What's Happening!!: Basketball Brain

What's Happening!!: Basketball Brain
ABC
October 12, 1978
Sitcom
DVD
B-

This Ted Bergman story introduces the character of The Snake, played by Leland Smith, who would be in five more episodes.  He's a basketball player that his manager Mr. Finley (Booke) pays Raj $5 an hour to tutor, but then Mr. Finley wants to pay $500 for Raj to take a test for The Snake.  Both Raj and The Snake rebel against this, and towards the end of the episode Shirley gives The Snake a job as busboy.  (I guess Rob won't mind, though it is his restaurant.)

Soap: Episode 27

Triangle

Soap: Episode 27
ABC
September 21, 1978
Dramedy
DVD
B-

Dutch and Chester escape from prison and then people keep disappearing into the Tate basement.  Between these two events, Danny marries Elaine and her father cuts her off completely, and Carol tells Jodie the rabbit died.  (I'm pretty sure from the audience reaction that this is a reference to Crystal's flop movie Rabbit Test, which had been released the previous April.  By the way, Doris Roberts, who's Mrs. Flotsky on this show, was Crystal's mother in that.)

Tim Rossovich returns as the Bodyguard and Rene Levant as the Prison Guard.  Florence Halop, 55 at this point, plays Elaine's Aunt Esther, who's confused as to why a black man is at the wedding.

Soap: Episode 25

Soap: Episode 25
ABC
March 28, 1978
Dramedy
DVD
B+

Carol asks Jodie to live with her, shortly before Dennis shows up.  His wife has left him and he's realized he still loves Jodie.  Father Tim tells Corinne he's leaving the priesthood and wants to marry her.  (Eunice has to leave the room because she's laughing too much.)  And Mr. Lefkowitz wants Danny to marry Elaine in three weeks' time, or else he'll kill Danny's family.  Mallu confesses his love to Jessica, who pretends to be teaching Mallu the Hustle when Chester walks in.  And the jury finds Jessica guilty, although Rod Roddy, in one of the best cliffhangers ever on TV, tells us that Jessica Tate did not kill Peter Campbell, but one of these five people did: Benson, Burt, Chester, Corinne, or Jodie.

I got chills watching and hearing that in '82, but at least I didn't have to wait months to find out the answer.  (I think it was just the weekend, since Soap aired every weekday in syndication.)  Assuming you already know, I won't put spoiler space as I talk about the plausibility of each:

• Benson could've possibly killed Peter because he is fond of Jessica and to a lesser extent Corinne, and he might've done this out of protection.  Still, I just can't see Benson committing murder.  Going over and beating up Peter, or at least devastating him with a put-down, sure.  If he had been guilty, then his scene where he promises, with few words, to take care of the family if Jessica is jailed, is less touching and more Machiavellian.
• Would Burt kill his own son?  Yes, he killed Johnny Dallas, but that was in self-defense.  Burt was thrilled to have both his sons in town after not seeing them in years.  Also, we saw Burt discover the body and he was devastated by grief for weeks.  Furthermore, that was the night that he finally made love to Mary again and he celebrated the next morning by making pancakes.  Not exactly the behavior of a murderer.
• Chester seems not to have known that Peter was having an affair with Jessica, although he could've been pretending that he didn't find out until after Peter's death.  Would he have been upset enough about Peter shacking up with Corinne that he'd have killed Peter to defend the honor of his far from virginal daughter?  Unlikely, but possible.
• Corinne did threaten Peter and she certainly had motive enough.  Of the five, she's the one I probably would've put my money on, although she likely didn't expect her mother to be sentenced for the murder.
• Eunice said of Jodie, "Please, the man couldn't even kill himself."  I suppose it's possible that Jodie used the date with Nurse Nancy as a cover to kill Peter, but then why would he admit skipping the date?  And what's his motive?  Hypothetically, he could've been dating or wanting to date Peter (there's no proof one way or the other that Peter wasn't bi and he would fit the stereotype of an "anything that moves" bisexual, which was particularly strong in that era), but it's hard to imagine that going on at the same time that Jodie was planning to get a sex change as a way to hold onto Dennis.  Of the five, Jodie is the least likely suspect after Burt, although I may be influenced by how sweet and likable Crystal is in the role.

Tim Rossovich again plays the Bodyguard and, without any lines, manages to have a funny moment with Jodie.

Well, I enjoyed the first season much more than I expected.  Perhaps enough time had passed, or maybe seeing it in context with other shows of its era helped.  Also, I know that the last season is weaker, so maybe I'd forgotten how good Soap could get in the early days.  In any case, except for the misstep of the "Elaine rapes Danny" episode, I gave out mostly Bs, in a B- to B+ range.  It's one thing for Three's Company to average a B in its six-episode first season, but this is really impressive.  I don't recall if Season Two is this good, but I recall some threads and moments I liked.

Soap: Episode 20

Charles Lane as the Judge in a later episode

Soap: Episode 20
ABC
February 14, 1978
Dramedy
DVD
B

Eunice makes it back inside the hotel, is mistaken (by Milt Oberman, who would return in a different role) for a call girl, meets up with Walter, plans a future in Aruba, and then is left in the mail room when he gets the incriminating photos back from the Messenger (Martin Braverman again).  Then there are a bunch of "Campbell" scenes, the best of the lot definitely being the scene where Jodie hides Bob in the refrigerator in an attempt to talk to Chuck.  Danny tries to break up with Elaine but instead finds out he has to marry her, or be killed.  And Burt finds out that Mary wants him committed.  The last scene is set in the judge's chambers (which Jessica has a wacky interpretation of) and the judge turns out to be veteran character actor Charles Lane, then 73 but still with many roles ahead of him, including as another judge on Mork & Mindy.  Also, Hesseman returns as Mr. Franklin's twin brother, the prosecutor.

Corinne, Billy, and the Major are absent.

Soap: Episode 17

Soap: Episode 17
ABC
January 17, 1978
Dramedy
DVD
B

Ingrid spends a lot of the episode gloating over Jessica's arrest.  Elaine takes Danny to talk to her father, Charles Lefkowitz (Sorrell Booke in his first of four Soap appearances), and we find out (though Danny doesn't yet) that Lefkowitz wants Danny to marry Elaine.  Howard Hesseman (briefly appearing onscreen with his future co-star Gordon Jump) plays Jessica's lawyer, Mr. Franklin, who refuses to continue since he's sure the case can't be won.  Congressman McCallam is being blackmailed.  And Burt thinks he can make himself invisible.

Susan Harris returns as Babette, this time answering Jessica's questions about prostitution.  Lee Weaver, who plays the Sergeant, would be Gus on Mork & Mindy.  Billy, Corinne, and the Major are absent.

The Bob Newhart Show: Send This Boy to Camp

The Bob Newhart Show: Send This Boy to Camp
CBS
November 6, 1976
Sitcom
DVD
B-

In this David Lloyd story, the guys decide to take a couple orphans camping, which leads to a visit to Jerry's old orphanage.  "Robinson the Complainer" left in 1956.  Sorrell Booke plays Mr. Perlmutter, while 16-year-old Tierre Turner, who's Wally Carson here, would show up as a Patient six years later on M*A*S*H.

M*A*S*H: Chief Surgeon Who?

M*A*S*H: Chief Surgeon Who?
CBS
October 8, 1972
Dramedy
DVD
C+

Blake appoints Hawkeye as the title character.  Burns and Houlihan are of course upset, enough to contact Gen. Barker (Sorrell Booke again), who becomes convinced that Hawkeye was the right choice, despite his not seeming professional.

Returning minor characters are Timothy Brown as "Spearchucker," Odessa Cleveland as Bayliss, Linda Meiklejohn as Scorch, and John Orchard as "Ugly John."  This episode also introduces three more supporting actors: Bob Gooden as Pvt. Lorenzo Boone, Jack Riley as Capt. Kaplan (a waste of his comedic talents, since he gets only one forgettable line), and most memorably Jamie Farr as Corporal Maxwell Klinger, who's cross-dressing in hopes of getting a Section Eight discharge.  Prior to this, E.W. Swackhamer just directed Gidget in my TV collection.

M*A*S*H: Requiem for a Lightweight

M*A*S*H: Requiem for a Lightweight
CBS
October 1, 1972
Sitcom
DVD
C

Robert Klane's first of six M*A*S*H stories, and the first of twenty directed by Hy Averback, is mostly notable for the introductions of William Christopher as Father Francis Mulcahy, 24-year-old Marcia Strassman as Nurse Margie Cutler, and Sorrell Booke as Gen. Barker.  Hawkeye and Trapper both meet Cutler and fall for her, but Hot Lips has her transferred.  So Trapper has to fight in a boxing match to get Cutler back.  The only thing I really liked it here was how Radar tricks Blake into signing blank sheets of paper.

John Orchard gets a bit more to do this time as "Ugly John."