Halloween Highlights From the Viewer's Guide

There's a lot more not listed here, check out the guide.

The Ultimate Munsters Fan Builds Replica House

Classic Letterman to Air on Trio

Classic TV Stars on Street Smarts

[October 25, 2002] 

"Street Smarts"  airs in syndication (check your TV guide or their web site to find your local time and channel), and nationally on the WGN Superstation weekdays at 3:30PM. 

'Tremors' the Series to Air on Sci-Fi

[October 24, 2002] 

Tremors takes place in the sleepy desert town of Perfection, Nevada, which is also home to a giant prehistoric worm named El Blanco who is on the endangered species list. Determined not to abandon their town and way of life, the Perfectionists struggle to maintain an uneasy peace with El Blanco and the other dangerous creatures that populate their desert.

Filming on the "Tremors" series began October 1st in Baja, Mexico, according to the network.   The one-hour action series  will debut on Sci-Fi in January 2003.

Where Are They Now? on VH1

[October 23, 2002] 

Then, "WATN,"  checks in with the cast of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show,"   Susan Sarandon; Barry Bostwick; Tim Curry; Meat Loaf; Peter Hinwood; Richard O'Brien; Patricia (Quinn) Stevens; Charles Gray; Henry Woolf; Lindsay Ingram; Nell Campbell; Koo Stark; Fran Fullenwider.  This airs today at 8:30PM and Saturday at 9:30PM. Click here for more show time.

Keene Curtis, Cheers' John Allen Hill Died

[October 18, 2002] 

On television, he appearances on "M*A*S*H,'' "Touched by an Angel,"  "Caroline in the City'' and "E.R.'' He also appeared in a number of movies, including "Heaven Can Wait,'' "American Hot Wax'' and "Richie Rich's Christmas Wish.''

MacGyver to Return, Younger

Richard Dean Anderson as MacGyver (1986)

Full Details 

The original series of "MacGyver" ran from September 1985 to August 1992 and starred Richard Dean Anderson in the title role.  Angus MacGyver was a secret agent that refused to carry a gun.  The scientific genius could avert any disaster by making use of any mundane materials around him to create a solution to the problem at hand.  Anderson went on to play Colonel Jack  O'Neill on  "Stargate SG-1"  The original "MacGyver" series will be returning to cable in 2003. 

Bewitched Movie Update

Dennis Patrick Dies in Fire

Dennis Patrick as Jason McGuire in "Dark Shadows"  1967

Dennis' career spanned nearly five decades with roles in "Somerset" (1970), he  played the Ewing family's banker,  Vaughn Leland, on "Dallas" (1978) and Admiral Tisdale in the 1988 mini-series  "War and Remembrance." As an accomplished actor and director of film, television and theatre, with roles in many classic shows, including "The Twilight Zone", "Dallas," "All in the Family," "War and Remembrance," "Hawaii Five-O" and "The Rockford Files."  Throughout his career, Dennis amassed an incredible 1,800 credited television guest roles.

 

Dennis Patrick at a Dark Shadows Convention in July 2002.  Photo courtesy of The Dark Shadows Journal

Though he was only Jason McGuire and Paul Stoddard in the television series "Dark Shadows" (later to be Sheriff Patterson in the film "House of Dark Shadows"), Dennis Patrick was television's first vampire in a 1951 episode of "Stage 13."

Patrick was battling cancer and needed kidney dialysis. ''He was having some problems,'' family friend Siobhan Burns-Walden told reporters. "He was getting pretty weak.'' It took about 50 firefighters to extinguish the blaze that broke out around 1:15 in the afternoon.  Investigators believe that he may have died from smoke inhalation. An autopsy is pending.    Dennis Patrick was 84.  

You'll find out more about "Dark Shadows" in Morty's Mall Dark Shadows Showcase page. 

Twin Peaks Comes to Bravo

Visit Twin Peaks in Morty's Mall

Michael Parks, circa 1965

"Twin Peaks" stars Kyle MacLachlan as FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper and Lara Flynn Boyle as Donna Marie Hayward, but also look for "Then Came Bronson" star Michael Parks as Jean Renault.

Also starting in November on Bravo is the short-lived Nathan Lane sit-com, "Encore, Encore."

Hallmark Schedule Changes for November

Now usually networks don't provide very good advanced schedule information, but Hallmark is pretty good.  You can see their schedules on line here, and you can download the new line-up here, in printable .PDF format.  Thanks to LM for writing in that suggestion.   Most networks provide some kind of schedule information.  A pretty complete list of TV cable network sites can be found on my links page.

Game Show Network's 'Hollywood Scares' Includes Rarity

[October 15, 2002] Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, is hosting Game Show Network’s special Halloween-themed three-hour primetime "marathon,"  “Hollywood Scares” on Saturday, October 26 from 9:00PM to Midnight.  At 9:00PM there's an episode of "Match Game 90"  with  celebrities dressed in costumes. Charles Nelson Reilly dressed as Superman; Brett Somers as a little girl; Walt Willy as a wizard; Jill Larson as the Statue of Liberty; Ronn Lucas as a little boy and Vicki Lawrence as Little Red Riding Hood.

At 9:30PM there's a very special treat, an airing of "Storybook Squares,"   "Storybook Squares" aired on NBC in 1969, for just seven months.  It was "Hollywood Squares" for kids with celebrities posing as famous characters from history and literature.   The Game Show Network claims the episode was taped in 1977, which of course doesn't make sense, because production had ceased eight years prior.  It features Soupy Sales dressed as Thomas Edison, Jo Anne Worley as Martha Washington; Connie Stevens as the Queen of Tarts; Pat Harrington as Leonardo da Vinci; Florence Henderson as Belle Star; George Gobel as Henry VII; Susan Seaforth Hayes as Cleopatra; Bill Hayes as Mark Anthony; Big Bird as himself; and Paul Lynde as Frankenstein.  

The "marathon" also includes recent episodes of "Whammy"  "Friend or Foe?" and "Russian Roulette."  GSN tends to swap the times around on the day of the broadcast, so you might want to set your VCR for the whole three hours in case they juggle again.    For fans of Elvira  (AKA Cassandra Peterson, the actress that seems to only work one week a year), she will be appearing on the new syndicated "Hollywood Squares" the week of October 28th. 

[Update October 26, 2002]  I stand corrected, the "Storybook Squares" edition was from 1977.  I have no info on this episode.  If someone knows more, please write.  And 51 year old Cassandra Peterson still looks great!

ABC Airs Two Halloween Classics

Also scheduled on the 25th is the Emmy Award-winning "Boo! To You, Too, Winnie The Pooh" at 8:30PM.  "Boo! To You, Too, Winnie The Pooh" received its Primetime Emmy Award for Individual Achievement in Storyboarding (Phil Weinstein) in 1997, as well as an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Music and Lyrics (Michael & Patty)  BTW, October 14th was Winnie the Pooh's 76th birthday.

Teresa Graves Dies in Fire

Graves started her career as a singer with the Doodletown Pipers. She later turned to acting, appearing regularly on "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In" in 1969 and 1970.  On "Get Christie Love!", which ran during the 1974-75 season, she played the first black woman hired by a big-city police department. It's said that Graves ruined her career by refusing many roles because of religious convictions.  She was 59.

Addams Family on WPIX 11

Passings

Carmen Phillips, an actress cast in small roles in some 20 films and 50 television series, including "Easy Rider" and "Perry Mason," died September 22 of lung cancer at Queen of Angels/Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital, she was 65.  Phillips was an activist for actors rights and animal rights. She befriended many better-known colleagues, including actress Diane Ladd, who presided at her memorial service in Santa Barbara.

Bob Crane's Son: Not Happy

[October 9, 2002]

Several years ago Scotty and his mother, Patricia Crane (stage name, Sigrid Valdis, actress, and co-star "Hilda" on "Hogan's Heroes") wrote a screenplay and titled it "Take Off Your Clothes and Smile" or "F-Stop,"  they couldn't decide.  It is what Scotty claims to be a true account of Bob Crane’s Life, told from the inside out.  Full Details  

Miscellany

On Monday November 11th Lifetime will air a Nanny Marathon from 1:00PM to 6:00PM, and on November 28th, Lifetime will air a twelve hour block their sit-coms for the Lifetime Thanksgiving Comedy Marathon:

On Monday November 4th: "Hogan's Heroes"  debuts on The Hallmark Channel, air times to be announced.

Dynasty debuts on SOAPnet Weekdays at 10:00AM starting November 11th

The Jackie Gleason Story

[October 6, 2002]

With Terry Farrell as Marilyn Gleason and Michael Chieffo as Art Carney.  Howard Deutch ("Watching Ellie," "The Replacements" ) directs. Rick Podell and Michael Preminger wrote the script.

New Old TV on DVD

Featured Shows in Morty's Mall:   Absolutely Fabulous The Addams Family All in the Family The Andy Griffith Show The Brady Bunch The Beverly Hillbillies Bewitched Bonanza Cheers Dark Shadows Dukes of Hazzard Friends Gilligan's Island Green Acres The Honeymooners I Dream of Jeannie I Love Lucy Keeping Up Appearances Leave it to Beaver Lost in Space M*A*S*H Mary Tyler Moore Show The Munsters My Favorite Martian Saturday Night Live The Simpsons The Sopranos Taxi The Three Stooges The Twilight Zone The X Files

You'll find popular shows like "The Jeffersons: The Complete First Season," and "I Spy" newer shows like "Mad about You," and  "Malcolm In The Middle",   There are some unique entries, such as  "Get a Life," one of the most off-the-wall sitcoms ever with Chris Elliot as a blissfully naive, 30-year-old paperboy who valiantly fought anything that would require him to "grow up." 

You can now watch "The Outer Limits: The Original Series," without the editing that added more commercial time.  There are some new titles from the BBC including  "The Complete Are You Being Served? Collection."   

To round out your collection of classic TV there are specials like a boxed set of "Ed Sullivan's Rock 'N' Roll Classics,"   "The Carol Burnett Show: Show Stopper", and "The Best of the Muppet Show," and the hit TV movie, "Surviving Gilligan's Island."

Passings, from the cast of "Hazel"

[October 5, 2002]

Robert P. Lieb, 88, a veteran character actor on Broadway, television and film, died Saturday September 28, in Los Angeles of complications from intestinal surgery earlier this year. Lieb is best known for his role as the arresting Officer Flaherty in the often-repeated "Twilight Zone" episode "The Night of the Meek." The Christmastime show featured Art Carney as a department store Santa, who, after being fired for drinking, discovers he is the real Santa Claus.  Lieb's daughter, Bon Appetit magazine editor Barbara Fairchild, invited friends and colleagues to watch annual December reruns on the Sci-Fi Channel.  He made guest appearances in "Bewitched"," "My Favorite Martian," "F-Troop," and many other shows of the '60's. Younger viewers may remember him as "Uncle Rocky" on "ALF."   On the large screen, Lieb appeared as the seedy attorney for John Huston's character in "Myra Breckinridge" (1970), and had small roles in such films as "Angel in My Pocket" (1969), "How to Frame a Figg" (1971) and "Mystery Men" (1999).  Lieb was also a cast member of the series "Hazel," he played Harry Thompson (George Baxter's brother-in-law) in the 1961-1965 seasons, and Lieb died on the same day as Whitney Blake.

TNN: Closer to a Goal

Notable on Saturdays:
8:00PM "American Gladiators"
2:00AM "The A-Team"

Notable on Sundays:
12:00AM "MAD TV"
1:00AM "Crime Strike"
1:30AM "American Gladiators"
2:30AM "MAD TV"

"Blind Date" will  join the lineup this January.  All times are Eastern Daylight Time.