Classic TV

Cast of Friends, Rolling Stone no. 708, May 1995 Photographic Print
Seliger, Mark

Buy at AllPosters.com

Maybe it’s because Friends is one of my all-time favorite shows or maybe it’s because I think few things are as artistic and sexy as Rolling Stones covers, but this poster sends me AND brings me back.

What I wouldn’t give for a reunion movie!

I just watched a great episode of Gunsmoke.  While that may not seem like such a biggie, it kind of is.  See, none of the televisions in my home are even on. 

Actually, I’m in our home office, wearing my Web Publisher hat, hard at work.

Fortunately no one ever said work couldn’t be fun. I certainly never said it!

Thanks to TVLand.com’s Full Episodes of Classic TV Shows, you can watch a wonderful episodes of Gunsmoke, Andy Griffith, The Beverly Hillbillies, and Hogan’s Heroes any time you…well, as Festus would say… feel the notion to.  And, no commercials!

Because I’ve seen these classic episodes probably a dozen times each, I’m able to work on one project while the episode is minimized in another window, entertaining me - kind of like an amazing radio show.  When a scene comes along that I know I want to look in on, I do so.  When watching Gunsmoke, I’ll drop whatever I’m doing when Festus saunters into town.  I especially love his scenes with Doc.  Their scenes are classic in every sense of the word.

 Festus and Doc were at their best in the episode I watched/listened to today: 

Miss Kitty:  Triplets.
Festus: And there’s three of them, too.

 
Festus:  Why, they ain’t no bigger than a tater bug, are they?

Miss Kitty: Aren’t they beautiful?
Festus: Miss Kitty, babies is about the most wonderfulest thing there is, but as far as being looksome, ain’t none of these that could pass without pushing.

Festus: Well, this one here, he’s kind of looksome, that’s clear to see.

Doc: You gotta howl once in a while, let people know you’re around.

The episode’s titled “Baker’s Dozen” and you should click through to TVLand.com’s Full Episodes of Classic TV Shows and search it out as soon as possible. Pour yourself a tall glass of Iced tea or a mug of coffee and grab a saucer of cookies.   (Fans of Andy Griffith will get a huge kick out of the Judge in this episode - you’ll probably recognize him right off the bat.)

You’re closer to Heaven than you realize.  This is Gunsmoke at it’s best.  While there aren’t the expected gunfights or white hats vs. black hats - it’s something I enjoy even more.  An emotional, funny episode that focuses more on the lovable characters.

After all, they’re what made Gunsmoke the amazing show that it was.  And is, thanks to channels like TV Land!

I’ve been a Little House on the Prairie fanatic since the first time I laid eyes on Melissa Gilbert’s Laura Ingalls.  As a little girl, the LHOtP books were my favorite books, so when the series premiered, I was fascinated by watching these beloved characters come to life.

During the day, I still catch old episodes on tv, and I’m still as transfixed then as I was now.  There’s nothing quite like escaping to a whole other time with a group of characters you’ve grown up with.

One of my favorite episodes of all time (in fact, if I was pressed, I’d say it was my very favorite), Sweet Sixteen, aired this morning on the Hallmark Channel.  I sat, eating a snack and drinking my Diet Dr. Pepper as I relived Almonzo and Laura’s declaration of love along with their first kiss.

And in true “me” fashion, I teared up when Laura realized that Almonzo loved her as much as she did him. 

Great stuff!

Beautiful Melissa Gilbert, 44, is NOW playing Ma Ingalls in the musical Little House on the Prairie.  It, appropriately enough, kicked off this month in MInneapolis.  Is that cool or what?  Click HERE for more pictures and information.

Up for a little Little House Trivia?!

• Melissa Gilbert (Laura) is the youngest person to receive a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame.
• Melissa’s the half-sister of Sara Gilbert (Roseanne’s Darlene) and sister of Jonathan Gilbert (Willie Olsen).
• She has dated both Rob Lowe and Tom Cruise.
• She has been married to actor Bruce Boxleitner since 1995.
• In the last episode, The Last Farewell, they really did blow up the town! Michael Landon (Star and Producer) didn’t want bulldozers to destroy the buildings, soo he wrote a story which gave the inhabitants the chance to say farewell to their town themselves.  The only building left was the most important one - the schoolhouse/church.
• Alison Arngrim (Nelly Olsen) and Melissa Gilbert are best friends. 
• Alison Arngrim first tried out for the role of Laura - when she didn’t get it, she auditioned for Mary.  When THAT failed, she tried out for Nelly and was hired immediately.
• When they were filming the kissing scene for the episode I sat glued to this morning, Melissa’s mother (Barbara) was on the sidelines crying “My baby!” so much that she had to be consoled! Dean Butler (Almonzo) has said that the first kiss between them was so nerve-racking for everyone, that there were chaperones on the set to make sure nothing unseemly was going on. I wonder which one they thought would be unseemly!
• Melissa Gilbert recalls that Michael Landon (”Pa”) had a unique way of inspiring child actors to cry when it was required. Apparently he would work himself up emotionally, face her with his eyes full of tears and ask her, “Do you know how much I love you?” to which she would get all teary and emotional in response.
• Melissa Gilbert named one of her sons after Michael Landon.
• Johnny Carson was a long-time friend of Michael Landon’s.
• Victor French (Mr. Edwards) was another of Michael Landon’s closest friends.
• Alison Arngrim (one of the most underrated talents ever) often fainted on the set of “Little House on the Prairie” because where the show was taped ( California’s Simi Valley) frequently saw temperatures over 100 degrees.
• After the actor who portrayed her husband on Little House, Percival, (Steve Tracy) died from AIDS, Alison Arngrim became an AIDS activist.
• Matthew Labyorteaux (Albert) and Patrick Labyorteaux (Andy) were brothers.
• Matthew was born with autism and a hole in his heart.
• In 1992, Matthew and Patrick appeared before a House sub-committee to plead the case of runaways and raised $11 million for youth shelters across America. They also founded the Youth Rescue Fund.
• Jason Bateman (James Cooper Ingalls) and Shannen Doherty (Jenny Wilder) went on to achieve household name status.
• Little House on the Prairie ran from 1973 to 1984.  Actually thanks to stations like Hallmark and TVLand, it’s still running, and touching hearts, today.

Jed and Jethro are talking about a “fast” girl Jethro knew back in the hills:

Jethro:  Uncle Jed, she handed me a big old sugar cookie, looked at me and said, “Jehtro, if you had a choice between that cookie and me, which one would you take“.  Uncle Jed, that’s when I found out just how fast she was!

(Jed leans in close to hear the rest of the sordid story.)

Jethro: I had to run nearly a mile to get away from her with that cookie!

Jed Clampett: (shaking his head) Jethro, some day me and you got to have a long talk.

Ricky: (To Lucy) I know you like a book. You must have an interior motive.

Ricky: (seeing pancakes on his plate) Hey! Tortillas!
Lucy: (sarcastically) Yeah. I made them out of Aunt Jemima Tortilla Mix.
Ricky: Oh, I keep forgetting here in America you call them Flap Cakes.
Lucy: Come again?
Ricky: Hot Jacks?
Lucy: You were closer with tortillas. They are Hot Cakes.
Ricky: Oh!
(takes a bite) Ricky Ricardo: No, these are Cold Cakes.

Ricky:  What have you got? 
Lucy: Where:
Ricky: In back of you there.

Ricky: Something’s wrong with the electricity. My shaver isn’t working.

Ricky: I’m just going to let her stew in her own goose for awhile.

Ricky: How do spell s’perience?
Lucy: E-x-p
Ricky: E-x? You’re kidding.

Desi Arnaz was and is, without a doubt, one of the most underrated comics ever. I watch, on average, two I Love Lucy’s a day (Thank you, TVLand!) and I am floored by his comedic talents each and every episode. We all know Lucille Ball was probably the greatest star to ever live - but Desi was nothing short of remarkable. His timing and the way he delivered his lines was on par with anyone. Ever.

The shadow Lucy cast was just SO powerful. Unfortuantely for Desi, Vivian Vance, and William Frawley, limelight cannot be stolen from Lucille Ball.

I made the mistake of watching an episode of Sanford and Son on TVLand one day last week while eating. Laughing nearly caused me to choke twice.  As a safety measure, I put the bag of Cheetos back in the kitchen.

The following exchange was the final straw:

Lamont:  Pop, you gotta stop going out everynight.

Fred:  I can’t stop, son.  You know Donna.  I mean, she’s young and attractive and when she wants to go out, I have to go or she’ll give me up for a younger man.

Lamont:  Now, that doesn’t sound like Donna.

Fred:  I know it doesn’t sound like Donna.  I don’t do imitations.

Soooo, did you see the TV Land Awards? Of course you did, you’re cool like that.

They were amazing! Lionel Richie and Vanessa Williams were in rare form. Lionel sounds as great as ever, and looks the same as he did years ago!

Vanessa Williams can absolutely do everything - she’s a great actress, a wonderful singer, she’s funny, gorgeous, and talk about style. Wow! She’s one of the few people that I think could pull off her own variety show, a la Carol Burnett. There’s just something about her chemistry with the camera….and audience, of course. She was the PERFECT choice for host.

Below is a short video clip of a few of the stars before the ceremony. Check out how great Sarah Gilbert looks. Sometime when we weren’t looking she grew from a cute little girl into a beautiful woman. She should be on some screen someplace - she’s too talented NOT to be.

For a lot more fun and coverage, go to TV Land.com’s TV Land Awards section. The videos are priceless.  Robert Verdi is someone else I could watch 24/7. He’s perfect on She’s Got the Look - entertaining but respectful.

Okay, beautiful readers, let me give it to you straight.  There’s absolutely no reason to put your television on any channel but TV Land today.  Starting at 9:00 (be sure to check your own local listings), their going to obliterate the competition.  Being the I Love Lucy addict that I am, I’m getting weak in the knees.  Get this:  Lucy will take over the channel for 7 hours - putting me in 7th Heaven!

When the Lucy Laughs end, TV Land will reshow the AMAZING premiere of their new reality show, She’s Got the Look.  If you didn’t catch it the first time around, you’ll most definitely want to see it this time.  It’s so well done, with a lot of style.

After episode 1 of “She’s Got the Look,” you’re in for more laughs with two back to back Beverly Hillbillies followed by some of the funniest Andy Griffith’s ever.

At 6:00, they’ll air “Hot Rod Ottis,” the one where Otis buys a car and puts the fear of God into Andy and Barney - who then put the same fear back into Otis!  The next Andy Griffith is just as hilarious - the title is “The Song Festers” - it’s the one where Barney thinks he’s a killer singer but Gomer comes  along and outshines him. 

At 7:00, Aunt Bee buys too much beef for the ailing freezer to handle, leading to headaches for Andy and laughs for the rest of us.  “Aunt Bee, call the man!“  At 7:30 is another of my favorites - “Divorce, Mountain Style!”  Any episodes featuring both Barney and the Darlings is one I don’t even blink during.  In this episode, Charlene wants to divorce Dud Wash and marry Andy.  Fortunately, Andy has Barney to help.  Except for one thing - he isn’t any!

After Andy and Barney finish up, there’s an episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition followed by… wait for it, wait for it… Episode 2 of She’s Got the Look.  According to the promo, it looks like someone has a big meltdown.   TV Land caps it off (post-meltdown!) with about 4 episodes of MASH.

I’ve already got TV Land on and going here in my home office.  Lucy and Ethel are trying to find a way to get in on the trip to Europe.  Ehtel cracked me up - when it looks like she’ll be the only one who doesn’t get to go, she was extremely down trodden and says, “I don’t want to see Europe anyway.  It’s so old.”

This is going to be a great day!

Our home office is decorated with vintage movie and vintage television memorabilia. Audrey Hepburn’s framed and hanging on the wall (actually, Audrey has laid claim to three walls with art prints), James Dean is present and accounted for, and of course there’s plenty of Lucy and Marilyn.

I’ve found a lot more lovelies online that I need (yes, need…want doesn’t quite get it), like the ones in this post.

The I Love Lucy Mousepad will probably be the first thing I nab. I thought I’d seen everything even remotely related to Lucy, but I’ve never seen an I Love Lucy Mousepad like this. I love it big time.

I’m also completely wild about the ROSEANNE for queen Keepsake Box and ROSEANNE for queen Stein. I have a feeling there are a lot more Roseanne goodies on the other side of the links above, but my billfold and I are afraid to look.

If you have a Target department store near you, you should check out their home decorating dept.  Somewhere along the way, Target really stepped up their game - they have some really amazing stuff now!  Granted, the prices stepped up their game as well, but I’m willing to pay more if the product is original, great looking, and is top quality.  Target is right on the target with all of those. 

They have a lot of vintage Hollywood art prints and posters. 

It’s not quite as easy to find play pretties for more recent classic television shows like Roseanne, Sanford and Son, Good Times, etc.  As ridiculously popular as they’re becoming, I have a feeling that’ll change soon enough.  Fingers crossed.

**I’ve added a “Clothes” page (see the navigational bar above) - I’m rounding up some great looking t-shirts, hoodies, hats, etc.  I’ve already linked to some I Love Lucy items that I fell in love with.  More will be added regularly, so be sure to check in from time to time.

I’m also adding quite a bit to the “Store” page, too.  Great stuff!

If these don’t make you smile, your facial muscles may have forgotten how.  Remedy? Turn on TV Land and catch up on some laughs!