Around the dial

Black Friday, as you probably know, was named not for any sense of dread at the day-after-Thanksgiving shopping crush, but because it was the day that retailers would go "in the black," thanks to it being the busiest shopping day of the year. That's one story, at least. Here at It's About TV!, we don't take the day off on Black Friday; it's just another red-letter day around here! Because of the early holiday deadline there might be a few pieces that snuck in under the wire, but we'll get to them next week. In the meantime, let's see what's on tap.

At Eventually Supertrain, a certain old friend returns to talk with Dan about the WWII action drama Garrison's Gorillas; any resemblance between that friend and your humble writer is purely intentional. Hope you like the start of our discussions on this enjoyable series, which I wrote about here.

At The Twilight Zone Vortex, Jordan reviews the fifth-season episode "A Short Drink from a Certain Fountain," starring Patrick O'Neal and the wonderful Ruta Lee. If it doesn't sound familiar, Jordan has the story behind the story, which you might find more interesting than the story itself!

Another TZ episode, "Come Wander with Me," is the topic of discussion at The View from the Junkyard. I sense a slight difference of opinon between Roger and Mike on this one, so I'll let you draw your own conclusions. If it's any clue, it's also from the fifth and final season.

One of my favorite blogs, RealWeegieMidget, celebrates its ninth anniversary, and Gill shares her top three posts of the year. You'll want to check them out, and make this a part of your regular rotation. 

At Cult TV Blog, John's survey of British character actress Ann Way continues with her appearance in Sergeant Cork, the mid-60s police procedural. "The Case of the Bristol Mail" features Way in a typical role, relatively minor yet memorable. See what you think.

You may or may not know this, but Harpo Marx had a pretty successful solo career on television between 1952 and 1962. At Travalanche, Trav talks about some of his great appearances over the years—from Lucille Ball to Carol Burnett.

As Earl Holliman died this week, it's particularly appropriate that Television's New Frontier: The 1960s looks back at one of his starring roles from the 60s, Wide Country, which aired in the 1962-63 season as one of two rodeo-themed series that season, the other being Stoney Burke. It's worth checking out.

At The Classic TV History Blog, Stephen uses the occasion of TV writer Jeri Taylor's death last month to review her career, and that of her writing partner and husband, David Moessinger. Learn more about Jeri and David, separately and together, and the many memorable shows they worked on.

And with Thanksgiving behind us, Christmas is now just around the corner: at Remind, Herbie Pilato looks back at some of TV's most memorable Christmas variety shows. If you, like me, grew up with these shows (and still watch them!), you'll enjoy this article immensely! TV