The staying power of Walking on Sunshine with Katrina and the Waves

It is one of those feel-good, light songs that can’t help but get your toe tapping when you hear it.

More than that, “Walking on Sunshine” by the Katrina and the Waves just keeps on going.

I heard it last week as the background music for a motivational magic show at the local elementary school and – you guessed it – I found myself tapping my toe and mouthing the words.

Such is the staying power of one of the best one-hit wonders of the 1980s.

Walking on Sunshine
The single was written by Kimberley Rew, the band’s guitarist, in 1983. According to Wikipedia, a re-recorded version was released on the band’s 1985 album entitled “Katrina and the Waves “.

It went all the way to number nine on the Billboard Hot 100, and number three in Canada.

However, I always thought I had heard “Walking on Sunshine” before 1985, when I would have been in Grade 10 or 11. I always thought, I first heard that song in junior high, in like Grade 8 or 9.

As it turns out, I had.

Reading further, I discovered Katrina and the Waves had recorded a debut album at their own expense in 1983. They shopped it around, but only a record company in Canada picked up the album, called “Walking on Sunshine”, even the band was based in England.

That meant their first album was only released in Canada in 1983. It got enough critical attention and air play, that the band did a tour of Canada.

That was when I first heard it.

They also released a follow-up album called “Katrina and the Waves 2” in Canada, before getting a record deal in the United States.

Hence, they re-recorded 10 songs from their Canadian releases, including “Walking on Sunshine”.

Take her breath away
If you look closely at the video for “Walking on Sunshine”, you will see steam coming out of the mouths of Katrina and the Waves. It is an interesting juxtaposition for a song seemingly with a summer theme.

Well, there is a good explanation for that.

During the height of the song’s popularity, Katrina appeared on “Good Rockin’ Tonite” on CBC. She explained the record company wanted them to shoot a video to go with the song.

It happened to be late fall, or maybe even early winter, so they shot the video outside. To simulate summer, Katrina and the Waves wore short-sleeved shirts, and had their arms painted brown to simulate sun tans.

Makeup could not mask the fact that you could see every breath they took.

Yet, it was still pretty effective. I hadn’t noticed that steam on the video until Katrina pointed it out.

Follow up
There was a follow-up single to “Walking on Sunshine”, as there always was back then.

I recall seeing it on either “Good Rockin’ Tonite” or “Video Hits”.

It was called “Do You Want Crying?”, and did not match the success of the band’s hit single.

In fact, all I remember is the chorus “Do You Want Crying?” and that was it.

Parting thoughts
For the record if you were wondering, as I had for a long time, Katrina’s last name is Leskanich, and the names of the Waves are Kimberley Rew, Vince de la Cruz, and Alex Cooper.

Katrina and the Waves did have some follow-up success, including winning the 1997 Eurovision Song Contest.

Yet, they will always be remembered for that one song “Walking on Sunshine”.

It’s funny, I recall several times in the 1980s when I thought I heard a song long before it hit the American airwaves, but these things blur in the mists of time.

“Walking on Sunshine” was one of the first examples. (Other examples were "Shout" by Tears for Fears and "Walk of Life" by Dire Straits). When I heard "Walking on Sunshine" on “Entertainment Tonight”, I recall thinking it had been in Canada long before that, and later remembered seeing it on “Good Rockin’ Tonite”.

From there it would become a mainstay of the soundtrack of the 1980s, and reappear in pop culture again and again. It even reappeared in the Billboard Hot 100 at number 40 after being part of a mash-up in the television show “Glee”.

That doesn’t take into account how, after almost 40 years, people still use it in presentations, like the magician last week.

Now that’s staying power.

You got it “Bang On” (by Rational Youth)

 

 A few weeks ago I received an e-mail and thought out loud, “That’s bang – ‘Bang On, like a jet in the breeze, bang on’…”

The last bit is part of the chorus of a song that is kind of an ‘80s ear worm for me, from a band that was popular in Montreal, if memory serves, but never got as big as they should have in the rest of the world.

Rational Youth
The first time I heard the band Rational Youth described was as one of the biggest bands in Montreal along with Men Without Hats.

Beyond that, I know very little about Rational Youth, that is until I looked them up on Wikipedia.

I discovered they were a pioneering new wave synth pop band, and in fact lead singer Tracy Howe had also been in Men Without Hats, as a guitarist, before forming Rational Youth. Interestingly, Howe and Ivan Doroschuk, who later formed Men Without Hats, had also been in a band together called Heaven Seventeen. That band was credited with being one of the first punk bands to use synthesizers.

Also, I discovered the band had some personnel issues and, by the time “Bang On” was released, they were Rational Youth in name – and lead singer – only.

In fact, it was the record studio’s idea to release this album as one by the band, and lead singer Tracy Howe went along with it, producing “Heredity” in 1985 with a bunch of studio musicians.

What ultimately happened was the sound was different from Rational Youth’s previous music, thus creating new fans – like me sort of – confusing existing fans.

“Bang On”
I have to say, “Bang On” does not sound punk or new wave at all to me. It is more of a pop song. It got radio play in 1985, and made the Canadian Top 100 at number 91.

Parting thoughts
It’s strange how just a word or two can trigger a song. It’s kind of an odd ear worm, or maybe Freudian free association.

Anyway, although “Bang On” seems to be confined to the dust bin of Canadian music history, it comes to mind every time I utter the phrase “bang on”.

“Bang on – like a jet in the breeze”.

Barry Corbin: That unmistakable southern sound

Barry Borbin, at left, played Maurice Minnifield for six seasons
on "Northern Exposure". Here he is with Rob Morrow, who
played Dr. Joel Fleischman.
Source: https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/ 2020/07/10/
northern-exposure-turns-30-looking-back-quirky-cbs-drama/3224245001/
(Photo: CBS)
(May be subject to copyright)

That southern drawl is unmistakable, whether he is the retired astronaut patron of a small Alaska town, a high-school basketball coach in North Carolina, or the father of a firefighter in Austin, Texas.

Such is the long and prolific career of Barry Corbin.

When I saw him play Judd’s dad on “911: Lone Star”, that voice in particular took me back to a row boat in Cicely, Alaska in 1990, the first time I ever saw him on the small screen.

Although my first memory is at the start of the 1990s, Barry Corbin had already had a prolific career in TV and the movies in the ‘80s.

Film actor
His first role on the big screen was in “Urban Cowboy” in 1980, followed that same year with spots in “Stir Crazy” and “Any Which Way You Can”. The next year, 1981, he was in “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia”, and in 1982 he was in “Six Pack”, “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas”, and “Honkytank Man”. In 1983, he appeared in “War Games” and “The Man Who Loved Women”, followed in 1985 with “My Science Project”, and “Nothing in Common” in 1986. In 1987 he was in “Under Cover”, and in 1989 he was in “Who’s Harry Crumb?”.

It is a veritable who’s who of middle of the road movies from the decade.

TV actor
Barry Corbin’s first recurring role on TV was in “Dallas” where he played Sheriff Fenton Washburn in nine episodes from 1979 to 1984.

He also guest starred in “M*A*S*H”; “Hart to Hart”; the mini-series “The Thorn Birds”; “The A-Team”; “The Twilight Zone”; “Murder, She Wrote”; “Matlock”; the mini-series “Lonesome Dove”; and much more.

Then he got the role that changed everything.

Heading north
I will never forget the scene, politically incorrect in today’s time, but that tried to be funny. It was the premiere episode of “Northern Exposure”, a show in which New York City Doctor Joel Fleischman has moved north to the tiny community of Cicely, Alaska. e is there to be their doctor for a few years, in exchange for them having paid for his medical school education.

Fleischman is sitting in a fishing boat with Maurice Minnifield, patriarch of Cicely.

“It took us a long time to get a Jew doctor from New York,” he told Fleischman.

Fleischman, in turn, looks incredulous, but what can he say?

Maurice Minnifield was played by Barry Corbin.

Community leader
Minnifield had his hand in every part of Cicely. Not only was he a retired astronaut and millionaire, he owned the local radio station, newspaper, and 15,000 acres he hopes to develop into the “Alaskan Riviera”.

Wikipedia describes him as pompous, overbearing and bigoted, as illustrated by the above conversation. However, he does help out every character on the show as well.

Corbin appeared in all 110 episodes of “Northern Exposure”, and was nominated two straight years for an Emmy for the role of Maurice Minnifield.

The years after
Corbin continued to appear in television shows. The next major role I recall, and one I really loved him in, was as high school basketball coach Whitey Durham in “One Tree Hill”, where he appeared in 90 episodes. He was more than a coach though. He was a father figure, sage, philosopher, and mentor to half brothers Lucas and Nathan Scott.

He also had a 13-episode stint on “The Closer”; 16 episodes in “Suit Up”; an even 100 episodes with Charlie Sheen in “Anger Management”; 32 episodes in “The Ranch”; and three episodes in “Better Call Saul”.

His most recent roles were an episode of “Yellowstone” in 2021; and he has played Stuart Ryder, firfeighter Judd Ryder’s father, on three episodes of “911: Lone Star” from 2020 to 2022.

Parting thoughts
Barry Corbin is an actor that just keeps on going. He may have started on TV in 1976 and appeared in his first movie in 1980, but he does not look like he has slowed down, or will any time soon.

He continues to turn in quality performances in some of today’s best shows, always with that unmistakable drawl, and I look forward to seeing him pop up again and again.

Olivia Newton-John: Talented performer, courageous person

Olivia Newton-John released "Physical" in 1981, not only making it one of the top songs of the decade but an anthem for the burgeoning fitness craze.
Source: https://totally80s.com/index.php/article/september-1981-olivia-newton-john-releases-physical
(Photo: Peter Bischoff/Getty Images)
(May be subject to copyright)

One minute she was an exchange student at Rydell High providing the soundtrack for a high school musical and the next she was providing the soundtrack for the burgeoning fitness craze of the ‘80s.

Such was the life of Olivia Newton-John.
 I was thinking all about “Grease” and “Physical” a few weeks ago when I heard she had passed away, far too young with so much left to give.

You’re the movie I want
“Grease” was my first exposure to Olivia Nrewton-John. Although coming out in 1978, my cousin Doris just loved the movie and the soundtrack even more and played it in the 1980s. Since we were neighbours, and spent a lot of time together especially in the summertime, I ended up hearing the “Grease” soundtrack a lot.

I absolutely loved the “Grease” soundtrack too, which spent 12 non-consecutive weeks at number on the Billboard charts, and gave Newton-John three top five singles. “You’re the One That I Want” went all the way to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 singles; “Hopelessly Devoted to You” went to number three, and was nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Song in 1979; and “Summer Nights” which went to number five on the charts.

Eventually, I bought the “Grease” soundtrack at a garage sale, but actually seeing the movie was another matter. Initially, I found out about it when, once more following Doris’ lead, I bought the “Grease” fotonovel. It was a book of pictures outlining the movie. It also printed all the lyrics of every song. I recall reading it on the car ride to church with my dad one Sunday morning.

Actually seeing it back in the early 1980s meant I had to wait until it aired on TV. Back then I did not have a VCR, and when I did, I didn’t really rent any movies because, living on the farm, I had no way of getting back to town to return them on time. “Grease” finally aired on Channel 13. It was cut up by commercials and certain parts were either completed cut out, or words were “bleeped”. It was okay, but not exactly what I expected after reading the fotonovel.

I never saw it uncut until Grey Cup Sunday in 1996, when I watched it with my then girlfriend while wait for the football game to start.

Back in the movies
As the decade dawned in 1980, Olivia Newton-John was back in the movies, appearing in “Xanadu” with Gene Kelly and Michael Beck. I recall visiting my Uncle Ed one week night, when my cousin Nina came back from the movies. She had been to see “Xanadu” and explained that Olivia Newton-John played an ageless Greek muse sent to give inspiration to a struggling artist.

The movie did not do well at the box office, but again yielded a bunch of hits. The album peaked at number four on the charts, and two singles I recall are “Magic” which went to number one on the Billboard Hot 100; and the title track “Xanadu”, which was recorded with the Electric Light Orchestra and went all the way to number eight on the Billboard Hot 100.

Newton-John was nominated for a Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for “Magic”, and it was Newton-John’s biggest hit to that point.

But something even bigger was on he way.

Getting physical
In 1981, Olivia Newton-John released “Physical” which would go on to spend 10 weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, tying the record at that time set by Debby Boone’s “You Light Up my Life” for most weeks at number one. “Physical” was ultimately the biggest song of the decade, and Newton-John was again nominated for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for the song.

Newton-John filmed an exercise-themed video that became the soundtrack for gyms and aerobics classes all over the world, and popularized head bands and Spandex.

I will always remember going to a junior high dance where two girls in the grade ahead of me were wearing leg warmers and head bands. When “Physical” played, they danced, basically doing aerobics, and sunk to the floor doing splits.

The song was influential in so many ways.

There would be another single off that album, “Make a Move on Me,” that peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100.

You again
Olivia Newton-John teamed up with John Travolta, her co-star in “Grease”, for the movie “Two of a Kid” in 1983. She played a bank teller while Travolta played an inventor who tried to rob her. They now must show compassion for each other to delay God’s judgment on Earth.

The movie was another box office failure, but the soundtrack yielded the single “Twist of Fate”, which I really liked. So much so that one Friday in Grade 9, I was not able to get “Twist of Fate” out of my head when my friend Joe Darveau came home with me one weekend from school. I kept singing the song on the bus all the way home – and I hadn’t even seen the movie.

“Twist of Fate” went all the way to number five on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Newton-John’s last top 10 hit on the Bilboard charts.

Last look
Olivia Newton-John’s chart success reached its zenith. The last song I recall her releasing was “Soul Kiss” in 1985. I saw it in a piece on “Entertainment Tonight”, but it just didn’t resonate like her previous songs had. The charts proved that, as it made it as far as number 29 on the Hot 100.

It really was not that memorable, and I recall thinking that.

The years after
Olivia Newton-John would continue recording, but became known for much more than music. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992, beating it, and becoming an advocate for breast cancer research, and several other causes. Her cancer reappeared in 2017, when she revealed she had a recurrence in 2013. It had now spread to her bones.

She died on Aug. 8, 2022, at the age of 73.

Parting thoughts
As impressive as Olivia Newton-John’s musical career was, what was really impressive was her courageous struggle with cancer. She beat it twice. She also advocated for breast cancer research and so much more, before cancer finally took her life.

She always presented herself with class and dignity on stage, and that was amplified in the way she handled her illness.

I will always like her for all that great music she made in the ‘80s, but I will admire her for the courage she showed in life.

Nichelle Nichols: Uhura and beyond

Nichelle Nichols in her familiar post as Lieutenant Nyota Uhura, communications officer for the Starship Enterprise on "Star Trek".
Source: https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/star-trek-nichelle-nichols-best-uhura-moments
(Photo: Paramount)
(May be subject to copyright)

Nichelle Nichols’ autobiography is called “Beyond Uhura”, but for me in the 1980s, Nichelle Nichols was Nyota Uhura, communications officer for the Starship Enterprise on "Star Trek".

Last year I read “Beyond Uhura” and it came to mind, along with other memories, when I heard Nichelle Nichols died last month.

She was 89.

Seeing Uhura

The 1980s were a strange time to see “Star Trek” in the three-channel universe of peasant vision.

It was not on regularly until probably Grade 8, so about 1983, when CBC Channel 9 started airing re-runs on Saturday mornings. I tried to catch them when I could, but that was rare because we went to the city on Saturdays. CBC did move it around, so it also aired late afternoon and sometimes late night on Saturdays.

I saw more when I visited cousins in Brooks who had cable TV and it was aired weeknights at 7 p.m.

Interestingly, I saw more “Star Trek” in the theatres during the decade with four movies, all debuting in the 1980s. There was “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" in 1982; “Star Trek III: The Search for Spock" in 1984; “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" in 1986; and “Star Trek V: The Final Frontier" in 1989.

Through it all Nichelle Nichols was Lieutenant Uhura.

Hearing Uhura
Given I am a communicator for a living, I really liked Uhura, although I often found her lone role was to open a channel with whatever alien planet or ship the Enterprise encountered.

Nichols expressed her frustration with that in “Beyond Uhura”. She noted she was initially promised more attention would be given to Uhura as the show went on. Not only was her character supposed to be more fleshed out, but she was supposed to have more plots and episodes featuring the character. 

That did not happen. Instead her role was either diminished in screen time, or remained static when on camera.

Still there were memorable moments.

Watching Uhura
The most notable episode, was the one that broke a lot of barriers. It involved the first ever inter-racial kiss on television, even though its two participants were in an altered state. That was intentional, because otherwise creator Gene Rodenberry said, he would not have been able to pull it off.


The episode was entitled and “Plato’s Stepchildren”.

There were other notable moments, many that I was reminded of in an article on “Den of Geek” by Don Kaye.

In “Charlie X”, the second episode of the series, the Enterprise meets a teenager who has incredible powers but cannot handle them amid his developing emotions. What makes Uhura stand out was a scene where she sings for the first time – but not the last – accompanied by Spock on the Vulcan lute.

Later that season in “The Squire of Gothos”, another superbeing transports the bridge crew of the Enterprise to his castle, where he gives Uhura the ability to play the harpsichord, continuing her relationship with music.

In “The Changeling”, the third episode of the second season, a space probe that has merged with alien technology boards the Enterprise. It hears Uhura singing, does not understand, scans her mind looking for answers, and wipes her memory clean making her mind that of a child. She even reverts to her native language Swahili, but recovers.

The next episode “Mirror, Mirror” is one of my all-time favourites. A transporter malfunction transfers a landing party to swap places with their counterparts in an alternate, evil universe. Uhura has to come on to then reject the alternate Sulu in order to distract him. She gets into a fight too.

Another one of my favourites, “The Trouble With Tribbles”, features these fuzzy creatures who purr, wow the crew, and breed incessantly to the point of pervading every part of the Enterprise. The very first Tribble is brought aboard by Uhura, who gets it from a salesman when she is on shore leave on a space station.

The challenge was that, more often than, Uhura seemed to be in the background or as part of an ensemble. Don Kaye called her a “futuristic switchboard operator”.

Uhura in the movies
Uhura did have her moments in the movies, such as when the Enterprise did battle with Khan in “Star Trek II”, or when they stole the Enterprise to get Spock’s body from the Genesis Planet in “Star Trek III” or they went back to 1986 San Francisco to transport some whales back to the future in “Star Trek IV”.

However, one of my most memorable movie memories from that period was in “Star Trek V” when, to create a distraction, Uhura danced on the top of a hill seemingly in the nude.

Beyond Uhura
Reading her autobiography really shone a light on how brave, patient, and resilient Nichelle Nichols was. It detailed broken promises made to her that Uhura would have a bigger part or more story lines. That was as much, or more, sexist than racist.

It delved into the sexual harassment she faced, including an incident that went to court, sadly, in Canada.

More than anything, “Beyond Uhura” really illustrated how Nichelle Nichols toughed out everything, and went on to be a trail blazer, pioneer and role model.

Her stature only grew when she was recruited by NASA to help promote the space program and recruit the next generation of astronauts, a generation that was more diverse with more women and ethnic minorities.

Parting thoughts
Star Trek has exploded as a franchise with more movies and several TV series. Some are sequels, and some prequels, but they have become so prolific we have had Zoe Saldana and Celia Rose Gooding also play Uhura in various productions.

However, for me, Nichelle Nichols will always be Uhura. The best part was, had she not broken new ground for the next generation of black and female actors, Saldana and Gooding may have never had the opportunity to play Uhura.

She was one of a kind, and this generation of actors owe her a lot for everything she endured and everything she promoted to pave the way for them.

Roger E. Mosley: Remembering T.C. from “Magnum P.I.”

Roger E. Mosley played Theodore "T.C." Calvin on "Magnum P.I." from 1980 to 1988. Here he is at left with Tom Selleck, who played the title character Thomas Sullivan Magnum III.
Source: https://popculture.com/tv-shows/news/roger-earl-mosley-original-magnum-pi-star-tc-dead-83/
(Photo: CBS via Getty Images)
(May be subject to copyright)

He will forever be remembered for a role that started as a wing man for a maverick private investigator. Yet, he grew into a multi-layered character with much more depth than just being a war buddy an friend takes advantage of.

For eight years, Roger E. Mosly played Theodore “T.C.” Calvin on “Magnum P.I.”, a role that defined his career.

He would even make an appearance on the re-boot of “Magnum P.I.”.

Roger E. Mosley was top of mind last month when I heard he died as a result of complications from a car accident. He was 83.

Wing man
When “Magnum P.I.” debuted in 1980, the title character, Thomas Sullivan Magnum III, was a private investigator living on the estate of enigmatic millionaire author Robin Masters, where he was the head of security. He was aided by two war buddies – Orville “Rick” Wright and Theodore “T.C.” Calvin, AKA Rick and T.C.. They always seemed to appear together as a duo of wingmen.

Rick owned a bar and, with some mysterious and shady connections, always seemed to know someone who could help Magnum on a case. At the same time, T.C. was a helicopter pilot, trained in the navy and serving in Vietnam. He owned his own company, “Island Hoppers”, which included a helicopter and van. Magnum was forever calling on T.C. to fly him somewhere, do aerial surveillance, or help in some other way. Part of the regular schtick was how he was always hounding Magnum to pay him for gas or repairs – usually from bullet holes – to his chopper.

However, that soon changed.

War stories
Soon after its debut, the characters of Rick and T.C. began to develop. In one episode, Magnum thinks he has seen his wife alive and well, although he thought she died in Vietnam. As he goes through that whole range of emotions, there is a moment where T.C. takes Magnum aside to go for a talk.

It was a powerful moment for me, with much more to come.

One of the signature episodes of “Magnum P.I.” was the third season opener “Did You See the Sun Rise?”. It showed a lot more about Magnum, Rick, and T.C.’s service in Vietnam, including the time they spent as prisoners of war.

That episode revealed a much deeper part of their characters, shaped by their time in Vietnam.

It opens with Nuzo coming to a Hawaii, another veteran that Magnum, Rick and T.C. served with in Vietnam. Things seem all right, as he shares some war stories and keeps offering T.C. gum. He spends more time with T.C., isolating him more and more, telling more vivid stories.

We soon learn why.

T.C. had been brainwashed while they were prisoners of war. The gum contained a psychotropic drug that, with Nuzo’s constant conditioning, was hypnotizing T.C. to think he is back in Vietnam preparing for a mission. In reality, the real Nuzo is dead, and this Nuzo is a Russian spy. His mission is to assassinate a foreign dignitary, seeking closer ties with the United States. The Nuzo impostor plans to use an altered T.C., and his chopper experience, to kill that dignitary, cause an international incident, and have T.C. die in the aftermath.

Of course, Magnum, Rick, Higgins, and the U.S. government figure this all out and arrive just in time to thwart the assassination attempt.

“Did You See the Sun Rise?” just highlights the depth of T.C.’s character and the masterful way Roger E. Mosley played him.

Parting thoughts
“Magnum P.I.” was one of the first shows I saw where the writers fleshed out the supporting characters. They went well beyond just focusing on the title character and his exploits every week.

Instead, we got to know the other characters, saw what made them tick, and what they were all about.

But, it was Roger E. Mosley’s acting that made Theodore Calvin come alive.

And for that, I am eternally grateful.

Hangin’ In with David Eisner

The cast of "Hangin' In" which ran on CBC from 1981 to 1987.
From left are Ruth Springford, who played Webster; David Eisner, who
played Mike DiFalco; and Lally Cadeau, who played Kate Brown.
Source: https://outlet.historicimages.com/products/mva58251
(May be subject to copyright)

It took me a minute to recognize him. It was the second season of the CTV drama “Transplant”. He was a doctor whose daughter died and he was now suing the hospital for wrongful death.

I always read the credits, and this time a name struck me – David Eisner.

It took me a minute to search through my memory to see who he could have played. Since I was binge watching “Transplant”, the minute that bereaved doctor came on screen, I knew that was David Eisner.

At that moment, he was not in a hospital, but instead in two places in my memory – prowling the streets of Kensington in Toronto on one hand, and serving as a sensitive, compassionate and funny youth counsellor on the other hand.

Such was David Eisner’s television career in the 1980s.

Next to the king
I was really young when the “King of Kensington” was on TV, but I do have some memories. One was of an exhibition minor hockey game between the team Larry King (Al Waxman) coached, and a team from Rimouski, Quebec. The captain of King's hockey team was a kid named Guido, who King took under his wing and mentored. Guido was a semi-regular who always hung around King’s convenience store.

He was played by a very young and energetic David Eisner.

Going upstreet
“Hangin’ In” debuted in 1981, a year after “King of Kensington” went off the air, and ran to 1987 for 110 episodes. It was about the staff at a youth drop-in centre in Toronto. The head counsellor, Kate Brown, was played by esteemed Canadian actor Lally Cadeau. She was the heartbeat of the show, and the centre. She was flanked by Mike DiFalco, a young, energetic and somewhat idealistic counsellor, played by David Eisner. Rounding out the cast was Webster, played by Ruth Springford, who was a secretary in name, but much more in reality.

In a small way it was as if Guido had grown up. He was now talking to youth the way Larry King had talked to him.

However, beyond being a comedy, “Hangin’ In” dealt with a lot of sensitive issues from abuse to bullying and much more.

Cadeau, Eisner and Springford complemented each other perfectly, and “Hangin’ In” was a show I looked forward to watching on CBC Channel 9 every week, Tuesday nights if memory serves.

Parting thoughts
There was one really interesting thing I read about David Eisner. It must have been in “TV Guide”, because the Canadian version we received often profiled Canadian actors, directors, and shows. This profile on David Eisner talked about how he was a talent who, in just a matter of time, would break out. He would make it in that lucrative American market that virtually all Canadian actors aspired to.

That article came to mind when, maybe a year or two later, I was watching “Highway to Heaven”, an American drama on NBC that starred Michael Landon and his co-star Victor French. Each week featured a number of guest stars, and this particular week one was David Eisner. He was playing a writer, who I think was the grandson of another writer whose shadow he had always lived in.

I thought that “TV Guide” article prophetic, because here was David Eisner on primetime US TV.

Wikipedia reveals that he has had a lengthy career as an actor, appearing on virtually every major Canadian TV show over the past 40 years, as well as a lot of movies and U.S. television series.

Yet for me, he will always be Mike DiFalco, offering a helping hand, a sensitive ear, and a shoulder to cry on if a teen needed it.