TV When I was Born

The Goodson-Todman Panel Shows

"Is It Bigger Than a Breadbox?"

Revisiting the original versions of the often-revived guessing games from back in the day.

I've Got a Secret, "Carol Channing has a secret"

OB: Monday night, January 13, 1964, CBS, 8 p.m. EST.

I was born the day after this show first aired.

What's My Line?, "Mystery Guest: Van Heflin"

OB: Sunday night, January 19, 1964, CBS, 10:30 p.m. EST.

I was five days old when this show first aired.

To Tell the Truth, "Will the Real John LeCarre Please Stand Up?"

OB: Monday night, April 27, 1964, CBS,, 7:30 p.m. EST

I was three months old when this show first aired.

Two reviews, two different shows, 52 years apart...but both shows were similar and came from the same family.

Jul

McHale's Navy

The Greatest Generation of 8-Balls

McHale's Navy didn't invent the military comedy...just the war comedy. And its roots were surprisingly dark.

McHale's Navy, "The Balloon Goes Up"

OB: Tuesday, January 14, 1964, 8:30 p.m. EST, ABC

This episode first aired the day I was born.

"Somewhere in the Pacific in 1943, the tide of war had turned," the dramatic newsreel announcer intones, backing up footage of U.S. warships.

Mar

The Lucy Show

In praise of a second banana's second run

A look at how Lucy's sidekick blazed her own unlikely trail in television history.

The Lucy Show, "Lucy Joins an Art Class"

OB: January 13, 1964, CBS, 8:30 EST

I was born the day after this episode first aired.

This blog is part of the TV Sidekick Blogathon, hosted by the Classic TV & Film Cafe.

I've mentioned before how when I was born made me discover true classic TV at awkward times.

Feb

Queen for a Day

Would YOU Like to Be...?!

The most embarrassingly outdated show I've reviewed for this blog is also an ancestor for one of the most modern of TV genres.

Queen for a Day, "The Hairdresser Show"

OB: sometime in the second week of February 1964, 3:30 p.m. EST, ABC

I was a month old when this show was first broadcast.

Aug

The Patty Duke Show

They Walk Alike, They Talk Alike...

Patty Duke co-starred with herself in a now-classic sitcom that belied her ugly off-screen life

The Patty Duke Show, "The Tycoons"

OB: January 15, 1964, 8 p.m. EST, ABC

I was one day old when this episode first aired.

Jun

Petticoat Junction

Lots of Curves, You Bet!

Like the scenery around a moving train, Petticoat Junction seemed to change constantly...and so did our perceptions of it

Petticoat Junction, "Bobbie Jo and the Beatnik"

OB: January 7, 1964, 9 p.m. EST, CBS

This episode first aired a week before I was born.

Petticoat Junction, "My Daughter, the Doctor"

OB: January 14, 1964, 9 p.m. EST, CBS

I was born the day this episode first aired.

Jun

A World's Fair Diary

A Vision of Yesterday's Tomorrow

Part two of our look at the 1964 World's Fair is a more critical look, through the eyes of NBC Newsman Edwin Newman.

A World's Fair Diary, NBC News special narrated by Edwin Newman

OB: July 30, 1964, 10 p.m. EST, NBC

I was six months old when this special was first broadcast.

May

Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color

When You Wish Upon a Unisphere...

We take Part One of a two-part trip through time to the 1964 New York World's Fair, this time with Walt Disney as our tour guide.

Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color, "Disneyland Goes to the World's Fair"

OB: May 17, 1964, 7:30 p.m. EST, NBC

I was four months old when this show first aired.

May

The Garry Moore Show

Good Evening! Much Love to You All...

Most variety shows were hosted by either singers or comedians ...and then there was Garry Moore.

The Garry Moore Show, "Guests: Florence Henderson and Bill Cosby"

OB: January 14, 1964, 10 p.m. EST, CBS

I was born the day this program originally aired.

I've mentioned before how much I miss old-school variety shows.

Apr

The Bullwinkle Show

The Moose Who Came in From the Cold

Now it can be told: the true story, of the conspiracy to kill moose and squirrel.

The Bullwinkle Show, "Moosylvania Parts 3 & 4"

OB: January 18, 1964, 12:30 p.m. EST, NBC

I was four days old when this episode first aired.

When I was sitting in my local multiplex, the Premiere 16 in Gadsden, Alabama, waiting for "Mr. Peabody and Sherman" to start, I watched a number of previews to upcoming movies (all computer animated just like this one).