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
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.
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
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
Little House on the Prairie: S1E2 Country Girls
I’m really excited today, recappers. We’re diving into Season 1, Episode 2 of Little House on the Prairie, “Country Girls.” Ladies and gentlemen, Nellie Oleson is in the house! I was only ten when this episode aired in 1974, and while I may have seen it once or twice as a kid since then, it’s been decades. If it’s not apparent, I haven’t watched Little House since it first aired, and even then, I only watched the first few seasons. As a fan of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s historic fiction series, and a bigger fan of all the books and biographies Continue Reading