April Showers Bring TV Movie Flowers
(or something like that)
Good morning, April! Maybe this is the season that the TV movie begins to bloom… Sounds silly, but I just found out that two “lost” ABC: Wide World of Mystery titles have recently surfaced and I’m going to keep hope alive that this is just the beginning.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with ABC’s mid-70s late night programming, may I direct you to this excellent article by the Library of Congress. They break down the history of Wide World of Mystery, as well as the work they’re doing (along with other archival institutions) to unearth some of the lost films.
Currently, two more supposedly lost telefilms can be purchased through TrueTVMovies. I’ll give you the titles, a little breakdown, and links below:
According to IMDb, A Prowler in the Heart stars Colleen Dewhurst and Lorraine Gary (OMG! Two greats) and this entry is about a mystery novelist meticulously creating an alibi to keep her husband from being convicted of murder.
You can buy A Prowler in the Heart here.
Murder in the First Person Singular features William Windom and Martha Scott and the story revolves around a murder plot by a terminally ill English teacher, who, to capitalize on the double indemnity clause in his life insurance, hires one of his students to do the deed.
You can buy Murder in the First Person Singular here.
A word to the wise: These are not going to be perfect or even great copies, but they are two very rare telefilms. Hopefully more will surface soon!
The Wide World of Mystery titles have become a major obsession for me, in part because of UCLA’s Film and Television’s Archive recent restoration of the Classic Ghosts series, which are five telefilms produced specifically for Wide World of Mystery. These were quickly made, shot on video and are excellent… and of particular interest because four of the five entries are directed and produced largely by women and feature women working in many different capacities behind the scenes as well. Kino Lober released Classic Ghosts on DVD last year. They are excellent.
I was asked to participate in the extras and I can be seen talking about the series in a featurette… which, by the way, has been nominated for a Rondo!
In fact, several projects I worked on have been nominated… all TV-centric or TV-adjacent. I sent out a newsletter a couple of weeks ago regarding this, so I won’t rehash it, but will link to it here in case you missed it. You can check out the full list of Rondo nominations here, and have until April 20th to vote.
I’m also pleased to finally say Ewan and I put together a new episode of our sporadic podcast The One By One Slash Cast. We talk about our favorite winter slashers. I’m doing my best to keep rolling with the ‘casts… so fingers crossed that more are coming soon. Thanks to everyone for their patience!
I was also a guest on two new episodes of The Hysteria Continues! You can listen to us discussing one of my favorite horror movies, Silent Scream (1979) and we also hung out on their Pateron, flipping through Fangoria #7 for their Fangoria Flashback episode!
Please join me and Dan Budnik on Bluesky April 26th at 1PM CST for a watchalong party! I’m screening the 1975 thriller Secret Night Caller with the great Robert Reed. use #TVMParty to join the discussion!
Announcements
Here’s what’s going on in the world of home video this month:
Shout Factory has upgraded their release of Sorority House Massacre to UHD/4K and are porting over their previously produced extras, along with new content. I am actually a featurette! I was interviewed about the film for something called “A Slash Course In Terror: Inside Sorority House Massacre” – An Interview With Author/Film Historian Amanda Reyes, and I believe I appear in a new extra titled “The Final Girl” - A Guide To Surviving Slasher Films.
This release is due April 8th.
Small Screen Musings: Television and Compassion
Anyone who knows me knows I have a huge crush on the wonderful Peter Scolari. He was pure joy and we were lucky to have him for as long as we did. I don’t know if people remember him most from Bosom Buddies or if Newhart is what springs to mind (or perhaps it’s even Ticks or the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids TV series, or any one of the many other projects he graced), but, lately, I find myself caught up in how much his character Michael on Newhart is an interesting symbol of the trappings of 1980s capitalism mixed with what it means to question that ideology, developing empathy along the way.
To put it out there, Michael and I aren’t that different. Through the series, the writers have left little clues as to what makes Michael tick. I wasn’t abandoned by my parents, but as an outcast, I did find comfort in classic television, and I allowed the characters from those shows to become an extended family. Like Michael, I also have a deep love for the horror movies The Boogens (mentioned at least twice throughout the run of Newhart) and Silent Night, Deadly Night (his favorite holiday film!). Also, we put too much emphasis on our hair.
There is an episode from Season 6 of the series, that really develops Michael, but also provides us a window into ourselves as well. Newsstruck originally aired during season 6 on March 21st, 1988, and it features Michael, a producer at a small television channel in Vermont, being forced to oversee the news department. Michael has all kinds of visions for the news, which include making the anchors run to their desk as a way to pick up the pace. He’s hated by the employees, and Michael is frustrated himself, because he just doesn’t find the news all that interesting.
Then, one day, he’s watching a story as it unfolds and something strange happens – he develops compassion. He begins to care about the people in these stories, and he opens himself up to learning about the world and all those who inhabit it. This shocks everyone at the Stratford Inn (and horrifies his superficial girlfriend Steffy). And, he even becomes a good news producer along the way.
However, that’s not where the growth really occurs. After some time, he feels weighed down by the endless tales of woe, poverty, and violence, and, he goes back to classic TV, watching a cartoon in the newsroom. Shockingly, the other employees join in. He realizes that compassion and empathy are beautiful things, but it’s also OK to tune out and let go… for awhile.
The episode ends with Michael returning somewhat to his shallow ways, but not before he takes Dick aside and asks him to update him on an ongoing hostage situation.
I know it doesn’t sound like a ton of comedy happened in this episode, but it’s so funny and warm and thoughtful. What held me to it though was this idea of where we are in the world right now – this is a time of uncertainty. Anxiety for many is at an all time high, and no one knows what to expect from day to day. We want to be informed, and we want to be prepared… But, it’s also OK to let yourself be like Michael… if you need to tune out and watch Gilligan’s Island, then do it.
Compassion and empathy are two of the greatest gifts we as humans can hold. Yet, I am not sure we are compassionate enough with ourselves. You’re not a bad person if you need to detach, decompress and refuel. You’ll need your strength in the coming days, just as Michael needed his when he worked in that newsroom.
And, I guess in that way, I’m like Michael too. With the exception of Vermont Today, Michael’s productions at WPIV are simply meant to be little slices of nothingbugers that take your mind off your troubles, even if for just a short time. And, that’s all I want to do with my TV movie talk. I mean, I love dissecting these films, writing my academic essays and hopefully providing meaningful content for people along the way. But, ultimately, I hope that all of my dumb TV (and horror movie) chatter helps people escape from their day to day troubles – even if just for a little while. Hopefully, I’m doing that. In the end though, Michael still has better hair.
TV Movies that Need a DVD/Blu Ray Release: March’s Selections
60: Women in Chains, 1972
61: Something About Amelia, 1984
62: A Bunny’s Tale, 1985
63: The World’s Oldest Living Bridesmaid, 1990
64: Dawn: Portrait of a Teenage Runaway, 1976
65: Alien Lover, 1975
66: Haunts of the Very Rich, 1972
67: Getting Physical, 1984
68: The Great American Beauty Contest, 1973
69: The Darker Side of Terror, 1979
70: Cry for Help, 1975
71: Challenge of a Lifetime, 1985
72: The Dark Secret of Harvest Home, 1978
73: Locusts, 1974
74: The Stranger Within, 1990
75: Silent Victory: The Kitty O’Neil Story, 1979
76: The Best Little Girl in the World, 1981
77: Amos, 1985
78: A Face to Die For, 1996
79: Deadly Lessons, 1983
80: Her Wicked Ways, 1991
81: Revenge, 1971
82: The Five of Me, 1981
83: The Failing of Raymond, 1971
84: Nightmare in Daylight, 1992
85: The Dead Don’t Die, 1975
86: My Mother’s Secret Life, 1984
87: Strange Homecoming, 1974
88: Revenge of the Stepford Wives, 1980
89: Goliath Awaits, 1981
90: The Last Child, 1971