Celebrity Bowling (and a Bird Update)

Alissa Grosso

We don’t have traditional over-the-air television here. We live pretty far out in the country, in a river valley and there’s simply no way to pick up live TV here without a cable subscription. (This past winter we did try a very well-reviewed indoor digital antenna. We did find if we connected the antenna to a TV in a bedroom that we don’t normally use, opened the sliding glass door and held the antenna up outside we could pick up two Philadelphia stations, one of which was in English, but since this antenna was only rated for indoor use this didn’t seem especially useful.) We don’t subscribe to cable (except for internet use) but we do have numerous streaming subscriptions.

As a result, we always have something to watch. In fact, we have an overwhelming amount of shows and movies to choose from, perhaps a little too many. That’s how we came to get into a 1970s show called Celebrity Bowling, episodes of which can be streamed on Amazon Prime.

The show hails from 1971, and I have no doubt that its creators never expected people to be regularly watching it 53 years in the future, but here we are. If so, they might have taken some pains to polish things up a bit more, but Celebrity Bowling is entertainingly rough around the edges. Those are some of the best parts.

The premise of the show is that four celebrities face off in two teams against each other bowling a “best ball” system. The celebrities are introduced by name and sometimes the host Jed Allen lets those of us watching in 2024 know what they are famous for, but many times we are just left to guess. Judging by the episodes we have seen so far in the initial season they had a tough time rounding up enough celebrities willing to show off their bowling skills to the nation, as several celebrities have appeared in more than one episode. Some were smart enough to bring a change of clothes with them, others appear to only own one outfit. In terms of skill they range from pretty good to completely amateur.

In the second episode the Lennon sisters rolled enough gutter balls to make even this subpar bowler feel right at home. Speaking of which, neither Ron nor I could be considered avid bowlers. I would estimate that it’s been twenty years since I last went bowling, and since we live in something of a bowling alley desert I don’t anticipate bowling anytime soon. So, why has Celebrity Bowling become one of our new favorite shows to watch?

It’s surprisingly entertaining. First of all it is VERY 1970s, and we love the campy nostalgia of it, including the catchy theme song that seems to be permanently stuck in our heads. The game show element of it is that each team is playing for a randomly selected audience member who has the opportunity to win a hip prize based on the final score of their team. So far we’ve seen a lot of lucky folks win “an assortment of Farah slacks” but other prizes in the running include a fondue set, an Amana Radar Range microwave oven, an eight-track player and the big prize a brand new Chevrolet Vega. So far, no one’s come close to winning the car.

In keeping with a show from the 1970s casual sexism abounds. With the host uttering lines like “For a woman she’s not half bad.” There’s so many more quips and comments that are so random and odd, that we can’t help cracking up as we watch a show that’s not intentionally a comedy, but is very, very funny all the same. So, if you have Amazon Prime, and feel like taking a little trip back in time to the 1970s, then I urge you to watch an episode or two of Celebrity Bowling.

Of course, the other thing we’ve been watching here is our under-the-deck robin’s nest, but yesterday was the season finale. The fledglings have all flown the nest! Here’s the last photo I snapped of them:

They did leave a little pile of bird poop and dead worms for us on the patio beneath their nest. So, that will have to get cleaned up, though this morning I watched some ants helping us with that task as they hauled away a dead worm. Even without broadcast television, our entertainment options are seemingly endless!

— Alissa

P.S. Have you entered my book giveaway? You have until June 10th to do so. Book giveaway details are here.

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Weekly Inspiration

What I’m Reading: Old Souls by Thomas Shroder

What I’m Watching: Celebrity Bowling

What I’m Listening to: “One Way or Another” by Blondie

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Find out more about my books at alissagrosso.com

Find out more about my digital art at alissacarin.com

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My apologies for the typos and such this post is almost certainly riddled with.