Driving My Life Away

It was cloudy and spitting slightly when we headed out around quarter after 10 this morning. Even those clouds were trying to break up as we headed to the shopping center on the bottom of a cliff. The Pittsfield Goodwill is huge (it used to be a Big Lots), even bigger than the Audubon one, and much better-organized. I found their bins and bins of media right away. Lauren found two shirts. Out of their piles and piles of CDs and bins and bins of records and DVDs, I found: 

Billboard Top Hits 1982 (I think that makes 1984 and 1980 the only 80's entries in this series I don't have.)

Julie Andrews - Broadway - The Music of Richard Rodgers

Sea of Love: Hits of the Late 50's (3-Disc set)

The House of the Seven Gables with Vincent Price (This was one of my best finds. Universal Vault DVDs are made on demand and hard to find in the wild.)

We headed up the hill to the upper half of the shopping center next. The Pittsfield Ollie's is also new, and frankly much nicer than the one in Cherry Hill (if not as big). Lauren picked up a pack of Archway Iced Oatmeal Cookies. (Apparently, her folks are big fans of those.) I found Sunkist Thin Shortbread coconut sandwich cookies with dark chocolate cream. The book aisles yielded what was my favorite discovery of the day. TCM Underground was their late-night series discussing classic cult cinema. It ended last year, but not before they released a book of the same title on classic and lesser-known cult films. 

(Among those films are five musicals I've reviewed before. I would have enjoyed the gritty Jamaican reggae crime film The Harder They Come more if I could understand the accents better. Roller Boogie and Xanadu are late 70's roller skating musicals that are way better than they have any right to be. Thank God It's Friday is a dull story with a killer soundtrack. Head is...its own thing.)

We headed into Pittsfield for our next stop. Lauren's guy friend Rico pointed out the recent opening of the Tyler St. Arcade. This is about as old school of an arcade as you can get. The newest machine was probably the SpongeBob Wheel from the late 90's-early 2000's. Most of them were generic machines from the 80's and early 90's. I did get a kick out of the Operation game where you had to hit a "bone" spot with a claw, even if it was hard to do, and the Shaquille O'Neal-themed pinball machine was pretty cool. It even used tokens and tickets instead of cards. Lauren had enough luck to get a Matchbox car, a pretty purple flower ring, and a small, squishy white bear. All I got was a pen with a video game-shaped top. 

Even the cranes were filled with generic printed stuffed animals and vintage stuffed toys from the 80's they probably found at local thrift shops. I'm still having no luck with cranes. Lauren got an 80's Strawberry Shortcake rag doll.

Lauren took us further down Pittsfield for lunch. She loves Angelina's Subs next-door to the Co-Op Bank where she works. They're a small, basic sandwich shop that sells some of the best cheesesteaks and grilled sandwiches in the Berkshires. Lauren had a cheese steak, Coke Zero, and a bag of Andy Capp Cheese Fries. I had a chicken cheese steak, Fresca, and a really yummy bag of ridged sea salt and cracked pepper potato chips. And the older ladies who made the food were funny and total dolls who had worked there for years. No wonder Lauren is such a fan of this place. 

Next up, Lauren took us about a half-hour down the road to the Lee Outlets. Alas, the Outlets have lost quite a few stores of late. There wasn't nearly as much to check out there as there usually is. I just ended up buying underwear at Jockey to replace a pair I bought in July that were too small. Lauren did slightly better, grabbing polo shirts at Aeropostale. 

We were originally going to eat at the Lee Outlets food court, but it was only 4 PM when we finished. That was too early for dinner, especially with our late lunch. Ended up going further south to the Great Barrington Goodwill instead. Lauren found nothing here. I dug through their equally full media bins for two more multi-disc CD sets: 

Original Cast! 100 Years of Musical Theater - Completing the Century (Collection of songs from musicals of the 80's and early 90's. I bought this for numbers from extremely hard-to-find flop musicals, including Dance a Little Closer, Baby, Romance/Romance, and Nick & Nora.) 

Mary Poppins Special Edition (I have the original LP soundtrack, but this has all of the music, plus a second CD with bonus interviews.) 

Lauren drove us all the way up to Canaan to try a restaurant Rico recommended. Picante's Mexican Grill looks extremely modern south-of-the-border in its decor, but it also has an extensive Italian menu along with the Mexican food. We had Italian yesterday, so we went with Mexican. Lauren had four small enchaladas with green tomatillo sauce, Spanish rice, black beans, and chicken that she ate all of. I went with a simpler - and equally tasty - chicken quesadilla full of thick chicken pieces and lots of cheese.

It had been spitting off and on all day. It didn't really start raining until we were heading to Picante's. The heavy shower continued during the hour-long drive home. Honestly, this may have been my favorite part of the day. Lauren turned up her 80's and 60's hits playlist, and we belted along to the Cars, the Beatles, the Chiffons, and Dexy's Midnight Runners. She spoke-texted messages to Rico, and I nearly doubled over laughing at how funny those two were together. 

We showed Lauren's parents most of what we found when we got home, then went downstairs. Lauren is watching YouTube videos. I'm watching today's YouTube Match Game marathon. McLean Stevenson took over Richard Dawson's spot in the fifth seat towards the end of the 1980 syndicated season. Honestly, I think the syndicated episodes are way underrated, especially the ones with McLean. He took over as host when Charles hit Gene with a card in an argument over an answer. Ted Lange dressed McLean in a creamy white suit with a cowboy hat that made him look like he got lost on the way to the set of Dallas. He wore a blond curly wig to imitate later Police Academy cop Leslie Easterbrook. He saw a contestant with a crush on sitcom actress Sydney Greenstreet give her a pretty rose. 

Have a little syndicated fun with McLean in some of the wildest episodes ever on local TV!

Match Game Sunday Classics - McLean Takes Richard's Seat: Best Shows With McLean Stevenson

Swinging Into the Winds

Began the morning with breakfast and Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. "Visiting Granpere" is a lot of fun for Daniel as he compares Granpere's lighthouse home to his own and sees what's different and what's the same. He's reluctant to leave his beloved grandparent as "The Tiger Family Goes Back Home." Granpere has one last sunrise surprise in store for his beloved grandson and his family before they return to the Neighborhood of Make Believe.

Moved to packing and making lists of what I need to pack next. I got out my big suitcase and packed everything I could get away with today, including shirts, shorts and capris, socks, underthings, and most of the toiletries. I'll do the rest after I get more chores and errands done tomorrow, including packing my backpack. 

Watched So Dear to My Heart as I worked and did something online. I go further into this charming Disney live-action/animated hybrid with Burl Ives at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Family Fun Musicals - So Dear to My Heart

(Oh, and Musical Dreams Movie Reviews is going on hiatus while I'm on vacation. Reviews will resume October 8th with The Magic of Lassie. I'll be bringing my laptop with me and will continue to update this blog daily.)

Watched a double dose of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse while had a simple lunch of apple slices, peanut butter, chicken wrapped in Swiss cheese slices, and Popcorners. "Mickey and Donald Have a Farm," but they don't have animals when the electric windmill blows them away. Mickey, Donald, and Goofy use Mickey's tractor to retrieve the missing animals. "Mickey's Farm Fun Fair" is basically the Clubhouse county fair. Everyone is excited about being able to win a prize at the fair, especially Big Pete. He just can't seem to compete, until he, Chip, and Dale help Donald get down from a tree.

Headed out a little early after I pumped my front bike tire. I have enough to do tomorrow, so I went to WaWa and got my vacation money today. Treated myself to a tasty chocolate banana smoothie, too. WaWa uses real bananas to make their banana smoothies. Yuuum! Sweet, chocolatey, and very banana!

Went straight to Thomas Sharp after I left WaWa and arrived just in time. It's just as well that we only had 16 kids today, 6 at my table. We were down a teacher. One of them took today off. At least we were able to get them outside the moment the finished their snacks. It remains windy and cool, if a little cloudier than yesterday. There was some squabbling on the swings, but at least no one got hurt. (In fact, the girl who got hurt yesterday reported her ear was a little bruised, but not too bad.) We took them inside after an hour to draw and color. I drew a picture of Lauren and me at the Big E to show the kids what I'll be doing next week on vacation.

Took the recycling out when I got home, then watched The Price Is Right. Got there just in time for the Showcases. Today's generic showcase featured lovely bedroom furniture. The "story" Showcase had Ponce De Leon (Johnny Olsen) looking for the Fountain of Youth. What he found were three youthful models, who pointed him towards a trip to Miami, a home fountain, a sauna, and a sports car. For once, the lady bidding on the story Showcase got much closer. She was so happy she won that sports car, she kissed the hood when Bob took her to see it!

Match Game '77 skipped further ahead into the first week of the new year. Crusty Ed Asner joined Brett and Charles, while Richard found himself caught between two pretty comediennes with decided unique answers, Mary Ann Mobley and Patti Deusch. Sweet George was finally defeated by a very nice lady with one of the highest hair do's I'd ever seen.

Finished the night listening to my 40 Walt Disney Originals 2-disc LP set. Considering it was released by British company Pickwick and prominently features songs from the English-set Mary Poppins, Peter Pan, Robin Hood, The Sword In the Stone, and Bedknobs and Broomsticks, it's pretty obvious this originally came from England. 

I like it because, as an older release, there's a lot of songs on here that you'd never see on Disney collections nowadays. It includes the four big songs from So Dear to My Heart...but disappointingly, they're all covers. "Lavender Blue" does still sound lovely, but the guy crooning it is no Burl Ives. "It's Whatcha Do With What You Got" isn't bad, but "Stick-It-Tivity" and "County Fair" sound bland. Other lesser-known songs here include "For You, For Always (Maggie's Theme)" from the original Parent Trap, the jaunty ballad "Dream Boy" by Annette Funicello, "How Do You Do?" from Song of the South, and two Oscar nominees, "Love Is a Song" from Bambi and "Tomorrow Is Another Day" from The Rescuers. 

Perfect Indian Summer

Started off a busy morning with breakfast and the Monchichhis. Moncho is thrilled when they inadvertently awaken his hero, the Mighty Manfred. He's really more of a "Helpless Hero" who would rather eat pies and brag than face danger. The others let him take the glory when they're the ones who stop the Grumplins from chasing them, but he really learns a lesson in bravery when they go on a quest to find a banshee's treasure.

Hurried out the moment the cartoon ended, but it wasn't fast enough. I had to dodge a lot of road work I forgot about, not to mention the traffic on Haddon Avenue. Considering the road work, I'm probably lucky I was only about 5 minutes late at SJRA Radiology on the border of Haddonfield and Westmont. Thankfully, it didn't take long to sign in and get my mammogram done. I went in, changed into my wrap, they squeezed my chest, and I left. 

Continued down Haddon Avenue next to the Haddonfield Library. On one hand, heavy remodeling a few years ago left this as one of the largest, most modern, and best-looking of the local libraries. It also left it a maze. There's more tiny rooms in that building than there is in your average haunted house. I had to ask where the non-fiction was. Turns out it was in the basement. 

Once I got down there, I spent a pleasant 40 minutes or so looking at a guide to Disneyland. Why Disneyland? Well, for one thing, I've never been there. I've never been to California, period. Closest I've gotten is a brief stop over in Salt Lake City. I've been to Walt Disney World, but not since 1990. For another thing, I used to like looking at Disney World guides at the Haddon Township Library when I first moved here 20 years ago. Thought I'd give the other coast a try.

I was originally going to eat at the Bistro, but it was getting kind of late when I finally got out of the library. Opted for the Haddon Diner instead, which is on the way home. I had two very large, fluffy banana pecan pancakes. Yum! They were huge, full of thick banana and pecan pieces. I did manage to eat most of them and drink half of a glass of iced tea. 

There wasn't much time when I finally got home, so I read a chapter of Cookies and Clairvoyance by Bailey Cates while listening to the soundtrack from K-Pop Demon Hunters. This was a huge hit on Netflix last year, and the music is a big part of why. "Golden" was the hit and won the Oscar, but my favorite is the dynamic "Takedown" as Huntrix challenges their male rivals. The boys respond with the moody "Your Idol" and almost annoyingly catchy "Soda Pop."

Went back out to the Thomas Sharp School, and yes, I made it on time. The kids were all standing in the hall when I arrived. The music classes expanded to Monday and Tuesday. We did get them into the library for some coloring. I joined a few of the kids at my table to draw a rainbow. 

Once we got back into the cafeteria, there was some confusion. They started eating their snacks, but most of them hadn't used the bathroom yet. One boy refused to leave his snack for anything, but I did get the rest of my group down the hall to the bathrooms. Thankfully, no trouble there. They all got in and out relatively fast.

We weren't inside for very long after snack time anyway. It was just too darn nice to spend the day inside! The weather couldn't have been more perfect. It was sunny and dry, with a nice, cool wind. It wasn't too hot for them to run around the slides and draw with chalk this time. Maybe it's just as well that there were fewer kids who wanted to ride the swings, because I had trouble with some of the ones who did. A few of them just would not get off once they were on, even with a five minute limit and other kids who wanted to ride. One girl threw a fit when she couldn't ride with her friend and hid behind a tree, and that was after she'd already been on the swings three times. Thankfully, by 5PM, there were two left, and we'd moved them around to the blacktop to play with the three remaining older kids.

Made a short stop at CVS on the White Horse Pike to use the bathroom and buy Ibuprofen. I didn't realize I was out yesterday, or I would have gotten it at the Acme. At least CVS wasn't busy, and I was able to get what I needed quickly.

Went right into Match Game '76 and dinner when I got home. Didi Conn, later of Grease, made her first of two appearances on the show this week. She was joined by the ever-creative Patti Deusch and by lovably nutty Dick Martin. 

Finished the night at YouTube with some of the most unique game shows ever created. Unfortunately, unique ideas don't always translate to big ratings. Canadian show Pitfall from 1981 started out like Family Feud, with two contestants guessing how the audience will vote on four answers in a certain category. Winner goes on to face the dreaded bridge. They have to guess questions on a hydraulic lift set. The set might go up and down randomly. If it does go down, they lose time to answer. Not only was this awkward to watch, the lavish up and down set proved to be so cumbersome to sustain, it bankrupted its producers. Neither the contestants nor host Alex Trebek ever got their money or prizes. 

Not all creative flops had fates that were that dire. Most of them were more like The Money Maze from 1974 and The Magnificent Marble Machine from 1975. Money Maze had two couples answering questions, with the husband guiding the wife through the title labyrinth to prizes. Magnificent Marble Machine was a giant pinball machine that contestants played to win prizes and cash with the help of a celebrity teammate, in this case Florence Henderson and Roddy McDowell. A young Nick Clooney hosted Money Maze. Art James was in charge of the Marble Machine. 

Both shows ran into the same set problems as Pitfall, though in this case everyone did get their cash and prizes in the end. That lavish Money Maze was difficult to set up, cost ABC a bundle, and the show ultimately did badly in the ratings. The Marble Machine was cool to look at, but cumbersome to play and not all that exciting to watch. 

Whew! from 1979 may be the ultimate big-set crazy idea. One person sets up blocks on a board filled with goofy puns surrounding a topic. The other contestant is the "charger" who answers the puns and figures out what the real word that belongs there is. Winner answered questions while running through a "gauntlet" of Hanna-Barbara-designed baddies. It's too bad this doesn't ever seem to have worked, on CBS in 1979 or when it re-ran on Buzzr a few years ago. Buzzr's commercials were right that it is as fun to watch as it is to say.

Not every big set or unique idea went over that badly. Press Your Luck and The Joker's Wild are two beloved shows that find ways to make their big sets work without getting dull or cumbersome. Press Your Luck has people answering questions to earn spins, then going around on that famous board in the hope that the animated Whammies don't steal their cash and prizes. Joker's Wild does something similar, but this time it's answering questions on a huge slot machine. 

Game Show Network had its own problems with big concepts in 2002. Russian Roulette has six contestants standing on trapdoors. One contestant asks another a question. If they answer correctly, they earn money. If they don't, they may end up sliding through that trapdoor and out of the game. Though this one did manage two seasons and is fondly remembered by Game Show Network fans, it proved to be a little too unworkable (host Mark L. Walhberg and several crew members accidentally fell in those trapdoors too) to keep around beyond a year. 

See which big idea worked and which didn't with these creative explorations into some of the most imaginative game shows of all time!

The Money Maze (1974)

The Joker's Wild (1974)

The Magnificent Marble Machine (1975) 

Whew! (1979)

Pitfall (1981)

Press Your Luck (1984)

Russian Roulette Pilot (2002)

A Couple of Characters

Began a rainy morning with breakfast, the last chapters of Sonnet of the Sphinx, and Julie London. The heavy showers and gloomy, gritty clouds seemed especially appropriate for The Unforgettable Julie London. "Cry Me a River" is only the tip of the iceberg in her many melancholy ballads. "A Cottage for Sale," "Little White Lies," "Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You?" "What Is This Thing Called Love?" and "No Moon at All" go into similar dark turf. "Cuddle Up a Little Closer," "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To," "Daddy," and "Hot Toddy" are a bit more upbeat.

Though the rain had slowed down considerably by 9 AM, it was still raining. I called Uber. No trouble there. The driver going to work arrived in 8 minutes. It took me a while to get a ride going home and cost me a bundle, but when I did, they came in 7 minutes. No trouble either way, not even with some flash flooding in Oaklyn in the morning.

It's probably a good thing it did stop raining. Though I did have to return cold items for a half-hour, I spent most of the morning and early afternoon outside. In fact, the sun came out later on, and it got hot and murderously humid. It was really busy from about 11 AM onward, too. People were getting ready for the first Eagles game of the season against the Commanders at 4:25. It wasn't until almost before I left that we managed to corral the carts again.

Stopped at the pharmacy after work to get my Covid vaccine. I don't want the kids getting sick or making me sick. I've been meaning to get this done and kept putting it off. Talked to the pharmacist. She figured out my insurance. I waited a minute, then went in the room next to the pharmacy. They gave me the injection and covered it with a Band Aid, and I moved on. 

When I got home, I changed...and went straight into bed for a nap. I was up way too late last night and had to get up early this morning (and will for most of this week.) Put my head on the pillow at quarter after 3 and didn't get up until 5:30.

I originally woke up just in time for tonight's Match Game marathon...but YouTube kept giving Match Game Productions a hard time. It blocked two marathons before we found out that the YouTube Studio was glitchy and blocking all new uploads. 

(At least things went better for the Eagles. They hit the ground running to start and were up 14-9 when I checked at half-time. The Commanders caught up in the second half, but it wasn't enough. The Eagles finally outran them 24-22.) 

I finished up the night with CDs featuring two true characters of American film and theater instead. Jimmy Durante may not have been traditional leading man material, but darned if he couldn't put over a ballad almost as well as Julie London. His "As Time Goes By" on As Time Goes By: The Best of Jimmy Durante was so iconic, it's on the Sleepless In Seattle soundtrack. That also features his delightful version of "Make Someone Happy." As Warners Archives says on the back of the CD box, only Walter Huston did "September Song" better. I've also never heard "Try a Little Tenderness" done as a jazz ballad.

Elaine Stritch was an entirely different type of character, but one who was just as memorable as the gentler Durante. I remember hearing great stuff about her one-woman show Elaine Stritch at Liberty when it opened on Broadway in 2002, and no wonder. The 2-disc cast album was recorded live at the original off-Broadway show. Stritch is obviously having a ball telling her life story. And what a life it was! She really had been there, known everyone from a young Marlon Brando to Noel Coward. 

I kind of wish we could have gotten one song from the charming flop Goldilocks, where she played a silent film star and Don Ameche was her exasperated director and ex-husband. Her other famous roles were far better represented. In addition to her first song "Civilization" from the 1947  revue Angel In the Wings, "The Ladies Who Lunch" from Company, "Zip" from Pal Joey, and "Why Do the Wrong People Travel?" from the Coward show Sail Away, there were bits of "There's No Business Like Show Business," "I Want a Long Time Daddy" as she recalled getting into trouble for sneaking out to see a drag queen in Detroit, "Broadway Baby" (which she sang in the 1986 Follies concert), and the Coward song "I Went to a Marvelous Party." 

This may be a party of one, but no one can party like Elaine Stritch can. If you love her or just want to hear someone tell a few great, slightly drunken stories, this is an absolute must-find. 

Where No Harvests Have Gone Before

Began the morning with breakfast and the Monchichhis. "Moncho's Gift" is what he thinks is a beautiful bracelet for Kyla. The bracelet is really magic and grants the wish of the wearer. It belongs to a sand witch, who turns herself into a Monchichhi and Wizzar into a frog to get it back.

Headed off to the farm market soon as I finished eating. It was still sunny, breezy, and a bit humid at this point. The fall harvest is out at the Collingswood Farm Market. The tables were laden with pumpkins, winter squash, pumpkin and squash blossoms, peppers, Chinese beans, eggplants, grapes, pears, and apples. It was teeming with people buying produce and meat for their weekend barbecues and picnics. I even ran into two of the kids from the after-school program and their parents enjoying lemon popcicles from the Bubba's Creamery cart. I picked up tiny, sweet Gala apples, seedless Concord grapes, a spinach and feta empanada for lunch, and my own strawberries and cream popcicle from Bubba's Creamery.

Hurried home and spent the remaining hour before work eating lunch and listening to more Let's Pretend. "The Yellow Dwarf" is a new one on me. A queen is forced to promise her daughter's hand in marriage to the repulsive title character. An evil fairy helps him claim his bride, while she claims the daughter's prince suitor. The prince makes his way back to the princess, only for both of them to die. A mermaid who had befriended them convinces a good fairy to turn them into two palm trees entwined with each other. 

"The Goose Girl" is a princess who is forced to trade places with a treacherous lady-in-waiting. While her servant marries the prince, the princess becomes the title character and her beloved horse is killed. The male servant who chases her isn't too happy when she keeps making his hat fly away. The prince knows something's up, but he has to put her in a room by herself to get a confession.

Headed to work after "The Goose Girl" ended. I spent the entire time pushing carts. The head bagger was sweeping and doing inside work. There was a college boy doing the trash and pushing carts. In all honesty, we probably didn't need the extra help. It wasn't really that busy. Everyone must be waiting until tomorrow before the Eagles game. I was in and out with no trouble.

Listened to records after I got home. The "Musical Repertory Theatre" Guys and Dolls isn't technically a cast album in the traditional sense. It's more a collection of songs from the musical sung by some of the most popular performers at Reprise Records. In fact, only Frank Sinatra, would actually appear in the film version of Guys and Dolls. Debbie Reynolds tries too hard and just sounds annoying on "Adelaide's Lament," "Take Back Your Mink," and joining Allan Sherman for "Sue Me." Sinatra does better by "Luck Be a Lady" and "I've Never Been In Love Before" and joins Bing Crosby and Dean Martin for "The Oldest Established" and "Fugue For Tinhorns." The McGuire Sisters have fun with "A Bushel and a Peck," while Sammy Davis Jr. really throws himself into "Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat." If you love Guys and Dolls or any of the singers in question, this is worth hearing at least once for some decent performances. 

My sisters and I had Raggedy Ann and Andy's Happiness Album when we were really little in the early 80's, and we used to listen to it a lot. It's a rainy day, but Raggedy Ann and Andy find ways to cheer everyone up, including dancing to a number from the Hansel and Gretel opera. In fact, their "Brother, Come and Dance With Me" is the highlight of the album, and just too adorable. The original song "Happy Is" and a jaunty version of "This Old Man" are basically there to pad out the album, but they're so catchy you don't mind a bit.

Finished out the day with dinner, a shower, and today's Match Game Marathon. Today, we honored the 60th anniversary of Star Trek with the two weeks featuring William Shatner and questions revolving around Star Trek or space. Shatner first appeared on the show in 1974, when he'd just done the controversial TV movie The Tenth Level. He found himself dealing with a slightly flustered Anne Meara next to him, while Brett sat in the ingenue seat next to Richard Dawson for the last time. 

By the time Shatner turned up again in mid-1975, he was starring on the short-lived spy western Barbary Coast. His second week also featured soft-spoken Broadway star Julie Harris, a close friend of Charles Nelson Reilly. One of the contestants that week jumped around so much, Gene claimed she actually broke the set. There was also the lady who cheerfully gave a point-blank answer as to what everyone was excited about Lola the stripper getting prints for. 

There were occasional references to Star Trek later in the series, too. Nipsey Russell nearly took off his clothes to show that he was hardly unattractive in one episode. Another friend of Charles, Elizabeth Allen, made her only appearance on another. There was also the 1979 episode with Darryl Anderson of Lou Grant, Donna Pescow of Angie and Out of This World, and a question about what came to a point on Spock's sister.

Space, the final game show frontier. It's your mission to boldly go where no game show has gone before with these hilarious out-of-this-world episodes!

Match Game Saturday Classics - William Shatner & Star Trek Marathon on Match Game

This Magic Summer

Began the morning with breakfast and He-Man. It's "Like Father, Like Daughter" when Teela follows He-Man and Man-at-Arms after they go to find out what's going on with Skeletor's latest plot, even those her father told her not to. Man-at-Arms is glad his daughter came along after all when she's the one who rescues him from Skeltor's latest brilliant scheme, an animal and robot lizard army.

Spent the rest of the morning putting the new ink that came from Amazon in my printer and printing out some things I badly needed, including my train tickets for vacation in two weeks, the packet from Clarifi, and my tax return. I'm nervous. I don't know how to tell Clarifi that I don't have that many expenses. I live in an attic, and I only buy clothes and toiletries when I need them, not every month. I spend way too much money per month, too, especially on food. 

Listened to CDs from my July vacation as I worked. Yellow Submarine was the last original Beatles album I didn't have before July. The Beatles may have considered enjoyable music hall-style ditties like "All Together Now" and "Hey Bulldog" to be throwaways, but I think this is one of their most fun albums. In addition to the title song "All You Need Is Love," we also have George's pointed "Only a Northern Song" and "It's All Too Much." The Songtrack CD includes all of the music from the movie. Most of it is taken from the Beatles' earlier albums, with "Nowhere Man," "Think For Yourself," "Eleanor Rigby" and "Lucy In the Sky With Diamonds" coming off the best. George Martin's score from the film is lovely in its own right, notably "Pepperland" and "Sea of Monsters."

The Beatles were on the verge of splitting up as the songs on AM Gold 1969 debuted. Most of these are way lighter than you'd think coming from such a troubled year. As a kid, I always thought "This Magic Moment" and "Wedding Bell Blues" were from the decade before. Broadway got on the charts with three hits from Hair, its title song by the Cowsills, "Easy to Be Hard" by Three Dog Night, and "Good Morning Starshine" by Oliver. The Supremes also had two huge hits, "Someday We'll Be Together" and "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me," the latter with the Temptations. Dionne Warwick gets more romantic with "This Girl's In Love With You."

Ate a quick peanut butter and jelly lunch, then hurried out to Thomas Sharp. Fortunately, I got there in plenty of time. We had 20 younger kids today, 7 at my table again. The kids were fine in the bathroom, but things got a little crazier after lunch. For one thing, it was past 4:30 before any of them went outside. It was just too hot and humid for them to be running around. For another, they were there when the older kids were eating lunch in the cafeteria, which means everyone was yelling at once. I did read three different stories (and sang the lyrics to "Zip-E-Dee-Do-Dah" and "How Much Is That Doggie In the Window" in a Disney Princess board book) to two girls who kept holding each other rather tightly.

Things calmed down a bit when the older kids did go out on the blacktop. The younger kids didn't join them until past 4:30, when there were only five left. (And one stayed inside to read.) I had a wonderful time hopping from one number in a colored circle to another, following a very funny little girl across the board as boys shot hoops behind us. I was too hot and tired to chase her across the blacktop, though! In fact, they were just taking the last of the older kids inside when I left; the last younger kid went home when I did. I wonder if they should have gone inside a lot earlier. The older kids kept coming inside to fill their water bottles, and their faces were red as tomatoes.

Settled down with the second half of The Price Is Right when I got home. I arrived just in time to see a woman win at Penny Ante. I think she only used one giant penny. She also won the Showcase Showdown and made it to the Showcases. These Showcases were kind of on the chintzy side for Price. The story Showcase (about the other models trying to help Dian with her headache) ended with the girls taking Dian on a Mediterranean cruise. The big prize on the non-story showcase was a snow mobile.

Match Game '76 was a lot more fun during dinner. Gary Burghoff is joined by two hilariously crusty older character actresses this week, Mary Wickes and Betty White. Richard was happier to help a very sweet Asian student win money for her education.

Finished the night with High School Hero at Tubi. I go further into this school-set B-comedy about teens trying to give their school football team a boost at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Back to School Again - High School Hero

Making Lemonade From Looney Tunes

Began a late morning with breakfast and He-Man. "Reign of the Monster" is unique to the series. It's the only episode where He-Man remains in that form for the entire episode and never once becomes Prince Adam. He's visiting his friend Stratos at his country Avion to watch him use the Staff of Avion for a festival. Skeletor kidnaps Stratos and steals the Staff to awaken a powerful monster and take over Castle Greyskull. He-Man, Teela, and Stratos' sister rescue him, then find a way to seal the monster before the Staff completely destroys Eternia.

It was late when I finished my previous blog entry and headed out on my bike, dodging tons of road work around Newton Lake Park as I made my way down to Collingswood. I quickly took money out of the ATM machine at the PNC Bank and continued on my way. 

Next stop was Phidelity Records. In good news, it was open this time. Unfortunately, the owner said he sold the soundtrack to The Muppets Take Manhattan I was interested in on Saturday. He says any kind of Muppet material tends to go fast nowadays. I did pick up two albums: 

I Taut I Taw a Puddy Tat - Looney Tunes songs on Capitol Records' Wonderland Records children's line

Guys and Dolls - Listed as a "Musical Repertory Theater," this studio recording lists Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Alan Sherman, and Dinah Shore among its performers. (And I got this one out of the $2 bins!)

I had lunch at one of my favorite restaurants in Westmont. Que Ricas is a small hole-in-the-wall in a shopping center specializing in Venezuelan sandwiches and burritos. I had my favorite, the Curvy Queen chicken salad sandwich with a tamarind Mexican soda. Yum! It came in two thick round corn bread slices with sauteed plantains. Best kind of comfort food there is.

Carefully made my way around more road repairs on Cuthbert heading down to the Haddon Township Library for this week's library session. Like Audubon, the Haddon Township Library is small, and there's not a whole lot there. I did find a bunch of the Images of America books on many local towns, including Haddon Township. The one on Merchantville confirmed that yes, most of the buildings in that town do date to between the 1880's and the 1940's, and they're a lot more respectful of their history than Cherry Hill. Cherry Hill's lost much of its history, either to fires or simply changing tastes. Frankly, I'd rather have the nifty Cherry Hill Inn than the bland Doubletree and Holiday Inn. I'm not much for concerts, but just knowing headliners were 20 minutes from me at the Latin Casino would have been cool enough. I really wish I could have tried a real farm dairy bar at the Holly Ravine Farm, too.

Rushed home after I left the library, then called Uber. There wasn't time to take the bus to the Cinemark in Somerdale. The movie I wanted to see, Coyote Vs. Acme, was almost about to start. And of course, it took 15 minutes for the driver to arrive. I wound up being more than 20 minutes late, especially after I bought a soda. I don't think I missed more than the first ten minutes or so of the film, though.

I'm not going to give details because of spoilers, but I did enjoy it. At the least, I'm glad they finally were able to release it. That alone makes this a win, no matter how much money it does or doesn't make at the box office. It's a shame I don't think Warners quite knows what to do with the Looney Tunes, or anything remotely family-friendly right now. This is basically "what if Who Framed Roger Rabbit was a spoof legal drama with the Looney Tunes instead of a spoof film noir mystery with every cartoon character available in 1988?" It does get a little message-heavy near the end of the movie, but for all that, it ended up being surprisingly sweet. Highly recommended for fans of the Looney Tunes, classic animation, or those who just want to see a good corporate satire.

It was almost 6 PM by the time I got out of the theater. This was no time to mess around. I was worried that it would take forever to get an Uber driver with the evening rush hour traffic, so I did take the bus. Thankfully, it was on time, and there were no problems whatsoever. The bus dropped me off on the White Horse Pike around 6:30.

Had a quick dinner while watching Match Game '76. They were just finishing out the week with Robert Hedgyes and Ethel Merman when I got in. The next week featured Betty White, character actress Madelyn Rhue, and in his only appearance on the 1970's version of the show, comedian Soupy Sales of What's My Line. 

Finished the night with the first two episodes of Remember WENN's fourth season. "Some Time, Some Station" starts with the stand-off between Victor, Pruitt, Scott, Betty, and two guns. After Pruitt ends up on the ground, Victor comes out of his brainwashing thinking it's the start of the broadcasting day. Betty has to explain to Scott about what's going on, while Maple happily flirts with Victor, Hilary tries to ignore Jeff, and the others react to Victor's sudden emergence from the dead.

Mr. Eldridge is saying "Thanks a Lottery!" when those tickets Scott tried to sell off in "Happy Homecomings" turn out to be winners. He's no sooner gotten used to the idea when the others discover that WENN has been shunted into another corporation that cuts even more of their budget and has a mandatory age for retirement, one that Mr. Eldridge is long past. Even after the others think Hilary has accidentally burned his tickets with her love letters, Mr. Eldridge finds a way to make sure that no one will ever buy the station or push anyone out ever again. 

Larger Than Life Matches

Began the morning with breakfast and the soundtrack to The Rocky Horror Picture Show. This was Tim Curry's big break, and one of his first major roles for most American audiences. And what a way to debut! He gets one of the big numbers from this, "Sweet Transvestite," as the mad scientist who thinks they've created the perfect man. The chorus numbers are probably even better-known today, including "I Can Make You a Man" for Curry and his hangers-on, "Wild and Untamed Thing," "Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch-a Touch Me," and of course, "The Time Warp." This is probably more fun at a midnight showing, but the music is good enough to rate a listen around Halloween or whenever you're feeling in the need for some really, really unique dance music.

Called Uber after Side A of the record ended. It was hot, humid, and supposed to rain later. I think I made the right call. The driver going to the Acme arrived in 11 minutes. I called early enough that I got there in plenty of time. The one going home arrived in 10 minutes. No trouble either way.

No trouble at work, either. I swept and pushed carts for the entire six hours. I was on my own during the morning. One of the college boys came out to help me after about 1 PM. Good thing, too. It wasn't busy when I arrived, but it picked up around 11 and stayed busy the rest of the day. We're coming up on the start of September and the school year, and Labor Day is next weekend.

Finished Rocky Horror when I got home while reading Topped Chef by Lucy Burdette, then switched to the original cast CD for the musical version of My Favorite Year. Curry got a Tony nomination in the Peter O'Toole role as the sozzled Errol Flynn-esque swashbuckler star. Lanie Kazan repeated her role as Benjy Stone's (Evan Pappas) mother Belle and also got a Tony nomination; listen for Mary Stout (Eugenia on Remember WENN) also reprising her role as Benjy's aunt in the "Welcome to Brooklyn" number. Lynn Aherns and Stephen Flahtery have an incredible opening number, Benjy's description of live television right before the show starts, "Twenty Million People," but most of the other chorus numbers are just there to give the chorus something to do. Neither Curry's "The Night Is Young" nor "The Gospel According to King" are all that interesting or have much to do with the story. 

The character numbers are better. Belle describes how she fell in love with her scrappy Philippine husband in "Rookie In the Ring," Curry tears into "If Life Were Like the Movies," and Benjy explains why he adores Swann's films in "Larger Than Life." Andrea Martin did get a Tony as the female sketch writer in an expanded role, including her big number "Professional Showbizness Comedy" with King Kaiser (Tom Mardrosian). I love this, but I'm also a big fan of Aherns, Flahtery, and the original movie. If you love Martin, Curry, or the film it's worth checking out just for those character numbers. 

Moved to YouTube for not one, but two marathons. Country singer "Whisperin'" Bill Anderson was just celebrated for being the oldest current member of the Grand Ol' Opry. He was also the only country star to be a semi-regular on Match Game. The self-effacing, down-home charm he brought to the Opry made him unique on Match Game amid the crustier or more urban panelists. He first turned up on Bonnie Franklin's second week in mid-1976, as she reminded Gene that he hadn't been able to kiss her the first time she was there. 

Bill's most famous episode came later in 1976. Brett and Charles dressed as cowpokes to be his back-up singers as he performed his own song for Debralee Scott, who sat under him that week. She was deeply touched, and I thought the whole thing was adorable. He was also on the week in 1978 with Brett and Jack Klugman after their divorce, including the PM episode where Jack said if you asked his ex the time of day, she'd tell you how the clock was made. (He was right.) He brought along a picture of his darling new baby boy in a syndicated episode. He appeared right until the end of the syndicated series in 1982, making his final appearance on a week with another country superstar, Irlene Mandrell. 

His last Match Game appearance was during a week of Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour in 1984. He brought along a Casio keyboard to work on new songs while helping a man from Manchester, England get to the Hollywood Squares segment. Joining him that week were Edie McClurg in a tiara, Fred Travalena and his one-man White House, Linda Dano, Soupy Sales, and Joe Santos. 

Lift a twangy guitar to the man whose career has spanned six decades in this hilarious and tuneful marathon!

Match Game Sunday Classics - Bill Anderson "Country Star" Special Shows

Jaye P. Morgan is best-known nowadays for her stint on The Gong Show, but she did do Match Game just as it started again in mid-1973. In fact, her one week introduced eventual series regulars Brett Somers and Charles Nelson Reilly and semi-regulars Bert Convy and Betty White. Morgan is the only one that week who wouldn't come back, but she had a lot of fun anyway. She got to hear Brett claim for the first time that Charles wasn't wearing socks and had Bert flirt with her about "turning her on" when she complained that the light on her desk wouldn't turn on.

Bang the gong for this singer, actress, and talent show judge in one of the funniest early weeks of the show!

Match Game Sunday Classics  - Jaye P. Morgan Tribute

Finished the night with the all together quieter Miles Davis rendition of Porgy and Bess. This may have been recorded in anticipation of the 1959 Goldwyn film version of the landmark Gershwin opera, but it honestly came out better than that troubled movie did. In fact, this remains one of Davis' best-selling albums. His "Bess, You Is My Woman Now," "Gone," "Summertime," and "I Loves You, Porgy" capture the tough-tender feel of the opera far better than Goldwyn's overstuffed extravaganza generally does. 

Hard Candy Matches

Began the morning with breakfast and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. "Donald Hatches an Egg" when Goofy mistakes a unique long, slender egg for a rock and it gets attached to Donald. Mickey, Goofy, Daisy, and Don talk to birds and chickens in an attempt to find its mother, but it's really closer to a type of lizard egg.

Called Uber after that to get me to work quickly. It sure did the trick. The one going to work came in 7 minutes, and I actually arrived early for a change. The one going home was more of a problem. It kept fluctuating, but I think it finally took about 8 minutes. No problems on the road.

No problems at work, either. I spent the entire day scrubbing the shelves filled with Acme generic soda and chips that are the first things you see when you enter the store. Whatever was on there before made them grimy and sticky, especially under the soda! It was so bad, I needed Easy Off spray and at least five boxes of eraser sponges, and the last two shelves never did come fully clean. At least the head manager seemed to think it came out well. I ran a feather duster over end cap shelves in the back for the last half-hour.

Grabbed a few things after work that I forgot yesterday. The Westmont Acme didn't have the pulled rotisserie chicken from the deli, and I totally forgot that I needed Swiss cheese slices. Grabbed coconut macaroons off the bakery clearance racks.

Went straight in the shower to wash off all that grime when I got home, then put on the soundtrack from The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas. Honestly, it's a shame Dolly Parton didn't do more musicals. I've loved this version of the hit 1979 Broadway show since I was too young to understand what was really going on at the Chicken Ranch. It used to turn up a lot on cable in the early and mid-80's. Charles Durning, as a politician denying he was using the Chicken Ranch's services, has so much fun with his one number "Side Step," he got an Oscar nomination. Dolly does better by the one standard to come from this score, "Hard Candy Christmas," and her own additional "I Will Always Love You."

Speaking of Dolly, tonight's Match Game YouTube marathon honored Dolly with episodes featuring mentions of her or questions where she was an answer. By 1978, she'd replaced Raquel Welch as the du jour performer to make chest area jokes about. Almost every question where she was an answer got a chest joke in there somewhere. Some of the best episodes of the later series and syndicated run had Dolly references. There was a reference in the infamous episode where a contestant answered "Friend and Ollie" to "Cuckoo ___" and another during the Game Show Host Week with panelists who either were game show hosts (Bill Cullen, Peter Marshall) or would be in the future (Betty White, Elaine Joyce). There were references to Dolly as late as the first week of Match Game '90 with Joe Alasky and Sally Struthers. 

Celebrate the life and legacy of this beloved lady with this hilarious marathon you'll go "Cuckoo" for!

Match Game Saturday Classics - Dolly Parton Tribute

Finished the night with The Exciting Lena Horne. This one looks like it goes way back, probably to the early-mid 50's. For all the "exciting" claim, most of the songs here are pretty dark, from "Nobody Knows the Troubles I've Seen" to "Little Girl Blue." I prefer the slightly more upbeat "At Long Last Love" and "More Than You Know." 

Rainy Afternoon at the Library

Started my day with breakfast and He-Man. The "Song of Celice" is the only thing that can tame a monster named Yog that terrorizes the Kingdom of Tahryn. Skeletor kidnaps the beautiful singer to hypnotize her and have her bring Yog to Castle Greyskull and attack the Sorceress. He-Man and his friends have to break her out of it and remind her that her music is intended to be peaceful.

Headed out on foot after the cartoon ended. I had originally intended to take my bike into Collingswood, but it had already rained. In fact, the rain was just ending as I made my way down East Clinton. This was not a biking day. Collingswood isn't really that far on foot anyway, not more than 10-15 minutes. 

When I got to Haddon Avenue, I made a brief stop to browse in the brand-new housewares store Twelvetrees before making my way down to the Collingswood Library. Other than a couple of kids and their parents in the children's area and the librarians, they were utterly quiet. Everyone must have been at lunch. I spent a pleasant hour and a half relaxing in a plump scarlet chair with a book I haven't read in almost 30 years or more. 

I forget where I first found the original 1978 print of American Musical Theater: A Chronicle by Gerald Boardman. It was either the Cape May Library, the Villas Library, or one of the school libraries. This jumps much further back than most books that cover the history of musical theater, all the way to the 1866 extravaganza The Black Crook. It goes into detail about early musicals in particular that are practically forgotten now, like Harrigan and Hart and their Mulligan Guards' Ball, A Trip to Chinatown that sounds like a trial run for Hello Dolly over 60 years later, the comic opera Robin Hood, the Weber and Fields music hall comedies, and Victor Herbert's beloved operettas. This is how I know about these shows at all. I certainly hadn't heard of them before I read this, other than watching Yankee Doodle Dandy every 4th of July and the Disney Babes In Toyland on the Disney Channel. 

(The entries are less detailed after the 1940's. I don't think Boardman appreciated the musicals of the mid and late 20th century the way he did the late 19th and early 20th century shows. He seemed to find most of them to be too dark and leaned too heavily on rock and newer forms of music.)

I would have lingered longer, but I wanted to have lunch before the weather turned. My original plan was Sabrina's Cafe, but I know how busy they get at lunchtime. Palerma's Restorante was practically empty other than a couple on the other end near the window. I had a lovely and quiet meal, enjoying a slightly spicy breakfast burrito with scrambled eggs, black beans, bacon, and avocado and the best darn restaurant home fries I ever tasted while admiring the large, lovely, and very real yellow roses on the table.

Made one last stop at Haddon Culinary to grab a Diet Dr. Pepper for the walk home. I also enjoyed a matcha latte and bought a slice of Lemon-Blueberry Pound Cake with cannoli icing to eat at home later. The matcha latte was ok. It really tasted more of oat milk than green tea. The pound cake was nicely dense and just sweet enough, especially that cannoli icing!

(Oh, and it did finally rain...at 3:30, almost a half-hour after I got in. And when it rained, it monsooned. Lashing winds, heavy downpours, the whole nine yards. Some areas even reported tornadoes, though I don't think that was a concern here. The rain has continued off and on for the rest of the evening.)

Soon as I got home, I went straight into Camp Rock 3. I cover the newest Disney Channel original musical at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Musicals On TV - Camp Rock 3

Switched to Remember WENN after the movie ended. "In the WENN Small Hours" kicks off the third season as Victor Comstock explains what he's doing at the station and how he managed to survive the Blitz. Meanwhile, station organist Eugenia Bremer (Mary Stout) interviews explorer Cutter Dunlap (Malcom Gets) for her late-night show, and wonders if it was such a great idea when he starts spouting nonsense Betty and Victor fed him after he caught them together. Victor can't let anyone but Betty know he's alive...including Scott, whom it seems he may not know all that well after all.

Betty's still trying to figure out what's going on with Scott and his arrival at the station in the next episode "Prior to Broadway." His letter of introduction from Victor sounds awfully familiar, including using Scott's familiar "Oh, would you look at the time?" catchphrase. Hilary's more interested in getting her and Jeff back on the stage. They perform a play written by the handsome Euripides Moss (Harry Hamlin), but can't decide if it's a comedy or a drama before it goes on the air in front of their sponsors the Sweets (Peggy Cass and Louis Zorich). 

Went straight into Match Game '76 next. Darlene just kept winning and flirting with Richard, straight into the next week with Jimmie Walker and Fannie Flagg. Jimmie thinks that the person who plays Snow White in a question should look a lot more like him. Richard and Fannie find what they claim to be the key to that infamous Encino motel room that's a running gag between Brett and Gene.

Finished the night with The Polar Bear King on YouTube. I used to see this Norwegian fairy tale fantasy a lot at local video stores throughout the 90's. It's based on the Scandinavian stories "East of the Sun, West of the Moon" and "The White Bear, King Valedmon." A lovely young princess (Maria Bonnevie) marries a polar bear, only to discover he's the King Valemon (Tobias Hoesl), who has been cursed into that form by an evil witch (Anna-Lotta Larson). If she can hold out not seeing his face for seven years, he can avoid marrying the witch. Unfortunately, the princess uses a candle given to her by her silly sisters to look at his face. The witch takes him away, and the princess must find him with the help of Valemon's mother (Monica Nordquist) and her children, whom the queen took away to protect from the witch.

I remember liking but not loving this as a kid. On one hand, the bear was actually created by the Jim Henson Company, and he's pretty realistic-looking and moves really well. The movie's pretty cheap for a romantic fantasy, though, and some of the dubbed dialogue in the English language version is stiff as heck. Still worth checking out if you're a fan of fairy tales like I am (especially considering "White Bear" isn't often adapted in North America). 

Summertime Games

Began the morning with breakfast and the Monchhichis. Wizzar feels every bit of his hundred years on his birthday when he can't get his spells to work right, even for a coconut-opening machine. He forgets where he puts his magic staff, which brings a cookie shaped like him to life. It becomes "Dueling Wizzars" as the other Monchhichis first have to retrieve Wizzar when he thinks he's not needed, then show him that he can do magic with or without his staff.

Switched to Remember WENN while taking my laundry downstairs, making my bed, and going through my clothes. Hilary and Jeff become "Strange Bedfellows" when they both join the race for Pittsburgh's city council. Scott sets up a big debate on the airwaves, which also brings in Luke Langley (David Canary), a laid-back former baseball player running for a smaller group. Meanwhile, Scott has the others taking political polls, Mackie and Maple take an informal one of their own, and Enid can't seem to stay neutral while polling.

"Close Quarters" has the entire cast in quarantine at the station when paranoid Dr. Bickman (Michael Jaye) thinks the sick Mr. Foley has a rare disease. The others enjoy their confinement on the first night, as they share a dance and dinner...but the longer the quarantine continues, the more they get on their nerves, until it starts to show on the air. Good thing Mr. Foley's infectious disease isn't quite what Bickman thinks.

Put the laundry in the dryer, then went out to run errands. My first stop was at the post office to drop paperwork in the box. Dollar General is just around the corner, so I went there next. Finally found the moisture eliminators. Bought two of those and two packs of hair bands. 

Cut across Newton Lake Park next to Shamrock Deli. I thought a picnic might be something fun and different. They weren't that busy at quarter after 2, when I ordered a small roast beef hoagie, a Snapple Diet Peach Tea, and a small bag of Charles Chips. (Hadn't had those in years. Mom had a tin we used for cookies in the 80's.) I had no sooner ordered my sandwich when suddenly people started appearing. By the time I left, there was a long line waiting for sandwiches or Door Dash orders.

Headed back to the park for lunch. I ate at one of the new picnic tables by the playground, the one under a shady tree. It wasn't bad when I went out, but by 2:30, it was sunny, hot, and killer humid. At least there was a nice breeze this time. I enjoyed my quiet lunch by the sparkling green lake (when I wasn't brushing away ants), listening to the breeze rustle the emerald trees. I finished and made my way back to the main path just as two women came with the cutest little girl. Even did a little swinging.

Cut back down to Cuthbert Road and rode all the way up to La Mortense Plus on the corner of Cuthbert and the White Horse Pike. Needless to say on a hot afternoon, they were busy. I'm just glad there wasn't a line. I had a gelati - in this case, dulce de leche ice cream layered with horchata water ice. Oh, yum! I think there was bits of what I think was the actual candy in there. (Either that or rice.) Either way, it was delicious. I ate while watching three ladies chat and three kids, two in soccer uniforms, enjoy water ice together.

Went straight home after that. Brought the laundry upstairs and folded it, then spent the next two hours listening to records. I picked up the original soundtrack for the Disney Babes In Toyland on eBay last week. I've only found the book and record in this area. Even here, a lot of the songs don't sound like the originals. The kids only sing on "Go to Sleep, Slumber Deep." You don't even hear them on "The Work Song." "Just a Whisper Away" and "Just a Toy" are entirely different. At the very least, I'm sure that's the actual adult cast doing the singing. Ray Bolger is unmistakable on "Castle In Spain." 

The soundtrack for Snow White and the Three Stooges not only includes all of the narration, but it also has a song for the Stooges, "Looking for People, Looking for Fun," that was either cut from the film, or recorded but not used. Most of the songs are for Carol Heiss as Snow White (including the lovely "Place Called Happiness"), Mel Blanc as the voice of ventriloquist's dummy Quatro, or the chorus ("Once In a Million Years"). I think both the soundtrack and the film are underrated in the Stooges filmography. There's a lot about this that's really enjoyable.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is an old favorite of mine. It used to show up frequently on local stations in the 1980's, and we'd rent the movie quite a bit, too. I consider this to be one of the best scores the Sherman Brothers wrote outside of Disney along with Charlotte's Web. Though the catchy title song got the Oscar nomination, I like the charming "Truly Scruptious" for the lady by that name and the kids and two hilarious numbers for Grandpa, "Posh!" and "The Roses of Success." 

Moved to Match Game '76 even before Chitty ended. The entire two hours covered the week Ron Paillio of Welcome Back, Kotter debuted on the show. He always seemed to have a great time, and probably played better than anyone else from that show besides Debralee Scott. Joining him that week were Jo Ann Worley and her trills and Fannie Flagg and her apple t-shirt.

Finished the night after dinner and a shower putting the spotlight on host Jim McKreill. Most people nowadays probably know this native Texan better as a reporter in Gremlins or in movies like Annie Hall and Defending Your Life than as a game show host. He started out hosting the Chuck Barris personality-test-based The Game Game in 1969 before landing what would be his only hit in 1974. Celebrity Sweepstakes is a comedy panel show that's basically a cross between Match Game and Jeopardy. The audience would give odds on whether a panelist could answer a certain question. Contestants made bets based on those odds. Too bad this show is hard to find today. McKreill is charming, the premise is really fun, and the panel is hilarious.

Most of his hosting seemed to have been limited to pilots that weren't picked up for a series. His last hosting gig to date has been the short-lived 1978 revival of Quiz Kids. This is a pretty standard questions-and-answer game with kids under the age of 10 instead of adults. If the kids answer wrong, they lose points. If they answer right, they can get a certain amount of points. Other than a colorful set and it filming in Boston, this wasn't anything enormously special and barely lasted half a season in syndication.

McKrell seems to have done better on other people's shows. He appeared twice on Celebrity Bowling. In the episode shown here, he and character actor Vince Edwards are playing against the comically mismatched team of Peter Bonerz and Pat Moriata. He does much better in 3 for the Money. This is another quiz show, this time with two adults and a celebrity captain. McKrell is joined by Barbara Felton as the team captains. I give him credit. Not only did he and the two women on his team pull off a comeback, but they did really well in the bonus round, too. Too bad this show only lasted two months, and this is one of four episodes known to exist.

Towards the end of his career, McKrell switched to announcing. He took over for Joe Alasky near the end of Couch Potato's short-lived syndicated run. Marc Summers hosts another quiz show, this one taking place in a cartoon living room and revolving entirely around TV trivia. They even frequently had guests to help with the questions, like when Janice Parkington from The Price Is Right turns up on the episode listed here. (Oh, and at press time, McKrell is still living, but has been retired since 2016. Couch Potatoes was his last game show to date as a host or announcer.)

Celebrate this cowboy's career with celebrities out of the gate, quiz kids answering tough questions, and learning about more TV trivia than you can shake a potato chip at in these delightful episodes!

Celebrity Sweepstakes (1974)

3 for the Money (1975)

Celebrity Bowling (1976)

Quiz Kids (1978) Part 1 Part 2

Couch Potatoes (1989)

Laughing Matches

Began the morning with breakfast and the 2011 revival cast album of How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying. John Larroquette won a Tony playing Biggley, the stuffy president of the World Wide Wickets Company to Daniel Radcliffe's ambitious window-washer J. Pierpont Finch. They're both having a lot of fun here, especially on "Grand Old Ivy" and the big finale number "Brotherhood of Man." Larroquette also does well by the spoof ballad "Love From a Heart of Gold" with Tammy Blanchard. As good as the original cast is, this certainly has its virtues as well, especially if you're a fan of either star.

Called Uber after I finished breakfast and got dressed. No trouble here. The driver going to work came in 9 minutes. The one going home came in 5. No traffic either way, and I got to work in plenty of time.

No trouble at work, either. On one hand, it's still hot and thickly humid, but it was also sunny all day, without a cloud in the sky. I had more help this time, too, and for longer. The Sunday morning bagger is usually pretty reliable. Once he left, I had help from one of the college boys for the last 45 minutes. I spent the entire afternoon pushing carts...but I made sure to pace myself and go inside and get a drink of water from the bottle in my locker or empty trash cans or fill the toilet paper in the women's bathroom every half-hour or so. 

Listened to The Hit List after taking a much-needed shower. This K-Tel 2-disc set features some of the biggest hits from 1982. The first disc has most of the better-known songs today, including "867-5309/Jenny" by Tommy Tutone, "Keep On Loving You" by REO Speedwagon, "Caught Up In You" by 38 Special, "You Better You Bet" by the Who, and the first hit from Huey Lewis and the News, "Do You Believe In Love?" Most of the songs on the second disc are less familiar today, other than "The One That You Love" by Air Supply, "Slow Hand" by the Pointer Sisters, and "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" by The Police.

Finished the night at YouTube watching the Sunday Match Game marathon while eating dinner. Brett Somers started off on the third week of the show and quickly became the show's second regular. Though she originally sat next to Richard Dawson in the ingenue seat, she was eventually moved upstairs to the second seat and would remain there for the rest of the original run. By the end of 1973, she'd been joined by Charles Nelson Reilly on her right. They became the best of drinking buddies and played hilariously off of her, whether he was making fun of her jewelry or she made fun of his toupee and his never wearing socks.

Brett had a comic feud with the person who handled the buzzer that ran through most of late 1973 and 1974. It got so ubiquitous, there were even questions about what she'd do the buzzer holder if she could get her hands on them, or how she'd stop them from buzzing her. Her complaints would often end up with a joke "buzzer" being used, like a raspberry noise or a cow bell. If Brett wasn't trading quips with Charles, she was doing it with Betty White. The two of them loved teasing each other about their ages and about the hold Betty had on her husband host Allen Ludden.

There were times when Brett could get a little too salty for her own good, like the 1977 episode where her answer about what movie Lassie didn't like making was censored. There was also the time in 1976 when she used her rear end as an answer to a question, or when she flipped off the audience. On the other hand, for all the jokes about her bad answers, she was sometimes the only one to get a question right, like during the syndicated run in 1980 where she was the one who finally got an answer after three tiebreakers and received a deserved standing ovation. 

Brett's then-husband Jack Klugman was the one who recommended her to the show in the first place. They appeared three times together in 1973 and spent all three weeks fighting. They got so bad, comedian Stu Gilliam asked why they put him on the "military level." By the time Jack reappeared on the show in late 1978, they'd been divorced or separated for at least three years. That didn't stop Jack from practically climbing on Brett during a question, or the others holding a mock wedding for them in the finale.

No one had more fun on the show than Brett! Belly laugh your way through the hot summer with these hilarious episodes!

Match Game Sunday Classics - Brett Somers Marathon: Laugh Your BLANK Off & Flip You Off!

Remembering In Wonderland

Awoke at 7 PM...and called out. There was one thing I wanted to do, but I mostly wanted to rest up for my 8 1/2 hour day tomorrow. Not to mention, my heel is still pretty sore. 

I started the day with breakfast and PAW Patrol. "Pups Save the Parrot" when Carlos' parrot Mateo runs away to the top of a temple. When they find his pet, they protect its nest from a hungry eagle. "Pups Save the Queen Bee" from the lighthouse after Cap'n Turnbot finds a hive in a lighthouse light. Skye helps to transport the hive to Farmer Al's bee farm.

Got my schedule before I left. While I do have fewer hours next week, including a normal 9 to 1 on Wednesday, that'll give me the chance to rest my heel. I'm less happy about another 8 and a 1/2 hour workday next Saturday. I dread tomorrow and next week. 

The one thing I wanted to do was go grocery shopping. I could have gone to one of the Acmes, but I decided to stick to my original plan for today. Called Uber to get me to Shop Rite in Cherry Hill. The Uber going there arrived in 10 minutes. The one going home came in 13 and cost a bundle, but it took me forever to find anyone willing to take me home at the start of rush hour. Other than running into traffic on Cuthbert Road going home, there was no trouble either way.

In fact, I heard from Cooper Hospital in the Uber going to Cherry Hill. They were able to get me in next Tuesday. It's at 9:30 AM, still pretty early, but it's also in Moorestown. I'll get to see the huge new hospital attached to the Moorestown Mall.

Shop Rite was really busy today...and seemed even more huge. They have so much stuff in there! I grabbed oatmeal cookies on sale and thought I'd try a small coconut cream pie in a plastic container. Restocked yogurt, blueberries, plums, granola, oat milk (it's really cheap there), and probiotic soda. Found heel pads for the backs of your shoes that I hope will help reduce friction on my sore heel. Grabbed PopCorners and a roast beef hoagie for lunch. (And I'm glad I called out of work. It was sunny, humid, and very hot today, without a shred of breeze. Pushing carts in that would not have been fun. It'll be bad enough tomorrow.)

Put everything away when I got home, then watched Remember WENN while I ate lunch. Most of the cast is excited when big-time Broadway producer Adrian Carr (Julian Glover) produces a nighttime version of their daytime soap Valiant Journey. Unfortunately, an accident with a microphone boom leaves Hilary thinking she's "Hilary Booth, Registered Nurse" right before the broadcast. Betty has to bring Hilary around without Carr finding out...and without the help of Victor Comstock, who is leaving to broadcast in war-torn London.

"Valentino Speaks" when director Ted E. Peck (Simon Jones) insists on the cast dubbing a lost Valentino film. He's so impressed with Jeff, he convinces him to finish the movie. Jeff thinks he's going to be a huge Hollywood star, but it turns out movie acting is a lot harder than it looks. (Incidentally, the "lost" Valentino movie seen here was Valentino's last film Son of the Sheik.)

"A Capitol Idea" introduces roguish con-man Scott Sherwood (Kevin O'Rourke), whom Victor apparently sent to replace him as head station manager. Scott begins by bringing so many sponsors into the shows, he basically invents informercials. Betty's furious, but the others are willing to go along with it, until they realize they'll be making nothing off their commissions from the sponsors and turn the tables.

Honestly, I had no idea what to watch after that. I put on the 1986 BBC miniseries version of Alice In Wonderland before switching to Match Game '76. No semi-regular did better in his first week than George Kennedy. He ended up being one of the show's best players, matching more often than not. Gene Rayburn would be happier if Betty White and Lee Merriweather left his pants legs and socks alone. 

Finished up with the rest of Alice. On one hand, I'm glad they went for a miniseries with this. It honestly works better with the episodic structure than a movie does. There's some flat but lovely sketchy backgrounds, especially when Alice is wandering around in the garden before meeting the Queen of Hearts. This is also a musical, with some dreamy, meandering songs. Not bad, but beware of the sometimes grotesque costumes, especially for the Queen of Hearts and Mock Turtle. 

When You're Hot

Began the day with breakfast and more He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. Skeletor is determined to use the "Creatures From the Tar Swamp" and Beast Man's control over them to take over Castle Greyskull. Meanwhile, Orko wants to impress Lady Edwina, Adam's spoiled cousin, by finding the Magic Medallion he lost in the swamp years ago. He and Edwina just barely manage to escape when the monsters invade the castle, but Orko learns a lesson when he realizes Edwina is more interested in the medallion than him.

Hurried off to work after the cartoon ended. I did get there on time, and riding my bike, too, despite the continuing gas main repairs being done on West Clinton in Oaklyn. At least it wasn't anything resembling busy this time. We're now past the beginning of the month and between holidays. I did have to do the bathroom and some returns, but it wasn't that bad. The weather was the worst of it. It was hot, sunny, and murderously muggy. I was in and out with no problems...

Except for noticing someone left a message on my cell phone. It was Cooper Hospital. Somehow, Cooper Urgent Care set me up for an appointment with the wrong department. They set me up with Bone and Joint, but I should have been with Cooper Surgery-Podiatry. They wanted to cancel the appointment tomorrow and reschedule. 

I was disappointed, to say the least, and I told them so when I got home and called them. They wanted to reschedule for next month! I'm not waiting that long. It's one thing to wait on housing counseling, but my heel has been hurting for weeks. They said they'd call back in 24 hours and see what they could do. I was going to call out tomorrow for the appointment...and I think I'll still call out. If I had my usual 12 to 16 hours, I would be more hesitant (or likely not be working on a Friday at all), but I have 30 hours this week. I need to rest this heel and go grocery shopping before my 8 1/2 hour work day on Saturday.

Watched the new Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Plus special while I talked to them and during lunch. Professor Luwig Von Drake gives everyone their own tractors to work on "Mickey's Country Farm." Daisy suggests holding a fair to bring in her idol, Lassoin' Lucy. She loves her purple tractor, but can't figure out how to control it or what the mallet on the end does and just wreaks havoc when she tries to help. She's ready to give up when the gigantic watermelon Pete's been growing comes barreling at them. Not only does she save the day, but it gives her a theme for the fair.

Switched to Tubi for the 1933 version of Bitter Sweet. I go further into the original British version of the brittle Noel Coward operetta at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Cult Flops - Bitter Sweet (1933)

Watched Remember WENN next. Betty's wondering "Who's Minding the Aslyum?" when Victor Comstock leaves her with the day's programming on glass records...which Mr. Foley ends up shattering. She and the remaining staff have to figure out what to play and how to appease Mr. Medwick (Bob Dorian, who introduced AMC's programming in the late 90's) and keep him from finding out his show was among those broken.

Victor and the cast return for "Armchair Detectives." Jeff has to prove he's more than just Sherlock Holmes on the radio when a convicted murderer (Joe Grifasi) storms in, demanding that the cast recreate the scene of the crime and let the police hear what really happened. Jeff's not sure they can add much, and Hilary's not thrilled with the casting, until Jeff and the others realize there's a few clues only those in recording and broadcasting would understand.

Watched Match Game '76 next, or tried to. The internet kept going in and out. This one covered the rest of the week with Avery Schriberer and Jo Ann Pflug, including an episode with some pretty wild set glitches. 

After I gave up on the Internet, I finished the night listening to Songs That Got Us Through World War II instead. This is an early Rhino collection of songs that were hits during the war years between 1941 and 1945. The first two, the Andrews Sisters' "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" and Frank Sinatra performing "I'll Be Seeing You" with Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra may be the most famous today. There's also Johnny Mercer having fun with his own "Acc-ent-tuate the Positive," Helen Forrest joining Harry James and His Orchestra to insist "I Don't Want to Walk Without You," Jo Stafford's lovely "Long Ago and Far Away," Tommy's brother Jimmy's orchestra doing "The White Cliffs of Dover," and Doris Day introducing "Sentimental Journey" with Les Brown and His Orchestra.

Dolls On National Night Out

Began the morning with breakfast and Little Bear. "Auntie Hen" is preparing her home for lunch when Little Bear brings her chick nephews and nieces to visit. They wreck so much havoc inside, they end up eating at Hen's picnic table. Little Bear would love to "Play Ball," but he's angry that Emily took his ball without asking. Emily's angry at him for making fun of her baseball uniform. It takes the actual game to patch up their hurt feelings. "Lucy's Okay," even after Duck accidentally sits on her and they hold a mock funeral for the doll.

Had no trouble getting to the Acme on time this morning and on my bike. That's about the only thing that did go right at work. Work was a pain in the rear end from beginning to end. It's the beginning of the month and the day seniors get a discount. I had no help, either. The bagger who was supposed to help ended up in a register again. I kept getting behind on carts. I'd fill them, and they'd vanish again. I was very happy when I finally finished and got out of there.

At least the weather was pleasant. In fact, I think this is supposed to be the nicest weather we have this week. Sunny, breezy, hot, a little humid, but nothing like yesterday! For all the trouble, I did have a pleasant ride home, and it wasn't bad gathering carts when I could get out.

Returned to cartoons during lunch with Paw Patrol "Sea Patrol" episodes. "Pups Save a Water Walker" when Mayor Humdinger steals Francois Turn'bot's new water walking boots, intending to turn Turtle Island into part of Foggy Bottom. Not only did he completely ignore the fact that the island is a turtle habitat, but he can't control the boots. The pups have to go after him. "Pups Save a Windsurfer" when they save an older lady and her friend from an underwater and island volcano that are about to go off.

Switched to the 2002 Strawberry Shortcake as I finished eating. Peppermint Fizz is the only one who refuses to accept newcomer Rainbow Sherbet. She lives on a houseboat, and her life revolves around the water. She's too different for Peppermint. Strawberry holds "The Costume Party" to show why differences are nothing to be afraid of.

Dressed the dolls for August next. Kit, Samantha, and Molly wear their historically-accurate bathing suits I found on eBay. Jessa's purple tropical-print modern bathing suit also came from eBay. Ariel and Whitney's bathing suits were gifts from Lauren. Lauren also gave me the purple sundress with the lace jacket and hot-pink pineapple print. I can't find a historically-accurate bikini for Barbara Jean, so she gets to wear that for a summer date. 

Josefina and Felicity come from time periods where swimming and bathing weren't considered ladylike. Felicity wears her lavender striped Traveling Gown and second "meet" outfit. Josefina is in the pretty beige flowered dress and beige moccasins I found her in.

Listened to CDs while I worked, starting with finally getting all the way through American Musical Theater Vol II. The Cradle Will Rock, an opera about a steel worker who attempts to unionize against a miserly boss, was so politically charged the government tried to shut it down before it opened. Writer Marc Blitzstein ended up playing the piano for the cast while they sang their parts from the audience. Howard DaSylva gets dark title song. They weren't the only show to have trouble, either. Porgy and Bess wasn't a hit in its original 1935 run, though songs like "Bess, You Is My Woman Now" eventually put it over by 1940. Pins and Needles was a very similar revue from around the same time, though far more comic in nature. Ruth Rubenstein sings about being a "Chain Store Daisy" who has to sell to men instead of chase them. 

Two of the big names in this time period couldn't have been more different from another. Kurt Weill specialized in groundbreaking concepts and odd fantasies featuring brittle leading ladies like Gertrude Lawrence, who introduced "Jenny" in Lady In the Dark, and Mary Martin, who joined Kenny Baker to introduce "Speak Low" in One Touch of Venus. He also wrote the wistful "September Song," which was introduced by Walter Huston in Knickerbocker Holiday. "Tchaikovsky" had very little to do with Lady In the Dark, and everything to do with the performer who introduced the wild patter number about Russian composers - Danny Kaye. Cole Porter, on the other hand, went in for goofy shows with sassy belters like Ethel Merman. She introduced the title song of Anything Goes and "Friendship" with Bert Lahr in DuBarry Was a Lady. Mary Martin became a star singing Porter's sexy "My Heart Belongs to Daddy" in Leave It to Me. 

All of that changed when Oklahoma debuted. Rodgers and Hammerstein's romantic comedy-drama led a revolution where stories got meatier and songs and dances now had to have some relevance to the plot. The version of "Soliloquy" heard here is from the original cast album of Carousel and has a passage Hammerstein cut after opening that is heard nowhere else. For some reason, they use the 1966 revival of Annie Get Your Gun with Ethel Merman, Bruce Yarnell, and Jerry Orbach singing "There's No Business Like Show Business" instead of the original. Irving Berlin himself sings his own comic number from This Is the Army, "Oh How I Hate to Get Up In the Morning." St. Louis Woman wasn't a hit, but it did give us the gorgeous ballad "Come Rain or Come Shine."

Put on Diana Krall as I cleaned up the dolls' boxes and shoe hangers. Quiet Nights mean just that, soft ballad and bluesy numbers. There's standards here, too, "Where Or When," "Too Marvelous For Words," "Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out to Dry," and a really lovely version of "I've Grown Accustomed to His Face." Of the newer numbers, I liked the title song and "So Nice" the best.

Rested while watching the first three episodes of Remember WENN. Decided to rewatch my favorite TV show in honor of its 30th anniversary this year. "On the Air" introduces Betty Roberts (Amanda Naughton), who has just arrived at Pittsburgh radio station WENN in 1939. She won a writing contest, but erudite station manager Victor Comstock (John Bedford Lloyd) isn't impressed until her script saves a broadcast.

"Klondike 9366" brings in perky ingenue Ceila Mellon (Dina Spybey) and shows us more of husband-and-wife acting team Jeff Singer (Hugh O'Gorman) and Hilary Booth's (Melinda Mullins) contentious relationship. Celia is tossed into the fray when she and Jeff host Victor's latest radio creation, a late-night call-in talk show. It just ends up with crossed lines, until they help a little boy (Nick Holmes) keep a prowler at bay. 

Victor and Betty are caught between "A Rock and a Hard Place" when wealthy Mr. Action (Barton Heyman) wants to create a slam-bang action show. However, that would mean canceling Pittsburgh Public Library Theater and upsetting another influential sponsor, Mrs. Mellon (Irene Worth). While Victor tries to figure out how to appease both of them, Ceila tries desperately to avoid Mrs. Mellon...and Betty learns she wasn't entirely upfront about how close she was to the Mellon family. Good thing Betty can keep a secret (something she'll be doing a lot more of in the later seasons). 

Headed out after "Rock and a Soft Place" ended. I dropped off a book at the kiosk in front of what used to be the Oaklyn Library, then headed down to West Clinton. The Oaklyn Police Department held their National Night Out at the parking lot between the school and Tonewood Brewery. They were giving out free bags of popcorn, water ice, hot dogs, bottles of water, and very thin slices of pizza. I had two slices of pizza and one of everything else. Ate while watching older kids slide around and jump triumphantly out of a sports-themed bounce house. There was a Mickey Mouse-themed bounce house for the younger kids. 

I had just come back for cherry water ice when the police announced a pie-eating contest. Actually, it turned out to be more of a Reddi-Whip-in-the-pie-pan eating contest. Two cops competed against a line of kids. They were all utterly hilarious to watch, kids and cops alike! I think one of the older boys ended up winning. I finally went home as mothers wiped their children's whipped cream-covered faces and the cops grabbed lots of napkins.

Caught the last Match Game '76 episode of the night when I got in. Jimmie Walker spent a lot of the week enamored with a very pretty contestant who made her own clothes. Richard Dawson was happier to be between Elaine Joyce and Fannie Flagg (and their shapely figures).

Put on more WENN after Match Game ended. Movie and theater star Grace Cavendish (Patti LuPone, the first of three Broadway divas to appear on the show) makes a special appearance at the station in "There But for Grace." Hilary Booth is furious. She never forgave Grace for stealing her part in Razzle Dazzle. Grace is really there to see Victor, whom she once had a relationship with. Betty's not too happy either when she catches them renewing said relationship. Victor, however, is married to the station and the artistic freedom it brings. Meanwhile, Hilary is determined to get rid of this interloper, or at least give her the stomach ache of her life. (Look for LuPone's performance of the title song, the first of two times on the show you'll hear its lyrics.)

Finished the night at PBS Kids with Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. Strawberry Shortcake and her friends aren't the only ones who learn that it's not so bad for our friends to have different interests. It's "Pizza Day at School." Dan wants to be "pizza buddies" with Prince Wednesday, but doesn't understand why he prefers broccoli over green peppers. Likewise, Miss Elainia tries to get Katarina to try finger painting, but she prefers painting with a brush. "Daniel and Jodi Like Different Things" when they play at the beach. Dan doesn't like to be squirted with a squeezy whale. Jodi's brother doesn't want his feet covered with sand, but he loves to help make sandcastles! 

Rainy Day Games

Started the day with breakfast and Monchichhis. It's a "Double Play" when the Grumplins create a machine that can turn a Grumplin into a Monchichhi. They target Patchit, the Monchichhis' inventor, repair-monkey, and head of the Happy Works, capturing him when he goes out for a ride on his new helicopter. When the others realize that's not Patchit, they go after him, only for him to rescue them when they're captured and sent to the Grumplins' mines.

It was pouring like crazy when the cartoon ended. I had to call Uber. There was no way I could take the bike...but I called too late. They couldn't arrive for 20 minutes! I ended up being very late, more than 20 minutes. At least there was no such trouble later. The second driver arrived in 9 minutes. No trouble on the road, not even flooding. 

Thank heavens that was the worst thing that happened all day. The rain stopped shortly after I arrived. It started again around 11. As you can imagine, the store wasn't busy. It didn't even pick up a little bit until almost before I was done. Another bagger came in and helped with the carts after around 10 as well. I was in and out with no trouble. Even picked up Bob's Red Mill instant oatmeal on clearance.

Instead of going straight home, I had the Uber driver drop me off at WaWa to use the ATM machine. Grabbed a Caramel Coconut Smoothie, Chicken Teriyaki Wrap, and Miss Vickie's chips there, too. The smoothie was frankly a bit watery, but the sandwich was yummy when I got home. Thankfully, the rain was long gone by the time I was at WaWa, though it remained cloudy and thickly humid. I did get home dry.

Did something different when I got in and watched Sesame Street. The brand-new special "Storm On Sesame Street" has everyone in the neighborhood preparing for a major storm that's supposed to hit New York. Elmo's dad asks him to find three objects that will help make everyone feel better. He's joined by Abby Cadabby, her mom, and her stepbrother Rudy. Rudy's very nervous about the storm, so Elmo tries to distract him. He's helped by Bert and Ernie (who took in animals) and Big Bird (who is lining up stuffed animals for hugs, including his own Radar teddy). Later, after they see the havoc the storm wrecked on Sesame Street, they play superheros to fix everything, but learn that even the smallest help can have the biggest impact.

Switched to records while vacuuming, dusting, Swiftering, and taking the laundry downstairs. Since I just watched Sesame Street, I started off with Sesame Street Story Time. Luis, Maria, and Bob narrate short original fairy tales featuring the Muppets. Most of them, like "The Legend of the Lovely Linda," "Ike and Ilk," "The Story of Ira and Inex," and "The King Banishes the Letter 'P'," teach letters and their sounds. "The King's Picnic," "The King's Nose," and "The King and the Fireman" go more into the roles of kings and what they do. The theme of "The King's Problem" is very similar to "Storm On Sesame Street," showing how you don't have to be big or fast to do something important.

When We Were Very Young is an adaptation of a book of poetry by Winnie the Pooh author A.A Milne, and is in fact where Pooh made his debut. While ironically they don't use the poem that introduced Pooh ("Teddy Bear"), some of the others are lovely. "Daffydowndilly" and "The Mirror" have a sweet edge of melancholy to them, while "Disobedience," with its reverse of a child trying to care for a wayward parent, has an almost macabre ending. 

Salad Days was a long-running hit in London during the mid-50's, and frankly one of the most peculiar hit musicals I've ever heard. College students Timothy and Jane get married secretly, due to his disapproving family wanting him to find work. They eventually agree to watch a homeless man's piano for a month. It seems like an easy assignment, until they realize the piano makes anyone who hears it want to dance. One of Timothy's many uncles is a government official who bans the piano. After it goes missing, another uncle who is a scientist takes them in his flying saucer to find it.

Um, er, yeah. Good thing the music is genuinely charming, because the story is plain bonkers. Eleanor Drew and John Warner get the sweet "We Said We Wouldn't Look Back" and "Oh, Look at Me," while the more lively "Out of Breath" and "We're Looking for a Piano" are the closest this show gets to chorus numbers. Drew gets two solos, "I Sit In the Sun" and "The Time of My Life." This isn't a big show. It's played on the one piano. It is pretty cute, though, and apparently continues to remain popular with amateur groups in England and the UK. If you like British musical comedies, you'll probably want to hear this, but it's not for someone looking for a meatier story or one that makes sense.

I almost passed out listening to Salad Days. Switched to the American Musical Theater CD...and I did pass out there after the third song. I went down at around quarter of 5 and finally got up around 6:30. I'll listen to the rest of it later this week. 

Watched Match Game '76 during dinner and after I brought the clothes upstairs. Most of the episodes covered the week with Scoey Mitchelll and Susan Howard. The last half-hour took us into the next week, with Orson Bean, Betty White, and the only appearance of character actress Pat Delaney.

Finished the night after a shower honoring the 100th anniversary of NBC this year with some of their most memorable game shows. Password, for instance, started on CBS when it began in 1961. Password Plus moved the franchise to NBC in 1979, and it would stay there for Super Password starting in 1984. Although Super with Bert Convy was the bigger hit, Plus introduced the format both shows used that had contestants not only guessing words, but how they were all connected into a word. (And Password has gone back to NBC for its current version after Million Dollar Password ran on CBS in 2008.)

NBC wasn't nearly as good at keeping its shows around as CBS. Most of the Chuck Woolery and the early Pat Sajak daytime episodes of Wheel of Fortune are gone for good. The episode I have here from 1979 is one of the survivors. They're missing a lot of Hollywood Squares, too. We do have this episode from early in its short-lived nighttime run with Buddy Hackett in the center square, when it was one of the funniest and hippest game shows on TV.

You Bet Your Life was more fortunate. Groucho Marx's son was able to save most of his father's show from being junked. He absolutely made the right call. Not only is this one of the few surviving game shows from its era, but Groucho grilling contestants and tossing out quips to wanna-be comedians and inventors is still hilarious over 70 years later. 

By the time Classic Concentration debuted in 1988, NBC had largely begun to drop daytime game shows. It would be one of the last game shows on the network, running until 1991. The success of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire at ABC in 2001 prompted NBC to bring another popular British game show stateside. The Weakest Link is even darker as stone-cold hostess Anne Robinson presides over a group of people who vote off the worst player or "weakest link" after every round. The show ran into audience fatigue with "big money" game shows and didn't run a year. It did much better in its revival with Jane Lynch starting in 2020.

Celebrate NBC's centennial with some of its most beloved and popular games! 

You Bet Your Life (1950)

Hollywood Squares (1968)

Wheel of Fortune (1979)

Password Plus (1982)

Super Password (1987)

Classic Concentration (1991)

The Weakest Link American Premiere (2001)