The famous WWF, WCW and WWE professional wrestler Ric Flair (Richard Morgan Fliehr) retired last Monday. "The Nature Boy," as he's called in the rink, has been one of the biggest entertainment-wrestling stars since the 1970s.
So, a salute and a strong bear hug from all of us here at Classic Television Blog for Ric Flair's contributions to the entertainment industry. Now, watch this video of him crying at his farewell show.
That's right, classic television fans and car enthusiasts—the ORIGINAL General Lee from the 1970s-1980s "Dukes of Hazzard" television series is up for auction! According to Jalopnik.com, around 300 Dodge Chargers (Whoops... we accidentally wrote "Chevrolet Chargers" the first time. Thank you, readers, for pointing that out) were used during the filming of all seven seasons of the show, but the one for auction is reportedly the very first. Some info on the car from the auction site:
A 1969 Dodge Charger, Lee 1 is powered by a big block 383 engine and still retains many of its original parts thanks to meticulous restoration work which took 16 months to complete. Remnants from its celebrity days also remain: the original parking permit for Los Angeles Southwest College seen in the pilot episode, the label next to the VIN which reads "Lee 1", and the twin flags which are unique to the original Lee have all been preserved making this unique car priceless to collectors.
So if you were outbid on John Schneider's (Bo Duke) personal General Lee (it sold for $450,000), start counting your pennies and think about picking up your copy of the April issue of the DuPont Registry, where the Lee 1 will be featured. The price is still unknown, but we can imagine that it'll be hovering somewhere between $500,000 to $1,000,000. To see this puppy in action, here's the opening credits of "The Dukes of Hazzard" when this very car jumps a police car.
We stumbled across a great source of classic television theme songs available to listen to on the Web! Here are just a few of our favorites, but be sure to check out the others at Oldies Music CD's webpage.
"Cheers" Where everybody knows your name by Gary Portnoy and July Hart Angelo
"M.A.S.H." Suicide is painless by Johnny Mandel and Mike Altman
"Hawaii Five-0" Hawaii Five-O by The Ventures
"Star Trek — The Original Series" Where No Man Has Gone Before by Alexander Courage
"Gilligan's Island" The Ballad of Gilligan's Island by George Wyle and Sherwood Schwartz
"Miami Vice" Miami Vice by Jan Hammer
Many months ago, we wrote about the launch of Hulu.com, a video site from NBC and News Corp that offers free access to more than 250 TV shows and 100 movies. Well, beta testing is done and the full-featured site just went live!
In October, content included programming from MGM, Universal, Sony Pictures Television, Fox and NBC. They have since added Warner Brothers Television Group, Lionsgate, NBA, NHL and 20 others.
Now, to the good stuff. Additional to the current TV shows, Hulu offers tons of classic programming, including "The A-Team," "Miami Vice," "Doogie Howser," "WKRP in Cincinatti," "Airworlf" and "The Mary Tyler Moore Show."
Disney announced today that classic episodes of their "Mickey Mouse Club" program will be available to view online. Their decisions comes just weeks after NBC's and CBS' decisions to make available their classic programming. And for those of you who follow the life and times of all of your favorite Mouseketeers, this gives you an opportunity to see some old footage of celebrities such as Ryan Gosling, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake, Keri Russell and J.C. Chasez.
Ryan Gosling (front, left), Britney Spears (front, right), Christina Aguilera (middle, right), and Justin Timberlake (back, right)
Here's the classic soap opera "All My Children," like you've never seen it before: funny! Here is a great compilation of bloopers from the show's early days in the 1970s.
1. Seinfeld
Okay, so it's a bit less "classic" than the classic television that we usually write about. However, the fact that many of us here at Classic Television Blog grew up watching the Golden Age of television yet still rank "Seinfeld" as number one is a testament to how timeless and great it really is. Starring comedian and sub-par actor Jerry Seinfeld, the show was carried by his supporting cast of over-the-top friends Elaine, George and Kramer (Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, Jason Alexander and Michael Richards, respectively). There was never any overarching plot to the show; it simply revolved around the somewhat dysfunctional lives of these four friends.
And what's better than the best show of all-time? Bloopers from the best show of all time. Enjoy!
We found another classic television gem on YouTube! Here's the "Dick Van Dyke Show" bloopers reel!
2. The Tonight Show, starring Johnny Carson
This late night talk show was probably the best of its kind, hence why it's the only talk show in our CTB Top 10! "The Tonight Show" actually began in 1957 with Jack Paar as host. Johnny Carson took over in 1962 until 1992 when he passed the mic over to current host Jay Leno. In the 51 years of the shows existence, the 30 years Carson was host were the most magical. His quick wit and charm was unrivaled and made him a TV icon in no time.
Looks like CBS is promptly following suit in the race to share the movie and TV show archives on the Internet. Just today, CBS announced that they will be bringing one of the largest classic television libraries to The CBS Audience Network and CBS.com.
The initial lineup will include all of the following:
Star Trek
The Twilight Zone
MacGyver
Hawaii Five-0
Melrose Place
Stay tuned for some more classics from CBS' treasure trove!
Yesterday, NBC Universal announced that some classics from their vault will be streamed online on various websites. More than a dozen shows will be available, featuring select, full length episodes. The shows will be free, but with commercial interruption. Here's a complete list of the available shows and the respective websites that they will be featured on:
NBC.com: "The A-Team"; "Emergency"; "Night Gallery"; "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour"; "Miami Vice"; "Battlestar Galactica" (1978); and "Buck Rogers."
Scifi.com: "Battlestar Galactica" (1978); "Buck Rogers"; "TekWar"; and "Night Gallery."
ChillerTV.com: "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour"; "Swamp Thing"; "Tremors"; "Crow"; and "Night Gallery."
SleuthChannel.com: "Kojak"; "Miami Vice"; "Simon & Simon"; "A-Team"; and "Night Gallery."
The producers of the classic show "Get Smart" have been busy. Besides their upcoming big screen remake starring Steve Carell as Maxwell Smart, they've just recently released a DVD box set that includes all five seasons of the 1960s comedy starring Don Adams, as well as tons of extras.
On that note, get ready for the movie! It hits theaters on June 20. Now, is it just us, or does Steve Carell look strikingly similar to Don Adams. If only he can play the part as well—we'll find out this summer. Get excited!
4. The Honeymooners
This classic American sitcom followed Ralph and Alice Kramden (Jackie Gleason and Audrey Meadows), a working-class couple from Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. Supporting characters were their upstairs neighbors Ed Norton and his wife Trixie (Art Carney and Joyce Randolph).
Jackie Gleason produced the show and created all of the characters. The show first became popular as a series of sketches on a popular 1950s variety Show, "Cavalcade of Stars," as well as on "The Jackie Gleason Show."
5. Cheers
"Cheers" should, unarguably, make anyone's top five when it comes to classic sitcoms. Set in a bar in Boston, Mass., the show centers around a group of local regulars who meet to drink and chat. Ted Danson starred and Shelly Long and Kirstie Alley, among many other well-knowns, co-starred.
The show was almost canceled during its first season after it ranked dead last. The same cannot be said about the next 10 seasons—it earned top 10 ratings for eight years, and was atop the polls for one of those seasons.
If you missed PBS' special last month, no need to worry (we're in the same boat). The four-part special, "Pioneers of Television," is available on DVD on the PBS website. The show is broken up into different genres including Pioneers of Late Night, Pioneers of Sitcom, Pioneers of Game Shows and Pioneers of Variety.
It's a single-disc collection that includes an additional 15 minutes of un-aired footage, including extended interviews with Betty White, Phyllis Diller, Dick Cavett, Florence Henderson, Merv Griffin, Jonathan Winters and Tim Conway.
7. Gilligan's Island
Another Sherwood Schwartz classic made our top 10. "Gilligan's Island" is a sitcom that aired three seasons between 1964 and 1967.It followed seven castaways on a remote island after their ship wrecked in a storm. The first season was filmed in black and white, while the other two were filmed in color. The show was popular while it aired, but the pique of its popularity was reached during syndication.
TV Land's new original series, "Living in TV Land" will give a new perspective on some of classic television's most celebrated icons. The series, which premiers on Wednesday, March 29, at 10:00 p.m. will share the off-screen lives of many famous characters of yesteryear. The show's description revealed a few interesting tidbits: "Star Trek's" William Shatner performs with Ben Folds and Joe Jackson, "Batman's" Adam West is a fly fisherman and "The Jefferson's" George Jefferson composes music and writes poetry.
Needless to say, we're very excited for the premiere. We'll make sure to share our review after it airs.
Thirty-four years ago, to the day, was a special moment in the history of television; the classic show "Happy Days" premiered! The show was an idealized portrayal of life in the 1950s and 60s and lasted 11 seasons (255 episodes).
When it first began, the show centered around the Cunningham family of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with Richie Cunningham—played by Ron Howard—as the main character. As the series progressed, more episodes began to focus on stories revolving around Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli (Henry Winkler).
The show left a great legacy in its wake. Not only did one of the main characters become one of the most popular characters in television history (Fonzie), it spawned three different spin-off shows that were also very successful in their own right—"Laverne & Shirley," "Mork & Mindy" and "Joanie Loves Chachi."
Today marks the 32nd anniversary of "Donny & Marie," a variety show led by brother and sister duo Donny and Marie Osmond. The show ran for three years, from 1976 to 1979, and featured music, sketches, comedy and many guest stars. Each show would open with an ice skating number, and would typically end with a song, followed by a cascade of balloons. Perhaps the most famous song that the duo ever performed on the show was "I'm a Little Bit Country, I'm a Little Bit Rock and Roll." It went perfectly with Donny and Marie's musical tastes and talents: Donny was in a rock band with his brothers, while Marie was known as a country and pop singer. Here's a clip of their performance:
8. The Brady Bunch
This hit show from the 1960s and 1970s was conceived and created by Sherwood Schwartz (who's show, "Gilligan's Island" also makes an appearance in our Top 10 later on). "The Brady Bunch" features Mike Brady, a widowed architect with sons Greg, Peter and Bobby, and his new wife Carol, whose daughters were Marcia, Jan and Cindy. The show was born after Schwartz read a headline in the L.A. Times that said 40 percent of marriages during that time had a child or children from a previous marriage.
A great, classic variety show that is very seldom talked about was NBC's "Colgate Comedy Hour." It was an hour-long (obviously), big budget musical variety show that was in the same time slot as Ed Sullivan's "Toast of the Town" on CBS, and aired from September 1950 to December 1955. It was a live, Sunday evening series that offered musical comedy, burlesque sketches, opera and stand-up comedy. Most notably, and mostly unknown, is that the show was the very first to ever be broadcast in color, as a test by RCA.
The show featured celebrities from vaudeville, theater, radio and film, and was hosted mainly by Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. The two are famous in their own rights, but earlier on in their careers they were a very popular comedy duo. Alternating hosts included other greats such as Abbot and Costello, Jimmy Durante, Bob Hope, Donald O'Connor, Eddie Cantor and Fred Allen.
Here's a clip:
9. All in the Family (#10 on The Classic TV Database)
Yes, we have a lot of different shows in our top 10 that weren't on The Classic TV Database list, don't worry; two identical shows in nearly identical position was purely coincidental, we swear! Anyways... "All in the Family" was a sitcom from the 1970s that broke through many barriers of U.S. network television comedy. Issues such as racism, homosexuality, women's lib, rape, miscarriage, breast cancer and impotence were addressed, usually with Archie Bunker at the center of it all. He represented the stern, opinionated, close-minded patriarch who was usually humbled by the end of every episode. He symbolized the changing views of many Americans—and the show helped lighten many issues that existed during the time.
Just weeks ago, we concluded our 10-week saga, sharing a short clip of each show in The Classic TV Database's list of the Top 10 TV shows of all-time. We felt that many great shows SHOULD have been included—and now that all the votes are in, we're going to share our own Top 10 List of TV shows over another 10 week span! Here's #10:
10. The Twilight Zone (#9 on The Classic TV Database)
While The Classic TV Database excluded some of our favorite shows, we agreed on several classics—"The Twilight Zone" included. Although it drops a spot on our list, this anthology series was the greatest sci-fi show of all time. Written by playwright Rod Serling, the show delivered off-beat stories with surprise endings and all sorts of twists and turns.
On December 24 at 5 p.m. EST, TV Land will begin their Christmas Merry-thon for the eighth year in a row. It's a 24-hour marathon that ends at 5 p.m. EST on Christmas Day, and will feature Christmas specials from classic television shows, including "Little House on the Prairie," "Gunsmoke," "The Brady Bunch," "The Beverly Hillbillies," and many more.
TV Land's 8th Annual Merry-thon block schedule is as follows (all times listed are ET/PT):
5:00PM Gunsmoke #146
6:00PM Little House #167
7:00PM Good Times #97
All in the Family #194
8:00PM MASH #203
MASH #22
9:00PM Beverly Hillbillies #50
Jeffersons #99
10:00PM Sanford and Son #104
Three's Company #20
11:00PM MASH #203
MASH #228
12:00AM Cheers #133
Night Court #2
1:00AM Night Court #90
2:00AM Designing Women #34
Designing Women #131
3:00AM Wings #17
Wings #60
4:00AM Highway to Heaven #62
5:00AM Little House #167
6:00AM Gunsmoke #146
7:00AM Green Acres #46
Addams Family #49
8:00AM All in the Family #26
All in the Family #149
9:00AM Brady Bunch #12
Cheers #12
10:00AM Wings #17
Wings #60
11:00AM Night Court #2
Night Court #90
12:00PM Sanford and Son #104
Cheers #133
1:00PM Brady Bunch #12
Jeffersons #49
2:00PM Jeffersons #99
All in the Family #26
3:00PM All in the Family #149
Three's Company #20
4:00PM Good Times #97
Good Times #121
Here's The Classic TV Database's Top 10 list of classic TV theme songs. To be honest, a few of these were a bit of a surprise to us, so we'll compare their Top 10 list with ours. Let us know which one you agree with more!
Classic TV Database's Top 10 Theme Songs
1. Miami Vice: Miami Vice by Jan Hammer
2. S.W.A.T.: S.W.A.T. by Rhythm Heritage
3. The Heights: How do you talk to an angel? by The Heights
4. Welcome Back Kotter: Welcome Back by John Sebastian
5. Greatest American Hero: Believe it or not by Joey Scarbury
6. Secret Agent: Secret Agent Man by Johnny Rivers
7. Dragnet: Dragnet by Ray Anthony
8. Hawaii Five-O: Hawaii Five-O by The Ventures
9. Happy Days: Happy Days by Pratt & McClain
10. Makin' It: Makin' It by David Naughton
Classic Television Blog's Top 10 Theme Songs
1. The Muppet Show: The Muppet Show theme song by Jim Henson and Sam Pottle
2. Cheers: Where everybody knows your name by Gary Portnoy and July Hart Angelo
3. MASH: Suicide is painless by Johnny Mandel and Mike Altman
4. Gilligan's Island: The Ballad of Gilligan's Island by George Wyle and Sherwood Schwartz
5. Happy Days: Happy Days by Pratt & McClain
6. Secret Agent: Secret Agent Man by Johnny Rivers
7. Miami Vice: Miami Vice by Jan Hammer
8. Hawaii Five-O: Hawaii Five-O by The Ventures
9. Welcome Back Kotter: Welcome Back by John Sebastian
10. The Brady Bunch: The Brady Bunch theme song by Sherwood Schwartz
So, we were finally invited to use the Hulu.com private beta. The service opened up to those who signed up for the first round of consumer testing. Here's our take on it so far:
The Pros:
• Show titles are organized and easy to browse. They break them up alphabetically, by popularity, and by studio/network. There's even a separate section for shows that are currently on the air.
• The site is very attractive. It's clean and let's you switch through different episodes easily.
• You can watch shows in full screen and the quality is still great.
The Cons:
• The selection isn't as spectacular as we had hoped. Almost every new television show is available, but good luck trying to find your favorite classic. Almost every well-known show from 1940-1990 has been excluded from their line-up. Hopefully, this is something that will be sorted out in the future.
• Of the shows that are listed, very few have all of the episodes or even full episodes. For example, we checked out "Saturday Night Live's" page on the site. All they had available were about 400 short clips from the show's archives. We're sure that all of these clips encapsulate some of the great moments in the show's history, but there's no mechanism for searching through them.
1. I Love Lucy
The greatest television show of all time, according to The Classic TV Database, takes place in Apartment 3-B at 623 East 68th Street, New York City, the home of Ricky and Lucy Ricardo. Ricky, played by Desi Arnaz, is a band leader at the Tropicana Club, while Lucy, played by Lucille Ball, longs for a career in show business. The couple has the stereotypical husband-wife relationship that was often seen on television during the 1950s: Ricky is a husband who has to put up with the scatterbrained—but innocent—antics of his wife. This premise is a bit outdated, but the comedy is spot-on and timeless.
2. M.A.S.H.
Starring Alan Alda, the series was a dramatic comedy that followed a team of M*A*S*H (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) doctors and staff stationed in Uijeongbu, South Korea during the Korean War. It premiered in 1972 and aired until 1983, with 251 episodes over the 11 seasons. Its finale was the most-watched TV episode in the history of American television; some 60 percent of U.S. households tuned in on February 28, 1983.
The stories were based on real-life stories told by Army surgeons who served in the Korean War. It offered a great commentary on the Vietnam War, which was still in progress when the show first aired.
Tis' the season to watch Christmas specials! One of the greatest made-for-TV Christmas movies ever was "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer," which aired in 1964. It starred Burl Ives as the narrator and voice of Sam the Snowman as he tells the story of two misfits: Rudolph, a reindeer with a red nose and Hermey, an elf who actually wants to be a dentist. The two stumble upon Yukon Cornelius, a prospector who leads them to the Island of Misfit Toys, but not before they battle the Abominable Snowman. In the end, the two misfits become heroes and Christmas is saved.
Here's the original television trailer that aired in 1964:
Since we'll be enjoying our Thanksgiving Day weekend at home with our families (and TV Land's classic television marathon), we're serving up this week's Top 10 classic a couple of days early.
3. Star Trek
We're talking about the original series, with William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy. It was the beginning of the billion-dollar franchise, though it remains a cult classic for many Trekkers. Here's the plot, in case you forgot: The U.S.S. Enterprise is on a mission to explore new worlds and civilizations. They are commanded by Captain James T. Kirk and Mr. Spock, an alien from the planet Vulcan. They battle everything from computers and time pardoxes to Genghis Khan.
4. The Andy Griffith Show
Andy Griffith starred in this comedy about the fictional southern town of Mayberry, North Carolina, where he was the sheriff. The rest of the cast included a young Ron Howard as Andy's son, Opie. Howard, as we all know, went on to have a fantastic career as an actor and director. Other cast members included Frances Bavier as Aunt Bee, and Don Knotts as deputy Barney Fife. "The Andy Griffith Show" was incredibly popular during its entire lifespan—it was one of only three shows to leave the airways while it was ranked #1 in the Nielsen Rating (the other two include "I Love Lucy" and "Seinfeld"). Two shows spun off from the series; "Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C" and "Mayberry R.F.D."
Beginning at 10:00 a.m. (EST) on Thursday, November 22, TV Land will be serving their first helping of a four-day marathon that'll amply satisfy your need for classic television and movies this Thanksgiving. Expect TV hits like "Sanford and Son," "Bonanza," "Gunsmoke" and special episodes of "I Love Lucy" and "The Andy Griffith Show," as well as some classics from the silver screen, including "Saturday Night Fever," and topped off with helpings of some of TV Land's original hit series, including "TV Land Presents: The 50 Greatest TV Icons," and "TV Guide's 100 Most Memorable TV Moments." The marathon will end on Sunday, November 25.
For a full list of programming for the marathon, click here.
5. Cheers
The show is set in a bar in Boston, where a group of locals from all walks of life come and socialize. Ted Danson starred as Sam, an ex-pitcher for the Red Sox, but the supporting characters were given their equal share of the spotlight. The show was almost canceled during its first season when it ranked last, but eventually became one of the highest ranking television shows in history, earing top-10 ratings in eight of 11 seasons. In fact, it eventually led to a spin-off show—"Frasier"—starring Kelsey Grammer as Frasier Crane, who originally appeared on "Cheers" from 1983-1993.
Here's a list of the Top 10 TV Characters, according to Bravo TV. It's interesting to see that only two women made the list, and among the eight male characters, three of them are leaders and four of them are working class men (the cast of the Sopranos included a mix of social statuses). It almost seems that in order for a character to be considered great, they must be either completely relatable or completely unbelievable. Here's the list; let us know if you agree.
10. Tony Soprano
The Boss of the DiMeo Crime Family and the protagonist of the HBO hit "The Sopranos." Played by James Gandolfini.
9. Capt. James T. Kirk
James Tiberius Kirk, played by William Shatner, is the main character in the original "Star Trek" television series and the films based on it.
8. Mary Richards
Played by Mary Tyler Moore, Mary Richards was the main character in the long-running television sitcom, "The Mary Tyler Moore Show."
7. Lt. Columbo
Peter Falk played Lieutenant Columbo, a homicide detective with the Los Angeles Police Department, on the show of the same name—"Columbo."
6. Seinfeld Cast
Jerry Seinfeld as himself, Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Elaine, Jason Alexander as George and Michael Richards as Kramer makes one of the most unforgettable casts in the history of the sitcom.
5. Homer Simpson
Voiced by Dan Castellaneta in the the animated series "The Simpsons," Homer embodies many of the stereotypes of the American working-class man: he's crude, overweight, incompetent, intolerant, clumsy, thoughtless and a borderline alcoholic.
4. The Fonz
The Italian-American, leather jacket-wearing high school drop-out is played by Henry Winkler on "Happy Days."
3. Lucy Ricardo
Played by Lucille Ball in the classic show "I Love Lucy," Lucy Ricardo was an ambitious, over-actively imaginative housewife obsessed with joining her husband in show business.
2. Ralph Kramden
Ralph Kramden, played by Jackie Gleason, is a bus driver for the fictional Gotham Bus Company in the show "The Honeymooners."
1. Archie Bunker
Archibald "Archie" Bunker was the reactionary, bigoted, blue-collar worker and family man in the long-running and top-rated American television sitcom "All in the Family."
A few months ago we wrote about Sony's Minisode Network on MySpace, but Sony is making even more news with their recent partnership with Verizon to broadcast the Minisode Network on their V CAST service. The 4-6 minute versions of classic television shows will be available to any subscribers of Verizon mobile with a V CAST-enabled phone and unlimited basic video. Since there are no airtime charges to download, stream or watch V CAST content, the service is completely free!
The Minisode Network originally launched in June, presenting shortened episodes of "Diff'rent Strokes," "Facts of Life," "Charlie's Angels," "The Jeffersons," "Bewitched" and "Fantasy Island," among many other classics.
Coming soon to a computer near you: Hulu.com, your number one source for premium television whenever you want it. Hulu is an online video service that was founded in March of this year by NBC Universal and News Corp. The site offers a never-ending selection of hit TV shows, TV classics, movies and a whole bunch more. Unfortunately, its currently only a private beta but will become a free, commercial-supported service.
The user interface (above) is loaded and easy to use. The video quality is excellent, especially considering the size that the episodes play. While the content is the focus point of the page, there are other great features: you can choose different episodes from a list below the video, you can share episodes and embed videos on your MySpace page or personal blog.
The programming is extensive and continuing to grow. As of now, shows from NBC and Fox, as well as their subsidiaries, are available but Sony Pictures, MGM and The National Geographic channel, among other channels, will soon be added to the list. A nearly endless list of shows is already included in the service, including classics such as "Kojac," "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" and "Lost in Space," and newer hits such as "24," "Family Guy" and "Prison Break." To see the full programming guide, download the Hulu press kit here.
7. Mary Tyler Moore
"The Mary Tyler Moore Show" was a realistic sitcom that was very relevant during the time period that it aired. Moore played Mary Richards, a single career woman in her 30s who had just moved to Minneapolis after breaking up with a man she had been dating for four years. The show aired during the 1970s, when the women's liberation movement was in full swing. Mary symbolized the independent woman, working as an assistant producer to her hot-headed boss with a heart of gold, Lou Grant.
This was the first time a TV character was portrayed as a single woman without having been divorced, widowed, or seeking to be supported by a man. During its seven years on the air, it received praise from critics and won the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series three years in a row (1975-77).
Well folks, it appears as if TVLand.com has gone above and beyond to bring you the ultimate resource in classic entertainment. The site has just recently relaunched with a ton of new features for visitors in an attempt to target baby boomers by appealing to more than just their tastes in television. Now offering music, movies, television shows and photo galleries from the past, the site has truly become a time capsule for entertainment's Golden Era. Here's the full list of new features available:
• Full-length classic television episodes: TVLand.com is the first website to license full-length, free, streaming episodes of many classic television classics, including "The Andy Griffith Show," "Leave it to Beaver," "Gunsmoke," "The Beverly Hillbillies" and "Hogan's Heroes."
• Music: Aside from classic TV theme songs, TV musical moments and a special section on Elvis Presley, TVLand.com will offer a radio player with over a dozen channels that give visitors access to their favorite classic artists. Genres include disco, alternative and pop rock, soul, classic oldies and 80s, among others.
• Movie trailers: By the end of the year, hundreds of trailers from all the eras' classic movies will be available to view. They range anywhere from "Rain Main" to "Throw Mama from the Train" to "Major League."
• Photo galleries: Visitors can reminisce with snapshots from the past of notable figures and memorable eras. The mix will include everything from Princess Diana to the Beatles, 70s cultural moments to JFK, and beyond.
• TV Land original programming: Visitors will be able to view clips from any TV Land original series, including "TV Land Myths and Legends," the "TV Land Awards," "I Pity the Fool" and "Sit Down Comedy with David Steinberg." Visitors can also view sneak previews and full-length episodes of upcoming original series, as well as access casting opportunities for upcoming projects.
• Wireless Access Protocol (WAP) site: Beginning November 1, TVLand.com will be accessible on any portable device via the WAP site. This will allow users to take advantage of some of the regular sites features, including photo galleries, trivia and the channel's schedule, among other things.
