1. ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN-1952-1958
I Loved watching this TV show when I was a kid, in reruns, as I am not that old yet:) You have mild-mannered Clark Kent working at the Daily Planet with Lois Lane, a star reporter, whom he has the hots for, and Jimmy Olsen as the kid photographer, whom he does not have the hots for. This newspaper is run by the curmudgeon Perry White who sends these 3 out to find the scoop especially anything about Superman. Of course, they never guess that those stupid glasses Clark wears, hides Clark's true identity...Superman! Of course, Lois and Jimmy get into hot water and Superman must save the day whether from the Mole Men or some really bad guys. It's fun, corny and I love every minute of it. Lois Lane is an early female character where she is an independent woman with a "man's" job. This, during the time when women were to be a perfect homemaker greeting her husband in a nice dress with high heels, pearls grateful that he brings home the bacon(blecvhh). One has no idea how huge this show was back in the day to the point that George Reeves hated his alter ego. What a shame that George Reeves was murdered...yes, not a suicide.
2. THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW-1970-1977
This show does not age and is just so funny from the get go. You have a young woman who decides not to marry but strike out on her own, move away from her family and friends and take a job in a newsroom as an associate producer surrounded by men. Her boss, Lou Grant, is an old school newsman who tries to run a tight ship with head writer Murray and the ultimate goofball egomaniac in Ted Baxter who gives new meaning to the word stupid. The show is rounded out by her soon to be best friend, Rhoda(friends in real life too), her landlady, Phyllis and, later on, Sue Ann Nivens, the horny, happy homemaker who has the hots for Lou as well as sweet Georgette who dates and, later, marries Ted. You see them at work, at Mary's parties that always go wrong and the News Awards. Some famous episodes are considered the best ever like "Chuckles The Clown Bites The Dust". My sides hurt from laughing so much when I watched this episode.
3. MURPHY BROWN-1988-1998
Candace Bergen played this character to perfection as a recovering alcoholic who is an acerbic, intelligent, powerhouse who, like a Barbara Walters type, is an excellent investigative reporter. She is the head of a major news show with her best friend, Frank Fontana, a highly respected wooden Jim Dial, The young yuppie trying to run this crew, Miles Silverberg and the quirky, annoyingly happy former beauty queen, Corky Sherwood. Each week we see poor Murphy having to deal with another dreadful secretary along with these people who surround her. They often meet up at a bar run by the gruff, Phil before Murphy comes home to Eldin, the painter who never leaves but offers many philosophical thoughts. This show brought up many controversial topics of the day from breast cancer to becoming a single mom. The latter created a huge political issue when dumbnut Vice President Dan Quayle derided Murphy Brown for taking away family values because she chose to raise her child without marrying the father of her baby. Later, Quayle visited a school and corrected the kid for spelling Potato by informing the kid that it was spelled potatoe. Yup....even if this was on a cue card, you would think Quayle would not have gone through with what was spelled on the cue card. The show created an episode called, "You say Potato, I say Potatoe". It is brilliant.
Which 3 would you choose?
Hi, Birgit!
ReplyDeleteThanks for saying/writing a few kind words about Justice Ginsburg, dear friend. I doubt that Judge Jerry Springer will be able to fill her mighty shoes.
As you can guess, this topic is of great interest to me because journalism was my major in college and I worked in television news.
The extended promo for the George Reeves TV series Superman brought back pleasant childhood memories. I think Reeves' Superman was the first character that made me believe in heroes. The hyped-up voiceover announcer on the show's intro always got me excited to watch the episode. In modern times Jimmy Olsen turned black when he left his photog job at the Daily Planet in Metropolis, moved to National City and became "James Olsen" on the series Supergirl which Mrs. Shady and I watch and enjoy. As it was with Clark Kent/Superman, nobody, not even her sister, realizes that meek, bespectacled journalist Kara Danvers is actually Supergirl. I find myself hollering at the screen: "Supergirl and Kara look exactly alike except for the glasses, and their voices are identical! Why can't any of you dummies get a clue?"
Lou Grant: You know, Mary, you've got spunk.
Mary Richards: Why, thank you, Mr. Grant.
Lou Grant: I hate spunk!!!
I also loved the MTM Show. Ted reminded me of TV news anchors I was working with at the time. I liked the Mary, Lou, Ted and Phyllis characters more so than the others. The famous Chuckles The Clown episode is a hilarious classic.
I also watched Murphy Brown. Thanks for posting this clip of Murphy interviewing a genuine "Karen," the kind of person who, in modern times, would be cordially invited to speak at the G.O.P. National Convention. Dan Quayle was stupid but mostly harmless because, back then, few people took people like him seriously. I miss those golden years.
Enjoy the rest of your week, dear friend BB!
I haven’t watched Supergirl because I just see her as such a weakling...like me...hahahaaa. Yes Ted Baxter was one of a kind and Ted Knight was also. He was excellent in this and Caddyshack. Yes, that miserable person...Karen’s of today would be head of relations under Trumpstump. It is a real shame that Quayle is actually considered smart next to the orange twit.
DeleteThree months to Christmas!
ReplyDeleteI don't remember that dress on Mary Tyler Moore.
News Radio was a good one.
I never watched News Radio but I know that is a good choice. That’s the one with Phil Hartman right? Yup she wore that dress
DeleteI watched some of Mary Tyler Moore when it was on Nick at Nite when I was a kid. It always threw me off when they would show her getting ready for bed yet she still had all this heavy eye make up on lol. Weird things you notice.
ReplyDeleteHahaaaa...you are right, she never did take off her false eyelashes
DeleteYou've come up with some great journalism films and shows. They are all good ones. And surprise for me (the movie and TV novice compared to you, I know these. Hope you've had a nice week so far. Hugs-Erika
ReplyDeleteGood for you that you actually know these and I hope you have a good weekend coming up.
DeleteI liked both Mary Tyler Moore show and Murphy Brown. Always good for a laugh! Virtual holidays; that's going to be a new one, right?
ReplyDeletebetty
You are right about the virtual holidays. Glad you like both of these gal comedies.
DeleteThose are three good choices. Did you watch the Murphy reboot?
ReplyDeleteI did watch it and was hoping for more. I feel it was a bit forced but they were trying to find their feet again.
DeleteGreat choices!!
ReplyDeleteI watched Adventures of Superman in reruns when I was a kid too! Coincidentally one of the nostalgia stations, Decades, is running a marathon of them this weekend! I'll probably look at one or two to see how they hold up....I'm guessing not well but I'll see. :-)
Love Murphy Brown and was a faithful viewer all the way up to the end. I did watch the limited series they did a little while ago, wish it had gone on longer. Candice Bergen nailed the character and her surrounding cast were always spot on.
We match!! Again MTM was a must watch in our house when it was originally broadcast and I'll still watch episodes from time to time.
The loss of Ruth Bader Ginsberg is a terrible one and sadly the orange monster will never nominate anyone even close to her depth of compassion. Horrifyingly his top pick is some holy roller who lets her religious faith guide her interpretation of the law!! A total violation of the Constitution's separation of church and state. It's going to be a hell of a fight with a probable unfortunate outcome. I just pray he's voted out but he's such a crook he's already looking for ways to challenge the results. A shameless pig.
I went with ones that looked at different pieces of journalism-magazines, TV news and print then tried to tie them all together in some way.
The Name of the Game (1968-1971)-Publisher Glenn Howard (Gene Barry), “People” magazine reporter Jeff Dillon (Anthony Franciosa) (before that publication existed) and editor of “Crime” Dan Farrell (Robert Stack) all work for magazine giant Howard Publications. Described as a “wheel” show at the time with the three main leads in rotating stories that dealt with everything from industrial espionage to fanatical hippies committing mass suicide to corruption in sports and everything in between. Though the men very occasionally appeared in one of the others episodes they were all tied together by Peggy Maxwell (Susan Saint James) the editorial assistant to each man. In the opening credits each star’s name would appear in small type and multiply until forming a portrait of each.
Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970-1977)-For seven seasons Mary Tyler Moore turned the world on with her smile as the independent and single (a rarity at the time) Mary Richards, associate producer at WJM News in Minneapolis. She works for the gruff but good-hearted Lou Grant (Edward Asner) along with head writer Murray Slaughter (Gavin MacLeod), dim bulb anchorman Ted Baxter (Ted Knight) and two faced “Happy Homemaker” Sue Ann Nivens (Betty White). Outside the newsroom she had a cozy efficiency apartment where best friend Rhoda Morgenstern (Valerie Harper) and dizzy landlady Phyllis Lindstrom (Cloris Leachman) frequently popped in for chats and humor. Similar to the first show the star’s name appears as a single line in the credits before multiplying as the iconic theme song plays. You would need a truck for all the awards the show won.
Lou Grant (1977-1982)-After nearly the entire staff is fired from WJM Executive Producer Lou (Edward Asner) relocates to L.A. to become city editor for the Los Angeles Tribune newspaper. Aided by reporters Joe Rossi (Robert Walden) and Billie Newman (Linda Kelsey) and overseen by publisher Margaret Jones Pynchon (Nancy Marchand) they pursue topical stories each week. One of the rare shows where a character from a comedic show transferred to a dramatic one successfully (Asner won Emmys for both Best Dramatic Actor and Best Supporting Actor in a comedy). The show won 13 Emmys in total. The opening credits show the life cycle of a newspaper from a tree being felled through printing, delivery and finally a piece of it being used to line a canary’s cage!
Oh wow, you nailed it on that despicable piece of flesh in the White House and I have the same fears as you do. I really hope he won’t get in but the level of corruption and blind followers who think he is the best makes me scared. I’m glad we match with MTM but I have never heard of the first show and it sounds really neat. I’d love to watch an episode. For some reason I never got into Lou Grant. I tried but I just didn’t get into it.
DeleteThey spun Lou Grant off into his own series, but it was a drama, not a comedy. Never watched it, so I couldnt say it was a favorite.
ReplyDeleteThere was a show called "Man With A Camera" that starred Charles Bronson, who played a freelance photographer. Not quite the same thing, but in the same general area. Tough guys would show up his apartment, beat the crap out of him, then ransack his darkroom looking for a print or negative. That was from the days of the half-hour drama.
Of course, there was always "Lois and Clark: the New Adventures Of Superman" with Dean Cain and Teri Hatcher.
Finally, there was "Early Edition," with Kyle Chandler, about a guy who gets tomorrow's paper today and he has to do something to change the headline. If it were me, I'd get the lottery numbers and play them...
I love Early Edition which I thought was quirky aNd fun. Excellent choice. I tried watching Lou Grant but just never got into it. I don’t know that show with Charles Bronson..interesting idea.
DeleteAll of those were before my time
ReplyDeleteWell, Superman was before my time but I saw it in reruns so maybe one day you will see these in reruns
DeleteI never watched the latter two picks, but Superman was a favorite as a child and one that I still enjoy seeing when it comes on.
ReplyDeleteThere aren't any in this topic that immediately come to my mind other than one I remember watching faithfully as a child, The Roaring 20's. I used to love that show, but I've never seen it in syndication. I'd love to see some of those old episodes to see if they were really as good as I remember. They had great twenties music too. My parents had the first soundtrack album from that show on vinyl. I'd love to have that music again because I loved listening to it when I was a kid. I had a big crush on the singer/actress star of the show, Dorothy Provine. She kind of just faded away after that show went off the air, though she was in some movies and TV shows, but she wasn't as big of a name as she seemed to be in the early sixties.
Good topic. I can think of a lot of movies that fit this genre, but not so many TV shows.
Arlee Bird
Tossing It Out
Superman was always fun. I have not seen The Roaring Twenties so I will have to look that up.
DeleteWell I will admit to watching Superman when it first aired. And I watched MTM. Never saw Murphy Brown. That was when I went back to working full-time and I was in grad school, with three sons. I must have been nuts, lol. Frankly, not one TV show came to mind.
ReplyDeletegood grief you were one busy lady so I get not seeing Murphy Brown but I wonder if you would have liked it.
DeleteHi Birgit - over here ... we had the MTM show - which was great fun and a good laugh. The other two I've briefly seen - but anything that brings smiles to our faces is good for me. All the best - Hilary
ReplyDeleteYou have wonderful taste, Birgit. I just watched the Mary Tyler Moore tribute you posted. That was awesome. I feel empowered by that snippet. I didn't even remember that that was Betty White's debut in show biz. I loved and hung onto every episode years ago. Now that was good TV. Murphy Brown's zing at Quayle is one of the most unforgettable moments on TV, too. It was SO Murphy Brown and such a great burn.
ReplyDeleteHappy weekend, my dear.
Sure great picks indeed. I enjoyed Murphy Brown, never bothered with the revival as I heard it stunk. Mary Tyler Moore had some fun characters.
ReplyDeleteGood picks. Superman really takes me back.
ReplyDeleteTake special care. Have a happy, pain-free day.
Hi sis... great choices and others have already chimed in with a few others such as "Lou Grant." Wanna' give a shout out to WKRP in Cincinnati. It went beyond just using a radio station as a backdrop for comedy. The show actually focused on a number of journalism-related issues including ethics and I believe that was part of made this show special. I would also be remiss if I did not mention my all-time favourite TV show in any genre, "The Wire." Each season was devoted to a specific angle of what takes place in urban America but season number five was devoted to newspaper journalism and how it weaves in the fabric including law enforcement, street life, city and state politics, etc. I though they did a terrific job of capturing the atmosphere and feel of working at a newspaper.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of law enforcement New York city is the place to be when you need a good cop or neurotic stand up comedian like Seinfield who has plent of friends there. The guy made loads of dough from his show and drove president Obama around the white house, funny thing is when it came to Obama's turn the security guard wouldn't let him drive the corvette out the gate.
ReplyDeleteAnd speaking of Superman.....:) My parents are from a town named Metropolis in Southern Illinois.
ReplyDeleteBirgit,
ReplyDeleteI probably saw some of the old Superman re-runs as a kid. DH got George Reeves autograph the year DD#1 was born. I'm not sure why he was in town now. We have the picture in her baby book, I think. :) I remember watching The Mary Tyler Moore show. Ted Baxter was totally goofy but I liked him in that role. Murphy Brown I watched a little bit but it debuted the year DD#1 was born and from that point forward I rarely watched TV.
All three good pics:)
ReplyDeleteHope your day has been pain free;)
Ahh...Murphy Brown, I used to watch that growing up. I'm sure I only half understood what was going on then.
ReplyDeleteAll great picks! And yes, love that we have a match!
ReplyDelete