High Anxiety (1977)

Dr. Richard Thorndyke (Mel Brooks) takes over as head administrator of the Psychoneurotic Institute for the Very, Very Nervous. After he discovers that suspicious activities are going on, he is framed for murder by Nurse Diesel (Cloris Leachman) and Dr. Montague (Harvey Korman). Thorndyke not only has to clear himself of the charge, but get over his own anxiety problems in the process.

Numerous references to Alfred Hitchcock classics such as Vertigo and Psycho are sprinkled throughout this comedy. One of my favorite scenes involves Thorndyke being called on to sing in a lounge. He protests at first, then tells the pianist what key he wants the song "High Anxiety" played in. Judging by the success of the Broadway hit, The Producers, based on the Brooks' movie of the same name, one gets the feeling that Mr. Brooks is a frustrated song-and-dance man.

Brooks is responsible for several nutty movies including Blazing Saddles (1974) and Silent Movie (1976). Harvey Korman, a fine character actor, was a regular on "The Carol Burnett Show" (1967-1977). Cloris Leachman is a great actress who won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for The Last Picture Show (1971). She is also the only actress to have won Emmy Awards in five different categories. The late Madeline Kahn starred in another Brooks film, Young Frankenstein (1974). Barry Levinson, who directed Good Morning, Vietnam (1987) and Rainman (1988), shows up as a frustrated bellboy. Jack Riley, who was one of Dr. Hartley's most memorable clients, Mr. Carlin, on "The Bob Newhart Show" (1972-1978), appears as a desk clerk. Dick Van Patton, who was the affable patriarch on "Eight Is Enough" (1977-1981), plays a character who dies an unusual death. Murphy Dunne portrays a piano player. He was also a musician in the movie "The Blues Brothers" (1980).

"The Facts Of Life" (1979-1988)

One of the most fondly remembered sitcoms of the 1980's followed four girls who attended a prestigious prep school. Blair Warner (Lisa Whelchel) was the blond, haughty rich girl; Dorothy "Tootie" Ramsey (Kim Fields) was the sunny, friendly one, and one of the few African-American students at Eastland; Natalie Green (Mindy Cohn) was the class clown; and Jo Polniaczek (Nancy McKeon) was the tough girl from the Bronx.

When the series began, there were several girls to keep track of (including a young Molly Ringwald), but soon, the plots only focused on the four girls and Mrs. Edna Garrett (Charlotte Rae), who was the housemother. Mrs. Garrett had been Mr. Drummond's housekeeper on "Different Strokes", of which this show was a spin-off. The girls experienced enough pre-teen and teenage mishaps to keep Mrs. Garrett busy with advice and Kleenex. Even when Mrs. Garrett left Eastland to open her own gourmet shop (later a malt shop), the girls followed her along. Mrs. Garrett's character was gone for good after 1986, when she remarried and moved away. Her chatty sister Beverly Ann (Cloris Leachman) became the girls new "housemother".

The show continued for nearly ten years and followed the girls as they graduated, went on the college, and began to deal with being adults. There was an episode where Natalie went all the way with her boyfriend Snake (Robert Romanus), although it was not shown on camera. Blair was missing from that episode because actress Lisa Whelchel, a conservative Christian, did not want to endorse pre-martial sex.

A reunion TV movie several years later found Natalie had found sucess as a writer, Tootie had become an actress (and had a daughter), and Blair was having some martial problems. Jo sent her daughter to represent her at the reunion (Nancy McKeon had declined appearing in the film).

Charlotte Rae had a long career on TV, including playing the wife of Officer Schauser on "Car 54, Where Are You?" (1961-1963). Kim Fields was a child actress who had appeared in a series of adorable Mrs. Butterworth's Syrup commercials during the 1970s. She was also a regular on the 1990's sitcom "Livin' Single". Cloris Leachman is an excellent actress who has appeared in many films including, The Last Picture Show. Lisa Whelchel married a pastor, and is now an author of Christian books. George Clooney ("ER", Ocean's Eleven) appeared on the show for one season as handyman George Burnett. Geri Jewell, an comedian who has cerebral palsy, appeared as Blair's cousin for a few seasons.