Around the dial

Since we didn't do this last week, there should be twice as much to look at this week, right? Well, if that's the case, what are we waiting for?

Hal is back at The Horn Section with another in his periodic look at the Bob Cummings sitcom Love That Bob, a slice of '50s sitcom life if ever there was one. I've admitted before that although I like Cummings' work (particularly The Twilight Zone and the Studio One version of "Twelve Angry Men"), I've never seen an episode of this, his best-known series. I should rectify that, shouldn't I?

I definitely remember reading The Twilight Zone Magazine when it first came out; I think I only had the opportunity to read one or two issues, but I don't know why I didn't keep up with it. Oh well. The Twilight Zone Vortex brings those times back to life, as Jordan begins a retrospective with Volume 1, Number 1.

If you like The Avengers - not the superhero comic book characters, but the real thing - you'll probably get a kick out of this Avengers-inspired fashion shoot from 1966, especially since it includes Steed himself, Patrick Macnee. You can thank Cult TV Blog for coming up with that, so go over and look at it now.

British TV Detectives takes a look this week at Robbie Coltrane's Cracker, which is one of those series that people either love or hate. Well, maybe "hate" is a strong word, but it does seem as if it's not everyone's cup of tea - "grim and depressing--and more character study than mystery," according to Rick. You'll have to decide for yourself.

Win a date with Batgirl? That probably wouldn't have meant much to my seven-year-old self, which speaks much for the naivety of the young, but if you're like me, you can catch up with this video clip from 1967 of Yvonne Craig on The Dating Game, courtesy of The Land of Whatever. I wonder how that one turned out.

It seems as if there's a lot of anger in the world today, doesn't it? And those who aren't angry are either depressed, or feeling like there's something missing in life. That's why it's nice to see the delightful list David compiled at Comfort TV of 53 wonderful things from the Comfort TV era. As I wrote on Wednesday, we should never lose sight that TV is, first and foremost, entertainment. David gets it. (Although he's much better behaved than I am; I'd have been likely to list anything having to do with Lynda Carter's Wonder Woman as #9 and #10...)

And at bare-bones e-zine, a review of a Mark Frost appearance promoting his book The Secret History of Twin Peaks. Hint: it's not what you think it is - the book, that is, not the town. In fact, it might even be better than you expected.

Finally, a word about the upcoming Mid Atlantic Nostalgia Convention, which is coming up in September - sooner than you think! There's a fabulous lineup of celebrities in store this year (Dawn Wells! Patrick Duffy! Shirley Jones! Larry Storch! And more!), and if you're lucky, you might even run into me roaming the hallways. Yes, I'll be there too - as a spectator, since the book got tied up in all the time and expenses associated with moving. (Next year will be different!) Hotel rooms have been known to go quickly, so get to the website and let it convince you that this year is the year to go! And next year as well, of course. TV