This is goofy and awesome. Casey Kasem and David Letterman count down Dave’s Top Ten Numbers From One to Ten. I think you’ll be surprised which number comes out on top.

(Via Maximumfun.org.)

The names of some of our favorite TV characters have undergone behind-the-scenes changes for a variety of reasons, from politics to legal issues to shows on competing networks. Here are seven such examples.

1. “The Mash”

When Garry Marshall was first assembling the show that eventually became Happy Days, he envisioned the local hoodlum as a tall Italian guy named Marsciarelli whose nickname would be “Mash.” By the time the show was cast, what he ended up with was a short Jewish guy (because Henry Winkler tested so well) called Arthur “Fonzie” Fonzarelli (because CBS now had their own series called M*A*S*H).

2. Archie Justice

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A lot of readers seemed to enjoy last week’s look at the early roles of actors who went on to bigger and better things (and you guys came up with a lot of good ones on your own as well!) Your collective power of recall inspired me to so some further sleuthing through the archives; I hope you enjoy this second installment of big hair and bad fashions!

1. Michelle Pfeiffer

After Animal House became a bona fide box office hit, all three TV networks scrambled to get a frat-house sitcom on the air in 1979. ABC’s Delta House was the most “official” of the trio, having signed a few of the actors from the original film. Nevertheless it only lasted for 13 episodes. She’s not listed, but that’s Michelle Pfeiffer (in her very first role) smooching Otter during the opening credits.

2. Jennifer Aniston

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My Dad is something of a star-spotter. He loves to pick out famous actors in bit roles they played early in their careers. Even at age 85, he’s got a great memory for faces, but coming up with the name has always been problematic: “That’s what’s-his-name, you know, that kid….he was on that show, the one with the horse, you know who I mean…” For those of you who also frequently recognize young faces in old shows, here’s a quick cheat sheet of who to watch for when you’re catching up on reruns. Feel free to chime in with any “Hey, isn’t that…..?” sightings not mentioned.

1. Aaron Spelling on I Love Lucy

Before Aaron Spelling became the TV producer with the Midas touch, he was a struggling young actor who couldn’t even afford to buy a car. One of his earliest roles was that of a gas station attendant in the “Tennessee Bound” episode of I Love Lucy. Spelling’s the guy in the slouchy sweater wearing a hat. Watch him really cut a country rug with Weensy near the end of this clip:

2. Christine Baranski on The Brady Bunch

Emmy-winning actress Christine Baranski had a different name (and apparently a different nose) when she started out in the business. Here she is at Marcia’s slumber party feeling the effects of the ol’ itching-powder-in-the-sleeping-bag trick on The Brady Bunch: (more…)

Looking back, it’s pretty miraculous that I’ve lived to be as old as I am. When I was born, my mom brought me home from the hospital in her arms, not a car seat. The playground equipment at my elementary school was surrounded by asphalt, not mulch or woodchips. Bicycle helmets were strictly for Evel Knievel, and seat belts were an expensive option on most cars. The toy industry only fueled our penchant for danger; take a look at some of these commercials:

1. Sixfinger

My younger brother had one of these, and I’m here to tell you that that tiny gun had some serious firepower – those little plastic bullets hurt like heck! (You think your average seven-year-old boy is going to pay attention to the package disclaimer that warned against aiming the Sixfinger at human targets?) One of the bullets could be equipped with a cap, which exploded on impact if fired at your big sister’s shoe just so.

2. Swing Wing

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Ed note: we’re having a few technical difficulties here, so we’re highlighting a few best-of posts starting with this terrific one from Kara. Enjoy!

Things don’t always work out as planned in Television Land. A snappy catchphrase, an adorable mannerism, a bodacious bust line…there’s no telling what might capture the audience’s attention. The problem is, it often comes at the expense of another actor.

1. The Fonz Upstages Opie

The idea for a sitcom set in the 1950s was inspired by a vignette on the 1970s anthology series Love, American Style. One year after “Love and the Happy Days” aired, Ron Howard starred in the blockbuster film American Graffiti, which solidified his ability to play a retro-teenager. Howard had previously played “Opie” on The Andy Griffith Show, and with his recent film triumph under his belt, it was clear that he was the intended star of Happy Days. But the producers were caught by surprise when Fonzie, portrayed by Henry Winkler, who was only an occasional character during the first season started getting a substantial amount of press. Suddenly “Ayyyy” was on everyone’s lips and you couldn’t walk past a storefront without seeing some sort of Fonz replica giving the ol’ thumbs up. The ABC brass even suggested changing the name of the show to Fonzie’s Happy Days, but Henry Winkler himself vehemently opposed such a change. In fact, Henry has always staunchly credited the success of Happy Days to the work of entire cast, particularly Ron Howard and Tom Bosley.

2. Alex P. Keaton’s Hostile Takeover

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Remember when MTV used to show music videos? OK, that “joke” is as stale as a Christmas fruitcake, but can I help it if it’s the perfect lead-in to this week’s TV-Holic? Look back with me at the early days of Music Television, along with some music video milestones.

Music television before Music Television

Music videos had been made for many years before MTV was even a glimmer in cable TV’s corporate eye. Of course, they weren’t called such at the time. Usually they were referred to as “promotional films.” The Beatles made one each for “Penny Lane” and “Strawberry Fields Forever” in 1967 and Queen made one for “Bohemian Rhapsody” in 1975. These short films were shown on TV shows like Top of the Pops or American Bandstand and were a valuable advertising tool for an artist that wasn’t going to be on tour any time soon. Former Monkee Michael Nesmith recorded an album in 1976 from which he released a single called “Rio.” He also came up with an innovative film clip to accompany the tune, which didn’t chart in the US, but hit number one in Australia. While on tour Down Under to promote the album, Nesmith caught a TV show called Radio with Pictures, which originated from New Zealand and showed nothing but musical promotional films. Intrigued, he went home and pitched the concept to Bob Pittman of Warner. The result was a half hour show called Pop Clips, which debuted on the Nickelodeon channel in 1980. (more…)

This week’s edition of TV-Holic highlights some child stars who, in one way or another, had serious parental problems.

1. Taran Noah Smith

Taran Noah Smith was seven years old when he was hired to play Mark, the youngest Taylor son, on Home Improvement. By the time the series ended in 1999, he had approximately $1.5 million tucked away into a trust fund (thanks to the Coogan Law*), which would become available to him when he turned 18. In the intervening years, he received almost $15,000 per month in a combination of interest from his trust fund and residuals. Of that money, his parents gave him an “allowance” of $300 per month and used the rest to buy a $600,000 house in Sherman Oaks and pay for other family expenses. (His mother appointed herself his manager and accepted 15% of his earnings as her fee.) His parents and sister all had American Express cards in Taran’s name, and his father started up a business funded with Taran’s money.

When Home Improvement went off the air, his parents badgered him to find another acting job quickly so that they wouldn’t “lose everything.” Smith instead left home at 17 to marry a woman 16 years his senior and subsequently sued his parents over his trust fund. The marriage ended in divorce in 2007, and Smith has since attempted to reconcile with his mom and dad.

2. Danny Bonaduce

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TV hits are cyclic. There will be a span of five years or so when, for example, medical dramas are all the rage. And even though shows from ER to House have been trumpeted as “redefining the genre,” every one of them has borrowed heavily from the handful of classic medical dramas that first acquainted audiences with life behind the surgical curtain.

1. The Medic

The first medical television series that emphasized the physician’s skills and the latest technology (rather than the steamy goings-on in the break room) was The Medic, which starred Richard Boone and aired on NBC from 1954-1956. The show’s creator (and chief writer), James Moser, had previously worked on Dragnet and used Jack Webb as his mentor. The Medic’s scripts were based on actual case histories and the scripts were double-checked by medical professionals. Many scenes during the series were filmed in actual clinics and hospitals in the Los Angeles area, and as a result The Medic became the first prime-time series to show film footage of an actual childbirth. The Medic was ground-breaking in many ways and would probably be better remembered today if NBC hadn’t aired it Monday nights in the same time slot as the CBS juggernaut I Love Lucy.

2. Dr. Kildare

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Extended family members always seem to figure more prominently in TV-land than in real life; in this first part of an occasional series, we take a look at some of the more memorable uncles who have graced our airwaves.

1. Uncle Joe

Prolific character actor Edgar Buchanan is probably best remembered as the gravelly-voiced Uncle Joe, who was always movin’ kinda slow on Petticoat Junction. Uncle Joe Carson was one of a handful of Hooterville residents who also made semi-regular appearances on Green Acres. Buchanan was born in Missouri but moved to Oregon at the age of seven. He graduated from the North Pacific Dental College and ran a successful oral surgery practice in Altadena, California, until (at age 36) he finally gave up his spit sink and succumbed to the acting bug that had first bitten him back in college.

2. Uncle Bobby

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