Celebrating Betty White Tribute Special (NBC) January 31,2022 - General Discussion

[Blergh]

On the plus side it had a very good collection of clips including  the rarely seen morning home show that Miss White starred and produced herself called The Betty White Show (1954) and good kudos from her colleagues including some from  unexpected celebrities including Cher who recalled having been enthralled with her as far back as Miss White's  Life with Elizabeth (1952) sitcom. While the main focus was on Miss White's television career, it did somewhat touch upon her love of critters down the decades.  Other than mentioning her parents and Allen Ludden in passing, there was very little about her actual private life (e.g. her 1st two exes were entirely ignored) but that was fine for this. Oh, and let me close the positive parts of this by saying Cher did a commendable job of singing The Golden Girls theme of "Thank You for Being a Friend" in tribute to Miss White.

The only downers were them letting IMO Bad Pennies Ellen Degeneres and Jay Leno chime in. Granted, they said nothing but positive things about her but I try to avoid having to see them on my television set whenever possible.   Truly, the show could have done without either of their participations. 

I give this one a B (it would have been a solid A had it not had the above mentioned Bad Pennies throw in their two cents). 

[HelenBaby]

I thought it was way too heavy on the SNL connection. I get that it was NBC and all that entails, but still. And they couldn’t get Carol Burnett? I’m glad Vicki Lawrence was included but Carol should be there. I guess since she is more associated with CBS that might be the reason. I suppose a lot of her contemporaries are dead so they went with what they had. 

[snarkylady]

Cher is not the first name that comes to mind when you think of Betty White but her participation was acceptable.  I'm not sure who would have been better if they wanted someone to sing. 

The problem as I see it is that the people most closely associated with Betty White have all passed on.  Carol Burnett should have been included, of course.  But we needed the cast of Mary Tyler Moore and the Golden Girls, instead we got Hot in Cleveland, the show that Betty saved just by her presence. 

I don't begrudge anyone making an appearance praising Betty White but some people make more sense than others.  

[Blergh]

20 hours ago, snarkylady said:

Cher is not the first name that comes to mind when you think of Betty White but her participation was acceptable.  I'm not sure who would have been better if they wanted someone to sing. 

The problem as I see it is that the people most closely associated with Betty White have all passed on.  Carol Burnett should have been included, of course.  But we needed the cast of Mary Tyler Moore and the Golden Girls, instead we got Hot in Cleveland, the show that Betty saved just by her presence. 

I don't begrudge anyone making an appearance praising Betty White but some people make more sense than others.  

Yes, I wonder why they didn't have Carol Burnett make any commentary (please let it have been some inadvertent unintentional omission and NOT due to any issues of less-than-perfect health for Miss Burnett).

I know that the main casts of MTM and The Golden Girls have gone to their rewards but what would it have hurt to have asked John Amos or Joyce Bullifant who'd been on MTM or a living Golden Girls guest for their two bits?

As to why I disliked Miss DeGeneres and Mr. Leno participating in this? Because   while Miss White was a genuinely nice, sincere and entertaining person, IMO, both of them are mean spirited , insincere and unentertaining people. 

[shapeshifter]

On 2/1/2022 at 10:44 AM, Blergh said:

 Cher did a commendable job of singing The Golden Girls theme of "Thank You for Being a Friend" in tribute to Miss White.

I was both surprised and very moved by Cher's singing "Thank You for Being a Friend."