Around the dial

Let's start across the pond this week, as John makes his way through the "Ann Way Season," comprising appearances by the British character actress. The latest comes from the great, absurd British series Ripping Yarns, and the episode "Whinfrey's Last Case."

Garry Berman links back to a review from last year on the series Pan Am, which ran for 14 episodes in 2012. It's a wonderful time capsule for an era that seemed to promise endless potential, and one in which taking a jet wasn't like running the gauntlet through a torture chamber.

At bare•bone e-zine, Jack's Hitchcock Project continues with "Final Arrangements" by Robert Arthur, part of the show's sixth season. It's something of a letdown, despite a fine cast led by Martin Balsam as the would-be wife killer.

One of the more interesting aspects of classic television is the way in which various trends in programming ebb and flow. At Travalanche, Trav looks at one such trend, that of shows using World War II as a backdrop for drama or comedy. Read more about these shows, and why they worked (or didn't).

Michael Cole died earlier this week, aged 84, and with that all three of those impossibly young cops of The Mod Squad are now dead, as well as their mentor, Tige Andrews. There was more to his career, of course, and Terence looks at some of them at A Shroud of Thoughts.

With Christmas just around the corner, it's a perfect time for Martin Grams to look at the "lost" Lone Ranger radio Christmas special of 1938. It was performed but not recorded for syndication, since it could have been aired at any time of the year. The solution? Read all about it.

Let's talk just a little more about Christmas, as JB does the Christmas Shuffle at The Hits Just Keep on Comin'. Has nothing to do with television (although you'll have heard some of these tunes on the tube), but who's going to complain about a little more Christmas cheer.

At Classic Film & TV Corner, Maddie reviews the 1968-70 series The Ghost & Mrs. Muir, based on the 1947 movie of the same name, with Hope Lange and Edward Mulhare essaying the roles originally played by Gene Tierney and Rex Harrison. It's a charming way to spend some time.

By the way, that great picture at the top comes from this article on 25 ideas to celebrate an old-fashioned Christmas. One of those ways: "Watch the Christmas TV Special From When You Were a Kid." That's what we'll be doing tonight, and I can't think of a better way to start the weekend.  TV