The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of RCN or any other agency, organization, employer or company.

For over a hundred years some of the greatest video treasures of all time have been produced. Some have been lost in the sands of time and others, soon to be rediscovered, will become fan favorites for a whole new generation.  Each week we will feature just one of the many hidden gems that you can see on RCN TV with insights and commentaries on classic television shows and legendary cinematic performances.

One of the great things about the internet is that young people can rediscover things from previous eras and stumble across genres they might never get to experience otherwise.  Glenn Miller, Henry James, Count Basie and other stars of old standards from the big band era are now readily available to audiences on XM/Sirius Radio’s Junction; and other outlets as more and more young people are finding these golden classics for the first time.

Heck, there was even a report of a local football team using a polka song as its theme music last fall.

But no look into the music of the 1930s and & 40s would be complete without a serious discussion about Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey. Their accomplishments, creations and personal feud are all prominently featured in the 1946 film, “The Fabulous Dorseys.”  Part documentary, part fiction and a surprising number of well-performed comedic lines make up this very entertaining film about two of the swing time era’s greatest legends.

The film spans the time from the boys’s upbringing in a small Pennsylvania town to their dominance around the world with their various musical masterpieces.

Jimmy Dorsey, primarily known for his work on the clarinet, was one of the major songwriters and big band leaders in the 1920s through the ‘40s. Probably his best remembered songs were “Pennies from Heaven” with fellow legends Bing Crosby and Louis Armstrong and performing the original 1930 recording of “Georgia on My Mind”; Trombonist Tommy, known as the “Sentimental Gentleman of Swing”, is best remembered for tunes like “Song of India”, “Opus One”, “The Sunnyside of the Street”; and “I’ll Never Smile Again.”

And this film had no shortage of successful musical performances, complete with some of the best old standards like “Getting Sentimental Over You,” and the aforementioned “I’ll Never Smile Again”.  The film also had smaller roles and cameos from other stars from the Big Band Era, including Paul Whitman, Bob Eberly, Helen O’Connell and famed pianist Art Tatum.

Sadly, nearly all of these former music greats have long since been forgotten. But through this film, their names live on.  Tragically, both brothers died before their 57th birthdays within 10 years of the release of this movie.

The film was directed by Alfred E. Green (The Jackie Robinson Story  & The Jolson Story) who successfully directed many performers-turned-actors playing themselves in films and, by this time, was well-known for bringing out an entertainer’s personality traits while not overplaying the star’s acting abilities and keeping their comedic lines within the context of the film.

You don’t have to be fans of old standards to enjoy this well-produced partial biopic that makes for a very entertaining story even without any previous knowledge of the Dorseys’ great history.

Tune in and dance along to this great look at the Big Band Era. “The Fabulous Dorseys” next airs on Tuesday, September 1 st , at 9 a.m. on RCN TV.

To view the complete rundown of classic programming on RCN TV, check out the weekly listings here on our website.

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of RCN or any other agency, organization, employer or company. 

For over a hundred years some of the greatest video treasures of all time have been produced. Some have been lost in the sands of time and others, soon to be rediscovered, will become fan favorites for a whole new generation.

Each week we will feature just one of the many hidden gems that you can see on RCN TV with insights and commentaries on classic television shows and legendary cinematic performances. 

One of the great treasures of the Golden Era of Television was its theme songs. In the 1950s, four or five notes were all you needed to hear to know exactly what was coming on.  While many themes may still ring a bell today, very few are as recognizable nearly 70 years after it debuted, than the opening for “Dragnet.”

It was the brainchild of Jack Webb, who was extremely underrated for his creativity for the show when television was still in its infancy.

Webb originated the rapid-fire paces, with terse dialogue exchanges, ultra-fast cuts and extreme close-ups to enhance actors’ reactions and emotions.

Webb was also the featured star for its entire run through the 1950s and 60s, playing the role of Joe Friday. He was also responsible for later spinning off several other shows that had successful runs of their own, including “Adam-12” and “Emergency.”

After its opening introduction revealing the backstory, each episode begins with Friday and his partner investigating crimes, almost in a documentary-style approach and usually resulting in the uncovering of the criminals. A quick epilogue gives the results of what happened to the perpetrators and sometimes the victims after the crime was solved. Nearly every show was based on real life cases but, as the narrator includes in every show, “the names were changed to protect the innocent.”

The show’s introduction and catch phrases used throughout the program connected instantly with viewers, and was often copied – both to reconstruct serious police dramas for other shows as well as for parodies (one of the most famous was done on the “Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson,” featuring Webb himself.)

“Dragnet” also has its place in television history as it is one of a very small handful of shows to be cancelled by NBC, only to be brought back seven years later by the very same network.  Aside from being broadcast in color, the initial show’s return was similar to the ‘50s style in terms of its criminal case load.

However, with the changing landscape of the late sixties, the show quickly evolved into new storylines, many embracing the current culture, with more colorful characters (Joe Friday interrogating hippies was always a hoot) and attempted to tackle topical issues of the times.  The newer edition of the show also softened some of the original’s techniques but still featured faster-paced dialogue exchanges and occasionally closer than normal close-ups.

Over the years, Sargent Friday had several sidekicks accompanying him on his 30-minute per week police adventures, but one of the most popular was Harry Morgan, who later became Colonel Potter on another legendary TV hit, M*A*S*H.

There’s many more fascinating details about this radio and television staple of the 1950s and ‘60s – which we will uncover in future blog entries.  In the meantime, you can see “Dragnet” for yourself every Wednesday at 2 p.m. on RCN TV.

To view the complete rundown of classic programming on RCN TV, check out the weekly listings here on our website. 

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of RCN or any other other agency, organization, employer or company.

“Anatomy of a Murder” is one of my favorite films from the 1950s and is a harrowing look at some of the awful decisions human beings can possibly make. But this isn’t the “Classic Video Showplace” blog – we’re here to talk about sports.

So instead, I would like to begin the ugly post-mortem on what has been a five-month long journey by the elite decision-makers in charge of high school sports that has led us to the ambiguous state of affairs that the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is in right now.

I may be wrong, but when I am entrusted with making a serious decision, my thought process involves the following prerequisites:

• Do your research
• Communicate with everyone involved
• Ask questions and interview knowledgeable people
• Critically review all the facts
• Make a clear and decisive ruling to EVERYONE while thoroughly explaining my position.

I know not everyone might agree with this set of procedures nor have the time or energy/resources to participate in all of these steps for every serious decision one makes in life.

But the decision on what to do with scholastic sports in Pennsylvania for this fall – something that has been looming since mid-March – has turned into a complete farce among some of our most trusted individuals among various aspects of the educational and political systems.

Let’s recap some of the ‘highlights”…

• A color-coded system was put in place to give guidance to citizens in Pennsylvania in regards to multiple ways of life for its citizens – including instructions on how and when to participate in youth sports.
• Once PA went “in the green,” local high school teams, along with youth organizations, some tournament coordinators and high school coaches – some acting independently from their local school districts – start playing games, conducting drills and practices while trying to follow CDC protocols.
• Then, an ambiguous statement was made by the governor’s office stating that additional guidance (and more colors) would be forthcoming to further help give guidance in the above areas (no such color “scheme” has been announced to date).
• In mid-July the PIAA announced that (unless the governor objects) high school sports would be going forward as scheduled, with the caveat that individual school boards and districts outline the correct procedures. This would be followed by local school administrators asking the PIAA and Pennsylvania Department of Education help to develop specific protocols to follow – a plea that, according to some local administrators, has gone unanswered.
• In early August, leagues around the state voted on how and when they’ll start their fall sports seasons–with different conferences all selecting different start times for their fall sports, leaving teams’ “Opening Day” ranging anywhere from August 24th to October 2^nd.
• Next, individual school districts vote on whether they agree with what their league has approved and, in a few cases, schools vote to suspend their fall sports entirely.
• On August 4th, the governor’s office announces that they will be giving protocols for schools to use for fall sports later that day–according to several journalists on the scene in Harrisburg, those guidelines never materialized that day.
• On August 6th, when responding to a question on whether spectators will be allowed to attend scholastic sports in the fall, Dr. Rachel Levine defers the question to Governor Tom Wolf, who responds by saying he strongly recommends continuing a ban on all youth sports.

Wait, what???

On the one hand, there were some municipalities that have continued to restrict kids from playgrounds and removed hoops from basketball courts.

But many more organizations were stunned when hearing that a recommended “ban” on sports was in place, one that many schools and organizations have very publicly and seemingly were ignoring, has set off a firestorm of controversy over the state.

Within 24 hours officials in the city of Allentown frantically went around re-closing parks, forbidding use of athletic fields and announcing that all future permits are cancelled indefinitely.  Reports of similar activity happening in SOME other regions around Pennsylvania ensued.

Clearly, youth sports have been going on for the last several months with various baseball and softball tournaments held across the Commonwealth and in neighboring states–a few finding negative publicity when pictures were posted with people not adhering to CDC protocols. Many little league programs started in late June and ran through a modified but completed schedule. If you drive by many high schools you can clearly see teams running drills on the school grounds.  On our “RCN SportsTalk” show the last several weeks, local coaches have openly talked on-air about how they have been conducting practices.  There was even a highly publicized AAU basketball tournament that was held in the western part of the state that we mentioned a few weeks ago here at “The SportsTalk Shop.”

All the while there apparently was a formal “ban” that was in place that many local directors say they weren’t aware of. (By the way, the Lehigh Valley High School Baseball Tournament that was playing last week, featuring 32 HS teams, continued without pause until its natural completion with its championship this past Monday.)

There was certainly a failure to communicate here somewhere.

(In defense of the governor’s office, his website indicates that this policy was issued on June 10th. The website also says policy was updated on August 6th – the same day as Wolf’s response to the question about fans – but does not specify what exactly was updated on 8/6/20).

Politically, Wolf made a brilliantly shrewd move by taking himself off the hook (at least officially) by quietly slipping in his “ban” in responding to another question.

When it looked like the PIAA was setting Wolf up to be the fall guy, their plan backfired on them as the final decision on when/if kids can play continues to get shuffled around between different administrators across Pennsylvania for a few more weeks.

Meanwhile, student-athletes that already began officially preparing for their fall season now have to wait to hear if their season was really supposed to start in the first place.

And while amateur sports are stopped, money-making organizations like the NFL, MLB and major college teams play on, despite continuing reports of positive Coronavirus test results for athletes, coaches and staff.

Let me be clear in my analysis of this catastrophe. I am not giving my opinion on whether I think fall sports should be played, cancelled or whether a staggered or delayed start to the fall season should occur.  We are certainly in uncharted waters and there are serious ramifications in whatever is decided.

I’m not trying to target any one particular group, nor am I picking sides politically in this escalating, emotional battle that is taking place across Pennsylvania over the rights of kids’ ability to play sports.  I’ve talked to several local athletic directors and assistant principals and they clearly are not the ones at fault here.  Every single one that I have talked with has been working very hard trying for months trying to follow the rules they receive from above — although those instructions seem to shift radically on an almost weekly and sometimes daily basis.

What I AM singling out here is a clear lack of communication and the utter breakdown of this process to properly prepare student-athletes to be ready – one way or the other – on what to expect for their fall seasons.

The leaders of the major groups involved who are now posturing their stances in the media should have all set down long before we got ourselves to the first official day of fall practices – which has now since passed.

Instead, it’s become a grand political game of “pass the buck” while our young people suffer through an extremely emotional time period.  And after an extremely tough spring and summer of indecision, one would think that some sort of plan would have been in place already by the fall that would have incorporated all the necessary people involved.

The result?

Reports are emerging of the anxiety kids are experiencing–not by whether they are going to play or not but by the indecision that is taking place.

In an August 7th article on Triblive.com, several parents expressed concern over the extreme stress and mental anguish their kids are going through while caught in limbo as to their immediate athletic futures.

The latest development which took place last Friday was the PIAA putting the fall sports schedule on hold for two MORE weeks while they get further direction from the governor’s office as they begin to work together for “clarity” on how everyone should proceed…something that probably could have taken place as much as three to four months ago.  Once again, our young people suffer…due to politics.

Whatever the final decision will eventually be on when and if fall sports occur in 2020, we have enough evidence to close the book on the anatomy of their decision making process and can properly evaluate how the uppermost people in charge of our youth handled preparing for the fall season.

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of RCN or any other agency, organization, employer or company.

For over a hundred years some of the greatest video treasures of all time have been produced. Some have been lost in the sands of time and others, soon to be rediscovered, will become fan favorites for a whole new generation. 

 Each week we will feature just one of the many hidden gems that you can see on RCN TV with insights and commentaries on classic television shows and legendary cinematic performances. 

For as great a baseball player and tremendous all-around athlete as he was, Jackie Robinson more than held his own on the silver screen portraying himself in the classic film, “The Jackie Robinson Story”

Robinson became the first African-American to break the color barrier by playing professional baseball as a second baseman for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947.

The movie, filmed and released during the peak of his baseball career in 1950, outlined his life and focused on his struggles against racial prejudices and social injustices he faced to first play…and then excel…as a major league baseball player.

The racism Robinson endured started well before his professional playing days.  After graduating from college he was denied an opportunity to be a baseball coach, before he was even offered his first pro baseball contract. The film also connects with his education, home life and his tour of duty fighting for the United States Army in World War II.

Some of the best moments of this film are the inspirational messages he receives throughout his life, from various sources and from people of different races and economic levels.  One of the best speeches comes from Robinson himself when he delivers a message to the House of Representatives reflecting on his struggles for equality.  He also humbly addresses the inequalities of baseball, eloquently telling of its incredible prejudices and of the malicious acts he had to endure – even initially from within his own clubhouse.

The courage and class that Jackie shows throughout all these ordeals made the emotional impact of the scenes even more real and palatable for viewers to get a sense of what he went through.  The impact of these scenes hits home even more when you realize that it was Robinson himself reliving (and acting through) these real life events.

In 2006, the film was recognized by the American Film Institute’s top 100 films in the “100 Cheers” category.

“The Jackie Robinson Story” also features equally emotional and courageous scenes from Ruby Dee, playing the role of Jackie’s wife, Rae, along with stellar performances by Louise Beavers (portraying Jackie’s mother) and veteran character actor Minor Watson, who signed Robinson to his professional baseball contract.

Alfred E. Green, who was no stranger to great biopic films, also did a credible job mixing in realistic baseball scenes while also framing and highlighting the key personal moments and private conversations in the movie that were so integral in the retelling of Jackie’s journey.

Years later, the movie “42” took a more modern view of Robinson’s tremendous accomplishments and epic struggles.  Although that, too, is a great film, both baseball supporters and non-athletic fans alike really must see the original version of Robinson’s life story, featuring the man who transcended sports in multiple ways, complete with his brilliant acting performance in his own film. 

You can see “The Jackie Robinson Story” this Thursday, August 13, at 9 am on RCN-TV.

To view the complete rundown of classic programming on RCN TV, check out the weekly listings here on our website.

Enjoy this guest blog from Catherine Neelon of the RCN TV production team. Chris Michael will be back next week. 

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of RCN or any other agency, organization, employer or company. 

September 17, 1908. West Park. Allentown, PA.

It must have been a glorious late-summer evening.

Though the park’s founder, General Harry C. Trexler, avoided the limelight and did not attend this opening night, plenty of eager music-loving residents from all across the city crowded around the newly minted bandshell to see the Allentown Band in concert. In the weeks and years that followed, many of the other Allentown-area community bands would also come to West Park to perform for the public in the warm summer air.

♪♫   ♪♫   ♪♫            ♪♫   ♪♫   ♪♫            ♪♫   ♪♫   ♪♫

For several years, starting in the mid-to-late 1990s, RCN (and earlier incarnations of its TV studio) worked with the City of Allentown and the members of American Federation of Musicians Local 45 to share many of these summertime concerts with its subscribers – many of whom might not otherwise get to experience them. In this way, the program “Concert in the Park” was born.

I remember working as part of the TV crew on our “Concert in the Park” days – arriving hours ahead of time to set up cameras and lights and microphones and cables under the leafy canopy provided by West Park’s many majestic trees. I can’t recall a time that we weren’t the first ones to arrive for the concert – but, guaranteed, as the shadows grew and the park lights started to glow, the people would start to trickle in. Some took advantage of the wooden benches right up front, while others brought their fold-up chairs and settled further back from the stage. Though the faces would change, and the crowd size might vary from night to night, there was always great music and it always had a grateful audience.

♪♫   ♪♫   ♪♫            ♪♫   ♪♫   ♪♫            ♪♫   ♪♫   ♪♫

Then came 2020 and the threat of COVID-19.

All of the anticipation, all of the preparation was no proof against the pandemic, and Allentown’s summer concert season at West Park had to be cancelled.

However, the members of AFM Local 45, who make up the rosters of the local community bands, still wanted to share their music with the Lehigh Valley – and to remind us all that their bands are still here and will play again once this crisis has passed. To this end, representatives contacted RCN-TV to see if we would be interested in re-televising some of our “Concert in the Park” programs from the past.

And in this way, “Classic Concert in the Park” was born. Starting in the beginning of August, over the course of several weeks, RCN-TV will be spotlighting a specially selected performance by each of six community bands.

• Tuesday, August 4 (repeat Sat., Aug. 8) – Pioneer Band of Allentown concert from July 3, 2007, with former conductor Jay Durner.

• Tuesday, August 11 (repeat Sat., Aug. 15) – Macungie Band concert from August 7, 2010, with conductor Mike Moran. (This concert was actually held at Macungie Memorial Park for Das Awkscht Fescht.)

• Tuesday, August 18 (repeat Sat., Aug. 22) – Marine Band of Allentown concert from June 9, 2004 with the late Ray Becker as conductor.

• Tuesday, August 25 (repeat Sat., Aug. 29 – Municipal Band of Allentown concert from July 18, 2010 with conductor Richard Steltz.

• Tuesday, September 8 (repeat Wed., Sept. 9) – Royalaires concert from July 19, 2003 with the late Richard Hinkle (my HS band director!) conducting.

• And just shy of West Park’s 112th anniversary, on Tuesday, September 15 (repeat Wed., 16) – Allentown Band concert from July 2, 2010 with long-time conductor Ron Demkee.

All concert airings begin 7:00pm on RCN-TV. Enjoy and stay safe!

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of RCN or any other agency, organization, employer or company

I have the honor of interviewing two special guests for this week’s RCN Sports Talk show: PIAA Board of Directors Vice-President/District XI Chair Bob Hartman and District XI Treasure/Catasauqua HS Athletic Director Tom Moll.

As we have been doing the last few months here at “The Shop” and on our television show, we’ve been keeping you apprised of the latest news and rumors regarding scholastic sports in our coverage area. These two gentlemen agreed to be on the program to discuss the current status of high school sports and also address the many rumors that are flying around about the upcoming football season and all of the fall sports issues.

Here are the topics of discussion:

• Opinions on the latest directives from the Pennsylvania Department of Education and the PIAA
• Reactions from coaches and students on the COVID-19 protocols in place
• Alternate possibilities for fall sports being scheduled if the number of coronavirus cases spike or additional directives come from the state or federal government
• Deadlines for scheduling for football and all other fall sports
• Addressing the mental impact on students and allowing for a “transition period” to get kids back in playing shape
• Financial ramifications of the spring sports shutdown and potential impact for any interruptions of the fall sports playoff season
• Rumors of switching sports to different seasons (i.e., baseball to the fall, football to the spring) and other “hot takes”

Two additional teases for this particular program – Bob and Tom tackle an issue that I have not seen nor heard of until last Friday when Norristown High School made headlines. That is addressing the issue of an individual school district (or a specific community or local government) taking exception to the directives implemented by the Pennsylvania Department of Education and the PIAA…how would that affect a team’s potential ability to play?

Another hotly contested debate: will some sports like golf and tennis be able to start on time or will those sports be included with soccer, field hockey and football if the latter sports are forced to postpone or cancel their seasons?

Tune in to find out!

My thanks to both of these administrators for their time and insights and, if you want to hear their responses to these issues and the latest news regarding the possibilities of fall high school sports action, make sure you tune in to the “RCN Sports Talk” show on RCN TV and catch it through RCN “On Demand.”

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of RCN or any other agency, organization, employer or company.

 For over a hundred years some of the greatest video treasures of all time have been produced. Some have been lost in the sands of time and others, soon to be rediscovered, will become fan favorites for a whole new generation.

 Each week we will feature just one of the many hidden gems that you can see on RCN TV with insights and commentaries on classic television shows and legendary cinematic performances.

Robert Livingston (born Robert Edward Randall) may not be a household name today when you think of classic motion pictures but he carved out a star-studded career for himself in some of cinemas’ most iconic roles and popular film series in the 1930s and 1940s.

Billed in these films as Bob Livingston, he was one of the original members of “The Three Mesquiteers” and starred in a whopping 27 movies as “Stony Brook,” starting with the first movie in 1936.

The films would focus on a trio of friends/cowboys–true to each other a la Alexandre Dumas’ “The Three Musketeers.” They would participate in various “western-themed” adventures–always triumphant in the end. Their name was a combination of the “musketeers” and mesquite, a popular plant found in the western part of the United States.

In 1938’s “Outlaws of Sonora,” the trio’s loyalty is put to the test as a villain, who looks similar to one of the heroes, goes on a crime wave and it’s up to the Mesquiteers to discover the truth, vindicate their friend and stop the bad guys.

In “Hit The Saddle” (which featured a very young Rita Hayworth, nine years before her turn as “Gilda”), the protagonists seek vengeance for the wrongful death of a young boy’s father but a love interest adds complexity to their battle for justice. 

Most of their movies followed similar plot lines, with the cowboys pitted against criminals and outlaws from the old west.  However, after the United States entered World War II, the Mesquiteers would also fight Nazis in a few of their adventures.

The films were very popular throughout the series’ run that lasted until 1943.  The Motion Picture Herald records that these films were consistently ranked in the top 10 westerns of each year, even after Livingston left the franchise.

Livingston’s last role as Stony Brook was in the 1941 movie “Saddlemates,” but he also starred as the titular character in other famous western characters like Don Diego / Zorro and “The Lone Ranger,” before, during and after his run with “The Three Mesquite” film series.

In all, the Quincy, Illinois native would appear in 136 total movies in a career that began as a silent film actor in 1921. Livingston would end up appearing in over half of the 51 “Mesquiteers” films.

His final acting role was in the 1975 comedy “Blazing Stewardesses” — a film that made references to and tried to build on the success of Mel Brooks’ “Blazing Saddles” that came out the year prior.  The original intent of the “Stewardesses” picture was to pay homage to the “B Film Westerns” that Livingston had made so popular in the 1930s and ’40s.

You can see a marathon of films (including all the ones listed in today’s blog) starring Livingston’s Stony Brooks character, starting with 1938’s “The Purple Vigilantes” on Monday, August 3rd starting at 9 a.m. on RCN TV.

To view the complete rundown of classic programming on RCN TV, check out the weekly listings here on our website.

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of RCN or any other agency, organization, employer or company. 

For over a hundred years some of the greatest video treasures of all time have been produced. Some have been lost in the sands of time and others, soon to be rediscovered, will become fan favorites for a whole new generation. 

Each week we will feature just one of the many hidden gems that you can see on RCN TV with insights and commentaries on classic television shows and legendary cinematic performances. 

From 1939 through the late 1960s, the comedy quartet of George Balzer, John Tackaberry, Milt Josefsberg and Sam Perrin were responsible for some of the funniest bits and comedic sketches on the radio and television mediums.

The four writers not only developed some great sketch comedy routines but also found a way to develop a winning program formula and have success repeating that same episode, literally for decades.

Wait…they repeated the same episode and continue to get new laughs every time?

Let me give you some examples.

On “The Jack Benny Program” alone, the writers developed annual shows like the popular Christmas Shopping and New Year’s Eve programs, which followed the same basic pattern, but would add increasingly funny jokes and added comedic bits with each episode.

For the former, the entire episode each year was Benny looking to buy Christmas gifts for his staff. Utilizing his well-known “skin flint-ness” as a backdrop, Benny would find new ways to save money with increasing cheapness as each show went on.  Every year the cheapness would reach new “highs,” and would culminate with Benny frustrating a salesperson beyond reason, with great comedic results (many would say the 1955 version with Mel Blanc portraying the salesman — ultimately blowing his brains out — was the best/funniest version of this type of episode).

The New Year’s Eve show would feature Benny as the current year’s Father Time, waxing poetic about the highs and lows of the previous year.  While mixing in jokes about the biggest stars and events of the completed year, the climax would be his handing off the role to a young boy portraying the following year’s Baby New Year and a wish of hope and prosperity for the 12 months to come.

Another popular reoccurring episode was the “Lunch Counter Murders.”

Originating as a radio play, the show would focus on Benny running a small-town diner with different members of his cast popping in and for a quick bite while portraying quirky characters.  The show’s second half would feature a guest star heading a group of “dangerous villains” who were on the run from the police and holding Benny hostage at his late night eatery.

Without question, the 1953-version of this skit, with Dan Duryea (who was very popular in films around this time) as the main guest star and cast regular Dennis Day as his sidekick, was the best version of this particular skit.  This edition built on the best comedic gags from the radio version and mixed in humorous visual jokes (complete with a hand-grabbing cash register for people foolish enough to ask Benny for change).

The jokes in this version were fast and furious and featured a surprise, additional guest star at the very end of the skit to top off one of the most popular episodes during the TV program’s early years.

You can catch the laughs for yourself of this specific version of the “Lunch Counter Murder” featured this Wednesday, July 30, at 10:30 am on RCN TV.

Also, see one of the best versions of the “New Year’s” shows, this Tuesday, July 28, at 8pm.

Be on the lookout for more of the annual Benny shows scribed by Perrin, Josefsberg, Balzer and Tackaberry as part of RCN TV’s annual holiday marathon programming.

To view the complete rundown of classic programming on RCN TV, check out the weekly listings here on our website.

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of RCN or any other agency, organization, employer or company.

For over a hundred years some of the greatest video treasures of all time have been produced. Some have been lost in the sands of time and others, soon to be rediscovered, will become fan favorites for a whole new generation. 

Each week we will feature just one of the many hidden gems that you can see on RCN TV with insights and commentaries on classic television shows and legendary cinematic performances. 

Whether you’re a fan of rural comedy or not, you can’t argue that The Beverly Hillbillies was one of the most successful television comedies of all time.

Spawning two other successful shows, a “return” episode over a decade after its cancellation, and a major motion picture, “Hillbillies,” its low-brow comedy set a high standard (along with boffo ratings) throughout the 1960s.

The plots were simple: take a backwaters family who strikes oil and inherits a fortune, and dump them in the ritziest area of the country, while having Beverly Hills’ greediest banker be their guardian while watching over their money. “Fish out of water” hijinx always ensued, complete with memorable special guest star performances, and big- named actors often portraying themselves.

Heading the creative team was Paul Henning, who had worked as a writer on other TV classics, including the “Burns and Allen Show,” which had a 10-year run on television after a lengthy radio run.

The cast was anchored by veteran song and dance man, Buddy Ebsen, who was ready to retire before reading the pilot episode and deciding to put those plans on hold.

Veteran radio and television character actress, Bea Benaderet, who had wanted to play the part of “Granny,” saw Irene Ryan’s screen test and insisted Ryan take that role.  Benaderet ended up with a recurring guest starring role as Jethro’s mother before starring in “Hillbillies”’ first spin-off, “Petticoat Junction” (more on this show in a future blog entry).

Ryan brought interesting dynamics to the program as she had both played as, and starred in front of, hillbillies in summer stock theater.  (On EmmyTVLegends.org

Henning tells a humorous story about Ryan’s early career and also recalls how the banker Milton Drysdale was based on a real character he knew.)

According to “Variety’s” article, “The Top 100 Television Shows of All-Time,” The Beverly Hillbillies was the number one show in its first two years and finished in the top 20 in the Nielsen ratings in eight of its nine-year run.

The only year the show was not among the top ranked shows was its last year, when CBS made the bizarre decision to drop the show out of its primetime lineup and air the program at what is an extremely unusual (for a network show) timeslot of Tuesdays at 7:30pm.

“Hillbillies” never lost a ratings battle within its timeslot against any other program during its entire run.

Several of its individual shows are ranked in both the most-watched and the critics’ choice for the greatest 100 television episodes of all time, including 16 of its episodes ranked among the top 100 programs watched in television history.

It captured many Emmy Awards in multiple categories during its production and has remained on TV in syndication to this day.

“Hillbillies”’ network run came to an end, not because of declining ratings, nor did the cast nor creative team run out of ideas, nor did viewers want to see the series end.  It, along with several other very successful TV programs, were cancelled because CBS executive Robert Wood decided to cancel every successful show that had a tree in it (according to actor Pat Buttram.)  This was part of the great “rural purge” of 1971, in which CBS jettisoned many of its feel-good, rural shows in lieu of comedies that tackled serious social and cultural issues. 

You can relive the hilarity of “The Beverly Hillbillies” on Wednesday mornings at 9:30 a.m. on RCN TV.

To view the complete rundown of classic programming on RCN TV, check out the weekly listings here on our website.

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of RCN or any other other agency, organization, employer or company. 

While there hasn’t been much action on the fields this summer, it has actually been a pretty busy last 6-8 weeks in terms of the amount of turnover for some pretty big head coaching and athletic director positions in the Lehigh Valley.

The area said goodbye to three head coaches, each with incredible longevity at their respective schools:

Mike Grasso at Bethlehem Catholic – 45 years

Doug Snyder at Allen HS – 24 years

Chad Landis at Liberty HS – 20 years (12 as a head coach, 8 more as an assistant)

All three were on our RCN SportsTalk show this spring (each one had their own show) and told stories of their careers, their programs’ highlights, lessons learned and the many student-athletes their teachings impacted. (RCN customers can see these exclusive interviews for free through RCN On Demand).

Likewise, over the last month, we’ve also talked to a number of new head coaches and athletic directors – some with some pretty big shoes to fill (their stories also were told on SportsTalk to hear them in their own words).

One person who I did want to focus on today was the new Hurricanes Boys Basketball Head Coach, Nigel Long.

Nigel was a great student and basketball player at Freedom High School. After one year playing college ball outside of the area, he transferred back to the Valley to have a very successful playing career at Muhlenberg College.

Since then he has been a great AAU head coach, an assistant coach at Bethlehem Catholic and a mentor to a lot of young people in Eastern Pennsylvania.

Nigel was on a Freedom team that wasn’t the tallest team, nor a squad with what the basketball experts would call a top-tier, talent-laden team “on paper.” However, his Patriots squads always battled hard and made for competitive games, even when being the underdog.  I believed his teams installed a work ethic that continued after Nigel’s graduation – one that culminated in his school’s first District XI championship in decades, this past winter.

I made a point of mentioning on our sports program that I believe Long may be the most significant hiring, in a summer in which so many great names and qualified basketball individuals were given new positions.  This includes Long’s mentor, Darnell Braswell, who takes over the William Allen basketball program.  The former Canary great  — another local product who had an outstanding playing career locally — took over the Allen head coaching position just a few days after Long was approved by the Bethlehem Area School District School Board to take over at Liberty.

The Hurricanes are no doubt a team in transition as they lost one of the most underrated and best all-around players to graduation.  Long will be responsible for cultivating a new leader after the departure of Will Harper, who played varsity basketball for his entire four-year career.

Likewise, Liberty has a number of freshmen and sophomores who will be responsible for stepping up their games and keeping the program playing at a high level.

Furthermore, I’ve heard from insiders in the Bethlehem community that there’s a number of very talented 7th and 8th graders coming into the program this year and Nigel will be responsible for implementing his hard-working and aggressive, defense-driven style of play that he was so well-known for during his playing days.

It should also be noted that with the hiring of Long, Braswell and Dieruff High School’s Marlon Randall, the Lehigh Valley tripled the number of African-American head basketball coaches within a 10-day span.  As far as I can remember, this number had never been more than one at any given time during the same calendar year.

Each of these head coaches discussed the cultural significance of this fact and other ways their hiring will positively impact their respective communities. I enjoyed my conversations with each of these men on our most recent shows.  I am very much looking forward to working with them and hope I have the opportunities to announce their games this winter.

Thanks to all of our local coaches and administrators for being on our show and best of luck on the new chapter in your careers!