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Hamlet ala Gilligan
The bulk of this piece first appeared in July 2011 following the death of legendary television producer Sherwood Schwartz, and it's a piece I've always been fond of, because you wouldn't think that...
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Around the dial
This week David at Comfort TV says what I've believed for a long time: Mission: Impossible is TV for smart people. Not only does it not refuse to pander to the audience by providing them with...
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This week in TV Guide: July 15, 1961
The brooding visage on the cover of this week's TV Guide is not that of Dave Garroway, although it would appear to be a perfect match for the sidebar teaser on the left. No, on the cover you see...
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James Garner, R.I.P.
About James Garner, who died over the weekend, plenty of thoughts: 1. Terry Teachout put it so well in his obituary this morning, that Garner had died at “the magnificent age of 86.” I’m not...
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The lion that squeaks
I featured this piece at the other blog last week for Throwback Thursday, but it occurs to me that it has enough to do with television that we ought to take a look at it here as well. After all, it...
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This week in TV Guide: July 23, 1966
There are times, as you’re probably aware, when it’s particularly challenging finding interesting material from the summer issues of TV Guide. Most programs are either reruns (some of which we’ve...
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We interrupt our regularly scheduled blogging...
I don’t often digress from TV-related matters on the blog – after all, there’s a reason why it’s called “It’s About TV!” instead of “It’s About Mitchell!” or “It’s About Everything!” or something like...
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Around the Dial
A variety of sources to spotlight the day - let's get started with this Awful Announcing interview with British soccer announcer Jon Champion. I referenced this at the other blog today, but it's worth...
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This week in TV Guide: August 1, 1981
It is as testimony to the high regard in which I hold you, my readers, that I present today's issue. Having found myself in a lull when it comes to TV Guides covering the next few months, I invested...
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Summer rerun: What does TV do to you?
Some years ago, Ben Berger put up a provocative article on National Review Online entitled "Tocqueville and the Tube," and since this deals with both television and culture, I suppose I ought to have a...
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Around the dial
Some of you may think I take the easy way out by devoting Thursdays to links. Au contraire! What it really does is give me a chance to read some terrific pieces at other blogs, and steer them your...
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This week in TV Guide: August 7, 1965
It's back to the '60s for a week after last week's preliminary incursion into the '80s. If you liked last week, though, don't worry - we'll be back there before you know it.***Regular readers are...
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Robin Williams, R.I.P.
He was a prodigious talent, no doubt about it, but his appeal - unlike that of his hero, Jonathan Winters - largely escaped me. I grew up outside the range of Mork and Mindy*, so I missed Williams at...
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Ed Nelson, R.I.P.
I passed through Greensboro several times during the year I lived in North Carolina, having no idea that Ed Nelson lived there. To be honest, his was a name I didn't think about that often, though I...
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This week in TV Guide: August 14, 1965
ABC News has a problem: nobody watches its nightly news program. They hope they have the solution: Peter Jennings.At age 28, the boy wonder is set to take on Walter Cronkite and Huntley and Brinkley...
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Around the dial
I'm making up for last week, when obituaries kept me away from taking a spin around the blogosphere. Well, better late than never, I say. Besides, there's plenty to choose from today.Cult TV Blog takes...
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Don Pardo, R.I.P.
Was there a better voice for television than Don Pardo's? At the same time, he was able to project warmth, authority, credibility. He could announce a game show like the original Jeopardy!, while he...
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Predicting the Emmys
I've written about the Emmys here from time to time (here, here and here, for example). They're a very strange fish; not quite like most awards shows, where you have different movies and nominees each...
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This week in TV Guide: August 23, 1958
It's one last look back at the '50s before we plunge ahead into the '70s and '80s over the next few weeks, so let's enjoy the ride while we can.I've mentioned in the past how different television was...
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The day in TV: Monday, August 25, 1958
We haven't done this for awhile, looked at a specific broadcasting day from this week's TV Guide, and since I'm actually on vacation as you read this, it seems like a sensible time to revisit the...
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