The Carpenters - Space Encounters (1978, Complete TV Special)

ABC, May 17, 1978.
With guest stars Charlie Callas, Suzanne Somers and special guest John Davidson.
Songs:
00:00 Intro
00:37 Sweet, Sweet Smile
04:29 Opening Theme (We've Only Just Begun)
08:54 Fun, Fun, Fun
10:08 Dancing In The Street
13:49 Just The Way You Are
17:34 Goofus
20:37 Medley Close Encounters/Star Wars
27:49 Little Girl Blue
33:13 Dancing Dolls
34:27 Piano Picker
36:43 Man Smart, Woman Smarter
39:44 The Old Fashioned Way
41:52 Disco Beat
42:30 The Hustle
42:45 Boogie Nights
43:11 I Could Have Danced All Night
44:15 Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft
49:35 Closing Theme (We've Only Just Begun)
Sound and video enhanced as possible. 720p, 60fps.

[@BCNbananas]

"Little Girl Blue" is phenomenal.

[@dunning234]

Thanks so very much. I still Love Karen Carpenter. She was so very special. May she be in Heaven.

[@mjc1970]

Klaatu's "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft" is so brilliantly played/sung by The Carpenters... childhood memories with this song...

[@chanritkakhai6069]

When I saw Karen in this clip, I would like to cry. Miss you Karen Carpenter

[@henrymurphychronicles2488]

Her VOICE!!! rarer than the rarest diamond! Thanks to people like you who keep the legacy alive with these videos!

[@djjerome]

The world I lived and grew up in the 70s it's like a totally different planet than the one I'm living in now. A big part of me wants to go back there and never leave.

[@jameswaters8774]

Karen and Richard Carpenter were so talented. Karen could sing the instruction manual for a Keurig and it would be phenomenal. What a beautiful voice!

[@lvelez1999]

Richard still is God-Given talented ✝️

[@lvelez1999]

God bless and protect Richard and his family, human and animals, in Jesus's Name Amen ✝️

[@katherinetherese2736]

Yes… so agree.

[@blackamerican40]

Keurig huh? A machine that makes drinks that have no calories and full of caffeine to keep your weight down. Karen should have been singing McDonald's, Burger King, KFC and Taco Bell jingles. 😢😅😅

[@jameswaters8774]

@@blackamerican40 wow, not cool.

[@crystalthomashKC]

Love the Carpenters, have since I was a teenager. Still do. Karen, with the voice of an angel and Richard, the musical genius.

[@waltercancado653]

This video is a gem, it's great to see Karen and her brother singing the most diverse songs. That futuristic environment back then. Eternal Karen! Our little angel.

[@superbeingp-vortex8610]

2023 May and who is watching this? I accidentally discover this Precious Gem of a Musical. We 💕 you Karen Carpenter. Hope you having a great time on the Interplanetary Craft. 💕💕💕

[@godcandy108]

I just found out this existed 🙂 May 2024

[@ShawnRavenfire]

Anyone else here because of Todd in the Shadows?

[@richardgadberry8398]

Me.

[@mistreated]

Yeah. I don’t remember this wacky TV special

[@jimhislop2979]

You betcha!

[@outsidethexbox5492]

The look richard gave her when she said "he's kinda cute" was incredible

[@riceboy1701e]

Ah, what a cast. Charlie Callas with his silly faces. Suzanne Somers with her usual ditzy blonde act. John Davidson with an air of sophistication, even as an alien. And, of course, the musical genius of Karen and Richard. GREAT find!

[@eliasellis6795]

instablaster...

[@wilnnn5]

Don't forget the robot with a tutu. That takes it over the top.

[@rogersanderscustoms8121]

This was aired just before the Olivia Newton John Special in the 7:00 to 7:30 prime time slot. It was ranked 15th out of 60 on the "Most Watched" list for the 3rd week of May, 1978. The number 1 show that week was Three's Company. Olivia's Special ranked 7th and CBS enjoyed the ratings sweep that week.

[@blackamerican40]

Three's Company was ABC. So was the Olivia Newton John special. RIP to both ladies 🙏🙏 and 😅 you not knowing your networks. There were only 3 back then.

[@bt60613]

I like to think that Karen and Olivia have finally gotten around to a duet- maybe gathered around the piano with Burt Bacharach with many others that have recorded his sings and are now in heaven-Doris Day, Dusty, Cilla…

[@Leftatalbuquerque]

The KZbin ads are killing this.

[@impalaman9707]

The things I used to think were corny and stupid, I now long for, because at least they were fun. These kind of TV specials are a perfect example. Where did we go wrong in Western pop culture? We've gotten so smart, and think of ourselves as grown and mature that we became cynical and sarcastic and we can't have things like this special anymore---but I miss them!

[@pureheaven8647]

My childhood with my grandparents watching specials at the weekend- wonderful childhood memories

[@tiderider]

@impalaman9797 perfectly said. I love corny

[@Max-qd2lf]

Things like these were never corny to me. Not when there's Karen. Consider yourself lucky for being born during the 70s. I will never feel what it's like but watching these videos makes me feel as if I was there.

[@AllenJones-w3p]

A great special overall. John Davidson had a great set of pipes, and Charlie Callas was a comedy legend.

[@LaDracul]

Todd in the Shadows brought me here.

[@bobryan2856]

RIP Suzanne & Karen ❤️❤️

[@frankabler]

And RIP Charlie! Only Richard and John are left from this special.

[@richardea4223]

Little Girl Blue, my heart is breaking right now. Who would have known that she was singing about her life. 😥

[@jasonchristian8362]

i haven't lived until this moment

[@consueloherrero591]

Yo en aquellos años no veía tanta televisión así que nunca vi especiales como estos ,me hubiese encantado haberles visto más,ahora no paso muchos días sin oír sus canciones,menos mal que gracias a la tecnología podemos seguir disfrutando de verles y oír sus bonitas canciones,parece mentira que ya no esté aquí Karen,😢

[@LouellaReynolds]

🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ Wow Its simply supreme. Great performance Richard Karen John Susan and Charlie. Speech Singing Music Dance all sweet and fantastic. Love ☮️ ❤❤❤❤ them all. God Jesus Bless them forever Let their music live forever. ❤❤❤

[@biancacardoso212]

Que voz perfeita karen❤

[@TomboulianMusic]

You know it’s 70s when John Davidson is the guest star

[@poetmistress2009]

💯

[@christopher5585]

Wish I could remember watching this Carpenter's Special. We were probably watching Fantasy Island.

[@davidsheriff9274]

I loved Fantasy Island, where I lived,,it was on Saturday nights at 9 00 right after The Love Boat. "Da Plane,Da Plane"!.

[@pedronovoa3012]

Viendo este video en Abril de 2024. Recuerdos de esta voz y figura que hace tiempo que no esta con nosotros. Espero encontrarme con ella en el cielo y cantar sus bellas canciones.

[@robertthomas5736]

The Closing Song is Called, Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft

[@ソフトブラック]

視聴者層の中心は大人のビジネスパーソンと思われますが、全世代が楽しめます。音楽で笑いを取る手法をリスペクトいたします。我が国、日本にこのようなレベルの高いショー番組がなかなか出て来ないのが嘆かわしいです。😭 カーペンターズの意外性を引き出しているところも素晴らしいです。 リチャードさんのピアノ演奏が圧巻です。

[@LordHPLovecraft]

There are 93 comments on this video as I write this ,this is number 94. The movie “In the Mouth of Madness “ was a harbinger of the Coronavirus,the main character starts off the film being locked within an insane asylum,the Song “We’ve only just begun “ plays leading to the line “ Oh no,not the Carpenters too”an inside joke on the name of the film’s director John Carpenter.We then learn a Lovecraftian type of author is creating reality by writing his novel within a church.

[@djjerome]

I remember you from the Thomas Sheridan comment section.

[@davidsheriff9274]

Did you ever see the movie "The lathe of Heaven" it's low budget but pretty interesting.

[@TylerAStinson]

Just when you thought the Star Wars holiday special was weird there’s this. Only in the 70s

[@davidsheriff9274]

Have you seen The Paul Lynde Halloween Special?😱

[@youtubesketches110]

Theis is cheesetastic.

[@LouellaReynolds]

Love and kisses 💋 ❤️ to you on your Birthday Richard Carpenters musical genius ❤️ 💙 ♥️ 💕 💖 Miss you the most....lovely ❤️ 💙 🎁 💝 🧧 🥳 🎉

[@LouellaReynolds]

Happy Birthday to you with many more to come you your way and may Gid Bless you Always 🙏 💖 💕 ♥️ ❤️ Love you dearly darling Tons of ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️

[@EdithLover]

Karen cómo te amo, tienes la voz más hermosa de Norte América😍

[@DavidGlover-s7x]

Love Karen Carpenter. I can't believe her and Suzanne are gone :(

[@LouellaReynolds]

Some songs sung are sad and brings tears to the eyes. Some songs sung bring joy to the heart and there is a essence of sweetness in the voices of the songs sung. Arrangements are simply superb. Performance is great 👍 👌 👏 🙌 ❤️ ✨️ ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉 43:52

[@klauskarnath6816]

Dancing in the Street from Karen is Amazing

[@mikepieruccini8583]

Forty one years ago today we lost her 😂😂😂😂 RIP Karen 😂😂❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@Santina8921]

I don't need no Excedrin, The Carpenters are my pain reliever!

[@sergerenine9828]

Tudo muito com a cara da época. Muito saudosista. A Karen tinha uma voz única. O Richard até manda um RAP. Muito bom. Obrigado e parabéns!

[@lvelez1999]

Oh yea. Richard can sing too

[@conceicaoferraz1785]

Very special

[@MaryRoss-zi2eb]

Very well too!!!!!

[@klauskarnath6816]

Great Show👍

[@mikeilamenk]

Would watch Karen in a sitcom too. Oh who am I kidding I would watch anything with Karen in it. Oh except the ones where she’s her thinnest, I find them a little uneasy to watch it just hurts seeing her like that. Anyway this is fun to watch. Karen can act too. 💙

[@MaryRoss-zi2eb]

Also!! I got brand new piano from the factory!? When I was 7-8 years old!! I still remember the smell of that piano!!?

[@zumbakat37]

It's funny that they were showing cell phone technology almost 20years before they were released. In the beginning they were watching themselves on a small device. Karen would've loved computers and cell phones

[@mikeilamenk]

zumbakat37 oh, she would’ve loved smartphones.. sigh

[@fruitofthejoot]

apparently Karen was getting into video games in 1981. There is an interview where she brings out “Astro Wars” and shows the interviewer how she can “shoot and kill these little things, it’s terrific!” 😅 she would have loved arcade games, internet and smart phones!

[@frankabler]

Yes, Karen was a self-professed geek. She loved technology. I remember one time when she brought a video game with her to an interview and talked about how much she loved playing.

[@EnoVarma]

Suzanne Somers's hair jumped to the 1980's about 2 years early.

[@kilogram064]

I liked that plug for Excedrin at the end.

[@robertthomas5736]

Great Space Station Video

[@JoachimHänle]

SHALOM

[@Schallarchiv1]

Was hätte ich damals dafür gegeben sowas im Deutschen fernsehn zu sehen! Die Carpenters haben mich die ganzen 70ern begleitet. Der Tod von Karen war schon bitter! Es wird nie wieder so eine tolle Sängerin geben!!!!

[@robertthomas5736]

The Carpenters Musical Variety Special, with Guest Star, Mister John Davidson

[@luancamilo8398]

Meus amores...😍👊 Valeu, João!

[@MaryRoss-zi2eb]

Music schools are the only way you can learn to play music well!! Without any trouble!!!! Without any training!!

[@only257]

Fun to watch 📼

[@outsidethexbox5492]

Guy from outer space appears in front of you "I think he's kinda cute" incredible

[@beaudure01]

“Dad, what were the 70s like?” “Here, watch this.”

[@carpentersfans]

Like anyone was tuning in for Richard's piano playing 🤣

[@johnbrowneyes7534]

Karen would of been a huge star later on outside of the Carpenters. Singing, acting, comedy, etc. I believe she longed for a life away from her family. A project that was her own with no influence from her brother. Her solo album was shelved. There was another dimension to her that was never tapped into, but she did leave a remarkable legacy nonetheless.

[@fruitofthejoot]

Yeah, Karen was enjoying doing the tv specials, I really believe she would have branched out into tv guest spots acting on tv shows or movies in the 80’s, it seemed she wanted to explore acting, but left too early to get started.

[@whodidit99]

She did an outside project and it didn't go well. The solo album was shelved which broke her heart.

[@AllenJones-w3p]

Karen's solo album was issued posthumously.

[@superstafa]

Que legal! Muito obrigada por compartilhar 😃

[@evanvandepolder3112]

This show could have used a few more guest stars, perhaps people associated with Sci-FI and Space Fantasy. You wonder why they did not get Leonard Nimoy? Or, how about Gene Roddenberry, George Lucas, or Steven Spielberg?

[@eduardo_corrochio]

This is a fun curio of its time. I think at this point in the 70's, every variety special had a goofy, doofy, middle aged comic as part of the show. Charlie Callas was the comedian in this one (acting like a young Jerry Lewis), while the Bradys had Rip Taylor, and Donny and Marie had Paul Lynde. I wonder what a grind it may have been for someone with such a lovely voice to lip synch to pre recorded songs on shows like this. Actually Karen was probably used to it from doing music videos and shows like American Bandstand. Good grief but John Davidson had some "shampoo commercial worthy" hair. So nice. Lucky devil, LOL.

[@bluebear107]

Karen already looked so thin here, in her eyes a sadness. But it didn’t affect her voice. Rip, Dear Karen.

[@hellomcflyy]

what marketing genius came up with this.....heh heh

[@girlscanbedrummers5449]

Drugs it's all you need to create something like this lol.

[@all.about.cheonan]

love u karen🥺🤍

[@donaldconley486]

I miss Karen Carpenter so damn much I have not appreciated any female singers and sent God bless her I hope I meet her in heaven

[@BCNbananas]

Cool find...but really thankful that you can skip through a lot of the horrible parts and get to the good tunes :)

[@davidbyrnes6111]

The most horrible thing is you open your stupid ass mouth Shut Up and lay down

[@AGGD767]

Loved the Carpenters, Karen already looked so thin here, so sad

[@GabrielPoloCantautor]

Gracias!! Por favor, ¿puedes activar los SUBTÍTULOS en este video para leer en español? Saludos desde Argentina

[@newsduke]

Further proof that everyone in the '70s was on cocaine.

[@peggymcmillin660]

😀

[@robertthomas5736]

Suzanne Somers and Charlie Callas,with Comedy

[@carlosaugustorosa7770]

...🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟💙🌹🍀🎶✨🎵🎧🙏 Beaultiful Carpenters!🎇

[@sarahisstoked]

suzanne carried this.

[@whoguru5]

Thanks linkara?

[@MaryRoss-zi2eb]

It’s very important that quality of the piano!? They gave my daughter in Connecticut piano that belongs in the garbage disposal!!??

[@connieschultz6664]

Karen could have been a good actress too

[@MaryRoss-zi2eb]

I can play music for 8 hours every day!!?

[@VTMCompany]

44:17 UFO

[@LouellaReynolds]

❤️ 😍 💖 ❣️ 💕 💘 ❤️ 😍 💖 ❣️ 💕 💘 Henry Birthday ❤️ 😍 💖 ❣️ 💕 💘 ❤️ Wayne Louella Mitchel Reynolds

[@bjornpalenius2144]

Calling Karen wherever she has reincarnated here on earth! I felt her presence singing "Calling Occupants"

[@roydidlock1012]

03:21. Extraterrestrial Line Dancing !.

[@MaryRoss-zi2eb]

My daughter does not play piano!? I played grand piano since I was 8 years old!?

[@LouellaReynolds]

❤️ 💙 💜 💖 💗 💘 ❤️ 💙 💜 💖 💗 💘 ❤️ 💙 🎁 💐 🌹 🌸 🏵 🌼 💐 🌹 Louella Gomes Reynolds ❤️ ❤️

[@NuncNuncNuncNunc]

@42:45 Show must have caused snow blindness

[@shounenbat510]

I was thinking she didn't look too bad yet, but at around 18:00 she suddenly looks very, very thin.

[@chrissosenko2556]

This makes me hungry

[@johnmccormick1648]

Has anyone come here from Thomas Sheridan?

[@betossantana]

I used to have this special downloaded from E-mule, I think, with lower quality BUT the audio was in synch with the video, in this upload it seems audio and video are out of synch for the most part... my watching this gets compromised then. Já tive esse especial baixado em qualidade menor mas o áudio estava OK com a imagem... neste envio , na maior parte , parece, o áudio está fora de sincronia com o vídeo... a minha experiência de assistir fica comprometida.

[@VideotecadoJota]

A sincronia está normal, talvez seja seu computador.

[@katiegrundle9900]

karen could do it all, dance, sing, act, play drums. i think that the carpenters got yhat goody two shoes image from richard. karen was always cool, richard always seemed nerdy and awkward

[@georgasmussen9318]

By this time, they had lost the plot ...

[@michaeltnewyorknights8413]

@Jarred Mello-Neyhart-May it's self explanatory aka "jump the shark" moment.

[@lettermenfan32]

Starting to look quite thin at this point.

[@cheripiez67]

what in the hell did I just watch 🤭

[@MaryRoss-zi2eb]

If you given children older and untuned piano!? They would never be interested to listen or learn anything!!

[@sergerenine9828]

A magreza da Karen já está de assustar nesse show. E pensar que daí a cinco anos ela estaria morta!

[@keithmoon3190]

If this was inspired by Star Wars and Karen watched the Star Wars and liked it, then poor Karen died before she could even see The Return Of the Jedi!

[@TheNewSoda]

Honestly it's so weird to think Star wars actually meant something at some point and history with how garbage the series is now

[@michelsstorage]

When AI is more advanced, I will use to remove Charlie Callas from this show.

[@trevordixon1427]

Great carps.! Rubish show

[@MaleOrderBride]

Look. I love the Carpenters. But this is so cheesy...and doesn't even make sense! Singing country songs with futuristic alien backup dancers?! The producers were obviously trying to capitalise on the "Star Wars" craze at the time...and the Carpenters ONLY "space" song "Calling Occupants"...