TBT: DISCOVERY CHANNEL TO UPDATE 'NORTH AND SOUTH'; STAY TUNED REVISITS THE 1985 MINI-SERIES

Discovery Channel and Lionsgate are working on the cable network's next mini-series, North and South. Based on the trilogy of novels written by John Jakes in the 1980s, North and South is set in the era of the Civil War and focuses on the friendship between two friends as they fight on opposing sides. Orry Main of South Carolina and George Hazard of Pennsylvania become best friends while attending the United States Military Academy at West Point prior to the Civil War. The Main family, northern factory owners, and the Hazard family, southern plantation owners, soon find themselves on opposing sides during the war and living with the repercussions after it ends. The stark differences between the two families in regards to slavery fuels the tension and ensuing battle between the Confederacy and the Union.

This wouldn't be the first time North and South has been adapted into a television production. Today's news arrives almost 30 years after ABC originally aired the first part of the trilogy in 1985. The follow-up sequel, Book II, was released a year after in 1986 and the final part, Book III, aired in 1994.

Multi-evening mini-series events were huge ratings winners for broadcast networks in the 1970s and 1980s. After the reception and critical acclaim that Roots received for its production, networks clamored at assembling mega events featuring film and television's biggest names at the time, as well as spotlighting rising Hollywood stars. Patrick Swayze was cast in the lead role of Orry Main, while Kirstie Alley took on the role of outspoken abolitionist Virgilia Hazard. For Swayze, North and South was his first major success and placed him on the map for his future film role in Dirty Dancing.

Numerous Hollywood screen legends also participated in the expanse production including Elizabeth Taylor, Robert Mitchum, Gene Kelly, Jean Simmons, Jimmy Stewart, Lloyd Bridges, Johnny Cash, Olivia de Havilland, David Carradine, and Peter O'Toole.

The events of North and South occurred from 1842-1866 and each episode was dedicated to specific period of time, as it related to the events of the Civil War. Due to the stellar writing, acting, and production values, the mini-series received many award nominations and was awarded an Emmy for its costuming. The trilogy was released as a complete collection on DVD in 2004. The mini-series also recently aired on Starz.

As a Throwback Thursday treat to the news of a new version, we have provided a snippet from the first episode of Book I.

Keep it locked to Stay Tuned for future updates on anything and everything television.

IT'S THROWBACK THURSDAY! FLASHBACK TO ONE OF 'WHOOPI'S FLOPS!

It's Throwback Thursday on Stay Tuned and we've decided to take a look back at a show that premiered 10 years ago at the end of summer/beginning of fall. Out of the vaults we have unearthed the one-season, mostly forgotten sitcom Whoopi, starring who else but Whoopi Goldberg.

Whoopi hit the airwaves in September 2003 on NBC's ratings-challenged Tuesday nights. There was a lot of hype and promotion due to Whoopi Goldberg's star power, even though her movie career had been dwindling for several years. Goldberg was an executive producer on the show so she pretty much ran things on-screen and off, but the lack of chemistry in one of the weirdest cast ensembles didn't help the flat sitcom one bit.

Goldberg played Mavis Rae, a one-hit wonder songstress who used her earnings to purchase a hotel in downtown Manhattan. Mavis was a cigarette smoking, boozy, loudmouth who had no filter when it came to voicing her opinions, especially to her close circle of friends and family. Mavis' brother Courtney was the complete opposite of the hotelier -- conservative, politically correct, and a practical bore. The only thing that made him interesting was his white girlfriend Rita, who spoke jive and portrayed every black stereotype in the books. Rounding out the cast was Nasim and Jadwiga, hotel workers that assisted Mavis and were just about as one-dimensional as the cheap wallpaper on the set.

Most of the sitcom's plots were driven by the tension between Mavis and Rita, which became stale after a couple of episodes. To boost Whoopi's ratings and spark interest, the show began to utilize stunt casting and have special guest stars for several episodes. Patrick Swayze, Diahann Carroll, Celeste Holm, and Rue McClanahan were just a handful of the film and television stars brought on during the run of the show.

The episode we have found in the vault includes special guest star Patrick Swayze. In the episode, Swayze portrays Mavis' former choreographer Tony. Hmmm, a dancer...sound familiar? The show harkened back to Swayze's Dirty Dancing era, as well as the actors' Ghost days when planning this episode. Despite the blatant use of stunt casting, it cannot be denied that Goldberg and Swayze had chemistry on-screen. And their previous work history only increased the comfort level on the half-hour episode.

So relax and rewind to 2003 (Ok, technically 2004 but this show had slim pickings on decent episodes) for this episode of Whoopi.



Keep it locked to Stay Tuned for future updates on anything and everything television!

THROWBACK THURSDAY: 'CHEERS' STARS TO REUNITE ON 'CSI' THIS FALL

Sam Malone and Cliff Clavin will be crossing paths again this Fall. Well...sort of.

John Ratzenberger, who played mailman Cliff on the long-running NBC comedy Cheers, will pop up on Ted Danson's current show, CSI. The episode is scheduled to air this fall and Ratzenberger will portray a club owner whose business goes up in flames (along with several lives) thus requiring an investigation by Russell's (Danson) CSI team.

CSI returns with new episodes on September 25.

Since it is Throwback Thursday, we've decided to go back to that Boston bar where everybody knows your name. Cheers ran for eleven seasons and was a staple on NBC's Thursday night "Must See TV" lineup. Cliff Clavin was the local mailman who found himself in odd situations, usually as a result of his unfortunate luck. He was the middle-aged underdog that audiences tuned in to see every week. We've included a Cliff-centric episode for Throwback Thursday...Cliff gets bitten by a dog during his deliveries and falls head over heels for its owner. The poor guy just couldn't catch a break.

Enjoy, and remember to keep it locked to Stay Tuned for future updates on anything and everything television.

THROWBACK THURSDAY: RETURN TO SUMMER CAMP, 'CUCAMONGA' STYLE

Wow! Doesn't it feel like August just snuck up on us? It's like this summer has just flown by and we couldn't be more torn. One one hand we are one month closer to the start of the new television season, but on the other hand, we don't want to let the nice warm weather fade away. As we count down the remaining days of summer, Stay Tuned will focus on that theme for every #ThrowbackThursday.

This week we will go back to those summer camp days...Back when we were new campers trying to adjust to living in cramped and hot quarters, bunking with other people, communal showers, and the bland mess hall food. After watching Camp Cucamonga, we kind of wish we had the chance to stay at this summer camp.

Camp Cucamonga was a made-for-TV movie NBC produced back in 1990 when the network still had NBC's Sunday Night at the Movies on its line-up. In general, networks often produced these made-for-TV movies just to generate ratings and revenue. Plot wasn't necessarily the biggest factor since these movies would rely mostly on the star power of its cast, typically actors from various popular TV shows. Camp Cucamonga was no exception as it was credited being a Who's Who of '90s television.

Touted as a family film for the summer, Camp Cucamonga focused on several plots. The primary plot was on the adventures and drama (as happens will all kids in camp) of the young campers. The subplots revolved around a family's attempt to pass the summer camp inspection, as well as the romance between camp counselors. Marvin and Millie (played by Cheers' John Ratzenberger and Mama's Family's Dorothy Lyman) are the owners of Camp Cucamonga and their daughter Ava (portrayed by an unknown Jennifer Aniston, who was part of NBC's flop Ferris Bueller) is one of the camp counselors who becomes romantically attached to the boys counselor (Head of the Class' Brian Robbins). The campers were led by Chad Allen (My Two Dads), Candace Cameron (Full House), Jaleel White (Family Matters), Danica McKellar and Josh Saviano (The Wonder Years). Additionally, Sherman Hemsley (Amen) played the camp inspector and newcomer Breckin Meyer was cast in a small role as a camper.

The rundown of the movie: Basically Danica McKellar plays the odd new girl to the camp and gets off on the wrong foot with Candace Cameron. Cameron makes life hell for the newbie meanwhile McKellar becomes buddies with nerdy Josh Saviano and attracts the attention of Chad Allen, who is Cameron's boyfriend at camp. Oh and Jaleel White portrays the anti-Steve Urkel. Hilarity and misunderstandings ensue and the kids make a rap video to attract new business when the threat of shutting down the camp becomes real. But don't take our word for it, just watch the links below and pretty soon you'll be singing "Cucamonga, Oh yeah, Oh yeah."

We hope you enjoy this little feature movie (if not you'll probably want some way to get your 90 minutes back!) and join us next Thursday for another throwback. Remember to keep it locked to Stay Tuned for anything and everything television!

THROWBACK THURSDAY: HEYYY KOOL-AID!!!!

Well July is slowly reaching its end but the weather continues to be hot and sticky in one part of the country or other. Growing up there was a simple solution to quenching your thirst. And no, it did not involve grabbing the 2-liter bottle of Coca-Cola from the pantry. It involved a jar, wooden spoon, some sugar, water and ice, and a packet (yeah you read right, packet!) of some flavored substance: KOOL-AID!

Kool-Aid started off with just six original flavors: Cherry, Grape, Lemon-Lime, Orange, Raspberry, and Strawberry. As the decades rolled through, more mixed flavors were introduced and revolutionized the brand to fit with the changing times. Every afternoon was filled with anticipation to make a fresh jar of Kool-Aid with a different flavor. Oh and let someone in the house discover an empty jar left in the refrigerator. There would be hell to pay for the person that drank the last cup of Kool-Aid. Depending on the household, fights would even break out.

Kool-Aid is one of those products that you can't help but associated with a childhood memory. Whether you helped your mom or grandmother mix the Kool-Aid and serve it, or had a Dixie-cup full after the little league game, Kool-Aid has been part of your life. There were also the creative Kool-Aid inventions. Who else made popsicle sticks with different flavors? (*raises hand*). If anything has changed over the years with Kool-Aid is the advertising. Gone are the days of the creative commercials with the clever jingles. Now all we see are magazine advertisements like the shot below.

Well for #ThrowbackThursday, Stay Tuned has decided to revisit those vintage commercials that aired weekday afternoons after school and Saturday mornings during cartoons. Some have songs and others don't but we have chosen a wide selection to jog those memories. And no matter how much has changed since we were kids, we all have a soft spot for Kool-Aid.

We'll kick off with this 1950s commercial. The kids whistling and walking is something straight out of Children of the Corn but it has that song and dance advertising magic.

The 1960s started incorporating well-known pop culture icons of the time. This commercial features Bugs Bunny and The Monkees (sans Peter Tork who left the band), who were riding high off their successful music and television careers.

Around the same time, this commercial was released for The Bugs Bunny Show, which probably leads us to believe was the basis of the phrase "Who spiked the Kool-Aid?"

The 1970s commercials tried to bring a little humor for the kiddos, and even highlighted the age of neighborhood garage bands.

We can't even begin to explain this next video. How did two kids become prisoners on a pirate ship? Where are these kids parents? Nice message Kool-Aid.

Not to sound biased but the best Kool-Aid commercials have to be from the 1980s. The improvement of video and technology provided better quality commercials and with the bright colors of the '80s and making everything "Big," they became more memorable.

We didn't know what was more disturbing about this next video. The fact that it features a pre-Growing Pains Kirk Cameron, or that the kids worked up a massive sweat in the span of a minute as Mom made the Kool-Aid.

This video is from the early '80s and we were left wondering what in the hell are these kids doing at a castle with two knights.

When was the last time you played roller hockey? Yeah, we couldn't remember either.

The author of this next video expressed it best, this one is whacked out!

This video is just 0:31 seconds of Surfin' Berry meth. Period.

We love this video just for the fact that the saxophone beat reminds us of 'Soul Glo'



Then the 1990s arrived and creativity just went downhill.

They ended up doing commercials with just parents reminiscing about drinking Kool-Aid. This video features Papa Walsh from Beverly Hills, 90210.

And then they tried to incorporate hip-hop into the fold.

Finally, we've arrived to the present day Kool-Aid commercial. What can we say? We absolutely love the "jug" life!

Well we've had a blast throwing it back to Kool-Aid in its heyday and Stay Tuned would like to thank our good buddy Gene Patrick Smith for giving us the inspiration to make this a #ThrowbackThursday topic.

What were some of the commercials or memories you had of Kool-Aid growing up? Share with us below and remember to keep it locked to Stay Tuned for future updates on anything and everything TV!

HOLY THROWBACK THURSDAY BATMAN!!

Since San Diego Comic Con International officially kicks off today and lasts throughout the weekend, we thought it would only be appropriate to highlight a classic superhero show from the past. Within the last 45 years, there have been numerous live-action television shows featuring mostly DC Comics superheroes. Superman, The Flash, Wonder Woman, and Green Arrow have been brought to the small screen in one incarnation or various, as is the case with the Man of Steel. Today, however, we decided to focus on the 1966 classic Batman!

The live-action Batman series may be dated but nothing can beat its wholesome, entertainment, family-friendly battle of good versus evil. Yes, the costumes were a hoot. Who could forget Robin wearing green tighties and those elf shoes? Or how about The Joker painted white in his pink suit? And some of the situations the heroes got into were unforgettable. Remember Batman dancing the Batusi? The Joker tying up Batman and Robin to a lethal slot machine? Batgirl driving her motorcycle with all the frilly lace around the face shield? But the best part of the show was its creativity. Who didn't want to own a sliding pole that changed your outfits with a push of a button? You know you recreated those scenes on the playground. We all craved for a utility belt that held any-and-everything you could think of, plus more. And that Batcave was pretty freakin' sweet! The car was rotated mechanically and then had that secret entrance.

We've included the first episode of the series that features the famous Batusi.

Adam West and Burt Ward were cast as Batman and Robin for the entire three-year run. You might ask "Is that the same Adam West who does voice work on Family Guy?" The answer is simple. Yup. It is. If the costumes and neat-o technology for that era wasn't appealing enough for viewers then Batman grabbed them with its guest casting. The show drew Hollywood royalty to play the "Special Guest Villain" roles. Screen legends Burgess Meredith, Cesar Romero, Anne Baxter, and Victor Buono were just some of the names who appeared in the show's first season.

Batman's popularity soared after its premiere year and continued strong in its sophmore year. By the show's third year, however, ratings and interest had declined as the television landscape was transitioning from fantasy to more realistic, socially aware programming. Attempts in reinvigorating the show and attracting female viewers with the addition of the Batgirl character were futile and the show ended after the third season.

Though the live-action '60s series may have ended after three years, Adam West and Burt Ward would be forever associated with the Batman and Robin characters and would reprise those roles throughout the '70s in animation with The New Adventures of Batman and Super Friends, and in live-action with the short-lived special, Legends of the Superheroes.

Did you watch Batman while growing up? What were some of your favorite moments? Share with us and comment below, and remember to Stay Tuned for future blasts of the past!

NEW FEATURE! THROWBACK THURSDAY!...DID YOU SAY DUDE RANCH?

 

Stay Tuned is premiering another new feature today: Throwback Thursday! #TBT is nothing new in the social media realm and it celebrates the great music, movies, TV shows, toys, and gadgets (just to name a few items) that marked our childhoods. Are all of them classics? Not necessarily. How about retro? Yes, yes they are and we just love it! Each Thursday we'll highlight a TV show from the past and get those memories jogging.

So without further ado, let's hop in the DeLorean and glide back a few years...

If you grew up in the late '80s/early '90s watching Nickelodeon then you might have come across an episode or commercial for Hey Dude. Nickelodeon had just begun to produce original live-action programming and Hey Dude was one of the earlier shows that broke ground on the kid's network. With the increasing growth of cable television and more youth watching television after school, Nickelodeon took advantage of the opportunity and target that demographic. Years later, shows like Hey Dude were models for the current string of original programming on Nickelodeon, TeenNick, and The N.

The setting of the show was the Bar None Dude Ranch near Tuscon, Arizona. Truth be told that after watching Hey Dude, we all wanted to go work on a dude ranch for the summer. It was like summer camp but with sweet digs and pay...and no boatload of kids. The premise of the show was divorced father Mr. Ernst acquires the dude ranch and moves to Arizona with his son Buddy and a dog that disappears after the first season. No explanation for the dog's whereabouts. She didn't die, she didn't run away...she just gone.

The ranch is staffed with female ranchhand Lucy and summer workers Ted, Danny, Melody, and Brad. Later on in the show Mr. Ernst's nephew Jake and Lucy's ex-boyfriend's son Kyle would join the show's cast.

Episodes of Hey Dude were geared towards a teenage audience and they varied in tone, theme, and storyline. Mostly comedic in nature, episodes usually followed the adventures of the summer staff as they worked on the dude ranch. You know, the normal stuff like leading overnight camping trips, telling ghost stories, competing for employee of the month, learning to swim, getting tied up by playful little kids, and misplacing a camper or two somewhere in the desert. Normal stuff. But Hey Dude also touched upon sensitive topics like cultural misconceptions, alcoholism, physical disabilities, theft and robbery, and the occasional murder (which later would be a misunderstanding). Oh and of course it wouldn't be a teenage show without frequent romances and crushes. Viewers particularly enjoyed the love-hate relationship between cocky senior staff member Ted and snobbish greenie Brad.

Hey Dude was the vehicle that launched the acting careers of David Lascher (Ted) and Christine Taylor (Melody). David Lascher would go on and enjoy long stints on Blossom and Sabrina, the Teenage Witch as well as numerous television guest spots. Christine Taylor was more successful with a television and film career. Her breakthrough movie role as Marcia Brady on The Brady Bunch Movie propelled Taylor to stardom where she would film many popular movies with future husband Ben Stiller.

Fans of Hey Dude can currently purchase all four seasons on DVD, and the fifth and final season is scheduled to be released July 16, 2013. Shout! Factory acquired the rights to Hey Dude several years ago and have been non-stop in releasing the seasons. The first three seasons are available to purchase through your preferred shop for DVDs while seasons 4 and 5 are exclusive available through Shout's Shout! Select program. Shout! has done an amazing job bringing many Nickelodeon shows to DVD and the company continues to impress us with ever-increasing library of releases. Click on the link above and check out why we can't get enough of Shout! Factory.

Do you have any memories of Hey Dude? What is your #TBT show? Share with us and keep watching Stay Tuned!