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AMAZING Tuesday,
July 24, 2007 - 12:50pm
TPIR I guess they're Drew's Beauties now... Monday,
July 24, 2007 - 1:02pm
THIS
'N' THAT Guest voices on The Simpsons next season include - Kelsey Grammer, David Hyde Pierce, Lionel Richie, Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart, Jack Black, Matt Dillon, John Mahoney and Beverly D'Angelo. Speaking of which. this site promises to show you what you'd look like as a Simpsons' character. Are you worth more dead than alive? Take this quiz to find out what your cadaver is worth. My dead body is worth $3090. TVGuide.com is reporting a new version of The Muppet Show is in the works. It will be a variety show, like the original, but this time we'll see the puppets walking around (bad idea). The guest for the hush-hush pilot will be Paul McCartney - although everyone involved is denying such a project exists and workers had to sign confidentiality agreements. A former Reagan cabinet member is predicting that the Bush gang has 'something's in the works' to trigger a police state. Scary stuff, but it sounds like it could be true. I have no doubt this administration is looking for another 9/11 to rally the country around them - even if it kills their silly 'we haven't had another attack so Bush must be doing a good job' mantra. Monday,
July 24, 2007 - 8:07am
SUNDAY
YOU TUBING
The Jackson 5ive, Dinah Shore, Frankie Avalon, Kelly Monteith, Diahann Carroll and Johnny Cash all had variety shows with four week runs in the summer of 1976. Only the Jacksons were invited back as a mid-season replacement, here they are with guest Joey Bishop trading bad jokes from the summer of 1976.
This is a very funny routine with Pat Paulsen and Bill Morrison from The Summer Brothers Smothers Show in the 1960s.
Two of my favorite entertainers - Dean Martin clowning around with John Wayne from the mid-sixties.
Finally, Tim Conway and Charo from The Carol Burnett Show. Sunday,
July 22, 2007 - 9:57am
MORE
ON BIRTHDAY HOUSE 'These people entertained and informed their viewers and studio audiences without talking down to them, boring them or patronizing them. They knew how mix entertainment with education along with good child psychology because the Tripps' were former schoolteachers and performers/craftspersons from the theater, vaudeville, radio and nightclubs. They used superior showmanship to get the kids to learn and they made it fun. The 'Everybody Stretch' song is a good example of how they got the kids in the studio audience to exercise. 'The Tichenor Puppets didn't dominate the scenes and make the Tripps or anyone else on the show look foolish or become a passive straight man. The puppets worked with the hosts and treated them as equals. You don't get that with The Muppets. 'Finally, Paul Tripp had a good sense of humor and wasn't boring or bland like Mr. Rogers. He wasn't there to try and psychoanalyze the kids or try to make the world gentler or better for them. He wanted children to have fun because kids were celebrating their birthdays on the show. 'He also felt that the kids had the chance to learn. He had experience in educational kid's TV - he created, produced and hosted television's very first educational kids show Mr. I. Magination for the CBS TV network airing Sunday nights and Saturday mornings back in the late 1940's. 'Before the Tripps came on the scene there were no educators on TV so kids watched TV for fun not to learn. Paul & Ruth Tripp, Don Herbert (aka Mr. Wizard who passed away recently) and Ray Heatherton (the Merry Mailman) proved that if the show is a proper mixture of entertainment, learning and showmanship, television can teach something of value to children. This is sadly lacking today on PBS, the networks and on cable TV.' Friday,
July 20, 2007 - 11:44am
TV
ON DVD Thursday,
July 19, 2007 - 2:46pm
YOU'VE
GOT MAIL 'What's
intriguing about Teenarama is that it was a dance show for the black community
on a black station that broadcast on a UHF signal at a time when there
was not much African-American presence on TV. Check out- dancepartytheteenaramastory.com.
'If, indeed, Route 66 is in the hands of Infinity, then I'm really happy as they seem committed to releasing TV series in their totality. Infinity has released classic/vintage series like Hopalong Cassidy, Sergeant Preston of the Yukon, and The Adventures of Jim Bowie, and has just released new sets of Suspense, The Real McCoys, and Bozo the Clown... so they're the real deal. The mystery as to who/what Roxbury Entertainment is/was remains.' Thursday,
July 19, 2007 - 10:10am
WHATEVER
HAPPENED TO THE OLD REBEL? Wednesday,
July 18, 2007 - 12:13pm
WTF?!?
Paul
greets the kids The
Birthday march, the Spelling Bee, the gerbils and Ruth Another
of the tunes and one of the puppets Wednesday,
July 18, 2007 - 12:07pm
NEW SHOW REVIEW Spike TV offers a new twist on the formula - Murder, where two teams of real people (who have no law enforcement training) are presented with all the evidence and given 48 hours to solve a killing. It's a bit contrived but I like this one, it's suspenseful with plenty of twists and turns. The teams go over a replica of the crime scene, not the actual crime scene itself, but it's still extremely gruesome and realistic. No question, the production goes to tremendous effort to get every detail right and it shows. Obviously the crime was solved some time ago so the suspects are established ahead of time which helps move things along. Other than that the teams are pretty much on their own, using the knowledge they gained from watching CSI shows to study the crime scene and analyze all the evidence. If you're a habitual watcher of crime documentaries and CSI type shows you'll enjoy this riveting new series. Look for Murder on Spike TV - Tuesday, July 31st at 10pm. Wednesday,
July 18, 2007 - 10:46am
No, this new release towers above the rest because of the amazing bonus feature - an hour and 17 minute long documentary on the life of Alex Toth that is EASILY worth the price of admission alone. In it, you'll see samples from the book we produced, Dear John: the Alex Toth Doodle Book, and the tome's subject (TVparty contributor) John Hitchcock is interviewed in the film along with some major names in the comic book and animation field. This lavishly produced documentary traces Toth's entire life, a stirring, inspiring and emotionally moving look at this enigmatic artist. It's the finest documentary I've seen with a TV on DVD release, surprisingly thorough and richly illustrated with examples of his work, a fitting tribute to a towering talent. Click here to order the DVD now.
I visited Alex Toth once at his home in Hollywood back in 1986, I think it was. I was living in Silver Lake (the hills above Los Angeles) at the time when John Hitchcock and a friend of his were out in So Cal for the convention in San Diego. We all went over to Toth's for a pre-arranged visit. Alex gave me directions to his home over the phone - I'm used to following precise instructions so I wrote down everything he said. He told us to walk to the right after we parked - except we found out he lived to the left. That had us walking around a bit before we realized the error. When Alex opened the door he chastised me about not following his instructions and about people in general being too lazy to follow directions, he was a complete jerk about it. I figured he was just being passive aggressive, I was working with some temperamental talent in the movie biz so I let it go for the sake of my friends who were thrilled to be finally meeting their idol. Hell, I'd admired the guy's work since I was 12 years old (after first hating it, naturally), I was the one who turned John on to Alex Toth back in junior high. But I really wanted to tell him to go fuck himself.
Click here for the story behind the book, it's nominated for an Eisner Award that will be given out at the huge Comic Con in San Diego in a coupla weeks. It's Alex's book so naturally I hope he wins. Tuesday,
July 17, 2007 - 12:26pm
DUBIOUS
NEW TV SHOWS NBC has signed a series deal with mystifier/artist Criss Angel ('Criss Angel Mindfreak') and famed mentalist Uri Geller for 'Phenomenon' (working title) -- a mysterious live competition series in which both men will conduct an intensive search for the next great mentalist. The announcement was made today by Ben Silverman, Co-Chairman, NBC Entertainment and Universal Media Studios. On WE TV - Starting off the night is the new series, 'Rescue Mediums' premiering at 8pm ET / 7c. This series follows two acclaimed international psychics, Christine Hamlett and Jackie Dennison, as they contact ghostly visitors that inhabit and disturb homes and businesses. Jackie and Christine are sisters-in-law who have been psychic since their childhood. They‚ve taken their special gift and turned it into work as rescue mediums, visiting private residences, hotels, bars, Stately homes, tourist destinations ˆ almost anywhere that people say is haunted. They contact the spirit and solve the haunting, often enticing the presence toward a proper after life. They take their abilities seriously but add a splash of humor to each and every session. Each episode features a different location and a unique set of spirits. The home owners and business operators describe what they‚ve seen and the experiences they‚ve had. For instance, on Wolfe Island they tackle a disturbed spirit of a wayward priest; in Nova Scotia they meet the spirit of a famous businessman who passed away many years before, leaving a surprising legacy. Some spirits are very disturbing and some are just annoying, but one thing is for sure, the Rescue Mediums will tackle them all. Spirits beware! Tuesday,
July 17, 2007 - 7:46am
NEW
DVD RELEASE It's available for pre-order from Amazon right now for 11 bucks. Monday,
July 16, 2007 - 8:47am
SUNDAY
YOU TUBING His treatment, however, is unique. The world is full of political provocateurs and public hotheads, but only Moore triggers the media's all-too-absent obsession with factual accuracy. Ann Coulter doesn't, and Al Franken doesn't, and Rush Limbaugh doesn't, and Mitt Romney doesn't. Only Moore. Because he scares them. Here's Michael Moore talking about Sicko on Real Time with Bill Maher from a month or so ago. I just watched Fahrenheit 9-11 for the first time last night, something every American should see.
We're into the middle of July and still CBS hasn't announced a replacement for Bob Barker. The Price Is Right will have to start production in a few weeks to make its September debut - is the network getting desperate yet? Speaking of game shows here's wonderful a clip from Match Game 1976 with Brett Somers, Charles Nelson Reilly and country singer Bill Anderson.
I just love folk singers Ian and Sylvia, this is 'Old Blue' performed on Hootenanny.
It can't be Sunday without some good gospel music - who better than the Clara Ward singers, seen here in a performance at the 1957 Newport Jazz Festival.
Sunday,
July 15, 2007 - 9:10am
FROM
THE MAIL
As Lou Thez said he was and will alway's be the world champ. (Lou won the WWA World championship and it would be Lou's last from Buddy in Oct, 1966 and lost it to Mark Lewin in two weeks.) Buddy had a heart as big as anybody in the world, but he was the last wrestler you wanted to piss off. My question is do you have any of Buddy's matches at all. I know that all the KTLA Los Angeles Wrestling was burned in the early '70s. By any chance do you have anything of Austin? If you do please let me know. Also when you watched what he did in that tent you laughed - what you don't know is he was not playing a game! To be in the ring with Buddy Killer Austin it was as REAL as anything gets! To Vince McMahon, his dad would of told him, 'There is no hall of fame without KILLER AUSTIN.' - Alan Colker Thursday,
July 12, 2007 - 1:33pm
DVDs
FOR THE CURE Thursday,
July 12, 2007 - 11:51am
WEDNESDAY You knew it had to happen - someone put their iPhone in a blender. Eric wrote in an reminded me of those great 'Family' sketches from The Carol Burnett Show. Let's watch one, ok? This was one of my favorites, 'Mama's Boyfriend.'
Here's an outtake from one of the 'Family' sketches. Carol has a hard time keeping it together here.
Here's the sketch that outtake is from, one of the funniest, the Family plays Sorry. Too bad it's missing the beginning. Wednesday,
July 11, 2007 - 11:11am
TV
& DVD One thing I'm excited about - I'm writing an article for our leading weekly paper on The Old Rebel Show which was cancelled 30 years ago next month. It's pretty rare for modern publications to be interested in what is now an obscure subject matter. Local TV children's hosts are so much a part of our past and, sadly, have nothing to do with the state of local television today. I while back I told you about a DVD collection with the best commentary tracks I've come across (The Best of Gunsmoke Volumes 1 & 2). Last night I discovered what must be the worst commentary track ever. Roseanne Season 5 sports a couple of episodes where Roseanne is seen in a square in the corner watching the episode and making comments. But she has almost nothing to say about what's going on on the screen or behind the scenes. Just comments about her hair extensions and, 'that was a funny line.' The shows themselves are fantastically funny, with storylines that unfold like a soap opera. Roseanne might be the best sitcom of all time for my money, I started watching with season 6, followed by season 7, then went back to seasons 4 & 5. I'm doing the same thing with Cheers, another sitcom that holds up well today depending on what season you're watching. I'd only seen a couple of episodes of the first season when the show first debuted, although I can't imagine under what circumstances since I don't think I owned a TV set in 1982. Anyway, thanks to DVD, I started watching Cheers a few months ago beginning with the sixth season, that was the first without Dianne Chambers (Shelly Long) and I found myself enjoying it quite a bit. There were plenty of hearty laughs so I started watching the first season - now THAT was a wonderful show, it's easy to see why Cheers became such a monster hit. Nicholas Colasanto's performance as Coach was priceless and the emsemble cast seemed to click right away. It seems as if the characters were fully drawn from the very beginning. For me it was Coach that really provided the wind for the sails, there's a good reason why he was nominated for an Emmy every year he was on the show. When Colasanto passed away in 1985, producers replaced him with a younger model (the similarly dim-witted character Woody was a friend of Coach's who came to visit and ended up with his job.) I skipped to the fourth season which suffers from the cutes. Everything and everyone got so precious and loveable. Aaawww - Norm sings with a Barbershop Quartet. Aaawwww - Carla interviews her teen daughter's date. Aaaawww - they're having conversations about old TV shows. And the Sam & Diane show was getting stale. It was my understanding that the cast encouraged Shelly Long to quit the series; they just wanted her gone for the sake of the show (she was hell to work with) so they cheered her on to persue a film career that ultimately went nowhere. With the weakest link removed, Cheers became an edgier comedy, developing the infinitely more interesting supporting players like Dr. Frasier Crane, Lilith, Woody and the rest. Although still wildly better than most of what's on today, by the seventh season the jokes became stuck in a particular rhythmic pattern - setup, joke. You almost expect a drummer to be just off camera doing rim shots with every other line. Cheers, which redefined the modern sitcom, seemed to become a near parody of itself with a too-predictable pitter pat. I'm anxious to dip into season 8 to see where the show went and if it got better. I remember when when I was working in the movie poster biz, one of the many films we were working on during the Christmas holidays was Camp Beverly Hills. Shelly Long, the star of the film, was kind enough to send over a huge basket of chocolate chips - potato chips that is, dipped in white chocolate. It was a nice gesture. Tuesday,
July 10, 2007 - 10:24am
SUNDAY
YOU TUBING Barry Manilow wrote a number of famous jingles in the 1960s and '70s, here he does a medley of his 'hits.'
'Gentlemen Prefer Hanes' from 1980.
'Wouldn't you like to be a Pepper, too?' From the 1970s.
McDonald's introduces McDonald's Land - which looked suspiciously like the H. R. Pufnstuf's world. So much so that Sid & Marty Krofft sued and one.
Sunday,
July 8, 2007 - 10:47am
MORE
ON ROUTE 66 Thanks for pursuing the Route 66 DVD question with Sony. In many respects, I’m glad Sony relinquished the rights, because I honestly don’t think that they had any real interest in releasing the series. I still don’t have any idea as to who/what Roxbury Entertainment (the DVD releasing company) is, but a post at the Home Theater Forum identifies an online retailer (not Amazon), showing an October 23rd release date for “Route 66,” season 1, volume 1. There’s really not much information about the release at the site, but the item number is “ROX002017” which, presumably, means that it’s coming from Roxbury Entertainment. I’m also assuming that it will eventually be offered through Amazon, which is the only retailer that appears to be carrying the 2-DVD, 11-episode “Best Of” release. Perhaps the set at Amazon was some sort of test to gauge potential interest in the series for a season-by-season rollout. Home
Theater Forum discussion here. Thanks guys - this is one DVD release I'll be anxious to get and add to my permanent library! Amazon doesn't list it for sale yet but here's the listing on the Critics Choice site. Friday,
July 6, 2007 - 6:25pm
FUN
FOURTH
It was also the most expensive TV special to date, budgeted at a staggering $2 million. The 90-minute production was a Hollywood parade of stars - Red Skelton, Tom Smothers, Lorne Greene, Dean Martin, Bob Hope, Rowan & Martin and others lined up to praise the good old USA in historical sketches and patriotic songs. In this segment starring John Wayne, Red Skelton and Tommy Smothers, conservative and liberal messages converged in a recitation of Benjamin Franklin's definition of what it is to be an American.
Woody Allen, Joanne Worley & Jonathan Winters tell us how US currency is made from the Saturday Morning classic Hot Dog (1970-71). Wednesday,
July 4, 2007 - 8:07pm
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It's a bit different - a collection of correspondence and sketches from the reclusive master artist Alex Toth's last 25 years. Click here for more info about the book. There are very few copies left and I haven't heard any serious talk of a second printing; it was released only through comic book stores in August of 2006.
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Kevin
Butler writes: 'You've asked why is the kinnie film clip of Birthday
House so popular with TVparty users? I believe the reason is the wonderful
rapport of the show's performers / instructors, the late Paul & Ruth
Tripp, Ms. Jan Lara, Ms. Kay Lande and the show's head puppeteer and the
man who did the sounds for 'Mr. Knock Knock: The Birthday Gift Giving
Closet' Mr. Tom Tichenor (who also played 'Strawtop The Silent
Scarecrow Doll' on the show). 
Bob
Huggins writes with news about two fantastic DVD releases: 'I
was reading your informative article about The Beulah Show and wanted
to alert you that Alpha Video will be releasing a few episodes of this
rare show on DVD on August 28th.
Here
are some video clips 
Paul
Tripp created and developed the catchy, fanciful songs with Ray Carter.
Hi,
I worked with Buddy Austin, fought with Austin in and out of the ring.
Had dinner with his wife and kids. Buddy Austin was my best friend. There
has never been any wrestler who did not know he had been in the ring with
Buddy for about 4 or 5 days after the match. Or if he found himself in
a bar with Buddy he never forgot it! 
On
November 29, 1970, John Wayne starred in an NBC special sponsored by Budweiser.
Swing Out, Sweet Land became one of the top-rated television
events of all time, reaching into more than 30 million homes.
Next
we have the brilliant actress Jessica Tandy (Driving Miss Daisy)
with a 
