This week's edition of Blast from the Past is going to be a little bit rushed. We're preparing for a trip, and I don't have the focus, nor the energy to put in a text-heavy edition this week. So, here's a trip down memory lane, if you happen to have spent a significant time in front of a television between--oh--1975 to 1979. In no particular order. This, is what I mean by the whole concept of Blast from the past, when I distill it down. The era of That's 70s Show is the sweet spot of my pop culture brain.
For the record, that's Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, Three's Company, Soap, Charlie's Angels, Wonder Woman, The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman. These are the primary shows I really glommed onto as a kid, though thee were lots of others. And with that, you have a window into my childhood. And that will do it for now!
All summer long, we've been bombarded with promos for The Event, NBC's apparent replacement for Heroes, in the serialized sci-fi/adventure genre. They had me with Jason Ritter. I've always had a soft spot for his late father, John Ritter, having grown up on Three's Company. When I saw the younger Ritter's comedy The Class, I was an instant fan, and was sorry to see it cancelled so fast. Ever since then, I've been hoping he'd land on his feet in a good solid show. So is The Event that show?
Maybe. It has the non-linear storytelling so fashionable in these types of shows, bouncing between the present, a few minutes ago, several weeks ago, etc. It also has a little of Vantage Point thrown in, with the same scenes played out from different perspectives. What could come off as confusing or off-putting was handled pretty well. I never felt lost (though it felt a little like Lost). We didn't get to exactly what "the event" itself is, but have tantalizing clues, particularly right at the end of the episode.
The problem with shows of this type are many. The big reveal could be a letdown. The story could get too complex for new viewers to jump in. Or the show could be cancelled before anything is resolved. Last season's FlashForward had a lot of the same buzz The Event has gotten, and it flamed out in one season. But hey, I held on until the bitter end of that one, so with the assistance of the DVR, I'll probably do the same with this one. Unless they kill off Jason Ritter.
(Incidentally, I also caught Hawaii Five-O, and though I'm not going to write a seperate review, it was good. Very good. Great stunts, good looking actors, great theme. I predict: big hit.)
[Excerpt]
Television review: 'The Event'
Welcome back to the big leagues, NBC.
With Monday night's premiere of "The Event," the network that as recently as last year seemed hopelessly mired in creative and financial chaos has finally located a tent pole, a new show as big, brash and promising as "Heroes" was a few years back. . .
1st image from source, FOX "News"; 2nd image from Comedy.com
First, Three's Company star Joyce DeWitt (Janet) gets busted for driving while tipsy (surely a hilarious misunderstanding), and now Laverne & Shirley's "Big Ragu" Eddie Mekka (Carmine) finds himself in the same situation. Probably because Shirley still won't let him vo-dee-oh-doh-doh. I hope Anson Williams, Jimmy Baio and Pam Dawber all have designated drivers, because this looks to be an ABC 70s sitcom star epidemic.
[Excerpt]
'Laverne and Shirley' Star Eddie Mekka Arrested for DUI
The guy who played Carmine "The Big Ragoo" Ragusa on "Laverne and Shirley" was arrested last Friday in Las Vegas after he allegedly got into a drunken car crash. . .
Surely, there was just some sort of wacky misunderstanding. I just wonder if she got busted leaving the Regal Beagle or Jack's Bistro? I hope she's mended fences with Chrissy, since the rest of the gang is dead. Who's left to bail her out?
[Excerpt]
Three’s Company Star Joyce DeWitt Arrested
Joyce DeWitt who starred in the television series Three’s Company was arrested in Southern California on Saturday after driving under the influence. . .
My high school and college years happened in the 1980s, but I'll always consider myself a child of the 70s. I started getting interested in pop culture around 1976 or so. It was at this time that I got my first stereo, and started a record collection. I even had a nifty disco-light machine that flashed lights to the beat of the music.
But 70s television is where it was at for me. I knew every TV theme song, could name every star, and was more reliable than the TV Guide for time slots. Of course, even though we had a very rudimentary version of cable, we basically had three channels to choose from. And it was at this time, from 1976 to 1980 or so that ABC--a perennial ratings loser--had a ratings resurgence (or just a surgence?).
Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, Mork & Mindy, Soap, Love Boat, Fantasy Island, Starsky & Hutch, Hart to Hart, Charlie's Angels--they were all on ABC. And right in the mix, in fact near the top of it, was Three's Company. The show doesn't hold up well in reruns, but it was a classic in its day. When they wanted to do a special episode, they even brought in Lucille Ball for a tribute to the show.
But the key to the show's success was not the jiggly Suzanne Somers. It wasn't the smart, funny tomboy (and later ridiculous sexpot), Joyce DeWitt. It wasn't even the Ropers or Don Knotts' brilliant Ralph Furley. It was John Ritter. It was always, and to the end, John Ritter. He was good actor, a funny comedian, and an amazing physical comic. It didn't hurt that he was also boyishly handsome.
His untimely death at a relatively young age was very sad for this child of the 70s. And while I'm often suspicious of medical malpractice suits, this one was odd. How could a man in his 50s, with such a severe medical problem have been misdiagnosed for so long? So, I wish his wife good luck with the effort, and hope that it prevents similar fates for other unfortunate early deaths.
[Excerpt]
John Ritter's Medical Treatment Disputed
More than four years after his death, John Ritter's relatives are taking their $67 million lawsuit to trial Tuesday, claiming the actor would have survived if two doctors had recognized his heart abnormality and not treated it as a heart attack. . .
