Betty White documentary

[WhammyPower]

The same folks who produced the "Pioneers of Television" series for PBS have made a new documentary for probably the most iconic woman this group has ever known, Betty White. The documentary airs nationally this Tuesday night on PBS, but I found out about the world premiere screening that happened tonight here in Milwaukee, and boy, is it worth every minute. The intro alone should hook most of us here, and at least one of the interviewees seen in the film proves that they have been working on this for ten years.

The producers did have a small Q&A session after the screening, and they mentioned that they showed this to Betty as a surprise at her 96th birthday party earlier this year. When the film was over, she said "Does it seem like there's too much Betty White?"

[Sodboy13]

For those of you in Chicago who'd like to catch it early, the PBS affiliate in Gary, Channel 56, is airing it at 5:30pm Sunday. Channel 239 on Xfinity.

[Sodboy13]

Mini-review: It's a wonderfully sweet film, a great look at Betty's career and life, and some of the clips had me stifling laughter because everyone else in the house was asleep upstairs. (I know it's been on in cable reruns for a quarter-century, but I think The Golden Girls still doesn't get enough credit as one of the all-time great sitcoms.)

If you're going strictly for game show content, though, you'll be left wanting. There isn't that much of it, and it's clear the filmmakers just grabbed what was readily available. Still, a highly-recommended watch on the career and life of a remarkable person.

[tomobrien]

Agreed.  It's really a charming film with some great clips; I was a little thrown off by the odd chronological structure, with the game show portion coming after her stint in "Golden Girls." 
Speaking of which, I found the "Golden Girls" clips used in the documentary to be really unfunny (the "cake" scene in particular was painful). I was charmed by the "Hot in Cleveland" clips, a show I'd never seen and really knew nothing about.  YMMV.

[TimK2003]

Agreed.  It's really a charming film with some great clips; I was a little thrown off by the odd chronological structure, with the game show portion coming after her stint in "Golden Girls." 
Speaking of which, I found the "Golden Girls" clips used in the documentary to be really unfunny (the "cake" scene in particular was painful). I was charmed by the "Hot in Cincinnati Cleveland" clips, a show I'd never seen and really knew nothing about.  YMMV.

I watched the Betty White documentary on Tuesday Night.  I too was a bit confused how they zig-zagged through her life events (i.e. "How Allen came into her life" was told after her stint on the MTM show).  Definitely learned some new info about her.  And despite the lesser emphasis on her time on game shows, the documentary did interview more game-show related people than I expected.

All in all, a good biography...Even better if you can TiVo it first so you can skip through the obligatory 15-minute PBS Membership breaks.

/Stayed tuned to our local PBS station after the Betty White documentary for the Michael Keaton-hosted Mr. Rogers tribute which came on after.    Not as good as Betty's show, nor the Mr. Roger's movie, but definitely worth a look-see.

[MSTieScott]

All in all, a good biography...Even better if you can TiVo it first so you can skip through the obligatory 15-minute PBS Membership breaks.

I feel that they missed an opportunity to play the scene of Betty White hosting a PBS pledge drive near the beginning of The Simpsons episode "Missionary: Impossible."

"If you watch even one second of PBS and don't contribute, you're a thief -- a common thief!"

[gamed121683]

Mini-review: It's a wonderfully sweet film, a great look at Betty's career and life, and some of the clips had me stifling laughter because everyone else in the house was asleep upstairs. (I know it's been on in cable reruns for a quarter-century, but I think The Golden Girls still doesn't get enough credit as one of the all-time great sitcoms.)

Don't think it's 25 years just yet. IIRC, in the States, Golden Girls reruns started airing on Lifetime back in '97 (I believe it replaced reruns of Nurses) and it was a staple for a little over a decade. It's aired on about 3 or 4 other cable channels since then. Regardless, I agree the show deserves to be on a list on one of the greatest sitcoms of all time. Heck, IMO, it's probably one the best written sitcoms ever made.

As for the documentary, a fun watch albeit somewhat erroneous. Was Mrs. Ludden really the first female game show host on TV?

[Kevin Prather]

Don't think it's 25 years just yet. IIRC, in the States, Golden Girls reruns started airing on Lifetime back in '97 (I believe it replaced reruns of Nurses) and it was a staple for a little over a decade.

It was likely in syndication before Lifetime picked it up.

[BrandonFG]

Don't think it's 25 years just yet. IIRC, in the States, Golden Girls reruns started airing on Lifetime back in '97 (I believe it replaced reruns of Nurses) and it was a staple for a little over a decade.

It was likely in syndication before Lifetime picked it up.

It definitely aired in syndication. I remember my then-FOX affiliate airing it at 7:30 pm in the early-90s.

/Naturally, I watched Jeopardy! or Family Feud instead

[aaron sica]

Don't think it's 25 years just yet. IIRC, in the States, Golden Girls reruns started airing on Lifetime back in '97 (I believe it replaced reruns of Nurses) and it was a staple for a little over a decade.

It was likely in syndication before Lifetime picked it up.

It definitely aired in syndication. I remember my then-FOX affiliate airing it at 7:30 pm in the early-90s.

/Naturally, I watched Jeopardy! or Family Feud instead

Sure did. After a little over a year on NBC's daytime lineup (airing at 11:00 a.m., EST - it replaced daytime Wheel), it hit syndication in September 1990.

[Chief-O]

As for the documentary, a fun watch albeit somewhat erroneous. Was Mrs. Ludden really the first female game show host on TV?

Nope. Arlene Francis hosted "Blind Date" in the 40s/50s.

[BrandonFG]

Sure did. After a little over a year on NBC's daytime lineup (airing at 11:00 a.m., EST - it replaced daytime Wheel), it hit syndication in September 1990.

Out of all the daytime reruns, this is one I always forget about...

[PPatters]

As for the documentary, a fun watch albeit somewhat erroneous. Was Mrs. Ludden really the first female game show host on TV?

I believe their claim was she was the first woman to win an Emmy for game show host, not that she was the first woman to be a game show host.

[aaron sica]

Sure did. After a little over a year on NBC's daytime lineup (airing at 11:00 a.m., EST - it replaced daytime Wheel), it hit syndication in September 1990.

Out of all the daytime reruns, this is one I always forget about...

The oddest one to me was "Full House", an ABC show on NBC's daytime lineup.

[whewfan]

Is this documentary online somewhere?

I couldn't DVR it because PBS isn't available on DirectTV Now nor any other service.