The Ninth Battle: December 1980

Robert Walden

Battle of the Network Stars IX 

Dec. 5, 1980

Hosts: Howard Cosell

& Cathy Lee Crosby 

CBS (winner)

Jamie Farr ,(captain) Gregory Harrison. Diane Ladd, Donna Mills, Judy Norton Taylor. Tom Selleck, Joan Van Ark, Robert Walden 

ABC

John Davidson, (captain) Willie Aames, Scott Baio, Phyllis Davis, Donna Dixon, Max Gail. Ann Jillian Susan Richardson 

NBC

Arte Johnson, (captain) Byron Allen, John Beck, Greg Evigan, Erin Gray, Judy Landers, Sarah Purcell, Cristina Raines

If you've checked out my past Battle themed posts, you know I'm all about that speedo bulge.   If it were all about bulges, I think Willie Aames may have taken the lead. (HERE:)  Although Aames and Scott Baio brought the youth energy and athletes to the ABC team, it was CBS who took the win.  Powered by the strength of Gregory Harrison and Tom Selleck, and a very strong female roster, the other teams didn't stand a chance.

Most of these caps I made are from the celebrity introductions made near the beginning of the show.  This time, it was just before the kayak competition in the Pepperdine University swimming pool.  Unfortunately, like some other episodes in the series, this time, the camera stayed at waist level or above.  There were some speedo and full body shots, but not during the intros  If you want to watch, the intros, and entire episode, there are clips on Youtube.

Although the network didn't give us a great shot of Gregory Harrison from the front, they did give us a peak at his back and butt as he exited the pool.

Dunk Tank:

I've featured Tom Selleck a few time son the site, not because I'm a fan as much as his impact as a sex symbol during the 80's and 90's.  I did however, find his playful strip entering the dunk tank worth a closer look....

When Teen Idols Collide:

I hit my teen years at the very end of the 80's, a little late to miss the days when actors Willie Aames and Scott Baio were heating up the pages of Tiger Beat Magazine.  I did however get to know them, a little bit from repeats from their television shows.  In large part however, I knew who they were from images.  

My parents used to drag us to flea markets when we were kids, and I loved flipping through old magazines, and especially loved finding and buying boxes of old magazines I could get for a dollar or two. It was in those magazines, I first saw shots of both in speedos, from there appearances on Battle of the Network Stars.  Long before I actually watched the show, I saw the shots.  I've featured images of both in their speedos, including a trip to Willie's willy bulge. (HERE:)

Some of you may remember that the two eighties teen idols starred on the sitcom Charles In Charge.  I've yet to watch an episode, but two years before the sitcom, they co-starred in the 1982 teen sex comedy Zapped.  Zapped was one of those movies that I saw on the shelves of the video store every time I went.  For some reason however, I was never motivated to rent it, so never ended up watching.

Speedo studs

As I got older, my lust for Baio certainly declined, today, it's non-existent.  That wasn't the main reason however, I never rented the 80's flick. I think it had to do with the fact that every promotional image of from the movie that I saw, seemed to highlight there'd be boobs, and lots of them.  I never saw or read anything about any scenes of male skin.

That was however, until recently.  A few weeks ago I saw a video clip from artist and forum poster djunderground123 on the Dreamcap forums.   The video was in post devoted to Embarrassment Nudity in films.  This is a subject DJ knows more than a little about.  Some FH may remember that I've previously featured DJ's artwork, (HERE:) with the artist removing the crowns, and the royal robes. from Disney Princes.  I also featured DJ's images of Riverdale's Archie having his wrestling singlet yanked down by Kevin. 

Thanks to DJ, I now know there was some male nudity in Zapped, some embarrassment nude scenes from several hot extras.  I also learned that another 80's hottie, Greg Bradford, (below) was in the film.  I've also featured Greg, his Chippendales speedo shots, and his film nude scenes, previously on the site. (HERE:)

It's a travesty the director didn't blow the dress pants of Bradford in the very Carrie inspired prom scene.  If you look closely, you can see a few guys in their skimpy undies and one bare male butt among all the female nude bodies.  You can download the Prom scene if you want a closer look on SendSpace HERE:

Despite the lack of much male skin during the prom scene, DJ did share another scene from Zapped, this one giving us a better view of two hot male butts.  No, they were not the stars, but two cute extras mooning and getting flung across the sky by Barney's (Baio) telekinetic powers.  Check out caps and the video on the NEXT PAGE HERE:

Lovers and Other Killers

I discovered a year or so ago that one of my retro channels was airing Murder She Wrote.  I never really watched the show when it first aired, but it was a favorite of my parents.  I started watching a few episodes awhile ago, and got hooked for a short while.  Although I'm not watching regularly now, I always take a peek when the 1984 episode, Lovers and other Killers airs.

The episode itself isn't anything outstanding, but it's guest stars that week did include hotties Andrew Stevens and Grant Goodeve.  It also stands out as Goodeve wears a speedo in one scene, something that was, and continues to be, rare in Prime-Time. 

I featured caps from the scene before, in fact I've featured caps and clips of Grant's beautifully beefy bare ass as well, from the 1998 softcore flick, Take Two. (HERE:)  Still, when the episode aired again recently, I bemoaned there wasn't an HD quality version of the scene.

Turns out there are, thanks to one of my favorite sites to visit, Casperfan.   The video below comes from Standard recording, but the caps are HD fro Casperfan's site.  By the way, when I posted images of Willie's wood earlier this year, (HERE:) shots of Willie Aames with speedo wood, I heard from a viewer that Eight Is Enough currently airs on Roku.  I don't have Roku, but am thinking of investing in a stick this summer as I've only seen a handful of episodes from the DVD release of the first season.

Willie's Wood

I've only seen a handful of episodes of Eight Is Enough. I'd love to see more, I don't think the show is streaming anywhere that I know. I did see and enjoy a Christmas episode on VHS when I was younger, and a few repeats when I was a kid.  That doesn't mean however, I'm not familiar with the male cast and have previously featured blast from the past posts on bothers 'Tommy' and 'David'.

Last week, when I was putting together my piece, (HERE) on Battle of the Network Stars VII, I was struck by all the shots of actor Willie Aames in his speedos.  I love featuring celebrities from the celebrity competition and their speedo bulges, but with Willie, it seemed in each and every shot he was sporting just a wee bit of wood.

I thought maybe someone had used photoshop on some, but then noticed Willie's wood was present in almost every image I found.  I decided then, to put some shots aside, and give the subject my full attention and it's own post.   Now luckily, we've seen Willie's actual real-life willie before, swaying with the ocean's currants in the flick Paradise. (HERE:)

It really shouldn't be surprising that Willie was at half-mast in many of the shots.  Aames was only 19 at the time he appeared in this Battle show.  At 19, especially if you're surrounded by hot female actors, (and many hot male ones) in tight, wet bathing suits, a boner is a natural, and mostly uncontrollable reaction.