Lookin’ Good Season 15
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Here's the story of how you can win a trip for two to LA to visit the iconic Brady Bunch house. Not only visit the home, but spend the day there, exploring and brunching with members of the Brady Bunch cast. If you remember, Kristen, Michelle and I had the time of our lives when we got to visit the home back in September, it was truly a magical experience. And now you can have an experience like that too, alongside cast members from the show. Simply visit the Brady experience.com to enter the Brady brunch sweepstakes and from now through January 31 PCPs listeners can get four entries for the price of one. All you have to do is put PCPs in the Add order note section of the shopping cart, and the goodness doesn't stop there. For every 10 purchases you make, you'll have the opportunity to tour the house on your very own. Just remember to put PCPs in the Add order note section of your shopping cart, you can feel good knowing that a portion of your purchase goes to No Kid Hungry, a campaign to help end childhood hunger in America. So get those entries in and cross your fingers. Good luck everybody.
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So I want to start with this CBS 1979 promo called looking good. Dad, looking good here, looking good.
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It's such a happy song, so catchy, so fun. And all the while you're hearing this catchy, fun song, they're showing you clips from your favorite shows. Okay, it is a cocktail of joy.
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Come on, get
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happy.
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We'll make you happy.
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Welcome to the pop culture Preservation Society, the podcast for people born in the big wheel generation who are still disappointed their sea monkey mama never sprouted a crown. We believe our Gen X childhoods gave us unforgettable songs, stories, characters and images, and if we don't talk about them, they'll disappear, like Marshall will and Holly on a routine expedition. And today we'll be wetting your whistle for our upcoming season, just like those TV networks did with those iconic promos of the 70s and 80s. I'm Carolyn, I'm Kristen, and I'm Michelle, and we are your pop culture preservationists, I'm still the One.
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Hi,
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listeners, we are so glad that you joined us for our bonus episode today, because we thought it would be a little fun to create some anticipation and excitement teasing a few of our upcoming episodes, kind of like what the networks used to do back in the 70s and 80s. Do you guys remember those fun promotions? I mean, if you think about it, just a commercial, and yet I remember it 50 years later, I looked so forward to those, and I really think I liked them as much as I liked the shows they were promoting. Well, you know, I did for
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all those different stars. If I would have had the capability back then that we have now, where I could go back and watch them over and over, I would have, because it was like, when one would come on, and, you know, late summer really, right? I would get so excited, like, they're come, they're back. It gave you that feeling. I mean, you kind of knew school was also coming when those would start airing on TV. And you knew the news fall season was coming. And I think one of the other reasons they probably are so stuck in our heads is that we were probably watching a lot more TV during the summer, and we were allowed to stay up a little later, so we saw those commercials and jingles and all of that a lot more well, I thought it might be fun before we tease our episodes for this season, that we could revisit some of those ads and promotions that we grew up watching because they were so classic Gen X. I mean, I have to tell you guys that getting ready to record today and doing my research just might have provided me with the most amount of Husker dude moments I have ever had preparing for this episode. Okay, honestly, you guys, I know Kristen and Michelle everybody, they said, let's make this a quick and short one and get everybody excited for the season. I was like, it's not me quick and short.
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I promise you, listeners, that today's episode will give you the biggest surge of dopamine, and you are going to be skipping the rest of the day, I promise you. And this is so hidden. This is so underground, because everything else is.
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That you would provide to somebody would be, would be, have more well knownness. I'm gonna make up that word, like Little House on the Prairie. Of course, we all remember Little House on the Prairie, but nobody's going the ABC promo from 1979
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Well, wait when you see them or what, and listen to them you are. I don't even know the words. It's like nipple Lightning doesn't do it justice. It's because, it's because, like you just said, it's not just Little House on the Prairie, which we were all thrilled knowing it was coming back. It's because it's every show. So it's like, you get so much bang for your two minute buck, right? Or in some cases,
Unknown Speaker 5:39
24 minute buck, yeah, but you get so much, it's like it's almost too much. It's almost too much for Carolyn, I would imagine your head explode. I mean, honestly, yes, it made my head explode. I was thinking, Am I going to remember all of this to talk with them about? Because everything, to me seemed important, and we're going to dive into a few of these a little bit more. So we'll talk about some of these moments and these people together, arm in arm, skipping down the street, Brazil, York City. That is Carolyn's dream come true. All of these, all of these stars from different shows who you assume you know, like Charlie's Angels is in Los Angeles, but colchic, the night strangler is in like, Philadelphia or something. Now they're all commercial together. Yeah, whatever it is, I didn't watch that show, okay, but those two, that would actually be a really good crossover. Yeah, that you mentioned it the Charlie's Angels have to find and arrest quilt. Check. Really I loved, I think this is one of the reasons that I loved them so much. I'm not even sure I understood that they were promoting the new shows. To me, it felt like team building, like we're on the same team, we're winning, and I was on that team. They were including me. Yes, those ads that I mean, that we'll talk about, gave you such that feeling of togetherness and inclusion. They were very almost patriotic and American in their lyrics to the songs actually made us feel that way, because they're telling us we are part of this family. These are your friends. Some of I wrote down some of the lyrics, and it's like, these are your friends. These are the friends you've cried with. These are the friends you laugh with, or we're all big one, big family, or whatever. So you're right. It made us feel so included in all of these family shows, and that's a psychological thing, right? That's not an entertainment industry thing that they did. That's a psychological thing they did to us. It totally worked, oh, 100% because a lot of the beginnings of a lot of these promos, they don't show the celebrities at first, right, just like every all American kind of people, just in their kitchen at school, doing their job. Yes, and you just felt, I felt like at the Olympics, it was 1976 again. It was interesting in the in going through all of these promos, it seems like the early 70s promos were more like clips, clips, clips of shows, clips of shows, clips of people in shows. Here, all the people you know from shows, rapid clips flying by your face. By the late 70s and early 80s, they were showcasing the stars. Yes, not the shows, but the stars. Now it was all and now it was celebrity culture, instead of just all in the families coming back, you're right. And also to Carolyn's point, by the late 70s and early 80s, they're starting to show more everyday people. So they're starting, a lot of them do start, like Carolyn just said, with people leaving school or finishing their job or cooking dinner at home. And they're including us in different ways. It's not just the lyrics, yeah, they're including us by showing us people that we identify with. And they're like, Oh, look at them. And they're all like, going home to watch the shows on TV. But it was confusing from TV, because there would be, especially with these six minute long promos, there would, I can't believe they devoted that much time today's attention span would not put up with a six minute long commercial, and it would be like a full minute of randos right of the teacher in her kindergarten class. And truthfully, I'm like, What are these people? Why are we looking at these people? And then suddenly you're like, Oh, my God, that's Pozzi. Oh, I just saw Patsy, and they would start to intermingle the stars. But when I'm watching it, I'm confused, like, is that a star I'm supposed to know, or is that a Rando? I'm not sure, and I don't know how I felt at the time. I don't remember because I only remember the big star one. Star ones, yeah. And I think that
Unknown Speaker 9:26
for me, it was like, Oh my gosh, I could run into Patsy at the ice cream shop. It was like, they were doing these everyday things too. It wasn't all the time that you were like, all of a sudden on the happy day set. It was they were people too, walking down, you know, just getting out of Avenue. Patsy is just getting out of his car, yeah, with feathered hair. He had a lot of hair in that hair. All right, how about we dive into some of these, you guys? Because I think, again, you might not think you remember some of these promos, but the minute that they start playing, you're singing along to looking good CBS and you didn't.
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Know you knew it, but you knew it, and then you see the faces. We will include links to all of these promos we're going to talk about in our show notes, because you will want to spend a good 30 minutes just sitting down watching them, and your day will be made, I promise you. So I want to start with this CBS 1979 promo called Looking good, dad. Looking good here. Looking
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good.
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It's such a happy song, so catchy, so fun. And all the while you're hearing this catchy, fun song, they're showing you clips from your favorite shows. Okay, it is a cocktail of joy. That is all I'm gonna say, because the song is so happy you're tapping along. And then everywhere you look, because you're looking good, everywhere you're watching snippets of one day at a time, and then the Waltons, and then the Dukes of Hazzard, and then Dallas, then W care p bar to be Jones. You see, Barnaby Jones, the white shadow, you see,
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I know, and that's what happens. I'm sorry,
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but that is what happens you forgot some of these shows that you actually don't forget, and you see Lee Merryweather, and you just get all excited. And so that CBS promo looking good was awesome. And just so you know, that was the year that CBS finally came out on top. Okay, after watching after the 1979 season, they're now the top network after ABC is always the king. I just have to tell you, too, I just wrote down white shadow. Like when you said white shadow, I'm like, we need to do an episode on the white shadow. Yes,
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I loved that show too. So yeah. So you get this fun little harkening back to the shows that you loved and watched growing up. And the song was, was so cheery, and I was so happy after finishing.
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Then we move on to a 1983 promo I watched from CBS called we've got the touch. Oh, I loved that one. I don't even have to hear it. I get oh my god. Okay, keep going, and you guys, I'm going to say it again, the wave of nostalgia, the degree of nipple lightning that I experienced from watching these it was unprecedented. Okay, I'm gonna, I'm gonna go so far as to say I've never had that much nipple lightning in one time. You are going to be awash and Husker dude induced goosebumps, because you're gonna see the Jeffersons. You're gonna see Knotts landing, you're gonna see Alice, you're going to see Lou Grant it just again.
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I have no words. Well, this is the one too, that when I was watching it
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about, I don't know, three minutes in they say, the lyrics say, and it kind of slows down and gets a little melancholy, not melancholy, but she's a little more poignant, a touch of laughs, a touch of tears.
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I was covered in goosebumps, and I almost felt I have got really emotional, because when it says the friends you've loved for years, yes, it made me think, yeah. And then the clips they choose for those poignant moments are like, maybe the clips of shows where they're all hugging each other or something. And it's very effective, and it's still effective this many decades later,
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and I think obviously in a different way, because this is nostalgic for us looking back and remembering these shows that touched us in so many ways, and then you're also hearing this jingle song that you remember, and it just brings back a lot. It's more than just, you know us doing an episode of a particular TV show, because these are people that you and we've talked about this before, these were people that you were in relationship with, and these promos were part of building that relationship. And so it doesn't translate to today. We don't. We're not. There are very few examples of today's characters where we're in relationship with them, because we don't have, you can't do it in six episodes, and then you wait two years and you get six more episodes. We just don't have those kinds of feelings. The other thing that I really loved about some of these, especially when it wasn't the clips, but it was the people coming together, was when you would see somebody from a drama like Lou Grant. We're not talking Mary Tyler Moore here. This is the Lou Grant show. You've got Lou Grant, and then maybe he's yucking it up with Flo from Alice, right? Somebody from a comedy and a drama.
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Yes, they're like, they're like, holding hands on the back. That's like, when you would see them all on Battle of the network stars, you would see them all together doing other things than being their character and just, she's like, Lou Grant, kiss my grits. Yes, I think that again, is such a fun part. Kind of Love Boat ish. But for some reason, I think the music and all of that just lent itself to this being this incredible, absolutely. I mean, that's the that is the psychological key to it all, as they get this happy tune, and we're all.
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All in on it. That's the thread. They couldn't just sit there and go. We would like to introduce you to the new shows for this season. Here's Lou Grant, here's Alex. Like, it doesn't work. You need this song. You need the puppies. This was, it was a thing. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, they look forward to it. I think big ad agencies and, you know, production companies really went all out. We'll talk about some of those ABC ones had to cost a pretty penny. They weren't matching outfits, Yep, yeah, they were production numbers. I mean, those were a big deal and super entertaining. So the final CBS promo I watched actually was from 1984 and this, again, just brought back incredible memories, because in this in this promo, we see Kate and ally, followed by Trapper John, followed by Magnum PI, then new heart, then Charles in Charge. It's here Pro and Mrs. King. It's
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just, it's great. I don't know what other words to say, and maybe I thought this was going to go long because this affected me so much, but at the same time, I'm just, there are no words, because it's that, it's that nostalgic, and just touched me in places I didn't expect to be touched.
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Because I touch hope. Andy's listening now he knows all he's got to do is put on a promo
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lightning.
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Oh gosh, yes, yes. Okay. Really fun once they did it. I watched a bunch of the NBC ones, and I want to talk about the 1978 one, just for a second, because it was we've been saying, listeners, we've been saying these are promos of their new shows. They're not necessarily new, they're just the new season shows. However, in 1978 NBC had a 25 minute promo, and I don't know if they maybe they aired it like in a slot, because it started, it's NBC, us, N B, S, E, E, S.
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It starts with like what we've been talking about, the montage of the shows that are already that are coming back to the 1978 season. Oh, my God, my heart seriously jumped when I saw 1978 Chachi. So cute.
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Literally, I'm just watching. I had no warning. I had no warning, and I was watching it, and my heart just, literally just drops like, like, nine year old, eight year old Michelle just just comes to the forefront again, anyway. And then it followed very quickly with this close up of Paul Ingalls doing a little
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wink, watching this this morning, you guys. I have eight year old Michelle and 55 year old Michelle being pleased, very pleased. But anyway, so then they do all that. But then they say, NBC, our new series. Get it. And they start going through all the new series now, every single one of the new series lasted one season that we watched. I'm gonna just see if any of you guys remember some of these. Do you remember Jack Albertson and Grandpa goes to Washington a note? Okay, so he Jack Albertson. He's old man. Old Man like grandpa, like, white, white mustache, white kind of talks like this, where's like the grandpa cardigan and everything. Grandpa Joe from, from, in fact, when I was I'm doing, I wanted to go down a little rabbit hole. And I wrote, Grandpa Joe goes to Washington. And I was like, Oh, wait no, it's just called grandpa goes to Washington because he exactly is such a coincidence. No, but it's because of that, Kristen, because he, in my mind, he was Grandpa Joe. Yeah, here's the clip. He's a professor, a college professor. They tell him, after you're 65 years old, you can't be a professor anymore. He's 66
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I thought he was like 88 Yeah, 66 but how many years older than he's like, 10 years older than me, yeah. So he then he's kind of this cratchitty man, but he has all these opinions, so he's on the news for something, and then this team finds him and backs him, and he runs for US senator, and he wins. So that that made it 11 episodes. Unfortunately for Joe Namath, his show didn't make it quite that many episodes. So Joe nama starred in a sitcom called the Waverly wonders. He's a history teacher slash basketball coach. They filmed nine episodes. Only four aired, oh, oh, sorry. I found a quote online that says fine acting, not here, truly one of the worst sitcoms of all time. He may have been Broadway Joe, but in videotaped sitcom, oh no. Thought that was a good idea. Some of the other shows that that ENB wanted us or envy see. How would I say that NB wanted us to envy? Wanted us to see? I.
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That's pretty good. Imbe wanted us to see Dick Clark live. That might have lasted more, but that was just kind of a he's doing a wrap up, talking to people. His promo is unreal, and makes you realize why the man was such a genius in the entertainment industry. The Eddie Capra mysteries web, W, E, B, that might have lasted longer. I'm not sure I remember Eddie Capra mysteries.
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And then it also makes you quick cuts of specials, like Ann Margaret. Steve Martin had a special, and when it shows him he's got the arrow thing. You know, Bob Martin. Bob Hope Helen ready to name a few. So that was a really long one, I will be honest, and saying I did not sit through. I kept fast forwarding through a lot of it, but if you have the 25 minutes, we'll put a link to that one, especially, and a lot more of these in this week's Weekly Reader, because it would be something fun to watch while you're like, on the treadmill. Yeah. So in the 1980s I read is when the networks, I know, CBS, did the same thing, where they'd have these 30 minute kind of actual program show
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in prime time to explain, or, you know, introduce some of these shows a little bit more so, so that's probably what he was doing, too. And not to mention 1978 they were like the bottom of the barrel. And so they were, they were pulling out all the stops, yeah, to try to get people to tune in. If it wasn't for a little house, I don't know. Well, I'll just give you the slogans for a couple of the other years that you might remember. The promo NBC is promo for 1983 84 it starts, they're all tuning up an orchestra.
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So it's like, you know, and then the song starts, and it was NBC, there. Be there. Nope, no. Okay. 1985 was NBC. Let's all be there. So we're really loving this. Be There. See there, working it. But then the 1986 87 season, I think you guys would remember, and again, this will be in you'll be able to see this easily via a link in our Weekly Reader or in our show notes. But this one is the slogan, is home on ABC, come on home. And it starts with everyone leaving their workplaces, and school is out, and everyone's leaving like their jobs, and they're they're in their cars, and you see them all walking home, and they're laughing and the TV's glowing through the window. But this is all interspersed with the celebrity from a show just beckoning you in a quick cut. So when it I mean, like a quick cut, like a second, you get Justine Bateman, like beckoning her finger. And I in that one second, you guys, I'm talking about it now I'm covered in goosebumps. You would just so then it would go back to the kids all, like the people leaving the burger shop, you know. And then it would be Michael J Fox going, like, come on. Like, you know, just like this. This is so brilliant. Because I'm like, Yeah, let's go.
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Well, the quick cuts are so effective, right? These quick, quick, quick cuts of you that you're making the show, sorry, either the clips of the shows or the celebrities, they're super effective. Because you're like, did I just see was that when you get so excited. And this one also, like all of them. I mean, we can argue for every single one of them, but especially for me, you know, in 86 and 87 I'm a junior, a senior in high school. So I watched that one, and it just made, made me remember how great TV was then, because we have the stars and quick cut clips, family ties, Cosby Show, facts of life, Seventh Heaven. Night Court, Golden Girls, Johnny, you know, late The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, Late Night with David Letterman. So it's just so quick. And I was like, oh, I want to go back and watch TV. And that makes sense, because I think that was and wasn't. Cheers also, NBC. That was NBC ascendant, right? They were at the bottom of the barrel, late 70s, early 80s, and they're going to start climbing again eventually, by the time Seinfeld comes around, they are leaving everyone in the dust, which is very soon after this, right? It's very soon after that. I don't think it's a coincidence that I don't remember NBC, us. NBC, what's going on? NB, but I do remember come come on home. Yes, I remember that very distinctly, come
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on to.
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NBC, NBC. I forgot to mention, I'm just going to go back really fast, because I don't know why I didn't have this in my notes, but I was stopped cold in my 1979
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episode, my 1979 CBS promo, because James Vincent McNichol had a little flash for California fever. He was in the little montage of upcoming shows, and you just see his face picks up the whole story. And that's where you started to fall in love, right there. Probably that little promo. Probably Okay, so probably the network with the most iconic fall promos was
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ABC, and part of that is because they.
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Were on top. I was gonna say, so hard. That's sounds graphic. They were. They were just like the most popular because they were. They were not just ascendant. They were, they were beating all of the networks handily with shows like Happy Days and Laverne and Shirley. I mean, they just, it was. They had all the shows, but they are most memorable for using one hit song in particular, and that was the song, Still, the one by Orleans now, of course, and that got everybody right. That's the song we're hearing on the radio. So you're paying attention. But I never listened to the words, because they, of course, take the they take the song, and they rework the words a little bit to work for their own purposes. And so last night, I heard for the very first time, we're still the one from LA to New York. We're still the one with Angie and Morgan
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Mark still have
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AG, you're still having
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fun. Oh, my God, I laughed so hard. Truthfully, these ABC ones, they were long, and they just like we talked about in the beginning. They started with random people, full of random people, for like, a full minute, until they start showing the stars in real life together with stars of other shows, like they're all friends in hot air balloons. And in the you have like Dick Van Patten and Susan Richardson and Lonnie O'Grady from eight is enough, and they're in a balloon basket with Ron glass from Barney Miller. And then, and then, boom, I will remember this moment for the rest of my life, in the last balloon basket sailing up into the sky with all of the stars from ABC and she's waving down at me. Is Phoebe Tyler from all my children, the matriarch of Pine Valley. And that felt personal, right? That's my soap opera. I owned Phoebe Tyler, like, somehow I was in personal relationship with Phoebe Tyler. It was so exciting. And plus, Phoebe Tyler is singing this song, we're still the one is so funny. And I also this could have been subliminal too, because I think they were saying, We're number one. They were, they were and they were still, that was the last time that they could say, yeah, you'll know That's right. Next year. That's not their theme anymore. But talk about the ultimate crossover. When you've get got somebody from your daytime soap opera standing next to somebody from Eight is Enough time.
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It was crazy, and it was it like I said before, it was a little confusing with all the random people and the stars, because you're just watching people you don't know or care about, and then there's Potsie, right? There's Potsie, and they're real people. They're not they're characters on these promos. They're not dressed in costume. Patsy has long, feathered hair. Most Shocking, most shocking was Henry Winkler, with long hair, long feathered hair and a beard, and there's no pause on your TV, right? You're like what
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Marion Cunningham with shoulder length hair. Mr. Rourke, I kid you not. Mr. Roark in a Henley shirt.
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Yes,
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Ricardo, or what about when they're all dressed the same? It was the 1981 that I think has been making the rounds on Instagram the past few years. A lot the you and me and ABC, where they all come strutting over like this staircase riser situation, like a variety show setup, dressed them all in. All the men are in white tuxes and tails, and all the women are in a different sort of like you said to your bridesmaids, you all have to wear black sequins, but you can all pick the style that flatters you best, because they all have different cut. And here comes Howard Cunningham and a white tux and tail. But you guys, our favorite is, this is the one where our friend John Davidson looks so smoking hot, so smoking 1980 John Davidson, but he's decided to unbutton his silky shirt. He doesn't have the bow tie, but it works. Let me just say, If anyone, if anyone, gave him backlash for that decision, shame on them, because that still works for me any Yeah. And then, and then I remember watching that one, and then there's Vicki from the lumber, and she has like a white ruffly thing on her black sequence, and she's doing and they all had to learn this same dance. So what
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men, women, young, old, cracks me up to a magazine dance rehearsal and all the crotchety old men like abegoda or someone's like, you know, I don't want to do this.
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It's a big musical dance number.
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Does it would be perfectly appropriate in a big variety show or on a Broadway stage, and it's every star, every single one Tom Hanks afro,
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yes, the giant, he has, like a tiny little face and a giant and a giant, messy afro. And for a minute it threw me, because I'm like, Wait, why is Tom Hanks there? Well, because Bosom Buddies, yeah and Jillian, yes and Jillian and mana venture Yes, and she wore the slinky. She went with the like, halter, yes, yeah, that hair. Didn't you want her hair. It was so slim. I mean, beautiful, so smooth. Okay, you know who I did not see in any of these, I saw all of the cast members from the new show Breaking Away based on the movie of the same name. I saw Jackie Earl Jones. I saw Barbara Berry, the mom. I saw the dad. I can't remember the name of the dad, but he has like the big cigar in his mouth. He's like Man of La Mancha Victor. He's like a food name. He has, like a food name, Mr. Lasagna, but I did not see the star of breaking away. No, Mr. Sean Cassidy, let's ask him. We're gonna ask him about that. Why weren't you in the NBC promo? I'm gonna ask him. I'm gonna DM. Yeah, let's send him a DM. You gotta send him a DM. You know, as much as a lot of these is was smile from ear to ear. For me, some of them really were kind of a little tear jerkery Because they weren't meant to be at the time. But we get one, I think it's 1982 and it's come along and you get Chachi and Henry Winkler coming out of this taxi in New York City. Wait, hold on, just one second. I have to find a pander. I have to find a pen. I didn't see this one. You're right. Sorry, that's right. They cut somebody else from Valve attack. Well, oh, they pull people. They pull people. So, okay, okay, I'll set it up for you, because that's super dramatic. It's not poignant yet. We might get to the poignant part, but you have the whole ad starts. The whole promo starts with Chachi and Fonzie, feathered hair. FONSI Not, not motorcycle, Fonzie, and they're landing a helicopter on the top of a building in New York City. And then they start harassing women on the streets of New York. And you're just, I'm just assuming that they're like, trying to tell them about the new ABC lineup. And then they start pulling people out of taxis, and then they're all marching down the street. They're marching to Times Square all together, and then they're at a hoedown, for some reason, I don't know what the deal is, and they're doing square dancing. There's John Davidson, and there's ace, the ship's photographer from The Love Boat, and the mom on soap. And they're all doing like alamand left, alamand Right. And then they're in Chinatown, and it's super racist, and I'm not even gonna
Unknown Speaker 32:42
tell you parade float. And then does it get sad? Carolyn? I mean, that's just wackadoo. Here's the sad part for me. Is now like 55 year old Carolyn, in 2025
Unknown Speaker 32:54
watching the helicopter kind of flies through the city, and you get these 55
Unknown Speaker 33:02
did I say 55 year old? Carolyn, stop at 55 okay, it's 2025, and I'm 59 almost 60. Okay. You know, I'm still, I'm having that dopamine let down now from all the beginning parts. So I my brain is a little but yes, so we have this point. No, it's not a helicopter helicopter. It's flying through the city. And you get these panoramic and these just and close up shots of the World Trade Center, and it's just iconic. And so that I've got that going on. And then for a lot of these, these celebrities are no longer white. Was hard for me, too, especially those ABC ones where you're seeing John Ritter and you're seeing Penny Marshall and Vince Van Patten and Dick Van Patten, all of those are just they're all painting and building together,
Unknown Speaker 33:55
building. They're painting a building. And Williams, you guys, I have to make the biggest correction that I just realized when you said it's Chachi and Fonzie. And I was like, wait, I was just talking about my ABC promo with Chachi and Pa. It's not he did a short lived it's just a picture of 1978 year old Scott Baio. But to me, that's Chachi, right, sure, he did a one season show called who's watching the kids in it was a new show on NBC, on NBC in 1978 right before he went to be Chachi. So that's what that was in my promo. So everybody, I hope you're still listening all the people were yelling at me 10 minutes ago, because, you know, there were people going impossible she wasn't on ABC. And I'm going to make a correction, and I see 719, 78 year old. 1978 year old. That's very old. I see 1978 Scott Baio, and immediately think, Chachi, of course, because I didn't watch who's watching the kids. But that's what that would have been from, you know, which was also a Gary.
Unknown Speaker 35:00
Marshall show, I believe. So that's where that it'd be on, NBC, I do have to say, is that Gary Marshall show? Yeah, feathered hair was sexy. And when I saw Chachi with, like, full on feathered hair, I'm like, Oh, Michelle, I feel you
Unknown Speaker 35:17
would it have been though, like the 82 180, yeah, yeah. I was about 1979 to 1982
Unknown Speaker 35:25
probably that's when I stopped. I wasn't a Charles in Charge. Scott Baio lover. I loved him the years of Chachi. Yeah. Well, and you know, Kristen, you mentioned during the hoedown, where we see ace, the photographer from The Love Boat, and for me, the 2025 Carolyn is like, oh my gosh, that's and I'm gonna forget his name, Chuck. Um, well, no, it's Ted McKinley, yeah, is it wasn't Chuck? Ted McGinley, oh, I'm not talking about shrinking that. No, Chuck wasn't. Chuck was ace the photograph. Oh, that was on Love Boat. Chuck was, yeah, he wasn't happy. He was the cousin. He was on happy days later he was like a cousin or something. Okay, sorry, I was gonna say, and then I just forgot his name because I'm in love with him. Now, on shrinking,
Unknown Speaker 36:09
like you were just ace the photographer on Love Boat, and it was kind of like a part,
Unknown Speaker 36:15
and now, I mean, you're a star. That's what I love about shrinking. It's got some people that might have thought, Oh, am I going to still have a you know, how can I still have a career? Yeah, and would he have ever thought he was going to be acting alongside Harrison Ford, right alongside Han Solo? That's big. I mean, that is big. That's big. That is super big. Oh, you guys, that was big. Though, all of these are just, you can tell we're not super coherent, because it's just really exciting, and it's hard to it's hard to explain it to you or tease it apart for you. You just have to watch it. Just watch it. It's a great one stop shop for nostalgia feels, because it's also the clothes they're wearing when it's the regular people and you're walking down, you know, a street in New York City or down a neighborhood sidewalk, it's like what we were wearing and we were watching, and even the music is to the, you know, the tunes and beats that we were listening to. It's very so many sisters from eight is enough in the ABC one, think about they had eight kids, so they had a lot of people. They could pepper throughout these promos. Every sister from Eight is Enough was I didn't see, but I didn't see Willie or green, no, no, or Adam rich. Adam rich, yeah, they were all, they were all hanging out with Sean Cassidy. He's in the back. They were at the tiger B, you know, right party, or whatever. Oh, yes. So those were so, so fun to watch. And we, again, will put all the links in our show notes, because I've got to tell you, if I give you one bit of advice this year, it's to watch you'll feel so good about it. We also wanted to get you guys excited about our upcoming season. So we've created a little bit of some teasers for you about some upcoming episodes. And then I wanted to share a surprise with Kristen and Michelle, because what? Yeah, so I went to the ad agency of McCann Tate, as we remember from
Unknown Speaker 38:03
Bewitched, where Darren Stevens worked, and they were so kind as to provide a pop culture Preservation Society with a little, a little song, a little jingle for the new upcoming season. You could get to hear that, and it will be an ear worm. Let me just Oh, wow.
Unknown Speaker 38:21
Imagine better. It's better. So let's before we play that and and sign off this episode, let's just tell you a little bit about just some little quick teasers for some upcoming episodes. Michelle, yeah, next going on. Well, next week, we're officially kicking off season 15 with an episode full of sexual escapades, resurrected characters with amnesia, of course, kidnappings, attempted murders, dreams that last for eight months and shoulder pads for days. We're talking the three prime time soaps of the early 80s, Dallas Knott's landing and dynasty. And let me tell you, it is a hilarious and insightful trip down this crazy, bonkers road that we all loved to travel down so much.
Unknown Speaker 39:09
You will love that friend. So tune in. That's next
Unknown Speaker 39:14
week, and you'll hear this in the episode. I don't know that there's anything that exemplifies the 80s more than Knots Landing, Dallas and dynasty, it is just like 80s with a capital A Yeah, if you loved, even if you just loved one of those shows, you gotta listen. Yep, yeah. So here's something else you can look forward to on your FM dial. And am radio gold episodes are always among our most popular so we love doing these over and over again. And the one we've got coming this season is on your FM dial 1981
Unknown Speaker 39:47
and the fun thing about these episodes, the on your FM dial and the am in the am radio gold episodes, is that we're not just talking about the songs from that year, but the songs that intersected with our lives in that.
Unknown Speaker 40:00
Year. Who were we in 1981 and were and how were these songs weaving themselves into our history? So it gets personal, and that's what we tend to hear from you. It's really interesting. When we get personal in an episode, suddenly the DMS start coming, because inevitably, one of you had the same experience that one of us did. It happens every time. It's part of what makes us a generation. So these episodes always get very long. We just have a lot to say, and it's like a big group therapy session for the three of us, and we're and and there are always songs that we hate to leave out, but you have to leave them out. You can't talk about all the songs. And then we have to edit, like a 92 hour recording down to an hour. It's just, it's torture. It's torture. And so this time, in the name of letting things go, we decided to just let it all hang out and split this episode into two parts. We always begin the episode with a shakedown of the Grammys for that year as the intro to our song choices. This time, we're letting that Grammys discussion take up a whole episode, and our song choices will be its own whole episode. So just as a little teaser, I'll just say it was a very big year for bet Davis, who only seriously. A handful of people knew who that was in 1981
Unknown Speaker 41:15
but I did, and I'll tell you why, in the episode,
Unknown Speaker 41:21
another episode that I have been looking forward to doing for a very long time is the episode that will focus on the iconic classic teen drama, in my opinion, James at 15 slash 16, starring, as you all might recall, the fourth bust On my Mount crushmore, that would be Lance Kerwin. I just choked
Unknown Speaker 41:48
sorry.
Unknown Speaker 41:50
And let me tell you, this is not a rated G episode, okay, Lance Kerwin dealt with some really hard shit on that show. Okay, we're going to be talking STDs, virginity, prostitution, there's alcohol. There's a lot of teen drama in this show. And not only will we talk about the show, we're going to talk a little bit about Lance after the show and what happened to him. Where are they? Sad and interesting and all that good stuff. So and I confess I might get a little I'm gonna hyperventilate a little bit on and off during the show, because as I've gone back and watched it,
Unknown Speaker 42:26
he is damn cute, you guys. He's just the guy who would sit behind you in class with that jean jacket, without the furry collar.
Unknown Speaker 42:35
He's got the little like the little floppy hair. Kind of looks like a little frog. And if you guys remember, he had a hobby that, I think was the first time I learned, like, what a dark room was. Yeah, that's right, dude episode, because there are a lot of guest stars in this series too that sadly, didn't last very long. So tune in. You'll see what guest stars you might recognize, and, yeah, you'll get to hear about some lots of fun. I'm like pre hoosker doing myself, because I remember how much I loved the theme song, and I can't come up with it right now that I can't even, I can't even, I can't sing it. I can't think of it. I just want I loved it, so I'm saving it because I know when I press the little button that's going to start playing it, I'm going to start crying, you will. And the whole soundtrack to that show is it's composed by some names you might recognize, so tune in and you'll you'll find out.
Unknown Speaker 43:30
And then we are going to have an episode that is so very special that it will be getting two installments in the first we'll be discussing the iconic, very special episode of the sitcoms we loved in the 70s and 80s, and what exactly it was that made them so very special, as well as giving you a non inclusive list of some of the more special of the very special episodes And our memories of them. And from this short teaser alone, I think I've decided we need to make this a drinking game, that every time a very special episode, everyone has taken drinks. You know, think mod having an abortion, or a Punky Brewster wondering why the Challenger astronauts had to die, or DJ Tanner starving herself to get into a swimsuit. And then in the second installment, we'll each take a deep dive into one of these very special episodes that not only struck us when we watched it, but that has stuck with us for decades. And don't worry everyone, some of them are even too triggering for us to get into. And there will be trigger warnings because
Unknown Speaker 44:43
some of them we just can't really delve into, because they truly are and very disturbing. Yeah, okay, well, then we're gonna lighten it up. Here's our next episode. Began as a seed of an idea in November, and we have a shared document in which we drop by.
Unknown Speaker 45:00
Ideas for for episodes, and when I dropped love connection into our doc, it resonated immediately. And people were like, yes, yes, love connection, love connection. So if I look back at the date when I put that on our shared doc, and when it started resonating with people, I now know that was possibly the day that Chuck Woolery died, I know, and we did not even know, you guys, this didn't make the news the way a lot of celebrity deaths do, and so it's only in researching this episode where I opened it and it showed his death date as November 24 2024
Unknown Speaker 45:38
and I remembered opening our dock and putting love connection in that dock. You guys, this happens all the time to us, all the time. We're like pop culture mediums, is what we are, media.
Unknown Speaker 45:52
Well, yes, but, but I actually I'm because we talk about it so much and we honor so many of these people more. We don't really like poke fun at them as you know, we if we do as lovingly, I think you might be on to something. They're kind think there. I think he was knocking on. He was like, you guys, I deserve an episode which is so true.
Unknown Speaker 46:12
Yeah, we forget about love connection or, I mean, if we're talking about Chuck, oh gee, Wheel of Fortune, that's right. Yeah, we had only so much money to spend in the living room, and you had to get the Dalmatian because, and it was a long time too. It was not a flash in the pan that he was on Wheel of Fortune. So yeah, he's gonna get his own episode. I just have to say this show love connection was way more bonkers than you even remember. Because if today's dating shows are about sex and attraction, love connection was more about people who are so real like so real that you might want them to dial down the real a little bit. And I also have to add that love connection is a time capsule, in a way that other TV shows were not. Love connection cataloged for us the hair of real people in the 1980s not glamorous TV people, but real people. And it was a shit show.
Unknown Speaker 47:10
And another thing is the accessories. Oh, the accessories, yes, the earrings and the necklaces.
Unknown Speaker 47:18
Yeah. I look at those 80s fashions, and I think, how long did it take us to get ready? Or, you know, an hour and a half, an hour and a half, it was back like when I was watching meet me in St Louis over the Christmas holidays. That's another tradition. I have the musical with Judy Garland. And there's the scene where they're getting ready to go to a dance, and they're putting on the corsets and the layers of clothes and their hair. And I thought, oh my gosh, how long did that take? And then I'm thinking, Oh, the 80s might tell us a little bit about how long it took with, you know, spraying our hair and putting on all that. I mean, just how long did you put your eyeliner on? Yeah, I mean, that's an hour right there, just for one eye.
Unknown Speaker 47:59
It's a lot, a lot. Just look at my senior picture. It's like a blue circle around my eye.
Unknown Speaker 48:07
Oh, and we are finally listeners. I know you have been waiting with bated breath for our public service announcement PSA episode, because we crowdsourced that, and we are going to count down the 10 most popular PSAs according to you our listeners, and I think you'll be surprised at some of what shows up and also what we uncover about some of those public service announcements. So stay tuned. It's another nostalgic just trip, I guess,
Unknown Speaker 48:37
sort of like commercials, where they they're these tiny little artifacts that lodge in your brain. It's not a big thing. It's a tiny thing, but it will not let go the idea that we have for an episode. If you guys remember way back in the beginning, I wish I could remember what episode it was, what number it was, but it was about gym stories. We did not think that gym stories would be a very dramatic episode. We thought it would be kind of funny, but man, you guys got back to us with so many stories about how Jim broke you and how Jim and Jim hates you, and we all hate Jim, even the people who love Jim hate Jim, because I better. And I should say we're talking like PE fired physical education, in case you're thinking we don't like people named or Jim. Jim is a mean person.
Unknown Speaker 49:24
You. So that gave birth to an idea, and this actually came to one from one of our listeners. Hello, Karen. Thank you for this great idea. Who was your favorite, slash, least favorite, TV bully. I think I have an idea of what your favorite one was. And we have our ideas too, but we're going to talk about those people on TV that you love to hate, and also, what were the things that happened in your life that you got picked on for? What dastardly deed did you do that made somebody tease you? Was it because you're you had the wrong.
Unknown Speaker 50:00
Shoes on? Is it because you had morgue on your shirt? Right? It's because you said myth warts Miss worth. Because you could be something you couldn't help, right? Yeah. And so this could be things that are really funny, but truthfully, there's, I mean, okay, I was going to go into a dark place. I'm not going to do that. No, but hear your stories, too. And it's always fun when you go to our website, pop preservationists.com and you can click a little button and leave us a voicemail, and you might hear your story on that episode. Yeah, it's always, for me, at least, kind of a form of therapy hearing some of those stories because I realized I wasn't the only one, you know, whose pants hit them at their ankles and got made fun of, and who tucked her overalls into her, into her, her boots, thigh high boots, but I was not wearing thigh high boots in seventh grade. They just came up to my knees, but I tucked in my overalls, and that got some attention, lots of fashion faux pas, that a lot of fashion Yeah, that we're all scared, we're all scarred from and we're all in therapy today because of that. So we'd love to hear what terrible thing you did. What fashion choice did you make that's gonna be a fun feel good episode. Okay, ready? Yeah, well, well, we don't want you to forget about these episodes that are upcoming, and we want you to be thinking about us non stop. So I want you all to hear our jingle. Oh my god, and stay tuned to the end of the episode, where we will play the entire three minutes and 23 seconds of this awesome jingle. But for now, hold tight, because here comes the worldwide debut season 15. Jingle for the pop culture Preservation Society
Unknown Speaker 51:47
got ready to rewind with PCPs. It's true. Gen X memories just for you. Come on, get nostalgic. The
Unknown Speaker 51:59
80s are calling piece to pieces, back with stories and falling from soapy dramas. Teen ain't so bright, we'll journey through time with purity life, Dallas and dynasty, a glamorous clash, not slanting secrets, a love that will last those night time soaps a guilty pleasure. We confess, reliving the drama, putting our knowledge to the test. Come on, get nostalgic. The 80s are calling PC pieces back with stories and falling from soapy trauma to teen angst so bright
Unknown Speaker 52:41
we're journey through time we
Unknown Speaker 52:45
right. Welcome to Season 15. Everybody that try to get that ear worm out of your head right?
Unknown Speaker 52:54
Come on. Get nostalgia. The 80s are calling. I already know
Unknown Speaker 53:02
baby,
Unknown Speaker 53:06
you know what? We're gonna come up with a dance, and we'll teach everybody a dance. We should
Unknown Speaker 53:10
like beautiful dress and be like walking over the stairs, over the stairs, get excited. That
Unknown Speaker 53:20
was so fun. I love it. I think we're all just also glossing over the fact that it's season 15. You guys, that's crazy. Gosh, I know that's crazy. And we are starting off 2025, in season 15. So grateful to all of you who take your support of this podcast and all we do to the next level by supporting us on Patreon so we can pay our bills one day, perhaps pay ourselves for our time and keep on trucking, because we love doing what we do, and we love knowing so many of you do as well. And today, we're giving a special shout out to patrons, Teresa, Christina, Heather, Karen Jill, Elizabeth Claire and Penny. And if you enjoy our conversations and the joy these memories spark in you, check out our Patreon page to see how you can become a member and get fun stuff in return. No kidding, you guys. Carolyn made each of our Bicentennial level patrons Christmas gifts this year and sent to them. Tell them what it is. Tell them what you made. Yes, I made some loom potholders. Everybody got a pot holder. And I got to tell you guys those loom potholders, they are really good potholders. Yeah, it's super cute. Yeah, because we got one too.
Unknown Speaker 54:34
So go to patreon.com P, A, T, R, E, O n.com, and just type pop culture Preservation Society in the search bar, and if a monthly membership isn't for you, you can also support us with a one time donation by going to our website, pop preservationists.com
Unknown Speaker 54:52
and clicking the PayPal button. In the meantime, let's raise our glasses for a toast to a brand new.
Unknown Speaker 55:00
Season courtesy of the cast of Threes Company, two good times, two Happy Days, Two Little House on the Prairie. Cheers, cheers, come on. No stop the 80s.
Unknown Speaker 55:15
Back with stories.
Unknown Speaker 55:21
Rewind with PCPs. It's true. Gen X memories, just for you. Come on, get nostalgic. The 80s are calling
Unknown Speaker 55:34
PCP is back with stories and falling from soapy trauma to teen ain't so bright. We're journey from time with purity life Dallas and dynasty, a glamorous clash, not slanding secrets, a love that will last those night time soaps, a guilty pleasure we confess, reliving the drama, putting our knowledge to the test. Come on, get nostalgic. The 80s are calling PC pieces back with stories and falling from selfie drama to teen angst so bright with journey through time with purity life.
Unknown Speaker 56:25
James at 15. Oh, the awkward years, first loves and crushes and overcoming fears that classic teen show a nostalgic treat will laugh and will cry. Can't be beat.
Unknown Speaker 56:41
Come on, get nostalgic. The 80s are calling PC pieces back with stories and falling from soapy trauma to teen angst so bright, we'll journey through time with pure delight. PSAs are the 80s a message so bold, just say no to drugs, a story to be told, from safety tips to environmental teas, we'll reminisce on those catchy melodies. Come on, get nostalgic. The 80s are calling PC pieces
Unknown Speaker 57:18
back with stories and
Unknown Speaker 57:21
throwing from soapy drama to teen ain't so bright, we'll journey through time with pure delight. Yacht rock, sailing smooth and so sweet. 1981 tunes, oh so complete music that moves us in every way. Get ready to group come what may
Unknown Speaker 57:45
come on. Get nostalgic. The 80s are calling PC pieces back with stories enthralling, from soapy trauma to teen ain't so bright. We'll journey through time with pure delight.
Unknown Speaker 58:02
PCPs, the podcast for you. Gen X, memories shining through you.