8 THINGS YOU NEVER KNEW ABOUT ‘THE CAROL BURNETT SHOW’

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Me-TV presents 8 THINGS YOU NEVER KNEW ABOUT ‘THE CAROL BURNETT SHOW’.  Here are three of my favorites…

EACH EPISODE WAS TAPED TWICE.
Despite having the feel of a live TV program, each episode was taped twice in front of different studio audiences. That meant that if an actor flubbed a line in both takes, it was still included in the final edited episode.

DICK VAN DYKE WAS A CAST MEMBER.
Although Burnett was the star of the show, she was supported by an incredibly talented cast that included Lawrence, Korman, Waggoner and Conway. When Korman left after the tenth season, Dick Van Dyke replaced him. The lack of chemistry among the cast members and Van Dyke proved to be a disaster, which is why he left after three months.

THE SHOW NEVER RANKED IN THE TOP 10.
The Carol Burnett Show is consistently ranked on critics’ lists as one of the best television programs of all time. However, the series was not a ratings juggernaut when it aired from 1967 to 1978. Although the show peaked at No. 13 in the Nielsen ratings during the 1969-1970 season, it consistently ranked in the 20s for the first nine seasons.

The Swords of Heaven, Flowers of Hell by Moorcock & Chaykin: New Edition Coming!

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If you’ve never read Howard Chaykin’s adaptation of Michael Moorcock’s The Swords of Heaven, Flowers of Hell, and you can’t get your hands on the rare 1979 edition… then you’re in luck.  Titan Comics is releasing a new hardcover edition on May 15, 2018.

Here’s how they describe it…

MICHAEL MOORCOCK LIBRARY: THE SWORDS OF HEAVEN, THE FLOWERS OF HELL HC

Writer: Michael Moorcock & Howard Chaykin

Artist: Howard Chaykin

144pp • $29.99 • On sale Date: April 18, 2017 • ISBN: 9781785863307

Award-winning writer and artist Howaard Chaykin joins forces with Michael Moorcock to bring the Eternal Champion known alternatively as Erekose, Urlik of Skarsol or John Daker to vivid life in this classic tale from 1979.

Includes an exclusive introduction by acclaimed comic book writer Cullen Bunn.

Here’s a link to pre-order if you’re so inclined.  I have to admit that even though I have the ’79 edition, a new hardcover is tempting.  ; )

Dave Wachter Deals a Winning Hand: The Man with No Name, Maverick, Django & Jonah Hex!

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Dave Wachter has another winning hand with his art above.  Click on the drawing to get a bigger look at the poker game between Jonah Hex, Django and Brett Maverick.  Oh, and let’s not forget The Man with No Name who is making his entrance.

The only way this could have been better is if Cheyenne Bodie and Jim West also made an appearance.

‘BRIAN’S SONG’ – Trivia You Might Not Know

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In 2017, Me-TV posted 12 FASCINATING FACTS ABOUT ‘BRIAN’S SONG’.  Although the article is no longer available here are three of my favorites…

JAMES CAAN WAS THE FASTER RUNNER IN REAL LIFE.
It seems James Caan grew up playing high school football and could run circles around Billy Dee Williams, so when they had to film their racing scene, Caan had to make himself go real slow to convince viewers that Williams’ was the speedier of the two.

BILLY DEE WILLIAMS WAS NOT THE ORIGINAL ACTOR CAST AS GALE SAYERS.
Louis Gossett Jr. was originally cast as Gale Sayers, not Billy Dee Williams. Just before shooting started, Gossett managed to tear his Achilles’ tendon. That’s when Williams stepped in and took over the role, shattering Gossett’s spirit worse than the pain of his injury. As the story goes, producer David L. Womper made a big promise to cast Gossett in the next beefy part he could place him in to cheer the actor up. That promise took six years to fulfill, but it was worth the wait when Gossett’s 1977 performance as Fiddler in Roots won him an Emmy and made him a star.\

‘BRIAN’S SONG’ WON MORE AWARDS THAN ANY OTHER ABC MOVIE OF THE WEEK
For airing Brian’s Song, ABC took home four Emmys and a Peabody Award. They also received commendations from both the NAACP and the American Cancer Society. In total, the movie was nominated for eight Emmy Awards. The only other ABC Movie of the Week films to get that kind of attention was The Immortal in 1969 (1 Emmy nomination) and That Certain Summer in 1972 (7 Emmy nominations, 1 win).

THESE ‘GOMER PYLE, U.S.M.C.’ FACTS WILL MAKE YOU SAY ”SHAZAM!’ 

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Me-TV presents THESE ‘GOMER PYLE, U.S.M.C.’ FACTS WILL MAKE YOU SAY ”SHAZAM!’  Here are three of my favorites…

IT WAS A SPIN-OFF OF A SPIN-OFF, OF SORTS.
The characters from The Andy Griffith Show were first introduced to American audiences in a 1960 episode of The Danny Thomas Show (Make Room for Daddy), “Danny Meets Andy Griffith.” It was more of a marketing maneuver, but technically that makes Andy Griffith a spin-off. The pilot episode of Gomer Pyle arrived as the season four finale of Andy Griffith in 1964.

IT WAS INCREDIBLY POPULAR, RIGHT UP UNTIL THE END.
The show finished outside the top three only once in its five-year run, when it slipped to No. 10 in the Nielsen ratings in 1967. Yet it bounced back strong, gaining some of its best ratings in its final season. In fact, Gomer Pyle was the second most watched show in television when it shut down.

FRANK SUTTON WAS A BLACK BELT IN JUDO AND SERVED IN THE ARMY.
As Gunnery Sergeant Vince Carter, Sutton set the mold for the hard-as-nails, shouting drill sergeant so common to military narratives. Ironically, in real life, the actor failed a Marine physical and instead served in the Army during WWII, where he proved himself in taking part in over a dozen assault landings around the Philippines. He also had a black belt. That’s some man. Sadly, Sutton passed away too soon at 50 from a heart attack.

Mike Zeck & Dan Gearino Chronicle the 1971 Comic Art Con!

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Cosplayers are extremely popular these days.  Some of the best are listed as featured guests at comic conventions around the country.  The Black Bolt player above came in first place in one of the first large comic cons ever – the 1971 Comic Art Convention in New York.  What makes this even more interesting is that the person playing Black Bolt is Mike Zeck.

Yep.  Mike Zeck.  The uber-talented artist that went on to draw professionally for Marvel, DC and others.  The Mike Zeck known for his work on The Punisher, Batman, Spider-Man, Secret Wars… well, you get the idea.

Not only was Mike the winner at the 1971 Comic Art Convention but he took photos of his time at the show and the guests there — Frazetta, Gil Kane, Harvey Kurtman and others.  You can learn more about the con and see some of Mike’s photos by clicking over to Dan Gearino’s site.

50 Movie Trivia Facts You (Probably) Don’t Know

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Gem Seddon and GamesRadar present 50 Movie Trivia Facts You (Probably) Don’t Know.  Here are three of my favorites…

46. Rocky (1976)  Did you know? There’s a scene when Rocky Balboa points out a mistake in the poster at the match venue, and it was in fact entirely unscripted. Sylvester Stallone was forced to add the line because the art department made a genuine mistake when producing the prop, making the Italian Stallion’s boxing trunks completely the wrong colour. Although, it does work to signify how Rocky isn’t treated with much respect as an underdog.

41. Alien (1979)  Did you know? When the Nostromo crew explore the Derelict ship they discover a gigantic chamber full of xenomorph eggs. It’s a dark, sinister room that required a certain type of lighting to create the right feeling. Ridley Scott found a practical solution to lighting it by borrowing blue laser lighting from The Who, who were rehearsing their stage show in the soundstage next door.

31. American Psycho (1998)  Did you know? After catching an episode of The Late Show with David Letterman, on which Tom Cruise guest-starred, Christian Bale decided to base his portrayal of Patrick Bateman on the actor. According to director Mary Harron, Bale said it was Cruise’s “very intense friendliness with nothing behind the eyes” that he thought would be perfect for Bateman.

Preview of John Wick #1!

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John Wick #1 from Dynamite Comics is available now…

JOHN WICK: BOOK OF RULES PART ONE

When a young John Wick emerges from prison and embarks upon his first, epic vendetta, he comes up against a strange, powerful community of assassins and must learn how to master the Book of Rules that guides their lethal business. What are the Three Bills? Who is Calamity? And who was John Wick before he became the Baba Yaga? Here for the first time, read the thrilling origin story of John Wick, from “Planet Hulk” writer Greg Pak and “Dark Horse Presents” artist Giovanni Valletta.

If you’d like to see a 5 page preview plus all of the variant covers you can by clicking over to The Outhousers.com.