1974-'75 Press Releases
August 29, 1974
"BEYOND OUR CONTROL" AUDITIONS SET
A new student television company is being organized to produce the 1975 season of Beyond Our Control, the award winning weekly satirical revue for television produced by the Junior Achievement Television Company. Indiana and Michigan high school students, ages 14 through 18, interested in practical experience in TV production, broadcast management and advertising sales, are invited to attend an introductory meeting. The session will be held Saturday, September 14 at the Junior Achievement Center, 947 Louise St. in South Bend. There will be a session at 9:00 AM EST and an identical session at 1:30 PM EST.
Beyond Our Control is seeking 25 new members with experience or skills potential in the fields of humorous creative writing, photography, cinematography, performing and announcing, bookkeeping, commercial art, saleswork, and broadcasting technical operations. The Saturday meetings will provide a preview of the company's operations and an opportunity to submit a membership application. There is no charge for membership and those applying are asked to bring a small non-returnable photo of themselves for the application form.
The Junior Achievement Television Company will begin preparation for its fourteenth season on WNDU-TV in late September, and Beyond Our Control will open its eighth season in January 1975. Since the project was founded by Wm. Thomas Hamilton, Executive Vice-President and General Manager of the WNDU Stations, more than 300 students have participated. It has become the nation's most widely-acclaimed broadcast education project for high school students and last year was named the nation's best locally-produced variety show by the National Association of Television Program Executives.
January 7, 1975
"BEYOND OUR CONTROL" READIES PREMIERE
Twenty-seven Michiana area high school students are putting the finishing touches on the first edition of Beyond Our Control, the student-produced weekly satirical revue for television. The program debuts for its eighth season Saturday (January 25) at 6:00 PM EST on WNDU-TV, Channel 16.
The award-winning "TV show about TV" is now the nation's oldest and most widely-acclaimed educational television project for high school students. Representing 11 Indiana and Michigan high schools, the students have been meeting since mid-September preparing the program. The teen-agers write, produce and direct the entire program, working under the guidance of three advisors from the staff of WNDTU-TV.
Their organization functions as part of South Bend's Junior Achievement program, part of a national program of economics and business education for high school students. The Junior Achievement Television Company, originally known as WJA-TV, was founded in 1960 by Wm. Thomas Hamilton, Executive Vice-President and General Manager of the WNDU Stations. It functions as a complete working model of a corporation, with stockholders, corporate officers, a Board of Directors, sales goals, and a unique product to sell: a television show called Beyond Our Control.
Created in 1968, Beyond Our Control uses the television medium as a springboard for comedy and parodies on a wide spectrum of American culture. Vintage pop music, TV soap operas, underground movies, high school plays, politics and advertising are typical subjects which the program might consider "beyond our control" in any given week. With its title derived from the familiar admission of problems ("...due to circumstances beyond our control..."), the program is literally a TV show about TV.
Already slated for the program this year are a local TV station's horror movie, a Flash Gordon-style space adventure serial in four chapters, a parody of typical home movies, an incomprehensible TV game show, an extensive Western film shot on location this summer, and much more.
Produced on film and videotape Saturday mornings at the campus studios of WNDU-TV, Beyond Our Control is the most ambitious project of its sort in the nation. It has twice won the George Washington Honor Medal for outstanding Economics Education presented by the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge, and last year was named the nation's best locally-produced variety show in its market class by the National Association of Television Program Executives, competing nationally with professionally-produced programs.
Student directors of the show this year include Kate Doherty (LaSalle), Tim Hanlon (John Adams), Danny Lakin (Buchanan), Tom Mantke (Niles), Dave Simkins (Clay) and Kevin Zimmerman (Mishawaka). Hanlon is the program's Production Manager and Dawn Podlewski (Penn) is the company's President. Advisers from the staff of WNDU-TV to the project are Joe Dundon, Dennis Laughlin and Dave Williams; Randy Rhinehart is a graduate consultant to the show.
March 10, 1975
"BEYOND OUR CONTROL" KIDS SITUATION COMEDIES
A young widowed attorney, two adorable--although oversized--children, and an oriental houseboy are the ingredients for a parody of a typical television situation comedy on the next edition of Beyond Our Control. The TV show about TV will be presented Saturday (March 22) at 5:00 PM EST on Channel 16.
Jim Poyser stars in, the skit--titled "Father's Briefs"--as the young attorney, Bill Baxter. Dawn Podlewski and Chuck Mueller are his two children, Taffy and Mikey, and Tim Hanlon is Baxter's oriental houseboy, Chop Soo. In the skit, Baxter forgets that he promised to take his children to the park on the same day as an important trial. Also appearing are Dave Simkins as Judge Knott, Dan Lakin as Officer Hodgekins and Kate Doherty as the defendant.
Also scheduled for the eighth edition of Beyond Our Control is the fourth chapter of the space adventure serial, "Flash Gherkin," with Jon Yazell in the title role. This week, the Emperor Ming (Dan Lakin) places Flash in mortal combat with a dreadful monster, hoping to persuade the beautiful Dale Ardent (Ellen Akins) to submit to his passionate advances. Dale says No.
Kevin Zimmerman directed this week's edition of the student-produced television program, now in its eighth season on WNDU-TV.
March 17, 1975
"BEYOND OUR CONTROL" RE-SCHEDULED
The seventh edition of Beyond Our Control, the student-produded "TV show about TV," pre-empted because of a late-running NCAA basketball telecast, has been re-scheduled for Saturday, March 22 at 5:00 PM on Channel 16.
As previously announced, the treasured family movies of a typical Michiana family are the basis of the show's feature parody. "The Blake Family Film" stars Cindy Boyer and Ron Ward as the Blakes, with Dawn Podlewski and Peter Akins as their children, Danny Lakin as Gramps and Jim Poyser as the boyfriend. The home movies tediously chronicle the family's depressing celebrations of Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Eve and Gramps' birthday.
Sampling alternative channels, Beyond Our Control will present an adventure in time travel, featuring Jim Poyser and Kate Doherty. The third chapter of the program's continuing space adventure serial will also be presented, with Jon Yazell starring as "Flash Gherkin." Tim Hanlon, Danny Lakin and Ellen Akins are also featured in the 1930's-style serial parody, which this week finds the beautiful Dale Ardent being tortured by the Emperor Ming while resisting his unwholesome advances. The program will also visit Michiana's newest night spot, The Boogie Reggae Lounge.
Dave Simkins is the Film Production Manager this season, and Maryalice Janowiak is the Production Coordinator.
March 31, 1975
"BEYOND OUR CONTROL" LOOKS AT "WAKE-UP" TELEVISION
Early morning television is the target for satire on the ninth edition of Beyond Our Control. The student-produced "TV show about TV" is scheduled for Saturday, April 12 at 5:00 PM EST on Channel 16.
Kevin Zimmerman plays Bill Butane and Kate Doherty is Stephanie Fetchit in "Good Morning, America," which also features Jon Yazell as the humanist-theologian Author Godfrey, author of the new book for businessmen: "Don't Put the Almighty on Hold." Debating ERA on the "Point-Pointerpoint" segment of the program are Maryalice Janowiak and Ron Ward.
Switching to other channels, the program repeatedly encounters a soap opera, starring Jim Poyser, Mary Willems and Jon Yazell; a record commercial, featuring Jim Poyser as "Bobby Vintage;" and a trip back through time featuring Jim Poyser (again?) as a simple janitor and Kate Doherty as a cavewoman.
"The Jim Poyser Salute" was directed this week by Dave Simkins, Tim Hanlon and Tom Mantke. The program, now in its eighth season on WNDU-TV, is written and produced by the Junior Achievement Television Company.
April 14, 1975
SURVIVAL EPIC HIGHLIGHTS "BEYOND OUR CONTROL"
Six survivors of the sinkable S. S. Molly Brown are discovered in their lifeboat on the next edition of Beyond Our Control. The eleventh edition of the weekly satirical revue will be telecast Saturday (April 26) at 5:00 PM EST on WNDU-TV, Channel 16.
Danny Lakin portrays the captain of the ship, sunk by an errant iceberg. Also on board are the First Mate (Chuck Mueller), a wealthy society lady (Ellen Akins), a badly-wounded librarian (Beth Weiler), a pair of tourists (Mary Willems and Jon Yazell) and a coward (Dave Simkins).
On another channel, Chuck Mueller portrays Rod Surreal and welcomes viewers to another mildly-entertaining story from his "Trite Gallery," "The Head of Michael Lobe" stars Ellen Akins and Jim Poyser as the new residents of an extremely haunted old mansion.
Also on tap: a new local television dance party for teen-agers, starring Mary Willems and Kevin Zimmerman. The program' s confused guests include Dave Simkins, Kate Doherty and Jon Yazell.
Directing Beyond Our Control this week are Kate Doherty, Tim Hanlon and Kevin Zimmerman. The Production Coordinator for this year's company is Maryalice Janowiak.
