The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash

The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash
NBC
March 22, 1978
Comedy, Musical
VHS
B+

This movie is roughly equivalent to the big-screen Spinal Tap movie of six years later, although it's a more band-specific parody.  Much of the Beatles history-- including their looks and sounds-- is captured and lovingly but not gently satirized.  The Yellow Submarine Sandwich segment is up there with the top scenes ever made for television.  However, with the exception of Mick Jagger, I don't think the cameos are on the same level as the Lads from Rutland.

This first aired on the same network as Saturday Night Live (Lorne Michaels and much of his cast were involved) and was the worst-rated show of the week!  It did better on BBC2 a few days later and has since become something of a cult show.  Both Idle's corny McCartney and Innes's "nasty" Lennon are even funnier than they would've been at the time.  (I taped this off Comedy Central around '93.)

Soap: Episode 24

Soap: Episode 24
ABC
March 21, 1978
Dramedy
DVD
B

There's more fun with the trial, although the Major's attempt to "rescue" Jessica goes on a bit too long, like a lot of his material.  Burt and Mary decide to work things out, despite him killing Johnny.  (Danny puts in a good word for Burt, showing they've come a long way from the first episode, where they "hated" each other.)  Chester is arrested for SEC violations although able to post bail in time to go to court to support Jessica.  Corinne returns home and refuses to return to Ingrid, who swears revenge on the Tates.

And Jodie sleeps with Carol.  It's interesting to see how this is handled, in light of the times and in light of what would happen between them later.  We're of course not shown anything of the sex, but he's angry and confused the next morning.  They say that they love each other, platonically in his case, which seems awfully quick, considering they met so recently.  But Crystal and Balding have enough chemistry and are good enough performers that they make it convincing.  Jodie still identifies as gay (Crystal does a funny bit about his hormones), and she claims she's not just after his body.  The irony is that, if she weren't so manipulative, they'd have a sweeter relationship than the one he had with Dennis.  And, while it may seem like a cop-out to have the gay character sleep with a woman, I appreciate that it's not shown as a "cure" for his homosexuality.  I'll get back to this when he again becomes involved with women (more than with men), but for now I'll say that this plot twist has actually aged better than the one about him planning on becoming female just to keep his boyfriend.

Soap: Episode 23

Soap: Episode 23
ABC
March 14, 1978
Dramedy
DVD
B+

This episode is better than usual, helped along by the guest cast and some resolution for some plot threads, as well as two laugh-out-loud moments: Bob moving his lips when he reads, and Jessica defending herself for stepping on ants.

Mrs. McCallam threatens to ruin her husband's career if he doesn't end things with Eunice, so he ends things with Eunice.  Burt confesses to Mary about murdering Johnny.  Ingrid sleeps with the Judge to sway Jessica's trial, and Corinne realizes that her birth mother hates the Tates more than she loves her, so she leaves.  Father Tim tells his mother, Flo Flotsky (Doris Roberts, then 52 and of course playing this sort of role for the next thirty-some years), that he's in love with a woman and leaving the priesthood.  And Franklin's surprise witness turns out to be Mrs. Fine (Nita Talbot, as marvelous as ever).  Note that she had already left Peter's apartment when Jessica made her threat to Peter, but perhaps she was listening at the door.

Luis Avalos plays the Doctor and would return as Gen. Sandia.  Note that it's more plausible that Eunice and Walter are meeting at Nino's, Ann Marie and Donald Hollinger's favorite restaurant in New York, than that Greg Brady and Phil Packer took their dates there.

The Bob Newhart Show: Crisis in Education

The Bob Newhart Show: Crisis in Education
CBS
March 11, 1978
Sitcom
DVD
B-

The best thing about this Earl Pomerantz story is the argument over who is Bob's best friend.  I will say it's nice to see how much more confidence Emily has, now that she's been vice principal awhile, compared to the first season or two, when it was hard for her to speak up at meetings.

Patricia Stevens moonlights from M*A*S*H as Wanda Moss here.  Robert Costanzo, who's Sal Petrone here, would be a Carny on Soap.  Bonerz directed.

Welcome Back, Kotter: The Kiss

Sally Hightower

Welcome Back, Kotter: The Kiss
ABC
March 9, 1978
Sitcom
DVD
C+

Laura Stevens (Sally Hightower in her last appearance in the role) faints so Mr. Kotter tries to revive her with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.  Mr. Woodman walks in and of course jumps to the wrong conclusion.  I might've gone with a B-, but it's a borderline tasteless episode, as with Julie jokingly calling Gabe a "molester" and Judy Borden (Lembeck's last appearance in the role) expecting Mr. Kotter to treat her like a "sex object."  Peter Meyerson wrote this one with Max Goldenson, who didn't really write anything else.

Ernest Harada makes his last appearance, too, as "Mr. Jan from the School Board" (as he's almost invariably referred to).

The Bob Newhart Show: Carol Ankles for Indie-Prod

The Bob Newhart Show: Carol Ankles for Indie-Prod
CBS
March 4, 1978
Sitcom
DVD
B-

Lloyd Garver's script has some funny moments, mostly from Bob, and I do like that this time when Carol quits, it's for good.  However, I don't think it lives up to its potential in either the scene showing Carol working for Carlin, or in the Howard getting his driver's license subplot.

Angry Man 1 Joe George would have three roles on Three's Company.  The title has a Variety touch to it, making it sound like Carol is a gofer on an independent film.

The Goldie Hawn Special

The Goldie Hawn Special
Probably ABC
March 1, 1978
Variety
VHS
B-

Goldie, then 32 and making a comeback after the birth of her son Oliver (Kate Hudson would be born the next year) stars in this uneven but interesting variety hour that's definitely a time capsule.  That's especially apparent from its guest stars: 82-year-old George Burns, 19-year-old Shaun Cassidy, John Ritter, and the Harlem Globetrotters (Curly Neal era).  And since Cassidy's Hardy Boys and Ritter's Three's Company are mentioned, this is very likely ABC.  Goldie is a good singer and dancer, although the more serious portions and surprisingly the comedy don't always work.  (Burns has to talk her through her Gracie homage.)  There are some plugs for Foul Play, which would turn out to be a much better comeback vehicle than this.