Author Topic: New PBS Special In January... (Read 11331 times)

TimK2003 · « **on:** December 28, 2007, 10:11:33 PM »

I heard about a new 4-episode mini-series premiering in January on PBS, called "Pioneers of Television".

According to the PBS Website, the 4th episode is all about game shows (on Rocky Mountain PBS/Denver, it's slated to begin January 23rd with repeats over the week) :

Game Shows
This episode traces one of broadcasting's strongest genres – from its beginnings in radio through its heyday in the late 60s. Bob Barker talks about his earliest work and Merv Griffin details his creation of "Wheel of Fortune" and "Jeopardy." Monty Hall recounts his compelling rags-to-riches story and Betty White remembers her role as the first female emcee. Clips for this episode are wide-ranging and include Phyllis Diller's very first TV appearance – as a painfully shy contestant on Groucho Marx's "You Bet Your Life."

As with most PBS shows -- Check Your Local Listings!!!

Matt Ottinger · « **Reply #1 on:** December 28, 2007, 11:12:57 PM »

[quote name=\'TimK2003\' post=\'173357\' date=\'Dec 28 2007, 10:11 PM\']Betty White remembers her role as the first female emcee. [/quote]
It's probably going to be a very good special, but when a one-paragraph description has a factual error in it, it's enough to give one pause...

chad1m · « **Reply #2 on:** December 28, 2007, 11:49:36 PM »

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'173359\' date=\'Dec 28 2007, 11:12 PM\']
[quote name=\'TimK2003\' post=\'173357\' date=\'Dec 28 2007, 10:11 PM\']Betty White remembers her role as the first female emcee. [/quote]
It's probably going to be a very good special, but when a one-paragraph description has a factual error in it, it's enough to give one pause...
[/quote]

I thought about that too, but I didn't think it was that big of a deal.

clemon79 · « **Reply #3 on:** December 29, 2007, 06:30:42 AM »

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'173359\' date=\'Dec 28 2007, 08:12 PM\']
[quote name=\'TimK2003\' post=\'173357\' date=\'Dec 28 2007, 10:11 PM\']Betty White remembers her role as the first female emcee. [/quote]
It's probably going to be a very good special, but when a one-paragraph description has a factual error in it, it's enough to give one pause...
[/quote]
I'm just happy they didn't use "femcee."

uncamark · « **Reply #4 on:** January 03, 2008, 06:08:19 PM »

Two reviews of the first episode of this series are linked on tvtattle.com. One's a pan from Tom Shales (registration, so I'm not linking), which one could dismiss as typical crankypants from Shales except for this pan from the Denver Post's Joanne Ostrow:

http://www.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_7851579

There is one line from the Shales review that is worth quoting: "The less you know about [the subjects] the more likely you'll enjoy, or at least tolerate, these 'Pioneers of Television' productions."

Caveat emptor.

robwargo · « **Reply #5 on:** January 06, 2008, 03:07:13 AM »

The first episode, on situation comedies, was pretty good, although it, too, contained some errors, such as stating that Dick Van Dyke was on Broadway in "Bye Bye Birdie" in 1963.

What bothered me about the episode was that the two of the longest running situation comedies of all time, "Ozzie and Harriet" and "My Three Sons," both of which started in the 1950's, weren't even mentioned!

DrBear · « **Reply #6 on:** January 22, 2008, 07:18:01 AM »

Update time, now that I've seen the show (Monday night here, with the note that I missed the first 10 minutes while coming home from work)

Better than I thought it would be - a quickie review of the history of the genre, interviews with the WGMC, Winkster, Bob Stewart, Monty Hall, Jack Narz, Bob Eubanks, Hugh Downs, Phyllis Diller.

And, of course, Betty White. (Note to correct earlier post - they do mention Arlene Francis being the first female host. In fact, I found few real errors, but then, I wasn't sitting there with a pad and pen.)

A little light on clips - there's an old WML here, some You Don't Say! there, some Paul Lynde zingers.

The second half of the show looks at what makes a good show - Stewart on "yelling at your TV" - and what makes a good host, noting that the only comedian who had really made a success of it was Groucho. And to wrap it up, they ask who was the best host....

should I spoil it?

Jay Temple · « **Reply #7 on:** January 22, 2008, 09:34:14 AM »

Having Bob Stewart on is all the reason I need to watch it.

William A. Padron · « **Reply #8 on:** January 22, 2008, 10:04:57 AM »

[quote name=\'Jay Temple\' post=\'175853\' date=\'Jan 22 2008, 09:34 AM\']
Having Bob Stewart on is all the reason I need to watch it.
[/quote]

I was actually going watch on Power of 10 on the same night and time slot that the Pioneers special was to have aired in New York City this upcoming Wednesday 1/23/2008, at first. But since not only is Bob Stewart is going to be on the show, so is Hugh Downs and Jack Narz...so I am definitely going to watch it too.

TimK2003 · « **Reply #9 on:** January 22, 2008, 11:56:27 PM »

[quote name=\'William A. Padron\' post=\'175859\' date=\'Jan 22 2008, 11:04 AM\']
[quote name=\'Jay Temple\' post=\'175853\' date=\'Jan 22 2008, 09:34 AM\']
Having Bob Stewart on is all the reason I need to watch it.
[/quote]

I was actually going watch on Power of 10 on the same night and time slot that the Pioneers special was to have aired in New York City this upcoming Wednesday 1/23/2008, at first. But since not only is Bob Stewart is going to be on the show, so is Hugh Downs and Jack Narz...so I am definitely going to watch it too.
[/quote]

The Pioneers series also used several clips of interviews with Jack Narz and Betty White a couple of weeks back, when they featured Late-Night Talk Shows. Jack is still holding up well based on the interviews I saw 2 weeks ago.

irwinsjournal.com · « **Reply #10 on:** January 23, 2008, 01:59:37 PM »

I've watched all three of the previous installments of this show and I'm looking forward to the Game Show installment when it airs tonight. Those who are more scholarly about early television than I will no doubt find inaccuracies of fact and context, but overall one could do worse than watching "Pioneers of Television." My kids are enjoying it too and I think Jonathan Winters has become my son's latest Bad Influence (!).

My sense with regard to what is/isn't included is that it appears to depend on what they can/can't get cleared for inclusion in the series and who they can/can't get to appear on camera. And if a celebrity can do double duty, so much the better. Barbara Eden commented on both "I Love Lucy" and talk shows in two different episodes, for example. I think Betty White has been in all three episodes I've seen and it would be a given that she would be in the Game Show installment as well.

I was scratching my head in terms of "why wasn't 'x' included" in past installments but then I realized that this may have a lot to do with it. I wouldn't be surprised if this concept applied to many other documentary-type shows. As one wag commented, perhaps on The Daily Show, is there a black and white photo that Ken Burns has not yet panned over?

It was interesting to see Jack Narz commenting on Johnny Carson-- I didn't know that they were friends.

DjohnsonCB · « **Reply #11 on:** January 23, 2008, 09:37:50 PM »

[quote name=\'robwargo\' post=\'173980\' date=\'Jan 6 2008, 04:07 AM\']
What bothered me about the episode was that the two of the longest running situation comedies of all time, "Ozzie and Harriet" and "My Three Sons," both of which started in the 1950's, weren't even mentioned!
[/quote]
"My Three Sons" debuted in 1960.

DjohnsonCB · « **Reply #12 on:** January 23, 2008, 09:42:21 PM »

I watched it in HD, and the "Price Is Right" shots looked great. Don't know why they don't do the actual show that way--the competition on ABC and NBC at that hour is in HD.

comicus · « **Reply #13 on:** January 23, 2008, 09:56:59 PM »

Doggoneit, WQED aired it tonight and I missed it.

TimK2003 · « **Reply #14 on:** January 23, 2008, 10:13:31 PM »

I thought it was a well done episode. They pretty much stuck with the heavy-hitter shows, but they did have a few clips I have never seen before.

I didn't mind the omission of the original themes for generic music, but the things that really stuck out in my mind were the 're-creations' of some of the announcer introductions and the 're-creations' of some of the video clips (there was at least one for the Dating Game and one for Newlywed Game).

Outside of that, it was a fun one to watch. Surprised to see a few of the interview-ees who have aged quite a bit over the last decade, but many of those who appeared on the episode were holding up really good.

For those who might have missed this last installment of the Pioneers of TV series, keep checking your local PBS website as they will probably be rerunning the Game Show week, as well as the other 3 weeks over the next few months. Or you can get the entire 4 hours for $25+S&H at the PBS website.

Author Topic: New PBS Special In January... (Read 11331 times)

uncamark

robwargo