VD Blues
Written byDonald Fouser
Gary Belkin
Jules Feiffer[1]
Directed byIsrael Horovitz
Stanley Lathan
StarringDick Cavett
James Coco
Marcia Rodd
Arlo Guthrie[2]
No. of episodes1
Production
ProducersGary Belkin
Israel Horovitz
Original release
NetworkWNET
ReleaseOctober 9, 1972 (1972-10-09)[3]

VD Blues was a one-hour PBS Special of the Week, created by Donald Fouser that aired in 1972 about the dangers of venereal disease.[4]

Plot

The show consisted of a series of skits and sketches that were hosted by Dick Cavett and starred well-known performers such as James Coco, Marcia Rodd, and Arlo Guthrie. It was underwritten by the 3M Company. The show featured the Shel Silverstein song "Don't Give a Dose" performed by Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show.[5][6][7][8][9]

Sequel

In 1973, PBS made a sequel,[10] VD Blues, Part 2, in which student volunteers from Drama classes at the University of Rochester in Rochester, NY were filmed in staged "candid" situations, asking key questions to be answered. An example: turning from a table of students at a seminar, one asks into the camera, "How do I know if I have V.D.?" One of the most memorable images of VD Blues, Part 2 was returning host Dick Cavett brandishing a toilet seat and stating, "You won't get VD from one of THESE!"

Awards

The show won an Emmy Award in the category of "Special Classification of Outstanding Program Achievements awarded to Donald Fouser."[11] Time Magazine called it the "most venturesome single show" of 1972.[12]

Book

A paperback book containing a transcript of the show was published by Avon Books in 1973.[13]

References

  1. ↑ Fay, Martha (19 May 2015). Out of Line: The Art of Jules Feiffer. Abrams. p. 855. ISBN 978-1-61312-292-1.
  2. ↑ Reineke, Hank (1 June 2012). Arlo Guthrie: The Warner/Reprise Years. Scarecrow Press. p. 146. ISBN 978-0-8108-8332-1. To offset the sensitive nature of the topic, VD Blues masqueraded as a television variety show featuring celebrities, musical performances, and comedy sketches that gently educated viewers about the dangers of syphilis.
  3. ↑ Day, James (8 January 2021). The Vanishing Vision: The Inside Story of Public Television. University of California Press. p. 184. ISBN 978-0-520-35663-4. VD Blues aired on October 9, 1972. Only two stations refused it : one in Jackson , Mississippi , and one in Little Rock , Arkansas . Most not only ran it but mounted local follow - up shows with experts responding to viewers ...
  4. ↑ "The VD Blues, written and created by Donald Fouser". Time, Inc. October 9, 1972. Archived from the original on October 22, 2010. Retrieved 2008-07-07.
  5. ↑ Oullette, Laurie (24 July 2012). Viewers Like You: How Public TV Failed the People. Columbia University Press. ISBN 978-0-231-52931-0. VD Blues (1972), declared "one of the most significant events in the history of television as a medium for education, enlightenment, and raised consciousness," rejected stodgy public television formats in an aggressive attempt to ...
  6. ↑ Brown, James Isaac (1975). Reading Power. D. C. Heath. p. 260. ISBN 978-0-669-85571-5. You certainly didn't feel preached at if you were watching VD Blues . Instead , you saw a bizarre , sometimes hilarious , and remarkably informative show — saw it , enjoyed it , stayed tuned to one of numerous " breakaway " half hours ...
  7. ↑ Health Services Reports, Volume 89. Health Services Administration. 1974. p. 295. ... which followed a 1 - hour national program entitled " VD Blues " that starred Dick Cavett . Following this 2 - hour broadcast , WETA-TV aired an additional 1 - hour program in which participants from the " Free Metro D.C. from VD ...Open access icon
  8. ↑ United States Congress Senate Committee on Commerce Subcommittee on Communications (1973). Public Broadcasting: Hearings, Ninety-third Congress, First Session, on S. 1090 . U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 273. More of the ' VD Blues ' type that inspires local follow - up . " " The objective is actually the objective of our entire schedule and can , I think , be better met by individual series , each dealing with a specific area of the Arts or ...
  9. ↑ Greenberg, Bradley S.; Gantz, Walter (1976). "Public television and taboo topics: The impact of VD Blues". Public Telecommunications Review. 4 (1): 56–59.
  10. ↑ Cincinnati Magazine. Emmis Communications. April 1973. p. 20. April 2, 8 p.m. V.D. Blues. A dynamic program of information on venereal disease.
  11. ↑ "1972–1973 Emmy Awards". Infoplease. Pearson Education. Retrieved 2008-07-07.
  12. ↑ "The Year's Most". Time. Time, Inc. January 1, 1973. Archived from the original on December 14, 2008. Retrieved 2008-07-07.
  13. ↑ Avon Books (1973). VD Blues. Educational Broadcasting Group.
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