The Southern roots of the beloved 1970s television show

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On 14 September 1964 the American science fiction television series "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea" premieres on ABC (American Broadcasting Company). The series, based on the 1961 film, was created by Irwin Allen, it used the movie sets, costumes, props and models from the film. The main characters were played by Richard Basehart (Admiral Nelson) and David Hedison (Captain Lee Crane). A total of 110 episodes were produced: 32 filmed in black-and-white (1964–1965) and 78 in color (1965–1968). The first two seasons took place in the then future of the 1970s. The final two seasons took place in the 1980s. The musical score "The Seaview Theme" was written by Paul Sawtell. Richard Basehart as Admiral Harriman Nelson David Hedison as Captain/Commander Lee Crane Synopsis The world's first privately owned nuclear submarine, the SSRN Seaview, was designed by Admiral Harriman Nelson (Richard Basehart). The Seaview does oceanographic research for the Nelson Institute of Marine Research... Richard Basehart as Admiral Harriman Nelson, David Hedison as Captain/Commander Lee Crane and Bob Dowdell as Lieutenant Commander Chip Morton Richard Basehart as Admiral Harriman Nelson, David Hedison as Captain/Commander Lee Crane, Del Monroe as Kowalski, Bob Dowdell as Lieutenant Commander Chip Morton and Terry Becker as Chief Sharkey Awards The series won 4 Emmy awards during its run: Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Individual Achievements in Entertainment - Special Photographic Effects: L.B. Abbott (special photographic effects) (1965) Primetime Emmy for Individual Achievements in Cinematography – Special: L.B. Abbott (photographic effects) and Howard Lydecker (photographic effects) (1966) Primetime Emmy for Individual Achievements in Cinematography – Cinematography: Winton C. Hoch (cinematographer) (1966) Primetime Emmy for Individual Achievements in Film and Sound Editing: Don Hall (sound editor),Dick Le Grand (sound editor), Daniel Mandell (sound editor) and John Mills (sound editor) (1967) Richard Basehart as Admiral Harriman Nelson and David Hedison as Captain/Commander Lee Crane Main Cast Richard Basehart as Admiral Harriman Nelson David Hedison as Captain/Commander Lee Crane Bob Dowdell as Lieutenant Commander Chip Morton Derrik Lewis as Lieutenant Commander O'Brien (1st-2nd seasons) Henry Kulky as Chief "Curly" Jones (1st season) Terry Becker as Chief Petty Officer Francis Ethelbert Sharkey (2nd–4th seasons) Del Monroe as Kowalski Arch Whiting as Sparks Paul Trinka as Patterson Richard Basehart as Admiral Harriman Nelson David Hedison as Captain/Commander Lee Crane Trivia James Doohan was offered the part of Chief Sharkey but he turned it down because in the same week he was offered the role of Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott in "Star Trek" (1966). Del Monroe appeared in both the film and TV series. He played the same character "Seaman Kowski" in the film and "Seaman Kowalski" in the TV series. "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea" ABC promo 1 (1964) "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea" ABC promo 2 (1964) "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea" ABC promo 3 (1964)

As seen on TV!

Known more for its iconic Henry Mancini-penned theme song than the actual show itself, Peter Gunn was undoubtedly one of the best crime dramas of its era. Not only did it feature the stellar composing and arranging of one of the soundtrack kings, it was created, produced, and at times written by Blake Edwards and had a style that inspired imitators (e.g., JohnnyStaccato) and countless parodies. In its debut season (1958-59), it shot to #17 in the ratings, but the show lasted only three seasons--the first two on NBC, the last on ABC--as Edwards moved on to an even more successful career as the director of hit movies like Breakfast at Tiffany's, Days of Wine and Roses, and, of course, the Pink Panther series, all of which also featured music by Mancini. But it wasn't just the music that made Peter Gunn a success, though it was a major component. Not only did Mancini's soundtrack superbly support the action, Gunn's home base was set in jazz club Mother's, whose proprietress was played by Hope Emerson in Season 1 and Minerva Urecal in Season 2. And the star performer at Mother's was Gunn's main squeeze, jazz singer Edie Hart, played by Lola Albright. In Season 3, Mother disappears without explanation, and Edie opens her own eponymous supper club in the season's third episode, "The Maitre D'" (October 17, 1960), an episode that also introduces the character of Leslie, a mobster/gourmet restaurateur whose own restaurant is blown up by a rival, at which point he accepts an offer to serve as Edie's maitre d'. The cast is rounded out by the dyspeptic and deadpan police Lieutenant Jacoby, played brilliantly by Herschel Bernardi. Much has been made about Gunn being a new kind of private detective--upscale and unflappably cool. Edwards certainly mined the rich vault of film noir cinema in setting the tone for Peter Gunn, often featuring night-time scenes awash in stark contrasts and striking camera angles that included extreme close-ups (see the Notable Guest Stars section below) or unusual juxtapositions between foreground and background that give scenes a surreal sense of depth. But this wasn't Edwards' first foray into the private eye genre: he had created and produced the radio series Richard Diamond, Private Detective, which starred Dick Powell in its radio incarnation and then moved to TV in 1957 starring a pre-Fugitive David Janssen. What separates Gunn from the Sam Spade ilk of private detectives is that he's not some run-down, half-alcoholic loser who may be great at solving crimes but is pretty much a disaster at everything else. Gunn has a swank apartment, a stunning girl-friend, a fee of $1,000 per case (though he seems to frequently work for less), and a top-of-the-line Plymouth Fury convertible with a phone in it--the type of setup James Bond could boast a few years later. Even when his life's in danger, Gunn never seems to get too excited, though he isn't above roughing somebody up when the mood strikes him. In fact, it's the criminals who are the excitable type in Gunn, usually driven by some insane dementia or insatiable greed. By contrast Gunn maintains an almost Buddha-like calm, allowing him to see clearly and unravel each case. He is often aided, sometimes unwillingly, by Jacoby, who finds Gunn nothing but trouble and yet comes to his rescue again and again. The plots on the show may be sometimes predictable or contrived, but it's the interplay between Gunn and Jacoby that makes the series great. Other shows (in particular, Lock Up) have tried to match their give and take, but none really matched their off-hand comedic repartee. For example, in the episode "Sepi" (December 19, 1960) Jacoby tells Gunn that young Sepi's benefactor, Mrs. Lisa Nye, is not only very wealthy but a very good sculptor as well, perhaps not as good as Rodin, but then who is? Gunn says he is surprised and impressed by Jacoby's erudition and cultural development. Jacoby retorts that the library is free; comic books cost money. This scene, and others like it, are expertly acted by Stevens and Bernardi, tossing off the lines with a nonchalant delivery that underplays the punchline so that it sometimes doesn't sink in until a few seconds later. That Edwards and his writers recognized that these exchanges were the gold of the series is evidenced by the occasional reference that Gunn and Jacoby make to each other along the lines of, "I guess now we'll engage in some witty repartee." Of course, the sardonic private eye has been a crime fiction staple dating back to Raymond Chandler, but Gunn and Jacoby's banter isn't dripping with sarcasm so much as it evinces a playful teasing between two colleagues who really like each other but keep up the pretense of sarcasm to avoid explicitly expressing their affection. Like other detective shows, Gunn's working relationship with Jacoby in the solving of crimes or dealing with threats is at times strained. Much as Hamilton Burger and Lt. Tragg believe Perry Mason's snooping on behalf of his clients often interferes with their official investigations, Jacoby finds Gunn's parallel efforts on cases being handled by the police to be a nuisance, though just as often it's because Gunn has access to resources and methods that Jacoby is prevented from using. Gunn's abnormal success is due in large part to his ring of informants, "sleazy ex-cons" Jacoby might call them, who, for the right price, can point him to who might have pulled a recent heist or be motivated to blackmail a particular client. While Gunn always maintains an upscale appearance and demeanor, his associates are not so refined. Like his relationship with Jacoby, Gunn's relationship with Edie follows a similar indirect pattern. He is forever showing up at the club promising to spend the evening with her or offering to take her out to dinner only to be interrupted by a phone call or a prospective client showing up unannounced, thereby inevitably drawing him away on business. Edie knows that these interruptions come with the territory but playfully feigns anger or resignation, threatening to exact some sort of punishment on Gunn later, though rarely following through. One exception is in "Witness in the Window" (May 2, 1960) when she pours a planter of water over his head. In another episode she kicks him in the shin before storming off, but usually she takes his departures more in stride. However, the couple also has a pattern of pretended miscommunication in Edie's subtle suggestions that they should get married. Gunn's usual response is to not even acknowledge the topic but immediately change the conversation or, in most cases, dash off on business. However, he is forced into a more domestic arrangement in "Baby Shoes" (June 27, 1960) when an acquaintance who plans to testify against a mobster unexpectedly and anonymously drops his baby on Gunn's doorstep after his wife has been murdered. Gunn has no clue of how to take care of a baby and immediately calls Edie and persuades her to leave her work responsibilities at Mother's to come bail him out. By the end of the episode with the mobster dispatched and Gunn's friend having made arrangements for a relative to take care of the baby, Edie says that she is going to miss having a baby to care for. Gunn deftly avoids picking up the bait, but as the camera pans out we see his swinging bachelor pad strung with a clothesline drying baby diapers. Besides Gunn's car phone, the series was also ahead of its time in some of the themes it handled. The previously mentioned episode "Sepi" dealt with illegal immigration, as the title character, a young boy from Central America, and his father were brought to the U.S. illegally by a wealthy childless benefactress who fell in love with the boy and could not bear to be parted from him. However, her husband uses the situation to secretly extort money from her but is eventually caught in the act. Afterwards, the boy and his father are forced to return to their home country but are promised a chance to enter the country legally once they have been home for six months. In "Take Five for Murder" (December 5, 1960) music promoter Mitch Borden elevates a talentless but good-looking singer to stardom through technical gimmickry--in this case, a tape recorder with sound effects strapped to the inside of the singer's guitar, not so different in concept from the studio tools such as auto-tune and lip-syncing to pre-recorded music used by today's music stars. Other episodes include a tea-party-like candidate who runs on a platform of no taxes ("The Candidate," October 24, 1960) and a car-bombing terrorist ("Slight Touch of Homicide," April 11, 1960). Peter Gunn was also ahead of its time in its depiction of African-Americans who appear in a wide variety of roles--from nightclub singer to taxi driver to police sergeant. The show was also one of the few to have a semi-regular little person: actor Billy Barty appeared in 8 episodes as pool hustler and Gunn informant Babby, and the episode "The Dummy" (April 4, 1960) features a little person impersonating a ventriloquist dummy who eventually kills his abusive employer. Demographically, then, the series broke out of the world of white normality treated exclusively in other shows--yet another reason why Peter Gunn holds up better today than most of its contemporaries. Enrico Nicola "Henry" Mancini may be the best-known American soundtrack composer of all time. Certainly the Peter Gunn and Pink Panther themes are among the most recognizable instrumental compositions of the 20th Century. Mancini's list of accomplishments is too lengthy for this modest blog but included 20 Grammy wins out of 72 nominations and 4 Academy Awards out of 18 nominations. His father taught him to play the flute at the age of 8, and four years later he took up the piano. He attended the prestigious Julliard School of Music. After serving in World War II, he joined the Glenn Miller-Tex Beneke Orchestra, where he met his wife Ginny who was singing with Mel Torme's Mel-Tones. In 1952 he joined Universal Pictures' music department where he scored several films, most notably the noir classic Touch of Evil. He left Universal in 1958, the same year he teamed up with Edwards on Peter Gunn, and the rest, as they say, is history. He passed away in 1994 at the age of 70. The complete series has been released on DVD by TimelessMedia Group. The Actors Craig Stevens Gail Shikles, Jr. was the son of a school teacher born in Liberty, MO who studied dentistry at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. He received a Bachelor's Degree from the institution in 1936 at the age of 18, then decided to pursue a career in acting, first under the name Michael Gale. From an uncredited appearance in 1939's Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Stevens spent nearly 20 years in second- and third-tier movie roles before landing the lead in Peter Gunn. He began landing supporting roles in television in 1950, starting with The Lone Ranger, including multiple appearances on The Loretta Young Show and State Trooper. Two seasons after Gunn ended, he played the lead role of world-traveling photographer and journalist Michael Strait in the British series Man of the World, which lasted only 20 episodes. A year after that he had the lead role of press agent Mike Bell in Mr. Broadway, which suffered a similar short-lived span of only 13 episodes. He reprised his role as Peter Gunn in Edwards' 1967 feature-length film Gunn, which went nowhere, then settled into a string of occasional supporting TV roles before finding another regular gig behind David McCallum in the 13-episode run of The Invisible Man in 1975-76. From there until his retirement in 1988, he appeared in a string of TV guest appearances and a supporting role in yet another Edwards' production, the Hollywood send-up S.O.B. He died from cancer at the age of 81 in 2000. Lola Albright Born in Akron, Ohio, Albright worked as a model and in radio before moving to Hollywood in the mid-1940s. After a few uncredited roles, she landed a major part in the Kirk Douglas boxing feature Champion in 1949. From there she appeared in supporting roles in a number of B-westerns but also scored roles in films like The Tender Trap and appeared as a guest vocalist 8 times on All Star Revue in 1951-52. She had an occasional recurring role as Kay Michaels on The Bob Cummings Show from 1955-57 before being cast as Edie Hart on Peter Gunn in 1958. She perhaps helped her chances for a role on Gunn when she released a vocal record, Lola Wants You, with arrangements by Dean Elliott in 1957. She sings one of the standards from that album, "Candy," in Gunn episode "The Murder Clause" (March 28, 1960). During the show's run, she released another album, Dreamsville, this time with the backing of Mancini and a set list comprised solely of his compositions, an obvious tie-in with the show. She was nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Emmy in 1959. After Gunn ended in 1961, she had a consistent string of TV appearances, including five turns on Burke's Law and a single episode of Stevens' short-lived Mr. Broadway. She took over the role of Constance McKenzie Carson on Peyton Place in 1965 when Dorothy Malone became ill. The following year she won a Silver Bear award for Best Actress at the Berlin International Film Festival for her performance in the Roddy McDowell feature Lord Love a Duck. In the late 60s her movie appearances continued in bigger budget numbers like The Way West, The Money Jungle, Where Were You When the Lights Went Out?, and The Impossible Years. The TV appearances stretched into the 1980s on shows like The Incredible Hulk, Quincy, M.E., and Airwolf, her last appearance in 1984, though imdb.com lists her as appearing in a 2013 episode of the independently produced show The 3 Bits. She was married to actor Jack Carson from 1952-58 and actor Bill Chadney, who played the pianist at Mother's on Peter Gunn, from 1961-75. She lives alone now in California. Herschel Bernardi Born the son of Yiddish theatre performers Berel and Helen Bernardi, Herschel Bernardi took to the stage before he could talk and appeared in uncredited roles in the Yiddish films of Edward G. Ulmer in the 1930s. He then disappeared from movies and TVs in the 1950s as a result of being blacklisted as a leftist communist sympathizer, an accusation he could only overcome with a payoff that allowed his career to resume in 1958 with appearances on Harbor Command, Mike Hammer, and State Trooper before landing the role of Lt. Jacoby on Peter Gunn, for which he, like Albright, received an Emmy nomination in 1959. He appeared with Albright in the 1961 feature film A Cold Wind in August and had occasional TV guest spots on shows like Naked City and The Untouchables as well as voicework on animated shows like The Flintstones and Top Cat. His most memorable voicework, however, was in TV commercials, most notably as the voice of Starkist's Charlie the Tuna and as the Jolly Green Giant. He had major roles as Inspector Lefevre in Billy Wilder's Irma la Douce and as Dominick Rossini in the Steve McQueen-Natalie Wood melodrama Love With the Proper Stranger. He also made his mark on the stage, receiving a Tony nomination for playing the lead in Zorba and taking over for Zero Mostel in the role of Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof. He also recorded several vocal albums (one containing the songs from Fiddler on the Roof), though his vocal abilities were not quite in the same league as Albright's. In 1970 he was cast in the title role of the comedy Arnie about a dock worker suddenly promoted into a managerial position. The series ran for two years and garnered two Golden Globe nominations for Bernardi. He appeared in Woody Allen's feature film about the blacklist era The Front in 1976 and remained active on the stage and in film until his death of a heart attack at the age of 62 on May 9, 1986. Minerva Urecal Born Minerva Holzer, Urecal took her odd stage last name as a kind of twisted version of her hometown of Eureka, CA, where she was born in 1894. Her dramatic career began on the stage and in radio, though at age 40 she began appearing on film, usually in bit, uncredited parts that called for a stern and annoyed female figure, given her withering appearance. On TV she had recurring roles as Dean Bradey on Ray Milland's Meet Mr. McNulty in 1953-54 and as Jim Bowie's mother on The Adventures of Jim Bowie in 1956-57. She was given the lead role in the syndicated show The Adventures of Tugboat Annie, which ran for a single season in 1957, playing the widow of a sea captain who inherits his tugboat and has many misadventures trying to keep it afloat. She took over the role of Mother from Hope Emerson for Season 2 of Peter Gunn, but was then eased out of the show by the time Season 3 rolled around. She had occasional TV appearances on shows such as Perry Mason, The Real McCoys, and Petticoat Junction, as well as movie parts in Jimmy Stewart's Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation and Tony Randall's The 7 Faces of Dr. Lao before passing away from a heart attack at age 71 on February 26, 1966. James Lanphier Not much has been published online about James Lanphier, who was introduced in the role of Leslie, the former mobster and gourmet, in Season 3 of Peter Gunn as a kind of replacement for the character of Mother. He was born August 31, 1920 on Long Island. His TV career began in 1949 and his sparse film career included uncredited appearances in The Deadly Mantis and Bell, Book, and Candle in the late 50s. He first worked with Blake Edwards in an uncredited role as a maitre d' in the 1960 feature High Time, presaging his appearance on Gunn in the episode "The Maitre D'." He again played a maitre d' in another Edwards film, Darling Lili, released after his death in 1970. In between, he also appeared in the Edwards films Breakfast at Tiffany's, Experiment in Terror, Days of Wine and Roses, The Pink Panther, and The Party. He also served as dialogue supervisor on Days of Wine and Roses and as dialogue coach on The Pink Panther. Sprinkled in amongst the film roles were occasional TV appearances on shows such as Mission: Impossible!, Get Smart, The Time Tunnel, and The Green Hornet. He died from a stroke at age 48 on February 11, 1969. Notable Guest Stars Season 2, Episode 15, "Hot Money": Ken Lynch (shown on the right, appeared in I Married a Monster From Outer Space, Anatomy of a Murder, and Dead Ringer and played Lt. Thomas Brand on Checkmate, Det. Lt. Tom Handley on Arrest and Trial, Lt. Barney Keller on Honey West, and Police Sgt. Grover on McCloud) plays mobster Shoes Shoemaker. Francis De Sales (Lt. Bill Weigand on Mr. & Mrs. North, Ralph Dobson on The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet, Sheriff Maddox on Two Faces West, and Rusty Lincoln on Days of Our Lives) plays the district attorney. Olan Soule (played Aristotle "Tut" Jones on Captain Midnight, Ray Pinker on Dragnet (1952-59), and Fred Springer on Arnie) plays the assistant D.A. Dan Barton (Det. Sgt. Burke on Dan Raven) plays laundromat owner Louis Anza. Season 2, Episode 16, "Spell of Murder": Malcolm Atterbury (starred in I Was a Teenage Werewolf, The Birds, and The Learning Tree and played John Bixby on Wagon Train and Grandfather Aldon on Apple's Way) plays wealthy estate owner Arnold Simpson. Stephen Joyce (Bubba Wadsworth on Texas and Admiral Walter Strichen on Wiseguy) plays his nephew Ralph Logan. Ben Hammer (Judge Herman Mooney on Law & Order) plays family psychologist Professor John Wyler. Mary Gregory (appeared in Sleeper and Coming Home and played Dr. Stanwhich on Knots Landing and Judge Pendleton on L.A. Law) plays Mrs. Victor, wife of alleged Simpson stalker Ralph Victor. Larry J. Blake (the unnamed jailer on Yancy Derringer and Tom Parnell on Saints and Sinners) plays the owner of the Blue Pheasant. Season 2, Episode 17, "The Grudge": Sam Gist (appeared in The Stratton Story, Angel Face, Strangers on a Train, and Operation Petticoat and directed episodes of Peter Gunn, Naked City, and The Richard Boone Show) plays mental patient Miles Spence. Alexander Lockwood (Judge Baker on Sam Benedict) plays psychiatrist Dr. Albert Crawford. Season 2, Episode 18, "Fill the Cup": John McIntire (shown on the left, starred in Call Northside 777, The Street With No Name, Winchester '73, Psycho, and Elmer Gantry and played Lt. Dan Muldoon on Naked City, Christopher Hale on Wagon Train, Clay Grainger on The Virginian, and Dutch McHenry on Shirley) plays desperate alcoholic Wilson Getty. Holly McIntire (daughter of John McIntire and Jeanette Nolan) plays his daughter Barbara. Bill Quinn (Frank Sweeney on The Rifleman, Judge Tesman on Arrest and Trial, and Mr. Van Ranseleer on All in the Family and Archie Bunker's Place) plays Getty's friend Harry. Henry Corden (Carlo on The Count of Monte Cristo, Waxey Gordon on The Lawless Years, and Babbitt on The Monkees and did voicework on The Flintstones, Jonny Quest, The Atom Ant Show, The Banana Splits Adventure Hour and Return to the Planet of the Apes) plays a bartender. John Indrisano (John the Chauffeur on O.K. Crackerby!) plays a skid row bartender. Season 2, Episode 19, "See No Evil": Walter Burke (starred in All the King's Men, Jack the Giant Killer, and Support Your Local Sheriff! and played Tim Potter on Black Saddle) plays blind newspaper seller Cliffie Thomas. Jon Lormer (Harry Tate on Lawman, various autopsy surgeons and medical examiners in 12 episodes of Perry Mason, and Judge Irwin A. Chester on Peyton Place) plays a judge. Benny Rubin (the voice of Joe Jitsu and Pruneface on The Dick Tracy Show) plays wrestling promoter Igor. Tor Johnson (shown on the right, professional wrestler, starred in Bride of the Monster, Night of the Ghouls, and Plan 9 From Outer Space) plays mental patient Bruno. Season 2, Episode 20, "Sentenced": Robert Ellenstein (appeared in 3:10 to Yuma, Too Much Too Soon, and North by Northwest and played Legs Diamond on The Lawless Years) plays bank president John Pauley. Ned Glass (MSgt. Andy Pendleton on The Phil Silvers Show, Sol Cooper on Julia, and Uncle Moe Plotnick on Bridget Loves Bernie) plays locksmith Sylvester. Dick Geary (played various scuba divers and law enforcement officers in 13 episodes of Perry Mason) plays an unnamed hoodlum. Season 2, Episode 21, "The Hunt": Gordon Oliver (who was executive producer for Peter Gunn and Mr. Lucky) plays a hired assassin. Charles Wagenheim (Halligan on Gunsmoke) plays an unnamed drifter. Ralph Moody (Doc Burrage on The Rifleman) plays a gas station proprietor. Season 2, Episode 22, "Hollywood Calling": Harry Lauter (Ranger Clay Morgan on Tales of the Texas Rangers, Atlasande on Rocky Jones, Space Ranger, and Jim Herrick on Waterfront) plays Hollywood movie producer Nonamaker. Terry Frost (Sgt. Moore/Morse/Morris on Highway Patrol) plays a movie director. Sid Melton (Ichabod Mudd on Captain Midnight, Uncle Charley Halper on The Danny Thomas Show and Make Room for Granddaddy, Alf Monroe on Green Acres, Friendly Freddy on Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., and Salvadore Petrillo on The Golden Girls) plays tobacco shop owner Jerry. Season 2, Episode 23, "Sing a Song of Murder": Diahann Carroll (shown on the left, recording artist who starred in Porgy and Bess, Paris Blues, Hurry Sundown, and Claudine and played Julia Baker on Julia, Dominique Deveraux on Dynasty and The Colbys, Marion Gilbert on A Different World, Ida Grayson on Lonseome Dove: The Series, Jane Burke on Grey's Anatomy, and June Ellington on White Collar) plays night-club singer Dina Wright. James Edwards (starred in The Joe Louis Story, Seven Angry Men, The Manchurian Candidate, and The Sandpiper) plays her husband Arnie Kelton. Jan Arvan (Nacho Torres on Zorro and Paw Kadiddlehopper on The Red Skelton Hour) plays night-club owner Monty. Season 2, Episode 24, "The Long, Long Ride": Robert J. Wilke (Capt. Mendoza on Zorro) plays former mob boss Joe Webber. Claudia Barnett (starred in Robot Monster) plays his daughter Carole. Elisha Cook, Jr. (starred in The Maltese Falcon, The Big Sleep, The Great Gatsby (1949), and The Killing and who played Francis "Ice Pick" Hofstetler on Magnum P.I.) plays informant Snooker. Gregory Morton (Mr. Wainwright on Peyton Place and Walter Williams on Ben Casey) plays mobster Al Sandville. Larry Darr (makeup artist on The Love Boat) plays his henchman. Season 2, Episode 25, "The Deadly Proposition": David White (shown on the right, played Larry Tate on Bewitched) plays wealthy businessman Amoury Kinett. Frank Maxwell (Duncan MacRoberts on Our Man Higgins and Col. Garraway on The Second Hundred Years) plays his victim Arthur Cole. Season 2, Episode 26, "The Murder Clause": James Coburn (shown on the left, starred in The Magnificent Seven, Charade, Our Man Flint, and In Like Flint and who played Jeff Durain on Klondike and Gregg Miles on Acapulco) plays famous trumpeter Bud Bailey. Sam Edwards (starred in Captain Midnight, Twelve O'Clock High, and The Beatniks and played Hank the hotel clerk on The Virginian and Mr. Bill Anderson on Little House on the Prairie) plays his drummer Andy. Charles Wagenheim (see "The Hunt" above) plays insurance salesman George Markle. Season 2, Episode 27, "The Dummy": Dick Beals (did voicework on The Funny Company, Davey and Goliath, The Famous Adventures of Mister Magoo, The Biskitts, and The Addams Family (1992-93)) plays little person and ventriloquist dummy Rinaldo. Wally Brown (Jed Frame on Cimarron City and Chauncey Kowalski on The Roaring '20's) plays comedian Artie. Season 2, Episode 28, "Slight Touch of Homicide": Howard McNear (shown on the right, played Floyd Lawson on The Andy Griffith Show and Jansen the Plumber on The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show) eccentric chemist Mr. Barnaby. Meg Wyllie (Mrs. Kissell on The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters and Aunt Lolly Stemple on Mad About You) plays his maid. Terence de Marney (Case Thomas on Johnny Ringo and Counsellor Doone on Lorna Doone) plays tombstone maker Sean. Marcel Hillaire (appeared in Sabrina, Seven Thieves, and Murderer's Row and played Inspector Bouchard on Adventures in Paradise) plays baker Anatole. Season 2, Episode 29, "Wings of an Angel": Sandy Kenyon (Des Smith on Crunch and Des, Shep Baggott on The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters, and Reverend Kathrun on Knots Landing) plays former bank robber Charlie Barnes. Carol Byron (Kitty Mathews on Oh, Those Bells) plays his daughter Ellen. Robert Karnes (Jed Max Fields on The Lawless Years and Deputy D.A. Victor Chamberlin on Perry Mason) plays prison warden Rogers. Lennie Weinrib (the voice of H.R. Pufinstuf, Seymour Spider, and Ludicrous Lion on H.R. Pufinstuf, voice of Sam Curvy on Doctor Doolittle, and voice of Moonrock on The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show) plays gangster Vince Canell. Season 2, Episode 30, "Death Watch": Christopher Dark (Sgt. Al Zavala on Code 3) plays history teacher Paul Conlan. Frank Ferguson (shown on the left, played Gus Broeberg on My Friend Flicka, Eli Carson on Peyton Place, and Dr. Barton Stuart on Petticoat Junction) plays the school janitor. Henry Corden (see "Fill the Cup" above) plays sculptor Vladimir. Herbert Rudley (Sam Brennan on The Californians, Lt. Will Gentry on Michael Shayne, General Crone on Mona McCluskey, and Herb Hubbard on The Mothers-in-Law) plays District Attorney Vaughn. Season 2, Episode 31, "Witness in the Window": Charles Aidman (narrator on the 1985-87 version of The Twilight Zone) plays blackmail victim Anthony Scott. Eleanor Audley (Mother Eunice Douglas on Green Acres and Mrs. Vincent on My Three Sons) plays his invalid wife Laura. Bruno VeSota (bartender in 20 episodes of Bonanza) plays a hotel clerk. Season 2, Episode 32, "The Best Laid Plans": Peter Whitney (shown on the right, played Sergeant Buck Sinclair on The Rough Riders and Lafe Crick on The Beverly Hillbillies) plays informant Josiah. Herbert Ellis (Officer Frank Smith on Dragnet (1952-53), Frank LaValle on The D.A.'s Man, and Dr. Dan Wagner on Hennesey) plays coffee house owner Wilbur. Sterling Holloway (starred in The Merry Widow, Career Woman, and A Walk in the Sun, did voice work for many Walt Disney films like Dumbo , Bambi, Alice in Wonderland, The Jungle Book and the voice of Winnie the Pooh in various titles, and who played Waldo Binney on The Life of Riley and Buck Singleton on The Baileys of Balboa) plays former safecracker Felony. Forrest Lewis (Mr. Peavey on The Great Gildersleeve) plays bank head cashier Don Grover. James Lanphier (see biography above) plays heist leader Sloane. Season 2, Episode 33, "Send a Thief": Phyllis Avery (Peggy McNulty on The Ray Milland Show: Meet Mr. McNulty) plays robber's wife Doris Reese Stewart. Billy Barty (Sparky the Firefly on The Bugaloos, Sigmund Ooze on Sigmund and the Sea Monsters, Inch on Ace Crawford, Private Eye, and the voice of Dweedle on Wildfire) plays pool hustler Babby. Season 2, Episode 34, "The Semi-Private Eye": Billy Gray (shown on the left, appeared in The Day the Earth Stood Still and played Bud Anderson on Father Knows Best) plays private eye wannabe Eric Thorwald. Edward Platt (appeared in Rebel Without a Cause, Written on the Wind, Designing Woman, and North by Northwest and played the Chief on Get Smart) plays investment counselor Edward Cranfield. Richard Reeves (Mr. Murphy on Date With the Angels) plays one of Cranfield's henchmen. Season 2, Episode 35, "Letter of the Law": Frank Overton (shown on the right, starred in Desire Under the Elms, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Fail-Safe and played Major Harvey Stovall on 12 O'Clock High) plays D.A. Henry Lockwood. Andrew Prine (starred in The Miracle Worker, The Devil's Brigade, Bandolero!, and Chisum and played Andy Guthrie on The Wide Country, Dr. Roger Helvick on Dr. Kildare, Timothy Pride on The Road West, Dan Costello on W.E.B., and Wayne/Wyatt Donnelly on Weird Science) plays his son Neil. Stanley Adams (Lt. Morse on Not for Hire) plays fashion designer Sidney. Lewis Charles (Lou on The Feather and Father Gang) plays gangster Eddie DeSantis. Season 2, Episode 36, "The Crossbow": Henry Daniell (appeared in The Philadelphia Story, Jane Eyre, Song of Love, Lust for Life, and Witness for the Prosecution) plays private club manager Arthur Copeland. Theodore Marcuse (starred in Hitler, The Cincinnati Kid, and Harum Scarum and who played Von Bloheim on Batman) plays antique weapons expert The Baron. Burt Douglas (Jim Fisk on Days of Our Lives) plays judge's son Ralph Martin. George Kennedy (shown on the left, starred in Charade, The Sons of Katie Elder, The Dirty Dozen, Cool Hand Luke, and The Naked Gun and played MP Sgt. Kennedy on The Phil Silvers Show, Father Samuel Cavanuagh on Sarge, Bumper Morgan on The Blue Knight, and Carter McKay on Dallas) plays the judge's groundskeeper Karl. Season 2, Episode 37, "The Heiress": Gage Clarke (Mr. Botkin on Gunsmoke) plays wealthy estate owner Walter C. Girard. Season 2, Episode 38, "Baby Shoes": Don "Red" Barry (played Red Ryder in the movie serial The Adventures of Red Ryder, and played Lt. Snedigar on Surfside 6, The Grand Vizier and Tarantula on Batman, Capt. Red Barnes on Police Woman, and Jud Larabee on Little House on the Prairie) plays hunted witness Ernie Graves. Billy Barty (see "The Best Laid Plans" above) returns as pool hustler Babby. Season 3, Episode 1, "The Passenger": Forrest Lewis (see "The Best Laid Plans" above) plays murder witness Edward Hines. Ted de Corsia (Police Chief Hagedorn on Steve Canyon) plays murderer Curtis Brandt. Hal Smith (shown on the right, played Charlie Henderson on I Married Joan, Hickey on Jefferson Drum, Otis Campbell on The Andy Griffith Show, Engineer Taurus on Space Angel, and did voicework on The Flintstones, Scooby Doo, Where Are You?, The Fantastic Four, The Dukes, and The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh) plays a hotel clerk. Ollie O'Toole (Harvey the telegrapher on Gunsmoke) plays a grocer. Rhys Williams (Doc Burrage on The Rifleman) plays hobo leader Elmo Barnes. Season 3, Episode 2, "Mask of Murder": Robert Brubaker (Deputy Ed Blake on U.S. Marshal and Floyd on Gunsmoke) plays murder victim Norman Hartley. Dianne Foster (starred in Night Passage, The Last Hurrah, and The Deep Six) plays his wife Katherine. Morgan Jones (Sgt. Corey on Highway Patrol, Cmdr. Donovan on The Blue Angels, Sgt. Charlie Phillips on Arrest and Trial, and Howard Pender on Mannix) plays Hartley associate Glenn Ellsworth. Natividad Vacio (Fronk on Father Knows Best) plays black market visa provider Miguel. Carlos Romero (Rico Rodriguez on Wichita Town, Romero Serrano on Zorro, and Carlo Agretti on Falcon Crest) plays Brazilian fixer Sol Escobar. Margarita Cordova (Rosa Andrade on Santa Barbara and Carmen Torres on Sunset Beach) plays flamenco dancer Elena. Clark Allen (Cordova's real-life husband and co-owner with her of a flamenco club) plays her guitarist. Season 3, Episode 3, "The Maitre D'": James Lanphier (see biography above) first appears as gourmet Leslie. Luis van Rooten (appeared in The Hitler Gang, Champion, and Operation Eichmann and played Knobby Walsh on The Joe Palooka Story) plays high-end grocer Riviera. Alan Reed (voice of Fred Flintstone on The Flintstones and played Finnegan on Duffy's Tavern) plays gluttonous gangster Garson. Season 3, Episode 4, "The Candidate": Lloyd Corrigan (shown on the left, starred in A Girl, a Guy, and a Gob, Hitler's Children, Captive Wild Woman, The Bandit of Sherwood Forest, and Son of Paleface and played Papa Dodger on Willy, Wally Dipple on The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, Uncle Charlie on Happy, and Professor McKillup on Hank) plays gubernatorial candidate Adrian Grimmett. Alexander Lockwood (Judge Baker on Sam Benedict) plays his campaign manager Harold Canfield. Ken Mayer (Maj. Robbie Robertson on Space Patrol) plays thug Jim Oakland. Bernard Fein (Pvt Gomez on The Phil Silvers Show) plays his unnamed accomplice. Season 3, Episode 5, "The Judgement": Joe E. Tata (Nat Bussichio on Beverly Hills 90210) plays duped prisoner Arthur Curtis. Cyril Delevanti (Lucious Coin on Jefferson Drum) plays stool pigeon Charlemagne. Season 3, Episode 6, "The Death Frame": Wesley Lau (Lt. Andy Anderson on Perry Mason and Master Sgt. Jiggs on The Time Tunnel) plays fearful thug Eddie Cason. Robert Bice (Capt. Jim Johnson on The Untouchables) plays gangster Cal Ward. Season 3, Episode 7, "Murder Across the Board": Jack LaLanne (shown on the right, world famous exercise guru) plays himself. George Selk (Moss Grimmick on Gunsmoke) plays horse trainer Wally Keel. Robert Warwick (starred in Alias Jimmy Valentine, The Supreme Sacrifice, The Heart of a Hero, and Against All Flags) plays his employer Harley Bernard. Ned Glass (see "Sentenced" above) plays bookie Scooter. Season 3, Episode 8, "Tramp Steamer": Bert Freed (appeared in The Atomic City, The Cobweb, and Paths of Glory and played Rufe Ryker on Shane) plays deported criminal Matt Poliska. Henry Corden (see "Fill the Cup" above) plays his accomplice Marco. Louise Glenn (Gladys on The Roaring 20's and Selma Yossarian on Don't Call Me Charlie) plays apartment dweller Adelaide Jones. Season 3, Episode 9, "The Long Green Kill": Paul Lambert (Tom Dalessio on Executive Suite) plays robber Vic Bell. Susan Cummings (shown on the left, played Georgia on Union Pacific) plays escaped convict's wife Paula Garrett. Tudor Owen (Joe Ainsley on Mayor of the Town and First Mate Elihu Snow on Captain David Grief) plays inventor Chips. Season 3, Episode 10, "Take Five for Murder": Gavin MacLeod (shown on the right, starred in Operation Petticoat, The Sand Pebbles, and Kelly's Heroes and played Joseph Haines on McHale's Navy, Murray Slaughter on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Rhoda, and Capt. Merrill Stubing on The Love Boat) plays entertainment promoter Mitch Borden. David Howe (Colin Lovelace on Please Sir!) plays his star singer Bobby Jeter. Herb Vigran (Judge Brooker on Gunsmoke) plays nightclub owner Ben Keller. Roy Glenn (Roy on The Jack Benny Program) plays cab driver Murdo. Season 3, Episode 11, "Dream Big, Dream Deadly": Regis Toomey (starred in Alibi, Other Men's Women, The Finger Points, His Girl Friday, and The Big Sleep and who played Joe Mulligan on The Mickey Rooney Show, Lt. Manny Waldo on Four Star Playhouse, Lt. McGough on Richard Diamond, Private Detective, Det. Les Hart on Burke's Law, and Dr. Barton Stuart on Petticoat Junction and Green Acres) plays down-and-out detective Cal Sellers. Harvey Parry (Harrigan on Baretta) plays his brother Eddie. Chuck Hicks (stuntman who boxed under the name Chuck Daley and played semi-pro football) plays an unnamed attacker. James Fairfax (Charlie on Ramar of the Jungle and Cedric, the Steward on The Gale Storm Show) plays tattoo artist Needles. Season 3, Episode 12, "The Sepi": Eugene Mazzola (Joey Drum on Jefferson Drum) plays child illegal immigrant Sepi Toreno. June Vincent (starred in Here Come the Co-Eds, The Creeper, and The WAC From Walla Walla) plays his benefactor Lisa Nye. Kent Taylor (Carlos Murietta on Zorro and Capt. Jim Flagg on The Rough Riders) plays her husband George. Season 3, Episode 13, "A Tender Touch": Howard McNear (see "Slight Touch of Homicide" above) plays bank assistant cashier Horatio Smeddler. Howard Petrie (shown on the left, played Hugh Blaine on Bat Masterson) plays bank president Mr. Lockland. Lawrence Tierney (starred in Dillinger, Kill or Be Killed, Born to Kill, Back to Bataan, and Reservoir Dogs and played Sergeant Jenkins on Hill Street Blues) plays gangster Carl Braden. Joey Faye (Myer on Mack and Myer for Hire) plays heist expert Booster. Victor Rodman (Dr. Sam Rinehart on Noah's Ark) plays a judge.

NBC picks up 'Ironside' pilot

The Fourth of July holiday will bring many Americans outdoors on Friday, especially for celebrations that end with fireworks lighting up the night sky. But if you're already hearing the theme music to "The Twilight Zone" in your head, you're more likely looking forward to staying indoors all day, skipping the bombs bursting in air and catching Syfy's 24-hour marathon of the classic TV series. "'

Robert Culp Net Worth. Robert Martin Culp was a well-known television actor, screenwriter, voice actor, and director in the United States. Culp is best known

Explore MidCentArc's 42744 photos on Flickr!

The classic British television series featuring the impeccable John Steed and the exquisite Emma Peel.

You heard me. I was a week into my freshman year at U.S.C.

As seen on TV!

The Love Boat sailed from ABC into American homes for nine seasons, from 1977 until 1986. The hour-long dramedy/sitcom was a favorite of viewers and critics alike - so come remember it here!

Lee Majors starred in the Six Million Dollar Man TV series as astronaut Steve Austin, who, after a crash that nearly killed him, was remade in a bionic man - essentially a cyborg - and turned into a government agent.

The pitch is that Samantha will discover 'that even when a black girl is literally magic, she’s still not as powerful as a decently tall white man with a full head of hair in America,' according to Deadline.com

A sitcom is a magical thing - it gives you a sense of relatability and life-likeness while at the same time being so totally far-fetched it’s amazing. So, basically, watching a sitcom is like watching life in a parallel reality. And some TV series manage to balance on that tiny line so perfectly that they soon become real classics, if not the best series ever. Wondering which ones they are? Well, wonder no more and check out our list dedicated to the best sitcoms of all time as ranked by audiences and critics instead.

Director Larry Cohen, the man who created "The Invaders," has paid tribute to his sister, publicist Ronni Chasen, who was shot dead in Los Angeles on Tuesday 16 November 2010. The public relations mogul was shot multiple times while driving her Mercedes-Benz through Beverly Hills on her way home from the premiere of Cher and Christina Aguilera's new film Burlesque. Her brother Cohen says, "She was my sister and best friend and we shared so many wonderful times together. Ronni was a loving and caring person who treated her clients like they were her own family." Film composer Hans Zimmer, who was also a client of Chasen, added, "I'm profoundly sad, devastated, mad, incredulous and lonely. She was radiant. She knew everybody in the room. She took Chris Nolan over to the next table and introduced him to George Lucas. I was watching her (and) standing there listening to them and I thought, 'There's my friend Ronni, introducing two great directors to each other. She's on top of her game.'" Lawrence G. "Larry" Cohen (born July 15, 1941) is an American film producer, director, and screenwriter. Although he writes and produces for others, he is best known for directing his own low-budget, satirical, and inventive horror films and thrillers that are laced with scathing social commentary about modern American society. Cohen was born in Kingston, New York, USA. Cohen moved to the Riverdale section of the Bronx at an early age, eventually majoring in film at the City College of New York. He started his career in television, writing on many shows and creating the cult classics "Branded" and "The Invaders." He wrote, produced, and directed his first feature film, Bone, in 1972. He came to prominence with It's Alive (1974), a horror film about a mutant killer baby. Though cheaply produced, it is notable for its satirical black humor (the hero's son slaughters the medical staff at birth) and for its exploration of the parents’ dilemma: the hero, who has fathered one of the creatures, at first disowns it but later tries to protect it despite its obvious anti-social tendencies. It's Alive is also noted for being scored by Bernard Herrmann. Cohen made two sequels, It Lives Again (1978) and It's Alive III: Island of the Alive (1987). Cohen's films are full of quotable dialogue. In Full-Moon High (1981), a teenage werewolf puts off his girlfriend's advances with the excuse that it's “his time of the month.” In Q (aka The Winged Serpent, 1982), the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl is resurrected and flies about New York City snatching human sacrifices off the skyscrapers. Cohen was able to employ the talents of Michael Moriarty, David Carradine, and Candy Clark, and the film is one of his most sophisticated, but it still manages to include such lines as “Maybe his head got loose and fell off.” and "I want a Nixon-type pardon!" The Stuff(1985) concerns a parasitic goo from beneath the Earth's crust that manages to get itself marketed as a dessert. The film's hero announces proudly at the beginning, "Nobody could be as dumb as I appear," and later delivers the maxim that "everybody has to eat shaving cream once in a while." Perhaps Cohen’s most complex film, as well as his darkest, is God Told Me To (a.k.a. Demon, 1976), in which a troubled Catholic detective is faced with an epidemic of murders carried out by apparently normal people who claim, with quiet satisfaction, that God told them to do it. The film mixes science fiction and horror with religious satire. In 1987, Cohen made an unofficial sequel to Stephen King's 'Salem's Lot. With typical chutzpah, Cohen threw out all of King’s characters and kept only the basic premise of a small American town inhabited by vampires. A Return to Salem's Lot starred Michael Moriarty (a Cohen regular) and Samuel Fuller, and satirizes small-town snobbery and hypocrisy: a little old woman vampire refers coyly to her drinking problem while the evil king vampire is shown to be, at bottom, little more than a rather nasty conservative politician. Besides monster movies, Cohen has also made thrillers such as The Private Files of J. Edgar Hoover (1977), which portrays the FBI chief as a sexually repressed and paranoid megalomaniac. Ronni Chasen worked on that movie as the publicist. Cohen also made Special Effects (1984), the twisted tale of a policeman, a murderous film director, and the woman who gets turned into the double of his leading lady; and The Ambulance (1990), a Hitchcock-style entertainment in which Eric Roberts investigates the sudden disappearance of a young woman. Because of their frequently hurried guerrilla production style and their bargain-basement budgets, Cohen's films are sometimes murkily shot or messily edited, but Cohen’s freewheeling approach (and complete independence from studio interference) enables him to attack a number of satirical targets that often get off lightly in the mainstream—for example, ruthless food companies in The Stuff. In the third film of the Alive trilogy, Cohen even manages to work in some telling swipes against the American demonization of Cuba. Cohen was influenced by director Samuel Fuller and now lives in a house formerly owned by Mr. Fuller. In recent years, Cohen has curtailed his directing and producing activities, and has focused mainly on writing. His work was primarily for low-budget films and television until 1998, when Cohen's spec script Phone Booth triggered active interest and aggressive bidding from major Hollywood players. Joel Schumacher directed the resulting 2002 film, which starred Colin Farrell. Cohen was also credited with the story for the 2004 release Cellular, another thriller with a telecommunications theme. However, in 2006, Cohen returned to directing briefly with the episode “Pick Me Up” of the Showtime series Masters of Horror. In 2003, Cohen, together with production partner Martin Poll was at the center of a lawsuit against 20th Century Fox, claiming the company had intentionally plagiarized a script of theirs titled Cast of Characters in order to create the Sean Connery-starring League of Extraordinary Gentlemen film in 2003. According to the BBC, the lawsuit alleged "that Mr Cohen and Mr Poll pitched the idea to Fox several times between 1993 and 1996, under the name Cast of Characters." The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen was an adaptation of the 1999 published comic book series by Alan Moore and artist Kevin O'Neill. The lawsuit alleged that Fox had solicited the comics series The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen from Moore as a smokescreen for its intent to produce a movie plagiarizing Cast of Characters. It also claimed that both films shared similar public domain characters, including Tom Sawyer and Dorian Gray, characters who did not appear in the comic book series. Although Fox dismissed the lawsuit as "absurd nonsense," the case was ultimately settled out-of-court, a decision that Moore, according to the New York Times "took...as an especially bitter blow, believing that he had been denied the chance to exonerate himself." Police have launched an investigation into Ronni Chasen's death. No new leads have surfaced. Chasen worked on campaigns for more than 100 movies, including last year's Best Picture Oscar winner, The Hurt Locker, as well as Cocoon, Baby Boom, On Golden Pond and the 1989 best picture winner Driving Miss Daisy. "She worked with us on every picture we made since The Verdict and has been a loving and dear friend for so many years," said producer Richard Zanuck, who won the Oscar for "Driving Miss Daisy' along with his wife, Lili Fini Zanuck. "To think of not being able to get her on the other line of the phone is unimaginable. "She was the best publicist in the business in our opinion whose tireless and determined energy combined with her love of movies made her one of a very special breed. We can't tell you how much we will miss her." Actor Morgan Freeman, who earned an Oscar nomination for Driving Miss Daisy, also praised Chasen. "I had the extreme pleasure of working with Ronni on Driving Miss Daisy," Freeman said. "We've been friends ever since. She is someone I greatly admired and she will be remembered." Born and raised in New York, Chasen began her career doing theater publicity. She later moved to Los Angeles and was head of publicity for American International Pictures. She eventually became executive vice president of motion pictures at Rogers & Cowan, and was senior vice president of publicity for MGM. Larry Cohen's Filmography Masters of Horror—"Pick Me Up" (2006) Air Force One: The Final Mission (2004) Cellular (2004) (Story) Phone Booth (2002) (Writer) Original Gangstas (1996) As Good As Dead (1995) The Ambulance (1990) Wicked Stepmother (1989) Deadly Illusion (1987) It's Alive III: Island of the Alive (1987) A Return to Salem's Lot (1987) The Stuff (1985) Special Effects (1984) Perfect Strangers (1984) Q (1982) See China and Die (1981) Full Moon High (1981) It Lives Again (1978) The Private Files of J. Edgar Hoover (1977) God Told Me To (1976) It's Alive (1974) Hell Up in Harlem (1973) Black Caesar (1973) Bone (1972)

The archetypal sixties secret agent show, The Avengers has the unique distinction of being the only British programme ever to get a prime time slot on American network television. The overwhelming international success of its later years tends to overshadow its relatively humble beginnings as a largely studio-bound show shot on videotape, at which point the storylines were confined to the conventional TV thriller-fodder of the time. The lead character from the beginning was John Steed, a government agent, who was partnered on a rotating basis by one of a group of sidekicks; David Keel, a young doctor, Venus Smith, a nightclub singer, Martin King, another medic, and Cathy Gale, a widowed academic martial arts expert. Pretty soon Cathy Gale became Steed’s full-time partner and the others were dropped. During this era the distinctive look of The Avengers began to evolve. Steed’s clothing shifted gradually from the stereotype trenchcoat of the TV spy to the immaculate tailoring which would become his hallmark, and Cathy’s penchant for leather catsuits mirrored her self-confident, assertive personality, making her a true partner for Steed rather than the ineffectual sidekick the female lead would have been in most television programmes of the time. For most aficionados, however, The Avengers was at its height in the two seasons that paired Steed with Emma Peel, the widow of a test pilot believed killed in a plane crash. The bantering relationship between the characters hinted at a greater affection, and, more importantly, a partnership of true equals; hardly surprising that Emma Peel became an early feminist icon. The stories became more quirky and surreal, taking full advantage of the move from videotape to film; as well as improbable cold-war espionage plots, like a parrot being taught to recite top secret missile plans, the pair tangled with killer robots, mind-swapping devices, shrinking rays, and a deranged cartoonist who took on the persona of his superhero creation. When Emma left, after being reunited with her husband who had been discovered alive and well in the jungle, Steed was partnered with Tara King, a young, novice agent fresh out of training school. The relationship was now more that of a mentor and student; although Tara was just as capable of taking care of herself as her predecessors, Steed’s obvious affection for her was more avuncular than before. This final season also introduced Steed’s boss, an irascible overweight paraplegic, codenamed Mother, who provided extra comedy relief. The stories continued to be as inventive and bizarre as ever, including a toxin which induced fatal sneezing fits, a drug which made its victims say the opposite of whatever they meant, and a device which could rot wood to dust in seconds. The format was revived in the seventies as The New Avengers, of which more shortly. The show continues to be celebrated in books and with the release of restored DVDs and it seems likely to continue in the near future as the 50th anniversary of the shows debut is almost upon us: the first episode was first broadcast on 7 January 1961 and already 50th anniversary spin-offs (such as Marcus Hearn's The Avengers: A Celebration) are already hitting the bookstore shelves. Here, we'll have to contend ourselves with a celebration of the 48th anniversary of the release of the first Avengers spin-off novel. The Avengers by Douglas Enefer Consul Books 787, 1963, 126pp, 3/6. Cover design by Sam Sulliman [FC: Patrick Macnee, Honor Blackman] Britain's most highly successful television thriller series—The Avengers (A.B.C. Television). Based on the television series which has thrilled millions, Douglas Enefer's new novel, presenting those same characters you have come to know on the television screen, brings the kind of reading pleasure that is only rarely available. Those characters who have thrilled millions on television, now between the covers of a thrill-a-page novel. Deadline by Patrick Macnee (ghosted by Peter Leslie) Hodder 757, (Nov) 1965, 188pp, 3/6. Cover: photo [FC: Patrick Macnee] Titan Books 1852-86561-X, Aug 1994, 188pp, £3.99. Cover: photo [FC: Patrick Macnee, Diana Rigg] Someone is tampering with speeches reported in the continental editions of British newspapers: antagonising other nations and causing anti-British riots abroad. John Steed and Emma Peel are called in to go undercover at The Courier newspaper in Fleet Street. Their mission: to identify and track down the Brotherhood, a band of neo-fascist ruthless criminals who will stop at nothing—not even murder—to bring down the Government and seize power. Dead Duck by Patrick Macnee (ghosted by Peter Leslie) London, Hodder 826, (May) 1966, 160pp, 3/6. Cover: photo [FC: Patrick Macnee] Titan Books 1852-86572-8, Oct 1994, 160pp, £3.99. Cover: photo [FC: Diana Rigg, Patrick Macnee] When Steed and Mrs Peel witness a sudden death at a neighbouring table in a five star restaurant, they become involved in a bizarre puzzle: why are people dropping dead after eating duck? And what is the connection between a doctor, a gamekeeper and a painter? Their investigation leads them to a ruthless conspiracy, and a plot being hatched in the wilds of the East Anglian marshes. The Floating Game by John Garforth Panther Books 2175, (Jan) 1967, 127pp, 3/6. Cover: photo [FC: Diana Rigg, Patrick Macnee] The American Mafia moves in on Britain—using a mocked-up 'Russian' spy ring as a front. Very clever. Emma and Steed rush around after Soviet operators who simply don't exist! But the best laid schemes of mice and men and Mafia... Russian agents, the real thing, move in on the Mafia's fake set-up... The Laugh was on Lazarus by John Garforth Panther Books 2176, (Jan) 1967, 128pp, 3/6. Cover: photo [FC: Patrick Macnee, Diana Rigg] Emma mixes it by night with zombies in a famous London cemetery, while Steed is given his come-uppance by three exquisite Oriental dollies who know all the vicious tricks. The fun is fast and furious. And very lethal. The Passing of Gloria Munday by John Garforth Panther Books 2203, (Mar) 1967, 128pp, 3/6. Cover: photo [FC: Diana Rigg] A siren in distress rescued by Steed in his vintage Bentley is taken to Blackpool and murdered by a tycoon in electronics whose posse of pop pirates threaten to clamber aboard the ship of state; whereupon Emma Peel sings falsetto and George Washington sweeps the floor... and the battle against the pop dictators is on! Heil Harris! by John Garforth Panther Books 2204, (Mar) 1967, 124pp, 3/6. Cover: photo [FC: Patrick Macnee] Did Hitler die in a bunker or is he celebrating his 78th birthday today and living in exile in Hertfordshire...? That's the question worrying Steed after meeting a certain 78-year-old Herr Harris who dreams of catastrophe and is clearly connected with mystic rites being practiced in the Herts countryside. But Steed soon finds the world facing a far graver danger... Emma Peel—elected dictator of Great Britain!In the US, the Panther novels were reprinted by Berkeley Medallion, who continued to publish further novels which were not published in the UK. The US Berkeley series ran as follows: 1 The Floating Game by John Garforth (Apr 1967) 2 The Laugh was on Lazarus by John Garforth (May 1967) 3 The Passing of Gloria Munday by John Garforth (Jul 1967) 4 Heil Harris! by John Garforth (Sep 1967) 5 The Afrit Affir by Keith Laumer (Apr 1968) 6 The Drowned Queen by Keith Laumer (Jun 1968) 7 The Gold Bomb by Keith Laumer (Sep 1968) 8 The Magnetic Man by Norman Daniels (Dec 1968) 9 Moon Express by Norman Daniels (Feb 1969) A further novel, The Saga of Happy Valley by Geoff Barlow (Albion Press, 1980), published in Australia, was a unlicensed and featured the characters John Steade and Emma Peale.

Cast members Robert Colbert, Lee Meriwether, and James Darren--from Terry's private collection. " Two American scientists are lost in ...

Series Clasicas de la TV.. Retro Series

Growing up wasn't always easy, but ladies like Linda Carter in those outfits certainly helped soften those trying, tough times. Thank you Wonder Woman! Dawn Wells! Angela Cartwright! Lindsay Wagner! Elisabeth Sladen! Erin Gray! Janet Waldo! Julie Newmar! Yvonne Craig! And Heather Thomas! And Heather Thomas!... Yes, To All The Girls I've Loved Before. * This entry took some time [actually much longer than I anticipated], because I got to thinking how my life has been linked through television and film. Of course, those of us generally in love with pop culture generally are connected in this way. Gosh, what I would have missed had I been one of those avid book readers boycotting television. Bless them of course. * I have those out of body moments when I contemplate the big picture and ponder my life as short and minuscule when considering the grand scheme of things. In the great timeline of life we all try to attempt significance. My efforts here at Musings Of A Sci-Fi Fanatic are in some small way intended to fight that insignificance. I mean, don't we all shoot for relevance on some level to some degree especially as we swim against the tide of that ever ticking clock. We're all here for such a short time. So speaking of short segments of time, my life is marked through a small period of tremendous television. I think we all feel we were born at the right time. Folks, this is my life through television. This is how my life has been influenced by pop culture and speaks to who I am today by marking and charting the evolution of this Sci-Fi Fanatic chronologically. Have fun. * 1. Davey And Goliath [1960; 72 Episodes; Art Clokey; United Lutheran Church In America; viewed in syndication] Bottom line: I loved Davey and Goliath, the talking dog. All of the Christian principles covered in each amazing fifteen minute episode by the man behind Gumby spoke volumes to me. These guys made you feel good on a Sunday morning before being forced out the door to church. I tried telling mom I didn't need church - I had Davey & Goliath! * 2. Mutual Of Omaha's Wild Kingdom [1963-1988; syndication] Bottom line: Marlin Perkins and wild animals. Who wasn't mesmerized by this original Animal Planet? * 3. Gilligan's Island [1964-1967; Three Seasons; 98 Episodes; Sherwood Schwartz; syndication] Bottom line: The uber-sexy Dawn Wells and Tina Louise as Mary Ann and Ginger, respectively, kept my attention right along with all of the on-island antics of Gilligan and the Skipper too. It was impossible to choose one girl over the other, but my friends and I often debated which one was hotter. It was an endless debate with no clear resolution. I was always a Mary Ann guy. She was probably the biggest reason why I watched. * 4. Johnny Quest [1964-1965; 26 Episodes; Hanna-Barbera, syndication] Bottom line: Terrific hand drawn 2D animation, music by Hoyt Curtin, the mischievous dog Bandit, just saying the word Hadji, and the monster of the week lured me back to wherever I could find it. * 5. Thunderbirds [1965-1966; 2 Series; 32 Episodes; Gerry & Sylvia Anderson, syndication] Bottom line: Who could resist the rescue craft housed on luxurious Tracy Island? T1, T2, T3 and T4, and other assorted pod vehicles, were gems of the imagination. * 6. Lost In Space [1965-1968; Three Seasons; 83 Episodes; Irwin Allen, syndication] Bottom line: Creepy black and white to colorfully quirky, this family science fiction drama remains a classic. The cast was pitch perfect top to bottom. Cool men of action, a young boy hero, hot chicks in Penny and Judy, a Robot and the cowardly conniving of Dr. Smith. Oh, and inevitably a man dressed as the monster of the week. * 7. Mighty Mouse [1966-1967; Paul Terry for Terrytoons, syndication] featuring The Mighty Heroes [1966-1967; 21 Episodes; Ralph Bakshi for Terrytoons, syndication] Bottom line: I liked Mighty Mouse fine and Terry's work was unique in its own right, but I tuned just as much to see The Mighty Heroes segment by Bakshi. * Who didn't love Strong Man, Rope Man, Tornado Man, Cuckoo Man and Diaper Man? Seriously, now that was one goofy-ass superhero team. * 8. Star Trek: The Original Series [1966-1969; Three Seasons; 79 Episodes; Gene Roddenberry, syndication] Bottom line: There's so much about this series that continues to feed my love for it. The characters [Kirk, Spock, Bones and Scotty], the Enterprise herself combined with timeless, thrilling stories and vibrant, beautiful visuals continues to capture my undying appreciation. * 9. Space Ghost [1966-1968; Two Seasons; 20 Episodes; Hanna-Barbera, syndication] Bottom line: The baritone voice of Gary Owens on Space Ghost and a wonderful voice cast, the monkey, the monsters, the ultra-cool tech, the stunning 2D animation by Alex Toth and far out adventures made it a thrill ride worth seeking. * 10. Batman [1966-1968; Three Seasons; 120 Episodes, syndication] Bottom line: Superhero action in full, vivid color with awesome villains, wicked cool camera work in pure comic book style genius. One of the few shows that really got the superhero as comic book formula perfect. Julie Newmar and Yvonne Craig as Cat Woman and Bat Girl, respectively, in spandex or some variation thereof. Gulp! * 11. Young Samson And Goliath [1967; 20 Episodes; Hanna-Barbera; syndication] Bottom line: The 2D hand drawn animation was solid, but more importantly, the dog turned into a powerful lion. How cool was that? * 12. The Herculoids [1967-1968; 18 Episodes; Hanna-Barbera, syndication] Bottom line: Developed around a superhero team format one simply couldn't resist picking their favorite alien savior. Gloop, Gleep, Tundro, Igoo and Zok led by Zandor, Tarra and Dorno. The creatures were beautifully designed by Alex Toth and featured terrific superpowers. It was sci-fi fantasy heaven complete with beautiful 2D hand drawn, terrific animation. * 13. Spider-Man [1967-1970; 52 Episodes; Various including Ralph Bakshi; syndication] Bottom line: I loved the theme song. Could you get enough of that theme song? Damn! The animation- well, I was young. * 14. Family Affair [1966-1971; Five Seasons; 138 Episodes; syndication] Bottom line: I grew up on Buffy [long before the other Buffy] and Jody and Mrs. Beasley. We loved Mr. French and Brian Keith as their Dad. When the actress who played Buffy died at a young age from a drug overdose I remember it was one of the first times I was sad to see someone I watched on television die. It was basically a shock to hear about her and Elvis Presley. One of those moments when you lose a little bit of your innocence. * 15. The Banana Splits [1968-1969; Two Seasons; 31 Episodes; Hanna-Barbera; syndication] Bottom line: A terrific theme track and great costumes made for a terrific kids show for the ages. It was populated by a myriad assortment of cartoon mini-series. * I particularly loved Danger Island [1968; 3 hour adventure - 36 chapters; Hanna-Barbera] and to this day have no idea what happened to those folks. The live-action Danger Island segment starred Jan Michael Vincent and even featured direction by none other than Richard Donner. * The all-animated Arabian Nights [1968-1969; 18 Episodes; Hanna-Barbera] was special and I was a huge fan of the donkey, Zazuum. * The New Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn [1968-1969; 20 Episodes; Hanna-Barbera], a mixture of live action and animation, was another favorite. Remember Injun Joe? Joe was voiced by Ted Cassidy (Space Ghost, Star Trek: The Original Series - What Are Little Girls Made Of?, Six Million Dollar Man - Return Of Bigfoot, Lost In Space - The Thief From Outer Space, The Addams Family and he even provided the opening voice narration of The Incredible Hulk). The young cast placed in danger week after week was also wonderfully entertaining. Would you just love to have all of this stuff on DVD? * Oh, and don't forget Glum and The Adventures Of Gulliver [1968; 17 Episodes]. * 16. The Adventures Of Aquaman [1968-1970; 36 Episodes; Filmation; syndication] Bottom line: Aquaman was ultracool and grossly underrated as DC characters went. Any hero that could summon whales and other aquatic creatures was worth my time especially when animated rings projected from his forehead. I liked that! Yes, definitely the coolest of the Super Friends. * 17. The Mod Squad [1968-1973; Five Seasons; 123 Episodes; Aaron Spelling] Bottom line: A terrific cast. Clarence Williams III's afro and shades were a huge sell for me and the hot Peggy Lipton looked like she just got back from Woodstock. She was a babe. * 18. Hawaii Five-O [1968-1980; Twelve Seasons; 279 Episodes] Bottom line: A killer theme grabbed my attention. I remember the ocean waves and enjoyed the on-location shooting. It may be why I liked Lost so much in the end. * 19. H.R. Pufnstuff [1969-1971; 17 Episodes; Sid & Marty Krofft] Bottom line: For a short-lived series it was particularly memorable. Filled with great characters, costumes, props and color including the positively ridiculous Freddie The Golden Flute. Loved that theme song. Proof that there's nothing better than a terrific theme song. Theme songs are a lost art today wouldn't you agree? * 20. The Courtship Of Eddie's Father [1969-1972; Three Seasons; 73 Episodes] Bottom line: "People let me tell ya 'bout my best friend." The show was the reason I fell in love with Actor Bill Bixby. It was one of two reasons [the other being The Incredible Hulk] I was deeply saddened by his passing in 1993. Bixby was the father you always wanted. I loved my father dearly, but Bixby had all the answers and he was very tender in his love for his son. He was a classic and a tough act to follow. I truly wish it was available on DVD. * 21. The Brady Bunch [1969-1974; Five Seasons; 117 Episodes; Sherwood Schwartz] Bottom line: The best family sitcom of the day. Hysterical and sweet. Infinitely rewatchable. Infinitely quotable. My kids love it! It never gets old. The second major contribution to my world view from Sherwood Schwartz. As of this writing it plays in my living room. I'll be cooking and I get sucked into that Grand Canyon or Hawaii episode every time. * 22. Wait 'Till Your Father Gets Home [1972-1974; Three Seasons; 48 Episodes; Hanna-Barbera] Bottom line: An animated sitcom with a catchy theme song. Tom Bosley was the voice of the father. It was kind of groovy. It wasn't the most memorable, but it was an animated evening sitcom. How cool was that? * 23. Sigmund And The Sea Monsters [1973-1975; 29 Episodes; Sid & Marty Krofft] Bottom line: Sigmund was the goofy best. We loved the clubhouse by the ocean. Oh, and by the way, Johnny and Scott are friends. * 24. Super Friends [1973-1986; Ten Seasons; 109 Episodes; Hanna-Barbera] Bottom line: It was all good. I even landed myself a Super Friends pillow case. "Wonder twin powers activate! Shape of a..." Come on, it ruled! Who wanted to be Jayna as a kid though? Unfortunately, I wasn't big on having to change into something water-based all the time though, unless it was the ice monster - then we could talk. But Zan was always water in Jayna's bucket often carried inside her eagle mouth! Good grief already. * 25. Planet Of The Apes [1974; 14 episodes; Stan Hough] Bottom line: An ephemeral series that I loved as much as the films. Lalo Schifrin serves up some great music to go along with the terrific tales. Roy Harper stars with Roddy McDowall. Does anyone tire of the late character actor Roddy McDowall? I think not and the man was prolific. I miss the guy. I even had the Planet Of The Apes dolls...err rather, action figures. They were often climbing the tall oak in my back yard! Harper would figure prominently in a role for Land Of The Lost Season Three. * 26. Land Of The Lost [1974-1976; Three Seasons; 42 Episodes; Sid & Marty Krofft] Bottom line: Saturday mornings couldn't have been more fulfilling. The theme song played endlessly in my head and still does. The series succeeded despite weak, but considerably good for their time, effects thanks to great writers, a great mythology, a terrific cast, creepy concepts, Big Alice, Grumpy and those nasty, frightening Sleestaks. The expedition was anything but "routine" as we were transported into another pocket dimension. Who didn't love Dopey, the baby Brontosaurus, and admire its ability to eat a strawberry in one massive bite? * 27. Six Million Dollar Man [1974-1978; Five Seasons; 100 Episodes + 6 TV films; Harve Bennett/ Kenneth Johnson] Bottom line: Like any kid I had a voracious appetite for Colonel Steve Austin and all things bionic. Who didn't want to be Lee Majors? Who didn't spend hours in the backyard moving from the sand box to the house stairs in slow motion? Throwing rocks, jumping, moving objects and generally knocking around in the yard. Yankin' about the backyard was never more fun. * 28. Little House On The Prairie [1974-1983; Ten Seasons; 184 Episodes; Michael Landon] Bottom line: I loved Melissa Gilbert! I loved her. Bruce Boxleitner is a lucky man. Nellie and Willie Oleson were the characters you loved to hate. It was so ironic that their father Nels Oleson was such a great guy. I loved Nels! Tough name to live with that poor fellow. Michael Landon ruled to! Great characters, great stories and who didn't love seeing Caroline Ingalls fall down in that field of grass at the start of every episode. Those were the days indeed. * 29. Happy Days [1974-1984; Eleven Seasons; 247 Episodes; Garry Marshall] Bottom line: Heyyyy! I loved the Happy Days gang including Pat Morita. I'd be lying if I didn't say I loved Laverne & Shirley too and Lennie and Squiggy. They should have their own entry, but it was an oversight. * 30. The Lost Saucer [1975-1976; 16 Episodes; Sid & Marty Krofft] Bottom line: A completely stupid show with Jim Nabors [Gomer Pyle- USMC] and Ruth Buzzi, but it was a great way to get lost! * 31. Far Out Space Nuts [1975-1976; 16 Episodes; Sid & Marty Krofft] Bottom line: Bob Denver and Chuck McCann bring on the wacky. The monsters were always good fun in this goofy, far out time. 32. Space:1999 [1975-1978; Two Seasons; 48 Episodes; Gerry & Sylvia Anderson] Bottom line: UFO, the precursor to Space:1999 missed my early development [only discovering it later in life], but the resulting Space:1999 remains one of the most influential science fiction series of my life. Like Star Trek, there is plenty on offer here including a wonderful cast, wonderful characters, amazing visuals and that beautiful creature called The Eagle. Season Two gave us Maya. YES! There is a God indeed! * 33. S.W.A.T. [1975-1976; Two Seasons; 37 Episodes; Aaron Spelling/ Leonard Goldberg] Bottom line: My brother and my cousins and I grabbed black plastic guns and ran around the yard because we watched this show. We even played the theme song whenever possible. We were S.W.A.T.! * 34. Starsky & Hutch [1975-1979; Four Seasons; 93 Episodes; Aaron Spelling/ Leonard Goldberg] Bottom line: My cousin and I played Starsky & Hutch. I was always Starsky. He was always Hutch. I loved being Starsky. We loved the Gran Torino. That was a bad machine! My grandmother had an orange duster with a white stripe and for some odd reason we always thought she was driving the car from our favorite show. She was the epitome of grandmother cool. She was and still is cool at 92. Bless. * 35. Bionic Woman [1976-1978; Three Seasons; 58 Episodes; Kenneth Johnson] Bottom line: Who didn't love Jamie 'babe-o-matic' Sommers? She was bionic. Who didn't want to be with Lindsay Wagner? We were all about the Bionic Woman. Along with Linda Carter as Wonder Woman, they pre-dated the ass-kicking action of Sigourney Weaver in Alien. I think my male hormones kicked in early. * 36. Charlie's Angels [1976-1981; Five Seasons; 110 Episodes; Aaron Spelling/ Leonard Goldberg] Bottom-line: Um, Kate Jackson, Jaclyn Smith and Farrah Fawcett-Majors. Need I say more? One of them was a Majors. Hot babes with guns. The mid-70s was like babe heaven and theses shows that had this little boy's attention. * 37. Doctor Who [Tom Baker] [1974-1981; 172 Episodes] Bottom line: Creepy, weird science fiction stories with a terrific lead in Tom Baker. The companion years featuring Sarah Jane and then Leela were the best. It resulted in mad dashes to the television screen for after school frights. I survived many a schoolyard bully to get there too. I did it all for tinfoil, bubble wrap and a whole host of bad, bad effects, but good writing. * 38. Wonder Woman [1975-1979; Three Seasons; 59 episodes; Various] Bottom line: There wasn't a woman hotter than Linda Carter twirling into action except for Lindsay Wagner. I was all over that. Those tight outfits somehow spoke to me in a way the more naturally-fitted Bionic Woman never could. Hmmm, not sure why? * 39. Man From Atlantis [1977-1978; One Season; 13 episodes + 4 films; Herb Solow] Bottom line: Patrick Duffy had webbed hands and feet. It was the closest thing to live action Aquaman or Sub-Mariner I could get. * 40. Logan's Run [1977-1978; One Season; 14 episodes; Rene Leyva] Bottom line: Who didn't connect to a chase series where people were looking to execute you in the prime of your life? It had a funny-looking hovercraft. * 41. The Amazing Spider-Man [1977-1979; 14 Episodes] Bottom line: Folks, it was live action Spider-Man! Good God, jump back and kiss myself! Nicholas Hammond was cool too. I enjoyed Hammond in the role. It was hard to outdo live action Spider-Man in the 1970s. * 42. Bigfoot And Wildboy [1977-1979; 20 Episodes; Sid & Marty Krofft] Bottom line: Essentially inspired by the appearance of Bigfoot in The Six Million Dollar Man we were delivered more Bigfoot. Heck, who doesn't love Bigfoot? Throw in a little Wildboy and you've got the cleverly titled Bigfoot And Wildboy. Genius. Nuff said! * 43. The Incredible Hulk [1977-1982; Five Seasons; 82 Episodes + 3 TV films; Kenneth Johnson] Bottom line: This series, in a rare feat, somehow transcended the comic book hero I knew. Kenneth Johnson, the man behind The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman, managed to strike gold a third time. It was an amazing show with terrific acting and great emotional and psychological complexity. Somehow my tiny little mind appreciated all of these aspects. I guess I was in touch with my emotional reserves early in life. I spent nights trying to record the theme song onto the audio tape of my boom box. It was an obsession. Sure I loved the ripping clothes, the transformation and those mutant-like Bill Bixby eyes, but the character drama was overwhelming in its power. It had it all. Kenneth Johnson at his peak. * 44. CHiPs [1977-1983; Six Seasons; 139 Episodes; Rick Rosner] Bottom line: Ponch and Jon and motorcycles. Did you know Michael Dorn [a.k.a. Worf] was a CHiPs officer? Again, Ponch and Jon and cool glasses. * 45. Love Boat [1977-1986; Nine Seasons; 249 Episodes + 4 TV specials; Aaron Spelling & Various] Bottom line: Crazy stories, stargazing and a catchy theme drew me to the television like a mouse to the Pied Piper or cheese. This was cheese at its finest. * 46. Fantasy Island [1978-1984; Seven Seasons; 158 Epsiodes; Aaron Spelling & Eugene Levitt] Bottom line: "Da plane, Da plane!" I loved that. More strargazing of sexy visitors. It was essentially Love Boat with an edge to it. There was something a little off about Fantasy Island and Ricardo Montalban was the perfect personality as Mr. Roarke to orchestrate the sometimes uneasy, spooky, supernatural proceedings. I was a little freaked out, but I liked it! * 47. Battlestar Galactica [1978-1979; One Season; 24 Episodes; Glen A. Larson] Bottom line: Swashbuckling heroes with laser pistols and cool Vipers to fly. Metallic, shining cylons and the Imperious Leader. Hot babes. A daggit. June Lockhart's daughter. Hell, what more could you ask for? The series sealed my love for space science fiction following Star Trek, Space:1999 and Star Wars. I was a goner. * 48. Buck Rogers In The 25th Century [1979-1981; Two Seasons; 37 Episodes; Glen A. Larson] Bottom line: Science fiction complete with a major hot babe named Wilma Deering played by the spandex-clad Erin Gray. She was the stuff of dreams. A metal robot named Twiki that sounded like Bugs Bunny [because it was the voice of Bugs Bunny] and action hero Buck played with macho fun by Gil Gerard. Sign me up! Larson was on a roll and Buck Rogers was like icing on the cake or the cherry on top at the end of the 1970s. * 49. Starblazers [1979-1984; Three Seasons; 77 Episodes] Bottom line: The Quest for Iscandar offered classic science fiction anime style. Great characters, an epic theme song ["Our Starblazers!"], the Argo and the Wave Motion Gun [they could have fired that thing all episode long] had us clamoring for more. Known as Space Battleship Yamato in Japan, the American edit, Starblazers, remained mostly in tact save for the reduction of WWII references. This was one of two big reasons why Japanese anime has remained apart of this Fanatic's life. * 50. Battle Of The Planets [1978-1985; 85 Episodes; Sandy Frank] Bottom line: A killer theme song from Hoyt Curtain, Mad dashes home to "transmute" and the fiery Phoenix were backed by super cool mech driven by Mark, Jason, Tiny, Keyop and Princess. The series was edited from the 105 episode Japan series Gatchaman. Endless debate on whether or not Zoltar, a cackling male villain with lipstick, was a man or a woman persisted between friends. Casey Kasem was brilliant in the English dub along with the other selected voice actors. * 51. Thundarr The Barbarian [1980-1982; 21 Episodes; Joe Ruby/ Ken Spears] Bottom line: Ookla The Mok and the Sunsword a.k.a. Thundarr's lightsaber. Great Saturday morning animated, apocalyptic fun. * 52. The Greatest American Hero [1981-1983; Three Seasons; 44 Episodes; Stephen J. Cannell] Bottom line: A regular guy becomes a superhero. That suit and the terrific chemistry between William Katt, Robert Culp and Connie Sellecca made it a winner. * 53. Tales Of The Gold Monkey [1982-1983; One Season; 21 Episodes] Bottom line: Raiders Of The Lost Ark-type adventure meets television, but different. There was the plane and that ultra-cool Jack-Russell Terrier. 54. The Fall Guy [1981-1986; 5 Seasons; 113 Episodes; Glen A. Larson] Bottom line: Fans of the Six Million Dollar Man were just thrilled to see Lee Majors back in business. Those fans were now older. Lee Majors and hard body Heather Thomas! And Heather Thomas. And Heather Thomas. Gulp! The Fall Guy quickly became about The Fall Girl. What the hell was happening to me? * 55. Knight Rider [1982-1986; Four Seasons; 90 Episodes; Glen A. Larson] Bottom line: My father loved it because he loved cars and so did I. He always drove a Camaro with a spoiler and Michael Knight's car was the closest thing to a sci-fi ride in a reality-based drama. We were suckers for a sweet ride. The cool car complete with a red cyclon scanner and that terrific voice made it a ball. There was cool theme music too from Stu Phillips [as always]. * 56. The A-Team [1983-1987; Five Seasons; 97 Episodes; Stephen J. Cannell] Bottom line: Things go boom- get blown up real good. Seriously, I loved the cast in each of their roles. It was great to see Battlestar Galactica's Dirk Benedict again. He brought me to the party, but everyone else rocked it too. But when people walked away from all of the violence unscathed, including helicopters that plunged into the sides of mountains I pretty much walked away from television. I suppose the allusion was over for me. I could no longer see Totoro. * I've unfortunately omitted two. Grizzly Adams [1974-1982, Two Seasons, 38 Episodes]. Bottom line: Who didn't love old lovable Dan Haggerty, Big Ben and life in the wilderness? * Three's Company [1977-1984; Eight Seasons; 172 Episodes] Bottom line: "Come on knock on my door." I loved the theme and this little boy was getting sexual double entendres all day long. But dang I loved that Janet Wood and Chrissy Snow. Speaking of wood, this show was a little boy's dream come true after school. Harmless, great fun. Jack Tripper had severe blue balls living with those girls. Oh the pain. * At this point, I guess I just moved on to other things, like girls. It's also key to note just how influential syndication became in on our lives thanks to the likes of Star Trek. Everything since these formative years has been experienced through DVD, but the aforementioned shows above were witnessed via the original Cathode ray tube. I'm sure I've missed some. Feel free to fill in some gaps in my memory banks. * Of course all of this has contributed to the development of a perfectly healthy, happy, normal, regular sci-fi guy. Well, that's how I like to see things anyway. * One thing is certain looking back, we've come a long way baby. As much as we look to the future many of my fondest, sweetest moments are tied to the colorful past. There's something strengthening internally about it. We never let it go, because it's simply a big part of who we are.

March 8, 2019 FaceBook Post: "As many of you know, the Tennessee Museum of Aviation had a replica of Airwolf on display for many years. We regularly receive

Lee Majors starred in the Six Million Dollar Man TV series as astronaut Steve Austin, who, after a crash that nearly killed him, was remade in a bionic man - essentially a cyborg - and turned into a government agent.

recuerdos del ayer, años 60,70,80,90 y mas. De todo un poco. series de tv, peliculas, recuerdos, anecdotas, musica, cine y mas

May 4 to 10 1968 TV Guide Cast Stars of Mission Impossible on Cover Vol 16 Number 18 Issue 788 Western New England Edition Good Condition TV Guide is complete Ships flat and secured with cardboard Great gift idea Pictures are of the actual TV guide you will be receiving Please use the photos, any questions just send me a message