Singer-songwriter-actor John Denver wrote "Leaving on a Jet Plane" in 1966, and initially recorded it for his debut album three years later, concurrent with a cover version released by Peter, Paul, & Mary.
Another three years passed, and Denver re-recorded "Leaving" for a new album, joined this time by Cass Elliott (The Mamas & The Papas), which brought them to The Midnight Special:
Scandal, with lead singer Patty Smyth, made quite the first impression with 1982's "Goodbye to You", which landed them on American Bandstand. In addition to "Goodbye" and an interview with Dick Clark, the band also performs the follow-up hit, "Love's Got a Line on You":
Give the kids of Our Gang credit for having initiative, even if at that time, they couldn't spell it.
In "Hook & Ladder", the kids form their own fire company for fun, but, then, they run into a real fire.
Two years after it'd first been announced, Harley Quinn spins off Kite Man: Hell Yeah!, launching next month on Max.
Kite Man (Matt Oberg) had previously been engaged to Poison Ivy (Lake Bell), but now is dating Lisa Snart, aka the Golden Glider, who will have a prominent role in the new series.
Let's give Kite Man credit. The last few years have turned him from a bumbling, D-list Bat-villain to a cult favorite, and you can thank writer Tom King for that. Now, can he carry his own show?
Stay tooned to find out.
Jan & Dean's 1964 hit, "Sidewalk Surfin'" was about skateboarding, which really became a thing in the 70's & 80's.
From season 4 of Room 222:
A student (guest star Jane Actman, The Paul Lynde Show) runs into unexpected opposition from the school newspaper's faculty advisor (Ivor Francis) when her work contains some coarse language.
Here's "Bleep":
In 1976, Pillsbury tried to put a dent in the sales of Country Time lemonade, as well as Kool-Aid, with Squoze, which boasted of having half the lemon flavor. In other words, it was meant to be diet lemonade.
Hanna-Barbera mainstay John Stephenson voices the mascot.
From Fox's ill-fated Woody Woodpecker Show:
Winnie (BJ Ward) enters Woody (Billy West) in a surfing competition after he learns there's a vacation as a prize. Buzz Buzzard (Mark Hamill) may have something to say about that.
Here's "Surf Crazy":
The Three Stooges are working for a down-on-its-luck movie studio, whose president (a clean shaven Emil Sitka) sends them to the South Seas to teach the natives how to dance for a movie.
Things to watch for:
Larry Fine on the piano in the open.
Shemp Howard trying to implement his late brother Curly's famous shuffle into a closing dance number.
Marc Summers had made enough bank, if you will, from Double Dare to venture out and produce his own children's game show, albeit in syndication, not on Nickelodeon or Fox or anywhere else.
Unfortunately, Pick Your Brain, which sounded like your typical Nick game, lasted 1 year, done in by a lack of station support. I have no memory, for example, of the series airing in my home area.
Summers serves as host and foil to his robot announcer, 2XL (Greg Berg), as well as co-executive producer.
Let's check a sample episode.
Canada's Barenaked Ladies recorded "Get in Line" in 1999, and it was used on King of The Hill, which is why everyone's favorite conspiracy nut, Dale Gribble (Johnny Hardwick) appears in the video. The band members appear in animated form briefly in a mock-up of the show's usual open.
From season 1 of The Littles:
After nearly being discovered in a theatre, the Littles decide to make their own movie. Unfortunately, Dr. Hunter sees an opportunity......
Many thanks to correspondent Steven Dolce for the tip.
Three of Cartoon Network's most successful original properties of the last 20 years are returning with new looks.
JG Quintel's popular Regular Show returns, but Quintel is keeping the details of his yet-unnamed new series under wraps until a later date.
Meanwhile, Craig McCracken's Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends spawns a sequel, Foster's Funtime For Imaginary Friends, which definitely will have a new cast supporting a slightly older Bloo.
Adventure Time returns with not one, not two, but three new series.
Fionna & Cake will air on Max, aimed at older audiences. Side Quests brings back Finn & Jake from the original series, which was a whimsical homage to the Golden Age works of Windsor McCay. Finally, a preschool series, Heyo BMO, also headed for Cartoonito, completes the troika. Some will say Adventure Time ended a bit prematurely, but this should make fans very happy.
Also announced was another Scooby-Doo series, with a premise that sounds rather familiar, save for the setting.
Go-Go Mystery Machine does not suggest any sort of a crossover with Inspector Gadget. Not even close. However, the series is set in Japan, where Scooby, unsurprisingly, has some relatives. He & Shaggy unwittingly unleash hundreds of monsters. I think you know where this is going, as it'll likely launch upon the 40th anniversary of the one Scooby series that bombed, The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo.
Stay tooned.
The Three Stooges are out west in 1951's "Merry Mavericks", which was shot during the spring of 1950, and kept in inventory until its release a year later. Another spoof of Western tropes.
Hard to believe, but it's been 40 years since Bon Jovi debuted with "Runaway", and right away, you could see that this combo from New Jersey wasn't about to be lumped in with hair metal or any kind of metal. Na-nah!
"Runaway" was the band's debut, followed by "She Don't Know Me". Both songs, sandwiched around an interview, were featured on American Bandstand.
The late Jim Croce released "Operator (That's Not The Way It Feels)" as the 2nd single from 1972's "You Don't Mess Around With Jim". "Operator" peaked at #11 on the adult contemporary chart, and #15 on the Hot 100.
52 years later, it was adapted into this animated music video.
School's almost out for the year, but this Our Gang entry focuses on the start of a new school year.
However, "Readin' & Writin'" focuses on a new kid, Breezy Brisbane, a bit of a rebel who tries turning the gang against their teacher, Miss Crabtree.
Nearly 3 1/2 years ago, I'd posted an episode of the original Burke's Law that featured Bill Woodson & Paul Lynde. In 1994, Aaron Spelling revisited that episode, with a few twists.
"Who Killed Alexander The Great?" was a remake of 1963's "Who Killed Merlin The Great?", which was written by the legendary team of Richard Levinson & William Link, who got a credit for the remake as well. The setting has changed. Audrey Meadows (ex-The Honeymooners) is the MC, not a news reporter as Woodson was 31 years earlier. John Astin is Alexander, and you have Mark Hamill & Roddy McDowell as magicians.
Yeah, it's weird. The Joker & The Mad Hatter from Batman: The Animated Series reconstituted as magicians, but I digress. We'll also note Astin (Attack of The Killer Tomatoes, Addams Family), Dom DeLuise (ex-The Roman Holidays) & Tom Bosley (ex-Happy Days, Wait 'Til Your Father Gets Home, The World of David The Gnome). Even though DeLuise got a guest star credit in every episode, he should've been credited as a series regular.
One of the oldest tropes in fiction is used in this Superman entry from 1942, "Showdown". A common thug, wearing a dime store Superman suit, pulls a series of robberies, so, of course, the police think Supes has gone rogue.
Filmation would try this trope themselves nearly 25 years later.
From season 2 of Room 222:
While some high schools have already had commencement, as recently as last month, schools in the 518 will begin graduation exercises in the 2nd half of June, though some private schools have already had theirs.
With that in mind, we present "The Valediction", in which a rebellious senior (Richard Dreyfuss) uses the occasion to make his views heard, however controversial they might be. Jason Wingreen, at the time a respected character actor who'd later land a regular gig on All in The Family & Archie Bunker's Place, plays an appreciative parent.
How this game didn't get past maybe a year on the shelves, I don't know.
Hasbro introduced Power Tennis 50 years ago as a family game, perhaps in answer to Aurora's Skittle line and Ideal's Toss Across. Check it.
Abbott & Costello star in an adaptation of Damon Runyan's Princess O'Hara, 1943's "It Ain't Hay", which, like most films with the comedy legends, was in heavy rotation on WPIX back in the day. Shemp Howard, Cecil Kellaway, and an uncredited Mike Mazurki are part of the supporting cast. Racing scenes were shot at Saratoga Race Course.
