1979: The year the drugs kicked in

I've been doing research for a project I'm doing at work, which just launched last week. If I were a shameless self-promotional whore, I'd post a link to it, but we all know better, don't we?

I'm writing about TV shows--specifically those that make you go WTF? While entering the first batch of shows into my spreadsheet (yes, I'm a hopeless nerd), I noticed a disproportionate number of shows launched in 1979.

Part of this could be that 1979 is where my TV watching really started in earnest, or it could just be that the drugs finally took effect, resulting in really odd show premises.

In "Salvage 1," Andy Griffith plays the owner of a salvage company who decides to build a spaceship so he can salvage junk left on the moon.

"Supertrain" also debuted in 1979. Clearly, this was a banner year for crap.

Coincidentally, my brother was born in 1979. You do the math.

At any rate, I'm really jazzed about this project, and I'm hoping to make a trek out to Southern California to visit the Paley Center for Media and check out their library of old shows. I could practically live there, they've got so much stuff I want to see.

In no particular order...

I mentioned a while back that I was working on a list of TV shows that are my must-sees, not necessarily because they are supposed to be particularly good, but because they intrigue me for one reason or another.

1. Turn-On

This hyper version of Laugh-In aired exactly once (Feb. 5, 1969) before being axed like Lizzie Borden's parents. The premise was that it was hosted by a computer that was ostensibly responsible for offering up the scatter-fire comedy sketches, blackouts and gags. Each week's show would have a guest star, and in the only episode that aired, Tim Conway was the unlucky guest.

So poorly received was this show that some ABC affiliates canceled the show midway through. How could I not want to see this?

2. Supertrain

You can learn everything you want about this "Love Boat on a train" NBC flop at the awesome Supertrain Web site.

3. The Ugliest Girl in Town

This 60s show featured love and cross-dressing. Oddly, it didn't catch on and was canceled after a few months. Who'da thunk?

4. Whodunnit?

Okay, technically, I saw this one, but as it was only on in April and May on 1979, I was only 4, so I don't have a total mental record of it. In fact, the only reason I want to see it is because of the only part I remember.

Here's TV.com's summary:

Three contestants competed in this short-lived prime time game show. First, a mystery was presented in two acts. If by after the 2nd act a contestant locks in a suspect and is correct, that player wins $10,000.

Then the interrogation round begins as experts questions the witnesses. Then the contestants can lock in a suspect for $5,000. The suspect is revealed & payoffs are paid. If you're wrong, your consolation prize was a color TV.

All I remember is one episode that featured Erik Estrada. I don't know if he was supposed to be a rock star, but I remember seeing him grab a microphone and getting electrocuted with a cheesy over-the-top electrical effect.

For 30 years that memory has been lodged in my brain. I finally found out that it came from this show only a few years ago. The major problem is that it only had a handful of episodes, and no my knowledge, was never rerun.

I can only hope that some early tech adopter out there had a VCR and taped the show, because that may be my only chance to see it again and expunge it from my memory.

I keep checking the various video sites like YouTube in hopes that someone will upload one of these. I'm sure it's just a matter of time.

After all, misery loves company.

Oh God, make it go away...

I make fun of The Star Wars Holiday Special, but as bad as that is, it's not the only offender in the ill-conceived live-action genre program.

Let me tell you about a little thing called Legends of the Superheroes. Imagine the old Batman TV show combined with the inanity of Challenge of the Superfriends. And then take the result and get it drunk and maybe even hit it in the head with a hammer.

I'm warning you; this is pretty awful. But I think it's my duty to keep you from buying a bootleg videotape of this program at a comic convention.