The Shows That Changed Television

Television’s progress as a creative medium began, arguably, with I Love Lucy, starring Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz.  When the television series about a ditzy redhead married to a Cuban bandleader premiered on CBS in 1951, it introduced the three-camera format...

1986

In the 1986 song Modern Woman, Billy Joel asks, “And after 1986, what else could be new?” Nothing, considering the return of two television legends whose personas were extraordinarily familiar. Andy Griffith debuted as Ben Matlock, a defense attorney...

Lucy Meets the Duke

When I Love Lucy utilized Hollywood as its setting, movie stars provided verisimilitude.  Lucy Ricardo, starstruck, attempted to meet them, often with hilarious results.  Guest stars included William Holden, Van Johnson, Richard Widmark, and Harpo Marx.  But...

Bacon Popularity Sizzles

“Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon” is a game that can be played anytime and anywhere by anybody.  It is, indeed, light enjoyment perfect for holiday conversation around the dinner table during dessert.  The game’s purpose is to connect an actor or an...

Nancy Sinatra, Jack Benny, and the Mod Generation

Jack Benny was an icon of 20th century comedy.  With an eponymous radio show and television show, he dominated comedy from the 1930s through the 1970s. Benny added to his credits with television specials.  Jack Benny’s New Look premiered on NBC on December 3,...