TV - Seven Beginnings, Three Endings Quiz

Answer: The X-Files

One of the most popular series of the 1990's, "The X-Files", ran for nine seasons, from 1993 until 2002.
The stories followed the activities of two FBI agents, Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson), as they investigated strange and unexplained paranormal cases throughout the United States. The work of the agents was often hindered by strange circumstances caused by unexplained forces, or secret government officials, bent on discrediting their work. Mulder and Scully pursued investigations that could not be solved through standard investigative procedures. During the last two seasons, Agent Mulder was replaced by Agent John Doggett, played by Robert Patrick.
The series ranked #2 on the "TV Guide" list of "25 Top Cult Series Ever", in May of 2005, and the shows familiar catchphrase, "The Truth Is Out There", was voted the #9 catch phrase on the "TV Guide" list of "Top 20 Catchphrases", in August of 2005.
The series aired 202 episodes on the Fox Television Network, and was the subject of a feature motion picture in 1998.

Answer: Quincy M. E.

"Quincy M.E." starred Jack Klugman as Dr. Quincy, a medical examiner with the Los Angeles County Coroner Office. The series aired for eight seasons, from 1976 until 1983. Quincy was a widowed, hard working civil servant who while in the course of his job, would occasionally uncover evidence (during the autopsy procedures) that might suggest that what the police had ruled as a natural or accidental cause of death was a possible homicide. Quincy spent a lot of time trying to convince his friend and police department contact, Lt. Frank Monahan (Garry Walberg), that some cases needed further police investigation. Quincy was usually able to prove his theories through both scientific investigation and good old fashion police leg work. The series was based on the television series, "Wojeck", which was aired by the Canadian Broadcast Corporation (CBC), from 1966 until 1968. "Quincy M.E." was also inspired by case files of Dr. Thomas Noguchi, who served as the Los Angeles County Chief Medical Examiner (coroner) from 1967 until 1982. Noguchi gained notoriety, and became known as "Coroner Of The Stars". Noguchi's nickname came as a result of autopsies he either performed or supervised on high profile celebrities, including Hollywood movie star Marilyn Monroe, Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, actress Sharon Tate, actor William Holden, actress Natalie Wood, and singer Janis Joplin, just to name a few.
One unusual aspect in the series was that in the 148 episodes aired, the first name of Quincy was never mentioned. The only clue to his first name came in the episode, "Accomplice To Murder" (episode #13 during the third season) when his business card was seen with his name printed as "Dr. R. Quincy". Some fans of the series believed that the mystery of Quincy's first name would be revealed during a two part episode during the eighth season. In that two part episode, "Quincy's Wedding, Part 1" and "Quincy's Wedding, Part 2", (originally aired on February 16, 1983 and February 23, 1983), speculation was that when Dr. Quincy married Dr. Emily Hanover (Anita Gillette), the elusive first name was sure to be used during the wedding ceremony as the couple exchanged their vows. Those fans were disappointed when the minister officiating the ceremony, asked the lead character, "Quincy, do you take Emily to be your lawfully wedded wife ..."?
One thing that could be said was that Quincy was consistent in his choices for wives. Anita Gillette who played Quincy's wife during the eighth season also appeared as Quincy's deceased first wife in earlier episodes of the series, through flashback sequences.
The scene at the opening of the show was from the pilot episode, "Go Fight City Hall--To The Death", and was originally aired on October 3, 1976. As the storyline went, Dr. Quincy, who was trying to hurry out of his office to attend a pressing social engagement, was stopped and reminded by his boss, Dr. Robert Astin (John S. Ragin), that he was scheduled to demonstrate autopsy procedures to a group of rookie police officers. Upon entering the autopsy room where the six uniformed police officers were assembled and waiting, Quincy delivered his opening comments before uncovering the cadaver on his autopsy table. Upon seeing the dead body, three of the six officers either passed out or became physically ill. As Quincy turned on his hand saw to start the autopsy, the remaining three officers either passed out, or left the room after becoming ill. Realizing that there was no one left to observe the procedure, Quincy smiled, and was able to leave the room, and keep his engagement.

Opening of "Quincy M. E."
Narration by series star Jack Klugman.

"Gentlemen, you are about to enter the world of the most fascinating sphere of police work. The world of forensic medicine".

Answer: The Twilight Zone

"The Twilight Zone" has been one of the most popular, and most durable of the old black and white television series from the late 1950's. Forty years after originally airing, many of those classic episodes are seen through syndication reruns, throughout the United States. The series made a return to prime time television with new episodes twenty years after the conclusion of the first run of the series in September of 1965. The series made a third return in 2002, featuring new episodes, and Forest Whitaker as the new series host. The series also spun a full length motion picture in 1983, that was titled, "Twilight Zone-The Movie".
The original host of the series was Rod Serling, who was also the creator and writer of the series. Serling hosted the series from 1959 until 1965. At the beginning of each episode, Serling, who as a small statured man (5' 4") wearing a suit, and often holding a lit cigarette between his fingers, would appear, facing the camera, and with a stoic, matter-of-factly look on his face, gave viewers a brief synopsis of the episode, often starting his monologue with one of his favorite catchphrase, "submitted for your approval ...". Serling ended his brief introductory monologue by making reference to some unusual or supernatural aspect of the story explaining to the viewers that they "just crossed over into ... 'The Twilight Zone'".
Episodes of this science fiction/anthology series would feature a different cast of guest performers for each episode, most of which were relatively unknown actors. A number of those then unknown performers went on to become big name actors in television and motion pictures, including William Shatner, Charles Bronson, Elizabeth Montgomery, Inga Stevens, Jack Klugman, and Lois Nettleton just to name a few. One of the most popular episodes, "It's A Good Life" (1961) featured a child performer named Billy Mumy, as a precocious little boy with a special power. Mumy later gained fame and recognition on the television series "Lost In Space" (1965) playing the role of the youngest member of the Robinson clan, Will Robinson, for three seasons.

Opening narration for "The Twilight Zone"

Narration by series creator and writer, Rod Serling

"You unlock this door with the key of imagination.
Beyond it is another dimension
A dimension of sound, A dimension of sight
A dimension of mind

You're moving into a land of both Shadow and substance
Of things and ideas
You've just crossed over into, "The Twilight Zone".

Answer: The Guns of Will Sonnett

The opening narration explained the premise of the series. Jim Sonnett, a notorious Gunfighter, was on the run trying to avoid the law and other gunfighters who wanted to add a notch to their gun handles, for being the one credited with the killing of the legendary outlaw. Jim Sonnett left his young son in the care of his father, a former gunfighter named Will Sonnett. Will raised Jim's son, Jeff, until the day that Jeff informed his grandfather that he had to find his father. Will and Jeff left their small ranch to search for Jim Sonnett. Their journey took them to many small towns throughout the West. The duo experienced numerous adventures and challenges during their search. When asked by the curious local townspeople who had the faster gun, the elderly Will Sonnett always responded with the same phrase, saying, "Jim Sonnett is fast, but his son Jeff is faster. And I am faster than the both of them, no brag, just fact".
"The Guns of Will Sonnett" ran for two seasons, from 1967 until 1969.
In the final episode of the series, "Three Stand Together" (aired on September 19, 1969), Will and Jeff's quest came to an end when finally they were reunited with Jim Sonnett In the end, Jim was able to clear his name and the three men became lawmen, working together. Will Sonnett served as a town marshal, with his son and grandson serving as his deputies.

Opening narration for "The Guns of Will Sonnett"

Narrated by series star, Walter Brennen

"We searched for a man named Jim Sonnett.
And the legends folks tell may be true.
Most call him gunman and killer,
He's my son, who I hardly knew.

I raised Jim's boy from the cradle.
Until the day he said to me, 'I have to find my father'.
And I reckon, that's how it should be,
So we ride, Jim's boy and me".

Answer: Baretta

East coast police detective Anthony Vincenzo "Tony" Baretta was a street savvy, often unconventional undercover crime fighter. Baretta's success came as a result of his numerous street wise contacts, informants, and his occasional flair for the use of disguises during his investigative efforts. Baretta was a single man, who was totally dedicated to his job, and lived with his pet cockatoo, Fred in a downtown apartment. Baretta was known for two familiar catchphrases. He would guarantee results by advising, "You can take dat to the bank", and explaining the circumstances of a story by saying, "And that's the name of that tune". Baretta aired for four seasons, from 1975 until 1978, producing 82 episodes. The series was originally slated as a revised version of another top ABC Television Network police drama series, "Toma" (1973). After "Toma" series star Tony Musante decided to leave the show, Robert Blake was chosen as his replacement. Blake however didn't like the idea of taking over an existing role, so the series was revamped and renamed "Baretta".


Theme song from "Baretta"

"Keep Your Eye On The Sparrow"

Written by Dave Grusin and M. Ames

Performed by Sammy Davis Jr.

"Don't go to bed with no price on your head
No, no, don't do it
Don't do the crime if you can't do the time
Yeah, don't do it

Keep your eye, on the sparrow
When the going, gets narrow
Don't do it, don't do it

Where can I go where the cold winds don't blow
Now, well, well, well".

Answer: The Dukes of Hazzard

On Friday nights, many viewers chose to escape reality for an hour, and tuned to "The Dukes Of Hazzard" for television viewing fun.
"The Dukes Of Hazzard" was a comedy/adventure series that aired from January, 1979 until August of 1985.
The series centered around the exploits and adventures of two cousins, Bo and Luke Duke (John Schneider and Tom Wopat), as they raced their souped up muscle car, known as the "General Lee", throughout the roads and trails of Hazzard County. The boys were often chased by the inept, not-too-bright Hazzard County Sheriff, Roscoe P. Coltrane (James Best), who in reality was little more than a stooge for the corrupted county politician, Jefferson Davis Hogg (Sorrell Booke), who was known to all simply as "Boss Hogg". Boss Hogg was a small, portly man, and was almost always attired in a white suit and smoking a big cigar. The Duke boys were always able to avoid being captured by Roscoe, often through a series of car chases and crashes, and by jumping the "General Lee" over cars, wrecks, swamps, lakes, and just about any obstacle that faced the boys. Some viewers might argue that the real star of the series was the "General Lee", a bright orange, two door 1969 Dodge Charger, with a Confederate flag painted on the roof, the racing numbers "01" on the doors, and a horn that played the tune "Dixie". While the General Lee appeared to survive the numerous wrecks and jumps with little or no damage, in reality, during the run of the series, nearly 300 look-alike General Lee cars were either wrecked or totally destroyed during the production of the series.
The Duke boys lived on a quaint little farm with their father-figure, "Uncle Jesse" (Denver Pyle), and their beautiful cousin Daisy Duke (Catherine Bach). Daisy was a very leggy young women, who was known for wearing her trademark short shorts. For a brief time, the style of Daisy's attire became an icon in the world of fashion, with millions of young girls racing to their favorite stores to buy a pair of the extremely short shorts, that became to be known simply as "Daisy Dukes". To satisfy the broadcast standards of the network censors, Bach was required to wear flesh colored stockings during the scenes when she wore her short shorts.
The series also produced a spin off series featuring Enos Strate (Sonny Shroyer), Sheriff Coltrane's always smiling, naive deputy. In the new series, "Enos", after his highly publicized capture of two notorious criminals in Hazzard County, Enos was offered a position on a special unit of the Los Angeles Police Department. The series centered around the good natured, small town country boy, as he discovered and experienced the "culture shock" of life in the big city.
The voice of the narrator, who lead viewers through the stories throughout the episodes of "The Dukes of Hazzard" was that of country singer Waylon Jennings. As the theme music for the show started each week, viewers briefly saw Jennings, who was photographed from the neck down, strumming his guitar as he began to sing the theme song.
Jennings recorded and released a version of the theme song, which reached the #1 position on the "Billboard Country Music Chart", and the #21 position on the "Billboard Pop Music Chart" in November of 1980. Jennings changed the final verse of his revised version of the song, in obvious reference to his brief weekly appearances at the beginning of each television episode. Jennings new verse was:

"I'm a good ol' boy,
You know my mama love me.
But you don't understand,
they keep a showing my hands,
not my face on TV".

In August of 2005, A full length movie, "The Dukes Of Hazzard", was released with Johnny Knoxville in the role of Luke Duke, Seann William Scott as Bo Duke, Jessica Simpson in the role of Daisy Duke, and country music singing legend, Willie Nelson as the kindly Uncle Jesse.

"The Dukes of Hazzard" Theme Song.

"Good Ol' Boys"

Written and performed by Waylon Jennings

"Just the good ol' boys.
Never meanin' no harm.
Beats all you never saw, been in trouble with the law,
Since the day they were born.

Straight'nin the curves,
Flat'nin the hills.
Some day the mountain might get 'em,
But the law never will.

Makin' their way
The only way they know how
That's just a little bit more
Than the law will allow.

Just the good ol' boys,
Wouldn't change if the could,
Fightin' the system
Like two modern day Robin Hoods".

Answer: The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

The opening theme song explains the storyline. The full version of the theme song, giving more details, was heard only preceding the first three episodes. A shorter version was heard starting with episode number four. For the syndication reruns of the series, an instrumental version of the theme was used.
"The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" was an updated version of the classic "fish-out-of-water" television format. In this slick updated version of the story, Will Smith starred as the character ... Will Smith. Following a little scuffle with some guys on the mean streets of South Philadelphia, Will's mother decided to protect her son by sending him to live with relatives in California. Will took up residence with his mothers sister, and her family. The Banks family was an upper class family who lived in the exclusive section of West Los Angeles known as Bel-Air. With his Aunt Vivian (Janet Hubert) was her husband Philip (James Avery), a successful attorney who Will usually referred to as "Uncle Phil". The Banks had three children, two daughters, Hilary (Karyn Parsons) and Ashley (Tatyana M. Ali), and a son, Carlton (Alfonso Ribeiro), who was Will's age, and hung out with him. Hilary was the stereotype of a spoiled rich girl, who was self centered, and not too smart. Her biggest concerns in life were shopping, her looks, and getting money from her father. Carlton was a preppy college bound teen, with conservative views, and a love for singing and dancing to the music of his idol, Tom Jones. The youngest daughter, Ashley was barely into her teens, and took an immediate liking to her cousin, Will. Ashley understood him better than her siblings. The Banks family was tended to by their servant, an English gentleman named Geoffrey Butler (Joseph Marcell). Geoffrey knew his station in life, but wasn't above wise cracking and making comments about his employer. Will was a good kid who seemed to find trouble, and often brought on the wrath of his Uncle Phil.

The executive producer for the series, music legend Quincy Jones, made a cameo appearance during the opening credits as the driver of the cab that brought Will from the airport to the mansion in Bel-Air.
The upbeat "rap" theme song is performed by "The Fresh Prince", the stage name Will Smith used during his days as a most successful music rap artist. Smith as the Fresh Prince won a music Grammy Award in 1985 for his hit rap song, "Parent Just Don't Understand", which he performed with his music partner, Jeffrey A. Townes, who was known at the time as DJ Jazzy Jeff. Townes also appeared in 42 episodes of the "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, playing Will's friend, Jazz, who always had a crush on Hilary, and was always being thrown out (literally) of the Banks' home by uncle Phil.

This 30 minute situation comedy series aired for six seasons, from September 1990 until September of 1996, on Monday nights in the 8:00 time period, on the NBC Television Network.

Theme song for "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air"

Written and performed by The Fresh Prince (aka Will Smith)

* Note - The verses preceded by "..." were dropped from the opening theme after the third episode originally aired.

"Now this is the story all about how
My life got flipped-turned upside down
And I liked to take a minute
Just sit right there
I'll tell you how I became the prince of a town called Bel-Air

In West Philadelphia born and raised
On the playground was where I spent most of my days
Chillin' out, maxin' relaxing all cool
And all shootin some b-ball outside of the school
When a couple of guys
Who were up to no good
Startin making trouble in my neighborhood
I got in one little fight and my mom got scared
She said 'You're movin' with your auntie and uncle in Bel-Air'.

... I begged and pleaded with her day after day.
... But she packed my suit case and sent me on my way.
... She gave me a kiss and then gave me my ticket.
... I put my walkman on and said, 'I might as well kick it'.

... First class, yo this is bad
... Drinking orange juice out of a champagne glass,
... Is this what the people of Bel-Air living like?
... Hmmmmm this might be alright

... But wait I hear they're prissy, wine all that
... Is Bel-Air the type of place they send this cool cat?
... I don't think so.
... I'll see when I get there
... I hope they're prepared for the prince of Bel-Air.

... Well, the plane landed and when I came out
... There was a dude who looked like a cop standing there with my name
___ out.
... I ain't trying to get arrested
... I just got here
... I sprang with the quickness like lightening, disappeared

I whistled for a cab and when it came near
The license plate said fresh and it had dice in the mirror
If anything I can say this cab is rare
But I thought 'Now forget it' - 'Yo home to Bel-Air'.

I pulled up to the house about 7 or 8
And I yelled to the cabbie, 'Yo homes smell you later'
I looked at my kingdom
I was finally there
To sit on my throne as the Prince of Bel-Air."

Lyric from:
www.msptip@cs.com

Answer: The Beverly Hillbillies

The plot of "The Beverly Hillbillies" was simple and entertaining. A poor mountaineer, Jed Clampett (Buddy Ebsen), accidentally discovered oil on his property in the hills of Tennessee, and instantly became a multi-millionaire. At the urging of his kinfolk, he packed up his family (his daughter, Elly May (Donna Douglas), and his mother-in-law, Daisy Moses (Irene Ryan), who was known to everyone as "Granny". Jed's cousin Pearl Bodine, volunteered the services of her son, Jethro (Max Baer Jr.), to drive the family to the West coast and to help them settle into their new home. The family moved into a large mansion in Beverly Hills, California. The stories revolved around the naive country family as they tried to adjust to their new modern living environment in Beverly Hills. Before better acclimating themselves to their new lifestyle, the Clampetts believed that their mansion was haunted because of the sound of the strange chimes that would occasionally start to play. The Clampetts had never experienced having a doorbell, and were unaccustomed to the sound. They referred to the swimming pool as the "cement pond", and mistook their billiard room and table for a fancy dining room, complete with a green felt covered table, and fancy food stickers/pot passers (pool cues) that they used to pass their vittles (food) around the table.
The Clampett family was guided by Milburn Drysdale (Raymond Baily), the greedy Beverly Hills banker, whose sole goal was the keep the Clampett family happy and in Beverly Hills so their millions would remain in his bank. Throughout the series, the Clampetts were visited by various people from "back home", including Jed's cousin (and Jethro's mother), Pearl Bodine (Bea Benederet), Jethro's twin sister, Jethrine Bodine (also played by Max Baer Jr.), and close friends, Bluegrass music performing duo Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs, who also sang and performed the opening and closing lyrics to the series theme song.
The theme song, "The Ballad of Jed Clampett" reached #42 on the "Billboard Pop Music Chart" in 1962, and it reached the #1 position on the "Billboard Country Music Chart" in January of 1963.

End theme for "The Beverly Hillbillies"

Written by series creator, Paul Henning

Performed by Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs (playing banjos and singing vocals)

"Well now it's time to say goodbye to Jed and all his kin,
And they would like to thank you folks for kindly dropping in.
You're all invited back next week to this locality,
To share a heapin' helpin' of their hospitality.

Hillbillie that is, sit a spell, take your shoes off.
Y'all come back now, ya hear"?

Answer: Have Gun - Will Travel

"Have Gun-Will Travel" premiered in 1957, and was one of the more popular Western series of the late 1950's and early 1960's. The series finished its first season as the #4 ranked program in the Nielson Television ratings, and maintained the #3 rating for the next three years. "Have Gun-Will Travel" was unique in that it was one of the few early Western series that originated on television before becoming a radio program. Richard Boone starred as the mystery figure known only as Paladin. Paladin, a well educated gentleman, and graduate of West Point Military Academy, could usually be found at the Hotel Carlton (his residence) in San Francisco, California, where he was always well dressed, often enjoyed gourmet meals, and regularly attended the Opera in the company of some of San Francisco's finest ladies. As a professional gunfighter for hire, (his alter ego) Paladin dressed all in black, and wore a black gun belt with the symbol of a chess piece (knight) on his gun holster. Paladin always carried a hidden derringer under his belt. Paladin carried and passed out his printed business cards to those he felt may be in need his services. His business cards displayed a chess piece, and read:
"Have Gun-Will Travel
Wire Paladin
San Francisco".
Paladin worked for both those who contacted him and were able to pay his one thousand dollar service fee, and for those who were unable to pay the fee but needed someone to champion their cause.
Much of the success of the series was credited to the writers who created the stories. Some of those writer went on to gain fame and recognition in other writing projects. Staff writers included Gene Roddenberry, the creator and key writer for "Star Trek" (1966), Bruce Geller, creator of the television series "Mission: Impossible" (1966), and Harry Julian Fink, the creator of the Harry Callahan character and the "Dirty Harry" (1971) movie series. Noted writer Sam Peckinpah wrote one episode of "Have Gun-Will Travel", called "The Singer" during the first season (episode 22) which first aired February 8, 1958.
"Have Gun Will Travel aired for six seasons from 1957 through 1963, producing a total of 226 episodes. One note, throughout the run of the series, the true identity of the man call Paladin was never revealed.

End theme of "Have Gun-Will Travel":

"The Ballad of Paladin"

Written by Johnny Western, Richard Boon, and Sam Rolfe
Performed by Johnny Western

"Have Gun Will Travel reads the card of a man.
A knight without armor in a savage land.
His fast gun for hire heeds the calling wind.
a soldier of fortune is a man called, Paladin.

Paladin, Paladin, where do you roam.
Paladin, Paladin, far, far from home".

Answer: Good Times

"Good Times" (1974) was the story of the Evans family, a struggling African American family just trying to survive and make ends meet in a Chicago, Illinois housing project. Through the challenges and adversities of trying to get by, the Evans family was able to maintain a strong family bond, where love and devotion to each other turned their often difficult situations into good times.
The family was headed by James Evans (John Amos), a devoted family man, unable to find steady employment, but was always able to provide for his family. His wife, Florida, (Esther Rolle) was a strong mother figure, who kept the family home fires burning, and raised their three children. Their daughter, Thelma, (BernNadette Stanis), was a strong willed, articulate teenager, who enjoyed verbally teasing her younger brothers. Oldest son, James Evans Jr. (Jimmie Walker), who was known to all as "J.J.", was a wise cracking, street smart, and gifted aspiring artist. He always had a plan or scheme to make a little extra money to help his family. His often mentioned favorite phrase, "dynamite" (or as he pronounced it, dy-no-mite!) became the #14 ranked catchphrase on the "TV Guide" list of "TV's 20 Top Catchphrases", published in August of 2005. The youngest son, Michael, (Ralph Carter) was an ambitious young man with somewhat radical, nearly militant ideas about the struggle and treatment of the African American race. As the luck of the family seemed to be looking bright for the first time, with James securing a full time, well paying steady job, the family prepared to leave Chicago and relocate to the Southern region of the United States, to join James. At the end of the third season during their farewell to the neighborhood party, Florida received a telegram announcing that James had been killed in a traffic accident in the state of Mississippi. The hopes of the family were crushed. In reality, actor John Amos was fired from the show following his ongoing disputes with the producers and writers of the show. The producers and writers wanted to continue to portray J.J. as a fast and slick talking comedic stereotype of a ghetto teenager youth. Amos felt that the portrayal did not provide the best image or a positive role model for the younger viewers.
"Good Times" was a spin-off of the television series "Maude", and aired for six seasons, from 1974 to 1979.

The closing theme of the series "Good Times"

Written by Dave Crusin and Andrew Bergman

"Mmmmmmmm,
Just lookin' out of the window,
Watching the asphalt grow.
Thinkin' how it all looks hand-me-down,
Good times, yeah yeah, good times.

Keepin' your head above water,
Makin' a wave when you can.
Temporary lay offs.- Good times,
Easy credit rip offs. - Good times.


Ain't we lucky we got 'em.
Good times, yeah".


Details for this quiz came primarily from the memories and personal recollections of some of my favorite television series of the past.
(Thank goodness for syndication, cable, and reruns).

Where my memory failed or for specific dates and facts, the following references were used:

"The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present"
Written by Tim Brooks and Earle Marsh - Eighth Edition - October, 2003

www.imdb.com
Listings under the series titles

en.wikipedia.org
Listings under the series and performers titles