It’s been a minute, recap fans. I took a bit of a holiday break, but now I’m ready to dive back into it with Season 1, Episode 8 of Little House on the Prairie: “Ma’s Holiday.” Here goes nothing. We begin peacefully, with Jack barking at a deer feeding in the creek as we pan into the Little House. At dinner, the family is eating something brown, per usual, but there is thankfully no corn today. Mary continues her dinner table gossip streak, informing her parents that Willie Oleson was held after school again for talking in class. Laura adds Continue Reading
Nostalgia TV
Nostalgia TV: What is it and who is it for? Nostalgia TV pays homage to the TV specials, series, and movies that made up our youth. Whether we’re exploring some Very Special Episodes or checking in on Creepy Children Shows, there’s something for everyone in the Nosgtalgia TV category.
LHOP: Season 1, Episode 7 – Town Party, Country Party
Welcome back, Little House fans. Today, we’re recapping Little House on the Prairie, Season 1, Episode 7, “Town Party, Country Party.” Before we get into it, I am kind of blown away. I was today years old when I learned that there are a ton of people who watch Little House on the Prairie like, all day, every day. Or whenever they watch TV, anyway. They either stream it or watch the DVDs, and when they are done, they start all over again. It’s the only thing on in their homes. And then they get on Facebook and discuss it Continue Reading
TV Flops of the ’70s
Every decade has its collection of TV flops—the short-lived series that don’t have the ratings and eventually don’t make the cut. It didn’t matter if they were critically acclaimed or not. Back in the day, networks answered to the advertisers, and if not enough people were seeing the ads, the series was canceled. And unlike now, TV flops of the ’70s didn’t have streaming services such as Prime or Netflix to save them. A television series was given a small amount of time to make a big impression, and if it missed the mark, it was gone for good. Today, Continue Reading
Little House on the Prairie S1, E6: If I Should Wake Before I Die
Today, we’re going to recap Little House on the Prairie, Season 1, Episode 6: If I Should Wake Before I Die. It already sounds morbid. If I Should Wake Before I Die Warning: I have thoughts about “If I Should Wake Before I Die,” and they’re not all positive. Just wanted to make that clear before you invest time in reading this. We open with a pair of older hands playing “Camptown Races” on a stringed lap instrument that I don’t know what it’s called. As the camera pans out, we see a smiling Laura staring at the playing hands Continue Reading
Unforgettable Christmas Commercials of the ’70s and ’80s
As a young girl born in the mid-60s but with the majority of my childhood memories in the ’70s, Christmas was a magical time. It just was. I don’t know how to explain why it felt different. It could be all the homes decorated for the holidays, or the department store windows with their glittery, mechanical displays. It could have been the carolers, yes, people really did that, or the giant Christmas catalogs that came in the mail. Or it could have been the Christmas specials on TV, with their Christmas commercials that kept us too intrigued to leave the Continue Reading
The Boy Who Drank Too Much
I hesitated before recapping “The Boy Who Drank Too Much,“ wondering if it was too soon after recapping another Scott Baio classic, “Stoned.” But since one was a made-for-TV movie and the other was an ABC After School Special, I decided it’s not the same thing. Made-for-TV movies in the ’70s and ’80s were (usually) low-budget productions made for television rather than the box office. They featured stars from some of our favorite television shows. In this case, Scott Baio, who was achieving teen idol fame on “Happy Days” and the short-lived “Joanie Loves Chachi,” Michele Tobin from “The Fitzpatricks,” Continue Reading
S1E5 The Love of Johnny Johnson
“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
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