Opening Channels: TV’s odd history detailed in ‘TVparty!’

Kirk Baird

Monday, Feb. 10, 2003 | 8:19 a.m.

Ever wondered who killed George Reeve, TV's original "Superman"?

Or why there were so many cast changes on the classic '70s sitcom "Good Times"?

What were the circumstances that made comedian Red Foxx's death particularly tragic, if not twisted?

Did actor Pete Duel of "Alias Smith and Jones" commit suicide or was he murdered?

And what's the inside dope on the two Darrins on "Bewitched"?

The answers to these TV trivia gems and many more are all waiting to be discovered in the "TVparty!: Television's Untold Tales" ($19.95, Bonus Books). Author Billy Ingram will be at B Dalton Bookseller in Boulevard mall for a book signing at noon on Saturday.

His book, however, is actually a spin-off (as in "Good Times" and "The Ropers") of his website, tvparty.com.

Both the site and the book attempt to answer age-old questions about the programs and populace of the 20th century's sixth-greatest invention, according to the National Academy of Engineering.

"TVparty!" tackles such lingering puzzlers as:

While some of these answers are intriguing in that "I-know-something-you-don't" kind of way, others are quite sad and even disturbing.

"Maybe we all lead sad lives, really," Ingram, 43, said in response to why some TV figures' lives ended in misfortune. "It's a tragic business, if you think about it. You have to give up a lot to be in television and movies -- you really sell your soul."

And what makes the life of an actor, or any successful Hollywood type, all the more fragile is how precarious their fame really is -- especially after he or she falls out of favor with the public. The "cold shower of reality," as Ingram calls it.

"That can be a hard pill to swallow, going back to a normal life after you've had that heady experience of being a TV star," he said.

But "TVparty!" is more than just ruminations of tragedy; there's also great TV information to be found.

The book goes in-depth into memorable kid shows of the '50s and '60s -- "Andy's Gang," "Captain Satellite," "Gigglesnort Hotel," "Romper Room" -- and explores the glut of variety shows in the '70s. (Did America really need "Joey and Dad," or the equally fleeting "The Keane Brothers"?)

And, on a more human level, "TVparty!" provides updates on such TV legends as Carol Burnett, Brett Sommers and Bob Keeshan, aka Captain Kangaroo.

"A good 'TVparty!' article is about people -- people who make up the show," Ingram said. "I'm more concerned with people than the show."

Ingram began the website in the mid-'90s, after working in Hollywood for nearly a decade designing movie posters and Academy Award campaign artwork for the likes of Tom Cruise, Steven Spielberg and Harrison Ford.

In 1994 Ingram moved back to his hometown of Greensboro, N.C., where he still resides.

Growing up in Greensboro was, Ingram acknowledged, "kind of boring." So he spent a large part of his youth parked in front of a TV.

"We had great shows," Ingram said. " 'Batman,' 'Bewitched,' 'Sonny and Cher' and 'Lost in Space.' "

Each of which he writes about affectionately in his book and on his website.

But it was a little-known interactive kiddie show from the '50s, "Winky Dink and You," that proved the spark for both.

While at a party Ingram overheard an animated conversation between two friends feverishly recalling "Winky Dink." A few years later, after deciding to create a pop culture-themed website, he opted to make "Winky Dink" his first article.

After posting what little information he could gather about the show, he asked for those attached to "Winky Dink" in some way or another, or even anyone who remembered the Saturday morning program, to write in to the site with their thoughts and memories.

Other media outlets such as USA Today and the Los Angeles Times picked up on Ingram's efforts and ran articles of their own about his website.

Since then Ingram has written about a thousand features for his website, many of which are accompanied by up to 30 minutes worth of video footage.

But it's not easy putting all the material together. Some of his research can take months, such as the recent article "What Happened to 'What's Happening'?"

"I kept tracking down every avenue I could think of on the show," he said. "It was a bad memory for some people, so several people didn't want to talk about it. There really wasn't a lot of information on that show, which is a mystery to me."

Which is fine, too, Ingram said.

"A lot of times at TVparty! I like to raise questions."

Even if it's up to others to provide the answers.