What did you watch this week in classic TV on DVD(or Blu)? (5 Viewers)

[Doug Wallen]

Gunsmoke - Season 5
Tag, You're It (5.15) Paul Langton, Madlyn Rhue. A hire killer shows up in Dodge. States he doesn't have a "job" but is very interested in visiting the Longbranch every evening. Mat goes, "Hmmmm?"
Thick 'n' Thin (5.16) Robert Emhardt, Percy Helton, Tina Menard. The Odd Couple, Gunsmoke style.
Groat's Grudge (5.17) Ross Elliott, Thomas Coley. A former Confederate soldier wants to exact revenge on the Union officer who participated in the death of his family. Is a mistake about to be made?
Big Tom (5.18) Robert J. Wilkie, Harry Lauter, Don Megowan, Howard Caine. A travelling prize fighter looking for anyone to fight settles on a retired fighter with a terrible heart condition. The fight involves revenge and Matt gets caught in the middle.
Till Death Do Us (5.19) Milton Selzer, Mary Field. One of my favorite character actors (Milton Selzer). An abusive, dogmatic, righteous fanatic beats his wife. She wants out and sets a terrible project in motion
The Tragedian (5.20) John Abbott, Howard McNear, Harry Woods, Stanley Clements. A hustling drunk impresses Matt who finds him a job. Things go well until the hustler gets drunk. Matt is also watching his back due to a threat on his life.

This set of episodes is a very well-acted set of episodes. Once again the only complaint/observation involes the dowbeat endings many of this group share. Excellent stories, but not entirely uplifting.

The Outer Limits - Season 2 Bluray
Expanding Human (2.4) Skip Homeier, Keith Andes, James Doohan, Vaughn Taylor. Future Star Trek cast/guest stars. I have always enjoyed the Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde style story. "Scotty" as a police detective . An expanded conscious gives you bad judgment skills.

The High Chapparal - Season 1
Champion Of The Western World (1.21) Charles Aidman, Walter Brooke, Charles H. Gray. Blue is after an expensive saddle that costs $300. To earn it he enters the local rodeo. this is truly the first serio-comic story that seems to have hit the right beats for the comedy. Reminiscent to me of the fun had in McClintock.
Ride The Savage Land (1.22) George Keymas, Mary Jo Deschanel, Claire Wilcox. Two kidnapped white girls are trying to escape their Indian captors and involve Buck and Mano. In order to capture the missing girl, Mano will undergo various trials.
Bad Day For A Thirst (1.23) Jose de Vega, Dennis Safren, Adam Williams. Buck wants to train some young Apaches as ranch hands. When a neighbor is killed, all eyes turn to the teens, even Big John's.
Tiger By The Tail (1.24) Ricardo Montalban. With RM as your guest, you cannot go wrong. He stars a type of Robin Hood who is shot, waiting for transport to the Federal authorities and recuperating at the Chapparal. Recipe for disaster. his charismatic presence disrupts the running of the ranch. Excellent episode.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Season 7
Till Death Do Us Part (7.18) The proposal, the Prophets are against it. The Breen become the favored race and Damar is not happy.
Strange Bedfellows (7.19) Gul Dukat approaches Kai Winn as a Bajoran. The Pah Wraiths are trying.
The Changing Face of Evil (7.20) Odo is infected, Damar begins a resistance. Kai Winn begins to follaw the path of the Pah Wraiths.
When It Rains ... (7.21) Kira is now teaching the Cardassians how to be resistance fighters.
Tacking Into The Wind (7.22) Gowron vs. Martok vs. Worf. Alleigances change.
Extreme Measures (7.23) The cure for Odo can only be found by traipsing through the Mind of Sloan - Section 31 operative.
The Dogs of War (7.24) The war explodes on Cardassia.
What You Leave Behind (7.25) The war ends, the Founders surrender, Odo saves the Great Link and Benjamin learns his destiny.

After a year and a half, we have finished the odyssey of Deep Space Nine. I treasure the moments my son and I shared. He was fully invested in the story and said he enjoyed it very much.

 

[JohnHopper]

RAWHIDE SEASON 7

Episode #28
“The Spanish Camp”
written by John Dunkel
directed by Harmon Jones
music by Fred Steiner
guests: Brock Peters, John Ireland, Rico Alaniz, John Erwin

Assisted by his cunning friend Phinn Harper (actor Brock Peters) controlling Mexican workers, former M.D. with a terminal illness Doctor Joseph Merritt (actor John Ireland) refuses the access to a water hole to the herd of Gil Favor. He discovers that Merritt is a treasure hunter and directs an archeological expedition in a secret historical site. To prevent Favor from making his beeves drink, assistant Phinn decides to create a diversion that fails and Wishbone ends up with a broken leg that Merritt has to heal. Despite the truce, both sides still fight for their right.

It’s a minor entry and the last one produced by Endre Bohem. Actor Clint Eastwood only appears at the very start of Act 1. Actor John Ireland already participated to the series—once in season 2 (“Incident in the Garden of Eden”) and 5 (“Incident of the Portrait”)—and will become a regular character from season 8 as Jed Colby. A new cinematographer takeover: Neal Beckner who will work on the last season 8. Most of the music is season 7 stock including Rudy Schrager’s “Canliss” ans Gerald Fried’s “A Moment in the Sun”.

Both actors Brock Peters (“The Money Machine”) and John Ireland (“Kidnap”) will guest in Mission: Impossible.

 

[JohnHopper]

RAWHIDE SEASON 7

Episode #29
“El Hombre Bravo”
written by Herman Groves
directed by Philip Leacock
music by Rudy Schrager
guests: Frank Silvera, Malachi Throne, Manuel Padilla, Henry Corden, Carmelita Acosta, Allen Jaffe (uncredited)

In the desert mountains, a band of Mexican revolutionaries led by Joaquin Vallino (actor Malachi Throne) look for a renegade called El Hombre Bravo and stop Favor and Mushy to question them about it. At the trail, Yates and Wishbone pinpoint two Mexican riders stealing a cow and head towards them when a federale officer named General Valesquez (actor Henry Corden), supported by an army, confiscate the cow and interrogate them about El Hombre Bravo. The federales search the two wagons of the trail. Meanwhile Favor and Mushy meet poor peasant school teacher Pajarito (actor Frank Silvera) with little children which happens to be the wanted El Hombre Bravo, indicted as the author of political pamphlets. Later on, Jim Quince and Yates meet the revolutionaries and must give them six cows to feed them and pass trough the territory. Favor and Mushy meet again the revolutionaries and Pajarito join them to fight the federales. But before that, Pajarito asks Favor to gun him down in order to save the legend of El Hombre Bravo he fashioned!

Produced by Kowalski and Geller. This is the second Mexican-oriented story after “Canliss” but, here, with a laborious family and educational treatment. This is the last episode dealing with children: see “The Enormous Fist”, “Josh”, “Blood Harvest”, “Mrs. Harmon”’. It’s also a fugitive on the run wanted by both Mexican political sides. The writer takes a clear political position. As in previous episodes (“The Lost Herd”, “Damon’s Road”), the producers ridicule the figure of Gil Favor who runs after a child’s chicken named El Numero Uno.

Actor Malachi Throne will guest in twice on Mission: Impossible: see the season 1 “The Traitor” and the season 4 “Robot”.
Actor Frank Silvera will later appear in a season 3 episode of The Wild Wild West entitled “The Night of the Jack O’Diamonds” as Mexican bandit leader El Sordo.

 

[John*Wells]

The Danny Thomas show Andy griffith Pilot

 

[Jeff Flugel]

Got a few more shows watched to round off 2018 (both viewed on my Fire tablet):

The Saint - 1.9 "The Effete Angler"
Roger Moore is as charming as ever (and impossibly young), and Shirley Eaton is scrumptious. More laid-back and deliberately-paced than the color Saint episodes, but still very entertaining.

Dad's Army - 5.8 "All Is Safely Gathered In"
This sitcom is a British institution, its repeats still garnering big audiences to this day. The lovable losers of the Home Guard volunteers, led by Col. Mainwaring (Arthur Lowe, gruff and simmering) come to the aid of a farmer's widow by bringing the harvest in. Various amusing mishaps ensue.

Onwards to 2019!

 

[Susan Nunes_329977]

Possible spoiler:







"Fare Thee Well," Mr Novak, Season 1, Episode 29. This is the episode dealing with the issue of teen pregnancy and staying in school. This is one I saw on YouTube a couple of years ago, and it was interesting to me to see how the matter was handled in schools pre-Title IX. It was common if the not the rule back then, so it was a realistic portrayal of the issue. Since the early 1970s, it is absolutely illegal to deny pregnant girls an education.

 

[ClassicTVMan1981X]

This past New Year's Day, I managed to cream off the last halves of my Bad News Bears DVD set...

Disc 1 of 2 (season 1, 1979):
7. The Food Caper
8. Men Will Be Boys
9. Three's a Crowd
10. Save the Bears
11. Dance Fever
12. Fielder's Choice

Disc 2 of 2 (season 2, 1979-80):
8. Matched Set
9. Old Timers' Day
10. Scrambled Eggs
11. Double Play (last episode to originally air on CBS)
12. The Good Life
13. The Pride of the Bears
14. The Headless Ghost of the Mackintosh Manor

Episode 2.10, "Scrambled Eggs," actually has a very rare occurrence of an extended end title theme, in which the main production credit sequence is bookended by two scenes each lasting about 15 seconds, to allow the entire main title theme to play under, before the Paramount Television logo.

~Ben

 

[BobO'Link]

Got a few more shows watched to round off 2018 (both viewed on my Fire tablet):

The Saint - 1.9 "The Effete Angler"
Roger Moore is as charming as ever (and impossibly young), and Shirley Eaton is scrumptious. More laid-back and deliberately-paced than the color Saint episodes, but still very entertaining.

Dad's Army - 5.8 "All Is Safely Gathered In"
This sitcom is a British institution, its repeats still garnering big audiences to this day. The lovable losers of the Home Guard volunteers, led by Col. Mainwaring (Arthur Lowe, gruff and simmering) come to the aid of a farmer's widow by bringing the harvest in. Various amusing mishaps ensue.

Onwards to 2019!

I purchased a R1 "Best of" Dad's Army several years back and enjoyed it so much that I purchased a "region free" BR/DVD player so I could purchase and watch the R2 entire series set. The worst part is that player died a few months back, I've not yet replaced it, and that set is still sitting here unopened! I'm currently looking for a replacement player for R2 stuff and trying to decide if I truly "need" non-R1 BR capability (I've never purchased anything but R1 BR material but have lots of R2 DVDs). Region free DVD players are fairly inexpensive - not so region free BR ones.

I also have The Saint awaiting a viewing. That's one for which I saw a few episodes during its original airings and haven't seen since.

While looking for my copy of It Takes a Thief I came across The Man from U.N.C.L.E. - the complete Time Life version in the briefcase I'd picked up more years ago than I'd like to admit. I opted to watch that instead. As of right now I've watched the first 6 episodes and my oldest grandson watched part of one with me... I don't think he cared for it much but it prompted a discussion of 60s TV shows, viewership, just what was on and, perhaps more importantly, what was on the other channels.

I looked up the schedule for 1964/65 to give him an idea of how difficult it was to decide just what to watch back then. He was amazed at how many quality shows were on opposite of each other and rather astounded at us likely not being able to even see those shows because of scheduling. Because of my collection he has a great appreciation for TV from the 60s but we've never truly discussed how many of those shows I never got to watch fully during the original airings due to other shows pulling me away. Things like watching the last half of an hour show because there was a comedy you wanted to watch more that aired opposite the first half. Or a show you really liked now came on opposite a new show you really wanted to see. Or two shows you liked or two new shows you really wanted to see got scheduled opposite each other and you had to pick one.

Having all these shows on DVD is truly a wish come true.

 

[Jeff Flugel]

I purchased a R1 "Best of" Dad's Army several years back and enjoyed it so much that I purchased a "region free" BR/DVD player so I could purchase and watch the R2 entire series set. The worst part is that player died a few months back, I've not yet replaced it, and that set is still sitting here unopened! I'm currently looking for a replacement player for R2 stuff and trying to decide if I truly "need" non-R1 BR capability (I've never purchased anything but R1 BR material but have lots of R2 DVDs). Region free DVD players are fairly inexpensive - not so region free BR ones.

I also have The Saint awaiting a viewing. That's one for which I saw a few episodes during its original airings and haven't seen since.

While looking for my copy of It Takes a Thief I came across The Man from U.N.C.L.E. - the complete Time Life version in the briefcase I'd picked up more years ago than I'd like to admit. I opted to watch that instead. As of right now I've watched the first 6 episodes and my oldest grandson watched part of one with me... I don't think he cared for it much but it prompted a discussion of 60s TV shows, viewership, just what was on and, perhaps more importantly, what was on the other channels.

I looked up the schedule for 1964/65 to give him an idea of how difficult it was to decide just what to watch back then. He was amazed at how many quality shows were on opposite of each other and rather astounded at us likely not being able to even see those shows because of scheduling. Because of my collection he has a great appreciation for TV from the 60s but we've never truly discussed how many of those shows I never got to watch fully during the original airings due to other shows pulling me away. Things like watching the last half of an hour show because there was a comedy you wanted to watch more that aired opposite the first half. Or a show you really liked now came on opposite a new show you really wanted to see. Or two shows you liked or two new shows you really wanted to see got scheduled opposite each other and you had to pick one.

Having all these shows on DVD is truly a wish come true.

That is one of the best things about this hobby - not only getting a chance to watch shows that we couldn't see due to scheduling conflicts, but (especially so in my case), ones that we never had an opportunity to see in the first place.

I know where to buy a quality region free Blu-Ray player for a very affordable price, Howie. Will send you the details when I return home this coming weekend.

 

[JohnHopper]

RAWHIDE SEASON 7

Episode #30
“The Gray Rock Hotel”
written by Jack Curtis
directed by Stuart Rosenberg
edited by Paul Krasny
music by Rudy Schrager
guests: Steven Hill, Lola Albright, Strother Martin, Vic Tayback, Rex Holman (uncredited)

After loosing one man because of a plagued herd and during a windy climat, Gil Favor and his six sick and feverish men (Rowdy Yates, Jim Quince, Wishbone, Mushy and two new drovers: Marty Brown played by Steven Hill, Bates played by Strother Martin) ride to a desert town to get some help. Once inside an empty dark hotel, Favor and his men meet a strange marooned lady named Lottie Denton (actress Lola Albright) who helps them to cure in exchange of a free horse. Favor sends Jim Quince to the mining town of Gold Ridge to get a doctor. Meanwhile, four mysterious riders cross the country to find out Lottie when they bump into sick Jim Quince. Slowly but surely, Lottie fool each delirious drover in order to raise dedicated gunmen to protect her against her husband’s avenging friends: Monte (actor Vic Tayback) and his three men (including actor Rex Holman).

Produced by Kowalski and Geller. It’s a veiled story about bewitchment that takes place in a ghost town. The female character of Lottie acts like a Lorelei/Siren and turns each ill man against Gil Favor. The character of Mushy acts in a strange way and fails to kill Marty Brown because of Lottie. The weird masterpiece that closes the season because of Stuart Rosenberg’s inspired film-making that helps to create a supernatural atmosphere inside the dusty old hotel that is not far away from Boris Karloff’s Thriller anthology. The stock music by Rudy Schrager is also very evocative. It makes a good companion to “The Book” in terms of American gothic mood. Both actors Steven Hill and Lola Albright receive two sets of credits: at the start of Act 1 with the producers, writer and director and also during the end titles. Knowing the nasty little secret of Lottie, the drover character of Marty Brown (actor Steven Hill) ends up murdered by suffocation by Lottie that he calls Palomino—Palomino horses have a yellow or gold coat, with a white or light cream mane and tail.

Producer Bruce Geller will select again actor Steven Hill but to be Dan Briggs, the leader of the team for
his pilot Mission: Impossible (1966) and the entire season 1 and actor Vic Tayback will pop-up in the season 1 “The Ransom”
and the season 3 “The Mercenaries”. Actor Strother Martin will work many times for director Stuart Rosenberg:
see Cool Hand Luke, Pocket Money, Love and Bullets. Actor Rex Holman previously appears in “The Last Order”.

Highly recommended! A must-watch for the friends of the usual!


The boot of trail boss Gil Favor.

The ill outfit is watching Lottie talking. (Rowdy Yates and Jim Quince - Wishbone and Marty Brown)

Gil Favor stares at Lottie and Gil Favor talks to Lottie at the counter.

Lottie is looking at ill Rowdy Yates.

Rowdy Yates has fallen down and watched Lottie.

Lottie questions Rowdy Yates about his shooting abilities.

Monte and his gunslinger ready to avenge while Mushy, Gil, Rowdy stare at 'She-Devil' Lottie.

Gil comes out to witness dead Lottie held by Monte while Wishbone, Rowdy and Mushy silently watch the scene.

 

[JohnHopper]

TOP GELLER/KOWALSKI SEASON 7 RAWHIDE EPISODES
“The Gray Rock Hotel”
“The Book”
“Damon’s Road, Part 1 & 2”
“Piney”
“The Meeting”
“Retreat”
“The Backshooter”
“A Man Called Mushy”
“The Race”
“The Ernomous Fist”
“Canliss”
“Corporal Dasovik”

TOP ENDRE BOHEM SEASON 7 RAWHIDE EPISODES
“The Winter Soldier”
“The Empty Sleeve”
“The Last Order”
“The Calf Women”

 

[BobO'Link]

While watching episodes of The Man from U.N.C.L.E. this morning I was surprised to find William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, and Werner Klemperer doing guest roles in the same episode.

S1E9 "The Project Strigas Affair"

Shatner with McCallum and Woodrow Parfrey (who would also do a couple of guest appearances on Hogan's Heroes)

Nimoy and Klemperer

Both images are from the same scene but the only time Shatner, Nimoy, and Klemperer are in the same shot is brief as Nimoy is forcing Shatner back into the room at gunpoint and Shatner and Klemperer cross as he moves beside Nimoy and Shatner moves to the shot above. In that brief scene you can only see them together for a split second with Shatner being cut in half and a bit blurry due to his movement. The primary shot of Nimoy forcing Shatner back into the room is done with a wide shot and you can't really make out faces.

 

[JohnHopper]

While watching episodes of The Man from U.N.C.L.E. this morning I was surprised to find William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, and Werner Klemperer doing guest roles in the same episode.

S1E9 "The Project Strigas Affair"

Perhaps, the best episode from season 1, imo.

“Trrrrust, no one!"
—Illya Kuryakin posing as a Soviet agent.

 

[BobO'Link]

Perhaps, the best episode from season 1, imo.

“Trrrrust, no one!"
—Illya Kuryakin posing as a Soviet agent.

The episode also felt like it could easily have been reworked for Mission Impossible. Just about all that would be needed is a change of names and some role assignments.

Let's see...

Martin Landau in the Shatner role, Barbara Bain as his wife, Peter Graves in a partial reworking of McCallum's and Vaughn's roles with accommodation made for Morris and Lupus with what's left and you're done.

 

[JohnHopper]

I finished up with season 7 of Rawhide. I'm about to continue the journey to the Texas trail
even though I'm less enthusiastic and I have good reasons.

RAWHIDE season 8 overview
This season 8 has a brand new production team. Producer Robert E. Thompson will later join the rank of Mission: Impossible as a writer and an occasional producer for a couple of season 3. There’s a change in the story-telling because the story editor adds a prologue and an epilogue and removes the sign-off (“Head’Em Up! Move’Em Out!”). Find a new main titles executed by DePatie and Freleng which will do The Wild Wild West and the stylistic similarities are blatant. The artwork consists of a series of faded rough sketches punctuated with an animated whip. Film editor Robert Sparr work back-to-back on Rawhide and on The Wild Wild West. Some composers like Richard Shores and Harry Geller will come aboard The Wild Wild West too. One major director contributes to the series: Sutton ROLEY who will participate at Mission: Impossible.


producer Robert E. Thompson
executive producer Ben Brady
associate producer Robert Stillman
story editor Herman Miller
director of photography Neal Beckner
film editor Robert Sparr *

* in some episodes. Sparr will become a notorious Wild Wild West director.


The main cast undergoes an update: actors Eric Fleming (Gil Favor) and James Murdoch (Mushy) are fired—Fleming died in 1965 during an accident on the shooting of a feature film. While Paul Brinegar as Wishbone—but is under-used and almost faded away—and Steve Raines as Jim Quince remain, actor Clint Eastwood as Rowdy Yates is promoted as trail boss and is assisted by three newcomers: actors Raymond St-Jacques as Simon Blake and John Ireland as Jed Colby and sometimes English actor David Watson as Ian Cabot. The weakness of this season is the absence of Gil Favor and the lack of esprit de corps between the supporting cast and, at this stage, the series jumps the shark and looses sight of its original formula and feels crippled.

The music department is renewed from top to bottom. The rendition of Dimitri Tiomkin’s theme is changed and Herschel Burke Gilbert is gone. The new music supervisor is Morton Stevens. Unlike previous seasons, the end theme is not a repeat of the theme song by Frankie Laine but a completely new instrumental tune.

Find a new main titles executed by DePatie and Freleng which will do The Wild Wild West and the stylistic similarities are blatant. The artwork consists of a series of faded rough sketches punctuated with an animated whip.


Main titles for Rawhide during season 8.

Here comes the season 8 opening credits for actor Clint Eastwood.

 

[JohnHopper]

Perhaps, the best episode from season 1, imo.

“Trrrrust, no one!"
—Illya Kuryakin posing as a Soviet agent.

Watch at 1:41 for the exact quote by Kuryakin.

 

[JohnHopper]

I finished up with season 7 of Rawhide. I'm about to continue the journey to the Texas trail
even though I'm less enthusiastic and I have good reasons.

RAWHIDE season 8 overview
This season 8 has a brand new production team. Producer Robert E. Thompson will later join the rank of Mission: Impossible as a writer and an occasional producer for a couple of season 3. There’s a change in the story-telling because the story editor adds a prologue and an epilogue and removes the sign-off (“Head’Em Up! Move’Em Out!”). Find a new main titles executed by DePatie and Freleng which will do The Wild Wild West and the stylistic similarities are blatant. The artwork consists of a series of faded rough sketches punctuated with an animated whip. Film editor Robert Sparr work back-to-back on Rawhide and on The Wild Wild West. Some composers like Richard Shores and Harry Geller will come aboard The Wild Wild West too. One major director contributes to the series: Sutton ROLEY who will participate at Mission: Impossible.


producer Robert E. Thompson
executive producer Ben Brady
associate producer Robert Stillman
story editor Herman Miller
director of photography Neal Beckner
film editor Robert Sparr *

* in some episodes. Sparr will become a notorious Wild Wild West director.


The main cast undergoes an update: actors Eric Fleming (Gil Favor) and James Murdoch (Mushy) are fired—Fleming died in 1965 during an accident on the shooting of a feature film. While Paul Brinegar as Wishbone—but is under-used and almost faded away—and Steve Raines as Jim Quince remain, actor Clint Eastwood as Rowdy Yates is promoted as trail boss and is assisted by three newcomers: actors Raymond St-Jacques as Simon Blake and John Ireland as Jed Colby and sometimes English actor David Watson as Ian Cabot. The weakness of this season is the absence of Gil Favor and the lack of esprit de corps between the supporting cast and, at this stage, the series jumps the shark and looses sight of its original formula and feels crippled.

¶ Oddly enough, the season 8 of Rawhide plays like the second season of The Outer Limits in terms of overall low quality.
Besides both shows are related to Ben Brady and end up mid-season: what a funny coincidence!

 

[bmasters9]

Only 13 outings left for Rawhide in this final go, IIRC.

 

[JohnHopper]

Only 13 outings left for Rawhide in this final go, IIRC.

Strange how actor Clint Eastwood is no leader but a good second or a good loner on Rawhide.

 

[Jeff Flugel]

OK, getting the ball rolling for 2019:

Porridge - 1.6 "Men Without Women"
A classic Britcom with a sterling reputation, well deserved. It aired between 1974 - 1977, for 3 series and a total of 20 episodes. Ronnie Barker stars as Norman Stanley Fletcher, a genial, quick-witted con serving a 5-year sentence at Slade prison, always trying to work an angle to make his life inside a little brighter. In this episode, Fletch gives advice to his fellow inmates, who are worried about their significant others being unfaithful while they're locked up in the pen. At first, it looks as if things will backfire on him - but it's all part of a complicated plan to get him a weekend's parole at home with his own missus. The jokes fly fast and furious (courtesy of the writers, Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais) and Fletch is a real lovable rogue of a character. With Fulton McKay and Brian Wilde as, respectively, mean-tempered and kindly "screws." Interestingly, Barker returned to the role in a one-off, 6 episode series called Going Straight, from the same writers, about Fletch's struggle to adjust to normal life after his parole.

Van der Valk - 1.1 "One Herring's Not Enough"
Barry Foster (so good as the necktie strangler in Hitchcock's late-career highlight, Frenzy) stars in this early 70s British adaptation of Nicholas Freeleng's series of novels about a cigar-chomping, booze-loving Dutch copper, Piet Van der Valk. Lots of great exterior filming around Amsterdam, mixed with studio interiors, mostly set in the detective's office. The story starts off at a lackadaisical pace, but gradually builds to a nice, nasty ending. A promising start, and Foster's Van der Valk is a very interesting take on the standard TV detective.

The Muppet Show - 3.22 "Roy Rogers and Dale Evans"
Since my 6-year-old son is a massive Muppets fan, I've seen most of these MANY times over. This is one of the best, and I watched it again with my boy over the New Year's holiday. Lots of great songs here, several by Roy and Dale, plus others sung by various Muppet characters. Roy was in his late 60s when this was filmed, and he looks in great shape. Ditto Dale.

Shadows - 3.4 "The Boy Merlin"
While the first series of this 70s "creepy U.K. kids telly" anthology show was more focused on ghostly horror, the second and third veered more into fantasy territory. This episode was spun off into its own one season series under the same name, focusing on the burgeoning magic skills of the young wizard, Merlin, and his precarious position under the cruel reign of the Saxon king, Vortigern. The kid's just OK, but he's surrounded by old pros, and this was a pleasant enough watch for me to wish to seek out the series proper.

Bless Me Father - 1.2 "The Bells of St. Judes"
Another very funny U.K. sitcom (though far less famous than Porridge) centered around Dad's Army's Arthur Lowe as a curmudgeonly Irish priest in a rural parish. This episode focuses on the battle of wills between Father Duddleswell and his noisy, nightclub owner neighbor, Billy Buzzle (David Ryall). The two continue their friendly rivalry throughout the rest of the series, to memorable effect.

Petticoat Junction - 1.1 "Spur Line to Shady Rest"
I fell for this show after viewing the "Cannonball Christmas" episode on the Merry Sitcoms set. I continue to be charmed after viewing this warm, easygoing opener. Seems like working through this first season is going to be a very enjoyable time. And - no surprise to its fans - this show's babe quotient is pretty dang high.