DAILY DIRT: There was a never a better night of television than Saturdays in 1973

Daily Dirt for Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024

From Archie to Klinger to Mary to Bob to Carol, the night was always gold. Pure gold. … Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 1,111 of The Daily Dirt.

1. Have you ever thought about what might have been the most power-packed lineup of TV shows on one particular night?

Mine is, was and (likely) always will be the CBS Saturday night lineup in 1973. Can you imagine watching the following programs in back-to-back fashion:

7 p.m. (Central): “All In The Family”. This famous show would likely not even be able to get the air today in the politically correct world where we find ourselves. “It managed to break pretty much every taboo of the era, tearing down the walls of political correctness and dealing with such things as racism, women’s lib, government policies, miscarriages, breast cancer, abortion, swingers, menopause and rape,” wrote Ed Gross for womansworld.com in 2023. “And this was a sitcom. Oh, it also represented the first time that the audience ever heard a toilet flushing on the air.”

7:30 p.m.: “M*A*S*H”. A star-studded cast, anchored by Alan Alda, Jamie Farr and Gary Burghoff, brought new (comic) insight to the Korean War. It was funny (no pun intended) that after watching each episode, I also felt as if I had learned something in between all the hijinks.

8 p.m.: “The Mary Tyler Moore Show”. Another groundbreaking show that featured some of the best writing — barring any specific genre — television has ever seen. Mary Tyler Moore represented the modern woman, making inroads in what was perceived to be a man’s world. She played Mary Richards, who has moved to Minneapolis to become a secretary at TV station WJM, but ends up getting offered the position of associate producer of the Six O’Clock News. Today it’s hard to imagine how significant something like that was, but by exploring her workplace and home life, it provided illumination of an entire era — with a dose of laughter. 

8:30 p.m.: “The Bob Newhart Show”. This was low-key humor at its greatest, and it was often downright hysterical. It was Newhart’s job to play straight man to pretty much everyone else, and it worked oh so well. In addition, Suzanne Pleshette was the perfect wife with an even more perfect sense of humor and delivery.

9 p.m.: “The Carol Burnett Show”. I never much cared for the supporting cast, but Burnett was always hilarious in whatever role she undertook. The show ran from 1967-78, winning eight Emmy Awards, eight Golden Globes and three People’s Choice Awards.Each week Burnett would end the show with a song whose lyrics were, “I’m so glad we had this time together, Just to have a laugh or sing a song; Seems we just get started and before you know it, Comes the time we have to say, ‘So long.’”

“The same could be said of those Saturday nights on CBS in 1973,” wrote Gross.

Amen to that.

2. Did you know (Part 184)

• That more of the new soda drinks coming in January 2025 are scheduled to be: Dr. Pepper Blackberry, Coca-Cola Orange Cream and Pepsi Cherries and Cream. All three will also have a zero sugar counterpart.
• That maybe “umbrellas” were supposed to be called “brellas,” but the person who named them hesitated.
• That this week Wendy’s is releasing its Salted Caramel Frosty, a Mushroom Bacon Cheeseburger and and overhauled Taco Salad.
• That Taco Bell is rolling out Midnight Cherry and Blue Raspberry Freezes.
• That the British call the trunk of a car the “boot”.

3. This week we’ll be having some more fun with remakes, or “covers” of famous songs.

Today we look at five hits from the 1980s that were actually covers of 1960s chart-toppers: 

• “Put A Little Love In Your Heart,” by Annie Lennox and Al Green, originally done by Jackie DeShannon. (For some reason, I always detested DeShannon’s original, but totally enjoyed Lennox and Green tag-teaming the remake.)
• “You Keep Me Hangin’ On,” by Kim Wilde, originally recorded by DIana Ross and the Supremes. (While Wilde’s adaptation was commendable, not picking Diana Ross and the Supremes would seem like blasphemy.)
• “Hazy Shade of Winter,” by the Bangles, a remake of the song made famous by Simon and Garfunkel. (I prefer the Bangles’ version. I always felt Simon and Garfunkel’s interpretation, although upbeat, came across as dreary.)
• “The Locomotion,” by Kylie Minogue, originally a hit for Little Eva. (This was also a megahit for Grand Funk Railroad in the 1970s, which was arguably the best of the three.)
• “Mony, Mony,” by Billy Idol, which was a remake of Tommy James and the Shondells’ big hit. (Both of these were pulsating, and I think Idol’s remake may actually have been more attractive than the original.)

Steve Thought O’ The Day — A friend sent me the following, thinking I would appreciate it and possibly use it in The Daily Dirt. He was right: “I just overheard a 2-year-old refer to her jacket pockets as ‘snack holes,’ and that is what I will forevermore call them.” Ahhh … from the mouths of babes.

Steve Eighinger writes daily for Muddy River News. Yes, Saturday night’s on CBS were the best.