It is what it is!
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I
was born in 1961. My first memories of the CBS hourly "Bong"
tone was from the early/mid-1960s, on the CBS Television Network, when
I'd hear it each and every weekday morning at 8:00am CT, when WWL-TV-4
would switch into the CBS Television Network, and I'd hear that "BONG"
tone fed from Chicago or New York over 5-Kc audio lines from AT&T,
and then the bouncy "Puffin' Billy" music of The Captain. I most certainly remember hearing it all throughout the 1970s-era, such as opening up Cannon, Barnaby Jones, All in the Family, Maude, Mary Tyler Moore, etc. And
while the CBS "Bong" was removed from CBS-TV sometime in the
early 1980s, and the NBC 700-Hz BEEEEEEP was removed from NBC-TV about
the same time, and the ABC 1000-Hz 'bip' was also removed from ABC-TV
and ABC Radio at the beginning of American Information News in the early/mid-1980s
too... the NBC 700-Hz BEEEEEEP was still being heard at the top of the
hour before the hourly news on the NBC Radio Network all the way through
August/September 1992; I'd read somewhere that CBS introduced the "Bong" back in Summer 1938, on RADIO of course. And I've heard old time radio programs from CBS from the 1940s/50s/etc. and have watched some old kinescopes of CBS-TV programs from the 1950s-era, and the BONG was used at the top of the hour -- and MAYBE even at :30 -- back then. I "stream" the CBS-owned WBBM-780-am in Chicago through the Internet, since WBBM carries MOST of the hourly newscasts from CBS in New York, while the local WWL-870-am in New Orleans just about always cuts away from the network and goes "local" at 3-min after the hour. The actual CBS Radio hourly newscast runs at least 5-mins long. And twice each weekday, once in the morning and once in the afternoon, the CBS Radio hourly newscast is branded the "World News Roundup" and runs TEN minutes long. WBBM-780 Chicago carries the full 10-min WNR, while WWL-870 New Orleans breaks away at 4-min after the hour during the WNR. While I really do NOT watch current TV programming, I do watch The Price is Right at times, and I try to watch Sixty Minutes. It would be nice if CBS-TV could restore the BONG tone at the top of the hour -- it would be nice to hear it at the beginning of TPIR and 60-Mins! Since CBS Radio still goes "BONG" at the top of the hour, it wouldn't be "difficult" to restore the BONG on CBS-TV! Friday,
March 9, 2007 - 4:29pm
MORE
ON PUBLIC DOMAIN TV SHOWS Examples
of popular shows with some public domain episodes: There are many other shows, mostly from the 1950s and early 1960s, that have one or more episodes that have slipped into the public domain. Some of these shows are quite rare to see and, were it not for their public domain status, there’s a very good chance that we would never see some of these shows again. The downside is that companies releasing public domain material almost never have access to original film elements and, consequently, use 16 millimeter syndication prints as their source material... some of these prints are in fairly bad shape. In my opinion, the best company for rare public domain television series is Alpha Video; they really have an incredible catalog of some rare television shows from the 1950s at reasonable prices, including 44 (of 52) episodes of “Ramar of the Jungle.” Critics Choice Video’s classic TV line is a good one as well. Thursday,
March 8, 2007 - 7:19am
PHILLY
HERO "Over more than five decades his dedication and deep devotion to these unfortunate men and women was a compelling, personal effort without financial compensation of any kind. Halftown's concern for the down-trodden emerged from his childhood on the Seneca reservations in New Your and continued through his service in the US Army during World War II. "After discharge he became a popular 'big band singer' in New York and Pennsylvania. During that time he pledged his talents with countless charitable causes and for the next fifty years followed through in a modest, low-profile second career. His primary concerns centered on alcoholics and substance abusers at the lowest levels of society. The Chief was frequently an honored speaker at Pennsylvania State mental hospitals and outpatient clinics offering encouragement to adult patients and families. A regular at store-front clubs and outreach programs in slum areas, Halftown, offered support and guidance regardless of economic status to residents of Center City Philadelphia, the Main Line, Delaware and Montgomery Counties. "Affectionately known by all as "Chief," Traynor's words of wisdom fit perfectly into the traditions of his Native American people. Although his appearances were never made in native regalia or with tribal fanfare, audiences always responded to him with affection. His native pride and sense of spirituality prevailed and these were the very attributes that endeared him to all children everywhere. Hundreds of thousands of families came to know Traynor as 'a counselor and leader' from 1945 until his passing in 2003. "Although his charitable efforts were never publicized and he never presented himself as a TV performer to such groups, he was recognized as an outstanding personality wherever he appeared. He termed himself 'just a fellow citizen determined to aid those in need, any way I can.' His was a totally personal effort never discussed with the press or private interests for his own benefit. Consequently, his help to others became a poorly kept secret that endeared "Chief" to all who really knew him. Millions of families remember him in the broadest possible range of loving devotion. There will be none in future times who can walk the Valley in his moccasins!" This, folks, is why I lament the death of local TV the way it used to be. Personalities like Chief Halftown in Philly, Sheriff John Rovick in L.A. and the Old Rebel where I grew up in North Carolina (to name but a few) worked tirelessly for the communities they seviced. Television stations had a connection to the community (and kids in particular) that just isn't possible to achieve any longer now that their local kid shows have disappeared. The other day I was watching the local Noon News and they had a pre-school class in the studio watching the broadcast. Trying to connect with the community, you know? But can you think of anything LESS appropriate than kids watching what passes for news these days? Rape. Murder. War. I wonder how many of these kids went home and asked mommy what a "decapitation" is. That's a long way from the 'Please and Thank You' life lessons we learned from our local heroes each weekday. Thursday,
March 8, 2007 - 6:34am
PHILLY
KID SHOWS PBS had on a special tonight about kid's TV in Philly. My brothers and I were calling each other all excited to make sure we all didn't miss it. Other PBS stations around the country should take note. I'll bet this was a cash bonanza for WHYY. New York City? You should talk with Kevin S. Butler (you can contact him through this site), he knows NYC locals like no other - in fact, I doubt there's anyone in the country who knows more about a specific genre of TV than he does about NYC kid shows (publishers take note!) and Kevin has an unbelievable stash of rare photos, recordings, interviews, etc. just waiting to be shared with the world. Rick Goldschmidt would be the go to guy in Chicago (no shortage of experts on Chicago kid's TV). PBS in Detroit should be on the phone to Ed Golick this morning! Of course, when it comes to local or national kid shows, TVparty is there for you 24 hours a day. Speaking of NYC kid shows, I'm going to share with you some ultra-rare, never before seen footage from one of the Big Apple's most celebrated kid shows. We'll do that in a couple of days, OK? Wednesday,
March 7, 2007 - 6:39am
I would have to assume the shows either were never copyrighted to begin with (having to do with the disposable nature of early TV before reruns in syndication became a booming market) or, more likely, they were never renewed when the 28 year deadline hit (copyrights had to be renewed every 28 years at that time - the law has changed, I understand). This may be because conventional wisdom was, for a couple of decades, that black and white shows were worthless because people only wanted to watch programs in color. Anyone have a more detailed answer? Tuesday,
March 6, 2007 - 8:55am
FUNNY
STUFF Tuesday,
March 6, 2007 - 8:52am
PHILLY
KIDDIES Tuesday,
March 6, 2007 - 8:51am
QUOTE
OF THE WEEK Friday,
March 2, 2007 - 11:01am
DETROIT
KID SHOWS Friday,
March 2, 2007 - 10:58am
SOUNDIES
These historically important performances have all been preserved, thankfully, and this hour-long tribute gives us a sweet taste of Duke Ellington, Louis Jordan, Cab Calloway and many other immortals of the swing era. The special jumps along at a nice pace, the clips are long enough that you can enjoy them and the commentaries by Hugh Hefner, Wynton Marsalis and Leonard Maltin (among others) are spot on. I really enjoyed this documentary, it will turn up during March pledge time like all the other best PBS specials, consult your locals. Don't miss this, Soundies: A Musical History is loads of fun; more than once my jaw dropped in amazement and joy. There will also be a DVD release, with an added bonus - host Michael Feinstein's favorite Soundies films in their entirety. A few years after Soundies died out in the mid-1940s, the ball was picked up by Snader Telescriptions which made the same type of musical shorts (with some of the same staff) but this time for broadcast over the new medium of television. You can read about those films here on TVparty! Kevin S. Butler has more on the Soundies and their unique place in TV history:
Thursday,
March 1, 2007 - 7:32am
Stu tells us more: "It came about mostly by chance. I remember that Daphne's Castle was on right after I usually left for school (nursery school or Kindergarten), but for some reason I was home that morning. In the meantime, my dad had just gotten a new Ampex cassette tape recorder, one of the first consumer model cassette players, and was testing it out with the TV set. I asked if he would tape the Daphne theme song (I liked theme songs even at 4) and there it is." Read more about the witchy Baby Daphne here. Wednesday,
February 28, 2007 - 8:07am
SAD
PASSING Mr. Welch was 81 and in failing health. The son of vaudeville entertainers, Marvin Welch Jr. began his career as a boy soprano performing with his parents at local piano bars during the depression. Welch attended Wayne University where he studied liberal arts while performing at Earl Gremel's bar as a singer and comedian to help pay for tuition. He soon added lip syncing to popular recordings to his act and obtained the nickname of "The Michigan Mirthquake." Following his service in the US military, Marv returned to performing in Detroit's most popular nightspots like The Gay Haven where he co-headlined with The Platters, Jerry Vale and Frank Sinatra. He made his TV debut in 1952 on a local musical/variety program titled Musically Speaking for station WWJ. The show only lasted one year. His next TV venture became a much more successful project when the station execs at WXYZ-7 hired Welch to host their daily kid's show Wixie's Wonderland. Debuting in 1953, the broadcast was set against the backdrop of an enchanted fairyland where Wixie (Welch) and the inhabitants of "The Wonderland" - Diane Dale, Gee Whiz the Clown (played by cartoonist and pantomimist Ken Muse), Harry Elton and Gramps (played by the late Frank Nastasi) - engaged young viewers with songs, stories, games, craftmaking, informational segments, comedy skits and interviews with in-studio guest personalities. These live segments were wrapped around reruns of Mickey Mouse, Looney Tunes and Woody Woodpecker movie cartoons. Wixie's Wonderland was produced without a script but it was done with charm, whimsy and with the kind of gentle care one would see today on PBS's Sesame Street. "We were a very popular show," Frank Nastasi recalled in an interview that I did with him back in the 1980's. "We beat out Captain Kangaroo in the ratings. We entertained but we also educated the children. We were gentle and fun but we were not saccharine like Sesame Street. Nastasi's "Gramps" was also able to do segments on animals and conducted an interview with the Sicilian Marionettes and even got a chance to perform with one of the giant puppets on the show. Wixie's Wonderland aired from 1953 until 1957. Following the cancellation of the show, Marv Welch returned to performing in clubs; he also cut several party disks in the 1960's & '70's which utilized his very raunchy comedy routines and hosted a local radio program The Voice Of Macomb County on station WBRB in the 1970's, playing music from the golden days of swing-era jazz. After his radio show left the air Welch was unable to find work and for a time performed at his daughter's restaurant Marvin's Bistro and Piano Bar where his Wixie memorabilia was displayed. Unfortunately the restaurant was not a success and, despite his best efforts, was forced to close after one year of business. During his last years, Marv Welch appeared at some nostalgia conventions in the Detroit area with the city's other popular kid's TV MC's Art Cervi (Bozo the Clown), Johnny Ginger and Soupy Sales. He made only two television appearances during the latter part of his life. During the 1960's, he did a series of TV commercials for Proctor and Gamble promoting Wizard Of Oz hand puppets and puppet stage that children could obtain by having their parents buy Downey Fabric Softener or Oxydol. (The puppets were packaged with the products. Kids could get the Wizard Of Oz puppet theater by sending a check and proof of purchase.) Welch also appeared on WXYZ TV 7's 50th Anniversary tribute in 1998 and was interviewed for books that recalled his best days at WXYZ TV - From Soupy To Nuts by Tim Kiska and the TV Land Book. I was lucky enough to correspond with Marv and he was just as generous with his info about his career in kid's TV with me as he was with other writers. Wednesday,
February 28, 2007 - 6:25am
PHILLY
KID SHOWS SPECIAL Sally Starr. Chief Halftown. Pixanne. Bertie the Bunyip. Captain Noah. Gene London. For two generations of Delaware Valley children, these colorful personalities brought a new brand of entertainment to daytime television - a place where worms could talk, fairies flew, an ark came to life and imaginations ruled. "People enjoy revisiting their childhoods, and for many, these TV characters were a big part of that," said WHYY's Ed Cunningham, producer of Philly's Favorite Kids Show Hosts. "This documentary gives us an opportunity to catch up with many of the people who ignited so many imaginations, and also introduce them to a new generation of fans." Philly's Favorite Kids Show Hosts starts off where it all began: the early days of the television industry in the 1940s and 50s, when Philadelphia became a major player in children's program production by filling a void left by the young national networks. During this time, local broadcast talents - think Gene Crane and Phil Sheridan - spawned new programs for children and adults, and distributed them nationally to the networks. Wednesday,
February 28, 2007 - 5:36am
MORE
ON THOSE DOLLAR DVDS Some kinnie films of Puppet Playhouse with Keeshan as Clarabelle do exist, I don't know if this particular kinnie film is a part of the DVD package that Bob described but I did see Mr. Keeshan's Clarabelle on one early episode of the series dressed in an oversized polka dot clown suit. His striped clown suit and august clown make up didn't appear until later in the series' run. The Shari Show that Ms. Lewis and her other puppeteers did for the NBC TV network on Tuesday afternoons for the 1975 season was not the best of her efforts in kid's television. The plots were too adult and the new characters lacked the charm and whimsy of her better known puppets. Ms. Lewis was essentially trying to do a kid's version of The Mary Tyler Moore Show as she played a television producer for programs that aired on "The Bearly Broadcasting TV Network." The Shari Show only lasted one season on NBC TV. The program was rerun in syndication and on the USA and Nickelodeon cable networks but The Shari Show's screenings were short lived. Ms. Lewis didn't make her comeback on TV until 1992 when she debuted on PBS TV with Lamb Chop's Playalong and with her last kid's TV show Charlie Horse's Music Pizza. Wednesday,
February 28, 2007 - 5:35am
NETFLIX
VS BLOCKBUSTER PART TWO Also - did you know if you're an aggressive renter who gets their DVDs in and out quickly (as I do) both Netflix and Blockbuster will slow down the process to limit the number of DVDs you can receive? Tuesday,
February 27, 2007 - 9:25am
CALLING
BUSHIT Remember 9/11? Right after that event President Bush's approval rating jumped to something like 90%. If we were a nation of irrational Bush haters, or even had a predilection to despise the guy, that couldn't have happened. What you had instead was essentially the entire nation giving him the benefit of the doubt and unconditional support. The millions of Americans (and billions of people the world over) who despise Bush came by it honestly, as a result of his words and deeds, not some media Kool Aid they've been drinking (if the media was really doing its job Bush's approval rating would be somewhere around 10%). That's why it will be difficult for the guy to rebound - once people get sick of a person and start seeing through their bullshit, let's face it, it's over. And now we find the administration is (once again) supporting the same people who attacked us on 9/11? Not surprising. Remember the Bush Administration gave $43 million to the Taliban shortly after taking office, something a truly liberal media would never let us forget. Tuesday,
February 27, 2007 - 8:29am
MORE
DOLLAR DVDS
Howdy Doody Tuesday,
February 27, 2007 - 7:23am
By the way, if you're choosing music for TV or radio shows, you should check out the Smoke & Mirrors CDs (especially White Roses Painted Red) for some knockout material for backgrounds and transitions. They can be found at auralfixationrecords.com. Don't believe me, read the reviews for yourself. Look for Michael and Spider: Iridescent Garden this spring. I don't know the release date for the Red Wedding CD. You can check it out their new, still under construction Web Site at: michaelandspider.com Monday,
February 26, 2007 - 7:43pm
YOU
TUBING - COCKTAIL TIME
Here's another one starring the perpetually inebriated Foster Brooks, this time roasting Don Rickles from one of the many Dean Martin Celebrity Roast specials that aired both during the run of The Dean Martin Show and after the series ran its course. (These clips are followed by some lengthy ads that you can ignore.)
Speaking of Don Rickles, here's a bit from one of his 1970's specials and he's actually singing and dancing. Catch the cool guests stars that turn up on stage, including Otto Preminger and Bobby Riggs.
Don Rickles on a Dean Martin Roast of Bob Hope.
Finally, Don Rickles introduces another roaster, Orson Welles, who somehow manages to be sober enough to get through the thing. You see, Foster Brooks only pretended to be drunk... Sunday,
February 25, 2007 - 8:25pm
LUCY
SHOW DVD? Shout! Factory’s recent announcement of "The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet" on DVD comes in the wake of numerous public domain releases of the show, including the dollar DVDs. Yes, Shout! is taking a bit of a risk on O&H, but the extra features coupled with the best quality episodes will make their release the one to own and has the full involvement of David Nelson and Sam Nelson (son of Ricky). Incidentally, Shout! is using the same formula for this release that they used for their "Here’s Lucy" release... 24 episodes spread across four discs and great extra features. If "The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet" can get an official release, despite numerous PD releases, why not "The Lucy Show?" Also, you may remember that 16 episodes from season 3 of "The Andy Griffith Show" (half of that show’s third season) were public domain and released by numerous companies (including the usual dollar store releases)... but that didn’t stop Paramount from releasing season 3 in its entirety with these same episodes. Arguably,
"The Lucy Show" is the best known Lucille Ball series after
"I Love Lucy" and had a comparatively long run (1962-68). I
would not be surprised, in the least, if Paramount decides to release
this once they feel they’ve done as much as they can sales wise
with "I Love Lucy." I don’t believe that Shout! Factory has any plans for additional releases of this series but, I have to agree with you, the extras (produced by the great Paul Brownstein) are incredible... some might argue, better than the series itself. Saturday,
February 24, 2007 - 8:45pm
Thanks, Bob - speaking of, I enjoy watching The Lucy Show, junk food for the brain you might say. I don't mind a bit watching scratchy prints on the Dollar Store DVDs because that's what it looked like when I first watched the show in morning reruns. Unfortunately, all of these public domain releases of The Lucy Show will make it more unlikely we'll see season by season DVDs. That's a shame, The Lucy Show was one of the top-rated programs of the 1960s. The first couple of seasons (in black-and-white) it was a well-written show and progressive seasons still provide some creamy sitcom goodness. Which reminds me of the excellent Here's Lucy compilation released a few years ago by Shout! Factory (read about it here). I doubt (but could be wrong) that it was a huge seller but it still stands as one of the best TV on DVD collections of all time just on virtue of the fabulous extras. I'd like to see more Here's Lucy on DVD even though most folks find it an overall weak series. It deserves another look, Here's Lucy was surreal as Green Acres (GA was a much better show, admittedly) and every week there was a different guest star. Friday,
February 23, 2007 - 10:38pm
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Specials/
TV on DVD
It's a bit
different - a collection of correspondence and sketches from the reclusive
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Bob Flannery and
Ted Thompson sent in this essay about one of Philadelphia's leading broadcasters
/ citizens and I thought you might enjoy reading it here (the photo at
right is by Bob Flannery): "Chief Halftown was a hero to millions
of children and their parents throughout Delaware Valley year after year.
Not publicized nor acclaimed was the work he did almost daily with adult
mental health agencies, homeless indigents and programs for substance
abusers. 
REMEMBER
BABY DAPHNE?
