Duration: 0:59

Views: 2263

By: fuzzymemories

Description: Here's Part 1 of an (incomplete) episode of the prototypical "reality show" Real People on WMAQ Channel 5. The show was hosted by Byron Allen, Sarah Purcell, John Barbour, and Skip Stephenson (and featured, on and off over the years, contributions from the likes of Bill Rafferty, Mark Russell and Fred Willard - none of whom are on this edition), and ran from 1979 to 1984 at a time when NBC's ratings (and reputation) were in the toilet.

This segment (joined in progress) pertains to the 1980 Bloomer (WI) Rope Jump Contest, in a filmed piece reported by Byron Allen. At the open, there are interviews with local residents about Bloomer's reputation as the "rope jump capital of the world," and a snippet of Danny & The Juniors' "At the Hop" being played. One of the highlights of the contest is to see who is the fastest jumper in the World Championship Speed Rope Jumping contest (each contestant jumps for 10 seconds); competitors from Chippewa Falls and Elk Mound are among the participants. Features an interview with coach Wally Mohrman who started the contest back in 1960. (There is a website pertaining to this long-running contest, for which you can click here.) Also seen are the judges who measure how fast each contestant jumps. The then-current champion, Bloomer resident Paul Morning, 17, is then spotlighted and interviewed, and given a Real People T-shirt by coach Mohrman. After the end of the filmed piece, Byron introduces Morning and coach Mohrman in the studio, and Paul shows off his rope jumping skill to the studio audience. (NOTE: Mohrman's involvement with the annual contest ended after the next year's edition.)

Commercial: Sta-Puf Reusable Sheets - "The Reusable Dryer Sheet - Now Available Anywhere" (by A.E. Staley)

Commercial: Chrysler/Plymouth - "It Pays to Compare" - will pay $50 to compare the Chrysler Cordoba to a Thunderbird, Regal or XR-7 - $500 if you buy the Cordoba (this was around the time the automaker received a loan from the Federal Government)

Commercial: ERA Buyer Protection - "All You Need to Know in Real Estate" - (C) 1980, Electronic Realty Associates, Inc.

Promo for NBC's Saturday lineup of Sanford (episode "The Still of the Night"), Me and Maxx (episode "Lunch at the Plaza"), and a Prime Time Saturday look at "a new group of criminals": cancer patients who smoke marijuana - starting at 9pm (8pm Central & Mountain) (voiceover by Casey Kasem)

"We're not lettin' any Russians precipitate in the contest this year."

This aired on local Chicago TV on Wednesday, March 26th 1980 during the
7:39pm to 7:45pm timeframe.