Around the dial

A lot of celebrities have been dying lately, and while that's kind of a grim way to kick things off this week, it's also a reminder of how much pleasure many of these people have given over the years, and an opportunity to look back at their careers in appreciation. At A Shroud of Thougths, Terence has his thoughts on two such stars: Cindy Williams, who died on January 25; and Lisa Loring, who died January 28. 

At Comfort TV, David takes the opportunity to praise the career of someone who's thankfully still with us, sharing "Ten Reasons Why Shelley Fabares Is a National Treasure," from The Twilight Zone to Coach, with a lot in-between.

In the mood for "lurid, pulpy, old-school true-crime mellers"? Then you'll want to visit Drunk TV, where Paul reviews the 1995 Lifetime thriller Dead by Sunset, featuring a “Psycho Hall of Fame” performance by Ken Olin. I think I've mentioned this before, but the perfect Hallmark/Lifetime movie would be a three-part miniseries that encompassed all of their genres: part 1 is the meet-cute romance that ends, in the final minute, with the woman's mother getting a call that her daughter has been murdered; part two is the true-crime investigation in which we find that the husband may—or may not

—have been the man everyone thought he was; and part three is the courtroom drama, in which we find out just where the truth lies. I might even be convinced to watch this; c'mon, who's with me?

Cult TV Lounge reviews a Twilight Zone classic from the first season: "The Sixteen-Millimeter Shrine," starring the dazzling Ida Lupino as a Norma Desmond-esque actress who finds her next role, unexpectedly, to take place in the Twilight Zone. A terrific episode.

This is not to be confused with Cult TV Blog, where John continues his fascinating look at pairing up episodes of The Prisoner to make a movie-length story out of them. This week: a continuation of the discussion on "Checkmate" and "Free for All," specifically on the structure and Lewis Carroll references.

At Classic Film and TV Corner, Maddy has a fascinating look at the movie Anastasia, the comeback movie for Oscar-winner Ingrid Bergman—as well as the real-life story that inspired it, that of the Russian Princess Anastasia, who may—or may not—have been murdered along with the rest of her family, including Tsar and Empress Nicholas and Alexandra, by the communists.

Over at RealWeegieMidget, it's the final few entries and wrap-up of the entertaining Muppet Show Guest Star Blogathon. I have to admit I didn't watch this program often, even though it was carried back in the World's Worst Town™; my Muppets were always on Sesame Street, and I never did warm up to Miss Piggy. But you'll find these very entertaining, and the list of guest stars fantastic.

Finally, as promised, check the comments from Wednesday for clues to the TV Guide crossword puzzle. You've got until next Friday to get your answers in!  TV