Newsday TV Book, August 20-26, 1972.

The 1972 Olympics grace the cover of this week's Newsday TV Book. Spoiler alert: It doesn't go well. But that's not until next week, so we'll get into it then. By the way, this is the first issue without the price (ten cents) on the cover, so I guess that means it then came exclusively with the Sunday Newsday and was no longer available separately.

The TV Line on the inside cover has all the info you need on Kopykat Marilyn Michaels, your various Robert Walkerses (and other showbiz relations), the demotion of the NBC Peacock, the lovely black Nichelle Nichols, and whether "Jodi Foster" will be back as Henrietta "Hank" Bennett (Don't squint--click on the pic!)                           

 Writer Erich Segal joined the ABC sportcasting team for the Olympics, given his status as an "amateur runner." His performance is probably most notable for the moment when a marathon imposter entered the stadium and Segal completely lost his shit.

 

This page detailing coverage of the Republican National Convention has some interesting tidbits, but my favorite part is the artwork--each network listing is accompanied by the actual graphics they used in their broadcasts from Miami Beach. ABC's Convention logo was pretty traditional, while CBS went hyper-groovy.

Here's some Gary Viskupic artwork for a rerun of Marcus Welby. Maybe I just don't get medical jargon, but isn't "minimal brain dysfunction" a good thing? I know it's what I strive for. In any case, the boy in Visk's drawing looks like Christine Ricci in Mermaids.

 Wednesday night's listings have some classic movies (and classic John Cashman reviews), one movie "to be advised" at 11:30, and, as dawn approached, an example of an Alan Ladd movie where he strips to the waist (to the unending fascination of Cashman).

For NBC's Friday White Paper special "Vietnam Hindsight," another Viskupic drawing.

Saturday morning Olympics coverage pre-empting Lidsville? Three-year-old me calls bullshit! (Okay, honestly I have no recollection of ever watching Lidsville. Which is a shame.)

Another striking Viskupic close-up shows Jesse Owens understandably running from a giant Hitler.

Aw fuck, last week we got our feet squeezed into brand-new Buster Browns for the looming school year, now Lobel's is looking to dud us up in slacks and jumpers and whatever the hell a "weskit" is!

Finally, last time out I gave you the crossword puzzle, so it's only fair that I offer the answers for anyone sufficiently deranged to have printed it out and taken a whack at it. As a bonus, here's the late-night listings (I want to go back in time just to shmeeze up and watch Head Shop at 1:30--looks like a 70's precursor to Night Flight), plus a miracle hair replacement that may or may not have involved a shiny toupee simply being drawn onto your head.

Same boring back cover three weeks running! Hey, County Federal Savings--we get it, compounded interest, now move along!