonder if a lot of our customers were blocked by debris from the storm and couldn't get to the store. I swept, pushed carts, and cleaned bathrooms and the employee room with no problems whatsoever. 

Watched a little Password Plus when I got home, changed, and had a snack. Buzzr is now on Bill Cullen's run as host. I got to see Vicki Lawrence help a lady in the Alphabetics bonus round, and do just as well there as she did with the Money Cards a year later on Card Sharks. 

The show hadn't even ended when I settled down for a nap. I've been busy these past few weeks and up too late. This was the first time in a while I had the chance to sleep during the day. I went down at 2:30 and got up at 4:30, still feeling a little worn out.

The job counselor who is supposed to help my other counselor asked for a monthly report on how my job hunt has gone. Truth be told, I didn't have the chance to do a whole lot with job hunting during the holidays, and I didn't really see anything interesting when I did look. I applied for a few jobs with Karen in late November and early December, but haven't heard from them. 

Had dinner around 6:30 while watching Match Game PM. This was the nighttime show for Christmas week 1978, the one where Charles dressed as Santa Claus and Brett as a little girl on his knee. Gene had to do some heavy lifting when the turntable with the contestants wouldn't move during the opening and he had to push it himself, then jumped on the lower tier to show how strong he was!

Worked on writing for a while after that. The lion agrees to join them. Even if the Wizard can't help him, he hopes he may learn courage during the trip. He also finally makes friends with Rover when he gives the little guy a great belly rub and Charles when he keeps him from falling over.

Took a shower, then finished the night at The Roku Channel with Hart to Hart. It's "A Question of Innocence" when Johnathan learns that the nice older woman (Jeanette Nolan) who owns the newstand in his office building has been found injured after a mugging. Turns out she was really being blackmailed by the friend of her late grandson, who died from a drug overdose. She thinks she killed the professor who supplied him with the drug, but the Harts don't believe she's capable of murder. They ask questions at her grandson's fencing team and the sorority where several girls with crushes on the drug-selling professor and learn that there was someone else there that night who was far more likely to have done the deed. 

Stormy Weather

Started off a gloomy morning with breakfast and Green Eggs and Ham on Netflix. Sam-I-Am swipes a "Car" from animal bounty hunter McWinkle, who had been hoping to retire after he captured the chickagriffe. Guy somehow ended up with the creature in his hotel room. He's fed up with Sam pestering him about giving up his dreams and hits the road in the desert, only to end up hallucinating. Meanwhile, little EB wishes her overly protective mother would let her do something exciting once they make it to the big city, but her mother's idea of excitement is her looking out at the city from the window of an office building.

Switched to It's a Pleasure after the cartoon ended. I go further into Sonja Henie's only starring movie in color at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog. 

Cult Flops - It's a Pleasure

Worked on writing for a while after that. The lion (Avery Schreiber) admits that yes, he is a coward. He's afraid of everything, and only gets by due to his loud roar. Richard the Tin Man invites him to Oz with them. Even if the Wizard can't give him courage, at least it'll be a nice trip. 

Broke for lunch at 1 PM. Watched Tattletales while I ate. Greg Morris and his wife Lee join comedy writer Jack Douglas and his sweet wife Keiko and soap opera pair Janet Lynde and William Gray Espy. Considering they were behind most of the episode, William and Janet ended up making a brilliant comeback and winning everything on the last question.

It was pouring at 1:30, and had been for hours. I would have called Uber regardless of how my wrist and toe felt. Surprisingly, considering the weather and the flood announcements, I got a driver going there in 5 minutes and coming home in 11. Neither ran into any flood water and were able to drive home using their regular routes.

It continued to rain hard for pretty much the entire afternoon at work...and yeah, I was out in it. The head bagger had been out in it earlier and wanted to remain inside in case she was needed to take over a register. I pushed carts and got soaked. I did get called in after break because apparently, the baggers are now expected to clean the bathrooms and employee break room along with everything else they do. After I finished the men's bathroom, I went right back out and got wet pushing carts again. 

(And I'm glad I finished when I did. I was just connecting to an Uber driver when I heard the college-age boy in charge of self-checkout announce that every register in the store had gone down. Neither the regular registers nor self-checkout worked. The moment I overheard the night manager say she intended to shut the doors until they could get them fixed, I ducked out, rain or no rain.) 

By the time I got home, not only was the rain still coming down, it was gale-force windy, too. Some of those gusts shook the house so hard, I thought it would be blown half-way to Camden! Thankfully, the rain seems to have subsided by midnight, though it continues to be windy.

Had dinner while watching Match Game episodes. Match Game PM was on the Jon Bauman marathon Sunday on YouTube. This was the one where, to comply with a request that he "dress up" for the show, Bowser donned a giant red and white polka-dot clown bow tie and his black leather jacket. Match Game '79 began with Fannie admitting that she swiped Gene's striped tie. Richard Deacon was happy to help a lady  finally become a winner with "Which Way Is  ___" on the Head to Head.

Finished the night with a charming German TV version of Snow White from 1992 on YouTube. Snow White is played younger than usual here, barely more than a child. She's good friends with the jester from her father's court, who is far more than he seems. Her stepmother is a vain and spoiled creature, obsessed with the mirror given to her by the Black Knight. The Knight himself is a mysterious fellow who never takes off his armor. The Knight encourages Snow White to flee. She ends up with seven dwarves, who create inventions and are mourning one of their own, who wanted to be taller than he was. Meanwhile, the jester seeks her out...but so does the queen...

Charming fantasy has some interesting touches. This retains Snow White being attacked by her stepmother three times and how she awakens from her poisoned apple sleep from the original fairy tale. It's also the second version I've seen where the "prince" was someone else before finding Snow White after Snow White and the Three Stooges, and the only one where the huntsman is a mysterious knight who works for the queen. This was dubbed into English, and while the dubbing isn't great, it's still worth looking around for on YouTube if you love fairy tale adaptations. 

Music and Games

Slept in today and finished reading The Hobbit. Put on my DVD for the 1970 half-hour Horton Hears a Who and had breakfast when I finally rolled out of bed. Horton the Elephant rescues a speck of dust from going over a waterfall. The speck contains the entire world of the Whos, a race of people so tiny, only Horton with his huge ears can hear them. Sour Jane Kangaroo thinks Horton is crazy and first gets the Wickersham Brothers to steal the clover with the speck, then tries to boil it in oil. Horton, however, won't give up on his new friends. It finally takes the voice of the smallest Who of all to be heard and prove that "a person is a person, no matter how small.

This wasn't Horton's first go-around at Warners or in animation. Warners made a random one-off Merrie Melodies version of the other Horton story, "Horton Hatches the Egg," in 1942. This time, Horton is coerced into taking care an egg that belongs to a lazy bird named Maisie. He continues to sit on that egg no matter what, despite rain, snow, and hunters taking him and the nest to the circus. Maisie sees him at the circus and demands the egg back, but what comes out of the egg proves once and for all who is really "faithful, one hundred percent." 

Switched to Match Game Syndicated after the short ended. Comedian Ronny Graham joined in this week, along with Susan Richardson and Arte Johnson. Ronny got "Classic __" on the Head-to-Head in the first episode while Gene does a song and dance number and the rest of the panel clapped along. Charles kicked off the second episode by teasing Ronny and Arte about bringing purses onstage. 

Took the laundry downstairs, then dusted the rooms while watching Tattletales. Sammy Davis Jr. and his wife Altavise, then-sweethearts Adrienne Barbeau and Michael Malone, and TV stars Linda Kaye Henning and John O'Connell. Sammy and Altavise had some great stories and hilarious jokes, especially from the question in the first episode about who had the bigger chest! They did very well, winning the first episode and tying with Adrienne and Michael in the second.

Brought the laundry upstairs and hauled the trash and recycling outside, then headed out. I needed to make a few quick donations, but I first wanted lunch. Hadn't eaten at Crown Chicken and Gyro in ages. It was past 3 by the time I finally made it there. Enjoyed my chicken gyro, slender hot fries, and can of Diet Pepsi in peace.

Dropped off a bag of clothes donations at the bins behind Dollar General, then strolled back around to Clinton and dropped two books in the kiosk. The other reason I went for a walk was just to enjoy the day. It was gorgeous, upper 40's, windy, and sunny as can be. Considering it's supposed to rain hard again starting tomorrow afternoon, I wanted to bask in the sunshine while I could.

Made the bed and folded the laundry while watching the first three episodes of WKRP In Cincinnati. Andy Travis (Gary Sandy) arrives as the new program director at radio station WKRP to find it and its easy listening format to be last in the ratings. He immediately changes all that by giving DJ Johnny (Howard Hesseman) a rock record to play on the air. Not only does he reinvigorate Johnny as "Dr. Johnny Fever," he brings new life to the station. Head manager Arthur Carlson (Gordon Jump) protests at first, until the format proves to be unexpectedly popular.

In the second pilot episode, Andy and station advertising manager Herb Tarek (Frank Bonner) want to come up with a big publicity stunt to advertise the format change to Cincinnati. As they try to figure something out, they're invaded by a group of elderly protesters who insist they liked the station's format the way it was. While station assistant Bailey (Jan Smithers) tries to placate them, Andy realizes they've found the publicity stunt they've been looking for.

"Les On a Ledge" further introduces us to Les Nessman (Richard Sanders), the station's long-time news reporter. He prides himself on being an upstanding, hip kind of guy, but it couldn't be further from the truth. He's devastated when an athlete claims he's gay and ends up climbing on the ledge of the station. 

Took a shower, then worked on a list of the TV shows I have on DVD that I haven't watched yet, and even ones on streaming that I haven't watched in full. There's a lot I really want to binge on, but I always seem to find more. And that doesn't count movies I run into, and cartoons.  

Broke for dinner and Match Game '79 at 7 PM. A less-blonde Susan Richardson returns in these episodes, along with Robert Pine and Richard Deacon. The first episode has Fannie Flagg making a crack about why she forgot she was on the show the week before (and whom she was with) and Richard Deacon's desk light when he finishes his answer not working. The captain's hat Charles wears in the second episode prompts several jokes, including Brett claiming that "nobody wants to see your dingy."

Finished the night at YouTube with musical game shows. Game shows that revolve around music go back to radio, when any station could have a band play a song and people call in and guess what it was. Shows like Stop the Music were wildly popular on radio and early TV in the late 40's and early 50's, with people listening breathlessly as contestants (including call-ins from home) tried to figure out the "Mystery Melody." Tod Russell substitutes for vacationing Bert Parks in this mid-50's episode. 

Name That Tune also goes far back, but the version that most people remember today dates from the mid-70's. Tom Kennedy racks up the suspense as two contestants try to guess a song from the fewest notes possible. The champion gets to guess "The Golden Medley" and maybe win up to $100,000. This was so popular and so much fun to watch, it's been revived three times since then, including the version currently running on Fox.

Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour was neither Jon Bauman's first shot at hosting, nor his first time seen as someone besides a greaser. The Pop n' Rocker Game, a syndicated show from 1983, was really more up his alley. He led three teenagers in answering rock trivia questions, with two popular acts at the time performing between rounds. Bauman wasn't the only up-and-coming performer on this show, either. Phil Hartman was one of the announcers. Irene Cara and Oingo Boingo (complete with composer Danny Elfman) sing "What a Feeling!" and "Who Do You Want to Be?" in the premiere episode. 

The Gong Show featured acts that were far less professional. Chuck Barris' most famous show was a spoof talent contest that did occasionally dig up some genuinely good acts, like the guy who "plays the microphone" and croons very well in the episode I chose, but was better known for the endless barrage of tone-deaf singers and lousy comics that appeared on its stage. Regular judge Jaye P. Morgan is joined by Anson Williams and Patty Andrews of the Andrews Sisters.

Contestants on Face the Music tended to be even stranger. For some reason, oddballs of all stripes gravitated to this 1980 syndicated show that had people first guessing which celebrity was connected with a song, then hearing five songs and seeing which celebrity they represented. In the episode I chose, the ladies get really wild, with the tall, slender one on the left letting off more energy than a cheerleading squad, and the one of the right reminding me a lot of an older Patti Deusch. Actor and former athlete Ron Ely keeps the show moving and an eye on the loonies. 

Jeopardy! branched out into several spin-offs towards the end of the 90's and beginning of the 2000's. Rock & Roll Jeopardy! ran on VH-1 from 1998 to 2001. It plays the same as the original show, with questions naturally revolving around rock stars and history, young adults and older teen contestants, and a slightly hipper and more industrial-looking set. Jeff Provost is the host here.

Name That Tune isn't Fox's only current hit musical game show. Beat Shazam! began in 2017 as the first game show based on a music app. Three teams (of siblings in the episode I chose) try to guess song titles faster than Shazam, aka the computer. The last team standing guesses five songs in a row in order to win a million dollars. Fast-paced and fun, I can see why this has been one of Fox's bigger shows for nearly seven years. 

See if you can sing, dance, and guess along with these musical favorites!

Stop the Music (1955)

Name That Tune (1976)

The Gong Show (1977)

Face the Music (1980)

The Pop n' Rocker Game (1983)

Rock & Roll Jeopardy! (1998)

Beat Shazam (2022) 

Chilled Fantasy

Overslept this morning, but I did have the time for breakfast and Walt Disney Presents Best Loved Fairy Tales. This Disney LP from 1962 is a collection of six short Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen stories. "Rapunzel," "Rumplestiltskin," "The Bremen Town Musicians," "Little Red Riding Hood," and "The Princess and the Pea" are all pretty much the condensed straightforward versions. The unique story here - and the reason I bought this album - is "Clytie." A mermaid ends up on a beach and becomes so enamored of the sun, she turns into a sunflower. Research reveals that this is a very gentle retelling of a Greek myth. It comes off as rather sweet and even a bit sad, both of which are unusual for Disney.

Called Uber before "Rapunzel" even ended. No trouble getting a ride today. The one going to work came in 5 minutes; the one going home came in 6. No traffic either way, even going home just as rush hour ended.

No trouble at work, either. I did have to put away a cart of cold items someone didn't want, and after the morning bagger finished, I had to sweep the store. Spent most of the day outside, pushing carts. The streets were still wet when I went to work, but it was just cold, windy, and cloudy for most of the day. The clouds didn't start to break up until I was done with work. It was busy when I arrived. The 4:30 Eagles-Giants game cleared out customers. By the time I went home, it was pin-drop quiet.

(Oh, and I later discovered that the Eagles lost to the Giants 27-10, which neither ends their season on a good note, nor bodes well for the playoffs.) 

Soon as I got home, I changed and went straight into dinner and tonight's Match Game marathon. Jon "Bowser" Bauman finally got his night in the spotlight. Jon, a member of the 50's revival group Sha-Na-Na, first turned up on the show in 1978 in his "Bowser" greaser persona. He would continue to appear as "Bowser" through the second season of the syndicated series. Most of his jokes tended to center on the differences between the 50's and the late 70's, or on the amount of grease he used on his hair. There was the PM episode where, when asked to dress up, he put on a giant clown bow tie and his leather jacket, and the syndicated show where he showed off his props, like rubber chains and mice, in a sneaker-shaped bag.

Jon tended to have far more fun as himself hosting the Hollywood Squares segment of The Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour. He wasn't the greatest host - he had a hard time reigning in the panelists and apparently didn't get along with Gene Rayburn - but proved to be a terrific Match Game panelist. He almost always had a matching, or at least decent, answer in the game. For some reason, the ladies loved him, choosing him for the Head-to-Head more than anyone else. He got to encourage Leonard Frey to show off his Broadway tap dance skills - twice - and kept Gene from drooling too hard over a group of luscious teen beauty queens in the audience.

Rock around the center square with everyone's favorite lovable greaser in this hilarious marathon!

Match Game Sunday Night Classics - Jon "Bowser" Bauman on the Panel and as Host

Flowers In the Rain and Snow

Began a gloomy morning with breakfast and Paw Patrol. The pups are called out to rescue Jake the snowboarder and little Alex when they go off the edge of a cliff and are trapped under sharp icicles. "Pups On Ice" have to figure out how to rescue them without making the icicles fall. In "Pups and the Snow Monster," Jake thinks there's a creature out there scaring the customers away from his ski resort. "Pups and the Snow Monster" prove there's hardly anything to be afraid of besides taking a fall on the slopes.

Switched to a brand-new episode of Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood on PBS Kids. Daniel is thrilled when "Juan Carlos Visits the Neighborhood." There's so much he wants to show him, especially since his friend has never seen snow before. His mother reminds him to ask what his guest wants to do before he starts making plans. Likewise, when "Juan Carlos Visits the Clock Factory," he asks his friend what else he wants to do first.

Headed out after that. It was just cloudy and cold when I left, but I definately smelled snow. I took Uber. They came in less than 5 minutes, and got me to work in less than five minutes.

Considering it started to snow less than an hour after I arrived, it's a good thing I spent the afternoon helping the floral department manager. We shelved adorable stuffed animals, candy gifts, and pretty pink, red, and orange vases and tins that just came in for Valentine's Day. I dusted shelves filled with vases and watered plants. She taught me how to arrange beautiful bouquets of flowers in fancy vases. 

She even drove me home after work, since we finished at the same time. The snow had long changed to heavy rain by that point. It has continued to rain heavily off and on for the rest of the night.

Went straight upstairs. Changed and watched a little of Super Password with Tom Poston and Marla Gibbs before switching to The Hobbit on YouTube. I go further into the original 1977 animated version of the Lord of the Rings prequel at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog. 

Animation Celebration Saturday - The Hobbit (1977)

Finished the night on YouTube. Tonight's marathon was originally supposed to honor Jon "Bowser" Bauman, but the channel owner had trouble with it being blocked and switched it to Mary Wickes. (Jon's marathon will run tomorrow.) Mary is a much-loved character actress who today is best-known as the pushy housekeeper in White Christmas and the older nun who originally ran the choir before Whoopi Goldberg took over in the Sister Act movies. She appeared on the 70's Match Game frequently from 1976 through 1978, then showed up one last time in 1990 when she was the secretary on The Father Dowling Mysteries.

Mary and Joyce Bulifant were delighted to welcome "new kid on the block" Gary Crosby with a kiss in 1977. She tossed out many a great quip, including one at Gene's latest plaid sport coat about a horse somewhere being mighty chilly. She also got a great line during the first episode with the Star Wheel in 1978. They created it so other panelists besides Richard could get the chance at the Head-to-Head...and of course, the first time it was spun, it landed on him. "Do you know how much that thing cost?" Mary complained as everyone walked out. "And it's right back to Richard!" (Rich had a great line in that episode, too. When Gene's telling the contestant what she gets when she lands on the stars, Rich quips that "Chuck Woolery comes out and punches you in the mouth.")

Sing the praises of one of the coolest older ladies around in this hilarious marathon!

Match Game Saturday Classics - Mary Wickes On the Panel

Dolls on a Cold Day

Began the morning with breakfast and Care Bears and Cousins. This is the rebranding of the Welcome to Care-a-Lot CGI series with the Cousins added, the first time the Cousins had been used on TV since the late 80's. In the first episode, Harmony and Share are "BFFs" who always have picnics together. When Harmony doesn't have the time, Share takes little Cousin Cozy Heart Penguin instead. Jealous, Harmony takes Lotsa-Heart Elephant on a picnic. Every time they act jealous, a prickly bush grows up around them. When so many bushes spring up that they're trapped by them, they end up having to talk out their feelings.

Spent the rest of the early afternoon dressing the dolls for winter weather. Molly is snug as a bug in her plaid shirt and navy corduroys. I've never been able to find her oxfords for a good price, so she borrows Kit's. Sam is equally snuggly in her gray Buster Brown flannel school dress and black boots. Kit wears Rebecca's School Outfit with the blue and black sweater; she borrows Sam's black Mary Janes. Whitney wishes the lake would freeze up so she can go skating in Molly's blue and red Skating Outfit and Springfield Collection skates. 

Barbara Jean is terribly mod in a butter-yellow dress with pintucks and wide sleeves. Jessa normally doesn't like frou-frou, but she does love flamingos. She's in an aqua shirt with an embroidered flamingo patch and lavender netting trim, along with gray leggings, socks, and white and turquoise sneakers. Josefina wears a blue and red flowered empire-waist dress and black hat with flower trim I found her on eBay. Ariel gets Julie's orange tunic with the blue embroidered flowers, her corduroy gauchos, and her brown boots. 

Even the Cabbies are now dressed for cold weather. Dulcie borrows the yellow flannel dress with pink and green ribbon trim her sister originally came in and a crocheted baby sweater. Carrie feels a lot hipper in a blue and green winter jacket and pants from Build-a-Bear.

Watched Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood while I had lunch and got ready for work. The kids are all thrilled to play in the snow during a school day, but "The Neighborhood Snowstorm" gets too nasty for them to stay. Dan's parents are late picking him up, so Teacher Harriet plays snow games with him until they arrive. Even after his folks come for him, their heat dies and a pipe freezes and bursts in his room. Daniel and Margaret end up staying with Jodi and her family for a while until the heat is back on. 

Took Uber to work. Absolutely no trouble there! The one going to work picked me up in 10 minutes; the one coming from there got me in 3. No traffic anywhere or any trouble getting to and from the store.

I would have preferred to spend the afternoon outside, doing carts on a brisk, sunny day. I don't think it rose above the 30's today...and honestly, it felt nice, a little more like winter. However, I was the only bagger there until 6. The head bagger ended up in a register. I had to sweep the store, and I had to put away cold items and clean up messes that kept putting me behind with the carts. Even after the night bagger arrived, they'd call me to do those things and not him. Didn't help that we were really busy the entire afternoon between people stocking up after the holidays and people who saw snow in the forecast and panicked (even though we're mostly supposed to get rain). 

Got my schedule today, too. In good news, I retain the increased hours from this week and still have three days off. One day is still an early day, but that's the head bagger's day off. Thankfully, the latest I work this week is 6. Even that is probably pushing it at this time of year. I just wish they'd let me work floral again. I guess she doesn't need any help right now.

Did a little bit of grocery shopping before I went home. I mostly needed yogurt. They were having a sale on Dannon Fit & Light 4-packs with an online coupon. Found containers of in-house-made granola on the bakery clearance racks and thought I'd try them instead of cookies. Bagged apples are a really good price right now, too. Went with the honeycrisps that are usually beyond my budget. Needed tissues after all the dust I stirred putting the Christmas decorations away got to my nose.

Watched Match Game '79 while getting organized. A sweet older lady in nifty cat's eye glasses doesn't have much luck with a question asking about how bad the food on Nerdocrumbesia Arline is. The winner doesn't do much better with a nervous Patti Deusch answering "__ Done" on the Head to Head.

Finished off the night with classic comedies and action shows on Tubi. On The Scarecrow and Mrs. King, special agent Lee recruits mother Amanda to help him infiltrate a typical suburban neighborhood. The locals are saying "There Goes the Neighborhood" when it turns out a group of housewives selling hair dryers are doing a lot more than making gold-star sales. Amanda joins the group, only to discover they're suspected of being part of an arms smuggling racket. 

The Partridge Family learns a lesson in environmentalism when little Danny insists on singing with a whale to get publicity. His mother and a marine biologist (Bert Convy) remind him that whales are protected species for a reason. The scientist isn't happy when the guy who found the killer whale (Dub Taylor) he takes care of beached on his inlet demands fifty percent of the earnings from the song in order to use the whale. Mrs. Partridge uses the show's ABC connections and brings in none other than Howard Cosell (himself) to help shame the guy into giving his money to find out "Whatever Happened to Moby Dick?" 

Winds of Winter

I was so tired after pushing carts for six hours yesterday, I slept in. I didn't really get moving until around noon. Had brunch while watching Match Game Syndicated. The syndicated episodes seemed to have jumped back to early afternoons. Randi Oakes of ChIPS joins in to listen to Charles tease Brett about her answer to how Weird Willie powers his wristwatch and think of the answer to "All You Need Is __" in the Audience Match. 

Called Uber around quarter of 1. I needed to get some grocery shopping done, but wasn't up to walking. Not to mention, it's gotten cold, cloudy, and windy. No trouble either way. The car going there picked me up in 8 minutes; the one going home in 4. No traffic or trouble on Cuthbert.

No trouble at the Westmont Plaza, either. Target and Sprouts were having good granola bar sales. I picked up the Olympus breakfast cookies from Sprouts 2 for $6 and the Kind bars buy one, get one half off. Grabbed a container of yogurt for breakfast tomorrow at Target and my favorite unsweetened vanilla coconut milk at Sprouts. Grapes were on a good sale at Sprouts too, and I never find the black ones at the Acme. Also grabbed pumpkin madelines and a small slice of pumpkin cake off the bakery clearance racks for 99 cents each. 

Called Karen when I got home. I hadn't heard from her. Turns out that no, she hadn't been able to get a voucher so we could continue to job hunt together. In fact, her boss called a second counselor to help her and bring in more suggestions. The lady wants to meet me on a Zoom chat; I'll e-mail her when I find out what my schedule is.

Spent the next hour and a half taking down the Christmas tree. This isn't nearly as complicated as decorating it. Even on my own, it only took a little over an hour and a half to get everything organized. The wreath and the vintage Santa cardboard hanging go in the same container. It's the only place they fit. Watched Second Fiddle while I worked. I go further into this Sonja Henie vehicle with her as a school teacher brought to Hollywood by publicity agent Tyrone Power for a big role at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Second Fiddle 

After the movie ended, I had lunch, then took down the remaining Christmas items. The nativity went into this container, along with smaller items that are taken out first and put away last like the crocheted red and green coasters I made a few years ago, the hooked poinsettia magnet, the poinsettia placemats, the huge bows, and the feather-style small tree and its decorations. 

I then brought out the few general winter decorations I hadn't put out with the Christmas things. Two snowmen, one a folk-style snow angel, the other tall with wooden spool legs and a red-striped scarf, were too large to go out earlier. I already have a Christmas bell, which is why I didn't use the little winter wren bell. Rearranged the bins so the ones for winter and spring were where I could get to them easily. 

Listened to Sophisticated Ladies while I finished with the decorations. This revue is basically an elaborate Duke Ellington concert, but what a cast! Gregory Hines, Phyllis Hyman, and Hinton Battle were all nominated as the trio singing Ellington's best-known songs in an idealized Cotton Club, and Battle won. Ellington's songs shine in great numbers like "It Don't Mean a Thing," "Take the A Train," "Don't Get Around Much Anymore," "Something to Live For," and "Mood Indigo." Definitely worth hearing if you love big band music, Ellington, or the singers.  

Did some writing next. The lion tries to attack Charles next. He finally decides hay doesn't taste good for a lion and turns to Rover the dog. Joyce gets so angry, she slaps his nose...which causes him to break down bawling. He wasn't really going to eat Charles or Rover! Joyce accuses him of being a coward, and he admits that she's right. He's too scared to catch his breakfast or confront the other animals. 

Switched to Match Game '79 during dinner. In the first episode, Gene held the hands of an Air Force dentist assistant to help him calm down. It didn't really do much for his answers. The others helped the contestant with "It Ain't __" in the Audience Match. The second show was that one with the overly excited contestant who got so into winning, she dragged Gene around the studio! Gene ducked behind his question holder while Nipsey Russell ran down to give her a squeeze.

Stayed at YouTube to finish the night with three action and mystery show episodes revolving around game shows and hosts who were a lot less goofy than Gene. Former car thief Mark McCormick of Hardcastle and McCormick finds himself on a game show suddenly offering a million-dollar prize to winners. The show has struggled in the ratings, and the producers added the prize out of desperation in order to boost the show. Their assistant learns they really can't afford it and have been feeding the answers...right before she dies in a seeming accident. The "Games People Play" are a lot less fun when it seems that host Bruce Bryson (Tom Kennedy) will do anything to keep his job and the show on the air, including murder.

Gung-ho spoof cop Sledge Hammer is not exactly the first person you'd think of on a game show. He ends up on The Million Dollar Question in "To Live and Die On TV" anyway after its latest big winner dies in a freak car accident. Turns out the host of this show (Peter Marshall) is also determined to make ratings at any cost, including bumping off the champs.

Marshall turns up again in "Who Killed Mr. Game Show?" on the 1994 version of Burke's Law. This time, he's a venomous game show producer who is strangled behind the scenes during an episode of the hit Hangman. Burke and his son have to dig through a whole studio filled with suspects. There's the champion whom he tried to force into a relationship, the hostess he was blackmailing, the host he had told to stop chasing female contestants, the writer who resented him stealing his ideas, and his hard-nosed wife, who didn't appreciate his messing around and wanted to run the show her way. When someone takes a shot at Burke's son and the champ, the duo has to figure out just who had a big enough grudge against "Mr. Game Show" to kill him on the air. 

In the Winter Sunshine

Got a quick start today with breakfast and Bluey. Chili, Bluey's mum, recalls the "Baby Race," when it seemed that every baby but Bluey was already crawling and walking. She kept consulting doctors, until the poodle mum of Bluey's friend Coco reminds her that every child growls and learns at its own speed.

Headed out to work after that. Uber was no trouble at all today. It took four minutes for a driver to arrive this morning, and seven minutes this afternoon just as rush hour began. Got to work and back in the usual time, even with going home during rush hour.

Work was no trouble, either. There were a few annoying people, probably due to it being the beginning of the month. Otherwise, I spent the entire day sweeping and pushing carts. I wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else. It was gorgeous out, sunny, breezy, and bright, probably in the mid-upper 40's. People may also have been stocking up for the weekend. We're supposed to get some kind of bad weather, though they're not predicting the massive snowstorms for here that they are in other parts of the northeast.

Soon as I got home, I changed and started taking down the Christmas decorations. I got everything that went in the third container, all of the smaller stuffed animals, the hanging paper decorations, the cards, the Winter Cinderella doll, the little tree, the porcelain bears and Santa and Mrs. Santa salt shakers. the candy tin and the wooden words Linda Young made for me years ago. After that, I put the bears and larger stuffed animals away in the Santa bag, and the ones that belonged on the bed back there.

Watched Rick Steves' Europe while I worked. Almost all of these episodes covered Eastern Europe, from the Czech Republic to Turkey. As vibrant as the cultures were in many of these countries, especially the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland, these episodes were also fairly depressing. The Eastern European countries have pretty much been through hell for the past three centuries. He toured Auschwitz and several other concentration camps in the Polish episode, to give you an idea of just how dark these episodes get. 

On the other hand, these are among the few episodes where I was alive for some of the history discussed. I do remember hearing about the bloody war between the former Yugoslav countries in 1991 that they took ages to recover from, and how the Czech Republic and Slovakia managed to split from Russia and each other in the late 80's and early 90's sensibly and without bloodshed. It would seem Hungary and Poland managed to break from Russia with no trouble as well. I have some fond feelings for Poland from my childhood as well - one of my favorite books in the 1980's was The Trumpeter of Krakow.

Worked on writing for a while after I decided I'd do the tree and remaining decorations tomorrow. A plump lion with a curly mane pounces on the group! He's not happy when he can't dent Richard's cyborg body. He then tries to go after Charles, then Rover. Joyce doesn't like that a bit, though...

Broke for dinner and Match Game '79 at 7 PM. The first episode began with Gene trying to walk off with Audrey Landers and Bert teasing him about his two color suit. Charles is more nervous to help a lady with "__Horses" in the Head-to-Head. While the others try to figure out which cartoon character would make a good news anchor, Charles is more interested in reading the news. In the second, the crew helps figure out "Whadaya __" in the Audience Match, which brings in several jokes on New York accents.

Finished the night with Mystery Science Theater 3000.  I wasn't really up to much more than hearing Joel and the robots riff on Hercules Unchained. This Italian sword and sandal movie features Steve Reeves as the famous muscleman who drinks from a spring of forgetfulness and ends up in the clutches of Queen Omphale (Sylvia Lopez), who turns her unwanted lovers into statues. Meanwhile, the two sons of Oedipus have gone to war, and one intends to throw Hercules' wife Iole (Sylva Kocina) to the tigers.

Honestly, all of the Hercules movies are enjoyable cheese, with or without robot wisecracks. This is one of the earlier movies that retains its basis in Greek mythology. There are stories were Hercules drank from a spring of forgetfulness and became Omphale's slave. If you're a fan of Greek mythology or grew up watching those Italian sword and sandal epics, you'll want to check (and the other MST3K Hercules episodes) out. 

Angels On Ice

Slept in this morning and didn't get moving until around almost 10:30. Had breakfast and got organized while watching Happy Landing. I go further into this Sonja Henie romantic comedy with her as a Norwegian lass who follows the bandleader she thinks wants to marry her at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Happy Landing (1938)

Headed out after the movie ended. No trouble getting Uber today. They arrived within 5 minutes this afternoon. To my surprise, given how late it was when I got out, I got someone going home in 4 minutes. No trouble on the road, with traffic or anything else.

Work didn't start out too badly. I spent most of the first half of my shift pushing carts. That got harder when the other bagger was pulled to take customers around 3 PM. I had to sweep, put cold items away, and clean up a broken bottle outside, too. Plus there were these two pre-teen boys who dropped their bikes right in front of the carts. I doubt it ever occurred to them that they were blocking the carts. We do have a bike rack, though it's on the other side of the store from the entrance. I moved their bikes away from the carts. After they came out, they kept riding around the parking lot, getting in people's way and using it for their own private playground. 

(One later asked me if I had a car. Fortunately, no, I don't drive. I suspect if I had a car, they would have damaged it or done something to it to get back at me for moving their bikes. The boy just said "oh," and they left shortly after that.)

And honestly, I can kind of understand why the kids were out. It was a gorgeous day, sunny, breezy, and in the lower 40's. Perfectly normal and nice for early January. 

Went straight into dinner and Match Game '79 when I got home. A contestant who was brought back after Gene accidentally read an answer in her question gets to enjoy the view of Robert Walden and Bert Convy on the panel, along with Patty Duke and Audrey Landers. Patty thinks she has the obvious answer to "Patti __" (hint - it's the other redhead on the show named "Patti"), but the contestant has an even better idea...

Finished the night on Tubi with Charlie's Angels. "Angels On High" takes the girls to the Reno Air Show after their wealthy wheelchair-bound client claims one of the flyers might be his son and heir. Kelly falls for the handsome and charming stunt pilot, while Kris is pursued by a mysterious fellow who keeps asking her questions about the heir. It would seem someone doesn't want the heir to be found, and is willing to kill in order to keep their position with one of the richest men in California. 

Mummers and Matches

I awoke...to realize I overslept. I finally got out the door at 10, and I'd wanted to be heading to Philadelphia by at least nine. Grabbed yogurt, a granola bar, and grapes, and rushed out the door on the bike.

Fortunately, it takes less than 5 minutes to get to Collingswood on my bike. The PATCO was busy, but it wasn't so full that I couldn't get a seat. Followed a family and got one in the front. The stations were busier. I just followed the crowd until I got up to 13th Street, which is two blocks from the parade route on Broad Street.

I arrived just in time for the "comic" wench brigades. They're the ones in the ruffly dresses and caps in weird prints. As I walked up and down Broad Street, from Doubletree up to the Philadelphia High School for the Performing Arts, I saw one group with a cow theme in white and black prints with red trim. The one before them were construction workers in orange with neon yellow trim and gray reflector fabric on the waists. There was a Barbie-themed group in pink, blue, and orange, with some guys walking down Broad Street in pink "boxes." 

An alien group wore silver and blue and sported sparkly feelers and green makeup. Another group had outfits in every color of the rainbow. There was a Toy Story group with a mom as Bo Peep, dad as Woody, and kids as Jesse, Buzz, and in an inflatable dinosaur costume, a Mario group with red and green Mario and Luigis, and scarecrows in yellow, white, and green with straw-trimmed hats. I loved the Route 66 group in map-printed outfits with red and blue trim.

The crowds were nearly as crazy. Big families pushing huge strollers pushed between drunk college students who got up on ledges to yell out in the crowd. I saw people walking dogs of every size and shape. They ranged from a beautiful white Samoyed who just watched the crowd to a frisky King's spaniel who barked at everything.

The weather cooperated for the parade, too. While not warm like it was this time last year, it wasn't freezing, either. It was probably in the mid-40's, perfectly normal for early January. The sun was out when I was there, and there was no wind, but there were clouds on the horizon even as I started back down 13th Street to the PATCO entrance. The only other people waiting with me were a group of college kids who were probably on their way back to Rutgers. By the time I got off at Collingswood, the sun was disappearing again.

Cut through Collingswood to the Westmont Diner for brunch. When I ate there last month, they gave me a green envelope that was only to be opened in front of my server between January 1st and 31st. Enjoyed super-soft pumpkin pancakes with dried cranberries mixed in. When my waitress brought the check, I opened it to reveal a coupon for a free dessert or appetizer. I knew what I wanted. While I waited 20 minutes for a booth to be ready, I got to admire the cakes and pastries in the display as you come in. I wanted to try the long Napoleon cake with the white and chocolate trimmed icing.

Went straight home after that. My wrist and big toe are still sore, and riding around on the bike and running around in Philly didn't help. I spent the rest of the afternoon resting, doing the laundry, and watching the Universal adventure movie Arabian Nights. The dancing girl Scheherazade (Maria Montez) is convinced she's to marry a caliph and become a queen. She thinks it'll be Kamar (Leif Erikson), who has taken over the throne in the absence of his brother Haroun (Jon Hall). Haroun was attacked by Kamar's men and left for dead. He was taken in by acrobat Ali Ben Ali (Sabu) and the troupe of actors Scherazade works for. 

The Grand Vizier Nadan (Edgar Barrier) wants both brothers out of the way. He orders his captain of the guards (Turhan Bey) to sell the entire group into slavery. Even after the troupe manages to escape, they still end up in Kamar's clutches. Kamar forces Scheherazade to marry him, but Ali knows he's not the brother she wants. It'll take a final rallying of the people and a fight to the death between brothers to finally put Haroun back on his rightful throne.

Delightful bit of blarney is the second of four films to pair up Montez, Hall, and Sabu. We also have Billy Gilbert as the head of the troupe and Shemp Howard as the least-likely Sinbad the Sailor ever onscreen. To tell the truth, this doesn't have much to do with the actual Arabian Nights stories, but that doesn't make it any less fun. Gorgeous production (this was Universal's first movie in three-strip Technicolor) definitely helps. Well worth your time if you love Arabic swashbucklers or fantasies or the three stars.

Switched to writing after getting the laundry in the dryer. The lion who attacks the group is small, plump, and has a very curly mane. Joyce recognizes him as comedian Avery Schreiber, and she's right. She's also right that he won't hurt them. He's a coward who can't bring himself to harm any living creature.

Watched New Year's game show episodes while eating dinner. New Year's goes back a long way on game shows. What's My Line celebrated their very first New Year's episode in 1950 by having none other than Guy Lombardo as a Mystery Guest to discuss his annual concert in New York to kick off the New Year.

One of the very few episodes of the second run of the Alex Trebek High Rollers still in existence is its New Year's 1979 show. Alex dons a snazzy tux, while the models wear fancy gowns. A twinkly-eyed older woman did manage to win a big prize package, but she still lost to a younger woman who got a beautiful brown fur coat. 

Peter Tomarken and Rod Roddy also dressed up for New Year's Eve 1984 on Press Your Luck. Whammies performing New Year's concerts flew fast and furious, particularly in the second round. In the end, the champ not only picked up a car and cash, he became one of the show's top winners at that point.

Monty Hall's New Year's Eve on Beat the Clock is even more frantic. Character actors Louis Nye and Ellen Travolta played comedian Jack Carter and soap star Eileen Barnett. In the end, after the entire group has used noisemakers to blow balloons into a crib and poured enough champagne to cascade over a stack of glasses, Barnett and Carter came out victorious, making twice as much money as the other two.

Children and families get on the games in the Bob Eubanks Card Sharks and Ray Combs Family Feud. The 1986 Card Sharks had their Young People's Week during the days between Christmas and New Year's. In 1990, Ray and the families celebrated the new decade with silvery poinsettias, balloons dropping in the end, and questions about what people do every New Year's Day.

Drew Carey and his Price Is Right models ended the 2000's by giving away some of the most popular prizes ever, according to people who sent reminiscences on their website. Prizes ranged from a vintage yellow luxury sport car to a man's watch to the Grand Game. One of the Showcases showed off trips to cities with big New Year's celebrations. The other revolved around how and where people watch the Bowl games at home.

Ring in 2024 with these hilarious New Year's parties! (Warning that the copy of Card Sharks is in bad shape and has barely-audible audio.) 

What's My Line (1950)

High Rollers (1979)

Beat the Clock (1979)

Press Your Luck (1984)

Card Sharks (1986)

Family Feud (1990)

The Price Is Right (2009)

Finished the night with a marathon of the first episode to air every year during the Match Game 70's and 80's run. The first episode of 1974 introduced Dorothy, a wild contestant who got so excited answering questions, she accidentally hit the laid-back guy next to her. A funny older man proved to have answers that were even odder on the first day of 1975. Fannie Flagg took over in Brett's seat while she did a play for the first week of 1977. Gene stumbled into New Year's Day 1979 draped with streamers from the previous episode and looking more than a little bleary-eyed. Bowser brought rubber chains for the first syndicated episode of 1980, while McLean Stevenson had taken over Richard's seat by the time of the first 1981 show. 

Dick Martin stuck around for the first Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour show of 1984. He's joined by Nathan Cook, Arsenio Hall, Alison Arngrin, and a young David Ruprecht when he was a host for Real People. Vicki Lawrence does very well at the Match Up mini game during the first episode of 1991. 

No one celebrates the New Year like Match Game! Party on with these hilarious episodes. 

Match Game New Year's Day Celebration Party - Ring in 2024