Category: TV

“The Invaders” Are Coming

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Tomorrow morning starting at 8am EST, the Syfy channel is running a “The Invaders” marathon.  “The Invaders” premiered January 10, 1967.  I was 8 years old and can still remember that scary, ominous music and then the opening…

The Invaders, alien beings from a dying planet.  Their destination Earth.  Their purpose?  To make it their world.  David Vincent has seen them.  For him it began one lost night on a lonely country road, looking for a short-cut… that he never found.  It began with a closed deserted diner, and a man too long without sleep to continue his journey.  It began with the landing of a craft from another galaxy…  Now, David Vincent knows that the Invaders are here… that they have taken human form.  Somehow he must convince a disbelieving world that the nightmare has already begun.

I probably haven’t seen any episodes of “The Invaders” since they originally aired, but you can bet I’ll be tuned in tomorrow.  In fact, I’ve got the DVR ready to record ’em all.  I’m hoping that the eight year old in me won’t be disappointed.

“The Human Target” a Bullseye?

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I really like this ad for the new Fox series “The Human Target”. Seeing it reminded me that I should post a reminder about tonight’s premiere.  “The Human Target” comes from a DC comic series about a body guard / security specialist.  In the comic, Christopher Chance usually worked alone and would assume the identity of the person he was protecting.  The tv series has tweaked the concept a bit  [nothing wrong with that] and provided a supporting cast [nothing wrong with that].

From all reports the series works.  Entertainment Weekly gives it a “B+” and the commercials that I’ve seen make “The Human Target” look like a fun ride.  You can see if “The Human Target” hits the mark when it premieres tonight at 8pm EST on Fox.

Gorn “Star” [Trek]

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The MTV Movies Blog is reporting that when asked about the Star Trek  sequel, JJ Abrams responded:

“I have to admit the [‘Star Trek’ sequel] is really all about the Gorn.”

I  hope that JJ Abrams was just throwing out an idea and is really considering using the Gorn for the next Star Trek movie.

Sure, looking back, the alien costume is really funky looking [yeah, I guess it was even when the original show aired], but that episode was always one of my favorites.

Can you imagine how scary-repulsive-cool the FX crew could make the Gorn look with today’s technology?

Yeah, bring on Kirk [Spock and the crew] vs the Gorn!

All Time Best TV

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Time magazine in partnership with CNN posted their selections for the 100 Best TV Shows of All Time.  So, using just the shows on their list I came up with my top twenty which are posted below in alphabetical order:

  • 24
  • Alfred Hitchcock Presents
  • American Idol
  • Hill Street Blues
  • I Love Lucy
  • Leave It to Beaver
  • Lost
  • Sanford and Son
  • Seinfeld
  • Star Trek
  • Survivor
  • The Cosby Show
  • The Dick Van Dyke Show
  • The Honeymooners
  • The Mary Tyler Moore Show
  • The Shield
  • The Sopranos
  • The Twilight Zone
  • The West Wing
  • Wiseguy

Not a bad list, but how could “The Wild, Wild West” not have been on their Top 100?  It would have easily  made my Top 20.

Top 50 Cartoon Characters

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Recently About.com posted a piece about the TOP 50 Cartoon Characters.  Like all lists, this one is sure to create some controversy.   I definitely think that several characters that somehow didn’t make the cut, should have been on it.

Still, I enjoy playing around with lists, so, using just the characters on their TOP 50, here is my TOP 10 [in alphabetical order] with comments:

Batman: has always been a favorite comic character and I’ve enjoyed all of the different cartoon versions as well.

Bugs Bunny: was always best in small doses. I also enjoyed the supporting cast [Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, etc.]
 
Charlie Brown: If you were a kid growing up in the 60’s, you have to be a fan of Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and the rest of the gang.  Holidays still aren’t complete without at least knowing that Charlie Brown is playing somewhere.
 
Fred Flintstone: is a simple concept – transport “The Honeymooners” to the stone age!

Mighty Mouse: I’ll admit it.  I used to put on a cape and play Mighty Mouse.  Yeah, laugh now, but if you needed me to save the day, you’d be singing a different tune.

Pink Panther: A great theme song and a fun cartoon.

 Popeye: I probably watched more hours of Popeye than any other cartoon. I especially loved the oldest version with Bluto, Wimpy, the Sea Witch…

Space Ghost: When it first ran, I thought Space Ghost was pretty cool. I watched some episodes years later and thought “not so much”.

Tom and Jerry: Who doesn’t love the old Tom and Jerry cartoons. They were so much fun.

Wile E. Coyote: I was a huge fan of The Road Runner cartoons.  My wife doesn’t like ‘em since they’re all the same.  But that’s the beauty of it.  How many different ways can ole Wile E. screw up?

Okay, now that that’s done… how could Jonny Quest not make the list?

Best of The Twilight Zone

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It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of The Original Twilight Zone.  Regular ZONErs know that I also enjoy playing around with lists.  So, when I saw that Time and CNN had put together a list of the Top Ten All Time Favorite Twilight Zone Episodes, I decided to play along.  Using just the selections in their Top Ten, I came up with My Top Five.

Al Hirschfeld’s “The Honeymooners”

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While digging through the ZONE vault yesterday I came across a folder containing clippings of Al Hirschfeld art. Hopefully, you’re familiar with Mr. Hirschfeld’s genius. [If not, click here, and then come back after you’ve looked around. We’ll meet back here in, oh, say about 2 hours — you’re going to want to spend some time enjoying Mr. Hirschfeld’s talent.]

Al Hirschfeld was born in 1903. By the time he was 17, he was the art director at Selznick Pictures. In 1924 he moved to Paris to “lead the Bohemian life.”  In 1943, he married Dolly Haas, a famous European actress and together they produced a daughter, Nina.  After her birth Mr. Hirschfeld would hide Nina’s name in his drawings and a number by his signature indicated how many were hidden.  Mr. Hirschfeld passed away in 2003 just a few months shy of his 100th birthday.

That’s Mr. Hirschfeld’s take on Jackie Gleason and cast of the tv classic “The Honeymooners.”  You can see much more of Al Hirschfeld’s art here.