PBS to Celebrate Innovators from early days of TV

[Ireneparalegal]

Beginning Wednesday Jan. 2, 2008 and continue each Wednesday until January 23, PBS will air a special called PIONEERS OF TELEVISION. It is abt the early TV stars that pioneered and paved the way for later stars. Please note the interesting tidbit abt Jackie Gleason making a rude remark abt Tony Orlando's back up ladies, Telma Hopkins and Joyce Vincent...

All the conventions that we take for granted on television today, from the formalized game show to the monologue on the talk show, were begun by a group of innovators who had no idea that they were setting precedents.

People like Dick Cavett, Jackie Gleason, Phyllis Diller, Johnny Carson, Ernie Kovacs, Steve Allen and Carol Burnett were the pioneers on that mesmerizing little black box.

Diller was one of the first female comics to hit it big anywhere. Today at 90, she recalled, "I didn't mean to be a trailblazer. I just needed a job, and my talent was being funny. And I didn't even recognize that fact. It was my husband — Sherwood Diller was the person who kept insisting that I become a comic. And I kept pointing out to him that there were five children involved here. And he said, We'll send them home.' I said, I can't. They're ours.'

"And we argued about it for two years. That was our longest argument — a two-year argument culminating in the fact that one day I said, OK.' Then my problem was how do you become a comic? And I called the Red Cross in San Francisco and I said, I have a show. Where do you want it?' They said, The Presidio.' So that's where I did my first show."

Diller, and many others like her, will be celebrated in a four-part PBS documentary series set to premiere Jan. 2, airing every Wednesday until Jan. 23. Each of the one-hour episodes focuses on a different genre: sitcoms, late-night, variety and game shows.

Tim Conway, so hilarious as one of the repertory zanies on "The Carol Burnett Show," was still a scrub in the Army when he became an avid fan of "The Steve Allen Show." "I was defending Seattle, and would watch the show, like for two years ... every night. And I thought, If I ever was on television, that's what I would want to do, what these guys are doing — Don Knotts and all the rest of the guys.'

It was so freewheeling'

"I thought that was just the funniest stuff because they enjoyed doing what they were doing so much. It was so freewheeling, and it was live. You never knew when a mistake was going to come up. ... I came out here, and I did Steve Allen, so when they called up and said, Do you want to do "McHale's Navy?,' I said, No, I did Steve Allen. What else is there to do?' But they made me come out here and do that. Now here I am."

Tony Orlando was a fresh face on the scene with his backup singers Telma Hopkins and Joyce Vincent (known as Dawn) when he snagged a guest spot on "The Tonight Show."

"I was a nervous wreck, and Sammy Davis Jr. was saying to me that two shows made him throw up before the show out of nervousness: one was the Academy Awards and doing The Tonight Show.' It was that important to do The Tonight Show.' And when I went on and finished my song, I remember this man (Davis) coming up to me, recognizing that I was scared to death, not knowing what the outcome of the performance would be, walking up to me saying, You know, your career is going to go a long way. You did very well,' encouraging me. Same thing with Tim Conway. Same thing with Carol Burnett, who is always showing encouragement, and Betty White when she was on the show was always (helpful)."

Run-in with Gleason

Orlando also remembers a run-in with Gleason, who was known to be difficult. It was Orlando's first time on the show, and Gleason made a rude remark about the fact that Hopkins and Vincent were black.

Orlando insisted on an apology, but Gleason ignored him. The taping didn't go well and the show's producer admonished Orlando for crossing Gleason. When the show was over, Orlando was summoned to Gleason's room.

"He says, Tony, you see the book that's on the table?' with his back to me. Yes, sir, Mr. Gleason.' I want you to open it to the first page.' I said, Well, Mr. Gleason, that's your script book.' (He said) I hope you'll take it with you. I really am honored to have you here, really.' He said, Open to the first page.' And I opened up the book, and I have it to this day. It says, Dear Tony, I apologize. I was wrong. You were right. How sweet it is to tell the truth, Jackie.' "

The nimble-witted Cavett set the tone for TV interviewers that were to follow. Cavett remembers Jack Paar, who started "The Tonight Show." "Jack was the most neurotic, dangerous, brilliant, weird, unsorted-out, fascinating personality of my lifetime on television," Cavett said.

"And the great Kenneth Tynan said about Jack once, Even if he's sitting there with Cary Grant, you watch Jack, afraid that if you look away, you might miss a live nervous breakdown on the screen.' And that was true. That danger quality. Nobody's ever had anything like it."

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by Ireneparalegal

Beginning Wednesday Jan. 2, 2008 and continue each Wednesday until January 23, PBS will air a special called PIONEERS OF TELEVISION. It is abt the early TV stars that pioneered and paved the way for later stars. Please note the interesting tidbit abt Jackie Gleason making a rude remark abt Tony Orlando's back up ladies, Telma Hopkins and Joyce Vincent...

All the conventions that we take for granted on television today, from the formalized game show to the monologue on the talk show, were begun by a group of innovators who had no idea that they were setting precedents.

People like Dick Cavett, Jackie Gleason, Phyllis Diller, Johnny Carson, Ernie Kovacs, Steve Allen and Carol Burnett were the pioneers on that mesmerizing little black box.

Diller was one of the first female comics to hit it big anywhere. Today at 90, she recalled, "I didn't mean to be a trailblazer. I just needed a job, and my talent was being funny. And I didn't even recognize that fact. It was my husband — Sherwood Diller was the person who kept insisting that I become a comic. And I kept pointing out to him that there were five children involved here. And he said, We'll send them home.' I said, I can't. They're ours.'

"And we argued about it for two years. That was our longest argument — a two-year argument culminating in the fact that one day I said, OK.' Then my problem was how do you become a comic? And I called the Red Cross in San Francisco and I said, I have a show. Where do you want it?' They said, The Presidio.' So that's where I did my first show."

Diller, and many others like her, will be celebrated in a four-part PBS documentary series set to premiere Jan. 2, airing every Wednesday until Jan. 23. Each of the one-hour episodes focuses on a different genre: sitcoms, late-night, variety and game shows.

Tim Conway, so hilarious as one of the repertory zanies on "The Carol Burnett Show," was still a scrub in the Army when he became an avid fan of "The Steve Allen Show." "I was defending Seattle, and would watch the show, like for two years ... every night. And I thought, If I ever was on television, that's what I would want to do, what these guys are doing — Don Knotts and all the rest of the guys.'

It was so freewheeling'

"I thought that was just the funniest stuff because they enjoyed doing what they were doing so much. It was so freewheeling, and it was live. You never knew when a mistake was going to come up. ... I came out here, and I did Steve Allen, so when they called up and said, Do you want to do "McHale's Navy?,' I said, No, I did Steve Allen. What else is there to do?' But they made me come out here and do that. Now here I am."

Tony Orlando was a fresh face on the scene with his backup singers Telma Hopkins and Joyce Vincent (known as Dawn) when he snagged a guest spot on "The Tonight Show."

"I was a nervous wreck, and Sammy Davis Jr. was saying to me that two shows made him throw up before the show out of nervousness: one was the Academy Awards and doing The Tonight Show.' It was that important to do The Tonight Show.' And when I went on and finished my song, I remember this man (Davis) coming up to me, recognizing that I was scared to death, not knowing what the outcome of the performance would be, walking up to me saying, You know, your career is going to go a long way. You did very well,' encouraging me. Same thing with Tim Conway. Same thing with Carol Burnett, who is always showing encouragement, and Betty White when she was on the show was always (helpful)."

Run-in with Gleason

Orlando also remembers a run-in with Gleason, who was known to be difficult. It was Orlando's first time on the show, and Gleason made a rude remark about the fact that Hopkins and Vincent were black.

Orlando insisted on an apology, but Gleason ignored him. The taping didn't go well and the show's producer admonished Orlando for crossing Gleason. When the show was over, Orlando was summoned to Gleason's room.

"He says, Tony, you see the book that's on the table?' with his back to me. Yes, sir, Mr. Gleason.' I want you to open it to the first page.' I said, Well, Mr. Gleason, that's your script book.' (He said) I hope you'll take it with you. I really am honored to have you here, really.' He said, Open to the first page.' And I opened up the book, and I have it to this day. It says, Dear Tony, I apologize. I was wrong. You were right. How sweet it is to tell the truth, Jackie.' "

The nimble-witted Cavett set the tone for TV interviewers that were to follow. Cavett remembers Jack Paar, who started "The Tonight Show." "Jack was the most neurotic, dangerous, brilliant, weird, unsorted-out, fascinating personality of my lifetime on television," Cavett said.

"And the great Kenneth Tynan said about Jack once, Even if he's sitting there with Cary Grant, you watch Jack, afraid that if you look away, you might miss a live nervous breakdown on the screen.' And that was true. That danger quality. Nobody's ever had anything like it."

Wish I can set the reminder for next wednesday on my cable box-lol

[Ireneparalegal]

Originally Posted by KingofTVResearch

Wish I can set the reminder for next wednesday on my cable box-lol

It's not working?

[JT]

Sounds like a fun, interesting thing. I'm sure it'll be chock-full of little tidbits that nobody knew about until now, like the Gleason/Orlando/Dawn thing.

Of course soaps are left out. Why am I not surprised? The genre's only been around for 80 fricken years...how dare I expect it to get respect.

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by Ireneparalegal

It's not working?

I was saying that I wish I could set it now but my cable box doesn't let you set reminders for shows that far. I think it's 2 days ahead at the most

[treky]

well; don't worry Solomon. I'm sure PBS will rerun it.

[Classicshowsgurl15]

Sounds interesting. I will try to remember to watch it. What time is it going to be on?

[Ireneparalegal]

DAMNIT!!!! : I forgot this was on last night. I am sure last night's segment will be repeated on another day, but the next installment will air next Wednesday.

[mrs.gingerhinkley]

^hey, Jackie Gleason and The Marx Brothers have segments tonight!!

luckily, i taped it last night... haven't watched it yet.

[Mikado]

I wasnt that impressed with it

[Ireneparalegal]

Originally Posted by mrs.gingerhinkley

^hey, Jackie Gleason and The Marx Brothers have segments tonight!!

luckily, i taped it last night... haven't watched it yet.

Oh really?

Thanx.

[treky]

I recorded Wednesdays episode and just finished watching it. It was interesting; but a lot of it I'd heard before. But a couple things I hadn't like Morey Amsterdam wrote all his own jokes for "THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW" and Andy Griffith insisted that they not do "THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW" in front of a live audience.

[Ireneparalegal]

Originally Posted by KingofTVResearch

I was saying that I wish I could set it now but my cable box doesn't let you set reminders for shows that far. I think it's 2 days ahead at the most

I know, that is the way mine is too.

I liked my previous cable provider. They had an awesome cable box and the way you could set up channels and reminders was THE BEST! I loved how I could actually delete channels that I didn't watch! Isn't that awesome?

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by Ireneparalegal

I know, that is the way mine is too.

I liked my previous cable provider. They had an awesome cable box and the way you could set up channels and reminders was THE BEST! I loved how I could actually delete channels that I didn't watch! Isn't that awesome?

I'm waiting for DVR's to come out that REMINDS you that you were supposed to SET THE REMINDER-lol

[Ireneparalegal]

Originally Posted by KingofTVResearch

I'm waiting for DVR's to come out that REMINDS you that you were supposed to SET THE REMINDER-lol

Yeah, you need a reminder for the reminder. Good idea Solomon.

I forgot to mention, the previous cable provider's box allowed me to set up reminders at least a month in advance. That was awesome dude.