OCR Text |
Show tv's debts and credits iwiftcMmst by Jerry Buck Associated Press Writer SC invested million and several years in Flip Wilson and it paid off in the brightest and biggest hit of the season. Here were a few of the $1 other highlights: --CBS's Family, in the about the life of All a bigot, complete with all the epithets and expletives, added a new dimension and maturity to television situation comedy. It also was a much-neede- d antidote to the abundance of insipid family situation-er- s on the air. Carroll OConnor delivered a remarkable portrayal of the bigot, Archie Bunker. Selling of the Pentagon, from CBS News, a brilliant instance of enterprise reporting in e itself, became a cause that focused attention on the issue of government controls over broadcast journalism. CBS is resisting a congressional subpoena for the material not used in making the docuThe cel-ebr- mentary. Two new shows, ABCs The Odd Couple and CBSs Mary Tyler Moore served the unique Show, function of putting comedy back into situation comedy. The Senator, seen on NBCs week third every The manBold Ones, enterto both be aged taining and pertinent, no small achievement in a season in which relevance proved to be irrelevant. Hal Holbrook, as Sen. Hayes Stowe, was begin- ning to look like presiden- tial timbre when the series was cancelled. (The series not seen in the Utah area). Hot Dog skillfully blanded humor with a dash of education in the most innovative program on childrens commercial television. It also was the year the networks consulted their crystal balls and believed that what the public was waiting for were programs with relevant themes. So, there were shows packed with meaning, fraught with issues, overly conscious of and totally lackyouth in The entertainment. ing youthful audience such was supposed to attract never materialized and the over-3- 0 group stayed away from such fare shows in droves. By midseason. relevance was no longer now and put back on the shelf. w-a- s IT WASNT that the public wasnt buying relevance they just werent buying it when it w?as hung as w in dow dressing on the same old merchandise. the This past season the before season full last in the cutback prime-tim- e ends the regular netfall work appearances of such veteran performers as Ed Sullivan, Lawrence Welk, and Red Skelton. The comeback attempts of Andy Griffith and Danny Thomas ended in failure. The made - for - television movie its position as the dominant dramatic vehicle for Neon television. NECs a wfas touching Ceiling and poignant tale of twro adults and a rootless woman-chil- d searching for love. It starred Gig Young Lee and Emmy-winne- r Grant. This documentary w'as a part of one of the notable achievements of the season the coming of age of the public television network. Such splendid programs, The Anderson ville Trial of the Hollywood Television Theatre, the Thirties series of NET Playhouse, Masterpiece Theater, and its marvelous produc- tion, The First Churhills) The Great American Dream Machine and the magnificent Civilization series contributed mightily. The Salt Lake Tribune, Sunday, May 23, 1971 The segment of Hal Holbrook Senator . . . TTie'tohV-One.- , - Susan Hampshire was in The First Churchills telecast onKUED. Gig Young triumphed in dramatic The Neon Ceiling. |