Can somebody tell me what the Mike Douglas show is about? I never saw it & I would like to know about this program. Thanks.

So, would you say that Mike makes (or made) your day?



I think he was principally known as an earlier incarnation of the Oscar Meyer kids, though I seem to have a memory of him misprouncing spaghetti (busketti, maybe?) in another commercial. I don't recall if he was ever on a show of his own. He still shows up on Howard Stern (or did in the 90s when I was living in NY) and still looks about the same, only much, much older. ETA: I saw a short, independent film some years ago about Mason Reese which included clips from the week he co-hosted on Mike Douglas. I believe it was made by an NYU film student (I saw it on an NYC PBS station) and was pretty strange.

I used to watch Mike Douglas in the afternoon when I got home from school (elementary school, that is) and he's still the prototype for what I think a daytime talk-show personality should be. I could never stomach Rosie O'Donnell long enough to compare her show to his but I feel it would pale in comparison. I recall that he had Neil Sedaka on around the time Neil did a song with Elton John (Bad Blood, I think) and Mike came out dressed like Elton in his stage show to perform with Sedaka.

I don't specifically remember John and Yoko, but Mike always had some of the top acts of the day on his show. I remember Alice Cooper being on and he related the story that either he'd gotten an uncomplimentary letter from John Denver, or Denver made some disparaging comments about him in an interview. Cooper said that Denver said something like, "I don't think he'll be around very long" to which Cooper wrote back, saying, "At least I'll be around long enough to urinate on your front lawn" and says he included a sample bottle.

Man, first Max Headroom, now Mike Douglas? These forums are turning into a romp down memory lane for me.

Mike Douglas was a lite talk show that ran in the mid 60's to late 70's or there about. Mike was a performer of the old school who relied on a number of old school guests such as Totie Fields, Stiller and Meara, Tiny Tim, Joan Rivers, Jack Jones and that beloved comic who san "Hello Mudda, Hello Fadda." Mike had a delicious song called "The Men In My Little Girl's Life" which he sang per request to his wholly housewife audience, most in headscarves.

I remember being irate at prissy Ally Sheedy until I found out her mom was a huge literary agent. I was less offened by Ricky Seagal, Mason Reese, Robbie Rist and Rodney Allen Rippy. I was offended when Mike put the hammer down on The Stones, claiming they were wild-haired and smelled. Mike!

He had a girl once named Dawn Ann Kurth, who got to speak before Congress on the issue of commercials during children's TV. (Back then Romper Room served donuts and TV ads said,"Tell your parents to buy this!" so there was lots of leeway). Anyway, I wanted to do that too, to write to Washington and be on Mike and get to meet Vince Van Patten. Later I read Dawn had died very young. Maybe she knew the meter was running.

Anyway, it was a genteel show in a genteel time when guests didn't risk anything by being controversial. Mike had a remarkable wide head--like a Big Bertha atop a putter shaft--and had a soothing, Carsonesque presence. He was so good to come home to at 3 o'clock.

(Oh and Mason Resse said "BORGASHMORD.")

Check out that irony - Cooper is still around and Denver is long dead.

And, of course, his lawn died well before he did.

I used to run home from school every day to watch this and "The Edge of Night" (great soap opera that bit the dust awhile ago). Mike was a gentleman and I can remember fantasizing about becoming a famous actress and being on his show. Television was a lot different then.

The beloved comic of note was the late, great Allan Sherman.

I think Mike Douglas' show might've even originated out of Philadelphia, but on that note I could be wrong.

During its peak of popularity, Mike's show did indeed tape in Philadelphia.

It started in Cleveland in 1961, then when a complicated FCC issue forced the originating station to move to Philly in '65, the show moved with it. Late in the run (around 1978), Mike was talked into moving to L.A. by the syndicator.

I LOVED that show - Sky & Raven Whitney and all the rest, including teenager Lori Loughlin. I'm kind of ashamed of the fact that I can still sing the theme song (played over closing credits).

Now the Mike Douglas theme song I'm having more problems remembering. I'm pretty sure it was an instrumental (no lyrics), but I can't quite remember the tune. Anyone?

Ah yes, it's all coming back to me now.

Too bad young Mason was one of the child stars who died from drinking soda and eating Pop Rocks in Nam.

I loved when Mike crooned, as he was sincere even when his songs were off the schmaltz charts. "There's a boy outside, his name is Lymon. He wants to relieve me of my hymen. Is it OK Pops? He's really keen..."

He was the Wiz and no body could beat him.

Mike Douglas died today, on his 81st birthday. How sad, another icon gone. I watched his show when I was a kid.

Story on CNN

Rest In Peace Mike Douglas.

So many lovely memories of watching his show with my Mom when I was a kid.
Mr Douglas knew how to do it right.
A gentleman who was kind + considerate with his guests, always appearing truely interested in whatever they were saying.
His show was a comfort-show to watch .... nice mix of music, talk, and laughter.



From the Associated Press:
Douglas' afternoon show aired from 1961 to 1982. It featured his ballad and big-band singing style, other musicians, comedians, sports figures and political personalities, including seven former, sitting or future presidents.

"People still believe 'The Mike Douglas Show' was a talk show, and I never correct them, but I don't think so," Douglas said in his 1999 memoir, "I'll Be Right Back: Memories of TV's Greatest Talk Show."

"It was really a music show, with a whole lot of talk and laughter in between numbers."

I loved Mike and his show and am sad he's passed. I was a kid when his show was at its peak and like few others have posted, thought he was a fabulous host, and indeed a bit Carsonesque. He knew how to hold back, when to push (gently) forward and most of all, how to let his guests be the star...it wasn't about him, it was about them.

I even like his 'crooning', there was something soothing and fun about it. What a great guy, may he rest in peace.

I too grew up watching his show, but I hate to say that he's one of those people I thought was already gone!

I grew up as fan as a kid of his show. It was when I was teen that I became devotee fan when Genesis apeared on the show. They were an unknown band in American and they appeared scruffy and my mom hated them... They became my fave band and still are still now 30 years later...
Thank you Mr. Douglas.. You opened my eyes and ears to so much new talent and you were fn rocked my life!
Rest in Peace, Sir.

Watching Mike Douglas after school was one of the comforting constants of my growing-up years. His show was simultaneously old-fashioned and cutting-edge in the talent it welcomed. And Mike himself was an unfailingly gracious and interested host. The news of his passing makes me sad.

I watched some tributes to him on various news shows last night and one thing I think that was often overlooked (by critics) was how truly talented he was -- and that was overlooked, IMO, because he made it look so easy and that often gets equated with being not so talented or even a bit bland.

Being a terrific, interested, fun (and funny) and gracious host (who, as I said earlier, let the guests be the star, it was not about him) is no small accomplishment - it takes a lot of talent and smarts. It reminds me of how great comedic actors are often overlooked at the Oscars because people often think 'drama is so much harder'.

One thing I had forgotten that was mentioned in one of the network news mentions last night was that his show (which aired five days a week) ran for 90 MINUTES! Can you imagine? Talk shows (for as long as I can remember, or at least since the 80's) have always run for 60 minutes....so for his show to be so popular and to glide with ease through 90 minutes shows even more talent, IMO.

Of course, his most famous shows weren't even hosted by Mike, when John Lennon and Yoko Ono guest hosted for a week. He also introduced the world to a 3-year old Tiger Woods.

Mike Douglas was a comfort food host during his reign. His show was safe, predictable, funny and entertaining. Even as a child I appreciated his worth.

I liked Mike Douglas and feel for his family and his friends and fans and all, but, to say the guy was a TV "icon", come on. That word gets thrown around too much. Johnny Carson was a TV icon. Ed Sullivan. Walter Cronkite. Lucille Ball....but, Mike Douglas?
That's like saying Merv Griffin is a TV icon. Or Dinah Shore. Or that Rosie O'Donnell is. There are icons, then there are people who are on TV for quite a few years who are pleasant enough, but don't really contribute a lot. To me, Mike Douglas was one of those. Like Merv Griffin. The only thing I remember about Mike Douglas is that he had John Lennon on. Because every time they have a show on about John Lennon they invariably show his visit to The Mike Douglas Show. And any lengthy program on Tiger Woods invariably shows the clip of him as a youngster on Douglas' show. That's about all I remember.
If Mike Douglas was influential in that he's somewhat responsible for the junk we see on day time tv today, then I would say his influence would be a negative one.
Like I said, I liked him, and am sorry that he died, but he hardly qualifies for TV icon status.

I agree with you about the term, TruthMatters. And I'd go so far as to say that a public figure can be influential without being an icon. To me "icon" signifies someone whose image and presence have permeated the public consciousness, and as much as I loved Mike Douglas, I don't think that description fits him.

Then again, let's just be grateful the reports haven't been throwing around the word "genius." ;)

Say "Hello" to Johnny and John for us, Mike.

There literally hasn't been a week since Mike's show went off the air that I haven't missed it (and him).



From what I can see, Phil Donahue deserves the (dis)credit for this. The daytime shows today (except for Ellen, who is carrying on in somewhat of the Douglas tradition) took his innovations and ran with them.



John and Yoko were Mike's co-hosts that week, not fill-in guest hosts; he was there beside them for every show.

Rest well, Mike.

Mike Douglas was a former big-band singer, and loved the Vegas-style entertainers of his and the previous generation. But, he also had a Clive Davis-like intuition for the next thing (Genesis, The Animals, Moby Grape, Prince, George Carlin).

Putting Yoko Ono on television for 7 1/2 hours - point against.

I have no comment on this.

I'll always remember this show for making me a Stooge fan before I was even born--my mother always made it a point to watch when Moe Howard was a guest. There was a standing invitation for Larry Fine to return to his hometown (Philadelphia--where the show was taped then) to do an interview/reunion with Howard, but Fine didn't want to be seen as being a shell of his former self.

Incidentally, I've seen interviews with Fine after he had his stroke, and other than the voice changes, he wasn't that bad. He was a bit blue, though. ;-)