TV Quiz Page

Quiz Index

TV Banter Quiz #1 (November 10, 2010) - General TV Quiz
TV Banter Quiz #2 (December 12, 2010 - Christmas Quiz
TV Banter Quiz #3 (January 24, 2011) - General TV Quiz
TV Banter Quiz #4 (February 22, 2011) - Flintstones Quiz
TV Banter Quiz #5 (March 20, 2011) - Bewitched Quiz
TV Banter Quiz #6 (June 15, 2011) - The Ultimate Leave it to Beaver Quiz
TV Banter Quiz #7 (August 30, 2011) - Dick Van Dyke Show Quiz
TV Banter Quiz #8 (September 24, 2011) - TV Doctors and Medical Shows Quiz
TV Banter Quiz #9 (October 31, 2011) - Halloween Quiz
TV Banter Quiz #10 (February 4, 2012) - Beverly Hillbillies Quiz
TV Banter Quiz #11 (May 2, 2012) - Perry Mason Quiz
TV Banter Quiz #12 (August 31, 2012) - The Man From U.N.C.L.E Quiz
TV Banter Quiz #13 (October 30, 2012) - The Munsters Quiz
TV Banter Quiz #14 (December 24, 2012) - How the Grinch Stole Christmas! TV Special Quiz
TV Banter Quiz #15 (February 22, 2013) - NCIS Quiz
TV Banter Quiz #16 (April 29, 2013) - Seinfeld Quiz
TV Banter Quiz #17 (August 30, 2013) - My Three Sons Quiz
TV Banter Quiz #18 (November 10, 2013) - All in the Family Quiz
TV Banter Quiz #19 (January 9, 2014) - Who's the Boss? Quiz
TV Banter Quiz #20 (April 4, 2014) - Game shows and Jeopardy Quiz
TV Banter Quiz #21 (July 16, 2014) - Legal and Lawyer Shows Quiz
TV Banter Quiz #22 (October 14, 2014) - The Nanny Quiz
TV Banter Quiz #23 (March 3, 2015) - The Good Wife Quiz
TV Banter Quiz #24 (August 25, 2015) - 1990s Television Quiz
TV Banter Quiz #25 (December 9, 2015) - A Charlie Brown Christmas Quiz
TV Banter Quiz #26 (June 29, 2016) - Dr Kildare Quiz
TV Banter Quiz #27 (April 8, 2017) -  The Great Addams Family Quiz
TV Banter Quiz #28 (June 1, 2017) - Roseanne Returns to Television: A Quiz to Mark the Event
TV Banter Quiz #29 (November 14, 2017): - Growing Pains Quiz

TV Banter Quiz #30 (February 4, 2023) - General TV Quiz

TV Banter Quiz #31 (April 10, 2024) - General TV Quiz



TV BANTER QUIZ #1 (originally posted Nov. 10, 2010)

By Joanne Madden

1. On The Beverly Hillbillies, how was widower Jed Clampett related to Granny?

A.  She was his great-grandmother.

B.  She was his late wife's grandmother.

C.  She was his late wife's mother.

D.  She was his great aunt.

E.  She was his stepmother.


2.  On The Beverly Hillbillies, what was Granny's real name?

A.  Pearl Bodine

B.  Loretta Clampett

C.  Alice May

D.  Daisy Moses

E.  May Bodine


3.  Buddy Ebsen, who played Jed Clampett on The Beverly Hillbillies, was the original choice for a famous movie role.  What was that role?

A.  Gene Kelly's part in Singin' in the Rain

B.  Jack Haley's role as The Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz

C.  Gene Kelly's role in An American in Paris

D.  Leslie Howard's part as Ashley Wilkes in Gone With The Wind

E.  The James Mason role in the Judy Garland version of A Star is Born


4.  On I Love Lucy, what was the hometown of Ethel Mertz, Lucy's best friend.

A.  Albuquerque, New Mexico

B.  Jamestown, New York

C.  Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

D.  Newark, New Jersey

E.  Phoenix, Arizona


5.  On I Love Lucy, the original name of the nightclub where Ricky Ricardo performed was The Tropicana.  When Ricky took ownership of the club, what did he rename it?

A.  Club Cuba

B.  Club Babalu

C.  The Havana Club

D.  Ricky's Mambo Palace

E.  Club Ricardo


6.  On I Love Lucy, when Lucy returned from Europe, what food item did she try to smuggle on the airplane in a baby blanket?

A.  cheese

B.  salami

C.  ham

D.  sausage

E.  baloney

7.  Which famous baseball player appeared on an episode of Leave it to Beaver?

A.  Mickey Mantle

B.  Willie Mays

C.  Don Drysdale

D.  Sandy Koufax

E.  Yogi Berra


8.  Who played Lucy Ricardo's old school teacher in an episode of I Love Lucy entitled game shows and Jeopardy "Lucy meets Orson Welles" (Season 6, Episode 3, Air date: October 15, 1956)?

A.  Barbara Stanwyck

B.  Bette Davis

C.  Ellen Corby

D.  Jane Wyman

E.  Tululah Bankhead


9.  Beginning in 1957, Marjorie Lord played Kathy, the second wife of nightclub entertainer Danny Williams on Make Room for Daddy (The Danny Thomas Show).  Jean Hagen played his first wife from 1953 to 1956.  In 1956, Hagen quit the show.  Rather than replacing her, Danny Thomas had her written out of the show by having her die.  What was the name of Danny Williams' first wife?

A.  Betty

B.  Susan

C.  Doris

D.  Margaret

E.  Jane


10.  What was the fate of Edith Bunker of All in the Family?

A.  She was run over by a car and died.

B.  She left Archie and moved in with her daughter Gloria.

C.  She had Alzheimer's disease.

D.  She was poisoned.

E.  She died of a stroke.


ANSWERS

1.  The answer is C.  Granny was Jed's mother-in-law, the mother of his late wife.  

2.  The answer is D.  Granny's real name was Daisy Moses.

3.  The answer is B.  Buddy Ebsen was the original choice to play The Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz.  He had to forgo the role because he was allergic to the silver make-up required for the part.

4.  The answer is A.  The hometown of Ethel Mertz was Albuquerque, New Mexico. 

5.  The answer is B.  Ricky Ricardo changed the name of The Tropicana to Club Babalu.

6.  The answer is A.  Lucy Ricardo tried to smuggle cheese back from Europe.

7.  The answer is C.  Pitcher Don Drysdale appeared on an episode of Leave it to Beaver entitled "Long Distance Call" (Season 5, Episode 37, Air date: June 16, 1962.  He later made another guest appearance on The Brady Bunch. Game shows and Jeopardy To view a clip of Drysdale on those two shows, click on the link below.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=srLiKccFFRw


8.  The answer is C.  Ellen Corby, better known as Grandma Walton on The Waltons, played Lucy's former teacher in that episode in which Orson Welles appeared.

9.  The answer is D.  Margaret was the name of Danny Williams' first wife.

10.  The answer is E.  Jean Stapleton, who portrayed Edith Bunker, on All in the Family, wanted to leave her role.  In the first episode of the 1980-81 season of Archie Bunker's Place (the successor to All in the Family, Archie was seen grieving over Edith's unexpected death from a stroke.


TV BANTER QUIZ #2

CHRISTMAS QUIZ (originally posted Dec. 12, 2010)

By Joanne Madden

So you think you know your Yuletide television trivia.  Why not put yourself to the test with this 10-question Christmas television quiz?  Good luck. 
1. What was the name of the song that Fred Flintstone sang on The Flintstones 1964 Christmas episode?

A.  Jingle Bells
B.  Merry Christmas is My Favorite Time of Year
C.  Santa Claus is Coming to Town
D.  Have a Holly Jolly Christmas
E.  Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer


2.  Who provided the voice of both the narrator and The Grinch in the animated television special of Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas?

A.  Vincent Price
B.  Orson Welles
C.  Boris Karloff
D. Christopher Plummer
E.  James Earl Jones


3.  In The Brady Bunch Christmas episode, what affliction overcame Carol Brady (Florence Henderson)?

A.  She lost her voice
B.  She was allergic to the Christmas tree.
C.  She had a terrible cough.
D.  She became ill after drinking too much eggnog.
E.  She had a serious case of halitosis.


4.  In the 1964 Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer animated special with Burl Ives, a North Pole elf named Hermey wanted to pursue another occupation.  What did "misfit" Hermey want to do?

A.  He wanted to be an actor.
B.  He wanted to be a basketball player.
C.  He wanted to be a gourmet chef.
D.  He wanted to be a lawyer.
E.  He wanted to be a dentist.


5.  Who provided the voice of the narrator and sang the title song in the 1969 animated special Frosty the Snowman?

A.  Bing Crosby
B.  Danny Kaye
C.  Jimmy Durante
D.  Louis Armstrong
E.  Robert Goulet


6.  Who appeared as a guest on a 1977 Bing Crosby Christmas special and sang The Little Drummer Boy with Bingo.

A.  Bob Hope
B.  Elton John
C.  Rod Stewart
D.  David Bowie
E. Mick Jagger


7.  In A Charlie Brown Christmas, which character denies sending Charlie Brown a Christmas card after he sarcastically thanks her.

A.  Violet
B.  Lucy
C.  Pepperment Patty
D.  The Little Red-Headed Girl
E. Marcie


8.  In a 1955 Honeymooners episode entitled "Twas the Night Before Christmas," what does Alice buy Ralph for Christmas?

A.  A pool cue
B.  A bowling bag
C.  A fishing rod
D.  A hat
E.  A red and white tie


9.  Who appeared in a guest role in a 1958 episode of The Donna Reed Show entitled "A Very Merry Christmas?" (This is a tough one.  Give yourself a bonus point if you answer it correctly).

A.  Buster Keaton
B.  Buddy Ebsen
C.  Robert Young
D.  Danny Thomas
E.  Art Carney


10.  What was the name of the drummer boy's lamb in the 1968 animated television special The Little Drummer Boy?

A.  Fleece
B.  Lamby
C.  Baabaa
D.  Ali
E.  Sheba


ANSWERS

1.  B

Fred Flintstone replaced an ill Santa Claus one Christmas.  As he delivered the gifts to the children, he sang, Merry Christmas is My Favorite Time of Year.

2.  C

To watch a video clip of Boris Karloff narrating How the Grinch Stole Christmas, click the link below.

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/3739618/how_the_grinch_stole_christmas_deluxe_edition_movie_trailer/

3.  A

Carol Brady had laryngitis and was concerned that she would be unable to sing in the church choir at Christmas.

4.  E

Hermey the Elf wanted to be a dentist.  To view a video clip of Hermey expressing his aspirations to be a dentist, click on the link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=day3yvj3f7s


5.  C

Jimmy Durante narrated Frosty the Snowman and sang the title song.

To watch a clip of  "da old schnozzola" singing Frosty the Snowman, click on the link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Pu-bVrndgY

6.  D

David Bowie joined Bing Crosby in a rendition of Little Drummer Boy.  To view a video clip of the Crosby-Bowie duet, click on the link below.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xsisd_bing-crosby-david-bowie-duet_music

7.  A

Violet denied buying Charlie Brown a Christmas card.

8.  B

Alice bought Ralph a bowling bag not knowing that Ralph had sold his bowling ball in order to buy her a Christmas present.

9.  A

Buster Keaton dressed up as Santa Claus for the children at a hospital.  To watch video clips of the episode, click on the link below.
 http://classicshowbiz.blogspot.com/2008/12/tbe-donna-reed-show-christmas-episode.html

10.  C

The Little Drummer Boy's lamb was named Baabaa.  To watch a video clip of The Little Drummer Boy and his injured lamb, click below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDETOAHJj1c

TV BANTER QUZ #3 (originally posted Jan. 24, 2011)

By Joanne Madden

Are you ready for the third TV Banter television quiz?  Get ready and good luck.  There are ten questions.

1.  On Bewitched, the actor who played Samantha’s Uncle Arthur was

A.  Don Knotts

B.  Gayle Gordon

C.  Paul Lynde

D.  Joey Bishop

E.  Art Carney

2.  The voice of Marge Simpson on The Simpsons in provided by

A.  Joan Rivers

B.  Brenda Vaccaro

C.  Joy Behar

D.  Julie Kavner

E.  Marlo Thomas

3.  On The Beverly Hillbillies, what was the name of wealthy banker Milburn Drysdale’s wife?

A.  Margaret

B.  Doris

C.  Jane

D.  Iris

E.  Hilda

4.  Regis Philbin recently announced his retirement.  In the late 1960s, Regis was the sidekick of which television talk show host?

A.  Merv Griffin

B.  Joey Bishop

C.  Dick Cavett

D.  Mike Douglas

E.  Jack Parr

5.  On The Patty Duke Show, what was the name of Patty Lane’s boyfriend?

A.  Richard Harrison

B.  George Davis

C.  Billy Taylor

D.  Richard Patterson

E.  Mike Drake

6.  On Father Knows Best, what was the nickname of Kathy, the youngest of the three Anderson children?

A.  Princess

B.  Kitty

C.  Kat

D.  Kitten

E.  Sweet Cakes

7.  Which of the following television stars was not born in Canada?  (This is tricky.  Give yourself a bonus point if you answer it correctly).

A.  William Shatner

B.  Michael J. Fox

C.  Art Linkletter

D.  Jason Priestly

E.  Kiefer Sutherland

8.  Which of the following television brothers are brothers in real life?

A.  Peter and Bobby Brady on The Brady Bunch

B.  Wally and Beaver Cleaver on Leave it to Beaver

C.  Chip and Ernie Douglas on My Three Sons

D.  Tommy and Nicholas Bradford on Eight is Enough

E.  Frasier and Niles Crane on Frasier

9.  On the short-lived 1965-66 comedy My Mother the Car starring Jerry Van Dyke, who provided the voice of the car (By the way, the car was a 1928 Porter)?

A.  Donna Reed

B.  Bette Davis

C.  Vivian Vance

D.  Ann Sothern

E.  Anne Francis

10.  Before scoring a big hit with Magnum P.I., Tom Selleck was a cast member on a soap opera.  What was the name of the soap opera?

A.  As the World Turns

B.  The Young and the Restless

C.  Days of Our Lives

D.  One Life to Live

E.  All My Children

ANSWERS

1.  The answer is C.  Paul Lynde played Uncle Arthur on Bewitched.

2.  The answer is D.  Julie Kavner is the voice of Marge Simpson.  Julie played Brenda Morgenstern, Rhoda’s younger sister on Rhoda.

3.  The answer is A.  His wife was Margaret Drysdale.

4.  The answer is B.  Regis Philbin was Joey Bishop’s sidekick.

To watch a video of Regis and Joey Bishop with guest star Sammy Davis, Jr., click on the link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMXpahmPDFI

5.  The answer is A.  Patty Lane’s boyfriend was Richard Harrison.  The role of Richard Harrison was played by Eddie Applegate.

6.  The answer is D.  On Father Knows Best, Kathy’s nickname was Kitten.  Her older sister Betty was called Princess.

7.  The answer is E.  Kiefer Sutherland was born in London, England.  He is the son of Canadian actors Donald Sutherland and Shirley Douglas.  His parents were working in London at the time of his birth.  After they divorced, Kiefer went to live in Toronto with his mother where he spent his school years.  Kiefer Sutherland has dual Canadian and British citizenship. 

8.  The answer is C.  Stanley Livingston played the role of Chip Douglas on My Three Sons.  His real-life younger brother, Barry Livington, played Chip’s adopted brother, Ernie Douglas.

 9.  The answer is D.  Ann Sothern was the voice of “Mother”.

10.  The answer is B.  Tom Selleck portrayed Jed Andrews on The Young and the Restless from 1974 to 1975.






FLINTSTONES QUIZ
TV Banter Quiz #4  (originally posted Feb. 22, 2011)

By Joanne Madden

If you are a Flintstones fanatic, TV Banter has a treat for you today.  In honour of the 48^th birthday of Pebbles Flintstone (she was born on an episode called “The Blessed Event” which aired on February 22, 1963), here is a 15-question quiz on the series.  Good luck!

Ann-Margrock

 















1.  What was the name of the lullaby that Ann-Margrock (the  voice of Ann-Margret) sang to baby Pebbles Flintstone?
A.  Rock-a-bye Baby

B. Counting Sheep

C.  The Littlest Lamb

D.  An Irish Lullaby

E.  Go to Sleep, My Baby

2.  In a November 12, 1964 episode of The Flintstones, a strange family (similar to the Addams Family and The Munsters) moves into a cave nearby Fred and Wilma.  What was the last name of this weird family?

A.  The Gruesomes

B.  The Weirdlys

C.  The Creepsters

D.  The Ghostlys

E.  The Grimlys

3.  Who provided the yapping voice for Dino the Dinosaur?

A.  Ted Knight

B.  Rich Little

C.  Jackie Gleason

D.  Mel Blanc

E.  Buddy Ebsen

4.  What was the name of the paperboy who often annoyed and outsmarted Fred?

A.  Elmer

B.  Arnold

C.  Eddie

D.  Billy

E.  Bobby

5.  What year did The Flinstones make its debut on the ABC network?

A.  1962

B.  1963

C.  1960

D.  1961

E.  1959

6.  What was the name of Wilma’s mother, Fred’s antagonistic mother-in-law?

A.  Jane Rockstone

B.  Mona Chiprock

C.  Margaret Soapstone

D.  Ethel Cragg

E.  Pearl Slaghoople

The Great Gazoo

7.  The Great Gazoo was a tiny, green alien who first appeared on the show on October 29, 1965.  Who provided the voice for the Great Gazoo?

A.  Bob Newhart

B.  Harvey Korman

C.  Tim Conway

D.  Ed Asner

E.  Tony Randall

8.  What was the name of the Great Gazoo’s native planet?  (This is your bonus question.  Give yourself an extra point if you answer it correctly)

A.  Zetox

B.  Xerox

C.  Plutarch

D.  X-Rock

E.  Marstone

9.   What was the name of the Flintsones’ sabre-toothed tiger?

A.  Kitty

B.  Sparky

C.  Pussy Cat

D.  Baby Puss

E.  Tiger-rock

10.  What was the name of Fred’s wealthy uncle from Texas.

A.  Roy Oilrock

B.  Howard Texstone

C.  Tex Hardrock

D.  Wild Bill Hickrock

E.  Eugene Rockstone

11.  Where was Pebbles Flintstone born?

A.  Bedrock Hospital

B.  Bedrock Memorial Hospital

C.  Rock Creek Memorial Hospital

D.  Boulder Maternity Hospital

E.  Bedrock General Hospital


Bamm Bamm Rubble


12.  What did Barney and Betty do before they found baby Bamm Bamm on their doorstep?

A.  They knocked on wood

B.  The ate dinner

C.  They built a nursery

D.  They both had a dream they would find a child

E.  They wished upon a star

13.  Where did Fred fall asleep and have a Rip Van Winkle dream?

A.  At the opera

B.  At his company picnic

C.  In his backyard hammock

D.  On his porch

E.  Watching television in his living room

14.  What was the name of the dance craze created by Fred Flintstone after accidentally dropping a bowling ball on his foot.

A.  The Flintstone

B.  The Freddie

C.  The Frantic

D.  The Bowling Ball Rock

E.  The Fred Rock

15.  Fred and Barney attend an international Boy Scouts (Cave Scouts) Jamboree.  They join the scouts in a multilingual rousing rendition of which song?

A.  Michael Rowed the Boat Ashore

B.  Row Row Row Your Boat

C.  If I Had a Hammer

D. Old MacDonald Had a Farm

E.  Kumbaya

ANSWERS

1.  C.  Ann-Margrock sang “The Littlest Lamb” to Pebbles.

To view a video of Ann-Margrock singing “The Littlest Lamb”, click on the link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fsrPtNdjcw

2.  A.  The Gruesomes

Weirdly and Creepella Gruesome, and their son Gobby, move into Tombstone Manor.

To view a Flintstones promo with the Gruesomes, click on the link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-JnMNIcOBM

3.  D.  Mel Blanc

Famed voice actor Mel Blanc, “The Man of a Thousand Voices” provided the yapping sound of Dino the Dinosaur.  Mel was also the voice of Barney Rubble, although Daws Butler assumed the role briefly while Mel recovered from a car accident.

4.  B.  Arnold



Arnold the paperboy



5.  C.  1960

The Flintstones ran from September 30, 1960 until September 2, 1966.

6.  E.  Pearl Slaghoople

Wilma Flintstone’s maiden is a source of dispute.  In early episodes of the 1960-1966 series, it is clearly Wilma Pebble.  For example, in the episode “The Entertainer”, Wilma’s old friend Greta Gravel refers to her as Wilma Pebble.  In later episodes, however, Wilma’s maiden name is Slaghoople, based upon the name of mother, Pearl Slagphoople, in the original series.

7.  B.  Harvey Korman

Harvey Korman of The Carol Burnett Show famed voiced The Great Gazoo.

8.  A.  Zetox

Gazoo was exiled from his home planet, Zetox, as a punishment for having invented a doomsday machine, a weapon of mass destruction.

9.  D.  Baby Puss

The name of the Flintstones’ sabre-toothed tiger was Baby Puss.

10.  A.  Tex Hardrock

Fred’s rich Texas uncle on his mother’s side was named Tex Hardrock.

11.  A.  Bedrock Hospital

Pebbles Flintstone was born at Bedrock Hospital in an episode entitled "The Blessed Event" (Season 3, Episode 23, Air Date: February 22, 1963).

12.  E.  They wished upon a star.

Barney and Betty wished upon a star and then found their super strong child, Bamm Bamm.

13.  B.  At his company picnic

In an episode titled “Rip Van Flintstone" (Season 6, Episode 8, Air Date: November 5, 1965), Fred falls asleep under a tree at his company picnic.  When he awakens, it seems as if twenty years have passed.  Barney is a wealthy tycoon and Pebbles and Bamm Bamm are married.

14.  C.  The Frantic

In a 1965 episode “Shinrock-A-Go-Go”, Fred drops a bowling ball on his foot.  He jumps around, howls in pain and creates a dance sensation called The Frantic.  The episode is a takeoff of the then-popular TV music show Shindig.

15.  D.  Old MacDonald Had a Farm

The Boy Scouts (Cave Scouts) sing Old MacDonald Had a Farm in a 1964 episode entitled "Cave Scout Jubilee."

BEWITCHED QUIZ
TV Banter Quiz #5 (originally posted March 20, 2011) 

By Joanne Madden

All right, Bewitched fans.  It’s time to test your knowledge of the show with TV Banter’s 18-question quiz. 

What was the name of the advertising agency that employed Darrin Stephens?

A.  MacDonald and Tate

B.  Tate and Johnson

C.  McMann and Tate

D.  Wilson and Tate

E.  Tate and Evans

2.  What was the name of Samantha’s warlock physician?

A.  Dr. Vienna

B.  Dr. Incantation

C.  Dr. Ballantyne

D.  Dr. Bombay

E.  Dr. Brewster

Aunt Clara

3.  What was Aunt Clara’s hobby?

A.  Collecting broomsticks

B.  Collecting doorknobs

C.  Writing books of magic spells

D.  Making witch hats

E.   Making a special brew for witches

4.  Larry and Louise Tate had a son.  What was his name?

A.  Jonathan

B.  Robert

C. Daniel

D.  Arnold

E.  Geoffrey

5.  What was the name of Darrin’s conniving ex-fiancee?

A.  Margaret Ashbury

B.  Jane Milton

C.  Donna Wilson

D.  Sheila Summers

E.  Maggie Walton

6.  Which actor portrayed Samantha’s father?

A.  Peter Grey

B.  Maurice Evans

C.  William Windom

D.  David White

E.  Carl Betz

7.  In the 1964 Christmas episode, “A Vision of Sugar Plums," Samantha and Darrin . . .

A.  help Santa Claus deliver presents

B.  receive an unusual gift from Endora

C.  invite Abner and Gladys Kravitz over for Christmas dinner

D.  discover a magic Christmas tree

E.  invite an orphan into their home

8.  How many episodes of Bewitched were made?  (This is your bonus question.  Give yourself an extra point if you answer it correctly)

A.  356

B.  212

C.  254

D.  312

E.  244

9.  Darren and Samantha’s daughter Tabitha was born on an episode titled “And Then There Were Three”.  What date was that episode aired?

A.   January 13, 1966

B.  January 14, 1965

C.  February 14, 1966

D.  February 13, 1967

E.  March 13, 1965

10.  Samantha’s Uncle Arthur, played by Paul Lynde, was the prankster of the family game shows and Jeopardy.  Was he related to Endora?

A.  He was not related to Endora.

B.  He was actually Endora’s cousin.

C.  He was Endora’s brother.

D.  He was the brother of Samantha’s father, Maurice.

E.  He was Endora’s brother-in-law.

11.  Who was Esmerelda?

A.  An old school friend of Samantha

B.  Samantha and Darrin’s housekeeper

C.  An employee at the advertising firm where Darrin worked

D.  Tabitha’s babysitter

E.  Endora’s best friend

12.  In 1961, Agnes Moorhead (Endora) played the role of a farm woman who faces mysterious invaders on which television series?

A.  Alfred Hitchcock Presents

B.  The Outer Limits

C.  Amazing Stories

D.  Bold Venture

E.  The Twilight Zone

13.  Samantha had a mischievous look-alike cousin named Serena, also played by Elizabeth Montgomery.  Montgomery’s performance as Serena was credited to a fictional character.  What was the name of that fictional character?

A.  Pandora Spocks

B.  Samantha Twin

C.  Samantha Double

D.  Liz Two

E.  Anne Other

14.  Which member of the Bewitched cast had a son who died in the terrorist bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over the Scottish town of Lockerbie, just before Christmas of 1988?

A.  Agnes Moorhead (Endora)

B.  Dick York (Darrin)

C.  Marion Lorne (Aunt Clara)

D.  George Tobias (Abner Kravitz)

E.  David White (Larry Tate)

Dick York with Montgomery

15.  Why was Dick York replaced as Darrin on the show?

A.  He had a heart condition.

B.  He quit because he was tired of playing the part.

C.  .  He had a severe back condition.

D.  He wanted to spend more time with his real-life family.

E.  He was not getting along with his co-star Elizabeth Montgomery.

16.  What happened to Darrin’s mother, Phyllis Stephens, whenever she witnessed a witch’s spell or strange happenings at her son’s home.

A.  She fainted

B.  She developed a headache.

C.  She coughed uncontrollably.

D.  She covered her eyes.

E.  She laughed nervously.

17.  Which famous baseball player appeared as himself on an episode of Bewitched?

A.  Mickey Mantle

B.  Whitey Ford

C.  Don Drysdale

D.  Willie Mays

E.  Hank Aaron

18.  Endora is known for her trademark heavy eyeshadow.  What colour was her eyeshadow?

A.  purple

B.  green

C.  blue

D.  brown

E.  pink

ANSWERS

1.  C

The agency that employed Darrin Stephens was McMann and Tate.


2.  D

The name of Samantha's warlock physician was Dr. Bombay.  Bernard Fox played the role of Dr. Bombay   Samantha always summoned him with the words, "Calling Dr. Bombay, calling Dr. Bombay.  Emergency!  Come right away!"  Bombay showed up in various costumes, offering dubious cures and making trite jokes.

3.  B.

Aunt Clara collected doorknobs.  Marion Lorne, the actress who portrayed Aunt Clara, had a collection of antique doorknobs in real life.

4.  A

The son of Larry and Louise Tate was named Jonathan, after David White’s (Larry) real-life.

5.  D.  Sheila Summers

The name of Darrin’s former girlfriend was Sheila Summers.  The role of Sheila Summers was played by Nancy Kovack.

6.  B.

Maurice Evans played Samantha’s father. 

7.  E. 

Samantha and Darrin invite an orphan into their home.  The orphan’s name is Michael and he doesn’t believe in Santa Claus.  Samantha takes him to the North Pole to visit the real Santa Claus.  By the way, the role of Michael was played by Billy Mumy who went on to portray Will Robinson in Lost in Space.

8.  C.  254

There were 254 episodes in the series and Elizabeth Montgomery is the only one who appeared in all 254 episodes.

9.  A.

Tabitha was born on an episode that aired on January 13, 1966.  Elizabeth Montgomery was expecting her second child at the time and the pregnancy was written into the script.

10.  C.

Uncle Arthur was Endora’s younger brother.

11.  B. 

Esmerelda, played by Alice Ghostly, was the timid housekeeper of the Stephens family.  When Marion Lorne (Aunt Clara) died in 1968, rather than cast another actress in the role of Clara, it was decided to add another character to the series.  Ghostly joined the cast as Esmerelda in 1969.

12.  E.

Agnes Moorhead appeared in “Invaders”, a 1961 episode of The Twilight Zone.

13.  A. 

It was Elizabeth Montgomery’s idea to use the pseudonym “Pandora Spocks” for her role as Serena.  “Pandora Spocks” is a play on “Pandora’s Box”.

14.  E.

David White’s 33-year-old son Jonathan White was killed in the terrorist attack on Pan Am Flight 103.

15.  C

Dick York was forced to leave the series due to a severe back condition caused by an accident he had had in 1959.  It was a degenerative spinal condition and he was in constant pain.  He left the show in 1969 and was replaced by Dick Sargent.

16.  B.

She developed a headache.

17.  D

Willie Mays appeared as himself in a 1966 episode of Bewitched called “Twitch or Treat”.

18.  C.

Endora’s trademark eyeshadow was blue.

Endora

To watch a video tribute to Endora, just click on the link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqFGTspYGxQ   

Some notes on Bewitched

* Bewitched aired on ABC from 1964 until 1972.

* For those wondering about Samantha's maiden name, it was never mentioned in the series.  In Al Hines' novel Bewitched, her maiden name was referred to as "Dobson."

* Endora and Maurice were not divorced.  They were separated and did not get along particulary well.

Above photo, Left to Right: Tony Dow (Wally Cleaver), Barbara Billingsley (June Cleaver), Jerry Mathers (Beaver Cleaver) and Hugh Beaumont (Ward Cleaver).

THE ULTIMATE LEAVE IT TO BEAVER QUIZ
TV BANTER QUIZ #6 (originally posted June 15, 2011)

By Joanne Madden

Okay, Leave it to Beaver fans, let's see how well you do on this 20-question quiz.  Ready, set, go!

1.  Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver was named after someone.  For whom was he named?

A.  Theodore Roosevelt

B.  Ward's father

C.  Aunt Martha's brother

D,  Ward's best friend in high school

E.  June's grandfather


2.  Whatever happened to Ken Osmond who played Eddie Haskell?

A.  He became Alice Cooper

B.  He became a police officer.

C.  He died in the Vietnam War.

D.  He became a lawyer.

E.  He is a California congressman.

3.  Who was Beaver’s confidant when he sought advice or had a problem to solve?

A.  Frank the policeman

B.  Andy the school football coach

C.  Tom the postman

D.  Jim the store clerk

E.  Gus the fireman

4.  Who was the principal of Grant Avenue Grammar School?

A.  Mrs. Redmond

B.  Mrs. Johnson

C.  Mrs.  Rayburn

D.  Mrs.  Evans

E.  Mrs. Rosemond

5.  By the third season of the show, the Cleaver family had moved to a new house.  What was the address of the house?

A.  144 Maple Avenue

B.  1220 Elm Street

C.  511 Grant Avenue

D.  211 Pine Street

E.  411 Oak Street

6.  Who was Beaver’s teacher before Miss Landers?

A.  Miss Canfield

B.  Miss Rogers

C.  Miss Hanson

D.  Miss Dale

E.  Miss Fields

7.  What food was Beaver’s friend Larry Mondello constantly eating?

Rusty Stevens as Larry

A.  Apples

B.  Potato chips

C.  Ice cream cones

D.  Bananas

E.  Chocolate chip cookies

8.  Was Clarence “Lumpy” Rutherford an only child?

A.  Yes

B.  No, he had a younger brother named Alan.

C.  No, he had a older brother named Clyde.

D.  No, he had an older sister named Ethel

E.  No, he had a younger sister named Violet.

9.  In the episode “Miss Lander’s Fiance,” Beaver is upset to learn that Miss Landers is engaged.  In that episode, which game does Miss Landers play with her fiance?  (This is your bonus question.  If you answer it correctly, give yourself an extra point.)

A.  Bowling

B.  Tennis

C.  Horseshoes

D.  Croquet

E.  Badminton

10.  Ward Cleaver originally drove a Ford Fairlane.  What kind of car did Ward Cleaver drive in the early 1960s?

A.  Chevrolet Impala Hardtop.

B.  Pontiac Bonneville Vista Hardtop

C.  Plymouth Fury Hardtop

D.  Dodge Polara Hardtop

E.  Ward drove a Buick Electra Hardtop

11.  How did Theodore Cleaver acquire the nickname “Beaver?”

A.  He once spent a great deal of time drawing a picture of some beavers building a dam.

B.  When Beaver was a baby, Wally had difficulty pronouncing “Theodore” and it came out sounding like “Beaver.”

C.  Ward liked to read young Theodore stories about busy beavers.

D.  Wally was thinking of words that rhymed with Cleaver and he came up with “Beaver.”

E.  June Cleaver was born in Oregon, the Beaver State, and she wanted to honour her home state.

12.  What was June Cleaver’s maiden name?

A.  Cromwell

B.  Bennett

C.  Blake

D.  Davis

E.  Bronson

13.  Did a black person ever appear on Leave it to Beaver?

A.  No, never.

B.  Yes, once as a bus driver.

C.  Yes, in a barber shop scene when Beaver was getting his hair cut.

D.  Yes, in one episode as a maid.

E.  Yes, in one episode a player on Wally’s baseball team was African-American.

14.  Where was Ward Cleaver raised?

A.  Ward grew up on a farm outside of Mayfield.

B.  He is the son of a dentist from Cleveland.

C.  His father was a blue-collar worker in New Jersey.

D.  His parents were circus performers in New York.

E.  His father was a newspaper editor in Philadelphia.

15.  In a 1960 episode entitled “Beaver Won’t Eat,” what food did Beaver refuse to eat?

A.  Spinach

B.  Broccoli

C.  Brussels sprouts

D.  Fried liver and onions

E.  Prunes


16.  What was Miss Landers' first name?

A.  Emily

B.  Alice

C.  Jane

D.  Elizabeth

E.  Catherine


17.  When Eddie Haskell gets Beaver in trouble for seeing a forbidden movie, how does Beaver attempt to get back at Eddie?

A.  He hides Eddie's homework.

B.  He embarrasses Eddie front of a girl he likes.

C.  He causes Eddie to be late for class.

D.  He puts a toad in Eddie's pocket.

E.  He makes a voodoo doll of Eddie.


18.  Which well-known actor appeared in a 1961 episode of Leave it to Beaver called "Wally Goes Steady?"

A.  Burt Reynolds

B. Robert Redford

C.  Ryan O'Neal

D.  Martin Sheen

E.  William Hurt

19.  In a 1962 episode titled "Eddie Quits School,"  what job did Eddie Haskell take when he dropped out of high school?

A.  He was a busboy at a restaurant.

B.  He worked at a gas station.

C.  He sold encyclopedias.

D.  He worked in a pet store.

E.  He worked at a movie theatre.


20.  For how many seasons did Leave it to Beaver run?

A.  10 seasons

B.  6 seasons

C.  8 seasons

D.  7 seasons

E.  5 seasons


ANSWERS

1.  C

Theodore “Beaver” Cleaver was named after Aunt Martha’s brother.

2.  B

Ken Osmond joined the Los Angeles Police Department in 1970 and served 18 years with the force.  There is an urban myth that he is Alice Cooper.  This is absolutely untrue.  Born June 7, 1943 in Glendale, California, Ken is now 68 years old.

3.  E

Whenever Beaver needed someone to talk to, he would visit Gus at the fire station.

Beaver and Larry at the fire station with Gus

4.  C.

Mrs. Cornelia Rayburn was the principal of Grant Avenue Grammar School.  The role of Mrs. Rayburn was played by Doris Packer who passed away on March 31, 1979 at the age of 74.

Packer as Mrs. Rayburn

5.  D

The  Cleaver family moved to 211 Pine Street.

6.   A

Beaver’s teacher before Miss Landers was Miss Canfield.  The role of Miss Canfield was played by Diane Brewster.

7.  A

Larry Mondello was constantly munching apples.

8.  E

Clarence “Lumpy” Rutherford had a younger sister named Violet.  Violet was portrayed by Veronica Cartwright.

9.  B

In that episode, Miss Landers (portrayed by the late Sue Randall) plays tennis with her fiancé.

10.  C

Ward Cleaver drove a Plymouth Fury in the early 1960s.

11.  B

The reason for Beaver’s nickname was not revealed until the final episode of the series.  When Theodore was a baby and Wally was a little boy, Wally had difficult pronouncing his brother’s name.  “Theodore” came out sounding like “Beaver.”  The nickname stuck.

12.  E

June Cleaver’s maiden name was Bronson.  She was born June Evelyn Bronson.

13.  D

Yes, once.  Kim Hamilton is the only African-American actress to appear on Leave it to Beaver.  She played a maid in the 1963 episode “The Parking Attendants."  Only one minority character played a significant role in an episode of the series.  During the second season of the show, in an  episode that aired on October 23, 1958, Beaver befiends a Spanish-speaking boy named Chuey Varela.  Eddie Haskell plays a mean trick on Beaver when he attempts to converse with his new friend.  The episode is titled "Beaver and Chuey."

14.  A

Ward Cleaver grew up on a farm near Shaker Heights, a community near Mayfield (where the Cleaver family resides).

15.  C.

In the episode “Beaver Won’t Eat,” aired on October 15, 1960, Beaver refuses to eat Brussels sprouts.


16.  B

Miss Landers' first name was Alice.


17.  E

In a first season episode of the series titled "Voodoo Magic,"  Beaver makes a voodoo doll of Eddie Haskell.  He is annoyed with Eddie because Eddie caused him to be punished for seeing a movie called Voodoo Curse. 

18. D

Ryan O'Neal appeared on Leave it to Beaver before he starred on Peyton Place.

19.  B

Eddie quit school to work at Mr. Thompson's service station.


20.  B

Leave it to Beaver ran for 6 seasons, from 1957 until 1963.  There were 235 episodes of the series including the original pilot episode.


END NOTES

Hugh Beaumont (Ward Cleaver) passed way in Munich, Germany on May 14, 1982 at the age of 73.  He died of a heart attack while visiting his son, a psychology professor, in Munich.

Barbara Billingsley (June Cleaver) died on October 16, 2010 at her home in Santa Monica, California at the age of 94.  She suffered from polymyalgia, a disease of the muscles.

Editor's update (April 17, 2013) - Frank Bank, who played dimwitted troublemaker Clarence "Lumpy" Rutherford died in Los Angeles on April 13, 2013.  The cause of his death has not been disclosed.  He was 71 years old and had become a stockbroker after his acting career ended.  Jerry Mathers (Beaver Cleaver) and Barbara Billingsley were his clients.   Mathers wrote on Facebook : "I was so sad to hear today of the passing of my dear friend and business associate Frank Bank, who played Lumpy on Leave it to Beaver.  He was a character and always kept us laughing.  My deepest condolences to Frank's family."

Frank Bank was also the author of a memoir titled Call Me Lumpy, which was published in 2002.

Frank Bank as Lumpy

DICK VAN DYKE SHOW QUIZ
TV BANTER QUIZ #7 (originally posted Aug. 30, 2011) 

By Joanne Madden

The Dick Van Dyke Show was created by Carl Reiner and it was based on Reiner's experiences as a television comedy writer for Sid Caesar.   If you are a fan of the classic Dick Van Dyke Show, try this quiz.  Good luck and enjoy!

1.  For how many seasons did The Dick Van Dyke show run?

A.  7

B.  8

C.  5

D.  6

E.  9  



2.  What was Laura Petrie's maiden name?

A.  Morrison

B.  Myers

C.  Meehan

D.  Donnelly



3.  Bespectacled Mel Cooley was the producer of the Alan Brady Show.  How was he related to the show's star?

A.  Alan and Mel were cousins.

B.  Mel was Alan's halfbrother.  They had the same mother.

C.  Mel was Alan's stepbrother.  He was the son of Alan's stepfather.

D.  Mel was Alan's brother-in-law. 

E.  Mel and Alan were not related at all.



4.  Richard Deacon, the actor who played Mel Cooley, also appeared on another famous television sitcom - Leave it to Beaver.  What character did Richard Deacon play on Leave it to Beaver?  (This is your bonus question so give yourself an extra point if you answer it correctly.)

A.  Eddie Haskell's father, George Haskell

B.  Julie Foster's father

C.  Larry Mondello's father

D.  Gilbert Bates' father

E.  Lumpy's father, Fred Rutherford



5.  Buddy Sorrell's brother was a . . .

A.  pool shark

B.  card shark

C.  rabbi

D.  psychiatrist

E.  boxer



6.  Which comedian appeared in a two-part episode as a hold-up man who robbed Laura and Rob while they were trapped in a stalled elevator.

A.  Danny Thomas

B.  Milton Berle

C.  Don Rickles

D.  Red Skelton

E.  Don Rickles



7.  Which 1960's singing duo appeared as teen idols who hid in Rob and Laura's house to avoid fans?

A.  Peter and Gordon

B.  Chad and Jeremy

C.  Simon and Garfunkel

D.  Jan and Dean

E.  Sonny and Cher



8.  Laura revealed Alan Brady's secret on television.  What was the secret?

A.  Alan was afraid of heights.

B.  Alan was a high school dropout.

C.  Alan was an ex-convict.

D.  Alan's wife left him for another man.

E  Alan wore a toupee.



9.  What was the nickname of Buddy Sorrell's wife?

A.  Pudding

B.  Bunny

C.  Pickles

D.  Petunia

E.  Perky



10.  Dick Van Dyke's real-life brother, Jerry Van Dyke, portrayed Rob Petrie's brother Stacey on the show.  What musical instrument did Stacey play?

A.  accordion

B.  guitar

C.  piano

D.  drums

E.  banjo



11.  Morey Amsterdam played the role of Rob Petrie's comedy writing associate, Buddy Sorrell.  What was Buddy's real first name?

A.  Maurice

B.  Morris

C.  Douglas

D.  Ernest

E.  Abraham



12.  Rob and Laura's neighbours, Jerry and Millie Helper, had a son.  What was the name of their son?

A.  Billy

B.  Tom

C.  Freddie

D.  Jimmy

E.  Rodney


13.  What was Jerry Helper's occupation?

A.  lawyer

B.  psychiatrist

C.  sculptor

D.  dentist

E.  newspaper columnist


14.  What was the name of Sally Rogers' (Rose Marie) sometimes boyfriend?

A.  Henry

B.  Herman

C.  Ralph 

D.  Elmer

E.  Arnold   


15.  The pilot episode for The Dick Van Dyke Show was titled Head of the Family.  Who portrayed Rob Petrie in the pilot?

A.  Alan Alda

B.  Robert Cummings

C.  Jim Backus

D.  Carl Reiner

E.  Dick York



ANSWERS

1.  C

The Dick Van Dyke Show ran for five seasons, from 1961 until 1966.  The first episode of the series aired on October 3, 1961 on CBS.  158 episodes of the series were aired.


2.  C

Laura Petrie's maiden name was Meehan.  There is some confusion because in a 1961 episode (Season 1, Episode 6) titled "Oh, How We Met on the Night that We Danced," it was Laura Meeker (Note: Mary Tyler Moore's first husband was Richard Meeker).  In several subsequent episodes, Laura's maiden name was Meehan. 


3.  D

Mel Cooley was Alan Brady's brother-in-law. 


4.  E. 

Richard Deacon also portrayed Fred Rutherford, Ward Cleaver's work colleague and Clarence "Lumpy" Rutherford's dad on Leave it to Beaver.  Deacon passed away on August 8, 1984 of a heart attack in Los Angeles.  He was 63 years old.


5.  A

Buddy Sorrell's brother was a pool shark.  In an episode titled "Hustling the Hustler," Rob discovered that Blackie Sorrell (played by Phil Leeds) was a pool hustler.  The episode aired on October 24, 1962.


6.  E

Comedian Don Rickles portrayed a thief named Lyle Delp who stole Rob and Laura's wedding rings while an elevator.  The two-part story was aired in 1964.  The first part was titled "4 1/2" and the second part was called "The Alan Brady Show Goes to Jail."  Lyle went to prison and Rob, Laura, Body and Sally entertained them.


7.  B

British singing duo Chad Stuart and Jeremy Clyde portrayed the Red Coats in an episode entitled "The Red Coats Are Coming."  The episode, which aired on February 10, 1965, spoofed Beatlemania.  Chad and Jeremy performed two songs - "I Don't Want No Other Baby But You" and "My, How the Time Goes By."


8.  E.

Laura Petrie blurted out that Alan Brady wore a toupee while she was being interviewed on national television.  In the1965 episode titled "Coast-to-Coast Big Mouth," Laura and her best friend Millie (Ann Morgan Guilbert) were part of a studio audience for a quiz show.


9.  C

Buddy's wife's nickname was Pickles.  Her real name was Fiona.  Two actresses portrayed Pickles.  They were Barbara Perry and Joan Shawlee.  After the second season, however, Pickles became an offscreen character.


10.  E

Stacey Petrie played the banjo.


11.  A

Buddy's real name was Maurice.  By the way, Morey Amsterdam died of a heart attack in Los Angeles, California on October 28, 1996.  Morey was 87 at the time of his passing.

Morey Amsterdam

12.  C

Jerry and Millie's young son was named Freddie Helper.


13.  D

Jerry Helper was a dentist.  The role of Dr. Helper was played by Jerry Paris.  Jerry Paris later went on to direct over 200 episodes of another popular sitcom, Happy Days.  He died on March 31, 1986 due to complications from brain cancer surgery.  He was 60 years old at the time of his death.

Jerry Paris

14.  B

 Sally's occasional boyfriend was the nerdy Herman Glimscher (played by Bill Idelson).  Rose Marie, who played Sally Rogers, was born in New York City on August 15, 1923 and recently turned 88 years old. 

Rose Marie

15.  D

Carl Reiner portrayed comedy writer Rob Petrie in the 1959 pilot episode, Head of the Family.  In the pilot, Rob was the head writer for the "Alan Sturdy Show."  Barbara Britton played his wife, Laura, and Gary Morgan had the role of their son, Ritchie.  Sylvia Miles and Carl Brill were cast as Sally and Buddy.  The name "Petrie" was pronounced "pea-tree" in Head of the Family.

Producer Sheldon Leonard was impressed with the premise of the show but not the casting.  Advertisers were cool to the idea of sponsoring a sitcom with Carl Reiner in the starring role.  Reiner swallowed his pride and the show was recast and retitled The Dick Van Dyke Show after its new star.  25-year-old Mary Tyler Moore took over the role of Laura and Larry Matthews was chosen to portray their son, Ritchie. 

On the Van Dyke show, Rob was the head writer for the Alan Brady Show.  In the early years of the series, the egotistical Alan Brady was seldom seen, and if seen, only from the back.  It was not until the fourth season of the show that Brady's face was revealed to viewers as the face of Carl Reiner himself.

END NOTE

Rob and Laura Petrie lived in New Rochelle, New York.  When Carl Reiner was a New York comedy writer, he also resided in New Rochelle.  Carl has a son named Rob, better known as All in the Family's "Meathead."



TV DOCTORS AND MEDICAL SHOWS QUIZ 

TV Banter Quiz #8 (orignally posted Sept. 24, 2011)

By Joanne Madden

If you are a fan of medical shows, this ten-question quiz is for you.  From Dr. Kildare to Dr. Welby to Dr. House, TV Banter, has the questions for you.  Are you up to the challenge?  Take the test below and find out.


1. On Marcus Welby, M.D., what was the name of Welby's loyal Hispanic secretary-nurse? 

A. Maria Martinez

B. Consuelo Lopez

C.  Angelina Gomez

D.  Gloria Alvarez

E.  Donna Perez



2.  Which Hollywood heartthrob had a regular role on the long-running medical drama ER?

A.  Brad Pitt

B.  Ryan Reynolds

C.  Tom Cruise

D.  George Clooney

E.  Mark Wahlberg



3.  Canadian-born comic and television show host Howie Mandel played a role a the medical drama.  Name the series Howie Mandel appeared on.

A. St. Elsewhere

B.  ER

C.  Grey's Anatomy

D.  House

E.  Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman



4. On Medical Center, what was the name of Chad Everett's character?

A.  Dr. Frank Peterson

B.  Dr. Jim Hannon

C.  Dr. Joe Gannon

D.  Dr. Lawrence Reilly

E.  Dr. Steven Ross



5.  In what city does Grey's Anatomy take place?

A.  New York City

B.  Los Angeles, California

C.  Boston, Massachusetts

D.  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

E.  Seattle, Washington




6.  Which medical drama began with the opening words "Man, woman, birth, death, infinity!?" (This is your bonus question.  Give yourself an extra point if you answer it correctly.)


A.  Dr. Kildare

B.  Ben Casey

C.  Medical Center

D.  Marcus Welby, M.D.

E.  Doctors' Hospital 



7.  On House, Dr. Remy Hadley, played by Olivia Wilde, is better known as

A.  "Butterfingers"

B.  "Rems"

C.  "Thirteen"

D.  "Haddy"

E.  "Remmy"



8.  The opening theme song for Dr. Kildare was "Three Stars Will Shine Tonight."  Who recorded the theme song used on the show?

A.  Richard Chamberlain

B.  Andy Williams

C.  Dean Martin

D.  Frank Sinatra

E.  Nat King Cole



9.  On Grey's Anatomy, whom did Dr. Cristina Yang marry?

A.  Preston Burke

B.  Colin Marlowe

C.  Derek Shepherd

D.  Alex Karev

E.  Owen Hunt



10.  What vehicle did Dr. Steven Kiley, Welby's associate on Marcus Welby, M.D., drive?

A.  Red convertible

B.  Motorcycle

C.  Bicycle

D.  Black sedan

E.  Blue sports car



ANSWERS

1.  B 

Consuelo Lopez was the name of Marcus Welby's loyal nurse.  Elena Verdugo portrayed Consuelo.  Born on April 20, 1926, the former 1940s "B" movie actress for Universal Studios, is now 85 years old.  The late actor/director Richard Marion, who died of a heart attack in 1999 at age 50, was her son.


2.  D

From 1994 until 1999, George Clooney played Dr. Douglas "Doug" Ross on ER. 


3.  A

Toronto-born Mandel played the role of Dr. Wayne Fiscus on St. Elsewhere.


4.  C. 

Chad Everett played the part of Dr. Joe Gannon on Medical Center.  The CBS medical drama ran from 1969 until 1976.



5.  E

Grey's Anatomy takes place in Seattle, Washington.  It chronicles the lives and loves of interns, residents and others at fictional Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital.


6.  B.

Vince Edwards (right) and Sam Jaffe

Ben Casey, starring Vince Edwards in the title role, ran on the ABC network from 1961 until 1965.  Every episode began with a hand drawing the symbols for man, woman, birth, death and infinity on a chalkboard while the voice of Sam Jaffe (who played Casey's mentor, Dr. David Zorba) pronounced the words for the symbols.  Then, after an opening scene, the show's dramatic theme song began.  To watch Part 1 of a Ben Casey episode, click on the link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1Olm2IM52E


7.  C

Dr. Remy "Thirteen" Hadley is part of Dr. Gregory House's new diagnostic team at the Princeton-Plainsboro Training Hospital in New Jersey.  The secretive character received her nickname on the episode titled "The Right Stuff" in which she is assigned the number 13 during a competition for her position.


8.  A

Richard Chamberlain, who played Dr. James Kildare, recorded "Theme From Dr. Kildare (Three Stars Will Shine Tonight)."    Chamberlain wrote the song's lyrics and it was released as a single in 1962.  To listen to him sing the Kildare theme song, click on the link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJPtSA5M7k0


9.  E

Cristina Yang, played by Sandra Oh, married Owen Hunt, a former military surgeon.


10.  B

Dr. Steven Kiley, Welby's younger associate, was portrayed by James Brolin.  Kiley drove a motorcycle while Marcus Welby (Robert Young) drove a long sedan.  By the way, Dr. Welby hired Kiley to assist him with his workload after suffering a mild coronary.



HALLOWEEN QUIZ
TV BANTER QUIZ #9 (Originally posted October 31, 2011)

By Joanne Madden

Halloween is upon us and it's time and there has been a tradition of Halloween-themed television specials and episodes of your favourite shows.  Test your knowledge with this not-so-spooky ten-question quiz.

1.  In the celebrated 1966 Halloween special It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, Linus goes to the mail box to send his annual letter to the Great Pumpkin.  He can not reach the mail box and his sister, Lucy, refuses to assist him.  How does Linus manage to open the mail box?

A.  He uses a step ladder.

B.  He walks on stilts

C.  He uses his blanket to open the box.

D.  He opens it with a broom stick.

E.  Charlie Brown hoists him up.



2.  In an episode of The Cosby Show, Vanessa Huxtable (Tempestt Bledsoe) hosts a Halloween party. Her mother, Clair Huxtable (Phylicia Rashad), dresses up as a well-known celebrity.  Name the celebrity.

A.  Oprah Winphrey

B.  Aretha Franklin

C.  Whoopi Goldberg

D.  Tina Turner

E.  Queen Latifah



3.  In a 2005 Halloween episode of The Office, Michael Scott (Steve Carrell) is ordered to downsize. While everyone at the office celebrates Halloween, Michael agonizes about whom to fire.  However, he still manages to wear a costume in the episode and dresses up as . . .

A.  Ebenezer Scrooge

B.  Pirate

C.  Wizard

D.  Robin Hood

E.  Two-headed Michael



4.  The long-running sitcom Home Improvement, starring Tim Allen and Patricia Richardson as Tim and Jill Taylor, is known for its Halloween episodes.  One of those episodes, "A Night to Dismember," revolves around youngest son Mark Taylor's (Taran Smith) attempt to do what?

A.  Make a horror film

B.  Win a prize for the best Halloween contest at a party

C.  Collect the most Halloween candy

D.  Imitate Dracula

E.  Knock on the door of a haunted house



5.  Not surprisingly, Bewitched always provided some good Halloween-themed entertainment.  The show's 1966 Halloween episode centres on a weird Halloween party that Endora (Agnes Moorhead) holds at the home of her daughter Samantha (Elizabeth Montgomery) and son-in-law Darrin Stephens.  What legendary athlete just happens to show up at the party?

A.  Arnold Palmer

B.  Willie Mays

C.  Micky Mantle

D.  Wilt Chamberlain

E.  Jack Nicklaus



6.  In another Halloween episode of Bewitched, something happens after Samantha reads a Halloween book to her daughter Tabitha.  What happens?

A.  Samantha disappears and becomes a character in the book.

B.  Tabitha's voice begins to sound like the voice of a scary old ghoul in the book.

C. Tabitha brings to life three spooks from the book. 

D.  Darrin becomes a ghost and only witches can see him.

E.  Tabitha is unhappy when Darrin takes the book away and she casts a spell on her father, turning him into a pumpkin.



7.  In the animated special It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, poor Charlie Brown keeps receiving something other then candy when he goes trick-or- treating with his friends.  What does he keep getting?

A.  Coal

B.  Crumbled cookies

C.  Carrots and celery

D.  Acorns

E.  Rocks



8. Who played a hilarious version of Dracula in the 1979 Halloween special The Halloween That Almost Wasn't (This is your bonus question so give yourself an extra points if you answer it correctly)?

A.  Judd Hirsch

B.  Vincent Price

C.  Bela Lugosi

D.  Paul Lynde

E.  Ed Asner



9.  What was the title of the Dr. Seuss animated Halloween special?

A.  How the Grinch Stole Halloween

B.  Halloween is Grinch Night

C.  Halloween in Whoville

D.  The Scary Old Grinch

E.  The Spooks of Whoville



10.  What Hollywood actor appeared on a 2001 Halloween episode of Friends?

A.  George Clooney

B.  Robert Downey Jr.

C.  Sean Penn

D.  Johnny Depp

E.  Tom Cruise



ANSWERS

1.  C

Linus uses his trusty security blanket to open the mail box and throws in his letter to the Great Pumpkin.


2.  D

Clair Huxtable dresses as Tina Turner at her daughter Vanessa's Halloween party in an episode of The Cosby Show entitled "Halloween" (Season 2, Episode 6).  She wears a miniskirt and sparkly top. The episode aired on October 31, 1985. 


3.  E

In the Halloween episode of The Office which aired on October 18, 2005, Michael, played by Steve Carrell, dresses up as a two-headed Michael.

4.  A

In the episode of Home Improvement which aired October 28, 1997 (Season 7, Episode 5), Mark informs his parents that he is in a film class and that he intends to make a horror movie.


5.  B

The Bewitched Halloween episode, "Twitch or Treat," aired on October 27, 1966.  Willie Mays made a brief cameo appearance as himself in that episode.

To watch "Twitch or Treat," click on the link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3K_Z-IWpH14


6.  C

In the Bewitched Halloween episode, "The Safe and Sane Halloween," Tabitha materializes three spooks from the pages of her book.  The spooks follow Samantha and Tabitha for an evening of trick-or-treating.  This episode aired on October 26, 1967.


7.  E

While his friends receive various Halloween treats during trick-or-treating, Charlie Brown gets a rock from every house he visits. Peanuts creator Charles Schulz said that when the show first aired, fans worldwide sent in candy "just for Charlie Brown."

8.  A

Judd Hirsch played Dracula in The Halloween That Almost Wasn't, a story in which Dracula hears rumours that Halloween may cease. He orders all the other monsters to become more scary or leave his castle.

9.  The 1977 Dr. Seuss Halloween special was titled Halloween is Grinch Night.  In this special, the evil Grinch comes down the mountain to terrify the Whos of Whoville when the "sour-sweet wind" blows.

To listen to the song "Grinch is gonna get you" from Halloween is
Grinch Night, click on the link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeFaBvL72a8


10.  C.

Sean Penn was a guest star on a Halloween episode of Friends that aired on November 1, 2001.  In the episode, Monica (Courtney Cox) and Chandler (Matthew Perry) hold a costume party and Penn plays a character named Eric.


BEVERLY HILLBILLIES QUIZ

TV BANTER QUIZ #10 (Originally posted February 4, 2012)

By Joanne Madden

Well, howdy folks!  Do you think you know a lot about Jed Clampett and his kin?  Well then, test your knowledge by trying the 12-question quiz below.  Good luck!

BEVERLY HILLBILLIES QUIZ

1.  After the Clampetts struck it rich with oil, how much money did they deposit in Mr. Drysdale's Beverly Hills bank?

A.  $50 million

B.  $20 million

C.  $30 million

D.  $25 million

E.  $35 million



2.  Who was Jethro's mother?

A.  Jed's cousin, Pearl Bodine

B.  Jed's sister, Dolly Bodine

C.  Granny's daughter, Loretta Bodine

D.  Jed's sister-in-law, Molly Bodine

E.  Granny's daughter-in-law, Rose Bodine



3.  What animal was Jed hunting when he struck oil?

A.  Deer

B.  Ducks

C.  Rabbits

D.  Pheasants

E.  Possums



4.  Granny used to cook grits.  What are grits?

A.  A kind of Southern pancake

B.  A thick porridge made from corn

C.  A type of fried chicken

D.  A Southern cornbread

E.  A special Southern waffle with a spicy sauce



5.  What did the Clampetts use as their dining room table?

A.  A pool table

B.  A ping pong table

C.  A large cardboard box

D.  A fancy wooden desk

E.  They put a coffee table on top of a big box.



6.  What was the first name of Mr. Drysdale's secretarial assistant, Miss Hathaway?

A.  Joan

B.  June

C.  Jean

D.  Janet

E.  Jane



7.  For how many seasons was The Beverly Hillbillies on the air?

A.  7

B.  6

C.  8

D.  9

E.  10


8.  During the first season of the Beverly Hillbillies, there was a storyline about a romance between Jethro Bodine's sister and a character named Jasper DePew.  What was the name of Jethro's sister?

A.  Justine Bodine

B.  Charlene Bodine

C.  Jethrine Bodine

D.  Jodine Bodine

E.  Jenine Bodine


9.  What was Jed Clampett's favourite expression?

A  Hot Dog!

B.  Well, doggie!

C.  Fix me some grits!

D.  I'm done tired, Granny!

E.  Those folks just don't understand!   


10.  What was Miss Hathaway's hobby?

A.  Stamp collecting

B.  Photography

C.  Bird watching

D.  Knitting

E.  Coin collecting


11.  Granny was Jed Clampett's mother-in-law.  What was Granny's real name?

A.  Dottie Ann Moses

B.  Jenny May Moses

C.  Myrna May Moses

D.  Daisy May Moses

E.  Mary Ellen Moses


12.  Which of the following Hollywood personalities appeared in an episode of the Beverly Hillbillies?

A.  Rock Hudson

B.  Louella Parsons

C.  Zsa Zsa Gabor

D.  Bing Crosby

E.  Hedda Hopper



ANSWERS

1.  D

The Clampetts deposited $25 million in Milburn Drysdale's Commerce Bank of Beverly Hills.  John Brewster of the OK Oil Company gave the money to them in exchange for drilling rights to their land.

2.  E

Jethro Bodine was the son of Jed's widowed cousin, Pearl Bodine. Although Jethro referred to Jed Clampett as his "Uncle Jed," Jed was not really his uncle.  Note: The part of Pearl Bodine was played by Bea Benaderet who later portrayed matriarch Kate Bradley on Petticoat Junction.


3.  C

Jed was hunting rabbits when he struck oil on his land in the Ozark Mountains.


4.  B

Grits are a thick porridge common in the southern United States.  They are made of coarsely ground corn and mostly eaten at breakfast.

5.  A

The Clampetts used a pool table as their dining room table.



6.  E

Nancy Kulp

Mr. Drysdale's assistant at the bank was Jane Hathaway. The Clampetts addressed her as "Miss Jane."  The role of Jane Hathaway was played by Nancy Kulp.  Nancy Kulp passed away on February 3, 1991 at the age of 69.  She died of cancer in Palm Desert, California.


7.  D

The Beverly Hillbillies ran for nine seasons.  It was originally broadcast on CBS from 1962 until 1971.


8.  C

Jethrine Bodine was the name of Jethro's sister.  Max Baer, Jr., who portrayed Jethro, dressed as woman to play Jethrine.  Jethrine's speaking voice was provided by Linda Kaye Henning, the daughter of Paul Henning, the creator of The Beverly Hillbillies.  Linda later went on to play the role of Betty Jo Bradley on Petticoat Junction.

Jethrine

9.  B

Jed was fond of the expression "Well, doggie!"  It was Jethro who liked to say, "Hot dog!"


10.  C

Miss Hathaway was an avid bird watcher and could often be seen with binoculars.


11.  D

Granny's real name was Daisy May Moses.  Irene Ryan, who played the part of Granny, died on April 26, 1973 in Santa Monica California after suffering a stroke.  In hospital, it was discovered that she had an undiagnosed brain tumour.  Irene was 70 years old at the time of her death.

12.  E

Hollywood Columnist Hedda Hopper appeared as herself in the final episode of a four-part Beverly Hillbillies series.  The episode was entitled "Hedda Hopper's Hollywood" and it aired on October 14, 1964.  The episode centres around greedy Mr. Drysdale's plans to tear down a studio backlot for a real estate development.  The development is opposed by Hedda Hopper.




PERRY MASON QUIZ
TV BANTER QUIZ #11 (Originally posted May 2, 2012)

By Joanne Madden

How much do you know about Perry Mason, starring Raymond Burr?  Test your knowledge of television's most famous lawyer with TV Banter's 12-question quiz.  Good luck.

1.  What was the name of Perry Mason's chief adversary, the hapless district attorney who lost case after case against him.

A.  Paul Lawson

B.  Richard Hamilton

C.  Hamilton Burger

D.  Thomas Burger

E.  Lawson Reed


2.  What year did Perry Mason begin its run?

A.  1956

B.  1957

C.  1959

D.  1955

E.  1960


3.  What was the title of the very first episode of the show?

A.  The Case of the Sleepwalker's Niece

B.  The Case of the Drowning Duck

C.  The Case of the Sulky Girl

D.  The Case of the Restless Redhead

E.  The Case of the Runaway Corpse


4.  Which of these female film stars made an guest appearance on Perry Mason?

A.  Bette Davis

B.  Loretta Young

C.  Debbie Reynolds

D.  Lauren Bacall

E.  Jane Fonda


5.  Who played Perry Mason's loyal secretary Della Street?

A.  Barbara Bel Geddes

B.  June Lockhart

C.  Barbara Hale

D.  Marjorie Lord

E.  Abby Dalton


6.  In which city did Perry Mason take place?

A.  New York City

B.  San Francisco, California

C.  Boston, Massachusetts

D.  San Diego, California

E.  Los Angeles, California


7.  Who played private investigator Paul Drake

A.  Robert Culp

B.  William Hopper

C.  Peter Graves

D.  James Garner

E.  Brian Keith


8.  What was Detective Paul Drake's pet name for Della Street? (This is your bonus question.  If you answer it correctly, give yourself an extra point.)

A.  Sweet Della

B.  Dandy Della

C.  Beautiful

D.  Strawberry

E.  Indispensable


9.  Were all the episodes of Perry Mason filmed in black and white?

A.  No, they were all filmed in colour.

B.  Yes, they were all filmed in black and white.

C.  Only the final season was filmed in colour.

D.  The final two seasons were filmed in colour.

E.  Only one episode was filmed in colour.


10. Erle Stanley Gardner, author of the Perry Mason novels, appeared in one episode of the TV series as a judge.  What was the significance of that episode?

A.  It was the final episode of the series.

B.  Gardner collapsed and died of a heart attack the day after filming of the episode was completed.


C.  It was the only episode in which Perry Mason lost a case.

D.  It was the beginning of a feud between Gardner and Raymond Burr. 

E.  After that episode, Gardner became severely depressed and moved to Europe.


11.  What is the name of Perry Mason's dramatic theme song?

A.  Courtroom Melody

B.  This is the Law

C.  Park Avenue Beat

D.  Lawyer's Theme

E.  Fifth Avenue Melody


12.  What was the name of the police homicide detective portrayed by Ray Collins?

A.  Lieutenant Harry Craig

B.  Lieutenant David Scott

C.  Lieutenant James Ross

D.  Lieutenant Arthur Tragg

E.  Lieutenant Alfred Saunders



ANSWERS

1.  C
The hapless district attorney was Hamilton Burger.  Burger was portrayed by William Talman.  Talman, a heavy smoker, died of lung cancer on August 30, 1968 at the age of 53.  It is interesting to note that he was the first Hollywood celebrity to film a non-smoking commercial.  Knowing he was dying, Talman made two ads for the American Cancer Society and requested that it not be aired until after his death.  To watch Bill Talman's second anti-smoking commercial, click on the link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmjRkpge-jk

2.  B
Perry Mason premiered on September 21, 1957 on CBS and it ran for nine seasons.  The final episode of the series aired on May 22, 1966.  A total of 271 hour-long episodes of the show were produced.  Only Raymond Burr as Perry and William Hopper as private detective Paul Drake appeared in all 271 episodes.

3.  D
The first episode of the series was entitled "The Case of the Restless Redhead."  In the episode, Perry's client claims she was chased by a hooded man near the same cliff where police had discovered the body of a man who had been shot and whose car had gone over the side of the mountain.  

4.  A

Bette Davis as Constant Doyle

Bette Davis appeared in an episode entitled "The Case of Constant Doyle.  Bette played Constant Doyle, a woman who takes on a case involving a young man who knew her late husband and law partner.  She seeks Perry's advice and guidance in the matter.  "The Case of Constant Doyle" (Season 6, Episode 16) aired on January 31, 1963.

5.  C
Barbara Hale played the role of Della Street, Perry Mason's devoted assistant.  Barbara, who was born on April 18, 1922, recently turned 90 years old.  She appeared in 270 of the 271 episodes of Perry Mason.  Here is some more trivia:  William Katt, who is best known for his starring role in The Greatest American Hero (1981-1983) is the son of Barbara Hale and her late husband, actor Bill Williams.  Williams' real name was Hermann Katt and he died in 1992.

6.  E
Perry Mason was set in Los Angeles, California.  Mason's office was located in the Brent Building, Suite 904.  His phone number was Madison 5-1190 (625-1190).

7.  B
William Hopper played the role of Detective Paul Drake.  Hopper, the son of legendary Hollywood gossip columnist Hedda Hopper, passed away on March 6, 1970 in Palm Springs, California at the age of 55.  While in hospital after suffering a stroke, he developed pneumonia.  He then died of a heart attack.

8.  C

Paul Drake (William Hopper) with Della Street (Barbara Hale)

Paul Drake's pet name for Della Street was "Beautiful."

9.  E
Only one episode of the original Perry Mason was filmed in colour.  It was "The Case of the Twice-Told Twist." (Season 9, Episode 21, Air date: February 27, 1966).  In the episode, strongly influenced by Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist, a gang strips Perry Mason's car (a Lincoln Continental).  This gang of thieves entices a teenager to go along with them.  Oh yes, the leader of the car stripping ring is named "Bill Sikes."  Sound familiar?

10.  A

Gardner in 1966

Erle Stanley Gardner appeared as a judge in the final episode of the series entitled "The Case of the Final Fadeout."  Gardner was a lawyer who gave up his practice to devote himself to writing.  In 1968, after the death of his estranged wife Natalie, he wed his long-time secretary Agnes Bethell upon whom he had based his Della Street character.  He died in California at the age of 80 on March 11, 1970.  Note.  Dick Clark of American Bandstand fame guest-starred as a murder suspect in the "The Case of the Final Fadeout."

11.  C.
The name of the Perry Mason theme song is "Park Avenue Beat." It was written by the late Fred Steiner who died on June 23, 2011.  Steiner also composed the music for The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show and was one of the team of composers for the film The Color Purple.  To listen to the Perry Mason theme song, click on the link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PA9t1nSGXXE

12.  D
The name of the police homicide detective in the series was Lieutenant Arthur Tragg.  Due to illness, Ray Collins, who portrayed Tragg, appeared infrequently after the 1960 season.  Collins died of emphysema on July 11, 1965.  He was 75 years old at the time of his death.

END NOTES

* When asked why Perry Mason always won his cases, Raymond Burr jokingly replied, "But Madam, you see only the cases I try on Saturday."  Yet many people wonder if Mason did indeed win every case in the series.  CNN investigated the matter due to a statement made by Sonia Sotomayor, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.

In 2009, Sotomayor declared that Perry Mason inspired her to seek a career in law.  During her Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearings that year, she told Senator Al Franklin that watching the show made her want to be a prosecutor.  When Franklin remarked that the prosecutor lost all but one case in the series, CNN decided to verify Franklin's statement.  The cable news network discovered that the prosecutor actually won two cases against Mason and that Mason lost in some manor in at least three cases.

Here is what CNN research found:

May the record show that Perry Mason did lose three cases of almost 300 - a record many lawyers would envy, especially since he got one of his losses reversed on appeal.  His losses were "The Case of the Witless Witness," "The Case of the Deadly Verdict" and "The Case of the Terrified Typist." 

In "The Case of the Deadly Verdict," Perry's client, Janice Barton, is convicted of murdering her aunt and is sentenced to death.  It isn't Mason's fault because Barton withheld the evidence needed to win the case.  Perry, however, investigates and discovers the real murderer.

Mason also loses a civil case in "The Case of the Dead Ringer" partly because he is framed for witness tampering.  He and his staff eventually prove his innocence and it is assumed that the verdict of the civil case is overturned or that a mistrial is declared.

* Raymond Burr died in Healdsburg, California on September 12, 1993.  His kidney cancer had spread to his liver.  He was 76 years old.  Burr was born in New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada on May 21, 1917.

*  William Talman was actually fired from the series in 1960 due to a scandal.  The actor was a guest at a private party in Beverly Hills when it was raided by police on March 13, 1960.  A morals charge was laid against him.  Others at the party were charged with lewd conduct and vagrancy.  Talman denied any wrongdoing and the judge dismissed the case against him and the others for lack of evidence.  Nevertheless, there was a morals clause in his contract and CBS dismissed him.  He was later rehired.

*  From 1985 until Raymond Burr's death in 1993, NBC produced a series of Perry Mason television movies.  Burr and Barbara Hale reprised their roles as Perry and Della.  Barbara's son, William Katt played the role of Paul Drake, Jr. since William Hopper, the original Paul Drake, was deceased.

*  In late 1962, Raymond Burr underwent minor surgery.  As a result, there are four consecutive episodes in 1963 in which he only appears briefly.  Several guest attorneys (played by Bette Davis, Walter Pidgeon, Hugh O'Brien and Mike Connors) handle the case at hand.



THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. QUIZ 
TV BANTER QUIZ #12 (Originally posted August 31, 2012) 

By Joanne Madden

Robert Vaughn (left) and David McCallum

The Complete Directory to Prime Network TV Shows: 1946 - Present describes The Man from U.N.C.L.E. as "American television's answer to the very popular James Bond movies."  Despite the Cold War, Robert Vaughn and David McCallum were paired as an American and a Soviet agent who worked together fighting an international crime syndicate.  Test your knowledge of this memorable 1960s spy series by completing the quiz below.


1.  What does the acronym U.N.C.L.E. stand for?

A.  Union of National Crime and Legal Enforcers

B.  Ultimate Network for Crime and Lawbreaking Elimination

C.  United Network Command for Law and Enforcement

D. United Nations Community Law Enforcement

E.  Underground Network for Creative Law Enforcement


2.  What was the name of the international criminal organization that was U.N.C.L.E.'s arch-enemy?

A.  THRUSH

B.  ULTRA

C.  WASP

D.  BRASH

E.  PLAID


3.  In which city was U.N.C.L.E.'s secret American headquarters located?

A.  Washington, D.C.

B.  Los Angeles California

C.  New York City

D.  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

E.  Chicago, Illinois


4.  What was the name of the man who ran U.N.C.L.E., the boss of Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin?

A.  Robert Waterford

B.  James Wilson

C.  Peter Wyatt

D.  Weston Davis

E.  Alexander Waverly


5.  In what year did The Man from U.N.C.L.E. make its debut?

A.  1965

B.  1964

C.  1966

D.  1967

E.  1968


6.  The original title of the series was not The Man from U.N.C.L.E.  What was the show's original title?

A.  Spies

B.  Ian Fleming's Solo

C.  Espionage

D.  Undercover

E. Agent Napoleon


7. How many seasons of the series were broadcast in black and white

A.  Only the first season was aired in black and white.

B.  None.  The entire series was broadcast in colour.

C.  The first two seasons were in black and white.

D.  The first three seasons were in black and white.

E.  The entire series was broadcast in black and white.


8.  What was Napoleon Solo's badge number?

A.  32

B. 16

C.  009

D.  11

E.  8


9.  Who starred in the Man from U.N.C.L.E. spinoff series, The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.?

A,  Lesley Ann Warren

B.  Lee Meriwether

C.  Mary Ann Mobley

D.  Julie Newmar

E.  Stefanie Powers



10.  When The Man from U.N.C.L.E. was cancelled in 1968, which hit series replaced it?

A,  Hawaii Five-0

B.  Rowan & Martn's Laugh-In

C.  The Fugitive

D.  Here Come the Brides

E.  The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour


11.  Napoleon Solo was not originally intended to be an American.  What nationality was Solo originally to have been?

A.  Dutch

B.  English

C.  Canadian

D.  Australian

E.   Irish


12,  The title of almost every episode of The Man from Uncle began with "The . . . . and ended with the same word.  What was that word?

A.  The title of each episode ended with the word "solution"  as in "The Double Agent Solution"  or "The Ultimate Solution."

B. The episode titles ended with the word "conflict" as in "The Vulcan Conflict' or the "The Midnight Conflict."

C.  The episode titles ended with the word "puzzle" as in "The Missing Agent Puzzle" or "The Dangerous Puzzle."

D.  The episode titles ended with the word "affair" as in "The Yellow Scarf Affair" and "The Deadly Games Affair."

E.  The episode titles ended with the word "mystery"  as in the "The Hidden Room Mystery" and the "The Disappearing Spouse Mystery."


13.  Was Illya Kuryakin married?

A.  His marital status was unclear.

B.  No, he was single.

C.  He was divorced.

D.  Yes, he was definitely.

E.  He was a widower.



ANSWERS

1.  C

U.N.C.L.E. stands for the fictional United Network Command for Law and Enforcement.  The co-creator of the series, Sam Rolfe, wanted to leave the meaning of acronym unclear so it could be thought to represent the United Nations or Uncle Sam.  There were concerns, however, that the acronym would violate New York law prohibiting the use of the initials U.N. for commercial reasons.  Therefore, the producers of The Man from U.N.C.L.E. made it clear that the acronym stood for United Network Command for Law and Enforcement. Unlike nationalist organizations such as the CIA and James Bond's MI6, U.N.C.L.E. is an international crime fighting organization with agents from every nationality and from all over the world.

2.  A

THRUSH was U.N.C.L.E.'s arch-enemy.  The series never revealed what the acronym THRUSH stood for, but in several U.N.C.L.E. novels written by David McDaniel, it stood for Technological Hierarchy for the Removal of Undesirables and the Subjugation of Humanity.  THRUSH''s goal was nothing less than world domination.  In an episode titled "The Green Opal Affair," Napoleon Solo stated that THRUSH's aim was to conquer the world.


3.  C

U.N.C.L.E.'s secret headquarters was located in New York City behind a false wall in Del Floria's Tailor Shop, near the East River and the United Nations complex


4.  E.

Leo G. Carroll

Alexander Waverly was the head of the U.N.C.L.E. organization.  Leo G. Carroll portrayed Mr. Waverly.  Aside from his role as Mr. Waverly, British-born Leo was best known for his performances in Alfred Hitchcock films and the fantasy movie Topper and the American television series of the same name.  Topper, the TV series ran from 1953 until 1955 on the CBS network.


5.  B

The Man from U.N.C.L,E. first aired on September 22, 1964 on  the NBC television network.  The series ended in 1968 and 105 episodes were produced.  It was cancelled midway through its fourth season.


6. B

The Man from U.N.C.L.E. was originally called  Ian Fleming's Solo and then just Solo.  The title was changed, however, because a new James Bond film, Goldfinger, was released in 1964, with a gangster character named Mr. Solo.  In fact, Eon Productions, the producer of the James Bond film series. launched a lawsuit to prevent production of The Man from U.N.C.L.E..  As a consultant for the series, Bond creator Ian Fleming had contributed some ideas for The Man from U.N.C.L.E., including the name of its hero, Napoleon Solo.  Although the Solo character was billed as a television version of James Bond, Ian Fleming signed an affidavit declaring that nothing in the Solo pilot encroached on any of his Bond characters.  The continued threat of legal action, nevertheless, necessitated a change in the title of the series.  The name "Napoleon Solo" was maintained despite the lawsuit.


7. A

Only the first season was broadcast in black and white. The pilot episode, "The Vulcan Affair," however, was shot in colour.  It was filmed from late November to early December 1963 on location at a Lever Brothers soap factory in California.


8.  D

Napoleon Solo's original badge number was II (Roman numerals), signifying that he was the head of section II.  When filming in colour began at the start of the  show's second season, however, the number on the new coloured badge was written in Arabic numerals as number 11.  The error was never corrected and Solo's badge number remained 11 for the remainder of the run of the series.


9.  E

Stephanie Powers starred as April Dancer in The Girl from U.N.C.L.E., a short-lived series that aired on NBC from September of 1966 until August of 1967.  In addition to his role on The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Leo G. Carroll also appeared as Mr. Waverly on The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.  Noel Harrison portrayed Mark Slate, a British spy from U.N.C.L.E.'s London office, who teamed with April Dancer in the never-ending battle against THRUSH.  Powers went on to star in the hit series Hart to Hart  with Robert Wagner.
Note: The "girl" (April Dancer) was first introduced in an episode of The Man from U.N.C.L.E. entitled "The Moonglow Affair" that aired on February 26, 1966.  Mary Ann Mobley played the role of April Dancer in that episode. The Mark Slate character was originally played by the late Norman Fell who was best known for his role as Mr. Roper on Three's Company and The Ropers.

10.  B

The Man from U.N.C.L.E. was replaced by Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In.


11. C

The Napoleon Solo character was originally planned to have been a Canadian.  The producers decided that it would be preferable to make him an American.


12.  D.

All the titles of the episodes ended with the word "affair."  The only one that did not begin with "The . . Affair was a two-part 1965 episode entitled "Alexander the Greater Affair."

13. A

Illya Kuryakin's marital status was unclear.  In most episodes filmed before mid-1966, he wears a wedding band.  In an episode entitled "The Bow-Wow Affair," (Season One, Episode 20) he is asked directly whether he is married.  He responds enigmatically by paraphrasing the opening line from Andrew Marvell's poem To His Coy Mistress.   "Had I but world enough, and time".is his reply.


END NOTES

* Robert Vaughn is best known for his role as the debonair spy Napoleon Solo.  Born in New York City on November 22, 1939, Vaughn is 79 years old.

* Scottish actor David McCallum played the mysterious Russian spy Illya Kuryakin.  McCallum, now 78 years old, remains active and currently portrays NCIS Medical Examiner, Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard on NCIS.

* Leo G. Carroll died in Hollywood, California on October 16, 1972 at the age of 79.

In 1983, Robert Vaughn and David McCallum reprised their roles in a television film entitled The Return of the Man from U.N.C.L.E.: The Fifteen Years Later Affair.  The Mr. Waverley character was not recast after the death of :Leo G. Carroll.

* U.N.C.L.E. agents used many gadgets including small cell phones, years before they were commonly used in the real world.

* Although U.N.C.L.E. is a fictional organization, there was a bogus disclaimer after every episode stating, "We wish to thank the United Network Command for Law and Enforcement, without whose assistance this program would not be possible."  There were so many requests that MGM-TV was obliged to send out U.N.C.L.E. membership cards to letter writers.  Talk about blurring the line between reality and fiction!

To watch a video of a Man From U.N.C.L.E. trailer, click on the link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQyJnAs7BlU



THE MUNSTERS QUIZ
TV BANTER QUIZ #13 (Originally posted October 30, 2012)

By Joanne Madden

TV BANTER QUIZ # 13

It's Halloween and what could be more appropriate than a quiz about The Munsters, a television series about a family of benign monsters?  How much do you know about this cult hit?  Test your knowledge by answering the 13 questions below.


1.  What was the name of Eddie Munsters' fire-breathing pet dinosaur?

A.  Fido

B.  Rover

C.  Drake

D. Spot

E.  Fluff



2.  Identify this character from The Munsters.

A.  Uncle Gilbert

B.  Cousin Drake

C.  Larry Lizard

D   Uncle Ralph

E.  Cousin Leonard



3.  For how many seasons did The Munsters run?

A.  Four

B.  Three

C.  Two

D.  Five

E.  Six




4.  What was Marilyn Munster's relationship to Herman and Lily Munster.

A.  She was the biological daughter of Herman and Lily Munster.

B.  She was their niece, the daughter of Lily's sister.

C.  Marilyn was an orphan and Lily and Herman adopted her.

D. She was the daughter of Herman's cousin, Boris.

E.  She was the daughter of a friend of the family.  Herman and Lily provided a home for her after her parents died in a car accident.



5.  What was Eddie Munster's full name?

Butch Patrick as Eddie Munster

A.  Edward Fang Munster

B.  Edgar Igor Munster

C.  Edwin Karloff Munster

D.  Edgar Hyde Munster

E.  Edward Wolfgang Munster.



6.  Where did the Munster's pet raven, Charlie, live?

A.  Charlie lived in a cage in the Munsters' kitchen.

B.  Charlie lived in the Munsters' cuckoo clock.

C.  Charlie was always perched in the Munsters' living room.

D.  Charlie lived in the Munsters' attic.

E.  Charlie lived in the Munsters' garage.



7.  There were two musical instruments in the Munsters' living room.  What were they?

A.  An accordion and a bongo drum

B.  A piano and a banjo

C.  An organ and a harp

D.  A saxophone and a guitar

E.  A xylophone and a harmonica



8.  Where did Herman Munster do for a living?

Fred Gwynne as Herman Munster

A.  He worked at a funeral home.

B.  He was employed as a grave digger.

C.  He worked at a morgue.

D.  He designed gravestones.

E.  He was a tombstone engraver.



9.  What was the name of Herman's boss?

A.  Mr. Garvey

B.  Mr.  Graves

C.  Mr. Ghostly

D.  Mr.  Gateman

E.  Mr. Greene



10.  Which legendary major league baseball manager appeared in a 1965 episode of The Munsters entitled "Herman the Rookie?"

A. Tommy Lasorda

B.  Leo Durocher

C.  Casey Stengel

D.  Sparky Anderson

E.  Yogi Berra



11.  What was the Munsters' address?

A.  13 Ghost Road

B.  1313 Grimly Crescent

C.  13 Thunder Lane

D.  13 Creepy Crescent

E.  1313 Mockingbird Lane



12.  Lily Munster wore a certain kind of jewellery.  What was it?

A.  It was a necklace shaped like a bat.

B.  I was a skull ring and it was her wedding ring.

C.  It was a a black brooch with her initials, "LM."

D.  A bracelet of skeleton bones.

E.  A Number 13 pendant.



13.  What was the name of the actor who portrayed Grandpa Munster?

Grandpa Munster

A.  Jackie Coogan

B.  Albert Crane

C.  Al Lewis

D.  John Meister

E.  Alexander Crane



ANSWERS

1.  D

Spot

The name of Eddie Munsters' fire-breathing pet dinosaur was Spot.  Spot, a T-Rex, lived under a staircase in the Munster home.  Fred Gwynne (Herman Munster) and Al Lewis (Grandpa Munster) concocted Spot by modelling him after the Tyranosaurus Rex  from the film One Million B.C.


2.  A

This character with the hat and scarf is Uncle Gilbert.  Uncle Gilbert, portrayed by Richard Hale, was a favourite relative on the Munster side of the family.  He resembled Gill-man from the film The Creature from the Black Lagoon


3.  C

The Munsters was not a long-running series.  It ran for only two seasons on CBS, from 1964 until 1966.  It was also broadcast weekly on BBC One in the United Kingdom.  70 episodes of the series were produced, all in black and white.  The first version of the pilot episode, "My Fair Munster," was filmed in colour, but was never aired.  A second version of the pilot also never aired, but the pilot story became the second episode of the first season.  It aired on October 1, 1964 and was entitled "My Fair Munster."  The plot involved Grandpa Munster's concern over Marilyn's inability to keep boyfriends.  In an effort to help her, he concocts a love potion and puts it in her oatmeal.  Someone else, of course, ends up eating the oatmeal.

Ratings for The Munsters plunged after Batman, starring Adam West,  premiered on the ABC network in January of 1966.  Batman was new and fresh and it was in full colour.  After its cancellation, The Munsters went into syndication and became a cult hit.

A full length Munster film, entitled Munster Go Home!, was released in 1966.  The plot revolved around Herman's discovery that he was the new lord of Munster Hall in England.  On October 26, 2012,  NBC broadcasted a modern version of The Munsters called Mockingbird Lane.as a Halloween special.  The network has the option of developing it into a full series.


4.  B

Beverley Owen as Marilyn Munster in 1964

Marilyn Munster was the nice of Lilly and Herman Munster, the daughter of Lily's sister.  Beverley Owen, who originated the role of Marilyn, left the show in late 1964 after only appearing in the first 13 episodes.  She left to marry her then-boyfriend. writer/producer/director Jon Stone who was living in New York.  They had two daughters, Polly and Kate, but divorced in 1974 after a decade together.  Stone directed Sesame Street form 1969 until 1994.  He died in New York of ALS on March 13, 1997.  As  for Owen, beginning in 1971, she had a two-year stint on the daytime drama Another World as Dr. Paula McCrea after which she left television to concentrate on live theatre.  She is now 75 years old.

After Beverley Owen's departure, Pat Priest assumed the role of Marilyn  for the remainder of the series.  Pat Priest, whose full name is Patricia Ann Priest, was born and raised in Bountiful, Utah.  she was born on August 15, 1936 and is now 76 years old.  Her mother, Ivy Baker Priest, was the United States Treasurer from 1953 to 1961.

Marilyn Munster, a beautiful young blonde, was the only member of the family who didn't have a ghoulish appearance.  The rest of the family considered her unattractive and she considered herself homely.  Potential boyfriends were frightened away by her family.  Although Marilyn was the daughter of Lilly's sister, she took on the name "Munster."


5.  E

Eddie and Wolf-Wolf doll

Eddie Munster's full name was Edward Wolfgang Munster. He resembled a werewolf and had a little werewolf doll called Wolf-Wolf.  Eddie was portrayed by former child actor Butch Patrick.  Born Patrick Alan Lilley in Los Angeles on August 2, 1953, he is now 59 years old.  In November of 2010, it was reported that Butch Patrick had entered a drug rehabilitation facility in New Jersey.  In 2011, he was diagnosed with prostrate cancer.


6.  B

Charlie the raven in cuckoo clock

The Munsters' pet raven, Charlie, lived in a cuckoo clock.  Charlie favourite expression was, "Never more"  as in the famous poem The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe.  He had a habit of making sarcastic comments whenever one of the Munsters acted foolishly.  It is interesting to note that famed voice actor Mel Blanc (and
occasionally actor Bob Hastings) voiced Charlie.

7.  C

The two musical instruments in the Munsters' living room were an organ and a harp.  Herman played the organ in several episodes and Lily played the harp.


8.  A

Herman Munster was employed in a menial capacity at the funeral home.of Gateman, Goodbury & Graves but he was always searching for a better job.  Fred Gwynne, who portrayed, Herman, is also remembered for his role as Officer Francis Muldoon in Car 54, Where Are You? which ran from 1961 to 1963.  Gwynne had a baritone voice and he was 6 ft., 5 in.(1.96 m) tall.  Despite his height, he still wore elevator shoes when he played Herman Munster,  Fred Gwynne died of pancreatic cancer on July 2, 1993 at the age of 66.  He was survived by his second wife, Deborah Flater, whom he married in 1988, and his children from his first marriage to Jean "Foxy" Reynard.


9.  D

The name of Herman's boss at the funeral home was Mr. Gateman, whose first name was never given.  Although the name Gateman, Goodbury & Graves indicates three owners, Gateman appeared to be the sole proprietor of the company and he was never shocked by Herman's Frankenstein-like appearance.  John Carradine played the role of Mr. Gateman.


10.  B

Leo Durocher appeared as himself in "Herman the Rookie" (Season One, Episode 29, Air Date: April 8, 1965).  In the episode, Herman Munster hits a baseball with such force that it hits Durocher, manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, on the head from about seven blocks away.  Leo is so impressed by Herman's hitting power that he tracks him down and signs him up with the team.


11.  E

The Munsters lived in a spooky mansion at 1313 Mockingbird Lane in the town of Mockingbird Heights.  The location of Mockingbird Heights was never specified.


12.  A.

Lily Munster always wore a necklace shaped like a bat.  Canadian-born actress Yvonne De Carlo (a native of Vancouver, British Columbia) portrayed Lily Munster. De Carlo's long film career included roles in Criss Cross (1949) and The Ten Commandments (1956)  She married stuntman Robert Morgan in 1955 and
they had two sons, Bruce (born 1956) and Michael (born 1957, died 1997).  The marriage ended in divorce in 1974.  Yvonne De Carlo died of natural causes on January 8, 2007. in Woodland Hills, California.  She was 84 years old.


13.  C

Al Lewis portrayed Grandpa Munster, a vampire-like mad scientist.  Al was born in New York and his  birthdate is thought to be April 30, 1923.  From 1961 to 1963, Lewis was Fred Gwynne's castmate on Car 54, Where Are You?"  He played Officer Leo Schnauser on the show.

Al was married twice.  He wed Marge Domowitz in 1956 and they had three sons, Dave, Ted and Paul.  Al and Marge divorced in 1977.  In 1984, he married actress Karen Imgenthron and they remained together until Al's death.

From 1987 to 1993, Al Lewis operated an Italian restaurant in Greenich Village called Grampa's Bella Gente.  He died in a New York hospital of natural causes on February 3, 2006.  At the time of his death, he was a resident of Roosevelt Island, a narrow island in New York's East River.

Note: Grandpa Munster was Lily's father, although he was referred to as a Munster.



HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS! QUIZ
TV BANTER QUIZ #14 (Originally posted December 24, 2012)

By Joanne Madden

With all due respect to Jim Carrey, I much prefer the animated television version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas!.  Dr. Seuss' story is better suited to television than a full length feature film.  How can you improve on the words of Theodore Geisel (also known as Dr. Seuss) and the animation of the great Chuck Jones of Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies fame?   They just can't be beat.  If you are an ardent fan of this wonderful seasonal special, as I am, try TV Banter's How the Grinch Stole Christmas TV special quiz below.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas! TV Special Quiz


1.  In what year was How the Grinch Stole Christmas! originally shown on television?

A. 1967

B. 1965

C. 1963

D. 1966

E.  1964



2,  Who provided the voice of the Grinch and narrated the story?

A,  James Earl Jones

B.  Vincent Price

C.  Boris Karloff

D.  Allastair Sim

E.  Albert Finney



3.  What is the name of the Grinch's dog?

A.  Max

B.  Mort

C.  Milt

D.  Myron

E.  Mack




4.  The Grinch lives in a cave above a fictional mountain atop Who-ville.  What is the name of the fictional mountain where the Grinch resides?

A.  Mount Rumple

B.  Mount Whoople

C.  Mount Crumble

D.  Mount Rumble

E.  Mount Crumpit



5.  What was the name of the little 2-year-old Who child who caught the Grinch stealing the Christmas items?

A.   Jenny Lou Who

B.  Maggie Sue Who

C.  Cindy Lou Who

D.  Mary Lou Who

E. Emma Sue Who



6. What song did the Who Village Choir sing?

A.  Silver Bells

B. Christmastime

C.  The Bells of Christmas

D.  Welcome Christmas

E.  Christmas Morn

7.  How small is the Grinch's heart at the beginning of the story?

A.  Four sizes too small

B.  Two sizes too small

C.  Three sizes too small

D.  As small as an an ant

E.  Barely visible

8.  How is the Grinch's heart described at the end of the story?

A.  The Grinch's heart grew three sizes on Christmas Day.

B.  The Grinch's heart increased five-fold that day.

C.  The Grinch's heart became as large as a lion's that day.

D.  The Grinch's heart grew two sizes that day.

E.  The Grinch's heart kept on growing that day.

9.  In what year was the Dr. Seuss classic, How the Grinch Stole Christmas! published?

A.  1952

B.  1954

C.  1955

D.  1951

E.  1957

10.  What did the Grinch dislike the most about Christmas?

A.  The ornaments on the Christmas trees.

B.  The laughing of the children

C.  The singing of the Whos down in Who-ville

D.  The children's toys.

E.  The Christmas stockings.

ANSWERS

1.  D

How the Grinch Stole Christmas! first aired on December 18, 1966 on the CBS network.


2.  C

Boris Karloff

British horror film star, Boris Karloff, provided the voice of the Grinch.  Karloff, whose real name was William Henry Pratt, died on February 2, 1969 after contracting peneumonia.  He was 81 years old at the time of his death.  Karloff won a Grammy Award for his recording of How the Grinch Stole Christmas!.


3.  A

The name of the Grinch's dog is Max.  Max is a dachshund mix.  The poor dog remains loyal to his dastardly owner and reluctantly becomes the Green One's partner in crime.  The Grinch humiliates Max by forcing him to wear false antlers and to pull an overloaded sleigh.  Yet Max never rebels.


4.  E

The Grinch lives atop Mount Crumpit., a mountain just north of Who-ville.  He's a strange, slimey, green creature.  He is part human and part animal.



5.  C

Cindy Lou Who

The 2-year-old girl is Cindy Lou Who.  Veteran voice artist June Foray provided the voice of Cindy Lou Who. Foray, now 95 years old, was also the voice behind Rocky the Flying Squirrel and Natasha Fatale (from Rocky and His Friends and Bulwinkle cartoons) and Jokey Smurf (from The Smurfs), among others.


6.  D

The Who Choir sings "Welcome Christmas."  To watch a video of the Whos singing "Welcome Christmas," click on the link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzZ_YlYNINI

7.  B

At the beginning of the story, the Grinch's heart is two sizes too small.

8.  A.

The Grinch's heart grows three sizes on Christmas Day.

9.  E

How the Grinch Stole Christmas! was published as a book in 1957 by Random House.

10.  C

At Christmas, The Grinch disliked the singing of the Whos down in Who-ville most of all.

END NOTE

The performance of the song "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" is often falsely attributed to Boris Karloff.  It was actually sung by American voice actor Thurl Ravenscroft who was uncredited for his work on How the Grinch Stole Christmas!.  By the way, Ravenscroft was the voice of Tony the Tiger in all those "Thery're grrreat!" Frosted Flakes commercials.  He died in 2005.

NCIS QUIZ
TV BANTER QUIZ #15 (Originally posted February 22, 2013)

By Joanne Madden

Here is TV Banter's 10-question NCIS quiz.  Get ready to test your knowledge of this hit series which premiered on September 23, 2003 and is currently in its 10th season.  Good luck!  

NCIS Quiz

1.  What do the initials NCIS stand for?

A.  Naval Crime Intelligence Survey

B. Naval Criminal Investigative Service

C.  Navy Central Intelligence System

D.  Naval Crisis Investigative Surveillance

E.  Navy Central Investigation Services



2.  NCIS is a spin-off from which television series?

A.  Criminal Minds

B.  CSI

C.  JAG

D.  CSI: Miami

E.  CSI: N.Y.



3.  Since 2003, Scottish-born actor David McCallum (of Man From U.N.C.L,E. fame) has played the role of Dr. "Ducky" Mallard,  NCIS Medical Examiner.  What is Ducky's real first name?

David McCallum as "Ducky"

A.  Ronald

B.  David

C.  Desmond

D.  Drake

E.  Donald



4.  Which well-known comedian appeared in an episode of NCIS entitled "Recruited.?"

A.  Bob Newhart

B.  Stephen Colbert

C.  Jerry Lewis

D.  Bill Cosby

E.  John Goodman



5.  Where did Mark Harmon's character, Leroy Jethro Gibbs, grow up?

'

A.  Gibbs was born and raised in Santa Monica, California..

B.  Gibbs is from Washington, D.C.

C.  Gibbs grew up in San Francisco, California.

D.  Gibbs was raised in rural Pennsylvania.

E.  He is from a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio



6.  What does Leroy Jethro Gibbs' father, Jackson, do for a living?  (This is your bonus question.  Give yourself an extra point if you answer it correctly.)


A.  Jackson Gibbs is a carpenter.

B.  Gibbs' father runs the Stillwater General Store.

C.  The elder Gibbs is a country doctor.

D.  He owns and operates the Stillwater Diner.

E.  He is a fisherman.



7.  Who played the role of Gibbs' dad in the 2008 episode entitled "Heartland?"

A.  Ralph Waite

B.  George Kennedy

C.  James Garner

D.  Eli Wallach

E.  Ned Beatty



8. To date,  how many times has Supervisory Special Agent Leroy Jed Gibbs been married?

A.  He has been married three times.

B.   He is a life-long bachelor.

C.  He has been married once and is divorced.

D.  He has been married twice.

E.  He has been married four times.



9.  What is Agent Anthony "Tony" DiNozzo's nickname?

A.  Agent Spaghetti

B.  Agent Meatball

C.  Agent Pasta Sauce

D.  Fettuccine Alfredo

E.  Agent Garlic Bread



10.  Richard Schiff, who plays Harper Dearing,and Sheila Kelley, who plays his ex-wife,Victoria Dearing, are . . .

A.  . . . brother and sister in real life.

B.  . . . are also divorced in real life.

C.  . . . are married in real life.

D.  . . . are dating in real life.

E.  . . . used to be business partners in real life.



ANSWERS

1.  B

The initials NCIS stand for Naval Criminal Investigative Service.  The series is centred around a team of special agents who conduct criminal investigations pertaining to the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps.


2.  C

NCIS is a spin-off from two season eight episodes of JAG entitled "Ice Queen" and "Meltdown."


3.  E.

Dr. Donald Ducky Mallard is the NCIS Medical Examiner.


4.  A

Bob Newhart

Comedian Bob Newhart appeared in a 2011 episode of NCIS entitled "Recruited." (Season 8, Episode 12, Air Date: January 18, 2011).  Newhart played Dr. Walter Magnus, Ducky's predecessor, who visits unexpectedly and suffers from Alzheimer's Disease.


5.  D

It was revealed in the episode entitled "Heartland" (Season 6, Episode 4, Air Date: October 14, 2008) that Leroy Jethro Gibbs was raised in rural Pennsylvania.  He is from Stillwater, a borough in Columbia County, Pennsylvania.


6.  B.

Jackson Gibbs, a former coal miner, runs the Stillwater General Store.


7.  A

Ralph Waite, best known for his role as patriarch John Walton on The Waltons, played Jackson Gibbs in the  "Heartland" episode.


8.  E

To date, Special Agent Gibbs has been married four times - widowed once and divorced three times.


9.  B

Michael Weatherly as Tony DiNozzo

Senior Special Agent Tony DiNozzo's nickname is Agent Meatball.  The role of DiNozzo is played by Michael Weatherly.  He was called Agent Meatball by Mossad Michael Rivkin, portrayed by Merik Tadros.


10.  C

Richard Schiff and Sheila Kelly

Richard Schiff and Sheila Kelley were married in 1996.  They have two children, a son named Gus and a daughter, Ruby.


END NOTE

On February 1, 2013, CBS renewed NCIS for an 11th season and announced a contract extension for the show's star and executive produce, Mark Harmon.  Leslie Moonves, President and Chief Executive Officer of CBS said, "In a world gone niche, NCIS keeps getting better, and Mark Harmon continues to define the  role of leading man on the #1 show on television."  According to the February 1st press release on the CBS website, "NCIS continues to hit ratings milestones.  This season, for the first time ever, it ranks as (American) television's #1 program (ahead of Sunday Night Football)."



SEINFELD QUIZ
TV BANTER QUIZ #16 (Originally posted April 29, 2013)

By Joanne Madden

Hey Seinfeld fans, TV Banter presents a 12-question quiz just for you.  If you think you have a great deal of knowledge  about Jerry and the gang, test yourself and see how you do.  Find out how much do you know about the show about nothing?  Okay, let's go . . .

Seinfeld Quiz

1.  What was the title of the pilot episode of Seinfeld?

A.  Seinfeld and Friends

B.  The Jerry Seinfeld Show

C.  The Seinfeld Chronicles

D.  Seinfeld and Company

E.  The Seinfeld Follies



2.  How many seasons was Seinfeld on the air?

A,  Seven seasons

B.  Eight seasons

C.  Six seasons

D.  Nine seasons

E.  Ten seasons



3.  Which Seinfeld star is an accomplished magician?

A.  Michael Richards

B.  Jason Alexander

C.  Jerry Seinfeld

D. Julia Louis-Dreyfus

E.  Wayne Knight



4.  What was Newman's first name?

A.  Joe

B.  Glen

C.  Fred

D.  Chuck

E.  It was never mentioned.



5.  George's father, Frank Costanza, served in the Korean War.  What did he do during the war?

A.  Frank Costanza was an ambulance driver during the Korean War.

B.  He was a dentist for the soldiers.

C.  Frank was an Army chaplain.

D.  He spent most of his time as an Army cook.

E.  He worked in communications



6. What movie were Jerry and his friends on their way to see when they stopped at a Chinese restaurant in the classic episode of the series entitled "The Chinese Restaurant?" (Season 2, Episode 11, Air Date: May 23, 1991).  Note: This is your bonus question.  If you answer it correctly, give yourself an extra point.

Elaine, Jerry and George in Chinese restaurant episode

A.   JFK

B.  Plan 9 from Outer Space

C.  Bull Durham

D.  The Silence of the Lambs

E.  Cape Fear



7.  Which former New York Yankee star appeared in a 1995 Seinfeld episode?

A.  Paul O'Neill

B.  Yogi Berra

C.  Whitey Ford

D.  Mickey Mantle

E.  Don Mattingly



8.  What was the name of the fictional coffee shop where Jerry Seinfeld and his friends hung out?

A.  Monk's Cafe

B.  Manhattan Diner

C.  Midtown Cafe

D.  The Empire

E.  New York Java



9.  Whom was the character of Cosmo Kramer based on?

A.  An old high school friend of Jerry Seinfeld

B.  Jerry Seinfeld's cousin, Nathan Kramer

C.  Kenny Kramer - a former neighbour of the show's co-creator, Larry David

D.  Ron Kramer - an ex-boyfriend of Julia Louis-Dreyfus

E.  Jack Kramer - Jason Alexander's brother-in-law



10.  During the seventh season of Seinfeld, George Costanza became engaged after an impulsive proposal to an ex-girlfriend, Susan RossAs the wedding drew closer, George got cold feet and tried to get out of it.  As it turned out, his fiancee died.  How did Susan die?

A.   Susan died in a car accident on the way to the wedding.

B.  Susan died in a fire.

C.  She fell down the stairs after arguing with George.

D.  She died after licking toxic envelope adhesive from the cheap wedding invitations George had purchased.

E.  She was shot by muggers after trying to prevent them from stealing George's wallet.



11  Which of the following Friends stars appeared on Seinfeld?

A.  Jennifer Anniston

B.  David Schwimmer

C.  Courtney Cox

D.  Matt LeBlanc

E.   Matthew Perry



12.  In the well known "Soup Nazi" episode, what was Elaine's punishment for not following the Soup Nazi's instructions?

A.  Elaine was banned from the "Soup Nazi's" soup stand for one year.

B.  The "Soup Nazi" announced that he would never serve her her favourite soup (clam chowder) again.

C.  Elaine was no longer allowed to have crackers with her soup.

D.  She had to apologize to the other customers before the "Soup Nazi" would serve her.

E.  The "Soup Nazi" refused to serve her and she was sent to the back of the line.



ANSWERS

1.  C

The pilot episode of the show was titled "The Seinfeld Chronicles," (also called "Good News, Bad News" for syndication).  It originally aired on July 5, 1989 and was rebroadcast on June 28, 1990 after it had been approved as a series.  It's interesting to note that in the pilot episode, the Kramer character was referred to as "Kessler."  The inconsistency was dealt with, however, in a Season 9 episode entitled "The Betrayal."  Trivia Note: Julia Lous-Dreyfus did not appear as Elaine Benes in the pilot episode.


2.  D

Seinfeld ran on the NBC network for nine seasons, from 1990 to 1998.  172 episodes of the series were produced.


3.  B

Jason Alexander, who portrayed George Costanza on the show, is an accomplished magician.  So why did he switch to acting.  As Jason told Noah B. Pisner of the The Harvard Crimson this year, "I wanted to be a close-up magician, and I studied with a man who was profoundly good. He assessed me, though, and said, “You’re going to have a lot of trouble being a close up magician.” Whenever I try to palm a standard playing card you can always see a corner peeking out from one side or the other...I also have short stubby fingers, too, and you need long ones for coin manipulation. The observation was: this is not going to work for you."  He eventually went into theatre which he described as "just a different kind of magic trick."

Jason Alexander was selected as the 2006 Magic Castle "Parlour Magician of the Year."  By the way, parlour magic differs from close-up magic in that is done for much larger audiences.


4.  E

Newman's first name was never mentioned on the show.  It was established in an episode entitled "The Ticket" (Season 4, Episode 4, Air Date: September 16, 1992) that Newman was always addressed by his last name, as was Kramer.  Unlike Kramer, whose first name was Cosmo, Newman's given name was never revealed.

A secondary character on Seinfeld, Newman, a postal worker, was portrayed by Wayne Knight in 45 episodes of the sitcom.  His apartment was on the same floor as Jerry's and he was definitely a villain.  Knight once described him as "pure evil" as did Jerry's character in an episode entitled "The Big Salad." (Season 6, Episode 2, Air Date: September 29, 1994).


5.  D

During the Korean War, Frank Costanza served as an Army cook with the "Fighting 103rd."  The character of Frank Costanza was portrayed by two actors.  The original Frank was played by John Randolph.  Radolf was replaced by Ben Stiller.

John Randolph as Frank Costanza

Ben Stiller as Frank Costanza

6.  B

Seinfeld and friends were on their way to see Plan 9 from Outer Space.  Jerry had turned down dinner with his uncle to see the film because as he explained to Elaine, "Plan 9 from Outer Space, one night only, the big screen.  My hands are tied!"

Notes: "The Chinese Restaurant," written by Jerry Seinfeld and co-creator Larry David, was the first episode in which Michael Richards did not appear as Cosmo Kramer.  NBC executives were not pleased with the script and were disappointed with what they perceived as the  lack of a concrete storyline.  They were reluctant to produce the episode as they didn't think viewers would find it interesting.  When Larry David threatened to quit the network, the NBC brass finally gave the go-ahead.


7.  A

Former New York Yankee right fielder Paul O'Neill appeared in a 1995 Seinfeld episode entitled "The Wink." (Season 7, Episode 4, Air Date: October 12, 1995.  In the episode, Kramer promised an ill boy that O'Neill would hit two home runs for him.


8.  A

Seinfeld and his friends often ate at the fictional Monk's Cafe.  On the series, the exterior of a real New York City restaurant called Tom's Restaurant (West 112th St. and Broadway), was used as a stand-in for Monks.  Tom's Restaurant, known for its neon sign, is located near Columbia University and is the place that inspired Suzanne Vega's 1987 song "Tom's Diner."


9.  C

Kenny Kramer

The character of Cosmo Kramer was inspired by Kenny Kramer, a former neighbour of Seinfeld co-creator Larry David.  In 1977, Kenny moved into a New York apartment popular with artists in Hell's Kitchen.  The apartment, located at 43rd St. and 10th Ave., was also the home of Larry David.  Kenny Kramer and David lived nest door to each other for six years.

Kenny Kramer cashed in on his association with Seinfeld.  He organized an officially-recognized tour (the Kramer Reality Tour) of the real-life New York locations featured on the wildly popular sitcom.  He also ran for mayor of New York City.  Note: The restaurant pictured in the above photo of Kenny Kramer is Tom's Restaurant.


10.  D

Susan Ross, played by Heidi Swedberg. died after licking toxic glue on the cheap wedding invitations George had purchased.  Susan's death occurred in an episode entitled "The Invitations" which aired on May 16, 1996.  The Seinfeld gang's indifference to Susan's death created some controversy and offended some viewers.


11.  C

Courtney Cox appeared in a 1994 episode of Seinfeld entitled "The Wife." (Season 5, Episode 17, Air Date: March 17, 1994).  In the episode, Courtney played Meryl, Jerry's new girlfriend.  Meryl claimed to be Jerry's wife in order to receive a discount that he had been awarded at the local cleaners.

Scenes of Courtney Cox on Seinfeld

12.  A

Elaine was banned from the "Soup Nazi's" soup stand for one year because she was indecisive and did not follow his rules.  She was also flippant with him and told him he looked like Al Pacino in Scent of a Woman. The Soup Nazi's response was " “No soup for you! Come back one year!”

"The Soup Nazi" episode was originally broadcast broadcast on November 2, 1995 during Seinfeld's seventh season.  American actor Larry Thomas portrayed the "Soup Nazi" and was nominated for a 1996 Emmy Award for the role.  The restaurant Soup Kitchen International (at 259-A West 55th St. (between Broadway and 8th Avenue in Midtown Manhattan) was the inspiration for this Seinfeld episode.  The Soup KItchen International closed down in 2004 but reopened as part of a restaurant chain called the Original Soup Man.

Larry Thomas was in the news recently because he was upset that a gun manufacturer, Serbu Arms, had used his image in a T-shirt and Facebook campaign opposing New York State's gun laws.  Thomas was incensed when he saw his image and the slogan "No Serbu for You!" being used to promote Serbu's campaign against the ban on the sale of defined assault rifles in the state of New York.

Larry Thomas as the "Soup Nazi"

Below is s 2008 photo of the Soup Kitchen International after it had closed down.

                                           Attribution: Americasroof at en.wikipedia






MY THREE SONS QUIZ 
TV BANTER QUIZ #17 (Originally posted August 30, 2013)

By Joanne Madden

I've just started watching a DVD of the first season of My Three Sons starring Fred MacMurray as widowed patriarch Steve Douglas.  The long-running series was broadcast on ABC from 1960 to 1965 and on CBS from 1965 until 1972.  The show ran for 12 seasons and more than 360 episodes were produced. Why don't you test your knowledge of this series about the Douglas family.  Get ready and good luck!


My Three Sons Quiz and Trivia

Note:  Above is a photo of the original cast of My Three Sons (Clockwise from left: William Frawley as Michael Francis "Bub" O'Casey, Tim Considine as Mike Douglas, Fred MacMurray as Steve Douglas, Don Grady as Robbie Douglas and Stanley Livingston as Chip Douglas.


1. The eldest of the Douglas sons was Mike, played by Tim Considine. When Considine left the show, his character married a woman named Sally Anne Morrison and the couple moved away.  Who played Sally?

A.  Sally Field

B.  Karen Valentine

C.  Sally Struthers

D. Meredith Baxter

E.  Meredith MacRae

2.  What was Chip Douglas' real first name?

A.  Clifford

B.  Richard

C.  Charles

D.  Steven Douglas, Jr.

E.  Chester



3.  Why did My Three Sons move from the ABC network to CBS for the 1965-66 season?

A.  Its ratings had dropped on ABC.

B.  Fred MacMurray had some disagreements with ABC over the scripts.

C.  ABC refused to spend the money needed to produce the show in colour.

D. ABC was tired of the series and wanted to replace it with a fresher and newer show.

E.  ABC decided to move the show to a time slot that was less desirable to MacMurray and the other stars of the show.



4.  What did Fred MacMurray's character, Steve Douglas, do for a living?

A.  Steve Douglas was a lawyer.

B.  He was an aeronautical engineer.

C.  He was an architect.

D.  He was employed as an accountant.

E.  He was an insurance salesman.



5.  William Frawley, best known for his role of Fred Mertz on I Love Lucy, played the boys' maternal grandfather Michael Francis "Bub" O'Casey.  He lived with the family and served as housekeeper.  Frawley, however, left the show in 1965.  Why?

A. Frawley left My Three Sons because he was considered too ill to work.

B.  He decided it was time to retire from acting.

C.  He was not comfortable with the out-of-sequence filming method used on My Three Sons.

D.  He was tired of the show and had opportunities to perform on Broadway.

E.  He didn't think his "Bub" character was getting enough screen time.



6.  After eldest son Mike married Sally and moved away, the Douglas family adopted Ernie Thompson, an orphaned boy who had been moved from one foster home to another.  In real-life, the actor who played Ernie is related to one of the stars of the series.  Who is his relative?

A.  In real life, Ernie is Fred MacMurray's nephew.

B.  He is the grandson of William Frawley (Bub).

C.  He is Don Grady's younger brother.

D.  He is the younger brother of Stanley Livingston (Chip Douglas).

E.  He is Tim Considine's cousin.



7.  What was the name of the fictional town where the Douglas family lived until 1967?

A,  Oak Woods

B.  Pinewood

C.  Bryant Park

D.  Spruce Hill

D.  Forest Park



8.  After the Douglas family moved to California, Robbie married Katie Miller, a fellow college student.  They had triplets, all male.  What were the names of Robbie and Katie's three sons?

Tina Cole as Katie bringing the triplets home from hospital

A.  The triplets were named Michael, Robert and Thomas

B.  James, Steven and Robert

C.  Charles, Thomas and Robert

D.  Steven, Robert and Charles

E.  Robert, Charles and Michael




9.  What was the name of the Douglas family dog?

A.  Tramp

B.  Stripe

C.  Patch

D.  Frosty

E.  Leo



10.  In 1969, Steve Douglas fell in love with Ernie's widowed school teacher, Barbara Harper, played by Beverly Garland and they were married during the season.  Barbara had a young daughter.  What was the name of her daughter?

A.  Debbie

B.  Dodie

C.  Dora

D.  Dee Dee

E.  Dina



11.  In 1970, Chip eloped with his college girlfriend, Polly Williams (Ronne Troup).  Why did they elope?

A.  They eloped because they couldn't afford a formal wedding.

B.  The couple had simple tastes and did not want a fancy wedding.

C. Their families thought they were too young to get married.

D.  Chip was drafted into the army and there was no time to plan a formal wedding.

E.  Polly wanted to get away from her strict father.



12.  By the final season of the series, Don Grady had decided to leave the show and his character was written out.  Robbie, a structural engineer, was sent to another country to work on the construction of a bridge. Where was Robbie Douglas sent?

A.  Morocco

B.  Peru

C.  Mexico

D.  Australia

E.  Belgium



13.  My Three Sons was originally supposed have another title.  What was it?

A.  The Fred MacMurray Show

B..  My Three Boys

C.  Steve's Boys

D.  The Trio

E.  The Douglas Family



ANSWERS


1.  E

Tim Considine and Meridith MacRae 1965

The late Meredith MacRae played the role of Sally on My Three Sons.   In the first CBS episode entitled "The First Marriage" (Season 6, Episode 1, Air Date: September 16, 1965), Mike and Sally got married. and moved "east" so that Mike could accept a job as an assistant psychology instructor at a college.  In a later episode, they are said to be living in Arizona.  Trivia Note: "The First Marriage" was the first colour episode of My Three Sons and it marked Tim Considine's last appearance on the show.


2.  B

Richard "Chip" Douglas was the third son of Steve Douglas and as a toddler, he pronounced his name "Chipper."  The character was portrayed by actor Stanley Livingston.  Livingston, born November 24, 1950, is now 62 years old.  After My Three Sons left the air, he became a producer and director in Los Angeles.

In 1968, at the age of 18, Stanley secretly married a go-go dancer named Sandra L. Gable.  The couple divorced in 1974 but the marriage produced one child, a daughter named Samantha.


3.  C

My Three Sons moved to CBS for the 1964-65 because ABC was not willing to finance the series' switch from a black and white production to a colour production.


4.  B

Steve Douglas was an aeronautical engineer.


5.  A

William Frawley

When My Three Sons moved to the CBS television network for the 1965–66 season, along with the change in networks and the transition to colour, Desilu Studios deemed William Frawley too ill to work since the company was notified that it would be very expensive to insure him.  Frawley retained his role as Bub until he was replaced at midseason by veteran actor William Demarest.  Demarest had played Bub's curmudgeonly brother Charley part way through the 1964–65 season (the last on ABC).  The explanation for Bub's absence was that he had gone to Ireland to help his Auntie Kate celebrate her 104th birthday. Uncle Charley O'Casey later paid the Douglas family another visit and ended up staying as their housekeeper.  Bub never returned from Ireland.

On March 3, 1966, William Frawley collapsed of a heart attack while walking along Hollywood Boulevard after viewing a movie.  He died at the age of 79.


6.  D

Barry and Stanley Livingston

Barry Livingston played the role of Ernie.  Barry is the real life younger brother of Stanley Livingston, who played Chip Douglas.


7.  C

The Douglas house in Bryant Park

The Douglas family lived in the fictional American Midwest town of Bryant Park.  The state, however, was never identified.  In the fall of 1967, Steve Douglas moved the family to North Hollywood, California due to a job transfer.


8.  D

The triplets were named Steven, Robert and Charles after grandfather Steve, father Robbie and Uncle Charley.  From 1970 until 1972, they were played by Joseph Todd (Steve Jr.), Daniel Todd (Robbie II) and Michael Todd (Charley Douglas).


9.  A

Tramp

The name of the Douglas family's sheepdog was Tramp.  If you are wondering about his breed, he was a Briard.  Tramp was played by a dog named Spud and owned by Frank Inn.  Another dog in the series was Wilson, Ernie's dog.


10.  B

Dawn Lyn as Dodie

Barbara's daughter was named Dodie.  Dodie was portrayed by Dawn Lyn.  Lyn, born January 11, 1963 is 50 years old now.  Her older brother is 1970s teen heartthrob Leif Garrett.



11.  E

Chip and Polly eloped because Polly's disciplinarian father, Tom Williams (Norman Alden) did not approve of their relationship and Polly wanted to escape from his dominance (He even sent a private detective on their trail). After their honeymoon, the newlyweds moved into a college dormitory.


12.  B

Robbie was sent off to Peru, leaving Katie and the triplets to live with the Douglas family until they could join him there.


13.  A

The series was originally going to be called The Fred MacMurray Show but Fred himself objected to that title.


END NOTES

* Prior to his relationship with Sally Morrison, Mike Douglas (Tim Considine) dated Jean Pearson, played by Cynthia Pepper.  Jean was literally "the girl next door" as she and Mike were next door neighbours who opened their upstairs windows to speak to each other.  In 1961, Cynthia Pepper left My Three Sons to star in her own show, ABC's Margie.  In 1964, Cynthia made a guest appearance on an episode of My Three Sons entiteled "Goodbye Again (Season 5, Episode 9, Air Date: November 12, 1964). In the episode, Jean returns to Bryant Park hoping to connect with Mike again. Brother Robbie, however, tells her that Mike is engaged to Sally and she quickly leaves town.  Now 72 years old, Cynthia is retired and resides in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Tim Considine and Cynthiia Pepper as Mike and Jean

* Sebastian Cabot, best known as Mr. French on Family Affair, played Sally father, Tom Morrison, in a 1964 episode of My Three Sons entitled "The In-Law Whammy" (Season 5, Episode 14, Air Date: December 17, 1964).

* In 1971, the late Anne Francis portrayed portrayed a cocktail waitress named Terri Dowling.  Terri was the love interest of Steve's look-a-like Scottish cousin, Fergus McBain Douglas (played by Fred MacMurray).

* Don Grady, who played Robbie Douglas, passed away on June 27, 2012 after a battle with cancer.  He died in Thousand Oaks, California at the age of 68.

* Fred MacMurray died on November 5, 1991 in Santa Monica California at the age of 83.  He had suffered from throat cancer in the late 1970s and a major stroke at Christmas 1988.

* Barry Livingston, born December 17. 1953, is now 59 years old.  He married Karen Huntsman in 1983 and they have two children, Spencer (born 1989) and Hailey (born 1992).  It was Barry who announced the death of  his co-star Don Grady on Facebook.  He wrote, "My dear friend and TV brother Don Grady passed away today.  He was an inspiration to me in so many ways."

* Tim Considine, born December 31, 1940, is now 72 years old.  After leaving My Three Sons, he became an automobile historian and a photo-journalist specializing in motor sports.  He is the author of The Photographic Dictionary of Soccer (1979), The Language of Sport (1982) and American Grand Prix Racing: A Century of Drivers and Cars (1997).  Considine has been married twice.  His first wife, whom he wed in 1965, was actress Charlotte Stewart.  Stewart is best recognized for her role as Miss Beadle, the school teacher on Little House on the Prairie.  She and Considine divorced in 1972.  Considine subsequently wed Willette Hunt in 1979 and they have one child, a son named Chris.  In early 2007, Chris Considine founded CXC Simulations, a company that describes itself on its website as "a high-tech engineering firm that has revolutionized the design and manufacture of advanced personal racing simulation equipment."
* William Demarest played the boys' Uncle Charley O'Casey, a gruff former Merchant Marine.  Demarest died of prostate cancer on December 28, 1983.  He was 91 years old.

William Demarest

* Beverly Garland died at her home in Hollywood on December 5, 2008.  The talented actress was 82 at the time of her death.  In the 1980s, she played the role of Kate Jackson's widowed mother, Dottie West, in the television series Scarecrow and Mrs. King.

* Ronne Troup, born June 10, 1945, is 68 years old now.  She is the daughter of musician/actor Bobby Troup.  In 1967, prior to her stint as Polly Williams Douglas on My Three Sons, Ronne was cast as Sister Bertrille in The Flying Nun.  When Sally Field, Columbia/Screen Gems' first choice for the role, became available, the studio dropped Troup and replaced her with Field.  Troup was 22 years old at the time. Given that Field is an Academy Awared-winning actress, one wonders how successful The Flying Nun would have been if Troup had remained in the lead role.

To watch a "Polly" montage featuring Ronne Troup, click on the link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uyh4pQ4BkPc

* A 50th anniversary My Three Sons Reunion was held at the Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills, California.on June 19, 2010.  All the surviving cast members were in attendance except for Don Grady who was undergoing cancer treatment in Europe and Dawn Lyn who was residing in Germany.




ALL IN THE FAMILY QUIZ
TV BANTER QUIZ #18  (Originally posted November 10, 2013)

By Joanne Madden

TV BANTER QUIZ #18

All in the Family change the course of television comedy.  It brought a sense of harsh reality to a TV world which previously had been populated by homogenized, inoffensive characters and stories that seemed to have been laundered before they ever got on the air.

- The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network TV Shows: 1946-Present

All in the Family was a groundbreaking American television series that aired on CBS from 1971 until 1979 on CBS.  The show ran for nine seasons and It was based on the hit British comedy Till Death Us Do Part about a London working class bigot named Alf Ganett, played by Warren Mitchell.  His American counterpart, Archie Bunker (Caroll O'Connor) was a blue collar worker, a dock foreman for the Prendergast Tool and Dye Company.  He resided in Queens, New York with his wife, Edith (Jean Stapleton).  They shared their home at 704 Hauser Street with their daughter, Gloria (Sally Struthers) and her husband, liberal college student Mike Stivic (Rob Reiner).

The series dealt with issues that had been previously taboo on American network television - issues such as racism, breast cancer, homosexuality, miscarriage and menopause.  It was produced by Norman Lear and Bud Yorkin and was originally created for ABC which developed the original pilot And Justice For All about a family named Justice. A second pilot was made entitled Those Were the Days.  When ABC rejected the second pilot, CBS, which had originally wanted to buy the rights to Till Death Us Do Part as a vehicle for comedian Jackie Gleason who was under contract to them, produced a third pilot entitled All in the Family.  The family's name was changed to Bunker and Sally Struthers and Rob Reiner, who did not appear in the first two pilots, took over the roles of Gloria and Mike.

Are you ready to test your knowledge of All in the Family with this 15-question quiz? Ready, set go!

All in the Family Quiz


1.  Archie and Edith's son-in-law, Michael Stivic, was of what ethnic background?

A.  Russian

B.  Irish

C.  German

D.  Ukrainian

E.  Polish



2.  Who raised Mike Stivic?

Rob Reiner as Mike Stivic

A.  Mike was raised by his paternal grandparents.

B.  He was raised by his older brother.

C.  Mike was raised by his uncle.

D.  He was raised in an orphanage.

E.  He was raised by his stepmother.



3.  Who was Stretch Cunningham?

A.  Stretch was Edith's cousin.

B.  He was Archie's army buddy.

C.  He was Archie's friend and co-worker from the loading dock.

D.  He was a taxi driver and a long-time friend of the Bunker family.

E.  Stretch was Mike's college friend.



4.  What was Edith Bunker's maiden name?

A.  Bell

B.  Blake

C.  Barton

D.  Baines

E.  Brown



5.  Who was All in the Family producer Norman Lear's first choice to play the role of Archie?

A.  Mickey Rooney

B.   Hal Holbrook

C.  Jack Klugman

D.  Ted Knight

E.  Walter Matthau



6.  Why did Archie Bunker call his son-in-law Mike "Meathead?"

A.  Mike's father was a butcher.

B.  The nickname was associated with Mike's Polish background (Polish sausage).

C.  It was Archie's way of saying that Mike ate too much while living under his roof, especially expensive food items such as meat.

D.  Mike was a vegetarian and Archie thought giving him a nickname with the word "meat" would annoy him.

E.  It was a derogatory nickname meaning that Mike was stupid or as Archie put it "dead from the neck up."



7.  Archie always got the middle initial in the name of an American president wrong.  Which president was it?

A.  Dwight Eisenhower

B. Gerald Ford

C.  Richard Nixon

D.  Jimmy Carter

E.  Lyndon Johnson



8.  Why did Carroll O'Connor miss the taping of four episodes of All in the Family?

A,  He missed the episodes due to a contract hold out.

B.  He was ill with mononucleosis

C.  He missed the episodes due to the death of his brother in a car accident.

D.  His doctors ordered him to rest because he was run down.

E.  He missed the episodes because his contract provided him with some time off.



9.  Where did Archie and Edith's daughter, Gloria, work?

Sally Struthers as Gloria Stivic

A.  Gloria worked as a receptionist at a dental office.

B.  She worked at the cosmetics counter at Kressler's department store.

C.  She served food at a Donnelly's Diner.

D.  Gloria was employed as a grocery store cashier.

E.  She worked at a daycare centre.



10.  Which of these actors was offered the role of Mike Stivic?

A.  Al Pacino

B.  Michael Douglas

C.  Harrison Ford

D.  Tim Allen

E.   Kevin Costner



11.  What was the name of the Bunkers' Irish-American neighbour whose husband enjoyed cooking?

A.  Molly O'Rourke

B.  Jane Connelly

C.  Margaret Russo

D.  Irene Lorenzo

E.   Milly Wilde



12.  The Bunkers' next-door-neighbours were an African-Americans couple named George and Louise Jefferson (Sherman Hemsley and Isabel Sanford).  What was the name of George Jefferson's brother?  (This is your bonus question.  Give yourself a bonus point if you answer it correctly.)

A.  George Jefferson's brother was Henry Jefferson.

B.  His brother was Albert Jefferson.

C.  His brother's name was James Jefferson.

D,  The name of George Jefferson's brother was Tom Jefferson.

E.  His brother was Sam Jefferson.



13.  In a 1973 episode of All in the Family, Gloria does something that Mike really finds alluring.  What does she do?

A.  Gloria loses a great deal of weight.

B.  She wears an attractive red dress.

C.  She wears a dark wig.

D. She tries a new French perfume.

E.  She changes her hairstyle.



14.  In a classic 1972 episode of All in the Family, Archie Bunker meets Sammy Davis Jr. who pays a visit to  the Bunker home.  How did Archie meet Sammy?

A.  Sammy left his briefcase in Archie's taxicab.

B.  Archie and Edith attended a performance of the singer in Manhattan.

C.  Archie bumped into Sammy at LaGuardia Airport.

D.  Archie's car was hit by a limousine in which Sammy Davis was a passenger.

E.  Lionel Jefferson (son of George and Louise) asked Sammy to give a speech at his college and introduced the entertainer to Archie.



15.  After the departure of Rob Reiner and Sally Struthers, Archie and Edith took in a 9-year-old child named Stephanie Mills.  Who was Stephanie Mills?

Danielle Brisebois as Stephanie Mills

A.  Stephanie Mills was the daughter of Archie and Edith's neighbours, Jack and Fiona Mills.  Her parents had been tragically killed in a car crash.

B.  Stephanie was the daughter of Archie's cousin, Ralph Mills, who had been sent to prison for assault and robbery.  Her mother had died of a drug overdose.

C.  She was an orphan whose parents had died in a fire in the Bunkers' Queens neighbourhood.

D.  Stephanie was the daughter of Edith's step cousin Floyd Mills (from her aunt's second marriage). The child had been abandoned by her alcoholic father and her mother had died in an automobile accident.

E.  She was the granddaughter of a friend of Archie's who had died of cancer.  Her parents were both severely ill and could no longer take care of her.



ANSWERS

1.  E

Mike was of Polish-American background and was born in Chicago.  Interestingly, in the original pilot, Gloria's husband was named Richard and was portrayed as an Irish American by Tim McIntire while Kelly Jean Peters played the role of Gloria.

2.  C

Mike was raised by his uncle because his parents died in a car accident when he was quite young.


3.  C

James Cromwell as Stretch Cunningham

Jerome "Stretch" Cunningham was Archie's friend and co-worker from the loading dock.  Archie thought of Stretch as "the funniest man in the world" and described him as the Bob Hope of the loading platform. Stretch was Jewish. a fact that Archie did not know until Stretch died of a heart attack and he attended his friend's funeral. In one memorable scene, Archie delivers a eulogy for Stretch.  Note:  The episode about Stretch Cunningham's death is entitled "Stretch Cunningham, Goodbye (Season 7, Episode 19, Air Date: January 29, 1977).

Actor James Cromwell portrayed Stretch Cunningham.  Cromwell, now 73, was arrested last February for disturbing a meeting of the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents while protesting the alleged mistreatment of animals on campus.


4.  D

Edith Bunker was born Edith Baines.


5.  A

Norman Lear's first choice to play Archie was Mickey Rooney.  Rooney was offered the part but turned it down when told he would be playing a bigot.  According to Lear, the actor told him, "They're going to kill you dead on the street.  Norm, they're gonna kill you.  They're gonna shoot you dead on the street."  Rooney wanted to do a show about a blind Vietnam veteran who was a private eye.


6.  E.

Archie constantly referred to his son-law Mike as "Meathead" in a derogatory fashion, meaning that Mike was "dead from the neck up."


7.  C

Archie Bunker often flubbed names.  For some reason, Archie never get Richard Milhous Nixon's middle initial right.  He always referred to him as Richard E. Nixon rather than Richard M. Nixon.  It's an interesting bit of trivia that at the 1960 Republican National Convention, Nelson Rockefeller mistakenly introduced Nixon as Richard A. Nixon.  Could there be connection there?


8.  A

In the summer of 1974, Carroll O'Connor missed the taping of four episodes of All in the Family due to a contract dispute with Tandem Productions, owner of the popular CBS sitcom.  His contract dispute disrupted the beginning of the shows's fifth season.  At the time, according to Associated Press, O'Connor's weekly salary was between $25,000 and $35,000.  The actor claimed that money was not the real issue, although he did want "certain back money due me."  He said that he was holding out for "different working conditions."  He desired a Monday-through-Friday work week rather than a Wednesday-through-Tuesday week and at least 12 weeks off during his 24-week-a-year schedule.

The dispute was resolved, of course, and  Caroll O'Connor returned to the show. During O'Connor's absence, three episodes were filmed about Archie's failure to return home from a convention.  A fourth episode, not shown in sequence, made no mention of Archie at all.   The producers warned O'Connor that the story could end with Edith discovering that Archie had been murdered if an agreement were not reached.


9.  B

Gloria worked at the cosmetics counter at Kressler's department store.  She was fired from her job, however, when she became pregnant.  In December 1975, Gloria gave birth to baby boy named Joseph Michael "Joey" Stivic.  Mike and Gloria, both agnostics, wanted their baby to choose decide his own religious beliefs.  In an episode entitled "Joey's Baptism" (Season 6, Episode 22, Air Date: February 23, 1976), Archie is determined to have his grandson baptized.  Without Mike and Gloria's approval or knowledge, he sneaks little Joey to the church, takes him to the baptistry and sprinkles him with water.

When Rob Reiner and Sally Struthers left the show, Mike and Gloria were written out. At the end of the 1977-78 season, Mike accepts a position as a professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB).  The Stivics move to Santa Barbara with son Joey but their marriage becomes troubled.  Mike eventually leaves Gloria and Joey and moved to a California commune with one of his students.

Sally Struthers reprised the role of Gloria Stivic in her own sitcom entitled Gloria.  In the short-lived series, Struthers portrayed Gloria as a single mother employed as a veterinarian's assistant in Fox Ridge, New York. Burgess Meredith co-starred as veterinarian, Dr. Willard Adams, Gloria's boss and her landlord. Christian Jacobs.played her young son Joey.  Gloria lasted for only one season from September of 1982 until April of 1983.  A pilot and 21 episodes of the show were produced .


10.   C

Harrison Ford was offered the role of Mike Stivic but turned it down because he felt that Archie's bigotry was too offensive.


11.  D

Betty Garrett as Irene Lorenzo

The Bunkers' feisty Irish-American neighbour was named Irene Lorenzo.  Irene and her Italian-American husband, Frank, did not fit the stereotypical male-female role models.  Frank enjoyed cooking and made all the meals while Irene was more comfortable doing household repairs and other traditional "male chores."
Frank, meanwhile, wore an apron and cleaned.  Not surprisingly, this really annoyed Archie.  In one classic exchange between Archie and Irene, Archie asks how she feels about her husband doing all the cooking.  He inquires if she is worried that people will think Frank is gay.  "Is that what you think?" asks Irene.  Archie replies, "Oh no, I don't think that 'cause he's Eye-talian and Eye-talians are always bothering women."  Irene retorts, "Then there must be a little Italian in you."

Vincent Gardenia as Frank Lorenzo

Irene Lorenzo was played by Betty Garrett who passed away on February 12, 2011 at the age of 91.  She died in Los Angeles of an aortic aneurysm.  After All on the Family, Betty had a role in another popular shows.  She portrayed landlady Edna Babish on Laverne & Shirley.  She later made TV appearances on Grey's Anatomy, Boston Public and Becker.  Vincent Gardenia portrayed Frank Lorenzo.  Gardenia died in Philadelphia of a heart attack on December 9, 1992.  He was 72.


12.  A

Mel Stewart as Henry Jefferson

George Jefferson's brother was named Henry Jefferson.  The Jefferson family was introduced on All in the Family in 1971.  Henry's character actually appeared on the show before his brother George.  George was not seen by viewers until 1973 because Sherman Hemsley, Norman Lear's first choice for the part, was performing in a Broadway musical and refused to break his commitment to the show.  Lear kept the part open for him until he had finished with the musical.  George Jefferson's on screen absence was explained by the fact that he would not set foot in the home of a white person.  He was, in effect, a black version of the bigoted Archie.

Mel Stewart, who played the role of Henry Jefferson, left the show when Hemsley joined the cast as George.  Thus, the Jefferson brothers only appear together once, in an episode in which the Bunkers host a party for Henry who is  moving away to start his own business.  The episode is entitled "Henry's Farewell" (Season 4, Episode 6, Air Date: October 20, 1973).

From 1983 to 1987, Mel Stewart had a recurring role as Billy Melrose in the Kate Jackson/Bruce Boxleitner series Scarecrow and Mrs. King.  Stewart died on February 24, 2002 in Pacifica, California. He was 72 years old and had suffered from Alzheimer's disease.


13.   C.

In an episode entitled "Black is the Color of My True Love's Wig" (Season 4, Episode 11, Air Date: November 24, 1973), Gloria purchases a brunette wig and models it for husband Mike.  He really likes her new look but they end up having a fight about it.


14.  A.

In a memorable 1972 episode of All in the Family, Sammy Davis Jr. leaves his briefcase in Archie's cab (Archie was moonlighting as taxi driver).  The episode, "Sammy's Visit," (Season 2, Episode 21, Air Date: February 19, 1972), ends in a famous scene in which Sammy plants a kiss on Archie, much to Archie's horror.

Sammy Davis Jr. kisses Archie Bunker

15.  D

Although Stephanie Mills referred to Archie and Edith as her aunt and uncle, she was actually the daughter of Edith's step cousin Floyd Mills (from her aunt's second marriage).  Floyd, an alcoholic, had abandoned her, His wife, Marilyn, had been killed in a car accident.

Stephanie was portrayed by Danielle Brisbois.  Brisebois is now 44 years old.  In the 1990s she began to pursue a career as a singer/songwriter and became a member of the New Radicals, an alternative rock band. The New Radicals, who had a hit single called "You Get What You Give," were active between 1997 and 1999.  In 2012, Danielle achieved success with a song she co-wrote for the female-fronted band Halestrom. The song, "Here's to Us," was highlighted on the television series Glee.


END NOTES

* The Jefferson family proved so popular that Norman Lear decided to spin the characters into their own television series. When George Jefferson's dry cleaning business flourished, the family left Queens and moved on up to a luxury apartment on Manhattan's East Side.  In 1975, The Jeffersons premiered on CBS and was so successful that it remained on the air for 11 seasons, until 1985.

Sherman Hemsley died of lung cancer on July 24, 2012 in El Paso Tesas.  He was 74. His television wife, Isabel Sanford, passed away on July 9, 2004 in Los Angeles at the age of 86.  Below is a photo of Hemley and Sanford as the Jeffersons with their television son Lionel Jefferson, played by Mike Evans.

* On September 12, 2012, Sally Struthers was arrested in Ogunquit, Maine where she was appearing in a local production of 9 to 5: The Musical.  She was charge with driving under the influence and jury selection for her trial was scheduled for September 23, 2013.  According to the Portland Press Harold, the drunk driving charge was dropped when Struthers, now 66, pleaded no contest to the lesser charge of driving to endanger.  She was fined $1,218, which she has paid, and her driver's licence was suspended for 30 days.

* In the fall of 1979, All in the Family was retooled and retitled Archie Bunker's Place. It centred around the bar that Archie now owned.  When Jean Stapleton decided to leave the show, her character, Edith, died of a stroke in 1980.  Archie Bunker's Place ran for four years, until 1983.

* Archie often referred to Edith as a "dingbat" and told her to "stifle herself."  The father of Norman Lear, the creator of All in Family, treated Lear's mother in the same manner.

* In 1976 the Ideal Toy Company produced a "Joey Stivic doll" (called "Archie Bunker's Grandson"), which was advertised as the "first anatomically correct male doll."  Although slightly controversial then, the doll is a collector's item now.  It is available on ebay for $69.99 U.S.

*  Caroll O'Connor died in Culver City, California on June 21, 2001.  He was 76.  Jean Stapleton passed away at the age of 90 in New York City on May 31, 2013.




WHO'S THE BOSS? QUIZ 
TV BANTER QUIZ #19 (Originally posted January 9, 2014)

By Joanne Madden

TV BANTER QUIZ #19

Who's the Boss? was a popular American comedy that aired on NBC for eight seasons, from 1984 to 1992.  Judith Light played Angela Bower, a divorced advertising executive who led an upscale lifestyle. Angela originally worked for Wallace and McQuade Advertising. She later started her own company called The Bower Agency.

Angela owned a large home in Fairfield, Connecticut where she resided with her mother, Mona Robinson, (Katherine Helmond.), and her son, Jonathan Bower (Danny Pintauro).  Their lives changed forever when Angela hired an ex-baseball player, Tony Micelli (Tony Danza), from Brooklyn, New York, to be her housekeeper.  Tony was the widowed father of a daughter named Samantha, portrayed by Alyssa Milano.

Here is how Common Sense Media describes Who's the Boss?.

This long-running sitcom was one of the first to turn traditional family and gender roles upside down. Even though its stereotypical characters border on corny, Who's the Boss? manages to be loveable and charming for today's audience, thanks largely to the chemistry of the talented ensemble cast. The show provides a glance back at how television has evolved along with social roles, hairstyles, and clothing. Its charm is in watching macho Italian male Tony manage emotional challenges and domestic chores with integrity and finesse.

The evolution of Tony and Angela's relationship and the growth of the children over the course of the series add depth to the storyline - we see tomboy Samantha grow up and start dating and eventually get married. And Tony's sensitive, self-deprecating wit balances Angela's intensity as they work together to raise a family. Watching the subtleties of their relationship evolve becomes a central theme of the show. Sure, some of the jokes fall flat, but this classic sitcom is enjoyable family television with a clear message: Families come in many varieties.

So how much do you know about this role reversal comedy of the 1980s and 1990s. Test your knowledge by doing the quiz below.  Good luck!

Who's the Boss? Quiz

1.  Tony Micelli (Tony Danza) was a former second baseman for which professional baseball team?

A,  The Minnesota Twins

B.  The Milwaukee Brewers

C.  The St. Louis Cardinals

D.  The Cincinnati Reds

E.  The Pittsburgh Pirates



2.  Which of these celebrities did not appear on Who's the Boss? ?

A. Tom Cruise

B.  Frank Sinatra

C.  Mike Tyson

D.  Betty White

E.  Delta Burke



3.  What was the name of Angela's ex-husband?

A,  Tim Bower

B.  George Bower

C.  Conrad Bower

D.  Michael Bower

E.  Peter Bower



4.  Did Tony and Angela get married on the show.

A.  Yes, they were married during the last season.  The wedding took place at Angela's home.

B.  Yes, they eloped and got married in Las Vegas.

C.  No, they never married on the show.

D.  They were about to get married but Tony changed his mind on the day of the wedding.

E.  They were about to get married but Angela changed her mind on the day of the wedding.



5.  What is the title of the theme song for Who's the Boss??

A.  "Around the Bend"

B.  "Who's the Boss?"

C.  "A Time for Living"

D.  "Our Time"

E.  "Brand New Life"



6.  During the fourth season of Who's the Boss?, which veteran actor played Max Muldoon, a client of Angela's who proposes marriage to Mona?

A.  Ray Milland

B.  Van Johnson

C.  Leslie Nielson

D.  George Kennedy

E.  John Astin



7.   What was the name of the little boy that Angela and Tony took into their home because his grandmother couldn't take care of him anymore?

A.  Billy

B.  Andrew

C.  Tim

D.  Rocco

E.  Tommy



8.  Which musical instrument did Angela Bower play poorly?

A.  piano

B.  harp

C.  guitar

D.  cello

E.  violin



9.  What was the name of Tony's nosy neighbour from his Brooklyn days?

A.  Mrs. Rossi

B.  Mrs.  Rossini

C.  Mrs.  Russo

D.  Mrs.  Roberto

E.  Mrs. Rotini



10.  What happened to Tony's daughter, Samantha "Sam" during the show's last season.

A.  She was involved in a car accident and injured herself.

B.  She got married.

C.  She accepted an exciting new job in Europe.

D.  She had a baby.

E.  She wrote a book.

11.  What kind of car did Angela drive?

A.  BMW

B.  Porsche

C.  Cadillac

D.  Lincoln Continental

E.  Jaguar



12.  Which famous rhythm and blues singer made an appearance on Who's the Boss??

A.  Ray Charles

B. Stevie Wonder

C.  James Brown

D.  Aretha Franklin

E.  Marvin Gaye

ANSWERS

1.  C

Tony Micelli was an ex-baseball player for the St. Louis Cardinals.  He was forced to retire from baseball due to a shoulder injury.


2.  A

Tom Cruise never appeared on Who's the Boss?

Frank Sinatra made a guest appearance on a 1989 episode of the show entitled "Party Double" (Season 5, Episode 16, Air Date: February 28, 1989).  Ol' Blue Eyes played himself in "Party Double" and boxer Mike Tyson also appeared in an uncredited cameo role.  In the episode, Tony and Mona compete to be invited along with Angela to an exclusive New York party where Sinatra is scheduled to perform  (Trivia Note: Tony Danza performs a Sinatra song in "Party Double."  At the end of the episode, he is credited with singing "The Lady is a Tramp."

Sinatra with Tony Danza on Who's the Boss?

Mike Tyson also appeared  1990 episode of the show called "Sam Accelerates" (Season 6, Episode 13 (January 2, 1990).  Tyson portrayed himself in the episode.

Betty White was a guest star in a 1985 episode entitled "Eye on Angela" (Season 1, Episode 17, Air Date: February 19, 1985).  In the episode, Angela is chosen as the guest/subject of television host Roberta "Bobby" Barnes' show.  Betty portrays Bobby Barnes whose show revels in scandal

Delta Burke played a neighbour named Diane Wilmington in a 1985 episode called "Paint Your Wagpm" (Season 1, Episode 12, Air Date: January 15, 1985).  In the episode, upon learning of friction between Tony and Angela, Delta's character offers Tony a job working for her


3.  D

Michael Bower was the name of Angela's ex-husband.  Film and television actor James Naughton played the role in two two-part episodes of the series in 1985.  The first two-part episode is entitled "Angela's Ex: Part 1 and "Angela's Ex: Part 2 (Season 1, Episodes 15 and 16, Air Dates: February 5 and February 12, 1985). The second two-part episode is entitled "Custody: Part 1" and Custody Part 2) (Season 2, Episodes 6 and 7, Air Dates: November 5, 1985 and November 12, 1985).

In "Angela's Ex: Parts 1 and 2," Michael shows up after Angela sends him divorce papers.  In Custody: Parts 1 and 2, Michael returns to request that his son Jonathan be his best man at his second wedding, this time to his young and attractive personal assistant, Heather.  The wedding is set to take place in California and Angela is heartsick at the prospect of her ex getting half year custody of their son.


4. C

No, Tony and Angela never married on the show.  On the eighth and final season of Who's the Boss?, they finally became a couple and discussed plans to wed.  By that time, the popularity of the show had declined and the producers had persuaded the ABC network that a romance between Angela and Tony would revive interest in the show.  It didn't happen that way and there was no increase in the show's ratings once they got together.  As a result, the show was cancelled in 1992.

According to IMDb.com, the writers had originally planned to have Tony and Angela marry on the series finale.  ABC, however, was not thrilled with the idea and neither was Tony Danza.  Instead, the outcome of the final episode was left ambiguous as was the fate of its main protagonists

In Season 8, Tony gives up his housekeeping job for a position as a coach/teacher at a college in Iowa.  He then breaks his engagement to Angela.  The series ends with him returning to Connecticut and appearing at Angela's door to reapply for his old job as her housekeeper.  The rest can only be determined by the viewer's imagination.


5.  E

The name of the theme song from Who's the Boss? is "Brand New Life."  It was was written by Larry Carlton, Robert Kraft, Martin Cohan and Blake Hunter.  Here are the lyrics.

There’s a time for love and a time for living.
You take a chance and face the wind.
An open road and a road that’s hidden
A brand new life around the bend.

There were times when I lost a dream or two.
Found the trail, and at the end was you.
There’s a path you take and a path untaken
The choice is up to you my friend.

Nights are long but you’re on your way
To a brand new life,
Brand new life,
Brand new life around the bend.


6.  C

The late Leslie Nielsen appeared on Who's the Boss? during the show's fourth season. He portrayed Max Muldoon in two episodes of the series entitled "Just Mona and Me" (Season 4, Episode 11, Air Date: December 8, 1987) and "Marry Me, Mona" (Season 4, Episode 21, Air Date: March 29, 1988).  Nielsen passed away on November 28, 2010 at the age of 84.


7.  A

 Jonathan Halyalkar as Billy with Tony Danza

The little boy that Angela and Tony took under their roof was 5-year-old William "Billy" Napoli.  They cared for the youngster while his grandmother, Mrs. Napoli, from the old Brooklyn neighbourhood, was ailing in the hospital.  Jonathan Halyalkar, who portrayed Billy Napoli,, is now a 28-year-old actor/ producer.  Halyalkar is also known for his performances in the film Anytown (2009) and the television series Third Watch in which he played Little Jerry Mancowicz. in two 1999 episodes.


8.  D

Angela Bower played the cello poorly.  In an episode entitled "Gotta Dance" (Season 2, Episode 15, Air Date: January 21, 1986), Tony expresses his concern to her about pushing Samantha to be a ballerina.  She tells him how she enjoyed playing the cello as a child and is convinced that she could have become a professional musician if she had been pushed to practise.  While cleaning the attic, Tony discovers the cello that Mona had purposely kept hidden from her daughter.and Angela takes up the cello again, much to Mona's chagrin.   Angela, meanwhile, is upset that her mother hid the cello from her.


9.  B.

Rhoda Germignani as Mrs. Rossini

The name of Tony's former Brooklyn neighbour was Mrs. Rossini.  The motherly Mrs. Rossi was portrayed by actress  Rhoda Gemignani in 25 episodes of Who's the Boss? from 1984 until 1982.  Rhoda is the sister of the late Martin Cohan, who, together with producer and writer Blake Hunter, created Who's the Boss?.

Although best known for her recurring role on Who's the Boss?, Gemignani has appeared on many sitcoms through the years including The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1973),  The Bob Newhart Show (1973) (1974), The Jeffersons (1975), Kojak (1974), Diff'rent Strokes (1981)1983), Full House (1987). Seinfeld (1992), Friends (1997) and Caroline in the City (1998).  She also had a recurring role as Rhoda DiMauro on Just Shoot Me! from 1999 to 2003 and was a guest on Tony Danza's one-hour talk show, The Tony Danza Show, in 2005 along with Judith Light and Katherine Helmond.


10.  B

During the last season of the show, Samantha married her boyfriend Hank Thomopoulous, played by Curnal Achilles Auliso.  Hank was Samantha's fellow college student.  He originally planned to study medicine but decided to become a puppeteer instead.


11.  E

Angela drove a Jaguar.


12.  A

Ray Charles with Alyssa Milano and Tony Danza

Singer and pianist Ray Charles made and appearance on a 1987 episode Who's the Boss? entitled "Hit the Road, Chad" (Season 3, Episode 16, Air Date: February 3, 1987).  In the episode, Ray Charles, a client of Angela's, once to use a song written by Samantha's then-boyfriend Chad.McCann (Scott Grimes).

THE CAST OF WHO'S THE BOSS?

TONY DANZA

Tony Danza 2012 photo

                                    Larry D. Moore CC BY-SA 
                                   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tony_danza_2012.jpg

Tony Danza was born Antonio Salvatore Iadanza in Brooklyn, New York on April 21, 1941.  A professional boxer, Danza was discovered in a boxing gymnasium by a producer.  He was later cast in a starring role on the TV comedy Taxi.  He played Tony Banta on the series from 1978 until 1983 alongside co-stars Judd Hirsch, Danny DeVito and Marilu Henner.

After five seasons on Taxi, Danza shot to stardom for eight seasons on Who's the Boss?  When Who's the Boss? went off the air in 1984, he struggled to find sitcom success again.  From 1995 to 1996, he starred as Tony Canetti in a comedy called Hudson Street.  The show was set in Hoboken, New Jersey and Tony portrayed a divorced detective who shared custody of his son, Mickey, with his ex-wife.  Lori Loughlin, (Rebecca Donaldson on Full House), played crime reporter Melanie Clifford, his love interest.  Although Hudson Street received good reviews, the series was cancelled after one season and 22 episodes because it failed to maintain its initial good ratings.

From 1997 to 1998, Tony starred as Tony DiMeo in another short-lived sitcom, The Tony Danza Show. Danza played a sportswriter with two daughters but the show was cancelled after 14 episodes.  He did, however, win an Emmy nomination for a guest-starring role as attorney Tommy Silva in four 1998 episodes of the legal drama The Practice.

From 2000 until 2002, Tony Danza had a recurring role as Joe Celano in 25 episodes of the crime drama Family Law.  In 2005, he played Erica Kane's (Susan Lucci) wedding planner on the daytime soap All My Children.  He also appeared as Matt Morelli in a 2008 episode of the comedy Rita Rocks (Season 1, Episode 8, Air Date: November 18, 2008).

Danza has been twice married and twice divorced.  He has four children - two from his first marriage to Rhonda Yeoman Iadanza (1970-1974) and two from his second wife, Tracy Robinson.  He wed Tracy in June of 1986.  They separated in 2006 and their divorce became final in 2013.

From his first marriage, Tony has a son, Marc Anthony Danza (born January 29, 1971).  After a reconciliation with first wife Rhonda, a child named Gina was born in 1983.  The reconciliation did not last but Tony apparently acted as the baby's father in every way.  There is an unconfirmed story, strictly hearsay, that Tony underwent a paternity test and learned that Gina is not his biological daughter.

From his second marriage, Danza has two daughters:  Katherine "Katie" (born. May 8, 1987) and Emily Lyn (born 1993).  Marc Anthony guest starred in two episodes of Taxi in the role of a disabled child named Brian Sims.  The first episode is entitled "The Reluctant Fighter

Tony Danza is also a grandfather.  Marc Anthony and his wife, Julie, have a son named Nicholas David Danza (born August 27, 2005).

JUDITH LIGHT

Judith Light, The Town Hall, New York City, 2011

                                                  Attribution: Sarah Ackerman
                                                  http://www.flickr.com/people/86665756@N00     

Judith Ellen Light, who played Angela Bower, was born in Trenton, New Jersey on February 9, 1949.  She earned a degree in drama from Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  In 1977, she appeared in an episode of Kojak entitled "Monkey on a String" (Season 4, Episode 21, Air Date: February 15, 1977).  She played the role of Laetitia Palmerance.  Her first major TV role, however, was as Karen Wolek in the daytime drama One Life to Live.  In 1980, she won a Daytime Emmy for Lead Actress in a Daytime Drama for her portrayal of Karen.

After the cancellation of Who's the Boss?, Judith starred as Sara Campbell in the short-lived comedy The Simple Life (seven episodes, 1998) and as Barbara Stone in The Stones, another short-lived series (six episodes, 2004).  She then went on to portray Claire Meade in the ABC series Ugly Betty and Judge Elizabeth Donnelly on Law and Order: Special Victims Unit.  She has also appeared in over 15 television movies including The Ryan White Story (1989) in which she played Jeanne White, the mother of a 13-year-old haemophiliac who contracted AIDS from factor VIII, an essential blood-clotting protein used to control this disorder.

Judith is an accomplished stage actress and in 2013 she received her second of back-to-back Tony Award for “Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play”, for The Assembled Parties. She also earned her second of back-to-back Drama Desk Awards for “Best Featured Actress” for the same play.

In 2012, Judith played the role of Margie in two episodes of the TV Land comedy series The Exes.  The episodes are "A Very Wrong Engagement" (Season 1, Episode 6, Air Date: January 4, 2012) and "Sister Act" (Season 2, Episode 10, Air Date: August 22, 2012).  In 2013, she was cast as Judith Ryland in the second season of TNT's Dallas.

Judith has been married to television actor Robert Desiderio since 1985.  The couple met while co-starring on the soap One Life to Live.  They do not have any children.  

 ALYSSA MILANO

                                               
                                                                        Attribution: Tom Sorensen                                                    http://www.flickr.com/people/7906627@N04   

                                                  

Alyssa Jayne Milano was born on December 19, 1972 in Brooklyn, New York and grew up on Staten Island. She comes from an Italian-American family.  Her mother, Lin Milano, is a fashion designer and her father, Thomas Milano, is a film music editor. She has a younger brother, Cory John Milano, born October 24, 1982.  Cory is also an actor and is known for his work in Spider-Man 3 (2007), Disaster Movie (2008) and Drag Me to Hell (2009).

Alyssa launched her career at the age of eight after winning a role in an audition for a national tour of the musical Annie.  After months on the road with her mother, she left Annie to perform in off-broadway productions and television commercials.  In 1983, at the age of 10, she landed the part of Samantha Micelli on Who's the Boss?. It was her breakthrough role and her family moved to Los Angeles to accommodate her career.

Since the cancellation of Who's the Boss?, Alyssa has appeared in several television series.  Most notably, she played the roles of Jennifer Mancini on Melrose Place from 1997 to 1998, Phoebe Halliwell in Charmed from 1998 to 2006 and Billie Cunningham in My Name is Earl from 2007 to 2008.

In 1999, Alyssa was briefly married to musician Cinjun Tate, lead singer for the rock group Remy Zero. They divorced after ten months.  On December 18, 2009, she tied the knot again, this time to CIA agent David Bugliari.  The wedding took place at the New Jersey home of Bugliari's family.  In August of 2011, Alyssa gave birth to the couple's first child, a son named Milo Thomas Bugliari.

DANNY PINTARUO

Danny Pintauro, who played Jonathan Bower, was born in Milltown, New Jersey on January 6, 1976.  His first appearance on television was in the daytime soap As the World Turns where he was cast in the role of Paul Ryan.  He played that role from 1982 until 1985.  When Who's the Boss? was first broadcast in 1984, Danny was just 8 years old.  The former child actor has had very few television credits since the series went off the air in 1992.

In 1987, Danny had a guest role in a two-part episode of the Michael Landon series, Highway to Heaven, entitled "Man's Best Friend" (Season 4, Episodes 1 and 2, Air Dates: September 16, 1987 and  September 23, 1987).  He played a character named Alex.

In 1994, Pintauro took a break from professional acting and concentrated on his education, attending Middlesex County College in Edison New Jersey.  He then enrolled at Stanford University in California where he graduated in 2001 after studying English and drama.

In 2010, Danny appeared in an episode of the TV comedy/drama The Secret Life of the American Teenager entitled "Ben There, Done That" (Season 2, Episode 24, Air Date: March 22, 2010).  That same year, he was a guest star on short-lived the comedy Laugh Track Mash-ups in an episode called "Late for Class!" (Season 1, Episode 1, Air Date: September 19, 2010).  If you don't remember Laugh Track Mash-ups, it's not surprising.  Only four episodes of the show, which parodied 1990s sitcoms, were produced.

Danny "came out" as gay in a July 1997 interview with National Enquirer.   In April of 2013, he became engaged to his partner Wil Tabares.

Pintauro,has just turned 38 years old.  As of 2013, he was managing a Las Vegas restaurant.

KATHERINE HELMOND

Helmond at the 1989 Emmy Awards

                                                          Attribution: photo by Alan Light  

Katherine Helmond, who played Mona Robinson was born on July 5, 1929 in Galveston, Texas.  After the cancellation of Who's the Boss?, Katherine had recurring rolls on two successful sitcoms, Coach and Everybody Loves Raymond.  From 1995 until 1997, she played Doris Sherman, the outlandish owner of a fictional football team on Coach.  From 1996 to 2004, she portrayed Lois Whelan (Ray Barone's mother-in-law) on Everybody Loves Raymond.  In 2002, she was nominated for an Emmy in the category of "Guest Actress in a Comedy Series" for her role as Lois.

In 2011, Helmond, made guest appearances on HBO's True Blood and the NBC comedy/drama Harry's Law.  On the drama/fantasy True Blood, she portrayed Caroline Bellefleur in a epidode called "I'm Alive and on Fire:" (Season 4, Episode 4, Air Date: July 17, 2011).  She played a character named Gloria Gold in an episode of Harry's Law entitled "The Rematch." (Season 2, Episode 6, Air Date: November 2, 2011).

Kaherine, now 84 years old, has been married twice.  In 1957, she married George N. Martin.  After their divorce in 1962, she wed David Christian.  She and Christian have been together ever since and have no children.

END NOTES

* 196 episodes of Who's the Boss? were produced.

* There was a British version of Who's the Boss? called The Upper Hand featuring Honor Blackman, an English actress best known for her roles as Cathy Gale in The Avengers (1962-1964) and a "Bond girl" in the 1964 film Goldfinger.  Upper Hand was directly scripted Who's the Boss? rather than an adaptation or reworking.  It premiered in 1990 and was cancelled in 1996.  It's interesting to note that Katherine Helmond made an appearance on this British series in 1993.

A German network, RTL, aired a German language version of Who's the Boss? called  Ein Job für's Leben (A Life-Time Job) in 1993.  Its scripts were a translation of the 1984-1985 season of the American version and it was cancelled after one season.

* In an episode of Who's the Boss?  entitled "Car and Driver" (Season 4, Episode 10, Air Date: December 1, 1987),  it is revealed that Tony's middle name is Morton.  Thus, his full name is Anthony Morton Micelli. Hmmm . . . Morton doesn't sound very Italian.

* In 2008, Tony Danza and his son, Marc Anthony, published a father-son Italian cookbook together.  The title of the book is Don't Fill Up on the Antipasto.  They can be seen on the cover with Tony's grandson, Nicholas.

TV GAME SHOWS QUIZ

TV BANTER QUIZ #20  (Originally posted April 4, 2014)

By Joanne Madden

This is a quiz about quiz shows.  Yes, game shows have been a staple of daytime television and to a much lesser extent, prime time.  TV viewers enjoy matching wits with contestants or just making the right guess.  TV Banter presents a challenge for game show fans and trivia buffs alike.   Test your knowledge of game shows, game show hosts and game show history.  So, as they say on The Price is Right, come on down and try this 15-question quiz.  Good luck!

TV GAME SHOWS QUIZ

1.  The late Allen Ludden, who hosted various versions of daytime and prime time Password beginning in 1961, was married to a well known actress.  Who is Allen Ludden's widow?

A.  Shirley Jones

B.  Florence Henderson

C.  Betty White

D.  Marjorie Lord

E.  June Lockhart



2.  Bob Barker hosted The Price is Right for 35 years, from 1972  until 2007.  What game show did Bob host prior to The Price is Right?

A.  Beat the Clock

B.  Concentration

C.  Treasure Hunt

D.  Truth or Consequences

E.  The $64,000 Question



3.  Before he rose to fame on The Tonight Show, Johnny Carson hosted a game show.  What was the name of the game show that Johnny Carson hosted?

A.  Who Do You Trust?

B.  Double Dare

C.  Win, Lose or Draw

D.  You Don't Say!

E.  Whose Line Is It Anyway?



4.  Dick Clark hosted the original Pyramid game show from 1973 to 1988.  It was called the $10,000 Pyramid when it debuted on March 26, 1973 on CBS.  Which of the following did not host a version of Pyramid?

A.  Bill Cullen

B.  John Davidson

C.  Richard Dawson

D.  Donny Osmond

E.  John Davidson



5.  For most of the original run of The Hollywood Squares (from 1966 until 1981), who was the regular "centre square?"

A.  Roddy McDowell

B.  Jonathan Winters

C.  Joan Rivers

D.  Vincent Price

E.  Paul Lynde



6.  What is the real name of Peter Marshall, the host of The Hollywood Squares from 1966 to 1981?

Peter Marshall in 1965 photo

A.  Peter MacKenzie

B.  Robert Vine

C.  Stuart Corrigan

D.  Ralph Pierre LaCock

E.  Ambrose Jones



7.  Alex Trebek began hosting Jeopardy! in 1984.  Who was the original host of Jeopardy! when it premiered on NBC on March 30, 1964?

A.  Bill Cullen

B.   Art Fleming

C.  Bert Convy

D.  Gene Rayburn

E,  Garry Moore



8.  Who composed the Jeopardy theme song?

A.  Merv Griffin

B.  Paul Anka

C.  Marvin Hamlisch

D.  Henry Mancini

E.  Burt Bacharach



9.  What U.S. game show did Pete Best, the original drummer of The Beatles appear on?

A.  What's My Line?

B.  I've Got a Secret

C.  Name That Tune

D.  The Dating Game

E..  Pete Best has never appeared on a U.S. game show.



10.  Which of the following game show hosts was not born in Canada?

A.  Alex Trebek

B.  Monty Hall

C.  Richard Dawson

D   Art Linkletter

E.  Howie Mandel



11. When What's My Line? premiered on February 2, 1950, the first mystery guest was a well-known baseball player.  Who was he?

A.  Joe DiMaggio

B.  Yogi Berra

C.  Ted Williams

D.  Willie Mays

E,  Phil Rizzuto



12.  Another major league baseball player, Joe Garagiola, became a broadcaster and television host.  Which of the following game shows was not hosted by Garagiola?

A.  Blockbusters

B.  Sale of the Century

C.  To Tell the Truth

D.  He Said, She Said

E.  Joe Garagiola's Memory Game



ANSWERS

1.  C

Allen Ludden and Betty White in June 1968

Allen Ludden married Betty White on June 19, 1963.  She was his second wife.  His first wife, Margaret McGloin, died of cancer on October 30, 1961.  He met Betty on Password and they remained together until Allen's death of stomach cancer at the age of 63 on June 9, 1981.  Prior to Password, Allen hosted the G.E. College Bowl, a quiz show competition featuring teams of students from colleges and university students and primarily sponsored by General Electric.


2.  D

Bob Barker's first day hosting Truth or Consequences in Decenber 1956

Prior to The Price is Right, Bob Barker hosted Truth or Consequences. from  1956 until 1975.  He began hosting The Price is Right on September 4, 1975, while still hosting Truth or Consequences.


3.  A.

From 1957 until 1962, Johnny Carson hosted the grammatically incorrect Who Do You Trust? (It should be Whom Do You Trust?).  In 1958, Ed McMahon, (Carson's future Tonight Show sidekick), joined the show as the announcer.  The premise of Who Do You Trust was that three couples competed on each show.  The couples were introduced one at a time and Carson interviewed them.  In the quiz portion, Carson informed the male contestant of the category of the question.  The man would then have to choose whether to answer the question himself or "trust" the woman to do it for him.

When Jack Parr left The Tonight Show in 1962, Johnny Carson stepped down as host of Who Do You Trust in order to replace Parr on light night television.  Johnny hosted The Tonight Show for thirty seasons, from the autumn of 1962 until the spring of 1992.  By the way, comedian Woody Woodbury replaced Carson as host of Who Do You Trust? and the show ended its run in 1963.


4.  C

Richard Dawson never hosted a version of Pyramid.

From 1974 to 1979, Bill Cullen hosted a syndicated version called the $25,000 Pyramid. In 1991, John David hosted the $100,000 Pyramid.  Donny Osmond hosted Pyramid from 2002 until 2004.  In 2012, a version of Pyramid showed up on The Game Show Network  (GSN).  It was hosted by Mike Richards and cancelled after only one season due to low ratings.


5.  E

For most of the original run of The Hollywood Squares, comedian Paul Lynde was the "centre square." Lynde, who died of a heart attack on January 10, 1982 at the age of 55, was the subject of a 2005 biography titled Center Square: The Paul Lynde Story, by Steve Wilson and Joe Florenski.  Since The Hollywood Squares is a tic-tac-toe game, the centre square is the most important square for tactical reasons.  By the way, the very first "cenre square" was Ernest Borgnine.


6.  D

Peter Marshall was born Ralph Pierre LaCock on March 30, 1926 in Huntington, West Virginia, U.S.A.



7.  B

Art Fleming hosting Jeopardy!

Actor and television personality Art Fleming was the original host of Jeopardy!.  Fleming passed away on April 25, 1995 at the age of 70.  (Note the prize money amounts in the photo above).


8.  A

Merv Griffin, the creator of Jeopardy!, also composed its theme song, "Think."  Griffin originally composed the song as a lullaby for his son, Tony.


9.  B

Drummer Pete Best left The Beatles in 1962 and was replaced by Ringo Starr.  Best appeared on I've Got A Secret in 1964.  When host Garry Moore asked him why he left the band, he replied, "I thought I'd like to start of group of my own and I thought at that time they weren't going to go as big as they are now."


10.  C

Richard Dawson, the original host of Family Feud,  was born in Gosport, England, U.K..  Dawson passed away on June 2, 2012 at the age of 79 from esophageal cancer.

The others were all born in Canada.  Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek was born in Subury, Ontario.   Monty Hall, who hosted Let's Make A Deal, was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba.  Art Linkletter, who died on May 26, 2010, was born in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan (Art lived until the ripe old age of 97).  Howie Mandel, the host of Deal or No Deal, was born in Toronto, Ontario.


11.  E

Phil Rizzuto in 1950 picture

The first mystery guest on What's My Line? was renowned New York Yankee shortstop Phil Rizzuto. Nicknamed "The Scooter," Rizzzuto was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame at Cooperstown in 1994.  He died on August 13, 2007 at the age of 89.  (Above is a photo of Phil (left) with host John Daly on What's My Line? in 1950).


12.  A

Joe Garagiola in 1951

Joe Garagiola

Joe Garagiola did not host Blockbusters.  Bill Cullen hosted the 1980-1982 version of Blockbusters and comedian Bill Rafferty hosted the 1987 version.  Both versions were aired on NBC.

Garagiola, a native of St. Louis Missouri, was a catcher for the St. Louis Cardinals (1946-1951), the Pittsburgh Pirates (1951-1953), the Chicago Cubs (1953-1954) and the New York Giants (1954).  He hosted He Said, She Said from 1969 to 1970, Joe Garagiola's Memory Game from February to July of 1971, Sale of the Century from 1971 to 1974 and To Tell the Truth from 1977 to 1978.





LEGAL AND LAWYER SHOWS QUIZ
TV BANTER QUIZ #21  (Originally posted July 16, 2014)

By Joanne Madden




If you like to watch legal eagles on television, then TV Banter has the perfect quiz for you.  If you want to test your knowledge of  courtroom justice as portrayed on television, then try this test.  Are you ready for the verdict?


LEGAL AND LAWYER SHOWS QUIZ


1.  What was the name of the Los Angeles law firm in the popular series L.A. Law?

A.  Martin, Becker and Steele

B.  McKenzie-Brackman

C.  Dawson-Mckenzie

D.  Dawson, Steele and Becker

E,  Brackman-Becker




2.  What is the last name of TV's Judge Judy.

A.  Sheridan

B.  Steinberg

C.  Schultz

D.  Sheindlin

E.   Silvers





3.  Was every episode of the Perry Mason series (1957-1966), starring Raymond Burr, filmed entirely in black white?

A.  No. One episode was filmed in colour.

B.  Yes, they were all filmed in black and white.

C.  No, two episodes were filmed in colour.

D.  No, three episodes were filmed in colour.

E.  No, one episode was filmed partially in colour.




4. On Perry Mason, in "The Case Of The Dead Ringer," which character has a look-alike?

A.  Della Street

B.  Paul Drake

C.  Lieutenant Arthur Tragg

D.  Hamilton Burger

E.  Perry Mason






5.  Boston Legal, which aired on ABC from 2004 to 2008, was a spin-off from which other legal drama?

A.  L.A. Law

B.  Law and Order

C.  The Practice

D.  Ally McBeal

E.  Damages




6.  What was the name of William Shatner's character on Boston Legal?

A,  T.J. Hooker

B.  Alan Shore

C.  James T. Kirk

D.  Paul Lewiston

E.  Denny Crane




7.  In which city did Law and Order take place?

A. Chicago

B. New York City

C.  San Francisco

D.  Los Angeles

E,  Boston




8.  Not all TV legal series are dramas.  Night Court, a highly successful legal comedy, aired from 1984 until 1992.  What was the name of the eccentric judge who presided over the Manhattan night court?

A.  Thomas J. Anderson

B.  Joseph Simpson

C.  Harold T. "Harry" Stone

D.  Robert J. Briggs

E.  Edward S. "Ted" Connors




9.  Who starred in the late 1960s legal drama, Judd for the Defense?

A.  Jack Klugman

B.  Robert Young

C.  Jack Webb

D.  Carl Betz

E.  Karl Malden




10.  In which city did Judd for the Defense take place?.  If you know this, you really know your television legal shows.  This is your bonus question so give yourself an extra point if you answer it correctly.

A.  Houston

B.  New Orleans

C.  New York City

D.  Washington, D.C.

E.  Philadelphia




11.  Who played the role of Jess Brandon on Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law?

A.  Burt Reynolds

B.  George Kennedy

C.  David Soul

D.  Joseph Campanella

E.. Lee Majors




12.  What was the name of the nosy, gossipy secretary on Ally McBeal?

A.  Margaret Holmes

B.  Elaine Vassal

C.  Nell Porter

D.  Rose Cummings

E.  Jane Bronson




13.  On Ally McBeal, who played Larry Paul, the attorney who moved into Ally's former therapist's office? He eventually became Ally's boyfriend.

A.  Rob Lowe

B.  Paul Rudd

C.  Robert Downey, Jr.

D.  Charlie Sheen

E.  Paul Reiser

14.  In which television courtroom drama series did Robert Reed of The Brady Bunch have a regular role?

A.  The Defemders

B.  Judd for the Defense

C.  Petrocelli

D.  Matlock

E.  Judging Amy

15.  Here's one for U.K. TV fans and other fans of British television.  What was the name of the long-running British series about a London barrister played by actor Leo McKern?

A.  The Barrister 

B.  The Law of Wimpole Street

C.  The Courtroom

D.  Rumpole of The Bailey

E.  London Legal 

ANSWERS

1.  B

The law firm on L.A. Law was McKenzie-Brackman.


2.  D

Judge Judy's formal name is Judith Sheindlin and she is a retired Manhattan court judge.  Her reality-based court show premiered in 1996.  She adjudicates actual small claims disputes within a simulated courtroom setting.



3.  A

Only one episode of Perry Mason, "The Case of the Twice-Told Twist," (Season 9, Episode 21, Air Date (February 27, 1966) was filmed in colour.  It was about a car stripping gang and its plot was influenced by Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist.



4.  E

Perry Mason faces his look-alike seaman in the courtroom

In "The Case of the Dead Ringer" (Season 9, Episode 26, Air Date: April 17, 1966), Perry Mason has a look-alike.  Raymond Burr plays a double role as Mason and a nomadic sailor.  The merchant seaman disguises himself as Mason in an attempt to frame the attorney for bribery.



5.  C

Boston Legal was a spin-off of The Practice, which aired from 1997 to 2004.  Both series were created by David E. Kelley.  Kelley, who worked for a Boston law firm, also created Ally McBeal.



6.  E

William Shatner as Denny Crane on Boston Legal

The name of William Shatner's character on Boston Legal was Denny Crane.  Denny was a prominent attorney for over fifty years.  He boasted that he never lost a case and never would.  At one time, Denny had had a romantic relationship with Shirley Schmidt (portrayed by Candice Bergen).  Shirley was his partner in the law firm Crane, Poole & Schmidt.

The Denny Crane character  first appeared in Season 8 of The Practice in 2004 and then on Boston Legal in Seasons 1-5 from 2004 to 2008.  He was a good friend of fellow lawyer Alan Shore, played by James Spader.  The two men shared drinks and conversed at the end of many episodes.



7.  B

Law and Order ran for 20 seasons, from 1990 until 2010.  It originally aired on NBC and then in syndication on various cable networks.  The series was set and filmed in New York City.



8.  C.

Harry Anderson as Judge Harold T. (Harry) Stone

Night Court's unconventional judge was named Harold T. "Harry" Stone.  Judge Stone, who liked to perform magic trips was played by actor Harry Anderson, a real life magician.



9.  D

Carl Betz, best known for his portrayal of Dr. Alex Stone on The Donna Reed Show, played a vivacious F. Lee Bailey-type attorney named Clinton Judd on Judd for the Defense.  The series aired from 1967 to 1969.



10.  A.

Judd for the Defense was set in Houston, Texas.



11.  E

Arthur Hill (left) with Lee Majors

Lee Majors played Jess Brandon on Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law.  The series starred Arthur Hill as defence attorney Owen Marshall and Majors as his law partner.  It aired on ABC-TV from 1971 to 1974. During the show's final season in 1973-74, Majors played both Jess Brandon and Steve Austin in The Six Million Dollar Man, which became a huge hit.  He left Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law to concentrate on his role as the bionic man and was replaced by David Soul.  In February of 1974, Soul, who had already appeared twice in guest roles on the show in 1971 and !972, joined the cast as Ted Warrick. At the end of the season, Owen Marshall finished its run and David Soul went on to television stardom on Starsky and Hutch.in the fall of 1975.



12.  B.

Jane Krakowski as Elaine

The busybody secretary who annoyed lawyer Ally McBeal (Calista Flockhart) was Elaine Vassal.  The role of Elaine was played by Jane Krakowski.  Note: Ally McBeal aired from 1997 until 2002 and Krakowski appeared in all 112 episodes of the series.



13.  C

Robert Downey, Jr. and Calista Lockhart

Robert Downey, Jr. played the role of Larry Paul on Ally McBeal beginning in 2000.  In April of 2001, however, Downey was fired from the show after being arrested in Culver City, California in a drug-related incident.



14.  A

E.G. Marshall (left) and Robert Reed in The Defenders

Robert Reed starred alongside E.G. Marshall in The Defenders.  The courtroom drama series ran on CBS from 1961 to 1965.  Marshall and Reed played father-and-son defence attorneys who specialized in complicated legal cases.  Some of the defendants included civil rights demonstrators, a doctor charged with mercy killing and neo-Nazis.  E.G. Marshall played attorney Lawrence Preston and Robert Reed played his son, Kenneth Preston.



15,  D.

Leo McKern as Rumple

Leo McKern played London barrister Horace Rumpole in Rumpole of the Bailey, a series that ran from 1978 until 1992.  The character of Rumpole, a sort of British version of Perry Mason, was created by John Mortimer, a barrister and writer.

THE NANNY QUIZ
TV BANTER QUIZ #22  (Originally posted October 14, 2014)

By Joanne Madden

The Nanny was a 1990s sitcom about an affable, big-haired, nasal-voiced Jewish woman from New York who becomes a nanny to the family of a widowed Englishman.  The series, starring, Fran Drescher and Charles Shaughnessy, ran on CBS for six seasons, from 1993 to 1999.  Why don't you test your knowledge of this popular show by doing the following quiz.


The Nanny Quiz


1.  New Yorker Fran Fine (portrayed by Fran Drescher) was fired from her job in a bridal dress shop, owned by her then-boyfriend, Danny Imperiali.  After the loss of that job, what employment did she find in Manhattan before becoming a nanny?


A.  bank teller

B.  cosmetics saleswoman

C.  factory worker

D.  flight attendant

E.  hair stylist



2,  Fran Fine was a native of what part of New York City?

A.  The Bronx

B.  Brooklyn

C.  Queens

D.  Manhattan

E.  Staten Island



3.  British actor Charles Shaughnessy portrayed Maxwell Sheffield, the wealthy widower who eventually fell in love with nanny Fran Fine.  Pior to landing his role on The Nanny, Shanughnessy was a soap opera star.  What was the name of the soap he appeared on?


A.  The Young and the Restless

B.  The Bold and the Beautiful

C.  General Hospital

D.  Days of our Lives

E.  One Life to Live



4.  How many children did the widowed Maxwell have when Fran became their nanny?

A.  three (two daughters and a son)

B.  two (one son and one daughter)

C.  four (two daughters and two sons)

D.  five  (three daughters and two sons)

E.  two (both daughters)



5.  What was the name of Max's late wife.

A.  Jane

B.  Elizabeth

C.  Donna

D.  Rebecca

E.  Sara



6.  Which of these famous composers appeared in an episode of The Nanny?

A.  Barry Manilow and Neil Diamond

B.  Henry Mancini

C.  Andrew Lloyd Webber

D.  Carole Bayer Sager and Paul Simon

E.  Marvin Hamlisch and Burt Bacharach



7.  Joan Collins of Dynasty fame was a guest star in an episode of The Nanny.  What role did she play?

A.  Maxwell's aunt

B.  Maxwell's stepmother

C.  Fran's high school teacher

D.  Fran's former employer

E.  A well-to-do socialite friend of Maxwell's family



8.   Did Fran and Maxwell ever get married?

A.  No, they never married.

B.  On the last episode of the series, they announced their engagement.

C.  Yes, they wed at the end of the show's fifth season.

D.  No, Maxwell married someone else.

E.  The final season ended with Maxwell proposing and Fran turning him down.



9.  Who was Valerie "Val" Toriello?

A.  The owner of Fran's favourite Italian restaurant.

B.  She was a Broadway actress

C.  Fran's hair stylist

D.  Fran's best friend.

E.   Maggie's teacher




10.  What were the names of Fran's parents on the show?

A.  Sylvia and Morty

B.  Ruth and Alan

C.  Barbara and David

D.  Esther and Ari

E.  Rose and Daniel



11.  What was Maxwell's occupation?

A.  He was a corporate executive.

B.  He was a theatrical producer for Broadway shows.

C.  He was a real estate tycoon.

D.  He was the owner of a department store chain.

E,  He was the owner and operator of an upscale Manhattan hotel.




12.  Who was Niles?

A.  The Sheffield family's butler

B.  Maxwell's brother

C.  Maxwell's uncle

D.  Maxwell's business partner

E.  Maxwell's lawyer friend



13. Who was C.C. Babcock?

A.  Maxwell's former girlfriend

B.  A neighbour

C.  Fran's niece

D.  Maxwell's business partner

E.  Fran's cousin



14.  What did C.C. stand for in her name?

A.  Charlotte Constance

B,  Christine Cordelia

C.  Catherine Carmella

D.  Candice Camilla

E.  Chastity Claire



15.  What was the name of C.C.'s dog?

A.  Charley

B.  Chubbs

C.  Chester

D.  Champ

E.  Chip



16.  Which well-know psychologist guest-starred in an episode of The Nanny?

A,  Dr. Phil McGraw

B.  Dr. Ruth Westheimer

C.  Dr. Joyce Brothers

D.  Dr. Laura Schlessinger

E.  All of the above



17.  Whom did Niles eventually marry?

A.  Fran Fine

B.  Maxwell's sister

C.  No one.  He remained a bachelor.

D.  C.C. Babcock

E.  Fran's sister



18.  What happened to daughter Maggie at the end of the series?

A.  She got married.

B.  She went to medical school in Chicago.

C.  She started her own business.

D.  She published a book.

E.  She and a friend opened an upscale restaurant.





19.  At the end of the series, Fran, Maxwell, Grace and the twins moved away from New York.  Where did they go?

A.  Paris, France

B.  Hollywood, California

C.  London, England

D.  Rome, Italy

E.  San Francisco, California




ANSWERS

1,  B

 After losing her job and being dumped by her boyfriend, Fran became a cosmetics saleswoman.


2.  C

Fran Fine was a native of the Flushing area of Queens, New York.  The Nanny was greatly influenced by Fran Drescher own experiences growing up in Queens.


3.  D

London-born Charles Shaughnessy played the aristocratic Shane Donovan, a secret agent on Days of Our Lives.   He actually is a British peer, the 5th Baron Shaughnessy.   

Shaughnessy reprised his Shane Donovan role on Days of Our Lives for two brief stints in May 2012 and November 2013.


4.  A

Maxwell Sheffield was a widower with three children, two daughters and a son.  The oldest was daughter Margaret "Maggie" Sheffield, played by Nicholle Tom.  The middle child was a son named Brighton Sheffield, was portrayed by Benjamin Salisbury and Madeline Zima was brainy Grace "Gracie" Sheffield, the baby of the family.

Nicholle Tom as Maggie Sheffield

5.  E

Max's late wife was named Sara.  She passed away some years before the start of the series.



6.  E

Marvin Hamlisch appeared in an episode of The Nanny called "Val's Boyfriend" (Season 3, Episode 18, Air Date: February 5, 1996).  He played Alan Neider, Fran's former high school teacher, a Marvin Hamlisch look-alike.  Burt Bacharach appeared as himself in a 1996 episode entitled "The Cantor" (Seasn 3, Episode 24, Air Date: April 29, 1996).

7.  B

Fran Dresher (left) with Joan Collins

Joan Collins portrayed Maxwell's stepmother, Joan Sheffield in a 1996 episode of The Nanny entitled "Me and Mrs. Joan" (Season 4, Episode 6, Air Date: October 30, 1996).  In the episode Fran attempts to play peacemaker by inviting Maxwell's father's former secretary (Joan), who caused the breakup of his parent's marriage, to dinner.



8.  C

Yes, Fran and Maxwell wed at the end of the show's fifth season in an episode entitled "The Wedding" (Season 5, Episode 22, Air Date: May 13, 1998).  Although Maxwell's family tells them that the marriage will never work, they get married anyway and fall off their honeymoon yacht.  On the last episode of the season, Fran gives birth to fraternal twins, a boy, Jonah Samuel and a girl, Eve Catherine.  They were named after their great grandparents  (Trivia note: In 1999, Rachel Chagall, the actress who played Fran Fine's best friend, gave birth to twins named Jonah Samuel and Eve Catherine.)

9.  D

Val, played by Rachel Chagall, was Fran's best friend since elementary school in Flushing, Queens, New York.


10.  A

Fran's parents on the show were named Sylvia and Morty, as were Fran Drescher's real life parents

Bronx-born Renée Taylor played the role of Sylvia Fine, (née Rosenberg), Fran's outspoken mother. Steve Lawrence portrayed Fran's father, Morty Fine.


11.  B

Maxwell was a theatrical producer for Broadway shows.  He passed on Cats and his main rival was Andrew Lloyd Webber


12.  A

Niles was the butler and caretaker for the Sheffield family home.  His father had been the Sheffield butler previously.  Niles' last name was never revealed on the show.  Although the character was an Englishman, he was portrayed by Daniel Davis, a native of Little Rock, Arkansa.


13. D

C.C. Babcock, played by Lauren Lane, was Maxwell's longtime business partner. The egotistical C.C. had romantic designs on Maxwell, making her Fran's rival for his affections.


14.  E.

C.C. Babcock's full name was Chastity Claire Babcock.


15.  C

Fran with Chester Drescher

C.C. Babcock had a dog called Chester. The performing dog, who died in 2000, was actually Fran Drescher's Pomeranian, and his full name was Chester Drescher.  Perhaps that's why he seemed to prefer Fran Fine over his fictional TV owner, C.C.


16. C

Dr. Joyce Brothers guest-starred on a 1997 episode of The Nanny entitled "The Ex-Niles" (Season 5, Episode 5, Air Date: October 29, 1997)  In the episode, Fran and C.C. visit Dr. Brothers to determine which woman is more suitable for Maxwell.


17.  D

Niles eventually married C.C. Babcock, although they initially disliked each other intensely.


18.  A.

In one of the last episodes of the final season, Maggie Sheffield marries Michael, an underwear model, played by Andrew Levitas.  The episode is entitled "Maggie's Wedding" (Season 6, Episode 19, Air Date: May 5, 1999.  Fran is delighted to learn that Michael is a cousin of James Brolin, husband of her idol, Barbra Streisand.


19.  B

At the end of the series, Fran, Max, Grace and the twins move to Los Angeles, where Maxwell is scheduled to produce a television show.  Maggie and her husband move to Europe.  However, Maggie stays in Paris with her brother, Brighton, while Michael heads to Venice for a modelling assignment.



THE GOOD WIFE QUIZ
TV BANTER QUIZ #23 (Originally posted March 20, 2015)

By Joanne Madden

The Good Wife is a popular American legal drama that debuted on CBS on September 22, 2009.  The series, starring Julianna Margulies, premiered in 2009.  If you are a fan, why not test your knowledge in the 11-question quiz below.

The Good Wife Quiz

1.  In what U.S. city does The Good Wife take place?

A.  New York

B.  Los Angeles

C.  Chicago

D.  Boston

E.  Philadelphia



2.  What hit show did Julianna Margulies appear in regularly for many years prior to The Good Wife?

A,  Grey's Anatomy

B.  Diagnosis Murder

C.  Boston Legal

D.  E.R.

E.  The Practice



3.  What is Alicia Florrick's maiden name?

Julianna Margulies as Alicia

A.  Donnelly

B,  Mullen

C.  Fleming

D,  Clancy

E.   Cavanaugh



4.  Which of the following actors has appeared in a role on The Good Wife?

A.  Matthew Perry

B.  Neil Patrick Harris

C.  Jane Fonda

D.  Tina Fey

E.  Tom Sellick



5.  Alicia and Peter Florrick have two children, a son and a daughter.  Their son, Zachary "Zach" Florrick, was 14 when the series premiered in 2009 and their daughter was 13.  What is the name of the actor who plays Zach Florrick?

Zach Florrick

A.  Mark Graham

B.  Graham Marks

C.  Graham Phillips

D.  Philip Graham

E.  Paul Phillips



6.  What is the name of Zach's younger sister?

A.  Donna Florrick

B.  Grace Florrick

C.  Amy Florrick

D.  Bonnie Florrick

E.  Lisa Florrick



7.  Who is Nisa del Mar?

A.  Peter's first wife

B.  Grace's best friend

C.  Alicia's best friend

D.  Zach's ex-girlfriend

E   Peter's sister

8.  Michael J. Fox plays a character named Louis Canning on The Good Wife?  Who is Louis Canning?

A.  Louis Canning is a judge.

B.  He is Alicia's ex-boyfriend

C.  He is an attorney from New York

D.  He is Alicia's cousin.

E.  He is a private detective.



9.  In Season 5 of The Good Wife, attorney Will Gardner (Josh Charles) was killed.  How did he die?

Josh Charles

A.  He was shot by a client.

B.  He died in a car accident.

C,  He was poisoned by a jealous ex-girlfriend.

D.  He had a massive stroke.

E.  He drowned in a boating accident.



10.  In 2014, David Hyde Pierce, best known for his portrayal of Niles Crane on Frasier, landed a major recurring role on The Good Wife.  He plays Frank Prady, a prominent cable news commentator who is so disturbed by crime and corruption in Chicago that he decides to run for public office.  What office does he seek?

A.  Mayor of Chicago

B.  State's Attorney

C.  District Attorney

D.  Judge

E.  Illinois Congressman



11.  Who plays the role of Guy Redmayne, a wealthy supporter of Democratic political candidates?

A.  George Kennedy

B.  Eric Roberts

C.  William Shatner

D.  Corbin Bernsen

E.  Ed Asner




ANSWERS


1.  C

The Good Wife is set in Cook County, Chicago, although it is actually filmed in New York, usually in Brooklyn.  The show's main character, Alicia Florrick (played by Julianna Margulies) is the wife of Peter Florrick (played by Chris Noth, a scandal-ridden Cook County State's Attorney.  After he goes to prison, Alicia leaves her Highland Park estate and moves into the city to work at a law firm.



2.  D

From 1994 until 2009, Julianna Margulies played the role of nurse Carol Hathaway on the hit medical drama E.R.  Like The Good Wife, E.R. was set in Chicago.



3. E

Alicia's maiden name is Cavanaugh


4. A

Matthew Perry has played Mike Kresteva, Peter Florrick's rival in the electoral race for governor. Kresteva, a Republican campaigned on "family values,"

Perry's character has appeared in four episodes of the show. He was first seen in a 2012 episode entitled "Blue Ribblon Panel" (Season 3, Episode 19, Air Date: March 25, 2012) and was last seen in an episode entitled "Death of a Client." (Season 4, Episode 18, Air Date: March 24, 2013).


5.  C

Graham Phillips plays the role of Zach Florrick.  Phillips was born on April 14, 1993 in Laguna Beach, California.  The talented actor is also a singer and stage star who has performed on Broadway as Ben Tennyson in the musical 13.  He portrayed Jordan Baxter in the 2007 feature film Evan Almighty and his television credits include Crossing Jordan (2004), Judging Amy 2004), The King of Queens (2002).  He also appeared in the 2005 TV film A Hallmark Movie - Love's Long Journey.


6.  B

Makenzie Vega as Grace Florrick

Zach's sister, Grace Florrick, is portrayed by Makenzie Vega.  Vega was born on February 10, 1994 in Los Angeles, California.  She is the younger sister of actress Alexa Vega who is best known for her role as Carmen Cortez on Spy Kids.


7.  D

Rachel Hilson as Nisa

Nisa, played by Rachel Hilson. is Zach's former girlfriend.  Her Muslim background caused problems for Peter Florrick' political career.

Hilson appeared in a 2015 episode of the detective series "Elementary."  She portrayed a character named Lexi in an episode entitled "Seed Money" (Season 3, Episode 10, Air Date: January 15, 2015).


8.  C

Michael J. Fox as Louis Canning with Julianna Margulies

Michael J. Fox plays the role of Louis Canning, an attorney from New York.  Canning is Alicia's legal nemesis.  Fox originally appeared as a recurring character on The Good Wife, but left to star in his own sitcom, The Michael J. Fox Show.  After the cancellation of The Michael J. Fox Show,, he returned to The Good Wife on a more regular basis.


9.  A

Attorney Will Gardner was Alicia's friend and former colleague. He was shot to death in a courtroom by his deranged client, Jeffrey Grant (Hunter Parrish), in an episode that aired March 23, 2014.  Josh Charles, who portrayed Gardner, told talk show host David Letterman that appearing on The Good Wife was "one of the greatest gigs for me in my entire career."  He added that his contract was up and that he was "just ready to move on."


10.  B.

David Hyde Pierce as Frank Prady

Frank Prady decides to run for Cook County State's Attorney and his opponent is Alicia Florrick.


11.  E

Ed Asner as Guy Redmayne

Ed Asner (Lou Grant himself) plays the role of Guy Redmayne, the crass, sexist donor to political campaigns.

1990s TELEVISION QUIZ
TV BANTER QUIZ #24 (Originally posted August 25, 2015)

By Joanne Madden

Did you watch a lot of television during the 1990s?  If so, then this quiz is for you.  Take up the challenge and answer the 13 questions below.  Good luck!

1990s Television Quiz

1.  On Frasier (1993-2004), what was the last name of Daphne, the Crane's British housekeeper?

Daphne on Frasier

A.  Daphne's last name was Wade.

B.  Her last name was Warren.

C.  It was Michaels.

D.  It was Moon.

E.  It was Skye.



2.  Full House, which aired on the ABC network from 1987 to 1995, focused on a widowed television broadcaster named Danny Tanner (Bob Saget) and his three daughters.  Helping Danny out were his brother-in-law, Jesse (John Stamos), and Jesse's friend, Joey Gladstone.  Name the actor who played Joey.

A.  Robert James

B.  Dave Roberts

C.  Tim James

D.  Robert Coulter

E.  Dave Coulier



3.  On The X-Files (1993-2002), FBI special agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) investigated unexplained cases.  What was Mulder's FBI nickname on the show?

Duchovny and Anderson as Mulder and Scully

A.  Mulder's nickname was "Spooky."

B.  His nickname was "Ghost,"

C.  It was "Shadow."

D.  It was "Sky."

E,  It was "Gloom."



4,  Mad About You (1992-1999) was a sitcom about a young, married couple in New York City.  The series starred Paul Reiser as Paul Buchman, a documentary filmmaker, and Helen Hunt as his wife, Jamie Stemple Buchman.  What was Jamie's occupation?

A.  teacher

B.  psychologist

C.  public relations specialist

D.  journalist

E.  private detective



5,   Mad About You ran for seven seasons.  Paul and Jamie became parents when their baby girl was born during the last episode of the show's fifth season.  What name did they choose for the child?

A.  Mabel

B.  Barbara

C.  Betty

D.  Mavis

E.  Mary Jane



6.  On Mad About You, who played Jamie's mother, Theresa Semple?

A.  June Lockhart

B,  Carol Burnett

C.  Cloris Leachman

D.  Jean Stapleton

E.   Marion Ross



7.  On Seinfeld (1989-1998), "the show about nothing," comedian Jerry Seinfeld's friend, George Costanza (Jason Alexander) quits his job at Rick Barr Properties in an episode entitled "The Revenge" (Season 2, Episode 12, Air Date: April 18, 1991). For what reason did George quit his job?

A.  His boss refused to give him a raise.

B.  His co-workers were cruel to him.

C.  The job was too boring for him.

D.  He was banned him from using his boss's executive washroom.

E.  He wanted to pursue his dream of working for the New York Yankees.



8.  On the sitcom Friends (1994-2004), how were Ross and Monica related?

A.  They were first cousins.

B.  They were brother and sister.

C.  They were brother-in-law and sister-in-law.

D.  They were stepbrother and stepsister.

E.  They were not related at all.



9.  On Friends, what was Ross' profession?

A.  orthodontist

B.  psychologist

C.  paleontologist

D.  pediatrician

E.  lawyer



10,  Home Improvement (1991-1999) starred Tim Allen as Tim Taylor, the host of a television home-improvement show called Tool Time.  He and his wife, Jill (Patricia Richardson) had three sons and lived in a Detroit suburb.  What was the name of the Taylor family's neighbour?

A.  Jack Wilson

B.  Tom Wilson

C.  Wilson W, Wilson, Jr.

D.  Richard R. Wilson, Jr.

E.  Joe Wilson



11.  Who played the role of Lisa, the "Tool Time girl" in 23 episodes of Home Improvement?

A.  Pamela Anderson

B.  Erin Moran

C.  Justine Bateman

D.  Kirstie Alley

E.   Pam Dawber



12.  On Beverly Hills, 90210, which aired from 1990 to 2000, the Walsh family, moved to California from another state.  Where did they live before they came to Beverly Hills?

A.  Hartford, Connecticut

B.  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

C.  New York City

D.  Denver, Colorado

E.  Minneapolis, Minnesota



13.  What does the title Beverly Hills, 90210 mean?

A.  Beverley Hills, 90210 is the name of a fictional restaurant on the show.

B.  "90210" is the street number of the Wash family's home.

C.  Beverley Hills, 90210 is the name of a fictional hotel on the show.

D.  "90210" is a zip code in the Beverley Hills area.

E.  None of the above

ANSWERS

1.  D

The role of Daphne Moon, the Crane family's housekeeper, was played by Jane Leeves.  After Frasier, Jane went on to star in the sitcom Hot in Cleveland.


2.  E

Dave Coulier as Joey

Dave Coulier played the role of stand-up comedian Joey Gladstone on Full House. David Alam Coulier was born on December 21, 1959 in St. Clair Shores, Michigan.  In addition to being a stand-up comedian, he has worked as an actor, impressionist, voice actor and TV host.  Coulier has also appeared as himself on reality shows such as The Surreal Life and Skating with Celebrities.  On July 2, 2014, he married photographer/producer Melissa Bring in Montana.  It was the second marriage for the entertainer.  From 1990 to 1992, he was wed to actress Jayne Modean.  They have a son, Luc Coulier.


3.  A

On The X-Files, Fox Mulder, played by David Duchovny, had an official FBI nickname.  It was "Spooky."


4.  C

Mad About You's Jamie Buchman was a public relations specialist.


5.  A

Paul and Jamie Buchman chose to name their baby Mabel as an acronym for "Mothers Always Bring Extra Love."  The acronym was suggested by Jamie's mother, Theresa Stemple.  Mabel was born on an episode entitled "The Birth: Part Two"  The episode aired on May 20, 1997.


6.  B

Carol Burnett and Carroll O'Connor 

Carol Burnett played Theresa Stemple, Jamie's mother on Mad About You.  Carroll O'Connor portrayed Gus Stemple, Jamie's father.



7.  D

L to R: Jason Alexander, Fred Applegate and Julia Louis-Dreyfus

In the Seinfeld episode "The Revenge," George Costanza quits his real estate job and insults his boss, Rick Levitan (Fred Applegate), after being banned from Levitan's personal bathroom.  Realizing that he may have acted too hastily, George returns to work as if nothing has happened.  When Levitan refuses to let him get away with it, Costanza enlists his friend Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) to help him exact revenge by slipping him a mickey.


8.  B

On Friends, Ross Geller (David Schwimmer) was Monica Geller's (Courtney Cox) older brother.


9.  C

David Schwimmer as Ross Geller on Friends

Ross Geller was originally a paleontologist.at New York City's Museum of Natural History.  He later became a tenured professor of paleontology at New York University.


10.  C

On Home Improvement, Wilson W. Wilson, Jr., played by Earl Hindman, was Tim Taylor's neighbour and confidant.  Hindman died of lung cancer on December, 29, 2003.  He was 61 years old at the time of his passing.



11.  A

Pamela Anderson as Lisa

Pamela Anderson play the recurring role of Lisa on Home Improvement.  As the "Tool Time girl," her duties consisted of introducing the hosts of the Tool Time show, Tim Taylor and his assistant, Al Borland (Richard Karn) and handing them their tools.


12.  E

The Walsh family of  Bevrly Hills, 90210

Jim and Cindy Walsh (James Eckhouse and Carol Potter) and their teenage twins, Brenda (Shannen Doherty and Brandon (Jason Priestley), moved to upscale Beverly Hills from Minneapolis, Minnesota.


13.  D

"90210" is the most celebrated ZIP code in the Beverly Hills area.



A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS QUIZ
TV BANTER QUIZ #25 (Originally posted December 9, 2015)

By Joanne Madden

Fifty years ago today, on the CBS network, A Charlie Brown Christmas made its debut on December 9, 1965.  How well do you know this timeless Yuletide classic? Test your knowledge of this beloved animated special by completing the 10- question quiz below.  Best of luck!


A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS QUIZ


1.  What Christmas song was written for A Charlie Brown Christmas?


A.  "Holly Jolly Christmas"

B.  "Welcome Christmas"

C.  "Christmas Time is Here"

D.  "Silver Bells"

E.  "The Most Wonderful Day of the Year



2  When an unhappy Charlie Brown searches for the true meaning of Christmas, who recommends that he direct a Christmas play?

A,  Lucy

B,  Linus

C,  Peppermint Patty

D.  Schroeder

E.  Violet



3.  What part does Linus play in the Christmas play?

A.  Linus plays an angel in the Christmas play.

B.  He plays Joseph.

C.  He plays one of the Three Wise Men.

D.  He plays a shepherd.

E.  Linus doesn't take part in the Christmas play.



4.  Lucy Van Pelt doesn't want a lot of "stupid toys" for Christmas.  What does she want instead?

A.  Lucy wants a puppy, preferably a poodle.

B.  She wants real estate.

C.  She wants Schroeder to compose a special song just for her and to play it on his piano.

D.  She wants to visit Paris.

E.  None of the above.



5.  Which Peanuts character builds a snowman as Charlie Brown looks on?

A.  Linus

B.  Snoopy

C.  Schroeder

D.  Peppermint Patty

E.  Pigpen



6.  Why happens when Charlie Brown checks his mailbox?

A.  He finds an anonymous Christmas card.

B.  He finds a message from the Little Red-Headed Girl.

C.  His mailbox is empty and he hasn't received any Christmas cards.

D.  He is disappointed because there is just a pile of junk mail and nothing else.

E.   None of the above.



7.  When Charlie Brown decides that the Christmas play needs a tree to create a proper mood, what kind of Christmas tree does Lucy instruct him to get?

A.  The largest tree he can find.

B.  A big shiny, aluminum tree.

C.  A real tree, not too big and not too small.

D.  A tree that looks strong and majestic.

E.  A tree that stands out from all the others.



8.  Who gives Lucy a kiss?

A.  Schroeder

B.  Pigpen

C.  Charlie Brown

D.  Snoopy

E,  Nobody



9.  When Charlie Brown asks in despair if anyone really knows what Christmas is all about, what biblical verse does Linus, standing alone on stage, recite?

A.  "And she brought forth her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in manger . . ."  from the Gospel of Luke.

B.  The annunciation to the shepherds from the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 2, Verses 4 to 16.

C.  He doesn't recite a biblical verse.

D.  The story of the visit of the Three Wise Men from the Gospel of Matthew.

E.  The annunciation to the shepherds from the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 2, Verses 2 to 14.



10.  At the end of the show, what traditional Christmas carol does the Peanuts gang sing?

A.  "The First Noel"

B.  "Joy to the World"

C.  "Hark! The Harold Angels Sing"

D.  "Angels We Have Heard on High"

E.  "Silent Night"



11.  When A Charlie Brown Christmas premiered on CBS at 7:30 p.m. (Eastern Time) on December 9, 1966, which regular series did it preempt?

A. The Munsters

B.  The Berverly Hillbillies

C.  Batman

D.  Petticoat Junction

E.  The Andy Griffith Show




ANSWERS


1.  C

"Christmas Time is Here" was written by Lee Mendelson and Vince Guarldi for A Charlie Brown Christmas,  Here are the lyrics.

Christmas time is here
Happiness and cheer
Fun for all that children call
Their favourite time of the year

Snowflakes in the air
Carols everywhere
Olden times and ancient rhymes
Of love and dreams to share

Sleigh bells in the air
Beauty everywhere
Yuletide by the fireside
And joyful memories there

Christmas time is here
We'll be drawing near
Oh, that we could always see
Such spirit through the year
Oh, that we could always see
Such spirit through the year. . .


2.  A

Depressed about the commercialization of Christmas, Charlie Brown visits Lucy's psychiatric booth. She advises him to direct a Christmas play and he agrees.


3.  C

Linus plays a shepherd in the Christmas play.  Much to her delight, Charlie Brown's sister, Sally, is assigned to portray the shepherd's wife.


4.  B

Lucy wants real estate for Christmas.


5.  E

Charlie Brown's unfailingly filthy classmate, Pigpen, builds a very dirty snowman as Charlie watches.


6.  C

When Charlie Brown checks his mailbox, it is empty and he hasn't received any Christmas cards.  He then sarcastically thanks Violent for her Christmas card.


7.  B.

Lucy dispatches Charlie Brown to find a "big, shiny aluminum tree."  Instead, he and Linus return with a forlorn sapling, the only authentic tree they can find.





8.  D.

During rehearsal for the Christmas play, Snoopy, Charlie Brown's intrepid cocker spaniel, plants a kiss on her.  Lucy is horrified and repulsed.  She screams that she has dog germs.  "Get hot water! Get some disinfectant.  Get some iodine, she shouts."


9.  E

Linus recites the annunciation to the shepherds from the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 2, Verses 2 to 14" He then declares "That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown."


10.  C

The entire Peanuts gang sings the hymn "Hark! The Harold Angels Sing" at the end of the program.


11.  A

A Charlie Brown Christmas pre-empted The Mussters.

END NOTE

* On October 1, 2015, the U.S. Postal Service issued a series of ten stamps dedicated to A Charlie Brown Christmas.

DR. KILDAIRE QUIZ
TV BANTER QUIZ #26 (Originally posted June 29, 2016)

By Joanne Madden

Vincent Massey (left) and Richard Chamberlain

Forget Dr. Dereck Shepherd (Patrick Depsey) also known as "McDreamy" on Grey's Anatomy.  Back in the 1960s, Richard Chamberlain, star of Dr. Kildare, was the original Dr. McDreamy.  Teenage girls swooned over him.

Dr. Kildare was a medical drama that aired on NBC from 1961 until 1966.  It ran for five seasons and  a total of 190 episodes were produced (132 one-hour episodes and 58 half-hour episodes).  The series was based on a fictional character, Dr. James "Jim" Kildare, created by American author Frederick Schiller Faust, who used the pen name Max Brand.  

Dr. Kildare Quiz


1.  What was the name of the large metropolitan hospital where Dr. Kildare took place?

A.  Memorial Hospital

B.  Central Medical Center

C.  Lakeview General Hospital

D.  Blair General Hospital

E.  Eastmount General Hospital



2.  What was the name of the senior doctor played by Raymond Massey in the series?

A.  Dr. Leonard Gillespie

B.  Dr. David Zorba

C.  Dr. Joseph Gannon

D.  Dr. Stephen Marcus

E.  Dr. Richard Kiley



3.  Who played Dr. Gillespie in the Dr. Kildare films?  (This is your bonus question  Give yourself an extra point if you answer it correctly).

A.  Robert Young

B.  Henry Fonda

C.  Lionel Barrymore

D.  Don Ameche

E.  Glenn Ford



4.  How did Dr. Gillespie's portrayal different in the Dr. Kildare TV series than in the films?

A.  Dr. Gillespie had a German accent in the films, not on he television show.

B.  Dr. Gillespie was a bachelor in the films.  He was a widower on the television show.

C.  Dr. Gillespie was blind in the films, not on the television series.

D.  Dr. Gillespie was a recovered alcoholic on the television series, not in the films.

E.  Dr. Gillespie was in a wheelchair in the films, not on the TV show.



5.  What is significant about an episode of Dr. Kildare entitled "Behold the Great Man"?

A.  It was filmed in New York City.

B.  It was the first episode of Dr. Kildare to be broadcast in colour.

C,  It is the only episode in which a patient of Dr. Kildare dies.

D,  It is the only episode in which Raymond Massey does not appear.

E.  Dr, Kildare marries a nurse, but she is killed in a car accident.



6.  Which of the following actors turned down the role of Dr. Kildare on the television series?


A.  Adam West

B.  Ryan O'Neal

C.  William Shatner

D.  Robert Redford

E.  Robert Vaughn



7.  What happened to Dr. Kildare by the third season of the show.

A.  He went on a vacation to Europe.

B.  He fell in love with a nurse.

C.  He discovered that he was adopted.

D.  He was promoted to the position of Chief Resident by his mentor and Chief of Staff, Dr. Gillespie.

E.  He is wrongly accused of medical misconduct and loses his medical licence.



8.  What is the name of the theme song from Dr. Kildare?

A.  Three Stars Will Shine Tonight

B.  The Light of Hope

C.  Bright Moon

D.  Special People

E.  For You



9.  Who sang the theme song from Dr. Kildare?

A.  Bobby Darin

B.  Matt Monro

C.  Bobby Rydell

D.  Andy Williams

E.  Richard Chamberlain



10.  In 1964, Gillespie and Kildare go to Rome, ostensibly for medical reasons.  Of course, it was really to create a setting for romantic sparks to fly.  In the three-part saga, Kildare falls for an Italian noblewoman, played by Daniela Bianchi.  Meanwhile, Gillespie rekindles an old wartime romance   What was the name of the song Richard Chamberlain sang a song during the episode?

A. Eternal City

B.  Arrivaderci Roma

C.  Rome Will Never Leave You

D.  Bella Roma

E.  Rome is for Romance

L to R: Chamberlain, Daniela Bianchi and Massey

ANSWERS

1.  D

The setting for Dr. Kildare was a large fictional metropolitan hospital called Blair General Hospital. The large white building shown at the beginning of each episode to represent the hospital was really the Irving Thalberg Building on the MGM Pictures set.


2.  A

Raymond Massey played the role of the curmudgeonly Dr. Leonard Gillespie, Kildare's mentor. Here's some trivia of particular interest to Canadian readers, Massey was born in Toronto, Ontario,  In 1952, his older brother, Vincent Massey, became the first Canadian-born Governor General of Canada.  Vincent Massey died in 1967 at the age of 80.  Raymond Massey passed away in 1983 at the age of 86,


3.  C

Lionel Barrymore played Dr. Gillespie and Lew Ayres played Dr. James Kildare in a series of MGM films beginning with 1938's Young Dr. Kildare.  Below is a photo of Barrymore (left) and Ayres in the movie Young Dr. Kildare.

4.  E

Raymond Massey (left) as Gillespie without wheelchair

In the Dr. Kildare movie series, Lionel Barrymore portrayed Dr. Gillespie in a wheelchair.  In the television series, Raymond Massey's Dr. Kildare did not have a wheelchair.


5. B,

"Behold the Great Man" (Season 5, Episode 1, Air Date: September 13, 1965) was the first episode of Dr. Kildare to be broadcast in colour.  In addition to being broadcast in colour, the series underwent a change in format in its fifth and final season.  It began airing twice a week as a half-hour program instead of once a week for a an hour.


6.  C

According to his autobiography (Up Till Now: The Autobiography), William Shatner, who later shot to fame as Captain James T. Kirk on Star Trek, was originally offered the role of Dr. Kildare.  Shatner turned it down.  James Franciscus, who also turned the role before it was offered to the largely unknown Richard Chamberlain.  Franciscus starred in NBC's Mr. Novak from 1963 to 1965.

Despite turning down the lead role, William Shatner appeared in six episodes of Dr. Kildare.  He portrayed Dr. Toby Cunningham in a 1961 episode entitled "Admitting Service" (Season 1, Episode 6, Air Date: November 2, 1961).  In 1966, during Season 5 of the series, he played the role of Dr.Carl Noyes in five episodes.

William Shatner on Dr. Kildare in 1966

7,  D

By the third season, Dr. Kildare was promoted from intern to resident by Dr. Gillespie.  In the first season, Kildare, had two intern colleages, Drs. Agurski (Eddie Ryder) and Gerson (Jud Taylor). However, they were written out after the first season as the focus of the show shifted to the patients.



8,  A

The theme song for Dr. Kildare was "Three Stars Will Shine Tonight," music by Jerry Goldsmith and lyrics by Hal Winn.


9.  E

Richard Chamberalain sang "Three Stars Will Shine Tonight,"  It was released as a single in 1962 and became a hit, reaching #10 on the Billboard Hot 100.


10.  C

The song "Rome Will Never Leave You" was commissioned specifically for the episode in Rome.  It was composed by Burt Bacharach and Hal David.



END NOTES

Here is the cast of Dr. Kildare

Richard Chamberlain as Dr. James Kildare

Raymond Massey as Dr. Leonard Gillespie (1961-1966)

Eddie Ryder as Dr. Simon Agurski (1961-1962)

Jud Taylor as Dr. Thomas Gerson (1961-1962)

Joan Patrick as Receptionist Susan Deigh (1961-1962)

Steve Bell as Dr. Quint Lowry (1965-1966)

Ken Berry as Dr. Kapish

Jo Helton as Nurse Conant

Jean Inness as Nurse Fain (1965-1966)

Lee Kurty as Nurse Zoe Lawton (1965-1966)

John Napier as Ken Cleveland (1966-1967)

Robert Paget as Dr. John Ross

Cynthia Stone as Mrs. Salt

* Richard Chamberlain was born on March 31, 1934.  He is now 82 years old.  Chamberlain also starred with Rachel Ward and Bryan Brown in the 1983 blockbuster mini-series The Thorn Birds.

* Eddie Ryder, who portrayed Dr. Simon Agurski during the first season of Dr. Kildare, died on March 29, 1997 at the age of 74.  He appeared on television until the 1980s in such shows as The Dukes of Hazard, Hill Street Blues and General Hospital.  Ryder also played the role of Jerry Page in the 1986 television movie A Masterpiece of Murder.

Eddie Ryder

* Jean Inness, who played Nurse Beatrice Fain, died of cancer on December 27, 1978 at the age of 78.

Jean Inness

THE GREAT ADDAMS FAMILY QUIZ
TV BANTER QUIZ #27 (Originally posted April 8, 2017)

By Joanne Madden

TV BANTER QUIZ #27

The Addams Family was created by cartoonist Charles Addams in 1938.  The original Addams Family television series was based on Addams' cartoons for the New Yorker magazine.  The show aired on the ABC TV Network for two season, from 1964 to 1966.  64 episodes were produced.  

The series chronicled the misadventures of the macabre family of Gomez Addams, his wife Morticia, their two children and other relatives.  To test your knowledge of the ghoulish clan, why not try out the quiz below.  Note:  The questions pertain to the 1960s series only.

Remember the theme song (lyrics by Vic Mizzy):  Snap your finger and sing along!

They're creepy and they're kooky, 
Mysterious and spooky, 
They're altogether ooky, 
The Addams Family. 

Their house is a museum 
When people come to see 'em 
They really are a scream 
The Addams Family. 


Addams Family Quiz

1.  What was the ghoulish Morticia Addams' maiden name?

Carolyn Jones as Morticia Addams

A.  Skull

B.  Cobble

C.  Frump

D.  Fink

E.  Clump




2.  What was Gomez Addams' pet name for Morticia?

John Astin and Carolyn Jones as Gomez and Morticia

A.  "Querida" (my darling)

B.  "Mon Amour"  (my love)

C.  "Cara Mia" (my beloved)

D.  A and C

E.  A, B and C



3.  What was the name of the hand in the box?

A.  Hand

B.  Thing

C.  Fingers

D.  Digits

E.   It




4.  Wednesday Addams, the daughter of Gomez and Mortitia, had a favourite doll.  She carried it with her everywhere.  What kind of doll did Wednesday have?

A.  A voodoo doll

B.  A headless doll

C.  A vampire doll

D.  A werewolf doll

E.  A shrunken head doll




5.  What was Morticia's hobby was gardening.  She took great pleasure in nurturing weeds.  She also had a man-eating plant.  What was the name of her plant?

A.  Calpurnia

B.  Cordelia

C.  Cassandra

D.  Cleopatra

E.  Christina



6.  What was the name of the actor who played Lurch, the Addams family's gigantic zombie-like butler?

A.  Fred Gwynne

B.  André René Roussimoff

C.  Ted Cassidy

D.  Fred Dryer

E.  Vincent Price



7.  What did Lurch say when summoned by a member of the Addams?

A.  "You called."

D.  "What can I do for you?"

B.  "How can I help?"

C.  "Ready."

E.  "You rang."



8.  What was the name of the little Addams Family creature who was covered with hair from head to toe.

A.  Gore

B.  Uncle Harry

C.  Cousin Itt

D.  Hirsute

E.  Shade



9.  What was the name of Gomez and Morticia's pre-teen son?

A.  Pugsley

B. Pubert

C.  Presley

D.  Hobert

E.  Horsely



10.   Who was the actor who played Uncle Fester in the original TV series?

A.  Patrick Thomas

B.  Brad Oscar

C.  Christopher Lloyd

D.  Michael Roberds

E.  Jackie Coogan



11.  What strange ability did Uncle Fester have?

A.  He had the ability to generate electricity.

B.  He could touch fire with his bare hands and not get burned.

C.  He could go hours without blinking his eyes.

D.  He could grow fangs in his mouth.

E.  He could become invisible.



12.  Grandmama entertained grandchildren Pugsley and Wednesday with stories about . . .

A.  The Salem witch trials

B.  The French Revolution

C.  Vampires

D.  Lizzie Borden

E.  Jack the Ripper



13.  What did Gomez Addams smoke?

A.  Gomez smoked a pipe.

B.  He smoked cigarettes.

C.  He smoked cigars.

D.  All of the above

E.  None of the above.  Gomez was a non-smoker.



14.  What was the address of the Addams Family?

A.  1313 Mockingbird Lane

B.  0001 Cemetery Lane

C.  13 Spider Web Circle

D.  11 Lurid Lane

E.  013 Skeleton Street



15.  In the episode "Hallowe'en With the Addams Family" (Season 1, Episode 7, Air Date: October 30, 1964), who played the crook?

A.  Don Knotts

B.  Mickey Dolenz

C.  Jack Klugman

D.  Don Rickles

E.  Burt Reynolds



16.  Who was "Fang?"

A.  Pugsley's pet Octopus

B.  The Addams' pet lion

C.  Wednesday's pet spider

D.  The family's pet vultures

E.  Pugley's pet jaguar



ANSWERS

1.  C

Carolyn Jones in 1956

Morticia's maiden name was Frump.  In the original television series, the role of Morticia was played by Carolyn Jones.  Jones began her film career in the 1950s and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in The Bachelor Party (1957).  She is also known for her portrayal of villain Marcia, Queen of Diamonds on the 1960s Batman series.

Carolyn Jones died of colon cancer on August 3, 1983 in West Hollywood, California.  She was 53 years old at the time of her death.



2.  D

Gomez had two pet names for his wife Mortitia - "Querida" and "Cara Mia."


3.  B

The hand in the box was called "Thing."


4.  B

Lisa Loring as Wednesday Addams

Wednesday Addams favourite toy was a headless doll named Marie Antoinette. Wednesday was a pale little girl with long, dark braids.  Her usual attire was a black dress with a white collar, black stockings and black shoes.

In the 1964-1966 television series, Wednesday was portrayed by American actress Lisa Loring (born February 16, 1958 in Kwajalein, Marshall Islands.  After The Addams Family went off the air, Lisa joined the cast of The Pruitts of Southampton, a situation comedy starring Phyllis Diller (The series was retitled The Phyllis Diller Show.. It ran from 1966 to 1967 and Lisa portrayed Susan "Suzy" Pruitt, John Astin, who played her father on The Addams Family also appeared From 1981 until 1983, Lisa was a member of the cast of now-defunct CBS daytime drama As the World Turns.  She created the the role of Cricket Montgomery on the long-running soap.

Now 59 years old, Lisa Loring has been married four times and has two daughters.  In 2014, she appeared in the comedy/horror/science fiction film Way Down in Chinatown.  In 2016. she played Miss Rhonda in another comedy horror movie called Doctor Spine.


5.  D

The name of Morticia's African strangler plant was Cleopatra.  She fed it pieces of red meat.  The plant was always snuggling up to visitors as a way of sizing up its next meal.



6,  C

Ted Cassidy

Ted Cassidy played Lurch, the Addams family's manservant.  The 6 feet, 9 inch (2.06 metres) actor was known for his deep bass voice.  Cassidy died on on January 16, 1979 from complications after undergoing surgery to remove a non-malignant tumour from his heart.  He was 46 years old at the time of his passing.

Trivia Note:  "Thing" was the had of Ted Cassidy.



7.  E

Lurch's catchphrase was "You ra-an-ng."  He responded with the words "You rang" whenever he heard the loud gong used by someone in the eerie Addams family.  Lurch's voice was extremely deep and intimidating.


8.  C.

The name of the Addams Family hairy creature was Cousin Itt.  He was a cousin of Gomez Addams.  He was short and usually wore sunglasses, a derby hat and gloves.


9.  A

Ken Weatherwax as Pugsley Addams

The name of Adam and Morticia's eldest child was Pugsley.  He was almost always dressed in a striped T-shirt and shorts.  He was overweight and was shown eating multiple pieces of cake at a birthday party.  He and his younger sister, Wednesday, shared an interest in spiders, dynamite,and guillotines.

In the 1960s television series, Pugsley was played by Ken Weatherwax.  After The Addams Family was cancelled, Ken had a difficult time finding work and was typecast. He enlisted in the United States Army at the age of 17.  When his acting career ended, Ken worked behind the camera and appeared at Addams Family-related event.  He died of a heart attack at his California home on December 7, 2014.  He was 59 years old at the time of his passing.



10.  E

Jackie Coogan as Uncle Fester

Jackie Coogan played Uncle Fester in the 1960s series.  In that series, Fester was said to be Morticia's uncle, brother of her mother, Hester Frump.  In all other filmed and animated versions of The Addams Family, Fester was established as the brother of Gomez Addams, making him the uncle of Pugsley and Wednesday.  Fester was completely bald with sunken eyes.  He always wore a heavy, full-length fur coat.

Christopher Lloyd portrayed Fester in two feature films.  Michael Roberds played the character in The New Addams Family, an American-Canadian TV sitcom that ran from 1998 to 1999 on YTV in Canada and on Fox Family in the United States.  Fester was also played by Patrick Thomas in the direct-for-video film Addams Family Reunion and by Kevin Chamberlin and Brad Oscar in the Broadway musical.

Jackie Coogan began his film career in silent movies and became well known as a child star due his performance in Charlie Chaplin's 1921 film classic The Kid.  Coogan died on March 1, 1984 at the age of 69.


11.  A

Fester had the ability to generate electricity.  He demonstrated this ability by placing a light bulb in his mouth and illuminating it.


12.  B

Blossom Rock as Grandmama

Grandmama would sometimes regale Pugsley and Wednesday with stories about the French Revolution, inspiring Wednesday to behead her dolls.  She was a witch-like woman who concocted potions and dabbled in the occult.

In the 1960s series, Grandmama was played by Blossom Rock, a veteran actress of stage, film and television. Blossom Rock's birth name was Edith Marie Blossom MacDonald.  She was born on August 21, 1895 and was older the sister of actress/singer Jeannette MacDonald.  She appeared in films as Marie Blake and her first credited part was in Love Finds Andy Hardy.  She also played the role of Sally, the hospital switchboard operator in the MGM Dr. Kildare film series.   Blossom married actor Clarence Rock and they had no children.  Her husband died in 1960.  Blossom Rock passed away on January 14, 1978 in Los Angeles, California at the age of 82.



13.  C

Gomez Addams smoked cigars.  The patriarch of the Addams was extremely eccentric and very wealthy.  He usually wore a double-breasted pinstripe suit and a black necktie. He was a Latin lover type and ardent in his devotion to Morticia.  In the 1960s sitcom, he owned many businesses around the globe, including a crocodile farm, a buzzard farm, a salt mine, a tombstone factory and a uranium mine.

In the original TV show, Gomez was played by John Astin.  Astin was born on March 30, 1930 in Baltimore, Maryland,  As of this writing, he is 87 years old.  From 1972 to 1985, he was married to actress Patty Duke.

Trivia Note: In The New Addams Family (1998-1999), John Astin played Grandpapa Addams.



14.  B

The Addams family resided at 0001 Cemetery Lane, a gruesome mansion located between a cemetaey and a swamp.  n the 1960s series, the interior of the house resembled a museum with old statues, trophies and interesting artifacts.  The Munsters, another creepy 1960s family, lived at 1313 Mockingbird Lane.


15.  D

Don Rickles (far fight) with Jackie Coogan (centre) and Skip Homeir

In the episode "Halloween with the Addams Family," Don Rickles and Skip Homeier played a pair of bank robbers who seek refuge at the Addams' home on Halloween.



16.  E.

Fang was Pugley's pet jaguar.  Pugsley also had a pet octopus named Aristotle.  The Addams' pet lion was called Kitty Kat.  Their pet vulture was Zelda and their pet pirranhas were Triston and Isolde. Homer was Wednesday's pet spider.



ROSEANNE RETURNS TO TELEVISION: A QUIZ TO MARK THE EVENT (Originally posted June 1, 2017)
TV BANTER QUIZ #28



Roseanne is set to return to television, almost two decades since it first appeared on ABC-TV.  The series, starring Roseanne Barr and John Goodman, ran from 1988 until 1997 and it focused on the working-class Conner family,  It was recently announced that most of the cast will reunite for a short, eight-episode reboot in 2018.  To put you in the right frame of mind for the revival of Rosanne, TV Banter presents a quiz on the show.  Why not test your knowledge about this popular sitcom.  Are you ready?


Roseanne Quiz


1.  Where does the Conner family live?

Conner home

A.  Queens, New York

B.  Lanford, Illinois

C.  Lansing Michigan

D.  Springfield, Illinois

E.  Columbus, Ohio



2.  What was Roseanne Conner's maiden name?

A.  Howard

B.  Healy

C.  Harrison

D.  Hyland

E.  Harris



3.  What was Dan Conner's occupation?

John Goodman as Dan Conner

A.  Dan was a plumber.

B.  Dan worked in a car factory.

C.  Dan was a drywall contractor.

D.  Dan was a construction worker.

E.  Dan was a house painter.



4.  What was the name of the restaurant owned by Roseanne, her mother Bev, her younger sister Jackie (Laurie Metcalf) and others?

A.  The Lanford Lunch Box

B.  Roseanne's Diner

C.  The Lanford Diner

D.  Roseanne's Place

E.  The Lanford Eatery




5,  What is the name of Dan's closest friend from high school?

A.  Ralph

B.  Dwayne

C.  Moe

D.  Denny

E.  Ziggy



6.  What Oscar-winning Hollywood actress appeared on the show as Nana Mary, mother of Beverly Harris (Estelle Parsons) and grandmother to Roseanne Connor and her sister, Jackie Harris (Laurie Metcalf)?

A.  Shirley MacLaine

B.  Sally Field

C.  Donna Reed

D.  Shelley Winters

E.  Shirley Jones



7.  Who played the original Becky?

The original Becky Conner

A.  Eve Plumb

B.  Tracey Gold

C.  Lecy Goranson

D.  Sara Rue

E.  Jenny Lewis



8.  Sharon Stone had a role on an episode of Roseanne.  What role did she play?

A.  Mark and Becky's trailer park neighbour

B.  Roseanne's psychiatrist

C.  Dan's old girlfriend

D.  Roseanne's cousin

E.  Darlene's music teacher



9.  An old comedy series was spoofed on an episode of Roseanne and some of the surviving members of the cast made cameo appearances.  What was the name of the old comedy series?

A.  Leave it to Beaver

B.  Gilligan's Island

C.  The Brady Bunch

D.  Father Knows Best

E.  The Partridge Family



10.  Becky and Mark eloped.  Where did they move after they got married?

A.  California

B.  Hawaii

C.  Texas

D.  Wisconsin

E.  Minnesota



11.  Actor Steven Seagal appeared in a 1996 episode of Rosanne.  Whom did Seagal portray in the episode?

A.  An action movie stuntman

B.  A mechanic

C.  Becky's father-in-law

D.  Himself

E.  Roseanne's boss



12.  Daughter Darlene and David Healy decide to get married in the season finale.  The couple had a history of breaking up and making up.  Over the course of the show, how many times did Darlene and David break up throughout the course of the show.

A.  four times

B.  five times

C.  three times

D.  twice

E.  five times



13.  How was David Healy, played by Johnny Galecki, related to Mark Healy.

Johnny Galecki as David Healy

A.  They were first cousins.

B.  David was Mark's older brother.

C.  David was Mark's stepbrother and they were the same age.

D.  David was his Mark's younger brother.

E.  They were distant cousins.



14.  Roseanne is known for its Halloween episodes.  What was the title of the show's first Halloween episode, shown during Season 2

A.  "Ghosts and Goblins"

B.  "Scary Roseanne"

C.  "Night of the Living Conners"

D.  "A Conner Halloween"

E.  "Boo!"



15.  Which Hollywood actor appeared in the 1991 Halloween episode of Roseanne?

A.  George Clooney

B.  Brad Pitt

C.  Bradley Cooper

D.  Steve Carell

E.  Jim Carrey



16.  For several years, Roseanne worked in the luncheonette at a department store in the Lanford Mall.   What was the name of the department store? (This is your bonus question.  If you answer it correctly, give yourself an extra point.

A.  Bellrod's

B.  Rodbell's

C.  Rodney's

D.  Rodman's

E.  Bellman's



17.   Roseanne and Dan's son, D.J. Conner, was played by Michael Fishman.  What do the initials D.J. stand for?

A.  Daniel John

B.  Donald James

C.  David Jacob

D.  Daniel Joseph

E.  Darryl James



18.  Did John Goodman appear in every episode of Roseanne?

A.  Yes, he appeared in every episode.

B.  No, His missed one episode during Season 5.

C.  No, John Goodman missed three episodes during the show's final season.

D.  No, John Goodman was absent for 12 episodes during Season 9.

E.  No, he missed four episodes during Season 4.



19.  What was the title of the two-part 9th season series finale of Rosanne?

A.  "That's All Folks . . ."

B.  "Life is but a Dream"

C.  "Tomorrow is Another Day

D.  "Endings"

E. "Into That Good Night"



20.  What was Rosanne's sister Jackie's real name?

Laurie Metcalf (Jackie Harris)

A.  Jackie

B.  Majorie

C.  Jacqueline

D.  Regina

E.  Eugenie



21.  Jackie had a son, Andy, by ex-husband Fred Oakland.  Who played Fred?

A.  Michael O'Rourke

B.  James O'Keefe

C.  Michael O'Keefe

D.  James O'Rourke

E.  Tom O'Rourke

22.  The original title of the series was not Rosanne.  What was it?

A.  Life and Stuff

B.  The Conners

C.  Rosanne;s Family

D.  Life with Roseanne

E.   Roseanne & Company



ANSWERS

1.  B

The Conner family resides in the fictional town of Lanford, Illinois.  The house used in the sitcom is actually located in Evansville, Indiana.


2.  E

Roseanne's maiden name was Harris.  When the show premiered, she worked in a plastics factory.


3.  C

Dan Conner was a drywall contractor.


4.  A

The Lanford Lunch Box was a loose meat sandwich place owned by Roseanne and several family members.  It was seen in various episodes throughout Seasons 5 to 8, beginning in 1992.


5.  E

Jay O. Sanders as Ziggy

Dan's best friend from high school was Ziggy.  Ziggy was a motorcycle rider and
first appeared in an episode entitled "Born to be Wild" (Season 2, Episode 16, Air Date: January 30, 1990).   He only appeared in one other episode,"The Pied Piper of Lanford" (Season 3, Episode 25, Air Date: May 14, 1991)  He helped Dan open a bike shop, Lanford Custom Cycle, and then disappeared.  Ziggy was played by Jay O. Sanders.  (At the beginning of Season 5. in September of 1992, Dan was forced to close his motorcycle shop.  The business was failing and he needed money in order to pay the mortgage on the Conner home.)


6.  D

Shelley Winters (right) with Roseanne Barr, in an episode of Roseanne

Academy Award winner Shelley Winters, who passed away in 2006, played the role of Nana Mary on Roseanne in 10 episodes from 1991 to 1996.  Although Shelley was only seven years older than Estelle Parsons, they played mother and daughter.


7.  C

Becky, oldest daughter of Rosanne and Dan Conner, was originally played by Lecy Goranson. Goranson played the role of Becky for five seasons.from 1988 until 1992.  In 1993, Sarah Chaleke took over the role.



8.  A

Sharon Stone as trailer woman on Rosanne

Sharon Stone portrayed Becky and husband Mark's trailer park neighbour.  She appeared in an episode entitled "Happy Trailers" (Season 7, Episode 22, Air Date: March 29, 1995). In her memorable cameo role, Stone welcomes Roseanne and Dan to  the trailer park.  She wears a bad wig, a pink bathrobe and speaks with a bad southern accent.


9.  B

Bob Denver (far right) and Russell Johnson (far left) on Roseanne.

In May of 1995, the four surviving members of the cast of Gilligan's Island - Bob Denver (Gilligan), Russell Johnson (The Professor), Tina Louise (Ginger), Dawn Wells (Mary Ann) - as well its creator and producer, Sherwood Schwartz, appeared in an episode of Roseanne entitled "Sherwood Schwartz - A Loving Tribute" (Season 7, Episode 25, Air Date (May 24, 1995).  In the episodes, Dan starts working on building his boat again and Roseanne envisions her family as the newly shipwrecked castaways of Gilligan's Island. Tina Louise plays Rosanne with Dawn Wells as daughter Becky, Russell Johnson  as Becky's husband, Mark Healy and Bob Denver as Roseanne's sister, Jackie.


10.  E.

In season five, Becky and Mark eloped and moved to Minnesota.  Mark (Glenn Quinn), who worked in Dan's motorcycle shop. became unemployed when the shop closed closed down.


11.  D

Steven Seagal in Roseanne episode

Steven Seagal portrayed himself in an episode of Roseanne entitled "Roseambo" (Season 9, Episode (Air Date: November 19, 1996).  In the episode, Rosanne faces a group of terrorists who hold her family and a foreign diplomat hostage on a train to Washington, D.C.  In a dream sequence, Seagal makes a cameo appearance as Roseanne's Hokkaido "master."


12.  C

David and Darlene broke up three times during the course of the series.


13.  D

David Healy was Mark's younger brother on Rosanne.  Johnny Galecki, who played David, went on to portray Dr. Leonard Hofstadter in the hit CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory..  Galecki has played Hofstadter since 2007.


14.  E

The first Roseanne Halloween episode aired in 1989 and is entitled "Boo.!" (Season 2, Episode 7, Air Date: (October 31, 1989).  In the episode, Dan and Roseanne construct a haunted house while simultaneously trying to pull pranks on each other.  Roseanne does her best to scare Dan while he is awaiting news about an important business deal.

The "Boo!" Halloween episode was nominated for an Emmy Award.


15.  A

George Clooney on Roseanne

George Clooney appeared in a Roseanne Halloween episode entitled "Trick Me Up, Trick Me Down" (Season 4, Episode 6, Air Date: October 29, 1991).  Before Clooney's rise to fame as a star of the hit medical drama ER., he played the role of Booker Brooks in 11 episodes of Roseanne from 1988 until 1991.  Brooks was Roseanne's boss at the factory where she worked.

"Trick Me Up, Trick Me Down," marked George Clooney's final appearance in the series. In this special Halloween episode, Roseanne becomes convinced that a neighbour is planning a Halloween prank and her sister, Jackie, flirts with an unknown man in a moose costume.



16.  B.

For several years, Rosanne worked as a waitress in the luncheonette at Rodbell's department store in the Lanford Mall.


17.  C

D.J. stands for David Jacob.


18.  D

No.  John Goodman was absent for a dozen episodes during Season 9.  The only actor to appear in every episode was Rosanne Barr.


19.  E

The final two-part episode of Rosanne was entitled "Into That Good Night,"  It was aired on May 20, 1997 and was the 221st episode of the series.


20.  B

The name on Jackie's birth certificate was Marjorie.  Trivia Note: For her portrayal of Roseanne's sister, Laurie Metcalf earned three consecutive Emmy Awards (1992-1994) in the category of Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.


21.  C

Michael O'Keefe played Fred Oakland, a mechanic who worked with Dan Conner.  Fred married Jackie, but they eventually divorced.  Their son, Andy, was born in a 1994 episode entitled "Labor Day" (Season 6, Episode 19, Air Date: March 8, 1994).


22.  A

The original title of Rosanne was Life and Stuff.



END NOTES

* Johnny Galecki is not the only Roseanne cast member to have a role of The Big Bang Theory. Saara Gilbert, who played Darlene, has a recurring role as Leslie Winkle and Laurie Metcalf (Jackie) plays Sheldon Cooper's mother, Mary Cooper.  

* The final two-part episode of the show is strange and controversial.  Darlene brings home her prematurely-born daughter, Harris Conner-Healy.  The family celebrates winning the Illinois State Lottery with a pizza dinner.  During dinner, Rosanne reflects on each member of her family and reveals that she is writing a book and that everything that has happened is an altered version of events.  She admits that she has changed whatever she didn't like about her life and family.  The truth is that the Conners didn't really win the lottery and that Dan actually died from the heart attack he suffered at Darlene's wedding in Season 8.  Nevertheless, sources at ABC have confirmed that John Goodman will return as Dan in the 8-episode reboot of the series next year.  The network will find a way to undo Dan's series-ending death. After all, the return of the blue-collar family would not be the same without him.

* Lecy Goranson, the first Becky, will reprise her role in the 2018 revival of Rosanne.  Sara Chalke, who took over the role when Goranson left, will appear in another role.




GROWING PAINS QUIZ
(Originally posted November 17, 2017)
TV BANTER QUIZ #29

Growing Pains, an American situation comedy, ran from 1985 to 1992 on the ABC network.  The show centred on the affluent Seaver family.  The series featured Alan Thicke as Dr. Jason Seaver.  Seaver, a psychiatrist, who moved his office into the family home after his wife, Maggie, returned to work.  Joanna Kearns played Maggie, a newspaper journalist who later became a television reporter.  Their children were Mike (Kirk Cameron), Carol (Tracey Gold) and Ben (Jeremy Miller).  A fourth child, Chrissy, was born in 1988.  From 1988 until 1990, Chrissy was played by Kristen and Kelsey Dohring.  Ashley Johnson took over the role in 1990.  

Why not test your knowledge of Growing Pains by answering the quiz below.  Good luck!

Growing Pains Quiz

1.  Where did the Seaver family live?

A..  Boston, Massachusetts

B.  San Francisco, California

C.  Long Island, New York

D.  Hartford, Connecticut

E.  Seattle, Washington



2.  What was the name of the theme song from Growing Pains?

A.  "We Are Family"

B.  "Together"

C.  "All of Us"

D,  "As Long as We've Got Each Other"

E.  "Our Time"



3.  What was Maggie Seaver's maiden name?

Maggie Seaver (Joanna Kearns)

A.  Mahoney

B.  Malone

C.  Ryan

D.  Roland

E.  Findlay



4.  What was Mike Seaver's middle name?

Kirk Cameron (Mike Seaver)

 A.  Thomas

B.  Douglas

C.  Stephen

D.  Adam

E.  Aaron



5.  What was the nickname of Mike Seaver's best friend?

A.  Boner

B.  Skip

C.  Ace

D.  Sparky

E.  Spanky



6.  Tracey Gold (Carol Seaver) suffered from which affliction?

A.  cancer

B.  bipolar disorder

C.  drug addiction

D.  anorexia

E.  dyslexia



7.  Which of the following actors did not appear on Growing Pains?

A.  Brad Pitt

B.  George Clooney

C.  Leonardo DiCaprio

D.  Matthew Perry

E.  Dick Van Patten



8.  In season 4, Carol's boyfriend, Sandy, lost his life.  How?

A.  drug overdose

B.  lost control of his motorcycle

C.  died in an airplane crash

D.  epileptic seizure

E.  was killed in a drunk driving accident



9.  Who was Annie?

A.  a cousin  of the Seavers

B.  a cheerleader who liked Mike

C.  Maggie's boss at the television station

D.  an old friend of Maggie's

E.  Jason's sister



10.  In Season 7, why did Carol want to come home from college so often?

A.  She was homesick.

B.  The dorm was noisy and she couldn't concentrate on her studies.

C.  Her roommate's behaviour was causing difficulties for her.

D.  The students in her dorm were snobby.

E.  She didn't like the food in the cafeteria.  She felt ill after eating there.



11.  Who played PTA President Mrs. Hinkley in an episode of Growing Pains entitled "The Seavers vs. The Cleavers" (Season 1, Episode 16, Air Date: January 28, 1986)?

A.  Annette Funicello

B.  Barbara Billingsley

C.  Patty Duke

D.  Doris Day

E.  Donna Reed



12.  In an episode entitled "Jealousy" (Season 1, Episode 3, Air Date: October 8, 1985), Jason was jealous of Fred Mathis, played by Tom O'Rourke.  Who was Fred?

Alan Thicke (Jason)

A.  Maggie's old boyfriend

B.  Maggie's boss

C.  Maggie's co-worker

D.  the Seaver family's next-door-neighbour

E.  Ben's teacher



13.  In a 1985 episode of Growing Pains, Jason embarrassed Mike at a concert.  Who was performing the concert?

A.  Elton John

B.  Billy Joel

C.  Tom Petty

D.  Bruce Springsteen

E.  U-2



14.  In the episode "Charity Begins at Home"  (Season 1, Episode 17, Air Date: February 18, 1986), Ben gave Jason a very expensive birthday present, causing speculation as to how he could have afforded it.  What was the gift?

Jeremy Miller (Ben Seaver)

A.  season's tickets for the New York Yankees

B.  a painting

C.  a set of golf clubs

D. a gold watch

E. a fancy camera



15. The late Dana Plato of Diff'rent Strokes fame, appeared in a 1985 episode of Growing Pains.  What part did she play?

A.  a Madonna look-alike

B.  a shoplifter

C.  a friend of Carol's

D. a wealthy classmate of Mike's

E. Maggie's niece



16.  In the final season of the series, when Tracey gold suffered from anorexia and had to take a leave of absence, how was her character, Carol written out of the show?

A.  Carol was taking a break from her studies to travel around the world.

B.  Carol and a friend were working in California for six months.

C.  Carol was in Africa, doing humanitarian work.

D.  Carol was in London, England, pursuing her college studies abroad.

E.   Carol was teaching English in Hong Kong for six months.



ANSWERS


1.  C

The Seaver family lived at 15 Robin Hood Lane in Huntington, Long Island, New York.


2.  D

The theme song from Growing Pains was "As Long as We've Got Each Other."  It was written and composed by John Bettis (lyrics) and Steve Dorff (music).


3.  B

Maggie's maiden name was Malone.  Her full name was Margaret Katherine Malone Seaver.


4.  E.

Mike Seaver's full name was Michael Aaron Seaver.



5.  A

Andrew Koenig  (Boner)

Mike's best friend was Richard Milhous "Boner" Stabone.  Andrew Koenig played the role of Boner for four seasons, from 1985 until 1989.  In a February 1, 1989 episode entitled "Semper Fidelis," Boner decided to drop out of college to join the Marines.

Andrew Koenig, the son of Walter Walter Koenig (Chekov on Star Trek), took his own life in February of 2010.  He was 41 years old and his body was found in Stanley Park in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.


6.  D

Tracey Gold suffered from anorexia. Her illness forced producers to write her out of a large amount of the show's final season.  Tracey told the Los Angeles Times that the last season was like a blur to her and that she can't even recall the episodes.  "They said, 'We've been canceled.  You can come back for the last episode,' but I was still very, very sick and an insurance risk."


7.  B

George Clooney never appeared on Growing Pains.

Brad Pitt appeared in two separate episodes of Growing Pains, the first time in a 1987 episode, "Who's Zoomin' Who" (Season 3, Episode 9, Air Date November 10, 1987), in which Carol had a crush on him.  He appeared on the show for a second time in 1989 episode entitled "Feet of Clay" (Season 4, Episode 14, Air Date. February 8, 1989) when he portrayed musician Jonathan Keith, Ben's favourite rock star.  Maggie arranged a meeting between the true, but Keith turned out to be a disappointment.

Brad Pitt (right) with Jeremy Miller (Ben) in 1989 episode

Dick Van Patten of Eight is Enough fame, appeared in an episode entitled "Fortunate Son" (Season 4, Episode 16, Air Date: February 22, 1989).  Dick played Nick Simpson, Mike's bigoted boss, who openly displayed a preference for white employees.

Kirk Cameron with Dick Patten

In the show's fourth season in 1989, Matthew Perry, of Friends fame, played Sandy.  Sandy was a personable college student with whom Carol was smitten.

Matthew Perry as Sandy

In the seventh and final season of the show., Leonardo DiCaprio joined the cast as a homeless teen named Luke Brower.  Luke was taken into the Seaver home.

Leonardo DiCaprio on Growing Pains

8.  E

Sandy died after being injured in a car accident while driving under the influence of alcohol.  He was taken to hospital and was apparently on the road to recovery.  However, two scenes later,, the Seavers learned that he had passed away due to internal injuries.


9.  B

In the episode entitled "Long Day's Journey Into Night" (Season 2, Episode 3, Air Date: October 28, 1986), Annie,(Kate Boyer,) was a cheerleader who befriended Carol in order to get to know Mike better.


10.  C

Carol wanted to come home from college so often because of the behaviour of her roommate, Brianne.  Brianne was always bringing boys into the room, who left it untidy.  She also allowed them to sleep in Carol's bed, leaving Carol with no place to sleep.


11.  A.

Annette Funicello, star of the original Mickey Mouse Club in the 1950s and several "Beach Party" movies of the 1960s, played the role of PTA President Mrs. Hinkley in the 1986 episode.


12.  C

Fred was Maggie's co-worker with home she was working late at the office.


13.  D.

Jason embarrassed Mike at a Bruce Springsteen concert. in an episode entitled "Springsteen"  (Season 1, Episode 2, Air Date (October 1, 1985).


14.  E.

Ben gifted Jason with a fancy camera.  He obtained the money by asking the neighbours for money for the needy.


15.  A

Dana Plato as Madonna look-alike

In an episode entitled "Mike's Madonna Story" (Season 1, Episode 6, Air Date: November 5, 1985), Dana Plato portrayed Lisa, a Madonna look-alike whom Mike fell for.



16.  D

Carol was in London, England, pursuing her college education abroad.


END NOTES

* Canadian-born Alan Thicke died on December 13, 2016. of aortic dissection (a serious condition in which the large blood vessel branching off the heart rips apart) while playing hockey with his son Carter.  He was 69 years old at the time of his passing.

* Kirk Cameron (born October 12, 1970) married actress Chelsea Noble on July 21, 1991.  They have six children and Kirk is active as an Evangelical Christian.

* Jeremy Miller (born October 21, 1976) is married to Joanie Miller and has three stepsons.

*  Joanna Kerns (born February 12, 1953) has been married twice.  She was married to Richard Kerns from 1976 to 1985.  They have a daughter, actress Ashley Cooper Kerns.  Joanna wed her second husband, Marc Appleton in 1994.

*  Tracey Gold (born May 16, 1969) married Roby Marshall in 1994.  They have four sons: Sage Gold (b. February 16, 1997), Bailey Vincent (b. March 4, 1999), Aiden Michael (b. May 9, 2004), and Dylan Christopher (b. April 1, 2008).

* 166 episodes of Growing Pains were produced.

*  There have been two Growing Pains TV movies: The Growing Pains Movie (1970) and Growing Pains: Return of The Seavers (2004)

TV BANTER QUIZ #30 

(Originally posted February 4, 2023)

Are you ready for the latest TV Banter television quiz?  Get ready and good luck!  There are ten questions.

GENERAL TV QUIZ

1.  In which city did Eight is Enough take place?

A.  Los Angeles, California

B.  Boston, Massachusetts

C.  Cleveland, Ohio

D.  Sacramento, California

E.  Seattle, Washington

2.  On The Beverly Hillbillies, Jane Hathaway, secretary to Milburn Drysdale, the Clampett family's banker, had a hobby.  What was Miss Hathaway's hobby?

A. playing Cribbage

B.  bird watching

C. stamp collecting

D.  coin collecting

E.  playing badminton

3.  Tom Selleck is best known for his starring roles in Magnum, PI (1980-1988) and Blue Bloods    (2010 -).  Earlier in his career, Tom played the role of Jed Andrews on a daytime soap opera.  What is the name of that soap?

Tom Selleck

A.  The Young and the Restless

B.  All My Children

C.  Days of our Lives

D.  As the World Turns

E.  General Hospital

4.  On Friends, what was the name of Ross's capuchin monkey?

A.  Marty

B.  Morgan

C.  Mitch

D.  Marcel

E.  Marv

5.  On Marcus Welby, M.D., what vehicle did Dr. Steven Kiley (James Brolin) drive to work?

A.  Chevy Corvette

B.  Volkswagen Bug

C.  Motorcycle

D.  Bicycle

E.   Ford Mustang

6.  On Frasier, what breed of dog was Eddie?

A.  Boston Terrier

B.  Basenji

C.   Rat Terrier

D.  Mutt

E.  Jack Russell Terrier

7.  On Seinfeld, what was the first name of George's father?

A.  Frank Costanza

B.  Joe Costanza

C,  Tony Costanza

D.  Al Costanza

E.  George Costanza Sr.

8.  On Family Ties, Michael J. Fox portrayed a young, conservative Republican.  What did the "P." in the name of Alex P. Keaton's stand for?

Michael J. Fox as Alex P. Keaton

A.  Peter

B.  Percival

C.  Peace

D.  Prescott

E. Patrick

9.  On The Waltons, where was Walton's Mountain located?

A.  West Virginia

B.  Virginia

C.  Oklahoma

D.  North Dakota

E.  South Dakota

10.   Which French actor appeared in an episode of  I Love Lucy during Lucy and Ricky's visit to Paris?

A.  Maurice Chevalier

B.  Yves Montand

C.  Charles Boyer

D.  Jean-Louis Trintgnant

E.  Jean-Paul Belmondo

ANSWERS

1.  D.  

Sacramento, California

Eight is Enough was set in Sacramento, California, where the patriarch of the Bradford family, Tom Bradford (Dick Van Patten), worked as a newspaper columnist for the fictional Sacramento Register.

2.  B.

Bird watching

Jane Hathaway (Nancy Kulp), Mr. Drysdale's secretary, was a member of a zany bird watcher club.  She wore hiking clothes and used binoculars.

Nancy Kulp also played the bird-loving Pamela Livingstone on The Bob Cummings show in the 1950s

3.  A

The Young and the Restless

From 1974 to 1975, Tom Selleck portrayed Jed Andrews on The Young and the Restless.

Below is a photo of Tom during his Young and Restless days.

4 D

Marcel

Ross (David Schwimmer) with Marcel

In the tenth episode of the fourth season of Friends, Ross Geller, adopts a monkey to keep him company after his divorce.  The episode, entitled "The One with the Monkey," was first broadcast on December 15, 1994.  The pet monkey, Marcel, was actually a female capuchin named Katie.

5.  C

Motorcycle

Dr. Steven Kiley, played by James Brolin, drove a motorcycle to work.

6.  E

Jack Russell Terrier

Frasier's father, Martin Crane, owned a Jack Russell named Eddie.  Eddie was portrayed by a dog named Moose for the first seven seasons of Frasier, and by Moose's son, Enzo, for the remaining four.  Eddie was capable of understanding many commands, and human language to a degree.  He would run away when someone spelled out B-A-T-H.  He generally listened only to Martin.

7.  A   

Frank Costanza

John Randolph (left) and Jerry Stiller

The first actor to portray Frank Costanza on Seinfeld was John Randolph.  Randolph originated the role in a Season 4.episode entitled "The Handicap Spot," in which George borrows his father's car.  Frank didn't reappear until the Season 5, Episode 2 of the series. entitled "The Puffy Shirt."  The character was recast and John Randolph was replaced with comedian Jerry Stiller.  Stiller became much more popular with viewers and was more suited to the role.

8.  C

Peace 

Alex's parents, Elyse and Steven Keaton (Meredith Baxter and Michael Gross),were hippies during the 1960s.  That's why they chose "Peace" as their son's middle name.  There was an episode of Family Ties where there was a flashback to when Alex was a baby, and it was revealed how he got his second name.  According to the episode, entitled "A Christmas Story" (Season 1, Episode 11, Air Date: December 15, 1982), Alex was born in 1965, while his parents were on assignment in Africa, having been influenced by John F. Kennedy to join the Peace Corps.

During his audition for the role of Alex, Michael J. Fox, who played Elyse and Steven's conservative Republican son, suggested that the initial "P." should be added to Alex's name.  The writers liked the idea.

9.  B

Virginia

The Waltons was set in the fictional mountain community in the fictitious Jefferson County, Virginia.  Located near Charlottesville, Virginia.  The small hamlet was actually the hometown of Earl Hamner, whose writings formed the basis of the TV series.  Hamner outlined his settings based on his childhood home in  Schyuyler, Virginia, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.  There is a Walton's Mountain Museum in a corner of the mountains.

The "Walton's Mountain" shown on the TV show was actually a hill in the Hollywood Hills.

10. C.

Charles Boyer

Lucy with Charles Boyer in  I Love Lucy 

Charles Boyer appeared in a 1956 episode of I Love Lucy entitled "Lucy Meets Charles Boyer" (Season 5, Episode 19, Air Date: March 5, 1956).  

 

TV BANTER QUIZ #31  

(Originally posted April 10, 2024)

GENERAL TV QUIZ

Are you ready for the latest TV Banter television quiz?  Get ready and good luck!  There are ten questions.

1.  On Leave it to Beaver, what was the name of Beaver's friend, the fireman?

A.  Ralph

B.  Gus

C. Clyde

D.  Fred

E,  George

2.  In an episode of The Andy Griffith Show, Aunt Bee, portrayed by Frances Bavier, becomes part owner of a restaurant.  What kind of restaurant was it?

Frances Bavier

A. Italian restaurant

B.  French restaurant

C.  Malt shop

D.  Chinese restaurant

E.  Nightclub

3.  On Happy Days, what was Potsie Weber's real name?

Anson Williams as Potsie 1974

A,  Clark

B.  James

C.  Warren

D.  Simon

E.  Edgar

4.  On the Dick Van Dyke Show, how was Mel Cooley, played by Richard Deacon, related to television star Alan Brady, played by Carl Reiner?

A.  Mel Cooley and Alan Brady were first cousins.

B.  They were brothers.

C.  They were brothers-in-law.

D.  They were half-brothers.

E.   They were step brothers.

5.  On The Dick Van Dyke Show, what was the nickname of Buddy Sorrell's wife?

A.  Bunny

B.  Candy

C.  Tootsie

D.  Honey

E.  Pickles

6,  On Seinfeld, what was Elaine Benes' occupation from Season 2 to Season 5.

A.  Flight attendant

B.  Copy Editor

C,  Pharmacist

D.  Receptionist

E.  Librarian

7.  On Welcome Back, Kotter, what was the name of teacher Gabe Kotter's wife?

A.  Julie

B.  Judy

C.  Janet

D.  Jessica

E.  Jean

8.  On Welcome Back Kotter, what was the name Gabe Kotter's alma mater, the school where he return to teach?

A.  James Buchanan High

B.  Walt Whitman High

C.  Jefferson High

D.  Millard Filmore High

E.  Woodrow Wilson High

9.  On I Love Lucy, what was the name of the harpist, the only female member of Rick Ricardo's (Desi Arnaz) orchestra?  (This is the bonus question.  Give yourself an extra point if you answer it correctly.)

A.  Jane

B;  Dorothy

C.  Betty

D.  Nancy

E.  Jenny

10.  On Family Ties, where did the Keaton family live?

A.  New York City

B.  Chicago, Illinois

C.  Madison, Wisconsin

D.  San Francisco, California

E.  Columbus, Ohio

ANSWERS

1.  B

Gus the Fireman

Beaver Cleaver's friend and confidant was a fireman named Gus.  American character actor Burt Mustin played Gus.  Beaver (Jerry Mathers) would visit Gus when at the fire station whenever he had a problem and needed advice.

2.  D

In a 1967 episode of The Andy Griffith Show entitled "Aunt Bee's Restaurant" (Season 7, Episode 21, Air Date: February 6 , 1967), Aunt Bee enters the business world as the part owner of a Chinese restaurant.

3.  C

Potisie Weber's real name was Warren.Weber.

4.  C

Richard Deacon as Mel Cooley

On The Dick Van Dyke Show, Mel Cooley was the brother-in-law of Alan Brady.  Mel, the producer of the fictional Alan Brady Show, was married to Alan Brady's sister.  Mel was always at the receiving end of comedy writer Buddy Sorrell's (Morey Amsterdam) jokes and insults, mostly about his baldness.

5.  E

Buddy (M. Amsterdam) with B. Perry as Pickles

Buddy with Joan Shawlee as Pickles

On The Dick Van Dyke Show. Buddy's wife, Fiona Conway Sorrell, was nicknamed "Pickles."  Barbara Perry (1921 - 2019) originated the role of  Pickles in two first-season episodes entitled "Sally is a Girl" (1961) and "Where You Been, Fassbinder?"(1962).  

Joan Shawlee played Pickles in three 1963 episodes - "My Husband is a Check Grabber," "The Sam Pomerantz Scandals" and "Divorce."

6.  B

From Seasons 2 to 5, Elaine Benes, played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, worked as a copy editor at Pendant Publishing.  She lost her job in Season 5 when the company went bankrupt.  A merger that may have  saved the company was thwarted due to Elaine's habit of chewing speech-impairing Juicyfruit candies.

7.  A

Marcia Stassman as Julie Kotter

Marchia Strassman played Gabe Kotter's (Gabe Kaplan) long-suffering wife, Julie Kotter, on the sitcom Welcome Back, Kotter.  Marcia died of breast cancer in 2014.  She was 66 at the time of her passing.

8.  A

Gabe Kaplan as Gabe Kotter

On Welcome Back, Kotter, Gabe Kotter taught at James Buchanan High School in Brooklyn, New York.

9.  D

On I Love Lucy, the name of the harpist in Ricky Ricardo's orchestra was Nancy.  The Ricky Ricardo Orchestra was made up mostly of members of Desi Arnaz's orchestra.  The real name of the woman who played Nancy was Maryce R. Pickering.  She was a talented harpist who passed away in 1977.at the age of 61.

10.  E

On Family Ties, the Keaton family lived in Columbus, Ohio.  

ALL QUIZZES BY JOANNE MADDEN

Copyright Joanne Madden