The Love of Johnny Johnson is a title from Little House on the Prairie episodes that has popped into my head now and then over the years. I don’t know why, because I don’t remember a thing about this episode, and I’m watching it decades after my first viewing, as if it were new. Other than “Country Girls,” and maybe the Little House on the Prairie Pilot, it’s the only title I remember from this entire series. Here we are—opening credits. Ma and Dad pull up in the wagon. Girls and a dog are running. Carrie falls. Laughter ensues. Over Continue Reading
ABC Afterschool Special: “Stoned” Starring Scott Baio
In the world of the ABC Afterschool Special, “Stoned” may be the episode I remember the most from my teens. Though ABC Afterschool specials ran through the mid-90s, I really only remember some of the episodes that ran in the mid to late 70s and early 80s. For those not in the know, the ABC Afterschool Special was like a one-off Very Special Episode. Basically, they were 60-90 minute films that touched on social issues such as drugs, alcohol, and peer pressure. ABC After School Special: “Stoned” Starring Scott Baio The first ABC Afterschool Special we’re recapping here is “Stoned,” Continue Reading
The Brady Bunch S1E2, Dear Libby
It’s been a minute since we last recapped the Bradys. The free streaming service I started watching on (Tubi) no longer carries it, and this episode of The Brady Bunch, and the “Dear Libby,” episode was conveniently missing from Pluto. The Nostalgia TV gods are conspiring against me. Anyway, I found it. It wasn’t easy. And here we are. Dear Libby We start with the very familiar theme song that will be stuck in my head all night and all day tomorrow, no matter how much I try to get it out. Parents gaze adoringly at children, and they’re all Continue Reading
Wishbooks: A Look at Christmas Catalogs of the ’70s
Children of the ’70s, please gather ’round. Although not a television special, we’re going back in time for some nostalgic fun and holiday cheer. Today, we’re talking about Wishbooks—the Christmas catalogs of our youth. The Christmas Bible, if you will. Whether it was Sears, Montgomery Ward, JCPenney, or another department store, these catalogs were a much-anticipated staple of the season. What is a Christmas Catalog? Christmas catalogs were telephone-book-sized tomes from department stores, showcasing everything anyone could ever want for Christmas. Sure, they featured adult items like clothes, pots and pans, or fishing rods—but let’s be real: these voluminous books Continue Reading
Little House on the Prairie: S1E4: Mr. Edwards’ Homecoming
Welcome back, Little House fans! Today, we’re going to take a look back at Season 1, Episode 4 of Little House on the Prairie: Mr. Edwards’ Homecoming. This title is a little off-putting. If I remember correctly, Mr. Edwards is the “wildcat from Tennessee.” So, how can it be a homecoming for him to come to Missouri? We open with a man in a rowboat, going to a busy dock. What man, which rowboat, and what dock, you might ask? I have no idea. I also have no idea why there’s a palm tree in the background. Let’s learn together. Continue Reading
Awkward Variety Shows of the 70s
I’m not embarrassed to admit I loved watching variety shows as a kid. We would laugh our butts off over The Carol Burnett Show or The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour. Those shows were downright funny. But like any other successful genre, networks overdid it. They flooded the airwaves with variety shows—most of them forgettable, some of them unwatchable, and a few so awkward they became legends in their own strange way. That’s why I’m inviting you on a little journey through some of the most awkward variety shows of the ’70s. In the days before cable and streaming, we Continue Reading
Little House on the Prairie: S1E3 100 Mile Walk
Hey recappers! Today, we’re going to summarize the next episode of Little House on the Prairie, “100 Mile Walk.” We start, of course, with the familiar music. Girls running, Ma and Pa looking on in delight, and Carrie falling in the grass as Carrie does. We open with Pa standing in an immense wheat field, thanking the heavens for his bounty. Fun Fact: In real life, despite years of trying, Pa never had a successful crop. He was not the farmer we were led to believe with TV Charles Ingalls. Pa Ingalls Grows a Wheat Crop Pa has the girls Continue Reading