Columbo: A Stich in Crime (first aired Feb 1973)

I am going to try to do more reviews of other shows, including Columbo because I have been watching these episodes lately. 

"A Stich In Crime" is the episode where Leonard Nimoy plays the murderous doctor. He's working on some new revolutionary medicinal solution that went a bit over my head and wasn't fully explained. His partner is another doctor with a heart failure played by Will Geer. Nimoy wants Geer dead to take all the credit for the project.  Nimoy's nurse suspects something and Nimoy kills her before she can expose him.

Nimoy also tries to kill Geer by using "dissolving sutures" in the heart operation he is overseeing. Columbo discovers this after his thorough investigation. I didn't know much about sutures at all until this episode so I felt I definitely learned something from this episode. 

I liked this episode because you think the murderer is going to get away with it up until the last minute. It's not until the last 30 seconds when Columbo busts him. I love that!

Blog update

Hi, thanks for being a loyal follower of my blog.

I have not been very active due to some personal circumstances, but I still want to keep this blog up for a little while longer.  I no longer have cable nor a tv at the moment.

I wish I could have been better at keeping up my TV blog. One of my favorite shows is the Waltons and I have been thinking about restructuring this blog in the future to focus more on The Waltons. In the future, but not right now.

Stay tuned if you would like to keep following!

Thanks, Tom

Muppets panel from Comic-Con 2015

The ToughPigs website (a Muppets fanpage) recently posted a video of the Muppets panel that was held at the San Diego Comic Con a few days ago.

Check out the link to the direct video here, or go to the ToughPigs webpage to read the latest post.

The panel features the producers of the show, Muppet performers, and others talking about the new TV show.  The Muppet performers do something rare: they actually perform the characters right there next to them, essentially breaking the illusion, but still entertaining to watch.

It sounds like a pretty fun show.

Stan Freberg (1926-2015)

You might not know his face but you know his voice from countless radio programs, commercials, tv shows and cartoons for over 60 years. He was a  legend of radio and advertising, and a Grammy winning recording artist. One of my favorite of his satires is "Green Christmas" which he recorded some 50 years ago. If you have never heard it, have a listen here.

The Oscars ceremony, 2015

Last week's Oscar ceremony is now one for the history books. The most memorable moment from the night might very well be Lady Gaga's medley of "Sound of Music" songs, paying tribute to the film's 50th Anniversary. Out of all the winners, I'm happiest that "Ida" won for Best Foreign Language film. It is my favorite movie of the year. Overall I liked Neil Patrick Harris as host but I didn't like when he picked on Robert Duvall and Harry Belafonte. And he made some off-color comments about a woman's dress (which I didn't even notice!). I liked the musical performances by the 5 nominated songs (especially the Selma performance), but whenever they do 5 songs, they should cut down on any other songs. The Sound of Music tribute was OK, but I didn't think we needed the "In Memoriam" tribute song by J-Hud. By the way, I liked their "In Memoriam" montage this year, composed of illustrated portraits. After years of mediocre tributes, I think they should stick with this style.

Saturday Night Live's 40th Anniversary Special

I'm a little late with this post, but I wanted to share my thoughts about the SNL40 special that aired last Sunday - PS -- The special repeats TONIGHT on NBC starting at 7/8 (CT/ET).

I remember the 15th Anniversary special back in 1989....Chevy Chase doing his "fall" down a huge flight of stairs wearing a football helmet....that was a good show too but the 40th was really impressive.

What I got a kick out of

- the 1-hour "Red Carpet" special that aired before the show. Seems like such a pompous thing, but it was fun watching the stars talk to NBC people (Matt Lauer, Al Roker, etc). Martin Short and some others had some funny things to talk about -- in fact, what some of these comics said on the red carpet were funnier than what they did on the special! It was funny when Jim Carrey asked Matt Lauer where Brian Williams was hiding.

- Everyone liked the Justin Timberlake/JimmyFallon opening song, but I got a kick out of Steve Martin's opening bit where he says, "What better way to celebrate 40 years of live comedy with these pre-recorded clips?!"

- Dan Aykroyd doing the Bass O Matic sketch, even though it seems really corny and outdated, it is still funny.

- Seeing Betty White make out with Bradley Cooper. That was truly a crazy moment and hilarious.

- Jerry Seinfeld doing a Question and Answer session with some big name celebs

- Weekend Update hosted by Tina and Amy and Jane Curtin, and appearances by the land shark and Matt Foley.

- the Wayne's World sketch where Mike Myers and Dana Carvey count down the Top 10 most awesome things about SNL.  They kept telling Kanye West to settle down and stay in his seat, which was funny.


There were some head-scratching moments (Kanye's odd performance) but overall  I got a kick out of the show and seeing the clips.

Dick Dale of "The Lawrence Welk Show" passes away

According to the blog Welk Musical Family and The Globe Gazette, Dick Dale has passed away. He performed on The Lawrence Welk Show from 1955 to 1982.

Sadly, his passing is not being covered by major news sources, presumably because the editors don't think anyone cares about or remembers The Lawrence Welk Show.

Hollywood: Please stop dying

I just have one thing to say tonight. Please no more deaths. This week has been very hard. I don't have the strength to write  anything other than I am very deeply saddened by all of this week's passings. Especially today's news, Ralph Waite of The Waltons, my favorite show. If anyone deserved an Emmy, it was Mr. Waite.

Jay Leno's last week

After 20+ years on the air,  last week was Jay's last, and I was feeling a little sentimental. So I DVR'd every episode this week to make sure I caught every last moment before the Jay Leno era ended for good.

I remember when Johnny Carson left in May 1992. I wasn't a regular viewer of late night talk then either, but I remember taping each of his last shows, too (but I couldn't tell you for the life of me what became of those old VHS tapes).

Last Monday, Jay's successor Jimmy Fallon was the first guest of the evening; he and Jay had a friendly chat. I'm happy that Jimmy will be the new host. I like him. For one, he's a fan of the Muppets. And I find him funny, too with a good sense of timing. And I think he will treat his guests with respect. For example, I remember a Jimmy Fallon show a few months ago when Bill Cosby was a guest. Bill was acting very strangely that night (as if drunk) and ended up lying on the floor, then sitting of the floor for an extended period of time. Instead of mocking him or snickering, Jimmy got on the floor, too so as to not make Bill Cosby look so bad.

Monday night's second guest was Betty White, and when she emerged from the backstage Jay and Jimmy escorted her to the couch. She teased Jay by acting more interested in Jimmy. Then she reminisced about each of the previous Tonight Show hosts, going all the way back to Steve Allen and Jack Paar. Then Jay showed an old clip of Betty's Life With Elizabeth show from the early 1950s and Betty was thrilled. I'd like to see more of those old episodes!

On Tuesday, Matthew McCaunahey was the first guest, followed by former NBA star Charles Barkley, who is now a commentator. Matthew talked a little about "Dallas Buyers Club" - the movie that may win him an Oscar. And Barkley praised the LA Clippers. Then on Wednesday, Sandra Bullock - another possible Oscar winner this year - was the first guest followed by Blake Shelton. Blake began to tell a story about marijuana smoking at the Grammys a few weeks ago but didn't get to finish the story. Jay managed to tease Sandra a bit for some of her bad movies ("Speed 2")  but then praised her for others, including a movie that came out 20 years ago called Wrestling Ernest Hemingway. Jay talked about how much he loved it and her performance in it. I never saw that movie but I'm going to seek it out and review it on my movie blog one day.

Then Thursday was Jay's final show, with guest Billy Crystal. Billy began with a little comedy act, and then sang a parody of the "Goodbye Farewell" song from "Sound of Music", with guest stars stopping in such as  Carol Burnett, Sheryl Crow, and Oprah Winfrey. Billy and Jay reminisced about their early careers in the late 60s and early 70s when they knew each other in the comedy world. They both cited Robert Klein as a big influence and I found that interesting. I guess I never thought about who influenced them as comedians.
And then Jay introduced his final musical guest Garth Brooths, who sang one sad song (The Dance) and one spirited one (Friends in Low Places).

I think Monday or Tuesday's show had a 5-minute clip of highlights from the past 20 years. That was fun. I wish there was an entire show of clips. Like Johnny Carson did on his last show in May 1992. Oh well, there's always YouTube I guess.

The Waltons episode on Slavery

The other day I watched an episode of that had the Waltons deal with the issue of slavery. It was the episode where their black neighbor Verdie goes on a quest to find her ancestors. It was a very touching episode, and I think one of the best of the whole series. At one point, Verdie's husband tells her not to go hunting for answers because it will be too painful. But she keeps searching anyway, with the help of Jason Walton who drives to her to several towns and cities searching for public records, churches, and cemeteries.

Eventually they make their way to a plantation where her great grandfather once lived, and where an old woman now resides. The old woman tells  them to go away. But Grandpa Walton  - of her generation - persuades her to let Verdie look at some records in the house. Eventually Verdie and Jason find sketches of everyone that lived on the plantation including the slaves, one of them being Verdie's great-grandfather who came from Africa.

The way this whole sequence is filmed really makes you feel you're right there along with Verdie, Grandpa, and Jason. When they go into the attic, you get the feeling that no one has been there in years, and that they'll probably be the last people ever up there, until the old woman dies. 

At the end of the episode, there's a close up of Verdie praying that one day someone in her family's line will have an opportunity to travel to Africa and discover deeper roots. 

I wished the episode ended on that note, but there was the obligatory ending where everyone in the Walton house says "Goodnight" and I thought that sort of killed the mood. Otherwise, it's a great episode.

Streaming Vintage news coverage from 50 years ago

I've been captivated by the streaming coverage of CBS News as it originally aired 50 years ago. If you haven't checked it out yet, check it out here:

http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/jfk-assassination/

The website will be streaming the vintage news as it originally aired 50 years ago.

An interview with Vicki Lawrence about "Mama's Family"

Here's a link to a new interview with Vicki Lawrence about the sitcom "Mama's Family". I love that show!

http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/15/showbiz/vicki-lawrence-mamas-family-dvd/

It will soon be available on DVD.

Favorite episodes of The Waltons (Seasons 1-3)

Here are some of my favorite episodes of  The Waltons (of the episodes I've seen)

The Typewriter  (from Season 1, 1972)
John Boy borrows a precious antique typewriter from the Baldwin sisters in order to submit his writings to a magazine. His sister sells the typewriter to a junk man and John is faced with the task of telling the sisters that he lost it.

The Actress  (from Season 1, 1973)
In this episode, an actress from New York gets stranded on Walton Mountain, and John Boy brings her in to the house to sleep until her car is repaired. It turns out that the car can't be repaired for a month, and her driver runs away. Grandma doesn't like her being in the house, thinking she's a bad influence. Then it is revealed that the actress doesn't have a penny to her name, and the household decides that she is still famous enough to put on a local performance that will raise enough money for her ticket home.

This is a really good episode and I loved how all the kids are awestruck by the famous actress. Mary Ellen even has a scrapbook devoted to her. John Boy even has a little crush on her.

I also liked the scene where the actress makes a telephone call from the general store and the telephone operator listens in.

This episode was directed by veteran film director Vincent Sherman.


The Bequest (from Season 2, 1973)
In this episode, Grandma gets a letter from some lawyers declaring that she has inherited 250.00. All the kids' eyes light up and they all say "you're rich, Grandma!" Wow. To think 250 was alot of money one day. Grandma decides how it will be divvied up, and all the kids tray to decide how they will use it. Grandma even pledges to donate money for a new church roof. The pastor is played by John Ritter. Then John Boy and Grandma take a ride to visit his university, and it's a great moment for Grandma.

The Awakening (from Season 2, 1974)
In this episode, it is revealed that Grandma is losing her hearing. Grandpa has a talk with two of the boys and ask them to pretend not to notice she is going deaf and to stop laughing at her. I loved the scene with the entire family on the porch listening to the radio address by President Roosevelt talking about social security. Grandma gets made because she's reminded about going deaf and she argues with the kids about the President.

The Heritage (from Season 2, 1974)
In this episode, a stranger comes to town and offers the Waltons $30,000 to sell their land and move out. The Waltons are tempted...and even Grandpa thinks it's a good idea for awhile. They eventually refuse.

The Fulfillment (from Season 2, 1974)
Ma and Pa Walton bring in an orphan to stay at the house for a week. The boy turns out to be a brat, complaining about everything, but then takes a liking to the Waltons' neighbors who are looking to adopt.

The Graduation (from Season 2, 1974)
John Boy graduates in this episode, and then the family buy him a new suit. But he sells it back to Ike Godsey when their cow dies.

The Car  (from Season 2, 1974)
John Boy works tirelessly over at a neighbor's house in exchange for a car. When he's done with the work, the owner decides not to part with the car.

The First Day (from Season 3, 1974)
John Boy's first day at college!  He is excited, but wasn't expecting to be taunted and picked on by upper classemen, who trick him into doing all sorts of embarrassing things.

The Ring (from Season 3, 1974)
John Boy and Mary Ellen go to a college dance, and Mary Ellen loses a ring that belongs to a neighbor.

The Romance (from Season 3, 1974)
This is a great episode focused on Olivia and John Sr. Walton. Olivia wants to pursue her passion for art and painting and John Boy teachers her to drive so she can take a class. The teacher begins to flirt with her and makes a pass at her and then the episode ends with her and John forgiving him.

The Marathon (from Season 3, 1974)
This is a fun episode where John Boy enters a 7-day dance marathon, against the wishes of Ma Walton. I've always been curious about these marathons ever since I saw the movie They Shoot Horses Dont They.

The Spoilers (from Season 3, 1974)
A rich, spoiled family comes to live in a old house on Walton Mountain, and ultimately decide that country live is not for them.

TV Guide's ranking of "60 Greatest Animated Shows of All Time"

In a recent issue, TV Guide ranked the 60 "Greatest" animated shows of all time. Number one, of course, is The Simpsons. I haven't watched it in years, and don't know too many people who still watch any new episodes.

  2 = The Flintstones, which is an iconic show but one of the "greatest"?

  3 = "Looney Tunes", which seems odd because most of the shorts were originally released in theaters. The list should really be "Top Made-For-Television Animated Programs"

  4 = "Peanuts", which also is confusing because are we ranking by TV series or Animated specials?

 5 = "Scooby-Doo" - originally aired in 1969. I think new episodes are being produced today. Longevity helps.

  6. = "Rocky and Bullwinkle" - I watched it, but haven't seen it in years.

  7. - "Batman: The Animated Series" - never seen it.

  8. - "SpongeBob" - never seen it.

  9. - "Family Guy" - Guess they had to put some new shows in the Top 10 to be relevant.

  10. - "South Park" - Surprised this isn't ranked higher. Rounding out the Top 60 are shows listed in alphabetical order.

In my opinion, there is a GLARING omission from the list. One of my favorite shows - animated or otherwise - is Muppet Babies which aired in the 1980s until the early 1990s. This was a clever, funny, inventive, and educational program that was fun to watch and always enjoyable.

And where is Gumby? Isn't claymation animation?

 I don't know who came up with this list, but they probably are children of the 90s who grew up with alot of "new" TV programs, so many of the shows on the list I never heard of. Bob's Burgers? Archer? The Fairly OddParents?  WHAT? And they left of "Transformers"?

 Not only is "Batman: The Animated Series" on the list, but also "Batman Beyond" and "Batman: The Brave and the Bold"....HELLO?!  Do we have a Batman bias here, guys? Where is Spiderman? Or She-Ra?

 And then we have a bunch more "TV Animated programs" that were not originally TV programs - they were theatrical shorts : Popeye, Tom and Jerry, and Woody Woodpecker.

 Makes me want to pull my hair out.

The Emmy Award show last Sunday night

OK, I watched the Emmy ceremony for the first time in about 10 years last Sunday.

I wasn't rooting for any one show in particular - my favorite shows (The Office, Bones) weren't even nominated for anything.

I tuned it just for curiosity's sake. It was interesting to see so many big-time movie stars win Emmys, such as Michael Douglas, Jeff Daniels, and James Cromwell.  Ellen Burstyn also won an Emmy for a TV movie I've never heard of nor will ever see. Speaking of veteran stars, it was nice to see Bob Newhart and Diahann Carroll make appearances. It's always great when some legends of the medium pop in and give the show some character.

The tributes to the fallen stars were nice too. I liked the personal touch of the speeches that Robin Williams gave for Jonathan Winters and that Rob Reiner gave for Jean Stapleton. I think this was a better idea than to show clips of their career. I wonder if showing clips has gone out of style; I mean, anyone can go on YouTube nowadays and see tribute montages on their own.

Valerie Harper on Dancing with the Stars

Normally I don't watch Dancing with the Stars but I tuned in tonight to see Valerie. She did a great job dancing out there in front of millions. Next Monday night is another dance before someone is eliminated. I hope it's not her!

The Love Boat on ME-TV

I'm really excited that ME-TV is now airing THE LOVE BOAT on Sundays! I don't think I've seen a full episode in about 30 years. I always thought of this as a fun and exciting show.

The very first episode (from September 1977) aired last Sunday on ME-TV, and it was fun to watch!

The guest stars included Bonnie Franklin, Suzanne Summers, and Jimmie Walker.

Can't wait to watch more episodes!

How 22 Shows Handled an Actor's Death

This was an interesting online article, inspired by the recent death of an actor from the current TV show Glee.

A look back at 22 shows where an actor passed away while it was on the air.

http://tvline.com/2013/07/14/cory-monteith-death-glee-season-5-finn/#!1/barneymiller_soo/

Happy Birthday June Lockhart!

Photo was from a "Lost in Space" cast reunion last year

Clip from 1985's Entertainment Tonight: Summer Preview

Here is a fun clip from Entertainment Tonight, previewing summer 1985 releases.

If I could go back in time, I'd see Back to the Future, A View To A Kill and Return To Oz, which I never got to see in theaters.