Category: TV

RIP – Clint Walker

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Clint Walker died yesterday at the age of 90 from congestive heart failure.

Walker was best known as Cheyenne Bodie, the star of the extremely popular Cheyenne tv series which aired on ABC from 1955-61.  Cheyenne was the first hour-long western drama.  Walker also played Cheyenne Bodie on episodes of Maverick and later Kung-Fu as well as in the tv movie The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw and the theatrical release of Maverick.  The  Cheyenne series was so popular, in some markets episodes were combined and re-edited for theatrical release.

After the series ended Walker could be found making guest appearances on tv series but his focus became making movies.   His best-known theatrical appearances included, None But the Brave; The Dirty Dozen and Grizzly.  In 1971, Walker was seriously injured in a fall from a sky lift that caused a ski pole to pierce his heart.  He was pronounced dead, but when a faint heartbeat was heard he was rushed into surgery.  Two months later Walker was back to work!

Walker went on to star in other theatrical films, as well as made-for-tv movies and the short-lived tv series Kodiak.  After voicing Nick Nitro in Small Soldiers, Clint Walker retired.

Clint Walker was one of my first childhood heroes.  I loved him in Cheyenne and still do.  The series is still one of my favorites and can be seen on various cable channels daily.

Walker is survived by his daughter, Valerie and his wife Susan Cavallari Walker.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to Clint Walker’s family, friends and fans.

 

 

 

Incredible Facts From ‘The Beverly Hillbillies’ TV Show

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Jason Owen of Definition.org posted  Incredible Facts From The Beverly Hillbillies TV Show.  Here are three of my favorites…

11. TV Ratings Hit
Despite criticism, the show was a huge success. Only three weeks on air, it hit the first spot in TV ratings, gaining the reputation of the fastest rise to the number 1 spot in TV history. It then managed to stay there for a record breaking two seasons and maintained its position in the top 20 for eight seasons, only dropping down during its last year on the air.

 

5. John Wayne to fight the “Injuns”
On the show’s fifth season, John Wayne had a small guest appearance. On the episode titled “The Indians Are Coming,” Granny kept mentioning her hopes country star John Wayne would show up and help fight the “Injuns,” – yes, that’s Indians with an accent! Coincidentally, at the end of the episode, John Wayne actually does show up, and Granny’s dream is fulfilled. Reportedly, Wayne was happy to accept a fifth of bourbon as payment for his appearance on the show.

 

6. Have you seen Sharon Tate?
Sharon Tate may have been most famous as being one of the victims of the Manson family killings, as well as being the pregnant wife of director Roman Polanski at the time, but she also played a recurring role on the American Hillbillies. She appeared approximately 15 times on the show in the repeat role of bank teller Janet Trego. Many fans did not recognize her at first because she’s in disguise wearing a brunette wig.

Fun Facts About the Original 1960s ‘Batman’ Series

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John Spearman of Definition.org posted 20  Fun Facts About the Original 1960s ‘Batman’ Series.  Here are three of my favorites…

3.  In order to find the perfect dynamic duo, two separate screen tests were held. One included Adam West and Burt Ward, while the other included Lyle Waggoner and Peter Deyell. Needless to say, West and Ward got the parts; however, the screen tests for both pairs can be found on YouTube, and they show just how different the show could’ve been.

Waggoner later went on to appear alongside another television super hero, Wonder Woman Lynda Carter, in the 1970s.

 

18.  Adam West could have gone on to play another hero if he had wanted. He was offered the part of James Bond in the 1969 film, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. He turned down the role, as he felt a British actor would be much better for the part. The role in that film eventually went to George Lazenby, who was Australian.

 

20.  After the series was cancelled ABC held out hope that another network would purchase it and continue making the show. After waiting for a considerable amount of time, they assumed this wouldn’t happen, and the sets were destroyed.

NBC then decided to acquire the show; however, took back their offer when they realized the sets were gone.

Oh what might have been!

The “Evil Genius” Trailer is Here!

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Check out the trailer for Evil Genius.

Kind of pulls you in, huh?  It sure did for me.

Of course I’m old enough to remember the case.  Bank robber becomes surrounded by cops while trying to make his escape.  He tells the cops that he was kidnapped and the kidnappers placed the device around his neck.  It is a bomb set to blow his head off if he doesn’t rob the bank.  Although cops are skeptical, they keep their distance.  Guy begs for help… As cops work out what to do, the bomb goes off killing the guy.

Who was behind this?  Was the guy kidnapped or part of the robbery gone wrong?  I guess we’ll find out if we tune in.  I know I will.

The Wild Real-World Playboy Adventures of a One-Time Superboy

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Back in 1961, John Rockwell was cast to star as Superboy in a follow-up to the extremely popular Superman tv series which was enjoying renewed popularity in reruns.  Superboy never made it past the pilot stage (which you can see if you click over to the link I’ll provide in a second) because of a dispute between two cereal companies over who would get sponsorship rights!

Although the unproduced series became Rockwell’s biggest claim to fame, he was still considered a star and led a very interesting life.  Consider that Rockwell….

  • …once save saved Hugh Heffner’s life

  • … for years lived on and off in the Playboy mansion

  • … became a competitive backgammon player for big bucks (and he still competes!)

  • … married a Mexican heiress and although they haven’t seen each other in over 40 years, are still married due to a strange divorce stipulation

  • …competed with Frank Sinatra for the attention of a woman they were both after (and won)

Jennifer Vineyard’s The Wild Real-World Playboy Adventures of a One-Time Superboy for SyfyWire is worth a read.

 

9 Altogether Ooky Facts About John Astin

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Me-TV presents 9 Altogether Ooky Facts About John Astin.  Here are three of my favorites…

3. He was nominated for an Oscar…

   Image: MGM Television

…but it wasn’t for acting. Astin directed the 1968 short film Prelude. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film.

4. He appeared in ‘West Side Story.’

   Image: United Artists

The 1961 musical blockbuster starred box office heavyweights like Natalie Wood and Rita Moreno, but it also featured an uncredited appearance by Astin. The actor appeared as the character Glad Hand, the social worker who kicks off the “Mambo” dance sequence in the gymnasium.

 

5. He appeared as The Riddler on ‘Batman.’

Most people associate the devious villain with Frank Gorshin. But Astin also put on the green tights and purple mask in the season two episodes “Batman’s Anniversary” and “A Riddling Controversy.”

The Walking Dead’s 21 Most Shocking Deaths So Far

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Louisa Mellor at Flipboard came up with her list of The Walking Dead‘s 21 Most Shocking Deaths So Far.  Mellor’s list is a good one and a tribute to the number of truly shocking death’s in The Walking Dead‘s eight seasons.

As I was going through the list, I had to keep refining to come up with my top three…

Shane Walsh

Shane’s death is one of The Walking Dead’s most memorable exits. Andrew Lincoln and Jon Bernthal held nothing back in their performances as former partners turned mortal enemies. Rick’s gambit with the gun—pretending to hand it to Shane then stabbing him in the heart with a knife—was a shock as great as the one little Carl faced when he arrived on the scene and took in what had happened.

Glenn Rhee and Abraham Ford

Perhaps this entry should belong solely to Abraham, as most people were expecting Glenn to follow his comic book counterpart and fall foul of Negan’s baseball bat. The brutality of Glenn’s death though, with its truly stomach-churning prosthetics and make-up, made it no less shocking than the unexpected addition of Sgt Ford. As punishment for their attack on the Savior satellite outpost, Negan famously beat Abraham to death after a massively publicised season six cliff-hanger. When Daryl punched Negan in retaliation, he provoked the Savior leader into additionally murdering Glenn.

Carl

The Walking Dead audience, or what’s left of it, had an entire midseason break to get used to the idea that Carl Grimes was a goner. We all saw the bite-mark, we all knew what it meant. Even if you’d ignored the set leaks and behind-the-scenes rumours, it was clear that in a world without a cure, that boy was no more.

Somehow though, having that certainty made it no less surprising when that final gunshot signifying Carl’s suicide rang out from the destroyed church. They finally really did it, those maniacs! A character we’d known since the pilot had breathed his last.

It was hard to not include Sasha’s death in my top three.  Also, although the death didn’t make Mellor’s list, I would have included Shane killing Otis!

10 TV Show Revivals We Want to See

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Guy Vizard has come up with a list of 10 TV Show Revivals We Want to See.  From his list, I’d like to see the return of…

  • 3rd Rock From the Sun
    Starring John Lithgow, French Stewart, Kristen Johnston, Joseph-Gordon Levitt, and Jane Curtin, this show — about a team of extra-terrestrials sent on an observation mission to Earth and disguised as a mid-western family — was great. It ran from ’96-’01, and presented wonderful writing and performances every week. To bring back one of the funniest casts of all time would be a challenge, but oh so worth it. The Solomons could find a new reason or assignment to come back to Earth. Perhaps they escaped their home planet and are being hunted by The Big Giant Head? Maybe Dick just can’t forget the love of Mary and must return. Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s Tommy would have to be retired by now, which could be a great running gag. Think Frank from Always Sunny…, but in a 37-year-old body. It would be worth it just to get Jane Curtin back to continue to prove she’s one of the funniest actors of all time. So far, there has been no word of a revival of 3rd Rock.

  • MonsterVision
    Why this ever left in the first place is a downright mystery. Saturday nights on TNT, from 1993 – 2000, host Joe Bob Briggs (who began hosting in ’95) would introduce monster movies of all kinds, sometimes include guests, and pop in between commercial breaks for some quips and silliness. Always at least a double feature! For many, it was an introduction to the classics, like the original Clash of the Titans all the way to the obscure ones like Night of the Lepus. Usually on a theme or genre (sci-fi, slashers, kaiju, etc.) He would have a “Drive-In Total” review filled with the most important aspects of each movie like body count, number of breasts, explosions, drug usage, and any exceptionally brutal kills. If Mystery Science Theater 3000 can make a come back, then surely this can. Briggs still hosts his own live events in New York. Bring him back. In fact, we can all help bring him back. You can sign a petition on Joe’s website to help bring MonsterVision to the streaming service, Shudder TV.

  • Tales From the Crypt

    With the success of Black Mirror and the recently announced Twilight Zone reboot headlined by Jordan Peele, the time is right for this schlocky fright fest to return. M. Night Shyamalan has been trying to bring this classic (’89-’96) anthology series to TNT for a year, now. It’s been stuck in development hell. Apparently, the rights structure surrounding the series is “one of the most complicated… I’ve ever seen in my career” according to Turner Entertainment chief creative officer Kevin Reilly. They’re waiting to hopefully revisit the property after it all gets cleaned up. Too bad, but maybe it’s a blessing, as it should really be on a channel where they can show the gore that needs to be had. Bring hot new stars into fresh stories every week, and see them die in horrible ways. Surely young writers and directors would jump at the chance to work on some of these. Also, bring back John Kassir and his trademark laugh as the crypt-keeper, bad puns and all.

Three shows that didn’t make the list that I’d like to see revivals of include…

  • Justified: Who doesn’t want more exploits of US Marshall Raylin Givens (with occasional appearances of Boyd Crowder)?

  • The Shield: What is Vince Mackey up to these days?

  • The Strain: Take us back and tell the tale of others living through the Vampire Apocalypse.

Miller & Wheeler’s “Cursed” Picked Up by Netflix!

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About a week ago it was announced that Frank Miller will provide the art and team with writer Thomas Wheeler for Cursed, a young adult novel that…

…tells the story of King Arthur from the point of view of Nimue, the 16-year-old girl who first wielded Excalibur and ultimately became the Lady of the Lake.

Although the book won’t be out until 2019, Netflix has decided to pick it up as a series!  For full details check out Netflix Orders TV Series ‘Cursed’ From Frank Miller & Tom Wheeler Based On Book Reimagining King Arthur Legend at Deadline.com.