Q & A: Can You Identify These Shows, Part 8

I get a lot of e-mails from people asking me about television shows, made-for-TV movies or miniseries they remember from years or decades past. I try to answer each question as best I can but often recollections are hazy at best and thus impossible to identify, despite my best efforts. Hopefully, by posting these questions here at Television Obscurities for everyone to read someone will come up with the answer. Keep reading for today’s unidentified shows.

This new feature has turned out to be both more popular and more productive than I had hoped. Many of the questions that stumped me have been answered by visitors.

Can You Identify These Shows, Part 1
-Show identified as a British program called The Champions, broadcast by NBC in 1968
-Two-part made-for-TV movies/miniseries identified as Goliath Awaits, aired in syndication as part of Operation Prime Time in November 1981

Can You Identify These Shows, Part 2
-Made-for-TV movie identified as Mother Was Never A Kid, an ABC Afterschool Special broadcast in April 1981
-Show identified as ABC’s Oh, Grow Up!, a sitcom that ran for 11 episodes during the 1999-2000 season

Can You Identify These Shows, Part 3
-Show identified as a British program called Into the Labyrinth
-Early 1990s animated movie still unidentified

Can You Identify These Shows, Part 4
-Show identified as Phyl & Mikhy, a CBS summer series that ran for 6 episodes in 1980.
-Show potentially identified as Showtime’s Hard Knocks, a sitcom that aired in 1987.

Can You Identify These Shows, Part 5
-Episode identified as “They,” broadcast as part of syndicated horror anthology series The Evil Touch (produced in Australia) during the 1973-1974 season.
-Show potentially identified as NBC’s Empty Nest, which ran from 1988-1995.

Can You Identify These Shows, Part 6
-1960s children’s program still unidentified.
-Unsold pilot identified as “Wishman,” broadcast by ABC on June 23rd, 1983.

Can You Identify These Shows, Part 7
-Miniseries tentatively identified as Till We Meet Again, broadcast in November 1989 by CBS.
-1960s children’s program still unidentified (potentially the same as unidentified show from Part 6).

Here are two more questions that I hope someone can answer. I sure couldn’t.

I’m not sure this ever actually aired, but I recall way back in the late 60s or early 70s some oddball ads on a box of disposable coffee cups (the white plastic kind that clicked into a hard plastic holder) featuring pics of a middle-aged woman whom I’d never heard of. She was the star of an upcoming TV special. I later heard that she was the wife of the cup manufacturer’s founder. Kind of a Pia Zadora situation where a wannabe entertainer is facilitated by a rich spouse. Who was this woman. What’s the story? Did it actually air? Are clips available anywhere.
Kelly

Unfortunately, this is about as vague as it gets. Hopefully someone knows something about this, for Kelly’s sake.

While growing up in the 1970s, I remember watching tales on TV (actors in play) around the holidays. The one I remember most was “Aladdin & 40 thieves”. I’m not sure if it was on PBS or not. I can’t find anything about these plays. The actors were not well known, but it was a fond childhood memory. Have you heard of these? Do you know some resources where I can research?
Liz

I believe it is Ali Baba, not Aladdin, who was involved with the Forty Thieves (Aladdin was the King of Thieves) but that didn’t help me identify this program. Liz sent a follow-up e-mail with a few other details:

These were live actors in plays of children’s tales. (Aladdin is the one that really stays in my mind.) I remember that they aired typically during the holiday season. I was raised in NY, so I’m wondering if it was seen only in that market. I keep searching the net, but don’t seem to be able to find a thing about it. Now I’m beginning to wonder if it was a network other than PBS (CBS?).

Anyone recognize this?


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6 Replies to “Q & A: Can You Identify These Shows, Part 8”

  1. The Prince Street Players performed Aladdin on CBS in 1967.

    The listing (from the time.com archive): Wednesday, December 6 ALADDIN (CBS, 7:30-8:30 p.m.).º Once upon a time New York City’s Prince Street Players repertory company was unknown and struggling. Tonight it returns to TV with its fourth fairy-tale special, the story of Aladdin and his magic lamp and genie.

    It looks like they had several productions in the late 60s.

  2. Jeff, here’s what Kelly had to say when I sent her the link to this post:

    THAT’S IT!!! I can’t believe your site found this.
    Many thanks!
    Kelly

  3. I’m wondering if Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves was part of a shortlived syndicated series called Storybook Theater, a taped show in which actors played out fairy tales; etc. with very minimal sets, props; etc. It very much had the feel of live theater. I know that WABC-TV, channel 7, the ABC-owned station in New York, ran it at 7:30PM on a weeknight. This would have been some time between 1970 and 1974.

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