For those of you who have Trio...

[mmb5]

Trio has let Joel Stein, the Entertainment Weekly columnist, handle their primetime shows for the week of July 20-July 27.  One of his requests was Battle of the Network Stars, which will be seen all over the place next week:

Sun July 20 (10 pm E/P): 1976 Episode
Mon July 21 (7 pm E/8 pm P): 1977 Episode
Tue July 22 (7 pm E/8 pm P): 1978 Episode
Wed July 23 (7 pm E/8 pm P): 1979 Episode
Thu July 24 (7 pm E/8 pm P): 1980 Episode

And, if you miss those, they'll be repeated:
Fri July 25 (7 pm E/8 pm P): 1976 Episode
Sun July 27 (9 am E): 1977 Episode
Sun July 27 (11 am E): 1978 Episode
Sun July 27 (1 pm E): 1979 Episode
Sun July 27 (3 pm E): 1980 Episode
Sun July 27 (5 pm E): 1976 Episode
Sun July 27 (7 pm E): 1977 Episode
Sun July 27 (9 pm E): 1978 Episode
Sun July 27 (11 pm E): 1979 Episode
Sun July 27 (1 am E): 1980 Episode


Plus, airing four separate times is the episode of Idiot Savants where Joel Stein was a contestant:
Mon July 21 (9 pm E/10 pm P)
Sat July 26 (10:30 am E)
Sat July 26 (4:30 pm E)
Sat July 26 (8:00 pm E)


For the other-than-GS-afficianados out there, they are also airing Pink Lady and Jeff plus My Mother the Car.



--Mike

[Matt Ottinger]

I'm not sure what this says about my cultural sensibilities, but I purchased an upgraded digital package that includes Trio for PRECISELY this purpose.  Joel Stein explains the whole exercise (and even takes credit for initiating it) in the current issue of Time Magazine.

Also part of the week's prime time programming:  X-rated films with all the naughty bits removed (yes, they fit a half-hour timeslot!) under the title \"Good Clean Porn\".

[Diggity Dawg]

Trio's become a VERY cool channel the last year or so...they also have \"Brilliant But Cancelled\" theme weeks, showing great shows that didn't last long. And they just finished an\"Uncensored Comedy\" week that included a new documentary about my all-time favorite comedian, Bill Hicks.

And they show old \"Late Nite With David Letterman\" reruns.

This thing Stein is involved with is a concept called \"My Trio\" - Quentin Tarantino's scheduled to do a week, too.

[Clay Zambo]

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' date=\'Jul 19 2003, 06:28 PM\'] Also part of the week's prime time programming:  X-rated films with all the naughty bits removed (yes, they fit a half-hour timeslot!) under the title "Good Clean Porn". [/quote]
 Now, THAT is hysterical.  Caran house-sat for her teaching partner for the past couple of weeks, and was very excited about the music choices on digital cable.  A fun channel like this might make the sale once we get to our new place.

[Brandon Brooks]

[quote name=\'Diggity Dawg\' date=\'Jul 19 2003, 08:03 PM\'] Trio's become a VERY cool channel the last year or so...they also have "Brilliant But Cancelled" theme weeks, showing great shows that didn't last long. And they just finished an"Uncensored Comedy" week that included a new documentary about my all-time favorite comedian, Bill Hicks.

And they show old "Late Nite With David Letterman" reruns.

This thing Stein is involved with is a concept called "My Trio" - Quentin Tarantino's scheduled to do a week, too. [/quote]
 Y'know, Trio is a cool little off-beat network.  I switch it on sometimes, and its programming is rather different and not apparently worried about trying to get that 18-34 (or whatever it is) demographic.

Brandon Brooks

[Fedya]

ObGameShows: Trio had a 90-minute special on TV censorship through history which included amongst other things a segment on The Gong Show.  Chuck Barris said that one of the ways he was able to get some of the more outrageous acts on was to \"overbook\" the auditions by bringing in some acts he knew were going to offend the censors (but weren't actually legitimate contestants), leaving the desired contestants in.  The special also showed the Popsicle Twins' \"act\", which I had never actually seen before.  :-)

[DjohnsonCB]

This used to be more or less the stuff of TV Land in its first two years.  Then they put it on my analog package and they promptly began phasing out virtually all the oddball shows, replacing them with stuff I'd had my fill of on four other channels.  In these parts I can't get Trio or Goodlife even if I spring for digital.

I can virtually guarantee you that on the off-chance those 42 episodes of \"The Good Guys\" ever get taken out of the vault for the first time since 1970 when CBS axed it, it'll be on some small upstart channel only a few thousand families on the East Coast can pick up.  The one time TV Land was going to show a single episode as part of their \"Ultimate Fan Hour\", they scratched it with no explanation and substituted something else I had no desire to watch instead.  It had to happen.

To stay on topic, if \"Spin-Off\" ever turns up, it'll likely be on some future Boomerang-style GSN offshoot specializing in the old or obscure reruns of games GSN USED to air that will play exclusively to those same few thousand East Coast families.

[Don Howard]

Also part of the week's prime time programming: X-rated films with all the naughty bits removed (yes, they fit a half-hour timeslot!) under the title \"Good Clean Porn\".

Talking about Porn, yesterday (7/18/2003) was the 25th birthday of Cheyenne Silver.

[Hiroland]

I got Trio with GSN June 2002, and I really didnt watch it that much. I watched Laugh-In a few times, and when the Feast of Favorites was dull I tuned into the Late Night with Letterman Marathon they had. Funny stuff. I also watched the PJs(Another Brilliant FOX Show) a few times. I guess I will watch this show and give it a chance(Wasnt Dawson on one?)

[dzinkin]

And they show old \"Late Nite With David Letterman\" reruns.

In fact, the Late Night ep to be shown on Wednesday fits in with the Joel Stein theme... it's the one in which Dave reads Joel's fan letter.  But it also fits this forum -- because one of the guests is Pat Sajak.

[Matt Ottinger]

Just gotta say -- I've wanted to see those old Battles of the Network Stars for at least a decade or so.  Having now seen the first one for the first time in twenty-seven years,  I have to say I was not disappointed in the slightest.

You under-30s have no idea what a cool-geek thing these shows were.  Real stars.  BIG stars.  (well, not ALL of them, but certainly enough...)  All having fun but taking the competition so, so seriously.  And produced as an actual sporting event by the top people at ABC, including the inimitable Howard Cosell.

For those of you who caught Sunday's premiere (a sweeps event from November, 1976), Monday's airing at 7 eastern is a rematch put together in time for the February '77 sweeps.   All three team captains are back, as are many of the stars from the first one and new faces, including Rob Reiner, LeVar Burton, Jaclyn Smith, Kurt Russell and Sonny Bono.  When you watch, marvel at the fact that THREE of the sitcom TV stars playing (Ron Howard, Penny Marshall and Reiner) went on to be major film directors.

OT:  Some game show faces in the crowd this week:  Marcia Wallace, Tony Randall, John Davidson, Sarah Purcell, Jamie Farr, Arte Johnson and....on Thursday.....can you stand it?....PATRICK WAYNE!!!!!

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' date=\'Jul 20 2003, 10:15 PM\'] You under-30s have no idea what a cool-geek thing these shows were. [/quote]
 Man, I wish I had Trio. There was no greater prime-time television event for me when I was a kid, with the All-Star Family Feud Specials running a close second.

If you are still waffling on watching these following Matt's wonderful post, let me give you a reason why, in six words:

Mr. T, in a dunk tank.

'Nuff said.

[Robair]

[quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Jul 21 2003, 12:51 AM\'] [quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' date=\'Jul 20 2003, 10:15 PM\'] You under-30s have no idea what a cool-geek thing these shows were. [/quote]
Man, I wish I had Trio. There was no greater prime-time television event for me when I was a kid, with the All-Star Family Feud Specials running a close second.

If you are still waffling on watching these following Matt's wonderful post, let me give you a reason why, in six words:

Mr. T, in a dunk tank.

'Nuff said. [/quote]
 No, Victoria Principal in a dunk tank.

End of story.

[joshg]

No, Victoria Principal in a dunk tank.

End of story.

Don't forget about Adrienne Barbeau running the obstacle course...

JOSH

[Brandon Brooks]

[quote name=\'matchgame\' date=\'Jul 21 2003, 01:57 AM\']

No, Victoria Principal in a dunk tank.

End of story.

Don't forget about Adrienne Barbeau running the obstacle course...

JOSH [/quote]
 Wow.... very true.  I guess bras were banned then.

Brandon Brooks