Countdown to Christmas: Christmas with Bob Hope (1985)

 It was a tradition for decades at NBC, with Bob Hope hosting a Christmas special, and staying as contemporary as possible.

Take, for example, this 1985 entry. Bob is joined by William "The Refrigerator" Perry, then a rookie with the eventual Super Bowl champion Chicago Bears, Emmanuel Lewis (Webster), Barbara Eden, Brooke Shields, and the AP All-American football team, featuring a few future NFL stars, including Bo Jackson.

This show comes complete with commercials, including Joan Collins (Dynasty) shilling for Canada Dry. John Harlan is our announcer, while Danny Dark leads us in.

The Miami Vice parody was silly. All that was missing, since his then-entourage was there, was Michael Jackson. Bob sang "Silver Bells" for every Christmas show, and here, Eden gets the honors to sing with him.

Rating: A.

Countdown to Christmas: Deck The Halls (1999)

 SheDAISY's 3 part harmonies put a new spin on a holiday traditional. Here's "Deck The Halls":

Gets ya right in the feels, doesn't it?

With the Jests, the dysfunction starts at the top. Aaron Rodgers could've had an extra target but for a.......video game?

 If you thought the Jests had already hit rock bottom this season, eliminated from the playoffs even after dismissing coach Robert Saleh and GM Joe Douglas, it's even worse.

Owner Woody Johnson, it is being reported, is getting bad advice at home from his teenage sons, who suggested that dear old dad not trade for receiver Jerry Jeudy, just because of some stats from a Madden football video game.

Like, seriously?

At least Dallas' Jerry Jones has his adult sons on his front office staff. The younger Johnsons are still in school----we think-----and they have their dad's ear on personnel decisions they have no business getting involved in.

He should talk to his sons' counselors.

Douglas even admitted during pre-season, we think, that he "answers to a teenager". Neither one of these kids is exactly Richie Rich (the comic book kid, not the 3rd Bass DJ), but this brings a whole new level of stupid to a franchise that hasn't smelled the Super Bowl since they won it 55 years ago.

One of the kids made a potty-mouthed proclamation after giving receiver Garrett Wilson a game ball recently, then posted it on his social media account. Kids today. 

Richie Rich could probably do a better job running the Jests. It couldn't be any worse.

What MIght've Been: Funny Face (1971)

 Broadway star Sandy Duncan made her TV series debut with 1971's Funny Face. While reviews were mixed, the network had enough faith in Duncan, such that when the series ended prematurely due to Duncan needing eye surgery, the show was brought back as The Sandy Duncan Show a year later. 

In Funny Face, Sandy is a student teacher doing some acting on the side. The latter gig gets her a role on Mission: Impossible in the episode, "A Star is Born on a Stretcher". Mission star Peter Graves guest stars, along with Avery Schreiber.

No rating. Just a public service.

Countdown to Christmas: The Cowboys' Christmas Ball (2011)

 The Killers released "The Cowboys' Christmas Ball" as a digital single for charity in 2011. It's based on an early 20th century poem, with new lyrics added.

The song was also recorded by country singer Michael Martin Murphey around the same time.

Some of those actors in this video look kinda familiar, though......

You're premiering a new show on a Tuesday in 1979, opposite Happy Days. What do you do?

 If you're a programmer at NBC, you convince producer Glen A. Larson to bring in Dean Martin to appear on the premiere of The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo.

I remember sitting down with my folks to watch this. The slapstick idiocy of Perkins (Mills Watson) somehow struck a chord, such that the series would get a 2nd season, albeit with a shorter title and a new locale, as we've discussed previously.

Rating: B-.

Countdown to Christmas: Christmas with Andy Williams (1962)

 Andy Williams actually had two variety series on NBC. The one I remember was the 2nd one, ending in 1970-1.

The first series was about a decade prior, and, as demonstrated in this Christmas episode from 1962, was one of the first series to be produced by the late Norman Lear and his business partner, Bud Yorkin. Andy is joined by the New Christy Minstrels, Bette Davis, and the Osmond Brothers (Alan, Wayne, Merrill, & Jay), and series regulars R. G. Brown & Marian Mercer.

Barnaby Productions was Williams' production company. R. G. Brown would also be a part of Rich Little's repertory company for the impressionist's 1976 series.

Rating: A.

Remember Prolong Christmas Tree Preserver? (1973)

 Texize, for those that don't know, was the original manufacturer of products like Spray & Wash and Jaiitor in a Drum.

Back in 1973, the company introduced Prolong, a Christmas tree preserver. Bionic Disco offers this ad:

Unfortunately, Prolong didn't last long.

Countdown to Christmas: 'Twas The Night Before Christmas (The Paul Lynde Christmas Special)(1977)

 Veteran comedy writers Dick Clair & Jenna McMahon, who'd been working on The Carol Burnett Show, among other things, created a whimsical adaptation of Clement Moore's 'Twas The Night Before Christmas, which, informally, was also The Paul Lynde Christmas Special, the last of two primetime specials from Lynde (Hollywood Squares, ex-Bewitched, who was recurring on Donny & Marie at the time). 

Our cast also includes Alice Ghostley, Howard Morris, Anne Meara, George Gobel, Anson Williams (Happy Days), and Foster Brooks.

Didn't see this the first time, as I was at church when it aired on a Wednesday night in 1977. No rating. Just a public service.

Old Time Radio: The Life of Riley (1944)

 We've previously reviewed both TV iterations of Irving Brecher's The Life of Riley, so it's way past time to visit the radio series that started it all.

Film star William Bendix had the lead as Chester Riley, family man. Riley lasted a few years, shuttling between networks, leading to a feature film spin-off, followed by the first TV series with Jackie Gleason filling in for Bendix, who returned four years later.

Let's take a look at a Christmas Eve episode from season 1 in 1944. Bendix breaks character to address the audience at the end of the show.

Rating: A.

Weasel of The Week: Nancy Mace

 Narcissism isn't a disease that spreads. Most of the time.

However, today's GOP is more than willing to follow the lead of the Oldest Narcissist, Donald Trump.

Take, for example, Nancy Mace.

You've probably heard by now that the veteran lawmaker fabricated an assault to get attention, as if she's trying to usurp Georgia's Marjorie Taylor Greene's role as the Queen of Narcissism. A mere handshake from a foster care activist leads to a wrist injury and the activist's arrest?

Farron Cousins breaks it down:

The exaggeration, claiming an injury that didn't happen, is part of Mace's campaign against transgender citizens. Sorry, Nancy, but this is going nowhere. The activist, James McIntyre, will likely have the charges against him dropped due to lack of evidence against him, and, in turn, as people have already started predicting, Mace is in line for a defamation suit.

Here's the reality for Mace. She lied, she's already being called out, and with the GOP's paper thin majority in the House, she's going to be shamed into apologizing. Around here, this means Mace has earned a set of Weasel ears for this self serving stunt.

When the circus moved to late night: Saturday Night's Main Event (1985)

 Vince McMahon's national expansion of the then-World Wrestling Federation had hit some bumps in the road.

His brazen usurping of WTBS' coveted Saturday night wrestling program was met with apathy from NWA fans, and in general, after Wrestlemania was in the books at the end of March 1985, two things happened.

First, McMahon gave up the TBS berth. Then, he, with help from NBC, launched Saturday Night's Main Event, which would fill Saturday Night Live's berth a few times a year. In its initial run, the series aired on NBC from 1985-91, then moved to Fox for 2 episodes in 1992. NBC brought it back in 2006 for a series of specials until 2009.

Ahead of the series' 2nd revival on Saturday, we'll take you back to October 1985 and a literal theatre of the absurd, overseen by McMahon & Jesse Ventura.

As was the case from 2006-9, the new SNME will be in primetime, as a sort-of lead-in to Saturday Night Live.

Rating: B+. Sometimes, it got too absurd.

Countdown to Christmas: The Man in The Red Flannel Suit (Webster, 1986)

 From season 4 of Webster:

George (Alex Karras) has his heart set on playing Santa at a local department store, but plans change.

Emmanuel Lewis (Webster) may have been one of the youngest actors to have his own production company, beginning in season 4. The series shifted to syndication for its final two seasons.

No rating. Just a public service.

Sports this 'n' that

 Bill Belichick's television career is going on hold after football season is over.

That's because Belichick has agreed to his first collegiate coaching job.

Belichick has agreed to be the next head coach at North Carolina, replacing Mack Brown, who was fired earlier this season. Belichick has been seen in commercials, as well as on Inside The NFL on CW, which will likely address the North Carolina hire tonight (8 pm EST), and on some ESPN+ show with old nemesis Peyton Manning. What we're not sure of is if the new job will preclude Belichick from returning for a 2nd season of Inside, anchored by ESPN's Ryan Clark.

I wonder if they'll order a custom powder blue hoodie for Belichick for next season....!

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In response to the Mets signing Juan Soto and reliever Clay Holmes, the Yankees plucked starting pitcher Max Fried from the Atlanta Braves to the tune of a contract in excess of $200 million.

Seems to me the New York clubs will play salary chicken all post-season.

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Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was fit to be tied after the Cowboys blew a chance to win Monday against Cincinnati, botching the recovery of a blocked punt in the 4th quarter.

For a lot of fans, that invoked memories of Leon Lett's infamous gaffe on Thanksgiving 1993 in the snow at Texas Stadium vs. Miami.

Of course, there were some online clowns who thought a CGI version of Homer Simpson was a better quarterback than Cooper Rush, as in the alternate broadcast on ESPN+ & Disney+, Simpson completed a touchdown pass to CeeDee Lamb. Looking at the replay, this looked more like a Disney audition for a NFL video game.

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Ahead of Saturday Night's Main Event returning on Saturday with a live broadcast (8 pm EST, NBC/Peacock), Hall of Famer Jesse Ventura will return to the broadcast table as part of his new deal with WWE. Figure he'll be paired with Michael Cole for the broadcast, since Vince McMahon left the company several months back. Current pro-rulebreaker announcers Booker T, Wade Barrett, & Corey Graves should take notes.

Scenes from Victorian Stroll 2024

 Time to get personal.

After last year's Victorian Stroll was, for the most part, a washout because of rain killing the vibe, it was back to the streets on Sunday.

As was the case in 2022, the first stop was St. Paul's Church on 3rd Street, where we were treated to some carolers, and we even sang along in some cases. "We" being ye scribe and a pair of classmates from Troy High, whom you'll see in a bit.

We sat 4 rows deep in front, so this was the best we could do.

And, then, there was this:

Our party increased by one as we left the church. Our next stop was the Hart-Cluett Mansion on 2nd Street, and the Holiday Greens Show.

I think Sylvester Stallone said it best in "The Expendables". It's good to have friends.

And, there's one of the displays at the show:

Former Albany Times-Union & Albany Business Review reporter Claire Hughes met us as we were finishing the tour:

Our final stop was Stacks' Espresso Bar, where Maurizio played 2 1/2 hours, virtually without a break. Here he is with moi after the show:

Dude, I'll admit we should've been side by side.

This was a trip and a half, and it was worth the time.

Sports this 'n' that

 Juan Soto is staying in New York. He's simply changing boroughs.

Today, the Mets signed Soto to a 15 year contract worth $765 million, but with an opt-out after 5 years (because Scott Boras Badenov can't help himself), something the Mets can negate by adding some extra money per year past the 5th season.

Soto returns to the NL East, where he won a championship with Washington 5 years ago. Had the Yankees won the World Series, perhaps he stays in the Bronx. That heart of the batting order with Soto followed by Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton (when the latter is healthy) was lethal, but not enough to overcome the eventual World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

Soto with Francisco Lindor, Brandon Nimmo, and possibly a returning Pete Alonso? Scary.

Stay tuned.

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The College Football Playoff is now set, and, to the shock of many, SEC perennial Alabama is not in the field.

The tournament committee's selections were announced Sunday afternoon on ESPN in what amounted to a more bloated than usual edition of College GameDay, albeit in the network's Bristol studios. 

The top 4 seeds all get byes as tournament play begins December 20. The field:

10. Indiana @ 7. Notre Dame, December 20, 8 pm. The winner advances to the Sugar Bowl to face Georgia on January 1.

11. Southern Methodist (SMU) @ 6 Penn State, December 21, 12 noon. The winner will advance to the Fiesta Bowl on December 31 vs. Boise State.

12. Clemson @ 5 Texas, December 21, 4 pm. This game will air on TNT. Strange that the ACC champion didn't get one of the top 4 spots, but then again, the committee members aren't exactly experts at rocket science. Winner will play Arizona State in the Peach Bowl on January 1.

9. Tennessee @ 8. Ohio State, December 21, 8 pm. Winner will play Oregon in the Rose Bowl on January 1.

Alabama's consolation prize is a New Year's Eve date with Michigan in the ReliaQuest Bowl. Rapper turned T-Mobile pitchman Snoop Dogg hosts a namesake bowl game on December 28 on CW. Miami (Ohio) and Colorado State will meet. No truth to the rumor that the winner will get a year's worth of T-Mobile service.

That same night, Deion Sanders & Colorado will play in the Alamo Bowl on ABC vs. Brigham Young.

Yeah, I know. This is going to get silly.

On the shelf: Zatanna gets her own series again, and Dynamite takes another trip into Hanna-Barbera's future

 If Archie Comics is so serious about making Amber Nightstone a nemesis for Sabrina, why not give the teenage witch her own series again?

As we've previously discussed, 5 page stories in one-shots, such as the Josie & The Pussycats Halloween Spectacular, released last month, and the just released Sabrina Holiday Spectacular, just won't cut it. Writer Ian Flynn spent many years writing Sonic The Hedgehog for Archie, and can do a book-length story, but Archie has gone el-scrimpo in recent years, hence these 1-offs with 5 pages of original story, and backed by reprints.

In the new book, Amber is taken aback by a show of compassion from Sabrina. What happens next will be a surprise.

Meanwhile, Archie's knuckleheads have decided to showcase Archie Andrews himself in the 4 part Archie is Mr. Justice, somehow giving the red-headed teen the abilities of the hero whose history goes as far back as Archie's own history, back to the Golden Age. Tim Seeley, another writer who should know better, has already told readers in this first issue that each issue will have different points of view. Where is Sabrina when you really need her?

Archie is Mr. Justice shouldn't stop at 4 issues. It should be 12, so that each POV is given room to breathe. Just like those 5 page shorties.

Rating:

Archie is Mr. Justice: B--.

Sabrina Holiday Spectacular: B.

In 1967, artist Alex Toth blessed Hanna-Barbera & CBS with The Herculoids, the tale of a bizarre team of heroes tasked with defending their homeworld. The original series had 1 season of episodes, but the open was changed the following year for reruns due to the meddling of media nanny Peggy Charren.

The series returned in 1981 as part of NBC's short-lived Space Stars, which also ran for 1 season.

Come February, Dynamite is taking readers to Amzot, or, Quasar, as it was known in 1981.

Tom Snegoski, a fan whose resume includes writing a number of diverse books, including Vampirella, is teaming with artist Craig Rousseau for the new series.

As a refresher, here's 1981's "The Firebird":

This should be fun.

Actor Martin Kove is best known now to generations of fans for Cobra Kai and the "Karate Kid" movies, but he's also a comics fan.

That said, Kove is launching AMP Comics, which debuts in February with the Western, Prodigal Son. Kove is not a writer, but a publisher. Hmmmm.

We all know who Dick Tracy's true love is. His eventual wife, Tess Trueheart.

So figure that Tess will play a role when Dick is given a Valentine's special from Mad Cave in February. We're digging.

If you're an old school fan like me, you'd rather see Zatanna in heels instead of knee boots.

Count Jamal Campbell as one of us.

Campbell (Naomi, Far Sector) will write & draw a new series featuring the Princess of Prestidigation from DC in February, and, oh, does Zee look so fine. Let's just see how far this will go.

A little of this and a little of that

 ESPN is reporting that Sunday NFL Countdown contributor Randy Moss is taking a leave of absence from the network as he addresses some health issues. We wish Randy a speedy recovery, and our prayers are with him.

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Back at home, Troy High was given a donation of $2,000 from the proceeds of a golf tournament involving the city's fire & police departments recently......

The donation is for the media departments at Troy & Lansingburgh.

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Amid fears that the tariffs president-elect Donald Trump has threatened against Canada, Mexico, & China will have a negative effect on consumers here in the US (and it will), some retailers are encouraging consumers to buy now before the prices go up.

Never mind the fact that Trump actually doesn't understand how tariffs work (no surprise there). The average American is the one who faces the backlash, not the other countries.

Those same fears may be driving sports card collectors, specifically flippers & box breakers, to start hoarding cards again in order to make a profit for themselves, ignorant of other consumers. We went through this during COVID 4 years ago. 

It's enough to make a guy think about giving up the hobby....

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Making commercials and appearing on Inside The NFL apparently doesn't suit Bill Belichick.

The former Patriots coach is reportedly interested in moving to the college ranks. Reports have Belichick interviewing for the head coach's job at North Carolina after Mack Brown's tenure ended a week ago when Brown was dismissed by the Tar Heels. Hmmmmmm.

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We know that Colorado coach Deion Sanders recorded his AFLAC ads with Nick Saban before the season started, considering he's since grown a beard.

Now, Sanders is trying his hand as a voice actor.

He currently has a role in a DirecTV ad with Steve Buscemi & Henry Winkler. Yep, "Coach Prime" is another pigeon.

Add Saban. In his first season with ESPN, he's appearing with some of the College GameDay crew in some spots for the show's sponsor, Home Depot. He also plays a hotel manager in a Vrbo ad that's making the rounds, mocking his coaching style. Whatever floats your boat, dude.

In this E. R., you never know who's going to show up (1984)

 This Christmas episode of E. R. finds the staff having to work through a blizzard. Dr. Sheinfeld (Elliott Gould) learns that his daughter (Pamela Seagall) wants to move in with him instead of with her mom and a prospective stepdad.

George Clooney (ex-The Facts of Life) debuts as a new doctor, who's a bit of a ladies man. MTV doll Martha Quinn appears as herself, nursing an injury. Turns out Jenny (Seagall) is a huge fan. Jason Alexander appears briefly.

Unfortunately, while the full episode is available, it is in poor quality, so this excerpt will have to do.

Countdown to Christmas: Jingle Bells (1953)

 From The Ed Sullivan Show:

Julius LaRosa made a number of appearances in 1953 alone on the program, and for the holidays, he serves up this rendition of "Jingle Bells":

Countdown to Christmas: Merry Gentlemen (Lucas Tanner, 1974)

 Lucas Tanner (David Hartman) has an unexpected meeting with his former father-in-law (guest star Barry Sullivan) as the holidays approach, reminding Tanner of the family tragedy he had suffered. Here's "Merry Gentlemen":

No rating. Just a public service.

What Might've Been: Everything's Relative (1987)

 Two brothers share a loft, and chaos ensues, especially when their mother gets involved.

Everything's Relative didn't even finish its lone season in 1987. Had it done so, and had it been a hit, then Jerry Seinfeld would've been looking for someone else to play George, since Jason Alexander wouldn't have been available.

Alexander toplines as Julian, the elder of the two brothers, and divorced. Our cast also includes Anne Jackson and Gina Hecht (ex-Mork & Mindy). Let's take a look at a sample episode.

To think that Alexander had graduated from commercials (i.e. McDonald's), but it'd be another year or two before he achieved icon status.

No rating. Just a public service.

Countdown to Christmas: O Tannerbaum (ALF, 1986)

 From season 1 of ALF:

ALF (voice of Paul Fusco) is in the Tanner doghouse for cutting down the family Christmas tree for firewood, and that's just for starters.......

Silly fun.

Rating: A-.

Countdown to Christmas: The Santa Claus Boogie (1995)

 We start our annual Countdown to Christmas with the Tractors and 1995's "Santa Claus Boogie":

Musical Interlude: Human (2016)

 The folks behind those ads that tell us, "Jesus gets us" found this next song to use in their latest ad, which is in heavy rotation.

Now, meet the man behind the song. Rag'n'Bone Man released "Human" back in 2016, as he reminds that we are "only human after all".

Happy Thanksgiving.

What Might've Been: Baby Talk (1991)

 Filmmaker Amy Heckerling had a huge hit with "Look Who's Talking" in theatres, such that she wanted to adapt the film for television with a few tweaks.

However, to say that Baby Talk was a troubled production would actually be overstating the case.

Connie Sellecca (ex-Hotel) was originally tabbed for the lead as Maggie, a single mom. However, she wasn't satisfied with her performance, and left the project. Julia Duffy (ex-Newhart) stepped in, but left after the first season, moving to Designing Women, resulting in Mary Page Keller taking her place.

Amidst it all, Tony Danza (ex-Who's The Boss, Taxi) voiced baby Mickey, in much the same way Bruce Willis had done in "Talking". George Clooney (ex-The Facts of Life) was a recurring player in the first season, but left, along with Duffy, taking producer Ed. Weinberger (Amen) with them. Saul Turtletaub & Bernie Orenstein were tabbed by Columbia to take over as showrunners in season 2. Turtletaub & Orenstein had little success outside of What's Happening!, and their entree proved to be a jump the shark moment.

Scott Baio (ex-Charles in Charge, Happy Days) joined the show in season 2, but the ratings began sliding, and the show was cancelled more than a year after its debut.

Following is a sample episode.

Edit, 12/19/24: Had to change the video. Here's an excerpt from the pilot with Julia Duffy:

Rating: B--.

Old Time Radio: Jack Benny on location for the troops (1944)

 The Jack Benny Program, aka The Lucky Strike Program, hits the road for a show at Corona Naval Hospital. Dennis Day had left by this point, succeeded by Larry Stevens.

This episode is built around an argument between Jack and announcer Don Wilson over famous statements.

Rating: A-.

Donald Trump wants to impose tariffs on Mexico & Canada. We're the ones who will feel the impact

 Dumb Donald is at it again.

President-elect Donald Trump announced Monday that he plans on signing an executive order on his first day back in the White House to impose tariffs on Mexico & Canada. He also used the screed on Truthless Social to continue the exaggerated narrative about "criminals" crossing the border from Mexico into the US, devoid, as usual, of evidence to back up his claims.

But what we're concerned with is the tariffs. Trump ran on the voter frustration over inflation when he won three weeks ago, but he doesn't realize that these tariffs won't hurt Mexico or Canada, not in the slightest bit. They hurt American consumers, instead, because this leads to further inflation.

Brian Tyler Cohen explains:

Trump is pandering to friends like Elon Musk, more than the base that elected him. If that doesn't make voters feel like they've been stabbed in the back, what does?

On The Air: Person, Place, or Thing (2023)

 It's a variation on the traditional game of 20 questions, now in its 2nd season, while its host is adding to her workload.

Said host is actress Melissa Peterman, and the game is Person, Place, or Thing, which, on the surface, looks like an easy game to play, but in front of cameras and overhead lights, not so much.

Peterman (ex-Reba, Bet on Your Baby, Young Sheldon) is back in primetime this season in NBC's Happy's Place, which reunites her with Reba McEntire. I'm willing to bet that if Happy's, which just picked up a full-season order from NBC, is renewed for a 2nd season, Person might not make it to a 3rd.

Here's a sampler from last season:

Last season, the local affiliate aired a full hour of this show, then scaled it down to 1 episode per night to make room for Jaleel White's Flip Side (previously reviewed). If that ain't an ominous sign, I don't know what is.

Rating: B-.

Forgotten TV: Goldie (The Goldie Hawn Special)(1978)

 Goldie Hawn headlined her first special, but not for NBC, in 1978. Instead, it aired on ABC. Goldie reunited Hawn with Laugh-In producer George Schlatter, and if you didn't already know this was on ABC, the guest list included John Ritter (Three's Company) and Shaun Cassidy (The Hardy Boys). George Burns and the Harlem Globetrotters round out the guests.

Highlights include Goldie covering "We're All Alone", which had been a hit for Rita Coolidge, and Cassidy with a solo cover of the Lovin' Spoonful's "Do You Believe in Magic".

Rating: B.

Musical Interlude: Walk a Mile in my Shoes (1970)

 We've all seen it.

A bitter, homeless man, ranting & raving just for the sake of venting. He thinks the rest of us are looking down on him, but how could we? We don't know you, fella, we don't know your story.

This might not have been what Joe South had in mind when he wrote "Walk a Mile in My Shoes", released in 1970, but it certainly fits today.

A lesson in dandruff (2023)

This Head & Shoulders ad began airing last year. It was re-edited this year, and the new version is in heavy rotation. 

Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes plays a hairdresser schooling a customer on dandruff, with help from a "tiny" version of former Pittsburgh Steelers star Troy Polamalu. "Big" Troy appears at the end of this ad, but was edited out of this year's version. A line used by his "Tiny" persona was also edited.

This ad was recorded off a camera phone.

I have no idea why it was edited.

Apparently, Empty-G never read the Constitution.............

 Marjorie Taylor Greene makes it too easy.

The Georgia Misrepresentative is again calling for a "national divorce", despite the fact that she has nary a clue about how that's supposed to happen. As Farron Cousins asserts, she thinks the Democrats are causing trouble, just by following the Constitution.........

Whatever Empty-G learned in high school has been forgotten in a career filled with clout chasing and narcissism. I still think she's unhappy because president-elect Donald Trump wouldn't give her a spot in his new Cabinet. Well, he doesn't want another narcissist sharing a room with him on a daily basis.........

Hollywood Squares comes full circle: The series hits CBS in 2025

 To think this all started with a pilot produced for CBS by Merrill Heatter & Bob Quigley in 1965.

In 2025, Hollywood Squares is coming home.

The series' latest revival begins in January, in primetime, and, following the current trend, in a hour-long format that the franchise hasn't used since the ill-fated Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour (1983-4) for NBC. Actress-turned-talk show host Drew Barrymore will occupy the center square, with former NFL player-turned-sportscaster Nate Burleson (CBS Mornings, The NFL Today) as moderator. 

Burleson, it seems, is obsessed with copying the career trajectory of Michael Strahan (Fox NFL Sunday, Good Morning America, The $100,000 Pyramid), the only difference being that Burleson has no acting credits----yet (Strahan fronted a short-lived Fox sitcom).

Hollywood Squares logo, circa 2002-4.

The downside is that the plan is for Squares to air at 10 pm (ET), starting January 29, meaning CBS wants this to be more ribald and rowdy than ever. The original series' primetime iteration on NBC was usually around 8:30-9:00 on a Friday or Thursday night.

CBS-Paramount is hoping this sticks, after the flop that was Nashville Squares in 2019 for CMT, and 2 iterations of Hip Hop Squares between 2012 and 2019.

Stay tuned.

Musical Interlude: Tonight, Tonight (1995-6)

 Smashing Pumpkins collected a few MTV Video Music Awards in 1996 for the innovative homage to the silent film era, "Tonight, Tonight", the first single off 1995's "Mellon Collie & The Infinite Sadness". Actor Tom Kenny (ex-The Edge), who, along with wife Jill Talley, who also appears here, was a regular on HBO's Mr. Show at the time, stars in this period piece.

Today, Billy Corgan is the owner-operator of the National Wrestling Alliance. Whodathunk that 30 years ago?

Remember CareFree gum? (1978)

 Ah, CareFree gum. The product that skewered history with a cheeky series of ads in the 70's, like this one, with Sir Isaac Newton....

Unfortunately, CareFree's not around anymore. Hershey, the last rights holder, discontinued the product in the US a few years back.

Musical Interlude: Pictures of Matchstick Men (1968)

 Status Quo had just one hit here in the US, and here it is, "Pictures of Matchstick Men". The clip comes from England's Top of The Pops:

What Might've Been: Trivial Pursuit: America Plays (2008)

 Before we discuss the current TV iteration of Trivial Pursuit, we have to go back at the earlier versions, and we'll start with the syndicated 2008 series, Trivial Pursuit: America Plays.

It had been 15 years since game show legend Wink Martindale had first adapted the board game for television, with the help of some business partners. Debmar-Mercury, which currently distributes Family Feud for Fremantle Media, handled America Plays, and tapped actor Christopher Knight (ex-The Brady Bunch) as host.

America Plays lasted just 1 season, as it didn't get cleared in a lot of cities. A fair number of stations were just unwilling to challenge the 1-2 punch of Wheel of Fortune & Jeopardy!, which are still around, 16 years later.

Let's take a look at a sample episode.

Simple enough. All three iterations of Trivial Pursuit have simplified the 40-something board game to make it useful for television. The current series, on CW, is a weekly show that stands a better chance of succeeding where the others failed.

We'll look at Wink Martindale's version another day.

Rating: A.

8 years ago, he said he was "only hiring the best people". Now, Donald Trump is picking people who don't fit into their assigned Cabinet positions

 All Donald Trump wants to do the 2nd time around is disrupt the establishment even further by nominating people who either don't have the necessary experience to do the job, or are there so MAGA can troll and "own the libs".

There are rumors, of course, that Trump wants to close down the Department of Education, which is stupid on its face. I'd seen something the other day where former WWE CEO Linda McMahon, who'd served two years as head of the Small Business Administration during Trump's 1st term, was being talked about as Secretary of Commerce. The McMahon & Trump families have been friends for decades, and it was never really explained why McMahon left the SBA after 2 years. We reported previously that NY Misrepresentative Elise Stefanik is being pointed toward being UN Ambassador, the same post Nikki Haley held during the first Trump administration.

And, then, there are some head scratchers.

Pete Hegseth of Fox No News, an Army vet who served in Iraq & Afghanistan, was nominated as Secretary of Defense. His military background gets him the nod, but, otherwise, he hasn't had any experience running anything.

Trump campaign co-chairperson Susie Wiles was named Chief of Staff. The first woman to hold that distinction, so there's a little history, but, given Trump's mercurial personality, how long will she last?

Former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, who betrayed the Democrats to go MAGA, is being nominated for something called "director of national intelligence". Apparently, the acronym CIA is bitter for Trump.

Florida Senator Marco "Polo" Rubio is being tapped for Secretary of State. He's had a history of putting his foot in his mouth when interviewed, so that's questionable.

Florida Misrepresentative Matt "Rusty" Gaetz, who managed to avoid being charged with sex trafficking, would succeed Merrick Garland as Attorney General. Yes, Gaetz is a lawyer, but his public legal troubles raise a red flag. Like Trump, Gaetz can make all of his legal problems go away, but he's never struck this desk as being smart.

Yeah, Gaetz is a special kind of stupid.

Former ICE director Tim Homan would be upgraded to a similar role, and headlines had him as a "border czar", the same title that MAGA operatives falsely slapped on VP Kamala Harris during her failed campaign for the White House.

Back to Gaetz. Alabama carpetbagger Tommy Scrubberville, who actually has a residence in Florida, has made threats against anyone daring to vote against Gaetz. I would not be so loud with the threats, Tommy, because if Gaetz doesn't get confirmed, you could wind up in trouble, if it gets out that you're representing the wrong state.

And, now, there are rumors that telegenic but dimwitted attorney Alina Habba may be the press secretary. The key word is telegenic.

Meanwhile, the GOP has been busy in other areas.

On Tuesday, John Thune was elected as the new Senate Majority Leader, with Mitch McConnell stepping down at the end of the year instead of returning to his former role. Thune would succeed NY's Chuck Schumer. On Wednesday, Lisa McClain of Michigan was tapped to replace Stefanik as the GOP Conference Chairperson. Stefanik is expected to resign from the House to become UN Ambassador, as Gaetz also resigned from his seat. There will be a special election in April to fill Stefanik's seat, and with the redistricting to take effect in January, Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin, a Trump clone himself, is out of the running, as the district would no longer include Rensselaer County.

Trump made the US a laughingstock the first time, but he doesn't realize or understand that. It appears it's going to be worse the 2nd time. Heaven help us.

What Might've Been: Soul (1968)

 From Laugh-In producers George Schlatter & Ed Friendly comes Soul, one of the first specials to feature an all-African-American cast. Headlined by Lou Rawls, Joe Tex, Martha & The Vandellas, and featuring Slappy White, Redd Foxx, George Kirby, and Nipsey Russell, who doubles as announcer.

For what it's worth, Chelsea Brown would later join the cast of Laugh-In. The bit with Nipsey as a DJ is priceless.

"Show Me", the first song performed by Joe Tex, was later covered by country singer Barbara Mandrell. Whodathunk?

Rating: B.

On The Air: Flip Side (2024)

 More than a decade ago, Jaleel White got his feet wet as a game show host with SyFy's Total BlackOut, which lasted two seasons.

White is now hoping Flip Side lasts longer than that.

Flip Side bowed in syndication and on Game Show Network in September (GSN's production arm co-produces the show with Paramount), and it's a trip. Two teams of two compete for a $10,000 grand prize by answering survey questions, a la Family Feud, but with a twist, and that's where the show's title kicks in.

Following is a trailer from GSN.

A few years ago, White and his family appeared on Celebrity Family Feud, and White obliterated the Fast Money round. If Flip Side flops, and Fremantle decides to move on from Steve Harvey, Family Feud may be White's next gig.

I'd say he's putting Urkel in his rear view mirror for good, don't you?

Rating: A-.

Names making news

 NY Misrepresentative Elise Stefanik may not be serving another term in Congress after all.

While Stefanik was quietly re-elected last week, she ended the week accepting an appointment from President-Elect Donald Trump to be an ambassador to the United Nations, the same post that Nikki Haley had. Haley's sin, of course, in the eyes of the deranged Trump, was challenging him in the primaries, because he felt entitled to the nomination this year in the first place. I've read reports that the narcissist in Trump passed up the debates during primary season because he didn't want them to happen to start with.

Please. Stefanik, 40, sabotaged her reputation in New York by hitching her wagon to Trump to advance her career. I think she'd be well served to cram some learning of languages in the next two months.

A special election is likely to fill the suddenly vacant seat in Congress.

=========================================

Meanwhile, in Georgia, a certain misrepresentative who also was re-elected last week is trolling.

Empty-G, aka Marjorie Taylor Greene, is whining because there are peaceful protests over Trump's re-election victory six days ago. As Farron Cousins explains, the protesters are exercising their constitutional rights, something that Empty-G thinks is wrong.

Personally, I think Empty-G is ticked because she might've been angling for the gig that went to Stefanik.

==========================================

As Joyce Bassett reports in the Albany Times-Union today, actress-comedian-talk show host Whoopi Goldberg (The View) is talking up the prospect of an all women's sports network. ESPN tried that a few years ago (remember ESPNW?), and, apparently, it didn't pan out. Pretty cheeky how Bassett's column included a picture from 2002's "A League of Their Own", which is being parodied by Capital One pitchdoll Jennifer Garner in a commercial that got some good rotation over the summer.

Like, as long as the network gets off the ground, and replaces something like Newsnacks on cable systems, we're all for it.

==========================================

Rudy Goofiani is stalling on paying off his debt to Georgia's Ruby Freeman & Shay Moss.

Goofiani showed up at a polling place in Florida last week, as he apparently now has a residence there, in a vintage Mercedes that once belonged to film legend Lauren Bacall. That raised some red flags. Goofiani and his lawyer are trying to save some of the items, like a watch that is a personal heirloom. Freeman & Moss are ok with letting Goofiani keep the watch, but they're impatiently waiting for him to turn over everything else. He vacated & emptied his Manhattan apartment in an effort to hide some of the assets.

Please pick up the white courtesy phone, Rudy. Your career is over.

Musical Interlude: Don't Tell Me You Love Me (1982)

 Night Ranger had a relatively brief run on the charts in the early to mid 80's, and it started with 1982's "Don't Tell Me You Love Me".

In 1987, Jack Blades joined forces with Tommy Shaw & Ted Nugent to form Damn Yankees, which lasted two albums before that so-called supergroup called it a day.

Forgotten TV: The Going Thing (1969)

 Ford, in order to better promote its 1969 model line to a wider audience, assembled a pop group, which headlined a namesake special, The Going Thing, in the winter of 1969. What isn't actually sure is what network this aired on. Ford sponsored The F. B. I. on ABC, and Arte Johnson brought one of his Laugh-In alter-egos, Tyrone, for a rare solo gig. The Going Thing singers were largely unknown, except for Janis Hansen, who was also with Sergio Mendes' group at the time. Tom & John Bahler were the musical directors.

Producer-director Bob Henry would serve in that same capacity for Flip Wilson's NBC variety hour the next year.

No rating. Just a public service.

What Might've Been: Like Hep (1969)

 The success of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In prompted NBC to commission some additional entries from producers George Schlatter & Ed Friendly.

Like Hep, billed as a special, could, for all intents & purposes, have been a pilot for a potential series. Headlined by Dinah Shore, Like Hep was paced similarly to Laugh-In, with quick skits interspersed with musical numbers. Lucille Ball (Here's Lucy) and Diana Ross are the featured guests, with Dan Rowan, Dick Martin, and announcer Gary Owens crossing over from Laugh-In. Look quick for a cameo by Lorne Greene (Bonanza).

1969 was not really a good year for Schlatter. Not only did Like Hep not get picked up as a series, but there was also the infamous bomb, Turn On over on ABC, and a game show spun off from Laugh-In, Letters to Laugh-In, hosted by Owens, ran for a few months, and no further.

There was another pilot, Soul, not to be confused with the PBS series of the same name, and featuring Redd Foxx, Nipsey Russell, and musical guests Joe Tex and Martha & The Vandellas. We'll look at that another time.

Like Hep gets a B.

A Classic Reborn: Scrabble (2024)

 40 years ago, Australian producer Reg Grundy adapted Scrabble for television, specifically for NBC. That same year, young Raven-Symone was cast in The Cosby Show as the youngest daughter of Dr. Cliff Huxtable (Cosby). Scrabble lasted five years. Cosby ran nearly twice as long.

You don't see The Cosby Show in a lot of places anymore because of the scandal surrounding Cosby. Raven-Symone, meanwhile, has become a regular presence on television in her adult years. That's So Raven and its sequel, Raven's Home. A stint on The View. Now, she's hosting Scrabble.

Hasbro, following the lead of other game show revivals, is packing two half hour games in a one hour format (think ABC's revivals of Match Game and The S100,000 Pyramid), sold the new Scrabble to the CW as part of a two hour Thursday block with the similarly reformatted Trivial Pursuit, which we'll look at another day.

The game is basically the same as before, and it marks Hasbro's first inroad into broadcast television, as their previous series were produced for cable, including a previous iteration of Scrabble.

A Raven-Symone fan channel uploaded this excerpt.

Here's to hoping Raven fares better as a game show host than Cosby did (You Bet Your Life in the 90's).

Rating: A.

Musical Interlude: Judy in Disguise (With Glasses)(1967)

 Louisiana native John Fred Gourrier, the leader of John Fred & His Playboy Band, had just 1 Top 40 hit. "Judy in Disguise (With Glasses)" hit the top of the charts in January 1968, bumping the Beatles out of the top slot. Ironically, "Judy in Disguise" was a play on words after a sort of "Lucy in The Sky With Diamonds", another Beatles single.

In the end, America is not ready for a woman as president

 We have seen women become heads of state in England, India, Israel, Germany, and, most recently, Mexico.

Unfortunately, here in the US, a vast majority of voters decided to overlook the bigotry, misogyny, and, most importantly, 34 felony convictions, and decided to send Donald Trump back to the White House. They fell for the relentless attack ads manipulated to make Vice President Kamala Harris look bad that were in heavy rotation the last month of the campaign.

Trump ran to avoid full accountability for his crimes, and those convictions, handed down in May, will almost certainly be vacated, and his remaining criminal and civil trials will be cancelled. The voters bought into the lies about Harris being a "border czar", which wasn't true. To Harris' credit, she crammed 12-18 months worth of campaigning into 3 1/2 months, and we thought she had momentum on her side, including an appearance on Saturday Night Live alongside Maya Rudolph last weekend. NBC gave Trump a 90 second spot that aired Sunday, filled with the usual rhetoric.

In the end, America decided to again go with a familiar name, despite a younger, energetic opponent. Voters were willing to put aside the clown show 10 days ago at Madison Square Garden, filled with racist "jokes" and speeches. They gave in to fear. Some, we can argue, offered sympathy after a bullet grazed Trump's ear in a rally in Pennsylvania 4 months ago.

Eight years ago, Trump supporters chanted, "Lock her up!", in reference to Hillary Clinton, who never saw a second in jail after all. The fear the media has now is that Trump will surround himself with sycophants willing to do what he wants without question. It's been rumored that Trump's pet judge in Florida, Aileen Cannon, could be Attorney General, replacing Merrick Garland, as a reward for her bias in one of his cases. Cannon isn't even qualified to be a law clerk.

More than a century ago, Grover Cleveland was re-elected after losing his first bid for a second term. Today, he has some rather dubious company in Trump.

To the voters who finally gave Trump the popular vote, which he lost in 2016 & 2020, on his 3rd & final try, pray that the worst doesn't come to pass after all. But, due to your collective ignorance of facts & common sense, plus the fact that Trump was the worst president ever the first time around, you deserve this:

Quincy Jones (1933-2024)

 You know his iconic themes from Ironside and Sanford & Son. You know the hits he produced for George Benson ("Give Me The Night"), Michael Jackson ("Thriller"), USA For Africa ("We Are The World"), as well as Lesley Gore, Frank Sinatra, Count Basie, and much, much more. To his friends and fans, he was simply "Q".

On Sunday, Quincy Jones passed away at 91. The Chicago native was one of a select group to win entertainment's Grand Slam (Emmy, Oscar, Grammy, Tony) in the course of his career. Jones also composed the music for the Roots miniseries, and his 1962 composition, "Soul Bossa Nova", became the theme of Mike Myers' "Austin Powers" movies (1997-2002).

"Soul Bossa Nova" was released on Mercury. Jones then released "The Streetbeater" (the Sanford theme) on A & M in 1973. His final run on the charts came in 1989 when his album, "Back on The Block", produced the hit single, "I'll Be Good To You", sung by Ray Charles & Chaka Khan.

I thought about using a more recent rendition of "Soul Bossa Nova" from The Late Show With David Letterman, but opted for the 1962 recording.....

Jones was one of several celebrity guests who appeared in Jamie Foxx's video for "Blame It" in 2009.

Rest in peace.

On The Air: News, Views, & Interviews (1950's-present)

 News, Views, & Interviews is the longest running public affairs program on local commercial radio, launching sometime in the 50's, and hosted by Art Mitchell. Today, Aaron Mair is the solo host, working without a moderator, and, as we've documented in this space previously, the half hour show is reduced to 20 minutes or so when it airs Sunday mornings on WROW, which edits out the commercials.

Mair records the show in mid-week, and although he's been flying solo as host for 2 years now, Mair is still a wee bit nervous in the studio, even though he's the one conducting the interviews, not the interviewee.

Local activist Nell Stokes has not only been a guest in recent years, but, during the 90's, she hosted the show. Veteran DJ Joe Condon was the moderator until his retirement in 2022, but Albany/Pamal Broadcasting is too cheap to find a new moderator to help Mair along. Conversely, weekend DJ Bill Williams has taken over Albany Street after Brian Cady was bounced in February, and is rolling along nicely.

Ms. Stokes has her own YouTube channel, from which we get this 1995 episode, clocking in at 46 minutes, and, based on Condon's intro, aired at night. The guest is then-WNYT anchor Elaine Houston, who retired in December 2023.

I think Interviews also airs on other Albany Broadcasting channels with commercials in place (i.e.JAMZ 96.3). Today's episode with state assemblyman John McDonald, the former mayor of Cohoes, was set for 2 commercial breaks, but WROW bounced out at 6:20 am (ET) for Albany Street.

Rating: B.

Sports this 'n' that

 Hot stove league season has begun, with three prominent pitchers entering free agency.

The Mets' Sean Manaea opted out of his contract. So did Blake Snell in San Francisco, and Gerrit Cole with the Yankees.

World Series Dunce Gerrit Cole.

However, the Yankees, per Yahoo!, could retain Cole by adding another year to his deal, which had four more years to run.

The common thread, of course, is that all three pitchers are represented by reprehensible con man Scott Boras Badenov, who wants his myriad of clients to chase the money in free agency. He's the one to blame for the opt out clause in a lot of contracts. All this grifter is interested in is fattening his wallet even more than it already is.

The Mets, quite honestly, need Manaea back, but Boras instructed him to opt out after the season he had in Flushing. Snell wasn't exactly a Cy Young winner in San Francisco, so what make him & Boras think he'll make more money elsewhere? Cole, if he decides not to return to the Bronx, didn't endear himself to Yankee fans in the World Series with his "traffic cop" gaffe Wednesday night, but it was a sign that his best days are behind him, too.

The Yanks also declined the option on first baseman Anthony Rizzo, perhaps a sign they'd want to lure Pete Alonso away from the Mets. Hmmmmmmm.

============================================

Karma came a'callin' in Happy Valley Saturday morning.

Prior to the Penn State-Ohio State game, which aired on Fox, ESPN's College GameDay was in State College as well, and Jason Kelce, in his first season with ESPN, was confronted by a pea-brained Penn State student.

To make a long story short, this jabroni, with a cell phone in hand, recording the incident for his own amusement, claimed, falsely, of course, that Kelce's brother, Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce, was gay for being in a relationship with singer Taylor Swift.

I honestly think this kid either left his brains in his dorm this morning, or had already finished a six pack from the previous night, because he clearly was asking for trouble. Jason Kelce turned, snatched the phone, and spiked it to the ground. What was the student thinking?

As for the karma? Penn State got spanked by Ohio State.

===========================================

It's clear Michigan will not repeat as National Champion this year.

The Wolverines were routed at home, 38-17, by the current #1 team in the country, Oregon, this afternoon.

Then again, former coach Jim Harbaugh isn't exactly doing much better in the NFL with the Los Angeles Chargers.......

Dodgers win the World Series after a defensive tank job by the Yankees

 After signs of life in game 4 on Tuesday, the Yankees were looking to take the World Series back to Los Angeles by beating the Dodgers in game 5 on Wednesday night.

For four innings, it looked like mission accomplished. Gerrit Cole looked like an ace. Looked like the Cy Young award winner of a year ago. He held the Dodgers hitless through 4 innings.

But, in the 5th, Cole and the Yankees ran out of gas.

Aaron Judge, who put the Yankees up, 2-0, in the 1st with a homer, had a routine fly ball clank off his glove for an error. On the next play, Anthony Volpe tried a force out at 3rd, but the ball deflected off the glove of Jazz Chisholm, Jr. for another error.

Then, with the bases loaded, Mookie Betts hit a ground ball to 1st baseman Anthony Rizzo, but, instead of covering the bag, Cole directed traffic, and got caught catching flies as a run scored, and Betts sprinted to 1st without a throw. Next, Freddie Freeman locked up Series MVP honors with a double that plated two more runs, and he'd come around to score shortly thereafter, tying the game at 5 going into the home 5th.

Cole came back for the 6th, but he was clearly gassed.

Let's look at the highlights.

Cole and Juan Soto will be free agents, and agent Scott Boras Badenov will want them chasing the money. Cole is opting out of his contract, a Boras tactic, but that 5th inning may have been what wrote his ticket out of town if he does decide to leave.

And, for his gaffe in that 5th inning, Cole gets this:

We'll send one to Yankee manager Aaron Boone, who may have had his last game in the Bronx, as well. His decision making was questionable for much of the post-season.

As for the Dodgers, the passing of 1981 hero Fernando Valenzuela last week, after clinching the NL title, galvanized them even further. Small wonder a lot of people felt that tipped the Series in LA's favor.

Now, can the Dodgers repeat as champs? We'll find out this time next year.

Musical Interlude: It's a Mistake (1983)

 Men at Work's final single from 1983's "Cargo" was the satirical "It's a Mistake", which starts with some stop motion animation, then goes on as a musical anti war anthem.

The Bethlehem swatter's been found-------in Canada

 Last month, Bethlehem High was deluged with phone threats directed at the football team, among other things. One game was cancelled. A men's soccer match vs. the same opponent---Christian Brothers Academy----was postponed twice before it was finally played earlier this month, right before sectionals.

We're now learning that on October 25, an arrest was made-----in Canada. Specifically, Halifax, Nova Scotia. A 14 year old was charged with making the threats, but for now, the charges are only within Canadian confines.

"We're still working with the FBI. I hear they want to send this kid to New York, wherever that is!"

Since this Weasel is a juvenile, his name is not being released. It has been confirmed that this punk was spoofing internet IP's and phone numbers to keep authorities guessing. If you thought this was all a joke, son, it isn't.

Swatting calls can be hazardous, not only to law enforcement, but also innocent citizens targeted for no other reason than someone else's sick amusement. 

If only this dweeb would've done something even simpler, like Bart Simpson for example.

I think The Simpsons ultimately scaled back or retired the phone pranks.

In any case, in this writer's opinion, because of what happened at Bethlehem, based in Delmar, this kid should be extradited to Albany to be held accountable, tried as an adult, and get a few lessons on what real comedy is meant to be. As I've already spoiled, our Canadian John Doe is this week's Weasel of The Week.

What Might've Been: Born Free (1974)

Born Free, by Joy Adamson, was adapted into a TV series by Columbia Pictures Television and NBC in 1974, with Diana Muldaur as Adamson, an Gary Collins (ex-The Sixth Sense) as George Adamson in the tale about the Adamsons & their adopted pet lioness, Elsa.

NBC's mistake was putting the show on Mondays, opposite Gunsmoke (in its final season) and The Rookies. Thanks for coming. Born Free barely made it to Christmas.

At home, my folks were into Gunsmoke, and Born Free was barely, if at all, considered, so no rating.

In this sampler, Juliet Mills guests as a surgeon transitioning into a bush doctor traveling by plane. Hal Frederick (ex-The Interns) co-stars.

The episode reunited Mills with her former boss at 20th Century Fox, David Gerber, who was the executive producer of Nanny & The Professor, and had the same gig at Columbia on this series and a few others (i.e. Police Story).

On The Shelf: Some Halloween treats (?), and a local news weekly returns

 Ahead of their forthcoming animated series on Max, starting in December, the Creature Commandos have returned to comics.

Originally introduced in Weird War Tales (1st series) in 1980 as a World War II superteam, the Commandos have been rebooted and repackaged as a modern day unit that answers to General Wade Eiling, and, unbeknownst to the team, Brainiac is also involved.

You have a patchwork Monster of Frankenstein, "Lucky" Taylor, who can actually speak in this series. Vincent Velcro, the vampire, is now presented as a modern day teenage or 20-something punk with a criminal record (the original Velcro, aka Velcoro, was an Army deserter). The werewolf is now a woman, Wanda Griffith (the original was a Southern boy, Warren Griffith, with a speech impediment). Dr. Medusa is still around, and Matthew Shrieve, the team's commanding officer in the original series, has been rebooted as well, now with a prosthetic, weaponized left arm.

The splash page offers a direct shot at Marvel with the logo design recalling early 70's Marvel, before Stan Lee put his name on every splash page. The use of Brainiac almost guarantees some Justice League involvement in this 6 issue series, written by actor David Dastmalchian. We'll see how this plays out.

Rating: B.

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For 36 years (1978-2014), Metroland was an alternative news weekly that covered just about everything. In its pages. It also introduced readers to writer-artist Matt Groening, whose Life is Hell strip predated The Simpsons by a few years.

As of Friday, Metroland is back.

Singer-songwriter-stand up comic Erin Harkes acquired the rights to Metroland earlier this year, and the first issue in 10 years dropped on Friday, and it's like it never left. Former writers like OP Callaghan, Byron Nilsson, and Al Quaglieri have moved on, and Harkes has rebooted with a new staff. The energy is there, and a few advertisers (i.e. MVP Arena) from the old days are on board.

Thank you, Erin.

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Marvel's annual Crypt of Shadows 1-shot is more of the same as last year, this year hosted by their rebooted Agatha Harkness as a means of promoting Disney+'s Agatha All Along. This volume includes a Blade team-up with Jack Russell, the original Werewolf by Night, predating the events of the Blood Hunt miniseries, and Namor & Man-Thing are an unlikely pairing.

Rating: B--.

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Archie Comics figured that in order to sell more copies of their annual Halloween Spectacular 1-shot, they needed to add Archie Andrews himself to the mix, along with Betty, Veronica, and Jughead.

The usual all-new 5 page story has the gang meeting Sabrina's nemesis, Amber Nightstone, and the Wicked Trinity. Unfortunately, writer Ian Flynn took the Image Comics approach, and dropped us right in the middle of the action, which is always a mistake in my book. While Jug is supposed to be a Frankenstein Monster, despite that omnipresent beanie, the colorist forgot to add the green makeup on the cover. Archie does not turn into a werewolf in the story, contrary to said cover, though Sabrina does wear the same outfit, fishnet stockings included.

As for Amber, what self-respecting witch actually wears fangs?

The reprints are of more recent vintage, including appearances by the Superteens and Mighty Crusaders.

The covers declares this volume as "The official comic book of Halloween". No, it isn't, when your lead story is just 5 pages. This should've been a book lengther. We love the artwork from Steven & Lila Butler, but Flynn needs to remember how to write longer stories.

Rating: B-.

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DC Horror in 2024 lacks the hosts of yore, which were co-opted by Neil Gaiman, Alan Moore, et al, 40 years ago, and the aforementioned David Dastmalchian is heard from again with a Dollhouse story that, if you're not familiar with the concept, will confuse you. Superman does not appear, as the cover is misleading. Wonder Woman does figure into the 2nd story, but it is forgettable.

Rating; C-.

The worst kind of political smear is when an innocent voter's remarks are used for the wrong reasons

 A supposedly non-partisan political action committee (PAC) is under fire for using footage of an NBC News interview with a Philadelphia woman without the woman's consent in a pro-Donald Trump ad. 

The Restoration PAC cherry-picked portions of an interview Kim Burrell gave to NBC in July, before President Joe Biden ended his re-election bid to continue a national smear campaign against VP Kamala Harris. NBC did a follow-up so Burrell can set the record straight.

Unsurprisingly, reps for Restoration and the Trump campaign refused to respond to NBC's requests for comment. Whomever created the ad under the Restoration banner was in the tank for Trump, and, for all we know, could've been working independently to do a solid for the former president. The last thing Trump needs, of course, is another defamation lawsuit tied to him.

Stay tuned.

World Series 2024 preview

 There are those that will claim Major League Baseball & Fox got what they wanted for the World Series, which begins tonight in Los Angeles.

They wanted the two biggest stars in the game, the Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani and the Yankees' Aaron Judge, both in their first Fall Classic, on the biggest stage, and they got it. To them, the dreams of another Subway Series between the Mets & Yankees would have to wait.

Confined to DH as he recovers from Tommy John surgery, Ohtani had a season for the ages. Only San Diego's Luis Arraez winning the batting title kept Ohtani from the NL Triple Crown. Judge was just being his usual self, part of an imposing middle of the batting order, flanked by Juan Soto, Giancarlo Stanton, and/or Austin Wells, the latter of whom had a breakout season, while Stanton regained his power stroke in the AL playoffs.

In the Dodgers' defense, the Mets did them a favor by ousting NL East champ Philadelphia, adding to the misery of Phillies slugger Bryce Harper, who left Washington for Philly before the Nationals won it all 5 years ago. Soto was a part of that 2019 Washington club, and now seeks his 2nd ring.

Winning another title would give the Yanks a chance to re-sign Soto to a longer contract, although Soto's agent, Scott Boras Badenov, would rather have Soto chase the money and seek his fortunes elsewhere. Boras doesn't get it. His shell game tactics are dying out, but that's for another time.

New York's already seen one tickertape parade this week (The WNBA's Liberty), and would love to have another if the Yankees avenge their 1981 loss. Gerrit Cole takes the ball tonight for the Yanks, opposed by Jack Flaherty. Ohtani aside, the Dodgers do have some issues on offense, with the questionable health of Freddie Freeman, who's also seeking his 2nd ring (Atlanta 2021), nursing an ankle injury.

For the pride of New York, the pick is the Yankees in 7.

Of course, I could be wrong.

The desperation is strong in 518 Republicans

 12 days before election day, and the desperation in the Republican party has hit close to home.

In radio ads, state assemblyman Phil Steck's campaign, while not saying his opponent's name, is tying Republican challenger Jeff Madden to Ohio junior senator and GOP VP wanna-be JD Vance, stating that Madden is parroting GOP falsehoods in an effort to malign Steck.

Steck and his campaign won't say Madden's name to avoid giving him any free publicity. In other words, the challenger has to earn his bones, if you will. Much like Marc Molinaro's campaign is smearing challenger Josh Riley, Madden reportedly has accused Steck in relation to illegal immigrants entering the country.

The immigration issue is exaggerated. This country was built on immigration, remember, but today's GOP wants you to think that all migrants crossing from Central or South America are bad. They're not. 

And, then, there is Joe Mastroianni.

Mastroianni is also looking to unseat a veteran assemblyman in Angelo Santabarbara. It was on the news overnight and this morning that Mastroianni had taken a campaign flier mailed by Santabarbara's campaign out of a prospective voter's mailbox, subbing in one of his own, pocketing the rival flier, and walking off, ignorant of the fact that this was caught on video.

This case has gone national, as Jesse Dollemore will explain.

Let's be clear. Neither Madden nor Mastroianni has even a shooter's chance of winning in 12 days. This is desperation in its purest form. Mastroianni is lying and deflecting. Chuck Miller's take on this earlier today is worth a look:

Hey! Real “election interference” in the Capital District, caught on video! – Chuck The Writer

And Donald Trump and his flacks want to whine about "election interference" when it isn't happening? That's become boring. The real interference is from Mastroianni, resorting to a form of voter suppression, basically trying to force the voter to vote for him. That ain't happening, especially now that this case has gotten mainstream attention.

Steck & Santabarbara will be just fine. In four years two more wanna-bes will try to topple them. Life will go on, and Madden & Mastroianni will be footnotes in history.