What was on TV November 3rd through 9th, 1979

As promised, I'm going to attempt to keep up with weekly TV Guide posts.  From 34 years ago, we find Mr. and Mrs. Hart on the cover.

A short article on Buck Rogers' special effects.

These Nielson ratings are a little skewed given the World Series was going on at the time.  I was surprised to see "WKRP" scoring so high; for some reason I thought it struggled more than that in the beginning.

As always, the Guide opens up with my favorite day, and more specifically "morning", of the week.  10 am must have been a struggle for me: "Spider-woman" vs "Flash Gordon".  If I recall correctly, "Spider-woman" won out.  I don't think I caught the Filmation "Flash Gordon" until it was in repeats at a new time.

As mentioned before, "The ABC Weekend Special" was always a favorite of mine and this particular episode was one of my favorites. "The Ghost of Thomas Kempe" starred child actor Shane Sinutko as a troubled boy moving into an old house.  While hanging a poster in his room, he inadvertently knocks a hole in the wall and discovers an ancient bottle tucked away.  Opening the bottle, he unleashes a mischievous 17th century ghost who brings much grief to his life.  I'm surprised these specials have never been released on DVD.  I have this episode on VHS and 16mm film, but I'd love to see a collection released some day. 

"Abbott &Costello" and "Ma & Pa Kettle" make yet another Saturday afternoon appearance on our local independent channel, KPLR 11.

I always liked the Godzilla movies, but "King Kong vs Godzilla" was one I could never make all the way through.  The monkey suit was just too bad.  And despite the ongoing legend, there is only one ending of the movie, King Kong wins.  There is no alternate Japanese ending in which Godzilla wins.  Followed by The Three Stooges in "Stop, Look and Laugh" which I believe was just a compilation of their shorts assembled haphazardly into a shoddy storyline.

"Race for your Life, Charlie Brown" was a bit of a mystery for me when I first saw it (probably when it was on this time in 1979).  I was used to the 1/2 television specials and my mom must have hidden the papers when this was at the theater, because I don't remember it there.  Even then watching it, I thought it was a little out there for your typical Peanuts cartoon.  The psychedelic wanderings of Snoopy and Woodstock, Charlie Brown riding "nut to butt" with Snoopy on his chopper and the fact that any summer camp would let a bunch of 8(?) year olds loose in a rubber raft on a whitewater river? Give me "The Great Pumpkin" any day!

"Earthquake", one of the '70's many natural disaster movies.  And "Rock A Bye Baby" in a Jerry Lewis movie that left me wondering when it was going to get funny.

The title "Let's Scare Jessica to Death" rings a bell, but the synopsis doesn't.  Also, on the opposite page, a sign of the late 80's: weight loss pills.

I've never heard of "240-Robert", but the poorly drawn frogmen in the background intrigue me.  Not sure why they combined actual people (one of whom I believe is Mark Harmon) and these mis-proportioned misfits.

Another sign of the '70's The Harlem Globetrotters.  I just know Curly Neal ran circles around those high school jocks, humiliating them viciously.

 

"Lobo and BJ Clash Head On".  One day, scholars will read that headline and wonder what the heck we were smoking.

The Tuesday night ABC lineup.  Quite the powerhouse...except for "Angie", of course.

Disco dance *and* get in shape?  Sign me up. 

 Can't sleep, chair'll get me.

These are possibly some of the worst caricatures ever.  I mean, what is up with Dan Akroyd's fivehead?

 Not to be outdone by "Earthquake" this week, CBS offers "Avalanche".

And not to be outdone by "Avalance", the Salvage I team is on a mission to stop a "titanic" (get it?) iceberg BIG ENOUGH TO DESTROY AN ENTIRE CITY!!!!   Followed by Mork.

The TV debut was the first time I saw "Jaws".  Let's just say it's a good thing I didn't get to see it in the theater, because the small screen version was enough to scare me away from oceans (and lakes, and rivers, and ponds, and bathtubs) for a good majority of my life.

"Waist Away"!  Get it?!  Because you'll lose so much weight, people will think you're, heh, wasting, heh, away, and uh, it's your, uh, waist, you're, uh, trying to, uh, reduce?  Hoo boy...  At any rate, you know what that guy is thinking? "Don't act like you're not impressed."  

Candid Camera FOR ADULTS.  C'mon, this was broadcast television.  What exactly were they going to do?  I recall watching this episode which co-starred Loni Anderson. 

If I recall correctly, they placed her in a public high school's office acting as a counselor and then lead hormone-ridden teenage boys to meet her, leaving them alone to discuss Loni amongst themselves -- or so they thought.  Yes, I recall correctly.  It's the second scene in this clip at 00:40:

I never got into Eight is Enough. I couldn't keep track of all the characters and Adam Rich just annoyed me.

I usually enjoyed Don Knotts in movies, but this one was an exception.  It paled in comparison to "The Ghost and Mr. Chicken".

 I'm not sure how I feel about Lenny and Squiggy in drag.  Okay, maybe a little curious.

Looks like TV Guide was a week late on this ad. 

I have to dig up this episode of Family Feud.  It's always fun to find out how dumb your favorite celebrities are.

This is a pretty cool looking alarm clock.  I've never seen one outside of this ad.

Some timely Q&A for the late '70's including questions about the legality of taping programs and receiving satellite television transmissions.  Oh, and also the 4 stages of the 1970's woman: "Getting ready for work", "Work", "Work's Over" and "Anything Goes!"

And finally, I'll leave you with this Jello ad insert.  I defy any one of you out there to make (and eat) one of these.  Actually, some of these probably aren't bad, but man, who blew the chunks in the "Guzpacho Jiggler"?