View Full Version : Battle of The Network Stars


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06-30-2017, 08:18 PM
I am not sure if anyone else posted about this

Reportedly Battle of The Network Stars is coming back to TV, and to my understanding, it will involve some of the original network stars who combated each other back in the 1970s.
I remember the original Battle of The Network Stars.
Back then, I recall reading some TV critic's words in a newspaper (I think it might have been "Kay Gardella" if you are familiar with her) that Battle of The Network Stars is just junk TV and not worth watching. But now decades after the original airing of those original competitions, it seems that there was something wonderfully special about the TV programming of that time and it cannot exactly be applied to a newer generation with the same results. Nor can , in general, an older generation just take to it like they did with the original broadcasts .
It seems that much of today's Reality TV shows, (and especially the "Celebrity versions" of those shows), had their origins in Battle of The Network Stars.
I also recall there was "Circus of The Stars" and I recall reading that same TV Critic's words in a newspaper, that "Circus of The Stars" actually requires the celebrities (that is, the ones doing circus stunts) to work physically hard while in Battle of The Network Stars it is not actual athletic endeavor.
I was never sure if that was exactly true, however I enjoyed watching Battle of The Network Stars especially the first three or four of the televised specials. I think after the first three or four broadcasts, it did seem to get overall less exciting and I think that too much of an effort was made to sensationalize it more with "US against The World" etc. I guess it did get old rather soon, overall .

But I recall that there was some Reality-type TV show only a few years ago in which judges (like in American Idol) judge celebrities doing circus stunts. I think I recall that Chris Knight ( of The Brady Bunch) tried doing an aerial act.
Anyone recall one "Celebrity competition" show in which Bruce Jenner did a skating routine, also Todd Bridges?
I don't watch TV regularly anymore and have not for decades (oops). So there is probably much that I am not aware of regarding what is being broadcast, but in the past few years , mostly before the converter box system took over , I have occasionally come across some reality TV shows and celebrity competition shows while changing the channel and it seems that there have already been some kind of "Battle of The Network Stars" inspired shows. If you think of it, "Dancing With The Stars" had to be descended at least conceptually from Battle of The Network Stars. It seems that Reality Shows in general were.

("American Family" is said to have preceded reality shows by decades, but I never watched that show even though I heard of it, and I might not completely understand the set-up , but it seems to me that American Family was practically a documentary type of endeavor following a real family .
Reality shows are more of sensational-istic , and oftentimes are particularly made-up).

However, I don't think a new version of Battle of The Network Stars is a good idea. The older celebrities who competed in the original broadcasts will be a joke.

BTW are the original Battle of The Network Stars available on video or DVD like the Sitcoms and other TV series are?


https://www.yahoo.com/tv/battle-network-stars-chips-star-larry-wilcox-classic-tv-celebs-compare-reboot-original-130003647.html?soc_src=mail&soc_trk=ma