Newsday TV Book, June 11-17, 1978.

It seems I've neglected to focus on the later TV Books of my collection, which I surmise is for several reasons. It may be that many are from summer months when the programming is less interesting, or because the later ads just don't grab me, or--in the case of the early-to-mid-eighties issues--there's not as much in the way of compelling reviews or captivating illustrations among the listings. Increasing use of one-line synopses laid to waste the thousands of sublime cinematic assessments compiled by John Cashman; and Gary Viskupic's often disquieting art also took a backseat, to grainy reproductions of press photos for program close-ups. Within just a few years of the TV Book's 1972 inception, its heyday was in steep decline.

In any case, I've dug up one of my 1978 editions for the Non-Parading treatment, and there's still some good stuff in there, I swear. The cover offers a familiar trio of the late 70's, and I don't mean John Ritter's Sicilian salute (or whatever those three fingers are supposed to denote).

Cover story author Bill Kaufman takes shots at Three's Company, Joyce DeWitt throws Soap under the salaciousness bus, and Suzanne Somers throws shade at flimsy Farrah.

The shade-throwing continues in the TV Line column, with Mrs. Brady calling her television offspring a bunch of under-talented divas (in so many words), and we learn that Michael Landon took up script-writing way back in the Bonanza days to pay off his accruing alimony.

The Cable TV Highlights section offers a look at early pay-TV movies, sports, and specials, not to mention some Extra Help from Cablevision.

Let's check out what was showing on this late-spring Monday morning. Channel 68 aired The Skipper Chuck Show, which I figured was maybe a local kiddie effort in the wake of WSNL 67's erstwhile Captain Ahab, but no, it appears from minimal searching that it was a show out of Florida. Ol' Skip was up against Wacky Races, however, so in my household, he was sunk.
In the ads, Texas Ranger Toby Harrah sports an ersatz mop (I'll assume the 'stache was real), and below him we have...

Obscure Long Island Advertising Characters: The Perfection Industries Slipcover Elves!

Jumping ahead to that day's late sched and more mop-top restoration, plus yet another Enurtone "Dry Bed Training" ad (as always, slightly different from the others I've posted). And the enlightening reviews, as ever, are totally worth a read.

I can't even begin to scratch the surface on all the cool stuff to be found in the late Thursday offerings--I just enjoy, every so often, presenting a page ridiculously dense with information to give you an idea of what your Sunday Newsday dollar gave you each week back in the day.

In fact, all of Saturday's viewing somehow fit onto just three pages... and here they are!

Last but not least, the country was clearly still in the grip of the Alien Fever. No, I don't mean monkey pox, or even Legionnaire's--I'm talking about the ubiquitous spacey Star Wars/Close Encounters-style imagery found in the ads of the day. Here's an HVAC advert from Ronkonkoma's Home Energy Center, with attic ventilators soaring spookily over a stark horizon.

That's all I got this time! I hope to have more soon, so...
keep watching the blog!

The Island Ear, Issue 118E, June 6-26, 1983.

As this issue hit the racks of Long Island record stores, my Catholic grade school career was coming to an end. The unknown abyss of public high school lay ahead, just beyond a summer of MTV, fervent, unbridled masturbation, and, uh, probably some other stuff too. Stern and Letterman, I guess. But mostly MTV and whacking it.

Musically, I leaned toward New Wave artists, as heard on WLIR. I did enjoy U2, as seen on this issue's cover. Well, every other album, anyway. (Click photos to enlarge.)

The Record Report explains what Islanders were listening to of late. Two songs by Styx on there, one of which is "Mr. Roboto." What a world.

The ads begin: Rumrunner of Oyster Bay, Barry Athletic in Rockville Center, and Fox's in Massapequa, a dance club requiring proper attire, with lots of beer, a hot dog stand, and a clam bar. Sounds like a recipe for barfing.

Long Island Record Collector in Hempstead, No Name & Never a Cover in Huntington, and Futuri in Valley Stream.

Diane Leslie profiles The Hollies.

What Not Shop in Baldwin, Reds in Levittown (and their "Funky Fitness" evenings), plus Shuster Sound and Flipside Studios.

Hypnotix at The Gathering in Baldwin.

007 in Franklin Square, Slipped Disc in Valley Stream, and Side Street Haircutters, in case you wanted to look like a real nut.

Pizan's Puzzle, for word nerds who don't mind asymmetrical crossword grids with tons of initials and abbreviations in the clues. (In other words, not this one!) Also, Michael's Music in Long Beach and Mods & Rockers Haircutters in Hicksville.

Black n Blue, the Video Dance Club, opened on the sixth to anyone over nineteen but under 90. I don't know why a new business would want to limit their potential clientele that way, but whatever, maybe it worked for them...

Test yourself against the Island Ear Quiz. (Hey, Debbie from my hometown of Plainview, wudga-win?) In Hot Flashes, we learn that Bowie loused Double Trouble and rolled around with an Oriental. What was with that guy?

WLIR's #1 dance club was Spize (by Republic Airport). J.T. McNaughton's of Rockville Centre employed some curious clip art in their ad and let in bathing-suited ladies free. Weird.

United Artists/WPLJ hosted their "Midnight Madness" Summerock Film Festival. There was a mini-version on TCM just this morning, with The Last Waltz and The Song Remains the Same airing in the wee hours. (Sorry, I meant to tell you about it earlier.)

P.O.E.T.S. (?) in Flushing, and East Coast Recording-Video, which wants you to bring your mom. Weird.

And now the interview with those anthemic young fellas from Dublin.

My Father's Place in Roslyn Village, Island Sound of Merrick, and Music Trends Ltd. in the Nassau Mall in Levittown.

Arie Nadboy checked out Flo & Eddie's act at MFP and let us know what he thought. Beethoven's Pub sounded like a classy joint, so it was probably worth keeping an eye out for their "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Bikini Contest." Mr. Cheapo rented records in Flushing.

Dublin Pub in New Hyde Park, Aardvark Records in North Babylon, Ken's in Queens, Prime Cuts (not a butcher) in Little Neck, and The Record Collection in Massapequa Park.

Hometown Pride reviews The Fever at Dublin Pub, but in the end reveals they are not in fact hometown boys, so what was the point, really. Prince and Weird Al videos are then explained.

Some production ads for Sam Ash, Audio Unlimited, and Video Singles, plus Arista Records. Clubbers in the Levittown area demanded Spit on Sundays.

Humor columnist Larry Kleinman jokes about trying to witness the Brooklyn Bridge's birthday celebration. See, he invited a bunch of people to his apartment for a fireworks viewing party, then realized it doesn't look in the direction of the bridge, which he had somehow never noticed in the three years he'd lived there. If you're not laughing, don't bother reading the rest.

Susan Awe Enterprises announced the arrival of Aviation, but the free anniversary buffet at McHebe's Depot in Hempstead sounds more intriguing.

The "Island-Eye" was lurking at Sparks in Huntington on May 29th, and found folks both smiling and unsmiling. Clearly the unsmiling ones did not score a free glitter t-shirt from Futuri.

Jimmy Byrne's in Flushing hosted a band called "Goo Goo Dinero," which, judging from the lack of search results, was not an early appellation of the Goo Goo Dolls. The aforementioned Sparks scintillated with lots of live dance music.

Where It's At, meaning who was playing at IE advertisers.

February's in Elmont, Mustash in Island Park, and more Videoviews.

The radio stations check in with their hottest wax: WLIR, WBAB, WPLJ, and WNEW...

...WAPP, WRCN, WBAU, with a little MTV thrown in for good measure, even if there was very little for a young hetero to spank to on that list. (Come on, I had just turned 14--could I get a little Olivia Newton John or Stevie Nicks or something?)

Finally, the back cover has the usual UA ad, with an illustration by Pat Starace. Here, he portends (by eight years) the arrival of a "wolfy" Van Halen. (Eddie Van Howlin'?)

Unless I buy some more of these issues, the next IE blog post will arrive around St. Patrick's Day next year! But do visit this blog before then, I'll be working on some farchadat nostalgia thing or other...