For over a hundred years some of the greatest video treasures of all time have been produced. Some have been lost in the sands of time and others, soon to be rediscovered, will become fan favorites for a whole new generation.

Each week we will feature just one of the many hidden gems that you can see on ATVN with insights and commentaries on classic television shows and legendary cinematic performances.

You can’t look at early cinema without studying the great contributions by comedian/producer/director/screenwriter Buster Keaton.

Joseph Frank “Buster” Keaton has been credited with inspiring fellow legendary directors and comedians from Orson Welles to Mel Brooks to Johnny Knoxville.

He started in the entertainment business at the age of six, working with his parents doing physical comedy and vaudeville acts and road shows.  Some of his most popular acts were getting thrown by his father, who pretended to be angry with him. (Buster and his family toured with renowned illusionist Harry Houdini for years.)

Unbeknownst to the audience, a suitcase handle was sewn into Buster’s clothing making it easy for his father to reach in and throw his child who had become very proficient at landing on his feet and avoiding injury doing what seemed like extreme physical acts.

According to busterkeaton.com, his act was advertised as “The Roughest Act That Was Ever in the History of the Stage”.  Decades later, Keaton said that he was never hurt by his father and that the falls and physical comedy were a matter of proper technical execution. In 1914, Keaton told the Detroit News: “The secret is in landing limp and breaking the fall with a foot or a hand. It’s a knack. I started so young that landing right is second nature with me. Several times I’d have been killed if I hadn’t been able to land like a cat. Imitators of our act don’t last long, because they can’t stand the treatment.”

It was also as a child that he learned that if he smiled during his physical comedy routines, he didn’t get as many laughs from the audience.  Thus, he quickly developed the ability to not show any expression on his face during his routine–an action that later earned him the nickname “the great stone face.”

Originally skeptical of the new medium that was film, Keaton quickly adapted his highly entertaining physical humor to the big screen and became one of the greatest early comedians in the cinemas.

After great success in films as an actor and comedian between 1917 to 1920, Keaton quickly formed his own production company, allowed him to produce and direct his own films and create unparalleled physical comedic scenes throughout the rest of the 1920s.

Among his great physical highlights caught on film include Keaton sitting on top of a collapsing two-story building and escaping unharmed – as if he was on a surfboard riding a wave and dismounting like he was on a beach.

His 1926 classic, The General, combined tremendous feats of physical comedy with Keaton’s love of trains, including an epic locomotive chase.  Initially, it was not considered a financial success.  In addition to going way over budget, many people couldn’t stand watching so many death-defying physical acts (done, of course, without the benefits of any CGI).  However, the film is regarded by many as one of the greatest comedy films of all time.

The myth that Keaton couldn’t make a successful transition to talkies was just that — a myth.  Unlike , who disliked talking pictures vehemently, Keaton did immediately jump in to the new innovations and starred in a number of successful, early sound pictures for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.  It was his growing discontent of working with MGM, his overwhelming work schedule, an ugly divorce and an increasing dependency on alcohol that drove him out of the film industry for several years.

But Keaton’s film career and legendary work was far from over. We will look at more of Buster’s great legacy in a future blog entry here at the “Showplace.“

In the meantime, you can see Buster Keaton in one of his early talkies, Parlor, Bedroom and Bath on Thursday, June 16, at 9:00 am on ATVN.

To view the complete rundown of classic programming on the Astound TV Network, check out the weekly listings here.

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Astound Broadband or any other agency, organization, employer or company.

For over a hundred years some of the greatest video treasures of all time have been produced. Some have been lost in the sands of time and others, soon to be rediscovered, will become fan favorites for a whole new generation.

Each week we will feature just one of the many hidden gems that you can see on Astound TV Network with insights and commentaries on classic television shows and legendary cinematic performances.

It may be a cliche, but it also can be very true…

You can’t top an original.

So is the case for the original version of the supernatural horror film classic, House on Haunted Hill.

The 1959 motion picture starring Vincent Price, Richard Long and Carol Ohmart sends shivers down viewers’ spines in the first few seconds of the film (even before the conclusion of the opening credits and not a single visual picture appears on the screen.)

The characters immediately break the “fourth wall” by looking and speaking directly to the audience and details are given about their background and announce that evening’s activities.

The movie’s premise is that Frank and Annabelle Loren (Price and Ohmart) are a twisted married couple who invite five people to a rented establishment for a “haunted house” party, offering their guests $10,000 if they can stay the entire night.

All five guests who attended the party were complete strangers to each other (or were they?) and agreed to the deal.  All the attendees are from different backgrounds and were each chosen for different reasons.  At midnight, the doors were locked.  With the windows barred and no working radios or telephones available, the twists continue to evolve as Frank accuses Annabelle of trying to kill him to inherit his money and…

Well, you’ll have to watch it to experience all the turns, thrills and chills for yourselves!

The movie was based on a story of the same name by Shirley Jackson that came out a year before the film was released and was a huge success–grossing over $2.5 million at the box office and was made on an estimated budget of $200,000.

Price, of course, was already well-known as an icon in the horror industry at the time of “House’s” release after years of successful work in both radio and motion pictures.  His starring role in this film continued a steady stream of 1950s box office hits, coming after The House of Wax, The Fly and The Return of the Fly.

Price’s co-star, Richard Long, would go on to become a household face in the 1960s as the star of the popular television western, The Big Valley.

The film’s director, William Castle, was a big fan of the original novel and didn’t stray far from the book’s premise.  According to an article published on Halloween 2014 in “Architect” magazine, Castle selected one of the eerie, yet historic Gothic houses built by Frank Lloyd Wright to film the exterior shots of the movie.  Interior scenes were filmed on sound stages built to replicate Victorian styles of the late 1800s.

Castle also did a remarkable job of utilizing the key elements of black-and-white film by featuring long shadows across many scenes, and built suspense by strategically delaying character’s faces as they slowly appear in scenes due to lack of light.

Castle himself was a big fan of legendary scaremaster Alfred Hitchcock and tried to recreate many traditional dramatic elements used by the Master of Suspense.  Ironically, Hitchcock reportedly loved Castle’s horror classic and his decision to use black-and-white filmmaking.  Hitch used the exact same color process in his very next film, Psycho.

The lasting success of “House” is indicated by a 90% fresh rating on the popular film review site “Rotten Tomatoes”, and has spawned several subsequent movies following the original’s premise.

You can see the 1959 version of House on Haunted Hill, starring Vincent Price, airing Friday, June 2, at 9:30 pm, on the Astound TV Network.

To view the complete rundown of classic programming on ATVN, check out the weekly listings here.

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Astound Broadband or any other agency, organization, employer or company.

For over a hundred years some of the greatest video treasures of all time have been produced. Some have been lost in the sands of time and others, soon to be rediscovered, will become fan favorites for a whole new generation.

Each week we will feature just one of the many hidden gems that you can see on ATVN with insights and commentaries on classic television shows and legendary cinematic performances.

One of the great aspects of the classic film, Charade, is its all-star cast.  Cary Grant, Audrey Heburn, James Coburn…the list goes on.

But people may be surprised to know that one of its biggest stars–and arguably the  movie’s most sinister villain, George Kennedy, was actually appearing in one of his earliest movie roles!

Kennedy was born on February 18, 1925, in New York City, into a show business family. He made his stage debut at the tender age of two — in a touring company’s production of Bringing Up Father.  Aside from a few television appearances, it would be nearly 35 years until George made it onto the Silver Screen.

Enlisting in the United States Army at the age of 17 during World War II, Geroge served 16 years, reaching the rank of captain. Kennedy served in the infantry under George S. Patton, he fought in the Battle of the Bulge, and he earned two Bronze Stars. Kennedy re-enlisted after the war and was discharged in the late 1950s due to a back injury.

After a recurring role on television’s Phil Silvers Show, Kennedy made his film debut in 1961’s The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come, followed quickly by more prominent roles in the western, Lonely Are The Brave (starring Kirk Douglas), the romance/mystery/comedy, Charade, and a thriller, Strait-Jacket (with Joan Crawford).

A few years later, George appeared in the classic Cool Hand Luke and won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for the role while also receiving a nomination for the corresponding Golden Globe.

Before the 1960s were out, Kennedy had appeared in 27 films before the end of 1969, including classics like Shenandoah, The Flight of the Phoenix, The Dirty Dozen, Bandolero, The Boston Strangler and the film version of McHale’s Navy.

But George’s success would continue early in 1970.

Kennedy would star in three films that year, none bigger than one of 1970’s summer blockbusters (and there were several), Airport.  The star-studded air-disaster drama would be Universal Pictures’ biggest commercial success to date and earn ten Oscar nominations. Kennedy won a Golden Globe as a supporting actor portraying the character, Joe Patroni.

Airport would spawn a new generation of “disaster films,” including three other sequels.  Kennedy was the only actor to appear in each new installment of the film series.

George would continue to star in a wide variety of genres for the next several decades.  In 1988, he would introduce himself to a new generation of moviegoers by handling the role of Captain Ed Hocken — sidekick to Leslie Neilsen’s legendary turn as Lieutenant Frank Drebin, in The Naked Gun film series.

The first installment is regarded as one of the greatest comedy films of all-time and is even listed on The New York Times’ top 100 movies ever (Kennedy’s movies have several entries on this list).  George would continue to work in various film and television projects until the 2014 film, The Gambler.

At the time of his death in 2016, Kennedy was the oldest living actor to win an Oscar.  Coincidentally, he died the day of the 88th Academy Awards ceremony. 

You can see George Kennedy in classic films, including Charade, airing this Saturday at 8pm on ATVN.

To view the complete rundown of classic programming on ATVN, check out the weekly listings here.

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of ATVN or any other agency, organization, employer or company.

For over a hundred years some of the greatest video treasures of all time have been produced. Some have been lost in the sands of time and others, soon to be rediscovered, will become fan favorites for a whole new generation.

 Each week we will feature just one of the many hidden gems that you can see on the Astound Broadband TV Network with insights and commentaries on classic television shows and legendary cinematic performances.

You can make a serious argument that Bob Hope was the most famous entertainer in the world in the 20th century.

Very few people, if anyone, will ever accumulate more awards, honorary degrees and other accolades from as many countries while starring in more shows, movies and special programs and hosting as many galas, events and award shows than Hope.

One could also argue that very few public figures have had a more polarizing effect from fans and followers worldwide.

Today we shall examine the optimistic view and share some of the many positives in the legendary career of one Leslie Townes Hope.

While many regard him as one of the greatest Americans ever, it’s ironic that he was not born in the USA.

Originally a product of Eltham, London (now the Royal Borough of Greenwich), Hope’s family (which included seven boys in all) immigrated to Cleveland, Ohio when Bob was eight years old.  By the age of 12, he earned pocket money singing, dancing and performing comedy on the street.

Hope spent a brief amount of time as a boxer, a butcher’s assistant, a lineman and a tree surgeon, among other odd jobs.  While some rumors indicate his boxing career gave him his now famous odd-sized nose, he actually had his face smashed while clearing trees, which forced him to have reconstructive surgery on his face.

Hope initially decided to become a dancer–Fatty Arbuckle gave Bob one of his first big breaks.  While having success in vaudeville, he failed his first screen test for a French film company in 1930.

Undaunted, Bob continued to develop his now patented rapid-fire comedic delivery on the radio, on the stage and then, eventually, in pictures.  His big break came in 1938’s The Big Broadcast, in which Hope’s comedy not only stood out amongst the star-studded cast, but he first sang the song that would become his trademark, “Thanks for the Memories” (which also won an Academy Award as Best Original Song).

His star power now established in films, Hope would continue to build his legacy in all forms of media, but became particularly entrenched in the fabric of America with his tireless work performing for the military in World War II.

Between 1941 and 1991, Hope made 57 tours for the United Service Organizations, entertaining active duty American military personnel around the world. In 1997, Congress passed a bill that made Hope an honorary veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces.

Hope became internationally famous for his highly successful projects in virtually every media avenue possible for an entertainer…and then some.

We could probably spend several blog entries just talking about the many other great things that Leslie Townes Hope did for America and for the world.

But there is another side to Hope – a side that is much darker – one we will explore in two weeks here at “The Showplace.”

In the meantime, you can see Hope starring in films like My Favorite Brunette, this Monday at 2:30pm, along with his scene-stealing guest starring appearance in various classic television situation comedies on Astound Broadband TV Network.

To view the complete rundown of classic programming on ATVN, check out the weekly listings here on our website.

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Astound Broadband or any other agency, organization, employer or company.

For over a hundred years some of the greatest video treasures of all time have been produced. Some have been lost in the sands of time and others, soon to be rediscovered, will become fan favorites for a whole new generation.

Each week we will feature just one of the many hidden gems that you can see on ATVN with insights and commentaries on classic television shows and legendary cinematic performances.

In 1950’s television, program ideas were still very fresh and–except for radio shows that transitioned to TV–there were many “new” origins for programming in the early days of the medium.

One of these original ideas in the 1950s was Captain Gallant of the Foreign Legion.

The show was based on using real-life stories of the French Foreign Legion and was filmed on location on often dangerous deserts of Morocco.  The producers would actually work with the members of the French Ministers of National Defense and commanding generals in the French Army.  They would also interview Legionnaires in Zagora, Rabat, Marrakesh, Taroudant and Agadir to come up with realistic story material–a technique later used by producers on shows like M*A*S*H.

The extreme long takes of scenes highlighted by the vastness of the wide open deserts for many of its episodes allowed audiences a chance to experience a realistic view of “traveling along” with the Legionnaires, although several real-life incidents forced the production company to eventually change filming locations to more safe locales in Italy during the show’s run.

To further hype the show, the producers brought in ultra-popular film star Buster Crabbe, who was a hero to many young people in the 1930s and 1940s as the titular character in some of the previous decades’ popular movie serials, Flash Gordon, Buck Rogers and Tarzan.

Crabbe has just finished a successful run hosting his own program, The Buster Crabbe Show, which against the backdrop of a ranch foreman’s bunkhouse featured Crabbe engaging his viewers with games, stories, craft-making, hobbies, informational segments, and interviews with guest performers and personalities.

Crabbe was also an international hero with medal victories in the 1928 and 1932 Olympic games.

Joining Crabbe in the cast was longtime western star John Forrest “Fuzzy” Knight, who was largely responsible for the “lighter” moments on the show.

Knight’s first major picture role was with Hollywood icon Mae West.  He went on to be  a very popular western film star himself from 1928 through the mid-1940s, appearing in over a hundred films.

According to the book, “The Hall of Fame of Western Film Stars,” Knight was named one of the Top 10 Money-Making Western Stars in 1940 and appeared in as many as 10 films in a single year.  His film role offers were beginning to dwindle in the mid-1950s, but his appearance on this show reintroduced him to a brand new audience.  Knight would go on to appear in movies and television shows through 1967, when he retired from show business. 

Rounding out the “Foreign Legion” cast was a newcomer – Buster’s own son – Cullen “Cuffy” Crabbe, who made his acting debut on the program.   

The show produced 65 new episodes and was very popular in syndication for years.  Due to its popularity, three of its episodes were edited together into a full-length motion picture entitled Desert Outpost, which was distributed and released in Europe.

Be sure to watch or set your DVRs for Captain Gallant of the Foreign Legion, airing for the first time ever on ATVN this spring.

To view the complete rundown of classic programming on ATVN, check out the weekly listings here on our website.

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Astound Broadband or any other agency, organization, employer or company.

For over a hundred years some of the greatest video treasures of all time have been produced. Some have been lost in the sands of time and others, soon to be rediscovered, will become fan favorites for a whole new generation.

 Each week we will feature just one of the many hidden gems that you can see on ATVN with insights and commentaries on classic television shows and legendary cinematic performances.

Pick any era and you will have a great technological invention.

In 1953, CinemaScope burst onto the scene with, at the time, the greatest visual images ever produced on any video screen.

Beneath The 12-Mile Reef was one of the first movies using this innovation. The plot was loosely based on William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” but shot in and around a seafaring town –  with picturesque views for CinemaScope to use and enhance the beauty of the images.

Academy Award-winning Robert Webb took over the reins as director.  For a big box office draw, up-and-coming star Robert Wagner was teamed with established film star Terry Moore for the leads.

Wagner’s star power would later grow with starring roles in “It Takes a Thief” and “Hart to Hart“. He also would be involved in the scandal regarding Natalie Wood‘s death a few years later.  For younger audiences, Wagner would go on to play Austin Powers‘s “Number Two” and had the recurring role of Teddy on the hit TV show, “Two and a Half Men.”

Moore, meanwhile, already was a part of hits in numerous successful films in the 1940s and had just been dubbed “Hollywood Sexiest Tomboy” in an early July, 1953 edition of “Life” magazine.  Moore had her own sea-related scandal a few years later regarding a debated marriage to Howard Hughes while aboard his yacht.

With two big stars on board, a top-notch director, a solid supporting cast (anchored by Gilbert Rowland and Gloria Gordon) and the breathtaking scenery filmed completely in CinemaScope, it was targeted to be one of the biggest films of the year.

The initial reviews for “Reef” were mixed. Viewers loved the picturesque views and storyline but critics blamed Webb’s lack of direction as to the cause of an alleged lackadaisical performance by Wagner. Movie reviewers were further critical of the director, saying that he didn’t use enough exterior shots, especially below sea level, to take full advantage of the new technology.

Still, the film has grossed over $7 million in movie rentals over the last several years alone (it cost just $1.5 million to shoot.)

It is also an historical flick, being just the third film ever shot in what would be the most popular visual movie innovation of the 1950s. Check it out and see what a vast improvement it was over films produced before 1953 – you’ll notice a big difference.

Beneath the 12-Mile Reef will be featured in the ATVN Movie Vault this Saturday, at 9:30 p.m.

To see the full listing of classic programming on ATVN, check out the weekly listings here on our website.

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Astound Broadband or any other agency, organization, employer or company.

In this week’s edition of “The Showplace,” guest blogger Artie Freeman focuses on the man whose courage and inspiration sparked a day now named in his honor – Jackie Robinson.

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Jackie Robinson was born on January 31, 1919. He’s most famous for breaking baseball’s color line, which excluded Black players from Major League Baseball. MLB had relegated Black players to the Negro leagues since the 1880s.

In 1950 Jackie Robinson portrayed himself in the biopic, The Jackie Robinson Story. The film focused on Robinson’s journey breaking the color barrier in Major League Baseball.  This film was particularly difficult for Robinson; for starters he wasn’t an actor.  Even for the most experienced actor the most difficult role to play is yourself. In addition, Jackie also had to relive the abuse and bigotry he experienced from teammates, opposing teams, and fans to film this movie. This film is not a cinematic masterpiece, but it’s historically significant and more importantly, we have it in our movie vault for you to enjoy!

In 1942, Robinson was drafted and assigned to a segregated Army cavalry unit in Fort Riley, Kansas. Having the requisite qualifications, Robinson and several other Black soldiers applied for admission to an Officer Candidate School, the (OCS).  The Army’s initial guidelines for OCS were supposedly race neutral. However, very few Black applicants were admitted into OCS. As a result, the applications of Robinson and his colleagues were delayed for several months.  Joe Louis, the heavyweight boxing champion, was stationed at Fort Riley at the time. When Lewis heard about this, he protested these actions and the men were accepted into OCS. That act of defiance led to a friendship between Robinson and Louis, two men who dominated their sports.  

Robinson started playing first base for the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947. When the Dodgers signed Robinson, he was not the best Black player from the Negro League.  He was, however, the best Black player who wouldn’t retaliate when confronted by bigotry and racial attacks. Branch Rickey, the General Manager of the Dodgers who spearheaded this project, made it clear that Robinson must never retaliate.

During his 10-year MLB career, Robinson won the inaugural Rookie of the Year Award in 1947. He was an All-Star for six consecutive seasons and won the National League MVP Award in 1949, becoming the first Black player to be honored. Robinson played in six World Series and took home the championship in 1955.

In 1956 at the age of 37, he retired from baseball to become the first Black Vice-President of a corporation; he worked at Chock Full o’Nuts.

In 1962, Jackie Robinson was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame during his first year of eligibility, becoming the first Black man to receive that honor.

In 1964, he co-founded the Freedom National Bank, a Black-owned bank in Harlem, New York.

In 1965 Robinson became the first Black MLB television analyst. 

Ruby Dee (Robinson’s co-star in The Jackie Robinson Story) and her husband, Ossie Davis, were friends with Jackie and Rachel Robinson. They were also friends of both Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X. Dee spoke at both of their funerals. 

Jackie Robinson became friends with Martin Luther King, Jr. during the Civil Rights Movement. However, during that period, he was at odds with Malcolm X. They had a very public feud due to their differing philosophies regarding the civil rights movement. Their feud simmered when Malcom X started to feel less hatred towards all white people. When he was assassinated, Jackie was truly saddened by his death.  They both had the same destination, racial equality – they just couldn’t agree on the path.

Jackie Robinson died on October 24, 1972 at the young age of 53 of a heart attack.  Although I say the young age of 53, Robinson looked like a man in his late 70s, having a full head of grey hair since his early 40s.  The years of enduring racial abuse both physically and emotionally had taken their toll on him. 

In 1997, MLB retired his uniform #42 across all major league teams; he was the first professional athlete in any sport to be so honored. MLB also adopted a new annual tradition, “Jackie Robinson Day”, which began on April 15, 2004. Each year on this date every MLB player across the league wears the #42.

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Artie Freeman provides great introductions to many of the classic movies airing weekly on ATVN’s “Movie Vault” and also hosts “Take 5” interviews featuring unique people and community leaders in our viewing area.  Be on the lookout for more of Artie’s insights on this legendary figure, the next time The Jackie Robinson Story airs on ATVN.

Also, be sure to check out our new spring programming lineup on ATVN that will kick off this Sunday.  We will be bringing back some popular classic shows to our lineup, plus featuring nostalgic films and TV programs that are new to our network that we think you all will enjoy!

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Astound Broadband or any other agency, organization, employer or company.

Last week, we here at the Showplace began our countdown of the five best examples of a “shark jumping” ploy created by a television series’ creative brain team.

Look back to last week’s entry to find out more about this oft-used TV term and for the first two entries.

This week, we continue our countdown:

#3: Las Vegas

In 2004 one of the hippest shows on TV capitalized on the Las Vegas craze with a mystery program revolving around the behind-the-scenes views of the fictional Montecito gambling resort.

Anchored by Sonny Corleone-actor James Caan and up-and-coming movie star (and future Fergie husband) Josh Duhamel (Life As We Know It, Transformers movies), the show thrived on Monday nights despite heavy competition from Monday Night Football, Everybody Loves Raymond, Joe Millionaire and other hit shows in that same timeslot.  It regularly brought in nearly 12-million viewers each week and was a perennial Top 30 show in the lucrative 18-49 demographic throughout its first two years.

In addition to great acting, innovative technical innovations and suspenseful episodes, it was great at creating some great cliffhanger moments that keep bringing the audience back for more.

Unfortunately, at the end of season two, it went a bit too far.

In addition to leaving its audience hanging regarding one of its key cast members and an unresolved ending to who the new casino owners are and what they might do to the existing employees, the season two finale ends with the casino inexplicably being blown to the ground.

There was no mention during the episode that it was about to happen and it went down without any warning…leaving viewers shocked at what had just happened (and why?) through the entire summer hiatus.

The season three premiere introduced a new owner who announced she wanted to build a brand new, innovative casino–which looked remarkably similar to the old one.  Behind the scenes however, its parent network NBC, spent, at that time, a record amount in building a “new” set, one that inflated the program’s overall costs.

The new owner (Lara Flynn Boyle, who came with a hefty price tag after starring in films like Men In Black 2) did not test well with audiences, and she was subsequently killed off after seven episodes.  The series’ overuse of teasing cliffhangers at the end of season two started a steady decline in the show’s ratings, which suffered from the season three premiere onward.

Show creator Gary Scott Thompson, failing to learn from previous mistakes, doubled down on his jump the shark technique a year later, proclaiming (according to a March 5th, 2007 article in the “Las Vegas Review Journal”),”I’m gonna make this the biggest cliffhanger anyone’s ever seen. And if you cancel us, you’re gonna have 15 million fans pissed off at you, not me.” (By this time viewership has actually fallen below 10-million fans).

The final season never made it to the end of its contracted 20-episodes.  The final episode? An unresolved cliff-hanger.

#2:  Felicity

In 2007, the rookie season of Felicity not only garnished some of the world’s greatest awards for a television show, “Time” magazine anointed it, after just 20 episodes, as one of the “Top 100 TV Shows of All-Time.”

Led by creator JJ Abrams and titular star Keri Russell, the show focused on the four college years of a female student, tackling typical issues young people face, with each of the show’s seasons representing a freshman, sophomore, junior and senior years.

On hiatus between seasons one and two (and before the show would be enshrined as a television classic based on its phenomenal year one reviews), legend says that the show’s creators came up with a great idea for the second season premiere:  cut Russell’s famous golden hair as an appropriate step for the actress to take–symbolizing a year of growth and development for the on-screen character between her first and second year of college.

Following the season two premiere, the show instantly lost HALF of its audience (from 4.4-milllion to 2.2-million viewers) and, despite the actress quickly adorning a wig to try to cover her trimmed, prized locks, the damage was already done.

While some viewers eventually returned (along with the return of Russell’s naturally longer hair), the show never pulled in the ratings it once had, and never won another major award again for the remaining three seasons it was on the air.

#1: Twin Peaks

The ABC Network, which has quite a history of giving bad instructions to its hit shows (see last week’s list for just one other example), had a surprise hit on its hands with the quirky cult-classic Twin Peaks from 1990-91.

The show, whose RERUNS were topping television’s #1 rated show, Cheers, for two months, was built around the “Who killed Laura Palmer” mystery that was driving the exposition for delving into a world of unique characters and supernatural events.

Despite protest from series creator/director David Lynch that revealing Laura’s killer would effectively “kill the golden goose” by removing the show’s unique suspense factor that drove the series, ABC ordered for the resolution to the show’s main mystery halfway through its second season.

The show became rudderless without its main mystery for not just the fans, but for the actors and show’s creative brain-trust alike.  With Lynch and co-creator Mark Frost distancing themselves from the show, series star Kyle McLaughlin and other actors also lost interest in the project.

The show’s ratings fell hard and was canceled at the end of that second season.  Its “traditional TV” days were history.  The central mystery premise, however, would later see life in a full-length film and a “Return” series on the Showtime Network, 25 years later.

What did you think of our all-time best/worst shark jumping list?  There were clearly other examples in TV history in which a show “jumped the shark.”  Which ones did you come up with? Email your feedback and responses to us and perhaps we will revisit this list in a future blog entry!

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Astound Broadband or any other agency, organization, employer or company.

The ATVN Programming Department is busy putting the final touches on our new spring broadcasting lineup–set to debut in a few weeks.

In the meantime and in honor of the 45th anniversary of television’s first official “Jump the Shark” moment, we here at the Showplace are going to do something a little different this week and will be starting our countdown of the top five “shark jumping” moments of all time!

Wait…you’re not familiar with the television term “jump the shark?” OK, here’s a brief history…

In 1977 the show Happy Days, a perennial Top 5 Nielson show for its four previous years, came up with the wildest plotline in the show’s history to that point–in which the program’s most popular character, The Fonz, would jump over a shark on water skis.

The idea of the small town Wisconsin cast of characters suddenly traveling to the west coast culminating in an event that was clearly created just for a rating spectacular caused loyal fans (and many of the show’s cast and crew members) to surmise that the writers had either lost their minds or were so desperate to create an event that would bring in viewers that they took this drastic course of action.  

The result was a catchphrase that was made up for television fans and critics that has been used to describe a hit show taking a drastic change in plotlines just to create a rating grabber–only to have the ploy backfire and lead to the eventual cancellation of the show.

(Ironically, the term attributed to this show is a bit of a misnomer.  Happy Days went on to have several more successful years ratings-wise and, arguably, had several other “shark jumping” type of storylines throughout the show’s final six years before falling ratings led to the eventual program’s demise).

Today we are going to start the ultimate collection of the top five “jump the shark” events in TV history that eventually led that same show down a path towards oblivion.

Keep in mind, these are not the five wildest plotlines ever created, nor are we citing shows that employed a ratings-grabbing event, only to have the show sustain or even increase its television shares after the event took place. We are strictly adhering to the requirement that the show’s ratings would never return to the same levels after such a stunt was created/written into the show’s canon.

#5: Pretty Little Liars

The teen mystery show was a hit with the key 18-49 demographic when it launched on the scene in 2010, following the success of several novels written by Sara Shephard. The television show centers around four high school girls whose clique falls apart after the disappearance of their leader. One year later, the estranged friends are reunited as they begin receiving messages from a mysterious figure named “A” who threatens to expose their deepest secrets.

The program consistently attracted between 2.5 to 3.7-million viewers for its first four years while its audience became perpetually puzzled at the identity of the mysterious “A,” whose actions were becoming more and more devious.

 During season five, ABC Family was anxious for a big ratings event to coincide with its recent relaunching as the “Freeform Network” and billed an episode in which “A’s” identity would finally be revealed.

It was…but the network had ordered two additional seasons of the show–one that just resolved its central mystery.

The result was that another “A,” (called “Uber A”) was created to keep the mystery going. Needless to say, storylines pretty much spiraled in several different directions through the remainder of the program’s run. Along with it went viewership totals that dropped steadily through the show’s final two years.

#4:  House, MD

British Actor Hugh Laurie played the titular character to the hilt and reinvented the way many medical dramas had been previously produced. Though brilliant but flawed, Laurie’s character would solve medical mysteries with an arrogance rarely seen among the genre’s doctors, but was becoming increasingly dependent on drugs himself. This story built for four solid years with the risks and the tensions building throughout each season.

Then, in season five, following two dramatic episodes in which fellow main character, Dr. Wilson, loses his love–partially due to House’s drug dependence, the flawed Dr. House finally checks himself into a state hospital.

After a five-year buildup to this key point of recognition and responsibility the show really set the stage for some great possible storylines involving this multiple award winning actor dealing with this serious topic, while also potentially opening up a fascinating abundance of stories involving Laurie’s character interacting with other patients going through their own medical mysteries while dealing with their own dependencies.

Instead, the culminating episode, which felt more like an after-school special, featured House joking around with another drug dependent patient–nearly resulting in the latter’s loss of life, to which House suddenly realizes abusing drugs are bad, and then he returns to his regular hospital, and resumes his old job, as if nothing had ever happened.

The show finished in the Nielson’s Top 10 throughout seasons two, three and four and attracted between 17.5-20 million viewers each week up until that point. Following House’s about-face in the season five opener, the show’s viewership quickly dropped to less than half the viewers it had sustained through its first four seasons and was never ranked higher than 42nd in its final year.

Show Producer/Film Director Bryan Singer said that the official reason the show did not return was a dramatic increase in the cost of each House episode, making it unprofitable for parent company Universal to continue the show. However, the badly bungled season five anti-climax leading to the dramatic ratings plunge and massive viewership slide in the program’s final year-and-a-half suggests otherwise.

Our list continues…next week!

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Astound Broadband or any other agency, organization, employer or company.

In this week’s edition of The Showplace blog, ATVN’s Artie Freeman shares his opinions and insights on some of classic films and television’s greatest entertainers.

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Karl Malden was born Mladen George Sekulovich on March 22, 1912 to a Czech mother and a Serbian father in Chicago. His career spanned over 60 years and he is considered to be one of greatest character actors of all time. A character actor is an actor who plays a distinctive and important supporting role.

Karl Malden broke his nose twice playing high school sports, giving him his trademark look. A misconception is that actors have picture perfect looks. That’s not one hundred percent true. Some actors take their imperfections and own them like Karl Malden did, using them to set themselves apart from the pack. Others like Owen Wilson (twice broken nose like Malden), Steve Buscemi, and Peter Falk come to mind. 

After graduating from high school, Malden worked in the steel mills for three years until 1934. In September 1934, he left Indiana, to study drama at the Goodman Theater Dramatic School in Chicago. He didn’t have enough money to pay for school but the program director made a deal with him. He would pay the institute whatever money he had, and if Malden did well, he would be given a full scholarship. He did well and received the scholarship.

Three years later, he moved to New York City and made his first appearance on Broadway. Malden also joined the Group Theatre, where he began acting in many plays and was introduced to a young Elia Kazan. Kazan would later direct Malden in A Streetcar Named Desire and On the Waterfront. 

It was Elia Kazan who suggested he change his name from Mladen Sekulovich to Karl Malden. He anglicized his first name by swapping its letters “l” and “a” and used it as his last name. He used his grandfather’s first name as his own. He always regretted changing his name because he was proud of his heritage. Whenever he starred in a movie or on a television show, he requested that one of the characters have his family name, “Sekulovich”.

Karl Malden was friends with Marlon Brando and they worked together on five productions. Their first venture was the Broadway Play, Truckline Café. They then co-starred in the Broadway production and later the film version of A Streetcar Named Desire in 1951. For their work in that film Malden won a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award and Brando received his first Academy Award nomination. They co-starred in the 1954 classic, On the Waterfront. For his performance, Brando garnered his first Academy Award win and Malden received his second Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. One-Eyed Jacks is a special movie and it’s Brando’s only film as a director. It also marked the final time that they would work together, and we have it in our movie vault for you to enjoy!

It’s not the case now, but there was a time when film actors felt that television roles were beneath them. While film actors with less credentials shunned television, Academy Award Winner, Karl Malden embraced television.

From 1972 to 1977, he portrayed Lt. Mike Stone in the television series, The Streets of San Francisco. Malden was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series four times.  

He closed out his career in 2000 on an episode of The West Wing, portraying a Catholic priest. For this role he had the same bible that he used when he played a priest in On the Waterfront.

Malden is one of 8 actors to receive an Oscar nomination for their performance as a priest.

He appeared in four films that were nominated for the Best Picture Academy Award.

He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on February 8, 1960.

He was the pitchman for American Express, a position he held for 21 years. For American Express Traveler’s Checks, he coined his famous catch phrase, “Don’t leave home without them!”.

He was President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences from 1989 to 1992. 

He was a member of the United States Postal Service’s 16-member Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee, which meets to review recommendations for U.S. commemorative postage stamps.

Karl Malden died on July 1, 2009, exactly five years to the day after Marlon Brando died. Another coincidence for Malden is that both he and his mother were born on March 22nd. His death, at the age of 97, was 6 days after Michael Jackson’s death. I mention that because both he and Jackson grew up in Gary, Indiana.

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Artie Freeman provides great introductions to many of the classic movies airing weekly on ATVN’s “Movie Vault” and also hosts “Take 5” interviews featuring unique people and community leaders in our viewing area.

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Astound Broadband or any other agency, organization, employer or company.