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. Every now and then I like to dig through my inbox and pull out a few choice e-mails to answer here at Television Obscurities for everyone to read. Keep reading for today’s questions and answers.
The first ten installments of “Can You Identify These Shows?” were incredibly popular and successful but I’m putting the feature on hold for a while and returning to the regular Q & A segment in which I answer e-mails from readers inquiring about television programs, miniseries and made-for-TV movies they have vague recollections off.
Young man, worked in father’s grocery store. Had goofy friend, irritating girl next door, she had dark hair. No much to go on, but I can’t remember anymore. Was in black and white. Near as I can remember, would be around the time of Mr. Ed, maybe?
Penny
The young man in question was Dobie Gillis, the titular lead character in The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, a black-and-white sitcom broadcast on CBS from 1959 to 1963 (Mr. Ed debuted in syndication in January of 1961 and joined CBS in the fall of that year). Dwayne Hickman starred as Dobie Gillis, whose father (played by Frank Faylen) owned a grocery store where Dobie worked. The goofy friend was beatnik Maynard G. Krebs, played by Bob Denver and the irritating girl next door was Zelda Gilroy, played by Sheila James Kuehl. Zelda was head over heels in love with Dobie, who in turn was head over heels in love with a variety of beautiful young women (during the first season Tuesday Weld starred as the unobtainable Thalia Menninger, who was obsessed with money).
A friend of mine has described a local program that originated in Los Angeles many years ago. I believe it was called “Sewing With George.” Do you have any info? I really know very little about the program. All I do know is that it aired in the early 70’s and George would make an entire suit during the 30 minutes allotted. I am told it was very funny, unintentionally. Thank you.
Bill
The program was called Sew What’s New, hosted by George W. Trippon, who passed away on January 1st, 2010 at the age of 93. According to an obituary in The Beacon-News, Trippon was born in 1916 in Aurora, Illinois [1]. He and his sister had a small role in the 1933 film Flying Down to Rio and, after serving in the Army during World War II, Trippon became a costume designer. He studied in Paris, worked for MGM Studios and opened the Trippon Fashion Center on Sunset Boulevard in the 1950s.
Trippon began Sew What’s New in 1975 (likely as a local cable access program) and it was picked up by The Learning Channel (now known as TLC) and ran until sometime during the 1990s. Clips from the show can be found online. Sew What’s New may have begun earlier than 1975. I believe it began its run on The Learning Channel in the 1980s and probably ended in the early 1990s after The Learning Channel was purchased by Discovery Communications in 1991. Any additional information on the show would be appreciated.
Works Cited:
See how long “DOBIE GILLIS” has been off broadcast and cable TV? Do you REALLY believe 20th Century-Fox will EVER issue DVD’s of this “obscure” comedy that today’s audience {to THEM} doesn’t really seem to care or know about? More people like “Penny” NEED to know about this series!!
Amen, Barry. In a world of “Skins” and “Gossip Girl,” it’s nice to remember a time when “Dobie Gillis” dealt with simpler issues of teen angst–love and money! Fox needs to issue all four seasons–ASAP!
Supposedly, the reason why this show has never made it to a DVD radar screen has to do with a rights dispute with the Max Shulman estate.