AM America 1975

This is a piece from AM America in 1975.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED TO ABC NEWS NETWORK

[@JenniferMcMullenMusic]

Beautiful opening theme music and film montage...these 70's images and sounds are like one big Kodak moment,

[@searchforthestrangler5034]

Absolutely.

[@KiddBloo86]

Spirit of 76 is the name of the song.

[@RyneKlym]

Ended up here because of the loss of Terry Jones, and was reminded of how much I miss Peter Jennings. This video is a treasure of a time capsule.

[@sjdomenica]

I was 16 years old when Am America Premiered..I would listen to this Theme song every morning,,,It was great....it stuck in my head to this day....35 years later,,,,Thanks to the writer....I would tune in every morning at 7:00am before school just to listen to it...

[@armorybrunotjr.3204]

That's Len Caruso doing the voiceover for WABC-TV. Caruso was a very successful announcer with ABC, along with notables such as Bill Rice,Fred Foy,Fred Collins,Scott Vincent and Wally Parker.

[@byrd56]

I thought the guy's name was Carl Caruso, but whatever. Speaking of Scott Vincent, his voice, of course, was on the "4:30 Movie" promo that preceded Caruso's live-read for "Eyewitness News tonight at 6"....which, sure enough, Scott was the announcer for until his passing in 1979.

[@armorybrunotjr.3204]

"A.M. America" was ABC's first attempt doing a morning news program and to compete with "The Today Show" on NBC. It premiered in January 1975, and ran until that October, but the program was retooled and was better known as "Good Morning, America".

[@OBSInternational]

This episode aired on my first birthday, April 25, 1975.

[@kengeorgejones6855]

It's hard to imagine most morning show hosts going along with this. Lots of fun. And a reminder of how fresh this comedy must have seemed at the time.

[@GrumblingGrognard]

Graham Chapman flipping off America, the first thing in the morning, on broadcast TV. It just does not get any better than that!

[@jomocrawford2064]

Pre-GMA, "AM America" (4/25/1975) with five of six members of Monty Python, with the exception of John Cleese as Stephanie Edwards interviews them about their movie "Monty Python and the Holy Grail". But what happened at the end of show is HYSTERICALLY FUNNY.

[@fruticetum]

Oh, man. Me, too. 1975 was the greatest year. I was 16. Memories, songs, etc are so intense at that age. You remember them all your life.

[@terrypos]

Over the years, many broadcast groups have tried to purchase the rights to this music from ABC. They won't sell or even negotiate its use. They have a classic show theme and they know it! Bill Goldstein is a legend!

[@mstewart61]

Also, she had a part in a short lived sitcom in the early 70's with John Davidson and Sally Field called A Girl with Something Extra. Also, she was a co-host of a late 70's talk Everyday with John Bennett Perry, Matthew Perry's father, and that was the setup for Hour Magazine with Gary Collins.

[@cwgumby]

i want to like this twice

[@1974Flyingsub]

Me TOO!!!!! "SMARTLY DONE"..... Respectfully, Dan Gross Saint Louis, Mo. [e-mail]

[@micmac99]

OMG this is GOLD. Python and Jennings!!! On the SAME show!!! I vaguely remember AM America as a kindergardener in 1970 something and know it was the forerunner to GMA.

[@epaddon]

Edwards interview for the Archive Of American television reveals her misery with doing this show. She was an LA girl totally lost in New York, totally unfamiliar with the city, dealing with a writer for her who was spending more time writing what became the book for the musical "Annie" and an operation that was floundering on all levels. She ended up leaving the show in May, several months before its cancellation with the cover story that she had a potential acting deal for a series that she was going to pursue in California (which wasn't true).

[@Jimvanhise]

This was actually much longer. They were on for the entire hour as "co-hosts" and they went wild! The full version on on KZbin years ago but then it disappeared.

[@timmmahhhh]

WOW, what an amazing piece of video, WOW WOW WOW !!! So much history here - pre GMA, Pythons promoting HOLY GRAIL! THANK YOU!!!

[@fromthesidelines]

Excerpt from Michael Palin's diary: Friday, April 25th, New York "At 7:00 the show began, hosted by a lady named Stephanie something or other, an attractive redhead, with a cool head-of-school like assurance, but she was playing along well with us. Eric kept holding up cards on which he'd scribbled things like 'Norman Mailer- Ring Your Mother'. Once or twice before an item of serious news- e.g. the fall of Saigon- Stephanie would ask us to refrain from being TOO silly...."

[@AthenaNova1]

I find it interesting that this interview was on April 25 1975 - I was born the next day! Great clip! And I love the Pythons!

[@metaguru]

this is an amazing video!!! the freedom the pythons were allowed is unimaginable now and they were largely unknown at the time in america and also the film clip (shown in its entirety) was in letterbox

[@somethinsuavetheater]

The letterbox surprised me as well.

[@joshgellis3292]

How pleasant, hilarious and great in general. 1975 also had within it, the first 90 or so days of Saturday Night Live! :D

[@johnp4008]

The only thing better than this would be Peter Jennings on-set as the co-anchor that day. I think that Canadian coolness would have flown out the window...RIP Peter.

[@ajaugenti1976]

Amen!

[@wiedep]

+John P Old Pete would not have been interested in the guys lunacy, only interested in chasing skirts.

[@KiddBloo86]

I doubt it; from interviews Stephanie has done, the two of them didn't seem that friendly.

[@poopmcstuffins4417]

i’ve been searching for this everywhere. thanks so much!! cheers! :-)

[@1974Flyingsub]

ME TOO!!!!

[@johnnyballenatl]

Meanwhile, over at 30 Rock, Barbara Walters was happily hosting the Today Show (with Jim Hartz) before she was lured to ABC the following year. As for AM America? It got clobbered in the ratings not by Today, but "Captain Kangaroo" over on CBS! And *that's* what led to the creation of GMA.

[@DaveDaShrubber]

If the Pythons had a chance to co-host Your World on the Fox Business channel, Neil Cavuto would be sobbing like a baby.

[@lifeworksndhenterprisesllc6597]

DaveDaShrubber you bloody well right....and fox will be anti racist fun!!!!!

[@ajaugenti1976]

I love the British accent, I think it's so cool to hear!

[@BadGurl404]

"A.M. America". The show that paved the way for "Good Morning America".

[@ira1ish]

The first man chosen to host this series was Bob Kennedy of WLS-TV Channel 7 in Chicago. Stephanie Edwards had co-hosted his "Kennedy and Co." show on Channel 7. Kennedy cotracted cancer a few months before the premiere of AM America and died before the show ever came on the air. Bill Beutell was a New York anchorman pulled in at the last minute.

[@WaltGekko]

This would never have been able to be done today. Bill Beutel (who was off this day) was a legend in New York TV news, for several years before and several years after this co-anchoring WABC-TV (Channel 7 in) New York Eyewitness News with Roger Grimsby, himself a legend as well.

[@airdriver]

I was in grade school when this show was on. My dad watched it every morning before driving my siblings and I to school. The opening montage along with the music brings back a lot of memories. The kids shown at 0:47 were older than me at the time.

[@BBC600]

Such a pretty theme!

[@kurtkauffman4326]

+BBC600 Indeed!

[@sirbil]

+BBC600 you can download form itunes itunes.apple.com/us/album/the-best-of-william-goldstein/id303700773 OR listen on Spotify player.spotify.com/search/am%20america%20goldstein

[@1974Flyingsub]

" MANY THANKS TO THE COMPOSER OF THE THEME TO A.M. AMERICA....... THIS IS ONE GREAT PIECE OF WORK! " Respectfully, Dan Gross / Saint Louis, Mo.

[@mikeschr]

@sirbil I've remembered that music all these years - it was so striking and memorable. This is the first time I've heard it since AM America aired. I enjoyed hearing it again - thanks to the poster, and thanks for the wonderful composition, Bill.

[@1974Flyingsub]

i second these comments.... THANKS!

[@pulseox]

I love how this soft,happy-go-lucky music is playing in the background while the Monty Python guys are destroying the set,and physically harassing the anchorwoman.

[@burbank]

This is a great video. The theme music is great. I thought it was funny how the guys trashed the set at the end of the show. That would not happen today!

[@diapertommy]

- WOW That brings back memories! Thanks for posting

[@JohnRRoe2]

Great too see the young Peter Jennings and cast of Monty Python in America on April 25 1975!!! Which I was a young kid and didn't know it was ANZAC Day until I find out about it 20 years later in 1995!!!!

[@hmbpnz]

This is incredible. Thank you very much for sharing this! Fascinating!

[@UNOwen1]

Wow! What a treat. Yes, this is such a time capsule, and, to cap it with the Pythons 

[@calvinbealer7264]

Thank you for Sharing This. Great 😃👍 Memories from 1975.

[@gli7utubeo]

That put me in a great mood for my colonoscopy tommorrow morning! Just what I needed. Thanks a million.

[@tvgator1]

Stephanie Edwards was (and still is) Beautiful! But she was totally worked over in this. Classic stuff though...

[@airdriver]

Good job! The melody brings back a lot of memories.

[@1974Flyingsub]

" THOSE WERE THE DAY'S"! Thank YOU... St.Louis, Missouri

[@mstewart61]

I loved Stephanie Edwards she was quite a lady. Too bad she did not last very long on the show. She was the Lucky supermarket woman. The theme music was off the chain. Do you have any more AMAmerica clips???

[@airdriver]

This video made me laugh. Not just because of Monty Python but the opening theme to AM America. when I was in the 6th grade my father used to have this on every morning before driving me and my siblings to school every day that year. The music and video took me back.

[@sambradley2975]

I didn't watch this, I was too busy watching cartoons when I was home, but I was in school at the time.

[@AnthonyWilliams-li5mz]

These were the days. Peter Jennings Stephnie Edwards. I miss these days terribly

[@johnmanier7968]

Stephanie Edwards co-hosted the Rose Parade with Bob Eubanks for many years on KTLA, Channel 5 in Los Angeles, which re-runs the parade throughout New Year’s Day.

[@theFoggyonYT]

Theme is Spirit of 76 (A.M America) by William Goldstein

[@altfactor]

"AM America" only lasted about ten months. In late October of 1975, ABC News replaced it with "Good Morning America", which was far more successful. Note the logo: "AM" in blue, "MERICA" in red. On black-and-white sets, it looked like the title of the show was "America". Maybe the show was jinxed and maybe it all began with that logo! Thankfully, Peter Jennings' career rebounded and he became a very successful news anchor in the 1980's and 1990's.

[@2011paramedic]

AM America is a presentation of ABC News!

[@kurtkauffman4326]

+Rick Cortez You are right Rick,it has!

[@airdriver]

The opening montage brings back memories of the mornings when I was in 6th grade. My dad was laid off and had this on the tv as my siblings and I ate breakfast. The kids at 0:49 were older, biģger kids to me back then. I often wondered if they worried about going to school and getting beat up like I did(My hometown was starting a slow but steady collapse). The clips of americana sometimes made me wonder what it was like growing up in another place where the crime was so bad, the kids were allowed to leave their block and bike forever(And their bikes weren't in danger of being stolen). The mid 1970s Innocent times? Somewhat. Better times? Not exactly.

[@DieGroteske]

5:11 is such a wonderfully pissed off reaction to the group that it genuinely cracked everyone up, including me.

[@masterble]

Wow! I was looking for it for so long (because of Pythons of course), and it has been on youtube for 11 months? Lol, strange. Silly me. Ok, finally I'll watch it, thanks for uploading :)

[@RageTVHTX]

Abc should’ve kept the AM America title, there was no reason to change it as the morning show. I know the show was unsuccessful but they could’ve revamped it into the format that became Good Morning America. Same with the Goodnight America title

[@johnmanier7968]

The network-owned stations continued to run AM Los Angeles (previously Ralph Story’s AM, with Stephanie Edwards as a co-host), AM Chicago (which eventually became The Oprah Winfrey Show), and AM New York (which became Live with Regis and Kathie Lee).

[@AngryHybridApe]

Good ol' cast of MP. Guaranteed to raise a smile...or something.

[@mstewart61]

Great theme. It is very inviting.

[@sambradley2975]

They looked so young.

[@Witzlaw]

Perhaps the only surviving fragment of the series, not counting an ABC closed circuit broadcast from 1974 that was intended only for the affiliates…

[@wmbrown6]

The film "Die, Die My Darling" which was mentioned as being on that day's "4:30 Movie": By 1986, the New York area rights to this film went to WOR-TV.

[@Zoomer30]

At 631 the Sovs finally decided to put us out of our 1970s misery.

[@ApartmentKing66]

Oh wow...Stephanie Edwards about 15 years before becoming pitchwoman for Lucky Supermarkets in the early 90s.

[@joebradio]

I find it interesting that this is the only example of AM America anywhere on KZbin..

[@dinahliang4419]

I'm blowing up the comment section by asking, "Who's watching in 2015?" Wow, can't believe this was 30 years ago (I'm assuming)

[@alexanthony08]

+dinah Liang *40 years ago...

[@wiedep]

+dinah Liang Amazing that all but GC are still around

[@dinahliang4419]

+wiedep What the heck does GC mean? I'm not a genius

[@wiedep]

G-r-a-h-a-m C-h-a-p-m-a-n

[@jaworskij]

Good Morning America was such an UPGRADE from this amateurish hour. I remember my Mom was so excited to see David Hartman (David who?) of GMA back in 1975. I was 9 yo. Sept. 1975 was also when CKND-TV (Winnipeg, Canada) launched and we lost great tv station KCND-TV 12 from Pembina, ND.

[@tommyparkerparker]

AM America debut Jan 6,1975 and ended Oct 31,1975 Replaced by Good Morning America. Just 40 years ago.

[@garrysimpson1395]

Thanks Tommy. Here in the U.K. Breakfast Television started nationally on 17th January 1983 with B.B.C. Breakfast Time with Frank Bough Selina Scott and Jane Pauley [then of] N.B.C Today TV am started on the Regional I.T.V. Service on 1st February 1983 with the Famous Five the late Sir David Frost Anfgela Rippon Anna Ford Micheal Parkinson and the late Robert Keys. TV am nearly went bust but after more popular programming became the richest T.V. Statiion in the 1980"s in Europe before losing it"s Franchise to Sunrise Television in the I.T.V Franchise Round in 1991. A former disabled carer for my late and lovely Mum. From The New Forest U.K. GOD BLESS!

[@benskelly]

LOL. So true. I remember it being a rather hectic time, but evidently it was all golden sunrise and empty streets of apocalypse. This is a hysterical trip back in time.

[@TheMidknightryder13]

Don't you know that Peter Jennings -- and for that matter - the producers were THRILLED that he was in another CITY.

[@RazorFoxDV]

>"Wouldn't you know, we're out of time!" >Rolls over a minute and a half of credits.

[@OMGCBAs]

LOL @ 4:54 Graham Chapman did it and got away with it...

[@gonzogranny]

Eric Idle drops his head from laughing so hard as the camera pans back over to stephanie. Eric's response to Graham's lunacy STILL makes me laugh.

[@ShutUpYouMong]

The body language on that woman! It's like she's trying to block them out the picture!

[@kurtkauffman4326]

First Airdate: 1/6/1975,Last Airdate: 10/31/1975.

[@sirbil]

+Kurt Kauffman you can download this theme from itunes itunes.apple.com/us/album/the-best-of-william-goldstein/id303700773 OR listen on Spotify player.spotify.com/search/am%20america%20goldstein

[@victoriaindigo]

+William Goldstein Awesome I'm going to buy it off iTunes!

[@airdriver]

Also, I found the clips with Peter Jennings fascinating seeing as how he was talking about Viet-Nam. Five days after this show was broadcast, Saigon fell and the war was finally over. It would be great if a video could be put together showing the coverage of Saigon's fall.

[@ISB]

hey, this vid again, great! hopefully it won't get deleted this time.

[@facebook51ify]

Bill Goldstein wrote theme from Monday, January 6 through Friday, October 31, 1975.

[@sirbil]

+Alan Katzer you can download this theme from itunes itunes.apple.com/us/album/the-best-of-william-goldstein/id303700773 OR listen on Spotify player.spotify.com/search/am%20america%20goldstein

[@facebook51ify]

Thanks . Wkef Dayton 22 uses the a.m. America theme during its sign on beginning another broadcast day .

[@johnfortmeyer]

Truly one of the best TV themes ever written -- just beautiful. I loved it then, and I still love it 44 years later.

[@wmbrown6]

Looks almost like a limited animation version of the "swirling 7" used as of 1970, for the I.D. in the opening seconds.

[@eyeontv]

At the time, this was the most researched show in TV history, so of course it was a flop! The set looks like something left over from Match Game.

[@sjdomenica]

I just found this this morning! Wow i have been looking for this since the show changed its name to Good Morning America. I loved this opening as a teenager.

[@wmbrown6]

Working on "Fawlty Towers," I presume. He took no part (other than co-writing some sketches) in the fourth and final "Python" series (of six episodes) that was produced in 1974.

[@wmbrown6]

If you're talking about the "Die, Die, My Darling" promo, this is indeed the same Stefanie Powers as co-starred in "Hart to Hart" . . . and also, was star of the short-lived "The Girl From U.N.C.L.E."

[@fromthesidelines]

"...but generally we were allowed a loose rein..Terry G made a rude drawing of a man with a slobbering tongue and staring, lust-filled eyes and held it across Stephanie's head as she signed off and, as the credits rolled, they actually exhorted us to wreck the studio. No-one seemed to feel it was incongrous that we should be a part of a programme which included the latest bulletins on the end of America's longest war, or serious interviews about Reagan's chances [on becoming president] in 1976."

[@wmbrown6]

@ira1ish - And "Kennedy & Co." was the program that, after several changes in hosts and show titles, finally morphed into "The Oprah Winfrey Show."

[@peck404]

man this was some old school times early seventies bell bottoms polyester hit the weed

[@dariowiter3078]

Kelli Erin Actually, it's '70s, but yeah, it's fun to see something from that era.

[@ronanmurphy98]

Us British and our morning television haha, you Yanks need a bit of Holly Willoughby!!

[@JJJBRICE]

I can't tell the real difference between AMA and GMA except GMA had the homey den set with the homespun David Hartman . While the Today show was the almost pure news show behind the formal new desk .

[@jerseydevs2000]

When the lights come up on the set, it already feels like a Monty Python sketch. Of course, the Pythons seemingly did one fake news or commentary programme every episode. The lads must have taken a few drugs in the mid-'70s... the Terrys really manhandled Stephanie Edwards there at the end.

[@johnnyjohnson]

Stephanie should have left the hat on at 3:55 . She looked so cute with it! :)

[@altfactor]

@mrtee83 Product 19 is still in stores.

[@BilltheTulaneGuy]

Yep… Involuntary flashback. Spontaneous Monty Python…actually flipped the bird. Peter Jennings is trying to seriously announce the actual Fall of Saigon. Classic original/live Monty Python tho… Difficult balance…I thing KZbin is trying to say something here…

[@BilltheTulaneGuy]

Seriously… Thanks Algorithm!

[@sambradley2975]

Terry Gilliam was the only American in Monty Python.

[@wmbrown6]

During this period Roger Grimsby had two different co-anchors on "Eyewitness News," Tom Ellis at 6 and Bill Bonds at 11. Bill Beutel rejoined Grimsby in late 1975 after "AMA" was replaced by "GMA."

[@samgriffin8003]

AM America later became Good Morning America

[@DVSyoutube]

From April 25, 1975.

[@cottagechskitty]

Actually, as far as I know, only Graham had any sort of substance abuse problems. They were just that eccentric :)

[@fromthesidelines]

"A.M. AMERICA" was ABC's first attempt to compete with "THE TODAY SHOW" from 7-9am(et). It began in January 1975, and lasted until the following November. This is from the April 25th edition, featuring some of the cast from "MONTY PYTHON'S FLYING CIRCUS", which was just becoming popular in the U.S. on public TV stations. In fact, ABC tried to "stitch" several segments from their last [1974] season into two 90 minute late night specials in 1975, which prompted the Pythons to sue the network.....

[@micmac99]

I remember her from the Lucky supermarket commercials in California back in the 80's, but didn't know she did this show (the Captain and/or cartoons was usually on in my house at that hour at that time). I remember the CBS Morning news with Hughes Rudd BEFORE Captain Kangaroo came on.

[@reneauvray3440]

Great to see Eric Idle!

[@newsboyarizona]

Still, it's funny. "And now a word from Kellogg's Project 19!!!!" Too funny.

[@sparkle11231]

ah Peter Jennings.....may he R.I.P.