Around the dial

For those of you searching for something interesting, I'm making my semi-regular appearance with Dan on the Eventually Supertrain podcast, discussing—what else?—Search. The rest of the show is pretty good, too. We'd surely appreciate you tuning in.

At The Ringer, Claire McNear has a pretty unflattering look at the new host (for at least a second or two) of Jeopardy!, Mike Richards. I have to admit I don't have a horse in this race; I haven't watched Jeopardy! in years, at least in part because I'm not much interested in the questions. Having said that, I will allow as to how my favorite host has always been Art Fleming, That's not to diss Alex Trebek, though; we saw him once at the Minnesota State Fair, and the man couldn't have been more gracious. When the station ran out of pictures for him to sign and suggested the crowds should disperse, he not only seemed disappointed, but volunteered to stayed around until they could get more pictures, continuing to sign other things in the meantime. What is class?

As you know, I like to mix my classic television with books about classic television, and if you're of a similar mind, you'll want to check out John's latest at Cult TV Blog, in which he links to several Avengers novelizations available at the Internet Archives. Ah, what a resource.

At Fire-Breathing Dimetroden Time, it's a continuation of Danger Man, which may or may not be the prequel to The Prisoner. This week: the exciting second-season episode "The Battle of the Cameras," with guest star Dawn Addams as "the femme fatale."

Silver Scenes goes back in time to a 1967 interview with Roger Moore that suggests the off-screen Roger Moore is much like Simon Templar, The Saint. Maybe, maybe not, but for all of the distinguished personages who've played the role, from George Sanders to Vincent Price, I've always felt that Roger Moore is The Saint.

At Classic Film & TV Café, Rick looks at one of the classics of the British "kitchen sink dramas," The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, with a brilliant performance by Tom Courtenay. I've always been fond of this period of British movies, which includes This Sporting Life, Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, Look Back in Anger, and others. Watched almost all of those on late-night TV.

Alex Cord, the venerable actor of television and movies, died earlier this month, aged 88. He was never what you would have called a big, big star, but he was a busy and very good actor, and Terence has an appropriate appreciation of his career at A Shroud of Thougths. And while you're at it, spare a thought for Terence, whose brother (fortunately) survived a massive heart attack last week. 

Have you ever heard of a made-for-TV, family-friendly, disaster flick? Well, you have now, if you go to Drunk TV and read Paul's report on The Beasts are On the Streets, the 1978 NBC movie made by Hanna-Barbera. And that gives me an idea—why not reboot Gilligan's Island in the style of The Poseidon Adventure, but as a comedy with lovable characters? Who wouldn't watch it? TV