Last week, we here at the Showplace began our countdown of the five best examples of a “shark jumping” ploy created by a television series’ creative brain team.

Look back to last week’s entry to find out more about this oft-used TV term and for the first two entries.

This week, we continue our countdown:

#3: Las Vegas

In 2004 one of the hippest shows on TV capitalized on the Las Vegas craze with a mystery program revolving around the behind-the-scenes views of the fictional Montecito gambling resort.

Anchored by Sonny Corleone-actor James Caan and up-and-coming movie star (and future Fergie husband) Josh Duhamel (Life As We Know It, Transformers movies), the show thrived on Monday nights despite heavy competition from Monday Night Football, Everybody Loves Raymond, Joe Millionaire and other hit shows in that same timeslot.  It regularly brought in nearly 12-million viewers each week and was a perennial Top 30 show in the lucrative 18-49 demographic throughout its first two years.

In addition to great acting, innovative technical innovations and suspenseful episodes, it was great at creating some great cliffhanger moments that keep bringing the audience back for more.

Unfortunately, at the end of season two, it went a bit too far.

In addition to leaving its audience hanging regarding one of its key cast members and an unresolved ending to who the new casino owners are and what they might do to the existing employees, the season two finale ends with the casino inexplicably being blown to the ground.

There was no mention during the episode that it was about to happen and it went down without any warning…leaving viewers shocked at what had just happened (and why?) through the entire summer hiatus.

The season three premiere introduced a new owner who announced she wanted to build a brand new, innovative casino–which looked remarkably similar to the old one.  Behind the scenes however, its parent network NBC, spent, at that time, a record amount in building a “new” set, one that inflated the program’s overall costs.

The new owner (Lara Flynn Boyle, who came with a hefty price tag after starring in films like Men In Black 2) did not test well with audiences, and she was subsequently killed off after seven episodes.  The series’ overuse of teasing cliffhangers at the end of season two started a steady decline in the show’s ratings, which suffered from the season three premiere onward.

Show creator Gary Scott Thompson, failing to learn from previous mistakes, doubled down on his jump the shark technique a year later, proclaiming (according to a March 5th, 2007 article in the “Las Vegas Review Journal”),”I’m gonna make this the biggest cliffhanger anyone’s ever seen. And if you cancel us, you’re gonna have 15 million fans pissed off at you, not me.” (By this time viewership has actually fallen below 10-million fans).

The final season never made it to the end of its contracted 20-episodes.  The final episode? An unresolved cliff-hanger.

#2:  Felicity

In 2007, the rookie season of Felicity not only garnished some of the world’s greatest awards for a television show, “Time” magazine anointed it, after just 20 episodes, as one of the “Top 100 TV Shows of All-Time.”

Led by creator JJ Abrams and titular star Keri Russell, the show focused on the four college years of a female student, tackling typical issues young people face, with each of the show’s seasons representing a freshman, sophomore, junior and senior years.

On hiatus between seasons one and two (and before the show would be enshrined as a television classic based on its phenomenal year one reviews), legend says that the show’s creators came up with a great idea for the second season premiere:  cut Russell’s famous golden hair as an appropriate step for the actress to take–symbolizing a year of growth and development for the on-screen character between her first and second year of college.

Following the season two premiere, the show instantly lost HALF of its audience (from 4.4-milllion to 2.2-million viewers) and, despite the actress quickly adorning a wig to try to cover her trimmed, prized locks, the damage was already done.

While some viewers eventually returned (along with the return of Russell’s naturally longer hair), the show never pulled in the ratings it once had, and never won another major award again for the remaining three seasons it was on the air.

#1: Twin Peaks

The ABC Network, which has quite a history of giving bad instructions to its hit shows (see last week’s list for just one other example), had a surprise hit on its hands with the quirky cult-classic Twin Peaks from 1990-91.

The show, whose RERUNS were topping television’s #1 rated show, Cheers, for two months, was built around the “Who killed Laura Palmer” mystery that was driving the exposition for delving into a world of unique characters and supernatural events.

Despite protest from series creator/director David Lynch that revealing Laura’s killer would effectively “kill the golden goose” by removing the show’s unique suspense factor that drove the series, ABC ordered for the resolution to the show’s main mystery halfway through its second season.

The show became rudderless without its main mystery for not just the fans, but for the actors and show’s creative brain-trust alike.  With Lynch and co-creator Mark Frost distancing themselves from the show, series star Kyle McLaughlin and other actors also lost interest in the project.

The show’s ratings fell hard and was canceled at the end of that second season.  Its “traditional TV” days were history.  The central mystery premise, however, would later see life in a full-length film and a “Return” series on the Showtime Network, 25 years later.

What did you think of our all-time best/worst shark jumping list?  There were clearly other examples in TV history in which a show “jumped the shark.”  Which ones did you come up with? Email your feedback and responses to us and perhaps we will revisit this list in a future blog entry!

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

The ATVN Programming Department is busy putting the final touches on our new spring broadcasting lineup–set to debut in a few weeks.

In the meantime and in honor of the 45th anniversary of television’s first official “Jump the Shark” moment, we here at the Showplace are going to do something a little different this week and will be starting our countdown of the top five “shark jumping” moments of all time!

Wait…you’re not familiar with the television term “jump the shark?” OK, here’s a brief history…

In 1977 the show Happy Days, a perennial Top 5 Nielson show for its four previous years, came up with the wildest plotline in the show’s history to that point–in which the program’s most popular character, The Fonz, would jump over a shark on water skis.

The idea of the small town Wisconsin cast of characters suddenly traveling to the west coast culminating in an event that was clearly created just for a rating spectacular caused loyal fans (and many of the show’s cast and crew members) to surmise that the writers had either lost their minds or were so desperate to create an event that would bring in viewers that they took this drastic course of action.  

The result was a catchphrase that was made up for television fans and critics that has been used to describe a hit show taking a drastic change in plotlines just to create a rating grabber–only to have the ploy backfire and lead to the eventual cancellation of the show.

(Ironically, the term attributed to this show is a bit of a misnomer.  Happy Days went on to have several more successful years ratings-wise and, arguably, had several other “shark jumping” type of storylines throughout the show’s final six years before falling ratings led to the eventual program’s demise).

Today we are going to start the ultimate collection of the top five “jump the shark” events in TV history that eventually led that same show down a path towards oblivion.

Keep in mind, these are not the five wildest plotlines ever created, nor are we citing shows that employed a ratings-grabbing event, only to have the show sustain or even increase its television shares after the event took place. We are strictly adhering to the requirement that the show’s ratings would never return to the same levels after such a stunt was created/written into the show’s canon.

#5: Pretty Little Liars

The teen mystery show was a hit with the key 18-49 demographic when it launched on the scene in 2010, following the success of several novels written by Sara Shephard. The television show centers around four high school girls whose clique falls apart after the disappearance of their leader. One year later, the estranged friends are reunited as they begin receiving messages from a mysterious figure named “A” who threatens to expose their deepest secrets.

The program consistently attracted between 2.5 to 3.7-million viewers for its first four years while its audience became perpetually puzzled at the identity of the mysterious “A,” whose actions were becoming more and more devious.

 During season five, ABC Family was anxious for a big ratings event to coincide with its recent relaunching as the “Freeform Network” and billed an episode in which “A’s” identity would finally be revealed.

It was…but the network had ordered two additional seasons of the show–one that just resolved its central mystery.

The result was that another “A,” (called “Uber A”) was created to keep the mystery going. Needless to say, storylines pretty much spiraled in several different directions through the remainder of the program’s run. Along with it went viewership totals that dropped steadily through the show’s final two years.

#4:  House, MD

British Actor Hugh Laurie played the titular character to the hilt and reinvented the way many medical dramas had been previously produced. Though brilliant but flawed, Laurie’s character would solve medical mysteries with an arrogance rarely seen among the genre’s doctors, but was becoming increasingly dependent on drugs himself. This story built for four solid years with the risks and the tensions building throughout each season.

Then, in season five, following two dramatic episodes in which fellow main character, Dr. Wilson, loses his love–partially due to House’s drug dependence, the flawed Dr. House finally checks himself into a state hospital.

After a five-year buildup to this key point of recognition and responsibility the show really set the stage for some great possible storylines involving this multiple award winning actor dealing with this serious topic, while also potentially opening up a fascinating abundance of stories involving Laurie’s character interacting with other patients going through their own medical mysteries while dealing with their own dependencies.

Instead, the culminating episode, which felt more like an after-school special, featured House joking around with another drug dependent patient–nearly resulting in the latter’s loss of life, to which House suddenly realizes abusing drugs are bad, and then he returns to his regular hospital, and resumes his old job, as if nothing had ever happened.

The show finished in the Nielson’s Top 10 throughout seasons two, three and four and attracted between 17.5-20 million viewers each week up until that point. Following House’s about-face in the season five opener, the show’s viewership quickly dropped to less than half the viewers it had sustained through its first four seasons and was never ranked higher than 42nd in its final year.

Show Producer/Film Director Bryan Singer said that the official reason the show did not return was a dramatic increase in the cost of each House episode, making it unprofitable for parent company Universal to continue the show. However, the badly bungled season five anti-climax leading to the dramatic ratings plunge and massive viewership slide in the program’s final year-and-a-half suggests otherwise.

Our list continues…next week!

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

In this week’s edition of The Showplace blog, ATVN’s Artie Freeman shares his opinions and insights on some of classic films and television’s greatest entertainers.

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Karl Malden was born Mladen George Sekulovich on March 22, 1912 to a Czech mother and a Serbian father in Chicago. His career spanned over 60 years and he is considered to be one of greatest character actors of all time. A character actor is an actor who plays a distinctive and important supporting role.

Karl Malden broke his nose twice playing high school sports, giving him his trademark look. A misconception is that actors have picture perfect looks. That’s not one hundred percent true. Some actors take their imperfections and own them like Karl Malden did, using them to set themselves apart from the pack. Others like Owen Wilson (twice broken nose like Malden), Steve Buscemi, and Peter Falk come to mind. 

After graduating from high school, Malden worked in the steel mills for three years until 1934. In September 1934, he left Indiana, to study drama at the Goodman Theater Dramatic School in Chicago. He didn’t have enough money to pay for school but the program director made a deal with him. He would pay the institute whatever money he had, and if Malden did well, he would be given a full scholarship. He did well and received the scholarship.

Three years later, he moved to New York City and made his first appearance on Broadway. Malden also joined the Group Theatre, where he began acting in many plays and was introduced to a young Elia Kazan. Kazan would later direct Malden in A Streetcar Named Desire and On the Waterfront. 

It was Elia Kazan who suggested he change his name from Mladen Sekulovich to Karl Malden. He anglicized his first name by swapping its letters “l” and “a” and used it as his last name. He used his grandfather’s first name as his own. He always regretted changing his name because he was proud of his heritage. Whenever he starred in a movie or on a television show, he requested that one of the characters have his family name, “Sekulovich”.

Karl Malden was friends with Marlon Brando and they worked together on five productions. Their first venture was the Broadway Play, Truckline Café. They then co-starred in the Broadway production and later the film version of A Streetcar Named Desire in 1951. For their work in that film Malden won a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award and Brando received his first Academy Award nomination. They co-starred in the 1954 classic, On the Waterfront. For his performance, Brando garnered his first Academy Award win and Malden received his second Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. One-Eyed Jacks is a special movie and it’s Brando’s only film as a director. It also marked the final time that they would work together, and we have it in our movie vault for you to enjoy!

It’s not the case now, but there was a time when film actors felt that television roles were beneath them. While film actors with less credentials shunned television, Academy Award Winner, Karl Malden embraced television.

From 1972 to 1977, he portrayed Lt. Mike Stone in the television series, The Streets of San Francisco. Malden was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series four times.  

He closed out his career in 2000 on an episode of The West Wing, portraying a Catholic priest. For this role he had the same bible that he used when he played a priest in On the Waterfront.

Malden is one of 8 actors to receive an Oscar nomination for their performance as a priest.

He appeared in four films that were nominated for the Best Picture Academy Award.

He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on February 8, 1960.

He was the pitchman for American Express, a position he held for 21 years. For American Express Traveler’s Checks, he coined his famous catch phrase, “Don’t leave home without them!”.

He was President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences from 1989 to 1992. 

He was a member of the United States Postal Service’s 16-member Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee, which meets to review recommendations for U.S. commemorative postage stamps.

Karl Malden died on July 1, 2009, exactly five years to the day after Marlon Brando died. Another coincidence for Malden is that both he and his mother were born on March 22nd. His death, at the age of 97, was 6 days after Michael Jackson’s death. I mention that because both he and Jackson grew up in Gary, Indiana.

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Artie Freeman provides great introductions to many of the classic movies airing weekly on ATVN’s “Movie Vault” and also hosts “Take 5” interviews featuring unique people and community leaders in our viewing area.

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

In this week’s edition of The Showplace blog, guest blogger Artie Freeman shares his opinions and insights on some of classic films and television’s greatest entertainers.

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Every once in a blue moon, someone comes along and they become synonymous with a title. That happens to be the case when you mention comedy duo – the names that come to mind are Abbott and Costello. They are the standard by which other duos prior to or after them are measured.

Their work in radio, film, and television made them the most popular comedy team of the 1940s and early 1950s. They were the highest-paid entertainers in the world during World War II. Their routine “Who’s on First?” is considered one of the best-known comedy routines of all time. Fifty years later a Black Comedy Duo, Arceneaux & Mitchell, had a “Who’s on First” routine using pimps and street numbers instead of baseball players and their positions.

Between 1940 and 1956 Abbott and Costello starred in 36 films, most of them as a duo. They were both born in New Jersey but didn’t meet until they were adults.

William Alexander “Bud” Abbott was born October 2, 1897 in Asbury Park, New Jersey. In his late teens Abbott began working in the box office of the Casino Theatre, a burlesque house in Brooklyn. Eventually Abbott began producing and performing as the straight man in burlesque shows that toured. Initially he was only the producer, but due to limited money he couldn’t afford to pay a straight man, so he assumed the duties.

Lou Costello was born March 6, 1906, as Louis Francis Cristillo in Paterson, New Jersey. He attended Public School 15 in Paterson and was considered a gifted athlete. He was an excellent basketball player and an expert free throw shooter, which he put to good use in 1945’s Here Come the Co-Eds. All of the trick basketball shots seen in the movie were done by Costello without the use of special effects. He was also a boxer; he fought under the name “Lou King”. He put those skills to good use in the boxing sequences in  Abbott & Costello meet the Invisible Man.

In 1927 Costello went Hollywood to become an actor, but could only find work as a laborer or extra. He was an extra in the Laurel and Hardy 1927 film short, The Battle of the Century. Little did he know at the time that he and Abbott would surpass them as a comedy duo. Because of his athletic background he sometimes worked as a stunt man.

Abbott and Costello met in the early 1930s but didn’t work together until 1935 when Abbott filled in for Costello’s regular partner who was sick. In 1936 they officially formed a partnership that lasted 21 years.

The team’s first known radio broadcast was on The Kate Smith Hour in 1938, in which they gained national exposure. Initially, the similarities between their voices made it difficult for radio listeners to tell them apart during their routines. To help distinguish their voices, Costello developed his signature high-pitched, childish voice.

In 1940, Universal Studios signed them for a musical, One Night in the Tropic. They could have been arrested for grand larceny. They were cast in supporting roles, but ended up stealing the movie. They performed several of their classic routines, including “Who’s on First?” I feel sorry for anyone who had to follow that act, the term “dead man walking” comes to mind.

The relationship between Abbott and Costello was strained over the years due to money and their egos. When they worked in burlesque, they split their earnings 60%–40%, favoring Abbott. This was general practice because the straight man was always seen as the more valuable member of the team. They eventually changed the division to 50%–50%, but after arriving in Hollywood, Costello insisted on a 60%–40% split in his favor. Costello demanded that the team be renamed “Costello and Abbott”, but Universal Studios rejected the idea. That caused a rift in their relationship. Abbott suffered from epilepsy. To manage his condition, he excessively self-medicated with alcohol. Abbott’s drinking added more tension to their relationship.

In early 1943 Costello was out of commission with rheumatic fever and spent six months in bed. On November 4, 1943, the same day that Costello returned to their radio show, his son Lou Jr. drowned in their swimming pool. Costello was informed of the tragedy prior to the show but insisted on performing because he wanted his son to hear him on the radio. The radio show was performed with a live audience watching; they were unaware of Costello’s loss. After his son’s death, close friends say that Costello was never the same, his light-hearted personality was gone.

In 1945, Abbott hired a maid who had been fired by Costello. Costello was angered and refused to speak to him except when they were performing. The following year they made two films in which they appeared as separate characters and had minimal scenes together.

Costello started a foundation for people suffering from rheumatic fever. Abbott suggested naming the foundation the “Lou Costello Jr. Youth Foundation”. After that gesture there was no way Costello could remain angry at his friend.

In 1948 they had their most successful movie, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein. It’s surprising to learn that they didn’t enjoy filming this movie. They made life difficult for the director, Charles Barton. Barton was quoted as saying “All three of the “monsters” were the nicest. The real monsters were Abbott and Costello.”

In the 1950s Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis dethroned Abbott and Costello as the top comedy duo. The reason for their decline was overexposure. Every year they made two new films. Realart Pictures re-issued their older movies and in 1952, their television series was syndicated on over 40 local stations. They became redundant and although they worked on new projects, they were using old material.

The IRS charged them for back taxes and they were forced to sell their homes, most of their assets, and the rights to most of their films. This was due to the fact that both of them spent their money in excess and were heavy gamblers.

In 1952 they made a significant film, Jack and the Beanstalk.What makes this film special is that it was their first color film and we happen to have it in our movie vault for you to enjoy!

In 1955 their contract with Universal was not renewed when they demanded a raise. In 1956 they made an independent film, Dance with me Henry, which would be their last film together.

In 1957 they gave their final performance of “Who’s on First?” on Steve Allen’s variety show.

On March 3, 1959 Costello died of a heart attack three days before his 53rd birthday. That day the curtain came down for the last time, ending an era.

Abbott attempted a comeback in 1960 with a new partner, Candy Candido. The new act received good reviews, but Bud called it quits, saying, “No one could ever live up to Lou.” Abbott made a solo, dramatic appearance on an episode of General Electric Theater in 1961.

In 1966, Abbott voiced his character in the Abbott and Costello cartoons made by Hanna-Barbera. Lou’s character was voiced by Stan Irwin.

Bud Abbott died of cancer on April 24, 1974 at the age of 76.

Groucho Marx considered Abbott be the “the greatest straight man ever”. Arthur Lubin, who directed the team’s first five starring films, said: “I don’t think there has ever been a finer straight man in the business than Bud Abbott”.

Abbott and Costello are among the few non-baseball personnel to be memorialized (not inductees) in the Baseball Hall of Fame. A plaque and a gold record of the “Who’s on First?” sketch have been on permanent display there since 1956, and the routine runs on an endless video loop in the exhibit area.

Abbott and Costello each have three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for their work in radio, television and motion pictures.
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Be sure to check our upcoming guild listings for Abbott and Costello’s classic comedy showcased on ATVN programming and be on the lookout for more contributions from Artie Freeman in future “Showplace” posts. Artie provides great introductions to many of the classic movies airing weekly on ATVN’s “Movie Vault” and also hosts “Take 5” interviews featuring unique people and community leaders in our viewing area.

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

In honor of Women’s History Month, the Showplace is featuring prominent female-driven classic programs and women who “changed the game” and made a lasting impact in the Golden Age of Hollywood.

Today we present part two of a special feature on the legendary comedian, Gracie Allen.
In the 1930s the George Burns and Gracie Allen radio and later television shows not only became one of the top, but it also was one of the pioneers who developed a format that still is very prevalent in today’s television shows-the sitcom.
In fact, the television program also became a trendsetter in that it became a show within a show. Long before Seinfeld gave a monologue interspersed with clips from his personal life, Burns delivered one-liners to the audience framed around the zany adventures of his wife.
At the end of the program a quick exchange would take place between the husband and wife comedy duo as they interplayed with the audience, culminating with Burns setting his wife up for the classic lines:

George: “Say good night, Gracie”
Gracie: “Good night Gracie!”

Gracie Allen also pulled off some of the funniest and most elaborate pranks in America at the times where the nation needed them the most.

During the Great Depression, Allen pulled off one of the most successful publicity stunts in entertainment history with a year-long search for Alan’s supposedly missing brother.
During the tense year of 1940 with a threat of war looming around the world, Alan kept the country laughing with a run for the president of the United States on the new “Surprise Party” ticket, which culminated in a book with photographs from around the country and even an official endorsement from the President of Harvard University.
During World War II, her publicity stunts included being the subject of the “Gracie Allen Murder Case” mystery and a piano concerto that was performed live at the Hollywood bowl consisting of Allen playing an entire arrangement with just one finger.
Allen’s increasing anxiety over stage fright–something she battled throughout her entire career–finally forced her to retire from the Burns and Allen television show and virtually any public appearances. Though her husband tried to carry on with the show for one more year, the program was not nearly as successful and was canceled.
Sadly, Gracie passed away from a heart attack within a year.
The Gracie Award is presented by the alliance for women and media to recognize exemplary programming created by women in radio, television, cable, web-based media and for news, drama, comedy, commercials, public service, documentary and sports productions.
Bea Benaderet who worked extensively with both Allen and Lucille Ball throughout both comedians’ careers was quoted in an April 24, 1966 article of “Democrat and Chronicle” declaring that “Gracie was the greatest actress of all time.”
It would be hard for anyone to disagree. You can see the comedy genius of Gracie Allen for yourself on the Burns and Allen Show every Sunday morning at 11:30am on ATVN.
To view the complete rundown of classic programming on ATVN, 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 Astound Broadband or any other agency, organization, employer or company.

In honor of Women’s History Month, the Showplace will feature prominent female-driven classic programs and women who “changed the game” and made a lasting impact in the Golden Age of Hollywood.

Probably the most successful and famous female comedian in the first half of the 20th century was NOT Lucille Ball.
Who was possibly even better than the Queen of Comedy herself before 1951? 
Answer: Gracie Allen.
The “better” half (according to her husband) of the famous comedy duo Burns and Allen was born Grace Ethel Cecile Rosaline Allen.
She was born in the year 1895, 1896, 1902 and 1906 – just one of the many zany, continuous gags that spanned her entire performing career.
Gracie began performing Irish folk dances with her sisters before becoming a vaudeville performer in 1909. A decade later she met and later married George Burns as they formed a partnership as a comedic team.
As hard as it is to believe now, Allen was actually the straight man…er, straight woman, in the early years of this legendary duo.
In “Gracie: A Love Story,” one of several books Burns wrote about his beloved wife, he stated that he was originally the one to deliver the punchlines. Yet it was Allen who was delivering the straight set-ups who, with her humorous delivery, was getting more laughs than the jokes themselves.
Burns’ decision to switch roles nearly instantly made them one of the most requested comedy acts on the vaudeville tours, which also included W. C. Fields, Buster Keaton, May West, the Marx brothers, Jimmy Durante, Fanny Brice, Eddie Cantor, Georgie Jessel, Al Jolson and George’s best friend, Jack Benny.
As vaudeville began to fade and many stars transitioned to radio in the late 1920s and early 1930s, the husband and wife team immediately captured their own radio program. Unfortunately, their jokes–frequently revolving around humorous situations involving newlyweds–were not getting the laughs that they once did on the vaudeville circuit.
In the book, “Sunday Nights at 7:00”, Burns confided in Benny that he was struggling to write funny material for his radio show and, if ratings didn’t improve, Burns and Allen would be out of work. Benny pointed out that, since the couples were no longer newlyweds and now middle-aged, that their old jokes weren’t working and advised that the comedy should revolve around family issues suited to their ages and also focus on Allen’s faux-hair brained ideas.
The suggestion not only paved the way for radio and television success in the 1930s, 40s and 50s but also for some of the most elaborate ploys of the 20th century.
But heartbreak was also on the horizon for this famous duo. We’ll have more on the story of Gracie Allen next week here at the Showplace.
In the meantime, you can see the “better half” on the Burns and Allen Show at 11:30am every Sunday morning on ATVN.
To view the complete rundown of classic programming on ATVN, 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 Astound Broadband or any other agency, organization, employer or company.

In this week’s edition of The Showplace blog, ATVN’s Artie Freeman shares his opinions and insights on several of classic film and television’s greatest entertainers.

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Paul Robeson was known for his deep, bass baritone voice. He was a concert artist, stage and film actor, athlete, and activist. The level of his intelligence is incomprehensible. He wrote and spoke over twenty languages. That fact stands out; due to racial discrimination at the time there weren’t many Black people who could read, write, and fluently speak English.
Prior to his graduation, he was named class valedictorian and won a statewide academic contest for a scholarship to Rutgers University.
In 1915, Robeson attended Rutgers University on that academic scholarship. He was only the third Black student to attend Rutgers, and the only one at the time. I can’t begin to imagine living on a college campus where no one else looked like me. There’s a common misconception that racism in America was only confined to the South.
He joined the football team and endured physical abuse from his teammates resulting in a dislocated shoulder and broken nose. He was benched for one game when a Southern football team refused to play a team that had a Black man. Robeson was the first Black man to play football for Rutgers University. While at Rutgers, he was a two-time All-American in football and valedictorian of his senior class in 1919.
He received his law degree from Columbia Law School while playing football in the American Professional Football Association, later renamed The National Football League. He was recruited by Fritz Pollard, pro football’s first Black coach, to play for The Akron Pros in 1921. The next season he played for The Milwaukee Badgers in 1922.
After graduation, he became a figure in the Harlem Renaissance with performances in The Emperor Jones and All God’s Chillun Got Wings. Robeson performed in Britain in a touring melodrama, Voodoo, in 1922, and in Emperor Jones in 1925.
In 1928 while living in London, he was the character Joe, the dockworker who sings “Ol’ Man River” in the theatre production, Show Boat. Robeson’s character Joe was expanded from the novel and written specifically for Paul Robeson due to his range as an actor and singer. He played Joe in four productions of Show Boat: the 1928 London premiere production, the 1932 Broadway revival, the 1936 film version and a 1940 stage revival in Los Angeles.
While living in London he worked as a concert artist and starred in the theatre production of Othello, the first of three productions of the play over the course of his career.
In 1933 he starred in the film The Emperor Jones; this is the first film to cast a Black person as the star of the film.
In 1943 he reprised the role of Othello in the Broadway production. As of today, this is the longest-running non-musical production of a Shakespeare play ever to be staged in the United States. Othello ran for nine months at the same theatre and then went on a U.S. tour.

At the time, Robeson’s Othello couldn’t be adapted for film due to racial restrictions. A Black man could not do a love scene with a White woman in a motion picture in the 1940s.
In 1942 he made his last film appearance, refusing to make any more films because the roles being offered to Black people were demeaning.

In 1950 Robeson was blacklisted as a Communist for his political beliefs and criticizing racism in the United States. As a result, his recordings and films were removed from public distribution in the United States. These actions made it impossible to hear Robeson’s music on commercial radio, buy his music, or see his films. In addition to being blacklisted, the State Department denied Robeson a passport eliminating his ability to work abroad. Robeson was essentially a prisoner, free to wander the streets.

In 1958 the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated his passport due to the fact that it had been revoked without due process, violating his constitutional rights. Robeson was now free to travel and resume his career in Europe.

Unfortunately, Robeson’s mental health began to deteriorate in the early 1960s culminating in suicide attempts. In London, he received electroshock treatment and high doses of drugs, but no psychotherapy.

In 1963 Robeson’s family was displeased with the care he received in London and got him transferred to a clinic in East Berlin. The doctors in East Berlin were appalled at the previous treatment administered in London. There he received proper psychotherapy and less medications that led to his health improvement.

In December 1963, Robeson returned to the United States, retired and lived in seclusion. In 1965 his wife, Essie, passed away. Following her death, he moved in with his son’s family and then with his sister in 1968 until his death in 1976.

Here of a few posthumous accolades that Paul Robeson received:

In 1988, he was inducted into the Rutgers Football Hall of Fame.
In 1995, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
In 1998, he received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
In January 2004, a 37-cent USA commemorative postage stamp in the Black Heritage series was made with his picture on it.

It’s sad that such a brilliant man who was so committed to humanity was ostracized and condemned for his beliefs. It would have been so wonderful had he been alive to receive the above awards and recognition he so deserved.

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Be on the lookout for more contributions from Artie Freeman in future “Showplace” posts. Artie provides great introductions to many of the classic movies airing weekly on ATVN’s “Movie Vault” and also hosts “Take 5” interviews featuring unique people and community leaders in our viewing area.

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

The world recently lost one of the greatest entertainers in our history–Sidney Poitier. ATVN’s own Artie Freeman shares his insights and opinions on this legendary performer and activist, in this week’s edition of The Showplace.

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January 6th, 2022 marked the passing of Sidney Poitier, a true legend and pioneer. Poitier was one of the last major stars from the Golden Age of Hollywood. At the time of his death, he was the oldest living and earliest Best Actor Oscar winner. There was literally no one alive who had won the Best Actor Academy Award before him.
Poitier’s family lived in the Bahamas, at the time a British colony. He was born in Miami while his family was visiting, making him an American citizen. He grew up in the Bahamas and moved to Miami at the age of 15 to live with his brother, Cyril. He found life in the south to be intolerable due to the Jim Crow Laws accompanied with racism. When he was 16, he moved to New York City to pursue a career in acting.
He joined the American Negro Theatre and trained himself to shed his Bahamian accent. In 1950 he got his big break playing a doctor in the racially charged film, No Way Out. After a strong performance in this film, it was hard not to notice his stage presence and extraordinary talent.
In 1958, Poitier co-starred with Tony Curtis as escaped convicts who were chained together in The Defiant Ones, which received nine Academy Award nominations. He and Curtis each received a nomination for Best Actor, with Poitier’s nomination being the first for a black actor.
It’s important to remember that Hollywood back then was filled with many white racists who only wanted to depict black people in subservient roles. There were, however, some decent white people who carried some weight and believed in racial equality. Tony Curtis was one of those people. For The Defiant Ones, he requested that Poitier’s name appear alongside his on the movie poster receiving equal billing.
In 1964, Poitier won the Academy Award and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor for Lilies of the Field. Although Sidney won the greatest honors for an actor, he felt they were given to him to make Hollywood look good for having a token black. It’s too bad that he couldn’t enjoy his accolades, because he really did deserve the awards.
1967 was an amazing year for Poitier; he made three films dealing with racial issues. In each film, he portrayed an intelligent and authoritative character: In To Sir, with Love he was a teacher, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner as a doctor, and In the Heat of the Night as a police detective. He reprised the role of Virgil Tibbs from In the Heat of the Night in two sequels, They Call Me Mr. Tibbs and The Organization. That same year he became the first black actor to place his autograph, hand, and footprints in the cement at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre.
In 1969 he starred in The Lost Man and he insisted that the film crew consist of fifty percent black people. That was a bold move. Many people would not jeopardize their livelihood for their convictions.
In the 1970s, Poitier successfully teamed up with Bill Cosby in three “buddy” films displaying his comical side. These films were Uptown Saturday Night, Let’s Do It Again, and A Piece of the Action. He also directed these films and his brother Cyril had bit parts in each. In 1980 he directed, in my opinion, the funniest buddy film ever made, Stir Crazy. This was first film pairing Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder. Stir Crazy went on to become the highest grossing film directed by a black filmmaker until Scary Movie in 2000.
In 1982, he received the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award. In 1995, he received the Kennedy Center Honor. From 1997 to 2007, he was the Bahamian Ambassador to Japan.
In 1999, he ranked 22nd among 25 male actors on the “100 Years…100 Stars” list by the American Film Institute. This is a list of the 50 greatest screen legends: ranking the top 25 male and 25 female greatest screen legends of American film history. Sadly, out of these 50 legends he is the only person of color to grace this list.
In 2002, Poitier received an Academy Honorary Award, in recognition of his accomplishments as an artist and as a human being.
In 2009 President Obama awarded Poitier the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States’ highest honor for a civilian.
Sidney Poitier lived a full life with grace and dignity while demanding respect both on-screen and off. In the near future, we will air one of Sidney’s movies, Mark of the Hawk, on the ATVN Movie Vault, with me as your host.
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Be on the lookout for more contributions and insights from Artie Freeman in future blog “Showplace” posts. Artie provides great introductions to many of the classic movies airing weekly on ATVN and also hosts our “Take 5” interviews featuring unique people in our viewing area.

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Astound Broadband 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 ATVN with insights and commentaries on classic television shows and legendary cinematic performances.

As part of ATVN’s celebration of Black History Month, here at the “Showplace” we are putting the spotlight on African American actors who excelled not just on the big and small screens but who also inspired change with their courage and perseverance.
For over 20 years, Earth Kitt had traveled the globe and found success as a singer, actress in film, television and theater and had become an active voice in speaking out against social injustice and as a proponent of peace.
In 1966, she established the Kittsville Youth Foundation, a chartered and non-profit organization for underprivileged youths in the Watts area of Los Angeles. She was also involved with a group of youths in the area of Anacostia in Washington, D.C., who called themselves “Rebels with a Cause”. Kitt supported the groups’ efforts to clean up streets and establish recreation areas in an effort to keep them out of trouble by testifying with them before the House General Subcommittee on Education of the Committee on Education and Labor.
In her May 1967 testimony, Kitt stated that the Rebels’ “achievements and accomplishments should certainly make the adult ‘do-gooders’ realize that these young men and women have performed in one short year – with limited finances – that which was not achieved by the same people who might object to turning over some of the duties of planning, rehabilitation, and prevention of juvenile delinquents and juvenile delinquency to those who understand it and are living it”. She added that “the Rebels could act as a model for all urban areas throughout the United States with similar problems.”
“Rebels with a Cause” subsequently received the needed funding. Kitt was also a member of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom; her criticism of the Vietnam War and its connection to poverty and racial unrest in 1968 can be seen as part of a larger commitment to peace activism.
Her career cooled for the first time following a 1968 invitation from Lyndon Johnson to the White House where she made anti-war statements about the American involvement in the Vietnam War.
Except for a few appearances in theatrical productions overseas, her career was nearly frozen for almost ten years before her job opportunities began to resurface.
Kitt made a successful return to United States audiences in a 1978 Broadway production of Timbuktu! Following that performance, she continued a busy schedule performing in film and theater, singing, doing voiceover work and activism. In her later years she expanded her support for social equality and became an advocate for LGBTQ rights and was a frequent speaker at fundraisers.
In the year leading up to her death, she performed live at the Cheltenham Jazz Festival and did animation voiceover work for the films, My Life as a Teenage Robot and The Emperor’s New Groove, and for a guest starring spot on the television show, The Simpsons.
Kitt died of colon cancer at her home in Connecticut on December 25, 2008. She was 82.

Check back next week here at “The Showplace” for more stories of inspiration and achievement both in the entertainment industry and in the ongoing search for equality and social justice.
To view the complete rundown of classic programming on ATVN, check out the weekly listings 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 Astound Broadband 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 ATVN with insights and commentaries on classic television shows and legendary cinematic performances.

As part of ATVN’s celebration of Black History Month, here at the “Showplace” we are putting the spotlight on African American actors who excelled not just on the big and small screens but those who also inspired change with their courage and perseverance.

Few entertainers have influenced the world for as many decades…and in as many ways…as Eartha Kitt.
Born Eartha Mae Keith on January 17th, 1927 in a small town of North, South Carolina, Eartha’s birth and early years are shrouded in a bit of a mystery. She did not know who her father was, and the person she believed to be her mother died at an early age. Her step-father refused her because he believed her skin was too light and she was sent to live with a relative named Mamie Kitt–who may have been her actual biological mother.
Kitt began her entertaining career in 1942 by joining the Katherine Dunham Company. The Chicago based company was the first professional-based organization in America to prominently feature African-American singers, dancers, musicians and entertainers.
While with the group, she recorded a number of songs that registered on national charts, including “Let’s Do It”, “Champagne Taste”, “Just an Old Fashioned Girl”, “Je cherche un homme”, “Love for Sale” and “I’d Rather Be Burned as a Witch.”
In 1945 she earned her first appearance on Broadway in the 1945 original theater production of the musical Carib Song. She left the company in 1948 but her success continued in the early 1950s, hitting charts in both the United States and overseas. She had six US Top 30 hits, including “Uska Dara” and “I Want to Be Evil”. Her other notable recordings include the UK Top 10 hit “Under the Bridges of Paris” and “Just an Old Fashioned Girl.”
Also in 1950, she secured her first starring role when Orson Wells spotted her, reportedly referring to her as the most exciting woman in the world. Wells cast her as Helen of Troy in the picture, Dr. Faustus. Two years later, she was cast in the revue New Faces of 1952, introducing “Monotonous” and “Bal, Petit Bal”, two songs with which she is still identified. In 1954, 20th Century Fox distributed an independently filmed version of the revue entitled New Faces, in which she performed “Monotonous”, “Uska Dara” and “C’est si bon,” as well as the now annual Christmas favorite, the original “Santa Baby.”
Throughout the rest of the 1950s and early 1960s, she recorded; worked in film, television, and nightclubs; and returned to the Broadway stage, in Mrs. Patterson (during the 1954–1955 season), in 1957’s Shinbone Alley, and the 1959 production of Jolly’s Progress. In 1964, Kitt helped open the Circle Star Theater in San Carlos, California. In the late 1960s, Batman featured Kitt as Catwoman after Julie Newmar had left the show in 1967. Also in 1967, Kitt guest-starred on the popular spy-thrilling television show, Mission: Impossible, in an episode called “The Traitor,” portraying a contortionist.
Eartha was also very active in a number of major civil rights movements throughout the 1950s and 1960 and was just beginning to make her voice heard internationally fighting for civil rights and social justice. But in 1968 an event occurred that would attempt to silence her voice–both professionally and personally.
We’ll examine that event and feature many more hurdles Kitt had to overcome as well as many more glorious accomplishments that she would achieve, next week here at “The Showplace”.
In the meantime, be on the lookout for Eartha’s starring performance in Mark of the Hawk this month on ATVN.

To view the complete rundown of classic programming on ATVN, check out the weekly listings 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 Astound Broadband or any other agency, organization, employer or company.