What was on TV August 11th through 17th, 1979

I'm running behind, as usual, on this week's TV Guide.  I try to post these during the week they cover (I don't know why I make up these rules), so I'm coming in just under the wire for the week.  This week's cover begs the question, "Who the heck is Rod Arrants?"

Well, as it turns out, a soap opera star. My mom watched several soap operas, but I still don't recognize him. Sure, if it was Doug or Julie or even Bo and Hope, I'd know them in a second.

I was going to make a snarky comment about the artwork, observing that when you have to label your caricatures in order for people to know who they are, maybe you're in the wrong business, but then I looked up the artist Rowland B. Wilson.  He was an Emmy-award winning animator, known for his work on Schoolhouse Rock.  He also worked for Disney on "The Little Mermaid" and "Tarzan".  So I'm going to give him a pass.

I remember those sack purses.  You could carry a load of bricks in there. Looks like she's got her eyes set on our smoking fisherman here. And she's going to hit him with her purse full of bricks.

 "Now that we're engaged, you may bite my chin."

Those "Love Boat" episodes where they filmed on location were always a little disconcerting.  The rest of the year you got generic oceans scenes on a green-screen back drop, then suddenly it's all reality.

This has nothing to do with nothing, but seeing that ad, all I can think of is how many bologna sandwiches I ate for lunch day in and day out during grade school.  I wonder if it was good for me. Too bad mom didn't subscribe to Consumer Reports.

 That's "Lulu" from Hee Haw appearing with Rex Humbard.  She would warrant her own TV Guide article in 1981.

The "Mork & Mindy" episode synopsis reminded me of what a great vehicle it was for Robin Williams' antics.  In this episode, he gets to act out various emotions.  I'm sure much of it was ad libbed and that was when the show was at its best.

Dick Martin is reading your mind. And based on the look on his face, he doesn't like what he sees.

"Hanging In" last just 4 weeks.  Ouch.

I don't recall Laverne & Shirley being on Thursday nights.  I remember them always being on after Happy Days on Tuesday evenings.  Looking at their Wikipedia entry, they moved to Thursday in 1979, then moved to Mondays in 1980 and finally returned to Tuesdays.  Man, I care way too much about this.

"Fantasy Island" is another show I don't recall being on the night it's shown on, in this case Friday.  I remember it always being on Saturday night's after "Love Boat".  This had to have been short lived.  In any case, as much as I liked it, it would have easily lost me to "The Incredible Hulk".  Wow, it was also up against "Diff'rent Stokes".  Programming madness!

When I saw this ad for Sports Illustrated, I immediately thought, "hey, Sega Font".  I assumed it had a different name, but Googling it, apparently that's what it's called.  The company has used it in its logo since 1975.

 Another Raleigh Lights Rockwellian ad.

 Marla Gibbs takes no guff.

That's all for this week.  Tune in next time.