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!