Got Linda and James' cards and surprise together while watching Garfield and Friends. Garfield's not happy when Jon takes him and Odie on one of their occasional camping trips in "The Bear Facts." He's even less thrilled when they're attacked by Binky the Clown's dancing bear, and the only thing that can make him happy is Jon singing a silly little song he can tap along to. The US Acres farm animals are tired of Wade's constant freak-outs and try to convince him that there's "Nothing to Be Afraid Of." "The Big Talker" is a combative talk show host who insults cats. An offended Garfield finds a way to show him just how useful cats are.
Sent out Linda and James' cards, then headed off to work. Work was no problem whatsoever. Despite a lot more help than usual, we were dead the entire afternoon. The head bagger did the sweeping and the trash, so I pushed carts. The weather was chilly, windy, and cloudy, but it never snowed, rained, or did anything besides be gloomy.
Took out the recycling and trash when I got home, then changed and brought in my Amazon order. I needed a new bike helmet rather badly. The plastic covering the previous one had become brittle and was breaking of in large sections. Though the one I bought from Amazon wasn't much more expensive than the one I picked up from Target, it was bright white, heavy, and looked and felt more like a motorcycle helmet than a bike helmet. That's exactly what I wanted. It even has lights on the front and back.
Went upstairs and did some things online, then worked on the inventory briefly. Added Smooth Jazz Christmas and two of the WOGL Ultimate Christmas Album CDs. Smooth Jazz Christmas and Ultimate Christmas Volume 1 came from yard sales in 2010. Ultimate Christmas Volume 4 was an Abbie Road find in 2011.
Watched Match Game '73 as I worked, and later as I had dinner. That week with McLean Stevenson and Nancy Dussault was pure lunacy, and possibly the best from that year. On one episode, McLean claimed the contestant stole his caps after he helped her get an answer on the Audience Match and they smooched for just a little too long. McLean turned up on the last day of the week naked from the waist up except for a bow tie. He claimed none of the other men would loan him more clothes, then fussed when Gene gave him his jacket. Richard made a crack about having to get McLean to the Largo (a then-popular LA strip club). Joyce Bulifant made her debut the next week, joined by comedian and former host Robert Q. Lewis.
Finished the night at YouTube with game shows revolving around news and headlines. These tended to be either panel shows that had celebrities guessing the news or news makers of the day, or quiz shows. It's News to Me from 1951 is one of the earliest. This early version of Liar's Club has contestants trying to guess if the news story the panelist describes is true or not. Honestly kind of fun, especially watching the panelists interact with each other and hear the stories being told. John Charles Daly of What's My Line? is the host.
Canadians had the similar long-running Front Page Challenge. Here, the panelists had to guess the news event that the contestant was involved in. Canadians really loved their news-based game shows. This one was around for so long, it was on from 1957 to 1995! The game play is almost secondary to the goofy questions and the interview with the subject in question about the news they're involved in (in this 1976 episode, a Canadian senator).
That wasn't the only Canadian news-based game show to run for years. Headline Hunters ran for a decade on CTV, from 1972 through 1983. Host Jim Perry gives clues to a subject in the form of headlines. Contestants guess the subject from the clues. Simple and addictive, no wonder this one ran for so long.
Wink Martindale tried his own variation with the syndicated Headline Chasers in 1985. Two couples guess hangman-style headlines, then answer questions about the headline. The "Headline Extra" had the winning couple trying to guess a headline without buying too many clues. Not bad, but probably not enough to stand out in what was an overcrowded field in the mid-80's. I do remember catching this and enjoying it occasionally on USA and local channels.
PBS had their own fun with the news in 1978. We Interrupt This Week was their very first shot at a game show. BBC host Ned Sherrin led a panel of "Home" and "Away" celebrities involved with jazz and classical music or literature through a series of ridiculous or comic questions. It's almost a game show precursor to another British import, Who's Line Is It Anyway. It's a shame the episode seen here seems to be the only one available at the moment. This show was really fun.
Meet the news makers, chase headlines, and interrupt this week with these games that bring new meaning to the words "Action News."
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