Category Archives: The Little Screen (Television)

Happy Birthday, George Lucas

George Lucas

George Walton Lucas, Jr. (May 14, 1944 – )

George Lucas is an Academy Award-nominated American film producer, screenwriter, director and chairman of Lucasfilm Ltd. He is best known for being the creator of the epic Sci-Fi franchise Star Wars and the archaeologist-adventurer character Indiana Jones.

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He’s Dead, Jim!

Happy Birthday, Max Headroom

Max Headroom - Wikipedia
April 4th, 1985 –

Wikipedia Article

Anniversary of Sound of Music

On this day in 1965, The Sound of Music was released in the United States.

March 2, 1965
March 2, 1965

Anniversary of the final episode of M*A*S*H

M*A*S*H

The series premiered on September 17, 1972, and ended on February 28, 1983, with the finale becoming the most-watched television episode in U.S. television history at the time.

“Goodbye, Farewell and Amen” was the final episode of M*A*S*H. Special television sets were placed in PX parking lots, auditoriums, and dayrooms of the US Army in Korea so that military personnel could watch that episode; this in spite of 14 hours’ time zone difference with the east coast of the US. The episode aired on February 28, 1983, and was 2½ hours long.

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RIP Howard Hesseman

Howard Hesseman (February 27, 1940 – January 29, 2022)

He played DJ Dr. Johnny Fever on WKRP in Cincinnati, Captain Pete Lassard in Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment, Sam Royer on One Day at a Time, and schoolteacher Charlie Moore on Head of the Class. Hesseman made his television debut with two small guest roles on the final season of The Andy Griffith Show in 1968. That same year he appeared in five episodes of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. Over the course of his career, Hesseman had small guest appearances in several beloved shows, including That 70s Show, ER and Boston Legal, among several others. His last credited TV role came in 2017, where he appeared in two episodes of the ABC comedy Fresh Off The Boat. Hesseman received Emmy nominations in 1980 and ’81 for his work on CBS’ WKRP in Cincinnati, which ran for four seasons (1978-82). With his shades, moustache and slouch, he became a countercultural icon. Hesseman also reprised his role as “Dr. Johnny Fever” in 10 episodes of the two-season reboot The New WKRP in Cincinnati (from 1991 to 1993). Hessman died from complications of colon surgery in Los Angeles, California, on January 29, 2022, at the age of 81.

I know nothing! Thank you, John Banner!

John Banner (January 28, 1910 – January 28, 1973)

John Banner, born Johann Banner, was born on this date 112 years ago and died 49 years ago at the age of 63. He is best known for his role as Master Sergeant Schultz in the situation comedy Hogan’s Heroes (1965–1971). Schultz, constantly encountering evidence that the inmates of his stalag were planning mayhem, frequently feigned ignorance with the catchphrase, “I know nothing! I see nothing! I hear nothing!” (or, more commonly as the series went on, “I see nothing, nothing!”).

Thank you for years of entertainment!

Betty White has died

Betty White Then and Now

Betty Marion White Ludden (January 17, 1922 – December 31, 2021) was a beloved American actress and comedian. With over 8 decades in “the business” she has done it all.

Wikipedia Link

White on The Betty White Show in 1954
A scene from the final episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show (from left): White, Gavin MacLeod, Ed Asner, Georgia Engel, Ted Knight, and Mary Tyler Moore
Cast photo from The Betty White Show of 1977. From left-John Hillerman, Betty White, Georgia Engel.
Wendie Malick, left, Betty White, Jane Leeves and Valerie Bertinelli on the set of the TV Land series "Hot in Cleveland" during taping of the sixth season of the series.
Wendie Malick, Betty White, Jane Leeves and Valerie Bertinelli on the set of “Hot in Cleveland” in 2015

No man is a failure…

Dear George:—
Remember no man is a failure who has friends.
Thanks for the wings!
Love
Clarence.

As God is my witness…

“As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly.”

I survived…

The Book of Boba Fett

35th Anniversary of An American Tail

November 21, 1986

Wikipedia Article

Lightyear – Teaser

Stranger Things 4

Adorable DIY Bumblebee Transformer Costume!

Lost in Space Season 3 Teaser (Final Season)

The brief look at the new season of the show doesn’t reveal too much but does show what seems to be a much darker tone for the final season of the series. Narrated by Will Robinson, we’re treated to a variety of shots that make things look pretty perilous for the group of explorers and space travelers. Lost in Space Season 3 will launch on December 1, 2021, on Netflix.

White Christmas

White Christmas
The film was released in theaters October 14, 1954.

White Christmas is a 1954 movie starring Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye that featured the songs of Irving Berlin, including the titular White Christmas.

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The Andy Griffith show premiered

On October 3, 1960, The Andy Griffith Show premiered. It ran until April 1, 1968.

Anniversary of The Flintstones

The Flintstones

The Flintstones is an animated American television sitcom that ran from September 30, 1960 to April 1, 1966 on ABC. Produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions, The Flintstones is about a working class Stone Age man’s life with his family and his next door neighbor and best friend. It has since been re-released on both DVD and VHS.

Critics and fans alike agree that the show was an animated imitation of The Honeymooners with rock puns thrown in. William Hanna admitted that “At that time “The Honeymooners” was the most popular show on the air, and for my bill, it was the funniest show on the air. The characters, I thought, were terrific. Now, that influenced greatly what we did with “The Flintstones”… “The Honeymooners” was there, and we used that as a kind of basis for the concept.” However Joseph Barbera disavowed these claims in a separate interview, stating that “I don’t remember mentioning “The Honeymooners” when I sold the show, but if people want to compare “The Flintstones” to “The Honeymooners,” then great. It’s a total compliment. “The Honeymooners” was one of the greatest shows ever written.” Its popularity rested heavily on its juxtaposition of modern-day concerns in the Stone Age setting