Billie Rae Bates's Blog, page 70
June 29, 2015
A blast from the past from Chad
Special thanks to our buddy Chad Fullerton of Georgia for sending along this photo that his dad Jim snapped several years ago in Covington, Georgia, when the restored Lee 1 car was unveiled on the Town Square in November 2006. That's this author, BRB, with John Schneider, aka Bo Duke, at the car's unveiling. It was such a fun time, as friends had driven from the North and tons of folks showed up for the event. Thanks so much, Chad and Jim!!!
June 26, 2015
History repeating itself with the General Lee's flag?
Wowzers, we sure have been embroiled in some controversy this week over that Confederate flag on the roof of the General Lee car that Bo and Luke Duke drove in "The Dukes of Hazzard." We've been seeing "Dukes" fans speak up about it all over the Internet. This author presented a case about the flag and its usage on the car (and how the Dukes didn't hate anybody) in the reference guide to the TV show, "Them Dukes! Them Dukes!" But the controversy continues. See this story from the other day, about the media's attempt to put down Ben ("Cooter Davenport") Jones and "The Dukes." We have to remind you of what happened a couple years back, when the WB made a move to remove the flag from "Dukes" merchandise. See our August 29, 2012 post for Ben Jones' words about it back then, then the follow-up from the WB on August 31.
To help put this into perspective, we offer the words of Will Rodgers, "The Voice of Hazzard" with his many wonderful voice impressions of "Dukes" characters. A co-author of the BRBTV Reports, Will posted his thoughts about the controversy on Facebook and allows them to be repeated here ...
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As a first-generation and lifelong fan of "The Dukes of Hazzard," I am a proud supporter of the cast and crew, the cars, the music and everything the shows stands for. I love family-friendliness, the humor and the wholesome morals and values of the show. And like everyone else, I am extremely appalled and disgusted at Warner Bros.' decision to stop selling "Dukes" merchandise with the Confederate flag on it. The General Lee without the flag is like Batman without his cape and cowl or Popeye without his spinach. Unthinkable!! I am a proud supporter of Congressman Ben "Cooter" Jones and everything he has spoken about on the news regarding the Confederate flag and what the "Dukes" are all about. I am known in the Hazzard community as the Voice of Hazzard because of my voice impressions of the "Dukes" characters. Well, let my voice be heard. I have NEVER EVER thought of hate or racism when it comes to the Confederate flag. And I have never seen that on "The Dukes of Hazzard." So if these powers that be insist on this nonsense against selling "Dukes" merchandise without the flag, then thank the Good Lord I have General Lees with flags as well as the entire series uncut on DVD in case some other moronic mogul decides against airing the "Dukes" on TV. To "Cooter" Ben Jones, I'm proud to call you friend I'm behind you 100 percent in this fight to protect the flag. So says the Voice of Hazzard.
To help put this into perspective, we offer the words of Will Rodgers, "The Voice of Hazzard" with his many wonderful voice impressions of "Dukes" characters. A co-author of the BRBTV Reports, Will posted his thoughts about the controversy on Facebook and allows them to be repeated here ...
..................................
As a first-generation and lifelong fan of "The Dukes of Hazzard," I am a proud supporter of the cast and crew, the cars, the music and everything the shows stands for. I love family-friendliness, the humor and the wholesome morals and values of the show. And like everyone else, I am extremely appalled and disgusted at Warner Bros.' decision to stop selling "Dukes" merchandise with the Confederate flag on it. The General Lee without the flag is like Batman without his cape and cowl or Popeye without his spinach. Unthinkable!! I am a proud supporter of Congressman Ben "Cooter" Jones and everything he has spoken about on the news regarding the Confederate flag and what the "Dukes" are all about. I am known in the Hazzard community as the Voice of Hazzard because of my voice impressions of the "Dukes" characters. Well, let my voice be heard. I have NEVER EVER thought of hate or racism when it comes to the Confederate flag. And I have never seen that on "The Dukes of Hazzard." So if these powers that be insist on this nonsense against selling "Dukes" merchandise without the flag, then thank the Good Lord I have General Lees with flags as well as the entire series uncut on DVD in case some other moronic mogul decides against airing the "Dukes" on TV. To "Cooter" Ben Jones, I'm proud to call you friend I'm behind you 100 percent in this fight to protect the flag. So says the Voice of Hazzard.
June 25, 2015
Terrific TV Toys: "Star Trek" Andorian figure by Diamond Select / EMCE
In Episode 12 in the first season of the Terrific TV Toys series, Billie Rae Bates of BRBTV showed you some of her "Star Trek" Mego figures, both original and reproduction (just one repro, actually -- the cute little baby Klingon). Her collection is bigger than that, though, so for the 17th episode of Season 2, we bring you the first of a three-part series, rolling out more of the "Trek" figures. These three additional figures are all repros of Megos, and BRB will open them all on camera, for these "out of the box experiences." Part 1 is the adorable Andorian ...
Stay tuned, because next week's episode rolls out another alien, this time of some rather confusing vintage!!!
Stay tuned, because next week's episode rolls out another alien, this time of some rather confusing vintage!!!
June 15, 2015
Terrific TV Toys: Archie cars from Burger King Kids Meal
Yea, the hot purple sports car sure looks good on Veronica Lodge. And Betty Cooper in a '57 Chevy? We're thinking that fits, too, for this industrious occasional car mechanic. Jughead Jones in a green Volkswagen Bug? Hmmm ... But of course, there's Archie Andrews in the all-too-familiar red jalopy.
You can see this full set of four Kids Meal toys from Burger King's Kids Club, circa 1991, in the latest installment of Terrific TV Toys series. Billie Rae Bates of BRBTV had to eat a few kid-sized hamburgers to get these beauties, and it was well worth it. This was before eBay allowed us to nab vintage Archie collectibles that we'd missed from years past, and it was also before ArchieComics.com ever offered us a bevy of sparkling new merchandise featuring those timeless characters. So, in short, it was hard to find Archie stuff!
You can see this full set of four Kids Meal toys from Burger King's Kids Club, circa 1991, in the latest installment of Terrific TV Toys series. Billie Rae Bates of BRBTV had to eat a few kid-sized hamburgers to get these beauties, and it was well worth it. This was before eBay allowed us to nab vintage Archie collectibles that we'd missed from years past, and it was also before ArchieComics.com ever offered us a bevy of sparkling new merchandise featuring those timeless characters. So, in short, it was hard to find Archie stuff!
June 5, 2015
Everything was awesome at Awesome Con for the "Fantastic Forum"!
Wow, what a wonderful time it was at Awesome Con in downtown Washington, D.C., last weekend. The event, in its third year, was just as big as ever and took up the whole convention center this time. Billie Rae Bates of BRBTV did some more work for the "Fantastic Forum" TV show produced by Ulysses Campbell. Four episodes were taped on Saturday and Sunday of the show, with the convention floor bustling behind. Super cool! Watch for those episodes to air on these stations on the East Coast:
Manhattan Neighborhood Network, New York, NY; Time Warner Cable MNN Lifestyle channel 2PhillyCam, Philadelphia, PA; Comcast channel 66/966; Verizon FiOS channel 29/30.MCM Montgomery County, MD; Comcast channel 21; RCN channel 21; Verizon FiOS channel 21.Arlington Independent Media (AIM), Arlington County, VA; Comcast channel 69; Verizon FiOS channel 38.FPA-TV, Fairfax County, VA; Cox channel 10.DCTV, Washington, DC; Comcast channel 95; RCN channel 10; Verizon FiOS channel 10.Prince George’s Community Television (CTV), Prince George’s County, MD; COMCAST channel 76; Verizon FiOS channel 42.Community Media of Baltimore City (CMBC), Baltimore, MD; Comcast channel 75.Herndon Community Television, Cox channel 23, Verizon FIOS channel 28.
Photos courtesy of Fantastic Forum; please do not copy without permission.
Manhattan Neighborhood Network, New York, NY; Time Warner Cable MNN Lifestyle channel 2PhillyCam, Philadelphia, PA; Comcast channel 66/966; Verizon FiOS channel 29/30.MCM Montgomery County, MD; Comcast channel 21; RCN channel 21; Verizon FiOS channel 21.Arlington Independent Media (AIM), Arlington County, VA; Comcast channel 69; Verizon FiOS channel 38.FPA-TV, Fairfax County, VA; Cox channel 10.DCTV, Washington, DC; Comcast channel 95; RCN channel 10; Verizon FiOS channel 10.Prince George’s Community Television (CTV), Prince George’s County, MD; COMCAST channel 76; Verizon FiOS channel 42.Community Media of Baltimore City (CMBC), Baltimore, MD; Comcast channel 75.Herndon Community Television, Cox channel 23, Verizon FIOS channel 28.
Photos courtesy of Fantastic Forum; please do not copy without permission.
June 3, 2015
Awesome Con: Allison Mack talks "Smallville"
Hummana-hummana ... How often do you hear a young female TV star say that? Well, we heard it this past weekend at the amazing Awesome Con in downtown Washington, D.C. The young female TV star in question was the continually lovely Allison Mack of "Smallville." Can you guess the context? You can see if you're right in our clips from her panel discussion on Saturday of the show, presented here as the latest installment on the BRBTV YouTube channel ...
Photos by Billie Rae Bates / BRBTVCopying with credit is OK; a link would be grand
Photos by Billie Rae Bates / BRBTVCopying with credit is OK; a link would be grand
May 28, 2015
Check out "Dallas: The Ultimate Unofficial Fansite"
Thanks to our buddy Brian T.S. for tipping us off about this one as we chatted at the recent Motor City Comic Con in Novi, Michigan. Brian is a big fan of TV's "Dallas," and he sent this link to a rather astonishing site of fan fiction that encompasses not only the original "Dallas" series but the TNT reboot, as well.
It's billed as "The Ultimate Unofficial Fansite" of "Dallas," and it includes virtual casting of characters we didn't get to see on the TNT reboot show but that we know are out there, such as John Ross' sister (Kristen Storms, fashionista Maxinista of "General Hospital" in this casting -- so cool) and Lucas Wade, Bobby's son by Jenna. The fan fic "episodes" pick up where the TNT reboot so unfortunately left off. And that sister John Ross was asking Bum to track down at the end of the series isn't Cally's long-lost child, as we would have surmised, in this proposed continuity: She's the daughter of Kimberly Cryder. Hmmm .... Interesting. We haven't read too far into it, but the fan fic looks to be quite creative and well-done.
It's billed as "The Ultimate Unofficial Fansite" of "Dallas," and it includes virtual casting of characters we didn't get to see on the TNT reboot show but that we know are out there, such as John Ross' sister (Kristen Storms, fashionista Maxinista of "General Hospital" in this casting -- so cool) and Lucas Wade, Bobby's son by Jenna. The fan fic "episodes" pick up where the TNT reboot so unfortunately left off. And that sister John Ross was asking Bum to track down at the end of the series isn't Cally's long-lost child, as we would have surmised, in this proposed continuity: She's the daughter of Kimberly Cryder. Hmmm .... Interesting. We haven't read too far into it, but the fan fic looks to be quite creative and well-done.
May 26, 2015
Terrific TV Toys: The Motor City Comic Con Edition!
Wow, what a week it was last week, covering all kinds of great stuff at the 2015 Motor City Comic Con in Novi, Michigan. We would have been remiss if we hadn't visited the many, many vendor tables at this crowded convention hall to see just what kind of TV-show-related goodies they had for sale, particularly of the vintage variety. Thus is born the first ever episode of Terrific TV Toys series shot at a comic con ...
May 22, 2015
Motor City Comic Con: Glimpses and glances
BRBTV had a great time, as always, at this year's Motor City Comic Con at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi, Michigan. That show is never not a good time. All this week, we have shown you our chats with John Wesley Shipp, Dawn Wells and other great stars. We've got one more video coming that will round out our coverage of the event, but for today, how about a few random shots snapped around the convention hall of more of the celeb guests, to celebrate the fact that it's Friday once again ...
On Saturday afternoon, when actor Chandler Riggs of "The Walking Dead" (Carl Grimes) was brought to his table, it was with a barricade of sorts. And when he got into position, legions of fans swarmed around him, many of them young females with their cell cameras flashing, lifted high in the air to get a view from the masses. It was like a boy band had entered the convention hall.
On Friday afternoon, Gates McFadden (Dr. Beverly Crusher of "Star Trek: The Next Generation") and Terry Farrell (Jadzia Dax of "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine") held a panel. It was unfortunate that the panel Q and A couldn't be recorded, because man, did they dish. The two ladies look amazing, too.
Robert Englund of "Nightmare on Elm Street" fame had steady business at his table. We remember him well from a truly great movie version of "Phantom of the Opera" from the late '80s.
A "Dead of the 'Dead'" panel on Sunday afternoon featured several "Walking Dead" cast members whose characters have gone to the great beyond, including (from left) E. Roger Mitchell, Scott Wilson, Chad Coleman and Lawrence Gilliard Jr.
Photos by Billie Rae Bates / BRBTVCopying with credit is OK; a link would be grand
On Saturday afternoon, when actor Chandler Riggs of "The Walking Dead" (Carl Grimes) was brought to his table, it was with a barricade of sorts. And when he got into position, legions of fans swarmed around him, many of them young females with their cell cameras flashing, lifted high in the air to get a view from the masses. It was like a boy band had entered the convention hall.
On Friday afternoon, Gates McFadden (Dr. Beverly Crusher of "Star Trek: The Next Generation") and Terry Farrell (Jadzia Dax of "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine") held a panel. It was unfortunate that the panel Q and A couldn't be recorded, because man, did they dish. The two ladies look amazing, too.
Robert Englund of "Nightmare on Elm Street" fame had steady business at his table. We remember him well from a truly great movie version of "Phantom of the Opera" from the late '80s.
A "Dead of the 'Dead'" panel on Sunday afternoon featured several "Walking Dead" cast members whose characters have gone to the great beyond, including (from left) E. Roger Mitchell, Scott Wilson, Chad Coleman and Lawrence Gilliard Jr.
Photos by Billie Rae Bates / BRBTVCopying with credit is OK; a link would be grand
May 21, 2015
Motor City Comic Con: Michael Welch talks "Z Nation"
So with a number of zombie-related TV shows out there right now, what makes Syfy's "Z Nation" different? Michael Welch, who plays Mack on the series, tells us, as he talks with Don Covell Jr. at last weekend's Motor City Comic Con ...
