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.
Though this feels more like a Tomorrow People episode than Doctor Who. Christopher Lee's performance as Rameses is a model of minimalist acting. What results he gets just by using just his voice and facial expressions. The murder of a young Chinese mother leads to a tuna fisherman running a gold smuggling operation. An oddity about this episode is that Richard Denning, who normally plays Governor Jameson, this time plays Treasury agent Philip Grey. And McGarrett says "Book 'em, Danno" for the first time. Huntsvillian Harry Townes stars as a man who starts hearing the voice of a hit-and-run victim on his dictaphone. Very Twilight Zone-like. The one where Lister plays pool with planets. Jim is drummed out of the Secret Service, so he can go undercover. And McGarrett goes undercover in a prison to discover where a convict hid some stolen crown jewels. Sam sets a trap by letting slip that Maggie's memory is returning. Ralph is a witness to a bank robbery... and the robbers know it. Guest-starring Nehemiah Persoff (with an OTT Bela Lugosi accent) as crooked medium Faustini. Someone has mastered broadcast power, and is using it to silence his collaborators. Drake is out to catch a mole by becoming his friend. With the late Wendy Richard (Miss Brahms from Are You Being Served?) in a small rolé. Mrs. Peel discovers a village where you can get away with murder... at a price. Enter April Dancer (Mary Ann Mobley) and Mark Slate (Norman Fell!) Oh, if only they had starred in The Girl From U.N.C.L.E. instead of Stefanie Powers and Noel Harrison...4 Jul 2009
535. Rocky & Bullwinkle: "Wailing Whale, Parts 9 & 10"
536. Gatchaman: "Gallack X, the Demon Man" (15 Apr 1973) (Japanese and English soundtracks)
537. The Adventures of Batman & Robin: "Riddler’s Reform" (24 Sep 1994)
538. The Adventures of Batman & Robin: "Baby-Doll" (1 Oct 1994)
539. The Benny Hill Show: Episode 10 (24 Nov 1971) With one routine completely stolen from Stan Freberg's "John and Marsha."
5 Jul 2009
540. Mystery Science Theater 3000: Show #1003 - Merlin’s Shop of Mystical Wonders (12 Sep 1999) Movie: Show:
541. Father Knows Best: "Art of Salesmanship" (31 Aug 1955) I really feel for Bud in this one. Takes me back to the days of having to sell stuff for marching band. *shudders*
542. The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet: "Ozzie’s Triple Banana Surprise" (20 Nov 1957) Ozzie eats two massive banana splits before bedtime, and has one humdinger of a nightmare (and given the description of the concoction, it would give anyone a nightmare) including a musical dream sequence featuring Ozzie Nelson singing (and singing better than Ricky was at this point.) Yes, it's the surreal hand of Green Acres' Jay Sommers behind it all.
6 Jul 2009
543. Doctor Who: "The Horns of Nimon, Part Four" (12 Jan 1980)
544. Dark Shadows: Episode 320 (15 Sep 1967)
545. I Love Lucy: "Ricky’s Screen Test" (15 Nov 1954)
546. Gunsmoke: "Pucket’s New Year" (5 Jan 1957) An old buffalo hunter has difficulty coping with losing his foot to gangrene.
547. Dragnet: "The Big .22 Rifle for Christmas" (18 Dec 1952) Little boys shouldn't play with guns. Damn you, Jack Webb, you made me cry...
548. The Honeymooners: "The Loudspeaker" (21 Apr 1956)
549. Alfred Hitchcock Presents: "The Orderly World of Mr. Appleby" (15 Apr 1956)
550. Doctor Who: "Shada, Part One" The infamous uncompleted Tom Baker serial... and it's not bad either.
551. Dark Shadows: Episode 321 (18 Sep 1967)
552. The Andy Griffith Show: "The Merchant of Mayberry" (5 Mar 1962) Guest-starring the voice of Pooh, Sterling Holloway, and featuring Will Wright's final appearance as crotchy, miserly old department store owner Ben Weaver.
553. Honey West: "Don’t Look Now, But Isn’t That Me" (11 Feb 1966) Featuring one of the most overused plot device of the '60s -- one of the lead characters has an uncanny lookalike.
554. The Avengers: "Mission… Highly Improbable" (17 Nov 1967) Guest-starring two familiar old Doctor Who faces (Nicholas Courtney and Kevin Stoney) and a very Doctor Who-like plot device -- miniaturization.
8 Jul 2009
555. Doctor Who: "Shada, Part Two"
556. Dark Shadows: Episode 322 (19 Sep 1967) After a few days of marking time, something finally happens -- someone enters the sheriff's trap.
557. The Tomorrow People: "The Rameses Connection, Part Four" (25 Jan 1995) Christopher Lee is just so good in this, even with all the "pyramid power" crap the storyline is wading through.
558. Hawaii Five-0: "No Blue Skies" (5 Dec 1968) A singer in deep with the gambling syndicate becomes a high-rise cat burgler to pay off his debts.
9 Jul 2009
559. Doctor Who: "Shada, Part Three"
560. Dark Shadows: Episode 323 (20 Sep 1967) But Willie fell into the trap and has five bullets in his back.
561. Red Dwarf: "Dimension Jump" (14 Mar 1991) (with commentary) Enter "Ace" Rimmer!
562. The Wild Wild West: "The Night of the Iron Fist" (8 Dec 1967) Jim has to extradite a Bosnian count who stole half a million dollars.
10 Jul 2009
563. Doctor Who: "Shada, Part Four"
564. Dark Shadows: Episode 324 (21 Sep 1967) David is still spooked by his nightmare about Barnabas... and with good reason.
565. Get Smart: "Cutback at CONTROL" (21 Jan 1967) A good satire on government bureaucracy. Plus you get to see Siegfried in drag. 
11 Jul 2009
566. The Man From U.N.C.L.E.: "The Nowhere Affair" (4 Mar 1966) Solo takes an amnesia drug before being captured by Thrush.
567. The Man From U.N.C.L.E.: "The King of Diamonds Affair" (11 Mar 1966) Ah, something different for a change. U.N.C.L.E. goes up against the British mob and an intenational jewel thief (Ricardo Montalban) to recover a billion dollars' worth of uncut diamonds.
568. The Benny Hill Show: Episode 11 (22 Dec 1971)
569. Mystery Science Theater 3000: Show #1004 - Future War (25 Apr 1999) Movie: Show: The movie features a cameo by the late Forrest J. Ackerman.
12 Jul 2009
570. Father Knows Best: "Father's Private Life" (7 Sep 1955) 
Jim tries to balance the responsibilities of fatherhood with his need for some personal time.
571. The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet: "Tutti-Fruiti Ice Cream" (11 Dec 1957) Jay Sommers does it again! Ozzie gets a craving for tutti-frutti ice cream, and ends up going on an all-night odyssey trying to find some. And there's another musical dream sequence for the entire Nelson family, this time featuring Harriet, dressed as a flapper, singing "Goody Goody" and dancing the Charleston.
13 Jul 2009
572. Doctor Who: "Shada, Part Five"
14 Jul 2009
573. Doctor Who: "Shada, Part Six" It's unfortunate that this serial was never completed. It would have ended Season 17 on a high note.
574. The Honeymooners: "On Stage" (28 Apr 1956) "... and a string of poloponies." 
575. Dark Shadows: Episode 325 (22 Sep 1967) David has a dream about Barnabas that reveals his secret.
576. Dark Shadows: Episode 326 (25 Sep 1967) David stops Julia from hypnotizing him to forget the dream.
15 Jul 2009
577. Doctor Who: "The Leisure Hive, Part One" (30 Aug 1980) And the John Nathan-Turner era begins...
578. Dark Shadows: Episode 327 (26 Sep 1967)
579. I Love Lucy: "Lucy's Mother-in-Law" (22 Nov 1954)
580. Gunsmoke: "The Cover Up" (12 Jan 1957) Someone's been killing "nesters" on a cattleman's land.
581. Dragnet: "The Big Grandma" (8 Jan 1953) Joe Friday is assigned to track down an elderly woman who's been passing bad checks... for 10 years.
17 Jul 2009
582. Doctor Who: "The Leisure Hive, Part Two" (6 Sep 1980)
583. Dark Shadows: Episode 328 (27 Sep 1967) While Barnabas plants Maggie's ring in Willie's room, Willie starts to come out of his coma.
584. The Andy Griffith Show: "Aunt Bee the Warden" (12 Mar 1962) When the jail is full up, Andy has to take Otis home with him... much to Otis' regret.
585. Honey West: "Come to Me, My Litigation Baby" (18 Feb 1966) Guest-starring Ellen Corby (The Waltons) in a tale of an insurance fraud racket. And introducing... "The Honey West Walk!" Trust me, it won't replace the Batusi.
586. The Avengers: "The Forget-Me-Knot" (25 Sep 1968) Exit Emma Peel... enter Tara King (and Mother, too!)
587. Doctor Who: "The Leisure Hive, Part Three" (13 Sep 1980)
588. Dark Shadows: Episode 329 (28 Sep 1967) Willie's had a nervous breakdown (and who can blame him?)
589. The Tomorrow People: "The Rameses Connection, Part Five" (1 Feb 1995) The ending doesn't make a lick of sense, but it looks impressive.
18 Jul 2009
590. Hawaii Five-0: "By the Numbers" (12 Dec 1968) A G.I. on leave from 'Nam gets stabbed by a numbers runner, and his buddy (The Rifleman's Johnny Crawford) gets framed for the murder of the head of the racket.
591. The Wild Wild West: "The Night of the Running Death" (15 Dec 1967) Jim and Artie are searching for a disguised European assassin before he completes his contract. Better than usual episode for this season.
592. Danger Man: "A Date with Doris" (29 Dec 1964) Drake has to smuggle a wounded agent out a country (which we're suppose to think is Cuba.) Very suspenseful.
593. The Man From U.N.C.L.E.: "The Project Deephole Affair" (18 Mar 1966) Thrush needs a geologist for a new project, so U.N.C.L.E. sets up a decoy.
594. The Benny Hill Show: Episode 12 (23 Feb 1972)
595. Mystery Science Theater 3000: Show #1005 - The Blood Waters of Dr. Z (2 May 1999) Movie: Show: One of the worst movies they ever did.
19 Jul 2009
596. Father Knows Best: "Lesson in Civics" (14 Sep 1955) An early plea for historical preservation.
597. The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet: "The Christmas Tree Lot" (18 Dec 1957) David and Ricky sells Christmas trees to earn money for Ozzie's present, and Ricky sings to bring in the crowds.
598. The Honeymooners: "Opportunity Knocks But" (5 May 1956) Norton talks himself into a job at the Gotham Bus Company, much to Ralph's annoyance.
599. Alfred Hitchcock Presents: "Never Again" (22 Apr 1956) A harrowing tale of alcoholism. Strong stuff for the '50s, and Hitch takes this one very seriously.
20 Jul 2009
600. Torchwood: "Inside the Hub" (20 Jul 2009) A documentary special catching viewers up before the premiere of...
601. Torchwood: "Children of Earth: Day One" (6 Jul 2009) Absolutely brilliant sci-fi.
602. Doctor Who: "The Leisure Hive, Part Four" (20 Sep 1980)
603. Dark Shadows: Episode 330 (29 Sep 1967) A bat attacks David in his room.
21 Jul 2009
604. Doctor Who: "Meglos, Part One" (27 Sep 1980)
605. Torchwood: "Children of Earth: Day Two" (7 Jul 2009)
22 Jul 2009
606. Torchwood: "Children of Earth: Day Three" (8 Jul 2009)
607. Doctor Who: "Meglos, Part Two" (4 Oct 1980)
608. Dark Shadows: Episode 331 (2 Oct 1967) No one believes David about the bat attack, and Sarah warns him again about the old house.
609. Dark Shadows: Episode 332 (3 Oct 1967) David steals Elizabeth's keys, and discovers Barnabas' coffin.
23 Jul 2009
610. Doctor Who: "Meglos, Part Three" (11 Oct 1980)
611. Dark Shadows: Episode 333 (4 Oct 1967) But Burke and Dr. Woodard find nothing when they search the old house.
612. Torchwood: "Children of Earth: Day Four" (9 Jul 2009) Poor Ianto Jones!
24 Jul 2009
613. Torchwood: "Children of Earth: Day Five" (10 Jul 2009) And I wasn't in the mood to watch anything else after this.
26 Jul 2009
614. Doctor Who: "Planet of the Dead" (11 Apr 2009)
615. Mystery Science Theater 3000: Show #102 - The Robot vs. The Aztec Mummy (5 Dec 1989) Movie: Show: A terribly boring movie plus indifferent riffing makes for the worst MST3K episode I've yet seen.
30 Jul 2009
616. Josie and the Pussycats: "The Nemo's a No No Affair" (12 Sep 1970) Dipped into my Big Lots haul for some pure mindless fun. I needed that.
31 Jul 2009
617. Doctor Who: "Meglos, Part Four" (18 Oct 1980)
618. Dark Shadows: Episode 334 (5 Oct 1967)
619. Josie and the Pussycats: "A Greenthumb Is Not a Goldfinger" (19 Sep 1970) After a Boris Karloff imitator in the last episode, this time it's a Sidney Greenstreet.
620. Doctor Who: "Full Circle, Part One" (25 Oct 1980)
Jul 1st
Rescue Me - S5 - Control
Weeds - S3 - Roy Till Called
Jul 7th
Law & Order - S6 - Slave
Though this feels more like a Tomorrow People episode than Doctor Who. Christopher Lee's performance as Rameses is a model of minimalist acting. What results he gets just by using just his voice and facial expressions. The murder of a young Chinese mother leads to a tuna fisherman running a gold smuggling operation. An oddity about this episode is that Richard Denning, who normally plays Governor Jameson, this time plays Treasury agent Philip Grey. And McGarrett says "Book 'em, Danno" for the first time.
Huntsvillian Harry Townes stars as a man who starts hearing the voice of a hit-and-run victim on his dictaphone. Very Twilight Zone-like. The one where Lister plays pool with planets. Jim is drummed out of the Secret Service, so he can go undercover. And McGarrett goes undercover in a prison to discover where a convict hid some stolen crown jewels.
Sam sets a trap by letting slip that Maggie's memory is returning. Ralph is a witness to a bank robbery... and the robbers know it. Guest-starring Nehemiah Persoff (with an OTT Bela Lugosi accent) as crooked medium Faustini. Someone has mastered broadcast power, and is using it to silence his collaborators. Drake is out to catch a mole by becoming his friend. With the late Wendy Richard (Miss Brahms from Are You Being Served?) in a small rolé. Mrs. Peel discovers a village where you can get away with murder... at a price. Enter April Dancer (Mary Ann Mobley) and Mark Slate (Norman Fell!) Oh, if only they had starred in The Girl From U.N.C.L.E. instead of Stefanie Powers and Noel Harrison...
4 Jul 2009
535. Rocky & Bullwinkle: "Wailing Whale, Parts 9 & 10"
536. Gatchaman: "Gallack X, the Demon Man" (15 Apr 1973) (Japanese and English soundtracks)
537. The Adventures of Batman & Robin: "Riddler’s Reform" (24 Sep 1994)
538. The Adventures of Batman & Robin: "Baby-Doll" (1 Oct 1994)
539. The Benny Hill Show: Episode 10 (24 Nov 1971) With one routine completely stolen from Stan Freberg's "John and Marsha."
5 Jul 2009
540. Mystery Science Theater 3000: Show #1003 - Merlin’s Shop of Mystical Wonders (12 Sep 1999) Movie: Show:
541. Father Knows Best: "Art of Salesmanship" (31 Aug 1955) I really feel for Bud in this one. Takes me back to the days of having to sell stuff for marching band. *shudders*
542. The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet: "Ozzie’s Triple Banana Surprise" (20 Nov 1957) Ozzie eats two massive banana splits before bedtime, and has one humdinger of a nightmare (and given the description of the concoction, it would give anyone a nightmare) including a musical dream sequence featuring Ozzie Nelson singing (and singing better than Ricky was at this point.) Yes, it's the surreal hand of Green Acres' Jay Sommers behind it all.
My January tally.
My February tally.
My March tally.
My April tally.
My May tally.
My June tally.
My July tally.
