Mama's Family

Today we visit RAYTOWN for a show that was a spinoff of the "Carol Burnett" sketch comedy show of the late 70's.. "Mama's Family" starred VICKI LAWRENCE as the feisty old Thelma Harper.. Thelma had quite the full house with his son being divorced and moving back in with his kids, BUZZ and SONJA as well as her sister FRAN (played by future Blanche RUE MCCLANNAHAN) and other "Golden Girl" alumni BETTY WHITE as Mama's snobby daughter, ELLEN.. THELMA's other daughter, the mischevious and loud mouthed EUNICE was portrayed on the show by CAROL BURNETT..

These characters though dwindled down as the show went into syndication in 1986.. With VINTON marrying NAOMI OATES a checker at the "Food Circus".. The syndicated years, brought in ALLAN KAYSER as BUBBA, Thelma's Grandson who had left Juvie and who's parents, ED and EUNICE had abandoned him and left to Florida...

Today, I am featuring an episode from the earlier, NBC years of the show.. From 1983 the episode is entitled, "Mama Gets a Job"..




PEACE!

UNSOLVED MYSTERIES..

** The "New" UNSOLVED MYSTERIES with new host DENNIS FARINA who starred in "Saving Private Ryan" and "Law & Order" launched today on SPIKE TV!.. The show featured many of the same cases previously presented but were presented in a faster pace presentation..

As I watched though, the show just didn't creep me out the way that the late- ROBERT STACK's narration did years ago... Here's a segment about the Zodiac Killer and Unabomber from the ORIGINAL "Unsolved Mysteries" that ran on NBC Wednesday nights during the late 80's and into the 90's..



THE UNABOMBER & THE ZODIAC KILLER: A CONNECTION?:

PART I:



PART II:



PEACE!

SCI FI SUNDAY: Star Trek: The Cloud Minders

**Back with a vengence for Sci-Fi Sunday..

Today we visit the Starship Enterprise for an episode of the classic series "Star Trek" that originally aired on February 28, 1969.. The episode is called "The Cloud Minders" and revolves around a botanical plague that could eliminate ALL oxygen production on a planet that has extreme socio-economic class differences..





PEACE!

Missed Saturday Morning? Check out "Captain Caveman" Cartoon & ABC's WEEKEND SPECIAL..

**I'm back after a few days out of town and out of the loop, but I hated going out of town on the weekend and missing my Saturday Morning cartoons.. =( ... Fortunately, because we live in the digital age, we can literally share the Saturday Morning experience right now on a Tuesday night..

Check out: CAPTAIN CAVEMAN & THE TEEN ANGELS..


ABC's Weekend Special "Trouble With Miss Switch"


COMMERCIAL: "FRUITY MARSHMALLOW KRISPIES"..


PEACE!

HALLOWEEN WITH THE ADDAMS FAMILY...

**It's THAT Time of year again.. and since it's FRIDAY, let's celebrate with a Classic Halloween Episode of "The Addams Family"..



PEACE!

The A-Team

**"I PITY DA' FOOL!".. The TV Series that made MR. T a Star..

"The A Team" debuted on NBC's Tuesday Night lineup in 1983 and revolved around a team of former U.S. Army Commandos and mercenaries who are on the run from the Army for "crimes they didn't commit"..

"The A-Team" helped to usher in the "MR.T" era of the 80's, where MR. T was featured EVERYWHERE from inspiring episodes of other sitcoms like "Diff'rent Strokes" to having his own Cartoon "Mr. T" to even having cereal sponsorships..

Check out an episode of the "A TEAM" from the first season originally aired in May of 1983, the episode is called "A Nice Place to Visit"



PEACE!

ALF

**A Fixture on NBC's Monday nights in the late 80's, the TV Series "ALF" was about a furry Alien in a spaceship from the planet MELMAC that crashes into the home of the suburban Tanner family (not to be confused with the "Full House" Tanner family)..

"ALF" was in hiding from a branch of the U.S. military called the "ALIEN TASK FORCE".. ALF seemed to have a few close calls with the nosy neighbors, the OCHMONEKs...

Check out the Very first Episode of "ALF" that aired in the fall of 1986..

PEACE!



ALF: The Very First Episode

They Might Be Giants - "Don't Let Start"

Forming in LINCOLN, MASS in 1982, THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS emerged onto the scene with the music that was dubbed "GEEK ROCK".. With their quirky, folk-inspired sound, they released several albums, the most successful being 1990's "Flood".. TMBG is now known for recording CHILDREN's albums..

Here is a clip of TMBG during the peak of their career, from their self-titled 1986 album, check out "Don't Let Start"..




PEACE!

SCI-FI SUNDAY: "V"

**The Television series, "V" made it's way into homes during the 1984 - 1985 TV season and in a brief rerun stint on the SCI-FI CHANNEL.. The series was picked up on the NBC NETWORK during that season as network executives were looking for something different to compete with CBS who's ALL STAR Friday night lineup included the popular "Dukes of Hazzard" and the night-time soaps, "Dallas" and "Falcon Crest" AND ABC who had the family comedy "Webster" and action series "Hawiian Heat" and drama "Matt Houston"..

On Friday nights, NBC already had cop dramas "Miami Vice" and "Hunter", but were seeking something totally different for the 8pm slot and picked up "V"..

"V" was based on a mini-series about aliens that arrive in New York City and appear like humans.. The aliens appear on the United Nations building and are welcomed by the U.S. Government as "visitors".. A reporter named MICHAEL DONOVAN sneaks aboard the "Visitor's" Mothership to discover that beneath the aliens facade, they are in fact carnivarous reptiles that prefer to eat live prey like birds and rodents.. The Visitors gain influence and power within the government and police force with their "Conversion" and mind control powers..

Through all of this, a resistance movement was formed threatening to expose the visitor's true intent to conquor and subdue the Earth, steal the water, and harvest the human race as food..

The Television series centered around this battle between the resistance and the "visitors".. Unfortunately though the TV Series ended in 1985 with a cliffhanger called "The Return" but the series, in fact, never "RETURNED"..

Check out the first episode of the series titled "Liberation Day"..



"V": EPISODE: "LIBERATION DAY"


PEACE!

RIP PAUL NEWMAN

The World of Entertainment lost a legendary actor on Friday night as PAUL NEWMAN succumbed to cancer at age 83...

Best known for his roles in films like "The Sting", "Cat On a Hot Tin Roof", "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid", "Cool Hand Luke", and "The Color Of Money" among others, MR. NEWMAN was also a man that donated the proceeds from the sales of his salad dressings and other products to charities.. One of the main charities was an organization called the "Hole in the Wall Group" that provided a residential summer camp for terminally ill children.. MR. NEWMAN also contributed to Catholic Relief Services to aid KOSOVO REFUGEES during the 1990's..

In his later days, films to PAUL NEWMAN's credit included a voiceover in "Cars" and "The Road to Peridition"..

Saturday Morning Cartoons: The Flintstone Kids

"The Flintstone Kids" was an 80's Spin-Off of the original "Flinstones" cartoons that aired on Saturday Mornings on ABC.. The cartoon also featured "Captain Caveman and Son" a spinoff of the original "Captain Caveman" cartoons that aired in the 1970's.. Thanknfully, THE FLINTSTONE KIDS was short lived and lasted from 1986 to 1988 as personally I thought this to be a horrible spinoff..


PART I: "Princess Wilma"


PART II: "Princess Wilma"


PART III: "Princess Wilma"


PEACE!

Punky Brewster

**Back in September of 1984, NBC launched their new Sunday night lineup with the move of the popular "Silver Spoons" from Saturday nights AND in addition, brought in a new series about a little girl (and her dog) left abandoned by her mother at a Chicago shopping mall.. She ends up in an abandoned building that is managed by the cranky old photographer, HENRY WARNIMONT, who is portrayed by "Police Academy" star GEORGE GAYNES..

HENRY takes Punky in and raises her as his own little girl and she quickly makes friends in the neighborhood with CHERIE JOHNSON, ALLEN ANDERSON, and the uppity bordering on snobby, MARGAUX KRAMER..

The Series aired on NBC from 1984 to 1986 and then in syndication with first run episodes from 1986 to 1988.. Check out this episode which is a Retrospective that aired during their syndication run during the 1987 to 1988 TV Season.. "PUNKY POWER!"


"PUNKY BREWSTER" INTRO:



Part I: "Remember When"


Part II: "Remember When"


PART III: "Remember When"


PEACE!

Tesla - "Love Song"

**The band formed in 1984 out of SACRAMENTO, CA but really broke in the Winter of 1989 with the power ballad known as "Love Song" from their LP "The Great Radio Controversy".. The band TESLA emerged during the height of the rock/hair metal era and toured with DEF LEPPARD, POISON, and DAVID LEE ROTH..

TESLA named themselves after 19th Century inventor NIKOLA TESLA and reached their peak in 1990 with their cover of the FIVE MAN ELECTRICAL BAND's "Signs"..

With probably one of the best classic guitar solo intros of that era, check out the video for "Love Song"

The Mary Tyler Moore Show..

**Best known at the time for her role as the wife on the DICK VAN DYKE show a few years earlier, actress MARY TYLER MOORE debuted in her first sitcom in 1970.. The show was seen in a very positive light for women across America during this time period, as MARY TYLER MOORE portrayed MARY RICHARDS, a single woman who breaks into the News Industry as Associate Producer for the 6 O'Clock News at a Minneapolis TV Station.. Her boss, LOU GRANT, is portrayed awesomely by ED ASNER..

The show also inspired the spin-off, LOU GRANT as well as RHODA starring VALERIE HARPER.. and also featured some big names in TV at the time like TED KNIGHT, who went on to play MR. HENRY RUSH on "Too Close For Comfort", there was also BETTY WHITE and CLORIS LEACHMAN.. After receiving countless EMMY and GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS, the show went off into the sunset in 1977, but to this day remains a 70's TV Classic.. Check out the Very first episode here, which although not my favorite (I prefer the "Chuckles the Clown" episode), still a fond moment in Television history..



"Love is All Around" (The Very First Episode)



PEACE!

Tribute To GARBAGE PAIL KIDS...

HA HA!! There was quite a controversy over these trading cards, distributed by the TOPPS TRADING CARD COMPANY in the mid to late 80's.. Created in 1985 as a parody of the CABBAGE PATCH KIDS, The GARBAGE PAIL KIDS..

I remember going to 7-ELEVEN and buying a pack of "GARBAGE PAIL KIDS" trading cards which came with a stick of gum and about 5 or 6 cards.. The cards really took off during the Summer of 1986 and during the height of their popularity, there was a "Trademark Infringement Lawsuit" filed against TOPPS by COLECO creator of "The Cabbage Patch Kids".. TOPPS worked out a compromise to modify the characters to no longer resemble "The Cabbage Patch Kids" characters.. This in turn, however, came at the cost to "The Garbage Pail Kids" as the buzz soon died thereafter and their sales dropped even upon the release of the failed - "Garbage Pail Kids" Movie in 1987 and by 1988, "The Garbage Pail Kids" were no longer in production..

That is until, 2003, capitalizing on the 80's resurgence, TOPPS released "Garbage Pail Kids: The All New Series", but like many things originally from the 80's, the "New" and improved 15 years later, just isn't the same..

PEACE!

TRIPPINDICULAR TUESDAYS!!! TOBEDAWG ON THE RADIO!!!

**That's Right.. Tonight and Every Tuesday listen to 91.9 KCSS out of Stanislaus State in Turlock for TOBEDAWG's CLASSIC AND CUTTING EDGE SHOW.. Where I feature CLASSIC New Wave and Modern Rock from artists like DEPECHE MODE, THE CURE, THE CLASH, THE RAMONES, ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN, XTC, KATE BUSH, and more.. and the Best New Modern Rock with some surprises mixed in.. Here's What I played LAST Week:


TOBEDAWG on KCSS PLAYLIST: September 16, 2008


TRIPPINDICULAR TUESDAY!!!

8pm - 10pm

THE FAINT - "Agenda Suicide"

IGGY POP - "Lust for Life"

(N) DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE - "Cath"

(N) MOTLEY CRUE - "White Trash Circus"

THE CURE - "Harold & Joe"

SOCIAL DISTORTION - "Bad Luck"

JESUS AND MARY CHAIN - "Just like Honey"

(N) COLD WAR KIDS - "Something Is Not Right..."

(((MANDATORY MOZ)))

MORRISSEY - "Our Frank"

(N) THE BLACK KIDS - "I'm Not Gonna Teach your Boyfriend.."

(N) THE DANDY WARHOLS - "Talk Radio"

DEVO - "Working in a Coal Mine"

PRINCE - "Darling Nikki"

THE CHURCH - "Under the Milky Way" (Request)

U2 - "Bad"

VIOLENT FEMMES - "Blister in the Sun"

(N) BECK - "Ophans"

(N) TOADIES - "No Deliverence""

TALK TALK - "It's My Life"

KATE BUSH - "Running up that Hill"

XTC - "Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead"

(((THEN & NOW: ANI DIFRANCO)))

THEN: ANI DIFRANCO - "Fire Door"

(N) NOW: ANI DIFRANCO - "Red Letter Year"

(N) CHUMBAWAMBA - "Add Me"

THE ELECTRIC SIX - "Danger! High Voltage"

(N) ME FIRST AND THE GIMME GIMMES - "Mahogany"

(((DEDICATION TO SARAH PALIN)))

RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS - "True Men Don't Kill Coyotes"

(N) SIGUR ROS - "Gobbledigook"

TORI AMOS - "Thank U"

PEACE!


**Check it out Tonight on 91.9 KCSS or http://kcss.net/

Check it out!!!

PEACE!

Timex Social Club - "Rumors"

Today we revisit the Summer of 1986.. In the World of Music, TINA TURNER finally received a star on the "Hollywood Walk of Fame", Punk Legends, BLACK FLAG performed their final gig in Detroit, LOU REED, U2, JOAN BAEZ, STING, YOKO ONO, and others gathered for the "Conspiracy of Hope Tour" on behalf of AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL all across the US winding up at NEW JERSEY's GIANTS STADIUM, WHAM! broked up, BOY GEORGE was busted for heroin, VAN HA-GAR burst onto the scene, and THE MONKEES reunited..

The American music charts during that summer were dominated by veteran artists with GENESIS, PETER GABRIEL (who used to BE in GENESIS), STEVE WINWOOD, and former DOOBIE BROTHER, MICHAEL McDONALD (with PATTI LABELLE) hitting #1.. Even the BEATLES' "Twist and Shout" endured a brief resurgence thanks to the JOHN HUGHES film, "Ferris Bueller's Day Off"..

The Summer of 1986 also brought us this from a group that formed in BERKELEY, CA in 1982 and it's seven members specialized in a sort of mixture of R&B, Hip Hop, and Dance beats later defined as "New Jack Swing", TIMEX SOCIAL CLUB.. The group's album "Vicious Rumors" produced "Rumors", a Top 10 Smash and a couple of other minor hits.. Their producer, JAY KING replaced by band with CLUB NOUVEAU early in 1987, but the TIMEX SOCIAL CLUB will be known for "Rumors"..




PEACE!

SCI-FI SUNDAY: The Incredible Hulk

Based on the original MARVEL Comic, the tale of Dr. DAVID BANNER, played on the show by BILL BIXBY, who was traumatized in a car accident that tragically killed his wife LAURA.. BANNER, haunted by his inability to save his wife, becomes obsessed with learning more about people who develop superhuman strength to save their loved ones and concludes that Sunspots and Gamma Radiation are the cause..

BANNER realized that the day that his wife was killed was one with the least sunspot activity.. BANNER tests his theory by bombarding his own body with Gamma Radiation.. BANNER realized that his laboratory equipment had been upgraded therefore he had taken in more radiation than previously thought and "The Incredible Hulk", portrayed on TV Show by bodybuilder, LOU FERRIGNO, is born!

The TV Series was a part of the CBS Friday Night Lineup during the late 70's and early 80's (airing before "The Dukes of Hazzard" and "Dallas") and ran in syndication throughout the 80's.. Glipses of the original "Hulk" have also been greening up the SCI-FI CHANNEL from time to time.. Although "The Hulk" has been made into TWO feature films within the past few years, there will always be the ORIGINAL TV Series.. Check out the episode: "Life and Death" from Season 1


"Life And Death" Season 1: Episode 11




PEACE!

Saturday Morning Cartoons: PAC-MAN: The Cartoon

HA HA!! Ironically Enough, I still have this album in my closet.. I've had it since I was 8 years old..



*Based on the popular Video Game produced by NAMCO, "PAC MAN" became a big franchise in the 80's from PAC-MAN Cereal to PAC MAN Pasta..

PAC-MAN even inspired a Saturday morning cartoon that aired on ABC when "PAC MAN FEVER" reached it's peak between 1982 and 1984.. The Cartoon starred PAC MAN, MS. PAC MAN, PAC BABY and their two pets, CHOMP CHOMP (The Dog) and SOUR PUSS (The Cat).. The Pacsters were on the run from the Ghost Monsters, Inky, Blinky, Pinky, Inky, Clyde, Sue, and their fearless leader Mezmeron..

During the final season of the Cartoon, ABC called it the "Pac Man Cartoon Hour" and tied it in with a cartoon based on another popular game/puzzle at the time "Rubik: The Amazing Cube" (Based on the Rubik's Cube)..

Check out this little episode entitled "HOCUS POCUS".. Also, check out the Commercials in the "And Now These Messages" section..

PEACE!

PAC-MAN CARTOON: INTRO:




PAC-MAN THE CARTOON: "HOCUS POCUS" PART I:




PAC MAN: THE CARTOON: "HOCUS POCUS" PART II:



...AND NOW THESE MESSAGES:

Friday the 13th: The Series

"Friday the 13th: The Series" was a Syndicated Thriller-style Television series that aired on Saturday nights in the latter part of the 80's.. It usually followed "Twilight Zone", and "Tales from the Darkside" on most stations..

The show had been originally named "The 13th Hour" but the producer of the series, FRANK MANCUSO, JR., who had also produced some of the "Friday the 13th" films chose "Friday the 13th: The Series" to lure in viewers..

Although the series had NO Connection whatsoever to the tales of the evil JASON, the show dealt with the subject of CURSED ANTIQUES.. Ya See, the owner of an antique shop, LOUIS VENDRIDI had made a pact with the devil to sell antiques at his shop, "Curious Goods" in exchange for his immortality and wealth.. But VENDRIDI called off the deal and had his soul taken hostage by the devil..




The shop is then inherited by LEWIS' niece MICKI FOSTER and her cousin RYAN DALLION who began selling off the antiques but were intercepted by World Travelr, Mystic, and personal friend of LEWIS' JACK MARSHAK, who inform the group that the antiques were cursed.. So, in a nutshell, the group sets out to find the antiques BEFORE the purchaser and user of the antique discover their powers and fail to give them up, creating much destruction along the way..

"Friday the 13th: The Series" aired from 1987 to 1990, with the First season being released on DVD on September 23rd... Check out the VERY First Episode of the series, "The Inheritance"..



"THE INHERITANCE: EPISODE I PART I:"



PART II:


PART III:



PART IV:


PART V:

GENESIS - "Land of Confusion"

After their 1986 "Invisible Touch" album gave GENESIS their first #1 single, the band decided to take an apparently new direction with this video.. The song was their 3rd video from the album and instead of featuring the band performing with close up shots of lead singer PHIL COLLINS, the band produced a brilliant video that featured BRITISH puppets, SPITTING IMAGE and was a commentary on RONALD REAGAN's America and the global consequences of the Cold War era.. The song even inspired a 2006 cover by the Nu-Metal band, DISTURBED..

GENESIS - "Land of Confusion"



PEACE!

"It's Your Move"

For Today's little trip down memory lane, I've decided to visit the NBC Wednesday lineup in 1984 for this lost gem.. The sitcom "It's Your Move" starred JASON BATEMEN before he went on to star on FOX's "Arrested Development" or in the feature film "Juno".. At the time, BATEMEN was best known as "Family Ties" Star JUSTINE BATEMEN's kid brother and the character of DEREK, Ricky's best friend on "Silver Spoons"..

"It's Your Move" only last one season on NBC... In the show, BATEMEN played a young scam artist based in SoCal circa 1980's.. He meets his match though when he meets NORMAN LAMB, who moves into the apartment across the hall.. LAMB was played by actor DAVID GARRISON who went on to bigger stardom as MARCY's husband, STEVE RHODES on the FOX sitcom "Married with Children" a couple of years later.. The premise of the show was "Who could get over on who" with the most elaborate scam..

I remember watching "It's Your Move" when I was in the Third Grade and being bummed by it's sudden cancellation.. The show appeared for a short time later in the decade on the USA NETWORK before dissappearing into obscurity.. Thanks to the Internet, we can now enjoy this episode entitled "The Experts"..



PT I: "The Experts"


PT II:



PT III:



PEACE!

"Laverne and Shirley"

"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. Schlemeel, Schlemazel, Hasenfeffer incorporated"..

We're Gonna Do it!!! It's TUESDAY and today I'm reminicing about the old Tuesday night ABC Lineup that had "Happy Days", "Laverne & Shirley", "Three's Company" and "Too Close For Comfort" (after "Joannie Loves Chachi" was cancelled)..

The adventures of two crazy young single Jewish Women, LAVERNE DiFAZIO, and SHIRLEY FEENEY, who worked at a Milwaukee Brewery and the two greasers, LENNY and SQUIGGY who hit on them constantly, entertained us between 1976 and 1983 and later in syndication..

The show, like others, was a "Happy Days" spinoff had a very memorable theme song which starts with a Yiddish Hopscotch sequence and goes into "Making Our Dreams Come True" by singer CINDY GRECCO.. The opening sequence has also inspired numerous parodies from "Wayne's World" and "Friends" to "SNL"..

Now check out an episode of the classic show from 1981, in the latter days of the show and it features Legendary Brit Actor ERIC IDLE check it out..

PART I:


PART II:


PART III:


PART IV:

Depeche Mode "Everything Counts"

PEACE!

Starting Next Weekend..

Starting next weekend in TOBEDAWG's TRIPPINDICULAR RETRO BLOG, check out:

SATURDAY MORNING CARTOONS.. Posted here on Saturday instead of in TOBEDAWG's BLOG EXPERIENCE..

AND.. SUNDAYS will be "SCI-FI SUNDAY" starting September 21st.. Instead of SCI-FI Saturday..

...Stay Tuned..

Now, how about U2's "Sunday Bloody Sunday" video?



PEACE!

SCI-FI SATURDAY: BUCK ROGERS

Saturday is the day where we embark upon that trip to galaxies far away and discover new worlds while doing battle against the evil forces and invaders from the luxury of our "Futuristic" Space Craft.. Welcome to SCI-Fi Saturdays..

The character of "Buck Rogers" was actually invented back in 1928 by writer PHILLIP FRANCES NOWLAN in a magazine entitled "Amazing Stories" (not to be confused with the STEVEN SPIELBERG directed TV series of the same name) as ANTHONY ROGERS.. "BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25th Century" was published in 1933 by NOWLAN in a long form novel which was co-written by comic strip writer LT. DICK CALKINS.. This novel told the origins of the character of BUCK ROGERS..

Around that same time, the tales of BUCK ROGERS were heard on radio across America as the first Sci-Fi Radio Show of All Time.. There was also a comic strip that was published in newspapers across America..

The episode that you are about to see is actually from the 2nd attempt at the "BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25th CENTURY" television show.. The first was done by ABC Television in the Early 1950's but was short lived.. The 1979 adaptation of the show was picked up by NBC and starred GIL GERARD as BUCK ROGERS, which actually went on to be his most successful role..

This tale of BUCK ROGERS focuses on a US Air Force Pilot who commands a Space shuttle called "Ranger 3" that was launched in 1987 (which at that time seemed almost a decade away), but becuase of a freak accident with gases, he is frozen until the 25th Century.. Upon waking, he learns that Planet Earth was now protected under the "Earth Defense Forces" and had been united after a major Nuclear War in 1988.. Those evil DRACONIAN SPACE ARMIES are planning an invasion..

The BUCK ROGERS TV Series lasted from 1979 to 1981, and although short lived, the series did inspire an ATARI and COMMODORE 64 game of the same name during the "video game boom" of the mid-80's.. The game was called "Buck Rogers and the Planet of Zoom"..

The episode that I am featuring this week comes from Season 2 and was the 5th episode of that season entitled "The Golden Man".. Season 2 sadly was delayed from airing due to a massive network writer's strike, similar to that of the 2007 writer's strike but this episode DID air in 1981 during the show's final days..

Enjoy! PEACE!


Season 2 Episode 5: "The Golden Man"

Mork Calling ORSON.. Mork Calling ORSON Come in ORSON..

Long before he played a heartwarming Doctor in "Patch Adams", or a devoted father who dressed up in old lady drag to see his kids in "Mrs. Doubtfire", or the creepy guy in "One Hour Photo", ROBIN WILLIAMS' humble beginnings were on the ABC Sitcom, "MORK & MINDY"..

I remember watching "MORK & MINDY" EVERY Thursday night which was followed by ANOTHER sitcom starring rising star, TOM HANKS, "BOSOM BUDDIES"..

The show begain in 1978 and starred then stand-up comedian ROBIN WILLIAMS as a space alien MORK who came from the Planet ORK and landed in Colorado in a large egg and settled in to live with college student, MINDY MCCONNELL, who was played by PAM DAWBER.. MORK met some colorful people during the years of the sitcom including MINDY's parents, who in the first couple of seasons ran a music shop.. MORK also befriended a whacked out guy named EXIDOR..

The show went on with MORK becomming pregnant with a baby who was played by JONATHAN WINTERS in the later years of the show..

I was surprised to discover that "MORK & MINDY" was actually a "HAPPY DAYS" spinoff.. The character of MORK appeared in the "My Favorite Orkan" episode on Season 5 of "Happy Days" which striked me as sort of confusing given that "Happy Days" was set in the 1950's and "Mork & Mindy" took place in the then-contemporary time of the late 70's and early 80's..

Sadly, "Mork & Mindy" was short lived and was cancelled in 1982, but we will always have the memories like this episode from Season 3.. "Nelson on TV".. NA NU NA NU!

PEACE!


PT 1: NELSON ON TV


PT 2: NELSON ON TV


PT 3: NELSON ON TV

9/11

.. And those that it affected.. Here's a montage of songs and clips about WAR and PEACE..

JOHN LENNON - "Imagine"




THE BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD - "For What it's Worth"



PINK FLOYD - "Dogs"



CHUMBAWAMBA - "Jacob's Ladder"



WHITE LION - "When the Children Cry"



BOB DYLAN - "Knockin' on Heaven's Door"





BLACK SABBATH - "War Pigs"

In 1983, THE POLICE released the "Synchronicity" album.. An album that was their 5th and final studio album as a band, (of course STING went solo and released "Dream of the Blue Turtles" in 1985), but "Synchronicity" was a turning point for THE POLICE..

It was sort of a tragedy that this was their last album as they had written one of the most beautiful pop songs of the 80's with "Every Breath you Take" which spent 8 weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.. The album also contained the title track in "Synchronicity Part I" and "Part II"..

This album was definitely a departure from their earlier, more reggae influnced work but did still deal with serious topics "Murder by Numbers" was a tale of a serial killer and "Every Breath you Take" was about an obsessive relationship gone over the edge.. There was also "King of Pain" allegedly about STING's seperation from his wife and current tensions within the band..

There was also the chilling "Wrapped Around your Finger", which featured a reference to Greek mythology in the line "Caught between Scylla and Charibdes"..

THE POLICE reunited and performed in 2007 (with THE FRATELLIS opening at their Oakland Show)..





PEACE!

THAT RETRO BLOG!! WELCOME..

WELCOME TO THAT RETRO BLOG!!!

THIS BLOG IS NOW DEVOTED TO TELEVISION AND MUSIC NOSTALGA!!!

AS A CHILD OF THE '80s, I WILL FOREWARN YOU THAT MY BLOG WILL LEAN HEAVILY TOWARDS THE DECADE OF THE RUBIK'S CUBE, BIG HAIR, and RONALD REAGAN..

IF NEWS, POLITICS, AND CURRENT EVENTS ARE YOUR THING, CHECK OUT MY OTHER BLOG AT:

http://tobedawgsblog.blogspot.com/



HAVE A TOTALLY AWESOME GNARLY BITCHIN' DAY!!!

PEACE!