The Boy in the Plastic Bubble is a made-for-TV movie that came out in 1976, when I was 12 years old, and that’s when I watched it for the first time – and the last time until now. Since it’s been about 50 years, I’m watching it again, almost as if it’s the first time. This movie was released as John Travolta’s popularity as a Sweathog in Welcome Back Kotter was reaching great heights, and just before he became a mega star in Saturday Night Fever and Grease. I was never someone who crushed on John Travolta, but I did Continue Reading
Made for TV Movies
Recapping made for TV movies – movies that were made for ratings (and advertisers) rather than box office dollars.
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