Mitchell Hadley's Blog: It's About TV!, page 20

Around the dial

Black Friday, as you probably know, was named not for any sense of dread at the day-after-Thanksgiving shopping crush, but because it was the day that retailers would go "in the black," thanks to it being the busiest shopping day of the year. That's one story, at least. Here at It's About TV!, we don't take the day off on Black Friday; it's just another red-letter day around here! Because of the early holiday deadline there might be a few pieces that snuck in under the wire, but we'll get to them next week. In the meantime, let's see what's on tap.
At Eventually Supertrain, a certain old friend returns to talk with Dan about the WWII action drama Garrison's Gorillas ; any resemblance between that friend and your humble writer is purely intentional. Hope you like the start of our discussions on this enjoyable series, which I wrote about here .
At The Twilight Zone Vortex, Jordan reviews the fifth-season episode " A Short Drink from a Certain Fountain ," starring Patrick O'Neal and the wonderful Ruta Lee. If it doesn't sound familiar, Jordan has the story behind the story, which you might find more interesting than the story itself!
Another TZ episode, " Come Wander with Me ," is the topic of discussion at The View from the Junkyard. I sense a slight difference of opinon between Roger and Mike on this one, so I'll let you draw your own conclusions. If it's any clue, it's also from the fifth and final season.
One of my favorite blogs, RealWeegieMidget, celebrates its ninth anniversary , and Gill shares her top three posts of the year. You'll want to check them out, and make this a part of your regular rotation.
At Cult TV Blog, John's survey of British character actress Ann Way continues with her appearance in Sergeant Cork, the mid-60s police procedural. " The Case of the Bristol Mail " features Way in a typical role, relatively minor yet memorable. See what you think.
You may or may not know this, but Harpo Marx had a pretty successful solo career on television between 1952 and 1962. At Travalanche, Trav talks about some of his great appearances over the years—from Lucille Ball to Carol Burnett.
As Earl Holliman died this week, it's particularly appropriate that Television's New Frontier: The 1960s looks back at one of his starring roles from the 60s, Wide Country , which aired in the 1962-63 season as one of two rodeo-themed series that season, the other being Stoney Burke. It's worth checking out.
At The Classic TV History Blog, Stephen uses the occasion of TV writer Jeri Taylor's death last month to review her career, and that of her writing partner and husband, David Moessinger. Learn more about Jeri and David , separately and together, and the many memorable shows they worked on.
And with Thanksgiving behind us, Christmas is now just around the corner: at Remind, Herbie Pilato looks back at some of TV's most memorable Christmas variety shows . If you, like me, grew up with these shows (and still watch them!), you'll enjoy this article immensely! TV

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Published on November 29, 2024 05:00

The Jimmy Dean Show, Thanksgiving, 1964

I mentioned on Monday that there'd be something extra from this week's TV Guide, and here it is: the Thanksgiving night episode of The Jimmy Dean Show as seen on Thursday, November 26 at 9:00 p.m. CT. Jimmy's guests are comedian Norm Crosby, singer Johnny Cash, pianist Floyd Cramer and singer Molly Bee. (Plus his Muppet sidekick, Rowlf; you'll see him as well.)
Jimmy's variety show was always entertaining; although he was primarily a Country singer with strong crossover appeal, he had guests from accross the entertainment spectrum, all of which he seemed to know personally. As a host, he projected a warmth and genuine likeability that viewers picked up on, something especially appropriate on a holiday like Thanksgiving. All in all, I can't think of a better way to wind down from a big meal on a big day than to spend an hour with Jimmy and the gang.

It's always nice to find and share the shows you run across in TV Guide, and holiday episodes are doubly enjoyable. Hopefully, you'll enjoy it sometime in the next couple of days. Happy Thanksgiving everyone! TV

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Published on November 27, 2024 07:00

Book Review: Men of Action, by Ed Robertson

When last we saw Ed Robertson, he had just co-authored the mammoth—and definitive—book on The FBI television series, The FBI Dossier . (You can read my review here .)
Ed is now back with his latest book, and as before, it is one that pushes all the buttons for classic television fans who like some substance along with their nostalgia. Men of Action: Behind-the-Scenes of Four Classic Television Series gives us a look at four series that define what it means to be a "man of action" on television: The Magician, The Untouchables, Harry-O, and Run For Your Life. All four were, to one extent or another, popular in their day—a popularity that wasn't always reflected in the ratings, but gave them a loyal and devoted following that remains to this day. There's no question that each of the four leads personifies the definition of a "man of action," and if such men are less common on television today than they were back then, perhaps this will remind readers of what they're missing.

Men of Action: Behind-the-Scenes of Four Classic Television Series

by Ed Robertson
Cutting Edge Books, 265 pages, $18.99

My rating: ★★★★ (out of ★★★★)

Robertson's choice of these four series is welcome in that only one of the four, The Untouchables (1959-63), has received any kind of significant treatment over the years. It was the longest-running of the four, and is probably the most familiar to modern-day aficionados: the story of Eliot Ness (Robert Stack) and his team of incorruptable federal agents, fighting organized crime in the Capone era. It was controversial in its day, not only for its copious servings of violence each week (the mob wasn't particularly known for handling things in a sensitive manner), but for its association of Italian-Americans with La Cosa Nostra, which supposedly enraged Frank Sinatra so much that he threatened Executive Producer Desi Arnaz.
Harry O (1973-76, which I wrote about here ) is a classic case of a series done wrong by the network; David Janssen, in his most compelling role since The Fugitive, plays a most unlikely man of action—a private detective and former policeman forced to resign from the force after suffering a debilitating bullet wound to the spine. He's world-weary, with a bad back and a grumpy disposition, but while elements of his character are a standard in the P.I. business, Janssen's voiceover narration imparts them with a poetic, almost existential, quality. Over the two years of the series the location would shift from San Diego to Los Angeles, Harry's frenemy on the police department changes from Henry Darrow to Anthony Zerbe, Harry acquires a girlfriend played by Farrah Fawcett-Majors, and the physical action ramps up. Despite the changes, the series remains a singular example of literate detective fiction on TV.
Run For Your Life (1965-68), stars Ben Gazzara as Paul Bryan, an attorney who discovers he has an unspecified, but terminal, illness that leaves him, at most, two years to live. Determined to live life to the fullest—to "squeeze 30 years of living into one year, or two"—he embarks on a series of adventures taking him around the world, plunging him into the lives of those he meets along the way, and involving him in various situations that promise danger and demand action. Run For Your Life is the only one of the four series not to have received a commercial DVD release, althouth it's appeared on various cable channels over the years, and can be found in gray market DVE versions. Although it's fondly remembered by those who saw it initially, it deserves a bigger, and younger, audience; hopefully, Men of Action will help serve that purpose.
The most interesting selection in Men of Action might be The Magician (1973-74) which gives us another unconventional crimesolver, a professional magician named Tony Blake (Bill Bixby). Blake had, in the past, spent time in a foreign prison on a trumped-up charge, leaving him with an intense sense of justice. Independently wealthy, he uses his skills as a magician to play an active role in helping out those in need, and seeing the gulty punished. As was the case with Harry O, there were cast and format changes, but Bixby's portrayal of Blake is a compelling one, and its release on DVD, as well as its appearance on cable, helps keep its audience
Robertson's writing is clear and concise, neither skimping nor overwhelming the reader with details. He clearly knows his stuff, and he writes with an obvious fondness for each series that never crosses the line into amateurish fanboy obsequiousness. In addition to giving readers a look at the premise, development, and evolution of each series, he provides complete episode guides, including one-line synopses that tell you what to expect without giving the whole episode away; with its list of guest stars, it should prove especially helpful for those watching each series.
Best of all, perhaps, is a treasure trove of interviews that Robertson has conducted over the years, with stars and guest stars, writers, directors, and others involved in the production of each series. Fans of these shows will find much to enhance their knowledge, while those just approaching them will find themselves drawn into their compelling stories. It's a fun, easy, entertaining read.
I've said in the past that next to watching classic television, there's nothing better than reading about it. with Men of Action, Ed Robertson has given us another treat for the bookshelf, and—hopefully—for our DVD collections.
By the way, be sure to come back later today for that special Thanksgiving bonus I mentioned on Saturday! TV

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Published on November 27, 2024 05:00

What's on TV? Thursday, November 26, 1964

As you probably know, it's a tradition here to look at the Thanksgiving Day listings on Thanksgiving week, and this week's listings come from the Wisconsin State Edition. All three networks preempted substantial parts of their daytime schedules for parades and football, but if you need something to keep you awake after all the foot, you might want to stick around for NBC's Kraft Suspense Theatre and "Graffiti," a WWII thriller about a French resistance leader (Louis Jourdan) targeted for assassination by his countrymen to prevent the Nazis from interrogating him. And if that isn't enough, stick around on Wednesday, and I might have another treat for you from this issue!
-2- WBAY (GREEN BAY) (CBS)

Morning 6:30

SUNRISE SEMESTER—Education