Around the dial

At bare-bones e-zine, Jack's first Hitchcock Project of the new year is "Make My Death Bed," a sixth-season episode by "Henry A. Cogge," dealing with a nasty suburban triangle that invariably involves murder.

The "Ann Way Season" continues apace at Cult TV Blog, and this week John visits the British detective series Shoestring and the episode "The Farmer Had a Wife," which features Ann as an informant who triggers a murder investigation.

At A Shroud of Thoughts, Terence takes note of the 70th anniversary of The Bob Cummings Show, which we know from Hal Horn as Love That Bob. You'll pardon me if I still have difficulty accepting that some of my favorite shows are that old, because it means I'm getting close to being that old myself.

Those Were the Days takes a look back at the career of character actor Hal Smith, whom we probably know best as Otis, the town drunk on The Andy Griffith Show. It shouldn't surprise us that his body of work encompassed many more roles in television, the movies, and voice work.

It's quite possible that you only remember Betty Furness as the commercial spokeswoman for Westinghouse on Studio One, but as Travalanche reminds us, she had a very successful career in movies and television, and did a stint as LBJ's Special Assistant for Consumer Affairs.

At The View from the Junkyard, Roger takes on "House of Cards," the second episode of The New Avengers, in which we find Steed in a precarious position, with Purdy needing to stay one step ahead in order to save him.

Finally, it's impossible not to think about the fires currently ravaging the Los Angeles area. I don't know how many of our readers are affected by them, but it warrents a moment or two of consideration. The losses suffered by these poor people is unimaginable—and yes, while it's true that many of them are wealthy, many of them aren't, and most of them have lost everything they have; in a few cases, even their lives. There's every reason to believe that certain officials and their policies bear a responsibility for what is happening, but there's not much most of us can do about that. What we can do, and should do, is pray for the safety of all concerned, and that the fires will be brought under control. It might also be a good idea for us all to take a moment and be grateful for our blessings, for the fact that our lives, regardless of whatever challenges we face, might not be so bad after all. TV