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Post by codystarbuck on Jun 12, 2022 18:30:25 GMT -5
As I work my way through my UFO boxset, I am impressed by the show. Last night’s episode was “The Cat with Ten Lives”, which saw the aliens utilise a Siamese cat at SHADO HQ. Great plot. Interesting. Unique. And I doubt I’ll ever trust a cat again… Again? I never have trusted cats and I live with two of them! You can just see the conniving evil in their eyes.....  Even the innocent kittens are dangerous.....  She is literally biting the hand that feeds her! That's cats for you! |
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Post by EdoBosnar on Jun 13, 2022 3:08:15 GMT -5
I live with three cats.
There have been times when we've lived with as many as 6-7 cats.
Never have I ever trusted a cat.
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Post by Duragizer on Jun 13, 2022 15:31:59 GMT -5
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Post by codystarbuck on Jun 13, 2022 20:49:16 GMT -5
Hitchcock picked the wrong species. |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 19, 2022 6:22:12 GMT -5
My older sister is in Portmeirion this weekend. I am jealous!
Now I feel the urge to dig out my The Prisoner boxset (Blu-ray no less…)
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Post by codystarbuck on Jun 19, 2022 11:06:41 GMT -5
My older sister is in Portmeirion this weekend. I am jealous! Now I feel the urge to dig out my The Prisoner boxset (Blu-ray no less…) Well, that's the last you will see of her...... |
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Post by codystarbuck on Jun 21, 2022 21:39:42 GMT -5
Picked up the whole series of Columbo, on DVD. I had season 1 and then bootlegs of the rest, but they weren't in season order and had the later tv movies mixed it, taped off of cable. Walmart had the whole thing for under $45.
Started rewatching, with the pilot movie and the second telefilm; then the first episode of the series, directed by Steven Spielberg.
The pilot film was adapted from the original stage play, Prescription for Murder, by Levinson & Link, which introduces Lt Columbo. It's interesting to watch, as it was shot in 1968, when I always picture Columbo as firmly set in the 70s. Gene Barry is a psychiatrist, who murders his wife, to be with his mistress (an actress), who acts as a double for the wife, to establish his alibi. It is probably the least "rumpled" that Columbo looks in the whole thing, as he carries his raincoat more than wears it and his suit, though cheap looking, is pressed and relatively neat.
The second film features Lee Grant as a lawyer, who murders her husband, then fakes a kidnapping to cover it and also get at her stepdaughter's trust fund. It was done in 1971 and things look a bit more "70s," with a touch of the 60s. Love the punch card-operated answer phone that Grant has, which was a high tech gadget, for the time. Grant must be tiny, as Peter Falk is only about 5 ft 6 and she is smaller than him. Also hard to realize that she is in her mid-90s, now! She is great and delightfully evil.
The first regular episode is Murder by the Book, where jack Cassidy is a writer, who murders his partner (Martin Milner) and tries to make it look like a robbery. He tries to match wits with Columbo; but, he has to also kill a woman who runs a general store, near his cabin, who can place him with his partner there (near San Diego), instead of in the office, when the murder is supposed to occur. Cassidy would return for another appearance, as a magician, who pulls off a murder, in a nightclub, while making people think he is in his dressing room.
Spielberg directed that one, before he became the big movie director, from a script by Stephen Bochco, who is also story editor.
The first season is filled with some of my favorites, including Ross Martin as a murderous art critic/collector, Eddie Albert as a murderous retired general, Susan Clark as a woman who murders her brother to take control of the family company and step out of his shadow, and Roddy McDowell as a man who kills his stepfather to prevent him from dissolving the research branch of their chemical company and kills him with a cigar, rigged with a chemical explosive and tripwire. The finale of that one takes place on a cable car, which always freaked me out, as I don't like heights and that cable car run was used in several tv shows and movies for disaster scenes.
Love any episode with Patrick McGoohan, as they are always great; but, especially the episode where he is the commandant of a military academy, who murders the son of the founder, to prevent him from opening up the school to co-ed education and non-military curriculum. He rigs the powder charge for a ceremonial cannon. The episode had exteriors shot at The Citadel, in Charleston, SC, where I ended up stationed. It also features a young Bruno Kirby, as a cadet. His father, Bruce Kirby, was a semi-regular, as a cop who aids Columbo in his investigations. Bruce also appears in that episode.
Another is the one with William Shatner, as an actor, starring in a detective series, who murders his agent, while faking an armed robbery at a cafe. That episode features walter Koenig as a detective who is in charge of the crime scene, when Columbo arrives to start his investigation.
Leonard Nimoy also plays a killer surgeon, in another episode, where he kills Ann Francis, who figures out he tried to kill his mentor. Francis played a secretary in the Roddy McDowell episode, too.
So many great episodes! Looking forward to the various Robert Culp appearances (always an arrogant SOB, who gets taken down by Columbo) and George Hamilton, as a murderous therapist, undone by a blind witness. There is one episode where you see Jamie Lee Curtis as a waitress, in a bit part! Mom Janet Leigh plays an aging film star, who murders her husband to finance a comeback project.
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Post by berkley on Jun 22, 2022 1:01:43 GMT -5
I'd like to watch those again sometime myself, along with the some of the other US crime shows I remember liking back then. Colombo was probably the pick of them but Banacek would the next one I'd look for.
One thing that strikes me as a bit different about Colombo is that you had all these big guest stars and they always played the murderer. Granted, that was the biggest role next to Colombo himself, but it seems a bit at odds with the usual practice back then of not playing against type - certain actors were almost always "good guys".
I vaguely remember the Shatner and Nimoy episodes, as I recognised them from Star Trek. Another guest star that impressed me at the time was Johnny Cash, who was of course a huge music star and also had his own tv show that we got on one of our channels in Canada. Patrick McGoohan I wouldn't have known when or if I saw him on Colombo, as I didn't get to watch The Prisoner or Danger Man until a few years later, in repeats.
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Jun 22, 2022 1:54:25 GMT -5
About a year ago, I got into a Robert Urich addictive mode. First I watched the complete run of Vega$. Shortly after I went hardline with Spencer For Hire. Two very entertaining private investigator shows. I still need to track down a couple of made-for-TV Spencer movies
I got that Columbo box set, still wrapped and sitting on my shelf. Someday soon.
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Post by berkley on Jun 22, 2022 2:30:16 GMT -5
Without ever having thought of myself as a great fan or even watched any of his shows consistently, I have a good impression of Robert Urich - good, understated screen presence, he knew enough not to try too hard at the tough guy image and thereby undercut his own efforts. He had the look, the size, he knew to relax and not do too much. I hadn't thought about Vegas for years, I might have to put it on my list of old tv shows to watch or re-watch.
I read a few of the Spencer books and had a bit of a, I suppose not love/hate but at least entertained/annoyed attitude towards them: they were well-written and entertaining but the Spenser character himself increasingly got on my nerves until I gave up on the series after 3 or 4 books. That wasn't what kept me away from the tv version, though, as most of the annoyances in the books had to do with Spenser's first-person narration. I think I jus didn't get to see it because I was away at school from 1984 to 1988 and didn't have cable during that time.
I just looked up his wiki page - what about Gavilan? Don't think I ever saw that one at all. Also don't remember Tabitha, the Bewitched spin-off.
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Jun 22, 2022 2:44:19 GMT -5
Have not watched any other Robert Urich series. Spenser For Hire was quite good, kept me hooked for the whole run and it co-starred Avery Brooks in a role I enjoyed more than his Star Trek:Deep Space Nine Capt Benjamin Sisko
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Post by codystarbuck on Jun 22, 2022 21:08:43 GMT -5
Without ever having thought of myself as a great fan or even watched any of his shows consistently, I have a good impression of Robert Urich - good, understated screen presence, he knew enough not to try too hard at the tough guy image and thereby undercut his own efforts. He had the look, the size, he knew to relax and not do too much. I hadn't thought about Vegas for years, I might have to put it on my list of old tv shows to watch or re-watch. I read a few of the Spencer books and had a bit of a, I suppose not love/hate but at least entertained/annoyed attitude towards them: they were well-written and entertaining but the Spenser character himself increasingly got on my nerves until I gave up on the series after 3 or 4 books. That wasn't what kept me away from the tv version, though, as most of the annoyances in the books had to do with Spenser's first-person narration. I think I jus didn't get to see it because I was away at school from 1984 to 1988 and didn't have cable during that time. I just looked up his wiki page - what about Gavilan? Don't think I ever saw that one at all. Also don't remember Tabitha, the Bewitched spin-off. I saw the Tabitha series, though it wasn't on long. broke continuity by having Adam be a mortal, despite him demonstrating powers, on bewitched. I first saw Urich on SWAT and he was always one of my favorite characters/actors in the series. He always had a definite charisma and, much like Tom Selleck, a kind of laid back charm and a realistic screen personality of someone who could fight; but didn't play the hardcase. I'd throw James Garner in that category, both as Maverick and Rockford. Urich also starred as Rocky Bleier, the Steelers player who had part of his foot blown off, in Vietnam. He portrayed him in a made-for-tv movie that, though no Brian's Song, was pretty good and detailed his rehabilitation and return to football, after a grenade blew off portions of one foot. I kind of want to watch the other Mystery Wheel shows, again, as I haven't seen most since they first aired, when I was a kid: McCloud, Macmillan & Wife. Someone had Hec Ramsey posted on Youtube, and I watched the pilot and the first couple and they were entertaining, for what they were; but, it was more concept than character, to me. I remember loving Dennis Weaver, as McCloud and enjoying Macmillan, especially John Shuck and Nancy Walker. |
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Post by berkley on Jun 22, 2022 22:01:55 GMT -5
Without ever having thought of myself as a great fan or even watched any of his shows consistently, I have a good impression of Robert Urich - good, understated screen presence, he knew enough not to try too hard at the tough guy image and thereby undercut his own efforts. He had the look, the size, he knew to relax and not do too much. I hadn't thought about Vegas for years, I might have to put it on my list of old tv shows to watch or re-watch. I read a few of the Spencer books and had a bit of a, I suppose not love/hate but at least entertained/annoyed attitude towards them: they were well-written and entertaining but the Spenser character himself increasingly got on my nerves until I gave up on the series after 3 or 4 books. That wasn't what kept me away from the tv version, though, as most of the annoyances in the books had to do with Spenser's first-person narration. I think I jus didn't get to see it because I was away at school from 1984 to 1988 and didn't have cable during that time. I just looked up his wiki page - what about Gavilan? Don't think I ever saw that one at all. Also don't remember Tabitha, the Bewitched spin-off. I saw the Tabitha series, though it wasn't on long. broke continuity by having Adam be a mortal, despite him demonstrating powers, on bewitched. I first saw Urich on SWAT and he was always one of my favorite characters/actors in the series. He always had a definite charisma and, much like Tom Selleck, a kind of laid back charm and a realistic screen personality of someone who could fight; but didn't play the hardcase. I'd throw James Garner in that category, both as Maverick and Rockford. Urich also starred as Rocky Bleier, the Steelers player who had part of his foot blown off, in Vietnam. He portrayed him in a made-for-tv movie that, though no Brian's Song, was pretty good and detailed his rehabilitation and return to football, after a grenade blew off portions of one foot. I kind of want to watch the other Mystery Wheel shows, again, as I haven't seen most since they first aired, when I was a kid: McCloud, Macmillan & Wife. Someone had Hec Ramsey posted on Youtube, and I watched the pilot and the first couple and they were entertaining, for what they were; but, it was more concept than character, to me. I remember loving Dennis Weaver, as McCloud and enjoying Macmillan, especially John Shuck and Nancy Walker. Of the long-format Mystery Shows, MacMillan and Wife would probably be at the bottom of my list, since I've never liked Rock Hudson much, for no particular reason. I'm curious about Hec Ramsey because I don't remember much about it and I like Richard Boone from Paladin. Looking at the wiki page, I'm surprised to see that McLoud and MacMillan both lasted until 1977, much later than I remembered. |
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Post by codystarbuck on Jun 23, 2022 8:00:10 GMT -5
I saw the Tabitha series, though it wasn't on long. broke continuity by having Adam be a mortal, despite him demonstrating powers, on bewitched. I first saw Urich on SWAT and he was always one of my favorite characters/actors in the series. He always had a definite charisma and, much like Tom Selleck, a kind of laid back charm and a realistic screen personality of someone who could fight; but didn't play the hardcase. I'd throw James Garner in that category, both as Maverick and Rockford. Urich also starred as Rocky Bleier, the Steelers player who had part of his foot blown off, in Vietnam. He portrayed him in a made-for-tv movie that, though no Brian's Song, was pretty good and detailed his rehabilitation and return to football, after a grenade blew off portions of one foot. I kind of want to watch the other Mystery Wheel shows, again, as I haven't seen most since they first aired, when I was a kid: McCloud, Macmillan & Wife. Someone had Hec Ramsey posted on Youtube, and I watched the pilot and the first couple and they were entertaining, for what they were; but, it was more concept than character, to me. I remember loving Dennis Weaver, as McCloud and enjoying Macmillan, especially John Shuck and Nancy Walker. Of the long-format Mystery Shows, MacMillan and Wife would probably be at the bottom of my list, since I've never liked Rock Hudson much, for no particular reason. I'm curious about Hec Ramsey because I don't remember much about it and I like Richard Boone from Paladin. Looking at the wiki page, I'm surprised to see that McLoud and MacMillan both lasted until 1977, much later than I remembered. Hec Ramsey is an interesting idea: an aging Western lawman who has embraced modern criminology concepts, who has been hired by a growing city, as a constable. He was an old gunman, but uses a shorter barrel pistol (to mirror modern detective-style snubnose revolvers) and carries a case with testing equipment. He makes a plaster cast, in the pilot, does proto-ballistics tests and even tests brands of paper. It's why I say it was a bit more concept than character. Boone was good; but, kind of laconic and it just felt kind of light. The sheriff is a young guy, who is often at odds with him; but, respects his experience and abilities. It's set near the turn of the century, to represent the change from the Old West into the Modern World. Budget would have helped; but, Boone apparently decided he didn't want to continue and had some trouble with producers. The episodes I rewatched played up the criminology; but, I have to say, Paladin suited Boone more than Hec Ramsey. A stronger character ator might have done something more with the character. Things seemed caught between something like Gunsmoke and McCloud. That was the thing about McCloud; Dennis Weaver played a real character, with an interesting personality; so it was more than just the concept of a Western cop in the big city. McMillan had a lot of character stuff in the wife, Susan St James, his assistant, John Shuck, and Nancy Walker as the housekeeper. Hudson was pretty much the straight man....so to speak.  At least, that is my memory. We never watched the Wednesday wheel, with Banacek and the others; I thing ABC had shows that were bigger favorites, in our house. I don't recall ever watching that or the Snoop Sisters. We also couldn't tune in CBS very well, so no Barnaby Jones or Cannon. I have very vague memories of watching The Streets of San Francisco and Ironside; but haven't seen an episode of either since I was very, very young. |
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Post by Prince Hal on Jun 25, 2022 10:06:33 GMT -5
About a year ago, I got into a Robert Urich addictive mode. First I watched the complete run of Vega$. Shortly after I went hardline with Spencer For Hire. Two very entertaining private investigator shows. I still need to track down a couple of made-for-TV Spencer movies I got that Columbo box set, still wrapped and sitting on my shelf. Someday soon. Check out Urich in "Lonesome Dove" as the less than noble Jake Spoon. He is good throughout, but especially in his final scene. |
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