Science fiction author Ray Bradbury passed away yesterday at 91.
Some of Bradbury's best known works, including Farenheit 451 & The Martian Chronicles, have been adapted for television and/or the movies, allowing Bradbury the status of becoming a cultural icon in his field. In 1985, Bradbury made the move to television himself, as the host of an HBO anthology series that bore his name. Reruns of Ray Bradbury Theatre would later air on USA Network after its pay-cable run ended.
Here's the intro to Ray Bradbury Theatre:
As host, Bradbury was cordial and pleasant. I don't think he ever acted in any of the episodes aside from being host.
Rest in peace, Ray. You will be missed.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Celebrity Rock: The Boys Are Back in Town (1986)
Michael "P. S." Hayes (The PS stood, supposedly, for "purely sexy") was 1/3 of the wrestling tag team known as the Fabulous Freebirds, who were one of the most respected, reviled, and revered teams in the wrestling business in the 80's. Hayes, however, was also a bit of a visionary. His team was one of the first to use rock music for an entrance theme, and Hayes recorded what would be their seminal theme song, "Badstreet, USA", about the team's "hometown" of Atlanta.
4 years later, while working for Bill Watts' Universal Wrestling Federation (UWF), Hayes went back to the recording studio and recorded a cover of Thin Lizzy's "The Boys Are Back in Town". The video premiered on UWF television, as you can tell from the teaser graphic at the end of the following clip, promoting a tag match Hayes would compete in later in the broadcast.
When the UWF was bought out by a rival promoter, Hayes returned to World Class Championship Wrestling in Texas. I can recall him actually doing some singing down there, too, most notably, a cover of Otis Redding's "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay". At the time, World Class had begun airing on MSG Network, which back then was a premium channel, and in those days, you could tune in to a scrambled picture and just enjoy the audio. These days, Hayes works for WWE as one of its head writers, but he's also been known to put his Badstreet Band back together for the occasional gig.
Here's "The Boys Are Back in Town":
4 years later, while working for Bill Watts' Universal Wrestling Federation (UWF), Hayes went back to the recording studio and recorded a cover of Thin Lizzy's "The Boys Are Back in Town". The video premiered on UWF television, as you can tell from the teaser graphic at the end of the following clip, promoting a tag match Hayes would compete in later in the broadcast.
When the UWF was bought out by a rival promoter, Hayes returned to World Class Championship Wrestling in Texas. I can recall him actually doing some singing down there, too, most notably, a cover of Otis Redding's "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay". At the time, World Class had begun airing on MSG Network, which back then was a premium channel, and in those days, you could tune in to a scrambled picture and just enjoy the audio. These days, Hayes works for WWE as one of its head writers, but he's also been known to put his Badstreet Band back together for the occasional gig.
Here's "The Boys Are Back in Town":
Monday, June 4, 2012
Classic TV: Hogan's Heroes (1965)
In 1965, McHale's Navy began its 4th & final season on ABC, but the series had shifted locations, with the crew of the PT73 now in Italy. In today's parlance, that would mean it jumped the shark.
While McHale demonstrated that the sitcom formula that Phil Silvers had mined a few years earlier could work in the context of a series set in World War II, Hogan's Heroes raised the bar. Also set in World War II, this CBS offering placed a group of prisoners of war (POW's) in Stalag 13 in Germany, but these weren't your ordinary prisoners. Instead, they ran what amounted to an underground railroad within the confines of the camp itself!
Air Force Col. Robert Hogan (Bob Crane) was the senior officer among the POW's, and, understandably, was also the team leader. Sgt. Andrew Carter (Larry Hovis), though presented as dumber than a bag of hammers most of the time, was also a chemist and one of two mimics on the team. The other was Cpl. Peter Newkirk (Richard Dawson), who also designed the disguises the team wore. Sgt. James Kinchloe (Ivan Dixon) was the communications ace, and LeBeau (Robert Clary) was the master chef who kept Sgt. Schultz (John Banner) busy with strudel and other delights. Otherwise, LeBeau was usually sent ahead on recon if needed.
Camp Commandant Wilhelm Klink (Werner Klemperer) was so sure no one could escape from Stalag 13, that he bragged about it at every opportunity. Unbeknownst to him, there were tunnels all over the joint, which allowed Hogan and his men to ferry other prisoners off to safety under the collective noses of the German army, including Major Hochstetter of the Gestapo (Howard Caine).
Technically a sitcom, Hogan's Heroes should really be filed under comedy-adventure, what with the occasional missions that were crucial to the plots of some episodes. The series lasted six seasons, and in the last season, Ivan Dixon left the show, replaced by Kenneth Washington as Baker, who replaced Kinchloe as the communications officer.
With the passing of Richard Dawson over the weekend, only Robert Clary remains from the show's core cast. Post-Heroes, Clary, like Dawson, ventured into daytime televison, only in his case, it was a lengthy run on Days of Our Lives. Dixon moved on to become a director, Hovis' last series was a revival of the game show, Liars Club, during the 70's, Banner followed up Heroes almost immediately with the short-lived Chicago Teddy Bears, co-starring with Dean Jones & Art Metrano. Bob Crane landed a self-titled sitcom and made a few movies, including "Superdad" for Disney, but everyone knows the rest of his story. I believe Washington is still around, but like Clary, is retired.
Here's the intro that you all remember:
The series has most recently aired on Me-TV & Universal HD. So far, no word about a tribute marathon in honor of Dawson, who passed away on Saturday.
Rating: A.
While McHale demonstrated that the sitcom formula that Phil Silvers had mined a few years earlier could work in the context of a series set in World War II, Hogan's Heroes raised the bar. Also set in World War II, this CBS offering placed a group of prisoners of war (POW's) in Stalag 13 in Germany, but these weren't your ordinary prisoners. Instead, they ran what amounted to an underground railroad within the confines of the camp itself!
Air Force Col. Robert Hogan (Bob Crane) was the senior officer among the POW's, and, understandably, was also the team leader. Sgt. Andrew Carter (Larry Hovis), though presented as dumber than a bag of hammers most of the time, was also a chemist and one of two mimics on the team. The other was Cpl. Peter Newkirk (Richard Dawson), who also designed the disguises the team wore. Sgt. James Kinchloe (Ivan Dixon) was the communications ace, and LeBeau (Robert Clary) was the master chef who kept Sgt. Schultz (John Banner) busy with strudel and other delights. Otherwise, LeBeau was usually sent ahead on recon if needed.
Camp Commandant Wilhelm Klink (Werner Klemperer) was so sure no one could escape from Stalag 13, that he bragged about it at every opportunity. Unbeknownst to him, there were tunnels all over the joint, which allowed Hogan and his men to ferry other prisoners off to safety under the collective noses of the German army, including Major Hochstetter of the Gestapo (Howard Caine).
Technically a sitcom, Hogan's Heroes should really be filed under comedy-adventure, what with the occasional missions that were crucial to the plots of some episodes. The series lasted six seasons, and in the last season, Ivan Dixon left the show, replaced by Kenneth Washington as Baker, who replaced Kinchloe as the communications officer.
With the passing of Richard Dawson over the weekend, only Robert Clary remains from the show's core cast. Post-Heroes, Clary, like Dawson, ventured into daytime televison, only in his case, it was a lengthy run on Days of Our Lives. Dixon moved on to become a director, Hovis' last series was a revival of the game show, Liars Club, during the 70's, Banner followed up Heroes almost immediately with the short-lived Chicago Teddy Bears, co-starring with Dean Jones & Art Metrano. Bob Crane landed a self-titled sitcom and made a few movies, including "Superdad" for Disney, but everyone knows the rest of his story. I believe Washington is still around, but like Clary, is retired.
Here's the intro that you all remember:
The series has most recently aired on Me-TV & Universal HD. So far, no word about a tribute marathon in honor of Dawson, who passed away on Saturday.
Rating: A.
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Musical Interlude: Tall Dark Stranger (1969)
Buck Owens released "Tall Dark Stranger", both the album and the single, in 1969, right around the time when Hee Haw hit the air, if memory serves. I remember hearing this on the radio one morning before going to school, and nearly 40 years later, I was able to find the video on YouTube.
Richard Dawson (1932-2012)
He first made his mark with American audiences as Corporal Peter Newkirk on Hogan's Heroes (1965-71), and then reinvented himself as a game show icon, starting with a stint as a regular panelist on the revivals of I've Got a Secret (1972-3) and Match Game (1973-78) before achieving iconic status as the original host of Family Feud (1976-85, 1994-5). Today, game show fans and all of Hollywood are mourning the passing of Richard Dawson at 79 from throat cancer.
Dawson wasn't content with limiting himself to comedy. He also did some dramatic work, appearing in the movies, "The Devil's Brigade" & "The Running Man", the latter with Arnold Schwarzenegger & Jesse Ventura in 1987, and in an episode of McCloud during the 70's. He also appeared in "Munster Go Home", the 2nd theatrical spinoff from The Munsters. His other television credits include guest appearances on The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, and The New Dick Van Dyke Show. Dawson's first MC gig was another revival, Masquerade Party, in 1974, but that series, like the revival of Secret, lasted one year.
Dawson is known to cartoon fans for a brief stint in the 70's with Hanna-Barbera, having guested on Hong Kong Phooey in 1974, and before that had worked on the studio's adaptation of Oliver Twist, Oliver & The Artful Dodger, for The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie.
Let's go back to the beginning of Family Feud with the first episode from 1976:
Rest in peace, Richard.
Dawson wasn't content with limiting himself to comedy. He also did some dramatic work, appearing in the movies, "The Devil's Brigade" & "The Running Man", the latter with Arnold Schwarzenegger & Jesse Ventura in 1987, and in an episode of McCloud during the 70's. He also appeared in "Munster Go Home", the 2nd theatrical spinoff from The Munsters. His other television credits include guest appearances on The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, and The New Dick Van Dyke Show. Dawson's first MC gig was another revival, Masquerade Party, in 1974, but that series, like the revival of Secret, lasted one year.
Dawson is known to cartoon fans for a brief stint in the 70's with Hanna-Barbera, having guested on Hong Kong Phooey in 1974, and before that had worked on the studio's adaptation of Oliver Twist, Oliver & The Artful Dodger, for The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie.
Let's go back to the beginning of Family Feud with the first episode from 1976:
Rest in peace, Richard.
Friday, June 1, 2012
The Mets finally get the biggest monkey off their backs
50 years. Over 8,000 games. Headed into tonight's game with the defending World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals, with former teammate Carlos Beltran returning to New York for the first time since he was traded to San Francisco 11 months ago, the Mets had never had a no-hitter.
The list of pitchers who've hurled no-no's after leaving Flushing Meadows, Queens, includes a pair of Hall of Famers in Nolan Ryan (7) and Tom Seaver, who hurled his after he'd been traded to Cincinnati. Dwight Gooden & David Cone had theirs across town with the Yankees. Philip Humber, a prized prospect a few short years ago, hurled one just a few weeks ago for the Chicago White Sox.
Tonight, Mets ace Johan Santana, making a case for Comeback Player of the Year after missing all of 2011 recovering from shoulder surgery, used veteran guile, and got a little help from Lady Luck, in taking the biggest monkey on the Mets' collective backs and tossing it aside, once and for all. Setting a new career high with 134 pitches, Santana struck out World Series hero David Freese to end the game. Santana's gem was by no means perfect. He'd walked five. Beltran nearly spoiled the party in the 6th inning, but a drive to left was ruled foul even though it clearly struck the chalk line before crossing into foul territory. Umpire Adrian Johnson held firm on his ruling. How often has that happened in cases like this? Had Beltran been credited with a hit, it would've been business as usual. Instead, Santana continued on course with destiny. The Mets' offense did the rest, putting the game away with 6 runs in the 7th off St. Louis starter Adam Wainwright, the same man who closed the door on the Mets' pennant hopes 6 years earlier in the NLCS as the Cards' closer. Poetic justice? Perhaps.
The injury plague that has cursed the Mets since Citi Field opened 3 years ago struck again, with outfielder Mike Baxter the latest victim. He made a highlight reel catch in the 7th, crashing into the left field wall to brace himself, but had to be helped off the field. It was later reported he'd suffered a contusion in his left shoulder. However, the plague would not deter Santana. The final score reads, Mets 8, Cardinals 0. Perhaps it is a sign that maybe, just maybe, the Mets, once again, are meant to be destiny's children come October, just as they were in 1969 and 1986. It took 17 years between those titles. This year, should the Mets make the playoffs and reach the Series, would be 16 years between titles if they go all the way and win. Right now, you have to believe they are the team no one wants to face. Well, no one that's expected to be a playoff team, anyway. The no-hitter may be just part of the plan, after all.
The list of pitchers who've hurled no-no's after leaving Flushing Meadows, Queens, includes a pair of Hall of Famers in Nolan Ryan (7) and Tom Seaver, who hurled his after he'd been traded to Cincinnati. Dwight Gooden & David Cone had theirs across town with the Yankees. Philip Humber, a prized prospect a few short years ago, hurled one just a few weeks ago for the Chicago White Sox.
Tonight, Mets ace Johan Santana, making a case for Comeback Player of the Year after missing all of 2011 recovering from shoulder surgery, used veteran guile, and got a little help from Lady Luck, in taking the biggest monkey on the Mets' collective backs and tossing it aside, once and for all. Setting a new career high with 134 pitches, Santana struck out World Series hero David Freese to end the game. Santana's gem was by no means perfect. He'd walked five. Beltran nearly spoiled the party in the 6th inning, but a drive to left was ruled foul even though it clearly struck the chalk line before crossing into foul territory. Umpire Adrian Johnson held firm on his ruling. How often has that happened in cases like this? Had Beltran been credited with a hit, it would've been business as usual. Instead, Santana continued on course with destiny. The Mets' offense did the rest, putting the game away with 6 runs in the 7th off St. Louis starter Adam Wainwright, the same man who closed the door on the Mets' pennant hopes 6 years earlier in the NLCS as the Cards' closer. Poetic justice? Perhaps.
The injury plague that has cursed the Mets since Citi Field opened 3 years ago struck again, with outfielder Mike Baxter the latest victim. He made a highlight reel catch in the 7th, crashing into the left field wall to brace himself, but had to be helped off the field. It was later reported he'd suffered a contusion in his left shoulder. However, the plague would not deter Santana. The final score reads, Mets 8, Cardinals 0. Perhaps it is a sign that maybe, just maybe, the Mets, once again, are meant to be destiny's children come October, just as they were in 1969 and 1986. It took 17 years between those titles. This year, should the Mets make the playoffs and reach the Series, would be 16 years between titles if they go all the way and win. Right now, you have to believe they are the team no one wants to face. Well, no one that's expected to be a playoff team, anyway. The no-hitter may be just part of the plan, after all.
Death hits another triple
The Grim Reaper has been busy lately, with three obituaries to pass along.
We start in basketball, with two passings. Orlando Woolridge played for a number of teams, including the New Jersey (now Brooklyn) Nets, during the 80's & 90's, and passed away earlier this week at 52. Jack Twyman was not only a star player in the NBA's early years, but also a humanitarian who became the legal guardian of teammate Maurice Stokes when Stokes had to deal with debilitating illness that ended his career prematurely. Twyman passed away at 78.
Cartoon lovers will recognize this next name. Dick Beals specialized in child voices, and the reason for that was a glandular condition that prevented Beals from reaching puberty, at least in terms of his voice changing. Beals, who passed away on Tuesday at 85, is best remembered in cartoon circles for Davey & Goliath (he was the original Davey), Frankenstein, Jr. (as juvenile scientist Buzz Conroy), and Birdman (as Birdboy), but historians also will link him to commercials, such as this vintage ad for Alka-Seltzer when it first hit store shelves in 1954........
Rest in peace, gentlemen. You will all be missed.
We start in basketball, with two passings. Orlando Woolridge played for a number of teams, including the New Jersey (now Brooklyn) Nets, during the 80's & 90's, and passed away earlier this week at 52. Jack Twyman was not only a star player in the NBA's early years, but also a humanitarian who became the legal guardian of teammate Maurice Stokes when Stokes had to deal with debilitating illness that ended his career prematurely. Twyman passed away at 78.
Cartoon lovers will recognize this next name. Dick Beals specialized in child voices, and the reason for that was a glandular condition that prevented Beals from reaching puberty, at least in terms of his voice changing. Beals, who passed away on Tuesday at 85, is best remembered in cartoon circles for Davey & Goliath (he was the original Davey), Frankenstein, Jr. (as juvenile scientist Buzz Conroy), and Birdman (as Birdboy), but historians also will link him to commercials, such as this vintage ad for Alka-Seltzer when it first hit store shelves in 1954........
Rest in peace, gentlemen. You will all be missed.
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