And Many More...Happy B-day to Fox Television and Carol Burnett

Somehow, I’ve been suckered into helping with the plans for my 20 year high school reunion.  So I’ve been spending the past few weeks summoning spirits of the 90s. You know-squeezing into my Nirvana concert tee, going to indy coffee houses, trying to find something that will play a CD, and watching “Fox Television’s 25^thAnniversary” last Sunday.

Fox Television Celebrates 25 Years

Ahhh…those were the good ole’days of T.V.  I remember spending Sunday nights with my eyes glued to the tube to absorb one of the funniest, most groundbreaking sketch comedy shows in television history, Fox’s “In Living Color”.  Back when Jennifer Lopez was just a dancing “Fly Girl”, “In Living Color” was the brainchild of brothers Damon and KennanWayans. The show ran from 1990 to 1994 and was a huge hit for Fox, launching J-lo’s illustrious career, but also that of many others like Jamie Foxx and Jim Carrey. The skits were absolutely as politically incorrect as a show could get on network television.  Even watching some of the skits now,  I find myself slightly cringing as I guffaw. But that was the appeal of this show. Audiences could always count on this brilliant cast to push the envelope to make them feel so uncomfortable that they just had to laugh. 

FOX's "In Living Color" circa 1992

Nothin' says "1990s" like Tommy Davidson and Hammer pants...

Happy 25^th Fox Network.

And while I am giving out birthday love, it’s only appropriate for me to give a shout out to the Godmother of sketch comedy, the wonderful Ms. Carol Burnett.  She turned 79 years young this week, on April 26.

Carol Burnett was responsible for blessing American television with the “Carol Burnett Show", a sketch and variety comedy that is often regarded as one of the best shows in television history. Impeccable comedic timing, intelligent writing, and fantastic talent is what made this show garner 25 Emmy awards during its run from 1967 to 1978 on CBS. "The Carol Burdett Show" was known to feature an impressive roster of legendary gueststars, such as Lucille Ball, Ella Fitzgerald, Merv Griffin, Rita Hayworth, The Jackson Five… omigod, the list goes on and on!  One of the most hilarious skits is the parody of  the movie “Gone With the Wind”. This skit has become so iconic that the Smithsonian displays the curtain dress that Carol’s version of “Scarlett O’Hara” wore.  

Carol Burnett's Smithsonian Dress

My personal favorites are the “Miss Wiggins” skits,where Carol plays a woman who was possibly the worst secretary ever. Check it out... 

Carol's take on The Dumb Blonde cliche reminds me that I'm supposed to be doing a theme here. Well, as television history has provided us with a smorgasbord of them, I will definitely continue my musings on character cliches sooner than later.

Stay tuned!

The Real American Idol-Dick Clark 1929-2012

We interrupt our regularly scheduled post to bring you this important retro television update:

Dick Clark, an American Television icon, passed April 18, 2012 at 82 years old.

 For those who were raised on Ryan Seacrest, let me enlighten you. Richard Wagstaff Clark was a pioneer in 20^th century American television, having produced and hosted one of the most popular, most groundbreaking, most influential variety programs in television history-“American Bandstand”. 

American Bandstand was a musical performance show that premiered nationally in the late 1950s, during a time when broadcast television was budding and many radio programs were transferring into television formats. It ran successfully until the late eighties, when it became overshadowed by the popularity of music based channels such as MTV.  As the Museum of Broadcast Television states in their article, "American Bandstand" made a huge cultural and social impact on Americans.

Dick Clark, circa 1956

With the impeccably dressed, All-American Dick Clark at the helm, the show brought rock and pop entertainment into the living rooms of Americans. Clark’s clean cut image, along with the faces of his bubbly teen dancers, served as ambassadors to rock and roll, which was still considered scandalous at that time. The show was one of the first to recognize the increasing spending power of teenagers, using their interests as a marketing tool to generate advertising dollars. You could say that Clark and his shows were the precursors to the current reality television format in that it showed actual teenagers singing and dancing along to current music with an authentic vibe that was not staged or contrived, just wholesome and young.

Dick Clark went on to produce many other programs that are now icons in pop television culture, specifically in variety television "The American Music Awards", "10,000 Pyramid", "Bloopers and Practical Jokes", and, of course, "Dick Clark’s New Years Rockin’ Eve". In this interview posted by emmylegends.org, Clark gives us insight how the show that became an American New Year's Eve tradition began. The Genesis of New Years Rockin' Eve

What I admire most about Dick Clark was his originality and confidence in packaging his programming to appeal to all people. When "American Bandstand" was still new, and as the civil rights movement was slowly brimming, he insisted that the show should feature African-American musicians since much of the music they played was by Black artists. Everyone watched "American Bandstand" to catch the latest artists and dance moves. Everyone watches the "American Music Awards" to cheer for their favorite musician, and everyone’s New Year’s Eve rocked thanks to the “world’s oldest teenager”.

So in memory of Mr. Dick Clark, a real American idol and the Godfather of reality television, I present to you a clip of him interviewing another American idol and the Godfather of soul, James Brown. This is an epic interview that shows Dick Clark at his best- fun and hip, yet authoritative and always composed. Check out his swag in the two-piece suit and tie, and ever present microphone.  Oh, and the mutual man love they give each other is pretty touching too.

Rest in Peace, Dick.

The Death of the T.V. Theme Song Part 2-The Resurrection?

     In lamenting the demise of the all important television theme song, I decided to continue looking for examples of modern television shows that actually have one, a rarity in this digital age. My last post offered the intro for a viable theme song with that of CBS's "Big Bang Theory".  Here are two that cut the mustard, leaving me in joyful hopes that we just may be witnessing a theme song resurrection. Hooray!

      "The Luck You Got",  is a song from the Detroit based rock band "High Strung" off their album "Moxie Bravo". It moonlights as a fitting intro for Showtime's dramatic comedy "Shameless". "Shameless" chronicles the lives of six Chicagoan kids that basically hold down their household and lives as their slacker parents more or less abandon them. William Macy plays the unlovable, but loved, drunk who slithers in and out of these kids'  lives wrecking havoc.  It ain't "The Cosby Show".

Theme show from Showtime's "Shameless".

Shamelessly funny show with an awesome intro.

  "The New Girl" on NBC, stars  the ever quirky Zooey Deschanel, who is not only the reason I love, love, love, this show, but the reason I love, love, love this theme song. She wrote it, which gives the song her personal appeal, a factor that aids in making the show and the song "adorkable".

     Maggie Furlong, an entertainment writer for Huffingtonpost.com, seems to share this sentiment. In her recent article, she pays homage to the show and the personal effect of theme songs by asking the cast to muse over there "personal theme song", a question that garnered some pretty funny responses.

"New Girl Cast Talks Personal Theme Songs"

      This article touches on a very important aspect of the classic television theme song- the personal effect. Great intros in the past have not only set the tone for the show, but they totally add to the soundtrack of one's own dramatic comedy called "Life".  As a young adult, stepping in the door of my first really nice place away Mom and Dad,  the first thing I did was dance around an empty room singing "Well, we movin' on up!" This intro to the classic sitcom "The Jeffersons" has been the go to song for generations of lotto hitters, bingo winners, and anyone who finally gets the piece of the pie. Check it out.

What's your personal theme song? Let me know!

And stay tuned for more analog love.

Death of the T.V. Theme Song

     Is anyone on Earth as sick of Beyoncé’s recent mega hit "Love on Top" as I am? Don’t get me wrong, I loved it the first thousand times Pandora shoved the song down my ear drums, but now I’m just plain sick of it.  I have to admit, however, that given the song’s catchy melody and lyrics, it actually has the makings of a fantastic television theme song. 

     I can see it now-a sassy talkin', arm crossin', hand-on-hip walkin’ Beyoncé opens the door of her Upper East Side Penthouse. Enter grumpy hubby (Jay Z as Mr. Beyoncé!), smart aleck kid (Willow Smith as Baby Beyoncé!), and the nosy, but lovable, neighbor (Kelly Rowland as Not Beyoncé!). The title rolls (The Beyoncé Show starring...Beyoncé!), she belts out “you’re the only one I neeeeeeeeed!”, and the song ends on a strategically timed upbeat.

     Now, I am no expert on the composition of television theme songs, but as student of Television Production and most importantly a lover of all things in the world of retro television, I have viewed countless television wonders of the 20^th century, and thus been happily exposed to some memorable intro tunes. I think I have watched enough shows to say that the true television intro theme has become somewhat of a dying art. Take  “Grey’s Anatomy” or “The Closer”. These two current hits only offer songs that are reduced to mere slivers of sound, allowing just enough time to show the title. Some, like “How I Met Your Mother”, completely avoid the use of an intro.

     Perhaps our new television viewing generation is too smart and too busy to be bogged down with lengthy intros, but some of us old fogies need guidance! Just by the theme songs of some classic hits like “Green Acres” or “Gilligan’s Isle”, I could decide if I wanted to know more about a city girl who gets allergic smelling hay, or if I could even bear listening to a tale of a fateful trip that started on a tropic port aboard a tiny ship.

"Green Acres" circa 1966

 "Dahling I love you but gimme Park Avenue..."

 
 "Gilligan's Isle" theme Song, circa 1964
Back story, plot development, and character description in 60 seconds.
Now that's a theme song, kiddo.

       I say the ball started rolling on this anti-intro song trend in the late eighties thanks to “Murphy Brown”, an outstanding American comedy that had no standard opening theme song for the entire decade it aired. From 1988 until the end of the series, the show used a different song- mostly Motown hits- to lead in each new episode, which must have been a licensing nightmare. The campaign was perpetuated with “Tossed Salad and Scrambled Eggs”, a jazzy little ditty that was thrown at the ending of the ‘90s TV gem "Frasier", and sung by its star Kelsey Grammer. And although the tune was indeed infectious, it had nothing to do with the show. 

The non-theme song theme song for "Frasier", circa 1993

        There are some current shows that do a respectable- dare I say, great- job of including an appropriate theme song. The theme for CBS’s “Big Bang Theory” comes to my mind, and actually never seems to leave once it enters. Barenaked Ladies’ contribution to television includes what I believe are standard rudiments of a great television theme song: 1. It’s an actual song. 2. It’s catchy. 3. It captures the essence of the show. 4. It is in the BEGINNING of the episode!!  

The lovably dorky theme song from CBS's "Big Bang Theory"

   Hopefully, the song stays around long enough to be considered a classic along with the amazingly funny sitcom it accompanies. And in case you have not been exposed to enough retro television to understand what I mean by "classic",  I will be more than happy to school you.
   
      Stay tuned!