International Insight & This Is the Life (1 Viewer)

[shoeshineboy]

Here were two series created by Catholic and Christian producers that had lengthy (especially in Insight's case) runs. Have either popped up on DVD yet? Does anyone remember them -- they often featured big and familiar names, telling stories with a religious moral ending. Not sure if they were ever rebroadcast because neither ring a bell for me, but I was in the imdb wormhole following the trail of an actor and found both of them. They sound interesting. What says you?

 

[shoeshineboy]

Hmm, somehow I put an 'international' tag on this thread. Well, all thumbs I suppose. But now i've guaranteed one reply so there's that!

 

[RBailey]

Go to YouTube and subscribe to "Insight powered by Paulist Productions". Whole episodes of Insight (color and B/W years) are available to view along with current interviews with folks like Ed Asner and Bob Newhart and their involvement with the series. I was program director for a small PBS station in the late 60s and early 70s and I was proud to carry these great programs that were some of the best TV programs of the day. They are still heads and shoulders above most shows available today.

 

[JamesSmith]

I am curious about Insight. There were some big name stars who participated, and in hindsight I would love to see them.

James

 

[JamesSmith]

Go to YouTube and subscribe to "Insight powered by Paulist Productions". Whole episodes of Insight (color and B/W years) are available to view along with current interviews with folks like Ed Asner and Bob Newhart and their involvement with the series. I was program director for a small PBS station in the late 60s and early 70s and I was proud to carry these great programs that were some of the best TV programs of the day. They are still heads and shoulders above most shows available today.

RBailey, I am curious. Can you tell us a bit more why you think Insight is head and shoulders above programs today?

--james

 

[RBailey]

RBailey, I am curious. Can you tell us a bit more why you think Insight is head and shoulders above programs today?

--james

Purely a personal preference. Insight presented topics in a way that was not preachy with some of my favorite actors of the time participating in the program. Whenever a network or cable channel attempts to do anything meaningful (which is seldom), it's usually drawn out to multiple episodes. Also, many of the programs today are trying to top each other with godawful violence and situations that obscure the talent involved.

 

[JamesSmith]

I am watching some older television these days. Just saw a few episodes with William Windom. He's a very good actor and conveyed a great deal of emotions in his series. He's not a Hollywood pretty boy, but I am impressed with his skill. Today's television seems to lack something, so many shows want to show the total depravity of man, and sometimes I enjoy shows that show some light at the end of the tunnel. Thank you for your comments RBaily. They were very encouraging.

-jthree

 

[RBailey]

I am watching some older television these days. Just saw a few episodes with William Windom. He's a very good actor and conveyed a great deal of emotions in his series. He's not a Hollywood pretty boy, but I am impressed with his skill. Today's television seems to lack something, so many shows want to show the total depravity of man, and sometimes I enjoy shows that show some light at the end of the tunnel. Thank you for your comments RBaily. They were very encouraging.

-jthree

I actually have an interesting story about William Windom. He made an appearance at a local college in a play about the writings of James Thurber. Windom had done the Thurber inspired "My World and Welcome To It" series which had been cancelled by NBC. (A crime that this has not been released on DVD.) The PBS station I worked at had a news program produced by high school students and we made arrangements to get an interview with him before the show. I briefed the young woman who was doing the interview about his career and suggested a question that Dick Cavett used occasionally. The question: "If you had the opportunity to destroy one piece of work that you had been involved with, what would it be?" I told her to use that only if he seemed to be in a good mood. He was and she asked him. His answer was what I thought it would be. He was most embarrassed by a 1968 film called THE ANGRY BREED with a great cast of Jan Sterling, James MacArthur, Melody Patterson and Jan Murray. I've never seen it but it's a motorcycle gang/drug film that sounds pretty bad. His interview was a delight and I wished I still had a copy of it. His agent even sent us a note saying how he was impressed by our high school crew and kiddingly thanked us for making him recall THE ANGRY BREED.

 

[JamesSmith]

Did see an episode or two of "My World and Welcome to it," I was very impressed it. One unusual thing about the series is that it fluctuated tone or structure throughout the episodes. One would be a retelling of a James Thurber story, another would be a more conventional sitcom like story. The producers didn't just do one format, they experimented a bit.

Windom's character, Monroe, really could be unusual at the time, especially when you consider it was in 69-70. There are times he could be a bit, not exactly rude, but abrupt and not exactly the best in dealing with people. I was also shocked by the episodes where he was drawn into his fantasy world with other women. Granted, it didn't get very far, but still . . . It was different for the time.

The actress who played his daughter was great also. She was respectful to her father, unlike today's children, likable. She had a great chemistry with Windon/Monroe and had a good give/take relationship when both would learn from each other. Very enjoyable series.

james

 

[Neil Brock]

UCLA did a massive reclamation project on the Insight shows, transferring over all of the 2-inch and 1-inch masters. The Paulists have been putting them up on youtube. I'm atheist but I still enjoy the shows as they don't carry a heavy handed message. Good stories and each one had several familiar stars in them.

 

[potnoodle]

The actress who played his daughter was great also. She was respectful to her father, unlike today's children, likable. She had a great chemistry with Windon/Monroe and had a good give/take relationship when both would learn from each other. Very enjoyable series.

james

The daughter was played by Lisa Gerritsen who went on have a recurring role in the MTM show as Cloris Leachman's daughter Bess and continued in that role when Leachman's "Phyllis" was spun off into her own show in 1975. She left acting soon afterwards.

 

[JamesSmith]

Does anyone know how many Insight episodes were produced? There was one I might be looking for?

James

 

[Ron Lee Green]

I saw this particular episode when I was a child, and the image of that dead man in the Superman suit stuck with me for years!

 

[DeWilson]

UCLA did a massive reclamation project on the Insight shows, transferring over all of the 2-inch and 1-inch masters. The Paulists have been putting them up on youtube. I'm atheist but I still enjoy the shows as they don't carry a heavy handed message. Good stories and each one had several familiar stars in them.

UCLA posted 5 episodes on their own page, which are slightly better than what is being posted on The Paulists own page - including a complete unedited in color episode written by Rod Serling (The Hate Syndrome) that The Paulists only had an edited (Father "Bud"'s wrap arounds are missing!) B&W kinescope accessible at the time it was posted.

<-- Edited B&W kinescope

<-- Unedited Color Version.

 

[Neil Brock]

I saw this particular episode when I was a child, and the image of that dead man in the Superman suit stuck with me for years!

Just watched that one a couple of days ago.