1967-’68 Press Releases
January 8, 1968
NEW COMEDY REVIEW TO PREMIERE ON CHANNEL 16
Beyond Our Control, a new comedy revue combining satire, music and irreverent commentary, will premiere Saturday, January 20 at 12:00 Noon, CST on WNDU-TV Channel 16, The Notre Dame Telvision Station.
The program is a production of WJA-TV, a Junior Achievement television company, and will present parodies of popular television programs and commercials, music by local bands and folk singers and comedy skits satirizing contemporary happenings. Chris Fergus, a student at St. Joseph's High School, and Tim Shaw and Cathy Kocy, students at Jackson High School, are the permanent hosts for the program, which is written and produced by local high school students in the Junior Achievement program.
Beyond Our Control will be seen each Saturday afternoon for a thirteen week period.
January 22, 1968
"BEYOND OUR CONTROL" READIES SECOND SHOW
Beyond Our Control, the new weekly revue of comedy and music, will parody television programs, welcome back south Bend's The Half Dozen and continue its plan to modernize Mt. Rushmore in its second show. The program, produced by WJA-TV, a Junior Achievement Company, will be presented Saturday, January 27 at 12:00 Noon CST on WNDU-TV, Channel 16, The Notre Dame Station.
Chris Fergus, Cathy Kocy and Dave Blodgett will host the second edition of the show. A parody of the popular Mission: Impossible will open the show. The Half Dozen make their appearance on the program in a pseudo-psychedlic version of "Come on Up." Next the cast turns to a study of vocabulary; the word is "Avarice" and the illustration is a satire on a popular daytime television show. Finally, the results of the "Save Mt. Rushmore" campaign are announced in the second National Action Alert.
January 29, 1968
"BEYOND OUR CONTROL" NUMBER TWO RESCHEDULED
The second edition of Beyond Our Control, the new weekly revue of comedy and music, produced by Junior Achievement, was pre-empted on January 27 because of United Nations television coverage and will be seen Saturday, February 3 at 12:00 Noon CST. The program will be presented on WNDU-TV, Channel 16, The Notre Dame Station.
Dave Blodgett, Chris Fergus and Cathy Kocy host the second edition of the program. Featured are a parody of Mission: Impossible, a pseudo-psychedlic return visit from "The Half Dozen," a parody of a popular daytime television trading show and progress report on the show's project to update Mt. Rushmore.
February 5, 1968
"BEYOND OUR CONTROL" PARODIES TV KIDDIE SHOWS
A parody of Saturday morning television kiddie shows will highlight the third edition of Beyond Our Control, the half hour comedy and music revue produced by WJA-TV, a Junior Achievement Television Company. The program will be presented Saturday, February 17 at 12:00 Noon CST. Cathy Kocy, Tim Shaw and Chris Fergus are the regular hosts for the show.
Don Ehninger portrays "Uncle Sally" in the kiddie show parody. Other features of the show include an investigation into food poisoning cases, a performance by the Junior Achievement Philharmonic Orchestra, a trip down "Memory Lane" for a look at a TV show of the past, and a progress report on the show's plan to add Doris Day to Mount Rushmore. The South Bend's Knight Raiders provide music for the show.
February 12, 1968
"BEYOND OUR CONTROL" LOOKS AT "LOVE"
Beyond Our Control, the weekly revue of comedy and music produced by Junior Achievement, will devote a specil program to the subject of "Love," Saturday, February 24 at 12:00 Noon CST on WNDU-TV, Channel 16, The Notre Dame Station.
The lighter sides of love are explored in two major skits--a parody of television soap oeras titled "As the World Squirms" and a satire on televistion game shows titled "The Nearly Wed Game." Two guests will perform the music of love. Tom Przestwor sings "The Wonderful World of the Young" and folksinger Melanie Mandich performs a song of her own composition. Cathy Kocy, Tim Shaw and Chris Fergus are the regular hosts for the program.
February 26, 1968
"BEYOND OUR CONTROL" STAGES "AMATUERISH HOUR"
A Sunday afternoon "Amateurish Hour" is the highlight of the fifth edition of Beyond Our Control, the weekly television program produced by WJA-TV, a Junior Achievement Company. The program of comedy and music will be presented Saturday, March 2 at 12:00 Noon CST.
A return visit from South Bend's Knight Raiders, a filmed look at the joys of winter and a parody of the old-fashioned teen-age dance parties on local television round out the half-hour program. Cathy Kocy, Tim Shaw and Dave Blodgett host this week's program.
March 4, 1968
"BEYOND OUR CONTROL" STAGES WINTER OLYMPICS
Beyond Our Control, the weekly television program produced by WJA-TV, a Junior Achievement Company, will depart from its usual format this week to devote the entire program to some of the lesser-known events staged at the 1968 Winter Olympics. The program will be seen Saturday, March 9 at 12:00 Noon CST on WNDU-TV, Channel 16, The Notre Dame Station.
Dennis Thibault, Tim Shaw and Chris Fergus host this week's edition of the program. Dave Weiler and Dave Blodgett portray Olympic sportscasters who describe some of the esoteric events such as uphill skiing, mixed-doubles on saucer sleds and the dread "Schloss-Gobbe" (bobsledding on a chaise lounge.) A special appearance by olympic star Jean-Claude Faux-Pas highlights the program, which was filmed on location.
Folksinger Jackie Winters returns to sing "Mr. Tambourinte Man" during a break in Olympics coverage.
March 12, 1968
"BEYOND OUR CONTROL" STAGES "AMATUERISH HOUR"
The cast of Beyond Our Control, the weekly revue of comedy and music produced by WJA-TV, turns to a parody of "The Original Amateurish Hour" Saturday, March 16. the half-hour Junior Achievement program is seen at 12:00 Noon CST on WNDU-TV, Channel 16, The Notre Dame Station.
Other program segments include the first in a new series of parodies on Saturday afternoon movie serials, "Flah Schultz in the 25th Century;" a look at the problem of eating in school cafeterias; and a new filmed comedy series performed to popular records. Cathy Kocy, Tim Shaw and Chris Fergus host the weekly series.
March 25, 1968
JA OBSERVES "NATIONAL SHUT-IN DAY"
Beyond Our Control, the weekly comedy revue produced by WJA-TV, A Junior Achievement television company, observes "National Shut-In Day" this week. A skit based on the complications of hospital visiting opens this week's edition of the program, presented Saturday at 12:00 Noon on WNDU-TV, Channel 16, The Notre Dame Station.
The program also takes a look at kiddies TV shows with "Sheriff Sally's Jailhouse," continues its soap opera with another chapter of "As the World Squirms," parodies "hard-sell" TV commercials and offers a brief course in film appreciation. Folksinger Melanie Mandich returns to the program to sing "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright." Cathy Kocy, Tim Shaw and Chris Fergus host the half-hour program.
April 1, 1968
JA LOOKS AT "THE MATING GAME"
Beyond Our Control, the weekly revue of comedy and music produced by WJA-TV, a Junior Achievement Company, turns to a look at one of television's most popular game shows with a parody titled "The Mating Game." The skit is a feature of the half-hour program to be presented Saturday, April 6 at 12:00 Noon CST on WNDU-TV, Channel 16, The Notre Dame Station.
The Shaggs, a local rock group, perform a marathon version of "You Keep Me Hangin' On" this week. The program also parodies travel-adventure programs with a skit titled "Of Terra and Firma" and takes a fond look back at "The Mickey Mouse Club."
Tim Shaw, Cathy Kocy and Chris Fergus host the program.
April 8, 1968
JA RECALLS "TV GOLDEN MOMENTS"
"TV GOLDEN MOMENTS," a scrapbook of memories from the wonderful world of television, highlights this week's edition of Beyond Our Control, the weekly revue of comedy and music produced by Junior Achievement. The show is presented Saturday, April 13 at 12:00 Noon CST on WNDU-TV, Channel 16, The Notre Dame Station.
Brief parodies of television programs and commercials--past and present--comprise the scrapbook of memories. In addition, the show will make use of film clips from dear, departed progrms for a "trivia"-style quiz.
The Shaggs, a South Bend rock group, provides the music for this week's program.
April 15, 1968
JA PARODIES ACADEMY AWARD PRESENTATION
If the motion picture and television industries present awards, so should other industries--including the medical profession. This is the premise for the presentation of The Golden Spleen Awards, a highlight of this week's edition of Beyond Our Control, the weekly revue of comedy and music produced by Junior Achievement. The half-hour program is presented Saturday, April 20 at 12:00 Noon CST.
The program will also parody a popular children's television program with the story of an anteater named "Gentle Marvin." More parodies of television commercials and a return visit from The Half Dozen round out the week's edition of Beyond Our Control.
April 22, 1968
JA PARODIES SCIENCE FICTION FILMS
Beyond Our Control, the weekly comedy revue produced by Junior Achievement, will depart from its usual format on Saturday, May (sic) 27, to devote the entire program to a parody of a typical low-budget Japanese science-fiction film. "The Cat That Devoured Crumbstown" will be presented Saturday, at 12:00 Noon CST on WNDU-TV, Channel 16, The Notre Dame Station.
Dave blodgett stars as the crazed scientist, Dr. M.D. Snarch, who tries to prevent the destruction of the thirty-foot cat, which was accidentally created in the test firing of a new P-bomb. Extensive model work, stock footage and special effects are used in production of the film, a Banzai Studio production.
April 29, 1968
JA RE-SCHEDULES SCIENCE FICTION PARODY
Last minute preemption for an NBC News Special has resulted in the rescheduling of "The Cat That Devoured Crumbstown," a parody of a typical low-budget Japanese science fiction film. The half-hour special will be presented Saturday, May 4 at 12:00 Noon CST on Beyond Our Control, the weekly revue of comedy and music produced by Junior Achievement and seen on WNDU-TV, Channel 16, The Notre Dame Station.
"The Cat That Devoured Crumbstown," is a thirty-foot domestic short-hair, grown to monsterous proportions following an overdose of P-rays from the test of a new nuclear weapon. Extensive model work and special effects mark this film as an unusual departure from the usual format of Beyond Our Control.
May 6, 1968
JA PRESENTS FINAL PROGRAM IN SERIES
WJA-TV the Junior Achievement Television Company, will present the thirteenth and final edition of Beyond Our Control, Saturday, May 11 at 12:00 Noon CST on WNDU-TV, Channel 16, The Notre Dame Station. Cathy Kocy, Chris Fergus and Tim Shaw host the last show of the season. Highlights of the program include a film and tape review of some of the high spots of earlier programs in the series and a proposal for an updated "show-biz" format for high school graduation ceremonies.
WJA-TV is one of fourty-one Junior Achievement companies n the area, and was recently named one of the Top Five JA Companies. The company was formed last October to offer pratical business experience to high school students, as well as experience in the field of television broadcasting. the company is now in the process of liquidating its assets. This is the seventhyear that WNDU-TV has sponsored a Junior Achievement company. Mr. Bill Siminski, Mr. John Weiler and Mr. Dave Williams were the advisors to WJA-TV this season.
