Category: TV

RIP: David Soul

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David Soul died yesterday.  Mr. Soul was 80.]

David Soul began performing as a founding member of the Firehouse Theater in Minneapolis.  In 1967, Mr, Soul had guest appearances on Flipper, I Dream of Jeannie and Star Trek.  In 1968, he landed a co-starring role on the series Here Come the Brides.  When the series ended, David Soul continued to act in movies and television roles.  In 1975, David Soul became a household name with his co-starring role in the hit series Starsky and Hutch.  His popularity allowed him to return to his love of singing (in addition to acting).  David Soul’s release of “Don’t Give Up on Us” hit number 1 in the US.  He also had 5 singles in the top twenty in the UK.  During his hiatus from filming Starsky and Hutch and after the series ended, David Soul would perform concerts in the US and around the world.

For the rest of his career, David Soul would perform as a singer, actor and director.

Some of David Soul’s television appearances include: Flipper; I Dream of Jeannie; Star Trek; Here Come the Brides (52 episodes); The Young Rebels; Dan August; Ironside; All in the Family; The FBI; The Streets of San Francisco; Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law (7 episodes); Cannon (2 episodes); The Rookies; McMillan & Wife; Medical Center; Gunsmoke; Starsky and Hutch (92 episodes); Salem’s Lot; The Manions of America (3 episodes); World War III (2 episodes); Casablanca (5 episodes); The Yellow Rose (22 episodes); The Key to Rebecca; Crime Story; Secret of Sahara (4 episodes); Unsub (8 episodes); The Young Riders (2 episodes); Jake and the Fatman (2 episodes); Murder She Wrote (2 episodes) and Sandra the Rebel Princess (7 episodes);

Some of David Soul’s feature film appearances include: Johnny Got His Gun; Magnum Force and Appointment with Death.

I first remember seeing David Soul in Here Come the Brides.  However, I may have seen him first in Flipper,  I Dream of Jeannie or Star Trek since I regularly watched these shows as a kid.  When I was in high school Starsky & Hutch premiered and it was must-see tv.  I’m also a fan of David Soul in Salem’s Lot.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to David Soul’s family, friends and fans.

“Death and Other Details” – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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Death and Other Details looks like fun.

Deal me in.

Set amidst the glamor of the global elite, Death and Other Details centers on the brilliant and restless Imogene, who finds herself in the wrong place/wrong time (okay, it was kinda her fault) and becomes the prime suspect in a locked room murder mystery.

Watch Death and Other Details on Hulu!

ABOUT DEATH AND OTHER DETAILS
Imogene Scott finds herself in the wrong place at the wrong time and becomes the prime suspect in a locked-room murder mystery; to prove her innocence, she must partner with a man she despises, Rufus Cotesworth, the world’s greatest detective.

Best of 2023: Films, Books & Posts

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As we start 2024, let’s pause for a look at the BEST OF 2023. I hope you see something that you enjoyed or gets you interested to check out. Here we go…

Movies and Limited Series

In 2023, I watched 409 movies and limited series. That number is up 04 from last year. None were seen in a theater! My favorite films and limited series released in 2023 included (in alpha order):

  • 1923
  • Agent Elvis
  • AKA
  • Bill Russell: Legend
  • Bye Bye Barry
  • Dark Winds: Season 2
  • Extraction 2
  • Fall of the House of Usher, The
  • Family Stallone, The
  • Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
  • Joe Pickett: Season 2
  • Justified: City Primeval
  • Knock at the Cabin
  • Lawman Bass Reeves: Season 1
  • Leave the World Behind
  • Night Agent, The
  • Perry Mason: Season 2
  • Sly
  • StarTrek: Strange New Worlds Season 2
  • Tulsa King: Season 1

Books

In 2023, I read 21 books (16 down from last year, but considering the year we had, that’s not bad). My favorites from this year included (in the order I read them):

  • It Dies With You by Scott Blackburn

  • Blood Standard by Barron Laird
  • Chasing the Boogeyman by Richard Chizmar

  • Black Mountain by Laird Barron

  • Worse Angels by Barron Laird (A) 5.29
  • The Last Action Heroes by Nick de Semlyen
  • All Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby

  • Too Many Bullets by Max Allan Collins

  • But Enough About Me by Burt Reynolds

  • Things Get Ugly: The Best Crime Stories of Joe R. Lansdale by Joe Lansdale

  • Dirty Words by Todd Robinson

  • Everybody Dies by Lawrence Block

  • The Big Bundle by Max Allan Collins

My Most Popular Posts of the Year

I continue to find some surprises in what became my most popular posts each year. Here are the top ten for 2023 and some thoughts for each…

10. Top 10 Most Iconic Horror Movie Villains – Hung in the 10th spot for the second year in a row.

09. RIP: Rachel Welch. New to the list

08. The Different Covers for David Morrell’s First Blood. Same spot as last year.

07. Meeting Sly Stallone. New to the list!

06. Paul Gulacy Week: Day Four. New to the list!

05. Red Sonja, Conan and Dan Panosian. New to the list.

04. Louis Meyers: Evidence He was the Zodiac Killer. Same spot as last year.

03. Dracula Through the Ages. Same spot as last year.

02. Schwarzenegger in “King Lear” & Robin Williams in “Jack and the Beanstalk”. Fell from the first spot last year.

01. SYFY’s 2023/2024 TWILIGHT ZONE New Year’s Eve Marathon is Up! The most popular post last year.

My All-Time Most Popular Posts

The top 4 didn’t change and only one new post broke in to the All-Time most popular posts. Let’s see how things shook out…

10. Joel Osteen in Jacksonville – held on to the 10th spot for two years in a row.

09. Gadot & The Rock Strike a Pose – was in the 9th spot for the last three years.

08. Steve Reeves as Superman – No change.

07. TOP 10 MOST ICONIC HORROR MOVIE VILLAINS! – from 5th to 7th.

06. Dracula Through the Ages – still in the 6th spot. Vampires are in.

05. New Billy the Kid Photo Discovered – No change!

04. SYFY’s 2023/2024 TWILIGHT ZONE New Year’s Eve Marathon is Up!

03. Zodiac Killer Code Cracked? – No change!

02. Louis Meyers: Evidence He Was the Zodiac Killer – No change!

01. Schwarzenegger in “King Lear” & Robin Williams in “Jack and the Beanstalk” – was #1 last year and continues to be our most popular post of all-time.

It’s always interesting to see which topics resonate with fans and continue to be popular long after their initial post.

“Master of Dark Shadows” (2019) / Z-View

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Master of Dark Shadows (2019)

Director:  David Gregory

Stars: Dan Curtis, Nancy Barrett, Ben Cross, Roger Davis, Jonathan Frid, Ian McShane, William F. Nolan, Lara Parker, David Selby, Barbara Steele and Whoopi Goldberg.

Tagline:  The Gothic World of Dan Curtis

The Plot…

Dan Curtis’ soap opera, Dark Shadows, was scheduled for cancellation in six weeks.  When Curtis was told this, he decided to take his traditional daytime melodrama in a new direction,  He added a vampire!  Surprisingly the show soared to the top of the ratings.  Kids and young adults made it must-see tv and the show was saved.  Dark Shadows ended up running for six seasons.  Spin-offs included two feature films, comic books, trading cards, board games and more.

Although Dan Curtis became best known for films in the horror genre he wanted to break out into other genres.  Master of Dark Shadows is his story.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Dan Curtis produced and directed the two Dark Shadows feature films.  He also wrote the second.  Then when the series ended, Dan Curtis was considered the go-to guy for horror.  He produced The Night Stalker. It became the highest rated tv movie of its time.  Curtis followed that up by producing and directing The Night Strangler, The Norliss Tapes, Scream of the Wolf, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, The Turn of the Screw, Trilogy of Terror, Burnt Offerings, Dead of Night and Curse of the Black Widow.  Although Dan Curtis did produce and direct other films, he was still best known for horror.

That all changed when Curtis produced and directed the television adaptation of Herman Wouk’s Winds of War.  The seven episode mini-series became the highest rated television event of its time.  The series was nominated for eleven Emmy Awards, winning three (Outstanding Cinematography for a Limited Series or a Special; Outstanding Individual Achievement – Costumers; Outstanding Individual Achievement – Special Visual Effects).

Dan Curtis followed with War and Remembrance, a continuation of Winds of War. War and Remembrance received 15 Emmy Award nominations.  It won for best miniseries, special effects, and single-camera production editing.

I’m happy that Dan Curtis was able to break out from the horror genre and make big budget, award winning projects.  But the truth of the matter is, I will always remember the thrill of running home from school to catch the latest adventures of Barnabus and Quentin Collins.  Five days a week on Dark Shadows we got vampires, werewolves, and a taste of horror.  I read the novelizations, comic books, collected the cards and saw the feature films.  The excitement we had as kids talking about Dark Shadows is a highlight of this kid’s elementary years.

If you’re of the right age, Master of Shadows will take you back to that time.  If you’re too young, then you’ll get a taste of something that will never be replicated.

Master of Dark Shadows (2019) earns 5 of 5 stars.

RIP: Tom Smothers

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Tom Smothers, born Thomas Bolyn Smothers III, died yesterday from cancer.  Mr. Smothers was 86.

In high school Tom Smothers was a state champion gymnast in the parallel bars.  While attending San José State University, Mr. Smothers competed in gymnastics and the pole vault with the track and field team.

Tom and his younger brother, Dick, wanted to be folk musicians.  Tom thought that while he wasn’t good enough to be a professional musician, he was funny enough to be a comedian.  So the two began adding comedy bits to their performances.  Their act caught on.  CBS gave them their first television show, The Smothers Brothers Show.  It lasted one season.

Tom Smothers negotiated creative control for their next CBS series, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.  By this point Tom had become politically active.  He and Dick began to push the limits with references to recreational drugs, sex, religion and the Viet Nam war.  The show’s war with the CBS censors generated a lot of publicity and the show ended up being cancelled.

Tom Smothers continued to appear with his brother for live performances.  Tom Smothers also continued to be a political activist.  He attended the famous Monterey Pop Festival where he introduced several of the acts.  He became friends with John Lennon and actually played acoustic guitar on Lennon’s “Give Peace a Chance” record.

For the rest of his career Tom Smothers performed live, on television, feature films and commercials.

Some of Tom Smothers’ television appearances include: The Danny Thomas Show; Burke’s Law; My Brother the Angel (32 episodes); The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (73 episodes); Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In (3 episodes); Love American Style; Fitz & Bones (4 episodes); Fantasy Island; The Love Boat (2 episodes); The Smothers Brothers Show (13 episodes); Hotel; Tales of the Unexpected (2 episodes); Dream On; Suddenly Susan (3 episodes); Norm (2 episodes) and The Simpsons.

Some of Tom Smothers’ feature film appearances include: Get to Know Your Rabbit; Silver Bears and Serial.

I was a kid when The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour was getting all of the heat over trouble with the censors.  It just made me want to watch it more.  I always enjoyed seeing Tom and Dick Smothers perform.  They never failed to give me  smile.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Tom Smothers’ family, friends and fans.

“Frasier” – Season 1 (2023) starring Kelsey Grammer / Z-View

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Frasier – Season 1 (2023)

Based on: Frasier by David Angell & Peter Casey & David Lee; Frasier Crane by Glen Charles & Les Charles; developed by Chris Harris, Joe Cristalli

Director:  James Burrows (Eps.1 – 2); Kelly Park (Ep. 3; 6); Kelsey Grammer (Eps. 4; 7 – 8; 10); Phill Lewis (Ep. 5);

Teleplay by: Joe Cristalli & Chris Harris (Ep. 1); Stephen Lloyd (Ep. 2); Lauren Houseman (Ep. 3); Bob Daily (Ep. 4); Farhan Arshad (Ep. 5); Joe Cristalli (Ep. 6); Sasha Stroman (Ep. 7); Miles Woods (Ep. 8); Robb Chavis (Ep. 9); Janene Lin & Jenna Martin & Naima Pearce (Ep. 10)

Starring:  Kelsey Grammer, Jack Cutmore-Scott, Toks Olagundoye, Jess Salgueiro, Anders Keith, Nicholas Lyndhurst, Jimmy Dunn, Bebe Neuwirth and Peri Gilpin.

Tagline: None.

The Plot: 

Frasier Crane, a Harvard educated, wealthy and famous television psychologist moves back to Boston after the death of his father.  Frasier hopes to rebuild a relationship with his grown son, Freddy.  Freddy is now a firefighter, having dropped out of Harvard.  Frasier buys the apartment building where Freddy lives, moves in and returns to Harvard as a Professor.

Let the good times roll

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)

The season starts off a bit shaky but really hits stride with episode 6 which reaches the high bar set by the original series.

Many scenes take place in a bar called Mahoney’s.  This is a tribute to the late John Mahoney who played Frasier’s father in the original series.  It’s interesting to note that Kelsey Grammer is older than John Mahoney was when he played Frasier’s dad.

Frasier – Season 1 (2023)

RIP: Mike Nussbaum

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Mike Nussbaum died yesterday just six days short of his 100th birthday.  Mr. Nussbaum was a stage, television and feature film actor.

After serving in World War II, Mike Nussbaum went into the extermination business with his brother-in-law.  Mr. Nussbaum became involved in community theater in the 1950s.  He met and became friends with David Mamet in the 1960s and appeared in many of Mamet’s plays both on and off Broadway.  Mike Nussbaum also begin to act in television commercials.  In 1969, Mr. Nussbaum got his first feature film role in The Monitors.  For the rest of his career, Mike Nussbaum acted on stage, television and in feature films, as well as sometimes directing theater productions.

Some of Mike Nussbaum’s television appearances include: Vital Signs; Spenser for Hire; The Equalizer; 227; L.A. Law; Separate But Equal (2 episodes); Brooklyn Bridge (2 episodes); Frasier; The Commish (3 episodes); and The X-Files.

Some of Mike Nussbaum’s feature film appearances include: The Monitors; T.R. Baskin; Harry and Tonto; House of Games; Fatal Attraction; Things Change; Field of Dreams; Desperate Hours; Gladiator (92) and Men in Black.

It’s interesting that Mike Nussbaum wasn’t hit with the acting bug until he was in his thirties.  Once bitten, he never looked back, acting well into his 90s.  I wish everyone could discover their passion and pursue it like Mr. Nussbaum.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Mike Nussbaum’s family, friends and fans.

SYFY’s 2023/2024 Twilight Zone New Year’s Eve Marathon Schedule is Up!

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SYFY’s 2023/2024 Twilight Zone New Year’s Eve Marathon schedule is up!  The Twilight Zone Marathon has been one of our family traditions for decades.  Sometimes we binge watch. Other times we just check in on favorite episodes. Before you click over to check it out, let me suggest some favorite Twilight Zone episodes…

December 30, 2023
8:30am – Time Enough at Last
10:30am – What You Need
11:30am – Third from the Sun
12:00pm – I Shot an Arrow into the Air
2:30pm – The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street
11:00pm – The Howling Man

December 31, 2023
12:00am – Nick of Time
4:00am – The Invaders
8:30am – Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up?
9:00am – The Obsolete Man
10:20am – The Grave
10:45am – It’s a Good Life
11:35am – The Midnight Sun
1:40pm – The Last Rites of Jeff Myrtlebank

January 1, 2024
3:25am – The Shelter
8:00pm – To Serve Man
9:30pm – Nightmare at 20,000 Feet

January 2, 2024
3:25am – The Shelter

The Twilight Zone and quite a few other folks will be live-Tweeting during the marathon.   If you watch, please join in!

RIP: Andre Braugher

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Andre Braugher died on December 11, 2023, after a brief illness.  Mr. Braugher was 61.

Andre Braugher attended Stanford University on a scholarship where he earned a BA in theater.  He matriculated to Juilliard’s School of Drama.  He graduated in 1988.  Mr. Braugher’s first professional television credit was playing Kojak’s partner in the revival movie.  His first professional film role was in Glory.  Many know Andrew Braugher from his two long-running series.  He played Detective Frank Pembleton in Homicide: Life on the Street from 1993–1999 and Captain Raymond Holt in Brooklyn Nine-Nine from 2013–2021.

Andrew Braugher’s honors and awards include 11 Primetime Emmy Nominations with two wins.

Some of Andrew Braugher’s television projects include: Kojak: Ariana; Kojak: Fatal Flaw; Kojak: Flowers for Matty; Kojak: It’s Always Something; Murder in Mississippi; Kojak: None So Blind; The Court Martial of Jackie Robinson; The Tuskegee Airmen; Law & Order; Homicide: Life on the Street (100 episodes); Homicide: The Movie; Jackie Chan: Adventures (3 episodes); The Practice; Gideon’s Crossing (20 episodes); Hack (40 episodes); Salem’s Lot (2 episodes); The Jury (2 episodes); Thief (6 episodes); The Andromeda Strain (4 episodes); Men of a Certain Age (22 episodes); House (4 episodes); Last Resort (13 episodes); Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (6 episodes); New Girl; Bojack Horseman (4 episodes); Brooklyn Nine-Nine (153 episodes); American Experience (4 episodes) and The Good Fight (10 episodes).

Some of Andrew Braugher’s feature film projects include: Glory; Striking Distance; Primal Fear; City of Angels; Frequency; Poseidon; The Mist; Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer and Salt.

My three favorite Andrew Braugher appearances were in Glory, City of Angels and The Mist.  Mr. Braugher was excellent in every role he played.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Andrew Braugher’s family, friends and fans.

RIP: Jack Hogan

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Jack Hogan died on December 6, 2023.  Mr. Hogan was 94.

While in the Air Force during the Korean War, Jack Hogan decided to try acting once he was out of the service.  Jack Hogan’s big break came when he was cast as Kirby in the popular television series Combat!. After the series ended, Jack Hogan continued to take guest roles in television series until he retired to operate a building business.

Some of Jack Hogan’s television projects include: Dr. Christian (4 episodes); Broken Arrow; The Rough Riders (2 episodes); Have Gun – Will Travel (2 episodes); Men of Annapolis (2 episodes); Sea Hunt (2 episodes); Tombstone Territory (2 episodes); Mike Hammer; Laramie; Lock Up (2 episodes); The Rebel; Riverboat; Peter Gunn; Bonanza; Bat Masterson (3 episodes); Cheyenne; Ben Casey; The Rifleman (2 episodes); Lawman (4 episodes); Hawaiian Eye; Combat! (111 episodes); Custer; Garrison’s Gorillas; Tarzan; Ironside; The Name of the Game; Emergency!; Marcus Welby, M.D.; The Six Million Dollar Man; Adam-12 (8 episodes); Sierra (11 episodes); S.W.A.T.; Medical Center (2 episodes); Hawaii 5-0 (6 episodes); Switch (2 episodes); Kojak; Quincy; Magnum, P.I. (2 episodes); Berrenger’s (3 episodes); The A-Team; Airwolf; Jake and the Fatman (12 episodes) and Raven (2 episodes).

Some of Jack Hogan’s feature film projects include: Man from Del Rio; The Legend of Tom Dooley and The Cat Burglar.

Jack Hogan appeared in many television programs that I watched as a kid.  Combat! was must-see tv and Jack Hogan was one of the reasons why.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Jack Hogan’s family, friends and fans.

RIP: Ryan O’Neal

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Ryan O’Neal died on December 8, 2023.  Mr. O’Neal was 82.  No cause of death was given.

Ryan O’Neal’s mother, Patricia Ruth O’Callaghan, was an actress,  His father, Charles O’Neal, a  novelist and screenwriter.  While in high school Ryan O’Neal was a Golden Gloves boxer.  Later, while still in high school, Ryan O’Neal’s family moved to Munich, Germany when his father got a job writing for a television series.  His mother got Ryan a job as a stand-in.  Soon he was working as a stand-in and stuntman.  This led to Ryan O’Neal’s career in acting.  He would continue to act on television and feature films for the rest of his career.

Ryan O’Neal’s Awards include:

  • 1971 Academy Award Nomination for Best Actor for Love Story
  • 1971 Golden Globe Nomination for Best Actor in a Motion Picture (Drama) for Love Story
  • 1974 Golden Globe Nomination for Best Actor in a Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy) for Paper Moon
  • 2021: Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (Motion Pictures)

Some of Ryan O’Neal’s television projects include: The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis; The Untouchables; Laramie; Westinghouse Playhouse (3 episodes); Leave It To Beaver; My Three Sons; Empire (31 episodes); The Virginian; Perry Mason; Wagon Train; Peyton Place (501 episodes); Small Sacrifices; Good Sports (15 episodes); 1775; The Larry Sanders Show (2 episodes); Bull (6 episodes); Miss Match (18 episodes); Desperate Housewives; 90210 (3 episodes) and Bones (24 episodes).

Some of Ryan O’Neal’s feature film projects include: The Big Bounce; Love Story; Wild Rovers; What’s Up, Doc?; Paper Moon; Barry Lyndon; Nickelodeon; A Bridge Too Far; The Driver; Oliver’s Story; The Main Event; Tough Guys Don’t Dance; An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn and Zero Effect.

I have fond memories of going to The Wild Rovers starring William Holden, Ryan O’Neal and Karl Malden.  I was 12 and went by myself to the theater.  My favorite Ryan O’Neal performance is in Paper Moon.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Ryan O’Neal’s family, friends and fans.