January 17, 2020

Around the dial

We've got a full slate of goodness this week, so let's get right to it.

At Garroway at Large, Jodie has a wonderful look back at Today's 25th anniversary show on January 14, 1977, a classic demonstration of how a show with the history of Today should celebrate it. Dave's there, of course, with Jack Lescoulie and Frank Blair, and Pat Weaver's on hand as well. It's wonderful when a program can take advantage of having its stars still alive to celebrate a landmark occasion—and when they want to celebrate that history.

St. Valentine's Day isn't until next month, but David at Comfort TV has another Valentine in mind: Karen Valentine, who for some reason never had the success of Mary Tyler Moore, but whose body of work is more widely available now, thanks to YouTube.

At barebones e-zine, Jack continues his look at the Hitchcock work of Sterling Silliphant with the third-season episode "The Perfect Crime," adapted from the classic story by Ben Ray Redman, directed by Alfred Hitchcock himself, and starring Vincent Price and James Gregory. Silliphant's script makes a strange (and probably unnecessary) addition to the story, but even that can't ruin a great episode.

From Silver Scenes, a story that aired on last week's Sunday Morning on CBS, about the legendary Kim Novak and her hobby, at which she excels: painting. She's been doing it since she was a girl, and recently her work appeared in a show at the Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown, Ohio. You'll see some examples when you click on the link.

I've always enjoyed Glenn Ford's work; there's a toughness about him that I find very appealing, and that shades his portrayal of good guys, making them a little more complex than usual. This week. Rick takes a look at Ford's 1971 telefilm The Brotherhood of the Bell at Classic Film and TV Café; it's "an absorbing film that goes on too long and opts for a contrived, unbelievable ending" but survives thanks to the performances of Ford and Dean Jaggar, another favorite.

Carol Serling, widow of Rod, passed away a few days ago; it's thanks in part to her dedication that the Twilight Zone Magazine came to be. This week at The Twilight Zone Vortex, Jordan looks at the September, 1982 issue, which includes (among other things) Thomas Disch reviewing books by Philip K. Dick and Robert Heinlein, and an interview with director Paul Schraeder.

At Thrilling Days of Yesteryear, Ivan is prompted by last month's death of actress Shelley Morrison to revisit The Flying Nun, in which Morrison appeared as Sister Sixto. I was never a big fan of the show myself, but I wholeheartedly agree with Ivan's assessment that "The Flying Nun is just a solid example of why 60s TV was so wonderfully demented…and why I’ll take any of those classic shows over the inanity of “reality” television any day of the week."

Edd Byrnes, one of the stars of 77 Sunset Strip, died last week at the age of 87. Until I started watching Strip a couple of years ago, I didn't really have much on which to base an opinion of Byrnes, but I've come to have a real appreciation for him since. I enjoy the show anyway, but there seems to be just that little more spark when Kookie's part of the action. At A Shroud of Thoughts, Terence has a nice remembrance of the man and his work, which deserves to be remembered. TV  

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