On Television Classics...

This Blog Is Coming Back

AM Caro — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 14:02:00 GMT

I may have written something like this in the past but this time I really mean it. You will begin to see a lot of new entries on this blog as I once again rev up my reviews and retrospectives of classic television.

I want to thank the thousands of people who still visit the site to read the older entries. Your participation is appreciated.

I have had some inspiration this week as I started watching old, classic TV on Hulu.com and it opened the doors of inspiration for me to start putting this blog to work once again.

The question some of you might be wondering is why did I stop writing this blog? Did I lose my passion for old (and new) TV?

The reasons for my ceasing to add new entries to this blog and my other blogs was simply a matter of logistics. I lost the primary sponsorship to stick with it. I don’t want to go into details but there blog advertisement world was a great deal healthier five years ago than it was today. By trade, I am a professional copywriter and with business being what it is in a bad economy, I could not dedicate the time to write on this blog at a loss when my primary writing gig was suffering from a decline in revenues.

As you can see, I never cancelled the blog and always had an intention of returning to it and relaunching new reviews and retrospectives.

The Classic Quincy Show Open

AM Caro — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 16:06:00 GMT

The just don’t make TV intros like this anymore. This is not to say there aren’t many creative people out there. The main difference today is show openings do not seek to sell anyone on a show. In the 1970’s, when a television show debuted, the intro really had to act a lot like the trailer for a movie. There was no internet in those days so the only info about a television program you were likely to get was previews on the network, a description in TV guide, or a review in the newspaper. So, the opening of the program really had to intrigue you and sell you on it or else you just might flip the channel. Granted, Quincy ran with this opening for the entirety of its 8 year run long after the show was established but they weren't exactly going to shorten the classic intro people were already familiar with.

Upcoming Rockford Files Feature

AM Caro — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 16:21:00 GMT

Hi all.

Sorry it has been a while since I added a new update to the blog, but I have been fairly bogged down with my regular day job. (Aren't we all) Plus, the current article that I have been working on was original supposed to be an entry in our "Looking at the First Season" feature department. I had selected the first season of THE ROCKFORD FILES and there is so much interesting material in the classic James Garner series I am re-writing this feature to cover a more in depth analysis of the character and the series. I had not watched the series since the early 1980's and, trust me, the series has held up tremendously over the years. Really, THE ROCKFORD FILES is one of the most underrated great televisions series in history. Look for the in depth feature in the upcoming weeks.

A Few Brief Words on ROUTE 66

AM Caro — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 18:36:00 GMT

Forgive me as this was supposed to be a lengthy entry about the ROUTE 66 episodes I have been watching but due to some time constraints this week I have been unable to finish editing the raw thoughts I have jotted down. So, what I will do is add some MORE raw thoughts and publish them right on this blog. Hey, it is better than doing nothing at all isn't it?

Seriously, when I watch ROUTE 66 nothing strikes me more than the fact that the series is one of the best of the anthology series of the 1960's. Yes, most people will point to THE FUGITIVE as the prototypical program that created the concept of the hero who wanders from town to town, adventure to adventure but it was ROUTE 66 that really developed this concept. Of course, THE FUGITIVE added the unique dramatic dimension of the hero being falsely accused of a crime and being pursued by someone. (We saw this plot device employed time and time again in KUNG FU, THE INCREDIBLE HULK, WEREWOLF and the long forgotten 1980's series HOT PURSUIT.) What makes ROUTE 66 engaging, however, is not just this weekly anthology concept as much as it was the originality of the scripts, the brilliance of the acting and the tightness of the direction….much of which is lacking in prime time television programming today. That will be the subject of our next entry.

Three's Company Lost Pilot Part 3

AM Caro — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 23:35:00 GMT

here is the third part of the lost (well, it ain't lost no more) pilot for Three's Company. One thing to point out here is the fact that there was a SECOND unaired pilot that was produced prior to the actual series that made it to air. it is a good thing they stuck it out and kept tweaking this series until they got it on the air. After all, it was a great series that remains incredibly popular today even after leaving the airwaves almost 25 years ago. On a side note, why did they cancel the funny "sequel" series THREE'S A CROWD? The show was funny and did well in the ratings. Oh well, that is a subject for another day...

Three's Company Lost Pilot Part 2

AM Caro — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 00:56:00 GMT

Here is the second part. Ritter is great. The rest of this pilot is pretty awful. Who would have though they would eventually tweak it into one of the funniest and most memorable sitcoms ever? The Incredible Hulk Movie Iron Man Movie Review

Three's Company Lost Pilot

AM Caro — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 00:53:00 GMT

Upon reading about the lawsuit surrounding the passing of the lat John Ritter I was looking for footage of the underrated comedian (anyone remember Hooperman?) I discovered this on youtube - the original pilot episode of Three's Company. Try and see if you can count the differences. The chicks are awful but Ritter is hilarious as always.

DALLAS SEASON 8 DVD

AM Caro — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 05:08:00 GMT

Yes, I know that one of my bad habits on this blog is writing about the same shows but the way it always works for me is to follow the theme for a while and then move on to another one. I have been re-examining the old prime time soap operas of the 1980's for a while mainly reviewing DALLAS and DYNASTY. Since I have just watched the Season two DVD of Dynasty and the 8^th Season DVD of DALLAS this will be my last mention of these two for a while mainly because these are the most recent volumes of the series and the next season releases won't be for a few months from now…so, we'll start a moratorium on these two series for the foreseeable future.

Anyways….It is not hard to see why DALLAS went into a decline in the mid-1980's as the 8^th season DVD of DALLAS is abominably boring that it was a true endurance test to get through it. This is stunning as Season 7 was a fantastic season with twists and turns galore. This season featured a very disinteresting series of storylines that were little more of rehashes of prior seasons. Will Cliff outsmart JR? Will Priscilla Presley survive their murder trial? (Jock did when they first ran this storyline years arlier….and DYNASTY ran the same storyline in 1981) Will Sure Ellen start drinking again? Please. There was not one original idea in this season and the Who Shot Bobby storyline was a disgraceful rehash of Who Shot JR. (When I was a little kid and saw the advertisement for that episode of DALLAS even at a young age I was shocked at how lame of a rehash that was) Worst of all the cliffhanger would set the stage for the deplorable dream sequence season….

The DALLAS shark definitely jumped with this season.

Next time…I will write up the very well done second season of DYNASTY.

A-Team DVDs

AM Caro — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 02:35:00 GMT

A Team DVDs! Now, how could I have missed the release of these DVD's when they appeared in store shelves. I guess my eyesight must be failing me. A-Team was a program that drew a lot of its popularity from the Rambo action adventure genre that was popular at the time although the A Team always was more comic book oriented than the R Rated films that were popular. The show still was a lot of fun to watch and it was great action adventure entertainment which is sorely missing from TV these days. I do wonder, however, if there is any truth to the old rumors that George Peppard and Mr. T did not get along or if they was just tabloid driven rumors.

Fall Guy - The Pilot

AM Caro — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 02:01:00 GMT

My most stunning observation about the pilot episode of The Fall Guy after receiving th DVD? Yes, folks, there was a second verse to the legendary theme song! No, it was no where near as good as the original. Then again, maybe I am being a grouch.

There is a lot I could say about the DVD release of The Fall Guy and I probably will as things come to me as I watch th episodes over the next several days. But the thing that stands out is how important it was that they made him a bounty hunter who didn't carry a gun. This is a critical point because it allows the program to follow a pattern of being much more campy, fun and adventurous as opposed to being a shoot 'em up. Then again, there were a number of complaints against violence on TV at the time with much venom labeled against the forgotten program STRIKE FORCE ao it is understandable that there was a need for a wholesome hero for the 8pm time slot. Any, making Colt Seavers a Saturday Afternoon Chapter Play type star was a smart move and it greatly made the character memorable and the program extremely enjoyable.

On a side note: the Six Million Dollar Man originally carried a gun in the TV movies but that idea was scrapped. What the heck would th Bionic Man need a gun for anyway?

Route 66 Open

AM Caro — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 00:26:00 GMT

Since I have also received the DVD that covers the first half of the first season of the brilliant 1960's television program ROUTE 66 I thought I would also add the open to that program here as well. Since it may take me a couple days to review the DVDs I thought I would provide the open as a sort of "teaser" for the reviews of the series. Unfortunately, this is not the best quality of clip but it does contain a welcome surprise: Darrin "Kolchak" McGavin's name appears in the credits as a guest star. I am not 100% sure if McGavin appeared in the first season or not but that is besides the point. McGavin always proved to be a welcome addition to any program. And, on a side note, why has ROUTE 66 long been dropped from television syndication. I personally do not remember EVER seeing the reruns pop up on UHF channels in the Philly/NJ area even when a number of rare programs from the 1960's popped up on television. Oh well. At least we have the DVD's now.

Fall Guy Intro

AM Caro — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 22:06:00 GMT

Since my DVD's for the first season of the Fall Guy have finally arrived I thought I would post the intro to the program mainly because it was most definitely one of the most memorable opens to a television program in TV history. In a way, this intro had a lot to do with making the program so fondly remembered today. While some of the more "highbrow" critics may scoff at the theme's lyrics the fact remains that it is probably one of the best television themes in history. And Lee Majors sang it himself! now, how can you beat that?

Dynasty Upcoming Release News

AM Caro — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 16:58:00 GMT

One More Dynasty Update

Well, I think this may fall into the category of a rumor rather than an update but I'll post it here anyway. The rumor mill has it that the third season of Dynasty will be released onto DVD sometime in the spring. Dallas has seen its complete run be released to home DVD in the form of one season every 6 months but it looks like Dynasty is getting a release once a year. I am really perplexed when I see that certain TV series which were far from super cult hits receive a multitude of released while more popular series seem to fall on the back burner. (While I was not a huge fan of Knots Landing I find it odd that a series that enjoyed a ten year run on network TV sees one season dumped onto the DVD netherworld whereas other programs which were only marginally popular when they were first released see the complete run of their series given major promotional treatment. Oh well, I guess I wasn't meant to understand.

One More Word on The Archies

AM Caro — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 12:53:00 GMT

While my previous post clearly showed by personal boredom with The Archies Show I wanted to tip my hat and give credit where credit is due: the program was the highest rated program in Saturday Morning television history. In the late 1960's, it drew a 70% audience share. This lead to the program airing on Saturday Morning TV until 1978 and then into syndication for many years. Personally, I think that the top ten hit of "Sugar, Sugar" had more to do with it than any quality of the actual program. In the late 1960's you couldn't just pull a song up off of YouTube so there was probably a lot of interest to tune in every week to hear "Sugar, Sugar." But as a quality cartoon series The Archie Show really fell flat. By the way, there are a number of clips of The Archie Show on YouTube if you want to check it out. In fact, there are a ton of old Filmation cartoon series on Youtube if you are interested.

Live Action Version of The Archie Show

AM Caro — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 22:05:00 GMT

When I was a little kid I used to watch the reruns of the old animated series The Archie Show. It wasn't a bad show but it really lacked that special something that made other animated series quality programs. Maybe it was because it simply wasn't an original format. The series has been released on DVD so fans of it can get a copy of the complete run of the series if they so wish.

But what happened to the lost live action Archie Special that aired once in prime time. Sorry, I can't give you a lot of information on this one. Actually, I am looking for information on this one as I can't anything on it. It either aired in the late 1970's or early 1980's. It was a one time special and it was pretty average. But it is an odd curio item that was sort of just thrown out there. Anyone know anything about this series?

FALL GUY and FANTASY ISLAND are Upcoming

AM Caro — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 22:55:00 GMT

I am STILL waiting for my ROUTE 66 episodes to come in the mail so no updates on that front. (I am looking forward to checking out the pilot episode which I haven't seen in 10 years...it was one of the BEST first episodes of a series I have ever seen) So, I have to make you wait a little while longer before providing some reviews for you on that front.

But...I do have two other series DVDs on the way and I am looking forward to covering them in depth.

The first is THE FALL GUY which was the comeback series for Lee Majors. This was the third hit series Majors appeared in following THE BIG VALLEY and THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN and it was a classic of 1980's era fun, campy television. I hate to lament about the past but I really do grow weary of the seriousness (and pathetic low budget look) of a lot of what airs on network television. Programs like the FALL GUY provided fun family entertainment for those looking for a little fun in their prime time viewing and this was a favorite program that myself and my grandfather would watch together. (miss you so much Pop) It was interesting how majors bounced back from the cancellation of THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN so quickly. Usually, typecasting can leave an actor on the shelf for a long time or even indefinitely. SMDM disappeared from airwaves in 1978 and TFG appeared in 1981 and lasted until 1986. No, Majors did not become the mega star with TFG that he was with TSMDM but having a successful five year run is pretty impressive. (Less impressive were the awful films he made in between these series such as KILLER FISH and THE NORSEMEN) Majors' next weekly series was the short lived but excellent program RAVEN in 1992.

FANTASY ISLAND? What can I say? The back to back Saturday Night showings of THE LOVE BOAT and FANTASY ISLAND was how I spent weekends with my Grandma. Granted, those two programs were pretty darn silly they had an amazing charm to them that is sorely missed.

More on FANTASY ISLAND next time.

DALLAS Season 8 DVD Coming Out Soon

AM Caro — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 22:50:00 GMT

The 8th Season of Dallas debuts on DVD February 11th and I for one am looking forward to it. DALLAS started out awesome then started to dip in quality for a spell and then with the 7th Season DVD (the 1983 -1984 season) the quality of the show went right back up as this was an awesome season with a number of great storylines and plot twists. Season 8 is considered one of the best of the best in terms of quality seasons. While many remember the series for the "Who Shot JR" episode I personally found that particular season to be a let down and anti-climatic. DALLAS' best years were actually ahead of it as evidenced by the great 7th and 8th season. Unfortunately, the quality of the program would begin to dip painfully. But, that's a story for another day.

Dynasty Websites

AM Caro — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 16:50:00 GMT

If you want to get a little more for your Dynasty desires there are two websites that provide a ton of information of the history of the series. The Official Dynasty site and Ultimate Dynasty are probably the two best sites that cover the series. When a program lasted close to a decade on the air and a multitude of famous names appeared on the program there is a lot of unique history and trivia associated with the classic program. Of course, if those websites are not enough for you there is always Dynasty High: A guide to TV's "Dynasty" which is a brilliant book that covers the history of the series. It was published in 2004 and is available for under $20 from Amazon.com. Yes, the show may be gone from the airwaves but the lasting impact it has had on popular culture never seems to go away.

The Second Season of Dynasty - Changes In Order

AM Caro — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 14:10:00 GMT

I watched the first four episodes of Dynasty's second season DVD set and while the addition of Joan Collins was a major plus (the series would have never survived without her) I did notice that a number of interesting characters from the first season had departed. Bo Hopkins left the series due to creative differences and his presence was sorely missed. He was (in a loose way) the Dynasty version of Cliff Barnes but far from the sad sack the Cliff Barnes character had become. Plus, Dale Robertson also departed and I am not sure why he opted out of the series. His character of the aged everyman wildecatter is surely missed.

While the first season of Dynasty aired in 1981 it was filmed back in 1980. I believe that issues with the then writer's strike delayed production and this may have led to certain actors moving on to new jobs. Dynasty was far from a hit when it debuted and it would get much better (and much worse) in later years.

But, the added drama brought by Joan Collins really does liven up the proceedings because she shares the same qualities as JR Ewing. We know she's conniving but she is never predictable. She plays hardball but there are lines she won't cross. We would want her on our side but we would never trust her. And, while most won't admit it, we wish we could be like her.

What a shame there was never a Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman style face off between Alexis and JR. Ok, now I am getting carried away.

James Randi On Television

AM Caro — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 20:28:00 GMT

Since I mentioned Happy Days in my most recent posts I thought I would mention the great magician The Amazing James Randi. I was first introduced to Randi when he appeared on Happy Days in the 1970's on the infamous episode where the Fonz performed Houdini's Milk Can escape. That was another episode in a long line of silly Happy Days episodes that permeated the late 70's episodes.

Randi's television appearances were not limited to his campy sojourn on Happy Days. He has appeared numerous times on television performing his favorite hobby...debunking frauds.

You really have to give James Randi a tremendous amount of credit. While most people in the media are willing to shill along with a ton of obtuse and dopey parapsychologists, psychics, faith healers and other charlatans, Randi has debunked them one another and done so quite easily. I remember once seeing Randi on the Oprah Winfrey Show about 20 years ago and he was the lone skeptic sitting side by side with a ton of psychics. Of course, Randi was portrayed as the "bad guy" and the curmudgeon. It is always sad to see television programs going along with such shilling. Recent episodes of the Montel Williams Show and Larry King Live have both invested quite a bit of time parading around a bunch of phonies claiming mystical powers. Oh well. At least you and I know better.