Freedom Festival '89 (1989) (TV)

An Independence Day special hosted by Patrick Duffy and featuring a lineup of song and dance performers at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, the birthplace of the Constitution.

Freedom Festival '89 (1989) (TV)
Cast: The Oak Ridge Boys, Nell Carter, Frankie Avalon, Ann Jillian, Patrick Duffy

Everyday with Joan Lunden (1989–1990) (TV Series)

One of the prettiest of the co-hosts of "Good Morning America" branches out and takes her crack at daytime talk show hosting. Awkward and clumsy, fawning yet disingenuous, she was still able to recruit some surprising guests.


AVAILABLE EPISODES
Joan Collins, Vanessa Redgrave, Will Smith
June 1989

Everyday with Joan Lunden (1989–1990) TV Series
Host: Joan Lunden

Sixty Years of Seduction (1981) (TV)

A USA network special, this documentary focuses on sixty years of romance on the silver screen. This program features clips of some of Hollywood's stars in romantic moments, covering the 1920s to the 1970s. ''60 Years of Seduction,'' was a two-hour essay on love and romance as seen through the movie camera. The hosts are stars of the ordinary variety - James Garner, Angie Dickinson, Robert Urich and Victoria Principal. The ''guests,'' though, courtesy of movie excerpts, include just about every superstar that ever stepped out of a celluloid dream, from Dietrich and Bogart to Redford and Taylor. 

It is a ''cozy, lighthearted look'' at sex symbols created by the movie business. Mr. Garner notes that while the East Coast may have its Statue of Liberty, the West Coast has its Hollywood, urging the world to ''give me your young, your fresh, your wide-eyed beauties yearning to be stars.'' 

The film clips are arranged in neat categories. Set to the sound of Dooley Wilson singing ''As Time Goes By,'' one sequence explores the kiss, going from torrid contemporary scenes back to coy beginnings. Then, as Marlene Dietrich sings ''What Am I Bid for My Apples?'' another sequence looks at the concept of sex as forbidden fruit. 

There is the male star, a category including exotic Rudolph Valentino, macho Marlon Brando and gentle Gary Cooper. The female star list encompasses such types as Mae West, Katharine Hepburn, Doris Day and Marilyn Monroe. Arguing that, despite surface differences, Hollywood themes do remain remarkably the same, the program points up the similarity between a Valentino tango and John Travolta's famous dance scene in ''Saturday Night Fever.'' 

Surrounding these glimpses of the superstars is a good deal of ''special material'' that has the hosts strutting about in assorted costumes for sketches loosely related to the film sequences.

Sixty Years of Seduction (1981) (TV)
Hosts: James Garner, Angie Dickinson, Robert Urich, Victoria Principal, Sandahl Bergman

Being With John F. Kennedy (1983) (TV)

A documentary combining rare personal footage and well-known archive footage of President John F. Kennedy. AKA "A President to Remember: In the Company of John F. Kennedy" and "A President to Remember (2008)". There is a simple mention elsewhere on the internet that Alec Baldwin is the narrator, this is NOT accurate as this is evidence. The hosting duties are entirely handled by the late newswoman Nancy Dickerson who is also credited as a Co-Producer. Both on-camera and voiced-over, all narration is Ms. Dickerson.

Being With John F. Kennedy (1983) (TV)
Host: Nancy Dickerson

Glenn Miller: A Moonlight Serenade (1984) (TV)

Glenn Miller and his music on the 40th anniversary of his death, shot at Glen Island Casino and narrated by Van Johnson, with guests Johnny Desmond, Tex Beneke, Marion Hutton, Julius La Rosa, Anita Gillette, and Sylvia Syms.

Songs include: "In the mood" by Andy Razaf, Joe Garland (TB); "Chattanooga choo choo", "I’ve got a girl in Kalamazoo" (MH, TB), "At last", "Serenade in blue" by Mack Gordon, Harry Warren (JD); "Elmer’s tune" by Elmer Albrecht, Sammy Gallop, Dick Jurgens (JLaR); "Skylark" by Johnny Mercer, Hoagy Carmichael (AG); "Little brown jug" by Joseph E. Winner, arr Bill Finegan (JD); "A string of pearls" by Eddie De Lange, Jerry Gray (TB); "The anvil chorus" by Giuseppe Verdi, arr Jerry Gray (JD); "Fools rush in" by Johnny Mercer, Rube Bloom (JD); "Long ago and far away" by Leo Robin, Ralph Rainger (JLaR); "Perfidia" by Milton Leeds, Alberto Dominguez (SS); "Stairway to the stars" by Mitchell Parish, Matty Malneck, Frank Signorelli (SS, JD); "St. Louis blues march" by W. C. Handy (MH, TB); "Pennsylvania 6-5000" by Carl Sigman, Jerry Gray; "Moonlight cocktail" by Kim Gannon, C. Luckey Roberts (JD); "I’ll be seeing you" by Irving Kahal, Sammy Fain (MH); "Don’t sit under the apple tree" by Lew Brown, Charles Tobias, Sam H. Stept (TB, MH); "Moonlight serenade" by Mitchell Parish, Glenn Miller.

Glenn Miller: A Moonlight Serenade (1984) (TV)
Host: Van Johnson

James Stewart: A Wonderful Life (1987) (TV)

A retrospective on the life and career of actor James Stewart with the star himself and hosted by his longtime personal friend Johnny Carson. With clips from many of the films of Mr. Stewart and interviews with some of the people that worked with him during his long, long career. One of the last of the good guys from old Hollywood, there was a time when Jimmy was everywhere. Talk shows, holiday specials, gala events, TV and film, Jimmy Stewart was always a pleasant addition. Stoic, calm and quieting, let's hope his humanity lives on through his efforts.

This is episode number 309 of "The Great Performances" anthology series.

James Stewart: A Wonderful Life (1987) (TV)
Host: Johnny Carson

Off Ramps: L. A. STORIES - The Second City - Inside the World's Largest Jail (1996) (TV)

As we take a visit to Los Angeles' Twin Towers Correctional Facility, also referred to in the media as Twin Towers Jail, Lisa Ling is front and center ably assisted by Mitchell Koss and together they bite off quite a bit for a simple two man crew in "The Second City - Inside the World's Largest Jail" or what most would consider a day in hell. The amount of scary access given and taken is surprising, I'm not sure if I would be willing to go and do as these two. As this is a production from 1996 it needs to be updated if for no other reason than contrast. Very eyeopening watching 3 unarmed correctional guards (sheriffs) walk amongst the population and keep order in a crowded lunchroom with 100 of the baddest types. This is the best way to take the tour when the alternatives are considered.

Off Ramps: L. A. STORIES (1996) (TV)
Cast: Lisa Ling, Mitchell Koss

The Century (1999) TV Mini-Series

An attempt to chronicle the 20th Century through the eyes of the ABC network news machine. Far in reach and bursting with footage this is an example of a program that will be relevant and watchable for years into the future.
 

AVAILABLE EPISODES
Heaven and Earth
Season 1, Episode 1
29 March 1999

Ultimate Power
Season 1, Episode 2
April 1999

No Man's Land
Season 1, Episode 3
April 1999

The Fall
Season 1, Episode 6
3 April 1999

Nothing to Fear
Season 1, Episode 7
8 April 1999

Picture This
Season 1, Episode 8
8 April 1999

The Race
Season 1, Episode 9
April 1999

The Evolution of Revolution
Season 1, Episode 10
April 1999

The Century (1999) TV Mini-Series
Host: Peter Jennings

Memorial Service for the Sailors of the USS Cole (2000) (TV)

Officials, relatives, and injured shipmates of 17 sailors killed in a terrorist attack on the USS Cole in Yemen gathered on pier 12 at the Norfolk Naval Station for a memorial service. While the crews of the ships moored at the pier manned the rails, President Clinton and other officials honored the sailors as heroes and vowed that those responsible for the attack would be brought to justice. The ceremony concluded with the Navy Hymn and the playing of Taps.

Memorial Service for the Sailors of the USS Cole (2000) (TV)
Host: Tom Brokaw

NBC 75th Anniversary Special (2002) (TV)

Originally broadcast on May 5th, 2002 this is a 3 hour celebration of NBC's 75th anniversary. From Studio 8-H in New York City.





 
NBC 75th Anniversary Special (2002) (TV)
Host: Jerry Seinfeld

Mike Wallace: Then & Now (TV) (1990)

In a CBS special broadcast on September 26, 1990 Mike Wallace recalls 40 years of reporting and interviewing, recapturing some of his top stories and most provocative interviews.

Mike Wallace: Then & Now (TV) (1990)
Host: Mike Wallace

Hi Honey, I'm Home (1991) TV series 1991-1992

A 1950s American sitcom family participates in the Sitcom Relocation Program, and are transported to 1990s suburbia. Anyone recognize Julie Benz? And yes, that's the Pina Colada guy, (Escape).


AVAILABLE EPISODES
Season 1, Episode 1
Meet the Neilsens
19 July 1991

Season 1, Episode 2
Make My Bed
26 July 1991

Season 1, Episode 4
Hi Mom, I'm Not Home
9 August 1991

Season 1, Episode 5
Grey Skies
16 August 1991

Season 1, Episode 6
SRP
23 August 1991

Hi Honey, I'm Home (1991) TV series 1991-1992
Cast: Charlotte Booker, Danny Gura, Eric Kushnick, Julie Benz, Peter Benson, Stephen C. Bradbury, Susan Cella

Danger Down Under (1988) TV Movie

This feature-length TV pilot stars Lee Majors as an American horse breeder who tries to make a go in New South Wales (shades of Man From Snowy River). Accompanying Majors "down under" is his son (William Hughes); father and son entrench themselves in the ranch of Majors' ex-wife (Rebecca Gilling), who lives with her younger sons. Just when it seems a reconciliation is possible, the woman is killed, forcing Majors to take over the ranch and work it with the help of his three sons and his former father-in-law (Martin Vaughan). Danger Down Under was telecast in March of 1988, where it lost out in a Monday-night ratings battle to Newhart. The film has since been syndicated under two alternate titles: Austral Downs and Reed Down Under. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Danger Down Under (1988) TV Movie
Cast: Lee Majors, Rebecca Gilling, Martin Vaughan, William Wallace, Bruce Hughes, Morgan Lewis, Paul Chubb, Natalie McCurry, Robert Taylor

Twice Upon a Time (1983)

Animated film directed by John Korty and Charles Swenson. This film had an unusual history in terms of release and editing, but it has been named one of the most important films in the history of stop-motion animation. This was also the first animated film George Lucas produced.

The film uses a form of cutout animation, which the filmmakers called "Lumage," that involved prefabricated cut-out plastic pieces that the animators moved on a light table.

Twice Upon a Time (1983)
Cast: Lorenzo Music, Julie Payne, Marshall Efron, Hamilton Camp, James Cranna, Paul Frees, Judith Kahan

Golden Anniversary of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (TV) 1987

By the time he set out to make “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” which was loosely based on the famous Brothers Grimm fairy tale, Walt Disney had already made a name for himself with short cartoons featuring Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and other beloved characters. In 1934, he announced his intention to make a full-length animated feature film of the Snow White story, and estimated the cost would be around $250,000. Instead, production lasted three years and took around 750 artists, and nearly 2 million individual paintings, to complete. In that process, Disney acted mostly as head coordinator and decision-maker rather than as a designer and artist. As costs ballooned to nearly $1.5 million–an enormous sum for a film budget in 1937–he was forced to borrow money to complete the movie, even taking out a mortgage on his home. The Hollywood press called the project “Disney’s Folly,” and his own wife, Lillian, predicted it would be a box office failure. It was assumed that audiences couldn’t stomach a full-length cartoon, and that adults wouldn’t pay to sit through a fairy tale.

On December 21, 1937, however, “Snow White” silenced these cynics when it premiered to a packed house at the Carthay Circle Theatre. Stars such as Shirley Temple, Clark Gable, Ginger Rogers, Judy Garland and Cary Grant attended the Hollywood premiere, while more than 30,000 fans unable to score a $5 ticket gathered outside the theater to share in the night’s excitement. Charlie Chaplin told the Los Angeles Times after the premiere that the film “even surpassed our highest expectations. In Dwarf Dopey, Disney has created one of the greatest comedians of all time.”

“Snow White” went on to become a massive hit worldwide, grossing more than any other movie in history up to that time. (“Gone With the Wind” would surpass it in 1939.) At the time of its 50th anniversary in 1987, the New York Times reported that “Snow White” had grossed some $330 million worldwide, and remained one of the most popular films ever made. It was also the first American film to have a soundtrack album released simultaneously with the film’s release, featuring such famous songs as “Heigh-Ho,” “Whistle While You Work” and “Someday My Prince Will Come.”

In addition to its commercial success, the movie received a special Academy Award, including one full-size Oscar and seven dwarf-sized statuettes. Its sophisticated artistic composition notably influenced such directors as Federico Fellini and Orson Welles, whose opening shot in 1941′s “Citizen Kane” (a castle at night with one illuminated window) is nearly identical to the first shot of “Snow White.”

The stunning success of “Snow White” marked a turning point in the career of Walt Disney, and established him among the world’s most celebrated filmmakers. The quality of its animation, voiceover work and musical score set a high standard for all future animated features made by Disney or any other studio. Along with “Pinocchio” (1940), it is widely considered to be Disney’s greatest film.

Golden Anniversary of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (TV) 1987
Cast: Dick Van Dyke, Jane Curtin, Dennis Franz, Soleil Moon Frye, Sherman Hemsley, Christopher Hewett, Telma Hopkins, Jean Kasem, Stepfanie Kramer, Richard Moll, Linda Ronstadt, Lindsay Wagner

WIOU (1990) TV series 1990-1991

Nightime soap opera. The TV network sends Hank Zaret to be news director of station WNDY (know as WIOU to the staff). The news co-anchors are Neal Frazier and Kelby Robinson. Eddie Bock is an ambitious black reporter, Taylor Young is a reporter, Liz McVay is the executive producer, Ann Hudson is a field producer who is dating Rick Singer, Willis Teitlebaum is a news intern with a crush on Ann Hudson and Marc Adamson is a cameraman. Familiar faces but slow moving drama, rendered more or less obsolete by the impending internet revolution.

AVAILABLE EPISODES
Season 1, Episode 1
Pilot
24 October 1990

Season 1, Episode 2
Appearances
31 October 1990

Season 1, Episode 7
Diamond Dogs
19 December 1990

Season 1, Episode 11
Without Prejudice
4 March 1991

Season 1, Episode 12
Pair O' Guys Lost
13 March 1991

WIOU (1990) TV series 1990-1991
Cast: Dick Van Patten, Harris Yulin, Helen Shaver, John Shea, Liane Alexandra Curtis, Mariette Hartley, Phil Morris, Wallace Langham

Stat (1991) TV series

Trials and tribulations of the emergency staff of a city hospital. Starring one of my favorites, Alison La Placa. Always good, never disappoints.






AVAILABLE EPISODES
Psychosomatic
Season 1, Episode 1
16 April 1991

Fantasy
Season 1, Episode 2
23 April 1991

The Wilding
Season 1, Episode 4
7 May 1991

Safe Smuggling
Season 1, Episode 6
21 May 1991

Stat (1991) TV series
Cast: Alison La Placa, Cynthia Lea Clark, Dennis Boutsikaris, Ron Canada

Terror on Highway 91 (1989) TV Movie

In this police drama, a rookie cop finds his idealism nearly destroyed when he discovers that most of the officers in his new precinct are corrupt. This is based on a true story. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi



Terror on Highway 91 (1989)TV Movie
Cast: Bonnie Johnson, Brad Dourif, Chuck Bibby, George Dzundza, Lara Flynn Boyle, Michael Burgess, Richard Brooks, Rick Schroder

Two for the Money (1972) TV Movie

In this drama, two private investigators must find a serial killer after the 12-year investigation of the police fails miserably. Intended as a pilot that never sold, it aired as part of the ABC Movie of the Week. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Two for the Money (1972) TV Movie
Cast: Anne Revere, Catherine Burns, Mercedes McCambridge, Neville Brand, Richard Dreyfuss, Robert Hooks, Shelley Fabares, Stephen Brooks, Walter Brennan

Three Kings, The (1987) TV Movie

The made-for-TV Three Kings stars Jack Warden, Lou Diamond Phillips and Stan Shaw as three patients in a Los Angeles-area mental institution. Dressed as the Three Wise Men for a Christmas pageant, the trio is suddenly struck with the delusion that they are really their Biblical counterparts. As TV cameras grind away, the three ersatz Kings ride out of the Pageant--on camels--and into the mean streets of LA. As the story draws to its conclusion, the three escapees find themselves providing Christmas cheer for a group of homeless people on the outskirts of the city. Aaron Spelling's original story veers dangerously close to being devoured by its own cuteness at times, but Stirling Silliphant's script for Three Kings keeps the whimsy in check and the sillier events reasonably credible. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The Three Kings (1987) TV Movie
Cast: Tiana Alexandra, Jane Kaczmarek, Lou Diamond Phillips, Charles Nelson Reilly, Pepe Serna, Stan Shaw, Tori Spelling, Vic Tayback, Jack Warden

Good King Wenceslas (1994) TV Movie

Wenceslas, the young king of Bohemia, lives trapped between the wisdom of his Christian grandmother and his tyranical stepmother. Only when he sees the suffering of the people does Wenceslas conclude that his stepbrother should never rule.

Good King Wenceslas (1994) TV Movie

Cast: Charlotte Chatton, Joan Fontaine, Jonathan Brandis, Leo McKern, Oliver Milburn, Perry King, Stefanie Powers, William Morgan Sheppard

Tony Bennett: A Family Christmas (1992)

Tony Bennett has been entertaining generations of audiences since 1950, performing a variety of hits with various internationally renowned bands; he has had a career filled with music awards and chart-toppers from all around the world. Songs include "Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow, The Christmas Waltz, Santa Claus Is Coming to Town, Where Is Love?, I Love the Winter Weather", and a medley that features "We Wish You a Merry Christmas, Jingle Bells, O Come All Ye Faithful, and Silent Night." ~ Forrest Spencer, Rovi

Tony Bennett: A Family Christmas (1992)
Cast: Tony Bennett, Manhattan Transfer

Blake Shelton's Not So Family Christmas (2012) (TV)

For three seasons of "The Voice" now fans have known that Blake Shelton is brilliantly hilarious and incredibly charming. But how would it translate to his very own holiday special? Many celebrities have tried in recent years, but few have succeeded as well as Shelton did with "Blake Shelton's Not-So-Family Christmas" on NBC.

The hour special was littered with musical guests like Reba McEntire and Kelly Clarkson, not to mention his mother and his wife Miranda Lambert. He also had comedy bits throughout the special, with most of them hitting the right note -- even if he admitted his Larry the Cable Guy sketch might have been a little dark.

In it, he and Larry were in the claymation style of classic Christmas specials like "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and "Frosty the Snowman." It was a hunting trip in the North Pole that went all wrong, with the pair ultimately killing or destroying virtually every beloved Christmas character.

He went dark again in a sketch where he traumatized children with twisted answers to their questions about "'Twas the Night Before Christmas." At other points he was getting beaten down by a cast of little people or trying to hawk a cheap knock-off of his swiveling chair from "The Voice."

Now that Shelton's got a laugh-filled Christmas special under his belt, fans can start counting the days until he's announced as an upcoming host on "Saturday Night Live." If he doesn't want to pull double duty, he could always invite his wife along to join in the fun as the musical guest.

Blake Shelton's Not So Family Christmas (2012) TV
Cast: Christina Aguilera, Kailee Bauer, Kelly Clarkson, Miranda Lambert, Reba McEntire, Dorothy Shackleford, Blake Shelton

Girl Crazy (1997)

A 1997 American comedy film written and directed by noted Mormon film maker Richard Dutcher. Dutcher's first feature film, it was initially shown on HBO's Cinemax service, and never received theatrical distribution.

Girl Crazy (1997)
Cast: Richard Dutcher, Linda Bon, Tim Hansen, Kiki Margiotta, Lisa Manulkin, Chelene Ward, Diane Weiss

Track of the Giant Snow Bear (1970)

An Eskimo boy frees a polar bear cub from a trap and raises it, until it threatens his village.

Track of the Giant Snow Bear (1970)
Cast: Laura Itta, Steve Kaleak, Rossman Peetook

American Film Institute Salute to Clint Eastwood, The (1996) (TV)

Tribute to Clint Eastwood, the 24th recipient of the American Film Institute's Lifetime Achievement Award.

The American Film Institute Salute to Clint Eastwood (1996) (TV)

Cast: Clint Eastwood, Jim Carrey, Rene Russo, Don Rickles, Steven Spielberg, Warren Beatty, Pierce Brosnan, Nicolas Cage, Faye Dunaway, Francesca Eastwood, Ed Harris, Dustin Hoffman, Quincy Jones, Dylan McDermott, Jack Nicholson

Legend of the Beverly Hillbillies, The (1993) (TV)

Hosted by Mac Davis, this "mockumentary" features the original cast members appearing in character, with many of the show's guest stars recalling their experiences with the Clampetts.

The Legend of the Beverly Hillbillies (1993) (TV)

Cast: Hoyt Axton, Max Baer Jr., Ray Charles, Mac Davis, Donna Douglas, Buddy Ebsen, G. Gordon Liddy, Reba McEntire

Alien Autopsy: (Fact or Fiction?) (1995) (TV)

This provacative FOX Network "prime time" television special investigates the purported "Alien Autopsy" footage that was allegedly filmed by the United States military after the legendary UFO crash near Roswell, New Mexico in 1947.

Alien Autopsy: (Fact or Fiction?) (1995) (TV)

Host: Jonathan Frakes

Space: Last Frontier or Lost Frontier? (1994) (TV)

TV Review : A Journey Into Past and Future of 'Space'
July 14, 1994|RAY LOYND

Outer space.

Remember how those words captivated and intrigued us in the '50s and '60s?

Now, 25 years to the week after Neil A. Armstrong walked on the moon and "took one small step for man," the luster is off NASA and the space program. The moon seems much farther away than it did when Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin spent 22 hours scooping up moon rocks.

"CBS Reports," anchored by co-writer Connie Chung, tonight takes us on a 25th anniversary space journey, assessing the extraordinary history and cloudy future of the U.S. space program in "Space: Last Frontier or Lost Frontier?"

Interviews and archival footage catch what Chung calls the "singular joy" of the early pioneer space days, when the whole nation was enthralled. Walter Cronkite, who broadcast the July 20, 1969, moon landing, puts the thrill of that day best: "It's as if you could have stood on the dock and waved goodby to Columbus."

But as the program documents, Vietnam and a host of other events gradually took the bloom off the space lily.

We live once again NASA's self-made failures, notably the explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger and recent disappointments like the malfunctioning Hubble telescope, designed to peer into the fantastic edges of the cosmos (although, in a conspicuous achievement, Hubble was surgically repaired in space).

Ultimately, the production gives space flight a divided report card. The glory days are over and skeptics on the show carry more bite, particularly given budget deficits and the sky-high price of world leadership in space. But, as someone remarks, "We can be on Mars 25 years from now. If we are able to do it--let's do it!"

Space: Last Frontier or Lost Frontier? (1994) (TV)

Host: Connie Chung

Victory & Valor: Special Olympics World Games (1991) (TV)

August 13, 1991|RICK DU BROW

TV or not TV. . . .

ABOUT TIME: TV is finally opening its doors to enlightened portrayals of the mentally retarded and disabled.

The recent drama series "Equal Justice" was a notable example. So is "Life Goes On," which stars Chris Burke, who has Down's syndrome.

Thus, the timing of Thursday's two-hour ABC broadcast, "Victory and Valor: A Special Olympics All-Star Celebration"--built around the joyous competition of mentally retarded athletes from more than 100 nations--couldn't be more appropriate.

"This Olympics has been an important part of my life," Burke says in the show, which is not really a sports program at all, but a celebration of the spirit. Yes, there's a star-studded opening ceremony in a colorful, Olympics-style extravaganza before 60,000 fans at the Minneapolis Metrodome last month. But the special tries to avoid this single dimension by focusing in part on the individual tales of four competitors, including a young Navajo man from Arizona and a boy from Nepal, following them from their homes before the Games right through the weeklong Olympics.

Singer Bob Seger, who, like the other participating stars, worked for free, went to Nepal, as did the show, which also taped sequences in Greece, home of the Olympics.

Burke, clearly moved in his appearances, is a past competitor in the Special Olympics, having won a medal for broad jumping.

In the new age of TV, with Larry Drake playing retarded office worker Benny Stulwicz in "L.A. Law" and Marlee Matlin portraying a hearing-impaired prosecutor in the fall series "Reasonable Doubts," the approach of ABC's Thursday special adds to the healthy trend.

It is decidedly upbeat, feel-good TV, blending the stars, the sports events and the mini-documentaries of the athletes, which include some hilarious passages--especially about a "unified" softball team of retarded and non-retarded players from Connecticut.

The team seems straight out of "The Bad News Bears." After they get slaughtered in their first game, 18-4, the coach observes: "I wouldn't count us out." After they lose again, he notes: "This game was probably the worst we played." One of the retarded players has the solution: "Base hits, base hits."

Viewers who enjoy the spectacle of an Olympics will see the usual rituals--the running of the torch, the opening parade of the athletes and the accompanying entertainment. And there are a few eye-openers, including the 68-year-old man who is the oldest Special Olympian.

"Some people think this is a telethon," says executive producer Bobby Shriver. "Well, it's not. It's a show. No one's going to feel sorry for anybody. You don't have to be delicate. It's like 'Animal House' sometimes. And we treat this like the Super Bowl."

Adds director Steve Binder: "We tried to capture the entire week and see it through the eyes of the Special Olympians, not just the stars."

The lineup of stars is imposing, including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Warren Beatty, Jon Bon Jovi, Gerardo, Prince, Kirstie Alley, Fred Savage, Don Johnson, Melanie Griffith, Florence Griffith Joyner, Debbie Gibson, Patti Austin, Frank Gifford, Wayne Gretzky, Richard Dean Anderson, Randy Travis, Bob Saget and Herb Alpert.

But the real stars, of course--an antidote to the age of overpaid professional jocks--are the young athletes from around the world having a great time. And Burke, as a former Special Olympian, bridges the world of the stars and athletes. Says one person connected with the production: "He was such a hero to these kids."

Victory & Valor: Special Olympics World Games (1991) (TV)

Host: Frank Gifford

Inside 'NYPD Blue': A Decade on the Job (2002) (TV)

A behind the scenes look celebrating NYPD Blue's 10th year on the air as shown through clips and interviews of cast and crew past and present.

Inside 'NYPD Blue': A Decade on the Job (2002) (TV)

Host: Joe Mantegna

In A New Light (1993) (TV)

Patti Austin, Pat Benatar, Clint Black, Michael Callen, Melissa Etheridge, Elton John and Silk are among the artists who perform against a haunting background of names embroidered on the AIDS Memorial Quilt, commemorating men, women and children who have died of the disease.

In words and graphics, information is given without equivocation and underscored through repetition: how a condom is used, how it can prevent transmission of HIV, what bodily fluids transmit it, where vulnerable mucous membranes are located, ways you cannot get the virus. Abstinence is stressed; in the absence of abstinence, "safer sex," not "safe sex," is the operative term.

Entertainment and statistics are interspersed with memorable segments spotlighting people working in AIDS education and/or living with HIV and AIDS.

A few of the stars who speak their piece and urge viewers to call for information are Hollywood's leading AIDS spokeswoman Elizabeth Taylor, Chad Lowe, Judith Light, Rosie Perez and Luke Perry ("I've been tested three times").

Memorable comic moments and candor are provided by Lily Tomlin as Ernestine, answering questions on an AIDS hot line.

Worth tuning into? You bet your life.

In A New Light (1993) (TV)

Cast: Patti Austin, Pat Benatar, Clint Black, Michael Callen, Melissa Etheridge, Elton John, Silk, Elizabeth Taylor, Chad Lowe, Judith Light, Rosie Perez, Luke Perry

Echo of Thunder, The (1998) TV Movie

The Echo of Thunder is an Australian family drama movie, released for television in 1998. It is based on the novel Thunderwith by Australian children's author Libby Hathorn. It was aired on CBS in the United States as a Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation.

The story of a man who lives with his second wife and three kids on an Australian farm in the Wallingat Forest NSW. He learns about the fatal illness of his first wife which leaves his eldest daughter, Lara, alone in the world. Lara seeks solace with a mysterious dog she names Thunderwith that appears from time to time on the property. The story concentrates on the relationship between mother Gladwyn and stepdaughter, as Lara is slowly accepted into the family.

The movie was shot in Mount Beauty, Victoria and directed by Simon Wincer. Hallmark Channel produced the movie and the story undertook several changes for example the four Ritchie children became only three on the set. Judy Davis, who played the mother Gladwyn was nominated for an Emmy for her performance.

The Echo of Thunder (1998) TV Movie

Cast: Judy Davis, Jamey Sheridan, Lauren Hewett, Chelsea Yates, Michael Caton, Emily Browning, Jamie Croft

For All Time (2000) TV Movie

This made-for-TV fantasy was based on Rod Serling's "A Stop at Willoughby," a 1960 episode of Serling's classic anthology series Twilight Zone. The story begins in the year 2000, with advertising executive Charles Lattimer (Mark Harmon) escaping his hectic professional life and increasingly dissatisfying marriage to wife Kristen (Catherine Hicks) by obsessively tinkering with his elaborate model-train set. Through the aid of a magic stopwatch, Charles boards a real train and is whisked back to 1896, where he inaugurates a romance with attractive widow Laura Brown (Mary McDonnell). Traversing back and forth through the years, Charles ultimately finds that he will never truly be happy until he chooses between the "real" world and the world fashioned by his nostalgic imagination. Filmed in Alberta, For All Time made its CBS network debut on October 18, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

For All Time (2000) TV Movie

Cast: Mark Harmon, David Lereaney, Mary McDonnell, Catherine Hicks, Philip Casnoff, Bill Cobbs

Shaggy Dog, The (1994) TV Movie

In this television remake of Disney's zany feature, a teenager under a magic spell keeps turning into a sheepdog, much to his father's chagrin. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

The Shaggy Dog (1994) TV Movie

Cast: Ed Begley Jr., Sharon Lawrence, Jon Polito, James Cromwell, Jeremy Sisto, Natasha Gregson Wagner, Bobby Slayton, Rick Ducommun, Scott Weinger

Say Goodbye, Maggie Cole (1972) TV Movie

In her final acting appearance, Susan Hayward is ironically cast as a research doctor who can no longer face up to the notion of dealing with death on a daily basis. Recently widowed, Dr. Maggie Cole is on the verge of giving up her job and going into seclusion. She is shaken back to reality by crusty but lovable "street doctor" Lou Grazzo (Darren McGavin), who coerces Maggie into accepting a job at a Chicago slum clinic. At first adjusting admirably to her new surroundings, Maggie undergoes a devastating assault to her emotions when she befriends a teenaged leukemia patient. Written by real-life M.D. Sandor Stern and originally telecast by ABC on September 27, 1972, Say Goodbye, Maggie Cole was supposed to have been the pilot for a weekly series, but plans for this project were abandoned after the death of star Susan Hayward. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Say Goodbye, Maggie Cole (1972) TV Movie

Cast: Susan Hayward, Darren McGavin, Michael Constantine, Michele Nichols, Dane Clark, Beverly Garland, Jeanette Nolan, Richard Anderson, Richard Carlyle

Season of Giants, A (1991) TV Movie

A Season of Giants succeeds more in ambition than in execution. This 195-minute TV movie proposes that a great professional rivalry existed between Renaissance geniuses Michelangelo (Mark Frankel) and Leonardo da Vinci (John Glover). While the Florentine and Roman scenery is authentic, certain elements of the story cause the viewer to doubt its credibility. For starters, both Michelangelo and Da Vinci weather several years' time without either aging or changing their clothes; also, the "creative process" is minimized, with both artists going from inspiration to final product in what seems to be a matter of hours (maybe Michelangelo used a roller on the Sistine Chapel). A Season of Giants was originally shown in two parts over the TNT Cable service, with a surprising paucity of advertising fanfare. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

A Season of Giants (1991) TV Movie

Cast: F. Murray Abraham, Vittorio Amandola, Steven Berkoff, Mark Frankel, John Glover

TV Guide: Truth Behind the Rumors (2001) (TV)

The stars from "Growing Pains" and "Dynasty" reveal behind the scenes secrets and controversies that occurred while shooting their respective shows. This is considered the third in the series from TV Guide.

TV Guide: Truth Behind the Rumors (2001) (TV)

Cast: Alan Thicke, Joanna Kerns, Kirk Cameron, Jeremy Miller, Tracey Gold, Joan Collins, John Forsythe, Linda Evans

Deliver Them from Evil: The Taking of Alta View (1992) TV Movie

This made-for-TV film was based on a real-life, nail-biting hostage situation. The incident began when a deranged gunman, disgruntled for a variety of reasons, burst into the maternity ward at the Alta View Hospital in Sandy, Utah. Holding mothers, babies and nurses captive, the gunman clearly intended to kill as many people as possible before he himself was subdued by the police. Harry Hamlin, light-years away from LA Law, plays the psychotic intruder, while Terri Garr co-stars as the maternity nurse who struggles to act as the voice of reason. Filmed on location in Salt Lake City, Deliver Them From Evil premiered April 28, 1992. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Deliver Them from Evil: The Taking of Alta View (1992) TV Movie

Cast: Harry Hamlin, Teri Garr, Terry O'Quinn, Gary Frank, Joycelyn O'Brien, Georgia Emelin, Keith Coulouris, Britt Sady, Michael Flynn

35th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards (2000) (TV)

Live coverage of the 35th annual Academy of Country Music Awards presentation from the Universal Amphitheater in Los Angeles, California. Hosted by Dolly Parton.

35th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards (2000) (TV)

Cast: Dolly Parton, George Strait, Alan Jackson, George Jones, Asleep At The Wheel, Billy Gilman, Patty Loveless, Martina McBride, Naomi Judd, Wynonna Judd, Lonestar, Gary Allan, Chad Brock, Brad Paisley, Jo Dee Messina, Tim McGraw, Kenny Chesney, Hank Williams Jr., Jessica Andrews, Julie Reeves, Shalie Tenison, Chely Wright, Sawyer Brown, Collin Raye, Toby Keith, Reba McEntire, Faith Hill, Montgomery Gentry, SHeDAISY, Yankee Gray

Quiet Victory: The Charlie Wedemeyer Story (1988) TV Movie

This is the true story of Los Gatos (California) high school football coach Charlie Wedemeyer (Michael Nouri). At 31, onetime football pro Wedemeyer is living the American dream; a winning team, a happy marriage and public adulation. Then in 1977, Charlie is diagnosed as suffering from ALS, a degenerative neurological ailment better known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Given only one year to live, Charlie determines to continue leading his Los Gatos Wildcats to a state championship -- which he eventually does, despite losing all powers of speech and movement. Several notches above the usual "disease of the week" TV movie, Quiet Victory: The Charlie Wedemeyer Story was directed by ROY CAMPANELLA II -- himself the son of a physically disabled pro athlete, baseball star Roy Campanella. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Quiet Victory: The Charlie Wedemeyer Story (1988) TV Movie

Cast: Pam Dawber, Michael Nouri, Bess Meyer, Peter Berg, James Handy, Dan Lauria, Reginald VelJohnson, Noble Willingham, Stephen Dorff, Betty Carvalho, Amelia Burnette, Kyle Chandler

Live! From Death Row (1992) TV Movie

On the eve of his televised execution, a serial killer (Bruce Davison) takes a TV newswoman (Joanna Cassidy) hostage. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi

Live! From Death Row (1992) TV Movie

Cast: Joanna Cassidy, Bruce Davison, Art LaFleur, Calvin Levels, Julio Oscar Mechoso, Martha Velez, Kathleen Wilhoite

Kidz in the Wood (1996) TV Movie

When a wise teacher takes eight troubled, aimless kids on a re-creation of a wagon train journey along the Oregon trail, the youths learn important lessons from the past while enduring the struggles and strife suffered by the pioneers who settled the West. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Kidz in the Wood (1996) TV Movie

Cast: Dave Thomas, Julia Duffy, Tatyana Ali, Candace Cameron Bure, David Lascher, Darius McCrary, Alfonso Ribeiro, Sam Vincent, Don S. Davis, Garry Chalk

Plymouth (1991) TV Movie

An unsold television movie pilot that traces the story of the people of a small town who become the first human inhabitants of the moon.

Plymouth (1991) TV Movie

Cast: Cindy Pickett, Richard Hamilton, Perrey Reeves, James Rebhorn, Brent David Fraser, Lindsay Price, Dale Midkiff

Mystery of Natalie Wood, The (2004) TV Movie

This three-hour TV biopic of actress Natalie Wood emulates Citizen Kane by beginning at the end -- the tragically ironic drowning death of the water-phobic actress in 1981 -- then recounts her life story in flashback. Justine Waddell plays the adult Natalie, with younger performers Elizabeth Rice, Candice Moore, and Nadia Scappa portraying the actress in various stages of childhood, adolescence, and puberty. Although little Natasha Gurdin's Russian-born mother and father (here played by Colin Friels and Alice Krige) had drive and ambition, it was the girl herself who energetically and enthusiastically promoted her career as a child star named "Natalie Wood," and it was Natalie herself who demanded that producer stop casting her in cute-kid and ingenue roles and take her seriously as an adult -- even before she technically was one. Naturally, the film recounts Natalie's marriage to actor Robert Wagner (Michael Weatherley), the breakup of the union as she pursued affairs with the likes of Warren Beatty (Matthew Settle), and Wood and Wagner's ultimate reconciliation and remarriage. One might assume that the "mystery" of the film's title is Natalie's death by drowning -- to this day, no one quite knows how she managed to end up in the water -- but it also manifested in the enigma of Natalie herself, a woman who despite her aggressive and unending pursuit of fame and stardom might well have willingly given it all up just to be a wife and mother. In fine old Hollywood-biography tradition, the movie boasts an endless parade of celebrity lookalikes impersonating such friends and colleagues of Natalie Wood as James Dean, Edmund Gwenn, Marilyn Monroe, and directors Irving Pichel, Elia Kazan, and Nicholas Ray, as well as several real-life celebs offering their reflections on the film's protagonist, notably Margaret O'Brien, Robert Vaughn, and Henry Jaglom. Directed by no less than Peter Bogdanovich, The Mystery of Natalie Wood first aired over ABC on March 1, 2004. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The Mystery of Natalie Wood (2004) TV Movie

Cast: Justine Waddell, Michael Weatherly, Matthew Settle, Colin Friels, Elizabeth Rice, Grace Fulton, Robert Taylor, Alice Krige, Malcolm Kennard, Christopher Pate, John Noble, Barry Langrishe, Steven Vidler, Sophie Monk, Nathalie Roy

Andy Griffith Show Reunion, The (1993) (TV)

Cast members from "The Andy Griffith Show" gather to reminisce about the classic 1960's TV series. The program is a series of interviews conducted by Andy Griffith. He interviews the other cast members and questions them about their favorite episodes and other memories. It also includes clips from select episodes as well as home movies taken on the set. Present are Andy Griffith, Don Knotts, Ron Howard, George Lindsey, Jim Nabors and Jack Dodson. Sheldon Leonard and Aaron Rubin also gave interviews. The sets used were not the originals. The designer used only set pieces to offer the feel of the show. Also included are a series of celebrity comments about the show, including journalist Charles Kuralt, baseball player Nolan Ryan, musicians Randy Travis, Kenny G, Reba McEntire and Clint Black, actors Burt Reynolds and Lisa Hartman, and football players Bob Golic, Howie Long and Steve Wright.

The Andy Griffith Show Reunion (1993) (TV)

Cast: Andy Griffith, Charles Kuralt, Nolan Ryan, Randy Travis, Burt Reynolds, Lisa Hartman, Kenny G, Reba McEntire, Bob Golic, Howie Long, Steve Wright, Clint Black, Don Knotts, Ron Howard, Jim Nabors