ABC'S SILVER ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION (TV)
Summary
A twenty-five-year retrospective of television on ABC, with excerpts from highlighted programs. Tape one of three. Cindy Williams and Penny Marshall open this special program and Barry Manilow sings. Fred MacMurray and Kristy McNichol review family sitcoms, including shows starring themselves, the Nelsons, Stu Erwin, Donna Reed, and Patty Duke. Cartoon specials for children are reviewed by Jodie Foster, and Alan King spoofs ABC's scheduling decisions. Julie Andrews reviews variety series and specials, including shows starring herself, Burt Bacharach, Anne Bancroft, Bing Crosby and Ella Fitzgerald, Dorothy Hamill, John Lennon, Benny Goodman, Joan Sutherland, Rudolf Nureyev, Jimmy Durante, Lola Falana, and Sammy Davis, Jr. Next, Jim McKay reviews coverage of the 1964, 1968, 1972, and 1976 Olympics, including terrorism at the 1972 Games. Robert Young and Vince Edwards review clips from "Marcus Welby, M.D." and "Ben Casey," and Dick Clark and Ed McMahon view a clip from Johnny Carson's "Who Do You Trust?" Hal Holbrook and Brenda Vaccaro review historical dramas, including "Pueblo," "The Trial of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg," and "Young Joe, the Forgotten Kennedy." Gabe Kaplan offers advice on how to write a sitcom; Kate Jackson, Jaclyn Smith, Cheryl Ladd review action/adventure shows; Billy Dee Williams and John Travolta review movies of the week; and Frank Gifford reviews football coverage.
Robert Blake introduces clips from his show "Baretta" and Dick Clark introduces the Lennon Sisters and Lawrence Welk, who perform a medley of show theme songs. Marlo Thomas and Henry Winkler review comedies starring themselves, as well as Bill Bixby, Ernest Borgnine, Gabe Kaplan and John Travolta, Elizabeth Montgomery, and Sally Field, among others. Keith Jackson and Howard Cosell review sports, and then the Captain and Tennille, the Carpenters, and Ben Vereen sing love songs, accompanied by clips of Patti Page, Elton John, Perry Como, Paul McCartney, Diana Ross, Frank Sinatra, and others. Then, Cliff Robertson reviews dramas starring himself, Rex Harrison and Lilli Palmer, John Cassavetes, Peter Falk, and others. Next are clips from police shows starring Hal Linden, Howard Duff, Abe Vigoda, Paul Burke, Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., and Robert Stack, followed by salutes to Walt Disney and "Batman." John Wayne reviews westerns starring himself, Barbara Stanwyck, Michael Ansarra, Clint Walker, James Garner, and Chuck Connors, among others. Then, John Denver and Johnny Cash review specials starring themselves, Frank Sinatra, Danny Kaye, Dick Van Dyke, Valerie Harper, Olivia Newton-John, and others. Finally, Ed Asner and Nick Nolte review mini-series and novels for television including "Rich Man, Poor Man," "QB VII," "Washington Behind Closed Doors," and "Roots."
Peter Strauss pays tribute to ABC Chairman Leonard Goldenson, and reads a letter from President Jimmy Carter congratulating ABC and praising Goldenson. David Hartman leads the assembled group in a toast to the best use of the next twenty-five years. Toni Tennille, Lola Falana, Leslie Uggams, Annette Funicello, and others lead the audience of ABC performers and dignitaries in this celebration's theme song, "Gonna Fly Now." Includes commercials.
Details
- NETWORK: ABC
- DATE: February 5, 1978 Sunday 7:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 3:53:34
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T78:0215
- GENRE: Specials
- SUBJECT HEADING: Football; Jazz; Olympic Games, 1964; Olympic Games, 1968; Olympic Games, 1972; Olympic Games, 1976; Pueblo (intelligence ship); Rock music; Sports; TV - History; Olympics
- SERIES RUN: ABC - TV, 1978
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Dick Clark … Executive Producer
- Bill Lee … Producer
- Victor Kaplan … Associate Producer
- Perry Rosemond … Director
- Robert Arthur … Writer
- The Carpenters … Music Group
- The Lennon Sisters … Music Group
- Julie Andrews
- Edward Asner
- Anne Bancroft
- Robert Blake
- Ernest Borgnine
- Johnny Carson
- Johnny Cash
- Jimmy Carter
- Chuck Connors
- Howard Cosell
- John Denver
- Walt Disney
- Howard Duff
- Patty Duke
- Vince Edwards
- Stuart Erwin
- Lola Falana
- Peter Falk
- Ella Fitzgerald
- Jodie Foster
- Annette Funicello
- Frank Gifford
- Leonard Goldenson
- Benny Goodman
- Valerie Harper
- David Hartman
- Hal Holbrook
- Alan King
- Kate Jackson
- Keith Jackson
- Elton John
- Danny Kaye
- Cheryl Ladd
- John Lennon
- Hal Linden
- Fred MacMurray
- Barry Manilow
- Penny Marshall
- Paul McCartney
- Jim McKay
- Ed McMahon
- Kristy McNichol
- Olivia Newton-John
- Nick Nolte
- Rudolf Nureyev
- Cliff Robertson
- Frank Sinatra
- Jaclyn Smith
- Peter Strauss
- Toni Tennille
- Marlo Thomas
- John Travolta
- Leslie Uggams
- Brenda Vaccaro
- Dick Van Dyke
- Ben Vereen
- Clint Walker
- John Wayne
- Lawrence Welk
- Billy Dee Williams
- Cindy Williams
- Henry Winkler
- Robert Young