When Icons meet: Two pop legends croon for Diet Coke (1990)

 Pepsi had Michael Jackson & Madonna, but they never did a commercial together.

 Diet Coke did them one better, and paired up Paula Abdul and Elton John.

If you're not digging, check your pulse.

The shame of the suburbs is a Congressional embarrassment

 We've long established that NY Misrepresentative Elise Stefanik of Schuylerville boarded the Trump Train to advance her career. Rumors are that she is in the running to be the GOP VP candidate, running alongside the Archduke of Affluenza come this summer's convention.

Well, she is at it again, trying to save the Orange Brat from prosecution, although, technically, the horse left the barn long ago, as Farron Cousins explains.

While Trump has seen his carefully cultivated public image self-destruct the last few years, and he continues to embarrass himself on a daily basis, Stefanik, in a desperate attempt to lock up the VP nod, is grasping at straws and tossing darts at a velcro board, hoping her complaints have merit, when they clearly do not.

You know what she's getting:

The GOP is better served cutting their losses, and taking Trump off the ballot, and letting someone else challenge Joe Biden in November. If they don't, Trump takes a chance on joining Eugene V. Debs as the only presidential candidates to campaign inside a prison cell. As for Stefanik, she nearly lost her seat in her last re-election bid. Someone will come along and give her a reality check. Preferably sooner rather than later.

Forgotten TV: Let's Call it Quits (1974)

 The American Cancer Society, in collaboration with Paramount Television, produced this half hour PSA about smoking, Let's Call it Quits. Partially filmed on the set of The Brady Bunch, which had ended production, Quits is headlined by Tom Bosley & Marion Ross (Happy Days), joined by Vic Perrin (ex-The Outer Limits), Tracy Reed (ex-Barefoot in The Park, Love, American Style), Normann Burton (later of Wonder Woman), Brad Savage (ex-Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice), & "Cousin Oliver" himself, Robbie Rist.

50 years later, the message is still relevant.

No rating. Just a public service.

Musical Interlude: Hitchin' A Ride (1969-70)

 Today, hitchhiking is frowned upon, due to the inherent dangers that go with it.

When Vanity Fare released "Hitchin' A Ride", the story was about a young man who took to hitchhiking because of a lack of funds. It peaked at #5 on the Hot 100.

What Might've Been: Working Girl (1990)

 I remember seeing "Working Girl", with Melanie Griffith, Harrison Ford, Sigourney Weaver, and Joan Cusack, in the theatre with my then-girlfriend in 1988. Nearly 2 years later, the movie becomes a sitcom for NBC as a spring replacement------and bombed.

It's easy to assume too much time had passed between the movie, a subsequent video release, and the show, which top-lined Sandra Bullock in Griffith's role as Tess McGill. Nana Visitor, later of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, was given Weaver's part as Bryn Newhouse. Carly Simon's award winning theme, "Let The River Run", was used, but with another artist covering the track. Said artist was not given screen credit, and it's definitely not Carly. One possibility might've been voice actress-singer BJ Ward, who had a recurring role as Tess' mom, I believe it was, a rare gig in front of the camera for Ward.

Unfortunately, NBC gave up on Working Girl, airing just 8 episodes. The series was originally developed with Nancy McKeon (ex-The Facts of Life) in mind, but it'd be a few more years before McKeon found an adult role that worked for her (The Division).

"Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" was one of the episodes that didn't air, but became available recently on YouTube:

With the video of the movie available by the spring of 1990, viewers voted with their remotes. Sandra Bullock went on to become a major movie star, and thus, TV Land exhumed the series in 1999 for a brief run.

Rating: B+.

Musical Interlude: Pilot of The Airwaves (1979-80)

 British actress-singer-songwriter Charlie Dore had a 1 hit wonder here in the US in the winter of 1979-80 with "Pilot of The Airwaves", which peaked in the top 20 on the Hot 100, and hit #4 on the adult contemporary chart.

A few years later, Charlie co-wrote "Strut", a top 10 hit for Sheena Easton.

What Might've Been: Everything Money Can't Buy (1973-4)

 Thanks to correspondent Mike Doran for the tip on this next item.

You might recall Carl Reiner's failed 1976 sitcom, Good Heavens, an anthology sitcom about an angel granting wishes to average folks. A couple of years earlier, Reiner directed a pilot for the series under a different title.

Everything Money Can't Buy was the pilot in question, with Jose Ferrer as Mr. Angel, and the concept was a little more serious, which might explain why it didn't sell for some odd reason. It was one of the last projects under the familiar Screen Gems banner before the studio was rechristened Columbia Pictures Television in May 1974. Bernard Slade's Thornhill Productions was attached, with writer-creator Slade also acting as executive producer. Slade had flopped at NBC with The Girl With Something Extra, which paired Sally Field with John Davidson.

Money's ensemble cast included Brenda Vaccaro, Bert Convy (The Snoop Sisters, Tattletales), and two supporting players from The Bob Newhart Show, Peter Bonerz & Jack Riley.

This could've been a hit on another network, but viewers weren't ready for a concept like this. No rating.