Advertising for Dummies: Miller High Life goes to the dogs (2010)

You've seen this spot a zillion times during sports programming in recent months, but this simply couldn't be passed up. The Westminster Kennel Club's annual dog show takes place every February, right around Valentine's Day, at Madison Square Garden. This year, Miller Brewing and their ad agency thought it might be a good idea to shoot a commercial backstage at the dog show as part of a new series of ads where they're not only pitching traditional Miller High Life, but the new Miller High Life Light (not to be confused with Miller Lite). Moonbatty uploaded this 30 seconds of silliness to YouTube:



You know, of course, that the Miller spots over the last 4 years have brought some rewards for actor Windell Middlebrooks, who landed a gig on Disney Channel's Suite Life on Deck as a result. He's not given much to do aboard the S. S. Tipton, but maybe the Sprouse twins can get him into a commercial with them for Dannon yogurt..........

Countdown to Christmas: Run-DMC's Christmas in Hollis (1987)

From the 1st "A Very Special Christmas" CD is an amusing number from hip-hop icons Run-DMC, who have a VEVO channel on YouTube, from whence we bring you "Christmas in Hollis":



Apparently, Santa hasn't had time to discipline some of his elves.......

On DVD: Famous TV Detectives (1957-63)

For once, Alpha Video didn't completely deliver the goods on one of their video compilations. "Famous TV Detectives" brings together episodes of Peter Gunn, Burke's Law, & Richard Diamond, Private Detective, but while the episodes themselves are entertaining, there are a couple of issues I have with this package. We'll start with Richard Diamond, which finishes the disc.

There are two episodes of Diamond presented here, neither of which features Diamond's sexy "secretary", after a fashion, Sam, so any hope of seeing some early Mary Tyler Moore goes out the proverbial window. One episode, "Picture of Fear", appeared on an earlier compilation I'd acquired from Radio Spirits a while back, but the advantage Alpha has on their print is the use of original commercials as they were first presented, in this case for Maxwell House coffee. Diamond had started on radio with Four Star co-founder Dick Powell in the title role. The TV version launched David Janssen (later of The Fugitive, among others) into stardom. Regis Toomey (Burke's Law) turns up in the 2nd episode.

Updated, 9/10/13: Here's "Picture of Fear:



Speaking of Burke, "Who Killed Jason Shaw?", from 1963, features the likes of Tammy Grimes, Keenan Wynn, and Burgess Meredith among the guest stars. However, the villain of the piece is a suspect you'd least expect. A classic whodunit done right. Where Alpha fails, however, is deleting the Four Star logo at the end of the show (the famous banner logo had not yet been created during Diamond's run). Sci-fi fans will remember Gary Conway for his later starring gig on Land of the Giants.

Updated, 9/17/13: Here is "Who Killed Jason Shaw?":



The biggest, most glaring problem comes with Peter Gunn, which still airs 5-6 days a week on RTV (check local listings), making it easy to recognize that Alpha subbed out Henry Mancini's famous theme song for a bargain basket imitation, done strictly on the piano. I discussed this with my brother the other day, and he opined that it might be because Alpha wasn't willing to pony up royalty fees to Mancini's estate. Certainly seems that way. I had a VHS compilation of Gunn that had the iconic theme intact. Of course, Alpha shamelessly acknowledges their "special edition" of Gunn was issued in 2008.

We cannot overlook the fact that the 2nd of the two Gunn episodes offered here features Ross Martin (Wild, Wild West) who was co-starring on another series from the same producers, Mr. Lucky, around the time Gunn was on the air, I believe. Has anyone ever wondered if Craig Stevens (Gunn) was separated at birth from Jack Webb (Dragnet)? In some cases, their facials are almost the same.

Edit: 4/11/14: Here's "The Fuse", with Ross Martin:



So, out of the three shows, only Richard Diamond goes unscathed.

Ratings:

Richard Diamond: A-.
Burke's Law: A. (We'll forgive the lack of a logo)
Peter Gunn: B--(points taken off for phony theme music, though the above clip has the classic theme).

Leslie Nielsen (1926-2010)

Word has just gone over the wires of the passing of actor Leslie Nielsen at the age of 84 after a battle with pneumonia.

Nielsen distinguished himself as both a dramatic & comic actor, appearing in films as diverse as "Forbidden Planet" & "The Reluctant Astronaut" before 1980's "Airplane!" re-established Nielsen as a gifted comic performer. On television, Nielsen starred in The New Breed, The Bold Ones: The Protectors, Bracken's World, and Police Squad!, the latter of which was spun off into a series of feature films under the "Naked Gun" title. Nielsen also was cast in a live-action feature film version of the venerable Mr. Magoo animated shorts, but that film ran into criticism from advocacy groups over the exploitation of nearsighted persons such as Magoo.

In recent times, Nielsen had returned to dramatic acting, starring in a one-man Broadway production, "Darrow", a biography of famed lawyer Clarence Darrow. I would not be at all surprised to find tributes on the cable channels in the form of marathons of movies and/or Police Squad! over the next few days.

Rest in peace, Leslie. You'll be missed.

Edit, 2/2/24: Following is an intro from Police Squad!:

Weasel of the Week: Michael Brea

Mr. Brea is a struggling actor, whose only credit of note was a gig on Ugly Betty a while back. Brea made headlines this week when he brought home a Masonic sword, then proceeded to slash his own mother to death, claiming that she was possessed by the devil. Brea claimed it was "God's will". I call it blasphemy, as well as murder.

If I had a dollar for all the people who used this same excuse for their crimes, I'd be rich. Let's face facts, folks. Michael Brea is the one who is not of sound mind, deceived by voices in his head that he thinks are coming from God. His mother didn't deserve this, right before Thanksgiving. Appropriately, Michael Brea, as of press time, is at Bellevue in New York, in their prison ward. He let his frustration over being unable to land another acting gig distort his sense of reality.

The articles I read tell of a quiet young man, and, predictably, those around him cannot understand why Brea attacked his own mother. This scene has played out so many times, it has become a cliche unto itself. Brea's actions suggest that he, not his mother, was possessed. For him to claim he was acting as an agent of God is a hollow, defensive mechanism. Any lawyer that buys into this will begin arguing for an insanity defense. Did Brea really know what he was doing? That will be for the courts to decide. For now, he gets a set of weasel ears for his blasphemy after the fact.

Thanksgiving Toons: A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (1973)

8 years after the seminal A Charlie Brown Christmas premiered on CBS, the Peanuts gang added a Thanksgiving tradition, which had its 2010 airing on November 18 on ABC. A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving has the usual slapstick comedy from Snoopy & Woodstock, and the ageless gag of Lucy playing a football prank on Charlie Brown. Udontknowwhatluvis uploaded this clip to YouTube, showcasing Linus, who leads the gang in a Thanksgiving prayer:



You'll notice that Peppermint Patty sounds more like a boy. Well, it turns out that, in fact, in a rare reversal of casting tradition, the producers actually cast boys to voice Patty and her best friend, Marcie. As women have done boys' voices for years, a tradition that continues today with Nancy Cartwright on The Simpsons, they figured, why not go in the other direction? As you probably noticed, it didn't quite work out so well.

Rating: A-.

Common sense wins the last dance

After all the drama over the last few weeks, intensified by scandalous accusations, Dancing With The Stars wrapped its fall season Tuesday night, and in the end, age prevailed over youth and politics.

Actress Jennifer Grey, who'd led the competition virtually from the start, outpointed Kyle Massey (ex-That's So Raven) and Bristol Palin in the final round to claim the mirrorball trophy with professional dance partner Derek Hough. In the end, the Tea Party's efforts to carry Ms. Palin over the top were nullified. Publicity surrounding rumors of fake e-mail addresses and other means of "ballot stuffing" prompted a record-setting number of calls following Monday's broadcast. It seems that for every vote for Ms. Palin was answered with at least 2 or 3 more for her competition, as if America was saying, we don't want this show tampered with by political agendas. Amen!

Dancing is set to return in the spring, hopefully without the stunt casting that caused so much trouble this time......