Press Release - 7.25.16
getTV CELEBRATES LUCILLE BALL WITH A SPECIAL BIRTHDAY BLOCK FEATURING THE 2003 BIOPIC LUCY, FOLLOWED BY AN UNFORGETTABLE EPISODE OF THE MERV GRIFFIN SHOW, ON SUNDAY, AUGUST 7, AT 8 P.M. ET/5 P.M. PT
Other Highlights Include a Jeff Bridges Two-Pack, a 45TH Anniversary Presentation of BILLY JACK, Stunts Starring Cher, Rosalind Russell, Chevy Chase & Cary Grant, and More
CULVER CITY, CA – Monday, July 25, 2016 – getTV gets you through the dog days of summer with an August lineup of Golden Age favorites featuring award-winning dramas, side-splitting comedies, and beloved stars. The month includes a Lucille Ball birthday block; a trio of iconic divas on THE MERV GRIFFIN SHOW; a GIDGET two-pack; stunts starring Cher, Jeff Bridges, Rosalind Russell and Cary Grant; a night of classic Mitzi Gaynor specials; and the Oscar®-winning drama THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI; among others.
Highlights of getTV’s August programming lineup are as follows:
Photos are available here: https://bit.ly/getTVAug16Images
Merv Salutes The Greatest Stars—Mon., August 1 at 8 p.m. ET
Merv Griffin sits down with some of cinema’s most iconic divas in a block of timeless MERV GRIFFIN SHOW episodes, featuring the incomparable Joan Crawford, with John Wayne, Robert Vaughn, and Peggy Wood; as well as Golden Age standout Bette Davis, with Olivia de Havilland, at 9 p.m. ET; and prolific star of stage and screen Tallulah Bankhead, with Willie Mays and Lionel Hampton, at 10 p.m. ET.
Lucille Ball’s Birthday—Sun., August 7 at 8 p.m. ET
getTV pays tribute to trailblazing superstar Lucille Ball with a birthday block featuring the 2003 biopic LUCY, starring Rachel York as Lucy and Danny Pino as Desi Arnaz. Then, Lucy sits down for an unforgettable episode of THE MERV GRIFFIN SHOW, with close friend Bob Hope, her children Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz Jr., and her husband Gary Morton, at 11:05 p.m. ET. Lucy would have turned 104 on August 6.
THE EQUALIZER: Get Lost In TV Block—Wed., August 10 at 8 p.m. ET
Edward Woodward is on the case as hard-nosed private investigator Robert McCall, helping his innocent clients even the odds in the hit 1985 crime series THE EQUALIZER. This special block highlights four classic episodes starring acclaimed television actors in some of their earliest appearances, including Bradley Whitford at 8 p.m. ET; Tony Shalhoub at 9 p.m. ET; Kevin Spacey at 10 p.m. ET; and William H. Macy at 11 p.m. ET. The series was the basis for the 2014 Denzel Washington thriller of the same name, and features an unforgettable theme and score by The Police founder Stewart Copeland.
Rosalind Russell—Thurs., August 11 at 8 p.m. ET
Rosalind Russell shines in two charming comedies, starring as a bewildered nun at odds with wild child Hayley Mills in Ida Lupino’s THE TROUBLE WITH ANGELS. And Russell is back in the habit as Mother Superior in the road trip romp WHERE ANGELS GO… TROUBLE FOLLOWS!, with Milton Berle and Stella Stevens, at 10:45 p.m. ET.
45TH Anniversary of BILLY JACK—Fri., August 12 at 8 p.m. ET
getTV celebrates 45 years of BILLY JACK, with this block starring Tom Laughlin as a drifter protecting students from hateful townsfolk in BILLY JACK. Then, Billy Jack fights dirty cops and crooked politicians in THE TRIAL OF BILLY JACK, at 10:50 p.m. ET.
SUSPECT (1987)—Sun., August 14 at 8 p.m. ET
Cher stars as a public defender whose hunt for a killer uncovers a ring of corruption in this taut thriller that also stars Liam Neeson, Dennis Quaid, and Joe Mantegna.
Gidget Summer—Tues., August 16 at 8 p.m. ET
Catch some waves with America’s favorite beach bunny in this double feature, starring Deborah Walley as the lovesick teen on a family trip to the Big Island in GIDGET GOES HAWAIIAN, with James Darren and Carl Reiner. Then, Gidget (Cindy Carol) and Moondoggie take their love abroad in GIDGET GOES TO ROME, at 10:30 p.m. ET.
Jeff Bridges—Fri., August 19 at 8 p.m. ET
Spend an evening with beloved leading man Jeff Bridges, starring as a young man in a dying Texas town in Peter Bogdanovich’s Oscar®-winning drama THE LAST PICTURE SHOW, with Cybill Shepherd and Timothy Bottoms. And Bridges stars as a football pro in a web of lies in AGAINST ALL ODDS, with James Woods, at 11 p.m. ET.
Best Picture Oscar®—Sun., August 21 at 6 p.m. ET
British POW Nicholson (Alec Guinness) tries to boost morale by building a bridge for his Japanese captors, while Commander Shears (William Holden) goes on a mission to destroy it, in THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI, a war epic that took home seven Oscars® in 1958, including Best Picture. Following the film at 10 p.m. is the biography special WILLIAM HOLDEN: AN UNTAMED SPIRIT, which tells the story of the Oscar winner’s rise from working at his family’s fertilization company, to becoming an acclaimed leading man, and Hollywood’s first married actor to enlist in WWII.
Remake/Original—Thurs., August 25 at 8 p.m. ET
Tune in for a comedy two-pack featuring a classic remake and the original that inspired it, in this block starring Chevy Chase as a writer racing to clear his name in SEEMS LIKE OLD TIMES, with Goldie Hawn. And Cary Grant stars as an escaped prisoner seeking a fresh start in THE TALK OF THE TOWN, with Jean Arthur, at 10:10 p.m.
Mitzi!—Mon., August 29 at 8 p.m. ET
getTV puts the spotlight on legendary show-woman Mitzi Gaynor, in honor of her 85TH birthday on September 4, with three career-defining variety specials, kicking off with the 1967 classic MITZI GAYNOR CHRISTMAS SHOW, as Mitzi takes the stage at the Kraft Music Hall in New York City, putting her signature song-and-dance twist on a multitude of Christmas favorites with help from guests Ed McMahon, Cyril Ritchard, and Tony Tanner; former Johnny Carson sidekick Ed Herlihy serves as emcee for the night’s festivities. The rarely seen 1968 special MITZI follows at 9 p.m. ET, starring George Hamilton and Phil Harris, and boasting 23 costume changes, a multitude of breathtaking dance numbers, and hilarious skits. Then, Gaynor shines in the 1969 hit MITZI’S 2ND SPECIAL at 10 p.m. ET, as she sings and dances her way through Broadway favorites alongside WILD, WILD WEST star Ross Martin.
For a complete schedule of films and times, visit www.get.tv/schedule. In addition to airing these films on the dates noted above, some of the movies mentioned are scheduled for further broadcasts throughout the month. (See listings for further details.)