The Blu-Ray of The Abbott & Costello Show, Season 1 from the 3-D Film Archive and ClassicFlix knocked me out — seriously raising the bar of what old TV can look like on video. Each episode (from the camera negatives) in that set is absolutely stunning.
Well, tomorrow, Season 2 will be available. The same level of restoration, the same types of extras. I’ve always liked Season 2 better than Season 1, so as I see it, this thing’s a must.
The Abbott & Costello Show, Season 1 Blu-Ray set from The 3-D Film Archive and ClassicFlix blew everybody away. Season 2 is coming in January.
The restorations/transfers (from the camera negatives) and extras will be incredible, as we’ve come to expect from these folks. Highly, highly recommended. Essential even!
Filed under 1953, 1954, Abbott & Costello, ClassicFlix, DVD/Blu-ray News, Television, The 3-D Film Archive
Arthur Lake was put on this earth to play Dagwood Bumstead from Chip Young’s Blondie comic strip. That’s an absolute fact. And he did it marvelously in 28 features from 1938 to 1950 — and again in a TV series in 1957. And that series is coming to Blu-Ray from ClassicFlix in April, transferred from original 35mm elements of all 26 episodes.
Blondie is played by Pamela Britton, who many of us know from My Favorite Martian. (Penny Singleton played Blondie in the movies.) The show perfectly captures the spirit of the strip, with many episodes directed by Paul Landres. Funny stuff, easy to recommend!
Filed under 1957, ClassicFlix, DVD/Blu-ray News, Paul Landres, Television
Stuart Margolin
(January 31, 1940 – December 12, 2022)
One of my favorite character actors — who played one of my favorite characters, Stuart Margolin has passed away at 82.
He’s wonderful in all kinds of things, Kelly’s Heroes (1970) for one, but he will forever be Angel, James Garner’s shifty friend from San Quentin on The Rockford Files. Of course, Rockford is a strong contender for The Greatest TV Show Of All Time. (Margolin’s seen with Garner up top, riding in Rockford’s Firebird.)
Margolin was also a successful TV director. He did a few Rockford episodes, among many other things. He will certainly be missed.
We talked about Mr. Margolin and Angel in a recent discussion of The Rockford Files.
Filed under James Garner, Television
What a good time I had yesterday morning. I was honored to be part of a discussion of The Rockford Files, in my opinion a strong contender for the Greatest TV Show Of All Time. You can read an old post I did on the Blu-Ray set here.)
Thanks to host Dan Schneider for the invite. (The only part I didn’t like was where I had to talk about myself.) Oh, and we all need to look into Kevin Burton Smith’s stuff online. He’s an expert on PI, crime, noir and all that great stuff.
Click on Rockford’s trailer to listen in. Warning: you can see us, too.
Filed under James Garner, Podcasts, Television
Nichelle Nichols
(December 28, 1932 – July 30, 2022)
Nichelle Nichols has passed away at 89. Much will be made of the fact that her role on Star Trek as Lt. Uhura, communications officer on the USS Enterprise, was one of TV’s first major roles for a black actress. (They say Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. noted this and convinced her to stay on when she was thinking about leaving the show.)
In a way, something like that just checks a box and discounts how good she was. What I love is the Howard Hawks vibe Ms. Nichols brought to the show. She was a perfect “Hawksian” (hate that phrase) heroine. You know, pretty, professional, part of the team and levelheaded when things get rough. (A sharp contrast to Scotty in the engine room.) Those have always been the women’s parts that appealed to me — and she was one of the best at it. All that, plus a red miniskirt and that cool thing she stuck in her ear.
Filed under Television
George Jetson
July 31, 2022
Buried deep in the episodes, comics or whatever related to The Jetsons, is buried the “fact” that George Jetson was born today, July 31, 2022. That, of course, was way in the future back when the show began.
Filed under Cartoons, Hanna-Barbera, Television
Directed by Rudolph Cartier
Written by Nigel Kneale, based on the George Orwell novel
Starring Peter Cushing, André Morell, Yvonne Mitchell, Donald Pleasence
Boy, was I excited to hear about this one. BFI is bringing the 1954 BBC adaptation of Nineteen Eight-Four to DVD and Blu-Ray. It stars the great Peter Cushing as Winston Smith. It’s coming in April, restored from film elements from the BBC. Highly recommended — and a bit too timely for comfort.
Filed under 1954, Donald Pleasence, DVD/Blu-ray News, Peter Cushing, Television
It’d been years since I’d seen an episode of The Prisoner. Happened upon one the other night, and not only was it even better than I remembered, but it now seems downright prophetic.
From constant surveillance to being afraid of saying the wrong thing to the horrors of bureaucracy, McGoohan and company had a creepy, cryptic feel for where we were headed. This isn’t meant to be political, just an observation.
Can’t wait to revisit the rest. Be seeing you, Number Six!
Filed under 1967, Patrick McGoohan, Television
I’m hesitant to actually review a DVD or Blu-Ray title that I have something to do with. But I have to say something about this one.
It was a real honor to provide a commentary for an episode (“The Western”) of new The Abbott & Costello Show, Season 1 Blu-Ray set from The 3-D Film Archive and ClassicFlix. The restorations/transfers (from the camera negatives) are incredible and the package is first-class.
Of course, the series itself is terrific, one of my all-time favorite TV shows. So if you’re a fan of it, this set is an absolute must.
The Hannibal 8 