Christmas Specials

Many of the Christmas specials I enjoy during the holiday season were originally released in the 1960s: “Mr. Magoo's Christmas” (1962), “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” (1964), “A Charlie Brown Christmas” (1965), “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (1966), and “The Little Drummer Boy” (1968). These specials were always perennial classics with my family, and this was before VCRs and DVRs, so we had to watch while they aired, commercials and all. But there were new Christmas specials that began airing in the 1970s and these have also become classics.



This December marks the 40th anniversary of “Frosty the Snowman,” a thirty-minute animated television special based on the popular song of the same title. The program first aired on December 14, 1969 and was produced by Rankin-Bass and featured the voices of comedians Jimmy Durante as narrator and Jackie Vernon as the title character. Although this special originally aired in 1969, in 1970 several edits were made, including the addition of a yellow-and-orange checkerboard scarf to Frosty's neck and the replacement of June Foray with uncredited voice of Karen.

“Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town” (1970) is a stop motion television special, made by Rankin-Bass with models carved from wood. The film stars actor Fred Astaire as S.D. Kluger, the narrator, and Mickey Rooney as Kris Kringle/Santa Claus, and tells the story of how Santa Claus and several Claus-related Christmas traditions came to be. It is based on the Christmas song of the same name, which was introduced on radio by Eddie Cantor in 1934.



“The Waltons: The Homecoming: A Christmas Story” (1971) is the movie that introduced America to Walton Mountain and the Walton family as they struggled to make a decent life during the Great Depression and World War II. This movie leads to the heartwarming family series “The Waltons” which ran for almost a decade.

“Twas the Night Before Christmas”(1974) is a Rankin-Bass animated Christmas television special based on the famous 1823 poem by Clement C. Moore and revolves around a family of mice who try to restore Christmas.

“The Year Without a Santa Claus” (1974) is another Rankin-Bass stop motion animated television special. This is a Claymation story about Santa deciding to take a holiday one year - Mrs. Claus corrals Heat Miser and Snow Miser, along with children of the world to show Santa people still believe in him. It is based on Phyllis McGinley's 1956 book of the same name.

“Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus” (1974) is an animated account of young Virginia O'Hanlon's letter to the editor inquiring on the truth of Santa Claus. “Nestor, The Long-Eared Christmas Donkey” (1977) is a Christmas television special produced in stop motion animation by Rankin-Bass and is narrated by Santa Claus's donkey, Speiltoe, voiced by Roger Miller.



“Little House on the Prairie: Christmas at Plum Creek” (1974) is of course, the story of the Ingalls family, a TV series during the 1970s. With Christmas approaching and the Ingalls facing a very short supply of shopping money, everyone works hard to make the holidays special. “Little House on the Prairie: Blizzard” (1976) is another favorite for the holidays. On Christmas Eve, the schoolchildren's holiday-induced excitement prompts Miss Beadle to release them early. This proves to be a grave mistake when a brewing snowstorm peaks before the children have had time to return home.

There are so many different Christmas specials and programs throughout the holiday season and I’m sure every family has their favorites. With the Christmas season upon us, why not have a family movie night and watch some of these classic shows? It will make memories your family will remember forever.

Pink Floyd's The Wall

“The Wall” is a rock-n-roll opera presented as a double album by Pink Floyd and it is celebrating its 30th anniversary this month. Released on November 30, 1979 by Columbia Records, it was subsequently performed live, with elaborate theatrical effects. It was also made into a film in 1982. Band members include: Nick Mason, David Gilmour, Roger Waters, and Richard Wright.

Similar to their previous albums, “The Wall” is a concept album dealing with the theme of personal isolation. The concept was inspired by the band's 1977 tour promoting their previous album “Animals”, where Roger Waters' frustration with the audience reached a point where he spat in the face of a fan who was attempting to climb on stage at the Olympic Stadium in July, 1977. Waters would come to regret this, and had lamented that such a wall exists. “The Wall” featured a notably harsher and more theatrical sound than their previous releases.

The rock opera centers on the character, Pink, who is largely based on Waters and his personal life. Pink struggles in life from an early age, having lost his father in World War II ("Another Brick in the Wall (Part 1)"), been abused by teachers ("The Happiest Days of Our Lives"), smothered by an overprotective mother ("Mother"), and deserted by his wife later on ("Don't Leave Me Now") — all of which factored into Pink's isolation from society ("Comfortably Numb"), figuratively referred to as "The Wall".

“The Wall” has sold over 30 million copies worldwide and is the world's best-selling double album of all time. Immensely successful upon release, “The Wall” quickly jumped to #1 on the Billboard 200 in the U.S. in its fourth week. It has achieved 23 times platinum and is Pink Floyd's second best-selling album in the U.S. after “The Dark Side of the Moon.” “Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)" became the band's best-selling single in the U.S. and their only song to hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. “The Wall” was also included in the book “1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.”

“The Wall” is one of my top 10 favorite albums of all time and Pink Floyd is one of my top 5 favorite bands.

John Denver

During my junior high years, way back in 1974, I fell in love with John Denver and his music. Born Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr., Denver was a country music/folk singer and songwriter, and eventually he became a folk rock musician. He was frequently referred to as a poet laureate, and was actually named Poet Laureate of Colorado in 1977. Denver had a distinctive image: his shaggy blond hair, complemented by bell-bottom jeans and cowboy boots. He was known for the catch phrase "Far out!" which he used in concerts and conversation, his happy, positive image, and his western accent

I think it was the song “Sunshine on My Shoulders” (1973) that finally put Denver on my radar and started lots of “buzz” among my peers. My best friend during that time, Ella Sims, was lucky enough to be able to see John Denver in concert, but I don’t remember if it was 1974 or 75. I can remember sitting home the night of the concert and listening to part of the program as it was simulcast over the radio.

In 1975, Denver was awarded the Country Music Association's Entertainer of the Year award. During this time, Denver became friends with the late Jim Henson and appeared in two Muppets specials. He branched out more into acting with a lead role in 1977’s “Oh God!” with George Burns.

Denver became outspoken in politics in the mid-seventies. In 1976, he campaigned for Jimmy Carter, who became a close friend and ally. Denver was a supporter of the Democratic Party, and a number of charitable causes for the environmental movement, the homeless, the poor, the hungry, and the African AIDS crisis. He founded the charitable Windstar Foundation in 1976 to promote sustainable living.

Denver's first marriage was to Annie Martell and she was the subject of his much-beloved hit "Annie's Song". He and Annie adopted a son (Zachary) and daughter (Anna Kate). Zachary was the subject of "A Baby Just Like You", which included the line ‘Merry Christmas little Zachary’. After his divorce from Annie in 1982, he later married Australian actress Cassandra Delaney in 1988 and they had a daughter named Jesse Belle.

On October 12, 1997, Denver was killed when the Long-EZ aircraft he was piloting crashed just off the coast of California at Pacific Grove, shortly after taking off from the Monterey Peninsula Airport. The Long-EZ is a two-seat experimental aircraft and Denver was the sole occupant of the aircraft. He was a pilot with over 2,700 hours of experience. Denver was cremated with his beloved 1910 Gibson guitar, given to him by his grandmother. He credited this guitar with most of the inspiration he had during his career.

John Denver albums from the 1970s:

“Take Me to Tomorrow” (1970)
“Whose Garden was This?” 1970)
“Poems, Prayers and Promises” (1971)
“Aerie” (1972)
“Rocky Mountain High” (1972)
“Farewell Andromeda” (1973)
“Back Home Again” (1974)
“Windsong” (1975)
“Spirit” (1976)
“I Want to Live” (1977)
“John Denver” (1979)

Space Shuttle Enterprise

NASA’s Space Shuttle program started in 1972 with the contract for the first Space Shuttle, and beginning construction of the Space Shuttle Enterprise in 1974. This shuttle was originally planned to be named Constitution, but a write-in campaign convinced NASA to rename the shuttle after the Starship Enterprise made famous from the Star Trek series.

In September 1976, Space Shuttle Enterprise was rolled out for its dedication ceremony. Recognizing the roots of its fictional namesake, Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry and most of the cast of the original television series were on hand for the dedication.

Beginning in February 1977, Enterprise made its maiden voyage atop a Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA). This flight was used to measure the structural loads and ground handling and braking systems. After nine test flights coupled with the SCA, Enterprise went on to have five solo flights under the control of the astronauts.

After the test flights, Enterprise was mated with an external tank and solid rocket boosters in 1979 and tested in a launch configuration at Kennedy Space Center. Because Enterprise was built without engines or functional heat shields, it was never capable of space flight, but it provided vital information for the successful Space Shuttle program.

Originally, Enterprise was supposed to be refitted for orbital flight, but during the construction of the Space Shuttle Columbia, the final design was changed. Because of the expenses involved with dismantling the orbiter and having subcontractors all across the country make alterations, refitting Enterprise was terminated. NASA determined it would be less costly to build the Space Shuttle Challenger than refit the Enterprise.

When all testing had been completed on the Enterprise, the shuttle was disassembled. Certain parts of the shuttle were reused in the construction of other shuttles and the remainder was sent on an international tour through France, Germany, Italy, Canada and the United Kingdom. It also toured the states of California and Alabama and was on display at the 1984 Louisiana World Exposition.

In November 1985, Enterprise was brought to Washington, D. C. and became the property of the Smithsonian Institution. In 2003 the Space Shuttle Enterprise was moved to the new Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center at Dulles International Airport and is now the centerpiece of the space collection.

August 2009 - Pet Rocks

Although I was born in 1962, the decade of disco has always been my favorite. I have many childhood memories of growing up in the 1970s and I enjoy sharing these memories with my children.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Long before Americans began collecting McDonalds Happy Meal toys and Beanie Babies, Troll dolls and Cabbage Patch Kids, or Bobble Heads and Furbys, there was the wildly popular Pet Rock. Introduced in the summer of 1975, these clean, cheap and well-behaved rocks became THE pet to have.

The brainchild of Californian Gary Dahl, the first Pet Rocks were gray stones bought from a local building supply company. Several weeks after the Pet Rock craze started, rocks were being “harvested” from Rosarita Beach in Baja, Mexico. Over three tons of stone was used to create these geological pets.

Marketed as if they were live pets, Pet Rocks even came with a “Pet Rock Training Manual.” The manual had instructions on how to properly raise and care for one's newfound pet (notably lacking instructions for feeding). The instruction manual contained several commands that could be taught to the new pet, and while "sit" and "stay" were effortless to accomplish, "roll over" usually required extra help from the trainer. “Potty training” and "Come" were found to be impossible to teach, but "attack" was a much easier command (picture cavemen throwing rocks).

Pet Rocks were packaged in a cardboard box designed to look like a pet carrier and they sold for $3.95 each. They became so successful because Dahl, and advertising executive, created an attractive press release and sent it to almost every major media outlet in the country. An October 1975 edition of Newsweek had an article on the Pet Rock fad and several dozen newspapers picked up the story. Dahl also had his Andy Warhol moment when he appeared on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.

The fad lasted about six months, ending with the Christmas season in December 1975. By the time Americans came to their senses, there were over 1.5 million Pet Rocks sold, making Dahl an instant millionaire.

I totally remember being caught up in the Pet Rock craze, asking for my own loveable rock for my 13th birthday. Citing the fact that my cousins-slash-friends Karen and Ann each had a Pet Rock, I was rewarded with my own Pet Rock to train and love. I was proud of the fact I taught “Sylvester” to sit, lie down and play dead.

Although Americans have gone through many stages of fad toys and gadgets, no one has been as successful as Dahl with marketing his useless Pet Rock. The Pet Rock is celebrating its 34th birthday this year.

August 1975 - The Eagles

One of These Nights

In 1975, I received this album for my 13th birthday. It is still one of my favorite albums of all time and I still have the vinyl LP with my vintage albums.

The Eagles are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California during the early 1970s. The group chose the name Eagles as a nod to the band The Byrds.

With 5 #1 singles and 6 #1 albums, the Eagles were one of the most successful recording artists of the 1970s. At the end of the 20th century, 2 of their albums, Eagles: Their Greatest Hits 1971–1975 and Hotel California, ranked among the 10 best-selling albums according to the Recording Industry Association of America.

The Eagles broke up in 1980, but reunited in 1994 for Hell Freezes Over, a mix of live and new studio tracks. They have toured intermittently since then, and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. In 2007, the Eagles released Long Road out of Eden, their first full studio album in 28 years.

One of These Nights displayed the growing strength of the Don Henley and Glenn Frey songwriting team, particularly on the album's title track and the Grammy Award winning "Lyin' Eyes." "One of These Nights" hit #1 on the Billboard chart on August 2, 1975. The song itself has often been cited by Frey as his all-time favorite Eagles tune. The album also contains the futuristic sounding instrumental "Journey of the Sorcerer," which is known to many as the theme to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.


One of These Nights Track listing:

1. "One of These Nights" (Henley, Frey) – 4:51
2. "Too Many Hands" (Meisner, Felder) – 4:43
3. "Hollywood Waltz" (B. Leadon, Tom Leadon, Henley, Frey) – 4:04
4. "Journey of the Sorcerer" (Leadon) – 6:40
5. "Lyin' Eyes" (Henley, Frey) – 6:22
6. "Take It to the Limit" (Meisner, Henley, Frey) – 4:49
7. "Visions" (Felder, Henley) – 4:00
8. "After the Thrill Is Gone" (Henley, Frey) – 3:58
9. "I Wish You Peace" (Davis, Leadon) – 3:45
   

July 2009 - Drive-In Movies

1971 - Billy Jack
1971 - Dirty Harry

1973 - American Graffiti
1973 - Walking Tall

1974 - Death Wish
1974 - The Man With the Golden Gun
1974 - Texas Chainsaw Massacre

1975 - Jaws
1975 - Rocky Horror Picture Show

1976 - Mother, Jugs and Speed
1976 - Ode to Billy Joe
1976 - The Outlaw Josey Wales
1976 - Rocky
1976 - Logan's Run

1977 - The Goodbye Girl
1977 - Smoky and the Bandit
1977 - The Spy Who Love Me
1977 - The Gauntlet
1977 - A Star is Born
1977 - Wizards (did not see when originally released)

1978 - Animal House
1978 - Grease
1978 - Halloween
1978 - Superman

1979 - Alien
1979 - Moonraker
1979 - North Dallas Forty
1979 - The Rose
1979 - A Force of One

Farrah Hair

Although I was born in 1962, the decade of disco has always been my favorite. I have many childhood memories of growing up in the 1970s and I enjoy sharing these memories with my children.

~~~~~~~~~~~


Farrah Hair

Have you noticed how certain hairstyles are destined to become classics? As soon as a new doo is created, the style takes on the name of the first person to wear the new hair in public.

With all the recent documentaries and news articles about the declining health of Farrah Fawcett, I thought it was only fair to talk about the most popular hairstyle to come out of the 1970s – Farrah Hair.

Farrah became an overnight sensation in 1976 as one of “Charlie’s Angles.” Farrah Hair became a trademark look, all fluffy with lots of flip and curls. Women all over the country, in all age ranges, flocked to hair salons to get the new Farrah-Do and learn how to style their own hair using hot rollers. Everywhere, women were growing out their hair so they could wear this free-flowing, ultra-feminine style.

Farrah’s feathery hairstyle was the hallmark of the mid to late 1970s, and although I’ve never been one for fashion fads, I, too, had a Farrah-Do. Yes, my shoulder length, dishwater-blond hair was backcombed, the long bangs were teased and a half can of hair spray was used to “lacquer” it into place. I think it was this hairstyle that swore me off hair spray for life, because I haven’t used it for over 20 years.

Farrah hair was not the only famous hairstyle from the 1970s – can we all say Mullet? Yes, that’s right, the unisex hair style cut short in the front and long in the back, parodied in many comedy shows and movies. I’ve heard the Mullet referred to as,

“…business in the front, party in the back.”

Although the Mullet made its debut in the late 1960s, it didn’t really catch on until the late 70s. Several celebrities who sported a Mullet in the 70s were Paul McCartney, Anthony Geary (Luke from General Hospital) and rocker Phil Collins. I am also guilty of having a mullet, but mine was during the early 1980s, so I was already behind the times.

Another hairdo from the 70s was the Shag, a hold-over from the 50s and 60s. Jane Fonda is probably the most famous person to sport a Shag – short, layered hair with more layers at the crown of the head. With a Shag, bangs are optional and can be pushed off the face with the use of styling gel. The hair around the ears is left long and the wearer should be able to tuck the hair behind the ear or pull it back out of the way.

They say everything old is new again, and the same is true with hairstyles. Although hairdos have evolved, you can still see a reinvented Farrah Do and a classic Shag - even a Mullet or two – in many areas of the country. As long as there are talented hairstylists, there will be new dos; I just wonder what trends the 21st century will bring.

Summer Movie Blockbusters

Although I was born in 1962, the decade of disco has always been my favorite. I have many childhood memories of growing up in the 1970s and I enjoy sharing these memories with my children.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As a child growing up in the 1970s, I saw many summer films with my family at the Twin Hills Drive-In. At least two or three times a month, our family loaded up the car with blankets and pillows and headed out to watch movies under the stars.

One of my family’s favorite summer movies was the 1973 hit, “American Graffiti.” A coming of age film directed by George Lucas, this movie starred Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat, Cindy Williams, Harrison Ford and Wolfman Jack (my favorite DJ). Portraying 1962 Modesto, California, “American Graffiti” takes place over one night and shows the adventures of a group of teenagers cruising around town and listening to radio personality Wolfman Jack.

Featuring Mel’s Drive-In, street racing and a sock hop, this movie was a realistic view of teenage life in the early 1960s. My Dad liked this movie because of all the classic original cars featured in the film and my Mom said it reminded her of her teenage years. This is one of those movies I have to stop and watch whenever I find it while flipping through the channels.

“Jaws” is a 1975 horror thriller film directed by Steven Spielberg, his second theatrical film and very first blockbuster, which made him a household name. This movie is based on Peter Benchley's best-selling novel of the same name.

The movie takes place in the fictional summer resort of Amity Island where the police chief, Martin Brody – played by Roy Scheider – tries to protect residents from a great white shark. The town council overrules Brody’s decision to shut down the beach during tourist season, and we all know what happens next. It is open buffet season for the great white.

After several shark attacks, Brody enlists the help of a marine biologist, Matt Hooper – played by Richard Dreyfuss - and a professional shark hunter, Quint – played by Robert Shaw to help him track down the shark and kill it.

Although the movie scared me senseless and made me nervous just swimming in a pool, it wasn’t the images that scared me the most – it was the theme music. Written by legendary John Williams, the score to “Jaws” still evokes cold chills down my spine every time I hear it. My favorite quote: “I think we’re going to need a bigger boat” - famous last words.

“Jaws” is considered the father of the summer blockbuster movie. The film was followed by three sequels, none with the participation of Spielberg or Benchley and none as successful as the original: “Jaws 2” (1978), “Jaws 3-D” (1983) and “Jaws: The Revenge” (1987). A video game titled “Jaws Unleashed” was produced in 2006.

In 1977, “Star Wars” changed the world of science fiction forever. Considered a space opera film, “Star Wars” was written and directed by George Lucas and is the first of six films released in the “Star Wars” saga – 3 original movies and 3 prequels. “Star Wars” is one of the most successful films of all time and is considered one of the most influential in pop culture.

Set in a galaxy far, far away, the movie tells the story of a group of freedom fighters, known as the Rebel Alliance, fighting to destroy the oppressive Galactic Empire by disabling the Death Star space station. The plot follows the tale of farm boy, Luke Skywalker - Mark Hamill - who is suddenly thrust into the role of hero when he takes possession of the robots – R2D2 and C3PO - carrying the schematic plans for the Death Star. Luke must accompany Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi - Alec Guinness - on a mission to rescue the owner of the robots, rebel leader Princess Leia Organa - Carrie Fisher. Luke also has help from Han Solo – Harrison Ford - and his Wookiee co-pilot Chewbacca - Peter Mayhew.

“Star Wars” gave birth to one of the most evil villains in movie history, Darth Vader – portrayed by David Prowse and voiced by James Earl Jones. The other two movies in the original trilogy – “The Empire Strikes Back” (1980) and “Return of the Jedi” (1983) – both have the original cast from “Star Wars.” The three prequels – “The Phantom Menace” (1999), “Attack of the Clones” (2002) and “Revenge of the Sith” (2005) – revolve around the character development of Darth Vader. Although the second trilogy received mixed reviews, all three went on to become major blockbusters.

I have seen many summer blockbusters since the 1970s, but the ones from my childhood hold the most memories. Although I love much of the new technology available in current films, there is something about these classic movies that hold a soft spot in my heart.

May 2009 - Let It Be

Although I was born in 1962, the decade of disco has always been my favorite. I have many childhood memories of growing up in the 1970s and I enjoy sharing these memories with my children.

THE BEATLES

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past several decades, you have probably heard of the Beatles. A pop rock band from Liverpool, England, the Beatles rocked the American music scene and continues to influence musicians today. During the highlight of the bands career, the Beatles primarily consisted of John Lennon (rhythm guitar, vocals), Paul McCartney (bass guitar, vocals), George Harrison (lead guitar, vocals) and Ringo Starr (drums, vocals).

The Beatles were an instant hit from the first moment they took the stage on The Ed Sullivan Show in February 1964. At that time, an unprecedented 74 million people watched the American debut of the Beatles. American teenagers tried to mimic the Beatles in every way, from the clothing to the hair styles to the slang they used.

Although mainly rooted in rock and roll, the Beatles worked with many different musical genres, including Tin Pan Alley and psychedelic rock. Formed in 1960, the Beatles announced their breakup in April 1970 and the final dissolution came in 1975. After their breakup, the band members went on to have successful solo careers.

The Beatles last “official” album - "Let It Be" - was released on May 8, 1970, 39 years ago. There has been heated controversy through the years about this last album, because most of “Let It Be” was recorded in January 1969, before the recording and release of the album, “Abbey Road.” Many critics and fans alike, argue “Abbey Road” should be considered the group’s final album. “Let It Be” was originally intended to be released prior to “Abbey Road” under the title “Get Back,” but the group was not happy with this version of the album, so it was temporarily put on hold.

The album was later overdubbed and remixed by Phil Spector and finally released as “Let It Be.” This album is a soundtrack album for the 1970 movie of the same name. The “Let It Be” movie is a documentary film of the band rehearsing and recording the album.

The songs on “Let It Be” include: Side One: “Two of Us”, “Dig a Pony,” “Across the Universe,” “I Me Mine,” “Dig It,” “Let It Be,” and “Maggie Mae.” Side Two: “I’ve Got a Feeling,” “One after 909,” “The Long and Winding Road,” “For You Blue,” and “Get Back.”

“Let It Be”
“When I find myself in times of trouble, mother Mary comes to me,
speaking words of wisdom, let it be.
And in my hour of darkness she is standing right in front of me,
speaking words of wisdom, let it be.

Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be.
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be.

And when the broken hearted people living in the world agree,
there will be an answer, let it be.
For though they may be parted there is still a chance that they will see,
there will be an answer. let it be.

Let it be, let it be, .....

And when the night is cloudy, there is still a light that shines on me,
shine until tomorrow, let it be.
I wake up to the sound of music, mother Mary comes to me,
speaking words of wisdom, let it be.

Let it be, let it be, .....”

May 2009 - Television

Starsky and Hutch (usually written as Starsky & Hutch) is a 1970s US television series that consisted of a 90-minute pilot movie (originally aired as a Movie of the Week entry) and 92 episodes of 60 minutes each; created by William Blinn, produced by Spelling-Goldberg Productions, and broadcast between April 30, 1975 and May 15, 1979 on the ABC network; distributed by Columbia Pictures Television in the United States and, originally, Metromedia Producers Corporation in Canada and some other parts of the world. Sony Pictures Television is now the worldwide distributor for the series.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

All in the Family is an American situation comedy that was originally broadcast on the CBS television network from January 12, 1971 to April 8, 1979. In September 1979, the show was revamped, and given a new title, Archie Bunker's Place. This version of the sitcom lasted another four years, ending its run in 1983.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

M*A*S*H is an American television series developed by Larry Gelbart, adapted from the 1970 feature film MASH (which was itself based on the 1968 novel MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors, by Richard Hooker). The series is a medical drama/black comedy that was produced by 20th Television Fox for CBS. It follows a team of doctors and support staff stationed at the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital in Uijeongbu, South Korea, during the Korean War. M*A*S*H's title sequence featured an instrumental version of the song "Suicide Is Painless", which also appears in the original film. The show was created after an attempt to film the original book's sequel, M*A*S*H Goes To Maine, failed. It is the most well-known version of the M*A*S*H works.

The series premiered on September 17 1972, and ended February 28 1983, with the finale becoming the most-watched television episode in U.S. television history with over 105 million viewers. The show is still broadcast in syndication on various television stations (mostly during the late night/early morning hours). The series spanned 251 episodes and lasted eleven seasons covering a three-year conflict.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Waltons is an American television series created by Earl Hamner, Jr., based on his book Spencer's Mountain, and a 1963 film of the same name, starring Henry Fonda and Maureen O'Hara. The show centered on the titular family growing up in a rural Virginia community during the Great Depression and World War II. The series pilot was a television movie entitled The Homecoming: A Christmas Story, broadcast in 1971. The show originally aired in the United States on CBS from 1972 to 1981. After the series left the air, three television movie sequels were broadcast in 1982, with three more following in the 1990s. It is currently aired on Hallmark Channel in the USA and the UK.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Six Million Dollar Man is an American television series about a fictional cyborg working for the OSI (which was usually said to refer to the Office of Scientific Intelligence, but sometimes was called the Office of Scientific Investigation as well as the Office of Strategic Intelligence). The show was based on the novel Cyborg by Martin Caidin, and during pre-production, that was the proposed title of the series. It aired on the ABC network as a regular series from 1974 to 1978, after following three television movies aired in 1973. The title role of Steve Austin was played by Lee Majors, who subsequently became a pop culture icon of the 1970s. A spin-off of the show was produced called The Bionic Woman.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Schoolhouse Rock! is a series of animated musical educational short films that aired during Saturday morning children's programming on U.S. television network ABC. Topics covered include grammar, science, economics, history, mathematics, and politics. The series aired between 1972 and 1986, and infrequently during the 1990s and 2000s, with new shows created between 1993 and 1996 until its cancellation by ABC in 2001.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Partridge Family is an American television sitcom about a widowed mother and her five children who embarked on a music career. The family lived in San Pueblo, a small fictional town in Northern California. The series was originally broadcast on ABC from 1970 to 1974.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

April 2009 - Apollo 13

During NASA's Project Apollo phase, Apollo 13 was the 3rd manned lunar-landing mission. The crew members were Commander James A. Lovell, Command Module pilot John L. "Jack" Swigert, and Lunar Module pilot Fred W. Haise.

Apollo 13 launched on April 11, 1970. Two days after the launch, an electrical fault caused an explosion in a Service Module oxygen tank. The explosion also damaged the other oxygen tank or its plumbing, resulting in a complete loss of oxygen and electrical power. The Command Module (Odyssey) remained fully functional on its own batteries and oxygen tank, but they were sufficient only for the last hours of the mission during re-entry and landing. The crew shut down the Command Module and used the Lunar Module (Aquarius) as a “lifeboat” for the return to earth. Despite great hardship caused by severely limited power, cabin heat, and potable water, the crew successfully returned to Earth and the mission eventually became known as a "successful failure". A radio transmission from Commander Lovell during the mission, "Houston, we've had a problem", spawned the misquoted phrase in popular culture, "Houston, we have a problem".

On the way to the Moon, at a distance of 200,000 miles from Earth, one of the two oxygen tanks in the Service Module, exploded. Prior to the explosion, Mission Control had asked the crew to stir the hydrogen and oxygen tanks, which helps increase the accuracy of oxygen readings. Damaged insulation on the wires to the stirrer motor in the oxygen tank 2 caused the wires to short and ignite the insulation. The resulting fire rapidly increased pressure beyond its nominal limits and either the tank or the tank dome failed; the cause was unknown at the time.

Oxygen leaked out over the next several hours, entirely depleting the supply in the Service Module. Because the service module fuel cells combined hydrogen and oxygen to generate electricity and water, this left the module on limited battery power. The crew was forced to shut down the module completely and to use the lunar module as a "lifeboat". This resulted in an aborted moon landing, but without the lunar module, the accident would certainly have been fatal.

The Apollo 13 crew survived their ordeal because at the time of the accident, they had backup stores of critical commodities: extra power, water, and oxygen - and even an extra engine. They returned to earth April 17, 1970. On April 18, 1970, President Nixon awarded the crew the Presidential Medal of Freedom.





Mission Control




The crew of Apollo 13 onboard the USS Iwo Jima following splashdown.