Here Comes Heidi

A while ago Cornelia Read (A Field of Darkness) clued me into the Writer’s Almanac via her blog. Most days the Almanac contains an interesting bouquet of things, tenuously connected by a sort of authorial theme. Today’s entry was interesting, but a little strange. (A slow authorial news day?) Strange but way funny. In part:

It was on this day in 1968 that NBC executives made one of the worst broadcasting decisions in the history of network television, interrupting their coverage of a football game between the Oakland Raiders and the New York Jets in order to show the scheduled movie, Heidi, about an orphaned girl who goes to live with her grandfather in the Swiss Alps.

I think that’s a clue that 1968 was -- in some ways, at least -- in a kinder, gentler time. Can you even imagine the programming genius that would bump a pro football game in order to broadcast a Julie Andrews movie? (I did not think so.)
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Kevin Burton Smith said…
Um, the HEIDI that pre-empted the football game wasn't a Julie Andrews movie. Jennifer Edwards played the title role and Maximilian Schell and Jean Simmons were along for the ride, but there was no Julie Andrews. And the still you're using is from THE SOUND OF MUSIC.

Besides, it was only "American" football - it's not like it was anything important.
Wed Feb 14, 05:43:00 PM PST
Linda L. Richards said…
Ummmm... talk about a brain fart on so many levels. Of course the still was from The Sound of Music. What was I thinking? Fortunately (I htink), it's all long enough ago now that I don't even remember.

Delighted to have you stop by though, Kevin. Even if it was only to point and laugh.
Wed Feb 14, 05:57:00 PM PST
Anonymous said…
Oohh crap this is such an old post no one's gonna see my comment but just thought i'd point out the irony here:

Jennifer Edwards is Blake Edwards' daughter. Blake Edwards is married to Julie Andrews.
Must run in the family :)
Thu Nov 22, 07:46:00 PM PST
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