Totally agree! Besides, it was a John&Yoko show so it's very said to see her mic ended up muted! How I wished more people realized how badass of a moment it was/could have been. You said that Chuck was usually under rehearsed, do you know if he knew Yoko would be performing with them too?
Yes, he knew. He just went with it, as chuck was known to do!
See you there!
That's so cool! I haven't watched the documentary yet, but from the preview I saw, the restoration looks amazing! Congratulations
Oh, thank you!!! You are amazing.
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Their importance this week was truly beyond measure! Iconic.
"Daytime Revolution": How John and Yoko brought counterculture to America’s living rooms
Erik Nelson's documentary shows how John Lennon and Yoko Ono transformed daytime TV into a platform for change
by Ken Womack, Salon
Directed by Erik Nelson, "Daytime Revolution" gives viewers a powerful window into the early 1970s. If there is such a thing as a time machine, Nelson has fashioned it via this marvelous, transformative documentary. As with his work on "The U.S. vs. John Lennon," "Daytime Revolution"absolutely brims with narrative energy and fascinating characters. And in its finest moments, Nelson’s time capsule-like approach manages to shed vital light on the way we live now.
The documentary draws its storyline from the extraordinary week in February 1972 when John Lennon and Yoko Ono hosted the uber-popular "Mike Douglas Show," which commanded a massive audience of some 40 million viewers per week. For the duration of that remarkable week, the counterculture paraded itself in America’s living rooms via John and Yoko’s moveable feast of guests, a roster that included political activist Ralph Nader, the Black Panthers’ Bobby Seale, and comedian George Carlin.
In a conversation with me last week, Nelson pointed out that this 52-year-old happening is not so different from today’s polarizing political atmosphere. “We're living in an incredibly divisive, apocalyptic election year,” he said, “and 1972 was equally fraught with Richard Nixon and George McGovern vying for the White House—two starkly different choices. And there on daytime television are John and Yoko offering a message of unity amidst all that divisiveness.”
Further, Nelson rightly contends that John and Yoko’s residency on "The Mike Douglas Show" is arguably even more transgressive than "Saturday Night Live"’s premiere in 1975, that the irreverent comedy show was secreted away in the wee hours, while John and Yoko were situated in the heart of a mainstream TV slot, where they could showcase the counterculture for legions of American homemakers. In many ways, the episode marked the beginning of Lennon’s fight to stay in the country. “John and Yoko were very political—East Village-political,” says Nelson, “and their appearance led to Nixon declaring war on them. Just before the show aired, Strom Thurmond told the president, ‘I’m nervous about this, Dick. They’re taking sides.’”
John and Yoko’s "Mike Douglas Show" residency has also gone down in history because of Lennon taking the stage for the one and only time with rock ‘n’ roll pioneer Chuck Berry. To see such heavyweights performing together is one of the documentary’s greatest pleasures. But it also presented an opportunity for Nelson to right a wrong, given that history has often depicted Ono as encroaching on Berry’s performance with her husband, especially when she engages in avant-garde voice modulation during “Memphis, Tennessee.”
As Nelson points out, John and Yoko were performing during that era with Elephant’s Memory as their backing band. Ono was an integral member of the group, “so this idea that Yoko somehow encroached on Chuck Berry is false. In actuality, Chuck Berry encroached on John and Yoko’s band. When Yoko chimes in, that to me is the true rock ‘n’ roll moment of that whole appearance. We're still talking about that 50 years later!”
In addition to Berry’s bravura appearance that week, John and Yoko’s "Mike Douglas Show" residency is marked by spirited conversation among the Lennons and their guests about a host of issues ranging from feminism to the anti-war movement. As Nelson demonstrates via "Daytime Revolution," the couple’s efforts to preach unity in the face of that era’s deep acrimony is a lesson that we could sorely use today.
"Daytime Revolution" hits select theaters on October 9, in honor of John Lennon's birthday.
"Daytime Revolution": How John and Yoko radicalized daytime TV
Documentary director Erik Nelson shows how John Lennon and Yoko Ono transformed daytime TV into a platform for change.
We've put out an APB for it -- but as of now, it has disappeared into the foggy ruins of time.Earlier tonight, I enjoyed seeing Daytime Revolution. It’s interesting to compare the current US election year to that one in 1972. What has changed, what hasn’t. I was 7.5 years old in February 1972. I loved watching Mike Douglas. Aaaaand maybe I was too young but I loved George Carlin, too. It was good to see him in this documentary.
John and Yoko did an excellent job choosing guests for the week. I loved watching John interact with Chuck Berry in the cooking segment. How cool for John to meet one of his influences and it to become a mutual admiration society.
Does anyone know what happened to the canvas that everyone contributed artwork for? That is certainly a priceless piece.
I really liked this film.
Thank you for your reply! Now I’m even more curious as to where it could possibly be. Sure would be something to find it.
Congratulations on the film. Again, I loved it. 
Watching this awesome documentary really sent me back to the 1970s! I also grew up watching the Mike Douglas Show (although I was only 6.5 in early 1972, so I don’t remember these episodes in real time). Imagine a time when you could turn on the TV and see people like John Lennon and Chuck Berry and George Carlin while they still walked this earth! Details like the 70s graphics and the Harvard doctor with the crazy shirt and tie combo really capture the flavor of those times. The film also highlights how the establishment-looking "Mike" effortlessly and empathetically interacts with people as diverse as Jerry Rubin, Ralph Nader and Bobby Seale.Earlier tonight, I enjoyed seeing Daytime Revolution. It’s interesting to compare the current US election year to that one in 1972. What has changed, what hasn’t. I was 7.5 years old in February 1972. I loved watching Mike Douglas. Aaaaand maybe I was too young but I loved George Carlin, too. It was good to see him in this documentary.
John and Yoko did an excellent job choosing guests for the week. I loved watching John interact with Chuck Berry in the cooking segment. How cool for John to meet one of his influences and it to become a mutual admiration society.
Does anyone know what happened to the canvas that everyone contributed artwork for? That is certainly a priceless piece.
I really liked this film.
LOVE your post, Cyn! I, too, would love to see more of the episodes. How magical that you were able to share the film with your daughter.
Yes, it was very magical to watch this film with my daughter! And you are so right, Renee - the past and future may always be at odds but we have indeed come very far on many important issues. I do like to IMAGINE what future generations can do to make this a better world!LOVE your post, Cyn! I, too, would love to see more of the episodes. How magical that you were able to share the film with your daughter.
Yes, it saddened me somewhat that we still are talking about the same societal issues… but we also have to look at far we’ve come. The past and the future are always at odds with one another yet somehow progress is made. Your daughter will look back on this time. Where will we be when she’s your age? IMAGINE!
Thank you for your reply! Now I’m even more curious as to where it could possibly be. Sure would be something to find it.
