On a related note, prior to installing Akismet, any comments containing at least one URL were held for moderation due to the fact that most spam comments include URLs. Thus, if someone tried linking to a YouTube video, their comment would have to be approved by me before it would show up. As of now, this is no longer the case unless a comment contains five or more URLs. We’ll see how this works.

As always, keep the comments coming.

Vincent Terrace has made a career out of writing encyclopedic tomes about television and radio, including titles such as Encyclopedia of Television: Series, Pilots and Specials, 1937-1973, Radios Golden Years: The Encyclopedia of Radio Programs, 1930-1960 and Sitcom Factfinder, 1948-1984: Over 9,700 Details from 168 Television Shows. According to the front flap, The Complete Encyclopedia of Television Programs, 1947-1976 was the first encyclopedia of television. It also declares that “Terrace has, through his encyclopedic knowledge of the medium and extensive research, [has] written an indispensable, fact-embedded history of television.” The back flap explains that the encyclopedia “is sure to provide a nostalgic backward glance into America’s past — the programs and the personalities that shaped more than a quarter century of television broadcasting.” And at a cost of just $29.95 for both hardcover volumes.

The encyclopedia covers roughly 3,000 programs (Volume 1 covers titles A through K and Volume 2 titles L through Z) and includes over 170 black-and-white photographs. For each program, Terrace gives the genre it falls into, a brief summary, the cast and broadcast information. Here, for example, is the entry for The Baileys of Balboa:

Comedy. Background: Bailey’s Landing, Balboa Beach, California. The story of the bickering relationship between two men: Sam Bailey, the captain of a noisy and decrepit character boat, the Island Princess, and his objecting neighbor, Cecil Wyntoon, the commodore of the high-class Balboa Yachting Club.

CAST

Sam Bailey                                                  Paul Ford
Cecil Wyntoon                                        John Dehner
Barbara Bailey, Sam’s daughter               Judy Carne
Jim Wyntoon, Cecil’s son                    Les Brown, Jr.
Buck Singleton, Sam’s shipmate               Sterling Holloway

THE BAILEYS OF BALBOA–30 minutes–CBS–September 24, 1964 – March 29, 1965.

Summaries vary in length from a few words to several paragraphs. The summary for I Dream of Jeannie is one of the longer ones, running for seven paragraphs. The summary for Star Stage, an NBC anthology that ran from 1954-1955, is two words: Dramatic presentations. For many anthologies, as well as movie series like The ABC Movie of the Week Terrace provides a handful of examples of episodes, each complete with their own cast lists.

The Complete Encyclopedia of Television Programs, 1947-1976 Volume I, Front Cover – Copyright A. S. Barnes and Co., Inc.

The Complete Encyclopedia of Television Programs, 1947-1976 Volume II, Front Cover – Copyright A. S. Barnes and Co., Inc.

In terms of sheer informational value, The Complete Encyclopedia of Television Programs, 1947-1976 leaves a lot to be desired. Popular, well-known shows often (but not always) have longer summaries than more obscure programs. The summary for The Flying Nun is three paragraphs long while the summary for The New Land is one sentence. On the other hand, the summary for The New People is longer than the summary for Gilligan’s Island.

Format-wise, the two narrow columns on each page is a bit frustrating but you get used to it. There is no index of any sort but it is pretty easy to flip through either volume looking for a particular show. If this truly was the first television encyclopedia, I’m sure it was well-received by historians, academics and television fans alike. Today, however, I rarely find it useful and much prefer The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present.

A new work by Terrace, a four-volume paperback set titled Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2007, was published in 2008. I haven’t had a chance to look through it but I’d be interested to know if Terrace updated his entries for programs from The Complete Encyclopedia of Television Programs, 1947-1976. Here’s its page at McFarland’s website.

Related posts:

1. Television Programs – Lost, Missing or Unavailable
2. Bookshelf: Total Television
3. Bookshelf: The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows

Out today from Mill Creek Entertainment is Wanted: Dead or Alive – Season Two, with all 32 black-and-white episodes from the 1959-1960 season of this Steve McQueen western. The series ran for three seasons, all of which were released on DVD by BCI in 2007 (they are now out of print). New Line released the first season in 2005. Mill Creek released a complete series collection in August of last year along with a re-release of the first season and will likely re-release the third and final season later this year. I’m not sure why anyone would want to buy the Mill Creek re-releases individually when the complete series is available relatively cheaply, but if you only want the second season on DVD, now you can get it.

Speaking of Westerns, you may or may not be able to find Timeless Media Group’s The Virginian – Season 1, Part 1 and/or The Virginian – Season 1, Part 2 at Sam’s Club. According to TVShowsOnDVD.com, both sets were due to be released today but were later pulled in favor of The Virginian – Complete First Season on 10 DVDs – Limited Edition Embossed Collector’s Tin!, which comes out on May 25th. Apparently, Timeless routinely offers exclusives to Sam’s Clubs and/or Costco and posters at the Home Theater Forum are reporting that they’re also finding Season Two in half-season sets, despite absolutely no news about it being available.

Finally, from Mill Creek Entertainment comes Tenspeed & Brown Shoe – The Complete Series. The show ran on ABC from January to June of 1980, so technically it does not fit my pre-1979 requirement for these weekly posts. But only 14 episodes were produced, so it is a bit of an obscurity, and I’m not sure anyone expected to ever see it on DVD (except perhaps Stephen J. Cannell, who created it).

Related posts:

1. DVD Tuesday: Route 66 Season Three
2. DVD Tuesday: Nothing of Interest
3. DVD Tuesday – Here’s Lucy, The Untouchables, Wanted: Dead or Alive

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
1. Show identified as a British program called The Champions, broadcast by NBC in 1968
2. Two-part made-for-TV movies/miniseries identified as Goliath Awaits, aired in syndication as part of Operation Prime Time in November of 1981
• Can You Identify These Shows, Part 2
1. Made-for-TV movie identified as Mother Was Never A Kid, an ABC Afterschool Special broadcast in April of 1981
2. 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
1. Show identified as a British program called Into the Labyrinth
2. Early 1990s animated movie still unidentified
• Can You Identify These Shows, Part 4
1. Show identified as Phyl & Mikhy, a CBS summer series that ran for 6 episodes in 1980.
2. Show potentially identified as Showtime’s Hard Knocks, a sitcom that aired in 1987.
• Can You Identify These Shows, Part 5
1. Unknown episode identified as “They,” broadcast as part of syndicated horror anthology series The Evil Touch (produced in Australia) during the 1973-1974 season.
2. Show potentially identified as NBC’s Empty Nest, which ran from 1988-1995.
• Can You Identify These Shows, Part 6
1. 1960s children’s program still unidentified.
2. Unsold pilot identified as “Wishman,” broadcast by ABC on June 23rd, 1983.
• Can You Identify These Shows, Part 7
1. Miniseries tentatively identified as Till We Meet Again, broadcast in November of 1989 by CBS.
2. 1960s children’s program still unidentified (potentially the same as unidentified show from Part 6).
• Can You Identify These Shows, Part 8
1. Televised theater production tentatively identified as “Aladdin,” staged for CBS by The Prince Street Players on December 6th, 1967.
2. TV special identified as “Rose On Broadway” starring Dora Hall (wife of Leo Hulseman, founder/owner of Solo Cup Company).

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

My attempts to identify this show failed and Barbara sent this follow-up e-mail:

Does anyone have foggy memories of an actor who looks chipmunky? Anyone?

Sounds eerie. Thoughts?

Related posts:

1. Q & A: Can You Identify These Shows, Part 8
2. Q & A: Can You Identify These Shows, Part 7
3. Q & A: Can You Identify These Shows, Part 4

CBS was first with a 20.9 Nielsen rating (up from a 19.9 rating), NBC second with a 20.6 (up from an 18.4) and ABC third with a 16.9 (down from a 17.5). Here’s the Top Ten, complete with Nielsen ratings:

Here’s how all three networks fared on Saturday, December 9th. ABC aired Alias Smith and Jones, The Streets of San Francisco and The Sixth Sense. CBS broadcast All in the Family, Bridget Loves Bernie, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Bob Newhart Show and Mission: Impossible. NBC filled its three hours of prime time with Emergency and The NBC Saturday Movie, which this week was 1963’s Love is a Ball starring Glenn Ford and Hope Lange.

Time	ABC	CBS	NBC
8:00PM	11.0/17	34.8/54	19.5/30
8:30PM	11.0/17	25.3/40	19.5/30
9:00PM	15.4/24	23.1/37	16.8/29
9:30PM	15.4/25	20.6/34	16.8/29
10:00PM	12.7/23	19.2/34	16.8/29
10:30PM	12.7/23	19.2/34	16.8/29
Average	13.0/22	23.7/33	17.7/29

CBS was able to easily win the evening despite losing a large portion of its audience as the night went on. NBC came in second and its movie likely grew with every half-hour. As for ABC, it spent the entire evening in third place, although Streets of San Francisco grew nicely out of Alias Smith and Jones.

All three networks covered the launch of Apollo 17, to varying degrees of ratings success:

Net	Rating	Rank
CBS	19.8/36	23
NBC	17.1/31	37
ABC	11.9/21	61

Source:

Related posts:

1. Nielsen Top Ten, November 27th – December 3rd, 1972
2. Nielsen Top Ten, December 5th, 1966 – December 18th, 1966
3. Nielsen Top Ten, November 21st, 1966 – December 4th, 1966

Also, W2XBS was on the air on Monday in order to broadcast the finals of the Diamond Belt boxing match; typically the station wasn’t operating on Monday or Tuesday.

Sunday, December 10th, 1939
2:30-3:30PM – American Legion National Defense Program, with Lieut. Gen. Hugh A. Drumm, Raymond J. Kelly and Mrs. William H. Corwith. Exercises from Triborough Stadium.
8:30-9:30PM – Debuts of the Debutante Committee, Television Ball, with Esme O’Brien, Elizabeth Berg, Nancy Martin, Margaret Earle, Anne Schrafft and Chicago’s “Miss Television,” Nancy Callahan. Paul Wing’s Spelling Bee.

Monday, December 11th, 1939
9:30-11:30PM – Boxing: Finals, Diamond Belt bouts, at Madison Square Garden.

Wednesday, December 13th, 1939
2:30-3:30PM – Edna Mayo on the Jungle Influence in Fashions; film serial, “Burn ‘Em Up Barnes”; Sig Buckmayr, Ski Technique.
8:30-9:30PM – The Fashion Academy, in “A Mode Is Born,” with Emil Alvin Hartman; the Debut Parade, with Staats Cotsworth.

Thursday, December 14th, 1939
2:30-3:30PM – Carmelina Otero, soprano; Frank La Forge, piano; film, “Zoo in Manhattan”; sports interview; Moishe Oysher, songs.
8:30-9:30PM – Explorers–Philip Plant with African films; Vaughn de Leath, songs.

Friday, December 14th, 1939
2:30-3:30PM – Films, “George Washington’s Railroad” and “Overture to William Tell.”
11PM-12AM – Television Ball of the Goddard Neighborhood Center, at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.

Saturday, December 15th, 1939
2:30-3:30PM – Films, “Der Freischutz,” “The Old Santa Fe Trail,” “Horse Sense and Horsepower,” “Mixed Bathing,” “Hindu Holiday,” “Skiesta.”
9-11PM – Boxing, at Ridgewood Grove.

Sources:

Related posts:

1. W2XBS Schedule, Week of December 3rd, 1939
2. W2XBS Schedule, Week of November 26th, 1939
3. W2XBS Schedule, Week of November 12th, 1939

Andy Griffith, who starred in one of the most popular sitcoms of the 1960s, returned to television in a new sitcom in the fall of 1970. This time, rather than a rural sheriff, his character was the headmaster of a prestigious private school. It was the season of relevancy and thus The Headmaster featured stories supposedly relevant to teenagers: there were episodes that involved drugs, miniskirts and rebellion. Although early Nielsen ratings were decent, the series soon sank. Reviews were sharply critical of the series, which was replaced in mid-season 1971 by The New Andy Griffith Show, which itself was canceled as part of the CBS rural purge. Griffith was able to make a career resurgence in the mid-1980s with Matlock, proving that viewers had forgive him for The Headmaster.

There are two things I’d like to point out. First, some sources state there were 13 episodes of The Headmaster. Television listings in The New York Times indicate there were actually 14 episodes. Second, according to The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present, the theme song was written by Gordon and Williams. Online sources say the music was written by either Patrick or Dick Williams (could they be one and the same?) and the lyrics by Kelly Gordon, but I haven’t found a definitive source.

If you have any comments about The Headmaster, please leave them at the article itself.

Related posts:

1. Aaron Ruben (1914-2010)
2. Alternate Theme to NBC’s Bonanza

Con Steffanson, a pen name used by author Ron Goulart, wrote three tie-in novels based on ABC’s Laverne and Shirley, all released in 1976. Easy Money is the second of these novels. I have two copies, both of which have large Xs written across the cover in black marker. This could mean they were remaindered or maybe whoever owned them before me just really hated Laverne and Shirley. Either way, the X doesn’t do all that much to obstruct the cover, which features a photograph of Cindy Williams and Penny Marshall as Shirley Feeney and Laverne De Fazio, respectively.

The plot of Easy Money involves Laverne appearing on a game show called Easy Money, in which contestants are asked a variety of trivia questions while tucked away in an isolation booth, all for a chance at winning $96,000. Both Laverne and Shirley are flown out to Hollywood so Laverne can continue competing. Also in Hollywood are Lenny Kosnowski and Andrew “Squiggy” Squigman, who are vacationing together. Nathan Shotz, owner of the Shotz Brewery and Laverne and Shirley’s father, is thrilled to have Laverne mentioning the name of his company on the air in front of millions of viewers.

Laverne and Shirley #2 – Easy Money Front Cover – Copyright Warner Books

Once in Hollywood, it slowly begins to dawn on Laverne that perhaps Easy Money is rigged, despite continued denials by everyone involved with the game. But after a producer for the show gives her some “areas of study” to help prepare, she starts feeling bad about what she’s doing. With everyone back in Milwaukee supporting and counting on her, however, Laverne keeps going. She plays another round and then decides enough is enough. With Shirley’s support she plans to tell the producer not to give her any more hints.

The production company behind Easy Money is owned in part by a millionaire named Nelson Nesbit; in fact, he owns 51% of the company. So when he says Laverne will win all $96,000, the producers have to find a way to keep her winning. Laverne is given an envelope containing actual answers and told she has to win or else people will lose their jobs. Instead, she plans to spill the beans to a reporter. Before she can, she and Shirley are kidnapped and taken to a desert castle owned by Nesbit.

Laverne and Shirley #2 – Easy Money Back Cover – Copyright Warner Books

Lenny and Squiggy just happen to drive by as Laverne and Shirley are being transported from their hotel. The two decide to follow them, thinking something is up. The reporter also determines that trouble is brewing. Nesbit plans to keep Laverne and Shirley at his castle until Laverne relents and agrees to keep playing. But one of the other owners of the production company doesn’t agree with his methods, arrives at the castle in a helicopter and announces that she’s taking the girls with her. The game show is soon taken off the air and Laverne and Shirley enjoy a nice meal with their reporter friend.

Easy Money wasn’t hilarious but it was enjoyable. The antics of Lenny and Squiggy in Hollywood felt a bit out of place; the two had very little interaction with Laverne and Shirley once everyone left Milwaukee. Nelson Nesbit made for an over-the-top villain, a germophobe who didn’t want anyone getting too close to him. There was one passage early on in the book that pulled me out of the story, though:

Shirley leaned in front of Carmine to give Laverne a poke in the ribs. “You’re not laughing.”
“He’ll have to tell me the dirty story first.”
“You’re supposed to pretend.”
“Le him pretend he’s hearing me laugh.” Laverne leaned back and folded her arms under her breasts.

It wasn’t the word itself that surprised me but the fact that it appeared at all. It seemed somehow out of place in a tie-in novel based on a sitcom like Laverne and Shirley. The sentence probably would have worked just as well if it ended after “folder her arms,” but perhaps Con Steffanson (aka Ron Goulart) felt otherwise.

Related posts:

1. Bookshelf: The A-Team #2
2. Bookshelf: March of Comics #253 (Yogi Bear)
3. Bookshelf: March of Comics #254 (Lassie)

It’s the first Tuesday of March (there are four remaining) and the pickings are slim for fans of classic television. You can pick up Have Gun Will Travel: Season Four, Vol. 1 from Paramount Home Entertainment, with the first 19 episodes from the 1960-1961 season. Incredibly, it has been more than four years since Season Three was released; it came out in one set on January 3rd, 2006. If you’re a fan of the series and want to see the remaining seasons, be sure to pick this up. Split-season releases can be annoying and expensive but they seem to be the only way a lot of shows are being released. A review by Matt Hough can be found at the Home Theater Review.

Also out today are three Doctor Who stories from BBC Video. The first two, “Frontier in Space” (story #067) and “Planet of the Daleks” (story #068) are being released in one set titled Doctor Who Dalek War: Frontier in Space & Planet of the Daleks. You get twelve episodes on four discs with a whole bunch of bonus features. Apparently, this is the first time the third episode of “Planet of the Daleks” will be available in color in decades. The third story is Doctor Who: Remembrance of the Daleks (Special Edition) (story #152). An earlier version was released in April of 2002 and this new version was originally supposed to come out two years ago but was pulled due to clearance issues, according to TVShowsOnDVD.com. The episodes themselves have reportedly been “remastered.” There was one clearance issue that could not be cleared up; a Beatles song had to be cut (see this TVShowsOnDVD.com article).

I’m not an expert on Doctor Who so if any of these details are wrong, please let me know.

Related posts:

1. DVD Tuesday: Adam 12, My Three Sons
2. DVD Tuesday: Super Friends, Doctor Who
3. Gunsmoke, Rawhide and Have Gun, Will Travel Coming to Encore Westerns in 2010

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
1. Show identified as a British program called The Champions, broadcast by NBC in 1968
2. Two-part made-for-TV movies/miniseries identified as Goliath Awaits, aired in syndication as part of Operation Prime Time in November of 1981
• Can You Identify These Shows, Part 2
1. Made-for-TV movie identified as Mother Was Never A Kid, an ABC Afterschool Special broadcast in April of 1981
2. 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
1. Show identified as a British program called Into the Labyrinth
2. Early 1990s animated movie still unidentified
• Can You Identify These Shows, Part 4
1. Show identified as Phyl & Mikhy, a CBS summer series that ran for 6 episodes in 1980.
2. Show potentially identified as Showtime’s Hard Knocks, a sitcom that aired in 1987.
• Can You Identify These Shows, Part 5
1. Unknown episode identified as “They,” broadcast as part of syndicated horror anthology series The Evil Touch (produced in Australia) during the 1973-1974 season.
2. Show potentially identified as NBC’s Empty Nest, which ran from 1988-1995.
• Can You Identify These Shows, Part 6
1. 1960s children’s program still unidentified.
2. Unsold pilot identified as “Wishman,” broadcast by ABC on June 23rd, 1983.
• Can You Identify These Shows, Part 7
1. Miniseries tentatively identified as Till We Meet Again, broadcast in November of 1989 by CBS.
2. 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.

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

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:

Anyone recognize this?

Related posts:

1. Q & A: Can You Identify These Shows, Part 9
2. Q & A: Can You Identify These Shows, Part 5
3. Q & A: Can You Identify These Shows, Part 4