Sounds of Music and Toons

Began the morning with breakfast and What's New, Scooby Doo? Shaggy and Scooby are initially thrilled to go on a "Roller Ghoster Ride" when their roller coaster design becomes a reality, thanks to two enterprising young female theme park entrepreneurs. Their delight gets scary quickly when a green "Roller Ghoster" seemingly sabotages the rides in the park. While Velma tries to explain to a kid why he's too short to ride everything and listens to an old safety manager complain about modern rides being too dangerous, the others try to figure out what the ghost is really up to.

Brought my laundry downstairs to be washed, then headed out to run errands. My first stop was Dollar General. I mainly wanted to pick up Easter cards here, along with a sympathy card for my friend Linda Young. Grabbed grape and lime mixes for hydration, too. I was hoping to get brush pics at CVS, but I didn't see the ones I use. Bought one more Easter card I thought was especially pretty and pastel M&Ms for a recipe before moving on.

Strolled down to West Clinton for lunch at Common Grounds Coffee Shop. They were busy, but I was able to get a seat. Had crumb cake, a spinach-feta pastry, and a Strawberry Meadow Matcha. Basically, a green tea latte with strawberry puree. Not bad, once I mixed everything in. A bit sweet. The crumb cake and especially the pastry were better.

At least it was a nice day for a walk into town. It was gale-force windy, and the sun was in and out, but it was also much warmer. Despite the wind, it actually made for a pleasant stroll back up to the White Horse Pike and East Haddon Avenue. 

Put my laundry in the dryer, then went upstairs to watch The Flying Temptations. I go further into this vehicle for Beyonce Knowles and Cuba Gooding Jr about a young man who takes over his hometown's church choir at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Cult Flops - The Flying Temptations

Switched to Bugs Bunny's Easter Funnies while doing job hunting and bringing the laundry upstairs. The Easter Bunny has gotten sick, so Granny searches for a replacement among the Toons. This is really more of a showcase for Oscar-winning shorts from Termite Terrace than anything to do with Easter. Among cartoons we get bits and pieces from here are "For Scentimental Reasons," "Knighty Knight Bugs," "Birds Anonymous," "Robin Hood Daffy," "Hillbilly Hare," and "The Rabbit of Seville."

Moved to The Berenstein Bears' Easter Surprise during dinner. I went further into the tale of Brother Bear learning about spring and new beginnings at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog for Easter 2023.

The Berenstein Bears' Easter Surprise

Did Match Game '73 next. Gail Parker of Mannix made her only appearance on the show near the end of the year. This is also about the time when Lee Merriweather debuted and Charles Nelson Reilly became a regular panelist. 

Listened to the original cast of The Sound of Music while working on my Flying Temptations review. Mary Martin is Maria here, with Theodore Bikel as her Captain. Though I think Martin sounds a bit old for Maria here, there's still a lot to enjoy, including two numbers for Max and the Countess that didn't make it into the film, "How Can Love Survive?" and "No Way to Stop It." Bikel's "Edelweiss" is especially lovely.

Match Game Productions will be honoring DJ and game show host Wink Martindale, who passed away today at 91, by running the week of Password Plus episodes he appeared on in 1981. Tom Kennedy was in charge by the time Martindale and Gene Rayburn appeared. Frankly, their first episode was kind of a mess. Gene was too slow to handle the Alphabetics bonus round, and he kept using long words his contestant didn't understand. Even worse, someone managed to erase an entire round, which Kennedy had to describe to the viewers. 

At any rate, see how all this went down for yourself!

Wink Martindale Tribute - Password Plus #540 (1981)

Finished the night listening to a lesser-known Rodgers and Hammerstein show, Pipe Dream. A marine biologist (William Johnson) falls for a prostitute (Judy Tyler) in Monterey, California, then has second thoughts. This is a little too spicy for sentimental Hammerstein, but he and Rodgers did provide some nice music. William Johnson's opener "All Kinds of People" does give us a good idea of the milleu, "All At Once You Love Her" and "The Next Time It Happens" are lovely ballads, and Judy Tyler gets the sad and sweet "Everybody Has a Home but Me." 

(Oh, and it rained briefly but hard around 7 PM. To my knowledge, it hasn't done anything but be windy since.)

You Say It's Your Birthday

Kicked off my birthday with breakfast and "Yogi's Birthday Party." In the series finale of The Yogi Bear Show, Yogi is thrilled at first when Ranger Smith tells him he's going to star in a big TV variety program. He tries to take dancing, singing, and music lessons from thinly-veiled spoofs of then-popular entertainers. Embarrassed when he realizes he really isn't a singer or dancer, he runs away, only to be caught by Smith and his men. Turns out that the "variety special" is actually a televised birthday party featuring all of the Hanna Barbara funny animals created up to that point, and all he has to do is sit back and listen to them sing a song for him and their sponsor Kellogg's.

Headed out after Yogi ended. My first stop of the day was Dollar General to buy an Orange Cream Coke Zero and make change for the bus. Turns out it was a moot point. They were using a larger bus usually reserved for longer trips of an hour or more, and the payment machine was broken. I got a free ride to Barrington.

I was in Barrington to check out the Antique Center. That huge warren of tiny rooms is filled with everything from antique china and glassware to relatively new DVDs and CDs...and it's one of the few South Jersey thrift shops open on Mondays. They were also surprisingly busy for a Monday. I had to dodge several people searching shelves for fancy glasses or vintage Easter decorations. I just ended up with two records: 

Unpublished Cole Porter (Another Ben Bagley album, this time featuring songs that were cut or never released.)

Peter Cottontail - The First Easter Record for Children (Songs about or related to either rabbits or the more secular side of Easter, performed by Rosemary Clooney, Gene Autry, and Art Carney. This comes from Columbia's Harmony label. There's a few more children's titles on the back I'm definitely going to look for, including Gene Kelly's performance of Peter Rabbit and The Pied Piper of Hamlin and two albums of fairy tales.) 

Fortunately, the closest bus stop is a block from the Antique Center. The bus to Deptford was right on time. I did have to pay, and it was one of the older, wider buses intended for shorter trips, but it got me to the Deptford Mall with a minimum of fuss and little traffic. 

Since it wasn't far from where I got off, I went in through Macy's and had lunch at the food court. I really like their Mediterranean Pitas & Greens booth. Had a messy chicken gyro with slender fries and a cup of iced tea that tasted home-brewed. It was almost 1 at that point, and the food court was relatively busy with college kids and parents taking younger children on a trip to the mall enjoying their lunches.

Spent the next hour or so at Round 1 Entertainment. The skee ball machines were down again, but everything else worked just fine. I played Princess Peach on Mario Kart Deluxe and came in second on a tougher course. I also got second on the Death Valley course in Crusin' Blast. Tried Tetris on a Japanese machine, too. Didn't do too badly shooting baskets. All in all, I ended up with over 2,500 points. I didn't see anything I liked, so I got a mini boom box from the same line as the mini-radio to give to my nephew. 

Explored stores for a couple of hours after that. Though I looked at Miniso, Otaku House, Rally House, Fan Treasures, FYE, The Loft, Hot Topic, and Box Lunch, the only place I bought anything was JC Penney. I dug a pale blue cable sweater and yellow three-quarters-length sleeve t-shirt on the clearance racks. The sweater came to about $8.50, the sweater to $5.50. Stopped at Ginny's Cookies and Ice Cream and treated myself to a wedge of chocolate chip cookie "cake" with green frosting.

Headed across the street past the abandoned shopping center to HomeGoods first. I looked at pots and pans, but didn't see anything I liked. I'll do more research there on what type of pots and pans I want. Had more luck at Old Navy. I picked up a pair of jean capris there.

I also just enjoyed the gorgeous day. The clouds had been in and out all morning, but by 4:30, they'd taken a temporary leave of absence. It was breezy and far warmer than it had been, into the mid-60's. 

Barnes and Noble was surprisingly busy, too. It was after 4:30 by then, and the high schoolers and college kids were out of school. I considered records, but I already bought two, and I didn't see any on sale that I liked. Found two CDs on sale and another that was just cheap, along with two books: 

The Essential Michael Jackson (2-Disc set of his best-known songs, including from before he went solo.)

Wicked soundtrack

The Very Best of the Electric Light Orchestra (This was the $8 one. The other two came to $14.40 each with 20 percent off.)

The Lies That Bind - Kate Carlisle

The Lost Bookshop - Evie Woods

Mom called me when I was wandering around the children's section. I sat down in a quiet corner to chat. She wanted to wish me a happy birthday and was glad to hear I was enjoying my day. I told her about my trip and thanked her for the online Amazon gift card she sent me. Her card and Lauren's would pay for a new CD/cassette player. The CD player Dad and Jodie gave me in 2017 was skipping, too big for the room it was currently in, and I never liked that it was a front-loader. The CD part of my more than 15-year-old Emerson CD/cassette player hadn't worked in years. The cassette part did, but I didn't know for how much longer.

Met Jessa for dinner at the Outback Steakhouse in front of the shopping centers. I haven't eaten there in years. She had salmon, with broccoli and rice. I had a small steak with the same broccoli and a baked sweet potato. We shared brown bread and a Bloomin' Onion. Yum! It was all delicious, including the onion. I made sure to order a steak that was just the right size to finish in one go. Jessa did take home her rice and salmon, and I gave her the last of the bread and what little remained of my steak. I was more embarrassed when waitresses came up and sang "Happy birthday," but I felt better when they left a dish of velvety vanilla ice cream with a candle in it.

We went across the street to another shopping center and explored Hobby Lobby next. I'd love to take up another hobby...but I don't want to spend money on something and not follow through. I've dropped every single hobby I've tried, from crocheting to woodwork, because I'd get bored after a while or would tackle projects that were too large. 

I originally wanted to check out Hallmark, too, but it was getting late. Hallmark and Hobby Lobby closed at 8. Jessa just ended up driving me home, running the Beatles and other classic rock songs all the way back to Oaklyn. 

Finished the night after a shower, taking the recycling out, and bringing the cute T-shirt and box of Merci European chocolates a friend gave me for my birthday upstairs with my favorite episodes of the syndicated Match Game. Even after the CBS run ended in 1979, interest remained strong enough for the show to restart in syndication a few months later. 

Buzzr has ran a lot of the best early syndicated episodes, so I just stuck to a few of the ones that are my favorites or haven't been done to death. I couldn't leave out the time the contestant gave one of the most unlikely answers in game show history to "Cuckoo __" in the Head to Head, or the one where everyone but Dick Martin walked out while Gene droned on. 

There was also the time Gene seemed to get "electrocuted" by the question holder! Charles insinuated that someone would have to host, then said he'd never take over a part that badly acted. Charles was the one causing the trouble when he and Gene got into an argument over the merits of the original Sho Gun miniseries and he hit Gene with his card. Gene collapsed onto Jonnelle Allen while McLean Stevenson took over hosting for a couple of questions. Charles also got to clean up after Gene when people were throwing cards around.

Kirstie Alley wasn't the only later celebrity to win big on the syndicated show. Future talk show hostess Jenny Jones also made a big win on a week with Betty White and George Kennedy. Betty had her own fun on her next appearance flaunting her legs in a short red dress made by a friend of Sharon Farrell. That episode was wild in general. Sharon and Richard Paul inadvertently demonstrated mud wrestling to illustrate McLean's answer to a question about what should be an Olympic event, and McLean ran off after being scared by a contestant with a shrill laugh that he apparently used to wake his kids up every day.

Betty was there during the very last episode, along with McLean, Brett, Charles, Skip Stevenson, and Melinda O'Fee. Charles claimed he was dating the dummy used to test the color levels, while a curly-haired contestant asked to kiss McLean. Brett was right that he was blushing after that. He was the same color as his red sweater. Skip even rushed over and kissed the other contestant! Betty quipped that she should take some of that and send it to Richard Dawson.

Check out the best from one of the most underrated Match Game series! 

Episode 28 - Cuckoo Fran and Ollie?

Episode 42 - Panel Walks Out on Gene's Lecture

Episode 206 - Gene Gets Electrocuted

Episode 257 - Charles Cleans Up

Episode 302 - The Sho Gun Incident

Episode 395 - Jenny Jones On Match Game Part 2

Episode 442 - Betty White and the Red Dress

Episode 525 - Charles and the Dummy (Series Finale) 

Something Wonderful

Began the morning with breakfast and the Julie Andrews studio album for The King and I. I'm currently reading Something Wonderful, on Rodgers and Hammerstein, so I figured I'd listen to two of the shows they've discussed so far. It's too bad Andrews never actually got to play Anna onstage. She's lovely here, especially on "Hello Young Lovers." Kingsley's not bad as the King, either. His "A Puzzlement" is hilarious. Lea Salonga and Peabo Bryson are an odder pair for the ballads, which sound a little too updated. Otherwise, this is one of my favorite King and I recordings. 

Hurried out to work after the CD ended. This time, everything went fine. I spent the afternoon pushing carts. There was plenty of help from the bagger who always works Sundays and the afternoon bagger. They took over the inside chores and helped me keep up with the carts. We were really busy again today, once again despite the weather. It was cloudy and cold for most of the day. It didn't start breaking up and getting warmer until right as I was getting ready to go home.

After I got home, I changed and put on the original 1943 cast album for Oklahoma! This is a landmark in Broadway musicals and cast albums. Oklahoma! was so popular, it became the first Broadway show to be recorded as it was, with the original cast, rather than just random pop recordings (although there were those too). Alas, they didn't take down everything ("The Farmer and the Cowhand" is missing from my recording), but you do get a sense of what this sounded like onstage. My favorite would be Celeste Holm's star-making "I Can't Say No" and her adorable "All Er Nuthin'" with Lee Dixon. 

Finished the night on YouTube with dinner and tonight's Match Game marathon. Debralee Scott started off in the ingenue seat in mid-1976. She quickly became one of the more popular panelists there, thanks to her charming wit and her spunky sense of fair play. She joined Richard Dawson in arguing producer/judge Ira Skutch rejecting their answer of "finishing school" for "school" in a 1977 episode, and would argue with Ira several more times during the syndicated era. Her other great early moment was in 1976. Bill Anderson wrote a song for her and performed it at the end of the Friday episode, joined by Charles and Brett dressed as cowpokes.

She did her best work on the syndicated series, where she switched back and forth between the fourth and sixth seats. Bart Braverman thought she was cute and spent two weeks they played together picking on her and throwing cards at her. Debralee did not think he was cute. At one point, she stomped up and smacked him, only for him to grab her for a kiss! She was also there the time a physical therapist contestant fixed Patty Duke's knee, only for Jack Jones to run out to be fixed, too. 

Watched Debralee flirt and fight with judges, panelists, and contestants alike in this wild marathon!

Match Game Sunday Classics - Featuring Debralee Scott Episodes

April Showers

Got a quick start on a rainy morning with breakfast and the Disney short "Bath Day." Figaro isn't too happy when Minnie gives him a bath and a ribbon and squirts him with perfume. The local tom cats are more likely to make fun of him, until he manages to knock out the leader and show them he's tougher than they think.

Since the weather was still pretty nasty, I called Uber. The driver in the morning arrived in 7 minutes and got me to work just on time. Surprisingly, the one going home didn't even take a minute to arrive, despite it being well into rush hour on a Saturday evening.

Work was a pain in the rear end. It wasn't that bad when I first arrived, but it picked up around noon and never slowed after that. They kept calling me to put away carts of cold items, and I had  to mop up a mess in the pharmacy that put me behind with the sweeping and pushing carts. The carts just kept disappearing, no matter how quickly I brought them up again. I had no help, either. The head bagger was in a register the entire afternoon.

The weather didn't help. It showered lightly pretty much the entire day, from the time I arrived at work until the Uber driver going home came, and remains cold, damp, and blah for this time of year. It's also the first day of Passover, and many people were shopping for their Passover dinners.

I was more than happy to spend the rest of the night watching today's Match Game marathon after dinner and a shower. Orson Bean ran pretty much the gamut on the original show, starting early in 1974 (on the same week as Marcia Wallace) and ending on the second-to-last week of the original run in 1979. His laid-back wit made him a favorite with panelists and viewers alike. He was the one who gave that "nymphomaniac" answer early in 1974 and ran down and kissed everyone on the panel during a 1975 PM episode. He was also on the second-to-last week of the show with Brianne Leary, Bill Daily, and Carolyn, the biggest-winning contestant they ever had. Carolyn kept right on going, ultimately going home with over $30,000.

Orson went so far back with Match Game, he started on the original 60's show when he was still an up-and-coming Broadway star in New York. He features in one of three surviving 60's episodes floating around on YouTube. His partner for that week was none other than 50's-60's bombshell Jayne Mansfield. I think you can guess he spends that episode making jokes about Mansfield's considerable assets. 

Honor one of New England's great raconteurs in this hilarious and heartfelt marathon!

Match Game Saturday Replay - Remembering Orson Bean

And here's my Musical Dreams Movie blog review for the Australian animated film The Magic Pudding, which I watched yesterday.

Animation Celebration Saturday - The Magic Pudding

Rainy Day at Home

It was pouring when I woke up this morning, and would continue pouring in some form or another for most of the day. I stayed at home the entire day. This was no time for running around. 

When I did roll out of bed, I watched Alice's Wonderland Bakery while eating breakfast. Alice and Fergie compete to see who can make the best potato recipe in "Potato Potahto." They discover that their recipes have very similar ingredients, and it may be related to the page that was torn out of Cookie years ago. "Hattie's Inside-Out Cake" is the first he's ever made for Dad Hatter's big tea party. His friends think it needs more decorations, but Hattie finally reminds them that it's what inside the cake that counts.

Checked my schedule next, which for some reason, took a while to appear. Perfectly normal hours. Only one early day, and it's the regular four-hour Wednesday. Nothing else earlier than 11 or later than 5. I do work Friday this time, but that's to be expected on Easter weekend. Not only did I get my birthday off, but I took it as a vacation day. I apparently still have a few left. 

Went downstairs to try that recipe I bought the oatmeal and dried cranberries for yesterday. There's a recipe for oatmeal raisin cookies in Kit's Cooking Studio that is really good. It does require a lot of butter, but it also works well with whole wheat and regular flour and makes a lot of cookies. Since I bought them for snacking this week, I replaced the raisins with dried cranberries. Oh, yum! They couldn't have come out more perfectly, chewy on the inside and golden on the outside, and they smelled amazing. 

After I put everything away, I watched Adam Adamant Lives! on YouTube. Adam learns that blackmail is "More Deadly Than the Sword" when he travels to Japan to learn who has taken incriminating photos of a British politician. Georgina follows him, and is promptly captured by geishas and their bosses who have even worse things in mind for the photos and Adam.

Soon as the episode ended, I went down for a nap. I had no other plans for today, and the weather was so lousy, there wasn't a whole lot else to do. Besides, I'm still dead tired. I went down at 4:30 and didn't really get up again until past 6:30. 

Put on Match Game '73 during dinner. McLean Stevenson was a total nut during his first week. He bent over to kiss a contestant and claimed she stole his capped teeth. He'd run down to the lower desks and kiss Richard instead of the contestant. On Friday, he was naked from the waist up except for a bow tie. Gene loaned him a jacket, then another one when he claimed the first was itchy. Richard made a crack about getting McLean to the Largo, a strip club in LA.

Returned to Adam Adamant Lives! after that ended. "The Sweet Smell of Disaster" reveals Adam to be wary of a new laundry detergent that comes with a certain lovely-smelling blue carnation. Turns out he's right to be concerned. The carnation makes anyone who buys it addicted to the soap...and gives the advertising company control over the people who buy it. Georgina joins the company to give out carnations while Adam explores their headquarters to find out what their real end game is.

Watched the peculiar Australian animated fantasy The Magic Pudding at The Roku Channel next. I'll go further into this one tomorrow at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog. 

Finished the night at YouTube with Cinderella: Frozen In Time. This is actually Dorothy Hamill's last-ditch attempt to revive the Ice Capades in the mid-90's, with one full-length story and no vaudeville acts. The story has more in common with British pantomime than Disney. Cinderella has a goofy guy friend named Buttons, the stepsisters are played by men in drag, and she and Buttons are lost and attacked by spirits after the ball. Lloyd Bridges narrates the network special as a mysterious old man who tells the story to a pair of ice-skating kids. It's sweet, charming fun if you have kids who love princess stories or figure skating. 

Before the Spring Rains

Got a very quick start today with breakfast and "All Wet" at Disney Plus. Oswald the Lucky Rabbit's selling dancing hot dogs at the beach when he falls for his girl Fanny. Hoping to impress her, he takes over as lifeguard. It turns out to be a far harder job than he originally thought when he has to rescue Fanny from being tossed around in the ocean after she loses her inner tube and ends up underwater.

Called Uber after the cartoon ended. The lady arrived within 7 minutes, but I was already late getting out, and the traffic was really bad in Cherry Hill. It honestly could have been worse. I ducked into the computer lab in the basement of the Cherry Hill Library one minute late. Slid into the back row just as they were getting started.

As it turns out, when they said "Basic Word," they meant really basic. I've known how to save, create a blank template, and mess with the font size and color for years. The only really new thing I learned was the Ctrl/letter shortcuts. Alas, they won't be having their series of intermediate classes until late May-early June, when Lauren will be down here. I might check Voorhees and see if I can get something earlier than that.

I wandered around the library for a little while, then used the bathroom and headed down King's Highway to Dave's Hot Chicken. This is an up-and-coming fast food restaurant that specializes in fried chicken and is basically a spicier Raising Caine's. I had two sliders, fries, and Coke Zero. The first slider was really good, if very spicy, despite my ordering mild. The second was a fried chicken finger on a slice of white bread, with no lettuce or special sauce. They must have run out of the buns. I just ate that like a regular chicken finger.

Strolled over to the Ellisburg Shopping Center to pick up more Coke Zero at Five Below. Ended up buying Easter gifts for Khai, Finley, and the daughter of a friend and the neighbor's daughter, too. Found a pale blue Strawberry Shortcake T-shirt I thought was really cute.

Called Uber on the other side of the shopping center near Whole Foods. The young woman didn't even take the 7 minutes listed to arrive. The traffic wasn't quite as bad, either. I was home within 10 minutes.

I changed my jean jacket for a heavier coat and made my grocery list while watching more Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. "Minnie's Birthday" happened earlier in the first season. This time, the others are making the surprise party for Minnie...but she doesn't take being put off as well and almost stomps off before they have to call her back.

After the cartoon ended, I went back out on the bike. Though it was cloudy, windy, and cold, barely in the 50's, I really wanted to get my grocery shopping done today. It's supposed to rain all day tomorrow. 

I think I did the right thing. Neither Sprouts nor the Westmont Acme were busy, despite it being past 2 when I started to Westmont. I mainly needed bulk items at Sprouts. One bag of dried cranberries is for snacking on this week. The other bag and the bag of oatmeal is for a recipe I plan on doing tomorrow. Grabbed sparkling water, bananas, coconut milk, and granola bars on sale, too. Restocked yogurt at the Acme as best I could. They were nearly out of the yogurt on sale. The Made Good breakfast bars were cheaper at regular price than the Kind bars were on sale. Also picked up blood oranges and more soda that were on good sales. 

Rode home across Newton Lake Park to dodge rush hour traffic and the high schoolers finishing their day on Nicholson. Considering the kids were getting off even as I pushed my bike on the path over the hill, I was surprised the park wasn't busier. At least it looks like they're almost done with the playground equipment. They tore that down near the end of last summer. They should have finished it months ago.

Let The Price Is Right run while putting my groceries away, then went downstairs to make banana chocolate chip muffins. This recipe came from The Sunset Cook Book of Breads, which I found at a yard sale a while back. I took the Basic Muffins recipe, replaced some of the oil with bananas, increased the sugar slightly, and added chocolate chips. Oh yum! They came out perfectly moist and tasty and smelled great in the oven. 

Watched The Buddy Holly Story after I finished. I go further into this 1978 biopic of the rock pioneer at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

The Buddy Holly Story

Had dinner while watching Match Game '73. They're now on the week that introduced Bill Cullen to the show and had "Mama" Cass Elliot in the ingenue seat. Though I could have done without some of Richard's weight jokes, she largely seemed to have a good time and played pretty well. Which was more than could be said of Jack Klugman, who spent that week arguing with his wife Brett. 

Finished the night with two episodes of Remember WENN in honor of my friends Linda and James Young. James just passed away on Monday. I met them on the WENN chats way back in the late 90's, when I used to chat on the machines in the computer labs at college. They've been good friends ever since. I even got together with them when they were in Philadelphia on vacation in November 2009. Linda is a sweetheart and a close friend, and James was a dear and will be missed. 

I went with two more upbeat episodes from the second season. Soap star Hilary Booth becomes "The Diva Who Wouldn't Die" when the sponsor Dusty Foxx (Rue McClanahan) insists on cutting her out of the WENN soap The Hands of Time in favor of having Hilary appear in the gossip show From Hilary's Booth. Dusty's not too happy when Hilary's gossip turns out to be all about her...and she's really furious when Hilary turns her death scene into a shambles as she does everything she can think of to keep her character alive and on the air!

Con-man station manager Scott Sherwood has even less luck putting one over on his Aunt Agatha (Jan Miner), insisting that he's "Scott Sherwood of the FBI." He drags writer Betty Roberts along for ride, claiming their cop shows are real interrogations. Meanwhile, actress and organist Maple LaMarsh wants to take over Hilary Booth's role on their crime show, something that Hilary (despite having a far worse Brooklyn accent) is very reluctant to do. 

Here's Linda's website and episode guide if you want to learn more about WENN!

Linda Young's Remember WENN Website

(Oh, and it did finally rain...at midnight, after it was supposed to have rained 2 PM. It's been off and on, sometimes hard, ever since.)

Night of the Gentleman Adventurers

I really overslept this morning. Closed by eyes, and when I opened them, it was almost time to go! Even with rushing breakfast, I didn't have time for the bike. As it turned out, I didn't have time for Uber, either. They took 9 minutes to arrive. Even with no traffic on the road, I was still late.

Fortunately, that was the worst thing that happened all day. Work was quiet all morning. Most people are probably waiting for the weekend to start preparing for Easter and Passover. Not to mention, the weather, while still too cold for this time of year, was nicer than it was yesterday. It was sunny and a little bit warmer, in the lower 50's, and the wind had died down. Not a single problem. I even got an Uber home in three minutes.

Changed, then had lunch while watching PAW Patrol. "Pups Save Jake's Cake" when it takes all of them, including Everest, to pull his giant ice cream birthday cake up the mountain to the cabin he shares with Everest. "Pups Save a Wild Ride" when they stop Daring Danny X and Alex, who borrowed bracelets that go with a dance game, from going over a cliff on their snowboards.

"Happy Birthday, Toodles!" celebrates the Mickey-shaped computer thing that brings Mickey and his pals their Mouske-tools on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. The gang give him a cake and do the limbo with him, but it's Professor Ludvig Von Drake who gives him the most important gifts. This is the episode where Toodles gains the face and voice he'll retain for the rest of the show's run.

Rested while watching action shows from the 60's and 70's for the next few hours, two of them from England. Adam Adamant Lives! has the gentleman adventurer and his female friend Georgina discovering that "Death Has a Thousand Faces" when Georgina witnesses a man stabbed over a stick of Blackpool rock (apparently a type of candy unique to the Blackpool area). They're joined by puppeteer and jack-of-all-trades William Simms as they search for clues on Blackpool's Golden Mile, discovering that a group tends to use Blackpool's famous "Illuminations" lights to blow up the town.

The Persuaders! have their own problems in an English seaside resort town. In "Anyone Can Play," self-made millionaire Danny (Tony Curtis) accidentally intercepts money intended for Russian spies at a casino in Brighton. He and his nobleman partner Brett (Roger Moore) try to figure out what the spies are up to with the help of a lady who only calls herself Service 7.

Agents Jim West (Robert Conrad) and Artemis Gordon (Ross Martin) get a little more fantastical in The Wild Wild West. Their search for a kidnapped Native princess (Phyllis Newman) brings them to a ghost town, where they're captured by their archenemy Dr. Loveless (Michael Dunn) during "The Night of the Raven." Loveless has created a powder that can shrink a man to ant size and uses it on the princess and West when they refuse to bow to him. West dodges Loveless' cat in order to stop him from spreading the powder and shrinking mankind.

Switched to Mystery Science Theater 3000 at Shout! TV for Hercules Against the Moon Men. Mike and the robots have their third encounter with the infamous Italian sword-and-sandals series, and it's even loonier than the first two. Hercules has to save ancient Greece from an evil queen and a moon-worshipping alien cult. Yeah, it's even weirder than it sounds. The "Moon Men" don't really show up until the end, and even then, Hercules doesn't do much with them. In fact, this wasn't originally a Hercules movie. It was based on an Italian character who isn't well-known in the US. Just as campy and action-packed as the first two if you like cheesy sword-and-sandals movies.

Watched Match Game '73 during dinner. Bert Convy, Jack Carter, and Ann Elder join Fannie, Richard, and Brett in the first episode. The second introduced the always-unique Patti Deustch and brought in Mr. Magoo himself, Jim Backus, for his only week.

Finished the night with a two-hour Love Boat special. Author Brian Mallory (Pernell Roberts) leads a kidney donor (Skip Stephenson), a girl-crazy book store owner (Jimmie Walker), a lady on vacation with her bodybuilder boyfriend (Connie Stevens) and Gopher on "The Mallory Quest" to find his nephew and a priceless artifact. Mallory's wife (Gale Hunnicut) doesn't like how he's neglecting and abusing her and runs into Doc's arms. "Julie, the Vamp" is accused of chasing a friend from college (Bart Braverman) by his jealous fiancee (Lani O'Grady), but she really has no interest in him. Captain Steubing considers "The Offer" a friend (Dick Van Patten) makes for a desk job in New York to raise Vicki in a more stable home.  

People are Strange

Started the morning with The Sylvester and Tweety Mysteries, which is currently on Tubi. "The Cat Who Knows Too Much" witnesses Tweety get bird-napped by Muggsy and Thugsy in New Orleans, right before a big canary singing contest. Sylvester is really only interested in getting his lunch back, but Granny wants to figure out who "Mr. Big" is and why he wants Tweety out of the way.

Called Uber after the cartoon ended. No trouble getting to Abilities Solutions in Westville. The driver arrived in 6 minutes, and there was no traffic. We arrived within 15 minutes.

As it turned out, Bryanna wasn't ready. I asked her for the address yesterday, but never confirmed if I was coming. I figured she'd know because I asked for the address. We ended up talking in her office. I was really hoping we could try some different methods besides Indeed. There has to be other ways of getting a job that don't involve sending out tons of applications that will probably be rejected anyway...but we still ended up sending out tons of applications on Indeed. Bryanna says I need to worry about actually getting a job that I like before I think about things like salary, but...she can say that. She has a real home and job and doesn't need to worry about losing her health care. 

And I don't know why she keeps signing me up for working in health care offices and senior care centers. I'm no good at dealing with the seniors at the Acme, and I know nothing about health care or how to deal with it. There's tons of people out there who know ten times more about how medical stuff works than I do. It's not what I'm interested in. I just wish I knew what I was interested in that could get me a job.

Though it remains below-average cold, probably in the 40's thanks to the heavy wind, it was otherwise a nice day. I first stopped for lunch at Bagelicious, the cafe at the shopping center in front of Abilities Solutions that is managed and staffed by their alumni. The crispy bacon chicken ranch wrap was messy but tasty, even if the second half fell apart. 

Strolled a few blocks down to WaWa. I figured it would be easier to pick up Uber there than at Abilities Solutions, which isn't visible from the road. Enjoyed a small strawberry cheesecake smoothie, then called Uber. The pleasant driver arrived in 6 minutes, and though there was more traffic on the road going home, he still got me back in a little over 15 minutes.

Took my new sheets and comforter downstairs to be washed when I got home, then went straight into The Doors for review. I go further in this 1991 biography of Doors front man Jim Morrison in honor of Val Kilmer at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

A Salute to Val Kilmer - The Doors

Put the laundry in the dryer while trying something different on YouTube. I was intrigued by the premise of the British show Adam Adamant Lives! A gentleman adventurer of the Edwardian era, Adam Adamant (Gerald Harper) is defrosted in 1967 London, which comes as quite a shock to his system. He's found by sweet Georgina Jones (Juliet Harmer) and eventually helps her find out who killed her boss, the manager of a local dance hall. It's "A Vintage Year for Scoundrels" when Adam helps her catch the racketeers who are responsible. 

I love gentleman adventurer stories and fish out of water tales that compare and contrast one era with another, so this was right up my alley. Too bad half of it is lost, including almost the entire second season. Georgina was annoying, but Adam's dilemma was genuinely interesting and well-played. Thankfully, all of the existing episodes seem to be on YouTube. I will certainly be checking out more. 

Made the bed after I finally remembered to put the sheets in the dryer, then had dinner while watching Match Game '73. Gene sported his other infamously ugly suit in this episode, the gray checked one with the pink bow tie that made him look like half of a vaudeville team. Pat Harrington made a crack about how that was "more than Diana (Richard Dawson's ex wife) did." Rather than get angry, Richard ruefully agreed.

Finished the night after a shower with two different and equally beloved divas. She Works Hard for the Money would be Donna Summer's biggest hit of the 1980's. I fondly remember seeing the music video for the title track all the time in my early childhood. Alas, the rest of the album doesn't quite live up to that dynamic opening song, though the ballads "Love Has a Mind of Its Own" and "Unconditional Love" aren't bad.

Billie Holliday was one of the most beloved performers of the mid 20th century, despite personal problems and a drug habit that rivaled Jim Morrison's. "Strange Fruit" is probably her best-known song. Other good ones on the two-disc collection I picked up from Abbie Road include "Until the Real Thing Comes Along," "Swing Brother Swing," "Pennies from Heaven," "You Go to My Head," and "Sugar." 

What are Games?

I slept so late and got so caught up finishing A Spring to Remember, it was after 12 when I finally got to breakfast and Alice's Wonderland Bakery. "Dodo's Dilemma" introduces Jojo Dodo, the daughter of Captain Dodo. She's suddenly floating in the air after being too long at sea. Her father says only Dodo Pepper Soup will cure her, but dodo peppers are extinct in Wonderland. Alice assures Jojo that even if they don't have the right ingredients, they can still create a soup with the same flavors...and that creates the same warmth inside. The Queen of Hearts is "Horsing Around" when Alice puts the wrong ingredient in a recipe and she starts acting like a prize pony. She and Rosa search for the right carrot to change her back.

Switched to Supermarket Sweep while looking up muffin recipes, taking the laundry downstairs, and preparing Rose's birthday card. Buzzr's monthly marathon for April highlights shopping-themed shows, including this one. I caught the beginning of a big tournament that had people competing to win two cars at the end of the week. The first one was really close, but team three killed at the Big Sweep. They didn't manage to find the money, though. The contestants on the second show got much luckier. This time, they were ahead most of they way through, won the Big Sweep easily, and found the $5,000 with just a few minutes to spare.

Headed out to run errands on my bike around 2:30. It was too cold and dreary to be walking. Though it hadn't rained since the morning, the weather remained breezy, gray, and below-average chilly, not even in the 50's. I mainly wanted to deliver Rose's birthday card. (I would later text her and leave her a birthday greeting on Facebook as well.) Got a super-sweet chai latte at a busy Common Grounds Coffee House barely ahead of a big group of parents and kids who had just come from the Oaklyn School. Made a quick stop at Dollar General later for chocolate chips and an Orange Cream Coke Zero.

Put the laundry in the dryer when I got home, then had lunch while watching What's New, Scooby Doo? Scooby's saying "Riva Ras Vegas" when he and Shaggy win a concert to be backstage at a concert for then-teen pop star Lindsay Pagano. While Lindsay gets a crush on Fred, the others try to figure out why the ghost of recently-deceased magician Rufus Raucous seems to have it in for Lindsay and her concert. 

After Scooby ended, I went online to apply for jobs and try to figure out what I want to do. I know I can write and read, but what can I do with that? I'm organized, but it doesn't seem to do me much good. My computer and management skills aren't good enough for most receptionist and secretarial jobs. I have no idea how to use the recent versions of Microsoft Word or Excel, and I have a hard time figuring out the math equations on the latter. I've never had regular meetings, or worked with a team, or directed anyone, or done any of the things normal office workers do.

I've been feeling blue for the past few months, since before Christmas. I think I'm more bored than anything. I keep trying to find something that will really stimulate me, but nothing seems to be working. I can't find anything new that interests me. I start writing and organizing projects, but after a while, I lose interest and don't finish them. I try to go back to old interests, but they don't have the same feeling.

I finally brought my laundry upstairs and put it away, then called Uber to take me to Deptford. Jessa wanted to eat there on Monday night instead of Saturday. It was late when I finally got to calling Uber, It didn't help that the driver didn't seem to speak English, and I had no idea how to explain who I was and where I was going. He drove up to the Deptford Mall 10 minutes after six. 

Jessa finally met me next to Red Robin. As it turned out, she thought today was my birthday and gave me my gift - natural snacks like baked peas and organic lemon-coconut cookies. I was fine with doing a shorter Deptford trip today and a longer one next week, especially since I'm working too long and late to go out this Saturday. 

I treated her to Red Robin, which is right at the main entrance. She had a "Sh'room Burger," a burger smothered in mushrooms. I had a basic Red Robin Deluxe Cheeseburger. Mine was a bit chewy and messy, but not bad. We shared that tower of onion rings.

We only had the time to explore the Boscov's next door to the Red Robin after dinner before the mall closed. She got two shirts. I finally bought a new comforter in a pretty teal, coral, and peach floral print. Since the comforter came with pillows and pillowcases but not sheets, I picked up a coral sheet set to go with it. They were both on good sales, with both sets coming to $44 all together.

Jessa and I chatted as she drove me home. She basically said that it'll be easier for me to find myself if I can accept what I am and try to figure out what kind of a person I want to be. I have a very hard time accepting what I am. I know I have ADHD, but it's easier to fall back on old patterns than it is to accept I have a mental disability that makes it hard for me to do certain things. 

Cheered myself up by spending the rest of the night on YouTube, watching Jeopardy! episodes in honor of its 60th anniversary last year. Jeopardy! debuted in 1964 as an antidote for the dour, overwrought quiz shows of the 50's. Three contestants choose a clue from a subject list, then phrase their answer in the form of a question. The bonus round has them wagering money on one last, hard question. The winner is the one with the most money left at the end.

The very simplicity of Jeopardy is what made it such a hit. It would prove to be the second-highest-rated game show of the mid-late 60's after Hollywood Squares. Quiz shows were suddenly a viable format again, and Griffith was off and running as a TV producer. The original daytime show ran until 1975, when NBC's vice president of daytime programming Lin Bolen moved it out of its original noon slot in an attempt to find younger-skewering shows. Griffith attempted a syndicated nighttime version in 1974, but that barely lasted a year. 

(Too bad very little of the original daytime Jeopardy - and none of the original syndicated - exists today. NBC erased tapes until 1980, Merv Griffith until 1985. This teen tournament episode from 1967 was only recently unearthed. Hopefully, more will turn up eventually.) 

Jeopardy! returned to NBC as The All-New Jeopardy in 1978. Here, the lowest-scoring contestant was eliminated after the first round, and Final Jeopardy was replaced by a Super Jeopardy round that had the winning contestant answering questions in a bingo-like format. The changes were roundly disliked by most fans, including long-time host Art Fleming. This version lasted five months and is the last time to date that Jeopardy has been seen in daytime and on the networks. 

Griffith gave Jeopardy! another chance in syndication after the nighttime Wheel of Fortune was a sensation. Alex Trebek took over hosting a show that was far closer to the original, including re-instating the Final Jeopardy bonus round. This time, it worked. Jeopardy! became just as popular in syndication as the show it was usually paired with, maybe even more so. Like Wheel, it continues to run in syndication to this day. 

By far the most famous contestant on the show is likely Ken Jennings, who would run a record-breaking consecutive 75 days and remains one of the biggest winners on any game show. It's too bad only bits and pieces of most of his episodes are currently on YouTube. I include the only one with him I could find in full, which is the day he was finally defeated. 

After Alex Trebek died in 2020, the producers finished the season with rotating hosts, then did producer Mike Richards for a week. He was so badly received, they brought in Jennings and actress Mayim Bialik as the rotation hosts in 2021. Bialik's involvement with the strike in 2023-2024 ended her hosting duties. Jennings was announced as the permanent host in 2023, and has remained so ever since.

The success of Jeopardy spawned spin-offs. Rock and Roll Jeopardy used the same format on VH-1 from 1998 to 2001, with rock questions replacing the general interests. Jep! from 1998 was a kids' version, which added balls or slime dropped on a contestant when they gave a wrong answer and let the kids choose random point values instead of going down a row. While not great, Jep! was somewhat more tolerable than the kid Wheel from around the same time, due to the decent questions and energetic host Bob Bergen. (There have also been the online-specific Sports Jeopardy, Celebrity Jeopardy, and Pop Culture Jeopardy.) 

It's one of the most beloved quiz shows of all time. What is Jeopardy! Follow its heart-pounding history and get to know its most famous contestant-turned-host!

Jeopardy! (National College Scholarship Tournament) (1967) 

The All New Jeopardy Premiere (1978)

Jeopardy! Syndicated Pilot (1984)

Jeopardy! Syndicated (1988)

Jep! (1998)

Rock and Roll Jeopardy (1998)

Jeopardy! Syndicated (Ken Jennings' Final Episode as a Contestant) (2004)

Jeopardy! Syndicated (Tournament of Champions Exhibition Episode) (2022) 

Calling All Matchers

Began the morning with breakfast and Train. My Private Nation would be one of their biggest hits in 2003, spawning the singles "Calling All Angels," "When I Look to the Sky," and "Get to Me." I remember hearing these songs on the radio when they were new. "Drops of Jupiter," their previous hit, had blown me away, and I was just as happy with these. 

Called Uber after I ate. It rained earlier, and I did hear it was supposed to rain later. And even if it wasn't, it was cold, damp, and windy, certainly not a bike day. The driver going to work arrived in 7 minutes. The one going home came in 6. No trouble on the road or with their arrivals. I got to work just in time.

No trouble at work, either. I swept the store and pushed carts for the first two hours. When the afternoon bagger arrived, he took over the sweeping and trash and I concentrated on the carts. Good thing he was there. While not overwhelming, it was still pretty busy today, especially around noon. 

(And I got lucky. It rained briefly around 10, when I was sweeping. It wouldn't rain again until 3 PM, shortly after I got home. To my knowledge, it hasn't rained since then.)

After I got dressed, I read Donna Parker: A Spring to Remember for an hour, then listened to three of the rock records I picked up on Thursday. Double Gold features early hits from Neil Diamond, mainly from the late 60's and early 70's. There's two here that had been covered by the Monkees. His "I'm a Believer" isn't bad, but I really like his version of "Love to Love," even more than the one Davy Jones did. Other familiar favorites here include "Girl, You'll Be a Woman," "Solitary Man," "Cherry Cherry," and "Kentucky Woman." (We also get another song that had been sung by an earlier band, "Monday Monday.")

Herman Hermits' music was a little different from most British Invasion bands. Though they did have pop hits in "Can't You Hear My Heart Beat" and "I'm Into Something Good," their real specialty were British music hall ditties like "I'm Henry the Eighth" and "Leaning On a Lamp Post" and remakes of earlier rock songs like "Silhouettes." The latter two are mainly represented on The Best of Herman's Hermits, along with "Something Good," "Heart Beat," and "Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter."

Rock of the Westies continued Elton John's winning streak in the 1970's. "Island Girl" was the huge hit here, though I prefer the harder-rocking "Grow Some Funk of Your Own." Other good ones here include "Dan Dare (Pilot of the Future)" and "Hard Luck Story."

Finished up at YouTube with tonight's Match Game marathon. Despite Gene's frequent admonishment that they weren't supposed to be eating in the studio, panelists did manage to sneak food in anyway. Richard once took a bite out of an apple someone gave Brett during the week with Penny Marshall in 1974. There was also the syndicated episode seen on Buzzr last week where Charles and Diana Sorvino handed spaghetti and meatballs around. Mary Wickes brought cookies that Gene found to be a little tough. Charles in particular frequently could be seen eating food from the green room. In 1977, Gene once asked Susan Sullivan to prosecute him, but Susan would rather defend. More rarely, food was mentioned in a question, or as in the Audience Match with "__ Henry," the bonus round questions.

Have a treat on Match Game in this funny and very tasty marathon!

Match Game Sunday Classics - Bon Appetit Marathon

Chilled Matches

First of all, here's my review for the Golden Films special Princess Castle, which I watched last night, at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Animation Celebration Saturday - Princess Castle

Got a quick start this morning with breakfast and the Silly Symphony short "The Goddess of Spring" at Disney Plus. This is a retelling of the Persephone and Hades myth that was intended as a practice run for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Some of the animation is gorgeous and the operatic music is stunning, but the story can get too cutesy, and Persephone moves like she's made of rubber.

I thought I was meeting Jessa later...and whether I was or wasn't, the weather was still bad. The rain had stopped by quarter after 10, but it remained cloudy, cool, and windy. I called Uber. The one going there came in 9 minutes. The one going home arrived in 6. No trouble getting there either way. I arrived just in time.

Started out sweeping and pushing carts. The head bagger was in the register the entire day. Moved to doing the carts after the afternoon bagger arrived and took over the sweeping and the trash. No trouble whatsoever. When the carts started vanishing, the afternoon bagger would come out and help. 

Unfortunately, Jessa canceled. She said we could meet on Monday. I still needed a few things anyway. Grabbed a card and gift card for Rose's birthday on Monday, more Spenddrift soda on sale, and the new PB&J Reeces Cup to try. 

Changed when I got home, then watched Here Comes Peter Cottontail. I went further into the first Rankin-Bass Easter special at my musical review blog in April 2019. 

Here Comes Peter Cottontail

Finished the night at YouTube for today's Match Game marathon. Comedienne Marcia Wallace was playing Bob Newhart's super-efficient secretary Carol on The Bob Newhart Show when she first appeared on Match Game early in 1974. She appeared relatively often during 1974 and 1975, then disappeared until 1977 (thanks to trouble with Goodson and Todman). She appeared more frequently during the syndicated run, when she was often seated next to her Bob Newhart co-star Bill Daily. 

It shouldn't come as a surprise that Marcia and Brett became best friends, given they shared the same salty sense of humor. Marcia could occasionally get a little too salty. Her answer to a question on where a guy lost a few inches on a 1977 PM episode was censored. There was also the time that year when she accidentally got marker on her bare shoulders, which Richard and Gene used to play tic tac toe. She had more luck back in 1975 when, after a year, she finally got her first right answer and a standing ovation. 

Marcia probably did some of her best work during the syndicated run. She was one of the three comediennes who replaced Brett when she was in St. Louis during that week that just ran on Buzzr a few days ago and even finally got to sit in Brett's character actress seat. She was also present for the insane answers to the Audience Match question "Denise __" and had to listen to a woman give a long, rambling, and rather gross description of the worms she kept in the refrigerator to feed her daughter's frogs. 

You can learn a lot from Bob Newhart's favorite secretary and Bart Simpson's favorite teacher in this wild marathon!

Match Game Saturday Classics - The Best of Marcia Wallace 1974 - 1981