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CBS on the Air


Neil
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It's hard to imagine the logistics of getting all these stars together at one venue.  (Gene Hibbs must have been busy). This was the opening of the weeklong "CBS on the Air" series of specials--which was 1977 or 1978.   Each night featured clips from shows the ran on that night during its run on CBS.  The special ended on Saturday with all these stars arranged in alphabetical order standing on the balcony that overlooks the TV City parking lot.  The camera pans from right to left in reverse alphabetical order.

Missing: Andy Griffith, Don Knotts, Jackie Gleason and DESI ARNAZ.  Anyone else?

Least changed from their heydays: Allen Funt , Eva Gabor and Arlene Francis.

Watch Ann Sothern enter and fling her boa over her shoulder.

Some "stars" might not be remembered.  CBS included stars of its current season, some of which only lasted the year "On Our Own" with Bess Armstrong and Linnie Greene, for one.

 

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I never get tired of watching this!

 

Andy Griffith and Don Knotts are both there. Jackie Gleason supposedly declined to appear. I'm not sure what his reasoning was exactly. I've always wondering if Desi and Lucy had some kind of agreement that they wouldn't appear on camera together. If Desi was there, he and Lucy would have been almost next to each other with only Bea Arthur separating them. It's such a shame Desi wasn't there. Two stars who weren't able to participate were Cher and Cloris Leachman. Cher was sick that day and Cloris had just signed a contract with ABC, who refused to let her appear despite her pleads.

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It's hard to imagine the logistics of getting all these stars together at one venue.  (Gene Hibbs must have been busy). This was the opening of the weeklong "CBS on the Air" series of specials--which was 1977 or 1978.   Each night featured clips from shows the ran on that night during its run on CBS.  The special ended on Saturday with all these stars arranged in alphabetical order standing on the balcony that overlooks the TV City parking lot.  The camera pans from right to left in reverse alphabetical order.

Missing: Andy Griffith, Don Knotts, Jackie Gleason and DESI ARNAZ.  Anyone else?

Least changed from their heydays: Allen Funt , Eva Gabor and Arlene Francis.

Watch Ann Sothern enter and fling her boa over her shoulder.

Some "stars" might not be remembered.  CBS included stars of its current season, some of which only lasted the year "On Our Own" with Bess Armstrong and Linnie Greene, for one.

 

Oh i just love this show and watch it often, Lucy's part was with George Burns, right?  How about that funny bit with Lucy and Bea, that was from this, right?  You're wrong about Griffith and Knotts, both were there in that group shot at the end.

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It's hard to imagine the logistics of getting all these stars together at one venue.  (Gene Hibbs must have been busy). This was the opening of the weeklong "CBS on the Air" series of specials--which was 1977 or 1978.   Each night featured clips from shows the ran on that night during its run on CBS.  The special ended on Saturday with all these stars arranged in alphabetical order standing on the balcony that overlooks the TV City parking lot.  The camera pans from right to left in reverse alphabetical order.

Missing: Andy Griffith, Don Knotts, Jackie Gleason and DESI ARNAZ.  Anyone else?

Least changed from their heydays: Allen Funt , Eva Gabor and Arlene Francis.

Watch Ann Sothern enter and fling her boa over her shoulder.

Some "stars" might not be remembered.  CBS included stars of its current season, some of which only lasted the year "On Our Own" with Bess Armstrong and Linnie Greene, for one.

 

 

 

Neil:  THANKS SO MUCH for posting this - I'm  shedding tears - again; imagine how few of those appearing are still alive; less than two handfuls, I imagine.  I appreciate it - Loving you, JK

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  • 1 year later...

This was a great week.  Each night an hour special was devoted to shows that aired on that night.  You have to remember: this was pre-cable, pre-VHS.  A lot of these shows from the 50s I had only heard about.  Plus that great gathering of all those stars at CBS Television Center.  The logistics!  I'm sure Gene Hibbs was running from dressing room to dressing room, pulling and tightening.   Missing from the stars making their entrances on Sunday: one Desi Arnaz.  My favorite entrance: Ann Sothern tossing a fur over her shoulder.  Normally with these shows, I wish they'd just dispense with the production numbers and get right to the clips, but the exception was this one with Lucy and Bea.  Pretty clever editing, so no audience but what canned response!  Bea was certainly no dancer.  What Lucy lacked in technical dancing skill, she made up for in grace and elegance.  Very rare that Lucy stood next to another woman and was shorter. 

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This was a great week.  Each night an hour special was devoted to shows that aired on that night.  You have to remember: this was pre-cable, pre-VHS.  A lot of these shows from the 50s I had only heard about.  Plus that great gathering of all those stars at CBS Television Center.  The logistics!  I'm sure Gene Hibbs was running from dressing room to dressing room, pulling and tightening.   Missing from the stars making their entrances on Sunday: one Desi Arnaz.  My favorite entrance: Ann Sothern tossing a fur over her shoulder.  Normally with these shows, I wish they'd just dispense with the production numbers and get right to the clips, but the exception was this one with Lucy and Bea.  Pretty clever editing, so no audience but what canned response!  Bea was certainly no dancer.  What Lucy lacked in technical dancing skill, she made up for in grace and elegance.  Very rare that Lucy stood next to another woman and was shorter. 

 

Didn't check your source, but for a YouTube video the video looks GREAT! Not the usual washed out, you could tell-it-came-from-an-old-VHS-tape copy uploaded to YT!! Loved this number and would also love to see it in its entirety again, it was that good -- not to mention historical.  Look how many involved then are no longer with us, so many of our favorites, especially most of my "favorite ladies": Lucy, Bea, Mary, Viv, Ann, etc. etc. etc.  

 

Time marching on HURTS!  But still...such a great "time capsule" of the era!  And speaking of the era....

 

Not sure how you could get this iconic phrase so wrong (especially in this internet era when spelling, etc. is so easily checked, verified etc.) but the famous, familiar announcer intoned at the top of several popular shows of the day (i.e. All in the Family, (early) Maude, Carol Burnett Show, etc. etc.), "From Television City in Hollywood..."... :blink: [There is a CBS Studio Center, of late referred to as CBS Radford but it's in the (San Fernando) Valley "over the hill" and nowhere near the Fairfax District facility!]

 

Since we're talking history here, let's try and get it RIGHT!  :peachonthebeach:

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Didn't check your source, but for a YouTube video the video looks GREAT! Not the usual washed out, you could tell-it-came-from-an-old-VHS-tape copy uploaded to YT!! Loved this number and would also love to see it in its entirety again, it was that good -- not to mention historical.  Look how many involved then are no longer with us, so many of our favorites, especially most of my "favorite ladies": Lucy, Bea, Mary, Viv, Ann, etc. etc. etc.  

 

Time marching on HURTS!  But still...such a great "time capsule" of the era!  And speaking of the era....

 

Not sure how you could get this iconic phrase so wrong (especially in this internet era when spelling, etc. is so easily checked, verified etc.) but the famous, familiar announcer intoned at the top of several popular shows of the day (i.e. All in the Family, (early) Maude, Carol Burnett Show, etc. etc.), "From Television City in Hollywood..."... :blink: [There is a CBS Studio Center, of late referred to as CBS Radford but it's in the (San Fernando) Valley "over the hill" and nowhere near the Fairfax District facility!]

 

Since we're talking history here, let's try and get it RIGHT!  :peachonthebeach:

 

By George, you're right.  With your fact-checking skills, we oughta make you board historian.  All those in favor of making Joey board historian say "aye'.  Motion carried, meeting adjourned, get the coffee Viv....

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Oh i just love this show and watch it often, Lucy's part was with George Burns, right?  How about that funny bit with Lucy and Bea, that was from this, right?  You're wrong about Griffith and Knotts, both were there in that group shot at the end.

That was really great to see again -  I remember watching it back in '78.

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