Who Shot J.R.? The Plot Heard Round the World



On this podcast, we review the hottest TV story during the summer of 1980, and how it introduced the season-ending cliffhanger to series TV. Also: "Funkytown."

"Lou Grant" Meets Old Hollywood

My favorite episode of "Lou Grant" is this one: "Hollywood," which first aired in early 1980, written by Michele Gallery.



The guest cast alone would make any old movie fan perk up:










As city editor of the Los Angeles Tribune, Lou (Edward Asner) leads his reporters (Robert Walden, Linda Kelsey, Daryl Anderson) in an investigation of a long-unsolved Hollywood murder. The guest stars each have a scene or two, except for Foch, as the reclusive owner of the restaurant where the murder occurred. Foch was Emmy-nominated for her performance; composer Patrick Williams won an Emmy for the episode's haunting theme. 
   

Encore Podcast: Elvis Presley -- Year One



Encore Podcast: Elvis Presley wasn't born in 1956, but his career was. He began the year barely known outside the south, but under the management of Col. Tom Parker he spent the year making his mark on TV variety shows hosted by Milton Berle, Steve Allen and Ed Sullivan; and his recordings for RCA, beginning with "Heartbreak Hotel," dominated the pop charts. By the end of the year he was arguably the best-known entertainer in America, with broader fame still to come.