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Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman
''Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman'' is an American satirical soap opera that aired in daily weeknight syndication from January 1976 to July 1977. The series follows the titular Mary Hartman, an Ohio housewife attempting to cope with various bizarre and violent incidents occurring around her. The series was produced by Norman Lear, directed by Joan Darling, Jim Drake, Nessa Hyams, and Giovanna Nigro, and starred Louise Lasser, Greg Mullavey, Dody Goodman, Norman Alden, Mary Kay Place, Graham Jarvis, Debralee Scott, and Victor Kilian. The series writers were Gail Parent and Ann Marcus. Developed by Lear with the intention of examining the effects of consumerism on the American housewife, the series premiered in January 1976, and was filmed at KTLA Studios in Los Angeles. The show's title, featuring the title character's name stated twice, is a reference to Lear's observation that dialogue within soap operas tended to be repeated. In 2004 and 2007, ''Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman'' was ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Satire
Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of shaming or exposing the perceived flaws of individuals, corporations, government, or society itself into improvement. Although satire is usually meant to be humorous, its greater purpose is often constructive social criticism, using wit to draw attention to both particular and wider issues in society. A feature of satire is strong irony or sarcasm —"in satire, irony is militant", according to literary critic Northrop Frye— but parody, burlesque, exaggeration, juxtaposition, comparison, analogy, and double entendre are all frequently used in satirical speech and writing. This "militant" irony or sarcasm often professes to approve of (or at least accept as natural) the very things the satirist wishes to question. Satire is found in many a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
ELP Communications
ELP Communications (formerly known as T.A.T. Communications Company, Embassy Television, Embassy Telecommunications, and Embassy Communications) was an American television production company that originally began in 1974. History Beginning ELP Communications was originally formed in 1974 as T.A.T. Communications Company when Norman Lear joined up with former talent agent Jerry Perenchio, a year before Bud Yorkin ended his partnership with Lear. "T.A.T." stood for the Yiddish phrase "Tuchus Affen Tisch", which meant "Putting one's ass on the line." The first sitcom to be produced by T.A.T. Communications was ''The Jeffersons'', which was spun off from the sitcom ''All in the Family'' in 1975. Acquisition of Avco Embassy and rename Television producer Norman Lear and his business partner Jerry Perenchio bought Avco Embassy Pictures Corporation in January 1982 and decided to drop the name "Avco" from the name to bring back the name Embassy Pictures and T.A.T. Communications Co. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Twin Peaks
''Twin Peaks'' is an American Mystery fiction, mystery serial drama television series created by Mark Frost and David Lynch. It premiered on American Broadcasting Company, ABC on April 8, 1990, and originally ran for two seasons until its cancellation in 1991. The show returned in 2017 for a Twin Peaks (season 3), third season on Showtime (TV network), Showtime. The series follows an investigation, headed by FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) and local Sheriff Harry S. Truman (Michael Ontkean), into the murder of homecoming queen Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee) in the fictional town of Twin Peaks, Washington (state), Washington. The show's narrative draws on elements of detective fiction, but its uncanny tone, supernatural elements, and Camp (style), campy, melodramatic portrayal of eccentric characters also draws from American soap opera and horror film, horror tropes. Like much of Lynch's work, it is distinguished by surrealism, offbeat humor, and distinctive cinem ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Soap (TV Series)
''Soap'' is an American sitcom television series that originally ran on ABC from September 13, 1977, until April 20, 1981. The show was created as a nighttime parody of daytime soap operas, presented as a weekly half-hour prime time comedy. Similar to a soap opera, the show's story was presented in a serial format, and featured melodramatic plotlines including alien abduction, demonic possession, extramarital affairs, murder, kidnapping, unknown diseases, amnesia, cults, organized crime warfare, a communist revolution and teacher-student relationships. In 2007 it was listed as one of ''Time'' magazine's "100 Best TV Shows of All-''TIME''", and in 2010, the Tates and the Campbells ranked at number 17 in ''TV Guide''s list of "TV's Top Families". The show was created, written, and executive produced by Susan Harris, and also executive produced by Paul Junger Witt and Tony Thomas. Each returning season was preceded by a 90-minute retrospective of the previous season. Two of these ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
TV Guide
TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ... TV listings, listings information as well as entertainment and television-related news. The company sold its print magazine division, TV Guide Magazine, TV Guide Magazine LLC, in 2008. Corporate history Prototype The prototype of what would become ''TV Guide Magazine'' was developed by Lee Wagner (1910–1993), who was the circulation director of Macfadden Communications Group#Macfadden Publications, MacFadden Publications in New York City in the 1930s – and later, by the time of the predecessor publication's creation, for Cowles Media Company – distributing magazines focusing on movie celebrities. In 1948, Wagner printed New York City area lis ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cult Following
A cult following refers to a group of fans who are highly dedicated to some person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The lattermost is often called a cult classic. A film, book, musical artist, television series, or video game, among other things, is said to have a cult following when it has a small but very passionate fanbase. A common component of cult followings is the emotional attachment the fans have to the object of the cult following, often identifying themselves and other fans as members of a community. Cult followings are also commonly associated with niche markets. Cult media are often associated with underground culture, and are considered too eccentric or anti-establishment to be appreciated by the general public or to be widely commercially successful. Many cult fans express their devotion with a level of irony when describing entertainment that falls under this realm, in that something ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world's most populous megacities. Los Angeles is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Southern California. With a population of roughly 3.9 million residents within the city limits , Los Angeles is known for its Mediterranean climate, ethnic and cultural diversity, being the home of the Hollywood film industry, and its sprawling metropolitan area. The city of Los Angeles lies in a basin in Southern California adjacent to the Pacific Ocean in the west and extending through the Santa Monica Mountains and north into the San Fernando Valley, with the city bordering the San Gabriel Valley to it's east. It covers about , and is the county seat of Los Angeles County, which is the most populous county in the United States with an estim ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Old Warner Brothers Studio
The Old Warner Brothers Studio, officially called today Sunset Bronson Studios (formerly known as KTLA Studios and Tribune Studios), is a motion picture, radio and television production facility located on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, California. The studio was the site where the first talking feature film, ''The Jazz Singer'', was filmed in 1927. Originally built in 1919, the main building fronting Sunset Boulevard was the site of a bowling alley during the 1940s and 50s. In the mid-1950s, the studio lot was divided in two, between KTLA television and Paramount Pictures. In 1963, the entire lot was taken over by new owner Gene Autry (as KTLA Studios) and became the home of KTLA Television: Golden West Broadcasters. In 1984, the lot was purchased by Tribune Company (as Tribune Studios), before finally coming under the ownership of Hudson Pacific Properties as Sunset Bronson Studios in 2008. Due to its role in the history of the motion picture business, the site was designated ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Consumerism
Consumerism is a social and economic order that encourages the acquisition of goods and services in ever-increasing amounts. With the Industrial Revolution, but particularly in the 20th century, mass production led to overproduction—the supply of goods would grow beyond consumer demand, and so manufacturers turned to planned obsolescence and advertising to manipulate consumer spending. In 1899, a book on consumerism published by Thorstein Veblen, called ''The Theory of the Leisure Class'', examined the widespread values and economic institutions emerging along with the widespread "leisure time" at the beginning of the 20th century. In it, Veblen "views the activities and spending habits of this leisure class in terms of conspicuous and vicarious consumption and waste. Both relate to the display of status and not to functionality or usefulness." In economics, consumerism may refer to economic policies that emphasise consumption. In an abstract sense, it is the consideration th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Norman Alden
Norman Alden (born Norman Adelberg, September 13, 1924 – July 27, 2012) was an American character actor who performed in television programs and motion pictures. He first appeared on television on ''The 20th Century Fox Hour'' in 1957. He provided the voice of Kay in '' The Sword in the Stone'' (1963), and had a notable role in '' I Never Promised You a Rose Garden''. His acting career began in 1957 and lasted nearly 50 years. He is also known for playing Kranix and Arblus in '' The Transformers: The Movie'' (1986). He retired from acting in 2006. He died on 27 June 2012 at the age of 87. Background Alden was born in Fort Worth, Texas and was the son of Ben Adelberg and Esther Covinsky Adelberg. He served in the United States Army during World War II and returned to Fort Worth to attend Texas Christian University under the GI Bill of Rights. Some of his acting ability was developed while at TCU with participation in the on-campus theater. He had two children. Career Alden ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jim Drake (director)
James R. Drake (December 2, 1944 – January 10, 2022) was an American film and television director. Drake's career began in 1974, working as an associate director for the Norman Lear-produced sitcoms ''All in the Family'' and ''Good Times''; he made his lead directorial debut in the syndicated comedy/soap opera spoof series ''Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman'', which was executive produced by Lear. His other television works include ''Sanford (TV series), Sanford'', ''Gimme a Break!'', ''We Got It Made'', ''The Facts of Life (TV series), The Facts of Life'', ''Newhart'', ''Night Court'', ''The Golden Girls'', ''Dave's World'', ''The Suite Life of Zack & Cody'', its spin-off, ''The Suite Life on Deck'', and other series.James R. Drake, Class of 1963 wauwatosa.k12 His film credits includ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Joan Darling
Joan Darling (née Kugell; born April 14, 1935, Boston, Massachusetts, United States) is an American actress, film and television director and a dramatic arts instructor. Biography Born Joan Kugell in Boston, Darling began her career with the New York improvisational theater troupe "Premise Players," and soon graduated to off-Broadway and Broadway productions. She gravitated to feature films making her debut in Theodore J. Flicker's '' The Troublemaker'' (1964) and later his ''The President's Analyst''. She went into television in the 1970s. She was a regular on the law series '' Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law'', playing office secretary to Arthur Hill, Lee Majors, and David Soul. Darling was the first woman nominated for an Emmy for directing. She was nominated four times, winning one. She was nominated two times for a Directors Guild of America award, winning one. She was nominated for an Emmy for her performance of Dorothy Parker in ''Woven in a Crazy Plaid''. Darling ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
