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Xf these aren't crisis times right now, I don't know what is. And yet it's also true that life keeps going on; it's important to realize that it does no good to worry about things that are out of your control. You pray about them, and then move on and get on with life—after all, we only get one shot at it. At Comfort TV David looks back at how television has always been a source of relief during those times, and why those programs can still work for us today.

At Garroway at Large, Jodie provides a welcome update on the progress of her Garroway biography, focusing on adventures with gaining access to reproducing various photos of the Master Communicator. (I thought focusing was a good way to describe that, don't you?) I'll really be ready to enjoy this book when it's published.

The Flaming Nose is back with a tribute to The Musketeers, the 2014 BBC adaptation of the Dumas classic that's been so much a part of the adventure genre. A very interesting note: "Twenty years ago, there were 182 series produced. Today, that number has exploded to 559 series." And even so, it can be hard to find gems in all that content.

Let's keep the accent on Britain with Cult TV, and an episode from the BBC comedy Rutland Weekend Television, which John describes as "a Pythonesque account of the nature of television itself." Now, I'm not sure how much more you can satirize television than its reality, but they managed to do it. 

At A Shroud of Thoughts, Terence says farewell and looks back at the career of Sally Kellerman, who died last week aged 84. She was a mainstay on television in the 1960s before moving to the big screen, but continued her TV work into the 21st Century. 

Television's New Frontier: The 1960s investigates the 1962 episodes of the curious series Thriller. I say "curious" because this series never seemed to quite figure out what it was supposed to be, and never really utilized Boris Karloff to the best advantage. As a whole, it should have been better than it was, but it still has some stellar episodes. 

At Shadow & Substance, Paul looks back at how Rod Serling's attitude toward "the right length for a Twilight Zone" changed over time. (Get it?) At first, Rod thought an hour was the perfect length, but by the time CBS asked him to lengthen the show, he'd come to see that a tightly-written 30 minute script can say a lot.

Care for a little self-promotion? At Eventually Supertrain, yours truly is back with Dan Budnick talking about Search. Sadly, it's the next-to-last episode, so don't miss it! Also on the show, The Night Stalker and Battlestar Galactica. 

And ending on a light note, here's Martin Grams with some very funny cartoons featuring the Lone Ranger and Tonto. If we must face the crisis, we might as well do so with a smile. TV  

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Where should we start today? How about at Drunk TV, where Paul takes a look at the first season of the syndicated series Ripcord, of which I have fond memories from back in the day. I don't remember the stories so much, but the idea of guys jumping out of planes with parachutes was tremendously appealing. Remember the toy plastic skydivers they used to make with the flimsy parachutes attached to them? They never worked for me, either.

And then there's the sitcom Julia, which I remember but seldom ever watched. There's no question that it was a significant program in the television history of the 1960s, although, as Terence points out at A Shroud of Thoughts, it would be seen as fairly innocuous today. Still, it was, appropriately enough, a groundbreaking series.

At The Lucky Strike Papers, Andrew shares a heartfelt tribute to his father, who died on New Year's Day at the age of 100. For anyone who's read Andrew's book on his mother, the elegance of his writing will come as no surprise.

In that nostalgic mood? Over at The Hits Just Keep on Comin', JB looks back to February 15, 2003—what was in the news back then, and how it all looks in retrospect today. As with Andrew, there is a strong sense of remembering the warm embrace of the past, and I don't think it's coincidental. Aren't we all feeling a little bit—or maybe a bit more than a little—that way right now? Yup, back to the grind.

Once upon a time, and maybe once again in the near future, it was a big deal when a television show went to the Soviet Union. At Comfort TV, David recalls the Head of the Class episode "Mission to Moscow," which was just such an event when it aired in 1988.

At Cult TV Blog, John continues to look at orphaned episodes with 1964's comedy The Diary of a Nobody, a quasi-silent program (with only narration), directed by none other than Ken Russell. I always enjoy these links. 

It's time again for Love That Bob!, and at The Horn Section, Hal reviews the 1957 episode "Chuck at College," wherein we see Chuck (Dwayne Hickman) heading off to school, where he's expected to live up to (or is it down to?) the reputation of his famous Uncle Bob (Bob Cummings).

And finally, I'm back on Eventually Supertrain this week, where Dan and I have another pleasant chat on Search. And look at that who's on the cover of the TV Guide that Dan shares—why, it's none other than our intrepid heroes from World Sercurities! TV  

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Another family gathered around the TV watching C-SPAN

Whenever I see an article about how classic shows of the past weren't really that good, my Spidey sense starts to in, and I immediately prepare for some kind of knee-jerk reaction—you know, something along the lines of how this author doesn't really know what he (or she) is talking about, blah, blah, blah. And when I saw this Atlantic article by Tom Nichols on how most Christmas specials are terrible, I was prepared to do the same. After all, his focus is entirely on animated specials, leaving out some of the most significant Christmas shows in television history. But in this case, I'm not going to jerk my knee, because as it happens, this is something I like a lot; I feel as if I could have written it myself.

The idea that Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is, well, kind of stupid, is not one foreign to this site. Its charm, and its classic status, comes almost entirely from the stop-action animation, the songs, and its connection to our childhood. But let's admit it: Rudolph's Santa is a jerk; if I'd been Rudy, with Santa asking for my help after everything I'd gone through, my answer would have been short and sweet: "Bite me, Santa!" (But then, I suppose Rudolph is a more forgiving soul than I am.) And then there's the idea that King Moonracer, who's apparently able to fly around the world gathering up misfit toys, can't fly to the North Pole himself and ask Santa's help. For that matter, why doesn't the king just fly over to Amazon and let them deliver the toys? Anyway, the point is that, unlike A Charlie Brown Christmas and How the Grinch Stole Christmas, the two specials Nichols singles out for praise, Rudolph's story really isn't very good.

There is one thing regarding the Rankin-Bass specials, though, that I ought to point out—and I really am fond of them; I own most of them, including some that aren't commercially available—and that is that they work splendidly, if perhaps unintendedly, as allegories for our modern times. As I've pointed out before, Frosty the Snowman can be seen as a retelling of Christ's Resurrection, while Santa Claus is Comin' to Town works best as an allegory of the fall of Communism, with Sombertown serving as a stand-in for East Berlin. In fact, it seems to me that these readings are the only way either special makes sense. But then, that's just me.

Meanwhile, let's see what else is on tap this week:

At The Guardian, Anne Billson has binged on Christmas romcoms and she's here to see what they're all about. The Hallmark (and now Netflix) Christmas movies have been in my bullseye for a long time, but after reading this article I felt like I needed to go to the bathroom. Fantasy is one thing, but these movies not only dishonor Christmas (although they especially do that), they dishonor moviemaking itself. Remember when the Hallmark Hall of Fame produced class entertainment? One of the things that makes A Christmas Carol timeless is Scrooge's realization that life is not all about "having it all," but about sharing it all, especially yourself, and that you can never undo the past—you can only redeem the present and the future. On the other hand, if this kind of escapism is what people really want, no wonder we have so much trouble confronting the issues we face today.

At bare-bones e-zine, Jack wraps up the Hitchcock Project look at Joel Murcott's contributions to the show with the ninth-season episode "The Dividing Wall," an uneven but nasty little piece of work featuring a nuclear cannister. It isn't quite Kiss Me Deadly, and not nearly vintage Hitchcock.

I've decided this week to use the full name of John's blog, That Blog Where The Bloke With No Shirt Blogs About TV and Tries to Stay on the Subject, as he covers a disastrous rendition of A Christmas Carol as seen on The Play That Goes Wrong, a bizarre series that you really need to see to believe.

And though Christmas is just around the corner, it's not too early to look forward to New Year's, and at Shadow & Substance, Paul lets us in on the episodes that SyFy's chosen for this year's Twilight Zone New Year's Marathon. 

Another icon of 60s television passed this week with the death of Mike Nesmith, and at A Shroud of Thoughts, Terence shares an affectionate remembrance of Wool Hat. And don't miss several other articles that Terence has on his favorite Monkees songs.

At Drunk TV, Paul is back with another look at Hanna-Barbera animated specials; this time, it's the 1972 A Christmas Story. No, not the movie, but a sparkling special with an all-star lineup of cartoon voices. 

Finally, since I started this off by talking a lot about myself, I'll end the same way, with a link to episode 118 of Eventually Supertrain, in which Dan and I revisit Search, Dan and Tim talk about Kolchak, and Dan and Chris take on Battlestar Galactica. Don't miss it! TV  

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This week starts off with the happy news that Episode 115 of the Eventually Supertrain podcast is up, which means that Dan and I are talking Search once again: specifically, "Countdown to Panic," which some of you might find disturbingly close to today's world. I'd be interested to see what you think of it.

Meanwhile, at Comfort TV, where David remembers one of The Dick Van Dyke's most memorable—and most surrealistic—episodes, "It May Look Like a Walnut," which even features producer Danny Thomas in an uncredited cameo!

Rod Serling was no stranger to the idea of a killer doll; remember Talky Tina from The Twilight Zone? Serling may not have written that one, but as Paul points out at Shadow & Substance, he took a crack at the concept in the memorable Night Gallery episode "The Doll." 

At Drunk TV, Paul Mavis presents a strong rebuttal to those critics who put down the family sitcoms of the 1950s and '60s; his look at My Three Sons posits it as a "remarkably complex, innovative" sitcom, a position I completely agree with, whether the cultural elitists like it or not.

Over at The Hits Just Keep on Comin', JB flashes back to October 27, 1962, a day that would have been exceptional for being unexceptional—except it's also "the most dangerous day in history," as the drama of the Cuban Missile Crisis nears its climax. You can relive those days with the highly-recommended The Missiles of October.

At Cult TV Blog, John returns to Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) and the episode "It's Supposed to be Thicker than Water," and yes, this delightful episode is yet another one in which the driver of the white Jag bites the dust. To find out what that means, head on over there.

And finally, Fire-Breathing Dimetroden Time takes a moment to remind us of the death of Joanna Cameron last week, at the way-too-young age of 70. A lot of readers here will, I'm sure, remember her from the CBS Saturday morning lineup and Isis. TV  

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So what's on tap this week? Plenty, that's what!

At bare•bones e-zine, Jack's Hitchcock Project features the fifth of Joel Murcott's offerings, the fourth-season thriller "Man with a Problem," starring Gary Merrill, Mark Richman, Elizabeth Montgomery, and a satisfying twist ending that I'm positive you'll fall for.

Dave Garroway was an endlessly interesting man, and at Garroway at Large, Jodie lets us in on one of his pre-Today adventures, the Chicago late-night radio show The 11:60 Club, 11:60 being otherwise known as 12:00 midnight. It ends with a great example of how it pays to be the right man in the right place at the right tine. 

"The Evil of the Daleks" is something of a redundancy, I suppose—when, after all, are they not evil? But it also makes for a sinister Doctor Who story from the Patrick Troughton era, as Fire-Breathing Dimetroden Time relates. And speaking of the Daleks, there's more in store at this site this weekend—stay tuned.

At Comfort TV, David takes a look at I Love Lucy at 70. It's hard to imagine Lucy being 70 freaking years old, isn't it? Especially when you watch it in crisp prints, or even ones that have been colorized. The main reason we don't want to think it's that old, I suspect, is because it speaks to our own one-way journey down the finite highway.

Cult TV Blog turns back to the late-60s series The Champions, and the episode "The Final Countdown." What's not to like about an episode that, as John points out, features "Nazi war criminals intent on world domination, unexploded bombs and only The Champions standing between them and their ambition"? I'm there!

Betty Lynn, whom we all know and love as Thelma Lou from The Andy Griffith Show, died this week, aged 95, and at A Shroud of Thoughts, Terence has a look back at the long and successful career of a woman whom Terence says was "known for her sweetness and kindness." 

Finally, a little self-promotion once again, as I'm talking Search with Dan on Episode 114 of Eventually Supertrain. How can you possibly resist spies, apes and doppelgangers? The answer is, you can't. TV  

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Xt bare-bones e-zine, Jack's Hitchcock Project continues to survey the work of Joel Murcott with the third season episode "Flight to the East," which sounds like it should be a Cold War drama but in reality is something quite different. Different also is Murcott's teleplay compared to the original short story—find out how.

Garroway at Large is back, and this week Jodie tells the story of the time Dave one-upped Milton Berle on Today. It's not often that Uncle Miltie becomes the straight man, so enjoy the story and pictures.

David poses an interesting question at Comfort TV: are classic TV fans introverted? It's an interesting question. David thinks they are, but I'm not sure—I'd ask someone, but I'm afraid to, and besides, I nevefr see anyone.

At the Broadcast Archives, a look back at the career of trailblazing newswoman Ann Corrick, who began working in radio news in the 1940s, and was on Group W radio from 1958 to 1967. There's not much of a record about her life, and there should be; I've heard recordings of her on Westinghouse's coverage of the JFK assassination, and was surprised that I couldn't find out more about her.

At Eventually Supertrain, Dan and I are back discusing Search. You'll also want to stick around for Planet of The Apes with Amy the Conqueror and Kolchak with Tim. A good time is had by all, including, we hope, the listeners.

And finally, in the Mailbag, an email from David, who writes:

"I am looking to replay an episode of Colonel the Clown (Channel 30 , Hartford, Conn) which I appeared on TV when I was about 8 years old in approx 1966. I was on the show with a few other youth because I won a contest related to 'Peanuts/Charlie Brown' and was awarded a Peanuts Character Bus! Do you have access to those as I would love to watch it. PLEASE let me know, if you do or know any other means by which I can view and/or obtain it.

David, I don't know how to get that video, if it hasn't been wiped by the local station, but one of our readers might know?

   TV  

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A reminder that the latest episode of Eventually Supertrain is up, as Dan and I continue our episode-by-episode look at Search. Stick around for other segments on The Singing Detective and Planet of the Apes; you won't want to miss it.

From Bob Crane: Life & Legacy, a note that for those of you who get Starz, this coming Sunday at 9:00 p.m. ET, Bob Crane co-biographer Linda Groundwater appears on Autopsy: The Last Hours of... Bob Crane, helping set the record straight on the many misconceptions that continue.

It's the monthly roundup of YouTube finds at Television Obscurities, with some very interesting clips—from Roller Derby in1949 to the 2004 ABC special “The Best TV Shows That Never Were.” A great snapshot of television history, don't you think?

We spent much of last year celebrating the blog's 10th season, but Terence has been at it for 17 years at A Shroud of Thoughts. Take a look at some of the highlights of the past year, and here's hoping he keeps it up for many more years.

To me, the TV series Flipper meant one thing: Flipper was the mascot of the Miami Dolphins football team, and in the Dolphins' home stadium, the Orange Bowl, there was a giant dolphin pool behind one of the end zones. That tells you what kind of childhood I had; as for the series, read more about it at Drunk TV. 

That does it for a quiet week that makes up for it in quality; back tomorrow with a pretty good TV Guide that I think you'll enjoy. TV