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THIS STUFF
I spent the last week researching my latest article, this one on the Great Superhero / Science Fiction Bust of 1977-78. It's a rundown on the shows that made it to primetime with a comic book or sci-fi theme - and the programs that were proposed but never made it to the screen.
Thanks to Jay Blotcher for this: Ever wonder why so many classic TV shows disappeared without a trace? Here's the log for one 2” quad videotape from NBC. The log is three pages long, this video cartridge was taped over and over again from 1960 until 1971, each time erasing what was on there before. This was very common at local stations, it's why you won't likely find your day on Romper Room.
From The Carol Burnett Show - Mr. Tudball and Mrs. Wiggins. You can't see Harvey Korman and Tim Conway together on stage but the wonderful Chuck McCann performs with Tim quite often and I understand the show is hilarious!
Two and a Half Men is still CBS' biggest show but ratings are down this year. Watching the last two episodes that came after a short December hiatus I wondered if the network gave the producers notes that included - up the sex talk and more fart jokes. On last week's episode Ashton Kutcher shaved his beard. Now I know why he grew a beard in the first place. His face filled out in an unfortunate way since That '70s Show.
Paula Dean was teaching people to make food that could give them Diabetes. Then she announces she has Diabetes. Then inks a deal to promote Diabetes drugs for millions of dollars. Kids, THAT'S business plan!
It's looking inevitable that General Hospital will go the way of its sister soaps. Ratings are down 21%, the network has to give up an hour in the afternoon to its affiliates soon, and Katie Couric has a new show on ABC that the network is heavily invested in.
Monday, January 23, 2012 - 4:56am
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THAT'S SURPRISING!
Came across this clip from a Barbara Walters special where Sean Connery is asked about remarks he made earlier that sometimes you need to slap a woman. Surprisingly he doesn't back down. Different time.
James H. Burns has a cool article - Growing Up With Flash Gordon (And A Tribute To Al Williamson). I continue to be amazed at the late Al Williamson's work in the Creepy Archives hardback reprints of the 1960s Warren horror comic magazines. As a kid Al Williamson and Archie Goodwin were heroes in my eyes.
I watched Showtime's House of Lies but didn't find much of anything to like about it - except the phenomenal cast that is totally wasted.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 - 8:31am
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REMEMBERING SUSAN GORDON
Former kid star and current worldwide Jetsetter John Eimen writes about a sad passing: On a sad note, I found out yesterday that Susan Gordon died. She was a really good kid actress and we'd been in touch a couple of years ago via e-mail. As it turned out, we both lived in Japan for over ten years, so we shared a few stories about that aspect of our lives as well as the kid-actor stuff. We both had a very positive feeling about our years in TV.
Susan Gordon certainly was a wonderful actress, quite effective at tugging the heart strings so she played a lot of orphans and misfits. The again, she also played the bratty kid superbly, as she did on The Alfred Hitchcock Hour ('The Paragon').
You may have seen her in the 1950's TV adaptation of Miracle on 34th Street starring Ed Wynn or another Alfred Hitchcock Presents ('Summer Shade') or Gunsmoke ('Little Girl'), The Twilight Zone ('The Fugitive') or any of her many TV appearances in the days of Black & White. She even appeared with John Eimen when he was starring in the 1962-63 sitcom McKeever and the Colonel ('Love Comes To Westfield'). Here's that Gunsmoke episode, when the series was a half-hour long:
Before that episode of Gunsmoke Susan starred in a very unusual pilot in 1959 - unusual in that the series didn't get picked up for another decade. The Secret Life of John Monroe was based on the writings of James Thurber. Almost the exact concept was picked up by NBC in 1969 and titled My World and Welcome To It with William Windom starring as John Monroe.
Monday, January 9, 2012 - 8:31am
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AROUND THE DIAL
Gasbag preacher Ted Haggard will appear on an episode of 'Celebrity Wife Swap' this season. That should be creepy.
Speaking of gasbgs, Donald Trump is threatening to do something radical if the Republicans pick the wrong nominee. Let me guess - he'll start a TV contest for the next great world leader and it will be decided by who comes up with the best ad campaign for Trump's next book.
Finally a new big 4 network show that's loads of fun to watch - Revenge on ABC. I was thrilled to see one of my favorites, CCH Pounder, turn up in episode 7. You can still watch the entire series on HULU until after January 5th.
Ratings for FX and History channels are up almost 20% this season. Teen Nick, ESPN2 and G4 are down this year.
When a commercial has someone say, "It's unbelievable" they really are telling you that you can't trust what you just saw.
Could you identify a victim in a cold case murder victim? In some cities, like Las Vegas, photos of corpses are being posted online in hopes of solving some baffling mysteries.
Paramount was the number one movie studio in 2011 with a reach of over 5 billion in sales.
Did you know the season 4 volume 2 edition of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea has the first episode as broadcast on ABC in 1964, with original commercials? The episode is kinda hamfisted but exciting with some spectacular underwater scenes. Nothing like the monster-of-the-week-aboard-the-Seaview it became.
Snoop Dogg, a longtime fan of the show, was a guest star on The Price Is Right on Monday. Check out how he made his entrance, cool as usual. He aced all the games but one. There will be celebrities on TPIR all week, yesterday was Jennie McCarthy, today Neil Patrick Harris, Chris Daughtry on Thursday and Heidi Klum on Friday. They have a new announcer on TPIR? I liked the last guy, Rich Feilds.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012 - 4:18am
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ITEMS OF INTEREST
One of the most highly anticipated DVD releases is coming soon - My Living Doll, the hilarious comedy starring Bob Cummings and Julie Newmar. It's the improbable story about a bachelor who is given a life-like robot to 'program' - it's just a coincidence that the mechanical marvel looks more like Raquel Welch and less like Robot B9 from Lost in Space! Both were curvaceous but somehow the circuits were stacked a bit tighter on Miss Newmar. In addition to this classic sitcom on DVD, the My Living Doll comic book has returned with a 6 issue run featuring reprints of the 1960s Dell comics along with groovy stills from the show. Run down to your local comic shop and demand it! More info as the DVD release gets closer.
Lounge singer and Rat Pack adjunct Kaye Stevens has died. Besides a career in nightclubs and Vegas she also appeared on "Days of Our Lives" as Jeri Clayton from 1974-79.
Fascinating review on Fresh Air of two books about the Chitlin' Circuit. You'll learn the origin of the song 'Fever.'
I have a new web blog - tvparty.com where I pull quick news bites and quotes from sources around the world so you can have an easily digestible review of what people are talking about - the stuff they DON'T talk about on TV and radio. Spend 2 minutes a day and be more informed and have stuff to talk about over that mythical water cooler.
I also host another TV blog at BestofTVblog.com where I collect news and other bits of interest to television lovers. Right now there's a list of returning TV shows in January, and there are a bunch of them, along with info on how you can own a 1966 Batmobile.
Friday, December 30, 2011 - 6:28am
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NOW THAT'S NEWS
Cheeta from the Tarzan movies has died - or did he? Reportedly Cheeta was “roughly 80 years old, loved fingerpainting and football and was soothed by nondenominational Christian music.” However experts are questioning the story, doubting a chimp can live that long for one thing so it looks like a hoax. But the animal habitat where Cheeta lived stands by their story.
Donna Douglas, who played Elly May Clampett on the "The Beverly Hillbillies," sued Mattel and CBS Consumer Products and they've settled for an undiclosed sum. Ms. Douglas claimed the companies didn't get her approval to use her name and likeness for a Barbie doll.
Thursday, December 29, 2011 - 8:43am
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Your host - Billy Ingram is one of the nation's top Pop Culture Gurus and expert on classic TV. Seen on VH1, |
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Past TV Blog Entries: Auditioning For Game Shows / Louie / George Reeves Suicide / Dark Shadows / Jack Benny / Groucho / Night Gallery / TV Remakes / Bob Hope / Little Rascals Silent Shorts / Natalie Wood's Death / Fanny Brice / Tommy Bond / Discovered George Carlin Routine / John Wayne Loves America / Kenneth Williams / Dating Game / Sunday Morning TV / 1950's The Big Show / Saturday Morning TV Memories/ Batman TV Show / Rusty Warren / LaWanda Page / Brother Dave Gardner & Jerry Clower / Nipsey Russell / Sonny & Cher Outakes / My Mother the Car / 1961 CBS Fall Shows / Tommy 7 / 1973 CBS Fall Shows / Bowery Boys / KCBU Tribute / Chuck McAnn / Jackson TV Show / 1970's TV Game Show Fails / Remembering Vivian Vance / Star Trek Bloopers /William Shatner Sings on Daytime TV in the 1970s / The Great Timmie Rogers / Rudy Ray Moore / Natalie Wood Mystery /
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