Uploaded February 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Do you watch Joe Don Baker movies? Unriffed? Well, here's a complete broadcast of the WGN Presents showing of "Mitchell" [1975] over WGN Channel 9 - well before Mystery Science Theater 3000 (MST3k) sunk its teeth into it. (previously we shared a complete broadcast of another unriffed MST3k favorite, "Pumaman", seen here: youtu.be/aPDCrZcYo3g)
Here Joe Don stars in the title role, not as Mittens, but Mitchell - a tough, slobby and slavishly honest cop out to take down heroin dealers and a businessman who murdered a burglar, even at risk to his own life. Also starring Martin Balsam, John Saxon, Linda Evans (between The Big Valley and Dynasty), Morgan Paull, Harold J. Stone and Merlin Olsen (before Father Murphy).
Return bumper voiceovers by Merri Dee.
A few bonuses will follow.
Includes:
Disclaimer about reception, followed by flown in WGN Presents opening (also note: some of the death scenes had to be edited because YouTube complained)
Segment 1 (opening titles joined in progress)
Promo for "Monkey Business" (the 1952 flick starring Cary Grant and Marilyn Monroe)
Commercials for:
Popeyes Fried Chicken & Biscuits
RCA Full Stereo/Full Spectrum Projection TV (voiceover by Danny Dark)
Segment 2
PSA for Illinois Tax Amnesty Program (cut out of early for some reason)
WGN Station ID
Commercials for:
Moran Supply Company / Weil-McLain High-Efficiency Heating Specialist
Promo for "Private Dancer" album by Tina Turner (portions of music had to be reversed to avoid blockage)
Lincoln Carpet - with Ladies & Men's Quartz Calendar Watch offer and $10,000 in cash (featuring Rosemary Gernette and NAtional 2-9000 jingle)
Segment 3
Commercials for:
Interlude perfume and cologne - by Frances Denney
Moran Supply Company / Amana Energy Command (offer ends November 30th 1984)
Diet Rite cola (with Lee Majors)
State of Illinois Tax Amnesty Program - October 1st thru November 30th
Promo for "This Savage Land" on Monday (voiceover by Merri Dee)
Commercials for:
Olson Rug Co. - 110th Anniversary Sale
Burger King Croissan'wich
Dennison Construction Co. (with president Alan Dennison)
Segment 4
Commercials for:
Zest soap - "Hidden Camera" (with Pat Nopolis (?) (voiceover by Peter Thomas?)
Promo for "The Sand Pebbles"
Nelson Brothers (voiceover by Al Parker) - "Credit Power"
Sizzler - "Dem Bones" (BBQ beef prime ribs)
Segment 5
Commercials for:
Red Lobster - "All You Can Eat Special" (with actor David Garrison)
Datsun - now known as Nissan - "Major Motion" (with actor Frank Ashmore)
Victory Auto Wreckers
Segment 6
Commercials for:
New Era Plus detergent
Moran Supply Company / Amana Energy Command (repeat)
Diet Pepsi
John M. Smyth's Homemakers
Nissan Sporty - "So I hop in the Nissan..."
Segment 7
Promo for The Waltons
Commercials for:
Amana refrigerators - "A Breath of Fresh Air"
National Clothing Fashions
Al Piemonte Ford (with Al Piemonte himself) - "Find a Good Used Car"
Segment 8
Commercials for:
Crest toothpaste ("Hey Mom! My checkup!")
Fireside toy store
Starving Artists Group - One-Day Art Sale
Segment 9
Zest soap (repeat)
Schamburg Datsun (with Tom Sandek (?))
Segment 10 (the end)
WGN "Chicago's Very Own" ID with shot of nighttime Chicago skyline)
Promo for "Monkey Business" (see above for which one)
Commercial: The Bradford Exchange collector plates
Promo for "This Savage Land" with WGN Presents title sequence (voiceover by Merri Dee)
Bonus #1:
Movietone News segment (intro voiceover by ??):
Lowell Thomas introduces the news of the world . . .
"Floods Take Heavy Toll in 5 States" (with testimony from Edwin Landis of Trumansburg, NY; reference to floods of July 7th-10th 1935)
Promo for The 9 O'Clock News (with Denise Cannon)
Commercials for:
Encaprin Arthritis Pain Reliever
White Cloud bathroom tissue
Station ID / promo for WKRP in Cincinnati (ending voiceover by Merri Dee)
Bonus #2:
Whatever could be shown from a partial airing of Tales from the Darkside including:
Show bumper
Commercials for:
Chips Ahoy chocolate chip cookie - from Nabisco
Listermint with fluoride
Miller High Life
M&M candies
Show bumper, followed by first few seconds of Act II...and ... a scary
This aired on local Chicago TV on Saturday, October 20th 1984 into early Sunday, October 21st 1984 during the 10:30pm to 12:30am timeframe.
About The Museum of Classic Chicago Television:
The MCCTv (FuzzyMemoriesTV) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit whose primary mission is the preservation and display of off-air, early home videotape recordings (70s to early 80s, mostly) recorded off of TV (in Chicago or other cities now too); things which would likely be lost if not sought out and preserved digitally. If you have any old 1970s videotapes recorded off of TV please email: tapes@fuzzy.tv We preserve the entire broadcasts in our archives for historical preservation. For information on how to help in our mission, to donate or lend tapes to be converted to digital, please e-mail tapes@fuzzy.tv Thank you for your help!
Do you watch Joe Don Baker movies? Unriffed? Well, here's a complete broadcast of the WGN Presents showing of "Mitchell" [1975] over WGN Channel 9 - well before Mystery Science Theater 3000 (MST3k) sunk its teeth into it. (previously we shared a complete broadcast of another unriffed MST3k favorite, "Pumaman", seen here: youtu.be/aPDCrZcYo3g)
Here Joe Don stars in the title role, not as Mittens, but Mitchell - a tough, slobby and slavishly honest cop out to take down heroin dealers and a businessman who murdered a burglar, even at risk to his own life. Also starring Martin Balsam, John Saxon, Linda Evans (between The Big Valley and Dynasty), Morgan Paull, Harold J. Stone and Merlin Olsen (before Father Murphy).
Return bumper voiceovers by Merri Dee.
A few bonuses will follow.
Includes:
Disclaimer about reception, followed by flown in WGN Presents opening (also note: some of the death scenes had to be edited because YouTube complained)
Segment 1 (opening titles joined in progress)
Promo for "Monkey Business" (the 1952 flick starring Cary Grant and Marilyn Monroe)
Commercials for:
Popeyes Fried Chicken & Biscuits
RCA Full Stereo/Full Spectrum Projection TV (voiceover by Danny Dark)
Segment 2
PSA for Illinois Tax Amnesty Program (cut out of early for some reason)
WGN Station ID
Commercials for:
Moran Supply Company / Weil-McLain High-Efficiency Heating Specialist
Promo for "Private Dancer" album by Tina Turner (portions of music had to be reversed to avoid blockage)
Lincoln Carpet - with Ladies & Men's Quartz Calendar Watch offer and $10,000 in cash (featuring Rosemary Gernette and NAtional 2-9000 jingle)
Segment 3
Commercials for:
Interlude perfume and cologne - by Frances Denney
Moran Supply Company / Amana Energy Command (offer ends November 30th 1984)
Diet Rite cola (with Lee Majors)
State of Illinois Tax Amnesty Program - October 1st thru November 30th
Promo for "This Savage Land" on Monday (voiceover by Merri Dee)
Commercials for:
Olson Rug Co. - 110th Anniversary Sale
Burger King Croissan'wich
Dennison Construction Co. (with president Alan Dennison)
Segment 4
Commercials for:
Zest soap - "Hidden Camera" (with Pat Nopolis (?) (voiceover by Peter Thomas?)
Promo for "The Sand Pebbles"
Nelson Brothers (voiceover by Al Parker) - "Credit Power"
Sizzler - "Dem Bones" (BBQ beef prime ribs)
Segment 5
Commercials for:
Red Lobster - "All You Can Eat Special" (with actor David Garrison)
Datsun - now known as Nissan - "Major Motion" (with actor Frank Ashmore)
Victory Auto Wreckers
Segment 6
Commercials for:
New Era Plus detergent
Moran Supply Company / Amana Energy Command (repeat)
Diet Pepsi
John M. Smyth's Homemakers
Nissan Sporty - "So I hop in the Nissan..."
Segment 7
Promo for The Waltons
Commercials for:
Amana refrigerators - "A Breath of Fresh Air"
National Clothing Fashions
Al Piemonte Ford (with Al Piemonte himself) - "Find a Good Used Car"
Segment 8
Commercials for:
Crest toothpaste ("Hey Mom! My checkup!")
Fireside toy store
Starving Artists Group - One-Day Art Sale
Segment 9
Zest soap (repeat)
Schamburg Datsun (with Tom Sandek (?))
Segment 10 (the end)
WGN "Chicago's Very Own" ID with shot of nighttime Chicago skyline)
Promo for "Monkey Business" (see above for which one)
Commercial: The Bradford Exchange collector plates
Promo for "This Savage Land" with WGN Presents title sequence (voiceover by Merri Dee)
Bonus #1:
Movietone News segment (intro voiceover by ??):
Lowell Thomas introduces the news of the world . . .
"Floods Take Heavy Toll in 5 States" (with testimony from Edwin Landis of Trumansburg, NY; reference to floods of July 7th-10th 1935)
Promo for The 9 O'Clock News (with Denise Cannon)
Commercials for:
Encaprin Arthritis Pain Reliever
White Cloud bathroom tissue
Station ID / promo for WKRP in Cincinnati (ending voiceover by Merri Dee)
Bonus #2:
Whatever could be shown from a partial airing of Tales from the Darkside including:
Show bumper
Commercials for:
Chips Ahoy chocolate chip cookie - from Nabisco
Listermint with fluoride
Miller High Life
M&M candies
Show bumper, followed by first few seconds of Act II...and ... a scary
This aired on local Chicago TV on Saturday, October 20th 1984 into early Sunday, October 21st 1984 during the 10:30pm to 12:30am timeframe.
About The Museum of Classic Chicago Television:
The MCCTv (FuzzyMemoriesTV) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit whose primary mission is the preservation and display of off-air, early home videotape recordings (70s to early 80s, mostly) recorded off of TV (in Chicago or other cities now too); things which would likely be lost if not sought out and preserved digitally. If you have any old 1970s videotapes recorded off of TV please email: tapes@fuzzy.tv We preserve the entire broadcasts in our archives for historical preservation. For information on how to help in our mission, to donate or lend tapes to be converted to digital, please e-mail tapes@fuzzy.tv Thank you for your help!
