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[Cavaliere (moderator emeritus)]

Criminal Minds: "Amplification"

[Richard Willis]

Having Mike and Gloria break up probably didn't make too many people happy. Since Sally Struthers went on to the short-lived show Gloria, I'm guessing that Rob Reiner was the one who didn't want to continue. Adding the character Stephanie was a wise choice. IIRC, she would question things without the show's usual screaming. Also, Danielle Brisebois was a little sweetie. To make both of us feel old, she turned 50 this year.  

[Emerkeith Davyjack]

ClarkKent_DC said:

Jeff of Earth-J said:

And Kelvin, if you’re reading this, I know one of your ongoing complaints (about TV and movies in general) is that, whenever a mock-up of a newspaper is used, it never looks convincing. If nothing else, one thing you can say about All in the Family is that, whenever periodical reading material is shown, they always show an actual copy of the publication itself: The New York Post, Reader’s Digest, The National Enquirer, etc. They do use that generic beer in the yellow can, however, but at least Archie is consistent.

Yeah ... it goes to doctors who can't stand to watch medical shows or police officers who dislike cop shows or lawyers who hate courtroom dramas; the things you see that are wrong take you out of the story and you can't enjoy what you're watching. As a viewer, I don't expect things to be letter-perfect -- really, I don't! -- but I do expect things to be good enough to fool me, someone who is not a expert in those fields.

However, in the field of newspapering, I do have writing and design experience, so bogus newspapers leap out at me. And not for things like, in Wall Street, where everyone reads The Wall Street Chronicle. I don't like it, but I get why they didn't call it The Wall Street Journal, like it is here on Earth-Prime. I don't even think it's a case where permission to use the name The Wall Street Journal was denied; I bet the filmmakers didn't even ask.

Although I have to say, The Wall Street Chronicle in the movie Wall Street DID look legit. Kudos to their prop guys! Likewise, their counterparts for the Law & Order shows, and their in-universe tabloid, the New York Ledger, which is plainly modeled on the New York Post.

Then there's the other extreme: Using the same newspaper over and over again in lots of different TV shows and movies. (Notice that Ed O'Neill is reading the same newspaper as Al Bundy on Married With Children and as Jay Pritchett on Modern Family.)

...I'm not as perturbed, nor was my journalist father as perturbed, as you by that " Wall Street News " custom - or people turning on " WNN - Worldwide News Network " even in a WB movie - but you've reminded me of how, in older-era movies, when we see a newspaper appearing on screen to give us information - Not so much being read by someone as when it appears on screen alone -

[Emerkeith Davyjack]

• ...P...Perhaps with that custom of the newspaper first spinning around and around in the distance and coming closer to us until it stops and we can finally read " MADCAP HEIRESS FASCINATES GOTHAM " or " KILLER STRIKES AGAIN " - When did that custom start anyway? - Seen on a movie screen, these non-existent newspapers (which usually do bear names of newspapers that did not ecist then, they are imaginary newspapers: The New York Gazette, or Chicago Herald - These nonexistent newspapers' front pages will have other stories on the front page as well to look like a real newspaper -

[Emerkeith Davyjack]

...And if you are fleet of eye, you can read a couple of these, not related to the movie's storyline, headlines...and, rather than bring gags or presumed inside jokes, they appear to be real news stories - " School Board Discussions Continue " or something. We're these actual real newspapers that the studio came up with a fake name & logo & main story for which they posted on top of the newspaper's top?

  Conversely, I remember seeing in North By Northwest a front page of the NEW YORK POST with the top half showing a picture of Cary Grant's character and a " Still On The Loose! " headline on the top half of the tabloid front page while a completely unrelated story is on the page's lower half - a real story on that day?

[Jeff of Earth-J]

“Having Mike and Gloria break up probably didn't make too many people happy. Since Sally Struthers went on to the short-lived show Gloria, I'm guessing that Rob Reiner was the one who didn't want to continue.”

We’re going to see them at least once more. Up for tonight is the two-part “Thanksgiving” episode from season one of Archie Bunker’s Place.

“Adding the character Stephanie was a wise choice. IIRC, she would question things without the show's usual screaming.”

Yes, that’s true. Here’s an example. After Mike and Gloria moved away, Isabelle Sanford make a guest appearance on an episode and asked Edith if she would show the Jefferson’s old house. Edith was reluctant at first, but Archie talked her into it at hoping for some control over who moved in next door. Stephanie met the woman Edith chose and Archie asked her what color she was. Stephanie resonded, “Oh, a regular color.” Later, when a black woman shows up looking for the key, Archie mistakes her for the cleaning lady. When he finds out she’s his new neighbor, he goes into the kitchen where Stephanie is doing her homework and asks, “What do you mean by ‘a regular color’?” to which Stephanie resonds, “One that you see every day.”

As I mentioned yesterday, with a Jewish partner, Archie’s anti-Semitism has been ratcheted up. In the episode we watched last night, Archie and Murray hired a new cook (played by Anne Meara). Her gay nephew as waiter was part of the deal to hire her, and Archie’s homophobic tendencies are ratcheted up, too.

“Also, Danielle Brisebois was a little sweetie.

She so is!

“To make both of us feel old, she turned 50 this year.”

What makes me feel really old is that Danielle Brisebois is four years older than my wife!

[Jeff of Earth-J]

I forgot to mention last week, that Stephanie is a little beer hound! she was alwyas trying to sneak a sip of Archie's beer (as any kid would do). I was surprised that a scene set in the bar actually showed her taking a drink. Man! Couldn't get away with that on TV today, boy.

[Jeff of Earth-J]

ARCHIE BUNKER’S PLACE: Finished watching season one and it looks as if that’s where I’ll have to stop. (There are three more seasons, but they’re not available on DVD.) When I think back to how adamant Tracy was against Archie Bunker when we started watching All in the Family with season one, it’s amazing how much the character has grown on her.* I think Sammy Davis, Jr. said it best when reprising his role playing himself.

In a well-known episode from season two of All in the Family, Sammy Davis accidentally leaves his briefcase in Archie’s cab and ends with Sammy planting a big kiss on Archie’s cheek. The popular entertainer visits Archie Bunker’s Place in season one, and it Archie who kisses Sammy this time. Sammy is traveling with a freelance reporter who challenges Archie on his racist views. Sammy says something along the lines of, “You’re right about what he says, but not about who he is.”

The black/white racial dynamic is almost nonexistent in Archie Bunker’s Place (admittedly replaced with tension regarding Jews and homosexuals). Edith had a hand in selling the Jefferson’s old house to another black couple (as I mentioned above), but nothing was ever done with it. The husband, a police officer, is a regular in the bar, but rarely has a speaking part.

Edith was in fewer than half of the episodes this season (as the action shifts from the home to the bar), and is to be written out in the first episode of season two. As I mentioned, the new cook, Veronica, is played by Anne Meara, but neither Tracy not I care much for that character; she’s too broad.

*”The Archie Show” has now joined “The Barnabas Show” (Dark Shadows<>/i) and “The Bea Show” (Prisoner: Cell Block H) when she discusses television with our cat (an honor, indeed).

[ClarkKent_DC]

Little House: The Last Farewell, the series finale to Little House on the Prairie. The townsfolk of Walnut Grove find out some crooked railroad tycoon owns the deeds to every piece of land in the community and wants it all for his purposes. So in protest, the citizens wire all the properties with dynamite and blow everything up!

Of course, the land baron -- played by James Karen of The Legion of "Hey, It's That Guy!" Character Actors -- is furious, but the Army officer who accompanies him to survey the land refuses to arrest the townsfolk. Mr. French tells him, "Now, you might own all of this land, but what was on it is ours, to do with what we saw fit." And the mayors of the neighboring communities pledge their citizens will do the same if our mogul comes slithering into their towns. 

And then the all the people stride away, singing "Onward, Christian Soldiers."

The last sight is of a colony of rabbits frolicking in the yard in front of the last property standing, The Little House on the Prairie.

[Richard Willis]

Not having seen the Little House finale, I wonder how the ending is a triumph? Doesn't the railroad tycoon want the land and not the buildings? Didn't blowing everything up just help him clear the land?

I also have a question that's been nagging me that may or may not relate to Little House. Back before I had cable and easy access to a program schedule I watched most of an episode or TV movie that had two teen or tween girls trapped in a cabin with a vicious animal growling outside. The animal turned out to be a very angry wolverine, my first sight of one. Not having watched Little House except for one or two episodes, I couldn't recognize the girls so have no idea what show it was. Does anyone know?

[ClarkKent_DC]

Richard Willis said:

Not having seen the Little House finale, I wonder how the ending is a triumph? Doesn't the railroad tycoon want the land and not the buildings? Didn't blowing everything up just help him clear the land?

Beats me. I didn't see the whole show; maybe it was explained in the part I didn't watch. 

I just happened across the last 20 minutes, right when all the towns people are unspooling the wires that connected to the detonator. Then different people took turns hooking the detonator to the wires that led to to the dynamite on their property, bawling all the while. It looked like they all were truly sad to see their town destroyed.

Wikipedia says Little House on the Prairie blew up the sets because the producers had an agreement with the actual landowners to restore the land back to how it was. As the production crew was calculating the demolition costs, star and producer Michael Landon suggested blowing up the sets, and then they worked it into the story.

I've read elsewhere that playing the villain in this episode nearly derailed James Karen's career. He had a regular gig doing TV commercials for Pathmark supermarkets, and they got hundreds of letters demanding Pathmark fire him. 

[Jeff of Earth-J]

ARCHIE BUNKER’S PLACE (SEASON TWO) (SPOILERS): I found a source for seasons two through four, so I will be able to watch the rest of the series after all. In the two-part opener,it is revealed that Edith died in her sleep a month earlier. I remember almost nothing about these episodes from some 35 years ago. What I remembered as the very first scene of the first episode of season two is actually the last scene of the second episode.

Archie hires a black housekeeper, Mrs. Canby, the sister of his next door neighbor, so there are more racial issues in season two than in season one. He quits his lodge in protest when the leader makes a racially charged statement about Archie’s maid.

In the season finale, Archie’s business partner, Murry Klein, is written out of the show.

[The Baron]

I dug through my old VHS tapes and found my tape of Nixon's funeral. I'm debating watching over the Thanksgiving holiday.