Freedom of Adventure

Began the morning with breakfast and Shirt Tales. "Bogey Goes Ape" takes us into the second season, with a new opening theme and a new Shirt Tale, spunky little Kip Kangaroo. Bogey's more interested in following a lovely lady orangutan about a cruise ship and saving her jeweled necklace than his friends, until he finds out she's not alone. Pammy proves to be a mechanical whiz in "The Rain, the Park, and the Robot" when she creates a robot to help them do their chores. Kip's not as impressed with him, until he saves her from a flooded ditch in a construction site. 

Switched to The Backyardigans on Paramount Plus while getting organized. "Race to the Tower of Power" is the first of six times the show parodied superhero tropes. Here, super heroes Weather Woman (Uniqua) and Captain Hammer (Austin) must beat villains Yucky Man (Pablo) and Dr. Shrinky (Tyrone) to the top of the Tower of Power. The pair that gets there first will be able to grab the key that will allow them to rule the world!

Briefly put on Buzzr as I wrote my grocery list. Double Dare is very different - and far more short-lived - than the familiar Nickelodeon stunt show. This one is a quiz where two contestants in isolation booths Dare each other to answer tough questions. I came in just as someone else went on for host Alex Trebek! Turns out it was the long-time champ, who figured he could get some air time. Alex was mildly amused.

Headed out to run errands next. Started at Target, since I had more time than usual. They didn't have the mouthwash I wanted, but I was able to get five individual pairs of underwear. Considering two pairs got holes in the tops when I pulled the tags off, I don't think they'll last all that long, but they look more comfortable (and breathable) than the ones I bought at Marshalls'. I also tried an Iced Blue Coconut Matcha Latte from Starbucks - a matcha latte with blue foam. Not bad. Really fruity. Tasted more like mango than coconut or green tea.

Sprouts was next on the list. They didn't have good soda sales, but their oat and nut milks are cheaper than the Acme's. I got my oat milk there, along with Annie's Homegrown chocolate chip granola bars on clearance and a box of oatmeal cranberry walnut cookies off the baker's rack. My best find here also came off clearance. Low-cost bags and plastic containers of bulk items were on clearance displays throughout the store. I found a small container of mixed dried berries and pineapple listed for $5.99...but it came up as 99 cents!

Had lunch at the Westmont Bagel Shop after I finished at Sprouts. I was surprised that they weren't too busy for 1 PM. I was able to sit down and enjoy my spinach and feta omelet, toasted multi-grain whole wheat bagel, hash browns, and Diet Coke in peace. As it turned out, the bagel and omelet were more than enough. I didn't have close to enough room to finish the hash browns. (Oh, and surprisingly, there were no bikes on the rack when I arrived. All of the kids must have been swimming at Roberts Pool or skateboarding elsewhere.)

Passed by the library, McDonald's, and the Haddon Township High School (which is now closed for the summer) before ending up at the Westmont Acme. Restocked granola, yogurt, low-salt canned tuna, and soda. Found no-salt canned organic black beans and chick peas. I need more protein, but there was no low-salt canned chicken, and the bagged chicken I've been buying is awfully salty. Finally found the Listerine Gum Protection mouthwash I use in the smaller size on sale with an online coupon. Grabbed olive oil and organic mayo (which was lower in salt than the light mayo) to use for tuna and bean salads. 

Took the long way home across a busy Newton Lake Park. It was a nice day, sunny, breezy, slightly humid, and much cooler than yesterday, in the lower 80's. A lot of people wanted to enjoy it before the weather turns nasty on Monday. I ended up riding uphill to avoid the folks out for walks and jogs (and to get around the work being done on the path near the stone steps going up to East Clinton). The park is in full flower now, green and shady, with a wonderful, earthy smell.

Switched to the only early Bowery Boys movie not currently on Tubi as I put away my groceries. The guys are saying Hold That Baby! when they discover an infant abandoned in their laundry service. Turns out he's the grandson of a recently deceased millionaire whose mother (Anabel Shaw) left him there when her aunts, who want his inheritance, have her committed to a sanitarium. The aunts hire thugs to keep the baby from the reading of the will, and they in turn hire the Boys to keep an eye on him. Sach and Slip manage to dodge the thugs and rescue the mother in the guise of having Sach committed. (Oh, and I suspect a brief blackface gag when Sach attempts to hide the baby from a cop is the reason this one can't be found on streaming.)

Spent the rest of the afternoon and early evening watching The Man Who Would Be King. Sach and Slip are hardly the only best-friend pair to cause mischief. British ex-soldiers Daniel Dravot (Sean Connery) and Peachy Carnehan (Michael Caine), after trying to rob author Rudyard Kipling (Christopher Plummer), take an expedition into Afghanistan in search of Kafiristan. There, they arm the locals with rifles, help them defeat their enemies, and take over the very wealthy country. When an arrow fails to pierce Dravot's chest, they think he's immortal and makes him their king. Peachy thinks they should grab the money and run, but Dravot has found he likes being a ruler and helping the people with their problems...until the princess Roxanne (Shakira Caine) inadvertently reveals that he's far from immortal.

John Huston apparently wanted to make this for 20 years, and it was worth the wait. It was Connery's favorite role and remains Caine's, and it's not surprising, given how much fun they have as the rogues who go looking for money and end up with a heck of a lot more than they bargained for. Stunning cinematography in Morocco and France, too. Maurice Jarre wrote the rousing Indian-style score. I'm also impressed with how relatively close this is to the book, which I have read. My only complaint is how long it is. It takes a while to actually set up - the first half in particular drags. Other than that, if you're a fan of two-fisted adventure tales, Kipling, or the leading men and have time on your hands, you'll want to grab your partner in crime and join the expedition. 

Returned to Buzzr for Match Game '74 next. We're getting close to the end of the year as they finished off Avery Schriberer's first week. Phyllis Newman also appeared but, to tell the truth, she was kind of annoying and took a lot of Brett's teasing personally. No wonder Avery became a semi-regular, but she never came back. James Darren and Juliet Mills had a lot more fun during New Year's week. 

Got my schedule at this point. It's pretty much what I expected and had hoped for. I'm back to weekend afternoons and early on Wednesday at the Acme. On one hand, that means I will be able to hit the Collingswood farm market next week. I'll just move the Cherry Hill trip to earlier in the week, maybe Tuesday or Thursday. 

Watched The Swamp Fox after dinner. The series gets mildly dark for "Day of Reckoning." Francis is determined to find his nephew Gabe's killer. His men not only don't share his obsession, they're sick, worn out, and want to start fighting Tories again. Mary Videux (Joy Page) manages to sweet-talk Colonel Peter Horry (Myron Healy) into giving her medicine for the men. Meanwhile, Francis not only finds Briggs (Robert Douglas), but learns there's someone else who has sworn vengeance against him - Gwynn (Hal Stalmaster), whose family was killed by a man in a mask who called himself the Swamp Fox.

Finished the night with more Zorro at Disney Plus. Don Diego is more than happy to spread the story of "The Ghost at the Mission" to scare Garcia and his men off. It works pretty well with Garcia, but Monastario isn't as impressed. 

The Blacktop Bash

Began the morning with breakfast and Spidey and His Amazing Friends. I know this show is popular with the kids at Thomas Sharp, and with superheroes on my mind, I thought I'd give it a look. "Spidey to the Power of Three" has Peter Parker, aka Spider Man, reminding his friends Miles Morales, aka Spin, and Gwen Stacy, aka Ghost Spider, that they all need to work together to stop Rhino from stealing gold coins and get back before his Aunt May brings home ice cream. Peter learns "Panther Patience" when he helps Black Panther recover a piece of vibranium stolen by a female Doc Octopus at a local museum.

Went to the special Spidey and Iron Man: Avengers Team Up! next. From what I can tell, this is a crossover between Spidey and His Amazing Friends and the spin-off Iron Man and His Awesome Friends. Peter joins the Avengers, including Iron Man Tony Stark, Black Panther, Captain America, and super-stretchy Ms. Marvel, to stop the Green Goblin and Ultron from teaming up to wreck havoc on New York's machines and make them all do what they want.

Changed the Cabbage Patch Dolls into summer outfits while the cartoons were on. Dulcie, the girlier doll with the long red yarn hair, wears a red plaid shirt with ruffled sleeves and a boat print on it and jean shorts with plaid bow trim. Tomboy Carrie with the short yellow yarn curls got a bright blue sailor romper. 

Left for Thomas Sharp around 11:55. I called Uber this time. Though it was sunny, I wasn't sure what the weather was going to do. Not to mention, there was the Blacktop Bash later. There wouldn't be anywhere for me to park the bike. The driver going there picked me up in 8 minutes. The one going home came in 7. No problems either way, and I was right on time.

We started off with 18 kids today, 8 at my table. We didn't have that many for long. Many of their parents came in the first hour. Some of them didn't last through lunchtime. For those who did, I read "Goofy, Movie Star" from Storyland and several shorts from Richard Scarry for them. I brought the old Mickey Mouse Memory game that belonged to my brother Keefe when he was their age and broke it out before we went outside. I played with two boys and a girl. The younger boy did by far the best. He had quite a memory! He had twice as many as anyone else before the head teacher announced it was time to clean up, because we were going to the playground.

I'm glad that it was hot, humid, and blustery today, but it never rained. Considering it's supposed to rain all day on Monday, this may be the last chance we have to take the kids out during the current school year. There were only 10 kids left by the time we all made it out there, enough that they could all swing right away. I kept an eye on those swinging while the boys chased after the stuffed Spider Man one of them brought and wrestled with it and each other. We finally brought them inside when it started to get too hot and humid and they began to set up for the Blacktop Bash.

There were two younger kids left when we all went back inside, but I stayed anyway. The head teacher had to leave early, and the afternoon teacher for the older kids couldn't come at all. We did try to go back outside to the playground, but it was brief. There were too many older kids out there who weren't with Healthy Kids. I watched the older kids make snakes with Play Doh, read Richard Scarry stories, and played another round of Mickey Mouse Memory with two kindergartners and a first-grader. This time, the kindergarten girl got by far the most matches. I finally left at 5:15, when they were down to five older kids and the younger kids were long gone.

The Blacktop Bash was in full swing when I got off. Fortunately, the line wasn't long at all. I paid my $6 and got in with no problems. There were three food trucks, a bake sale and pizza table, a table selling Thomas Sharp merchandise, a tent for the kids to have their faces painted, and tables and tables of raffles. I left the raffles to the families and had dinner from the trucks instead. I got a tasty, if messy, cheese steak quesadilla from the Mexican food booth (their specialties also included fried macaroni and cheese balls), then sat down for dinner at one of the many tables set up while chasing my napkins, which all blew away in the wild wind. Cooled off after that with a Pina colada shaved ice from the Kona shaved ice truck. Said "hi" to several of the kids from the after-school program and their parents, then watched kids run around and play games near the entrance to the cafeteria.

Oh, and the kids are so sweet. One of the girls and her parents gave me a $20 gift card to Dunkin' Donuts for taking good care of their daughter all year long. A boy and his family gave me a $20 gift card to WaWa and a card he made himself. I've never felt so appreciated. The kids may drive me crazy when they're together, but I love them all individually.

Finished the night at home with Killer Diller on Tubi. I go further into this tuneful B-movie from the late 40's with an all-black cast that includes Nat "King" Cole and Moms Mabley for Junteenth tomorrow at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Celebrating Juneteenth - Killer Diller

Kids of Tomorrow

Began the morning with Little Bear. We meet Little Bear's Uncle Rusty, a lumberjack, when he joins Father and Grandfather bear in "Building a House for Emily." "Emily Returns" with her globe-trotting Granny, both of whom are delighted with their new home. Little Bear becomes "Little Sherlock Bear" and searches for clues when the cherry pie his mother baked for his father disappears from the window sill.

I decided to try something different for breakfast. I chopped up a peach and added it and some cinnamon to the buckwheat pancake mix I found at Sprouts last week. I don't have syrup, so I had it with honey and yogurt instead. Yum! Not bad at all. Earthy, slightly sweet, and good for you. 

Watched Mickey Mouse Clubhouse while I ate. "Secret Spy Daisy" has her first assignment guarding Clarabelle's secret cookie recipe from Pete. If he gets it, he'll make all the cookies for himself! Minnie, Mickey, and Pluto join Daisy as they ride down a yellow road, climb a tall wall, and find a way across a rushing river, and then distract Pete before he can get to Clarabelle's bakery!

Headed out to the Thomas Sharp School after the cartoon ended. Today was apparently the kids' Water Day. They were all wearing swimsuits and trunks and wrapping themselves in damp towels when we arrived. We had 18 damp kids, 6 at my table. On one hand, they did get pretty wild in the cafeteria early-on, including three of them ending up under the table again. On the other hand, they were thrilled that I brought my Storyland and Richard Scarry anthologies again. I read Bambi to two enthralled animal-loving pre-schoolers and let the kindergartners look at the pictures. The head teacher even read a story she wrote in second grade about a hedgehog's sleepover with his buddy. They liked seeing me draw the Bowery Boys at the drawing table, too (even if some of the girls asked why there were no female members of their group). 

It was sunny, windy, and a little humid when we got outside, but thank heavens it never rained. By the time we were on the playground, there were few enough kids that they were able to get on the swings after 15 minutes. There was a little squabbling, but we had more trouble getting them to keep their shoes on. Many of the kids wore vinyl clogs, sandals, or water shoes. Great for Water Day, not so much for running around a playground. One of the kindergartners threw a fit when we wouldn't let him build a mulch castle in the middle of the slide equipment. The mulch is supposed to stay on the ground.

There were four kids left when we took them inside around quarter of 4. The older kids had already gone back inside and were running around, playing family (which, as far as I could tell, amounted to "let's all pretend we're in college") and building massive castles for Pokemon cards with magnetic tiles. Even as we arrived, two of the kids left...and shortly after they left, another teacher came. I went home around 4.

Made a quick stop at Dollar General on the way home. I got tissues and a soda, but I mainly wanted to get money for tomorrow's Blacktop Bash. (I was hoping they'd have that Listerine Clinical Gum Protection mouthwash I use, but no dice.) Grabbed them, got out. 

Decided to try something different at YouTube after I got in. I've been reading Men of Tomorrow on comic book history and the beginnings of superhero comics for the last couple of days. Since I'm now on the chapters covering the Golden Age of Comic Books, I dug into public domain serials for a genuine Golden Age comic book hero. Spy Smasher, aka Alan Armstrong, was basically a slicker, more spy-oriented variation on Batman, but he was huge during the war years. He was a huge seller for Fawcett Comics along with the character now known as Shazam. 

Spy Smasher is regarded as one of the best Republic Pictures serials, one of the best superhero serials...and one of the best sound serials, period. You can see why from the very first chapter, which starts off with Armstrong (Kane Richmond) being bound and interrogated by Nazis. He's spared by kind Vichy French officer Pierre Durand (Franco Corsaro), who rescues him and returns him to his twin brother Jack (Richmond) in the US. From there, the two take on The Mask (Hans Schumm), a Nazi officer who is very fed up with Spy Smasher's constant interference. 

Switched to Match Game '74 around quarter after 6. Today moved on to the next week, the second and last with Adrienne Barbeau in the fourth female ingenue seat. Gary Burghoff's also back, joined by Fannie Flagg and Bobby Van. At one point in the last episode, Gary gives a bad answer...then the camera shows him sitting there, naked from the waist up. Apparently, he lost his shirt betting with Richard Dawson that he'd give that answer. (He should know better than to bet with Richard on anything.)

Finished the night with more Spy Smasher back at YouTube. I'm continually impressed with the special effects in this one. They're honestly pretty good for 1942. I especially loved the nifty "Bat Plane" with all its special features and some of the cliffhangers, like the one at the end of "Iron Coffin" that had them trapped in a submarine filling with water. This is also somewhat closer to the comics than a lot of adaptations tended to be, other than changing his vehicle from the Gyrosub and adding that twin brother. No wonder it remains a fan favorite. 

It's a Most Unusual Day

Began the morning with breakfast and The Pirates of Dark Water. "Sister of the Sword" introduces Ioz' pickpocket sister Solia. She steals gold from her brother and the compass from Ren, figuring she can sell it. She ends up selling Bloth's mate Konk on finding the treasure instead. The crew of the Wraith follow the duo to Arakna Island, the most dangerous island on Mer, to keep her out of trouble.

Switched to Paw Patrol while organizing my clothes and pulling out ones to donate. "Mighty Pups, Charged Up: Pups Stop a Big Bad Bot" when Harold finds another piece of meteor and creates an even bigger robot to steal buildings and make his own Haroldville. The Mighty Pups follow him, before he takes off with Mayor Goodway and City Hall! "Mighty Pups, Charged Up: Pups Vs. the Dome" brings back Copycat, who creates an energy dome around Adventure Bay to keep the Pups out. It also keeps many of the residents away from their loved ones, including Chickaletta and Wally the Walrus. The Pups find a way to crack the dome and stop Copycat from wrecking more havoc on the town.

Headed out shortly after the cartoon ended. I arrived at Thomas Sharp School just in time...which was a moot point. We had four pre-schoolers and kindergartners today, and two of those left relatively early. The other kids went home with their parents after the pre-school "step up" graduation ceremony. 

Once the kids ate, we didn't even try to separate the younger ones from their older peers. Everyone went outside on the blacktop together. It was sunny, bright blue, and breezy, but not too hot, the perfect day to run around and play ball games. I spent most of the time on the blacktop refereeing a kickball game. I hadn't laughed so much in ages. I cheered on both teams until the only girl playing (who set up the game in the first place) complained that the boy rolling the ball wouldn't let her do it and dropped out. Most of the boys followed. 

I ended up taking a group over to the playground instead. The older kids were even more eager to swing than their younger counterparts...and thankfully, most of them didn't object to standing in line. I had more trouble keeping them away from in front or back of the swings while kids were going really high. The others tossed a ball around that belonged to one of the boys while dancing to "Ghostbusters," several songs by Taylor Swift, and music from Moana, Trolls, Sing, Shrek 2, and KPop Demon Hunters. By 3:15, we were down to one younger kid and 10 older ones. When another teacher arrived to help with the older kids, they let me go early.

Since I had more time to relax, I came home, took out the trash, and watched Bowery Buckaroos. The last Bowery Boys movie to feature Bobby Jordan takes the goofballs from the Lower East Side out west, where they hope to clear sweet shop owner Louie Dumbrowski's (Bernard Gorcey) name. Louie was accused of killing his partner Pete Briggs to get his share of their gold mine, but the real killer was Blackjack McCoy (Jack Norman). Turns out Louie has the map to the mine tattooed on his back. Whitey (Billy Benedict) draws the map on Sach's (Huntz Hall) back, but it washes off. Meanwhile, the Boys' friend Gabe (Gabriel Dell) was sent to scout ahead...and scouts himself cowgirl Catherine Briggs (Julie Gibson), a tough-shooting lady who knows more about Pete Briggs than the Boys could guess.

Went back out after the movie ended. It was too nice to sit inside all evening. I dropped the bag of clothes in the donation box behind Dollar General, then went across the street to the White Horse Pub for dinner. They were pretty quiet when I arrived. Most of the barflies were watching the Pirates-Athletics game (Pirates won, 6-5) or analysis on the Knicks' big win the other day. I enjoyed a turkey bacon wrap with very yummy, thick, crispy bacon and very crunchy tater tots, along with a pitcher of Diet Coke.

Rode across Oaklyn to the Yummy Palace on West Clinton Avenue next. Treated myself to a cookie butter ice cream milkshake. Oh, yum! Cold and sweet, with plenty of ground Biscoff cookie pieces. I sipped it outside, then rode home.

Took a shower right when I got in, then watched Match Game '74. I came in just to see the last episode of the Jack Carter/Louisa Moritz week. I really like Jack. He was hilarious, and not a bad player. Wish he'd been on the show more often. 

Since I enjoyed Bowery Buckaroos so much, I finished the night with one of the older Boys movies that's currently on Tubi. Bowery Bombshell is the third movie in the series, and the first to establish many of the running gags that would be prevalent in them for the next decade, from them hanging out at Louie's to them owning a dilapidated jalopy to Slip being the leader. Louie needs $300, so the boys try to sell their jalopy Lucy. When that doesn't work, they go to the bank to get a loan. Of course, the bank is robbed just as they try to go in. Cathy (Teala Loring), a local on-the-street photographer who is a friend of theirs, takes Sach's picture...just as he hands money to the real bank robber. While Sach hides from the cops who think he did it, Slip, Cathy, and the others dress as a rival mob to scare the bank robbers into confessing. 

Matching With Father

Began the morning with breakfast and Paw Patrol. "Mighty Pups, Charged Up: Pups Vs. the Copycat" has them going against a little cat who belongs to a reporter who greatly admires the Paw Patrol. Frustrated at them stealing his owner's attention, the cat uses the meteor fragments to imitate their powers, make Humdinger their sidekick, and build their own makeshift tower. The Pups make discoveries of their own when they learn that when they touch paws, they gain more superpowers. It helps them repair the train tracks Copycat damaged and bring down his rickety tower.

The Shirt Tales have even stranger adventures over at their city park. In the first season finale "Dinkel's Ark," the Shirt Tales find a way to build a boat and rescue animals stranded in a flood without Dinkel knowing..and while bringing him along for the ride. Dinkel becomes "The Duke of Dinkel" when he hits his head and thinks he's royalty. He insists on staying at the Ritz and dining in the best restaurants, but thinking he's royalty makes him fussy and rude. Pammy, Rick, and Digger try to figure out how to bring the real Dinkel back, before he really gets into trouble.

Hurried out even before the cartoon ended. On one hand, we spent most of the first hour or so in the library. The cafeteria was being used for the older kids' graduation, or "step up," ceremonies, and they hadn't gotten around to putting the tables down. We had 19 younger kids, 8 in my group, but barely any older kids. Those who "stepped up" had likely gone home with their parents. For all that, the kids could have been worse. They were noisy, but they mostly enjoyed coloring and building with magnetic tiles. 

We ended up spending the vast majority of the afternoon on the playground. Last night's huge thunderstorm  left bright sunshine, brilliant blue skies, and cool, blustery winds in its wake. It couldn't have been a more perfect day in June. I had a nice chat with one of the younger boys about which pieces of mulch he could break and which were too thick to bend before they were finally allowed on the swings. Even there, they behaved pretty well. They've gotten the idea about waiting in line by now, even if they complain about it. By the time they let me go at quarter of 4, we were down to 3 kids, and one was leaving with his brother when I did. 

I made a really quick stop for a bathroom break at CVS on the way home, since the bathrooms in the school were being cleaned when I left. They didn't have what I needed, though. I finally decided I could live without a fancy drink and rode home.

When I got home, I took the recycling out, took my laundry downstairs, and watched more of The Swamp Fox. "Tory Vengeance" wrecks havoc on Francis Marion and his men when Toby, the little boy who worked for the Videauxes and carried messages to the Swamp Fox, is killed while on a delivery run. At the same time, Francis' nephew Gabe Marion (Tim Constadine) returns with a commission in the Rebel Army...but he's captured by Tories who attempt to torture him and find out who the Swamp Fox is. Francis' men do rescue him, but when he's killed by one of the Tories, Francis vows revenge.

Switched to Match Game '74 while eating dinner. The night started with the hilarious week featuring announcer Gene Wood (in his only appearance on the show as a panelist) and Amanda Blake of Gunsmoke. Wry Orson Bean sat in Charles' seat the next week, joined by Betty White, hilarious quipster Jack Carter, and in her first of three weeks on the show, Cuban bombshell Louisa Moritz.

Brought my laundry upstairs, then finished the night with episodes featuring fathers on Match Game, either real-life ones or ones on TV. Richard Dawson, McLean Stevenson, Gary Burghoff, and Michael Lembeck all brought their actual children on the show. McLean's daughter Jennifer wore a Star Wars t-shirt and, as Didi Carr pointed out, was "a chippette off the old block." Gene Rayburn came in carrying Gary's darling daughter Gina and Patti Deusch's son Max in an earlier episode from 1978. Richard Dawson brought his stylish younger teen son Gary on for his birthday in 1975. Michael Lembeck brought on his young son to celebrate Father's Day on The Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour in 1984.

Fictional fathers appeared on Match Game, too. Tom Bosley of Happy Days did one memorable week in 1975. Michael Landon of Little House on the Prairie was the first man to sit in the male ingenue seat on the show's very first week in 1973. Robert Pine, who is best known nowadays as the father of actor Chris Pine and for being one of the only actors to last through the entire run of CHIps, was a semi-regular from 1978 through 1981. I have him in one of his three nighttime episodes, and the only one where he sits in Richard's old seat and gets a shot at the head-to-head.

Celebrate Father's Day this Sunday with some of the funniest fathers around in these delightful episodes!

Match Game Premiere (1973 - Michael Landon)

Match Game (1975 - Tom Bosley)

Match Game (1975 - Richard Dawson)

Match Game (1978 - Gary Burghoff)

Match Game (1978 - McLean Stevenson)

Match Game PM (1980 - Robert Pine)

Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour (1984 - Michael Lembeck) 

Stormy Matches

Began the morning with a late breakfast and the first disc of my Diana Ross Anthology CD set. This one covered her earliest solo hits, from the late 60's through the mid-70's. Most of her songs at this point were bluesy ballads like "Good Morning Heartache" and "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand," or heartfelt anthems like "Ain't No Mountain High Enough." I have fond memories of hearing these songs on the radio in my very early childhood, especially the theme from the drama Mahogany, "Do You Know Where You're Going To."

Hurried out after it ended. I didn't want to be late for work this time, but I needed lunch. I was just able to stop at Common Grounds Coffee House really quick for a Peach Raspberry Refresher and spinach turnover. Didn't even have enough time to sit and eat. I ate them quickly on the way out, but I did make it to the Acme right on time.

The Acme was a mess when I arrived. It looked like it must have been busier earlier this afternoon. I thought everyone would have gone to the Shore! It was sunny and breezy, but also hot and very humid, probably in the lower 90's. From the many people who asked me where things were, I suspect a lot of our customers were tourists on their way to or from World Cup events. The carts were so bad, they sent out some of the college boys who were cashiering or stocking to help me with the carts. Other than that, there were no major problems, and I was in and out.

When I came home, I went straight in the shower, then grabbed a quick dinner. Finished the night online with the Sunday Match Game marathon. The Love Boat had been a regular show for less than a year when the first of its three cast members turned up on Match Game. Bernie Koppel did two weeks, in mid-1978 shortly before the set changed, and later in 1980. Ted Lange had more fun during his three weeks. He got Fred Grandy to strip and give him the suit he loaned him right on the set (to Brett's delight) on one episode, then dressed McLean Stevenson in a similar white suit and cowboy hat on another. To tell the truth, McLean looked less like a chic gentleman and more like he got lost on his way to the Dallas set. As Brett pointed out several times during that episode, he had no flair for fashion.

Fred Grandy probably got the most out of his time on the show. He was a semi-regular from 1979 through 1981, usually sitting on either side of Brett. He and Bart Braverman spent a week blowing kazoos and ringing cowbells in everyone's ears. There was also the week in 1981 when a noisy, enthusiastic group from UCLA rattled everyone's nerves. He saw Gene Rayburn give Leslie Easterbrook (later of Police Academy) quite a welcoming kiss and on the PM episode where the older gentleman said he was there to negotiate returning the Dodgers to Brooklyn (and won a bundle to boot). 

Fred's last appearance was on a week of Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour in 1984. McLean Stevenson, who was also on that week, spent most of the episode complaining about marker on his pants. Gene gave him another pair, but they were too big. He ended up showing way more than anyone ever wanted to see of him to the camera when he went to hug the contestant after the Head to Head!

Set sail with the crew of the Pacific Princess as they match wits with wild college kids and Brooklyn gentlemen alike in this hilarious marathon!

Match Game Sunday Classics - Featuring the Cast of The Love Boat On the Panel (Bernie Koppel, Ted Lange, Fred Grandy)

Oh, and it did finally storm around 10:30-11 PM, by which time I was long at home and watching the marathon. It got really noisy at one point, too. There was buckets and buckets of rain off and on for at least an hour. 

Cherry Hill Matches

Got a really quick start this morning with a small breakfast and Bluey. Bandit takes the girls for a "Wagon Ride" to the park, but he keeps stopping to talk to neighbors. Bluey is impatient to get there, until Bandit points out Bingo playing along the way. She discovers that getting there is half the fun, and she and Bingo can wait and find enjoyable things to do.

Headed to Collingswood for the Farm Market after I finished eating. They were busy, but not to the degree that they often are, even by 11:30. I missed the strawberries again, but they still had a ton of everything else. Asparagus is gone, but peas and radishes are in season. I didn't see cherries, but to my surprise, I saw peaches. Someone had North Carolina blueberries, too. I got the peaches and the blueberries, along with a Bubba's Creamery coconut bar. 

Went to lunch after I left the farm market. I'd been wanting to try breakfast at Jersey Kabobs ever since Jessa and I ate there in Janaury. They were even busier during the day than at night! I went with an egg, cheese, tomato, and green pepper dish called menemen. It came in a huge flat pan with toasted buttered bread and was absolutely delicious. I'm glad I went with feta cheese. It added the right traditional flavors without getting as stringy and messy as mozzarella would have. 

As I left Jersey Kabobs and returned to the parking lots behind the Collingswood Senior Center where the bike rack is, I saw a sign for an estate sale at 403 Haddon Avenue. Turns out it's much further down Haddon Avenue, in the largely residential area around the new fire hall and the just-closing Garfield School. The 1910's-era house was huge, three stories of fine china, casserole dishes and small appliances from the 60's, records, books, and board games from the 60's and 70's, and clothes going back to the 1940's. I wanted the casserole dishes, but the heavy vintage glass measuring cup I ended up with was enough to carry home. I also bought a 60's-era Arabian Nights picture book and the 2-disc record set Jo Anne Castle and Her Ragtime Piano. 

(I'm glad I got the records and book out of there when I did. The first floor was air conditioned and heavily carpeted. The upper floors were not. The attic looked like it had been remade into rooms, but the window fans up there did nothing but move musty air around and distribute dust. I was sweating bullets when I finally came downstairs with my finds.)

After I got home, I put everything upstairs, got a drink, then called Uber. The one going to Cherry Hill cost me a bundle, but he did arrive in 8 minutes. I went through two going home. The first driver canceled at the very last minute. The second, thankfully, took the same 10 minutes to arrive. Surprisingly for a Saturday in Cherry Hill, no traffic either way.

I had the lady drop me off at the Sussex House, across from the Cherry Hill Library on King's Highway. It's a basic tan brick 60's apartment building, but it apparently does have condos for sale. There's not much else there, though. Though a few of the balconies had patio furniture, most seemed to be storage areas for bikes and outside gear and looked rather messy. At least the outside, while dull and dusty, was also clean and neat. An older gentleman taking a rest from custodian work in the shade of the building waved to me as I passed him.

Briefly strolled in the area behind the Sussex House, but while the streets had far better signage than the meandering Barclay cul-de-sacs and the houses were slightly older (probably dating to the 50's-60's), it was the same winding roads and suburban bric-a-brac. I did hear several families playing in backyards and in their air conditioning, including a father adorably playing games with what I suspect was his toddler daughter. Not wanting to get lost like I did two weeks ago, I made my way back up to King's Highway. At least it was a gorgeous day for all the walking, sunny, bright, and hot, but not nearly as humid as earlier in the week. 

The Sussex House side of King's Highway isn't much to look at, either. It's mainly a sea of dried front lawns, law and health offices, smoke shops, and car washes. The one shopping center is a slightly newer brick building directly across the street from the Ellisburg Center. TKO Fitness and Metro by TMobile hold little interest for me, but I did explore Mom's Organic Market. This is basically a smaller version of Sprouts, with the same bulk items and a lot of the same brands. I don't know how they do well with the similar and much larger Whole Foods across the street, but I did get organic strawberries, dried sweetened pineapple rings, orange marmalade, and Roar strawberry lemonade drink.

Finished the night after I got home with dinner and tonight's Match Game marathon. Patty Duke, then Patty Duke Astin, may have been one of the biggest stars at the time to be a semi-regular on Match Game. When she began in 1976, she was mainly doing TV movies and appearances on shows, and was still likely best-known for her early 60's sitcom The Patty Duke Show that had her playing identical cousins. 

When Patty was in a good mood, she could be a lot of fun. Gene once led her read a question. Her obvious relish and enjoyment of playing host makes it surprising that she never tried something like that again. She watched Richard and Gene argue over a contestant on a nighttime episode, tugging her arms back and forth until Gene finally pulled her away. When he asked her if she was all right, she responded "well, my arms are longer than when I came here!" She saw a pregnant contestant who looked a bit like her win big money on another nighttime episode.

Patty appeared on the series from 1976 through the end of the syndicated run in 1982, and in fact, probably did her best work in the syndicated episodes. She happily encouraged Robert Walden to strip off his sweater and jacket, then used his sweater as a wrap to play Little Match Girl. She protested Charlene Tilton's revealing clothing, then joined the equally small Bill and Charlene in complaining about a question that joked about short people. The Valerie Bertanelli week was already off the rails, what with Ed Asner and Gene lusting after the barely 19-year-old Valerie, and Patty clearly being at a low point didn't help matters. She did better on a week later in the syndicated run where she sat in for Brett Somers, who was out doing a play. Charles would often joke when someone went into ham mode that "Patty Duke should see that fine acting," even when Patty was there to witness their scenery-chewing.

It's double your pleasure, double your laughs with both sides of this Oscar and Emmy-winning TV favorite!

Match Game Saturday Classics - Patty Duke Astin Best Shows on Match Game

Busy Time In the Late Spring

Began the morning with breakfast and Paw Patrol. Ladybird uses powers gained from another meteor fragment to control huge, shiny dog statues in the museum. "Mighty Pups, Super Paws: Pups and the Big Twin Trick" has Ella making use of her ability to become huge to make Ladybird think she's a statue, too. Mayor Humdinger turns into the Incredible Hum-Hulk when he finds a meteor fragment. Having terrified the Kitty Catastrophe Crew, he chases every cat in town, including two big snow tigers. "Mighty Pups, Super Paws: Pups and the Mega Mayor" have to rescue the cats, round up the Kitty Catastrophe Crew, and bring this Hum-Hulk back down to size.

Switched briefly to Password Plus on Buzzr while I made my grocery list. As part of their Game Show Month marathon, they're running the remaining existing episodes with Tom Kennedy hosting from 1981 and 1982. The one I saw before I left was the week with Fred Grandy and Edie McClurg. 

Headed out to run errands next, despite the heavy heat, humidity, and bright sunshine. The reason I took the bike was so I could hit Collingswood Family Practice first. They had paperwork for Healthy Kids I had to sign. Signed the paper, put it in my backpack, and was on my way.

Next up was the Westmont Acme for this week's grocery trip there. Restocked blueberries, yogurt, soda, granola, and granola bars. Had a really good online coupon for sliced Swiss cheese. Since I had time, I headed up the hill to Sprouts after I finished at the Acme. Got dried mango slices, peanut butter cookies that were on clearance, diet sodas that weren't too expensive, and a delicious tuna salad with herbs and cucumbers sandwich on a multi-grain baguette. Thought I'd try oat milk and a bag of buckwheat pancakes mix that was on the clearance rack. I thought about checking out Target, but Haddon Township's schools are already on half-days. The bike rack was filled with kids' bikes. Not to mention, I didn't have the time. I just rode home after I finished at Sprouts.

Put everything away, then had a quick lunch while returning to Password Plus. By the time I got home, they'd moved on to the week with Lucille Ball and Dick Martin. Lucy's a good player. Dick wasn't, but he can be pretty funny and good-natured about it. They were just starting the late 2000's Drew Carey Price Is Right when I called Uber. I nearly sweated to death riding around this morning! Prioritized the one going to Thomas Sharp. It came in 8 minutes. The one going home arrived in 11, not bad for the height of rush hour.

(Got my schedule while at home, too. I had to take four days off for half-days at Thomas Sharp next week. Good thing I made two of those four days vacation days. The only day I actually work next week is Sunday. I'll probably make more money than if I did work.)

Despite starting with no tables in the cafeteria again, things largely went better today than it did yesterday. For one thing, we had 19 kids all together, 8 in my group. They were a little rowdy in the bathroom, but not bad. For another, we never left the cafeteria. The older kids did go outside, but the younger ones didn't. There was no fussing over who colored what. I was able to read one of the little girls Hop On Pop and build colorful Duplo towers with some of the boys. They did bring the older kids in, but they were so noisy, they ended up taking them and the remaining three younger kids back outside. (One boy and his brother left when I did.) The kids were lucky they ended up postponing the Blacktop Bash until next Thursday due to the heat, or they wouldn't have been going out at all.

Put on the Bob Barker Price Is Right when I got home and got organized. I was there in time for the Showcase Showdown, and then the Showcases themselves. One with a crossword puzzle theme came out with trips. The other had a car. The lady with the car ended up getting a whole lot of prizes.

Switched to Match Game '74 next. They finished out the Michael Evans week in the first hour. Richard Dawson spent that week caught between sweetly goofy Joyce Bulifant and Fannie Flagg's whimsical southern witticisms. For some reason, the second hour jumped back to the Arte Johnson-Michelle Lee week that they just ran, so I went elsewhere.

Went to YouTube for more Swamp Fox. As in real life, the American Revolution pits "Brother Against Brother" as those loyal to the king burns the homes and land of residents who want independence. One of the few homes not burned is the stately dwelling belonging to Mary Videux (Joy Page) and her family. Marion's men are ready to burn her home, but her reminds them that two wrongs most definitely do not make a right. Mary assures them that she's on their side, no matter what her parents say, and she can pass information to them. She's the one who tells them that the English will be transferring prisoners, and how to rescue them...

Finished the night at Disney Plus with another type of swashbuckling American hero, Zorro. "Zorro Rides to the Mission" to stop its owner from selling out to the greedy Captain Monastario. Don Diego Vega tries to talk to him...but it's not until he sees him abusing the Native American workers that Zorro swings into action!

Hot Spring

Began the morning with breakfast and Little Bear. "Cat's Short Cut" proves to be anything but when Little Bear and Owl keep on getting lost and running into strange creatures on the path. "Little Bear's Bad Day" has him breaking his favorite toy boat and spilling everything in sight, but Father Bear reminds him that he's not the only one having trouble. "Captain Little Bear" leads his pretend pirate friends to the Lost Island, where they uncover a treasure. They lose the treasure when the boat fills up with water, but Little Bear does manage to keep one bit of it for Duck.

Spent the next hour and a half making the bed, changing the sheets, putting the summer sheets and quilt on the bed, and watching Hearts Beat Loud. I go further into this charming indie musical about a father who wants to form a songwriting duo with his college daughter at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Happy Father's Day! - Hearts Beat Loud

Switched to Paw Patrol while eating lunch and looking up questions about the law and house hunting to ask Rose. "Mighty Pups, Super Pups: Pups Save a Giant Chicken" brings back Ladybird, who regains her powers after snitching a piece of the meteor from the Rescue Tower. She wants to steal the extra-shiny town bell, but when Chickaletta pecks at the rock, she turns into a giant chicken! The Mighty Pups have to keep Chickaletta from wrecking havoc downtown and Ladybird from stealing the bell. "Pups Stop Harold's Deep Freeze" when he finds another meteor fragment and builds a machine that will freeze the entire town!

Since it was getting late when I called Uber, I spent a little extra to get priority. They did arrive in 7 minutes. I was right on time at the Thomas Sharp School. The driver going home surprisingly picked me up in 3 minutes during the height of the evening rush hour.

Though it was sunny when I got to school, it was also hot and incredibly sticky-humid. It was too humid for the kids to go out today. Things did not begin well. The custodians hadn't been able to put the cafeteria tables back down after gym class. After he did do that, my 8 kids were rowdy in the bathrooms. Three left without waiting for me and the others. Two of the girls messed around. I finally left them with the next teacher bringing her table.

On one hand, we only had 19 little kids all together today. On the other hand, they were noisy in the cafeteria, and even crazier in the library. I did read two of the kids in the cafeteria, and the head teacher read a book about a young boy taming his "elephants" (aka his feelings) by listening to them and whispering to them before we went in the library. They were even noisier in the library. The head teacher had just copied pictures of unicorns and KPop Demon Hunters. One of the girls cried and got very upset when she had to wait to use the black colored pencils. We're short on several colors, including black. It didn't help when the girl next to her drew on her picture. She drew on hers, they both got upset, and I got fed up with them and yelled at them. One of the girls separated herself and calmed down on her own. The other ended up sitting in the librarian's chair in tears before her mother finally arrived. The others danced to "Ghostbusters," "Try Everything" from Zootopia, and songs from KPop Demon Hunters, Descendants: The Rise of Red, and Moana 2. 

We finally got the kids back to the cafeteria around 5. I'm surprised most of them wanted to go outside. Despite some shade along the back of the blacktop, it was really hot, humid, and muggy, too much to be running around, though at least there was a nice, cool, strong wind. The boys played Monkey In the Middle and soccer anyway, while the girls talked and watched them. We were down to 3 younger kids when I left. One was on his way out just as the Uber driver picked me up to go home.

Put on The Price Is Right when I got in. Little Bear isn't the only one having a bad day. Neither of the contestants won the pricing games I saw. One contestant bid on a trip-themed Showcase. The other went for a movie themed one with a car...and alas, both just barely went over.

Things went better on Match Game '74. Most of tonight covered Charles Nelson Reilly's last week on the show before he went back to Broadway to direct a play. Brett went back and forth between claiming she'd cry the entire time he was gone and being glad he was leaving. Gary Burghoff made his debut in Charles' seat during the second hour. We also had the only week featuring Michael Evans, the original Lionel on The Jeffersons. 

Finished the night listening to one of Journey's biggest hit albums. Raised On Radio introduced the huge hits "Girl Can't Help It," "Be Good to Yourself," and the ballad "I'll Be Alright Without You." This was the definition of "power pop" when I was a kid, with chord-heavy numbers like "Once You Love Somebody," "Why Can't This Night Go On Forever," and the title song. 

(Oh, and it did finally rain...around 10:30, by which time I hope the kids were long in bed. It was a doozy, too, with buckets of rain and thunder and lightning and strong winds.)

In the Heat of Adventure

Began the morning with breakfast and The Pirates of Dark Water. "The Pandawa Plague" is drugged melons that turn the monkey birds - including Niddler - into an evil pirate's slaves. Ren and the others do their best to protect the Queen and her egg and to find a way to change the others back.

Called Uber soon as the episode ended. Though it wasn't raining, it was humid and cool. I didn't trust the weather. Unfortunately, I couldn't trust Uber, either. They took almost 19 minutes to come, and I was 10 minutes late. It went better later in the day. The driver going to Thomas Sharp came in 8 minutes, the one going home in 6 minutes.

Good thing the Acme wasn't busy anyway. In fact, we were pretty quiet for most of the morning. I returned some cold items, but other than that, I swept and pushed carts. Even the carts could have been worse. It was just starting to pick up slightly when I finished. I changed, then bought Persil laundry detergent while it was still on a really good online sale and a bag of soft sugar cookies from the bakery clearance racks before heading out. 

Had lunch at Applebee's. I was too tired to hike anywhere else. They were surprisingly busy for quarter after 1 on a Wednesday. Several couples and families came in just as I did. I listened to their chatter while enjoying a juicy Grilled Chicken Bacon Ranch Sandwich with fries and an unsweetened iced tea. Strolled over to Sonic afterwards for a small banana milkshake. They were much quieter. Everyone must have been getting lunch in their cars and avoiding the humidity. I walked back to Acme after I finished to pick up Uber.

I'm glad I got to Thomas Sharp slightly early. We had 24 kids today, 9 at my table, and they were all excited about Stuffed Animal Day. I saw Chase the dog from Paw Patrol, the Incredible Hulk, a little blue unicorn, a much-loved white tiger, and a knitted brontosaurus who was almost bigger than his owner, among others. The kids were absolutely wild today. They messed around in the bathrooms. They wouldn't calm down in the cafeteria and kept running around and hitting each other. The boys were especially bad. They continued hitting each other even when we got them outside. I had to calm one boy when another literally kicked him in the rear and separate several fights. Those who didn't jump on each other admired the baby brother of one of the boys and danced to "I'm Still Standing," several Taylor Swift songs, "Try Everything" from Zootopia, the themes from Bluey, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and PJ Masks, and numbers from Frozen, Sing, and Moana. 

We finally ended up taking the kids inside early, not because of fighting, but because of the humidity. It wasn't that hot and there was a nice breeze, and everyone, including the kids, were still sweating to death. A few of them went back outside to play with the older kids on the blacktop, but others remained to build with "BrainFlakes," plastic flower-shaped pieces that can be pushed together. The plastic jug that held the flowers had a slit in its top reminiscent of a piggy bank or a money jar. Two of the boys played bank and slid the flowers in the slot, until I told them that, to paraphrase Hello Dolly, money was no good unless you spread it around. That finally convinced them to give some to the other kids building, too. All but one of the remaining 4 kids had finally gone back outside when I left, and that kid left when I did.

Put on The Price Is Right when I got home. I came just in time to see a woman barely win The Range Game, to her considerable shock! She was so close, the judges thought she'd lost at first. She said all she'd wanted to win was a teddy bear. There was some surprise over the Showcases, too. The first showcase revolved around video game-based prizes. The second had the models as cheerleaders who cheered the prize names. The lady continued to be lucky, just barely getting a second car.

Match Game '74 had its own excitement as I ate dinner. Alas, the final two episodes of the Kaye Stevens/Jimmie Walker week are currently missing from the Goodson-Todman Archives. They went straight into the next week, and it was a big one. Laugh-In comedian Arte Johnson appeared for the first time on the show, joined by Broadway ingenue Michelle Lee in her only week. In one episode, Richard Dawson didn't give the answer the contestant expected to "__ Canyon" on the Head-to-Head, sheepishly admitting that he was British and didn't know much about American topography. Charles Nelson Reilly was late in another episode. Head boss Mark Goodson, "the kid who owns the block" as Richard called him, sat in for him. 

(Oh, and the rain held off until around 7 PM. In fact, it poured at one point...but it was short-lived. Not only did the sun reemerge, but we had a rather lovely pink and gold sunset.)

Finished the night at YouTube with The Swamp Fox. I enjoyed Dr. Syn's tales so much last week, I decided to dig into YouTube for other Disney historical action miniseries. My sisters and I loved them when we were kids and they turned up on the Disney Channel. Rose preferred the dashing Hispanic heroes Elfago Baca and Zorro. Anny always looked forward to Texas John Slaughter. I loved Gallagher the newsboy, Dr. Syn, and The Swamp Fox. The Swamp Fox was a real life American Revolution general who turned American Robin Hood in the swamps of his native Carolinas to chase the British out of the south. Leslie Nielson may seem like an unlikely Francis Marion, but he's honestly not bad. I enjoyed "The Birth of the Swamp Fox" and will certainly dig around for the rest of the series. 

Almost Live From Oaklyn

Got a quick start today with breakfast and Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. "Daniel and Miss Elania Put Their Things Away" when they want to go outside and play, but Elania can't find her mitten. When they come back inside, Dan can't find his toy trolley. They learn that if they put their things away where they belong, they'll be there when they need them. Likewise, "Daniel and Prince Wednesday Put Their Things Away" when Wednesday leaves the book Prince Tuesday made him outside and it gets wet.

Spent the rest of the afternoon taking down the spring decorations and putting up what I have for summer and the 4th of July. The folk art "USA" wooden angel letters, white fabric rose, and red, white, and blue tinsel garland went on the entertainment center. America Cares Bear (aka Americana Bear) went on the top of the DVD shelf with Simone the Squishmallows Lobster. The patriotic Beanie Bears sit with the other bears on top of the record crates. The new thicker bright blue tinsel garland and two of the cardboard cutouts went on and over the bedroom window. The stuffed summer flamingos and flag panting went on the children's hardbacks shelf. Hung the glittering beaded fish on the closet door. The two big red, white, and blue ribbons went on the front door and bedroom door. 

Watched cult mysteries from England and Australia while I worked and had lunch, starting with The Persuaders! "The Long Goodbye" takes Brett and Danny to Scotland, where they discover a recently-deceased scientist's formula for a cheap synthetic fuel is missing. While Danny keeps ending up in the clutches of a group that's after the fuel, Britt tries to figure out which lovely lady is the real heir to the formula.

Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries jumps overseas to Australia and from the 1970's to the 1920's for "The Green Mill Murder." Phryne Fisher is dancing at the local nightclub The Green Mill when one of the dancers dies on the floor. The sweet young man she was dancing with is accused of the crime. Turns out the victim was blackmailing just about every single person at the club, from the young man to his mother to the club's singer and her musician husband. Phyrne and her assistant Dot have to figure out who was fed up enough with the blackmail to kill over it.

Headed to Thomas Sharp School after the shows ended. Thankfully, despite a chaotic beginning in the library, things didn't go too badly. We only had 21 kids overall, 8 in my group. Other than the girls being annoyingly giggly in the bathrooms, there weren't any major problems. I think part of the reason may have been many of them got new books they bought during their big Read-a-Thon last month. I read a book about a boy who turns into a wolf in the full moon when he wears woolly underwear and another about a young girl who outwits a troll in order to save her family's farm to a couple of the kids after snack time.

They went even better outside, maybe because it was a gorgeous day. It was sunny, breezy, and in the mid-80's, not bad for early June. I didn't even have that many problems with the kids on the swings. They got into line and only fussed a little when they had to get off. The others chased each other, built mulch piles, and danced to "I'm Still Standing," "Footloose," "Pup Pup Boogie" from Paw Patrol, the theme from PJ Masks, and songs from Moana and Sing. We just took the remaining 5 kids inside to make beaded necklaces when I went home.

Took out the trash, grabbed dinner, and watched Match Game '74 when I got in. The first hour finished out the Gunilla Hutton-Richard Deacon week. The second introduced Jimmie Walker to the show and brought in sweet blonde character actress Lynda Day George and comedienne Kaye Stevens of the infamously noisy laugh. Kaye was so enamored with one handsome contestant, she literally jumped on the turntable to see him after he lost!

Finished the night at YouTube and Dailymotion with episodes of The Gong Show, which celebrates it's 50th anniversary on Sunday. Chuck Barris developed the most outrageous amateur show on TV as a spoof, with acts both talented and utterly terrible appearing side-by-side. Genuine celebrities judge the performers. If they're good (or mildly decent), they can get up to 10 points per panelists. If they're really terrible (and many were), one or more celebrities hit the gong and, thankfully, end the misery. Winners get a check for $500 and a Gong Show trophy. 

Chuck Barris had never intended to be the host, but after Gary Owens dropped out of the pilot and John Babour wanted a straight amateur format, he took over. He was a little stiff at first, but by the end of the first season, he'd warmed up to the point where he might have been the craziest performer on the show. He's fun even in the very first episode I have here. 

The Gong Show proved to be a little too provocative for network TV. Acts like the two teenagers who suggestively lick popsicles in an infamous episode from 1977 led to them being pulled off NBC by 1978. The show did better in syndication, where the wacky acts weren't any stranger than some of the people being interviewed on talk shows or seen in re-runs. The syndicated Gong Show ran until Barris finally overextended himself with the controversial 3's a Crowd and all of his shows were yanked in 1980. 

Re-runs of the The Gong Show proved to be so popular in syndication, the show returned there in 1988. It was pretty much the same idea, with a neon set and slightly better acts. The lady who could do truly amazing things with hula hoops wins for best act of the episodes I watched tonight, though the honky-tonk piano player was pretty awesome, too. DJ Don Blu proved to be slightly too bland for such a nutty show.

Game Show Network debuted Extreme Gong in 1998. The celebrity panel was replaced by viewers calling in to vote for their favorite act...which proved to be unwieldy and annoying. In fact, only one act, a decent guy with a guitar, made it to the end of the first episode. Extreme Gong was also hampered by an ugly gray set that was likely meant to be someone's ancient living room and by very annoying and hyperactive host George Gray. It barely lasted a year.

The show had a better home on Comedy Central in 2008 as The Gong Show With Dave Atwill. The neon and celebrity panel return, but this time, they give them a score of 1 to 500. Atwill was easier to take than Gray and there were some good acts, but it wasn't funny enough to last longer than a few months.

The most recent incarnation of The Gong Show turned up as a summer replacement on ABC in 2017 and 2018. Mike Myers, in his Tommy Maitland persona, was the far more appropriate host. This version not only went back to the original scoring system, it also went back to the original orange set and blocky lettering. With standards changing, even men playing the stomach of a sumo wrestler and a magician pulling a rabbit out of his stomach made it in. They weren't even gonged. It was still a lot of fun, though not enough to last longer than two seasons. 

Celebrate 50 years of the most controversial, the most outrageous, and the most unique performances ever on the air (and that's just the hosts) in the wackiest talent show to ever feature ordinary folks who dared to call themselves "amateur."

The Gong Show Premiere (1976)

The Gong Show (1977)

The Gong Show Syndicated (1988)

Extreme Gong Premiere (1998)

The Gong Show With David Atwill (2008)

The Gong Show (2017)