NBC Sunday Night at the Movies - "Special Bulletin" (Complete Broadcast, 4/29/1984) 📺 ☢
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- Here's the complete broadcast of a repeat of a made-for-TV movie, "Special Bulletin," that aired on NBC Sunday Night at the Movies over WMAQ Channel 5.
This "realistic depiction of fictional events," which stars Ed Flanders, Kathryn Walker, Roxanne Hart, Christopher Allport, David Clennon, David Rasche and Rosalind Cash, involves a terrorist attack on Charleston, SC, where a TV news team is taken hostage by terrorists who threaten to blow up an H-bomb off the coast of the state if the Navy refuses to disarm a key nuclear weapons facility in the area. (Because of the nature of this picture, bumpers were used at the start and end of each act.) This was one of the two TV-movies that aired in 1983 which dealt with the specter of nuclear destruction, the other being of course "The Day After."
NOTE: For extra verisimilitude, this broadcast features real tornado watch WMAQ-TV on-screen crawl messages during the movie beginning at two points - 1:18:46 and 1:32:55.
All bumper voiceovers are by Donald Rickles.
Includes:
Film title on screen, with tail-end of "It's only a movie" disclaimer (voiceover by Danny Dark)
Show opening titles, followed by "realistic depiction of fictional events" disclaimer (voiceover by Donald Rickles), and Act I
Commercials for:
Ford Ranger pickup
AT&T (construction workers discuss calls) (voiceover by Cliff Robertson)
Stroh's beer (dog pours drinks)
Keebler Swirly-Q's (voiceover by Danny Dark)
Film Act II
Commercials for:
Maxwell House Decaffeinated (1983 Copyright) (a few seconds had to be snipped out)
Jell-O Brand Gelatin Pops (with facsimiles of The Little Rascals)
Concentrated All detergent
Max Factor ColorFast long-lasting lipstick (with Jaclyn Smith)
Bumper
Promo for TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes, and "Adam" (voiceover by Danny Dark)
Commercial: Ontario Ministry of Tourism & Recreation - "Yours to Discover"
Station ID / promo for Channel 5 News at 10pm (with Paul Hogan)
Film Act III
Commercials for:
Ford Laser Track paint system on cars (with engineer Laura J. Schaefer)
Pepsi (with Michael Jackson and The Jacksons)
Panadol maximum strength pain reliever (with lady from "The Day After", coincidentally enough)
Lysol Pine Action cleaner
Bumper
Promo for NBC Nightly News (voiceover by Howard Reig)
Commercials for:
American National Bank
TWA - deals on flights to Europe (voiceover by Don Criqui)
Station ID / promo for Channel 5 News at 10pm (with Deborah Norville)
Film Act IV
Commercials for:
Stroh's beer (beer mugs move like baseballs)
Polaroid - "Traveling Around America"
Mennen Skin Bracer
One-a-Day vitamins
Film Act V
Commercials for:
Ford Escort
Almay Hypo-Allergenic (with Morgan Brittany?)
Chic Sunset Blues collection
Tampax tampons
Bumper
Promo for Today (with Bryant Gumbel and Jane Pauley)
Commercials for:
Canada
The Cash Station Sweepstakes (with vocal choir)
Chicago Tribune (with Gene Siskel)
Channel 5 News Update with Deborah Norville
Film Act VI
Commercials for:
Ford F Series Light Trucks (with engineer Larry Ragan)
Stroh's beer (repeat of ad with beer-pouring dog)
Dimension shampoo
Cover Girl Thick Lash 2 (with Carol Alt)
Promo for "V: The Final Battle" (voiceover by Danny Dark)
Film Act VII
Commercials for:
American Motors Eagle
Vaseline Intensive Care
Commodore 64 home computer
Aqua-Fresh triple-protection formula toothpaste
Film ending credits (with voiceover promo for TV's Bloopers & Practical Jokes and "Adam" by ??, and for Today by Bryant Gumbel)
Show ending titles (with voiceover promo for "Adam" by Donald Rickles)
Promo for Knight Rider (voiceover by Danny Dark)
Preview of coming newscast
Commercials for:
American Express Card (with Ben Cross of "Chariots of Fire")
Anti-drinking PSA (with Daniel J. Travanti)
Anais Anais (Carson Pirie Scott offer ends May 5th)
Emery Worldwide 1 lb. Urgent Pouch (voiceover by Joe Sirola)
Station ID / promo for Our World Underwater (voiceover by Jim Hill)
First 13 seconds of Channel 5 News at 10pm (full newscast seen here: • WMAQ Channel 5 News at... )
This aired on local Chicago TV on Sunday, April 29th 1984 during the 8:00pm to 10:01pm timeframe. (Originally broadcast Sunday, March 20th 1983.)
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 Even though (mostly) short clips are displayed here, we preserve the entire broadcasts in our archives - the complete programs with breaks (or however much is present on the tape), 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! - Zábava
A couple notes - in the Panadol commercial - it's the woman who played the wife of Dr. Oakes in "The Day After", another nuclear disaster movie.
In a UPI Story on the rebroadcast of the film they noted, "A spokesman for WMAQ-TV in Chicago said the station received about 100 calls from viewers who asked if the event in the movie was actually occurring." (www.upi.com/Archives/1984/04/30/The-repeat-showing-of-the-television-movie-Special-Bulletin/3754452145600/)
WTF. OMG.
I was a mid-teen when this movie played on NBC, and I remember also hearing in between segments at a certain point of this movie's debut that NBC had to reassure some callers that this was not happening...that this was just a movie. If that was a true happenstance, then kudos to the filmmakers for crafting another story in the vein of the radio broadcast of War of the Worlds in the '30s.
Georgann Johnson played Mrs. Oakes, when he returned to KC at the end for his closure... that was so heartbreaking
You and me both. FYI still do
You would have thought they would have recognized Dr. Westphal.
When I was a kid in the 70s-early 80s special bulletins always scared the hell out of me
I remember this too. My brother shitted
In 2024, they’re called *_“BREAKING NEWS”_*
or *_”NEWS ALERTS”_*
that’s the tell-tale sign that youre about to have your brain hammered with some propaganda.
And for us older the air raid sirens/go home from school with Moms cause the fallout might be coming.Constant fear.glad you guys get it.
Me too!
Me too. The first special bulletin I ever saw was when President Kennedy had been shot.
I turn 46 this year and watching this is one of my earliest memories. I remember this scaring the absolute crap out of me.
Many moons ago I fell asleep in front of of the television and woke at about 1 am Australian time and this was on and about half way through, it took a while to realise it wasn’t real 😂
I remember this! "Special Bulletin" and "The Day After" on free broadcast primetime television were both fascinating and horrifying for a high school kid such as I.
This movie is so good for a TV movie. The commercial breaks are not intrusive, but actually add to the experience and immersion. And those last 20 minutes are absolutely terrifying.
Yikes, I was living in Charleston when this aired. Good thing my eight-year old self missed this.
Ironically, the reporter at 1:31 played the owner of the Charlestown Chiefs hockey team in the movie Slapshot.
That on the scene reporter was committed, at least.
"Look! A gunfight! Let me run over and talk to this guy!"
I mean, they even went to the lengths of naming the fictional tv station “our” BS to try to drive home the point that none of what was being depicted was actually happening
Ha. I wonder if that was in fact intentional?
@@FuzzyMemoriesTV maybe unintentional but quite a coincidence if so, lol
Clearly inspired by the movie Network and their UBS station letters.
I gotta see Network. Is it on CZcams??
Thank you for posting the original complete NBC telefilm! Just read about this in Ed Zwick's memoir, never having viewed the [edit] 1984 re-broadcast. Really enjoyed the entire flow and production efforts, albeit the dark ending. The subtle apathy of daily news cycles at the conclusion was a nice touch as well.
Thanks for the comment (just a small correction the original broadcast of the film was in March 1983 - this posting was the network reairing of the film)
I was babysitting the night this originally aired in 1983. I missed the last 20 minutes... and we didn't have a VCR back then. So the next day in school I asked my friend Ben what happened at the end... his reply was classic, "City go Boom."
This popped up as recommended and I took a quick peek only to recognize it after the first minute. I watched this when it was first broadcast! I can't remember the ending, so I'm watching ithe whole thing now😊👍🏾
This is one hell of a movie. One of the best TV films ever. Almost as gripping as Duel, but more substantial. Excellent piece of work.
Thanks for the upload !!
Thanks for posting!
That's the ultimate Special Bulletin experience in my opinion, with all the noise and etc...
April 29th, 1984. It's the Easter season, but also because it's 1984 we're in the heat of the Cold War. My belly is filled with Peeps and spun sugar, plus I didn't catch the original broadcast of this. So I think this is real.
I'm captivated, but not so captivated that I stick around for the commercial break disclaimers. I am wholly duped by the movie. I'm calling my family "Turn on Channel 5!!! The Communists have taken American hostages!"
I was attending a military boarding school where TV wasn’t available, so it’s always very interesting seeing programs that everyone was watching.
I remember watching this when it first aired. Scared the crap out of me (and I was 19 at the time). A few years later, while I was in the Army stationed in Germany, I managed to get a VHS copy & played it on the VCR In my room. A couple of my buddies came in while I was watching it and for a few minutes, they thought it was the real deal until one of them recognized Ed Flanders.
Oh awesome, I’ve never seen a complete broadcast edition of this.
Love the eighties best movies best music best hair..
Actually first broadcast in 1983. Remember it very well.
In the promo for the fictional RBS game show "Four Squares" at the beginning, the game board is the "Jeopardy" board prop from "Airplane II: The Sequel" and even has the "Lunar Shuttle Disaster" category on it. I'd also note that the VHS home video release of this was missing the end credits with the full cast listing.
Hilarious!
Thank you for posting one of the greatest TV movies of all time - I remember seeing it when it was first broadcast in 1984 and being wowed by the realistic portrayal; of news as spectacle; overjoyed that it still holds up today. And it's heightened by the real life tornado watch that was issued mid movie. Wow. I also highly recommend Canada's similar film "Countdown To Looking Glass" for those who have never seen it.
That one and "By the Dawn's Early Light" are a good combo for a double feature!
I saw that one too
Winner of 5 Emmy awards
Oh WOW. :) :)
I watched it. Don't remember how old but it definitely made an impression.
I dunno how I missed this back in 83’. I definitely would have watched it. Overall, I think it’s fairly well done and realistically mimics the network and cable broadcasting of the period.
From the creators of 30something and Once & Again! Not to mention the director of Glory and The Last Samurai. Ed Zwick & Marshall Herskevitz.
And the executive producer - Don Ohlmeyer. Didn't he later have a hand in the firing of Norm MacDonald from "Saturday Night Live"?
@@wmbrown6Yes, he did. Don famously did not appreciate Norm’s constant jokes about OJ Simpson, although he said the firing had more to do with Norm not being a crowd-pleasing anchor.
Ohlmeyer is also responsible for producing sports for NBC in the late 1970s and early 80s and his company produced such programs as hockey night in Canada, Indy Racing, the skins game and had two stints as a producer for Monday night football.
Good Day. I love the very few movies where "It actually happens".
This is the first time that I have seen this one. I was born in 1952.
Remarkably well produced.
Thank You for Posting This.
Best Regards to All Involved.
I had forgotten that Don Ohlmeyer directed this! Nice Job!
Powerful, overlooked movie. Bonus seeing the ad at 1:39:10 for V: The Final Battle which would air a week after this. 👍
How totally interesting. I'm 54 and I do not remember this program. Thank you!!
This movie was so well done and memorable that everytime I think of Charleston, South Carolina I think of this movie. I bet if I went to Charleston today knowone would know this was a tv movie back in the 80s under 50 years old.
A grim reminder of what could happen and that the danger can come from within as well as from without.
But I want to know what happened in “the continuing saga of life and love -Morningside.” Did Blake leave Suzanne?
LOL!! :) :)
"Blake" was actually Blake's twin, Drake. Blake escaped from Drake's cellar and stopped the wedding.
@@scotthewitt258 That is _so_ like Blake to do that. The creep!
Drake was the creep for locking up Blake! Drake (fake Blake) DID leave Suzanne because he realized she was never going to love him the way she loved real Blake. Just then, Blake emerged, and they lived happily ever after, until....
Sadly Blake later was in a horrible accident. When they finally removed Blake's bandages, he had a completely different face.
This one freaked me out as a teenager.
I was actually trying to remember what this was called the other day, to see if I could find it to watch.
I watched this when it first aired, but it was on the little TV I had in my room *and I tuned in partway through* so I missed all the “this is fiction” disclaimers at the beginning.
What?! How have I never heard about this?!
Me either !!
I grew up in Charleston...watched this in 84'...
This was one erie movie.
I was a Freshman at KU when The Day After was filmed. Watching that was very weird too.
I was living in Hawaii when this was on TV. We were fortunate there was no panic there because of the delay in broadcast. We got news reports that there were areas of panic because some people thought it was real.
I was 11 when this aired, and I remember thinking, "WHO would think this is REAL??" 😂
People that didn't know character actors, lol. I think maybe most people when they saw how many commercial interruptions and may have caught the bumpers in between station breaks put two and two together or if course saw the disclaimer in between station breaks. Also this was broadcast during the cold War and the when Russia and America were on the brink of World War 3, the first time. Pretty sure this came out a year after The Day After too. This was actually very well done and the writing is amazing! I doubt a newer generation could write something this good! What scares me is if this was really occurring, in reality, with AI and the distrust of legacy media now, would most people believe it was going on?
Yeah I was 8 and thought the same thing. You could tell it wasn't real but I couldn't figure out why they aired it.
This is so funny to see so many actors here who weren't that well known yet, but, the best part?
The ads 😂😂😂
I remember this on TV when it first aired..I recognized some of the actors and thought I'd be seeing some kind of play..little did I known Definitely edge of your seat television.Brilliant.
Excellent for the era.
I watched it live.
Scary, even though I knew it was a drama.
This is a great find.
I remember at the time this aired concerned commentators were invoking the Orson Welles live radio presentation of War of the Worlds and a possible repeat of the instances of panic that it inspired in some people.
I find it amusing and somewhat informative that the peaks of the "most watched" bar are the old commercials. Gee, someone could build a whole CZcams channel on that concept. Oh, wait...
I watched the original broadcast!
I did too and it left me bemused.
@@johnhenry524 can’t relate, thought it was a crackerjack thriller
I was an early teen when this was broadcast. I don't remember seeing this one back then, but I remember another faux-news program called "Countdown to Looking Glass" that scared the hell out of me. That one is a little more movie-like, but still very scary for the times. I highly recommend watching, it's out there in CZcams land somewhere.
David Clennon looks like he's wearing the same clothes from The Thing
Wow that is David Clennon good catch…
The absurd science and lack of geopolitical thinking is great flick plot holes . Thanks for persevering these gems.
Michael Madsen ! I forgot that trivia, we didn't know who he was then . LOL
Imagine tuning in to this too late to see the “this is a fictional event” disclaimer and thinking this is real.
It happened in Cleveland when it was aired as a syndicated rerun on WUAB.
1938 War Of The Worlds by Orson Welles
I was watching the original airing of this and said to my dad, “who on earth would think this was real?” A couple minutes later, the phone rings. It’s my grandmother. “have you seen what is happening in South Carolina?!?”
I remember watching this in its original broadcast. March 1983?
such a treat to see Deborah Norville again
Wasn't "John Baumhardt" the guy that kidnapped Arnold and Kimberly in that episode of "Diff'rent Strokes"?
(SPOILER)
"They have just put a match onto the whole pile!"
Can't get more chilling than that phrase alone.
RBS Network--"We're moving up!!!"🎵🎶
George Jefferson (on that other network)--"WEEZIE!!! RBS took our line!!!"
Weezie was so hot!
By the way, does the "RB" in RBS stand for "roast beef??" LOL, ROFL. 🤣🤣
Remember “ IN THE NEWS “ ?
I couldn’t tell the difference between the two as a kid .
They would have been better served to not use David Clennon. I mean.....the rhing had only been out a year and palmer was a notable character. Still good for its time though. Long live the 80s!
At this time, probably the best known performer in the movie was Ed Flanders, who plays the anchor. He had top billing on St. Elsewhere, which also aired on NBC.
Always found it amusing when the bomb squad tries to get off the ship...like that's going to help them.
"I think that guy's got an UZI ! COOL!!"
An added treat within this movie is the Pepsi commercial starring Michael Jackson and a young Alfonzo Riberro 😃
I would love to see a retrospective, maybe reunion of all these actors, who are still with us, producers and director of this film. The younger generation should know this movie exists just like The Day After and Threads.
sadly ironic with the WTC still a part of the newsroom's NYC skyline
I really appreciate these movies especially like this that are well made they really don't like them anymore😢
Having seen this a few times now
It doesn't scare me because thankfully it was just a movie
Yeah definitely a very difficult situation to film and act
I have to respectfully give credit to the actors and actresses in the movie and especially those on the news media side
Usually i don't like anything about anything to do with the media as they tend to trivialise everything but those who were acting as reporters and newscasters did their job with utter respect
I really appreciate the emotions
This film must have been extremely difficult to put together
I also have seen the day after but this film was much better than even that one
The day after sort of lacked the raw emotions of this film
Even though it was an extremely difficult subject i think that it's absolutely amazing
This is hard to watch but powerful
I won the internet….. 1 minute in and I figured out I’ve already seen it. Good docudrama!
Nice going Meg Barkley, so nice of you to broadcast the locations of the snipers since the terrorists are monitoring the news lol... But still, this was so cool seeing it live, I was 15 and following all about nukes and the Road Warrior and Threads... I remember "Without Warning" being spookier than this...
I think this was the same time frame of ABCs "Day After" miniseries about life after a nuclear war. Glad it was a short lived gimmick rooted in the 'War of the Worlds' genre.
With Ed Flanders as one of the anchors, it kind of evaporated my suspension of disbelief. I was never moved by "real life" television events.
Anyone notice the announcer didn’t mentioned the name of the movie during the bumpers?
I wonder why this was the case on NBC, because on ABC, at practically every interval when a Star Tunnel bumper was shown for a commercial break, Joel Crager or Ernie Anderson always said the name of the film, and the broadcast title ("tonight's ABC Sunday Night Movie" [Monday Night Movie, Movie Special, et al.]). Alternately, Crager or Anderson would announce the name of the film, and whoever was starring in it.
Here's an example, from a 1983 ABC Friday Night Movie broadcast of Jaws II (this after an ABC promo for the Shatner/Nimoy reunion episode of T.J. Hooker, and a special 2-hr. Love Boat [both to be shown that Saturday]):
czcams.com/video/RiyQOpNjkLo/video.html
NBC typically did announce the title on the bumper returning from break. They may have dropped it here out of concern that announcing “Special Bulletin” repeatedly might only cause more confusion. The head of NBC News at the time was already nonplussed that they were showing it at all.
What is a bumper????
@@jackiwheeler6963 A bumper is that interval in a movie broadcast on the networks then (usually during commercials) where the announcer says that the night's broadcast (here, NBC Sunday Night at the Movies, albeit not said on this broadcast) will return "after these messages" (and at times, a brief news update from an affiliated station, detailing what's to come on the late edition of the news at 10 or 11 P.M.).
On ABC, it was, as I explained before, slightly different, where an abridged version of the latter half of the Star Tunnel graphics (ending in the movie marquee title formation) was shown, and an equally-abridged version of the latter half of the title track was played, while Crager or Anderson said the name of the film and the broadcast title (or the name of the film, and one or two of the stars) "will continue in a moment."
@bmasters1981 thank you for that info! That's very helpful
The news updates from Deborah Norville. WOW, got to be her big time break before national.
I used to own the original Warner Archive DVD release of this, but I was able to sell it for around $200 and I wasn't about to say no to that. Also coincidentally, I just rewatched it the day before you posted this.
And now when you look that $200 is now the lowest it looks like, with someone asking $349 and another for a whopping $875.00. Doubt he will get THAT amount.
I loved this film, another good one is "Countdown To Looking Glass"
I watched this movie as a kid when I was living just outside of Charleston.
I was only 6 yrs old living in Gillespie, wood river, or east Alton Illinois can't remember which lol when this was shown...
Oh this is great.talk about going. back to great times. I was 12 y.o. kid when this came out.big time memories. I remember all the commercials.my folks watched this movie, and I remember it was on a school night and my sister and I were so mad we couldn't stay up to finish it.BEDTIME NOW!!😂😂
i remember the ford ranger. it was fun when u had old tires with the treads worn down and it was snowy outside. like going skiing but out of control.
"The ship, a tug..." LOL. Just about as bad as calling a ship a boat IMHO.
Did not know about this movie. Might have been at the arcade at the time.
Also, the shockwave from the blast would have at least upended Yorktown just like the Pacific test did to Saratoga. The mushroom cloud was really wimpy from that close of a distance.
I haven't seen this since the original broadcast in '84. Had a couple of actors I liked from Carpenter's The Thing (1982 Remake).
Ed Flanders ... John Woodley / Dr. Copper
David Clennon... Dr. Lyman / Palmer (You remember...don't you??? The best line in the movie..."YOU GOTTA BE FUXXING KIDDING!!!" )
Forgot they were in this together.
Aired on the day I turned 8....sigh...
Ur old
Man this prolly made a lot of middle America lose it back then
I came home from the grocery store with my x and turned the tv on while putting grocries away. It was on the part of the movie where they were trying to defuse the bomb. I thought it really happened and it about gave me a heart attack. Lol
One of this Reporters is Roxanne Hart from Highlander …I think
I miss when tv networks actually tried to make decent movies and shows . They would even show old movies at low viewing times . Now its all fake reality shows and crappy fake court shows . No more decent shows .
I totally agree. TV is so fake now.
Special bulletins and the radio emergeny broadcasts still give me nightmares!!
1:31 I would've spotted this fakery, this is the chick from Slapshot who was the owner of the Charlestown Chiefs. (Paul Newman upset her by questioning her son's sexuality.)
The lead terrorist is Palmer from the 1982 release of John Carpenters The Thing.
Michael Madsen as the guy's cell mate in Attica...blink and you'll miss it.
Quality 80's TV drama 😊
Do you have the original 1983 broadcast?
It might be among the thousands of tapes we have that remain unchecked but it hasn’t surfaced yet. Certainly I would love to find it and will post it when it surfaces. Viva Conelrad!
This is not the original airing?
@@adamw116 - Nope this was the only network rebroadcast, roughly a year after the original.
Watched as a kid. Luckily caught the warning messages about it not being real. Accurate on what could happen
And to think it was all caused by Sledge Hammer!
Interestingly, one of his later roles was in "United 93" as one of the real life victims of 9/11.
Oh sh, I remember this movie. It came out in the spring of 84.
This movie is so disturbingly well done..
I remember watching this and remember how the plot turned out. Not telling.
0:46 Hey, it's Labor Day Weekend already? Time for The Teleth... wait, RBS? What?
Well that's depressing ...