Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version Vortex 1.1 8/4/83; site vortex.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!vortex!lauren From: lauren@vortex.UUCP (Lauren Weinstein) Newsgroups: net.tv Subject: More old TV! Message-ID: <109@vortex.UUCP> Date: Fri, 26-Aug-83 01:18:27 EDT Article-I.D.: vortex.109 Posted: Fri Aug 26 01:18:27 1983 Date-Received: Sat, 20-Aug-83 10:16:20 EDT Organization: Vortex Technology, Los Angeles Lines: 112 Well, I didn't know we had some Western fans out there. Pardner, if you wanna see old Westerns, you gotta mosey on over to (oh no, not again!) CBN on cable! What? That same Christian Broadcasting Network? Yeah. During the week they run all the old sitcoms ... but on Saturdays, it's Westerns! You gotta admit, their programming is pretty damn strange for a religious outlet! Actually, they bill themselves as the "total family entertainer for today's total family". Uh huh. Apparently they feel that only the old shows are "wholesome" enough to show. Well, who cares? If they'll show 'em, I'll watch 'em. I just ignore the Bible commercials. Currently on Saturdays, CBN runs (gotta reach over for the list on the table here...): The Westerners, Wild Bill Hickok, Saturday and the Westerns (I'm not too sure what this title actually covers, probably several programs), Call of the West, Western Classics (another umbrella title, I believe), Wyatt Earp, Wagon Train (90 minute version, at least part of the time!), and The Monroes. Enough for you? Some of these are 1/2 hour, some are an hour, and at least one is 90 minutes. A variety of other old Westerns run regularly here in L.A. on the various independent stations. One of my all time favorites is "Maverick", by the way. --- Continuing in the pattern of bizarre religious stations that run old TV programs, it's time to discuss a relatively new entry here in the L.A. area -- KDOC (56) in Anaheim. The majority interest in this station is owned by (can you believe it?) Pat Boone! Yes, wholesome is the name for Pat. But once again, we get some interesting programs. These include several hours a day of Dr. Gene Scott (the guy who lost his license for KHOF (30) in the L.A. area -- more on him some other time), and such favorites as "Secret Agent" (yes, the show that led to "The Prisoner"), and, much to my original surprise, The Leonardo Lion (cartoon) Show. When this latter program popped up, I could feel old memories rapidly buzzing around. I hadn't seen the program for at least 15 years, but suddenly details came flooding back. This is the program that featured King Leonardo, who ruled a country called "Bongo Congo". Starting to sound familiar? Remember Tutor Turtle who used to go visit Mr. Wizard the Lizard in his little box? Tutor always wanted to be something he wasn't, or go back in history and do something important, or ... Mr. Wizard always obliged, but Tutor always got into trouble and ended up yelling for help -- leading Mr. Wizard to chant: Tweezle Tuzzle Twussle Twone Time for this one to come home... Come on! Some of you gotta remember this! --- Here's a couple that haven't been mentioned (I got lots of them). A very unusual animated program involved a humanoid robot with a human brain who normally pretended to be human, but became a more obvious robot when needed to perform various heroic tasks. The program had a very strange feel to it, and I haven't seen it for many years. It was called "8th Man". He was the "8th Man" because (rather like the M5 from Star Trek, I guess), robot versions 1 - 7 were not "entirely successful". In one episode of "8th Man', we meet number 7, and find out about some of the problems. The theme: There's a prehistoric monster, Who came from Outer Space. Created by the Martians, To destroy the human race. The FBI is helpless! It's twenty stories tall! What can we do -- who can we call? Call Tobar: the 8th man! Call Tobar: the 8th man! Faster than a rocket. Swifter than a jet. He's the mighty robot. He's the one to get. Call Tobar: the 8th man! Quick, call Tobar the mightiest robot of them all. --- I must look pretty silly sitting here singing these songs out loud to myself so that I can remember the lyrics... Of course, Jimmie Sparks might disagree with the last line of the previous song, since he had his *own* robot of which he was very proud, called (bongos needed for this one): Gigantor. Gigantor. Gigaaaaaaaaaaaantor. Gigantor the space age robot. He's at, your command. Gigantor the space age robot. His power is in your hands. Bigger than big. Taller than tall. Swifter than swift. Stronger than strong. Ready to fight for right, against wrong. Gigantor. Gigantor. Gigaaaaaaaaaaaantor. --- Enough for this installment. Get back to work, kiddies. --Lauren--