Review: John And Yoko’s Inspiring 1972 Week On Daytime TV

This article is about John and Yoko's inspiring 1972 week on daytime TV, now a fascinating new documentary called Daytime Revolution.

By 1972, Mike Douglas was the undisputed king of daytime TV. His mostly benign, inoffensive, yet pleasant, program grabbed 6 million viewers in 150 U.S. cities daily.  Back then, Mike would have all the big names on as guests, ranging from Milton Berle and Zsa Zsa Gabor to the Bee Gees and Kenny Rogers. Every once in a while, though, Mike would shake things up for his mostly suburban female audience.

In 1964, for example, while the show was still based in Cleveland, he brought on Malcolm X, definitely a bold call. These occasional moves by Douglas and his staff were what made the show so interesting. In February 1972, Mike turned it up a notch by not only inviting two guests who would no doubt spur conversation, he’d have them on as his co-hosts for the entire week: John Lennon and Yoko Ono. Now, a wonderful new documentary has succinctly captured John and Yoko’s inspiring 1972 week on daytime TV. 

Daytime Revolution, directed by Erik Nelson, takes us back to that wild week taped in the basement studio of Philadelphia TV station KYW. Over three days, Douglas, Lennon and Ono recorded the week’s worth of shows which featured such hand-picked guests as Bobby Seale of the Black Panthers, music legend Chuck Berry, Jerry Rubin, cohort of Abbie Hoffman in the Yippie movement, comedian George Carlin, and consumer advocate Ralph Nader. There were also Asian folk singers, a pioneer of biofeedback technology, and a macrobiotic cook featured, all at the request of Lennon and Ono. 

In addition to the wealth of great Douglas Show footage featured in the film, several of the guests of the day have been recently interviewed to speak about their experiences appearing on the program. Activist/folk singer Nobuko Miyamoto recalled a fascinating, but tense, moment that occurred just before taping began of her segment, while Ralph Nader spoke of John and Yoko’s genuineness in their reasons for appearing on the legendary daytime show. 

Interspersed throughout the film are news clips providing context and reflecting the big stories of the day, many of which included the Vietnam War. It was nice to see a recent interview with Erni Di Massa, who produced and wrote for the Mike Douglas Show at the time of Lennon and Ono’s appearance, and hear his behind the scenes stories of how it all came together to get these two icons on the show. Di Massa, incidentally, is an executive producer of Daytime Revolution.

Watching Daytime Revolution, you really can see how ground breaking it was for these two young, “radical” artists to come on a super mainstream TV show, and bring along guests who the audience may never have actually known. The Douglas team knew this would bring in big ratings, but I’m sure they didn’t realize talking about peace, war, art, science, love and music would also open so many eyes around the country.

Douglas may not have agreed ideologically with Lennon, Ono, or their guests, but he treated them all with respect. That validated the guests’ messages being broadcast to the audience and is another reason why this week of shows is so iconic. Thankfully this can be forever documented with the release of Daytime Revolution.

This film has a very special meaning for me, as my father, Bill Gardner, worked at KYW-TV in Philadelphia, where the Mike Douglas Show was based, for 33 years. In addition to the myriad of jobs he held at KYW from 1950-1983, my dad also worked on every Mike Douglas Show that came out of those Philadelphia studios. He’d help with the mic setup for musical guests, run the in-house PA system during the show, prep the guests backstage before they went on, build up and tear down the sets, wires and cables, and even had to catch the mic that Mike Douglas would throw after finishing his opening song on the show.

I was so happy when someone captured one of those very moments that you see below!

Needless to say, I SO wanted to attend a taping or two and see my idol in person. Unfortunately, I was sick with the flu at the time and could not go!!  The heartbreak!! Thankfully my brother Alan attended a couple of shows. Alan remembers my Dad calling him from the studio saying “drop everything you’re doing and get your a** down here right now! You can park in the alley behind the station on Moravian Street, next to the news vans.”

He booked down to the studio, at the time located at 1619 Walnut Street, parked his car, and my Dad shuttled him into the front row of the theater. It was empty at the time and, soon, in walked John and Yoko, with no fanfare or posse of hangers-on. Just the two of them, quietly arriving on set, getting ready to rehearse. So, with just Yoko sitting near him in the theater, my brother watched John Lennon rehearse and, later, watched two episodes of that magical week. 

There are three very emotional highlights for me in Daytime Revolution. The first is seeing the look of unmitigated joy on John’s face as he sings “Memphis, Tennessee” along with his idol Chuck Berry. Secondly, as the Lennons became more comfortable with Douglas during each subsequent show taping, and with them, the questioning from Douglas became more personal.

Seeing Lennon describe how his father left the family and was raised by his Aunt, you can tell the pain it must have caused him was still present. I could see it on his face as he relived the moment. Finally, seeing that my brother Alan made it in the film caused me to scream with delight!!  You can see him several times in the movie, including the audience shot when John asks everyone to shout out a random word. He’s the handsome young man in the front row on the right, in the jacket!

As a Beatles and John and Yoko fan, I absolutely loved this film. It took me right back to that wonderful time, and really shows John and Yoko’s bona fide honesty as they discuss the causes in which they believe. Plus, that performance of John and Chuck Berry is rock and roll greatness! If you love John and The Beatles, or maybe you're a daytime TV or Mike Douglas Show fan, I think you’ll love Daytime Revolution, too.

Daytime Revolution opens in a limited theater run from October 9, 2024. Click here for tickets and to find a theater near you. The movie will be out on DVD/Blu-ray starting November 26, 2024.

Watch the Daytime Revolution trailer below.

They are the most iconic band in the world with a discography that is 50+ years old. Sometimes we need a refresher. Especially when it comes to the young people in our lives. There are so many Beatles songs you need to show Gen Z.

With a whole new generation coming of age comes a whole new generation that needs to be educated on The Beatles. You may have played them these songs as kids, but now that they're older, they need to truly appreciate them. The band wrote such profound lyrics that permeate time and still ring true today.

Most of the songs on this list talk about important issues probably facing Gen Z today, such as self discovery and, of course, love. And let's face it. Bands today may not have existed had it not been for The Beatles. For example, Nirvana, Radiohead, and even Queen have said they were all influenced by the iconic band. If you go back in the history of your favorite band or artist and who they were inspired by, it's nearly impossible NOT to find The Beatles.

It's hard to appreciate where music's roots lie when you were born and live so far in the future of it. That's why it's up to those who know to educate the younger ones who don't. It feels like Gen Z needs The Beatles now more than ever. Not only just for foundational music knowledge, but also for life advice.

The Beatles were in their teens and 20s during the peak of their career. They had angst. So Gen Z, keep in mind that the age you're hitting now is the age they were in the 60s. Their longevity is due to the fact that they're just so dang relatable. They wrote these songs while they were going through what you're going through now! So with that being said,

The age old story of a kid flying the coop. This stunning song not only will make you cry with its orchestral beauty, it will also feel so relevant. The swirling harp will transport you to the song's world. You can find yourself in every character's shoes at different points in your life. Gen Z may be on the girl's side now, but when they become parents, they will understand the parents in the song's perspective, too. The song is just gorgeous and encapsulates the human experience so well.

You ever find yourself looking inward and not liking what you see? That's kinda what John Lennon did here when he wrote this tune. The song describes a man with no direction in his life and with no genuine worldview. Huh, sounds a lot like what most young people go through. The message is thinly veiled in Lennon's poetic writing style. If you don't want to think too deeply about it, it is still a bop, so you can dance around to the classic harmonies.

"For No One" follows a woman falling out of love with her partner. The French horn is not the only beautiful thing about this song. The lyrics are just so relatable. Whether you've fallen out of love, or someone's fallen out of love with you, this song will hit hard. Mind you, Paul was a mere 23 years old writing this one. The line: "You find that all her words of kindness linger on when she no longer needs you," was written by a KID. Wow. This is a good song for when you're in your feels and just want to cry.

The nod to the Everly Brothers, "Two Of Us",  is likely talking about getting lost in the country with your love. The song is more stripped down than other Beatles hits, but the sound is definitely there. The soaring harmonies tell a story of being with someone you really enjoy, doing something that makes you both happy. It's a great sing-along tune.

This is just one of those classic love songs you can't NOT like. You know all the typical Beatles love songs, probably, like "She Loves You" and "Something". And I Love Her is different, but it's quintessential. It came in contrast to the driving pop that it found itself among on the album A Hard Days Night. The song is perfect slow-dancing material. The lyrics are relatable to anyone who has been in love.

"Michelle" is just one of those super unique, gorgeous songs. It's inspired heavily by French music and talks about loving someone he doesn't speak the same language as. The best part is that this song marks a departure beyond the confines of rock music at the time. The finger-picking style Paul uses here was not commonly seen back then. Yet, you hear it all the time now. It's a great listen.

You just have to hear this one, if you haven't. There are almost no words to describe the beauty of this song. I was going to try to attempt to talk about it, but seriously, you just have to hear it. I would argue that it is one of the most beautiful songs ever written.

"I Will" is not one many people mention when listing great Beatles love songs. But, it is great. The song features Paul McCartney mouthing the bass part rather than playing it. The beauty lies in its simplicity. It's a classic declaration of love that is a staple for any Spotify playlist you want to make for your significant other.

Nostalgia at its finest. When looking at your life now, and how it was then, you may want to listen to "In My Life". It is about how life is constantly changing and evolving. We lose people, we meet people, we fall in love. Life is so complex, and here Lennon attempts to put it all in a song. Or at least the fact that life is bound to change. Gen Z may be seeing a LOT of changes in life right now. This song is a good way to cope and deal with it.

"Hey Jude" is just one of those songs. It was written by Paul for John Lennon's kid, Julian. His parents were getting a divorce, so life was pretty hard for little Julian. There are times when you just need to take a sad situation and make the best of it, and that's what this song reminds us to do. This is another song that tries to tackle how we can and should deal with change.

It's all about the unattainable. "The Long and Winding Road" leads to the door you never quite reach. This is the road that you never get to the end of, until you do. It's really deep if you think about it. It gives some pretty good perspective on life and how it's all one big journey. You can also watch this one get recorded in the new Let It Be documentary on Disney+. It's so fascinating to watch their writing and recording process.

This song falls in the midst of one of the best rock medleys ever written. The B-Side of Abbey Road is a true masterpiece. "Golden Slumbers" marks almost the midway point, starting calm and swelling into a grand crescendo. The song, inspired by lullabies, is on the final album The Beatles recorded together. It marks a transition period in the album, and in life.

What a happy, pretty tune. The Harrison composition reminds us that the sun is always on the horizon. Written after a particularly tumultuous time for the singer, it talks of the sun, with all its brightness and warmth, finally making an appearance again. The sun could be a metaphor for better times, or whatever you'd like it to be. It serves as a joyous reminder that not everything will stay bleak forever. The sun will come back!