''VD Blues'' was a one-hour

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...

Special of the Week, created by Donald Fouser that aired in 1972 about the dangers of

venereal disease Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), also referred to as sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and the older term venereal diseases, are infections that are spread by sexual activity, especially vaginal intercourse, anal sex, and oral se ...

Plot

The show consisted of a series of skits and sketches that were hosted by

Dick Cavett Richard Alva Cavett (; born November 19, 1936) is an American television personality and former talk show host. He appeared regularly on nationally broadcast television in the United States for five decades, from the 1960s through the 2000s. In ...

and starred well-known performers such as

James Coco James Emil Coco (March 21, 1930 – February 25, 1987) was an American stage and screen actor. He was the recipient of a Primetime Emmy Award, a Drama Desk Award and three Obie Awards, as well as nominations for a Tony Award, an Academy Awards, ...

Marcia Rodd Marcia Rodd is an American actress. She made her film debut playing a leading role in the 1971 film '' Little Murders'', and later had supporting roles in films and television series. In 1973, she acted on Broadway in ''Shelter''. Early years Th ...

, and

Arlo Guthrie Arlo Davy Guthrie (born July 10, 1947) is an American folk singer-songwriter. He is known for singing songs of protest against social injustice, and storytelling while performing songs, following the tradition of his father, Woody Guthrie. Gut ...

. It was underwritten by the

3M Company 3M (originally the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company) is an American multinational conglomerate operating in the fields of industry, worker safety, U.S. health care, and consumer goods. The company produces over 60,000 products under ...

. The show featured the

Shel Silverstein Sheldon Allan Silverstein (; September 25, 1930 – May 10, 1999) was an American writer, poet, cartoonist, singer / songwriter, musician, and playwright. Born and raised in Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, Silverstein briefly attended universit ...

song "Don't Give a Dose" performed by Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show.

Sequel

In 1973, PBS made a sequel, ''VD Blues, Part 2'', in which student volunteers from Drama classes at the University of Rochester in Rochester, NY were filmed in staged "candid" situations, asking key questions to be answered. An example: turning from a table of students at a seminar, one asks into the camera, "How do I know if I have V.D.?" One of the most memorable images of ''VD Blues, Part 2'' was returning host Dick Cavett brandishing a toilet seat and stating, "You won't get VD from one of THESE!"

Awards

The show won an

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

in the category of "Special Classification of Outstanding Program Achievements awarded to Donald Fouser."

Time Magazine ''Time'' (stylized in all caps) is an American news magazine based in New York City. For nearly a century, it was published weekly, but starting in March 2020 it transitioned to every other week. It was first published in New York City on Mar ...

called it the "most venturesome single show" of 1972.

Book

A paperback book containing a transcript of the show was published by

Avon Books Avon Publications is one of the leading publishers of romance fiction. At Avon's initial stages, it was an American paperback book and comic book publisher. The shift in content occurred in the early 1970s with multiple Avon romance titles reach ...

in 1973.

References

External links

* {{IMDb title, 1157560
Cyber College: Youth, Sex and the Media
PBS original programming Documentary films about health care Mass media portrayals of STDs Television series by WNET 1970s American television specials