Bonanza is an NBC television
western series that ran from 1959 to 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 431 episodes,
Bonanza is NBC's longest-running western, and ranks overall as the
second-longest-running western series on U.S. network television (behind CBS's
Gunsmoke), and within the top 10 longest-running, live-action American series.
The show continues to air in syndication. The show is set around the 1860s and
it centers on the wealthy Cartwright family, who live in the area of Virginia
City, Nevada, bordering Lake Tahoe. The series stars Lorne Greene, Dan Blocker,
Michael Landon, Pernell Roberts (who left after six seasons), and later David
Canary and Mitch Vogel. The show is known for presenting moral dilemmas.
LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE
Little House on the Prairie is
an American western drama television series, starring Michael Landon, Melissa
Gilbert, and Karen Grassle, about a family living on a farm in Walnut Grove, Minnesota,
in the 1870s and 1880s. The show is an adaptation of Laura Ingalls Wilder's
best-selling series of Little House books. Television producer and NBC
executive Ed Friendly became aware of the story in the early 1970s. He asked
Michael Landon to direct the pilot movie. Landon agreed on the condition that
he could also play Charles Ingalls.
The regular series was
preceded by the two-hour pilot movie, which first aired on March 30, 1974. The
series premiered on the NBC network on September 11, 1974, and last aired on
May 10, 1982. During the 1982–83 television season, with the departure of
Landon and Grassle, the series was broadcast with the new title Little House: A
New Beginning.
MICHAEL LANDON
Michael Landon (born Eugene
Maurice Orowitz; October 31, 1936 – July 1, 1991) was an American actor,
writer, director, and producer. He is known for his roles as Little Joe
Cartwright in Bonanza (1959–73), Charles Ingalls in Little House on the Prairie
(1974–83), and Jonathan Smith in Highway to Heaven (1984–89). Landon appeared
on the cover of TV Guide 22 times, second only to Lucille Ball.
Rawhide is an American Western TV series starring Eric
Fleming and Clint Eastwood. The show aired for eight seasons on the CBS network
on Friday nights, from January 9, 1959 to September 3, 1965, before moving
to Tuesday nights from September 14, 1965 until January 4, 1966, with a total
of 217 black-and-white episodes. The series was produced and sometimes directed
by Charles Marquis Warren, who also produced early episodes of Gunsmoke. Originally
the show was to be titled "Cattle Drive" but wisely Warren amended
this to 'Rawhide'.
Spanning seven and a half years, Rawhide was the
sixth-longest-running American television Western, exceeded only by eight years
of Wagon Train, nine years of The Virginian, fourteen years of Bonanza,
eighteen years of Death Valley Days, and twenty years of Gunsmoke.
Set in the 1860s, Rawhide portrays the challenges
faced by the drovers of a cattle drive. Most episodes are introduced with a
monologue by Gil Favor (portrayed by Eric Fleming), the trail boss. In a
typical Rawhide story, the drovers come upon people on the trail and are drawn
into solving whatever problem they present or confront. Sometimes, one or more
of the crew venture into a nearby town and encounter some trouble from which
they need to be rescued. Rowdy Yates (Clint Eastwood) was young and at times
impetuous in the earliest episodes and Favor had to keep a tight rein on him.
Theme song
The theme song's lyrics were written by Ned Washington
in 1958. It was composed by Dimitri Tiomkin and sung by pop singer Frankie
Laine. The theme song became very popular, and was covered several times and
featured in movies such as The Blues Brothers and Shrek 2.
Lyrics
Keep movin', movin', movin',
Though they're disapprovin',
Keep them dogies movin', rawhide.
Don't try to understand 'em,
Just rope 'em, throw, and brand 'em.
Soon we'll be livin' high and wide.
My heart's calculatin',
My true love will be waitin',
Be waitin' at the end of my ride.
Move 'em on, head 'em up,
Head 'em up, move 'em on,
Move 'em on, head 'em up, rawhide!
Head 'em out, ride 'em in,
Ride 'em in, let 'em out,
Cut 'em out, ride 'em in, rawhide!
The ending lyrics are:
Keep rollin', rollin', rollin',
Though the streams are swollen,
Keep them dogies rollin', rawhide.
Through rain and wind and weather,
Hell bent for leather,
Wishin' my gal was by my side.
All the things I'm missin',
Good vittles, love and kissin',
Are waiting at the end of my ride.
Move 'em on, head 'em up,
Head 'em up, move 'em on,
Move 'em on, head 'em up, rawhide!
Head 'em out, ride 'em in,
Ride 'em in, let 'em out,
Cut 'em out, ride 'em in, rawhide!
Rawhide!
Clint Eastwood
Long before his days as an
accomplished leading actor and acclaimed director, before his sleek portrayals
of Dirty Harry Callahan and The Man With No Name made him an instant star,
Clint Eastwood was another Hollywood contract player trying to make ends meet
appearing in small unmemorable roles in Hollywood B-movies. However, in 1959
that was all about to change.
When 'Rawhide' made its
television premier on January 9th, Eastwood's career took off. The series went
on to become a major hit giving Eastwood the experience and knowledge of a
business that he would ultimately master.
With the rusty door-hinge of a voice he possesses
today, it's hard to imagine a time when Clint Eastwood could have been groomed
as a singing star, but in the early ‘60s, when he came to fame as the
rebellious Rowdy in the hit Western TV series Rawhide, it wasn't such a crazy
idea. While Eastwood is admittedly not an exceptional vocalist, he's not at all
bad; this is by no means some Golden Throats-style celebrity train wreck. At
the time, there were plenty of equally photogenic young men with no greater
vocal ability than Eastwood being promoted as country singers, many with less
of an actual musical background than the jazz-schooled actor. Eastwood's soft,
somewhat laconic croon might not possess the commanding quality that was de
rigueur for the era's country stars, but he never strays off-key, and his style
is a kind of cross between legendary cowboy singer Roy Rogers and Dean Martin.
'Beyond the Sun' is a theme song by Russ Garcia. It
can be heared in the TV Series Rawhide. The lyrics were added by Lenny Adelson
and the words he added were sung by Clint Eastwood as Rowdy Yates in the
Rawhide episode 'The Pitchwagon'. It first aired during the series' fourth
season on March 2, 1962.
World Television Day is not so much a celebration of the
tool, but rather the philosophy which it represents. Television represents a
symbol for communication and globalization in the contemporary world.
On
December 1996 the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 21 November as
World Television Day commemorating the date on which the first World Television
Forum was held in 1996.
Opposition
to this declaration took the form of 11 abstentions to a vote on the
resolution; in expressing their opposition, the delegation from Germany said:
“ There
are already three United Nations days encompassing similar subjects: World
Press Freedom Day; World Telecommunication Day; and World Development
Information Day. To add another day does not make much sense... [T]elevision is
only one means of information and an information medium to which a considerable
majority of the world population has no access... That vast majority could
easily look at World Television Day as a rich man's day. They do not have
access to television. There are more important information media and here I
would mention radio in particular. We think it is more important to enhance the
role of those media than that of television.”
Theme
music
Theme
music is a piece that is often written specifically for a radio program,
television program, video game or movie, and usually played during the intro,
during title sequence and/or ending credits.
The phrase
theme song or signature tune may also be used to refer to a signature song that
has become especially associated with a particular performer or dignitary;
often used as they make an entrance. The purpose of a theme song is often
similar to that of a leitmotif. Such songs can also be used in other ways. One
author has made extensive use of them in an effort to explore the feelings
behind world views.
Television:
a cornerstone of democracy and a pillar of freedom of expression and cultural
diversity. It nurtures education, continually invites people to explore beyond
their living rooms and arouses curiosity.
Home
Improvement is an American television sitcom starring Tim Allen, that aired
from September 17, 1991 to May 25, 1999. The show was created by Matt Williams,
Carmen Finestra and David McFadzean. In the 1990s, it was one of the most
watched sitcoms in the American market, winning many awards. The series
launched Tim Allen's acting career and also was the start of the television career
of Pamela Anderson, who was part of the recurring cast for the first two
seasons.
Tim Allen
Timothy
Alan Dick (born June 13, 1953), known professionally as Tim Allen, is an
American actor and comedian. He is known for his role in the sitcom Home
Improvement. He is also known for his starring roles in several popular films,
including the Toy Story film series (as the voice of Buzz Lightyear), The Santa
Clause film series, and the science fiction action comedy film Galaxy Quest
(1999). Since 2011, he has starred as Mike Baxter in the ABC sitcom Last Man
Standing.
Show
background
Based on
the stand-up comedy of Tim Allen, Home Improvement made its debut on ABC on
September 17, 1991, and was one of the highest-rated sitcoms for almost the
entire decade. It went to No. 1 in the ratings during the 1993–1994 season; the
same year Allen had the No. 1 book (Don't Stand Too Close to a Naked Man) and
movie (The Santa Clause).
Beginning
in season two, each episode started with a cold open that used the show's title
logo during the teaser. From season 4 to the end of the show's run in 1999, an
anthropomorphic version of the logo was used in different types of animation.
Taylor family
The series centers on the Taylor family, which consists
of Tim(Tim Allen), his wife Jill(Patricia Richardson) and their three children:
the oldest, Brad(Zachery Ty Bryan), the middle child Randy(Jonathan Taylor
Thomas) and youngest, Mark(Taran Noah Smith). The Taylors live in suburban
Detroit, and have a neighbor named Wilson Wilson(Earl Hindman) who is often
the go-to guy for solving Tim and Jill's problems.
Tim is a stereotypical American male, who loves power
tools, cars and sports (especially the local Detroit teams). He is a former
salesman for the fictional Binford Tool company, and is very much a cocky,
overambitious, accident-prone know-it-all. Witty but flippant, Tim jokes around
a lot, even at inappropriate times, much to the dismay of his wife. However,
Tim can sometimes be serious when necessary. Jill, Tim's wife, is loving and
sophisticated, but not exempt to dumb moves herself. She later finds herself
returning to college to study psychology. Family life is boisterous, with the
two oldest children, Brad and Randy, tormenting the much younger Mark, while
continually testing and pestering each other. This rough by-play happened
especially throughout the first three seasons, and was revisited only
occasionally until Jonathan Taylor Thomas left at the beginning of the eighth
season. During the show's final season, Brad and Mark became much closer due to
Randy's absence.
Brad, popular and athletic, was often the moving factor,
who engaged before thinking, a tendency which regularly landed him in trouble.
Randy, a year younger, was the comedian of the pack, known for his
quick-thinking, wisecracks, and smart mouth. He had more common sense than Brad
but was not immune to trouble. Mark was somewhat of a mama's boy, though later
in the series (in the seventh season) he grew into a teenage outcast who
dressed in black clothing (a goth). Meanwhile, Brad became interested in cars
like his father and took up soccer. Randy joined the school drama club, and
later the school newspaper; in the eighth season, he left for Costa Rica.
Tool Time
Each episode includes Tim's own Binford-sponsored home
improvement show, called Tool Time, a "meta-program," or
show-within-a-show. In hosting this show, Tim is joined by his friend and
mild-mannered assistant Al Borland(Richard Karn), and a "Tool Time
girl" — first Lisa(Pamela Anderson) and later Heidi(Debbe Dunning) —
whose main duty is to introduce the pair at the beginning of the show with the
line "Does everybody know what time it is?" They also assist Tim and
Al during the show by bringing them tools.
Although revealed to be an excellent salesman and TV
personality, Tim is spectacularly accident prone as a handyman, often causing
massive disasters on and off the set, to the consternation of his co-workers
and family. Many Tool Time viewers assume that the accidents on the show are
done on purpose, to demonstrate the consequences of using tools improperly.
Many of Tim's accidents are caused by his devices being used in an unorthodox
or overpowered manner, designed to illustrate his mantra "More power!".
This popular catchphrase would not be uttered after Home Improvement's seventh
season, until Tim's last line in the series finale.
The Tool Time theme music, an early 1960s-style
saxophone-dominated instrumental rock tune, was sometimes used as the closing
theme music for Home Improvement, especially when the blooper scenes ran behind
the credits took place during the taping of a Tool Time segment. The musical
piece, written and performed by the show's regular composer Dan Foliart, was
first used in a TV series six years before the premiere of Home
Improvement. Foliart had been one of the main composers on the
Showtime sitcom Brothers; in the second season premiere of that series in 1985,
his future "Tool Time" theme, in roughly the same arrangement, was
used in a scene where Joe Waters (Robert Walden) and Kelly Hall (Robin Riker)
were dancing to it as it played on Kelly's home stereo. Riker would later
co-star in the second season of Home Improvement sister series Thunder Alley,
for which Foliart's co-composer on Brothers, Howard Pearl, scored.
A red head is a person whose hair is a
colour between red, brown, and orange. And as there are fifty shades of grey
there also fifty shades of red. Ask a hair dresser!
On WikiPedia is a
list of people with natural red hair. Red or ginger hair may come in a variety
of shades from strawberry blond to auburn. It is the rarest natural hair
colour.
People who dyed
their red hair into another colour or who went grey with age are included but
people with hair dyed red such as Lucille Ball (Yes, Lucille dyed her hair but
she was a famous red) and Rita Hayworth are not.
Figures from the
Bible or classical mythology, such as Esau or Judas Iscariot are included.
Characters from modern fiction such as Anne of Green Gables ( the bestselling
1908 novel by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery) or Ginger Hebblethwaite are
not.
But there is one
famous redhead I have to mention because she becomes 81 this Saturday.
Carol Creighton
Burnett (born April 26, 1933) is an American actress, comedian, singer, and
writer. She is best known for her long-running TV variety show, The Carol
Burnett Show, for CBS. She has achieved success on stage, television, and film
in varying genres including dramatic and comedy roles.
Carol-burnett
1982 in de movie Annie and in 2012
After a difficult
childhood in San Antonio, Texas with alcoholic parents, Burnett discovered
acting and comedy in college. She performed in nightclubs in New York City and
had a breakout success on Broadway in 1959 in Once Upon a Mattress, receiving a
Tony Award nomination. She soon made her television debut, regularly appearing
on The Garry Moore Show for the next three years, and winning her first Emmy
Award in 1962. Burnett moved to Los Angeles, California and began an 11-year
run on The Carol Burnett Show which was aired on CBS television from 1967 to
1978. With roots in vaudeville, The Carol Burnett Show was a variety show that
combined comedy sketches, song and dance. The comedy sketches included film
parodies and character pieces. Burnett created many memorable characters during
the show's television run, and both she and the show won numerous Emmy and
Golden Globe Awards.
During and after
her variety show, Burnett appeared in many television and film projects. Her
film roles include Pete 'n' Tillie(1972), The Four Seasons(1981), Annie(1982), Noises Off(1992), and Horton Hears a Who!(2008). On television, she
has appeared in other sketch shows; in dramatic roles in 6 Rms Riv Vu(1974)
and Friendly Fire(1979); in various well-regarded guest roles, such as in Mad
About You, for which she won an Emmy Award; and in specials with Julie Andrews,
Dolly Parton, Beverly Sills, and others. She was also back on Broadway in 1995
in Moon Over Buffalo, for which she was nominated for a Tony Award.
Ball was
nominated for an Emmy Award thirteen times, and won four times. In 1977, Ball
was among the first recipients of the Women in Film Crystal Award. She was the
recipient of the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award in 1979, the Lifetime
Achievement Award from the Kennedy Center Honors in 1986, and the Governors
Award from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in 1989.
In 1929, Ball
landed work as a model and later began her performing career on Broadway using
the stage name "Diane Belmont". She assumed many small movie roles in
the 1930s as a contract player for RKO Radio Pictures. Ball was dubbed the
"Queen of the Bs" (referring to her many roles in B-films). In 1951,
Ball was instrumental in the creation of the television series I Love Lucy. The
show co-starred her then-husband, Desi Arnaz, as Ricky Ricardo, Vivian Vance as
Ethel Mertz, and William Frawley as Fred Mertz. The Mertzes were the Ricardos'
landlords and friends. The show ended in 1957 after 180 episodes.
The cast
remained intact (with some additional cast members added) for a series of
one-hour specials from 1957 to 1960 as part of The Westinghouse Desilu
Playhouse. Its original network title was The Ford Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Show
for the first season, and The Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse Presents The
Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Show for the following seasons. Later reruns were
titled the more familiar Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour, which was a perennial summer
favorite on CBS through 1967. The specials emphasized guest stars such as Ann
Sothern, Rudy Vallee, Tallulah Bankhead, Fred MacMurray and June Haver, Betty
Grable and Harry James, Fernando Lamas, Maurice Chevalier, Danny Thomas and his
Make Room for Daddy co-stars, Red Skelton, Paul Douglas, Ida Lupino and Howard
Duff, Milton Berle, Robert Cummings, and, in the final episode, "Lucy
Meets the Moustache", Ernie Kovacs and Edie Adams. Ball went on to star in
two more successful television series: The Lucy Show, which ran on CBS from
1962 to 1968 (156 Episodes),
and Here's Lucy from 1968 to 1974 (144 episodes).
Her last attempt at a television series was a 1986 show called Life with Lucy –
which failed after eight episodes aired, although 13 were produced.
