"Blansky's Beauties" - 13 Week Theatre

[@346436]

From an mst3k host segment describing when hell happened for them Servo:"I know I stand alone in this but the day Blansky's Beauties got cancelled" Crow"Yeah you stand alone on that!"

[@Quartzquiz333]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Comic gold! I miss classic MST3K.

[@CoopyKat]

@346436 LOLLL I missed that! This show was horrific, especially the theme song/opening!

[@blackamerican40]

Hey? I have to give the woman major props. 55 and doing 4 shows at the same time: Rhonda, McMillan and Wife, The Nancy Walker Show, and this one. Wow!! I will be 55 April 28th and I barely have the energy to handle ONE job; let alone on two different coasts.

[@TheParot161]

Man, I love the theme songs for these old shows. So long, they are practically a mini show within the show.

[@Casey-kd3xp]

Lost art. Blansky's beauties theme written by Norman Gimbel & Charles Fox who also wrote "Happy Days", "Laverne & Shirley", "Wonder Woman" and "Angie". (And Fox composed music to "love American Style" and "love Boat".

[@chazarcola7639]

Thanks for the video. The simple explanation for the 20 year time difference between "Happy Days" and "Blansky's Beauties" is this : MRS. BLANSKY IS A TIME TRAVELER who discovered one of those interdimensional portals currently being utilized in the Netflix series DARK. 😀 😄 😊

[@Quartzquiz333]

I just thought she had a Flux Capacitor.

[@starey1]

@@Quartzquiz333 also a DeLorean time machine

[@HerrEllsworth]

I couldn't understand why they couldn't have set this series back in the late 50s/early 60s. Vegas was there, the showgirls, etc. It would have been great to mention the Rat Pack in the present tense. It was a miscalculation on Marshall's part but in my opinion, was not the fatal flaw in this series.

[@christopherramon-reid2000]

It was like the initial season of “Facts Of Life” with showgirls instead of students.

[@josephsmall4270]

Nancy Blansky was a vampire which explains why she never got old during the 1950's to the 1970's.

[@heidifedor]

I guess Nancy Walker did do everything offered to her, because she also directed the box office bomb, “Can’t Stop the Music”.

[@andrewbarton2590]

Interestingly Nancy Walker had issues with Valerie Perrine (and vice versa) on that film that she refused to direct scenes with Perrine, and another director had to do it.

[@batdave65]

Awesome! Thank you for this. I loved Blanskys Beauties. They had me from the opening credits. I met Caryn Kaye last fall. What a great lady, very nice personality!

[@mickeyslive]

I think I have officially found my new favourite opening theme song haha. This is amazing!

[@ClassicTVMan1981X]

Which, like Laverne & Shirley's theme tune "Making Our Dreams Come True," was sung by Cyndi Grecco.

[@yournamehere6002]

I watched this every week, but never understood how it could be connected to Happy Days, because Arnold and Nancy Blansky never aged. That being said, it aired at a time in my youth when the idea of living with Lynda Goodfriend and Caren Kaye like Scott Baio did.....was very VERY appealing to me.

[@brockreynolds870]

Blansky's cast member Bond Gideon went on to have a supporting role on Operation Petticoat that fall. After it also failed she landed the plum role of Jill Foster on The Young and the Restless, replacing original actress Brenda Dickson, who left when the show went to 60 minutes in February, 1980. She only lasted 5 months in the role before being replaced quickly by actress Deborah Adair, who continued it until October of 1983, when Dickson returned to the role.

[@michaelrochester48]

One of the problems with Garry Marshall anyway is that he did not give a damn about what time the series episodes were set. By the middle of “happy days,” they let guys’ hair go over their ears, women with 1970s perms, flared jeans that were inappropriate for a series set in the 1950s. Garry Marshall was not want to care about realism to make a series look like it actually took place in that time period

[@guykipp2905]

Even in the series that was really his magnum opus, "The Odd Couple," Garry Marshall didn't give a damn about continuity. Hence five different flashback stories about how Felix and Oscar met.

[@middleagenerd]

Nor was he funny

[@Mister_Listener]

I know they were popular shows. But even Garry Marshall’s hits were very poor quality…except for the Odd Couple, all the shows were literally brainless.

[@teresapflaumer5717]

Okay, who wants to see "Mr. T & Tina" on 13 Week Theatre? I love Pat Morita, but he deserved far better than this!

[@Quartzquiz333]

Me! Now we just need an episode to pop up somewhere. That show was so bad I think my ABC affiliate pre-empted it for other programming!

[@TMC1982Part2]

I also want to see a 13 Week Theater on "Living Dolls", which was a spin-off of "Who's the Boss?" from 1989. It starred Michael Learned, Leah Remini, and Halle Berry in her first major acting gig. It's kind of like Blansky's Beauties in the sense that followed the exploits of a group of attractive women (here, they're fashion models instead of Las Vegas showgirls) and their older den mother/mentor/manage. It even has a Happy Days connection in that Marion Ross guest starred in the final few episodes as Michael Learned's sister.

[@andrewbarton2590]

@@TMC1982Part2 A casualty of Living Dolls launching was the revival of Mission Impossible, as for the 2nd season ABC moved it to Thursday from Saturday. Except Mission Impossible had to face The Cosby Show and A Different World in the new timeslot - and considering how popular Cosby was, the IMF stood no chance (should be noted for Season 1, the first 9 episodes of the MI revival faced Murder She Wrote on Sunday nights before ABC switched it). And of course Living Dolls struggled. Eventually after pulling Living Dolls, MI went back to Saturday, except it was against the drama Paradise instead.

[@blackamerican40]

No! He's already done two back to back ABC canceled shows. Do another network first and then Mr. Morita's show. Hey? How about in 2024 to coincide with the 40th anniversary of Karate Kid; which Pab failed to mention in this episode but I still love the man.

[@Quartzquiz333]

I'm not picky. I'll take what I can get. Pab has a life outside of this, I'm not going to put demands on him no matter how much I like this channel.

[@JoeBravo75]

I loved her. Poor lady, she was like King Midas...but instead of gold, all the pilots she started turned to poo.

[@jonthomas8569]

This was a fun show to revisit. The theme song was amazing.

[@mrawesome3915]

Very catchy song with inspirational lyrics and strong vocals.

[@teresapflaumer5717]

The theme is "I Want It All" by Cyndi Grecco (Who also sang the Top 25 hit Making Our Dreams Come True...Laverne & Shirley's theme).

[@LannieLord]

@@teresapflaumer5717 This song is BETTER !!

[@classiclife7204]

The convoluted timelines here merely prove what I've always said: Garry Marshall got WAY more credit for "Happy Days" and "Laverne & Shirley" than he deserved. I don't think either show exists without George Lucas' movie "American Graffiti". I mean, the group Sha Na Na was a thing in the 70s. Crippling Boomer nostalgia for their youth (which wasn't even over, but ok).

[@Mister_Listener]

I totally agree. Garry Marshall’s tv shows were just brainless. If you were a moron, you loved shows like this. I hate to say it. 😊

[@SG-jw8mo]

I love all the links to Happy Days and Laverne and Shirley even though time line wise they made no sense. I especially love that it gave Pinky Tuscadero one more appearance. And the Chachi and Lori Beth connections. Didn't they also appear in another flop show, then came back to Happy Days after that show ended. On Happy Days a lot of characters ended up wearing modern clothes and hair styles too, so you could think of Blanskys that way still being in the same time as Happy Days. It was a laziness in production.

[@middleagenerd]

So stupid.

[@DNBursky]

Rhoda and McMillan and Wife were both filmed on the west coast not on different coasts. Also Nancy Walker had just finished a tv show that aired in the fall of 1976 called the Nancy Walker show :) I did like the video though.

[@LeePender1973]

Fantastic again! This channel is CRIMINALLY undersubscribed. Pab, you should have 3 billion subscribers. Love it.

[@PabSungenis]

Just keep sharing. The audience will find me.

[@Extratexture4]

The continuity issue was confusing. “Mork and Mindy” got around it because Mork CAN travel through time.

[@Quartzquiz333]

And in "Out of the Blue" Random got around it because he was an angel.

[@christopherramon-reid2000]

Nancy Walker could travel through time too. Garry Marshall forgot to mention it.

[@LannieLord]

6:08 Seriously enjoying Carmine / Eddy in the shorts and tight t-shirt .

[@Mister_Listener]

Eddie Mekka makes you aroused?

[@LannieLord]

@@Mister_Listener BONER

[@MrWolfTickets]

9:55 🤣😂🤣 I love it, i cracked up there too

[@RichardGarza-zo9mo]

I remember this show when I was younger. This show was a spin-off of Happy Days and was replaced with Laverne and Shirley. Scott Baio and Linda Goodfriend went to Happy Days as Chachi and Lori Beth. Eddie Mekka went to Laverne and Shirley as Carmine.

[@Nepse-t9p]

The opening of the show is so 70’s! :-)

[@Laceykat66]

As always an excellent look at the ins and outs of television. As I watch the opening credits of Blansky's Beauties I have to wonder, did anyone think this as going to work ?

[@Quartzquiz333]

Two words: Jiggle Television. With Charlie's Angles being a hit ABC decided to turn up the jiggle (Shows featuring beautiful women often without bras) with its shows. It worked with Three's Company because there was substance behind the jiggle. It didn't work so well with this as well as two other poorly received sitcoms from around this time: ABC's Sugar Time! (With Barbi Benton!) and The Roller Girls from NBC. Network executives sometimes forget that viewers need move than a visual pin-up magazine with their shows.

[@andrewbarton2590]

There was also The American Girls on CBS, although timeslot killed that show as it was against The Love Boat. Priscilla Barnes survived that flop though to join Three's Company and later becoming a Bond girl.

[@middleagenerd]

Sadly they did. Too many morons.

[@johnlargan6045]

If i remember correctly, Mr T and Tina was cancelled after only one show!

[@pamelamays4186]

Nancy Walker was on all three networks at the same time.

[@Quartzquiz333]

Three seasons in and already Garry Marshall was trying to run the Happy Days gravy train dry. In 1978 several actors from this show appeared on a slightly similar NBC show produced by Marshall, Who's Watching the Kids? Needless to say, that's another story.

[@blackamerican40]

When I read the comments during a opening theme song segment, they were attacking the show for being off in its time line. Nancy Walker's character was a cousin of the Cunninghams back in the 50s but this show was set in the 70s and she looked the same. Scott Baio, named Anthony, and Pat Morita were in it too. Two Happy Days actors and a Laverne and Shirley actor jumping ship to do this. It felt weird.

[@mrawesome3915]

@@blackamerican40 i think this was right before "Chachi." Likely how he got the chachi role, knowing how marshall liked re-using actors.

[@mrawesome3915]

To be fair, was Nancy Walker ever young? I remember her looking exactly the same in the early 90s on True Colors, but that's another story.

[@Quartzquiz333]

@mr awesome Did he ever! See the credits of Who's Watching the Kids? As for Nancy Walker looking the same age. I'd have to agree. I saw her in some Broadway publicity shots from the 50s and 60s. Looks exactly the same. Pat Morita actually left Happy Days to do another flop: Mr. T and Tina. I saw his character on an episode of Welcome Back, Kotter.

[@andrewbarton2590]

Mr T and Tina was screwed, because it was against Emergency! and Doc. Pat Morita never had much luck with ABC shows- he did Ohara later, which was screwed by timeslot as it was against either The Facts of Life or The Golden Girls. Not to mention it went through changes throughout Ohara's run.

[@mrmonty86]

Nancy Walker, directed the Village People semi-bio film Can't Stop the Music, and it flopped so bad that the production company terminated her three-picture deal because of it.

[@Quartzquiz333]

I loved Nancy Walker, but I hate to say I can't blame them. That movie was so bad it doesn't even make good camp!

[@mrmonty86]

@@Quartzquiz333 The movie was released on the same week as the Blues Brothers, and there was no way they were going to win the box office that weekend.

[@Quartzquiz333]

@@mrmonty86 Nowadays movie companies avoid premiering a film in the same week a surefire hit is debuting. Like the plague.

[@blackamerican40]

Scaring knowing a man is now a woman from that movie.

[@andrewbarton2590]

And she fell out with Valerie Perrine that she refused to be around Valerie and another director had to direct Perrine's scenes.

[@ricknibert6417]

The actress who played Hillary, Taafee O'Connell, would frequently appear on the Cross-Wits.

[@mrawesome3915]

For some reason i thought you did this already. Should be a good one.

[@laststopbeforeheaven]

I remember when this first aired.

[@jimmydeanpatterson1422]

Me too.

[@cellytron]

God poor Caren Kaye. Not just this, but then it’s attempted retooling with Who’s Watching the Kids?! And how Lynda Goodfriend and Scott Baio did that AND Happy Days is a mystery I’m still not clear on. The Blansky’s Beauties theme song is a real banger though.

[@HerrEllsworth]

I'm surprised he didn't include it in this video.

[@andrewbarton2590]

To Caren's credit, she does faintly embarrassed in her opening credit shot, as if she knows the show is naff.

[@HerrEllsworth]

@@andrewbarton2590 She was stunningly beautiful but also a very good actress. Ultimately, she gave up acting and became a psychiatrist.

[@Quartzquiz333]

@Bender IsGreat She was great, but unlucky. She has two shows already discussed on 13 Week Theatre (This and It's Your Move) and two that will probably be discussed later: Who's Watching the Kids? and The Betty White Show (I personally hope Pab discusses this one sometime, it was surprisingly boring and pedestrian for a show starring Betty White. That, and MTM Productions have been very unrepresented on this channel.)

[@andrewbarton2590]

@@Quartzquiz333 Although It's Your Move was never going to succeed even if Caren acted very well in it. And that's because NBC scheduled it against Dynasty at the peak of that show's success.

[@cameraman655]

I was 15 at the time this aired and I too was more than a little confused at the crossovers of other ABC sitcoms of the time that were situated in different eras. Frankly, I could not get past the first episode.

[@Night-Mayor]

I love your content.

[@mrawesome3915]

Seen clips of this show online and it seemed like a fun show. Its typical Marshall humor with good-looking gals

[@middleagenerd]

Lack of humor.

[@GerarddeSouza-yt3fc]

I recall Nancy Walker on Family Affair. Am I crazy?

[@LannieLord]

Yes, as a maid.

[@robertcarly4186]

Mary Tyler Moore was filmed at CBS Radford and McMillian and Wife at Universal, and Nancy lived on Eureka Dr in Studio City. Nancy didn't have to go 4 miles either way, no coast to coast. Blame Scott Baio, and the network didn't give the Marshall team time enough to fine tune it.

[@andrewbarton2590]

Over My Dead Body from 1990 could be another example for 13 Week Theatre given it lasted 12 episodes. Basically commissioned because CBS cancelled The Equalizer in a dispute with Universal Television over Angela Lansbury's contract for Murder She Wrote. Only to practically put Edward Woodward in a clone of er, Murder She Wrote (William Link, the creator of MSW, also worked on OMDB). CBS and Universal did give Edward's character a sidekick, but cast a woman who shares a name with Angela Lansbury's character, bringing more attention to the MSW comparisons. CBS moved Dallas to 10pm, which wasn't setting the ratings alight by this point, and had OMDB as the Dallas lead in. It struggled against Perfect Strangers, and Edward Woodward probably had to deal with a furious Larry Hagman as well (LH being Executive Producer and star by this point) as OMDB's low ratings at 9pm were handed down to Dallas as a result. CBS yanked OMDB quickly, put Dallas back at 9pm and the remaining OMDB episodes were burnt off a year later.

[@andrewbarton2590]

Actually 11 episodes were aired, but one was not aired.

[@Delmo5]

Thanks for the info, Andrew! As a faithful fan of The Equalizer, I had assumed that the show was cancelled due to low ratings in the last season. I segued into OMDB. I still have the episodes aired on tape. Was hoping it would eventually be released on dvd. No luck so far.

[@jlaneto]

Did you know there was a Brazilian version of Mork and Mindy? The name is Super Bronco and it aired in 1979.

[@PabSungenis]

Just watched the only episode I could find. Interesting.

[@jlaneto]

@@PabSungenis 👏👏👏👏👏

[@dangerousdavescott]

I don't know about Nancy Walker, but Arnold knew Marty McFly's girlfriend when he taught karate in the San Fernando Valley. She hooked him up with a DeLorean.

[@travisjames3517]

BB was an utterly not needed spinoff. How did Pinky look even YOUNGER when it was supposed to be the 1970’s instead of the 1950’s??! Walker didn’t seem to get what a bad sitcom is. She left “Rhoda” twice, once for “The Nancy Walker Show” and then for “BB.” However, she turned down the opportunity to star in a Golden Girls spinoff as Angela, Sophia’s sister. It’s said she was blackballed after only two GG appearances because she said no to a spinoff and was never seen or mentioned again. If that is true, a spinoff with her as Sophia’s sister it very well could have been a hit.

[@Quartzquiz333]

THANK YOU!!! I've been wondering for YEARS why Aunt Angela wasn't seen after her second appearance on The Golden Girls. She was hilarious! Instead, Nancy ended up starring in another Witt/Thomas/Harris production called Mama's Boy, with Bruce Weitz and Dan Hedaya. NBC didn't even give it a permanent time slot, it was purposely scheduled as a monthly fill-in until it was needed to be a regular show! Needless to say, the experiment flopped and the show only lasted seven episodes.

[@travisjames3517]

@@Quartzquiz333 NW wasn’t a very good businessperson. It’s also said that she and the cast of the GG’s didn’t get along to well. Totally alleged, btw.

[@pluggy86]

Having women show a lot of skin was scandalous and exciting at that time. However, PG rated shows like this always promised more than they delivered and couldn't hold anyone's interest for long. It still might have been risque enough for parents not to allow their kids to watch it. So it hurt ratings more than it helped. I think I watched about 1/2 of one episode and even though I was young at the time, I was like, "Wow, this is bad."

[@witherblaze]

thought this was gonna be a "charlie's angel" clone

[@markleneker9923]

Nancy Walker had a pay or play contract with ABC, and had the option to go back the MTM juggernaut plus the Bounty contract! This show was going to air no matter what!

[@donbagert]

I would have thought that Pab would start a trilogy of related failures with the Nancy Walker Show, then Blanksy's Beauties, and then Who's Watching the Kids? LOL

[@jacksampsonforever]

and maybe a mention of her directing Can't Stop the Music?

[@Quartzquiz333]

@Jack Sampson Maybe not. The memories of that turkey need to stay in the late 70s where they belong.

[@TMC1982Part2]

Nancy Walker's final acting project was on the Fox sitcom True Colors. It did last two seasons so it doesn't exactly fit the criteria for 13 Week Theater, but it's still a very fascinating show to examine. True Colors was basically a '90s version of The Brady Bunch with an interracial twist. Frankie Faison left the show about halfway into the second season due to creative disputes. He was replaced by Cleavon Little (AKA Sheriff Bart from Blazing Saddles) for the remainder of the series. Little was unfortunately, suffering from colon cancer and he got noticeably more gaunt as the season went on. He would ultimately succumbed the disease not to long after True Colors was canceled. Nancy Walker herself, was suffering from lung cancer. And it got to the point in which she needed to use a wheelchair when performing. She too, died not to long after production for True Colors wrapped up.

[@alfonsogreen2722]

I hope he can do an episode about WHO'S WATCHING THE KIDS

[@HerrEllsworth]

My feeling too. This was the "final" chapter in the Blansky's Beauties saga and should have been included.

[@moviesgalore9947]

Pat Morita time traveled as Arnold from 1957 to 1977 very clever.

[@Tasby12]

Don’t mean to be picky, but the Happy Days pilot was not written for Love, American Style. It was a separate entity that was filmed and rejected by the network, which later recycled it as an episode of LAS.

[@acholl980]

Same goes for 2 Hanna Barbera cartoons. One wound up being Wait Til You Father Gets Home (starring Tom Bosley)

[@jameswillett7186]

Blansky's Beauties went on the air in the fall of 1977 and the tv show Emergency! went off the air in the spring of 1977.

[@LannieLord]

Spring , not fall.

[@TheRetroDepot]

Do you have all 13 episodes?

[@PabSungenis]

No, but they are here on KZbin.

[@TheRetroDepot]

@@PabSungenis oh ok thanks, I’m trying to collect every episode of every spin off in the Happy Days Universe

[@PabSungenis]

@@TheRetroDepot Good luck. I’ve only been able to find one episode of “Out of the Blue.” Are you including the Saturday Morning cartoons?

[@TheRetroDepot]

Awesome! Does it have commercials? Yes I am.

[@PabSungenis]

No, and no closing credits. It’s here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bGbGZ3pojKmIa8k E-mail me at [e-mail]

[@Delmo5]

Will your HELLO, LARRY segment ever segue over to this channel?

[@scottstallings5029]

GREAT CHANNEL!!! 👍 👌 👍

[@Asukenick]

Scott Baio was born in 1960 so he was at least 16.

[@rrsaga]

What about Best of the west? Loved that show in 1983

[@jons.6216]

Funny that I always seem to associate Barbi Benton with this show because of the character "Bambi"! But the other Benton was trying to make another short lived show called "Sugar Time" work! Haha! The cast on Blansky's had some real knockout girls in it but they were rarely in storylines in favor of Sunshine and Bambi instead!

[@warrior64]

Seems like Happy days was pushed into the 70s adding long hair Chachi in Charge

[@Quartzquiz333]

Joanie's perm didn't help.

[@travisjames3517]

The timeline between HD and Laverne and Shirley never matched either. When they went to Ca., the show went clear into the late 1960’s, yet HD was still in the late 1950’s/early 1960’s.

[@PabSungenis]

I think that was a conscious decision. When the show was permanently uncoupled from Happy Days by the California move they felt safe jumping ahead a bit so they could explore a different period.

[@travisjames3517]

Odd because this show clearly takes place in the 1970’s even though it was a spinoff of a show that takes place in the 1950’s.

[@travisjames3517]

Prob because in the 1950’s, Las Vegas wasn’t built up that much.

[@kali3665]

Have to say I loved the opening theme that good-naturedly riffs on Nancy Walker's size compared to the models, especially her pointing downwards at the end to bring her back into frame. The show wasn't much, but frankly I didn't really notice the time differential back then, because, let's face it, near the end of Happy Days, they weren't really emphasizing that anyway. After all, Mork & Mindy didn't do the best of jobs explaining why that was set 30 years after Mork's first appearance on Happy Days (that was originally explained away as a dream sequence anyway). And when Laverne & Shirley and Co. moved to California halfway through the series, they were paying just the slightest lip-service to what the timeframe would have been anyway.

[@acholl980]

Actually Marshall and the gang did explain the M&M time line a lot better than this. The episode was repeated with and added scene explaining Mork brainwashing Richie into thinking he was dreaming. The pilot has Mork telling Mindy about Fonzie setting a date with Laverne in a flashback scene. And a 1979 recap show Mork returned explaining to Richie and Fonzie he's now living in the '80s.era. Perhaps best part is where The Fonz asks about cars and women to which Mork replies " Both are faster"

[@kali3665]

@@acholl980 Interesting. Actually, I do vaguely remember the repeat and extra scene. I don't remember the 1979 recap, however, but it's nice that they did recognize some explanation was needed. Thanks!

[@rrsaga]

I still say Pat was that Japanese owner on that 1967 Blondie episode!

[@jacksampsonforever]

Blanski's beauties, with only ONE beauty being credited in the opening. have to make room for the dog, i guess

[@Quartzquiz333]

I noticed that. Thought it was strange.

[@tomflorio7363]

well, that one beauty was the main reason to watch the show!

[@mrawesome3915]

This show should've been given time to grow. ABC was more patient with their other superstar producer spelling than with marshall.

[@Quartzquiz333]

True. Aaron Spelling only had one real bomb in the 70s, The San Pedro Beach Bums. He wouldn't have another flop until 1981 with his landlocked ripoff of his own Love Boat, Aloha Paradise.

[@andrewbarton2590]

Well, until Capital Cities bought ABC in 1985 (when Spelling's Dynasty was No.1) and started to disassociate themselves from Aaron Spelling. Certainly that accelerated more when Life with Lucy flopped. (Spelling seemed to have more success at ABC and Fox than he did at NBC. On NBC, Malibu Shores died a death, Titans flopped and Sunset Beach ranked bottom of the daytime soap ratings.

[@purefoldnz3070]

whats a Chachi?

[@teresapflaumer5717]

This was Nancy's 2nd failed show in one season (1976-77), the first actor to "accomplish" this. First series was also on ABC, Norman Lear's "The Nancy Walker Show", which was (in my opinion) the better of the 2. That ended on Dec 23 1976. Then Marshall offered her a new series and used a backdoor pilot on Happy Days. "Blansky's Beauties" ran from Feb 12 to Jun 27 1977, running 13 episodes. ABC cancelled it, but kept another spinoff of another ABC hit (Fish, Barney Miller). I have episodes of Blansky's, but I wish I could find episodes of her first show.

[@HerrEllsworth]

I remember this show, even the quiet cameos Garry Marshall put in as the ominous "Mr. Smith".

[@Quartzquiz333]

Actually, it turns out Andy Griffith bombed on two TV shows in the 1970-71 season, Headmaster and The New Andy Griffith Show.

[@fromthesidelines]

Fred Silverman was determined to create a successful sitcom for Nancy, as she was under contract to ABC for the 1976-'77 season. If Norman Lear's "NANCY WALKER SHOW" didn't work, perhaps one from Garry Marshall would (and give Fred a chance to exploit Roz Kelly's "Pinky Tuscadero" one last time, in the first episode; he went *NUTS* over her appearances on "HAPPY DAYS", calling her a "female Fonzie", and begged Garry to spin her and Fonzie off into their own series.....but he and Henry Winkler wouldn't do it). Once "BLANSKY'S" was cancelled, Walker went back to CBS and "RHODA".

[@LannieLord]

@@fromthesidelines You left out a sidebar: By the time she got back to Rhoda : the show had FALLEN into shame.

[@fromthesidelines]

Yes, that, too.

[@walkerpantera]

RIP Cindy

[@jtshark9283]

There were a few problems. While the bosses knew what they were doing, they got the 3rd string writers. Barney Miller's creator talks about what that happens on another channel here. They also should have set it in the 50s. Later on, Marshall said they thought about but having 3 shows set in the past was a bit much they thought. Also, dog in the credits? Has that ever worked?

[@quad5186]

I was pretty young, but I watched this when it aired. I always thought something was amiss with the time setting but wasn’t really trying to figure it out. Maybe if they used that godawful Saturday morning cartoon in which the Happy Days gang had a time machine to explain this mess . But that was not to exist till several years later.

[@HerrEllsworth]

Nice video but I wish you had included some backstory on the following re-tool of this show, "Who's Watching the Kids?".

[@michaelrochester48]

I know who Rhonda Bates is, this is another 13 week theater episode. It was a rip off of “real people” and “that’s incredible”, it was called “speak up America” that also had Jayne Kennedy and former Child evangelist Marjoe Gortner.

[@andrewbarton2590]

Marjoe Gortner? Was he the actor from Earthquake, which featured a pre Dallas Victoria Principal? Poor Victoria - she gets involved in an earthquake and then in Dallas has to have Bobby Ewing come back from the dead (and the whole season was a long dream by her character)

[@michaelrochester48]

@@andrewbarton2590 Yes he was in a couple of movies like earthquake, but he was very well known for a documentary down in the early 70s about him. He was like a five or six year old evangelist. Then he got out of that

[@tomflorio7363]

@@michaelrochester48 Yup, that was an interesting documentary. Basically him saying "Look at me rip off all these people!"

[@tomflorio7363]

@@andrewbarton2590 Don't forget he was in Bobby Jo and The Outlaw, a total turd or a movie, but he got to do love scenes with a naked Lynda Carter. Some guys have all the luck!

[@monkberrymoon3999]

And dont forget the most monetarily successful escapee from Real People: Byron Allen. That might be proof of the lack of a compassionate God.

[@ridbensdale]

Scott Baio was older than 12 in 1977 wasn’t he?

[@heidifedor]

You should cover the other Happy Days Spin Off that bombed; “Joanie Love Chachi”.

[@Quartzquiz333]

Only if he doesn't play the theme song. When I was a little kid I would run and cover my head every time I started to hear it.

[@HerrEllsworth]

Happy Days spins off two duds. I think that's a record.

[@Quartzquiz333]

@Bender IsGreat Three. Out of the Blue is a spin-off as well.

[@HerrEllsworth]

@@Quartzquiz333 That's right. There was even a segment on it. Three strikes against Happy Days!

[@andrewbarton2590]

JLC actually rated decently for Season 1, primarily because of Happy Days leading in and the fact there wasn't much competition on the other networks (mainly repeats), as opposed to the plots. Trouble really hit when JLC was moved to Thursday night for Season 2. Not only did the show lose the Happy Days support, it had to then compete with Magnum P.I. And let's not forget how popular Tom Selleck's Hawaiian detective was at the time. After JLC died, Erin Moran and Scott Baio were brought back to Happy Days for the final season.

[@rubysuncle]

So I feel reliably certain most 70s sitcoms were greenlit based on the hope the entire audience watching would be high on cocaine.

[@brockreynolds870]

I'm glad this show flopped. By far, the best role Nancy ever played was Ida Morgenstern. She was nominated for an Emmy 4 times for that role.

[@ThatJohnKillion1970]

In all honesty, Happy Days and Laverne & Shirley kind of gave up on the 1950's/1960's continuity by the end of their run.

[@HerrEllsworth]

Yeah, it was starting to "catch up" in the final couple of seasons. Howard wearing "modern glasses" and Chachi growing his hair extra long for even the early 60's. The producers didn't consider it important enough to be relevant anymore.

[@alvincash3230]

Personally, I never liked any of Gary Marshall's shows, except The Odd Couple.

[@alfonsogreen2722]

Can u do an episode about THE NANCY WALKER SHOW n also WHO IS WATCHING THE KIDS?

[@Quartzquiz333]

To be fair there were no episodes of that show online for footage until just three weeks ago. Sometimes shows we want Pab to talk about can't be done until episodes pop up on KZbin. I would personally love to see the Rue McClanahan-Dabney Coleman two episodes flop Apple Pie done here but there's no footage available outside theme song.

[@garethspotfur1]

If only he could have moved past happy days. Linking it so strongly with a show set 20 years previous, effectively killed this show.

[@ftsjr]

A very forgettable show. It was at a time when producers thought that they could just throw a bunch of attractive women on TV, and it was bound to be a hit. 😅

[@YouChwb]

Cindy was very cute back in the day.

[@EclecticDD]

Kind of like It's a Living

[@mrawesome3915]

And of course next week we're getting who's watching the kids, right?

[@teresapflaumer5717]

It would be even better to show Nancy's first failed ABC series that season "The Nancy Walker Show", but no episodes are available (only the opening theme, 2 promos, and a bumper).

[@PabSungenis]

I need to spread out Garry Marshall flops, although I think I’ve done most of them except for “WWTK” and “Hey, Landlord!”

[@Quartzquiz333]

@@PabSungenis There's also Me and The Chimp.

[@teresapflaumer5717]

@@Quartzquiz333 I actually like Me and the Chimp but it would make a dandy episode.

[@Quartzquiz333]

@@teresapflaumer5717 Glad you liked it. Ted Bessell despised that show to his dying day.

[@christopherramon-reid2000]

How about “She’s The Sheriff”?

[@Quartzquiz333]

How that show got two seasons out of it, even in mid-1980s syndication, I'll never know. It would qualify under "Slightly Longer Than 13 Week Theatre".

[@christopherramon-reid2000]

@@Quartzquiz333 😅👍👍👍 I think she even wanted out after the first couple of episodes.

[@michaelrochester48]

I remembered that Nancy Walker was going on another situation comedy to promote her series. But why happy days where it was a completely different time. And situation. A weird way to promote a series

[@moviesgalore9947]

Morita did a show called Mr. T and Tina it was terrible do a video about that one.

[@CoopyKat]

I remember this awful show, I only watched half of one episode when it aired. The theme song is HORRIFIC, it's obvious they are trying to make it sound like LaVerne & Shirley's theme song (it doesn't even come close). This concept for a series is so bad, I can't believe Nancy Walker even agreed to it. Maybe she was behind on mortgage payments or something.

[@ftsjr]

The same woman (Cyndi Greco) sang both themes.

[@CoopyKat]

@@ftsjr I'm surprised by that, it wasn't entirely the song or music, it was also a very long and boring theme, and unnecessary to show all of that.

[@ericshippie1563]

😂

[@LannieLord]

Seriously , this is a HOOKY theme song . The same guy wrote the songs to Wonder Woman and Love American Style. He also wrote the HUGE hit "Killing me Softly with His Song". And the Laverne & Shirley theme.

[@davidlow862]

Why didnt they just set it in the 50's? Seems an easy fix.

[@pepitone201]

PU

[@victorhiggins9636]

Ha I can just tell that your sick of saying “what happened”

[@itiswhatitaintanditaintwha1427]

Oh my god! This was a horrible show. Looking forward to you savaging it!

[@teresapflaumer5717]

Yea, it's bad! I recorded episodes of this when TV Land aired obscure sitcoms. There is an episode with Pinky Tuscadero (from Fonzie Loves Pinky). Crash and burn!

[@PabSungenis]

If you were the one who uploaded your copies to KZbin thank you. I had been looking for years for the Laverne episode and came across it literally at the last moment while working on this video.

[@jtshark9283]

fyi. JT SHark. What do you think it stands for? I have used it on line since early 2000