|
Up to the minute notes on the current state of free thinking and free living: Kentucky moonshine - original analysis and reporting from MoreThings, and all round pop culture museum of sight and sound - photo galleries, mp3 and video downloads.
Al Barger and MoreThings - getting people's goats since 1998.
Live free or die!
----
|
December 30, 2003
TV Land New Year's First/Last
TVLand has a particularly groovy way of finishing off the calender year, with the Last Things/First Things shows.
On the first day of the year, they will show first episodes of tv series, including the Brady Bunch, Gunsmoke, Bonanza and Sanford and Son. It's interesting to see where some of these shows started out compared to their full glory. The differences are particularly interesting with shows featuring children. I just happened to see the first episode of Malcolm in the Middle on Fox, and the difference in the boys was actually startling.
Of the scheduled TVLand first episodes that I've seen, the first Andy Griffith show is one in particular to watch or record. It's really more dramatic than comedic, with Aunt Bea moving in, desperate for Opie's acceptance.
More interesting even than the first shows on January 1st, the Last Things final episodes on December 31 are most intriguing. Some of them come to big event endings, some have nice clip shows, some didn't know that this was the end when they were making them. They tend to have some interesting weight of sentiments built up from years of production, and they get last shots at weddings and big events of all kinds.
The final Gunsmoke "Manolo" episode was a particularly nice piece of dramatic writing, guest starring a young Robert Urich. Yet Matt Dillon was in it for maybe a minute or two, in a very perfunctory role. Festus has maybe a minute, and a couple from Doc. They made a really good product, but it's like the producers kept the show going for a couple of years after the cast were all pretty much retired. Very curious.
Interestingly, the final episode of Leave It to Beaver has stuck with me since last New Year's eve. That in itself seems like a fairly significant recommendation- particularly for such a white bread show that I never really cared about or had any emotional investment in. It's largely a clips show, but the current-time frame was beautifully, simply effective.
There was a bit of a wistful sentiment from Ward and June looking through the old pictures: Our boys are growing up. Then they ended up with the boys playing with an old toy from the attic that had been in the very first show. We're left with a beautifully stated idea of the folks positively cherishing the lingering last days of the boys' childhoods.
Lordy, I feel silly talking so seriously about Leave It To Beaver, but this was a really good send-off.
First and last episodes tend to be pretty interesting, even for shows that mostly weren't that good.
posted by Al at 12/30/2003 01:27:00 AM
Link Soup
morethings master
photo gallery index
MP3
new album
releases
lyrics
sammy davis
little richard photos
buddy holly pictures
fats domino images
chuck berry pictures 01/
02/
03/
04/
05/
06/
07/
08/
09/
10/
11/
12/
01/
02/
03/
04/
05/
06/
07/
08/
09/
10/
11/
12/
01/
02/
03/
04/
05/
06/
07/
08/
09/
10/
11/
12/
01/02/
03/
04/
05/
06/
07/
08/
09/
10/
11/
12
01/
02/
03/
04/
05/
06/
07/
08/
09/
10/
11/
12/01/
02/
03/
04/
05/
06/
07/
08/
09/
10/
11/
12/08/
09/
10/
11/
12/
la
24
lucille ball images
clint eastwood pictures lena
horne images team
america pictures
robert mitchum photos
bruce springsteen pictures
mariah carey pictures
ann coulter photos
george clooney images
loretta lynn pictures
beatles pictures
white stripes pictures
andy griffith pictures
kill bill pictures
beverly hillbillies pictures
robin williams
frank zappa pictures
jerry lee lewis pictures
richard pryor photos
june carter johnny cash pictures
vic mackey shield pictures u2 photos
four seasons images
james cagney images
elvis presley pictures
country music
blog
dolly parton pictures
olsen twins photos
tom petty photos
tori amos pictures
joaquin phoenix images David
Bowie photos
Quills movie images
reese witherspoon pictures rolling
stones photos
fiona apple images kim
novak images ray charles photos marx
brothers pictures
prince rogers nelson pictures blazing
saddles images
sinead o'connor images
eddie murphy photos aretha
franklin photos
south park pictures homer
simpson images
bob dylan pictures elizabeth
taylor photos madonna
images
saturday night live pictures jewel
kilcher photos willie
nelson images hee
haw pictures james
brown images pete
townshend photos
tina turner pictures
dixie chicks photos
elton john
images
emmylou harris images
guns
n roses pictures
paula abdul pictures
jodie foster photos
amy winehouse
eminem
frank sinatra photos
van
halen images
satan
blondie photos
merle haggard
images
rocky horror pictures
monty
python
|
|
