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Genuine Lost in Space B-9 Robot for Sale |
[ January 1, 2009 ]
 A friend mine, who works at Princeton University, is, like myself, a big fan of "Lost in Space." We recently had a debate over which is the better robot: Robby from "Forbidden Planet," or the B9 from "Lost in Space." This debate could have been a scene from "The Big Bang Theory" with us two adults arguing over bad sci-fi.Any fan of classic TV will have admit that the B-9 from "Lost in Space" had the best personality. Everyone knows "Danger, Danger Will Robinson" Who quotes Robby saying, "Sorry, miss. I was giving myself an oil-job." Sure, Robby is impressive looking, but who would you rather be stranded with?
Anyway, I discovered something so cool: They are making life-size B-9 robots that you can buy, and own, and talk to, and play with, and guard your front door... and oh God do I want one. I was hoping these amazing replicas would be selling for a couple thousand, oh I had my Visa card out and ready, only to discover, they are selling for $25,500.
So even if you don't have the cash to buy one, the true "Lost in Space" fan will have to check out: http://www.lostinspacerobot.com/ Click the "More" link below for some really great and more info on Robby too. More...
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Meet the Man Behind The Charlie Brown Christmas |
 [ December 24, 2008 ]
Lee Mendelson, producer of "A Charlie Brown Christmas," talks about his classic Peanuts holiday special, in a special Christmas edition of the Internet radio show TV Time Machine, hosted by TV historian Jim Benson.
In this one-hour interview, Lee Mendelson reveals the fascinating story behind this beloved 1965 animated holiday special including the genesis of "A Charlie Brown Christmas;" casting the children to supply the Peanuts gang voices, and working with legendary creator Charles Schultz. Mr. Mendelson also discusses the yearly ritual of families watching the Charlie Brown Peanuts TV specials, a holiday tradition which has been passed from generation to generation.
"The Charlie Brown shows continue on and on," says Mendelson. "It's amazing to me how long and enduring this has been. We were lucky that we were producing TV specials in the 60's and 70's, where we got a huge audience. Those audiences are now parents and grandparents and they've stuck with us throughout the years. It's been a wonderful and joyful ride for all of us."
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Method to his Mad Men - Interview with Mad Men EP Matthew Weiner |
 [ December 6, 2008 ]
Mad Men Creator and Executive Producer Matthew Weiner reveals the fascinating, behind-the-scenes story of the creation and production of his Emmy Award-winning AMC TV series, in an interview on the Internet radio show TV Time Machine.TV Time Machine host Jim Benson is also joined by co-host Lisa Rothstein, whose Madison Avenue career included positions as copywriter and creative director for such advertising firms as Young & Rubicam and Ogilvy & Mather. In this one-hour interview, Matthew Weiner discusses his early career in television including writing and producing The Sopranos, and the cultural and creative influences that have helped shape the world of Mad Men. Mad Men is a unique and innovative one-hour drama about the lives of men and women toiling in the cut-throat world of Madison Avenue advertising in the early 1960's. The series is also an exploration of a time when American society was still struggling with issues of race, gender-even the habit of smoking. "I've been shocked by the reaction to the smoking in the series," says Weiner. "People are in cultural denial to its existence, when it really didn't disappear in the workplace until the 1990's. There's a real moral superiority about it now, but back then it was really as common as eating. I wanted the smoking in the show because it was such a great irony. To see a society in this mass denial, where adults are unaware of what they're doing. The image of who we are and what's being sold to us and what the reality of it is-it's such an integral part of that irony." More...
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New Bewitched TV Series to Air on BBC |
 [ November 25, 2008 ]
The classic US sitcom "Bewitched" is set for a British makeover by Paul Mendelson creator of the Britcom, "My Hero"
Sony Pictures Television International, which owns the rights to the original show, has agreed to a UK adaptation, which is likely to be made for the BBC.
The pilot will be shot early next year at Teddington Studios, which is also where "My Hero" was shot. The cast has yet to be announced but he hopes to be able to share the information soon, but says "it's a goodie!" More...
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Internet Radio Interviews With Director Guillermo Del Toro |
 [ November 12, 2008 ]
Directors Guillermo Del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth) and Jeannot Szwarc (Heroes) honor the classic horror TV series Rod Serling's Night Gallery, on the Internet radio show TV Time Machine, hosted by TV historian Jim Benson. In the second hour of a two-part interview on TV Time Machine, Guillermo Del Toro talks about his lifelong passion for Rod Serling's Night Gallery. As a young boy growing up in Mexico in the early 1970's, Del Toro watched the show avidly. Now theAcademy Award-nominated director is contributing audio commentary for six segments of the series for Universal Home Entertainment's Rod Serling's Night Gallery Season Two DVD set. TV Time Machine, Guillermo Del Toro discusses his esteem for the series, creator Rod Serling and Night Gallerydirector Jeannot Szwarc, who helmed twenty-two episodes of the series, more than any other director. More...
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Tony Dow (Wally Cleaver) to Exhibit Sculpture at Louvre |
 [ November 12, 2008 ]
Tony Dow, best known as the actor who portrayed The Beav's big brother, Wally, in the'50s TV series "Leave It to Beaver," will have one of his abstract sculptures on display at the Louvre as part of the Societe Nationale des Beaux-Arts exhibition.
“Having something shown at the Louvre is about as good as you can get,” Mr. Dow, 63, told The Associated Press.
In "Beaver", Tony Dow and Jerry Mather portrayed loving brothers.
Dow, 63, is now a sculptor of modern art, and one of his bronze pieces was reportedly given to their former TV mom, Barbara Billingsley, whose June Cleaver is considered a classic American mother-archetype. More...
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Interview with Get Smart producer Leonard Stern |
 [ November 6, 2008 ]
Legendary TV producer Leonard Stern talks about the classic TV series Get Smart and his participation in the DVD release of Get Smart-The Complete Series Gift Set, in an interview on the Internet radio showTV Time Machine, hosted by TV historian Jim Benson.
 | | | Leonard Stern reads Mad Libs at the 2008 LA Times Festival of Books at UCLA | |
From 1965-1970, Leonard Stern served as executive producer and frequent writer and director on Get Smart, starring Don Adams as Maxwell Smart Secret Agent 86 and Barbara Feldon as Agent 99. Mr. Stern talks extensively about providing commentary for the current DVD release of Get Smart-The Complete Series Gift Set, his views on last summer's Get Smart The Movie [2008] starring Steve Carell and Anne Hathaway, and the amazing longevity of his classic TV spy spoof.
"The validity of Get Smart is in the fact that it endures, that it was legitimately funny," says Stern. "It was Jackie Gleason, when I was doing The Honeymooners, who said when anybody asked him why his show was successful, he simply answered: ‘It's funny'."
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Taxi Star Jeff Conaway goes Back to 'Rehab' |
 [ October 9, 2008 ]
Jeff Conaway, who played out-of-work actor Bobby Wheeler in the TV series "Taxi," is going back to "Celebrity Rahab" on VH1. Conaway, 58, is shown at left, in the white suit checking into 'Rehab' with the aid of friends and a walking stick.
After hitting bottom in the mid 80s, Conaway came to grips with the fact that he had a substance abuse problem. He successfully underwent treatment in the late 80s and often spoke candidly about his problem. More...
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TV Legend Peter Falk on TV Time Machine Web Site |
 [ October 8, 2008 ]
Peter Falk, best known for playing the classic TV detective Lt. Columbo, talks about his famous character in a one-hour interview on the Internet radio show TV Time Machine, hosted by TV historian Jim Benson.
On TV Time Machine, Peter Falk gives one of his most comprehensive interviews ever about his nearly fifty-years in television and movies. Joined by author Mark Dawidziak (The Columbo Phile), Mr. Falk discusses his two Academy Award-nominated roles in Pocketful of Miracles and Murder Inc., and his most famous role of all-the seemingly dim-bulb LAPD homicide detective named Lt. Columbo. More...
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Rod Serling's Night Gallery Directors Give Internet Interview |
 [ September 24, 2008 ]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE- Directors Guillermo Del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth) and Jeannot Szwarc (Heroes) talk about the classic 1970's horror TV series Rod Serling's Night Gallery, on the Internet radio interview show TV Time Machine hosted by TV historian Jim Benson. On TV Time Machine, Guillermo Del Toro gives his most comprehensive interview ever about his lifelong passion for Rod Serling's Night Gallery and his admiration for the show's most prolific director, Jeannot Szwarc. More...
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Emmys Give Nod to Classic TV Shows |
 [ September 16, 2008 ]
Friendly ghosts from television's past will bring their ethereal charm to the 60th annual Emmy Awards. Sunday's ceremony will feature surprise cast reunions, famous lines ("Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!") and beloved moments from the last six decades of television. Even the Nokia Theater stage will be getting into the act, dressing up as sets from iconic shows past and present, executive producer Ken Ehrlich told Sandy Cohen of The Associated Press. "We're paying homage to the heritage of the medium and the history, but we've tried to do it in a very contemporary way," he said. "We want to show the through line from what television has meant to us to what it is now."
The Emmy stage will masquerade as sets from "The Simpsons" "Mash" and "Desperate Housewives," among others, Ehrlich said. More...
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Internet Radio Show Interviews Comedy Legend Mel Brooks |
 [ September 15, 2008 ]
Mel Brooks talks about his TV career in a one-hour interview on the Internet radio show TV Time Machine, hosted by TV historian Jim Benson.On TV Time Machine, Mel Brooks gives his most comprehensive interview ever about his fifty-year contribution to television. Among other topics, Mr. Brooks talks about working with comedy legends Sid Caesar, Neil Simon and Woody Allen on the classic 1950's TV series, Your Show of Shows, and how he created the classic TV spy spoof Get Smart with Buck Henry, the basis for the 2008 film starring Steve Carrell and Anne Hathaway. More...
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Ernest Borgnine at 91 |
 [ September 10, 2008 ]
Ernest Borgnine has been making the talk show rounds promoting his autobiography,Ernie: The Autobiography. At age 91, he's still as sharp as ever. Borgnine can easily be called the hardest working man in Hollywood. Such stamina! So, what's his secret to longevity? He recently appeared on Fox & Friends to promote his book and told them that his secret to his longevity was masturbation, "I masturbate a lot," he joked. Borgnine is best known to TV audiences for his lead role of Quinton McHale on McHale's Navy. What fans may not know, is that Borgnine really did have a Navy career before becoming an actor. In 1935 after high school. He was discharged in 1941, but he re-enlisted when the United States entered World War II and served until 1945 (a total of ten years), reaching the rank of Gunner's Mate 1st Class. In 2004, Borgnine received the honorary rank of Chief Petty Officer from the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Terry D. Scott — the U.S. Navy's highest ranking enlisted sailor at the time — in honor of Borgnine's support of the Navy and Navy families worldwide. More...
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TV Land in Milwaukee erects bronze 'Fonzie' |
 [ August 19, 2008 ]
His hair will always be in place, he doesn't mind if you touch the leather, and he's far too heavy to jump the shark. Thought Arthur Fonzarelli couldn't get any cooler? Meet the bronze Fonz. People lined the Milwaukee River yesterday to cheer the unveiling of a statue of the Happy Days character, including Henry Winkler himself. The man who was cast as the Fonz pretended to comb the statue's hair and put his arm around the smiling, life-size likeness, which is giving two thumbs up. "To see it in real life and that it exists -- it's just, it's just unbelievable. It really is," Winkler told the invite-only crowd and others gathered nearby trying to hear. Though no scenes were filmed here, Happy Days took place in Milwaukee during its TV run from 1974 to 1984. More...
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CBS developing "Hawaii Five-O 2.0" |
 [ August 13, 2008 ]
CBS is saying aloha to a new installment of the "Hawaii Five-O" franchise from "Criminal Minds" exec producer/showrunner Ed Bernero.
The new take on the popular crime drama, which aired on CBS from 1968-80, is one of three projects Bernero has in the works, along with "Washington Field," which is being done in cooperation with the FBI, and a fugitive apprehension drama. More...
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Yana Interviews Daniele, Honestly |
[ October 15, 2007 ]
Daniele Donato spent 80 days living in a house on a soundstage with 51 cameras and 74 microphones, and a father she hadn't spoken with in several years. Daniele was watched 24 hours a day by thousands of live feed subscribers, and by millions on the CBS broadcast. Under pressure and constant scrutiny, as her her personal life was turned inside-out, she gained fans and foes. Whether you loved her, or hated her, Daniele and her over-the-top dad became the stars of BB8. For the past week, our celebrity interviewer, Yana, has been gathering questions from the posters at TVFanForums to ask Daniele. Yana asked Daniele those questions, and you can read that interview here.
Huge thanks to Daniele for her participation, and kudos to Yana for another fine interview. More...
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The Blood Suckers Return |
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[ Octover 12, 2007 ]
In 1967 Dan Curtis and Art Wallace created the first contemporary reluctant vampire on the daytime drama, Dark Shadows. Barnabas was supposed to be a villain that would be discovered and staked after a several months of TV terror. However, Barnabas' story was sad, and viewers felt sorry for the fanged fiend. Barnabas didn't want to put the bite on the townsfolk, it's just that he had to. Soon the vampire became the fan favorite, and the scripts were changed so that Barnabas would be cured of his affliction and able to stay at Collinwood forever. More...
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Leave it to Beaver 50th Anniversary Marathon |
 [ October 5, 2007 ]
TV Land celebrates the 50th anniversary of one of television's beloved family sitcoms, Leave It To Beaver with a 24 hour marathon beginning on October 6th at 8:00PM ET/PT concluding on Sunday, October 7th at 8:00PM ET/PT. The marathon includes the rarely-seen 1957 pilot entitled "It's a Small World" that features Jerry Mathers as the Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver; Paul Sullivan as Wally and Barbara Billingsley and Max Showalter as the parents June and Ward Cleaver. Additionally, veteran comedic actor Harry Shearer is seen in one of his very first roles as Frankie, a neighborhood tough guy. More...
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Now You Can Own the Ultimate Piece of TV Memorabilia |
 [ May 22, 2007 ]
Now you can own the ultimate piece of TV memorabilia, the Mary Tyler Moore house in Minneapolis. The beautiful Victorian house shown in the opening establishing shots of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" is for sale.In 1970 the Mary Tyler Moore, producers Grant Tinker (Mary's real-life husband at the time), James L. Brooks and Allan Burns headed north to Minneapolis to Minnesota to film the opening credits and establishing shots for "The Mary Tyler Moore Show." The house they selected as Mary's home then belonged to a college professor. The professor signed away his privacy thinking that the footage of his house was to be used for educational TV related to architecture. More...
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