1975-'76 Press Releases
August 27, 1976
"BEYOND OUR CONTROL" TRY-OUTS SCHEDULED
A new student television company is being organized to produce the 1976 season of Beyond Our Control, the award-winning weekly satirical revue for television produced by the Junior Achievement Television Company. Indiana and Michigan students in grades 9-12, ages 14-18, interested in practical experience in TV production, broadcast management and advertising sales, are invited to attend an introductory meeting. The sessions will be held Saturday, September 13 at the Junior Achievement Center, 947 Louise Street (one block from the YMCA) 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 new members with experience or skill potential in 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 preparations for its fourteenth season on WNDU-TV in late September, and Beyond Our Control will begin its ninth season in January, 1976. The student-written and produced series is dubbed "the TV Show About TV" and parodies a wide spectrum of television events. 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, is a three-time winner of the Freedoms Foundation Award for Economic Education and was named the nation's best locally-produced variety show by the National Association of Television Program Executives in 1973.
Further information regarding the project may be obtained by contacting Dave Williams at 233-7111 weekdays.
January 12, 1976
"BEYOND OUR CONTROL"READIES NINTH SEASON
Twenty-nine Michiana area high school students and several harried advisers are frantically putting the finishing touches on the first edition of Beyond Our Control, the student-produced weekly comedy series. The program opens its ninth season Saturday, January 24 at 6:00 PM EST on WNDU-TV, Channel 16.
The award-winning "TV show about TV" is now the oldest and most widely-acclaimed educational television project for high school students. Representing 13 Indiana and Michigan schools, the students have been meeting since mid-September preparing the program. The teen-agers write, produce, direct and perform the show, working under the guidance of advisers from the staff of WNDU-TV and a number of graduate consultants.
The 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 group was founded by Wm. Thomas Hamilton, Executive Vice President and General Manager of the WNDU Stations, and functions as a working model corporation.
Created in 1968, Beyond Our Control takes a jaded look at television each week, joining an American family as they settle down for a session in front of the tube, switching channels from program to program. With the focus on soap operas, made-for-TV movies, local talk shows, and plenty of commercials, the program is quite literally about television programming "beyond our control."
Beyond Our Control is planning its usual peculiar assortment of parodies for the 1976 season. Among the choicer items: a Walt Disney-style "true life adventure" titled "The Legend of Bimbo;" a four-chapter mythological serial titled "Herculon's Mightiest Chore;" a complex television fantasy, detailing the adventures of a young TV addict literally pulled into the world of television; a World War One "flying aces" movie; a pseudo-philosophical drama titled "Hindsight," involving a group of strangers in a waiting room who may--or may not--be dead; and a number of other extremely humorous bits--to be announced just as soon as they are thought up.
Student directors of the show this year are Kate Doherty of LaSalle; Tom Mantke of Niles; Jim Poyser of Washington and Dave Sutton of Washington. Sutton is also the show's Production Manager, assisted by Ellen Akins of LaSalle and Chris Dudley of Washington.
January 19, 1976
"BEYOND OUR CONTROL" OFFERS PHILOSOPHY TO THE MASSES
In a rare moment of seriousness, Beyond Our Control offers the wisdom of "Hindsight," a program of deep philosophical thought, as part of its second edition, scheduled for Saturday (January 31) at 6:00 PM EST on Channel 16.
Brother O'Venal (Randy Hassan) introduces the program's presentation of the modern allegorical drama "A Waiting Room," in which a group of total strangers are brought together in a waiting room and, by a process of elimination, conclude that they are actually dead. Ellen Akins is featured as Sarah, who appears to be a simple cleaning woman, but may actually be something highly symbolic of something else. Or something.
In more traditional parodies, Dave Simkins appears as naturalist John Walsh, a man who devotes his life to the preservation of vegetables endangered by our modern environment. On another channel, talk show host Kate Doherty begins a series of programs on "weird things," including the Bermuda Shorts Triangle, UFOs, and Mr. Rogers.
This is the second edition of the Junior Achievement Television Company's weekly comedy show, which is directed by Kate Doherty, Tom Mantke, Jim Poyser and Dave Sutton. Beth Weller is the show's Production Coordinator.
March 1, 1976
"BEYOND OUR CONTROL" RETURNS (FINALLY)
Following two weeks of absence from the air because of sports programming, Beyond Our Control will return to Channel 16 Saturday (March 13) at 6:00 PM EST for its fifth show of the season.
The show is highlighted by the resumption of "Herculon's Mightiest Chore," a five-chapter adventure serial. In the current episode, Herculon (Dave Simkins) persuades a wizard (Kelly Eling) to use his magic powers to restore his chum (Ron Ward) to his original form. In further adventures, Herculon encounters a very peculiar garden of human hands and finally discovers the heavily-guarded Magic Spear, which apparently is a key element in his Quest for the Treasure of the Gods.
As if this isn't enough, the program will offer a post-game basketball commentary between Dave Sutton and Dave Simkins, a televised quiz bowl between University professors and eight-year-olds, and an Americana Pageant, produced by a fourth-grade TV production class and featuring Scott Wayne as Johnny Q. American. All in all, it's an excellent show, believe us!
Beyond Our Control is produced by the Junior Achievement Television Company, sponsored by WNDU-TV.
March 15, 1976
BOC WRAPS UP HERCULON SPECIAL
A big--albeit short--surprise awaits Herculon in the fifth and final chapter of "Herculon's Mightiest Chore," scheduled for the seventh edition of Beyond Our Control, Saturday (March 27) at 6:00 PM EST on WNDU-TV, Channel 16.
Jim Poyser appears as Marshall Artz in a rundown on what's happening in the colorful world of "Martial Arts" on another channel. Among the featured events are English Muffin Splitting, Jell-O Smashing, and a man who claims to be, able to break the ice at parties--with the sheer strength of his personality.
Dramas with remarkably parallel plots, set in the Old West and in Ancient Rome, are running on adjacent channels this week, and feature Ellen Akins and Chris Dudley as heroines and Dave Sutton and Lee Madison as heroes. "The International Quiz Bowl" finds a team from the United States defending its long-held title against a team of challengers from France, Paul Freese poses the questions and Scott Wayne plays a somewhat confused ninth-grader serving as translator, Finally, Dave Simkins hosts a visit to "The County Pet Show."
The show is directed by Kate Doherty, Tom Mantke, Jim Poyser and Dave Sutton in this, its ninth season on Channel 16.
March 24, 1976
BOC BLASTS OFF...TO THE GROCERY STORE
Billy's first solo trip to the grocery store in the family car will be covered in depth in a special series of reports on the eighth edition of Beyond Our Control, Saturday (April 3) at 6:00 PM EST on WNDU-TV, Channel 16.
Clear-complected Bob Medich plays the nervous young driver, sent by mommy on a hazardous mission to obtain bread and milk. "The Mission of Mustang II" is given complete coverage by the famous BOC News Team (created especially for the occasion), headed by newsman Jim Poyser, location reporter Ed Luebben and special commentator Paul Freese, an ex-driver himself. Science Editor Ellen Akins provides running commentary on the dangers of the mission, including the particularly hazardous garage re-entry.
On other channels this week, visitors to a television studio are commandeered into joining the cast of a roughneck World War Two movie scene under the guidance of director Kelly Eling, and in the Poetry Nook, Dave Simkins reads from a book which dangerously confuses poetic imagery with reality. Or something like that.
This is the ninth season for "the TV show about TV," which is produced by area high school students who are members of the Junior Achievement TV Company.
April 21, 1976
"BEYOND OUR CONTROL" GROUP AWARDED AGAIN
A sixty-second television commercial, created to promote the Beyond Our Control television show, has been honored for the second time by area advertising executives.
The commercial has just received a Citation of Excellence from the 6th District Addy Awards competition, sponsored by the Lansing Advertising Club. The award will be presented May 6 at the club's annual Award Banquet in Lansing.
Last month, the same commercial captured Second Place in local competition sponsored by the Sales & Advertising Executives Club of St. Joseph County.
The announcement, which was used during the 1975 season of the television program, uses special electronics effects and a kinestasis film sequence shot by high school students Dave Simkins and Dave Sutton.
Beyond Our Control is a weekly comedy series produced by high school students, members of the Junior Achievement Television Company sponsored by WNDU-TV, Channel 16.
April 27, 1976
"BEYOND OUR CONTROL" RETURNS TO WNDU-TV
Pre-empted for several weeks from its usual Saturday evening time period on Channel 16, Beyond Our Control will offer a semi-triumphant return Saturday (May 8) in its new time period: 5:00 PM on Channel 16.
The busy KFOUR-TV newsroom is the setting for a parody of television news shows, "Mobile 4," which sees the news anchorman (Dave Simkins) and his youthful assistant (Jim Poyser) covering a prison riot staged by peevish jazz musicians and a suicide attempt by a rock music trio. Chris Dudley plays the authoritative Producer of the show.
On another "channel," BOC encounters the story of "The Sniper;" Scott Wayne portrays a frustrated college student whose personal problems and sense of humor drive him to desparate acts.
In other bits, an atomic furnace explodes and blasts a bungalow full of party guests into outer space in "House: 1999;" Scott Wayne and Sue Pagna are featured. Finally, Randy Hassan plays "Don Addams" in a take-off on the syndicated game show "Don Adams Screen Test," in which highly amateur actors attempt to re-create famous movie scenes.
This is the tenth edition of "the TV Show about TV," produced by the Junior Achievement Television Company.
