....on PBS. Who else here is watching it and, those that are what do you think of it?

I watched part of the episode on science fiction shows and then I watched the westerns episode in full. It is a well put together series and Edward Hermann is a good narrator.

The Westerns episode was enjoyable, but the example of 1970 Daniel Boone with Rosey Grier is more of a frontier show and late episode than a pioneering TV western effort.

The shows do contain errors. Daniel Boone was not a Disney series as strongly implied, and also Clint Eastwood's Rowdy Yates character from Rawhide was misidentified as Rowdy "Gaines."

Great to see new interview footage, especially lovely Veronica Cartwright.

I enjoyed the Westerns episode also. I was glad to see "The Rifleman" featured.

Yes -- great to see Johnny Crawford. Loved the still photos of Chuck Connors' pro athlete days.

I was hoping to at least catch a glimpse of the great Gene Barry as Bat Masterson, but I guess there were so many westerns that it would be tough to touch on every one I've enjoyed. (I should add that I'm a big fan of Daniel Boone, so I certainly didn't mind that it went beyond the pioneering years of TV westerns.)

I can't wait for the upcoming Crime Dramas episode, with Columbo and Dragnet.

I can't wait for the upcoming Crime Dramas episode, with Columbo and Dragnet.

I'm looking forward to seeing that episode too. I wonder if there's any chance that they will mention Mcmillian and Wife.

I watched part of the episode on science fiction shows and then I watched the westerns episode in full. It is a well put together series and Edward Hermann is a good narrator.

Kelsey Grammer is the narrator.

I'm looking forward to seeing that episode too. I wonder if there's any chance that they will mention Mcmillian and Wife.

It really should be mentioned, as it was one of the three rotating powerhouse shows along with Columbo (which we know will be on there, based on previews) and McCloud that made for a great Sunday night.

I actually liked McMillan and Wife the best of the three. Susan and Rock had such great chemistry. All of those series were top-notch. I think maybe McMillan & Wife followed the idea from the '50s series Mr. & Mrs. North as far as husband and wife being involved in crime investigation -- and of course later we had Hart to Hart in a similar vein.

In his book Peter Falk: Just One More Thing, it's interesting to learn that Falk himself introduced the trademark raincoat and car used by Columbo. His ideas really contributed to the series' great success.

I think maybe McMillan & Wife followed the idea from the '50s series Mr. & Mrs. North as far as husband and wife being involved in crime investigation -- and of course later we had Hart to Hart in a similar vein.


McMillan and Wife is my favorite too. I didn't know how popular the series was though because I didn't see it until it aired on The Hallmark Channel. I'm not sure either, but I thought McMillan and Wife was inspired by The Thin Man movies with William Powell and Myrna Loy. Hopefully we'll find out! They really should have ended the show when Susan left though.

McMillan and Wife is my favorite too. I didn't know how popular the series was though because I didn't see it until it aired on The Hallmark Channel. I'm not sure either, but I thought McMillan and Wife was inspired by The Thin Man movies with William Powell and Myrna Loy. Hopefully we'll find out! They really should have ended the show when Susan left though.
yes, they should have instead of trying to continue it with just Rock Hudson. (who, as we all know, was keeping his lifestyle titghtly under wraps)

The Westerns episode was enjoyable, but the example of 1970 Daniel Boone with Rosey Grier is more of a frontier show and late episode than a pioneering TV western effort.

The shows do contain errors. Daniel Boone was not a Disney series as strongly implied, and also Clint Eastwood's Rowdy Yates character from Rawhide was misidentified as Rowdy "Gaines."

Great to see new interview footage, especially lovely Veronica Cartwright.
and they also said that "LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRARIE" was also a western. I've always thought of that as a-let's see' how can I put this?-a family show about a pioneer family- I guess . Know what I'm saying? It wasn't exactly a "western" in the traditional sense. (I hope that makes sense)

Although, I read once that in a way it could be considered as a continuation of "BONANZA" even though it was set earlier, had different characters, etc.

they also didn't say that, while westerns were all over the dial in the 50s (all 3 channels:lol: :lol: ) in the 60s there were still a lot, but not as many and by the 70s, they were almost gone.

I saw the crime dramas episode. I can't believe they didn't mention Jack Klugman and "Quincy M.E." If it weren't for that show we wouldn't have any of the "CSI" programs or "Crossing Jordan." What gives?

They also didn't mention McMillan and Wife or any husband/wife duos either. Rats!

and they also said that "LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRARIE" was also a western. I've always thought of that as a-let's see' how can I put this?-a family show about a pioneer family- I guess . Know what I'm saying? It wasn't exactly a "western" in the traditional sense. (I hope that makes sense)

Although, I read once that in a way it could be considered as a continuation of "BONANZA" even though it was set earlier, had different characters, etc.
I've always called LHOTP a "Midwestern." Minnesota isn't really what one would consider the "Old West," and the show's focus and characters aren't really in the traditional western vein. But then again, there were episodes that were very western-like (probably due to Landon's influence).

I've been loving this series. I'm enjoying this season's episodes more than the first batch from a few years ago. I wish the episodes were two hours long because then they'd really get to cover a lot of the pioneers of each genre while also touching on shows that weren't necessarily very pioneering but still had a huge influence (like Kojak).

I'm hoping that another season will come up soon. Game shows, soap operas, and daytime talk would be interesting. And since they're delving into different types of primetime dramas, they might as well look at the pioneers of medical drama and also the big anthology shows of the 50s. They still have a lot of material to work with.

must be reruns cause robert culp passed away sometime last year this first time i saw this show i love it

...during the final season of "WALT DISNEY PRESENTS" in 1960-'61 (before it moved from ABC to NBC as 'WALT DISNEY'S WONDERFUL WORLD OF COLOR"). Walt was forced to produce more Western-oriented programs in his later ABC seasons because they were virtually overloading their prime-time schedule with "wall-to-wall Westerns" {which is one reason why he left them for NBC, once his contract expired in 1961}. Anyway, he produced four episodes of a "Daniel Boone" mini-series starring Dewey Martin- and only those who remember watching them when they first aired would know what I'm referring to- which appeared randomly during that season, along with several hour-long "ZORRO" episodes, and the last segments of "The Swamp Fox" and "The Nine Lives of Elfego Baca". Once Disney moved to NBC, he dropped those "floating series" for good...and his "Daniel Boone" wasn't much of a success, anyway.



If the producers of "PIONEERS OF TELEVISION" had about $100 million dollars more in their budget, perhaps they could afford examples from more series, music clearances for certain themes they were forced to "recreate"...and less dependence on public domain material to pad each hour. I applaud what they're doing...but it could have been better.


Note to Robert Bianco of USA TODAY (he won't read this, but I'm including it, anyway): You didn't see any footage of "SUGARFOOT" {your favorite Western when you were a kid} because it would have cost too much money to have Warner Bros. provide a clip from the series...and the producers probably believe it's too "obscure" to mention it during that hour.
Sorry....


:tv:

Regarding interviewees who've passed away: In addition to Robert Culp on the Crime Dramas episode, Fess Parker and Dennis Weaver from the Westerns ep have also passed on.

I've only had a chance to see the Crime Dramas episode once, but I believe at the end a still photo from McMillan & Wife was shown. There was an error too, unless my eyes were playing tricks: Also at the end, Kojak was misspelled "Kojack."

must be reruns cause robert culp passed away sometime last year this first time i saw this show i love it
no, it's not a rerun. And on the one about westerns they showed Buddy Ebsen who also died last year. And on the first one a couple years ago they showed Merv Griffin, who had died just before it.

I'm also enjoying this series; and I also wish it was 2 hours so they could get more "in-depth" about the shows, and also mention more of them.
When they first showed this series 3 or 4 years ago, I didn't know it's going to be a regular series.

In next weeks episode, "LOCAL KIDS SHOWS" I wonder if they'll talk about any shows from my hometown, Philadelphia.

no, it's not a rerun. And on the one about westerns they showed Buddy Ebsen who also died last year. And on the first one a couple years ago they showed Merv Griffin, who had died just before it.

Peter Graves too. He was interviewed in the crime episode and he passed away last year. And Buddy Ebsen died in 2003.

One of the first ones was about game shows was great,and had Betty White,Wink Martindale,Tom Kennedy,Monty Hall(who gave some very interesting tidbits about "Let's Make a Deal"),Bob Barker,Bob Eubanks,producer Bob Stewart,the late Merv Griffin,and the late Jack Narz,and featured at the end,a loving tribute to the late,great Bill Cullen.I also saw the one on comedies,which wasn't bad,and the one on crime dramas.In that one,Angie Dickinson and Veronica Cartwright looked beautiful,and it also featured a kinda chubby James Garner who looked good,as did Mike Connors and Martin Landau.It also featured the late Peter Graves,and the late Robert Culp,and the late producer Stephen J.Cannell,who looked pretty good at the time.It was an interesting segment.But I can't wait for the episode on sci-fi series.

One of the first ones was about game shows was great,and had Betty White,Wink Martindale,Tom Kennedy,Monty Hall(who gave some very interesting tidbits about "Let's Make a Deal"),Bob Barker,Bob Eubanks,producer Bob Stewart,the late Merv Griffin,and the late Jack Narz,and featured at the end,a loving tribute to the late,great Bill Cullen.I also saw the one on comedies,which wasn't bad,and the one on crime dramas.In that one,Angie Dickinson and Veronica Cartwright looked beautiful,and it also featured a kinda chubby James Garner who looked good,as did Mike Connors and Martin Landau.It also featured the late Peter Graves,and the late Robert Culp,and the late producer Stephen J.Cannell,who looked pretty good at the time.It was an interesting segment.But I can't wait for the episode on sci-fi series.
sorry, but you missed the one on scifi shows. It was the first one, 3 weeks ago.

I thought the "Local Kids' TV" episode was pretty enjoyable. It covered a lot of shows and utilized some really interesting clips.

This completes the 4-show series they're doing currently (Sci-fi, westerns, and crime dramas being the other three).

I thought the "Local Kids' TV" episode was pretty enjoyable. It covered a lot of shows and utilized some really interesting clips.

This completes the 4-show series they're doing currently (Sci-fi, westerns, and crime dramas being the other three).

It was informative too. I had no idea that Willard Scott was the original "Ronald McDonald"!

I remembered Willard a long time ago mentioning having a Ronald McD costume in his closet, but I had never seen a photo of him as the clown. He was still working on Today at the time.

So while I was aware there was a connection, after all these years the show finally filled in the details...!