Son of Schmilsson by Harry Nilsson and featured clips from familiar older TV shows. Awards In February 1974, the National Association of Television Program Executives named Beyond Our Control the nation's best locally produced variety show. NATFE's citation described the series as "outstanding variety programming actually produced by students in South Bend, that provided a new and entertaining insight into the status of contemporary American culture as mirrored by the television Industry Itself." In 1976, Beyond Our Control won the Chicago International Film Festival's "Gold Hugo" award for best television program in its category, competing against professional series and specials produced by major networks and local stations throughout the country. A Gabriel Award from the Catholic Academy of Communication Professionals followed in 1977, recognizing Beyond Our Control as a top youth-oriented local television program in markets ranking smaller than number 25. The Gabriel Awards honor broadcast work that creatively treats issues concerning human values. In 1977, the program captured one of thirty Broadcast Media Awards presented by the staff and students of San Francisco University. Beyond Our Control also earned five awards from the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge for excellence in the field of Economics Education. Most recently, in August 2017 at a BOC 50th Reunion, The City of South Bend issued a proclamation signed by Mayor Pete Buttigieg in honor of Beyond Our Control. History According to BOC creator Dave Williams, "In 1961, the first student company took to the air with a 13-week series of half-hour shows. The students sold stock to raise operating capital, leased studio facilities from WNDU-TV, created a program format, and sold commercial advertising within the show to finance the venture. Pronounced a success, the company - known as WJA-TV - continued, largely concentrating on the production of relatively simple game shows, including local versions of charades, quiz games, and the like." In about 1966, Williams had an idea that WJA-TV could be something more, and in 1967, WJA-TV became Beyond Our Control. In the next ten years, Williams continued to develop the framework for the show so that students would be trained, and then freed to participate in all aspects of television production. Production Writers Meetings: The show was written by high school students under the guidance of Dave Williams, who took student ideas and generated a script. Writers meetings in the mid-70s were held three evenings a week. Typed scripts were