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Your host: Billy Ingram

PLUGS
Press Release: "Adult Swim’s highly anticipated theatrical film AQUA TEEN HUNGER FORCE COLON MOVIE FILM FOR THEATERS is scheduled to hit movie theaters in March 2007. Written, produced and directed by Matt Maiellaro and Dave Willis, the movie will be distributed by First Look Pictures and marks the studio’s initial theatrical foray into animation, as well as Adult Swim’s first feature under the Williams Street banner. Aqua Teen Hunger Force COLON Movie Film for Theaters is an action-adventure epic that reveals the mysterious origins of Meatwad, Frylock and Master Shake. When an immortal piece of exercise equipment threatens the balance of galactic peace, it is up to the Aqua Teen Hunger Force to run away from it. Peril escalates when the Plutonians team up with the Cybernetic Ghost of Christmas Past to strive for ultimate control of the sinister deadly device." This will be either great or really suck. I like the TV show so my hopes are up.

Video link: Here's an interesting little film called Bodega by online video artist Casimir Nozkowski, creator of the site crying while eating.

Monday, January 8, 2007 - 9:04pm
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You can see yours truly on Bravo for a couple of hours starting at 4:00 or so on Tuesday afternoon - they're again running the 100 Funniest Movies shows I did last year. If I remember correctly, most of my segments start with the last 15 minutes of the second episode and continue until the last 15 minutes of episode four.

Fans of This Modern World by Tom Tomorrow are signing this petition to get him reinstated in The Village Voice. Won't you join them? Maybe someone could start a petition to get me back on Bravo...

Sunday, January 7, 2007 - 2:14pm
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Amazon is having a huge after-holiday's sale on TV show DVDs. Mary Tyler Moore, M*A*S*H, The Shield, Bones, Buffy, Time Tunnel, Mr. Ed and loads more - Check out the full list here!

Friday, January 5, 2007 - 2:19pm
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RANDOM ACTS OF BLANDNESS
Last month, Ray got a phone call. "Wanted to know if I'd ever served in France during WWII. I said yeah, and he said did you ever lose a billfold? I said yeah I sure did. It just kind of shocked me."

Here's an amusing short film about the Bodega, a staple of life in the Bronx.

I'm watching the first season of The Adventures of Superman (I just now bought the DVD set) and enjoyed the commentaries and extras that feature Gary Grossman who wrote what I consider one of the best books ever published about a TV show - Superman from Serial to Cereal. Then comes the 'news' this week that there were 18 lost Adventures of Superman episodes with another actor (not George Reeves) in the title role. Sounds preposterous to me. Calling Gary Grossman!

Did Moqtada Al Sadr take part in the actual hanging of Saddam Hussein?

The Black Dalia: Point. Less. How can you make a boring movie about early Hollywood?

Rolling Stone's Best Movies of 2006.

Dick Clark should have retired after his stroke, at least as an on-camera personality. It was pathetic to watch this once great broadcaster demean his memory by appearing on his New Year's Eve show.

Must read on the current media landscape as it relates to politics.

From You Tube - outakes from Nixon's resignation speech:

Thursday, January 4, 2007 - 8:49am
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Here's a news release from Shout! Factory:
The six-time Emmy-nominated McHales Navy launches on DVD for the very first time as Shout! Factory releases the classic sitcom from television’s golden age as a five-disc, restored and re-mastered collector’s set on March 20, 2007. To create a sea-worthy box set of the beloved series, DVD producers reunited the unsinkable crew of the P.T. 73, including Oscar-winner Ernest Borgnine (Marty, The Dirty Dozen) and four-time Emmy-winner Tim Conway (The Carol Burnett Show), along with fellow crew members Carl Ballantine, Edson Stroll and Bob Hastings, for a first-ever cast reunion in December 2006 with footage from the event included as an exclusive DVD featurette.

Originally aired in 1962 on the ABC network and part of the Universal Television catalog, the outstanding first season of McHale’s Navy boasted writing from the likes of Joseph Heller (Catch 22) and garnered three Emmy nominations, including “Best Comedy” and acting nods for the leads, Borgnine and Conway. Now the original 36 episodes of this award-nominated maiden voyage can be relived on DVD for the suggested list price of $44.98.

By arrangement with the U.S. Navy’s international distributor, EURPAC, Shout! Factory has also created a specially-packaged edition of McHale’s Navy exclusively for Naval bases worldwide.

I watched this program as a kid, in reruns, but I'll be darned if I can remember if it was any good or not. One thing's for sure - this is a highly anticipated release. TVparty-ers have been requesting it for years and the cast reunion is something I wouldn't want to miss.

Wednesday, January 3, 2007 - 9:09am
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MORE SHOWS I'M WATCHING
As you may know from previous posts, I do all of my TV watching on DVD. Here are some of the shows I'm just now getting to.

Perry Mason - Season One
I initially thought that this wouldn't be very good. I watched the show in reruns as a kid, but found it mostly boring. I'm loving it now. The mysteries are often second rate but always well played out - but it's the pristine 1950's production values and lots of location shooting (rare for TV in the '50s) that makes Perry Mason a joy to watch. Comfort food for my brain. The show spent a lot of time shooting on location in LA and around Southern California so it's like a 1950's era postcard come to life. That was a golden time for architecture in the Golden State. When a cast clicks like that one did (and like The Adventures of Superman from the same period) the series is timeless.

I was especially surprised to discover how witty the show could be - Perry, his assistant Della Street, prosecutor Trask and investigator Paul Drake are a joy to watch together.

The Shield - Season One
When people say that TV dramas are better than ever, shows like The Shield are what they're referring to. I tore through the first four seasons of this crime drama - and it's unbelievably fine. But you already knew that, right? The show has six seasons under its belt, after all.

I like dramas with characters I can care about, relate to on some level - of course, that's the goal of any TV program, but few series can accomplish this or keep the characters interesting over an extended period. Shows like this one and Rescue Me are masterful at that; magnificently filmed with hand held cameras that give the shows an immediacy and intimacy unheard of before.

It takes a superior cast to pull something like this off. What makes The Shield worth watching hour after hour is the masterful casting. After seeing a film (the name escapes me) years ago about a lonely British gal, CCH Pounder became one of my favorite actresses and she provides The Shield with some stunning work. Truly one of the best actors working today; the same can be said of her series' costars.

The Unit - Season One
Executive produced by Shawn Ryan (who created & produced The Shield). The first two episodes weren't so great mostly because Dennis Haysbert was overused, IMHO. He's like a modern day John Wayne and producers should apply Wayne's philosophy to Haysbert - "talk low, talk slow, and don't say too much."

When I told a friend I was about to start watching this series on DVD, and I didn't expect to like it, The Unit was described to me as "Mission Impossible meets Desperate Housewives." (That made me even more inclined to dislike it as Desperate Housewives left me stone cold.)

Of course, when one sees the name David Mamet in the credits (as creator and producer in this case) one wants to check it out. I'm glad I didn't give up on it after the first two episodes because the show got better but I'm lukewarm on it and probably won't finish out the first season DVD set.

Monday, January 1, 2007 - 9:33am
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R.I.P. Tom Gregory
Kevin S. Butler alerts us to the passing of another local kiddie show host: On Monday, December 12, 2006 Tom Gregory, former NYC based radio/TV broadcaster and one of the original hosts of WNEW 5's weekday afternoon show Cartoon Playtime died at a hospital in Sarasota, Florida. Mr. Gregory was 79 years old and had been suffering from heart disease.

Born in Charleston, South Carolina on July 26, 1927, Gregory became a Captain and a first officer by proxy during WWII. When his ship, the USS Tolovana, had trouble getting safely through the enemy waters of Japan, Gregory navigated the vessel through the shores of the Ryukyu Chain following an enemy attack. His heroism earned him many honors from the US Military. Upon his return to the states, he enrolled into Seton Hall University in New Jersey with the hopes of starting a career in law. A growing interest in broadcasting and joining the college radio station as an announcer sidetracked his plans and he switched his major to communications.

After graduating from Seton Hall with a Bachelor's degree in Communications, Gregory joined WPAT radio (then situated in NYC) as an announcer. He worked for WPAT until 1955 when he joined WABD TV channel 5 (the NYC flagship station of the now forgotten Dumont network) where he worked as a booth announcer.

In 1958, he was assigned to co-host WNEW's weekday afternoon kid's TV series Cartoon Playtime with another channel 5 announcer Fred Scott, one of the regulars from TV's first space opera Captain Video & His Video Rangers.

Gregory was not enthralled with the idea of becoming a TV cartoon MC, he really wanted to be a news anchor and balked at the idea of hosting the program.

"I really wanted to become a news anchor," he said with some bitterness in a 1980's interview, "but the powers that be at the station forced me to do it."

He co-hosted Cartoon Playtime with Scott and Ed Ladd as "Uncle Tom" from Monday, April 27, 1959 until Friday January 19, 1962. Gregory would also MC Cartoon Theater on WNEW TV Saturday mornings from October 27, 1962 to Saturday, December 22, 1962.

Cartoon Playtime screened reruns of the Merrie Melodies, Looney Tunes, Betty Boop, Gabby, Max Fleischer Color Classics and Terry Tunes movie cartoons.

Fred Scott's "Uncle Fred" MC'd the show from Monday, June 30, 1958 to Friday, September 4, 1964. Another channel 5 announcer, Ed Ladd, followed Gregory as the show's third host on Monday, January 22, 1962 and continued to host the program until Friday June 5, 1964. Fred Hall (who was finishing his stint as the host/performer and instructor of Felix & The Wizard / Hall In Fun) would serve as the last host of Cartoon Playtime from Monday, September 7, 1964 to Friday, January 29, 1965.

Gregory also produced, staged and MC'd personal appearances with many of NYC's most popular kids TV hosts/performers at many venues in NYC and in NJ. during the late 1950's and early-mid 1960's.

Mr. Gregory left kid's TV following his stint on Cartoon Playtime to work at WNEW channel 5 as a booth announcer, his only on-camera appearances had been on PSA's inviting viewers and FCC officials to review the station's programs during Ch. 5's annual broadcast license inspection period.

He also became famous for uttering these words for the introduction to channel 5's Ten O'Clock News: "It's 10:00pm. Do you know where your children are?"

Gregory also did newscasts in the early morning hours on channel 5. He continued working at WNEW until the late-1980s when the station was bought out by Rupert Murdoch's Fox network. Gregory left WNEW 5 and became a freelance announcer for many radio & TV sponsors. He continued to do VO's for radio and TV commercials until seven years ago when he began to suffer from heart disease and he and his wife moved to Sarasota, Florida.

Friday, December 29, 2006 - 7:53am
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CLASSIC
"The truth of that matter is, if you listen carefully, Saddam would still be in power if he were the president of the United States, and the world would be a lot better off."
–George W. Bush, during the second presidential debate.

Why is it this guy only tells the truth inadvertently?

Thursday, December 28, 2006 - 9:10am
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THE NIGHT I MET BARBRA STREISAND
In reference to an earlier review of the 1970's version of A Star is Born, Michael Ely of the phenomenal musical duo Smoke and Mirrors (and the 1980's punk group Red Wedding) writes: I was at the Los Angeles premiere after-party for A Star Is Born. Spider and I have been a couple for 35 years and we are musicians (Red Wedding, Smoke & Mirrors, Michael and Spider, auralfixationrecords.com).

Back in 1976 (when I was 23 and Spider was 25), Spider was playing guitar on a Delaney Bramlett record, and Clydie King (one of the Oreos) was singing back-up on the same album. Clydie took a liking to Spider and told him she would be entertaining at the after-party for the A Star Is Born premiere in Westwood and she asked Spider if he would play guitar with her band. As it turns out, Delaney had offered Spider a chance to meet and jam with Ringo Starr (of The Beatles) that same evening, but Spider chose the Clydie gig instead, knowing what a huge fan I was of Barbra.

I was not one of the performers and not on the invited guest list, but I entered the nightclub where the party was being held by pretending to be with Clydie's band (carrying Spider's guitar). The party was themed "A Spectacular Evening in White" We spend the first part of the evening on the third floor of the club talking with both Clydie and Venetta Fields (the other Oreo) about their experiences working with Barbra in the film (they both couldn't say enough wonderful things about her). Then Clydie and Spider and the band performed. Of course, the whole time was I looking around hoping to spot Barbra among all the guests, but there was no sign of her, and I was beginning to feel depressed that I wasn't going to get to see my idol in person.

After the performance, I overheard Clydie say that she was going up to the fourth floor to say hello to Barbra and we asked if we could join her and she invited us and others in the band to come along. I was so nervous! We took an elevator up to the top floor, and when the doors opened, it was like being in movie star heaven, all these famous people walking around and sitting at various tables in this large banquet room, everyone dressed in white. We passed through this room to a much smaller room at the back, a room guarded by security people. I was the last one to enter and one of the security men stopped me, but Clydie turned around just in time to see me being stopped and pulled me out of his clutches (although he did take away my small instamatic camera). At first I looked to the right of the room and there was Jon Peters and Kris Kristofferson sitting at a table having a discussion. Then I turned to the left, and there, surrounded by a small group of people was Barbra, all dressed in black. We walked right up to her and Barbra greeted Clydie with a hug and asked her if she was happy with the movie. Then Clydie introduced each of us one by one and Barbra greeted us warmly with a handshake. Then Barbra and Clydie chatted for a few minutes but I can't tell you what was said. I was too busy just standing there (like a big star-struck geek) staring at Barbra, trying to drink in every moment of this once-in-a-lifetime experience I was having.

Here in front of me was this woman I had idolized since I was ten years old (the woman who had recorded all those incredible albums, the concert and Broadway star, the woman who I had watched on the Ed Sullivan Show and in Color Me Barbra, the woman who had held hands with Judy Garland and sang "Happy Days Are Here Again", the woman who had starred in Funny Girl and On A Clear Day and Up The Sandbox and The Way We Were), and I had just been personally introduced to her and had shook her hand! I wanted to tell her how much she meant to me, how much I admired her work as a singer and an actress, how beautiful I thought she looked, but I was too nervous and afraid... and then the meeting was over... and it all seemed like a dream to me.

- p.s. Having just written the above, I must be honest with you and tell you that A Star is Born is one of the few Streisand movies that I dislike. I think it's corny and overwrought and badly acted and I never believed Streisand as a "rock" singer for one moment in this film. The only good part is when she sings "Evergreen" (which isn't even a rock song, and all the other songs are god-awful). I worship Streisand, but this film sooooo doesn't work for me.
- Michael Ely

Thursday, December 28, 2006 - 7:18am
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PRESIDENT FORD
Here's the story of the gay guy who saved President Ford from Ms. 'Squeaky' Fromme and the downward spiral his life took as a result.

Wednesday, December 27, 2006 - 2:08pm
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A LOST HOLIDAY SPECIAL
Paul Duca tells us: Something I haven't even seen you mention, has come out of hiding nearly four decades after its premiere... Rankin/Bass offering of CRICKET ON THE HEARTH, an adaptation of a Charles Dickens story about a cricket (a sign of good luck in English folklore) coming into the lives of a toymaker and his daughter. The show wasn't a stand along special, but in fact debuted at Christmas 1967, as an installment of THE DANNY THOMAS HOUR on NBC - there is a live action introduction and epilogue by Thomas, who voices the toymaker... and yes, Marlo plays the daughter.

Cricket Crockett (voice of Roddy McDowall,) narrates the tale of Caleb Plummer, toymaker and father of lovely daughter Bertha. Despite the cricket's presence, ill fortune still makes its appearance. Upon hearing that her naval officer fiance Edward Belton (Ed Ames) has been lost at sea, Bertha suffers traumatic blindness. Caleb impoverishes and indebts himself trying to cure her, and winds up employed for the ugly, stingy, avaricious toy company owner Tackleton (Hans Conried). Working and living in misery (in the factory), Caleb spins a web of illusions to sustain Bertha. A bleak Christmas season finds the two sharing their meager lodging with a bearded derelict...and the announcement that Tackleton wishes to make Bertha his bride. Bertha is willing to accept, as Caleb's exaggerations has made Tackleton a better person in her mind than he really is. Crockett is not willing to accept this, and procedes to hinder Bertha's acceptance of Tackleton's proposal.

He orders his pet crow, Caleb Caw (Paul Frees) to get rid of of the cricket, so he and two confederates kidnap Crockett, planning to sell him to a sea captain who will take him to China (in a most shocking turn of events for a holiday special, the captain shoots the trio, albeit seen only as a flash of light from the porthole of his ship). Crockett plays dead and the captain tosses him overboard--fortunately, kind creatures of the sea and air bring him back to land, returning at midnight Christmas Eve, "the one hour of the year when magic things is supposed to happen."

And they do... the toys in the factory come to life, and reveal that the derelict is, in fact, Edward Belton in disguise. After being shipwrecked, then rescued, Edward did not want to force his way back into Bertha's life. Crockett reunites the two - and while Tackleton is aggrieved at being left at the church on Christmas Day, Bertha's respect for the man she thinks he is, makes him into the man she thinks he is, which provides a very happy ending for all.

While Rankin and Romeo Muller handled the story, Bass and Maury Laws provided a musical score, with a title song chronicling the luck a cricket offers, ballads such as "Through My Eyes" and "Could It Be Christmas", which Cabel uses to keep Bertha hopeful, and even a comic number, performed by Abbe Lane as a music hall cat, performing in a waterfront dive for animals.After the show, Danny (after honoring his guest stars), adds his own spiritual message, that "The holiday season has changed, but the reason we celebrate remains" quoting this poem by Edmund Cooke:'Tis not the weight of jewel or plate Or the fondle of silk or fur 'Tis the spirit in which the gift is rich As the gifts of the Wise Men were And we are not told whose gift was gold And whose was the gift of myrrh.

Obviously, this show was tucked away after the series was clobbered in the ratings... ANDY GRIFFITH (and FAMILY AFFAIR) being Thomas' competition, instead of his lead in. After all this time away, it has been restored and offered by American Public Television - a clearinghouse for PBS stations that provides programming beyond the product created by the big affiliates like WNET and WGBH. You can go to their website - www.aptonline.org - to download a promo file of additional information.

Finally, it's fitting this item resurfaces for 2006 Christmas... as it is surely the only piece of animation to have the name Aaron Spelling on the credits (being Thomas' production partner at the time, teaming with Rankin/Bass' Videocraft entity).

Wednesday, December 27, 2006 - 6:38am
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WHERE'S THE BEEF?
Today I went to the grocery store and bought a pork roast that was on sale. The sticker on it said that it was Angus Beef so I knew it was going to be a good cut of meat.

But when I got home I realized - how can PORK be ANGUS BEEF?
And how can I be so stupid? (Disclaimer: I was probably stoned at the time.) Meantime, while the roast cooks, enjoy these links.

One of the funniest Web pages I've seen in a long time!

Last year when I filmed Great Things About the Holidays for Bravo, they asked me what I thought about people celebrating Festivus. I was flabbergasted - people were actually celebrating that made up Seinfeld holiday? Yep, this year more than ever. Christmas is dead!

Did you know there was a cola flavored liquor? Gross - what would you mix it with?!?

Guess who has the top two spots on the Ringtone charts? It's Christmas crooner Perry Como.

I worry about our airports: "It has... come to my attention that the Dulles Management decided it would be a nice idea to DEEP FRY A TURKEY in the Dulles administrative quarters, surrounded by carpet, linoleum, an airport, aircraft, a control tower, thousands if not millions of gallons of jet fuel and thousands of passengers and employees," Kieron Heflin, an air traffic controller's union representative, complained in a letter to management.

Some joker brings pot cookies for the office break room. Like you wouldn't be able to taste it!

Saturday, December 23, 2006 - 11:24am
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