While it barely works as a heavy-handed piece of anti-Communist propaganda, as an episode of FKB... not so much. Honey and Sam are hired by a repentant embezzler who wants to return his loot before he gets found out. Only the Japanese would have the audacity to create a giant monster with the face of Jesus Christ... and get away with it.
And so Dark Shadows goes color... and loses some of his atmosphere in the transition. But why would ABC make the change on a Friday? Guest-starring Lee Marvin as a murder suspect interogated by Jack Webb. Tense and tautly directed. Now I understand what all the fuss over Dragnet is about. Guest-starring the lovely Anneke Wills. An episode with a plot (kidnapping of a rock singer) similar to the Honey West episode "The Princess and the Paupers," but the tone and execution is completely different. And you can plainly see the '60s generation gap by the disdain the creators had toward young people. Did they really talk like that in 1968? Boy, this one is starting to get tedious. A sweet episode about the Clampetts showing an overprotected classmate of Jethro's some of the simpler joys of life. Guest-starring Dr. Bellows himself, Hayden Rorke. A traditional soap opera development for a change -- Victoria and Burke have their first kiss. A crooked financier (who is also a bully, wife-beater and kidnapper) faces the righteous indignation of an undercover John Drake. Both U.N.C.L.E. and Thrush are after an experimental rejuvenation process. Love the rare scene set in Thrush Central. Lots of familiar faces here: Maurice Evans and Bernard Fox (Samantha's father and Dr. Bombay on Bewitched, respectively), and James Doohan (a few months before he signed on board the U.S.S. Enterprise.) One of the rare B&W episodes due to "industrial action." With an overlong parody of the UK talent show Opportunity Knocks, including a performance of "Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West)." Show: What an unusual TV show. I guess the dramedy is not as new as I previously thought. I can also see why it did not succeed. Ozzie manages to talk himself into becoming the first (very reluctant) civilian passenger in a F-100 Super Sabre jet fighter. Lots of good aviation footage. While Juila's treatments start to have an effect on Barnabas, Burke proposes marriage to Victoria. An episode with a great twist... which happens to be spoiled on the DVD menu screen. 
And so the Key to Time saga ends not with a bang but with a whimper. Barnabas and Burke are now bitter rivals. What's believed to be Pawnee raids turns out to be something much more brutal and nasty. A murder investigation leads to a religious fanatic. Lots of Jack Webb's trademark rat-a-tat-tat monotone from the actors. Guest-starring another old familiar face from television's past, Allan Melvin (Sgt. Hacker from Gomer Pyle and Sam the butcher from The Brady Bunch.) Guest-starring Ricardo Montalban as, of all things, a Japanese-American crime lord. Good thing the script is strong enough to overcome the miscasting. Hymie falls in love with robotic KAOS agent Octavia. A listless and talky episode set in the West Indies, which proves you can make voodoo boring. An interesting observation -- the head of Robby the Robot was used as part of the rejuvenation machine. Poor Robby. 
Highlight of the episode was a sendup of "Top of the Pops" with parodies of Jimmy Savile, Roger Whittaker, Bobbie Gentry and Roy Orbison (but it helps know who they are to get the jokes.) Show: Sarah shows David the hidden room in the Collins mausoleum. Guest-starring two actors I first saw on Star Trek: Harry Townes (from "The Return of the Archons," and a Huntsville native) and Stanley Adams (Cyrano Jones from "The Trouble with Tribbles") Another tense interrogation episode guest-starring The Outer Limits' Control Voice, Vic Perrin, as a suspected jewel thief. One of those great Andy/Opie episodes, this time on good sportmanship. Featuring two TV parodies -- one of ITC's action shows (Undercover Sanitary Inspector), and one of BBC arts programming (Omnibust). Show: The one featuring the return of Joel Hodgson and Frank Conniff. While David is looking for Sarah in the Collins mausoleum, he is almost caught by Barnabas and Willie. The comedy and drama are a bit better balanced in this story of a young doctor trying to overcome his reputation as a teenage prankster. David is trapped in the Collins mausoleum. Guest-starring Gavin MacLeod (Murray Slaughter and Captain Stubing) as a sweaty drug dealer named... Big Chicken?!?! 
A pastiche of Beau Geste, The Four Feathers and other desert adventure tales. Not bad, but you can see the rot starting to set in. This serial is surprisingly better than its reputation would have you believe. As the search for David continues, Barnabas is interrupted while trying to put the bite on Victoria.
One thing I like about this show is its mixing of fiction and reality. In this episode, Ozzie reminisces on being a bandleader (which he actually was back in the '30s and '40s) and Ricky gets up on a bandstand to sing "I'm Walking" (which was his first single.) Guest-starring Denver Pyle as a love-struck farmer in a tragic love triangle. Written by Sam Peckinpah and directed by Andrew V. McLaglen. Joe Friday investigates a domestic shooting. But is it suicide... or murder? Show: Take a walk on the sleazy side of the '60s. Ricky pretends to be a college fratenity member. And the creation of a teen idol continues as he sings "Honeycomb" and "Boppin' the Blues." He's like a little kid trying to wear Elvis' clothes. Sarah shows David how to get out of the mausoleum... and runs right into Barnabas. "Whiskey's for drinking, and water's for fighting." But no one wins this fight. The tragic story of a teenage drug dealer. Complete with Chesterfield cigarette commercials touting its "health" benefits. Another Season 17 serial that's better than the conventional wisdom would have you believe. Barnabas planned to kill David, believing Sarah has revealed Barnabas' secret. Everyone bends over backwards to keep Barney from realizing he can't carry a tune in a bucket. Jay Novello guest-stars as a thief accidentally made the guest of honor of Mayberry's Founder's Day festivities. An extortionist with a twist. 
And so Dark Shadows goes color... and loses some of his atmosphere in the transition. But why would ABC make the change on a Friday?
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Originally Posted by Tim Tucker
Dark Shadows: Episode 295 (11 Aug 1967)
And so Dark Shadows goes color... and loses some of his atmosphere in the transition. But why would ABC make the change on a Friday? |
Guest-starring Lee Marvin as a murder suspect interogated by Jack Webb. Tense and tautly directed. Now I understand what all the fuss over Dragnet is about. Guest-starring the lovely Anneke Wills.
An episode with a plot (kidnapping of a rock singer) similar to the Honey West episode "The Princess and the Paupers," but the tone and execution is completely different. And you can plainly see the '60s generation gap by the disdain the creators had toward young people. Did they really talk like that in 1968?
Boy, this one is starting to get tedious. A sweet episode about the Clampetts showing an overprotected classmate of Jethro's some of the simpler joys of life. Guest-starring Dr. Bellows himself, Hayden Rorke.
A traditional soap opera development for a change -- Victoria and Burke have their first kiss. A crooked financier (who is also a bully, wife-beater and kidnapper) faces the righteous indignation of an undercover John Drake. Both U.N.C.L.E. and Thrush are after an experimental rejuvenation process. Love the rare scene set in Thrush Central. Lots of familiar faces here: Maurice Evans and Bernard Fox (Samantha's father and Dr. Bombay on Bewitched, respectively), and James Doohan (a few months before he signed on board the U.S.S. Enterprise.) One of the rare B&W episodes due to "industrial action." With an overlong parody of the UK talent show Opportunity Knocks, including a performance of "Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West)."
