Episode 26 - Special Episode, 1978 in Television

It's between seasons 4 and 5 of Rockford.

It's between seasons 1 and 2 of Baa Baa Black Sheep.

That means it's 1978!

We decided to invite a couple of our friends on to tap about 1978 in tv, including Best Episode Ever's Anthony Marco and the 70s Detectives' Jeff Andrews.

Boy NBC sucked then.

Lots of stuff sucked then.

Jon reminds us that WKRP did start then!

Habs won the cup, so there's that.

Mostly we just hope you liked our little trip down memory lane.  Might be another soon, before moving on to Season 5 of Rockford and Season 2 of Black Sheep.

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Episode 25 - Season 1 Wrap Up

Hey, we finished season 1!  So here are our thoughts.

Here are the best episodes.

Here are the worst episodes.

Here are the best guest stars.

We might even get Jon's thoughts!  (Those thoughts essentially tuned out as 'I dunno, planes are cool').

Look, I write these things before we start, and usually I have notes, but we're just going to talk about season 1 ok.

I'll miss Hutch.

The show transitioned about half way through and got a tad serious, which we both like.  

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Episode 24 - Neither Dave Nor Steve are the Fastest Gun

Mundane title, but I'll take it.

Season finale!

The director, Phillip DeGuerre, took some neat chances this week.

Micklin is taking over from Hutch.

Steve and I talk a bit about the idea of 'knights of the air'.

What's with captain sgt. Bilko?

Efficiency experts are now called industrial organizational psychologists.

I love Hirachi throwing 'rice ball' back at Pappy.

TJ reads Japanese as well as he flies.

'You got American chocolate?'

'You got Japanese rice wine?'

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Episode 23 - Last One For Dave and Steve

It's a play on the title of the episode as usual, not some retirement announcement...

This might be, at least to me, the best episode of the series.  It is certainly the best episode of season 1.

To quote Steve 'once you get Red West, the character of Hutch is unnecessary,  Joey Aresco is gone.'

Muted Micklin is a bit different, I liked it.

Indeed, Red West showed a side of his acting I didn't know existed.

Col. Lard does what he can here, as does Gen. Moore.

Doug the DJ who did coke on WKRP was one of the pilots this week!

Wait, so was Mr. Carlson!

This is the only episode that has ever brought a tear to my eye.

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Episode 22 - S*T*E*V*E and D*A*V*E welcome D*A*N to the podcast

Is this a good title?  Look, I've had worse.

Oh yeah, welcome Dan, of Six Million Dollar Man fame.  

(Also, don't tell anyone, but Dan is kinda sorta famous).

The WASPS were real, they were amazing, and they were brave.  They were finally recognized as veterans in 1977.  Thirty seven WASPS died in the line of duty.

They were not military pilots, so their commander in the episode could not be a major.

The second half of the season has dealt with things more seriously.  

Still, everything is solved by men, but that's with 2025 eyes.  This is pretty progressive for a show from 1977, especially a military one.

I love Andy Micklin.

TJ Sniffinstuff.

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Episode 21 - Poor Little Dave and Steve

I like this title.

Nice performances by guest stars this week, especially Soon-Tek Oh.  We're both big fans.

OH look, an episode with a crash an a nun, I think Dan and I have covered an episode like this.

'I am not French, I'm Swiss'.  So was my grandfather, he fought Nazis and Japanese fascists, just saying...

Sorrel Booke is another great guest star this week.

Nice use of footage from 'Operation Petticoat' in this one, but you do see some pink sub at the end, which kind of both gives it away and takes you (if you're me) out of the scene.

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Episode 20 - Steve and Dave Have Trouble at Fort Apache

It's that time of the month again.  Wait, that sounds bad...

Lots of use of stock footage this week, much of it over Europe.

The B17 was not that big a deal in the Pacific theatre.

Inter service rivalry is a thing.

So general Moore just leaves....

Col Lard working together with Pappy, as much as he can, is a nice twist.

There's still this sense that everything can be cured with a fistfight, though, I suppose that sort of dispute resolution kind of comes to mind when your job is trying to make sure some other guy dies for his country.

I liked this one, though Masters of the Air it ain't.....

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