Nick At Nite's Classic TV Countdown: Dragnet

Shouldn't all classic TV episodes be re-enacted with puppets? We thought so. That's why we tried to kick start the revolution with this scene from the first episode of Jack Webb's 1960's reboot of Dragnet. This video gets two hand stumps up! Way up! (I produced/directed this segment. TV Land's Tom HIll and Rick Groel wrote it.)

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Nick At Nite
• Dragnet
• Casey Kasem
• Todd Ruel
• Tom Hill
• Rick Groel
• Joe Boyd

[ToddRuel]

Yes, I only worked on the 1994 Countdown. Most of it wasn't that good. Some of it was downright bizarre. But there were bright spots. I thought the Dragnet puppets segment was the best. We did a few other puppet segments from Mary Tyler Moore episodes. The puppet maker did a version of Mary wearing a red dress with a wildly oversized pearl necklace. Those pearls would whip around every time we moved her. Good stuff. That was a fun and exhausting time.

[trapadoored]

was also wondering if u could supply any information on this clip-I used to love the rerun countdown!-I'm assuming u worked on this one-did u interact with Casey casem? Where was it filmed? did u work on other years of the countdown? Any info would be interesting.

[ToddRuel]

@trapadoored Yes, I produced this segment. The puppet maker did an incredible job! What amazed my bosses was that I approached it like a film shoot with tons of different dramatic camera angles. Fun! Casey Kasem was mostly wonderful to work with and a little bit difficult. It took hours for him to be happy with his hair and makeup. Lots of time wasted. But I never, ever worked with such an amazing announcer. Need that copy delivered in 17.5 seconds? He could nail it. Every time. Total pro.

[adamt1049]

Before anyone asks, I have 96, 97, and 98 in their entirety on 2 tapes each. I have most of 1995, but I missed a night. I have fragments of 1992 and 1994, and I used to have 1993 in it's entirety, on 2 8 hour tapes with about 4 hours of the then current lineup after, but somewhere over the years I lost those. Here's hoping they turn up in my dad's garage someday.

I would LOVE to trade these, or any other tapes I have, for any of the years I'm missing, in whole or part. Anyone interested?

[adamt1049]

93 was a Classic TV Party, with all sorts of old stars visiting, like both Chris Partridges, and the guy who wrote the theme to Mary Tyler Moore. 94 was, of course, reenactments with puppets. 95 was done like a televised radio show, with a record for every episode, and casey spinnin the hits. 96...i don't remember, I'll have to check again. 1997 too, though that seems to have something to do with trivia. 98 was the last one, the only "tv hits" countdown, & the theme was the "Classic TV Attic"

[adamt1049]

Trapadored, they did the Rerun/Classic TV/TV Hits countdown every year from 1989 - 1998, and something similiar, but without Casey or the Countdown theme in 1999. Every year had a different theme. If I remember correctly, 1989 was bizzarre "facts", such as The Antelope was the most common pet in america until Lassie popularised dogs. 1990 was real facts, 91 was like an award show. 1992...i don't remember, I'll have to check my tape.

[trapadoored]

@ToddRuu

u might not know this if it was your only year, but was 94 the last time they did the countdown? (or "the final countdown" haha)

also do you remember which shows Nick at Nite acquisitioned during the time you worked there? was that when they started airing Taxi?

[trapadoored]

@ToddRuel

was this the only year you worked on the countdown? -and weren't there puppet versions of other classic tv scenes on this one?

[rockypc24]

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