Question: In the 1989 song by the same name, what five words did Bon Jovi swear to you?
Last Question: On what sitcom starring Conrad Bain did Nancy Reagan pronote her “Just Say No” campaign in 1983?
Answer: Diff’rent Strokes
Tag Archives: Diff’rent Strokes
R.I.P. Alan Thicke (March 1, 1947 – December 13, 2016)
2016 has been absolutely brutal! I know that every year major celebrities, we grew up with, die. But, it seems like there have been an excessive amount of huge names that we lost this year. Alan Thicke is now the latest. Sadly, he passed away yesterday. What makes this even worse is that he suffered a heart attack while playing hockey with his 19 year old son Carter, and died at the Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California. He was 69.
Obviously, we all know Alan Thicke from his role as Jason Seaver in the awesome family sitcom, Growing Pains. He was an awesome dad. He was funny and cool, but could still be strict. He was a great role model, and Alan Thicke really made this character shine. My earliest memory of him was in the second episode of the series when he went to a Bruce Springsteen concert with his son Mike (Kirk Cameron). Coming out of the concert, they were stopped by a television reporter who asked if they were father and son, and Jason embarrassed Mike by giving him a noogie on live TV.
Starring in Growing Pains was not his only television credit at the time. The multi-talented Thicke was also a TV theme song composer, along with his then-wife Gloria Loring. The songs he composed were iconic. He composed the themes for Diff’rent Strokes and The Facts of Life.
He also composed game show theme songs, such as The Wizard of Odds (on which he also sang) The Joker’s Wild, the original theme to Wheel of Fortune, and several others.
He also wrote the song and appeared in the television show, Animal Crack-Ups from 1987-1989.
Thicke co-hosted the Walt Disney World Very Merry Christmas Parade (now the Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade) with Joan Lunden from 1983 to 1990, when he was succeeded by Regis Philbin.
Over the years he has guested on several shows. Most recently, he had a guest spot on the new smash hit show, This Is Us.
Alan Thicke seemed like a class act, and all-around good guy.He will be sorely missed.
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Episode 4: Sitcom Theme Songs, Part 1
Welcome to another episode of Return to the ’80s! This episode is the first in a series of television theme songs. Robert and Paul each pick 5 sitcom theme songs, and discuss them. A special thanks goes out to Return to the ’80s team member Sandy from Jersey for putting together these show notes. As usual, if you have any questions or comments about this episode, or anything ’80s, we would love to hear from you! Our next episode will be about Ghostbusters. Let us know if you’ve seen the new Ghostbusters movie. Also, Ghostbusters II gets trashed alot. Are there any fans if that sequel out there to defend this film? You can email us at returnto80s@gmail.com.
Opening
– Talks of Ghostbusters: new one being released on video
Stranger Things
– Stranger Things coming out and how it’s a mix of 80s movies.
– Talk of inconsistency of one of the songs in Stranger Things. (Late 80s)
– Talk if how great the kids were in the show.
– Talk of Matthew Modine in Stranger Things.
Bon Jovi
– Bon Jovi coming back out. Spoke about that. Played clip of “This House Is Not For Sale“. Has 1.7 mil hits on YouTube.
80s Reboot Overdrive
– Spoke of Robert being a guest on 80’s Reboot Overdrive podcast. And Paul was talked about on the podcast as well.
Remember That Song
– Remember that Song – Tina Marie got the answer to the question, which was “The Way It Is“, sung by Bruce Hornsby.
– Plays song.
– Robert talks of how he saw him and Huey Lewis and the News in the same month
– Tim Cook also got song right.
– Reads note that Tim wrote.
– Robert gives a new Remember That Song. Can you name the artist and song:
Working in a factory eight days a week
Try to make dollar, damn what a beat
Cartoon capers happen in reality
Rich man, poor man, living in fantasy
Write in to returnto80s@gmail.com and put Remember That Song in the subject line to submit your answer.
Trivia
“Who was the producers original choice to play Alex P. Keaton on Family Ties.?” Answer was Matthew Broderick which was answered by Tina Marie.
– Matthew had to decline role because his father became ill.
– New trivia- Which 2 songs in the U.S., that were sung in German, were #1 and #2 songs.
Write in to returnto80s@gmail.com and put Trivia in the subject line to submit your answer.
Main Topic – Sitcom Theme Songs
– Paul talks of old intro styles to TV shows and how he misses them, and misses opening credits.
– Covering sitcoms on this podcast, and the other categories will be split up.
Theme songs covered:
– ALF (great theme song)
– Growing Pains (a personal fave of mine) spoke of the show and how Leo and Matthew Perry were on it and how it was one of Paul’s favorite shows (mine too).
– Charles in Charge – Version 1 and Version 2
– Gimme a Break
– Head of the Class – Paul talks of when he was in the Navy and Khrystyne Haje and the Pointer Sisters came on his ship during the Gulf War.
– Cheers
– Fresh Prince of Bel Air
– My Two Dads (one of my favorites)
– Talks about Red Oaks – the show that is on Netflix [But Paul remembered after recording this, that it is actually on Amazon).
– Night Court (another great show)
– Diff’rent Strokes – talks about how a reunion can’t be because a lot of the characters have passed away.
Wrapping Up
– Ending – talks of covering more show tunes and speaks of Blu Ray coming out Tuesday for Ghostbusters.
– And speaks of the soundtracks.
– And rewatching Ghostbusters 2
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R.I.P. Conrad Bain: February 4, 1923 – January 14, 2013
He was born on February 4, 1923 in Lethbridge, Alberta. Bain first appeared on regular television when he played a stuffy next-door neighbor Dr. Arthur Harmon on the show Maude from 1974-1978. Then he had his iconic role as Mr. Drummond on Diff’rent Strokes, which ran from 1978-1986. Bain’s Phillip Drummond was the regular straight man to the wisecracking Arnold (Gary Coleman).
According to the L.A. Times, Bain was uncomfortable talking about the various personal tragedies that had befallen his three “Diff’rent Strokes” co-stars: Coleman, Dana Plato and Todd Bridges.
(Coleman, who was constantly in the tabloids for legal and health issues, died after a brain hemorrhage in 2010. Plato died in 1999 after an apparent drug overdose. Bridges, the sole surviving member of the trio, would later say that sexual abuse in his childhood drove him into a spiral of drug addiction; in 2012, he supported California legislation he hoped would protect child actors from sexual predators.)
His last regular role was as presidential aide Charley Ross on the George C. Scott show Mr. President in 1987. His last television appearance was on the series finale of The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.
Conrad Bain is survived by his daughter Jennifer, and sons Mark and Kent.
Follow @returntothe80sDaily Trivia – 4/24/12
Question: On Diff’rent Strokes, what was the name of Arnold’s goldfish?
Last Question: What was Men At Work’s first hit single?
Answer: “Who Can It Be Now?”
“Who Can It Be Now?” was released as a single in Australia before the album on which it appeared, Business As Usual, was released. It reached #1 in Australia as well as in the U.S. Business As Usual would go on to spend an unprecedented 15 weeks at #1 on the American album charts from late 1982 to early 1983. It didn’t hurt that following the #1 “Who Can It Be Now?”, would be Men At Work’s signature hit “Down Under”.
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