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Author Topic: Johnny Olson back on TV  (Read 12586 times)

mmb5

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Johnny Olson back on TV
« on: June 26, 2003, 02:28:03 PM »
The Good Life Network (available on DIRECTV) is going to start rerunning the Honeymooners portion of Jackie Gleason's 60's variety series.  Johnny O was the announcer on the series.

News story (from Reuters)
Press Release


--Mike
Portions of this post not affecting the outcome have been edited or recreated.

ChuckNet

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Johnny Olson back on TV
« Reply #1 on: June 27, 2003, 12:27:41 PM »
Quote
The Good Life Network (available on DIRECTV) is going to start rerunning the Honeymooners portion of Jackie Gleason's 60's variety series. Johnny O was the announcer on the series.

And now, if GL can find some viewers, they'll be all set. :-)

Chuck Donegan (The Illustrious \"Chuckie Baby\")

zachhoran

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Johnny Olson back on TV
« Reply #2 on: June 27, 2003, 12:36:00 PM »
Speaking of Goodlife, one would think that channel would be a good fit for GS reruns, maybe $otC for example. It was discussed a year or two ago that Goodlife would be a good place to air the GT B&W shows, and that perhaps Trio would be a place to air Marshall HS if either GSN doesn't renew the GT license or doesn't bother to air Marshall HS any longer.

tvrandywest

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Johnny Olson back on TV
« Reply #3 on: June 27, 2003, 12:52:41 PM »
[quote name=\'mmb5\' date=\'Jun 26 2003, 01:28 PM\']The Good Life Network (available on DIRECTV) is going to start rerunning the Honeymooners portion of Jackie Gleason's 60's variety series.  Johnny O was the announcer on the series.[/quote]
That Gleason variety show was transferred from 2\" at CBS TV-City's  \"Jurassic Park\". On a walkthrough of the facility a few months back I spotted the tapes in their library. As the keeper of the Johnny O. flame I was given the chance to thread one up, hit play and hear John do that \"sun and fun\" intro over the video of the Miami coastline. VERY cool. I LOVED that show, and Johnny was very proud of his years with Gleason.


Randy
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« Last Edit: June 29, 2003, 11:17:03 AM by tvrandywest »

DjohnsonCB

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Johnny Olson back on TV
« Reply #4 on: June 27, 2003, 01:28:34 PM »
And thus *another* rare show I'd like to see eludes me because of my archaic cable lineup.  I want a tape of the 1968 show with Richard Deacon if they run it.   I missed it on CBS.
"Disconnect her buzzer...disconnect EVERYONE'S buzzer!"

--Alex Trebel

mmb5

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Johnny Olson back on TV
« Reply #5 on: June 27, 2003, 01:34:58 PM »
Alas, I screwed up.  Good Life is not on DIRECTV.  Fine Living is.  I guess by my confusion I'm already eligible for Good Life's demographic.

As a side note, apparently Nick Clooney does some wrap-arounds for their shows.
Portions of this post not affecting the outcome have been edited or recreated.

uncamark

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Johnny Olson back on TV
« Reply #6 on: June 27, 2003, 02:29:57 PM »
It's also not on Dish Network, either--which allowed the Perfesser to claim today that GoodLife was taken off the two big satellite systems because of its target audience.  I have the feeling that it was taken off because no one was watching it and GoodLife was asking for too much money.

The Comcast (AT&T) digital distribution system Headend in the Sky still has GoodLife on it (after threatening to take it off last year) and I'll get it in Chicago if and when they \"rebuild\" the system in my neighborhood.

Warning, kids:  If you expect to hear a lot of Johnny O in the opening, don't--his only line is the \"From Miami Beach, the sun and fun capitol of the world, it's 'The Jackie Gleason Show!'\"  The rest of the opening announcements, including the traditional \"And Awaaaaaaaaaaay We GO!\" intro to the opening June Taylor Dancers number, are handled by the \"Glea Girls\" as Sammy Spear and the boys play \"Melancholy Serenade\".  Even considering that what was considered beautiful and glamorous 35 years may be different today, I don't think most of you will be complaining much.

tvrandywest

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Johnny Olson back on TV
« Reply #7 on: June 27, 2003, 08:21:44 PM »
[quote name=\'uncamark\' date=\'Jun 27 2003, 01:29 PM\']Warning, kids:  If you expect to hear a lot of Johnny O in the opening, don't--his only line is the \"From Miami Beach, the sun and fun capitol of the world, it's 'The Jackie Gleason Show!'\"  [/quote]
I hate it so much when people pick the nits on this board, and here I am doing it myself! With the nit-pick comes a bonus just to help make up for it:

The Gleason variety show followed the ill-fated \"You're In The Picture\" -  the shortest running game show in history airing only on January 20, 1961. The following week the show returned with an amazingly funny 30 minute apology and stream of conciousness monologue which is quite engaging (talk about \"a show about nothing\")! Gleason's long time friend/journalist/biographer says Jackie did the game show at the urging of some CBS brass. After all, they were paying \"The Great One\" $100,000 a year for his television exclusivity whether he was on the air or not!

The entire staff and crew involved with \"You're In The Picture\" was fired with the sole exception of ONE person whom Gleason had never met before seeing him work ONCE on that ill-fated episode, and Jackie had him work every single TV episode he did until Gleason's TV career was over. That guy was Johnny O!

That Saturday night variety show aired during it's first 2 seasons from New York with Johnny having far different copy and more than the single line quoted above. In 1964 Gleason moved the show to Miami Beach and it's only from 1964 that Johnny opened the show with THIS line:

\"From the sun and fun capital of the world Miami Beach, we bring you 'The Jackie Gleason Show'\". There were several changes over the ensuing years, but typically Johnny's copy continued with \"Starring Jackie Gleason, The American Scene Magazine, with ________, _______, and ________,  The June Taylor Dancers, and Sammy Spear and his orchestra.  And awaayyyyyyy we go\"!


Randy
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TV Favorites

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Johnny Olson back on TV
« Reply #8 on: June 28, 2003, 09:02:51 PM »
Guess what....we DID hear Johnny O announce on the Color Honeymooners.  Right now, I'm recording the episode, but I'll post a sound file later if anyone is interested.

Jumpondees

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Johnny Olson back on TV
« Reply #9 on: June 29, 2003, 12:47:25 PM »
[quote name=\'uncamark\' date=\'Jun 27 2003, 01:29 PM\']

The Comcast (AT&T) digital distribution system Headend in the Sky still has GoodLife on it (after threatening to take it off last year) and I'll get it in Chicago if and when they "rebuild" the system in my neighborhood.

 [/quote]
 Comcast here in Pittsburgh has Goodlife, but there is never anything worth thinking about watching on that channel......That is unless you like watching reruns of \"Welcom Back Kotter\"

TV Favorites

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Johnny Olson back on TV
« Reply #10 on: June 29, 2003, 01:12:37 PM »
I've posted a sound clip of Johnny announcing the Honeymooners at the GSF Yahoo Group.

Here's Johnny!