Welcome to another Wildcard Wednesday — the last of 2014! I want to extend my sincerest gratitude to every single reader, subscriber, commenter, sharer, and supporter for making this past year-and-a-half (over 400 posts) a worthwhile and fulfilling experience.
2014 was busy on That’s Entertainment! From the ’40s to the ’20s and back to the ’40s, Musical Theatre Mondays covered everything from the impressive Show Boat (1927) to the riotous Where’s Charley? (1948). Sitcom Tuesdays went from the delightful ’60s silliness of Gilligan’s Island (1964-1967, CBS) to the hard-edged ’70s realism of All In The Family (1971-1979, CBS), all the while making time for obscurities like my beloved He & She (1967-1968, CBS) and the unfairly forgotten The New Dick Van Dyke Show (1971-1974, CBS). Wildcard Wednesdays were indeed wild, covering everything from Nice People (1921), a Rachel Crothers chestnut, to never-before-syndicated sitcoms like Lotsa Luck (1973-1974) and The Practice (1976-1977, NBC). On Xena Thursdays, we launched the impressive Opinionated Episode Guide, which has taken us through almost four seasons of the iconic syndicated action series and has revealed even things new to me about the behind-the-scenes machinations. And Film Fridays went from 1935 to 1929 before returning back to the Pre-Code era to feature such iconic pictures as The Thin Man (1934, MGM) in our Myrna Loy coverage and Trouble In Paradise (1932) in our series on Miriam Hopkins. As you can see, we’ve been busy — and these are just the highlights!
2015 promises even more fun as Musical Theatre Monday turns its attention to the works of some of my favorite Broadway composers — the Gershwins, Vincent Youmans, Jerome Kern, etc. Sitcom Tuesday will continue its coverage of the best from the ’70s, taking us from the MTM stalwarts of the decade’s center to some of the more titillating shows that ushered in yet another mini-era in the history of the situation comedy. As Wildcard Wednesday plans to stay wild, Xena Thursday is going to cover the last two seasons before taking a sojourn into the world of Hercules. And finally, Film Friday is jam-packed with several of the hottest Pre-Code stars — among them Kay Francis, Constance Bennett, and Barbara Stanwyck. So be sure and stay tuned!
To close the year, here’s one of my favorite renditions of “Auld Lang Syne,” performed live by Aretha Franklin and Guy Lombardo’s Orchestra on the first day of 1976.
Have a happy and safe New Year’s Eve! Tune in next week for the first Wildcard Wednesday post of 2015, and stick around tomorrow for more Xena!