Sunday, December 31, 2017

As the year draws to a close ...

We're at the end of another year, and this is the time when folks take stock. Looking back at the past year, this author can't help but be thankful for a few really good friends. A person can have a lot of friends, but once in a while you're blessed to have a rarer variety of friend like Jason, whom I half-tongue-in-cheek refer to on occasion as BRBTV's "roving reporter" because he seems to find interesting "Dukes of Hazzard" stuff wherever he goes. Jason had these fabbo "company" hats made for me for Christmas. So super-cool.



I hope that everyone reading this has been blessed in some way this year, and that 2018 holds great, great things.

Happy New Year from BRBTV!

Thursday, December 21, 2017

Terrific TV Toys: "Green Hornet" spoon, 1966

It's the first-ever collectible spoon featured on the Terrific TV Toys series, and we know it's stretching the definition of "toy" -- but hey, everything collectible is a toy to us!!! This one is from the 1966 "Green Hornet" TV series starring Van Williams and Bruce Lee. This is the third episode of T3 to honor the "GH" show, following earlier episodes on the playing cards and View-Master reels. This spoon is nice, and it's in great shape. Check it out ...





This one is the final episode of the fourth season of the show! We'll be back in 2018 for Season 5, though, so stay tuned! And ... with a spinoff series, even! Yay! Until then ...

The Merriest of Christmases to you and your loved ones!!!!!

Monday, December 18, 2017

The Hall of Heroes Museum covers every angle of the classic American superhero

Elkhart, Indiana, a small town near the state's northern border, provides the setting for a museum of all things superhero. It is an unsuspecting place, for sure, amid the snow of a Midwestern winter and the quiet of a Sunday afternoon, but full of all kinds of comic book delights. From the Batman costume Adam West (really) wore for personal appearances in the '70s to the familiar red costume worn by William Katt of "The Greatest American Hero" to any kind of action figure you can possibly name, the Hall of Heroes Museum has quite a collection. Even a couple star vehicles -- the actual motorcycle used in "Ghost Rider," and the "Iron Man" 1965 Shelby Cobra donated by Richard Rawlings of "Fast N' Loud."

Allen Stewart is the proprietor of this fine establishment, and he's more than happy to chat as you visit. He's been featured on several TV shows, besides "Fast N' Loud." The outside of the building, as you can see below, is a tribute to the Hall of Justice on "The Super Friends." There's all kinds of other TV-related stuff here. We just couldn't help but share, after a nice drive there yesterday ...
































Photos by Billie Rae Bates / BRBTV
Copying with credit is OK; a link would be grand

Wednesday, December 13, 2017

Terrific TV Toys: Christmas episode, part 2 -- Snoopy UNO card set

Skip, Reverse, Draw Two ... We know the familiar trappings of the all-American UNO game. And in recent years, there are tons of themed UNO sets out there, everything from "Frozen" to "Star Trek" to Barbie and beyond. This week on Terrific TV Toys, we look at a themed UNO deck in a very special case that serves as the second part of a two-part Christmas episode this year. It's a delightful doghouse, decorated for Christmas, of course, with cards bearing Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the whole gang. Adorable!


Thursday, December 07, 2017

Terrific TV Toys: Batgirl figures from "The Batman" by Mattel

It was a jazzy new take on Batman for its time, a further evolution stemming from "Batman: The Animated Series" of the '90s. It was "The Batman," even flavored with an anime feel as it aired for five seasons beginning in fall 2004. This series introduced the Batgirl character before it even introduced Robin, and here Babsy was a cute little teeny-bopper, ever the idealist, determined to fight crime like the Batman. Can you believe she was pals with Pammie Isley, aka Poison Ivy?

Mattel released a rather large line of figures and accessories for "The Batman" while it was originally airing, and from that two versions of Batgirl arose. We look at those two figures, along with an accessory or two dug out of a storage box, in this week's episode of Terrific TV Toys. It's a fitting end to a yearlong celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Barbara Gordon Batgirl, as it's the most modern version that we've taken a look at on the show.


Monday, December 04, 2017

John Schneider's appearance schedule includes a "Yee-haa" and an Extravaganza

Thanks to Phyllis for the update on John Schneider, our own Bo Duke of "The Dukes of Hazzard" ...

BLACK FRIDAY sale at John's Studio Store! Type cnh320 in the coupon code box and receive 15% off your order!

January 9 - "The Haves and the Have Nots" returns to OWN at 9 p.m. Eastern / 8 Central.

Here is John's updated appearance list:

December 9 - YEEHAA event at John Schneider Studios in Holden, Louisiana. Ruth Buzzi will be the special guest. Get your tickets at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/yee-haa-tickets-39879419417?aff=efbeventtix&utm_term=eventurl_text.

January 6 - Opry at the Ryman John will be in concert at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. Get your tickets at https://www.opry.com/calendar/opry-ryman-sat-6-jan.

April 7-8 - Bo's Extravaganza at John Schneider Studios in Holden, Louisiana. Get your early bird tickets now as prices will increase closer to the date of the event. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bos-extravaganza-tickets-39164299474?aff=erelpanelorg.

Please remember if you want to give John a Christmas present this year do one of these two things:

1. Mail items from John's career to John, as they will be put on display in a museum to be made in the house where his mom lived on the studio grounds:

John Schneider
8322 Jefferson Highway
Baton Rouge, LA 70809

2. Go to John's Studio Store and purchase at least one item. Your support of John will be your gift to him. www.johnschneiderstudios.com. Remember if you do that now you can get 15% off your order by typing cnh320 in the coupon code box.

Wednesday, November 29, 2017

Terrific TV Toys: Christmas episode, part 1 -- Snoopy Hallmark ornament

Christmas time is here ... happiness and cheer ... We've got not one but two Christmas episodes comin' at ya on Terrific TV Toys -- or is that two parts of the same Christmas episode? At any rate, one part is below, dropped today on the BRBTV channel, then you'll see the second part in a couple weeks.

Didn't you just love that moment in the classic "A Charlie Brown Christmas" TV special when the kids realize that Charlie Brown's crazy beagle won the decorating contest with his garish doghouse????



Monday, November 27, 2017

TV-related toys abound at Kalamazoo toy show

It was the fourth year in a row for this author to attend the annual Thanksgiving weekend toy show at the fairgrounds in Kalamazoo, Michigan. And amid the fun time spent with friends, this big, big show did not disappoint. I always like to note the stuff related to great classic television shows, so here goes ... this time "The Flintstones," "The Monkees," "Starsky and Hutch," "Mork and Mindy" and much more ...

And just how often would you ever see a board game for the short-lived but still well-remembered Saturday-morning "Electra Woman and DynaGirl" show????
















Photos by Billie Rae Bates / BRBTV
Copying with credit is OK; a link would be grand

Thursday, November 09, 2017

Terrific TV Toys: "Charlie's Angels" doll fashion tote by Hasbro

I can't help it -- when I think 1970s, I think great (and sometimes crazy) fashion. And "Charlie's Angels" had it all -- bell bottoms, turtlenecks, sharp three-piece suits all points and all (that was Kate Jackson), and so much more. But just where did the gals keep all those great fashions? That's the question we seek to answer on this week's episode of Terrific TV Toys. Just check out this cool plastic fashion tote -- holding a couple dolls and a couple great '70s fashions, perhaps? You saw a lot of those fashions on a prior episode of T3.

And BTW, the purchase of these three "Charlie's Angels" dolls and fashion doll was precipitated by the purchase of a certain other item of a vehicular nature ... see the October 13 post ...


 

Monday, November 06, 2017

Still living in the "Land of the Lost"

By Brian Lombard

In 1974, producers Sid and Marty Krofft launched their latest Saturday morning live-action TV series “Land of the Lost.” Unlike their earlier shows, including “H.R. Pufnstuf” and “Lidsville,” the series employed a stable of professional science-fiction writers, creating a series that was often deemed too smart for Saturday morning. Helmed by David Gerrold, the writer who cut his teeth on “Star Trek,” the team included such notables as Ben Bova, Larry Niven, and D.C. Fontana.

This level of care and attention that was given to the series has contributed to its longevity. Forty years later, the series continues to be popular, with weekly airings on MeTV, DVD and video releases, and a 2009 movie adaptation starring Will Ferrell (which original fans steered clear of). Not bad for a mere 43 half-hour episodes.

During its first two seasons, the series starred Spencer Milligan as Rick Marshall, a park ranger from California. Rick’s two children were played by Wesley Eure as Will and Kathy Coleman as Holly.  There were also a series of recurring characters, including Cha-Ka, a pakuni “ape boy” played by Philip Paley, and Enik the Altrusian, played by veteran character actor Walker Edmiston. 



Wesley Eure, Brian Lombard, Kathy Coleman, and Philip Paley at Chiller, spring 2015.


Before the third and final season began, however, Milligan quit the series when a dispute over merchandising royalties could not be resolved. He was replaced in the cast by “Planet of the Apes” actor Ron Harper as Will and Holly’s Uncle Jack.

Today, Eure, Coleman, and Paley are regulars on the convention circuit, frequenting the annual "Star Trek" convention in Las Vegas and the bi-annual Chiller Theatre convention in New Jersey, among others. The three have remained very close through the years, which becomes clear during their panel discussions.


Cha-Ka, Will and Holly sing the “Land of the Lost” theme song in a panel discussion.


They’ve also gone all-out to please their fans. Eure commissioned an artist to create a replica of one of the show’s more famous props – a Sleestak skull. As “Land of the Lost” fans know, the Sleestaks were the lizard-like humanoid adversaries of the Marshall family, who gained wisdom and knowledge in their library of skulls. The Sleestaks were in fact the barbaric descendants of Enik’s Altrusian race.


Sleestak skull replicas on display at Chiller, October 2017.


The first time I got to meet them was at Chiller’s spring 2015 event. The trio were very approachable and appreciative of their fans. 


For 2017, the trio had two new additions to their presentation. The first is a yellow, inflatable raft in which they invite fans to sit and pose for photos. It pays tribute to the show’s opening credits, which depicts the Marshall family on a less-than routine expedition.



The Marshall Family as shown during the opening credits.


The other addition is much more significant to die-hard fans: the original Enik costume as worn on the show. The piece was bought by private collector Keir Neubauer in 1998, who later had it restored and refurbished.
Neubauer takes great delight in discussing the piece with fans, and allowing them to take photos for a nominal fee.

Brian Lombard poses with the restored Enik costume at Chiller, October 2017.


Beyond conventions, the trio have taken other avenues to capitalize on their success. In 2014, Coleman released her autobiography “Lost Girl,” which has since been rebranded as “Run, Holly,Run!: A Memoir by Holly from 1970s TV Classic Land of the Lost.” 
The book talks of her early rise to fame, her even earlier marriage and subsequent divorce, and the pain of substance abuse.  Fans looking for inside info on the series itself may not get what they’re looking for here, so your best bet for series gossip is to attend a convention.

While filming “Land of the Lost,” Eure was simultaneously starring on the NBC soap opera “Days of Our Lives,” appearing as the original Mike Horton. He spent nine years on the series before being let go in 1981, when rumors of his sexual orientation overshadowed his success on the show.  Remember, this was 1981.



Wesley Eure as Dr. Michael Horton, 1981.


Since then, Eure has co-created a children’s series for PBS entitled “Dragon Tales,” and also published two children’s novels, “A Fish Out of Water
and “The Red Wings of Christmas.”

Paley went to law school, later served with a firm in Santa Monica, and now runs his own litigation and technology firm in L.A. These traits served him well in the late 1990s, when Rodney Shepperd, guitarist for the band Sugar Ray, publicly claimed that he had played the young pakuni. Paley took litigation against the band, who later issued a public apology.

Spencer Milligan, the show’s original patriarch, found modest work in the industry before leaving Hollywood for good. He now resides in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, where he's active in directing local theatre and shuns the Hollywood spotlight. 
In 2009, he gave a rare interview preceding the Universal theatrical release, declaring that while he enjoyed working with the kids, for him, the series is deeply set in his past.

Walker Edmiston (below) continued to do voice-over work and guest star spots throughout the 1970s and up until the early 2000s. The next time you happen across the 1977 classic “Smokey and the Bandit,” pay attention every time you hear a police officer speaking on a CB. No matter which state, no matter which character, they were all done by Edmiston, except of course, for Jackie Gleason. 

His notable cartoon work during these years included “The Transformers,” “Adventures of the Gummi Bears” and “Jem.”  Edmiston died in 2007, and was interred at Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

Walker Edmiston, 1926-2007.

 
Interested in owning your own Sleestak prop replica?  Visit www.lucasfrancisstudio.com for ordering information.

 
An avid fan of classic television, Brian Lombard is the author of "
Bradypalooza: The Unauthorized Guide to TV's Favorite Family." See his other BRBTV News Blog posts on film site Franklin Canyon Park, the grave of Esther Rolle of "Good Times," Charles Cyphers, Burt ReynoldsDennis Haskins, and several other "Dukes of Hazzard" costars.