The Wind Is Wild

Began the morning with breakfast and the season finale of Green Eggs and Ham. "Anywhere" starts with E.B getting upset over Sam selling the chickariffe...but like most of what Sam's done throughout the series, it's a trick. He's really trying to send it home. Michellee, Guy, and E.B help him get Mr. Jenkins up to the hot air balloon launch to Chickariffe Island, but Snertz is in hot pursuit...and unlike most villains in kids' cartoons, he's not going to suddenly turn good when he sees what he's done. There's also McWinkle and Glutz, and the Goat is still at large, too. Guy, on the other hand, realizes that his failed invention might be more useful than he ever imagined...and that having friends and a lady who loves you is even more important.

I don't know who at Warners decided to turn one of Seuss' simplest books into an animated miniseries version of Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, but I hope they got a huge bonus. This was an unabashed delight, with terrific performances from Michael Douglas as Guy and Adam DeVine as Sam, colorful animation, and a script that is well-balanced between hilarious and heartbreaking. Even the theme song "Backflip" is both catchy as heck and nicely echoes the "look beyond appearances" theme. If you want to see some creative Seuss or a show you can share with your younger elementary school-age kids, this is  highly recommended.

Switched to The Cat In the Hat Knows a Lot About That while I got organized for work to check out another really good Seuss TV show. Sally and Nick are getting a lot less rain in their yards than we've had lately. The Cat takes them to the rain forest to teach them about "The Rain Game." They encounter ants, toucans, and howler monkeys and learn how the huge trees shade the creatures on the ground from rain and provide an important ecosystem. Nick's having a hard time giving up his too-small lucky sweater. The Cat takes him and Sally to the desert to meet Clyde the Coral Snake, who teaches them that "No Sssweater Is Better" than shedding a too-small skin.

Headed off to work soon as the episode ended. Took the bike again. It's still windy, but this time, it was sunny with no clouds and a little bit warmer. 

Spent most of my day in the floral department helping the manager refill all those empty bouquet buckets. We also rearranged the stuffed animals I put out the other day and decided what could be done with the rather plain-looking potted tulips, shamrocks, daisies, and hyacinths. I even got to make two arrangements. I think I should have taken a little more off the tulips - they looked too bunched. The bouquet of spring flowers, on the other hand, came out beautifully, and all I needed to do was trim it, add a white satin bow, and fluff it slightly.

Went straight home after I finished. Took the laundry downstairs and the trash and recycling outside while watching Vega$. Phillip Roth (Tony Curtis) isn't too happy about notorious white-collar criminal Christopher Vincente (Caesar Romero) staying at the Desert Inn. Turns out he has a reason to be concerned, but not the one he thinks. Vincente's latest scheme is kidnapping showgirls and selling them in a white slavery ring. After he's almost blown up in Vincente's mansion on Lake Mead, he manages to rescue one of the girls...but is reluctant to turn her over to Lieutenant Dave Nelson (Craig Morris) until he can get Vincente.

Put the laundry in the dryer, then did some job research. Applied for an appointment coordinator at a large remodeling company in Cherry Hill. They have a long list of benefits and decent pay, though I'm not entirely sure how well I'd handle scheduling a large company.

Worked on writing next. Nip-Tok (Nipsey Russell) is the hip poem-spouting head of the Oz Army. He leads them to the Wizard's home, but he can't tell them much about him. Seems he can appear to be anything, but hasn't been seen in the streets since the attack on the City.

Broke for dinner and to finally bring the laundry upstairs at 7PM. Watched Match Game Syndicated as I ate. Alan Oppenheimer is best-known to those who grew up in the 80's like me as the original voice of Vanity Smurf and Skeletor and Mer-Man on He-Man, among many others. He had a lot of fun during his only week on the show, which also included Dick Martin and Laurie Walters of Eight Is Enough. In the last episode of the week, Laurie shows off her sheer stockings and heels, while Betty White's not too happy when she's picked for the Audience Match and not her.

The second episode for some reason jumps right into the next week, with Fred Grandy and Phyllis Diller. Maybe they jumped ahead because this is one of the funniest episodes of the syndicated series. Gene gets a small shock from the question holder early in the episode. That escalates into a far bigger one, complete with wavy "shock" lines on the screen and Gene supposedly passing out. Charles insinuates he could take over Gene's hosting, but then decides it's not for him.

Finished the night on YouTube with another famous host, Jack Barry. Barry produced many shows with his partner Dan Enright, but I don't think many people remember that he also hosted several of them. He started out as the host of Juvenile Jury, their kid panel show. Very young kids, sometimes young as three, answered questions brought to them by other kids their own age. The kids were both intelligent and precious, and Barry worked very well with them and the other children they helped out.

Barry really hit it big as the host of Twenty-One. He managed to rack up the suspense as ordinary people answered questions posed to them in isolation booths. The first to make 21 points won. Unfortunately, it turned out that the wild success of this show was manufactured. Many of the contestants, including Charles Van Doren seen here, were given the answers here and on other game shows of the mid-late 50's. 

Not only did that end Barry-Enright Productions for a decade, it badly damaged Barry's reputation, despite him having less to do with the scandals than his partner. Though the panel game High Low and the daytime Tic Tac Dough that Barry hosted weren't fixed, the shows were cancelled anyway. Barry-Enright were done by 1959.

Barry worked in Canada for most of the 60's before returning late in the decade to take over from Denis Whorley as the host of The Generation Gap, and then as the host of the short-lived movie quiz The Reel Game. He tried working for Goodson-Todman in the early 70's, but came to the conclusion that he preferred being his own boss and returned to producing. Alas, his two shows on his own, Hollywood's Calling and Blank Check, flopped, and he ended up returning to Enright.

The first show to come out of their revived partnership was The Joker's Wild. Barry hosted this lightning-fast quiz show were people push the lever on a huge slot machine to get the subjects and, if they're lucky, a Joker. If they can answer the question, they win the  pot. The episode I have from early in the run features a hilarious and personable old gentleman named Tex who became the first person on the show to win a car.

Break the Bank never seemed to catch a break. It didn't run on ABC during 1976 with Tom Kennedy hosting, and it didn't last much longer in syndication with Barry at the helm, either. Too bad. This is a very funny show in the vein of Hollywood Squares, with celebrities tossing out quips on a huge board as contestants try to guess which is telling the truth about a question.

Barry continued to host The Joker's Wild until his death in 1984, even after CBS cancelled the show and they moved it to syndication. I believe his later seasons and Bill Cullen's two would later run on USA as well. The episode I have here from 1983 may be one I saw on USA as a kid, or even watched on TV with my parents.

Step out of the isolation booth to enjoy Jack Barry's world of huge slot machines, joking panels, and tense trivia confrontations!

Juvenile Jury (1954) 

Twenty-One (1956)

High Low (1957)

Tic Tac Dough (1958)

The Reel Game (1971) 

The Joker's Wild (1972)

Break the Bank Syndicated (1976)

The Joker's Wild Syndicated (1983)

Sudden Storms

Started off the morning with breakfast and Working on a Dream. This was Bruce Springsteen's big hit album from a decade ago, spawning a #1 hit in the title song of the movie The Wrestler. I also like the album's title number, "My Lucky Day," and the lovely "What Love Can Do."

Headed off to work before the album was finished. Despite gale-force winds and biting chill, it was sunny enough when I left for me to take the bike. Besides, I'm tired of spending a ton of money on Uber. I'd rather save it for occasional trips out of town. Though my toe remains sore, my wrist does feel a lot better. 

Spent most of the afternoon dodging those winds and pushing carts. At least two other guys were there as well, allowing me to spend an hour inside putting away items people didn't want. Less than twenty minutes after I got back outside, the wind increased to near-hurricane levels, and the clouds that had been building on the horizon suddenly turned into a fierce snow squall. I didn't want to go back inside because I hadn't finished with the carts. Besides, I could tell that, even as the clouds arrived, they were already starting to break apart. By the time I rode home, it was back to being a sunny, windy day. 

Went straight into the Match Game Sunday Classics marathon when I got home. (Took a shower and had dinner a little later in the evening.) Some of the most memorable contestants of the entire CBS run came in its later years. Statuesque blonde Darlene spent the week she became the show's biggest winner up until that time flirting with Richard Dawson. There was also George, the sweet young man in the glasses who won big during New Year's week 1976 and into early '77. He said he intended to use some of his winnings to send his parents on a Hawaiian vacation. I hope they had a great time! 

The big winner of mid '77 was Bertha, a dear little old lady who just couldn't believe she'd gotten on the show. Everyone treated her like a queen, giving her a seat when she got to the Audience Match and bringing her water. She was such an absolute doll, she remains an viewer favorite. Bertha wasn't the only older champ who was a sweetheart, either. Down-to-Earth older man Bill was the first person to win big on the new Star Wheel in mid-1978 and the first to play on the new blue and orange set. 

The biggest winner ever on the show was Carolyn in 1979, who ironically won after she returned on a technicality. She went home with over $30,000 on the second-to-last week of the CBS run. Bill Daily was so excited to help her, he almost took his clothes off! Brett was thrilled when she helped her become the all-time champ, too. 

Some one-off contestants were pretty memorable as well. There was the poor nervous older lady who slipped and said she was retarded when she meant retired. Marge was a very cute lady, but her family tree was so large and unwieldy, Betty White took notes just to figure out who was married to whom. One of the contestants who came in after Carolyn had these really awesome Groucho Marx faces painted on her nails that must have taken forever to dry.

Come check out the big winners of the later CBS run in this thrilling marathon!

Match Game Sunday Night Classics - Featuring Best Contestants and Winners (1976 - 1979)

Spring Showers and Matches

Began the morning with breakfast and Once Upon a Mattress. I go further into this vehicle for Carol Burnett at the height of her variety show's original popularity at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Family Fun Saturday - Once Upon a Mattress (1972)

I didn't even have time to finish the movie before getting dressed and calling Uber. Though it wasn't raining when I left, it was once again supposed to rain later. The streets were already wet. I had a much harder time getting a ride there than home. The one going to work took 13 minutes. I barely got to work on time. Ironically, the driver going home came in less than a minute, and that was during rush hour and after the rain had long started.

Spent the entire afternoon in the floral department. The floral manager had a family event and had to leave early, but she left me written instructions to shelve three boxes of stuffed animals. Two contained sherbet-colored "gelato" teddy bears. The others were three types of rolly-polly spring animals. She actually bought the bubble gum pink axolotl for me - she came with the name Emma! I also watered pansies in bowls on a shelf outside and the pots of daisies and tulips inside, dusted the shelves in the floral department, and made two small rose bud arrangements in red and yellow. Grabbed dried pineapple from the clearance produce nuts and dried fruit on the way out.

And yes, sometime after I arrived at work, it did start pouring. It was pouring when I went home and would continue pouring off and on for the rest of the day. I think I even heard thunder at one point. 

Had enough time to finish Once Upon a Mattress before the start of tonight's Match Game Saturday Classics marathon. Game show hosts frequently appeared on Match Game, starting with Bob Barker the second week in 1973. Barker was one of three hosts who became a semi-regular in his own right, appearing frequently through 1980. Bert Convy turned up a lot for the first three years of the show, even after he started on his own show, Tattletales. He made one last appearance in 1979, on a very funny week that featured Patty Duke insisting Robert Walden strip off his sweater for them. 

The other semi-regular host was Bill Cullen. The Dean of Game Shows made fairly frequent appearances from the very funny week in late 1973 that also featured Cass Elliott through 1981. Allen Ludden did several weeks on his own in 1974 and one with his wife Betty White in '75. Jack Narz of Concentration turned up for a week in 1974 and made a cameo two days before the New Year to promote his Now You See It. Announcer Gene Wood did a week in 1974. Johnny Olsen sat in for Gary Burghoff when he was late due to Daylight Savings. Arlene Francis mostly turned up from 1973 through 1975, including the week Carol Bartos became the all-time winner at that point. Narz's brother Tom Kennedy and Peter Marshall of Hollywood Squares were seen during the syndicated run. 

Play along with your favorite hosts as they try to match the stars in this hilarious marathon!

Match Game Saturday Night Classics - Featuring Game Show Hosts On the Panel (Part 1)

Angels In the Sunshine

Kicked off the morning with breakfast and Green Eggs & Ham. Guy and Sam are "There" and finally at Meepville, but they're still running into trouble. Sam manages to escape from the Goat with the chickagriffe, but Guy is captured by the Bad Guys. As it turned out, the "bad" guys are actually the B.A.D Guys, and not what Guy (or the audience) thinks at all. Sam tries to help Guy escape, but he's tired of Sam's lies and isn't hearing any of it this time. E.B and Michellee, on the other hand, come to an understanding of one another when E.B sees her mother's artwork in a gallery and realizes how good she is. They do end up at the big Gala for Snertz, but E.B is just as upset as Guy when she sees Sam hand the chickargriffe over to Snerz...

Switched to Buzzr for the tail end of the late 70's Card Sharks. The guy was the champ, but the lady passed to him on the Sudden Death round, and he chose the wrong card. The guy did better on Press Your Luck. They were finishing up a Whammy-free first round when I left.

I had a bunch of errands to run, starting with a stop at Sprouts. They still have the vanilla unsweetened coconut milk I've been drinking on sale, and the breakfast cookies, too. Found unique bumpy "Golden Nugget" oranges that were four for a dollar. They looked like slightly smaller versions of the Sumo oranges that have turned up in the past few years. Grabbed peanut butter cookies on clearance.

Quickly stopped at the Haddon Township Library to drop off books, then dodged men trimming trees near the high school on my way to the Westmont Acme. Mainly needed yogurt here. Took advantage of online coupons to pick up Ratio and Oiko Triple Zero, the latter in a four-pack. Grabbed more granola bars. Kind bars were on sale, and I had an online coupon for the Make Good Bites. Apples in bags were cheaper here than anywhere else, and the mozzarella cheese I've been buying was on a good sale. Grabbed bagels for lunch this week.

Took the long way home across Newton Lake Park. I didn't have much of a choice about riding on the paths, despite them being busy with people walking their dogs or strolling and enjoying the beautiful day. The paths over the hills are clogged with mud leftover from the heavy rain earlier in the week. At least it's starting to look like spring. The grass in the park remains yellow, but the trees are starting to show the first buds. 

Went straight home and into Let's Make a Deal while eating lunch and putting everything away. I have no idea why more than half the dealers wore Hawaiian or tropical get-ups, including a newlywed couple who were happy to win furniture for their new home. They understandably didn't want to give it up, but a very odd clown and a tourist did. Neither of them got the Big Deal, but she seemed to be happy with appliances and a grill, and he certainly wasn't going to complain about a stereo and bedroom furniture.

Got my schedule online around this point. In good news, two floral department days, no very long hours, and only Wednesday is early. However, I'm getting even less hours, the least I've gotten in almost a decade. It's not just me, either. Apparently, they're cutting hours across the board. I'm pleased and surprised I got into the floral department this week at all.

Switched to F-Troop while doing research on the publishing industry online. Yes, I'm aware that the publishing industry is hard to break into. It's still something that interests me. 

It's "O'Rourke Vs. O'Reilly" when a lovely and intelligent lady (Lee Meriweather) buys the building across from O'Rourke and turns it into a saloon. Worse yet, she figures out what O'Rourke and Agorn are doing and tries to blackmail them. They drum up a women's temperance union to put their competition out of business.

Things get hairy for the duo when they have to hide their liquor still after an inspector general arrives to find out how the Hikawis are getting drunk. They try "The 86 Proof Spring," but as often happens with these two, it backfires.

Parameter thinks he's just doing his duty when he rescues Chief Wild Eagle's daughter from a Native her father doesn't approve of. The Chief's singing "Here Comes the Tribe" when he insists on Parameter marrying his daughter. The others try to find her lover and end the wedding.

Everyone at Fort Courage says "Iron Horse, Go Home" when the Hikawis sell their land to the railroads. With nowhere else to go, they end up at Fort Courage. Not only is it a rough fit, but the Army men aren't exactly used to Hikawi ways and rituals, and vice versa. They try to get the railroad to go around the land instead.

Agarn claims to have killed Geronimo in an attempt to impress a pretty lass (Jackie Joseph, who was actually married to Ken Berry at the time). The news spreads like wildfire around Fort Courage and the entire area, before "Our Here, What's His Name?" is up for a medal from Washington. The real Geronimo isn't as amused, and now he wants his revenge on Agarn. 

Started writing around 5 PM. Bill introduces them to Nip-Tok (Nipsey Russell), the mechanical head of the Oz Army. Nip-Tok can wisecrack, recite poetry, and do excellent crowd control...when you keep his key wound. He claims he's nothing like the original head of the Army was. Richard thinks the head of the Army sounds too familiar...

Had Vega$ on while I worked. Things get scary at "The Pageant" when one of the contestants (Maureen McCormick) is raped while waiting for a date. Her horrified father (Robert Reed, her stepfather from The Brady Bunch) hires Dan to find out who did this to his daughter. The girl's testimony and description of the assailant helps them enough to use Bea as bait to lure this madman out of hiding.

Broke for dinner and Match Game Syndicated at 7 PM. We get jokes in the opening about Richard Paul's cowboy hat, while Joyce does her idea of a stripping routine when asked to take off her bright white coat. We also meet a contestant who is an expert at sign language, and Gene makes a reference to the then-exploding Mount St. Helens when a lady from Oregon mentions they're dealing with the fallout.

Took a shower, then watched two episodes of Charlie's Angels in honor of International Women's Day. The season 2 finale has them as "Antique Angels" when they track a new fuel that was stolen to an antique car rally. While Bosley falls for one of the female car owners, the other three ladies don Keystone Cops costumes to figure out which car owner came in late enough to have made the theft.

They're "Pretty Angels All In a Row" when they too join a pageant, in this case to find out who's been scaring the ladies off. Kris and Kelly become contestants, while Sabrina and Bosley are supposedly TV reporters. Turns out that someone's been bribing judges, and kidnap a judge who can't be bribed. The girls need to figure out who's been giving those bribes, before on of the contestants really get hurt.

Finished the night on YouTube with From This Moment On...Cole Porter in honor of singer Steve Lawrence, who passed away yesterday. He and his wife Eydie Gorme did this early 80's special in England. They're joined by two stars who actually did appear in Porter shows on Broadway and film, Ethel Merman and Bob Hope. Hope's around for the stage segment with Lawrence as Porter as they discuss his first Porter show on Broadway, Red, Hot, and Blue. Merman joins Lawrence and Hope onstage, then is the hostess for the type of "swellegant, elegant" parties Porter reportedly favored. We also get a lovely ballerina who dances in can-can costumes with Parisian types to instrumental versions of music from Can-Can. 

I do wish they came up with a stronger finish than Lawrence and Gorme more-or-less repeating their Vegas act with Porter songs. It gets a little monotonous after a while. They didn't even bring Merman back in. Other than that, this is a really fun show if you love the four leads or Porter's music.

Here's the copy currently on YouTube; it comes with bonus Lawrence and Gorme performances at the very end.

From This Moment On...Cole Porter

Ride In the Wind

Began the morning with a very quick breakfast and Green Eggs & Ham. Sam and Guy take a "Boat" to Meepville, hoping to evade The Bad Guys and the Goat. E.B and Michellee are also on the boat. Guy apologizes to Michellee about pushing her and E.B away at the cabin, while Guy rethinks his job when E.B talks about what a hero he is for saving Mr. Jenkins. Thing is, not only are the "Bad" Guys not really bad, but the Goat is still after them, and he's not about to take no for an answer.

Went online to do a few things, then headed out around 12:30. Stopped at WaWa in Collingswood for money and a Propel, then went to the Pop Shop to use up the last of that gift card Rose gave me for Christmas. I had Banana Cream French Toast and an iced tea. I suspect the "cream" was actually pudding, but it still tasted good, with lots of banana slices in the middle and cut up on the side.

While I waited for my lunch, one of the waitresses came out and told everyone that they were testing the fire alarm and not to panic. I think she forgot how popular the Pop Shop is with very young children and their families. The second the alarm went off, the two older kids near me covered their ears or stuck their fingers in them, and the poor toddler in the booth in front of me burst into tears and let loose with wails louder than the alarm. Thankfully, she quieted down when it went off. 

Cut across Collingswood and down the White Horse Pike to Audubon to check out Abbie Road next...but it wasn't there. The only thing in the store when I arrived was a yellow couch. I went down the street to Desserts by Design for two small jam sandwich cookies and to ask the head baker about him. Turns out he moved to King's Highway in Mt. Ephraim in October. It was only a ten-minute ride and I needed to work off the French toast anyway, so I let her write down the address for me and moved on.

Ducked across Audubon to King's Highway. Truth be told, it wasn't the nicest day. It spit slightly earlier, but by 1:30, it was just cloudy, windy, and chilly. I wasn't sure I was going in the right direction, but I pulled over on King's Highway and learned I was just a few blocks away.

Abbie Road was now housed in its own separate building in Mt. Ephraim along King's Highway. While it lacked the back office and cavernous basement, it did have far more space in the main building and a yard where I parked my bike. Bob was happy to see me and to have moved. It sounds like he was basically pushed out so they could put in an office and says he fits in better where he is. 

I'm a little disappointed that he no longer carries the TV show DVD sets he had, but I made some finds that were just as good. Along with The Benny Goodman Story, Laura, and a double feature set of Rhythm on the River and Rhythm on the Range on DVD, I found:  

Bruce Springsteen - Working On a Dream 

Frank Sinatra - Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely

The soundtrack from The Commitments (CDs)

Rupert Holmes - She Lets Her Hair Down

Get It On! - Ronco rock collection from 1974

The original cast of the 2018 Broadway revival of Carousel

The soundtrack from It Happened In Brooklyn

Hogan's Heroes Sing the Best of World War II (Records)

Dodged traffic on the Black Horse Pike by cutting across Mt. Ephraim going home. I couldn't avoid crossing the busy Pike, though. Things were better in Oaklyn. I wanted to get a juice at Heartbeat Nutrition, but for some reason, they're only open on Tuesdays and weekends. Just rode home instead.

Went straight into Alexander's Ragtime Band when I got in. I go further into this through-the-years drama featuring Alice Faye, Ethel Merman, and Tyrone Power at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Alexander's Ragtime Band

Did some job hunting for a while, then broke for dinner and Match Game Syndicated. The first episode has everyone trying to figure out "Skip __" in the Audience Match, while Susan Richardson is nervous about doing "Aching __" in the Head-to-Head. Brett's so delighted with her new Match Game sweatshirt in the second episode, she does a bump and grind routine to show it off!

Finished the night listening to some of the records I've acquired lately, starting with the first two discs from Unforgettable Fifties. This 1988 four-disc collection features quite a few songs I didn't have elsewhere. Among my favorites from the first two records are "Catch a Falling Star" by Perry Como, "You Belong to Me" by Jo Stafford, "This Ole House" by Rosemary Clooney, "Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White" by Perez Prado and His Orchestra, and "Be My Love" by Mario Lanza.

Hogan's Heroes Sing the Songs of World War II is what it says on the tin. Four of the five Heroes were excellent singers, and they perform numbers that would have been popular when the show was set. This was a big surprise. I thought it would be a cheesy tie-in album, but the songs are legitimately well-performed. My favorite was real Frenchman Robert Clary's lovely "The Last Time I Saw Paris." He also joins Richard Dawson for a decent "Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square." 

It Happened In Brooklyn is one of the most underrated major MGM musicals. It's so sweet and low-key, it was the last MGM musical to be filmed in black and white. Sinatra, Peter Lawford, and Kathryn Grayson are hopefuls trying to make it in New York. Jimmy Durante helps them along. It introduced two charming standards, "I Believe" with Sinatra and Durante trying to encourage a young boy to follow his own dreams, and the gorgeous ballad "Time After Time." Durante and Sinatra have a blast with their duet "The Song's Gotta Come from the Heart." 

Stormy Harts

Started off a cloudy, gloomy morning with breakfast and more Green Eggs & Ham. Guy seems awfully cagey to be at his family's "House." He says they look down on him, but to tell the truth, they're good people who want the best for him. He's the one who looks down on himself for not matching their achievements. Sam finally admits to Guy that he never really had a family and he shouldn't take his for granted. Turns out that's not all Sam's lying about when he makes a call at the very end whose recipient shocks even the Narrator...

Though it was only cloudy and breezy at that point, it was supposed to rain later. I ended up calling Uber. They arrived in 4 minutes this morning. Between the weather and it being 6 when I got out, I had to wait 15 minutes for someone to arrive this evening. Thankfully, no trouble either way once they did arrive.

I spent most of my 8 1/2 hour day sweeping or outside gathering carts. It started to rain hard around 11 and hasn't let up since. I shelved items people didn't want or took trash in the back when I got too wet, but I could only do that so often. I was the only bagger there the entire morning and afternoon. Had to clean up two spills on my own and keep up with everything. I was soaked to the skin by the time I finally finished.

I was so tired, I changed and went straight into Match Game '77 when I went home. Dick Martin took Charles' place during this week. Brett was probably happier to be sitting next to handsome soap star Tom Hallick. One of the writers must have been hungry during this episode. There was a question about what the astronaut discovered the Milky Way is covered in, not to mention one of the answers to "___ Henry" in the Audience Match. Meanwhile, Earl the stagehand is asleep on the job, and there's the contestant with the sweet, adorable little voice.

Ate dinner while watching Match Game Syndicated. Charles returns, joined by Richard Paul, Joyce Bulifant, and sweet Susan Richardson. Gene tapes up a strange saying he found stuck on a wall backstage in the start of the first episode, and everyone "awws" Susan's new baby. In the second episode, Charles takes the band off his cowboy hat for a sweat band, and Joyce's ridiculously sad story prompts a walk-out.

Finished the night after a shower with Hart to Hart. "Harts On the Scent" has Jonathan looking forward to creating a unique fragrance for Jennifer at the perfume factory he's buying. He and Jennifer are shocked when the original owner is killed by a dog who previously adored him. When Freeway also begins to show signs of attack, the two realize that there's more to Jennifer's new fragrance than just a good smell. They take a closer look at the factory owner's chemist widow and her head chemist with the expert nose for a good scent. 

Rainy Day at Home

I slept so late, the second episode of Press Your Luck was on before I got to brunch. It was once again another close game, but the guy from yesterday finally beat the other guy with one last hit and a Lose a Whammy card. He was even more thrilled to get a camera and VCR than he was with the trips yesterday.

Let it run into Split Second while I went through the little bit of paperwork for John Hancock and my tax return that were piled on top of my printer. The first episode was pretty much a curb-stomp battle, as one lady dominated the entire game. She missed the car and opted to come back. A gentleman barely beat her in the second. He must have decided that his close victory was a little too close, as he opted to take the vacation.

I briefly considered running errands. The rain stopped by noon, but it began again around 2 and would be off and on for the rest of the afternoon. This was no day for running around. The only time I went outside was to take out the trash. 

I also called Karen to see how she's doing. Not well. She's getting checked out in the hospital. We won't be getting together again this week. I just hope she's all right. 

Had lunch and made the bed while watching 365 Nights In Hollywood. I go further into this Tinseltown-set backstage musical that was one of the earliest roles for Alice Faye at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

365 Nights In Hollywood

Switched to the first season of F-Troop while doing research into several different jobs that interest me. I started watching this spoof of western cliches last year, but never got around to finishing it. Started with the second disc of season 1. "The Girl From Philadelphia" is a pampered lady who wants Captain Parameter (Ken Berry) to marry her. This doesn't make his current girl Wrangler Jane (Melody Patterson) or his troops happy at all. Jane and the troops do everything they can to get rid of this wealthy interloper.

Sweet and clumsy Parameter becomes "Old Iron Pants" when he returns from an officer training course a far tougher man. He closes the saloon, ousts the town drunk, and won't let Melody in the fort. The men have to figure out how to get him back to normal in time for a shipment of mail order brides to arrive. 

Instead of Sergeant Agarn (Larry Storch) re-enlisting, he says "Me Heap Big Injun" and joins local tribe the Hekawis. Truth be told, they really don't want him, either. Parameter and Agarn's partner Lieutenant O'Rourke (Forrest Tucker) try to convince the Hekawis to send him on a ritual that'll put him back in the army...and failing that, they bring everyone from the fort over to join the tribe.

The fort's bugler Private Dobbs (James Hampton) invites his mother to visit the camp. The others think he's talking about a gorgeous singer. "She's Only a Build In a Girdled Cage" when Agorn and O'Rourke try to bring a real chanteuse to the fort to appease them.

After he saves Chief Wild Eagle's life, Parameter receives "A Gift from the Chief" - a baby. The men are all enamored of it at first, until it starts to keep them awake at all hours. Parameter and the others try to figure out how Parameter can save Wild Eagle's life and get him to take the child back.

O'Rourke and Agorn are really excited when a con-man starts to sell worthless mining shares around Fort Courage. Once word gets out about them being phony, they retreat to the hills. The con-man dresses as a Native and says he's an "Honest Injun," but some habits are really hard to break.

Worked on writing for a little while after F-Troop ended. Joyce is dazzled by and impressed with Televisia City. The citizens are somewhere between curious about her strange appearance, and nervous that she's traveling with a lion. Bill Cullen the gate keeper finally introduces them to Nips Tok (Nipsey Russell), their wind-up guard and the head of the Televisia City army. He'll accompany them to the Wizard.

Watched Match Game Syndicated while eating leftovers for dinner. Charles somehow manages to predict his name will fall off the Star Wheel in the first episode. Gene helps him use a staple gun to get it back on. Charles is more nervous in the next episode when the Star Wheel lands on a double, and he has to do "Leonard __" for the Head-to-Head. 

Finished the night as I worked on my Musical Dreams reviews doing something a bit different. Thought I'd listen to all those fairy tale kids' records I picked up yesterday. My favorite was the Simon Says one. Their Goldilocks started off more like Little Red Riding Hood, with Goldilocks picking flowers before she invades the bears' home. Cinderella has a fairy godfather elf instead of a typical fairy godmother. There's also a brief story about the Easter Bunny waking up for spring. "Rings On Her Fingers" and "Alakazam - The Magic Man" are songs, a nursery rhyme set to music and a song about a magician who teaches young children. 

The Brave Little Tailor was nearly as much fun. This isn't a story that's adopted often, other than the Mickey Mouse short. This one pretty much follows the original Grimm fairy tale. The tailor is a diminutive fellow who is so proud when he kills seven flies at once, he tells the townspeople he killed "seven with one blow." They think he killed seven giants, and he finds himself dealing with some very nasty oversized interlopers.

Wasn't nearly as fond of the Pinocchio/Treasure Island/Aesop's Fables Peter Pan album. Pinocchio sounded more like The Gingerbread Man, with Gepetto chasing the puppet everywhere until he finally follows his father to the whale and learns to be good. His grating voice didn't help matters. The Little Red Hen sounds less like an industrious hen than an annoyed baker from Brooklyn, and his friends were even worse. The squeaky voices on the City Mouse and the Country Mouse, not to mention the mouse that helped the lion, were too much. The only story that came off well here was that truncated version of Treasure Island. I'd like to see if I can dig that one up in full. 

Women and Games

Began the morning with breakfast and Green Eggs and Ham. That "Goat" is a far nastier character than almost any Sam and Guy have encountered. It relentlessly attacks the cabin, forcing Guy to send E.B and Michellee away for their safety (to the annoyance of the latter). They follow the Goat up a snowy mountain after it steals the Chickargriffe, but when it catches them too, the Chickagriffe finally shows why everyone thinks it's dangerous. Meanwhile, the two Bad Guys have finally figured out where Sam and Guy are, and we learn why wealthy and obnoxious Mr. Snerz is so determined to have the Chickagriffe in his collection.

Checked a few things online, then put on Press Your Luck while getting organized. It was a real nail-biter this afternoon. This time, the two guys were the ones passing spins. As it turned out, the guy with the least spins and the most Whammies hit two big trips to Colorado and New York City along with a ton of money, giving him more than enough to win.

Headed out after the show ended. I rounded up a small bag of donations for Goodwill. There really isn't much I want to get rid of. I cleared out a lot when I moved the past two times, and I generally drop small books in the neighborhood kiosks and clothes in the bins behind the Acme and Dollar General. Had more luck looking around inside. I don't need clothes right now, but I found a book I've wanted for ages. I've wanted to re-read Quiet, about introversion and being an introvert, but it's always out of the Haddon Township Library. Goodwill had a paperback copy in decent shape for 99 cents. 

I really hit the jackpot on DVDs. Picked up seven classic titles, the Gene Tierney drama Leave Her to Heaven, the Errol Flynn vehicles The Private Lives of Elizabeth & Essex and They Died With Their Boots On, and a collection of four Astaire-Rogers films. I actually bought the last-named for the only Astaire-Rogers movie I didn't have, Swing Time. I also picked up the 1985 TV mini-series Alice In Wonderland, an old childhood favorite of mine, still in its original shrink wrap. (It's also a musical, so it'll likely turn up on Musical Dreams Reviews sometime in the next few months.) 

I did even better with kids' LPs. My record finds included: 

Tale Spinners for Children - The Brave Little Tailor (and the back indicates that among the other titles in this series are Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Robin Hood, Little Red Riding Hood, Alice In Wonderland, and Puss In Boots.)

Another Peter Pan/Tinkerbell short story collection, this one featuring Pinocchio, The Little Red Hen, Treasure Island, The Lion and the Mouse, The Tortoise and the Hare, and The City Mouse and the Country Mouse

Cinderella, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Sleeping Beauty and Other Favorite Stories (This one is from a company called Simon Says, and from the back, it looks like they made several more similar collections.)

Plus three rock and vocal LPs for grown-ups: 

U2 - The Unforgettable Fire

Johnny Mathis - Open Fire, Two Guitars and Warm (Double disc set) 

After a brief peek around Five Below, I went out to lunch. Decided to try something different. Tang Asian Cuisine opened in the former Golden Corral building that sat abandoned behind America's Best and the post office for years. I walked in to warm wooden floors and wide open spaces. They were relatively busy for nearly quarter of 3, with several groups enjoying a late lunch. 

And yes, they did have a ton of food. It reminded me so much of Hunan's Chinese Restaurant in Rio Grande, my family's favorite place for Asian food in the 80's and 90's. They converted into a buffet somewhere in the mid-90's, and it became one of the best ways to feed four hungry kids on a decent budget. I loved Hunan's rice noodles with vegetables and their steamed mussels. Tang had those, and many others. I had a hard time deciding. I sampled chilled mussels, broccoli (from the chicken and broccoli), the pasta, sweet and sour chicken, a simple garden salad, cooked shrimp, a fruit salad, an elephant's ear cookie, and two tiny slices of heavenly mocha mousse cake and matcha sponge cake roll. It was all amazing, and I was so full when I left.

Made a stop at WaWa on the way home for a smaller treat. Since I'd had dessert at Tang Asian, I opted to experiment with the Coke Freestyle soda machine instead. I created Coke Tropical Cream Zero, aka Tropical, Lime, and Cream Zero. Not bad. I think I put a little too much lime in. Next time, I might do more cream.

Took the laundry downstairs, then put on Vega$. "Miliken's Stash" is one last load of cocaine a former drug seller is being forced to unload. Tanna's hot on the trail, but even he doesn't know what to think when a plane crashes, and then the missing drugs are held for ransom.

Did some job hunting, then worked on writing. Joyce is dazzled by Televisia City, a green and white Art Deco behemoth that resembles the best parts of Los Angeles rolled into one. Avery's more nervous about the noise, while Charles and Richard can't help thinking all of this is very familiar. 

Finally remembered to put the laundry in the dryer, then went back up to watch Match Game Syndicated and have dinner. Marcia began the first episode by requesting that Gene spray her dress to remove wrinkles. Gene begins the second episode by admiring Betty Kennedy's brief tube top, scarf, and beret. The others have far more problems figuring out "Ripple __" in the Audience Match.

Took a shower, brought my clothes upstairs, and finished out the night on YouTube. Women have been contestants and panelists on game shows since they began, but they were far rarer as hosts until recently. Arlene Francis was one of the first women in charge of a game show with the Dating Game prototype Blind Date from the early 50's. She helps three days decide which guy is right for their daughter via goofy skits. The skits are awkward, but Francis clearly enjoys helping the fathers make their decision. 

Francis wouldn't be the last woman to host a dating show. Actress and dancer Elaine Joyce was the original host of The All-New Dating Game in 1986. Unlike the 90's version, this one is pretty much the same as the original show with an updated set. Joyce's bubbly personality may have been a little too goofy for this show. She was replaced by Jeff MacGregor after the first season.

Vicki Lawrence had more luck hosting a game show in the 1980's. Win, Lose, or Draw from 1987 was pretty much the same deal as the syndicated version helmed by Bert Convy. Four celebrities help a contestant draw and guess clues to a certain subject. The first person to guess the clues wins the round. I fondly remember Convy's show and the teen version and wish I could have seen more of Vicki's network run. Vicki's not bad, and they're all having a good time.

Just Men! wasn't Betty White's first time hosting a game show. She got to read a question during an episode of Match Game Syndicated when Gene Rayburn was tired of her complaining about how hard it was to match. She had the same warm rapport with the contestants that she would later in Just Men.  This episode was wild in general. Marcia, Betty, and Joyce Bulifant all switched seats, letting Joyce sit in Brett's character actress seat for the first and only time. Joyce got to jokingly comment that she could see everyone's answers on the bottom row and now understood how Charles and Brett were always snitching answers!

Women hosted games for kids, too. Summer Saunders was in charge of Nickelodeon's Figure It Out. This 1999 show was pretty much "I've Got a Secret with slime." Four Nick celebrities try to guess what a kid's secret is. If they guess wrong, they get covered in Nick's trademark green gunge. Not a bad show, and Saunders works well enough with the kids and has boundless energy.

By the start of the new millenium, women had begun to make more inroads as hosts. Anne Robinson was the stone-cold mistress of The Weakest Link who came to NBC with the show in 2001. Most of the BBC cowered under her steely gaze and her infamous catchphrase "you are the Weakest Link. Goodbye." The intense show was eventually brought down by too many celebrity weeks, but it would be revived more successfully in 2020 with the even more intimidating Jane Lynch.

Stand-up comedienne Elaine Boosler was the host of Balderdash on PAX TV in 2004. In this comic To Tell the Truth in reverse, three celebrities toss out statements that may or may not be true. Contestants have to decide who's fibbing, then figure out which words are missing to make a statement true in the Bonus Round. Boosler does fine, but the show moves slow as heck, and the bonus round is a bit of a snore. It barely made four months.

Honor Women's History Month by checking out these bits of TV history when ladies ran the games!

Blind Date (1951)

Match Game Syndicated (1980) - The episode with Betty hosting begins at 21:38.

The All-New Dating Game (1987)

Win, Lose, or Draw (1988)

Figure It Out (1999)

The Weakest Link (2001)

Balderdash (2004)

Almost Spring

Started off the morning with breakfast and the soundtrack from Funny Girl on CD. I've had this one for a while now. I actually like Streisand better here than on the original cast album. She sounds sharper, "Don't Rain On My Parade" is even more driving, and the random Ziegfeld chorus numbers and numbers for the people on her block have been eliminated. Omar Sharif sounds pretty decent on a very funny "You are Woman," too. 

My wrist is feeling much better, enough to ride my bike to work. It was too gorgeous to take Uber anyway. It was sunny, breezy, and already in the upper 40's by 9 AM. I didn't even need a heavy coat. We were a little busy in the morning, but it cleared out by noon. It was just too nice for shopping. I swept and pushed the carts on my own in the morning. The afternoon bagger came in at 12 and took over the sweeping and helped with the carts, which gave me a lot less to do. I put away items people didn't want a couple of times, just to do something.

I did get stuck cleaning up a nasty mess in the bathrooms. One of the managers gave me a $5 gift certificate for doing it. I was going to get a snack, but I decided to save it for grocery shopping later in the week.

When I finally got home, I changed, finished Funny Girl, and put on my soundtrack LP for Star! This take on the life of British stage star Gertrude Lawrence was a flop in 1968 and still isn't that well-regarded today, but it does have some good things. Julie Andrews really threw herself into Lawrence and songs like "Someone to Watch Over Me," "Someday I'll Find You," "Dear Little Girl," and her two numbers from Lady In the Dark, "My Ship" and "The Saga of Jenny." 

Finished the night with dinner and tonight's Match Game marathon. Apparently, there was a problem with the Greg Morris marathon MGP uploaded last October, so he re-released it. Mission: Impossible had just finished its seven-year run when Morris made his first appearance on Match Game in early 1974. He would be a semi-regular from 1974 through 1978, always appearing in the first male guest spot next to Brett. His affable good humor and decent answers made him one of the more popular men in that seat. He even bantered well with Gene when he made an off-the-cuff comment that was so un-PC, the episode is now banned.

He was also on the week after the one Valerie Bertanelli appeared on that was only recently re-run, sporting goofy oversized glasses in the opening of one episode. Roz Kelly joined in for her second week in 1977. There was also Marlena early in 1974, the sweetly goofy contestant who was so excited when Morey Amsterdam won for her, she lost her shoe when she ran over to thank him, and the week in 1976 with Price Is Right model Anitra Ford that Richard spent flirting with the gorgeous Darlene.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to enjoy this hilarious marathon featuring the tech man of Mission: Impossible and Vega$!

Match Game Sunday Classics - Featuring Greg Morris On the Panel

Rainy Day Matches

Got a quick start with breakfast and Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. "Daniel Explores Nature" on a walk with his family. Katerina joins in to watch birds build their nests, then get Dan Sr. to help when the wind blows the nest down. "Daniel's Nature Walk" with O and X the Owls gets even more exciting when they're caught in a light shower and see things that only come out on rainy days, like rainbows.

It was pouring when I went to sleep last night, and it was still pouring late this morning. I pretty much had to call Uber. I had to re-add the locations of my home and Acme Markets due to Uber completely redoing its interface, but at least they worked faster. That didn't mean the drivers came faster. The one coming took 11 minutes; I was almost late to work. The one going home took 9 minutes.

As it turned out, I spent most of the afternoon in the rain. The head bagger did the sweeping. I pushed carts, and when I got too soaked to push carts, I came inside and returned loose items. At the least, there were no real problems other than the weather. We were busy when I arrived, but cleared out as the afternoon went on. Thankfully, the rain also started slowing down around 3 PM. It was still misting when the Uber driver finally arrived.

Since I was already wet, I went straight into the shower when I got home. After I got out, I had a snack while watching more Sailor Moon Crystal. We learn more about "Mamoru Chiba - Tuxedo Mask" in this episode. Mamoru's backstory with him losing his parents is pretty identical to the original...but this time, Usagi figures out who he is well before they tangle with the Dark Moon Kingdom. The rest of the episode gets closer to the original show, with a plot that involves using a DVD shop to brainwash the citizens of Tokyo into finding Sailor Moon. Usagi is not only able to save them from the programming, she has her first encounter with her favorite superheroine Sailor V.

Switched to Pixel Perfect at Disney Plus next. I go further into this surprisingly touching story of a boy who creates the perfect rock star at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Family Fun Saturday - Pixel Perfect

Finished at YouTube with tonight's Match Game marathon. Psychiatrist Dr. Joyce Brothers goes way back with game shows. She won the money to start her practice on The $64,000 Question in 1955, answering questions about boxing. By the time she made her first appearance on Match Game in 1974, she was an old hand at game shows. 

Dr. Brothers was a semi-regular from 1974 through 1978, always sitting in the fourth "ingenue" seat. She was there to greet two big winners in their first episodes, Janet Finn in '74 and Carol Bartos in '75. She took notes when Richard and Betty grabbed and kissed each other after a contestant won an Audience Match and agreed to join Charles and Brett in the parking lot when they all said Match Game would be used as torture. She also saw the poor girl who took nearly ten minutes to figure out how they would call Ugly Edna person to __. She barely got an answer in at the last possible second.

The doctor is in for laughs with this wild marathon! 

Match Game Saturday Classics - Featuring Dr. Joyce Brothers On the Panel 

Livin' On the Air

Started off the morning with breakfast and something different. Listened to soundtracks from two of the musicals I've been reading about in Roadshow while I ate and made my grocery list. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is a very strange story, but it has some lovely Sherman Brothers numbers. I'm especially fond of the lullaby "Hushabye Mountain" and the charming "Truly Scrumptious." Grandpa's two numbers "Posh" and "The Roses of Success" are also a lot of fun. 

The Happiest Millionaire also boasts a nice Sherman Brothers score. In this case, however, the problem is the story, about the Biddle family in the mid 1910's and its eccentric patriarch (Fred MacMurray), is way too small and sitcom-ish for an epic musical. The duet "Are We Dancing?" for the young lovers is the best song here. I also like "Valentine Candy" as Biddle's daughter tries to figure out how to respond to boys and "Fortuosity" for Tommy Steele's Irish butler.

Went online to check my schedule, but it must have been too early for it to appear. I finally gave up around 12:30 and headed out to do my grocery shopping. It was a nice day for a ride. Warmer than yesterday, but not too much for the time of year, probably in the upper 40s. It was sunny and breezy, but I could see clouds on the horizon even as I headed down Cuthbert Road to the Westmont Acme.

I didn't really need a whole lot, to be honest. Mainly wanted to restock yogurt. I had a coupon for a dollar off five Chobani cups. Also picked up granola bars (had another online coupon for the Made Good Bars, and some flavors of Kind are on clearance), apples, and bagels for lunch. Despite it being the beginning of the month, they weren't busy. I was able to get in the self-checkout line with no trouble.

Took the long way home across Newton Lake Park. The gorgeous day was reflected in a busy park. I dodged so many people walking their dogs and going out for a stroll, I finally pushed the bike over the hill past the Haddon Township Environmental and Historical Center. The hill is quiet at this time of year, with many animals still hibernating and no leaves to rustle on the bare trees. The grass seemed greener than usual, probably reflecting all the rain and snow we've gotten this winter.

Put on Care Bears Family while eating lunch when I got home. Hugs and Tugs learn about "Caring for Spring" when Gram tells them the story of how Jack (Tugs) and Jill (Hugs) tried to rescue Mother Nature (Gram) from the Witch of Winter (Shreeky). They get a ring that allows them to make three wishes from a not-so-scary ogre (Grumpy), but use up the wishes helping Wee Willie Winkie (Bright Heart), Jack Be Nimble (Champ) and Little Bo Peep (Beastly). They finally learn the importance of helping others when their new friends save them in return.

Moved to Let's Make a Deal while I put the groceries away. Got in just as several people traded up and down to get either a box or money. The Big Dealers were a Scotswoman in a short plaid kilt and a tam and Gumby with his Smurf cousin. Gumby got kitchen appliances, but the Scottish lass literally hit the jackpot - Monty's Piggy Bank was, for once, bursting with money that added up to three times the cash it usually had. 

After I finished, I took down the winter decorations and put up what I had for spring and St. Patrick's Day. Yeah, I know spring doesn't start for at least another two weeks. It's going to get into the 60's next week, and even when it drops down from there, it won't be that cold. I think Mother Nature is ready, even if the calendar isn't. I saw the first daffodils of the season in a front yard as I rode to the Acme. 

Went online after I put everything away and finally got my schedule. In good news, slightly more hours, four days off, and I'll be in the floral department next Saturday. Trouble is, the reason I got four days off is I work seven and a half hours on Sunday and eight and a half hours on Wednesday! And I'm bagging both days. I'm not looking forward to that at all. I wonder if another bagger went on vacation. 

Ran the last disc for WKRP In Cincinnati throughout the afternoon. Venus thinks he's romancing a lovely lady (Tim Reid's real-life wife Daphne Maxwell Reid)  during his night show, but then he's arrested for  being an accomplice in a jewel robbery. The others try to explain that it's just "Circumstantial Evidence," but it's hard when the woman is an accomplished liar. 

The staff learns a lesson in teamwork when there's a "Fire" on the fifth floor and they're all trapped upstairs. Jennifer isn't happy about being stuck in an elevator with Herb at first. While the others figure out a way to rescue them, Herb learns that Jennifer is less of a goddess than he thinks, and Jennifer discovers that Herb is all too aware of his sleazy reputation.

Bailey is excited to do an article about a children's hospital when Les would rather do a series of stories on the vanishing rutabaga. The others are impressed with the article she wrote, enough for Les to read it on the air. To her horror, Bailey's saying "Dear Liar" when it turns out the story is fake and the little boy who is the focus of the article is a composite of the many children she met there. 

We flashback to the pilot episode as Andy explains "The Creation of Venus" and why Venus' persona and wardrobe changed so much after the first season. Venus was just an out-of-work teacher from New Orleans when Andy recruited him to convince Mrs. Carlson to use his rock format. Andy was the one who insisted he change his name and wear flashy clothes to impress her. 

Les wants "The Impossible Dream" when he claims he's going to New York City to audition for the CBS Evening News. He's also not overly happy when Jennifer tries to hold him a birthday party. He doesn't like birthdays or surprises. There's also his formidable mother, who is supposedly encouraging his dream...or is she?

Arthur's had enough of Herb's big mouth after his fast-talking loses an important client. Jennifer reminds him "To Err Is Human" and actually goes to talk to the client Herb offended, learning how hard Herb's job is in the process.

Everyone at WKRP is thrilled when the Arbitron ratings are out and they learn they're now the number 6 station "Up and Down the Dial." Everyone, that is, but Mrs. Carlson. She never intended WKRP to succeed. She wanted it to be a tax write-off. She finally does what most AM radio stations were doing in the 70's and 80's and insists on changing to an all-news format. 

And that's that. On one hand, some of the individual episodes, like "Rumors" and "Les On a Ledge," haven't dated well. Nor have some of the cracks about Venus' race or Les' sexuality. There's still enough funny shows to more than make up for that, including possibly the best Thanksgiving sitcom episode of all time, "Turkeys Away." Others, like Johnny's departure and return in the first season and the series finale, take a surprisingly realistic view of how radio worked in that era. The cast is uniformly splendid, with Loni Anderson as smart bombshell Jennifer, Richard Sanders as sweet but self-important news reporter Les, and Howard Hesseman as sixties burnout Johnny Fever getting many of the most memorable moments. 

Sadly, the expensive music rights has mostly kept this offline and away from syndication, but the Shout Factory DVD sets are fairly easy to find. If you're a fan of work-coms or if you're like me and have fond memories of this from its frequent syndication in the 80's and early 90's, you'll want to switch on the dial and be "livin' on the air in Cincinnati" with some of the wackiest folks to ever run a radio station.

Went online mid-way through the episodes. Applied for a job with a staffing service in Cherry Hill, then worked on writing. Bill Cullen is the amiable Guard at the Gate. He won't let them see the Wizard, until Charles the Scarecrow mentions the Good Witch Patti. That gets them in. Bill does give them glasses like his first to cut down on the glare in Televisia City.

Broke for banana-peanut butter pancakes, eggs, and orange slices for dinner at 7 PM while watching Match Game Syndicated. The first episode started off with Brett fussing over Charles wearing a knitted vest and Gene complaining about the pockets on his pants being sewn up. Dick Martin is more nervous about helping the contestant with "__ Edge" in the Head-to-Head.

Sadly, Jimmie Walker hasn't cleared his syndicated episodes yet. The last episode of the Dick Martin week and most of the next week is currently unavailable. We pick up the week after with David Doyle, Marcia Wallace, and in his first episode, Robert Donner. We open with Gene reading a letter from a teenager on a farm who insisted that yes, pigs do live in barns and that these celebrities should know that...and one of them did. Brett grew up on a farm, and likely knew as much about raising hogs as the kid did. 

Finished the night and the winter season at Disney Plus with Snowball Express. Johnny Baxter (Dean Jones) is so excited that he has inherited a hotel in Colorado, he quits his accounting job and moves his family there. Turns out the place is a dilapidated wreck that hasn't been run for years, according to local bartender Jesse McCord (Harry Morgan). 

Baxter realizes that the lodge sits on a huge tractor of land surrounded by mountains that he considers to be perfect for skiing. He becomes determined to turn the ruined hotel into a ski lodge. His wife Sue (Nancy Olsen) wishes he'd be more careful and crash into fewer things, while local banker Martin Ridgeway (Keenan Wynn) keeps pestering him to sell the hotel. Johnny finally joins a ski mobile race in order to earn the money to pay Ridgeway, but it turns out the land that the lodge is sitting on is far more valuable than he thinks...

One of the many goofy family comedies Disney made in the 70's, this is basically an earlier version of Captain Ron set in a dilapidated ski resort instead of a dilapidated yacht, with a cool older guy playing off the high-strung accountant instead of a cool sailor. Jones always did do well by Disney, and his Johnny is no exception. Nancy joins him for the second time after That Darn Cat as his exasperated wife who wishes her husband's dreams involved more heat and fewer ski lift disasters. 

If you're looking for something fun and silly to watch with the kids or have fond memories of when this used to turn up on TV and The Disney Channel a lot during the winter in the 70's and 80's, you'll want to slide down the hill with Johnny and check it out. 

(Oh, and the clouds continued to gather all afternoon. They finally burst...around 9 PM, by which time I was long at home and watching Snowball Express.)