Around the dial

We've come to the end of another week, which means we've come to the beginning of another look at the classic TV blogosphere. Let's get started.

Cult TV Blog turns an eye across the pond this week, to Angela Lansbury's classic Murder, She Wrote - prompted by a comment from none other than our own favorite, Mike Doran. Very interesting to get John's perspective on a show my wife enjoyed very much.

I haven't stopped in at Some Polish American Guy Reviews Things, which is too bad because I really like Daniel and the blog, but I'm making up for it today by referring you to episode 24 of his podcast "Eventually Supertrain" which includes a discussion of the final episode of one of my favorite shows, Police Squad!

No question that Sid Caesar is one of the great comic minds of all time, and Once Upon a Screen offers some persuasive evidence that his Your Show of Shows was the best TV has ever offered.

I've mentioned that Don Rickles was a fine dramatic actor, but of course he was terrific as a comic actor as well, as The Horn Section reminds us in this review of Don's guest shot in the F Troop episode "The Return of Bald Eagle."

It's another strong James Bridges-written episode of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour at bare-bones e-zine; this time it's the eerie 10th season story "Where the Woodbine Twineth."

There are times over the last few years when I've looked at the possibility of health-care rationing and "death panels," of the emphasis on the young and the attempted mainstreaming of assisted suicide, and thought that we were running (pardon the expression) headlong toward Logan's Run. With that in mind, take a look at Fire-Breathing Dimetrodon Time's review of the pilot episode for the Logan TV edition.

Finally, a very interesting analysis at The Ringer of the future of television in the cord-cutting, skinny-bundle era. What does it mean for classic TV fans? Well, the article sees "niche" networks as losers in all this, but as we saw some time ago, those boutique networks lost their way long, long ago. I'd like to think that our classic TV survives, because of the devotion of their fans, and their subchannel status. TV  

Around the dial

As you can probably tell by the lateness of the hour, I'm a bit pressed for time, so some quick hits, as follows:

The Flaming Nose presents a nice appreciation of Jayne Meadows Allen.  Indeed, they don't make 'em like her anymore.

The Broadcasting Archives at the University of Maryland has a great idea for a bookcase!  I definitely need to have someone whip up one like that for me!

The Old Movie House takes a closer look at the Titanic classic A Night to Remember.  An extraordinarily well-made docudrama, as I wrote about here.

My old friend at Cult TV Blog is back after a hiatus, and catching up on some of the classic shows of the '70s, and even has a couple of American shows in the mix.

Don Rickles is an acquired taste, I suppose.  I acquired the taste long ago, and I've enjoyed Rickles for many years.  CPO Sharkey wasn't a favorite of mine though, but Thrilling Days of Yesteryear takes a good look at it nonetheless.

Television Obscurities continues looking at a year of TV Guide; this issue comes from my birthday in 1965.  Wish I had this issue; among other reasons, there's what looks to be a very good article on whether or not there are too many bulletins on TV.

More classic TV Guides!  Or at least TV schedules, from Australia!  From my friend at Television.au; it's very interesting to see what imports were on the airwaves in Australia.

And why not one more TV Guide story, this time from The TV Guide Historian, with a WGN ad from 1966.  Even without seeing the text, I had it pegged for sometime in the mid '60s.

Whew!  Got 'em all in, but check out my sidebar for more good stuff.  See you again tomorrow! TV