mickie Posted September 28, 2015 Report Share Posted September 28, 2015 The Merv Griffin Show and The Judy Garland Show will becoming to GetTV every Monday night starting October 12,2015. We know we will see Lucy on Merv's show, only wish she could have done Judy's show - that would have been exciting. Here's a link announcing it: http://variety.com/2015/tv/news/merv-griffin-judy-garland-gettv-richard-pryor-1201604041/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mmadluv7 Posted September 30, 2015 Report Share Posted September 30, 2015 TERRIFIC NEWS!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Posted October 2, 2015 Report Share Posted October 2, 2015 The Merv Griffin Show and The Judy Garland Show will becoming to GetTV every Monday night starting October 12,2015. We know we will see Lucy on Merv's show, only wish she could have done Judy's show - that would have been exciting. Here's a link announcing it: http://variety.com/2015/tv/news/merv-griffin-judy-garland-gettv-richard-pryor-1201604041/ Lucy was supposedly in the audience for the taping of the first Judy Garland Show. they show shots of the audience but I can't find her. It being in b/w, you can't spot her hair. I see some other CBS celebs though The first episode is a delight with guest Mickey Rooney. The show starts out with a long overture very well shot with the orchestra onstage. CBS in their infinite "wisdom" chose instead to run a subsequent episode as the premiere. By the time of the TJGS debut, most of the production team had already been replaced, for no discernible reason. They ran the Mickey Rooney show some time in December which made the overture build-up a little odd. Judy ends the show with a killer rendition of "Old Man River". For a detailed anaylsis of TJGS I recommend the book by our own late great Steve Sanders (co-author of Desilu). One of the best books on the inner workings of show biz I've ever read. Skip Mel Torme's self-serving account, most of which is disputed in Steve's book via interviews of people who were there. The tremendous box set of TJGS DVD release includes outtakes and unused footage: everything the producers could get their hands on. The last time I checked it was out of print. Poor Judy: TJGS was supposed to give her financial independence. Instead it was her last high-water mark in the business. She lived 5 more years, kept on giving concerts but her personal life and health went steadily downhill. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freddie2 Posted October 2, 2015 Report Share Posted October 2, 2015 Lucy was supposedly in the audience for the taping of the first Judy Garland Show. they show shots of the audience but I can't find her. It being in b/w, you can't spot her hair. I see some other CBS celebs though The first episode is a delight with guest Mickey Rooney. The show starts out with a long overture very well shot with the orchestra onstage. CBS in their infinite "wisdom" chose instead to run a subsequent episode as the premiere. By the time of the TJGS debut, most of the production team had already been replaced, for no discernible reason. They ran the Mickey Rooney show some time in December which made the overture build-up a little odd. Judy ends the show with a killer rendition of "Old Man River". For a detailed anaylsis of TJGS I recommend the book by our own late great Steve Sanders (co-author of Desilu). One of the best books on the inner workings of show biz I've ever read. Skip Mel Torme's self-serving account, most of which is disputed in Steve's book via interviews of people who were there. The tremendous box set of TJGS DVD release includes outtakes and unused footage: everything the producers could get their hands on. The last time I checked it was out of print. Poor Judy: TJGS was supposed to give her financial independence. Instead it was her last high-water mark in the business. She lived 5 more years, kept on giving concerts but her personal life and health went steadily downhill.I remember reading that Lucy was at the first taping. I haven't seen much of the show besides a few clips here and there (Moon River, Smoke Gets In Your Eyes, Call Me Irresponsible, Make Someone Happy) but it seems very high quality and I love the black and white set design. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Posted October 3, 2015 Report Share Posted October 3, 2015 I discovered I Get Get-TV! So....... Me Antenna Get Cozi! (except I have cable) I checked the guide and there's no sign of these variety shows as far ahead as it will go. Will someone post when they actually debut? As I stated the backstage story of The Judy Garland Show is a fascinating one. After a couple of highly rated specials, all the networks courted her. When CBS got her, they seemed disenchanted with her right from the beginning which morphed into an intent on destroying her. (Jim Aubrey "smiling Cobra" comes off the worst in the book). You don't tell someone as fragile as Judy that she's doing it all wrong. They wanted to make her into Dinah Shore and Garry Moore and towards that end hired Jerry Van Dyke as her "sidekick". For the first 5 episodes, he's her bumbling announcer. Those producers were fired (and the show hadn't even aired yet) and then Jerry was made into a cost-conscious CBS executive. These shows were not run in order so some weeks he was one and then the other. The writing was DREADFUL with laugh lines like this...... Jerry : "What a nice little old lady like you doing on television?" . Judy performed the material as directed and gives it her all, but the comedy is kept to a minimum (a shame because she's very funny). TJGS presents some of the most electrifying moments of any variety series in the history of TV. But being so raw (and sometimes under-rehearsed) they're not all stellar. She had some great guests but was also saddled with some lesser CBS stars of the day: Zina Bethune, George Maharis. Mel "Tinker"Torme is in a few (and after his solo spots, I say "That waSTinky!) . There was talk of moving it from its Sunday night 9pm opposite #2 Bonanza to Mondays at 10 switching time slots with the critically acclaimed but floundering George C Scott "East Side West Side" which would have much more sense. Judy followed Ed Sullivan and maybe that was too much music/variety in the same evening. Seems like ESWS would have been more effective counter-programming to Bonanza. But the powers that be opted not and both were gone by the end of the season (Judy didn't even go into reruns). Was the enormous popularity of Bonanza solely because of Dan Blocker as Hoss? I can find nothing else to distinguish it from all those other TV Westerns that all had the same plots: the "widder" being taken advantage of by land barons, cattle rustling, nogoodnik comes into town seeking revenge.....what else?? But best of all TJGS gives us the concert-years-Judy at (maybe just slightly less than) her peak, the only permanent record of this period of her career. All in crystal clear black and white! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freddie2 Posted October 4, 2015 Report Share Posted October 4, 2015 GetTV's variety show block will start airing Monday, October 12th, with 8 PM reserved for The Judy Garland Show. 9 PM will feature a different variety special every week, with the 12ths selection being "The Carol Channing Pearl Bailey Special". 10 PM will be Merv Griffin. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Posted October 4, 2015 Report Share Posted October 4, 2015 Have they released a list of what the 9-10 variety specials will be? Maybe Lucy in London will get its SECOND network airing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryCarter Posted October 4, 2015 Report Share Posted October 4, 2015 Have they released a list of what the 9-10 variety specials will be? Maybe Lucy in London will get its SECOND network airing? It sounds like the variety specials will be ones that Paul Brownstein has the distribution rights to. Their press release says that other specials will feature Andy Williams, Jim Nabors, and Dionne Warwick. I hope they air more Carol Channing specials. The one I've never seen is Carol Channing Proudly Presents The Seven Deadly Sins with Carol Burnett. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mickie Posted October 5, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 5, 2015 Yes, Neil you are correct, Lucy was at the taping of the first show. There also pics of Judy and Lucy together after the show. CBS did make a mistake and not air the premiere episode until December and Judy's version of Old Man River is one of her best ever numbers. I too loved Steve's book on this show and of course Desilu. I met him back in 2011 and spent some time with him and he was a great man. He told me a lot of about Judy and Lucy. I miss him and wish he was here to enjoy the show being broadcast on television again. GetTV has not said about what specials will be on in the 9pm hour. They did mention a few but Lucy in London would be a great idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freddie2 Posted October 10, 2015 Report Share Posted October 10, 2015 MeTV's 9:00 special next week will be a compilation called "Andy Williams: My Favorite Duets". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mickie Posted October 12, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 12, 2015 I think you mean GetTV's 9 pm special next week 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Posted October 13, 2015 Report Share Posted October 13, 2015 I've never seen the special run between 9 and 10 "Carol Channing and Pearl Bailey". Carol mentions that Pearl is now on Broadway in hello Dolly, so it's either 1967 or Pearl's brief revival in the 70s. It's too bad Pearl came along so late with her variety show because she has that naturalness that made Dinah Shore and Carol Burnett such great hosts. And like Carol, she has a real rapport with the live audience. Pearl's "Pearl Bailey Show" was hampered by being a mid-season replacement on ABC and debuted at a time when variety shows were falling out of fashion. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Posted October 13, 2015 Report Share Posted October 13, 2015 I've never seen the special run between 9 and 10 "Carol Channing and Pearl Bailey". Carol mentions that Pearl is now on Broadway in hello Dolly, so it's either 1967 or Pearl's brief revival in the 70s. It's too bad Pearl came along so late with her variety show because she has that naturalness that made Dinah Shore and Carol Burnett such great hosts. And like Carol, she has a real rapport with the live audience. Pearl's "Pearl Bailey Show" was hampered by being a mid-season replacement on ABC and debuted at a time when variety shows were falling out of fashion. It didn't help Pearl's chances that her show was scheduled opposite 2 Top 20 programs: My Three Sons and Adam-12. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freddie2 Posted October 13, 2015 Report Share Posted October 13, 2015 Since we recently moved, none of the TVs in the house are hooked up to any form of a satellite or antenna, so I begrudgingly missed the variety shows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted October 13, 2015 Report Share Posted October 13, 2015 Since we recently moved, none of the TVs in the house are hooked up to any form of a satellite or antenna, so I begrudgingly missed the variety shows. PFFT. When we moved, I insisted on leaving school early to make sure I was home in time to supervise the cable installation and TV set up before Lucy & Viv Become Tycoons unspooled on CTS! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryCarter Posted October 17, 2015 Report Share Posted October 17, 2015 A promo on GetTV says that the 1973 Lucy and family Merv Griffin Show will be on Monday. The channel website says it will be Sammy and Altovise Davis, Totie Fields, and Abbe Lane. GetTV will also be showing Her Husband's Affairs and the 2003 Lucy TV movie that day, so it would make sense to air the Lucy Merv Griffin Show that day. I guess we'll just have to see what actually ends up airing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mickie Posted November 3, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 3, 2015 It never happened, they showed the Sammy Davis show that night but I am hoping they do air the 73 show soon. It was one of his best shows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvsbway Posted November 3, 2015 Report Share Posted November 3, 2015 Well that is good news for me. Rumor is we might be getting Get-TV in my market as my station is doing some subchanel reshuffling and are dumping Retro Tv. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mickie Posted November 3, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 3, 2015 I hope you get the channel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Posted November 7, 2015 Report Share Posted November 7, 2015 Last Monday's Merv Griffin guests: A b/w show from New York probably late 1965: Oscar Levant, Roddy McDowell and Carol Burnett who came on last and talked about how excited she was to finally work with Lucy in the upcoming special. Oscar interrupted to say he once dated Lucy. He had heard she was tough "At a photo session the photographer make a pass at her and she pulled out a gun. When I picked her up, I said "I'm afraid I'm going to have to frisk you." Went on to say "She's a wonderful girl...woman..no she's still a girl". Oscar was 5 years older than Lucy. Carol proclaimed Lucy her very favorite and she's had two sleepless nights so excited about the special. Carol also talked about her plans to "try out some TV material in a Las Vegas act". I've never heard of this. Wonder if she did it. So glad Get is showing these. My only regret is that they're showing the 60 minute versions which were offered to stations as well as the full 90 minute show. It was an era when talk shows were just that, not as frenetic as they are now. Merv is very underrated. He's knowledgable (and not just about show biz), makes his guests feel comfortable, gets in a funny line but mainly makes his guests shine in the best possible light. I missed the era of Oscar Levant who made a latter career out of his psychosis and hypochondria. Died in 72 at age 66. Fully acknowledging that he had ben in asylums off and on. He was one of those frequent Jack Paar guests in the late 50s. By this time ('65) he had developed the shakes and a persistent eye twitch but still a wit. They'll never be another era of this type of personality. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryCarter Posted January 26, 2016 Report Share Posted January 26, 2016 The Merv Griffin Show with Lucy and family from 1973 will air on Monday, February 8 at 10:00pm. It is preceded by one of my all time favorite variety shows Dick Van Dyke and the Other Woman with Mary Tyler Moore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvsbway Posted January 26, 2016 Report Share Posted January 26, 2016 So happy to see this. As of Feb 1st I now will have Get TV. Do you know if this is the hour or 1 1/2 hour version? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryCarter Posted January 26, 2016 Report Share Posted January 26, 2016 So happy to see this. As of Feb 1st I now will have Get TV. Do you know if this is the hour or 1 1/2 hour version? This was originally a 90 minute show that has been edited to fit an hour long timeslot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freddie2 Posted January 26, 2016 Report Share Posted January 26, 2016 Wasn't DVD and The Other Woman what persuaded CBS to give MTM her own show? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryCarter Posted January 26, 2016 Report Share Posted January 26, 2016 Wasn't DVD and The Other Woman what persuaded CBS to give MTM her own show? Yes. It is a fantastic showcase for her. Last night Get showed a terrific Merv Griffin Show with Carol Channing on the eve of her leaving the original production of Hello, Dolly!. Carol was at her funniest. An added bonus was they did a lot of exterior filming on 44th Street showing the marquees of the Broadway shows playing at the time like Dolly, Golden Boy, and Half a Sixpence. This was just a couple of weeks after Lucy and Steve Lawrence went down the street on their elephant. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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