Around the dial

Whenever we'd go to Chicago, we'd always include in our stops a trip to the Museum of Broadcast Communications, one of my favorite museums. The Broadcast Archives has the story of how the MBC has been forced out of its home; hopefully, this won't be the end of the line for them.  

At Classic Film & TV Cafe, Rick shares seven things to know about The Jimmy Stewart Show, the 1971-72 comedy that marked the star's first foray into series television. As was the case with so many 1970s series fronted by major movie stars, the show lasted a single season, so here's your chance to learn more about it.

The Hitchcock Project continues at bare-bones e-zine, with Jack beginning his look at the teleplays of Halsted Welles. This week's episode, from the show's fourth season, is "The Dusty Drawer," a revenge story starring Dick York and Philip Coolidge. Not one of my favorites, but Jack's writeup, as always, is spot-on.

Keeping with the Hitchcockian theme, The Last Drive In series on the leading ladies of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour returns with some fine work by Betty Field, Teresa Wright, Kim Hunter, Margaret Leighton, and Juanita Moore. Stand by for extensive episode descriptions and pictures galore!

At The Horn Section, Hal is back in F Troop land with the season one episode "A Fort's Best Friend is Not a Mother," and the mother in question is Captain Parmenter's own. How do O'Rourke and Agarn get the Captain out of this jam and preserve the good thing they've got going with O'Rourke Enterprises? Don't worry; they're up for the challenge.

Hammer House of Horror is always good for a chill or two, and at Realweegiemidget, Gill takes us through the chilling "Children of the New Moon," with a terrific performance by British film star Diana Dors as the "far too helpful and friendly" woman we always know we should be wary of.

One of the things I always appreciated about Columbo was that the show didn't skimp on big stars in supporting parts—not just the killer, but smaller roles as well. This week, at Once Upon a Screen, Aurora focuses on those murderers, with five movie stars turned Columbo killers. Not that they actually killed Columbo—you get the point.

Cult TV Blog makes a rare trip across the Atlantic as John reviews the Kojak episode "The Chinatown Murders," a terrific two-hour episode in which Theo Kojak has to deal with a Mafia war in Chinatown, including plenty of twists and turns. 

One of the more interesting aspects of domestic sitcoms is the architecture of the family home. While most of them were similar in construction, Terence looks at a couple of exceptions at A Shroud of Thoughts: the homes seen in The Real McCoys and Dobie Gillis. Find out what makes these homes unusual.

Speaking of Dobie Gillis, at Travalanche, Trav looks at the many shows of its star, Dwayne Hickman. Thanks to the aforementioned Horn Section, we know Dwayne from Love That Bob as well as Dobie, but you'll be able to see a long list of credits here.

And where would we be without a look at The Avengers, a show which is about to reappear on our personal weekly viewing schedule. At The View from the Junkyard, Roger and Mike take turns on the sci-fi flavored "Man-Eater of Surrey Green," with Steed and Mrs. Peel battling man-eating plants.

There—that should give you all something to chew on, so to speak. TV  

Around the dial

It's 1964, the start of the third season of The Saint, and at Silver Scenes, it's a look at that episode, "The Miracle Tea Party," a delightful episode that serves as an entry in that "Favorite TV Show Episode" blogathon I was talking about on Wednesday. Be sure to check them out; maybe I'll have another chance next year!

Here's another entry from that blogathon—at Once Upon a Screen, Aurora takes us back to a Columbo episode that, I think, ranks near the top in everyone's list of favorites: "Any Old Port in a Storm," with a terrific performance by the always-outstanding Donald Pleasence as the murderous winery owner, and Gary Conway as his deceased brother. I always enjoy this one.

And since Terence at A Shroud of Thoughts is hosting the blogathon, I'd be remiss if I didn't highlight his contribution as well. It's "Home," a 1996 episode of The X-Files, that is truly disturbing, not least because the story occurs not in the big city, but in a small town (the sheriff is even named Andy Taylor, though not that one), and it brings the horror—home.

John's latest entry in his 1980s TV series retrospective at Cult TV Blog is the excellent series Mapp and Lucia, based on the equally respected novels by E.F. Benson. and the episode "Lobster Pots." There have been two versions of the series, so if you want see what John's raving about, be sure to look for the 1985 version.

At Comfort TV, David brings his trip through 1971 television to a close with a look at Saturday night, and again I have to stress how Saturday used to be a killer night for television: All in the Family, Funny Face, The New Dick Van Dyke Show, Mary Tyler Moore, and Mission: Impossible were CBS's dominant lineup, but there were some others to check out, including The Persuaders (sorry, David).

We're coming up on Holy Week, which means it's a good time to review a series called Greatest Heroes of the Bible (a series that could never be aired on broadcast television today), and at Drunk TV, Paul looks at volume two of this 1978-79 series, with a collection of episodes dealing with "God's Chosen Ones." I only hope I'll get to be one.

The Broadcast Archives has a brief pictoral look back at Carol Burnett back in the late 1950s or early 1960s, and aside from the pictures, it's a good reminder that next month she turns 90, and if that makes you feel old, then just  go back and watch more of her shows, forget about your problems, and have some fun.

Some more promising news from Television Obscurities, where Robert reports that ClassicFlix, which has brought back several rare series via DVD, has another one in store come June: 21 Beacon Street, a detective drama with Dennis Morgan. I confess that I don't know anything about it other than recognizing the titles from TV Guide, so it could be interesting.

Cult TV Lounge revisits the 1976 limited anthology series Beasts, which draws its credibility from its cxreator, Nigel Kneale, who is responsible for the legendary British sci-fi series of the 1950s, Quatermass. Sounds like it's well worth watching—and by the way, Kneale is responsible also for a British TV movie that you'll be reading about in a future "Descent into Hell" essay.

At Shadow & Substance, Paul visits an unlikely suburb of TZ; "The Hound of Heaven," a short dramatic sketch written by Earl Hamner Jr. for The Kate Smith Hour in 1953 (I didn't even know that show had dramatic sketches.) and has a cast including John Carradine and a very young James Dean. The story would become the bases for the third season TZ episode "The Hunt." TV  

Around the dial

As you may recall, we skipped this feature last week due to my secret out-of-town mission; the nice thing about that is that we always have plenty to look at when we come back, and this week is no exception. Let's get started!

At Classic Film and TV Café, Rick has an interview with television and movie star Constance Towers, who has some wonderful stories about working with Raymond Burr on Perry Mason, being directed by John Ford and Samuel Fuller, and more.

Jack's Hitchcock Project continues at bare•bones e-zine with part three of Bill S. Ballinger's contributions; this one is the fifth-season episode "The Hero," with Eric Portman and Oscar Homolka in a sinister story of a guilty conscience.

The Last Drive In features a look at Gary Gerani, who's written a number of classic horror movies (Pumpkinhead), but I remember him for having written the book Fantastic Television: A Pictorial History of Sci-Fi, the Unusual and Fantastic From Captain Video to the Star Trek Phenomenon and Beyond..., which I read around the time I was just getting into Doctor Who. Great fun!

Fire-Breathing Dimetrodon Time reviews "Bounty Hunters' Convention," an episode of the beloved Western comedy-fantasy The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr., which I've mentioned before as a show that was perhaps ahead of its time. In today's age of smaller television audiences, I wonder if this series wouldn't have continued for a few years.

Apropos of Halloween, Inner Toob looks at the four actresses who've played Marilyn Munster, the black sheep of the Munster family. Is it possible this character has appeared in other series? I love the weird twists that that Inner Toob takes with questions like this.

Sticking with that theme, at Comfort TV, David talks about a Halloween Comfort TV classic: Ghost Story, the 1972 anthology series hosted by Sebastian Cabot (at least until it changed its title and format). I don't know why I remember this series, but I do; it may have something to do with it being on NBC, the only station we could get in the World's Worst Town™.

At Garroway at Large, Jodie plugs her new book, which is not about Dave Garroway; it's Ben Robertson: South Carolina Journalist and Author, and you ought to buy it. For that matter, so should I.

This week, Cult TV Blog is back in the world of Gideon's Way with the episode "The Nightlifers," and I have to admit becoming more curious about this series the more John talks about it. It's a show that really depicts the time in which it was made, which is one reason why I recommend watching shows from the time rather than modern shows that try to show it like it was. TV  

Around the dial

As you might expect, a number of pieces this week are devoted to the memory of Jerry Lewis, who died Sunday. As I said on Facebook, his death was more than just the end of an era - he was the last of an era. Back in the day, when I had a little more time than I do this week, I would have written extensively about him, because he was certainly a visible presence in my life. As a kid I was a big fan of his; loved the slapstick, the yelling about, movies like The Disorderly Orderly. As I grew older I also grew to admire him greatly for his humanitarian work with Muscular Dystrophy, and came to appreciate his technical innovations as a director. I though his recognition by the Academy with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award was long overdue. In a way, he outlived the culture that most appreciated him and his brand of humor, but that can be said of many of us, who feel ourselves to be strangers in our own land nowadays. You can argue over whether or not the French were right that he was a great comedian (I think they're more right than wrong), but I don't think you can argue that he was a great man.

Captain Video is back with the two-part comic book adventures of Jerry as he meets the new Wonder Woman! The comic book adventures of Jerry and Dean Martin ran from 1952 to 1957, and then with Jerry alone until 1971! Here's Part 1, followed by Part 2.

At The Ringer, K. Austin Collins looks at Jerry's brilliant, complex record as a director, and how this private man often bared his soul in the most public of places - on the movie screen.

Finally, at A Shroud of Thoughts, Terence Towles Canote offers a very well-written obituary on Jerry, concluding with words that resound with me. "For decades it has been a bit of a running joke that Jerry Lewis was wildly popular in France, but the truth is he was wildly popular across the world. He was responsible for making many people laugh and his films are still very popular to this day. Only a very few comedic actors ever had the kind of success that Jerry Lewis had. I seriously doubt we will see too many reach the heights that he did in the future."

In honor of Monday's total solar eclipse, Faded Signals offered excerpts of KGW's coverage of the 1979 eclipse as seen in Portland, Oregon, as well as a link to how that eclipse was covered. I remember that one well, as well as the previous one, which I think was either in the early '70s or late '60s and may not have been a total one. One of the benefits of being old is that you can say, "When you've seen one eclipse, you've seen them all."

The Horn Section leads us on another merry chase through Crazy Like a Fox with the episode "Motor Homicide," the series' take on the familiar "I tell you, I did see a dead body!" story that every series gets around to sooner or later. The success or failure of such an episode depends, of course, on the writing and acting, and in this case while the script often fails to deliver, the performances do their best to carry the load.

Cult TV Blog returns with a look back at his personal rehabilitation of Tales of the Unexpected, which was "terribly sophisticated and really attention-grabbing" for a child, but "incredibly dreary" if you try to watch the entire series as an adult. Instead, if you have the option, opt for the "best episodes" set, and you will find yourself with a series that, more often than not, has the power to "terrify and horrify.

Keeping in that horror trend, I've enjoyed listening to Lights Out on the Sirius OTR station when we've taken a road trip; programs like that make for very effective radio. If done right, they can also make for enthralling television, and Television Obscurities tells about the first attempt to bring Lights Out to TV - not the 1949-52 series that some of you may be familiar with, but four live specials done in the summer and fall of 1946 on WNBT.

At Comfort TV, David looks at two episodes of two popular sitcoms and provides us all with words to live by when someone starts to notice that our words look familiar - perhaps a little too familiar. "It's not a rip-off - it's an homage."

Classic Film and TV Café reviews the five best episodes of the Rod Serling-Lloyd Bridges 1960s Western series The Loner. It's an intriguing series; I've read that Serling himself was disappointed with it due to the various compromises he had to make (sponsors, star, network), going so far as to wish sometimes that the week would skip over Saturdays (the day it was aired) so there wouldn't be any Loner. Despite that, there are a number of thought-provoking episodes, as you can see here. TV  

Around the dial

Christmas may be just around the corner, but that doesn't mean things are letting up here—in fact, we've got as many classic TV goodies as there are presents wrapped under the tree.

If you find an Amazon gift certificate in your Christmas sock this year, you might want to consider spending it on my friend Amanda Reyes' new book, Are You In the House Alone? And that's only the beginning of the news for the busy blogger from Made For TV Mayhem. Way to go, Amanda!

A while back I wrote about the provocative Hitchcock episode "The Thirty-First of February." This week, bare-bones e-zine takes a closer look at the episode, and the Julian Symons novel on which it's based.

If you know the great actress Agnes Moorhead only from her recurring role on Bewitched, you don't really know her. Good thing Silver Scenes has come along with a thorough rundown on her "magnificent" career.

If you're a sports TV nerd like me, you're probably going to be interested in Classic TV Sports' latest, a rundown on the rare occasions when a network's #1 announcing crew does the first game of a Sunday doubleheader - as far back as I can remember, it's always been the second game that the lead crew does.

What's this? A second mention of Made For TV Mayhem? You bet, when it's Christmas TV History's Joanna Wilson appearing on the Made for TV Mayhem podcast, talking about - what else - Christmas shows. You don't want to miss this!

David Hofstede is up to the '70s in his Comfort TV rundown of the ten funniest sitcom episodes by decade. Hint: if you're looking for Chuckles the Clown, you won't be disappointed. And speaking of rundowns, The Twilight Zone Vortex gives us the 411 on the Zone's Christmas episodes.

Have you ever felt like there's no place to hide? I've been having that very feeling lately, so much so that - well, that's another story for another time. As for this story, it's called No Hiding Place, and Cult TV Blog tells us about one of the most popular British TV series of the 50s and 60s. Does this go on my shopping list?

I just checked this out this week, and you'll want to as well - Classic Television Showbiz links to Steve Allen's Christmas episode from his 1961 talk show. Some parts are more entertaining than others (I never liked the Smothers Brothers, for example), but the bit with Steve trying to play Santa without benefit of his glasses is worth the price of admission (so to speak).

If you think you know about obscure television, don't try to match wits with Television Obscurities. (There's a good reason the blog's named that way.) This week, a truly obscure series: Manhattan Safari, from New York's WNBT - in 1941! TV  

Around the dial

We're a little light on links this week, but for a good reason - most of my colleagues can be found in the "Terror TV Blogathon" hosted by the Classic TV Blog Association. I'm not enough of a horror buff to have participated in this one, but I promise you're going to enjoy reading their pieces - you won't miss me a bit! In other blogs:

At Christmas TV History, Joanna gives us a heads-up on her Christmas schedule, which includes not only great pieces from the past and present, but when your favorite Christmas show might be on. I always look forward to this time of year!

The Broadcast Archives at the University of Maryland has a terrific picture of the cover of a 1930 booklet entitled The Romance and Reality of Television. I don't know if I've ever heard a better description of the promise television held - question is, has it lived up to that promise?

Cult TV Blog has a very interesting article on the Troughton Doctor Who episode "The Invasion," including how this episode expresses the show's traditional caution towards technology. I'm fond of this DVD, because it's out of print and outrageously priced in the U.S., but the U.K. version became my first purchase for my new region-free DVD player.

If you're in the mood for a little old-time radio, Recap Retro has a great piece on "Night Beat," the 50s series set in Chicago, and starring Frank Lovejoy as newspaper reporter Randy Stone. I've heard this on Radio Spirits, and it's pretty good - you can find episodes online to check it out.

A reminder that our friend Ray Starman, author of The Sitcom Class Wars, will be appearing later this month on Ed Robertson's TV Confidential podcast - I'll have more details as we get closer.

And finally, a question for you all from reader Brian, who wants to know if anyone out there has a copy of the Merv Griffin-hosted game show Play Your Hunch from April 8, 1960. Merv's guest singer that day was Beverly Kenney. If so, please let me know via comment or email.

That's it for this week - see you back here tomorrow. TV  

Around the dial

Before we get to our weekly trip around the blogosphere, a personal note. Those of you in my own Facebook network may know that I have a book coming out next month. It's a novel and has nothing to do with television, but I'm going to plug it here anyway because 1) it's my website, and 2) it's my book.*

*And if you need another reason, 3) they're both written by me..

The book is called The Collaborator; it's a religious-political drama about backstage intrigue at the Vatican, and I'm very proud of it; if I do say so myself, it contains some of the best writing I've ever done. It will be available from Amazon and other dealers, in both print and e-book versions. I promise I won't overdo it on the plugs; maybe just a short notice at the end of every post for the next three months or so. And did I mention it would make a great Christmas gift for the fiction-reader in your home?

OK, now on to the regular content.

In tomorrow's TV Guide review I mention a local station running the political movie The Last Hurrah and wondering if it was tied in to that week's midterm election coverage. At Christmas TV History, Joanna takes a look at something in the same vein - disaster movies that take place around Christmastime. Perhaps that's what we should be running at election time.

The Last Drive-In revisits an oldie but goodie, a look back at the early '60s NBC series Thriller. And speaking of sinister shows of the season, bare-bones e-zine continues The Hitchcock Project with "The Orderly World of Mr. Appleby" from 1956. I remember this episode well from having seen it on DVD a few months ago - with a very nice twist at the end.

It's Part III of Made for TV Mayhem's retrospective on made-for-TV Halloween movies. I mentioned Part I in an earlier "Around the Dial," and Part II can be found here.

Ah, The Great American Dream Machine - it was on in 1971 and 1972 on PBS, and I think I might have seen a few minutes of it - though I was a precocious child back then, it probably went clear over my head, especially the cartoons. I mean, I didn't even get Monty Python humor until a decade later. But at Thrilling Days of Yesteryear, you can find out all about the show, and whether or not it's your cup of tea.

I'm managing editor and occasional writer at another blog, In Other Words, and this week my friend and fellow writer Bobby has a piece on audition tapes of game show hosts that might surprise you.

And how did you spend National Cat Day yesterday?

That's it for now, but you already know what's waiting for you tomorrow. TV  

Around the dial

In last week's "This Week in TV Guide," I mentioned a 1951 movie called The Tall Target with the intriguing plotline of a policeman named John Kennedy trying to prevent the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.  Ironic, right?  Well, as Ivan mentions at Thrilling Days of Yesteryear, that very movie will be appearing on TCM the morning of November 15 at 1am ET.  Might be worth a look for curiosity's sake if nothing else.

Just in time for Halloween, David of Comfort TV gives us a disturbing look at the seven most intimidating classic TV characters. How disturbing?  Try Aunt Fran from Family Affair, just for starters.  Speaking of Family Affair, Embarrassing Treasures presents another edition of Family Affair Fridays, the episode-by-episode guide to the 60s series.

Keeping with the spooky theme, Rick at Classic Film and TV Cafe looks at the five best made-for-TV horror films. I'll admit to a partiality for The Night Stalker, but in general I'm not sure how well television has done the classic horror movie.

Leaving the pumpkins for a moment, let's return to the old West. Kinescope HD has a look at yet another of the 60s Westerns, but one that wasn't afraid to let its heroes have a laugh or two: Larado.

Finally, we'll conclude the last post of October with this. Television Obscurities takes a look at Halloween television through the years.  It wasn't a holiday that generated a great deal of programming back in the day - when Trick or Treat was still more for the kids. But it still has its traditions - think It's the Great Pumpkin, for example, which we'll be watching in a very few minutes.

Happy Halloween to all - see you back on Saturday with another great TV Guide! TV