Posted on 08/11/2006 10:03:08 AM PDT by lunarbicep
Mike Douglas, who drew on his affable personality and singing talent during 21 years as host of a syndicated television talk show, died Friday on his 81st birthday, his wife said.
The afternoon talk show, which aired from 1961 to 1982, featured Douglas' ballad and big-band singing style, other musicians, comedians, political personalities and sports figures. His interviews included seven men who were then, had been or would become president.
Kramer doesn't care.
KRAMER: You got that right!
Indeed it was. Now the kids come home to violent, ugly, screaming "cartoons" and equally as violent and ugly video games. We're raising a generation of killers. Who was it that said "you are what you eat".
NO Question. . .TV WAS much nicer back then.
Often wondered the sadness sthese 'classic' tv host - ala Mike Douglas - felt watching the air waves filled by the trash of Sally (JesseRaphael). . .Jerry Springer. . .and yes, even Oprah - before her conversion to 'happy'entertainment vs the sleaze she began with. . .
Anyway. . .I hope Mike lived with happiness; he surely shared much when he was a Star on daytime tv.
hmmm; revenge of the 's'. . .'these'. . .'hosts'...
Todie Fields was awesome. I saw some clips of her on youtube
O Hailey Mills, how I loved thee.
I remember he used to have Moe from the Three Stooges on the show. That was a real thrill for those of us who grew up watching the Stooges. We were a little confused because Moe by this time had silver hair, but still with the Chili Bowl cut. They always would have pie fights with the audience when Moe showed up. Wacky chaos inevitably ensued. Gotta love Moe! RIP, Mike.
President Reagan didn't have a problem with that, seeing as how he was one of his pallbearers.
I agree- I miss those days of classic TV entertainment, and talk shows with good music, and people who had intelligent things to say, instead today we have sleaze like Jerry Springer and The View, gangsta rap, and "wardrobe malfunctions", etc. There was even RuPaul, a transvestite freak with "his" own talk show, a couple of years ago. It's a sewage pit out there!
RIP, Mike.
You know, I stared and stared at the woman in it, trying to figure out who in the world that was. Looked like Britney Spears in the face (gad, how would I know that?).
When I gave up and scrolled down and saw who it was, I would've never guessed Agnes Moorehead in a billion years. I don't remember her *ever* looking like that, but I guess she did. Shows how much Bewitched's Endora stuck in my brain and overrode everything before that.
The Mike Douglas Show was just a background show for me - I remember that it was on, but don't recall actually watching it much. I wasn't ever sure which was Merv Griffin and which was Mike Douglas when I saw them separately with no other ID.
RIP, Mike Douglas.
OMG - my ex and I bought their books and did a lot of their regimens. I have no idea why. Hadn't thought of their names since that time period. Ugh!
I remember when she lost her leg to cancer and just about everyone in show business did tributes to her and mentioned her. I think she even came back on some shows after that. She was unique.
They just now showed some clips of him and from his show on one of the entertainment tab TV shows and said it was his 81st birthday. He did 6000 shows.
LOL! I remember feeling so special if I was allowed to stay up that late.
I loved all the shows you mentioned, especially F-Troop. Hogan's Heroes was another great one.
If I could go back to those days, for just one hour, it would be a priceless vacation. Things were so much simpler then.
RIP Mike Douglas.
haw haw haw!
Don't forget Zsa Zsa...
He did 6,000 shows? That's incredible!
I produced 52 shows for a series. It was three years of work, different format, but wow! My hats off to Mike.
I hadn't thought about him in a lot of years. My mom always watched him, along with the Galloping Gourmet. Anyone remember the name of that guy?
Thanks for the more detailed bio. I was wracking my brain trying to remember why I connected Mike Douglas to Oklahoma, when nothing else mentions it, except this:
"...Military service: US Navy (WWII, served on V-12 program, Oklahoma) ..."
I thought that meant he served on the USS Oklahoma which went down at Pearl. There were survivors, but I think I would've remembered if Mike Douglas were among them. I thought his service was much later than Pearl, anyway.
So, I thought they meant he was in the V-12 at OU, which would've put him in with my dad, since he's just one year younger. I think I would've remembered that, too.
Then I just had to google. Sure enough, he did live in Oklahoma, even eloped as a youngster with his wife Genevieve while living there. He attended OCU - Oklahoma City University - and I guess he must have been in the V-12 there, although I didn't know they had a V-12 program. Learn something new every day!
Bless you for your service, Mike Douglas, adopted Okie!
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