Time to begin year two of my 1970s TV journey. From here on we’re likely to run into more shows already covered in the previous year, which is fine – that means there will be more space available to talk about new ones.
ABC
The FBI
The ABC Sunday Night Movie
The FBI was a great show last year and is still great this season. Otherwise, nothing new to see here. Moving on.
NBC
The Wonderful World of Disney
The Jimmy Stewart Show
Bonanza
The Bold Ones: The New Doctors/The Lawyers
This was not one of the better seasons for the venerable Disney series – anyone remember Hacksaw? The Strange Monster of Strawberry Cove? Lefty, the Dingaling Lynx? But if you were a regular viewer you caught one classic: a re-cut, two-part version of the criminally underrated movie The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band. Great cast, great story, catchy songs, and Goldie Hawn’s film debut – what more could you want?
I reviewed The Jimmy Stewart Show back in 2014, after the one-season series was released on DVD. Check that piece out for the verdict, but to summarize – Stewart is wonderful as expected as a small town college professor, his TV family was not particularly well-conceived or cast, and John McGiver is terrific as Stewart’s fellow faculty member.
Of course I’ve watched Bonanza, and I’ve watched both of the Bold Ones series. Of the two “The Lawyers” is far better – seeing E.G. Marshall as a doctor after his iconic run as an attorney on The Defenders is a tough adjustment.
CBS
CBS Sunday Night Movie
Cade’s County
Just one show left to cover on this night, and I thought it was a pretty good one. Thanks to TV Land (which has never received the appreciation it deserved for resurrecting so many short-lived, forgotten series), I’ve seen several episodes of Cade’s County, and I enjoyed them.
If 1970 had a trend, it was shows about maverick young professionals shaking up the stodgy establishment with new ideas. Early indications suggest that a trend for 1971 was the migration of veteran film actors into television series: The Jimmy Stewart Show, The Smith Family (starring Henry Fonda), and Glenn Ford here.
Ford plays Sam Cade, Sheriff of Madrid, a fictional southwestern county. He enforces the law alongside deputy J.J. Jackson (Edgar Buchanan, no longer at the Junction but still movin’ kinda slow). Ford’s movie western credentials served him well here; some actors just look right in a desert setting with a rifle slung over their shoulder, and Ford is one of them. He is instantly credible as a capable, compassionate lawman that knows his territory and the people in it.
As is typical of shows from this era there were interesting guest stars in nearly every episode. The pilot featured Darren McGavin as a hit man, Loretta Swit as the local girl he used to date, and Carl Betz as a crime boss headed up the river unless Cade is killed before he can testify. Most episodes are on YouTube if you’re curious to check it out.
Shows Missed:
The Don Knotts Show (1970)
San Francisco International Airport (1970)
Nancy (1970)
The Headmaster (1970)
As always, very much enjoyed this look back David. And I am curious to check out Glenn Ford on YouTube, who doesn't love Glenn Ford? But what intrigues me is that Disney original band movie with Goldie Hawn. I'd really like to see that and I probably just blew it, as I had Disney Plus for a month with Hulu, and I just canceled it October 31st. I bet it was on there, darn it! Anyway, good lineup here and I see John Saxon is up there too. Loved that guy! 🙂👍
ReplyDeleteThanks as always! And hope things are looking up there for you!
DeleteBefore the late 00's, I would have joined you in singing the praises of TV Land, but their decision to ditch their kitschy retro vibe and "classic"-era programming in favor of Eighties and Nineties reruns didn't sit well with me. Even more unforgivable was their habit of butchering vintage shows including editing out entire sequences, placing commercial breaks in the middle of a scene, and employing time-warping (digitally speeding up shows) ruining the actors' timing. Plenty of other venues (including OTA TV, streaming, and home video) to put up with that.
ReplyDeleteAgreed - what they did was more forgivable (or at least tolerable) when they were the only game in town. It's great to have other options now.
DeleteI agree also. TV Land used to have respect for classic tv, then it decided to go for the younger demographic and changed its lineup, adding a few original sitcoms as trashy as anything from the networks. It was great back in the 1990s anyway.
DeleteWhen TV Guide interviewed Glenn Ford about his series, he made the point that so many of these movie-to-TV stars (Shirley MacLaine and Yul Brynner were two others) were being cast out of their element (although Brynner was reprising his role from "The King and I"), but Ford's series was based on the Western persona that he'd crafted in many movies, and viewers would be more comfortable with it.
ReplyDeleteHe's definitely the main attraction here, but I always like seeing Edgar Buchanan in anything as well.
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