These days it seems that every show does a Halloween episode whether it's necessary or not, but it wasn't always so. Today Halloween has been commercialized into something bloated but still somehow enjoyable, and we're here to remember a few terrific TV outings into the Halloween holiday theme.
First up, the classic -- and best of their Halloween-themed outings -- the Happy Days episode "Haunted" from Season 2, when Happy Days was still on film and not shot in front of an audience making it a whole different animal. The first two seasons have subtlety, charm, great writing and nuanced performances, traits that mostly become lost when audience reactions took precedence.
Little House on the Prairie had several Halloween episodes over the years including the great "The Monster of Walnut Grove" which involved Mrs. Olsen getting her head cut off by Mr. Oleson. Hilarious, spooky, imaginative -- a complete delight, the best of the Little House Halloween episodes by far. Unfortunately not available online anywhere that I can find, but there's a nice write-up by another fan of it, available by clicking here. We also wrote about it in 2010 because we like it that much!
Jon Hamm as James Mason on a Saturday Night Live version of an imaginary Vincent Price Halloween Special from 1959. Nothing funnier than this skit from 2008!
You'll never hear me say a bad word about Michael Landon's charming Little House on the Prairie. It's one of the most humane, decent, life-affirming, adorable, moral series ever, and though that may sound boring, the show was anything but. Consistently excellent, Little House also holds up beautifully in repeats, Walnut Grove never aging but becoming ever more appealing to us, and Landon's genius evident in every scene. LHotP did several Halloween episodes, but my absolute favorite is the frequently hilarious and genuine nutty "The Monster of Walnut Grove" (which first aired on the day after Halloween in 1976).
We get to see Halloween at the Ingalls House, and things get cooking when the girls are out soaping windows and Laura spies into the Oleson's house and sees something she shouldn't. What's the gentle Nels Oleson doing brandishing a sword at his nagging wife Harriet? Things go from bad to worse to insane, scary and very funny as Laura misinterprets a decapitation and thinks Nels has killed his wife.
There's a huge dose of absurd humor in this one, not the least Laura's frequent statements about Nels cutting Mrs. Oleson's head off, always so matter-of-fact but very amusing. The episode has several short and imaginative dream sequences with Laura seeing all kinds of horrific things, and they're funny, too.
"The Monster of Walnut Grove" is a total delight, with all of LHotP's trademark warmth but ladled on this time with Michael Landon's light touch and sweetly wicked sense of humor. This is a must-see. The episode is on YouTube -- or was until today, when a whole lot of Little House vids were taken down, unfortunately. That's a really bad thing because The Hallmark Channel, current home of Little House on the Prairie, isn't running the Halloween episodes this holiday, which is a shame. They've got The Munsters and TheAddams Family on the 31st, but not LHotP. Oh well, watch it on DVD, or read another paean to this great episode here on The Haunted Closet Blog, and you also might like this pretty funny and dead-on camp version from "Little Fairy on the Prairie" of one of Laura's nightmare's from this episode.
Sorry we couldn't bring you the treat with this Halloween delight!
Welcome to a new feature around here, something we've been wanting to do for a while -- birthday salutes to some of our favorite television performers! Today we've got a great one, to the lovely and talented Karen Grassle, probably best known and certainly much beloved for her role as Caroline Ingalls on Michael Landon's immortal Little House on the Prairie Series, from the 1970s. Karen was born on February 25, 1944 (some sources say 1942) in Berkeley, California, and after extensive theatrical training and appearances she was one of nearly fifty actresses who read for the part of Mrs. Ingalls.
Lucky for us all, she got the part and along with the entire cast helped put Walnut Grove into the hearts of audiences everywhere. Producer/star Michael Landon certainly knew what he was doing with Little House on the Prairie; the show holds up beautifully today and I daresay we'll probably never see a show as humane, inspirational, and charming as this one.
While the show's primary strength and appeal lay in its excellence as an ensemble vehicle, Karen Grassle had several episodes which showcased her individual virtuosity, most impressively so in "A Matter of Faith" from the show's second season. Caroline Ingalls' leg is scratched by a rusty nail, she is left alone when the rest of the family goes off on a short trip, she develops a virulent infection, and amidst hallucinations and intense agony she fights desperately for her life. It's completely harrowing, a riveting piece of acting on Grassle's part, and you can find highlights of the episode on YouTube, starting here.
Another excellent and slightly different side of Karen Grassle as Caroline Ingalls is seen in the fourth season episode "The Handyman" when the very appealling Gil Gerard guest stars as an itinerant laborer who is hired by Caroline to fix some things while Charles is away on business. Though Caroline's devotion to her husband is never in question, there's a frisson of attraction between the two and it's quite intriguing. The whole episode is on YouTube, beginning here.
Though it's a little histrionic, here's an interesting clip to look at, from the episode "The Bully Boys". Town roughnecks have manhandled and scared Caroline, and Charles doesn't like it one little bit.
Since Little House on the Prairie, Karen Grassle has been active on television, in the theatre in many capacities, and you may have seen her current commercials for Premier Bathrooms, who make those nifty safe bathtubs. (Little House currently airs on the Hallmark Channel.)
A big Flaming Nose Happy Birthday to one of television's favorite actresses, Karen Grassle!
(This photo is from the episode "At the End of the Rainbow" when Laura thinks she's found gold and dreams of her family all fancied up and driving around in a white carriage. Gorgeous, isn't she?)
I'm just going to plant my flag in the sand and declare, on this Father's Day weekend, that the following two television characters epitomize the ideal father. There are so many great dads on TV to choose from, of course, and it was difficult culling the list down to just a pair, but truly, I doubt anybody would disagree much with this Top Two List.
Andy Taylor, played by Andy Griffith, from The Andy Griffith Show
Playing widower father Andy Taylor, sheriff of the small town of Mayberry, Andy Griffith brought his soothing country grace to this calming portrayal of mid-20thCentury domestic life. Mayberry was certainly the ideal small town, where everybody was your neighbor and the peacekeepers truly kept the peace. Andy Taylor's parenting of his young son Opie was straight and true, kind and honest, and through the idealized -- but not syrupy sweet -- stories of life in Mayberry, Andy Griffith created a character whose good judgment and down-home wisdom could not help but serve as a role model for fathers everywhere.
Charles Ingalls, played by Michael Landon, from Little House on the Prairie
Has there ever been a more honest depiction of the hard work, difficult sacrifices, simple pleasures and inevitable tragedies of everyday life than in executive producer and star Michael Landon's brilliant Little House on the Prairie? Landon's intellectual guidance of the show wouldn't have meant nearly as much without his sensitive acting work as Charles, head of the Ingalls household. Decent, proud, dignified, quick to laugh, affectionate...Charles Ingalls was all of these things and more. It was also great seeing a father so delighted by his household of girls, though later the Ingalls family adopted young orphan Albert. Charles Ingalls was not only a figure of guidance in his own home, but in his role in the community and out in the world he stood for the things he believed in and never gave less than his best. The other terrific quality of Charles was his obvious adoration of his strong and lovely wife Caroline, played so well by Karen Grassle. Michael Landon as Charles Ingalls provided one of the most appealing fathers ever, and he also was a wonderful tribute to the generations of real American fathers who settled this nation.
Ahhh, why do an intro? Self-explanatory, right? Here we go... 90) Spongebob Squarepants (1999-present) Nickelodeon’s ratings cash cow is something I long avoided because I was sure I’d hate it. WRONG. Spongebob has energetic animation, with a lead character that is both infuriatingly silly and unfailingly huggable. That yellow face serves as the perfect canvas for some of the most varied and extreme expressions seen on a real or inagined creature. I especially like it when Spongebob looks drunk or unshaven, cuz it's so absurd. Add a terrific score, perfect vocal work, clever direction and writing, and a winning cast of supporting characters (Plankton and Patrick are the funniest of the lot) and we end up with an animation juggernaut that, for once, is worthy of its incessant marketing.
89) Laguna Beach (2004-present) Potentially the most controversial inclusion in my list is one that must be seen in a post-modern light to be appreciated. At least, that’s how my great friend and favorite photographer Patrick Flynn and I prefer to look at it; Patrick’s the one who clued me into this show and we watched and downed some beers and giggled like goofy first-year students. Ostensibly a reality show produced by MTV, it has the most luscious direction and camerawork ever seen in the genre—--truly movie-quality, which requires planning and set-ups and all sorts of technical considerations that seem impossible to achieve on a reality show. However, on the other end of the spectrum, it follows the most sickeningly vapid set of rich kids through their languid days of high-style partying and hooking up. The dialogue is so unbelievable in its stupidity, but because this is how denegrated we know modern talk truly has become, what we hear here--the lazy phrasing, the pure lack of new ideas in conversation--this talk graduates into a strange ultra-believability, an Altmanesque OC, as Patrick is fond of saying. If someone had written dialogue like this, it would be memorable screenwriting, expressing an essential type of emptiness with which some people grow up. Look, you just have to view at Laguna Beach in a sideways kinda way to enjoy it. Otherwise, you’re going to think I’m the most idiotic dude on the web.
88) The Paper Chase (1978-86) Lawyerin’ shows usually bore me. I get tired of the brown courtrooms and the stern judges and all that hullabaloo. That’s why this CBS- and later Showtime-produced adaptation of James Bridges 1973 movie is the only lawyer show on the list. But here we get law students, rather than fully bonded counselors. Thus, we end up truly learning—along with the characters--the details of and behind the law, rather than just the dramatic highlights. Plus The Paper Chase is surely the best show about attending college ever produced, filled with hot (but real) romance, sweaty grade anxiety and gung-ho competitive spirit. James Stephens, as lead student James T. Hart, and John Houseman, reprising his blustery Oscar-winning role as the strict Professor Kingsfield, were excellent foils for one another. An unjustly forgotten drama!
87) Dave Allen at Large(1971-76) I spent an entire summer over at my grandmother’s wonderful 50s-flavored house back in the late 70s. She was very with-it (we called her the “Groovy Granny”), and she loved to laugh. That’s why she and I, along with my uncle, would always get together at the end of the night to watch three shows. All three are on the list and this is the first—a comedy showcase for an acerbic Irishman named Dave Allen. In between short skits, he’d sit on his high director’s chair, all suited up, drink and smoke in hand, and tell witty stories and smutty jokes (often with the clergy figuring prominantly). Even then, in my innocence, I thought “I’d love to go and have a couple of scotches with this guy!”
86) James at 15/16(1978-79) This NBC show was short-lived and is all but abandoned now to the slagheap of failed TV efforts. But when I caught it on cable around the age of 17 or 18, I thought, “My god, they’ve really got this down! These guys are spying on me! WHERE ARE YOU?!” Lance Kerwin played James Hunter, a kid whose family is uprooted from Oregon to Boston, MA, and the episodes charted how he and the Hunter brood dealt with the upheaval of new experiences and encroaching teenage uneasiness. Though it lapsed regularly into daydream segments where a shy James—an avid photographer, incidentally--imagined himself as the person he truly wanted to be, the show cleaved close to reality all the way through. Controversiallly, in 1978, the second year opener now titled James at 16) marked the first time TV dramatized its lead character losing his virginity (to a Swedish exchange student, no less). This finely-penned series, obviously influential to another show on this list (you’ll know it when you see it) would be a top pick for me as one I’d like to see get an official DVD release. I haven’t seen hide nor hair of it since the mid-80s.
85) Police Squad (1982) How this legendary series lasted only six episodes is unanswerable--it's the shortest-running series on the list, actually. Penned and sometimes directed by the Airplane/Top Secret team of Jim Abrahams and David & Jerry Zucker, it sealed the popularization of Leslie Nielsen—here playing goofball L.A. detective Frank Durbin--as a comedy presence (and, of course, it went on to be expanded into the Naked Gun movie series). Another fine movie director, Joe Dante (Gremlins) helmed two episodes of this chaotic parade of expert spoofery. Love those fake freeze-frames at the end of each episode!!
84) Trailer Park Boys (2001-present) Lisa first introduced me to this fantastic Canadian “reality” show following the inhabitants of a Nova Scotia trailer park as they break laws, bond friendships, and try and fix the lives they’ve effed up royally. Outside of maybe David Mamet, no work in any medium has used curse words to such a poetic degree. The performances of its three leads (and sometimes writers) are remarkable: John Paul Tremblay (as the semi-sensible, perpetually rum-and-coke-holding Julian), Robb Wells (as the always down-and-out, yet-always-perfectly-pompadoured Ricky) and Mike Smith (as the endearing Bubbles, a kitty-lovin’ shopping cart collector with an alter-ego named Conky and impossibly thick bottle-bottom glasses). Actually, the performances of absolutely everybody on the show reach the mega-meta-state of comedy. Though often harsh, there’s a sweetness that also runs through Trailer Park Boys that’s best reflected by its sepia-toned opening credits sequence, one of my favorite ever for any TV show. Just see it, and on DVD—watching it on TV, you’ll just get a mess of bleeps!!!
83) Metalocalypse(2006-present) The newest show on my list, and certainly the best thing to come out of the largely dumb stoner morass known as Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim series of shorts, was at first a hard sell for me. My metal fan friend Ton Georganakis got me into it. It follows the five ultra-misanthropic members of Dethklok, a smash-hit, worldwide phenomenon metal band as they travel on tours using up the mounds of cash that have made the band “the fourth largest economy in the world;” meanwhile, they’re being pursued and spied upon by a shadowy sub-sub-CIA enclave who’re out to destroy them. I was suspicious of all this at first—the drawings looked too much like a superhero comic to me—but after a couple of episodes, I grew to love the joyfully blood-spattered goings-on spawned by these four nutjobs, and I even began—horrors—to get into co-creator Brandon Small’s catchy death metal songs that close each show. The Metalocalypse first season finale is textbook “epic quality,” with one of the greatest slow zoom-in shots in the history of animated or live-action images.
82) Fernwood 2-Nite(1977) A syndicated, late-night spin-off of Norman Lear’s overrated but unique Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, Fernwood 2-Nite starred Martin Mull as Barth Gimble, the exasperated host of a small-town talk show saddled with a goony sidekick (Fred Willard as Jerry Hubbard) and a downcast bandleader (Happy Kyne, played with wicked sourness by real-life, Oscar and Emmy-nominated composer Frank DeVol). The guest list was made up entirely of Fernwood’s local “celebrities,” and the thing just had this cheap, cobbled-together feel to it that was the antithesis of glitzy 1970s variety shows like The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour (for which I also have a certain illicit fondness). I haven’t seen it since I was a kid, but I bet it shaped my sense of humor just as much as Mad Magazine did. It’s another show I’d like to see get a DVD release, pronto!
81) Little House on the Prairie (1974-83) “But why?” you may ask. “Soooo corny.” Simple, my little ones. No other series has ever explored this historical place (Minnesota) and time (the 1870). It was a noble sort of effort, filled with good feelings, familial spirit, neighborliness, crushing drama, and a touching huggy-feely moment each episode that, no matter how many times you told yourself “I’m not gonna cry, not gonna do it this time,” well, dang it, ya cried anyway. Producer/star Michael Landon played Charles Ingalls, the patriarch of one of Walnut Grove’s most beloved families, whose friendliness, bravery and generosity always shone through when required. Karen Grassle was his devoted wife and touchstone, Melissa Gilbert was the precocious Laura (or “Half-Pint” to the initiated) and the pretty, blue-eyed Melissa Sue Anderson was her older sister Mary. Lots of regulars on the show wormed their way into my heart (love the bratty Nellie and her overbearing mother), and though it jumped the shark way before it was cancelled (after nine years, not including all the movies that were made after it was axed; the final one had Charles blowing up the abandoned Walnut Grove!), it left behind enough fine episodes to fill a small stream with tears. This below, however, will make you laugh: a Sims version of the famous show opening:
Isn't that the funniest thing ever? I love the last two shots with the futuristic talking bubbles floating over this frontier family! Thanks to AeroGirl88 for that!
The Flaming Nose TV Blog features many links to related articles and sites, some of which we call out with "click here" notices and others which are embedded within the text and indicated by a different color. Don't miss these opportunities for added information and deeper appreciation of our posts!
The bloggers on The Flaming Nose have watched and worked in TV for many years, and gather here to celebrate our favorite medium. We love TV and know that you do, too!
Please leave comments here -- we'd love to know what you think!
when the girls are out soaping windows and Laura spies into the Oleson's house and sees something she shouldn't. What's the gentle Nels Oleson doing brandishing a sword at his nagging wife Harriet? Things go from bad to worse to 
Andy Taylor, played by Andy Griffith, from The Andy Griffith Show
