Alfred Hitchcock Presents

The Three Stooges Collection TV Show is a television serie of theatrical short subjects produced by Columbia Pictures starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges. When the Three Stooges first signed with Columbia Pictures, their deal was for one short. 1934's WOMAN HATERS, done entirely in rhyme, wasn't a huge success, but the Stooges hit their stride with their second short, PUNCH DRUNKS, and began to settle into their definitive roles - Moe is boss, Larry the middleman and Curly as their foil. Witness the rise of these comedy icons in this high-spirited collection containing the first 19 Columbia Pictures shorts, all of which have been remastered for the best quality picture and sound. You'll experience the eye pokes, face slaps, hollow head knocks and knuckle cracks like you've never heard or seen them before. So go ahead, nyuck yourself out!

A rock radio station and a talented ensemble cast bring the fictional WKRP in Cincinnati to life for a long and successful run. Starring Gary Sandy (as Andy Travis) the program director who also plays straight man for much of his staff, Howard Hesseman who is Dr. Johnny Fever, a disc jockey who was fired and become burned out and controversial after saying the word "booger" over the air. Moving to WKRP the first word uttered by Dr. Fever is, of course, "booger"! He's neurotic and a trouble maker but also has the most experience of the crew. The platinum blonde vivacious Lonnie Anderson (playing Jennifer Marlowe) decorated the set of each episode years before she became Mrs. Burt Reynolds. As WKRP's gorgeous receptionist she is also the highest paid employee at the radio station and in spite of being a "blonde bombshell" she is smart and capable in most any situation and her job. WKRP, known for playing album oriented rock music, sets the stage for some hilarious story lines and combined with creative writing and the outstanding cast, remains a hit.

Derived from characters found in New Yorker cartoons written by Charles Addams, The Addams Family was a hilarious television series that ran from 1964 until 1966 to huge audiences on ABC TV. Always shot in black and white, there are 64 episodes that continue to delight audiences today. The Addams family had supernatural powers but it never is explained how or from where they got them. A close family with some pretty macabre interests, each family member has his or her own unique super natural power. Gomez Adams (played by John Astin) is extremely wealthy and quite adept at hanging from chandeliers, also very much in love with his wife, Morticia (actress Carolyn Jones) who is cultured and refined. Other eccentric characters include Uncle Fester (Jackie Coogan) is the electric uncle who makes light bulbs glow by placing them in his mouth and Lurch (Ted Cassidy) is the butler who grunts responses the family interpret in many different ways. A huge bell atop the house is rung to summon Lurch and each time it shakes the entire house. Thing T. Thing is a hand that magically transports itself among containers, keeping everyone guessing.

Mary Tyler Moore is Mary Richards, a subtle women's lib advocate who was before her time in many ways. Her job as an Associate Producer of a new program on local television in Minneapolis offers no power but plenty of hard work and laughs. It is at her apartment where much of the TV show is shot and her neighbors Phyllis Lindstrom (played by Cloris Leachman) and Rhoda Morgenstern (Valerie Harper) will eventually move on to star in their own series. The many conflicts, romances, and humorous happenings that Mary faces are shared with her neighbors and her co-workers Lou Grant (played by Ed Asner) and Ted Baxter (Ted Knight). Other characters on this delightful sit-com include Sue Ann Nivens (Betty White) and Georgette Franklin (actress Georgia Engel). Typical episodes dealt with often controversial subjects such as homosexuality, pre marital sex, juvenile delinquency, and equal paychecks for women. Mary lives in an old Victorian house in a studio apartment on the third floor. Phyllis is not only her landlord but her dear friend who often draws Mary into some problematic escapades that are always funny and often thought provoking as well.

"I Dream of Jeannie" originally aired for only five years, never rising above twenty-fifth place in the ratings. By the end of the fifth season, Larry Hagman and Barbara Eden, very eager to move on, were "phoning it in." Hagman, of course, went on to become America's favourite arch-villain, "J.R." on "Dallas," and Barbara Eden went on to become, well, Barbara Eden. Imagine their surprise when, on its first night in syndication, the first episode of "I Dream of Jeannie" became the first locally broadcast show to out-point two of three network broadcasts in its time-slot. Even with her navel discreetly covered, Jeannie had a loyal cult following. She still does. Only hardcore fans remember how "master," an aspiring astronaut and budding American hero, found his cute blonde genie in a bottle or contrived to bring her home. The NBC "standards" crew worked overtime to make sure spaceman's and genie's living arrangement would not offend delicate American sensibilities, repeatedly assuring audiences that Jeannie always slept in her bottle. It took more than four years for The Major and Jeannie to discover their attraction to one another. Meanwhile, weekly comedy highjinks popped out of the bottle as The Major and his astronaut buddies conspired and connived to keep their precious secret from leaking to "the brass." "I Dream of Jeannie," for all of its patent silliness, remains one of America's longest-running and highest-earning sitcoms.

Bob Newhart has been a stand-up comedian and actor who has a droll sense of humor that is appreciated by audiences young and old. In The Bob Newhart Show he portrays a Chicago psychologist named Robert Hartley, married to Emily (beautifully played by actress Suzanne Pleshette). The show divides its time between Bob's home life and his professional career. There is plenty of humor to be found in a psychologist's office and Newhart's comic timing plays well here. Besides wife Emily Bob must contend with an inept neighbor (Bill Daily as Howard Borden who is a commercial airline pilot and eventually Bob Newhart's brother in law) and office neighbor Dr. Jerry Robinson, a dentist (played by actor Peter Bonerz). Marsha Wallace portrays the receptionist who loves jokes, Carol Kester. Newhart is adept at playing the straight man for his fine cast. Many of the show scripts were based on Newhart's stand up routines, particularly his telephone conversations which were hilarious. Running from 1972 until 1978 The Bob Newhart Show was filmed before a live audience so there was no need for an irritating laugh track.