Deleted 70's TV shows

[Funky Dude]

I noticed that in the 70's it was a policy in some TV networks to delete and re-use video tapes and as a result a lot of great shows are deleted gone forever.



In Australia we had a pop show called Countdown which ran from 1974 to 1987 and almost all of the first 100 episodes were deleted and that was nearly all the episodes from the late 1974 to early 1977 which is a real shame and it was the best era of Australian rock to me. This was to save the cost for new tapes.



Also in the UK nearly all of the episodes of Top Of The Pops from the early 1960's to the mid 1970's were deleted because the BBC archives were overloaded and needed more room for storage.



And the most heart breaking of all was most of the early B&W Dr Who films were BURNED in a bonfire in the 1970's due to overload of the BBC archives.



I wonder if this kind of policy went on in the USA?

[Boodikka]

In the 50s, this was fairly common. Sitcoms such as The Honeymooners and The Life Of Reilly, as well as many variety shows are gone forever.

It's too bad the practice wasn't revived in the 70s, so that no one would EVER have to hear of Pink Lady and Jeff.

[NickNack]

On 2001-10-30 22:57, Boodikka wrote:

In the 50s, this was fairly common. Sitcoms such as The Honeymooners and The Life Of Reilly, as well as many variety shows are gone forever.

It's too bad the practice wasn't revived in the 70s, so that no one would EVER have to hear of Pink Lady and Jeff.

I'm afraid to ask, and it sounds like I should be greatful I was running the streets in the 70's, but who the hell are Pink Lady and Jeff?

[markydefad]

Nicky,



From what I remember, Pink Lady was a two-girl Japanese singing duo who NBC decided to pair with comic Jeff Altman on a variety show titled Pink Lady & Jeff! Why THEM no one knows!!! A big stinker that was cancelled after a few episodes, it became the brunt of lots of jokes (think Johnny Carson) about the lameness of network TV programming. Another joke target was something called "Supertrain" from the same season (1979?) I think. I never saw either show that I remember, but maybe my subconscious doesn't want me to remember.

[BrunoRepublic]

On 2001-11-16 16:20, markydefad wrote:

Nicky,



From what I remember, Pink Lady was a two-girl Japanese singing duo who NBC decided to pair with comic Jeff Altman on a variety show titled Pink Lady & Jeff! Why THEM no one knows!!! A big stinker that was cancelled after a few episodes, it became the brunt of lots of jokes (think Johnny Carson) about the lameness of network TV programming.

...and Rhino has put it out on video so that a new generation can relive the horror. I might just be curious enough to splurge and buy it...

[Boodikka]

Both "Pink Lady and Jeff" and "Supertrain" were gems from the decaying mind of Fred Silverman, whom I'm ashamed to say graduated from Syracuse/Newhouse....

Fred was the genius who, deciding HE didn't like horror shows, programmed "The Night Stalker" against "Sanford and Son", knowing that it would get slaughtered in the ratings. :sad: Idiot.