What was on TV - October 28th through November 3rd, 1978

It's time once again for "What was on TV".  For those of you just joining or need a refresher, this is a sporatic feature of this blog.  What is its connection to garage saling?  Nothing at all, but I did get the issues free from a local Freecycle group I belong to, so it kind of fits in with garage sales and getting cool stuff on the cheap.

I've been trying to publish these posts to coincide with the date of the TV Guide and today's is no exception.  From 35 (gasp!) years ago, into television's past we go.

Robin Williams' breakout role as Mork from Ork, and the one he least likes to talk about.  Robin Williams is back on tv this season with "The Crazy Ones".  I haven't seen it.

Let's see, what would I have watched this Saturday morning.  Starting at 7:00 a.m. it was probably "Scooby Doo" followed by "Fangface", then "Superfriends" with a break over to "Bugs Bunny" now and then.  "Fantastic Four" at 9:30 (with that stupid Herbie the Robot and no Human Torch.  What were they thinking?!)  Then on to "Krofft Superstar Hour" and finally "The ABC Weekend Special" at 11.

"The ABC Weekend Special" was a half-hour show adapting popular children's books into live action and animated specials.  Here Donny Most proves he's not just Ralph Malph.  The "$1000 Bill" also starrs Richard "Fred Rutherford" Deacon.  I don't recall seeing this one.  I'm wondering if it's an adaption of Mark Twain's "The £1,000,000 Bank-Note". 

Kiss was all over 1978.  Records:  

And their very own TV special.

I somehow missed this and haven't seen it to this day.

They're jogging, or possibly yogging.  It might be soft "J".

Radio of the future?  Anyone have one of these?  C'mon, we're living in the future foretold by this TV Guide ad.  I demand to know who has one of these.

Louis Jordan as Dracula?  This PBS special was probably too high brow for this 12-year old.

And of course the show we waited for all season.  "Puff the Magic Dragon".  

Nah, I'm kidding.  "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown", of course.  Brought to you by Makers of Neat to Eat Treats.  Man, I miss Zingers.  And as always, introduced by that CBS intro that made any child of 70's just about leap out of his skull.

Gary Coleman and a few of his quips.  Who knew his life would end so sadly.

Yes, that's right.  The entire News 4 line-up GETS IT ON!  Bunch of sickos.

"Summer of My German Soldier" was actually a pretty good movie.  Starring Kristy McNichol as a Jewish girl who helps an escaped Nazi prisoner of war (Bruce Davison).  It also stars Esther "Good Times" Rolle who helps her deal with the prejudice she encounters when it's discovered she's been sheltering the enemy.

Being it was the week of Halloween, the local independent channels would run B horror movies such as this offering.

And there were the made-for-tv horror shows.

With Halloween over, it was back to our regular schedule with "Mork and Mindy" on Thursday nights and "Wonder Woman" and "The Incredible Hulk".

I never watched "What's Happening" when it aired orignally, but got hooked on it in reruns (no pun intended).  Little did I know then, years later Fred "Rerun" Berry would attend my wedding.  No, really.  I ended up working with the girlfriend of a friend of his.  When she told me she had spent the weekend riding around in a limousine with Fred Berry, I didn't believe her.  She tried calling him, but he didn't answer the phone, inspiring me to write a Top Ten list a la David Letterman of reasons why Rerun wouldn't answer the phone.  He liked it and a year later, made a surprise appearance at my wedding.  I've always been grateful to him for that and was saddened by his passing only 11 years later.