to watch it.

back near the end of my freshman year in high school in 1976, one of my classes got chance to be in the audience of a taping of the show. The guests were Kristy McNichol, The Amazing Kreskin, Don Knotts, and Barbara Carrera (and one or two others that I forget). What was fascinating was that the entire taping was done in 1 shot, including pauses for where commercials would eventually be inserted. There were producers walking the edge of stage close to the audience seats with signs for applause and to "work the crowd". The taping aired about 6 weeks later.

and ironically, we are the same age. She and her brother were very popular (along with Jody Foster, also my age).

However that day offered me a jolt of reality and the impact was major. At the end of the taping when our class was outside the studio waiting for the school bus to pick us up, Kristy was brought outside by her handlers. All at once, the media, some of the audience who were milling around outside, passerbys, and tourists, (since the studio was a block from Independence Hall), just swarmed her. A camera crew with a portable light, flashed a spotlight on her (it was late in the afternoon). And the look on her face was sheer terror while her manager stood behind her with his hands firmly on her shoulders (keeping her from moving), while people encircled her and snapped pictures. And although I (and others) managed to get her autograph, after experiencing that scene, I refused to go up to any celebrity to ask for an autograph for the next 25+ years (until I went to a Creation Con in the area with Shatner, Nimoy, and other scifi show folks).

Remember Mike Douglas, was often on at our house, wonder if I saw this at the time. I was a big fan of "Star Wars," saw it at the movies six times...

Period. Not "Star Wars: Episode I 'A New Hope'". I don't know how many arguments I have gotten into with people over the years about the ORIGINAL name of that film (that I saw 10 times in the movies in 1977 - 1978) when it was originally released.

Also in that clip - I noticed that Richard "John Boy" Thomas was on there. The Waltons was the show!