The Last Resort!!! Out of the primal swamps of my memory! If I remember properly, it was sort of Newhart meets The Twilight Zone. Where the setting is a haunted inn... and each week there was some paranormal issue to contend with. (Even had an Alastire Cook type host to book-end the stories.)
The Progresso commercial. I was 10 years old in 1979, my family was dirt poor. We couldnt afford jarred spaghetti sauce, especially those advertised on tv. My mother used to buy a tin can of plain tomato sauce, and that was what she used for the sauce. No herbs, no spices. And it tasted like the tin can it came in. Plus she used to put too much salt into the boiling water which made the spaghetti taste too salty. So our spaghetti tasted like salt, and the sauce tasted like tin.
As maybe bad as some thought this was when it aired, we would all kill to have something of this caliber on a broadcast network in prime time today. Anything to relieve us of all the "reality" shows and forensic crime dramas.
Only problem is that there are so few, name stars on TV today talented and worthy enough to warrant a special.
The biggest names still young enough to do something of this sort have left TV (at least for now).
But Jason Alexander, Christine Baranski, Harry Connick, Jr., Billy Crystal, Tony Danza, Fran Drescher, Kelsey Grammer, Vicki Lawrence, Steve Martin, Bette Midler, Bebe Neuwith, Ray Romano, and Jerry Seinfeld are some names that come to mind in terms of "star quality" and all-around, comedy/musical talent approaching the likes of the big TV stars of yesteryear--Lucy, Jack Benny, Carol Burnett, Jackie Gleason, Bob Hope, Danny Kaye, Dean Martin, Dinah Shore, Danny Thomas, Andy Williams, etc..
I was 10 years old in 1979. The Riunite and Progresso ads are VERY familiar. The plot of "Once Upon a Family" is similar to the movie Kramer vs Kramer. Apparently a rip off.
The Beatrice Arthur Special did well in the Ratings and granted it was 1980 and Bea Arthur did this because it was apart of her Contract with CBS, She had finished Maude in 1978.
The Last Resort!!! Out of the primal swamps of my memory! If I remember properly, it was sort of Newhart meets The Twilight Zone. Where the setting is a haunted inn... and each week there was some paranormal issue to contend with. (Even had an Alastire Cook type host to book-end the stories.)
dukes0916 2 months ago
Yes, you can drink wine on ice if mixed with sprite or 7up, it becomes a wine sprtzer. Delish!
londonliz43 6 months ago
Who drinks wine on ice? (I'm sure at least someone will post a comment that he or she does)
BillyT92679 7 months ago
Dont forget Meredith Baxter just came out of the closet on The Oprah Show.
17mark1717 9 months ago
tehehe the robots were so cute
BellaSilvery 10 months ago
Let me guess on NBC which was the WORST Television Network at that time, and it now AGAIN!
FrankG5874 10 months ago
I heard that Meredith Baxter Birney is a total dike now.
chumpthedog 1 year ago
Commercials from the year I was born! Yay!
lajillycat 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
I was -16 years old in 1979! It wasn't until 1994 when I was in my mum's utero!
RkivUnderground 2 years ago
excellent time capsule! I never even *heard* of "The Last Resort". or "Once Upon a Family".
doofus0123 2 years ago
The Progresso commercial. I was 10 years old in 1979, my family was dirt poor. We couldnt afford jarred spaghetti sauce, especially those advertised on tv. My mother used to buy a tin can of plain tomato sauce, and that was what she used for the sauce. No herbs, no spices. And it tasted like the tin can it came in. Plus she used to put too much salt into the boiling water which made the spaghetti taste too salty. So our spaghetti tasted like salt, and the sauce tasted like tin.
classicphile 2 years ago
@classicphile You're life was truely hell.
robbatkinson666 2 years ago
@classicphile Yuck!
sjk72 1 year ago
As maybe bad as some thought this was when it aired, we would all kill to have something of this caliber on a broadcast network in prime time today. Anything to relieve us of all the "reality" shows and forensic crime dramas.
Only problem is that there are so few, name stars on TV today talented and worthy enough to warrant a special.
The biggest names still young enough to do something of this sort have left TV (at least for now).
gymnastix 2 years ago
But Jason Alexander, Christine Baranski, Harry Connick, Jr., Billy Crystal, Tony Danza, Fran Drescher, Kelsey Grammer, Vicki Lawrence, Steve Martin, Bette Midler, Bebe Neuwith, Ray Romano, and Jerry Seinfeld are some names that come to mind in terms of "star quality" and all-around, comedy/musical talent approaching the likes of the big TV stars of yesteryear--Lucy, Jack Benny, Carol Burnett, Jackie Gleason, Bob Hope, Danny Kaye, Dean Martin, Dinah Shore, Danny Thomas, Andy Williams, etc..
gymnastix 2 years ago
I realize Romano & Seinfeld probably can't sing and/or tap dance, but sill--huge stars who we sorely need back on TV.
And Fran Drescher is just tailor-made for a sketch comedy/variety hostess in the Burnett/Cher mold.
gymnastix 2 years ago
Madam was a horny doll!
the430movie 2 years ago
I was 10 years old in 1979. The Riunite and Progresso ads are VERY familiar. The plot of "Once Upon a Family" is similar to the movie Kramer vs Kramer. Apparently a rip off.
classicphile 2 years ago
That's too funny! I want to see the Bea Arthur special now!
Sox575 3 years ago 2
Maude was one Hell of a broad !
CreativeCritisizm 3 years ago 3
This was a hoot! Thanks for posting
madamewoselle 3 years ago
Wow! Madam was with Rock Hudson before he was forced out of the closet!:)
themainthing1974 3 years ago 2
The Beatrice Arthur Special did well in the Ratings and granted it was 1980 and Bea Arthur did this because it was apart of her Contract with CBS, She had finished Maude in 1978.
DavidEC625 3 years ago
Thank you for posting this clip! It was so much fun to watch!
tresakb 3 years ago
The Bea Special aired on Saturday, January 19, 1980; ergo, you have the year wrong on this clip.
chen73 3 years ago
Commercials were SO MUCH more professional and effective back then.
gayzertube 3 years ago
Thank God for people like you who post this stuff.
gayzertube 3 years ago
Macho Nick Nolte! lol. that clip of Rock and Madame was hillarious. So gay! Very cool stuff.
dj99surf 3 years ago