The Lost Saucer: 894X2RY713, I Love You

The Lost Saucer: 894X2RY713, I Love You
ABC
September 6, 1975
Children's
DVD
B-

I probably watched this show at the time, although it did air opposite Scooby-Doo.  If I didn't catch it in first run, when I was seven, I probably saw it at least during summer reruns.  Alice Playten, who played Alice, was also Alice on the local (Southern California) program, That's Cat, and I remember being a fan, maybe because she had that great mid-'70s fluffy hair, or maybe because her characters were Danzaly named.  I'll admit there's not much in this show to entertain an adult-- I certainly have a lower tolerance for Buzzi & Nabors slapstick-- but there are still some cool things about it, and not just the campiness of the special effects or the probably already dated by '75 slang and topical references of the little black boy Alice babysits.  (I know "Here come da judge" was from Flip Wilson and had been referenced on the Jackson 5ive cartoon three years earlier.)

The theme song remains a great example of power kiddie pop, and the line "They can't get off of this crazy ride!" sounds like it could've come from something in the Top 40 of the time.  Also, I still think the dorse (dog-horse hybrid) is neat.  I remember as a kid I liked the heavy-handed morals, and this one, about people in the future being faceless numbers, hasn't exactly dated itself.  By the way, Si Rose wrote for several previous Krofft productions as well.

That Girl: The Beard

That Girl: The Beard
ABC
April 11, 1968
Sitcom
DVD
B

This Richard Baer story has Donald returning from a two-week hunting trip with a beard.  Lew of course calls him a beatnik and a hippie.  Ann dislikes the beard but tries to be understanding.  Pete (Buzzi) gives her advice but she ends up solving the issue by pretending to get a haircut.  (Pixie, which is quite fetching on her, although Donald misses the flip.)  Then it turns out he's tricked her.  And there's another switch in the tag.  So the writing is cleverer than in the previous episode.  I was annoyed that Ann's Aunt Delia's 50th birthday party is mentioned and then dropped, but oh well.

That Girl: Great Guy

That Girl: Great Guy

"Gay 'n Frisky" still didn't mean what it would now.

ABC
March 7, 1968
Sitcom
DVD
C+

I didn't enjoy this collaboration between Ruth Brooks Flippen and Danny Arnold as much.  Ann interferes with Pete (Ruth Buzzi)'s love life.  Dick Balduzzi previously played a Police Sergeant on the show and this time is Glenn Davidson.

That Girl: The Mailman Cometh

That Girl: The Mailman Cometh
ABC
November 30, 1967
Sitcom
DVD
B

The title is a bit of a misnomer, since Ann's new agent is a former mailboy, Don Penny as Seymour Schwimmer, a role he'd reprise.  He comes up with a scheme involving stage comedian 43-year-old Dick Shawn, shortly before his scene-stealing role as LSD in the movie The Producers.  The teaming up of writers Danny Arnold and Ruth Brooks Flippen works, with one of the better, funnier episodes about Ann's career.  Both Penny and Shawn are good, as is Buzzi of course, although given less to do here.

George Neise did a couple Gilligan's Island episodes and plays Norman Kramer here, his first of two TG roles.

That Girl: The Philadelphia Story

That Girl: The Philadelphia Story
ABC
October 19, 1967
Sitcom
DVD
B-

I still don't think this merited a two-parter, this time padded by Philadelphia sight-seeing, but I do like how Ann has to deal with her first big failure in show biz.  Lew has mellowed in the year or so his daughter has been in New York, and he gently urges her to go back.  Also, Donald has to figure out how to review the play without hurting her feelings.  Pete, who turns out to be an actress, has both comedic and serious moments, a nice showcase for Ruth Buzzi.

Jim Connell, who was almost 22 at this point, had played high school student Norman Crowley on Gidget a couple years earlier and is Harvey Miller here.

That Girl: To Each Her Own

That Girl: To Each Her Own
ABC
September 28, 1967
Sitcom
DVD
B-

This, the first of seven TG episodes James Sheldon directed, has an interesting concept, then very timely, where Donald and Ann both try computer dating, he for an article, she to see if she'll end up with someone like him but flawless, as he seems to have with his computer date who's somewhat like her.  The episode itself has two flaws that bring it down from a B or higher.  One is that Donald's date has been distractingly dubbed, and since she's not that remarkable-looking by modern standards, I don't see why they couldn't have found an equally pretty actress with a better voice.  The other is that Ruth Buzzi makes her first of five appearances as neighbor Pete Peterson (which I think was the name of a minor character, also female, on Gidget) and since we've never seen her before, it seems like she's just there to make Ann's date be temporarily disappointed.  Considering that Rich Little (of course doing impressions) is really not that much better looking than Buzzi, this seems unnecessary.  Note, Ann's white dress for her date looks like the sort of late '60s wedding minidress that would not be handed on to the next generation.