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.

First of all, a great job by the RCN sports crew in bringing you our first high school football broadcast – remotely – last week on RCN TV.  Because of Covid-19, our staff broadcast its first game with half of our crew back at the studio, while following all the safety protocols and did an amazing job bringing you all the sights and sounds of last weekend’s Freedom / Northampton game. Be sure to check out Gary’s blog this week here on our website for more on this special occasion.

That brings us to our second week of input from the RCN SportsTalk pollsters — a random collection of local coaches, athletic directors and media members. We never announce nor release the names of our non-media voters to get their honest opinions on the local football landscape while avoiding any thoughts of retribution or potential “bulletin board” material.  Our “media voters” usually reveal themselves when we have the pleasure of having them on our weekly SportsTalk program, seen on Thursday nights on RCN TV and available through RCN on Demand.

This year, instead of having a big school and small school poll as in seasons past, we are going to break the two polls down into EPC and Colonial League schools, within the RCN broadcast area.  With the reduced schedules, this change for our poll will make things a bit more interesting since many of the top teams within the local conferences will not have the opportunity to actually face each other this fall.

Without the crowning of an official Colonial League and EPC champion, our poll will be an intriguing barometer to who in fact is the best team in each conference (and, of course, bragging rights through the winter months).

So below we have our first week of high school polls for both leagues, along with the listing of all of the teams that are included in our respective categories.

Feel free to email me at Chris.Michael@rcn.net for your thoughts on this week’s poll and we might read and respond to your emails on this week’s Sports Talk show.

EPC-LV TOP 5

1)  Freedom

2) Parkland

3) Easton

4) Emmaus

5) Nazareth

Eligible Teams (in no particular order):
Allentown Central Catholic, Bethlehem Catholic, Freedom, Liberty, Dieruff, Allen, Parkland, Whitehall, Emmaus, Nazareth, Northampton and Easton

COLONIAL TOP 5

1) Notre Dame-GP

2) Northwestern

3) Palisades

4) Southern Lehigh

5) Salisbury

Eligible Teams (in no particular order):
Bangor, Pen Argyl, Notre Dame – Green Pond, Wilson, Catasauqua, Salisbury, Saucon Valley, Northwestern, Northern Lehigh, Southern Lehigh and Palisades

Be sure to bookmark our high school football broadcast schedule here on the website and check it frequently as, with several games already postponed or canceled so far, there could be changes from day to day.

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.

Believe me, there were plenty of times over the last few months where I thought this day would never come.

At least, not in the year 2020.

With high school sports shut down until 2021 in many of the RCN viewing areas, including the Delaware Valley and in the DMV, scholastic football and other fall athletics are back in session this week for the Lehigh Valley and District XI.

The official kickoff for the Colonial League football season was last weekend but this Friday marks the return of the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference games and, with it, RCN-TV’s first broadcast this fall.

With it, marks the return of RCN SportsTalk High School Football Poll, with a few new wrinkles for this season.

The first and most obvious one is that we will be conducting the poll for fewer weeks this season and we will only be doing it for as long as teams in our coverage area are still playing (if all goes well, that should be through the end of November this year.)

Secondly, with EPC league games limited to teams playing each other within their own county and the Colonial League teams altering their schedules, aka playing opponents based largely on availability and “clean bills of health,” we have altered our two sets of poll.

Instead of having a big school and small school poll as in years past, we are going to break the two polls down into EPC and Colonial League schools.  With the reduced schedules, this change for our poll will make things a bit more interesting since many of the top teams within the local conferences will not have the opportunity to actually face each other this fall.

Without the crowning of an official Colonial League and EPC champion, our poll will be an intriguing barometer to who is, in fact, the best team in each conference (and, of course, bragging rights).

So below we have our first week of high school polls for both leagues.

Feel free to email me at Chris.Michael@rcn.net for your thoughts on how you like our new setup for the high school football season and your thoughts on whether this is something we should continue for future years. 

Also, if you have any opinions or suggestions on how we might improve our polls for the future, feel free to express those thoughts to me as well.

Let the games begin!

EPC-Lehigh Valley TOP 5

• Easton

• Parkland

• Freedom

• Bethlehem Catholic

• Nazareth

Other schools receiving at least one vote: Emmaus

COLONIAL TOP 5

• Notre Dame-GP

• Northwestern

• Palisades

• Saucony Valley

• Southern Lehigh

Other schools receiving at least one vote: Northern Lehigh

RCN-TV Programming Notes:

Coming up on this week’s “SportsTalk” show, our guest will include Easton Athletic Director and EPC Football Chair Jim Prokivsak. Jim will update us on the league’s latest news, the ever-evolving fall football schedules and reasons behind altering the schedules the way they did (which some people, including many in the Allentown School District, are not thrilled with).  He’ll also give updates on his Rovers continuing its Thanksgiving Day rivalry game with Phillipsburg, an update on the renovations at Cottingham Stadium and thoughts on being one of the first schools in Pennsylvania to start an organized girls high school wrestling program.  

We’ll also have members of the defending District XI girls soccer champions from Freedom High School, whose season kicks off later this week.

And be sure to catch our high school football coverage this weekend.  On Friday at 7:00 p.m. we’ll have live coverage of Freedom vs. Northampton.

 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.

 The film, Made For Each Other, was not the most successful film in 1939.

Competing with the likes of The Wizard Of Oz, Gone With The Wind, and other classics, it was not a surprise when this film did not make a ton of money upon its release.

However, it is significant and deserves a viewing for many reasons.

Carole Lombard is probably one of the most underrated stars of the 20th century.

In her short life she was one of the top dramatic actresses in the first few years of “talkies” and, in the 1930s, was one of the most successful comedic actresses of the time period.

In 1939, the year Made For Each Other was produced, Lombard was the highest paid female actress and the entire industry.

Ironically, at the height of her comedic fame she decided that she would be taking more seriously as an actress if she returned to dramatic roles, as she did in this film.

It looked like this career decision would turn out to be the right one as critics lauded Lombard’s performance.  Sadly, it turned out to be her last great dramatic role.

Despite her death at the tender age of 33, Lombard had one of the most diverse and interesting careers in the “Golden Era” of Hollywood. The year 1939 was a pivotal time for Carol — both as an actress as well as for herself personally and for the nation.  We’ll be focusing more on her great work as an actress and as a humanitarian in a future blog entry here at the “Showplace.”

Stewart, meanwhile, was just beginning to mark his legacy and, in this film, was still developing his famous on-screen persona that would make him the third most popular male movie star of all time.

One of Stewart’s biggest traits was his slow, drawn-out delivery – almost as if he is truly reflecting on his lines before he says them. Alfred Hitchcock used this skill to perfection in his thriller films starring Stewart as the actor’s deliberate stutter often caused tension and anxiety at key moments.  Stewart’s “stammering” is something that is barely noticeable in his earliest works.

In Scott Eyman’s “Hank and Jim: The Fifty-Year Friendship of Henry Fonda and James Stewart,” Jimmy points out that in his early film roles he was all “hands and feet.”

Knowing these facts, it’s very interesting to see his on-screen performance in “Made” and to watch these traits as the actor says his lines and maneuvers his way around the set.

Stewart had just starred in Frank Capra’s You Can’t Take It With You and would also be performing in the classics Mr. Smith Goes To Washington and Destiny Rides Again later this same year.

It’s fascinating to go back and watch both of these iconic actors’ performances in this film, knowing what was to come down the road for both of them.

You can see Made For Each Other starring Carol Lombard and Jimmy Stewart this Monday at 2:30 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 agency, organization, employer or company.

I have to be honest with you. It has not been a good year for those trying to be a solid proponent for sports.

The professional ranks, the collegiate levels … heck, even at the scholastic and youth levels, there have been a lot of ugly conversations, controversies and questionable decisions – to say the least – that have made it extremely difficult to try to advocate its role in society.

I’ve heard more people say over the last few years and even many more fans over the last several months that say they are giving up sport “X” or are no longer following a league or a specific level of play.  Unlike in the past, when say, Major League Baseball went on strike and people said they were never going back, but many did … I think we are in a much different territory right now.

Here are a few examples….

Approximately half of Pennsylvania residents are upset that scholastic sports were approved by the PIAA and by a majority of school districts in the Commonwealth.  One of the most telling statements I’ve heard from a local Lehigh Valley resident recently was, “I hope I’m wrong, but if I’m right, and the coronavirus can be spread by playing sports and people could die…I’m not alright with that.”

A couple weeks ago, a D1 college football player (BJ Foster) at a major university (Texas) quit his team MID-GAME because he was upset at his lack of playing time during a BLOWOUT win, and was mad because his rarely used backup was actually getting a chance to play for a few minutes.  So much for being a good team player!

I’ve also heard many people say extremely negative thoughts about the top leaders in different professional sports. One more comical line I heard recently from someone who has sworn off attending/following sports said that “being clueless” must be a new requirement to be a major sports commissioner.

I have tried to rebut angry fans’ arguments and look to promote that there are still great attributes found in the various levels of athletics.  Sportsmanship, character building, socialization and building teamwork are just some of the things that I have mentioned to make cases for the wonderful side-effects that sports offers.

Then I opened up my laptop and read a headline I saw recently about a professional athlete…

“Jason Peters to Eagles: Pay Me More to Play Left Tackle“

You know, nothing really destroys an argument of trying to build unity, teamwork and unselfishness than a sports article that mentions dollar amounts throughout the first five paragraphs.

For those who don’t follow the Eagles closely, here’s the skinny on the situation.

A rash of injuries at the left tackle position made it clear that Peters would be the most logical choice to play the position.  He has had the most experience than anyone else – by far – currently healthy on the roster.  But in order to do so, the offensive lineman wants to be paid more money by lining up ten feet to the left of his current position.

Granted, when you have a right-handed quarterback, the left tackle position is more crucial than other offensive line positions in that it is the most common place where a defensive end or linebacker will try to blindside the quarterback.

But here’s a summary of what Peters’ argument sounds like:

     I’m all in for this team and really want them to win games but even the slightest adjustment by me that would dramatically make our team better for the next couple months is only worth my time and effort if you are going to reward me monetarily and give me more money than what’s on the contract that I have already signed.  Otherwise I’m perfectly fine with a far less capable person left to try to defend our franchise quarterback and not have our team do nearly as well.

Not exactly a quote you’d hear from Vince Lombardi or Walter Payton.

I have always been a proponent of athletes trying to earn as much money as they can during their playing careers. They put their bodies … and sometimes their lives … on the line.  Despite coaches, owners, league presidents and everyone else involved in sports, none of it can happen without players.

But responses and actions like Foster and Peters are becoming more and more commonplace in all of sports. As a beat reporter I have covered Former Eagle Greats like Brian Dawkins, Reggie White and others that would be absolutely ashamed of a direct quote above like the one above and the subsequent sediments that would linger in their locker room.

And while I hear many solid reasons for playing scholastic sports this fall, one of the most frequent that really turns me off to this position is a parent saying that his son must play football this fall because his son needs “better highlight reel material” than what he got last year so he can attract more lucrative college offers.

Honestly, it’s becoming harder and harder to those who are trying to promote the positive aspects that athletics can provide when the anti-sports debaters are constantly getting more and more evidence that debunks its very value in society.

Or maybe being a team player and doing what’s right, isn’t very important in life anymore?

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.

When the “RCN SportsTalk” show launched over 15 years ago, one of my first ideas was to brainstorm a list of people I thought that were extremely popular sports celebrities from the Lehigh Valley – which, when the program started, was the only place that the program aired – and would make for a very special night of television viewing.

That initial list consisted of about 55 people.  Through the great work of the show’s producer (and perhaps an even greater amount of luck and good fortune), within a few years we had nearly all of those people from that list on our program.  

A few ‘stragglers’ who either had time conflicts with being at our studio on a Thursday night or guests who were only available at a time when our studio was occupied with other projects kept those individuals from being on SportsTalk.  However, by year six of the program, we had all but two of those people from the list on our show at least once.

One of them was Larry Miller – widely regarded as THE greatest basketball player to ever come out of the Valley.

(Incidentally/ironically, the only other person from that original list who has not been on the show and I began a very special friendship a number of years ago when I contacted him and he told me why he did no longer does any public appearances.  It is actually a wonderful story about why he has NOT been on the program – one that we still have fun with to this day. But that’s a story for another blog entry.  After all, it is “Larry Miller’s time,” which is the name of his new book that is being released this month.)

I have actually been close to having Larry on the show several times, although, up until recently, he has rejected every single media request offered to him over the last 40 years, from sports newspapers, radio stations and major television networks from all across the country.

A couple times over the last 15 years, we thought we had a commitment from him to appear, only to have him change his mind.  One such occurrence was actually through a mutual friend of Larry and myself – Joe Murphy, who was also an RCN employee who just passed away around this time a year ago.

Larry had also allegedly agreed to appear at special nights for his high school alma mater – Catasauqua High School – only to again, change his mind and be a no-show.  While he’s always been easy to find at local Catty establishments, he has shielded himself from the limelight – a trait that has stayed with him even when he was playing professional basketball in the late 1960s and early 70s.

But now with a new book out, he is looking to make the media rounds and discuss some very revealing experiences about his playing days, from the reason why you started playing basketball in this area and the pride he feels for this region, through his days at the University of North Carolina, the ABA and the highs and lows he’s gone through following his playing career. I literally have 15 years worth of questions that I have stored up for him and can’t wait to address as many of those topics as time will allow.

At least, I’m hoping to get a chance to ask those questions. Tune in this Thursday at 7 p.m. on RCN TV to find out if I finally got that chance … and if the “time” is finally right for Miller.

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.

As we talked about last time here at “The Shop,” the long-running tradition of The Great Allentown Fair was canceled this year due to precautions caused by Covid-19.

RCN has sponsored a number of popular events at the Farmerama Theater, including two of our “RCN SportsTalk” shows each year for over a decade now.

Like we did this summer with the canceled basketball tournaments, we present some of the never-before-seen pictures that were taken at some of the previous “SportsTalk” shows at the Fair that were never published.

Enjoy the memories! I’m very much looking forward to creating new ones at the Fairgrounds in 2021.

PROGRAMMING NOTE:

If you missed last week’s edition of RCN Sports Talk (which is now available for free to RCN customers through RCN on demand), we had sports doctors and athletic trainers from school districts within the RCN viewing area discussing the pros and cons of playing sports during the pandemic. Additionally they had tips for student-athletes to stay in shape during lockdowns, ways parents can help their kids adjust physically and mentally to getting back into regular sports practices, truths and myths about COVID-19, ways to help kids returning to more normal socialization events and many more important facts and information during this critical time. It was a very topical conversation and already I’ve gotten quite a bit of positive feedback about the show and their opinions. Be sure to check it out!!!

And coming up…

… Our guests will include Frank Majikes, District 2 Chair for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area and PIAA Board President, to talk about current scholastic sports issues and the return to play.

We’ll also have Larry Miller – widely regarded as the greatest basketball player to come out of the Lehigh Valley area – discussing his tremendous playing career and extremely private life over the last four decades.

Hall of Fame boxing announcer and ESPN broadcaster Al Bernstein will be on to talk about current sports topics, his legendary career and his new show that is debuting on RCN TV this fall.

Our upcoming guest list also includes the league presidents from the East Penn Conference and Colonial League to explain the decision to play high school sports this fall and talk about the ways school districts are trying to keep people safe at these events.

Plus, a few more very special guests, including local coaches and players, discuss their return to participation in full-time athletics during the Coronavirus pandemic. Keep checking back to “The Sports Talk Shop” for more details.

 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. 

The 1938 film, Algiers, has the double distinction of not only being a successful movie upon its release but also in spawning several other projects and catchphrases that have survived to this day.

The film grossed over $150,000, which was not only a high mark for the time period, but also more than doubled its net gain after total production costs.

Charles Boyer played the lead, Pepe Le Moko, which was also the title name of the original novel and a French-produced film that was made prior to Algiers.

According to TCM.com, Boyer was not fond of this movie for two big reasons.

First of all, both producer Walter Wanger and director John Cromwell made a conscious decision in trying to mirror the French film to their English-speaking version, complete with using the same music score and set designs.

Furthermore, they insisted that Boyer copy the style of Jean Gabin, the original actor who portrayed the lead in the initial French version, and refused to let Boyer stray far from the original intention for his character.

Boyer was critical of the lack of creativity during the production process but grew to hate this role even more as he became known for the line that would follow him for the rest of his career: “Come with me to zee Casbah.”

As the popularity for that line grew, Boyer felt demeaned as an actor as the line was repetitively and increasingly lampooned in the years that followed.

According to several sources, Boyer’s ‘Pepe Le Moko’ character led to the creation of the popular Looney Tunes’ star, Pepe Le Pew, modeled after Charles’ delivery.  Looney Tunes specifically parodied Algiers in an episode entitled, “The Cat’s Bah,” 15 years after the film’s release.

Ironically, much like “Play it again, Sam,” that is still linked with Humphrey Bogart to this day, Boyer didn’t actually say the “Casbah” line himself.

The movie also marked the first major role for Hedy Lamarr, who embarked on a 28-year movie career, starring in 30 films.

According to “Film History: An International Journal” by David Pierce, the screenwriters of Casablanca cited Algiers as the inspiration for their film with the original intention of starring Lamarr in the now legendary role of Ilsa Lund. In 1942 Lamarr was contracted to MGM, who would not release her from her contract, so Ingrid Bergman ended up getting the female lead and Casablanca went on to make cinematic history.

Do you think Hedy Lamarr could have done a better job than Bergman as Ilsa Lund?  Do you think Boyer’s performance really sparked the inspiration for Pepe Le Pew?  You can speculate for yourself after watching Algiers this Monday, September 7, at 2:30 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 agency, organization, employer or company.

This week is, without a doubt, one of the most hectic weeks of the year for me…

…traditionally.

For over a hundred years The Great Allentown Fair usually starts at some point this week and runs through Labor Day and into early next week.

I usually host/emcee a number of events during the week from the Fair’s Farmerama Theater that RCN has proudly sponsored for decades.  In addition, I produce at least two of our “RCN SportsTalk” programs from the Fairgrounds, featuring special guests, cheerleaders, marching band and sometimes dog trainers, lumberjacks, high-wire acts, Fair queens and a whole host of other colorful personalities over the years that have been a part of our shows.

Trying to get all of these people  — successfully — onto the fairgrounds, accounting for ridiculously limited parking spaces, accounting for people losing their credentials, security guards claiming they weren’t told to allow guests in to be on a show that day and a whole host of other potential things that could go wrong, has always made this week very… interesting, to say the least, each and every year.

My family usually sees very little of me during this week – the most they’ll see of me is when they stop by and watch some of the shows that I am hosting at the Farmerama.

It is also not a very easy week as, on top of putting these shows together, it also happens to be the opening for the high school football season, which is perhaps the most watched entity for our viewers during the entire year.

I’m usually in contact this week with coaches, athletic directors, administrators and other personnel, scrambling to put all the football teams’ information together, like rosters, correct uniform numbers – with the emphasis on “correct” – and much more information needed to maintain our usual high quality for broadcasts.  Another whole host of things that usually goes wrong during this week, does, and it is without a doubt, the most hectic week trying to prepare for that weekend’s football games … more than any other regular season game.

And both events happen in the exact…same…week!

But not in 2020. 

It’s safe to say that I won’t be simply putting my feet up on my desk this year and taking it easy this week, as we are putting together a busy and exciting month coming up for the “RCN SportsTalk” programs in September, as scholastic sports go through an interesting transition from lockdown to a staggered return over the next few weeks.

I attended the Great Allentown Fair as a kid and it holds a very special place in my heart.  I enjoy the experience tremendously each year and, although the entire week of activities has been canceled this year due to the pandemic, I’m very much looking forward to the challenges that will await me for 2021.

That being said, I have to be completely honest with you and say that my blood pressure will probably be a little lower this Labor Day weekend, and the next seven days will not be nearly as stressful and as frantic for me as they usually are. But again, I sincerely hope to be working just as frantically 12 months from now when both the Fair and the traditional start of high school football season return to their normal time slots as well next year.

In celebration of the Great Allentown Fair – a tradition over 160 years in the making – check back to “The Shop” next week for a special surprise!

PROGRAMMING NOTE: With high school sports now officially back on for all sports in the Lehigh Valley, we will have a timely look at some of the fall sports teams as they prepare for their 2020 campaigns.  Our guests will include the defending District 11 champions from girls field hockey and the girls and boys cross-country squads on this Thursday’s show.

Tune in to hear more about the upcoming 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.

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.