Classic sports, classic theme songs, classic shows, classic actors, all on Around the Dial!

I'm always a fan of old sports broadcasts, so naturally it was great to see Classic TV Sports post the first game of the 1973 National League Championship Series between the Mets and the Reds.  I'm fairly sure I saw this game when it was on, even though I was living in the world's worst town; I know I was rooting for the Mets.  As much fun as it is to watch, it's also painful in a way, as it reminds me of how slow and plodding the game has become.  Nowadays, you'd be lucky to get through six innings in two hours.

Classic Film and TV Cafe gives us seven things to know about Ross Martin.  I've always enjoyed watching Martin; he's best known for The Wild Wild West but he did some terrific work in a couple of episodes of The Twilight Zone, and was fun to watch in the old series Mr. Lucky.  I was sorry when he died; a literate, likable actor.

When I was of the right age, I watched F Troop, and must have liked it well enough that I had one of those TV tie-in books about it.  I've seen a few episodes now and again, and parts of it wear better than others, but Larry Storch always seems to come up with a way to steal the scene.  This week The Horn Section continues looking at F Troop with the abusrdist, appropriate seasonal episode "V is For Vampire."

At The A/V Club, Stephen Bowie (who usually writes for his great blog Classic TV History) has a very good article on the '60s countercultural series Then Came Bronson.  Based on my own cultural philosophy I suspect this show would have driven me nuts (as does its progenitor, Route 66), and in fact I don't remember whether or not I ever watched it, though I was certainly aware of it.  Bravos for its serious, existential side, though; that's the kind of TV I'd like to see more of.

Also at The A/V Club, John Teti has a piece dissecting the themes to six TV game shows.  This is precisely the kind of timewaster that I'll get sucked into watching and reading, and I'll be enjoying every minute of it.  Got to agree with the '70s version of the TTTT theme.

At Classic Television Showbiz, Kliph has another of his terrific interviews - this time part three of his chat with Orson Bean.  I like Bean a lot, and have defended him in the past from people (who obviously don't know much about the entertainment biz) who classified him as being known for being known.  He's still the best Bilbo Baggins as far as I'm concerned.

I've never wanted to live in either Los Angeles or New York, but that doesn't prevent me from being envious of their television museums.  Television Obscurities makes mention of UCLA's Film and Television Archive and their upcoming free screening of "Light's Diamond Jubilee."  An interesting concept, to be sure, though I'm not sure it wasn't more infomercial than variety special.  But, 1) why aren't there shows like that today?, and 2) why don't we have a museum like that here in Dallas?

I can't answer either of those questions, but I can urge you to be back here on Saturday for yet another great issue of TV Guide! TV