Around the dial

We've got a full slate of offerings for this day-after-Halloween, so let's get right to them.

I seem to recall a while back linking to an article lamenting the absense of TV theme songs, but since it happens to be true, I don't mind seeing it stated again, in this Chicago Tribute column by Nina Metz. Are we not as creative anymore, or is it that we can't stand to lose time that could be better sold to sponsors?

Perhaps I'm not as much of a classic TV historian as I thought I was, or maybe I just haven't paid as much attention to gossip as I should. In any event, I wasn't aware there was supposed to have been a feud between Barbara Eden and Elizabeth Montgomery, but I'm pleased to find that such rumors are false.

Seeing as how Burke's Law has been one of my favorites for many years, there's really no excuse for me not having seen one of the comic book adventures based on the series. Thanks to Captain Video, I've now been able to redress this egregious omission, with this succession of posts. #1, #2, and #3. 

At bare•bones e-zine, Jack's Hitchcock Project continues with the second season story "The Indestructible Mr. Weems," written by George F. Slavin, and utilizing the comic talents of some wonderful character actors, including Russell Collins, Joe Mantell, Robert Middleton, and Harry Bellaver. 

Some people are cake people, others prefer pie. Myself, since I've eliminated sweets from the diet, it's more like wistful thinking. But although I've tasted many fine pieces of pie (thank you, Agent Cooper), I've never been hit in the face by one. At Comfort TV, David looks back to those days when pies to the face were a staple of classic TV. Now I'm hungry.

I've enjoyed several of the British series that John's introduced me to at Cult TV Blog, thanks to YouTube and a region-free DVD player, and here's another I may have to check out: Inside No. 9, a "black comedy anthology" that just left the air after nine successful seasons. In time for Halloween, here's the 2018 Halloween special, "Dead Line."

Let's look next at another Halloween episode in the classic TV milleau, this one from Terence at A Shroud of Thoughts. It's "Catspaw," the only Star Trek episode devoted to a holiday; it aired on October 27, 1967, written by the great Robert Bloch, and has some wonderfully creepy moments for Kirk, Spock, and McCoy.

For some reason, one of the Twilight Zone episodes that made a great impression on my youthful self was "The 7th is Made Up of Phantoms," and I suppose the idea of a Sherman tank in the middle of the Little Big Horn is irresistible to a kid playing with G.I. Joes. But is the story any good. Read Brian's review at The Twilight Zone Vortex and find out.

How about a real-life horror story? At Drunk TV, Paul reviews the Director's Cut DVD of The Executioner's Song, an edited version of the original miniseries, starring Tommy Lee Jones in a dynamic performance as Gary Gilmore, the murderer who's 1977 execution by firing squad signaled the resumption of the death penalty in the United States.

At The View from the Junkyard, Roger takes part in something I enjoy doing myself: looking at thematic links between different shows and/or movies. In his case, it's Doctor Who, and a connection I wouldn't have thought to make myself: the original version of The Blob, and why the movie feels so much like an episode of the classic series.

Travalanche visits The Love Boat, appropriate given Jack Jones' passing last week, and Lauren Tewes' birthday this week, and looks at some of the episodes featuring vintage stars from classic movies and TV. Some will bring back fond memories, while others are bittersweet (or, as in the case of Ginger Rogers performing "Love Will Keep Us Together"), painful. TV  

Around the dial

At bare-bones e-zine, we start the week with Jack's Hitchcock Project, looking at Irving Elman's seventh-season teleplay "The Door Without a Key," starring the great Claude Rains, John Larch, and Billy Mumy, familiar faces all.

The Broadcast Archives has a small but important explanation for why it's important to preserve broadcast archives. I wish--no, I ache for all the material that's been lost over the years because it wasn't preserved.

Did you ever wonder how TV bloggers get ideas on what to write about? One way is by having a constant supply of programs to watch, and at Cult TV Blog, John shares some of the contents of his laptop. We'll be reading about them later!

At The Horn Section, Hal is back to continue his series dispelling myths about the ratings for the series F Troop, which were actually much better than those for more heralded show such as That Girl.

The Avengers returns at The View from the Junkyard, with "The Forget-Me-Knot," and a restatement of what the series is all about: "lots of fights, some baddies with a dastardly plan, eccentric secret agents, a gimmicky element to the story, and plenty of humour." Find out how all these come together.

Was The Love Boat the most influential program ever to air on television? This article from CNN, discussing the impact the show made on the cruise industry, makes a compelling case that it was; what do you think?

Did you ever wonder how James Garner wound up as Jim Rockford? My old friend Billy Ingram has the story at TVParty, the site that gave me my start in the classic TV business!

We're up to the 1962 episodes of the sitcom Dennis the Menace, and Television's New Frontier: The 1960s takes an in-depth look at the year's episodes and the direction the show is headed, including the transition from Joseph Kearns to Gale Gordon.

TV Obseurities presents a new audio exhibit looking at the closing credits to the 1975-76 season of All in the Family,. It's worth it for the voiceover promotions you hear over the credits, a great look back at what the network had to offer almost 50 years ago.

At Cult TV Lounge, it's a look at one of the best episodes of The Twilight Zone, the chilling, surprising "The After Hours," starring Anne Francis as a department store customer who isn't what she seems, in a store that isn't what it seems.

Finally, the podcast Flipside: The True Story of Bob Crane presents a special Bob hosted to mark the 8th anniversary of his KNX-CBS radio program. It's a reminder of what a great radio host he was, and how entertaining his show was. TV