Believe it or not, I really didn’t watch any television shows this week because I was too busy watching movies and getting ready for Oscar Sunday. On Friday night, I did watch an old episode of Night Flight, which focused on music videos that featured a lot of dancing. And I kind of watched the State of the Union address on Thursday.
Otherwise, I was busy with movies. The Oscars are on Sunday and, after that, things should get back to normal!
As soon as Lent’s over, I’m going to get a motorcycle and start driving through the desert, in search of bands that have a classic rock edge. This video from Dirty Honey leaves no doubt that it’s the best way to spend your time.
Today’s music video of the day is this edgy production from Lebanon Hanover! This is music to which you can not only dance but you can also listen to it while walking down a deserted alley. It serves every purpose.
In this new video, Charli XCX challenges the world. I’m proud to say that Charli XCX and I both walk through airports with the same defiant attitude. Of course, I’m making an effort to start walking with a little less attitude, if just because my attitude often seems to result in me spraining my ankle.
This was an odd week. Other than the shows that I watch for my retro television reviews, I only watch six other shows this week. And no, Shogun was not one of them, though I do plan to watch it tomorrow.
On Wednesday, I watched Abbott Elementaryand I thought it was funny, even if it didn’t really reach the heights of last week’s episode. Abbott Elementary is definitely the best sitcom on network television but it’s still starting to show some signs of age.
Also on Wednesday, I watched the season premiere of Survivor. It seems like a good group, even if I still wish Survivor would go back to its old format. It does kind of bother me that every new season of Survivor has to have some whiny, socially awkward person who acts scared of everything and who were supposed to feel sorry for. If I want to watch Sam Bankman-Fried and Caroline Ellison on a reality show, I’ll watch more true crime.
On Friday night, I watched an episode of an 80s music video show called Radio 1990 and an episode of Night Flightthat featured a lot of Canadians. I also watched another chapter of the 1930s serial, The Vanishing Shadow. They were all fun.
On Friday and Saturday, I watched several episodes of — cringe! — The Jerry Springer Show. They’re on YouTube and I watched them as research for a future post. There’s no way that whole show wasn’t staged.
That’s it! Not much to this week in television. I almost skipped this week’s post altogether but …. well, I’m a completist. Even if I don’t do anything, I still feel it’s important to officially acknowledge my inactivity.
Welcome to Retro Television Reviews, a feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past! On Saturdays, I will be reviewing Welcome Back Kotter, which ran on ABC from 1975 to 1979. The entire show is currently streaming on Tubi!
This week, Gabe considers selling out!
Episode 3.12 “Kotter For Vice Principal”
(Dir by Bob Claver, originally aired on November 17th, 1977)
Gabe tells Julie about his uncle who tried to teach an octopus how to play the bagpipes. The octopus instead just “made love to the bagpipes” and it sounded exactly as if he knew how to play them. Julie, who has a broken arm in this episode, doubles over laughing.
Meanwhile, at the school, rumor has it that the position of vice principal will soon be open. While visiting the principal’s office, Epstein came across a memo in which it was stated that Mr. Woodman’s contract was up and the school board was thinking of replacing him. The Sweathogs immediately start to pass around a Kotter For Vice Principal petition. Freddie signs it 20 times. Epstein threatens to beat up anyone who doesn’t sign.
The only problem is that Mr. Kotter does not want to be Vice Principal. He’s happy being a teacher and he doesn’t want to abandon his Sweathogs. However, two things change his mind. First, Mr. Woodman — who has been calling himself Uncle Woody in an attempt to bond with the students — mocks the very idea of Gabe in an important position. Then, Julie mentions that they could use the extra money. Gabe decides to throw his hat in the ring.
That night, Gabe has an extended dream sequence. It’s 2050. The Sweathogs are all in their 90s and still students at Buchanan High. And Gabe is walking through the hallways with a crown on his head and basically acting like a pretty tyrant. “Call me king!” he demands. Eventually, even elderly Julie shows up and it’s hard not to notice that her arm is still in a cast. (How badly did she break it!?) Julie announces that she can’t wait until the peasants rise up and execute Gabe. YIKES!
Not surprisingly, Gabe wakes up and realizes that he’s happy not being vice principal because if he had any power, it would go to his head, he would become insufferable, and his wife (or the actress playing his wife) would call for him to be killed….
Uhmm …. yeah. Given what I’ve read about the tense set of Welcome Back, Kotter and Gabe Kaplan’s not particularly harmonious working relationship with Marcia Strassman, it’s tempting to read a lot into this episode. Were the writers venting about working with Gabe Kaplan or were they satirizing Marcia Strassman’s hatred of the show and the characters? Regardless, it makes for an odd episode. On the plus side, Mr. Woodman got some good lines and the Sweathogs were back to being their usual borderline criminal self. On the negative side, I do wish they had done more with Gabe’s dream than just put the Sweathogs in silly costumes and have them speak in exagerrated “old man” voices.
In the end, though, the important thing is that Mr. Woodman still has a job. He’s seriously the funniest character on the show.
Through the Shattered Lens