I remember as a kid–about 35 years ago, ahem–flipping among the three channels and landing on a TV show I hadn’t seen before. I believe it was a light-hearted mystery, a half hour long. If I remember correctly the two main characters were a diner waitress and a police detective who was a regular. Halfway through the show I realized 1. There were no commercial breaks and 2. There were an awful lot of references to Solo cups–at least I’m pretty sure it was Solo, the name was new to me so it stuck in my head.
Can’t find this on the internet. Anyone else know what I’m talking about?
In the 1970s, there were a series of musical “specials” featuring an older woman, DORA HALL. Seems to me she was the wife of a Solo Cups executive and he bankrolled her recordings and tv appearances. With every TV special, there was an accompanying record- which you could conveniently order FOR FREE from coupons on boxes of Solo Cups. These could soon be found in thrift store record bins- appearing occasionally to this day. Last year, I bought a still-sealed box of Solo Cups with a Dora Hall LP offer on it. Perhaps there was one of these specials with the “mystery” theme???
Her official website is now dead. Here is her link at IMDB, which explains her backstory. I’m sure there were more specials than are listed:
Thanks–it seems likely that this is related. I do remember that part of the diner waitress/detective schtick had to do with “mmmm–great coffee, served in a Solo cup!” (paraphrasing) That certainly would jive with the kind of weird-ass coffee cup Solo was making for a while. IMDB doesn’t mention a TV show of the kind I remember, but it makes too much sense.
On a related note, there was a time or two as a young man that I actually got coffee at a diner in those shitty cups–I’m not very particular about coffee, but the experience of drinking it was unpleasant.
ETA, I don’t remember the show I saw being musical, but there may have been a number or two.
Are you talking about those crappy cone-shaped plastic cups that fit into a plastic holder!? Those were all the rage in offices years ago. I forgot all about them.
