Fast forward a few years, and now we’re hooked.  We can watch series we haven’t seen in years.  Or we can watch some series we didn’t even watch when they were on TV. But one of the best things about it is that shows we liked, that may never be rerun (even on cable), are available.

We’ve found that we enjoy the convenience of DVDTV.  Not only are the shows we want to watch available when we want them, but they are of a better quality and take up less space than (record-it-yourself) VHSTV.  We threw away all those VHS Lois and Clark and Star Trek tapes – empting at least half a closet.

We also like the convenience of watching online TV at sites like hulu.com.  (That’s where I first encountered Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.) But it still isn’t as good as the DVDTV.  Streaming is sometimes choppy and the quality isn’t as high.

Now were anxiously awaiting the next step, BlueTVRay.  

In the symbolic microcosm of Gilligan’s Island, Ginger represents the superficiality of the entertainment industry – Hollywood.  Aside from the affected relationship of the Howell’s (the “arranged” marriage of society and wealth), Ginger is the only character that exhibits any sexuality.  However, sexuality is a tool she uses to manipulate and get what she wants.  The men she does connect her self to sexually (i.e. claims desire) are members of “old” Hollywood (Cary Grant, Walter Pigeon, Rock Hudson) and are unattainable because of age or own (assumed) sexuality.  Further,  whenever anything happens on the island at night, and the castaways end up running from their huts to the center of the compound, everyone is fully clothed except for Ginger who is usually wrapped in a only sheet.  Considering she shares a hut with Mary Anne, one could assume . . .  I think I’ve thought about this way too much.   

What was the first spin-off from a sit-com?  Andy Griffith had played a character similar to the Andy Taylor character on an episode of “Make Room for Daddy,” before the debut of “The Andy Griffith Show,” but in the end I don’t think it was really the same character.  If I were to guess, my guess might be “Gomer Pyle” – spun-off from “The Andy Griffith Show.”  I really can’t think of any earlier examples.

Now there are some that would disagree with me.  After all, the “Honeymooners” came from the “Jackie Gleason Show.”  But “Gleason” was a variety show, not a sit-com.  There was also the “Lucy/Desi Comedy Hour” which came from “I Love Lucy,” but that was more of a format/name change than a spin-off – a strange variety show/sit-com/occasional special hybrid.  Also, “Beverly Hillbillies” and “Petticoat Junction” (later, “Green Arces” as well) were connected by the fictional towns of Hooterville, Picksley, etc., but neither was spun-off from the other. 

EDITOR NOTE (big enough to make my head hurt)

In looking various things up, I discovered a short-lived sit-com from 1960 called “Pete and Gladys” that was a spin-off from a show called “December Bride.”  I’ve never heard of either one, but “Pete and Gladys” is described like an “I Love Lucy” wannabe.  There have been a lot of those.

 “All in the Family,” in my opinion, is the all-time spin-off champ – the sit-com to have the most spin-offs, either directly or indirectly (i.e. a spin-off from a spin-off), and also encompass the largest span of time.  “All in the Family” had been successful attacking social issues and stereotypes.  Its first spin-off was “Maude.”  She had made a couple of appearances on “All in the Family” as Edith’s opinionated, liberal, feminist, cousin.  In an era when Norman Lear was actually attacking real social issues, it was another success for him.  What started with “Maude,” ended with “407 Hauser” – an attempt by Lear, made nearly 25 years after ‘All in the Family,” the once again attack social issues.  But in a world that had changed, “Hauser” was not the shocking show it would have been twenty-five years earlier.  In-between the first and last were “Good Times” (from “Maude”), “The Jeffersons,” “Archie Bunker’s Place” (maybe less of a spin-off, more of a name change), “Checking In” (from the Jeffersons), and “Gloria.”

“Happy Days” was another show from the same era that spawned quite of few of its own.  By the time it ended, it had spawned five others – although “Mork and Mindy” and “Lavern and Shirley” were the only ones of any staying power.  Each or the three also spawned their own Saturday morning cartoon – but that’s another ramble for another day.

The end of the spin-off frenzy seemed to coincide with the end of the “Family” and “Days” dynasties in the mid eighties.  There have been a handful of spin-offs since then, but not in the vast numbers there seemed to be in the decade and a half before.  The most notable of these most recent, in my opinion, would be “Frasier.” 

In my opinion (again) “Frasier” is the only spin-off the exceed it’s “parent” in quality.  It’s also the only post-spin-off (spun-off after the original show is off the air) to be successful.  The other end of the spectrum is “AfterMASH” – an ill-conceived plot to retain MASH’s audience that never lived up to its hype.

For those of you not familiar with Dr. Loveless you undoubtedly have never watched The Wild Wild West.  Dr. Loveless was a brilliantly insane dwarf, a mad scientist and the arch-enemy of Secret Service agents James West and Artemus Gordon.

Each episode has Dr. Loveless hatching an insane plot that involves a nefarious invention with intents on taking over some government or extracting revenge on James West for foiling past plots.  And of course, being brilliantly insane, he was always prepared with an escape plan.  He was the Professor Moriarty of 60′s Television and way more entertaining to me than that other Doctor (Dr. Whats-his-name).

Dr. Loveless appeared in 10 episodes over 3 seasons but I think my favorites are the episodes from season 1 (My favorite season because it was filmed in Black and White and I love the darker tones and contrast).  I have several of the seasons of The Wild Wild West on DVD and must admit to watching the Loveless episodes on a regular basis.

I think the thing that has endured for me is that the show wasn’t stuck in classic Western elements. Yes, it was a western (I see horses for heck sakes!), it was an spy thriller (beautiful women, clever gadgets, arch-villains, insane world domination plots), a science fiction/alternate history vehicle (in a similar vein to steampunk) and there was always an element of comedy (always brings a smile to see Loveless in the same scene with his giant henchman Voltaire).  Of course, the Loveless episodes are the best of the best (with honros sir!).

And just so we are straight on the subject, I don’t endorse either of The Wild Wild West made for TV movies or that crappy Tinsel Town version (that seems to be a perennial fixture of cable TV).  To me they are something I pretend never happened.

If you have never seen The Wild Wild West I recommend looking for the following episodes:

Season 1:
   “The Night the Wizard Shook the Earth”
   “The Night the Terror Stalked the Town”
   “The Night of the Whirring Death” – My favorite
   “The Night of the Murderous Spring”

Season 2:
   “The Night of the Raven”
   “The Night of the Green Terror”
   “The Night of the Surreal McCoy”
   “The Night of the Bogus Bandits”

Season 3:
   “The Night Dr. Loveless Died”

Season 4:
   “The Night of Miguelito’s Revenge”

And for the trivia minded, in the ’67/’68 season The Wild Wild West was on Friday nights at 7:30 followed by Star Trek at 8:30 (different networks of course).  Now thats what I call a night of TV!!!

To me, the theme song I liked best, and the one that I still enjoy singing along to is “I Dream of Jeannie”.  Kinda strange since I don’t think I have ever heard the lyrics.  My lyrics consist of “Duuuh Du, Da Da…”.

I have always been in the closet when it comes to “Jeannie”.  I don’t remember ever seeing the original run of the series but I know it must have happened. I fell in love with this series during its syndication run in the early 70s.

I’m sure “Jeannie” was the answer to “Bewitched” since every successful idea for a television series has its copies.  But to me, “Jeannie” wasn’t even in the same league and to this day I can’t believe some of what went on that got past the censors of the era.  A single man and women living together and all that skin.  Of course to me, this didn’t even register

Whatever the moral situation was, I was entertained.  I loved the stupid situations they could get themselves into, much of which involved hiding the fact that Jeannie was a genie.

To me it was silly harmless fun and Hagman and Daly were incredibly funny together. Of course, Eden wasn’t bad looking (even to the under 10 crowd) and also had very good comedic timing. (Which is often overlooked because of her appearance)

I don’t think the role was overly sexist.  To me the whole premise of the show was that she did whatever she wanted in spite of her Maj. Nelson. Often times you were left wondering who the “master” was. This is where most of the humor was in the show.

There was a spin-off cartoon and a couple of TV movies and I was never a fan of either. But I have always wondered why someone has never made a real movie (think “Bewitched”, “Get Smart”, and “Dragnet”) out of Jeannie.  Seems like a logical thing to do.

I recently discovered the reruns on Hulu.com and the rumor is the complete library will be released on DVD in time for Christmas.  Here is a “leaked” version of the cover:

I Dream of Jeannie box set

Hulu has some of season 2 and most of season 3.  I have started watching them and do admit I am still smiling.

According to the MTV Movies Blog Sid Krofft announced that HR Pufnstuf would be their next project.  To me Pufnstuf is the Mecca of the psychedelic Saturday mornings of the seventies.  It’s hard to believe there were only seventeen episodes.  They must have ran those seventeen episodes over and over for most of my childhood.  The Kroffts tried many similar things after Pufnstuf – Bugaloos, Lidsville, Sigmund and the Seamonsters – but none of them were the trip that was HR Pufnstuf.  And I do mean trip.

Supposedly drugs were not the influence behind Pufnstuf, but do any of us really believe that now?  A giant headed dragon who lived on a surrealistic island where everything was alive – that was one bad trip.  If pot wasn’t the inspiration, a bad piece of lox was.  Then there is the chorus to the theme song:

HR Pufnstuf.

Who’s your friend when things get rough?

HR Pufnstuf.

Can’t do a little, ‘cause you can’t do enough.

Sounds like John and Paul’s “friends” and Peter, Paul, and Mary’s “dragon” hand rolled into one to me.

And if it wasn’t drugs, maybe it was something else.  I’ve heard comments that Freddie the Magic Flute was a little too phallic.  Maybe it was a message show for adolescent boys: “Think with your brain; don’t just listen to your magic flute,” “Keep your magic flute safe in your pocket,”  or “There’s always going to be some kooky old witch who will try to entice you with her beautiful boat in an attempt to get her hands on your magic flute.”  If only we had listened.

Now if only we could convince them that we need a Bugaloo movie as well.                                                                                                                     

Then there is the door to everywhere (you know the one I mean) at the back of the kitchen.  Sometimes it is Alice’s bedroom, sometime the laundry room. (Remember the time Bobby flooded the kitchen because he put too much soap in the washer and suds and water overflowed under the door and into the kitchen.)  But then at other times it’s the stairs to the basement and Alice’s bedroom and the laundry room are down there.  (Think about the time Cindy hid her mother’s favorite earrings in the laundry because she didn’t want to get caught wearing them.)

(OK quit thinking about Cindy.)

And where do they go to the bathroom?  I’ve only seen one bathroom in the house.  It had three doors, a double sink, a tub with shower, but no toilet.  (No wonder Mrs. Brady always had that look on her face.  She shouldn’t have been drinking that much coffee, if they had no toilet.)

Don’t even mention the attic that appeared out of nowhere.  At least it was in a house that may have logically had an attic, exept the second-story window on the front of the house was too high into the eaves for there to be much room for an attic above it.  But it wasn’t like the magic attic of “Full House.”  How do you have an attic in a flat-roofed house?

At least the dog house in the soundstage astroturfed back yard was consistent, even if the dog wasn’t.  What happened to Tiger?  I think cousin Oliver ate him after Tiger ate Fluffy.  But that’s a rant for another day.

It’s been decades since I’ve seen an episode. When Turner bastardized (e.g. colorized) the first season and ran it on TBS, I refused to watch out of a sense of betrayal. And when Nick at Nite/TV Land ran the show, I just didn’t want to take the chance of ruining what I fondly remembered by viewing it through adult eyes.

Recently I found some episodes online (http://television.aol.com/show/gilligans-island/228062/videos) and watched them with my daughters (2 and 5) and their friend. We all laughed. They didn’t get all the jokes, but even they knew that Skipper stepping on a rake so that the handle hit him in the face was high comedy.