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Pioneers of Television - The Soon-to-be-Broadcast 'Season 3' is Scheduled for DVD: Lucy & Carol & Betty!


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PioneersOfTelevision_S3.jpg

The third season of this Emmy-nominated series reveals intriguing behind-the-scenes stories and fascinating facts about television shows and programming genres that continue to influence the medium today. New interviews with legendary stars and never-before-seen images mix with timeless footage that still entertains viewers decades later. Kelsey Grammer returns as narrator.


  •  

It's not even on the air yet, but it 's already on the home video calendar! PBS has scheduled a March 12th release date for Pioneers of Television - Season 3 on DVD. Priced at $24.99, you'll get 4 new episodes plus some new bonus material on 2 discs. English subtitles are include. Here's a list of all the content and extras, plus a pre-order link and the package art:

  • Funny Ladies - This episode offers surprising new insights about television's most-beloved variety star Carol Burnett. Funny Ladies also looks at the backstory behind Lucille Ball's breakthrough, I Love Lucy and the sitcom stars who followed, including Mary Tyler Moore, Betty White and Marla Gibbs. Featured television standups include Joan Rivers and the late Phyllis Diller...whose final interview was for this episode. The episode also includes interviews with contemporary actresses Tina Fey and Margaret Cho.
  • Primetime Soaps - Dallas and Dynasty kicked off the nighttime soap frenzy in the late 1970s, a phenomenon that continued through the last season of Knots Landing in 1993. Interviewees in this episode include Larry Hagman, Joan Collins, Linda Evans, Diahann Carroll, Linda Gray, Patrick Duffy, Michele Lee, Joan Van Ark, and Donna Mills.
  • Superheroes - Superheroes crosses many eras: Superman in the 1950s, Batman in the '60s, Wonder Woman and The Incredible Hulk in the '70s, and The Greatest American Hero in the '80s. The episode features in-depth interviews with Adam West, Burt Ward, Julie Newmar, Lynda Carter, Lou Ferrigno, William Katt, and others.
  • Miniseries - Miniseries still rank among the top-rated programs in television history. Roots was the biggest...interviewees about that groundbreaking series include LeVar Burton, Louis Gossett Jr., Leslie Uggams, Ben Vereen, John Amos, Georg Stanford Brown, and Ed Asner. This episode also considers the very first miniseries, Rich Man, Poor Man, as stars Peter Strauss and Susan Blakely offer fresh insights. All of the key stars from the landmark miniseries The Thorn Birds appear.
  • Special Bonus Features for Disc #1 include:
    • The time Carol Burnett fired Harvey Korman
    • When Maria Gibbs fired D.L. Hughley
    • Larry Hagman opens up about Carroll O'Connor's influence
    • When Dynasty jumped the shark

    [*]Special Bonus Features for Disc #2 include:

    • Adam West makes his case to be in the next Batman movie
    • Burt Ward's origin story
    • Louis Gossett Jr. on the impact of receiving an Oscar
    • How John Amos' African accent almost got him killed

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Isn't this the PBS show that already aired? I enjoyed it but was a little disappointed that they relied on public domain footage for the Lucy segments. Don't know if they did the same with the others. Lucy started out with a Lucy Show clip (Lucy and viv in the shower).

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Isn't this the PBS show that already aired? I enjoyed it but was a little disappointed that they relied on public domain footage for the Lucy segments. Don't know if they did the same with the others. Lucy started out with a Lucy Show clip (Lucy and viv in the shower).

 

This is a sequel to the Pioneers of Television documentary series that aired a few years ago. They've been working on these for years. I think Red Skelton was interviewed for it before he died.

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Isn't this the PBS show that already aired? I enjoyed it but was a little disappointed that they relied on public domain footage for the Lucy segments. Don't know if they did the same with the others. Lucy started out with a Lucy Show clip (Lucy and viv in the shower).

Never enough Lucy to satisfy me in these THINGS, after all, she was the medium's BIGGEST STAR for decades.
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PioneersOfTelevision_S3.jpg

The third season of this Emmy-nominated series reveals intriguing behind-the-scenes stories and fascinating facts about television shows and programming genres that continue to influence the medium today. New interviews with legendary stars and never-before-seen images mix with timeless footage that still entertains viewers decades later. Kelsey Grammer returns as narrator.


  •  

It's not even on the air yet, but it 's already on the home video calendar! PBS has scheduled a March 12th release date for Pioneers of Television - Season 3 on DVD. Priced at $24.99, you'll get 4 new episodes plus some new bonus material on 2 discs. English subtitles are include. Here's a list of all the content and extras, plus a pre-order link and the package art:

  • Funny Ladies - This episode offers surprising new insights about television's most-beloved variety star Carol Burnett. Funny Ladies also looks at the backstory behind Lucille Ball's breakthrough, I Love Lucy and the sitcom stars who followed, including Mary Tyler Moore, Betty White and Marla Gibbs. Featured television standups include Joan Rivers and the late Phyllis Diller...whose final interview was for this episode. The episode also includes interviews with contemporary actresses Tina Fey and Margaret Cho.
  • Primetime Soaps - Dallas and Dynasty kicked off the nighttime soap frenzy in the late 1970s, a phenomenon that continued through the last season of Knots Landing in 1993. Interviewees in this episode include Larry Hagman, Joan Collins, Linda Evans, Diahann Carroll, Linda Gray, Patrick Duffy, Michele Lee, Joan Van Ark, and Donna Mills.
  • Superheroes - Superheroes crosses many eras: Superman in the 1950s, Batman in the '60s, Wonder Woman and The Incredible Hulk in the '70s, and The Greatest American Hero in the '80s. The episode features in-depth interviews with Adam West, Burt Ward, Julie Newmar, Lynda Carter, Lou Ferrigno, William Katt, and others.
  • Miniseries - Miniseries still rank among the top-rated programs in television history. Roots was the biggest...interviewees about that groundbreaking series include LeVar Burton, Louis Gossett Jr., Leslie Uggams, Ben Vereen, John Amos, Georg Stanford Brown, and Ed Asner. This episode also considers the very first miniseries, Rich Man, Poor Man, as stars Peter Strauss and Susan Blakely offer fresh insights. All of the key stars from the landmark miniseries The Thorn Birds appear.
  • Special Bonus Features for Disc #1 include:
    • The time Carol Burnett fired Harvey Korman
    • When Maria Gibbs fired D.L. Hughley
    • Larry Hagman opens up about Carroll O'Connor's influence
    • When Dynasty jumped the shark

    [*]Special Bonus Features for Disc #2 include:

    • Adam West makes his case to be in the next Batman movie
    • Burt Ward's origin story
    • Louis Gossett Jr. on the impact of receiving an Oscar
    • How John Amos' African accent almost got him killed

Wow, I love this and her expression on the cover is so regal! beautiful!

Im also interested to see how they include Marla Gibbs, who I always thought was directly inspired by Lucy.

 

Wanna hear a fun story?

I had a High school report to do that consisted of me interviewing some one in the field or profession Id like to work in one day- so I was stumped, no one I knew worked any where near entertainment!

Well, there was that show my aunt Lisa put on, but that was only for sailors-ANYWAY

One day, my grandmother asked me if Id like to go to a dinner at Marla Gibbs club/restaurant where we would also meet her. I was ecstatic! I LOVED "maaaaaarrrrryyyyyy" I also put two n two together and thought, 'THIS IS THE PERSON I CAN INTERVIEW!!' Well, a few weeks went by and by the time of the dinner I had a terrible cold, and my grandmother didnt want me to go out- so I stayed home-I was heart broken!

well later on that day, the phone rang, and this BEAUTIFUL SPEAKING VOICE said over the phone

"Hi!, can I speak to LaMarr?"

"Speaking"

"Hello there, this is Marla Gibbs! your grandmother told me you were looking forward to meeting me, thats so sweet of you" she kinda chuckled like an impressed teacher would looking at one of her well trained pupils.

 

I forget the talk in between, she asked me how I was, and to make sure to drink orange juice, that I remember, but THIS is what stuck out!:

 

SHE SAYS, ;"now, lets see what questions you have for me"

Im like, huh? is she gonna give the phone to my grandmother?

 

SHE STARTS READING OFF MY LITTLE 5 questions!!!! MY GRANDMOTHER TOOK A COPY OF MY QUESTIONS I TYPED UP AND TOOK THEM TO HER TO ANSWER!! (that was my angel, that lady!)

 

Now to the tie with Lucy- One of the questions said something like 'Lucy Ricardoish character', and she giggled. THAT I remember, she read it, stopped at the Lucy part, and giggled- almost as if I gave her a compliment.

The rest of the questions I forgot, and she was just as gracious getting off the phone as she was getting on- but she was a doll, and Im sure she still is!

 

I always KNEW she had a comparison to Lucy in her character at times, and like Lucy, she was cute being so innocent but so scheming.

 

ok, sorry for the essay lolol Ive always wanted to tell my Marla n Lucy story! lol I never thought Id ever be able to tell it beyond my family lolol

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I loved reading your encounter with May-reee. Great story!

 

thanks, (putting up scouts honor like Lucy) I swear. lol

It was so nice, I still remember getting up outta bed, excited, but I kept trembling cus my feet were ICE COLD lol I was hoping up n down, cus this was Marla Gibbs! lol funny how stuff like this comes around lol

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Wow, I love this and her expression on the cover is so regal! beautiful!

Im also interested to see how they include Marla Gibbs, who I always thought was directly inspired by Lucy.

 

Wanna hear a fun story?

I had a High school report to do that consisted of me interviewing some one in the field or profession Id like to work in one day- so I was stumped, no one I knew worked any where near entertainment!

Well, there was that show my aunt Lisa put on, but that was only for sailors-ANYWAY

One day, my grandmother asked me if Id like to go to a dinner at Marla Gibbs club/restaurant where we would also meet her. I was ecstatic! I LOVED "maaaaaarrrrryyyyyy" I also put two n two together and thought, 'THIS IS THE PERSON I CAN INTERVIEW!!' Well, a few weeks went by and by the time of the dinner I had a terrible cold, and my grandmother didnt want me to go out- so I stayed home-I was heart broken!

well later on that day, the phone rang, and this BEAUTIFUL SPEAKING VOICE said over the phone

"Hi!, can I speak to LaMarr?"

"Speaking"

"Hello there, this is Marla Gibbs! your grandmother told me you were looking forward to meeting me, thats so sweet of you" she kinda chuckled like an impressed teacher would looking at one of her well trained pupils.

 

I forget the talk in between, she asked me how I was, and to make sure to drink orange juice, that I remember, but THIS is what stuck out!:

 

SHE SAYS, ;"now, lets see what questions you have for me"

Im like, huh? is she gonna give the phone to my grandmother?

 

SHE STARTS READING OFF MY LITTLE 5 questions!!!! MY GRANDMOTHER TOOK A COPY OF MY QUESTIONS I TYPED UP AND TOOK THEM TO HER TO ANSWER!! (that was my angel, that lady!)

 

Now to the tie with Lucy- One of the questions said something like 'Lucy Ricardoish character', and she giggled. THAT I remember, she read it, stopped at the Lucy part, and giggled- almost as if I gave her a compliment.

The rest of the questions I forgot, and she was just as gracious getting off the phone as she was getting on- but she was a doll, and Im sure she still is!

 

I always KNEW she had a comparison to Lucy in her character at times, and like Lucy, she was cute being so innocent but so scheming.

 

ok, sorry for the essay lolol Ive always wanted to tell my Marla n Lucy story! lol I never thought Id ever be able to tell it beyond my family lolol

Great story Lam.
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That was interesting about Marla Gibbs, and it sparks a memory. I recall reading somewhere--it could've been in the Desilu book, since I read that cover to cover many times right after its release--but there was a section where Lucy was teaching some classes about comedy. I assume they were at a college, but I seem to remember they were at night. Anyway, there was an actress taking one of these classes, someone described by Lucy as flavor of the month and very full of herself (that's not a direct quote, but the gist), and she was also a supporting player on a very popular sitcom of the day. Lucy apparently put this person "in her place" during one of the classes, and for some reason, I always thought it was Marla Gibbs!

 

I realize this is vague, but I'm sure someone here knows (in more detail) what I'm referring to. Can anyone fill in the blanks? Thanks!

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That was interesting about Marla Gibbs, and it sparks a memory. I recall reading somewhere--it could've been in the Desilu book, since I read that cover to cover many times right after its release--but there was a section where Lucy was teaching some classes about comedy. I assume they were at a college, but I seem to remember they were at night. Anyway, there was an actress taking one of these classes, someone described by Lucy as flavor of the month and very full of herself (that's not a direct quote, but the gist), and she was also a supporting player on a very popular sitcom of the day. Lucy apparently put this person "in her place" during one of the classes, and for some reason, I always thought it was Marla Gibbs!

 

I realize this is vague, but I'm sure someone here knows (in more detail) what I'm referring to. Can anyone fill in the blanks? Thanks!

 

The story goes from the people that were there that the one Lucy dressed down was Shirley Hemphill of "What's Happening!!" fame.

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Aaah! Thanks for the info! Shirley Hemphill? That makes sense--"What's Happening" was big for a while. But her career definitely went nowhere after that, and I do believe she passed away at a relatively young age.

 

She passed due to kidney failure brought on by diabetes. Her co star Mabel King died the same year due to diabetes as well.

Its said that she and Lucy clashed in the class-the story I heard was:

 

Shirley got into one of Lucys acting course, but at that time, had been doing some small parts on TV and mostly stand up for a in the L.A. area and was used to her way of comedic timing and delivering lines.

When Lucy went on to give advice in the class, Shirley couldn't grasp it and challenged it. I think Shirley left the class after their small spat,

Lucy predicted that she would never make it in the business with that "Know it all" attitude. Later she did find a lot of success in the short lived show mentioned above, but she later HAD TO DEVELOP the different type of comedic timing and delivery that Lucy mentioned before, for television. Im sure later, she appreciated Lucy's advice and had to take it into consideration if she worked up until the same year she passed with kidney problems.

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This is a sequel to the Pioneers of Television documentary series that aired a few years ago. They've been working on these for years. I think Red Skelton was interviewed for it before he died.

 

Harry:

About your pictures: are you going to do a video with all 144 "Starring Lucille Ball" closing credit stills?

Your montage: I recognize the shot from "Liberace" and how nice this hair style looked on her.

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She passed due to kidney failure brought on by diabetes. Her co star Mabel King died the same year due to diabetes as well.

Its said that she and Lucy clashed in the class-the story I heard was:

 

Shirley got into one of Lucys acting course, but at that time, had been doing some small parts on TV and mostly stand up for a in the L.A. area and was used to her way of comedic timing and delivering lines.

When Lucy went on to give advice in the class, Shirley couldn't grasp it and challenged it. I think Shirley left the class after their small spat,

Lucy predicted that she would never make it in the business with that "Know it all" attitude. Later she did find a lot of success in the short lived show mentioned above, but she later HAD TO DEVELOP the different type of comedic timing and delivery that Lucy mentioned before, for television. Im sure later, she appreciated Lucy's advice and had to take it into consideration if she worked up until the same year she passed with kidney problems.

I think Lucy said she was showing off for everybody in class, Lucy told her off in public and in private too. Then i think Lucy told her if you can't stop showing off, don't show up here anymire, and Shirley did indeed stop going.
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Harry:

About your pictures: are you going to do a video with all 144 "Starring Lucille Ball" closing credit stills?

Your montage: I recognize the shot from "Liberace" and how nice this hair style looked on her.

 

I wonder who chose the end credit pictures because they typically did a terrible job. The pictures are almost always unflattering of everyone. I just chose some of my favorites for my montage.

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I wonder who chose the end credit pictures because they typically did a terrible job. The pictures are almost always unflattering of everyone. I just chose some of my favorites for my montage.

 

Most notably Ginger Rogers' credit card, in which she mysteriously looks like a menacing lunatic terrorizing the Carter living room.

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Shirley Hemphill got her own series, following the cancellation of the original What's Happening. She starred in One In a Million, a short-lived series in 1980.

I believe the first person to break this story was Jim Brochu in his LUCY IN THE AFTERNOON book; he didn't mention Shirley by name perhaps out of courtesy due to the fact thathe was alive at the time (though that didn't stop him from adding the juicy Cesar Romero and Yvonne De Carlo stories :lucythrill: ); I thought it was Shirley the from the first time I read the book. She had done some tv things already and I think Jim wrote she was bragging on herself or something and Lucy shot her down. I actually kind of hate that story though because Lucy's "bluntness" could go a little too far as we know.

 

Interesting, I remember interviews with Shirley at the time of "One in a Million" where she stated that series was created for Desi Arnaz :lucyhorror: before the producers decided to give the part a race/sex change.

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Wow, I love this and her expression on the cover is so regal! beautiful!

Im also interested to see how they include Marla Gibbs, who I always thought was directly inspired by Lucy.

 

Wanna hear a fun story?

I had a High school report to do that consisted of me interviewing some one in the field or profession Id like to work in one day- so I was stumped, no one I knew worked any where near entertainment!

Well, there was that show my aunt Lisa put on, but that was only for sailors-ANYWAY

One day, my grandmother asked me if Id like to go to a dinner at Marla Gibbs club/restaurant where we would also meet her. I was ecstatic! I LOVED "maaaaaarrrrryyyyyy" I also put two n two together and thought, 'THIS IS THE PERSON I CAN INTERVIEW!!' Well, a few weeks went by and by the time of the dinner I had a terrible cold, and my grandmother didnt want me to go out- so I stayed home-I was heart broken!

well later on that day, the phone rang, and this BEAUTIFUL SPEAKING VOICE said over the phone

"Hi!, can I speak to LaMarr?"

"Speaking"

"Hello there, this is Marla Gibbs! your grandmother told me you were looking forward to meeting me, thats so sweet of you" she kinda chuckled like an impressed teacher would looking at one of her well trained pupils.

 

I forget the talk in between, she asked me how I was, and to make sure to drink orange juice, that I remember, but THIS is what stuck out!:

 

SHE SAYS, ;"now, lets see what questions you have for me"

Im like, huh? is she gonna give the phone to my grandmother?

 

SHE STARTS READING OFF MY LITTLE 5 questions!!!! MY GRANDMOTHER TOOK A COPY OF MY QUESTIONS I TYPED UP AND TOOK THEM TO HER TO ANSWER!! (that was my angel, that lady!)

 

Now to the tie with Lucy- One of the questions said something like 'Lucy Ricardoish character', and she giggled. THAT I remember, she read it, stopped at the Lucy part, and giggled- almost as if I gave her a compliment.

The rest of the questions I forgot, and she was just as gracious getting off the phone as she was getting on- but she was a doll, and Im sure she still is!

 

I always KNEW she had a comparison to Lucy in her character at times, and like Lucy, she was cute being so innocent but so scheming.

 

ok, sorry for the essay lolol Ive always wanted to tell my Marla n Lucy story! lol I never thought Id ever be able to tell it beyond my family lolol

Great story, Lamarr!! ]And yes, grandmas are the best! Amazing what they'll do for their grandkids. Sure miss mine...sigh. Oh well, congrats and thanks for sharing that lovely story! ;)

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I believe the first person to break this story was Jim Brochu in his LUCY IN THE AFTERNOON book; he didn't mention Shirley by name perhaps out of courtesy due to the fact thathe was alive at the time (though that didn't stop him from adding the juicy Cesar Romero and Yvonne De Carlo stories :lucythrill: ); I thought it was Shirley the from the first time I read the book. She had done some tv things already and I think Jim wrote she was bragging on herself or something and Lucy shot her down. I actually kind of hate that story though because Lucy's "bluntness" could go a little too far as we know.

 

It wasn't that big a deal, Lucy was there to teach a course and this lady kept interrupting to show off, so Lucy told her to stop doing that or stop coming to class and she told her off privately also. It wasn't like it only happened once, Shirl kept doing it over and over.
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