Even in this day when people seem to know everything about show business, there are some facts that have been withheld from the public, until now in this very forum. Here's a few things you never knew about your favorite TV shows and stars from the past:
Did you know ...
That the short-lived syndicated game show "The Diamond Head Game," which was hosted by Bob Eubanks, ran in early 1975, and was set in Hawaii, was supposed to figure in a plot of an episode of "Hawaii Five-O" (original version), where it was to be revealed that the executive producer of the show was Steve McGarrett's arch-nemesis Wo Fat (Khigh Dheigh)? Unfortunately, the show didn't last long enough, or get shown in enough markets throughout the country, for that to pan out.
That one of the companies hoping to sponsor the first-ever episode of "All in the Family" on January 12, 1971, American Home Products, was forced to cancel those plans by CBS when the network realized that Archie Bunker and his iconic wing-back chair would not be a good way to promote Preparation H hemorrhoidal treatment?
That Jack Webb had tried, right before beginning production on the 1967 revival of "Dragnet," to purchase the famous Randy's Donuts restaurant in Los Angeles to use as a gathering place for the Joe Friday and Bill Gannon (Harry Morgan) characters to take breaks while on cases? The eatery would have also been used on "Adam-12" for Pete Malloy (Martin Milner) and Jim Reed (Kent McCord) and on "Emergency" for John Gage (Randolph Mantooth) and Roy DeSoto (Kevin Tighe). Webb also hoped to use the restaurant as a false front for a narcotics sting operation in at least one storyline.
That the real reason that Henry Winkler did not grease his hair for his Fonzie character on "Happy Days," as would have been authentic for the 1950s, was due to the fact that doctors discovered that the hair follicles on Winkler's scalp actually emitted miniscule flames of butane? Thus, it was not for nothing that people in Hollywood considered Winkler a "hot head."
That Playtex considered having spokeswoman Jane Russell model its notorious 18-hour bras and girdles while being set on fire, in order to have her say a new catchphrase for the products, "All right, you unwashed hippie girls out there, try to burn these!"?
That Don Knotts' successful comeback on "Three's Company" as landlord Ralph Furley encouraged executive producers Michael Ross and Bernie West to consider putting Knotts in a spin-off titled "Four's Too Loud," in which the Furley character, moving to a new job in Van Nuys, is forced to share his room with a vice squad officer who had recently been a sheriff in North Carolina, his school teacher wife, and a dim-witted ex-gas station attendant who tagged along with the couple and found work as a nightclub manager? Unfortunately, since no network was willing to pick up the series, no information could be located about casting for the roles.
That the cast of "Bonanza" actually ate the food prepared on set by the Hop Sing character, portrayed by Victor Sen Yung? Yung/Hop fixed each actor's favorite food, which for Lorne Greene was poutine, Pernell Roberts was fried chicken, Michael Landon was pastrami on rye, and Dan Blocker was buck steaks--with a shot of Wild Turkey whiskey.
That producers of NBC's "Huntley-Brinkley Report" back in the 1960s nixed the idea of having a third anchor desk in Los Angeles, with Tom Brokaw, then the main anchor on O&O station KNBC, presenting the "Now News" in an attempt to garner a younger demographic? How would they handle the signature sign-off? "Good night, Chet and Tom ... Good night, David and Tom ... And, hey man, take it cool this evening, you cats Chet and David. Everything's gonna be, like, out of sight. Love your neighbor in more ways than one. Splitsville until tomorrow, dude."
That none of the above is true, and you people are suckers for having read this far?
Did you know ...
That the short-lived syndicated game show "The Diamond Head Game," which was hosted by Bob Eubanks, ran in early 1975, and was set in Hawaii, was supposed to figure in a plot of an episode of "Hawaii Five-O" (original version), where it was to be revealed that the executive producer of the show was Steve McGarrett's arch-nemesis Wo Fat (Khigh Dheigh)? Unfortunately, the show didn't last long enough, or get shown in enough markets throughout the country, for that to pan out.
That one of the companies hoping to sponsor the first-ever episode of "All in the Family" on January 12, 1971, American Home Products, was forced to cancel those plans by CBS when the network realized that Archie Bunker and his iconic wing-back chair would not be a good way to promote Preparation H hemorrhoidal treatment?
That Jack Webb had tried, right before beginning production on the 1967 revival of "Dragnet," to purchase the famous Randy's Donuts restaurant in Los Angeles to use as a gathering place for the Joe Friday and Bill Gannon (Harry Morgan) characters to take breaks while on cases? The eatery would have also been used on "Adam-12" for Pete Malloy (Martin Milner) and Jim Reed (Kent McCord) and on "Emergency" for John Gage (Randolph Mantooth) and Roy DeSoto (Kevin Tighe). Webb also hoped to use the restaurant as a false front for a narcotics sting operation in at least one storyline.
That the real reason that Henry Winkler did not grease his hair for his Fonzie character on "Happy Days," as would have been authentic for the 1950s, was due to the fact that doctors discovered that the hair follicles on Winkler's scalp actually emitted miniscule flames of butane? Thus, it was not for nothing that people in Hollywood considered Winkler a "hot head."
That Playtex considered having spokeswoman Jane Russell model its notorious 18-hour bras and girdles while being set on fire, in order to have her say a new catchphrase for the products, "All right, you unwashed hippie girls out there, try to burn these!"?
That Don Knotts' successful comeback on "Three's Company" as landlord Ralph Furley encouraged executive producers Michael Ross and Bernie West to consider putting Knotts in a spin-off titled "Four's Too Loud," in which the Furley character, moving to a new job in Van Nuys, is forced to share his room with a vice squad officer who had recently been a sheriff in North Carolina, his school teacher wife, and a dim-witted ex-gas station attendant who tagged along with the couple and found work as a nightclub manager? Unfortunately, since no network was willing to pick up the series, no information could be located about casting for the roles.
That the cast of "Bonanza" actually ate the food prepared on set by the Hop Sing character, portrayed by Victor Sen Yung? Yung/Hop fixed each actor's favorite food, which for Lorne Greene was poutine, Pernell Roberts was fried chicken, Michael Landon was pastrami on rye, and Dan Blocker was buck steaks--with a shot of Wild Turkey whiskey.
That producers of NBC's "Huntley-Brinkley Report" back in the 1960s nixed the idea of having a third anchor desk in Los Angeles, with Tom Brokaw, then the main anchor on O&O station KNBC, presenting the "Now News" in an attempt to garner a younger demographic? How would they handle the signature sign-off? "Good night, Chet and Tom ... Good night, David and Tom ... And, hey man, take it cool this evening, you cats Chet and David. Everything's gonna be, like, out of sight. Love your neighbor in more ways than one. Splitsville until tomorrow, dude."
That none of the above is true, and you people are suckers for having read this far?
