The Emerald City - Season 1

The first ever episode of The Emerald City is dated to the summer of 1976. The first 30 minutes of the 59 minute episode is available on YouTube, the rest of the episode is held at the The LGBT Community Center National History Archive on 13th Street in New York.

Mike Burger of the Villager interviews Louis Weingarten and Larry Durham of the Society to Make America Safe for Homosexuals (SMASH) a street patrol organization in the Chelsea section of Manhattan. Kitty Cotter hosts the "News Desk", stories include: Jimmy Carter's gay nephew; Ronald Reagan makes anti-gay statement; West Virginia repeals sodomy statute; Vermont penal code reform is dead; Washington DC city council allows gay adoption; Maine custody case; Tucson, Arizona gay murder; Provincetown bans sale of phallic design; Florida attacks during Gay Pride; Michigan company lists Gay Pride Day in calendar of holidays.

A short commercial for Privé Restaurant on First Avenue plays. Then a clip from the musical "Boy Meets Boy" from the Actors Playhouse. Interview by Frank O'Dowd of three cast members from Boy Meets Boy including Robert Thomas, Robin Racine, and Robin Thompson, with footage from the musical play. Editorial by Frank O'Dowd on the purpose of the show and encouraging audience participation and feedback. Interview by Don L. Stonewhite of Patricia Nell Warren, author of The Front Runner and The Fancy Dancer.

Intro scenes of New York including couples, Christopher Street, Central Park, Gay Street sign. Frank O'Dowd previews the show and announces that the premiere of the film Sebastiane will be a benefit for The Emerald City on August 10. Commercial for: Firebird Travel Windjammer Cruises, Pleasure Chest 8th Annual New York City Gay Pride Parade, June 26, 1977 Parents of Gays car (4:53) Jean DeVente (5:44) Lesbian Feminist Liberation (6:24) Marsha P. Johnson w/ GAY LOVE banner (6:47) Arthur Bell talks with Frank O'Dowd (6:55) Dyke [Separatists] (8:12) Stop Anita Bryant sign (8:23) Gay Teachers Association (9:27) Father Robert Clement and John Noble (9:33) Eulenspeigel Society – Mary Ann Collega talks with Pat Bond (10:07) Rollerena (11:22) Lesbian Feminist Liberation chanting (11:31) Dykes & Tykes (11:41) St. Patrick's "mini protest" (12:00) Sandy Gold of Gay Teachers Association interviewed by Collega (12:14) Dignity for Gay Catholics (14:59) Rally in Central Park (15:27) Hosts discuss turnout of women (16:27) John Paul Hudson (17:10) Marc Rubin, Gay Teachers Association (17:24) Patti Smith (18:26) Lou Reed (21:19) Christopher Street Festival
 

O'Dowd interviews:John Ford (Chap's Bar); Ed Murphy (West side Bar Association); festival goer, police officer. Performance of Brian Murphy (singer). O'Dowd interviews two impersonators Barbara Streisland (David Miller) and Judy Garland (Gary Rogers). Commercial: Chaps Bar, Big Top Theater. Chuck Ortleb interviews lawyer Enid Gerling about entrapment in the 1950s and 60s. Ad: Billy the Kid Bar. SRO (singing Trio) perform at The Grand Finale.