Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Agnes Nixon, 1923 - 2016


Legendary daytime television icon Agnes Nixon has passed away at age 93. During Ms. Nixon's storied career, she created two daytime dramas and was a trailblazer for women in the entertainment industry.

 

Agnes began her career by writing for various soap operas, willing to touch topics that others wouldn't dare mention. In 1962, she wrote a storyline for Guiding Light in which a character had cervical cancer. She sought to shed light on the importance of Pap smears in the early detection of cancer, but was not permitted to use the words cancer, Pap smear, cervix or uterus. Despite these limitations, her work inspired millions of women to have Pap smears, doubtless saving many lives. This did not go unnoticed by ABC, which was looking to add to its daytime lineup. She submitted the idea for All My Children, which was rejected. The network was looking for something grittier, so she submitted a new proposal for One Life to Live, a soap opera that revolved around the wealthy Victoria Lord, but also showcased middle and working class families of different ethnicities, including the first African-American leads and a Polish-American working class family. The show was a huge success, inspiring ABC to pickup All My Children in 1970. Agnes had become a daytime mogul.

 

Her dramas continued to be trailblazers, taking her lead in pushing the envelope long after she retired from active production duties. Unfortunately, ABC chose to lower the quality of its daytime programming and canceled these long running dramas, choosing to air cheaper, less successful programming in their place. After a fan uprising, the shows were resurrected on Hulu, but are currently tied up in a legal fight between ABC and the new production company. Nevertheless, Ms. Nixon's contributions to daytime television remain monumental and her commitment to producing quality programming that sought to inspire positive change has undoubtedly made the world a better place.


Brady Bunch Variety Hour Week: Fake Jan


 

Thursday, September 22, 2016

Classic Episodes From Classic TV: "M*A*S*H"


The creators of Airplane! often take credit for giving Leslie Nielsen his first comedic role. However, his first such role was in the M*A*S*H episode The Ringbanger. Nielsen played Colonel Buzz Brighton, a reckless commander who needlessly risks the lives of those under his command. In a hilarious outing directed by Hollywood legend Jackie Cooper, Buzz is tricked into believing he's insane by Hawkeye and Trapper.


 

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Classic Episodes From Classic TV: "WKRP in Cincinnati"


They just wanted to hand out free turkeys as a publicity stunt, but things went terribly wrong. It turns out, turkeys can't fly when dropped from an airplane. This good intentioned promotion became a flipped out, insane turkey massacre.


 

Tuesday, September 20, 2016

Classic Episodes From Classic TV: "The Mary Tyler Moore Show"


Imagine attending a funeral and you get a serious case of the giggles? The Mary Tyler Moore Show bravely took on this societal faux pas by killing off "Chuckles the Clown" and forcing the cast to sit stonefaced while a minister recounts the clown's life in the most ridiculous way possible. At first, Mary admonishes her co-workers to stop muttering their jokes, but once the ceremony starts, it is she who cannot keep a straight face.


 

Monday, September 19, 2016

Classic Episodes from Classic TV: "I Love Lucy"


When casual viewers think of I Love Lucy, they most likely think of the episode where Lucy and Ethel hilariously try to keep up with a chocolate conveyer belt. It doesn't take long for them to realize that they are not suited to this type of work.

 

Friday, September 9, 2016

Fake TV Guide Ads: "Big Bang Theory"

If the shows of today were on in the 1980's and they were advertised in TV Guide...

 

Thursday, September 8, 2016

Wednesday, September 7, 2016

Fake TV Guide Ads: "Modern Family"


If the shows of today were on in the 1980's and they were advertised in TV Guide...

 

Fake TV Guide Ads: "South Park"


If the shows of today were on in the 1980's and they were advertised in TV Guide...