(While writing, it's still November 2nd) Guess what? It's Happy Time people!
Happy Birthday, Stefanie Powers! Best known for being on the series Hart to Hart; us game show fans know her as an irregular on the Hollywood Squares back in 1977, and again in 2004. But that is enough to get her a Happy mention in this post.
A Not-so-Happy Anniversary to Charles Van Doren: On this day 50 years ago, you admitted to Congress that you were given the questions and the answers in advance during your 14 week reign on the original "Twenty-One" during which you earned over $129,000. Your admission would inevitably cause the cancellation of Twenty-One, and would ban Jack Barry from ever hosting or producing a show for over 10 years. But the wood burned both ways, as you lost your job on NBC & at Columbia University after you were exposed. And IMHO, given the latest hash of "reality" television, it should only be a matter of time before we see the next Van Doren come out of the woodwork and destroy what credibility is left of "reality television."
Happy Trails, Project Runway? The fashion design show has seen a drop in ratings of nearly 20% since its move to Lifetime from Bravo. It seems that the attempt by Lifetime to cast off the shackles of being "Television for Women" is going Wile E. Coyote on them, and the show is tanking big time. Which begs the question, why didn't they just add another two episodes of "The Golden Girls?" I mean cmon! Even I watch that show (Sinbad: I'm ashamed I know that!). Get this clothing for stick figures outta here!