Motor City Comic Con: Some sights and sounds

Didya miss last weekend's Motor City Comic Con? Didya attend and just wanna go back? The BRBTV YouTube channel is your place to take a stroll through the event. Hop alongside our video camera as we spy all sorts of TV stars from the great shows we love of decades ago, or just a few years ago. You'll catch a glimpse of Loni Anderson and Howard Hesseman of "WKRP in Cincinnati" (loved that show! watched it faithfully every week!), Butch Patrick of "The Munsters" (and you'll see the Dragula car, too!), Dawn Wells of "Gilligan's Island," Dean Cain of "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman," Christopher Knight of "The Brady Bunch," Yvonne Craig of "Batman," Alaina Huffman of "Smallville," Bill Mumy of "Lost in Space" and "The Twilight Zone," and more! Take our quick jaunt below ...

During the weekend (on Sunday morning, actually), Dwight Schultz of "The A-Team" was kind enough to step on over just before the show started to pose for a few pics with the A-Team van. The owners of the van, Tara and Jeremy of Canada, are there, along with Mel, Mike, Megan and Krista. Such fun! Schultz was also Lt. Barclay on "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and "Star Trek: Voyager," and Billie Rae Bates of BRBTV got to chat with him on camera on Saturday about his roles over the years, his political beliefs and more. We'll post more info soon on this and other interviews by BRB from the con, which will be airing on Metro Detroit TV, produced by One Media Detroit.

Stay tuned; we've got one more video from the event to show ya, and it features one of the cast members of our beloved "Dynasty" ...

Motor City Comic Con: A testament to the growth of the comic con

It was a weekend jam-packed with comics, costumes, crowds, cool stars of classic TV, rockin' star cars, and chance encounters with friends and more-than-friends and assorted others old and new. That about sums it up. But amid the scantily clad, tattoo'ed Harley Quinn and legions of "Star Wars" and "Star Trek" characters, we also saw a powerful demonstration of something else: The rise of the comic con.

The Motor City Comic Con at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi, Michigan, over this past weekend sparkled with excitement and nothing short of pure magic all day Saturday -- and Friday and Sunday weren't bad, either. In fact, on Saturday it was so jam-packed of people itself that we wondered if the joint was going to be shut down for fire code. Maybe we were just thinking of that 2008 Dukesfest in Nashville, where far more showed up to the party than anticipated and that fire code thing did factor in, but heck, we'd never seen a line around the building to get tickets hours into the Motor City show's Saturday opening.

The delicious Dean Cain of "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman" might have seemed a bit big for a con, still, but perhaps that's just the nature of this show and others like it around the country these days. Cons used to be "up" for some and "down" for others, but now they're just plain big business. And with the San Diego event going so mainstream and pop-culture phenomena like "The Big Bang Theory," we all know that geeky has been far more cool in recent years.

Take the stunning Audrey Horne of "Twin Peaks," a character we fairly worshiped, and Sherilyn Fenn's career since David Lynch's masterpiece was on the air has not been shabby. But there she was, chatting at her table, more than approachable in her skinny jeans and high-heeled wedgies, and it wasn't "down" for her, either -- just the nature of how our entertainment world changes over time.

And, of course, you had the con's regular natural assets, like the lovely Dawn Wells of "Gilligan's Island," posing in one of the two original screen-used Monkeemobiles, which is owned by Mel of Metro Detroit (and featured in previous posts on this blog). Wells is wonderfully vibrant and full of life. We've seen her at these cons for so many years, and she seems to thrive in this environment, continually cracking jokes and finding a rapport with everyone who approaches her table. She was the last of the celebs to leave on Sunday evening.

Photo ops could be found in all sorts of places, even with celebs hunting down their own ops, like Felix Silla of "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century" and "The Addams Family." Below, Dwight Schultz of "The A-Team" and Nichelle Nichols of "Star Trek" sign for fans.

Billy Dee Williams, whom we know, of course, as Brady Lloyd on "Dynasty," did a panel discussion on Sunday with his son, Corey Dee Williams, and fellow "Star Wars" alum Stephen Costantino. Watch for some video of that on the BRBTV YouTube channel.

BRB got to chat again with the amazing Yvonne Craig, TV's Batgirl. She interviewed Craig a decade ago for The Detroit News in advance of her Motor Show appearance, and at the time Craig was just finishing up her book, "From Ballet to the Batcave and Beyond." This time around, in this new age of the con, the appearance of Craig and others of her classic TV fame was splashed across both of Detroit's dailies and other local print media. TV cams of all varieties were at the show all weekend.

Peter Tork of the Monkees prepares for an interview with local TV, above, and talks to the owner of this amazing original car, Mel.

And speaking of interviews and TV cams, Billie Rae Bates of BRBTV was part of the action, too, doing some interviews with con guests for local Detroit television. Stay tuned for more on that, and where you'll be able to watch 'em ...

Photos by Billie Rae Bates / BRBTV

with the exception of photo of BRB and Yvonne Craig, by Meridel

Copying with credit is OK; a link would be grand

Them Duke boys set a stage date for 2013

Whew, they're just barely off the stage in Niagara Falls, and they're already making plans for next year?! Guess singing together again is just too much fun!

John ("Bo Duke") Schneider and Tom ("Luke Duke") Wopat of "The Dukes of Hazzard" will perform at the Chandler Center for the Arts in Chandler, Arizona, on Saturday, March 2, 2013.

Tickets go on sale in June via Ticketmaster.

The view from Free Comic Book Day with "Fantastic Forum"

It was a fabulous time for Free Comic Book Day yesterday, as Billie Rae Bates of BRBTV was out and about doing all kinds of interviews for the "Fantastic Forum" TV show.

Many thanks to Cards, Comics and Collectibles of Reisterstown (shown in these photos) and Alliance Comics of Silver Spring, both Maryland shops, for their wonderful hospitality. The two stores were gloriously packed for the afternoon, and it was great to see so many people enjoying the event.

As one would expect from this weekend, the Avengers were out in full force, and BRB got to get both of the above guys on-camera to talk a bit about their costumes and these characters. We also chatted with Marc Nathan, owner of Cards, Comics and Collectibles and the organizer of the massively popular Baltimore Comic-Con, as well as Filip Sablik of Top Cow (below left), John Gallagher of "Roboy Red" and "BuzzBoy" (middle) and Steve Conley of "Bloop" (right).

Look for these Free Comic Book Day segments on upcoming episodes of "Fantastic Forum," the award-winning show that you can find in a whole lot of places:

• Washington, D.C., on DCTV Comcast channels 95 and 96 and RCN channels 10 and 11 and Verizon FIOS 10.
• Montgomery County, MD, on Montgomery Community Media (MCM-TV) Comcast channel 21.
• Fairfax County, VA, on Fairfax Cable Access (FPA-TV) Cox channel 10.
• Arlington County, VA, on Arlington Independent Media (AIM) on Comcast channel 69 and Verizon FIOS 38.
• Prince George's County, MD, on Prince George's Community Television (CTV) Comcast channel 76 and Verizon FIOS 42.
• Baltimore City, MD, on Community Media of Baltimore (CMBC) Comcast channel 75. 
• YouTube, NCC1727 channel
• Vimeo, Ulysses Campbell's channel

BRB is so thankful to be working with producer Ulysses Campbell -- he knows his stuff!

Photos by Billie Rae Bates / BRBTV

Copying with credit is OK; a link would be grand

A "Dukes" reboot? Maybe ...

Holy heckin' cow -- another remake of "The Dukes of Hazzard"? Well, it's JUST a rumor right now (read the bold and ital and caps on that, pleez!), but the clues are ... "untitled action project set in the American South for Warner Bros." ... "set in the 1970s South and involves an outlaw duo" ... Hmmmm ....

The news comes from the Hollywood Reporter, noting that Jody Hill has been attached to direct, with Billy Gerber producing. Gerber produced the 2005 "Dukes" movie that fans so dislike.

So let's just see what happens with this ... Maybe WB has taken note of the massive surge of support for the "Dallas" reboot, which takes the very smart approach of mixing the old and new generations and for the most part keeping continuity with the characters. Ben ("Cooter Davenport") Jones told us in our interview with him for our "Them Dukes! Them Dukes!" reference guide that he pitched a "next generation" approach to Warner Bros. years ago. Given that this is set in the 1970s, OK, maybe not "next generation," but we can only hope it will be a better approach to our beloved "Dukes" franchise than we've seen in recent years.

And thanks to our buddy Big Dee in Deeee-troit for looking out for us on this one ...

Catherine Bach has a new movie project in "Chapman"; we talk to the producer, Doug Weiser

As she's been enjoying her gig on CBS' "The Young and the Restless," our own Daisy Duke of "The Dukes of Hazzard" has had another project in the works.

"Chapman" is a movie being supported by donations and investments, and sounds like it's for a great cause. The project is in partnership with a Colorado-based nonprofit called Mpower, which has been providing positive youth development programs for high school students. Mpower students have been crewing on the film, too.

We talked to producer Doug Weiser, who told us about the film and Bach's part in it.

"Basically, it's two best friends in love with the same girl in high school," Weiser tells BRBTV. "Tragedy ensues because of this love triangle. Years later, one of these young men comes back to the town he'd left trying to bring closure to what had happened. We understand how these people's lives were forever changed by that event."

He says, "The director-writer, Justin Owensby, was a high school student in this area about 11 years ago, and he was having some challenges and found this organization, Mpower. He got involved in that and felt it really changed his life and ultimately sent him on a track that led him to Hollywood where he is having success as a filmmaker. His family's still in this area, so he wanted to do something for this organization."

Thus, "Chapman" was born. So how did Catherine Bach come to be involved?

"This is a fairly serious dramatic piece with a few pieces of comic relief in it," Weiser says. "We were looking for good, recognizable talent for some of these supporting roles. Catherine is a close friend of a my stepmother-in-law. She liked the chance to get away in the summertime with her daughters. Even though it was a very small role she was happy to come and help."

Joining Bach in her scene is Dennis Haskins, whom fans may recall as Principal Richard Belding on "Saved by the Bell."

"He plays opposite her, as a middle-aged husband-and-wife couple," Weiser explains. "They're sort of ex-hippies going through a water birth in a hotel room. Catherine Bach is giving birth in a little kiddie pool. She was lovely to work with and to do it. It's not an X-rated scene, or R-rated for that matter. But it lent a little humor to the story."

He says about the scene, "Our lead character played by Jesse Johnson, who's a bit of a con man, he's also a locksmith. So he picks a lock, and he hears the commotion going on in this room and figures he's going to walk in on a lurid sex scene, and he's literally befuddled by what he sees."

Bach filmed her scene for the movie last July and August, Weiser says, and though he wasn't actually on set when Bach was taping, he heard rave reviews afterward.

"I've met her personally a couple times," Weiser tells BRBTV, "and I had to leave at that particular time -- my father passed away. I was in Miami that whole week. When I came back, she'd finished her scene already. Sadly, in this instance, I wasn't able to spend any time with her. My experience was through the others who were there. She was gracious to everybody. She was a professional. Everyone said how sweet she was. When I got back I couldn't believe what I'd heard."

"Chapman" marks a return to the business for Weiser, who has a cameo role in the film in addition to his work producing it. "Years ago I co-produced and co-wrote a movie called 'Midnight Crossing,'" he tells BRBTV. "That was in '88. Faye Dunaway and Kim Cattrall were in it. Daniel J. Travanti of 'Hill Street Blues' -- remember that show? The movie still shows now and then. For many years after 'Midnight Crossing,' I became involved in real estate. I left L.A. in '89, and moved to Aspen, Colorado, where I started a real estate company, met my wife, then went back in Florida to build a hotel, then moved back to Colorado in 2002. I've been writing screenplays and trying to get back into the production business."

And the movie certainly appears to be a labor of love for the Mpower organization. Weiser says about 20 percent of their budget has come from donations so far, with the remainder from investments. If the movie makes a profit, he says, the first half of a million dollars will go to Mpower. "That's how we were able to use the Mpower students as crew and support people for the shoot, so they had the experience of working on a feature film."

"Chapman" is in post-production right now. "We don't have a distributor yet," Weiser says. "We just began showing screener copies to a sales agent and one distributor who expressed an interest just by hearing about it. It's a very low-budget feature, and I don't know if it will receive a theatrical release. I'm learning my way aournd it again, since I've been away from it for so long."

You can view the teaser for "Chapman" at the movie's official site, and check out the IMDb page for more info, as well. BRBTV wishes Weiser and the crew the best -- it will be great to see Catherine on-screen in this one.

James Best films Hallmark movie this summer

James ("Rosco P. Coltrane") Best of "The Dukes of Hazzard" lets his fans know through his latest e-newsletter of a new movie project he has coming up:

"Jimmie and Dorothy are excited about plans to travel to Romania in June," the newsletter says. "The trip is a movie shoot for the Hallmark Channel. In the movie, Jimmie will be playing an Irish/American baker!"

Best will be working again with his daughter Janeen and her husband, Michael Damian. The two wrote the script together, with Janeen will be producing and Michael directing.

"Watching Jimmie through some dough around sounds like a hoot -- but we can't wait to see all his antics and improvisations that come with that. Hopefully we get to see outtakes!"

The film is scheduled to air next summer.

Sheree J. Wilson appears at White Bridle Society Luncheon

She's a horsewoman and a founding board member of the White Bridle Society, and she'll be serving as the celebrity hostess at the society's luncheon in May. Ms. Sheree J. Wilson, whom we know as April Stevens on "Dallas," won't be venturing far when she appears at the event, held at the Fellowship Bible Church Dallas in -- you guessed it -- Dallas.

The mission of the 501(c)3 group is "to serve our community through equine programs that enable people to live happier, more productive and rewarding lives." The luncheon is at noon on May 5. Read more at the Society's site.

Richard Hatch cohosts dating event

He is known to us as Dean Caldwell on "Dynasty," that hunky temptation to Claudia Blaisdel, though the rest of the world knows him best from his time on "Battlestar Galactica." Mr. Richard Hatch is helping matchmaking pro Lisa Cohen host a one-day seminar and singles mixer designed to teach you "the secrets to creating more rewarding, romantic and long-lasting relationships."

"She's a very gifted matchmaker and an amazing lady, MOM and dynamic actress to boot!!" Hatch says of Cohen at his Facebook page. Dating Designer's event happens on Sunday, May 20 at the Calabasas Tennis and Swim Center in Calabasas, California. Learn more at the Dating Designer site.

Gordon Thomson adds a new soap to his resume -- this time a web soap

We just love how the web medium keeps expanding possibilities for our beloved stars of classic TV. The latest to make the jump to a web-based soap is Gordon Thomson, who's a BRBTV double-shot as Adam Carrington of "Dynasty" and the third and final Mason Capwell of "Santa Barbara." Thomson will take on "DeVanity," about to begin production on its third season.

The soap deals with the "saga of the crumbling DeVanity family and their desire to save their dying jewelry empire in downtown Los Angeles," the IMDb says. OK, fine. WeLoveSoaps has a little more, referring to his character as a "jewelry magnate." We would've assumed Thomson would be playing it wealthy and sophisticated and smart, as he did on "SB" and "Dynasty" (and even on "Ryan's Hope"). Great -- we'll tune in. Or click on over, as the case may be.

You can play catch-up with Seasons 1 and 2 like we're going to at the DeVanity site.

Terri Garber moves on to "Reign"

Classified as a soap opera and "dramady," Terri Garber's latest project is a web series called "Reign." The series follows "the intertwined lives of ruthless celebrity publicist Elizabeth Archer, her husband William (a famous author), their children William Jr. and Victoria, high-profile clients, plus her minions and rivals all tucked within her own elite PR firm – REIGN," the promotional materials say.

It's written by Frances Gilbert and, besides Garber, has Eric Martolf, Patrika Darbo, Jacee Jule, Trevor Nelson, Brett DelBuono, Michael Bolten and Jillian Clare on board. "Reign" is actually a spinoff of the web series "Miss Behave," also featuring our lovely former Leslie Carrington of "Dynasty" and Suzanne Collier of "Santa Barbara."

Read a little more about it all at Daytime Confidential and Soap Opera Digest, and keep up with the series at its Facebook page.

Catch BRB in her latest work for "Fantastic Forum"

BRB of BRBTV -- aka, Billie Rae Bates! -- takes a spin in the hosting chair on the latest episode of the award-winning TV show "Fantastic Forum." This time around, the topic is most unusual superpowers ... Superman's "superkiss"? Toad and that tongue? The Wonder Twins? ... Enjoy the lively discussion...

You've got lots of ways to catch "Fantastic Forum": Mondays at 9:30 p.m. on DCTV, local Comcast channel 95, RCN channel 10; Verizon FiOS channel 20, plus streaming globally via www.dctv.org.

TNT offers a yummy video tour of the new "Dallas"

Ooooh, it's so lush and wonderful, this new take on our beloved Ewings of "Dallas." And indeed, TNT's "next generation" approach of the show that originally aired from 1978 to 1991 is looking quite sophisticated and larger than life for the small screen! (Of course, so many of us have big screens nowadays, don't we?) The official site for the new series is serving up lots of fab photos and videos in anticipation of the Wednesday, June 13 premiere, so we give you a little slice ...




Another smart thing TNT has done is post a Facebook page from the perspective of J.R., and his posts on the timeline help bridge the gap between the first series' ending in 1991 and this new one's beginning more than two decades later. The fact that John Ross dropped off the radar for a while is interesting (and the idea of him wildcatting -- even more so!!!! thanks so much, TNT, for remaining true to the original!), as well as the setup for the love triangle of our two beautiful boys and Elena Ramos. We'll be updating our character guide in "Destination: Dallas," for sure, and we can't wait to see what happens in June!

Don Pedro Colley launches new website, as he and other "Dukes" cast are out and about

Complete with a video greeting, Don Pedro Colley, known to us fans of "The Dukes of Hazzard" as Sheriff Ed Little, has launched a new online home. On the home page, he lists upcoming appearances, such as the 12th Annual Orchard Beach Classic Car and Motorcycle Show in September. Check it out at DonPedroColley.net.

And of course, he's not the only "Dukes" cast member out and about. Here's the latest on upcoming appearances -- it's a busy year:

April 12 and 13
John ("Bo Duke") Schneider and Tom ("Luke Duke") Wopat are in concert at Niagara Fallsview Casino in Ontario, Canada.
Tickets may be purchased at http://www.ticketmaster.ca/venue/131638?brand=fallsview 

April 14
John Schneider appears at the Bishop's Dinner for the Catholic Pro-Life Committee at the Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas, Texas.
For more information or to purchase tickets go to http://www.prolifedallas.org/dinner.

Ben (“Cooter Davenport”) Jones and Cooter’s Garage Band appear The Theatre at Washington, Virginia.
Learn more at Cooter's Place.

May 18-19
John Schneider,  Don Pedro Colley and Byron ("Coy Duke") Cherry appear at the Las Vegas Car Stars/Knight Rider Festival in Las Vegas, Nevada.
More info at LasVegasCarStars.com.

May 19
Ben Jones hosts the third annual Cooter’s Barbecue in Nashville, Tennessee.
See the details at Cooter's Place.

June 2
John Schneider, James ("Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane") Best, Sonny ("Enos Strate") Shroyer, Ben Jones and Rick ("Cletus Hogg") Hurst appear at the Hazzard Comes to Galax event in Galax, Virginia.
See our February 28 post.

June 9
Ben Jones appears at Hagerstown Speedway in Hagerstown, Maryland.
See the details at Cooter's Place.

July 6-8
Catherine ("Daisy Duke") Bach and Ben Jones appear at the Carlisle Chrysler Nationals in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
See the details at Cooter's Place.

July 22
Ben Jones appears at the Fauquier County Fair in Warrrenton, Virginia.
Read more at Cooter's Place.

August 2
Ben Jones and Cooter’s Garage Band appear at the Garrett County Fair in McHenry, Maryland.
See the details at Cooter's Place.

August 11-12
Ben Jones and Alma Viator host the second Hazzard Homecoming in Sperryville, Virgina. Also appearing: Catherine Bach, James Best, Sonny Shroyer, Rick Hurst; possibly John Schneider and Tom Wopat.
See Cooter's Place for info.

September 29
John Schneider, Catherine Bach, James Best, Sonny Shroyer, Ben Jones, and Rick Hurst appear at the Dukes of Hazzard Reunion and Car Show in Livingston Parish, Louisiana.
Info at http://www.halandal.com/Dukes_Press_Release3.pdf.

Wesley Eure talks to BRBTV about his role on "Land of the Lost"

Earlier this week, we showed you our interview with "Land of the Lost" star Kathleen Coleman at the Steel City Con in Pittsburgh. Well, we also got the fab opportunity to talk with Coleman's on-screen bro, Wesley Eure, also appearing at the event. Among other stuff, Eure chatted a bit about his Shakespearean training before he got the role on "LotL," as well as the projects he has going on right now ...

And be sure to check out the other fun stuff at the BRBTV YouTube channel.

Kathleen Coleman talks to BRBTV about life on the set of "Land of the Lost"

She was just a little gal -- a sweet, ponytailed blonde named Holly -- on the classic Saturday-morning TV show "Land of the Lost." This was the glorious '70s, and this was live-action kids' TV, which we absolutely loved at the time, including other Krofft shows like "H.R. Pufnstuff" and great Filmation stuff like "The Secrets of Isis" and "Shazam!" Billie Rae Bates of BRBTV got a chance to talk to one of the stars of "Land of the Lost," Kathleen Coleman, at the Steel City Con in Pittsburgh the weekend before last. Check out what she had to say about her work leading up to that fun role, as well as her time on the set, and just what she thought of the recent big-screen remake ...

And be sure to check out the other fun stuff at the BRBTV YouTube channel.

Gena Lee Nolin talks to BRBTV about "Sheena," "Baywatch," and what she has going on now

She has a new book coming out early next year, on a subject she feels strongly about. She's not just another "Baywatch" beauty. In fact, after Gena Lee Nolin hit the California beach for that longtime megahit series, she spent some time in the jungle, too, as the star of the 2000 show "Sheena." Nolin chatted with BRBTV about both roles at the Steel City Con in Pittsburgh a little over a week ago, and we're happy to share this clip with you ...

Check out our other video interviews from the Steel City Con, which we'll be previewing on this very blog later on this week; the hit to click is http://www.youtube.com/user/BRBTVcom. 

Eric Close on tap for a new fall TV show

Now that's what we love to see -- the stars of our beloved BRBTV shows popping up during pilot season. Yahoo TV has the full rundown of this year's plans and offerings, and among them is "Nashville," a soap from ABC starring Eric Close, our former Sawyer Walker of "Santa Barbara" who's had quite a successful career since then. Close joins "Heroes" alum Hayden Panettiere, as well as Powers Boothe, the voice of Gorilla Grodd in "Justice League" (the subject of an upcoming BRBTV Report!). Read a little more at the Hollywood Reporter. Close is looking good!

Clancy Brown, the voice of Lex Luthor in "Superman: The Animated Series" and "Justice League," is part of the cast for "The Frontier," NBC's Western set in the 1840s. Shaun Cassidy is producing that one. Read more at the Hollywood Reporter.

We're also glad to spot some of our other faves slated for pilots: Julia Stiles (NBC's "Midnight Sun"), Zachary Levi (Fox's "Let it Go"), John Stamos (Fox's "Little Brother"), Robert Knepper (CW's "Cult"), Tyler Labine (NBC's "Animal Kingdom") -- he's such a cute kid!, Brandon Routh (CBS' "Partners") -- whom we had the pleasure of interviewing a year or two back, Jami Gertz (ABC's untitled Dan Fogelman project) -- wow, how long it's been since "Square Pegs"!

And we're certainly looking forward to the reboot of "Scruples," especially given the fact that it will be set in the '70s. And we probably couldn't resist the Roseanne Barr / John Goodman re-pairing of "Downwardly Mobile" -- for the latter more than the former.

Steel City Con presents a nice assortment of stars of classic TV

As we mentioned on Monday, we visited the Steel City Con in Pittsburgh for the first time this past weekend. We got to sink our teeth into a wonderful assortment of toys -- emphasis on the action figures, certainly. Whenever BRBTV visits a con, we love the shopping, and it's the toy booths we love best! So to see a whole show full of them was a treat. (We still didn't nab that elusive Volcana figure for our buddy Will, though -- rats! She's so rare!)

Beyond that, though, we beheld a nice collection of actors from the TV shows we love ... Christopher ("Peter") Knight and Susan ("Cindy") Olsen of "The Brady Bunch." Butch ("Eddie Munster") Patrick of "The Munsters," whom we got to chat with a bit about his recent Detroit appearance, complete with the Dragula (see our October 29, 2011 post). Billy Dee Williams, whom the rest of the world knows as Lando Calrissian, but whom we "Dynasty" fans will always remember as the suavo Brady Lloyd. He was there with his son, Corey Dee Williams, who has also done some "Star Wars" work. Ian Ziering of "Beverly Hills 90210" and more recently "Dancing with the Stars." Johnny Whitaker from "Sigmund and the Sea Monsters" and "Family Affair."

 

But there were a couple other stars we were really looking forward to meeting and chatting with: Wesley Eure and Kathleen Coleman from "The Land of the Lost." Man, did we love that show! We especially loved that trend of live-action Saturday morning kids' shows back then, in the '70s, such as the Krofft shows but also "Shazam!" and "The Secrets of Isis." BRBTV got to chat on camera with these two "Land of the Lost" stars, so look for that video on our YouTube channel early next week. Our buddy James also talked with Gena Lee Nolin of "Baywatch" and "Sheena" for a minute -- you'll see that, too. Fun, fun, fun.

They've already got Dean Cain signed on for the next show in July. Meow! Thanks so much to the folks at the Steel City Con for presenting a nice show!

Photos by Billie Rae Bates / BRBTV

Copying with credit is OK; a link would be grand

We love a little "Dallas" with our toy shows

Ahhhh, it was great fun this past Saturday tripping through the Steel City Con in Pittsburgh. Not only was it a delicious mecca for shoppers and seekers of toys both vintage and modern, but there were some cool TV stars there, as well. (More on that latter later, when BRBTV gets a chance to upload our new video interviews with three of those stars!)

We were armed with a list of stuff to find (classic Incredible Hulk figure for him, Volcana and the last wave of World's Greatest Super Heroes repro figures for him, a little of this and that for us ...) but we were absolutely delighted when we saw packs of "Dallas" trading cards for only a buck each at one booth. Fab.

These guys were made by Donruss Co. back in the day. Each pack has seven color photos from our beloved show, plus one very petrified piece of gum. On the reverse side of each is part of an image that you have to collect all the cards to put together.

THEN ... as if a sign ... there was J.R. Ewing himself -- in the form of Larry Hagman, of course! -- smiling down on us during our lunch at the TGI Friday's across the street from the convention center. Sweet!

Photos by Billie Rae Bates / BRBTV

Copying with credit is OK; a link would be grand

Read Joan Collins' latest interview in Glamour, and vote for her fashion sense at TV Guide!

"I only regret a couple of my marriages." Hmmm ... that's a mighty intriguing headline Glamour magazine slapped on its interview with our delightful "Dynasty" dame Joan Collins for its April 2012 issue, reportedly on sale now. Catch that dishy thing at the Joan Collins Archive blog if you can't get to the newsstand. Thanks, Glamour, for appreciating one of our beautiful classic-TV stars.

And speaking of appreciation, whoever at TV Guide remembered Alexis Colby's fashion sense needs a kudos, too -- in these days of reality TV overrunning any of the good TV we remember, it's nice to know our faves still haven't faded into obscurity. Hop on over to TV Guide's Facebook page (scroll down -- it's a busy page) to vote for Alexis / Joan as "Who is the most fashionable TV character of all time?". Now, we do like Carrie Bradshaw; we certainly do (her shoes more than her clothing, actually), but pleezzzzz ... this is a no-brainer. C'mon, Alexis, you can do it!!!!

Hazzard comes to Galax, for the second year, even

Billed as "a very laid-back, relaxed and personal event," the Hazzard Comes to Galax show is set for this June in Virginia, and it's chock-full of cast from our beloved "The Dukes of Hazzard." So far, John ("Bo Duke") Schneider, Sonny ("Enos Strate") Shroyer, James ("Rosco P. Coltrane") Best and Rick ("Cletus Hogg") Hurst are all signed on. Tickets are only $10 for adults and available at the gate.

The event is founded by Greg and Miranda Richardson of Greg's Core Supply in Woodlawn, Virginia, who both grew up watching "The Dukes of Hazzard" during the early 1980s. (Two "Dukes" fans marrying each other -- we love it when that happens.)

Learn more about the event at its website, HazzardComesToGalax.com, and keep up on Facebook, too.

By the way, have you seen our sweet little Daisy in her new role on CBS' daytime soap "The Young and the Restless"? Ahhh ... we remember watching "Y&R" back in the '90s ... with Victor and Victoria and Nikki and Nicholas ... Bach just started as Chelsea Lawson's (Melissa Claire Egan) mother, Anita. And like all wise TV networks these days, CBS has loaded whole episodes onto its website. So click on over to CBS' "Young and the Restless" page and check it out! You can also get the lowdown (or the up-high) at Yahoo or via this interview with "ET."

Memorial service set for "Dukes" stunt driver Al Wyatt Jr.

In the wake of the passing of Al Wyatt Jr., a well-loved member of the stunt team of "The Dukes of Hazzard," "Dukes" cast members such as John Schneider have spoken out with their words of remembrance. A special memorial service is planned to honor Wyatt, and both Schneider and James ("Rosco P. Coltrane") Best have issued this invite through their email communications to fans:

Ben Jones speaks out on NASCAR decision, issues statement

Ben ("Cooter Davenport") Jones of "The Dukes of Hazzard" sent this statement to fans early this morning. He asks them to read the related ESPN story first: ESPN Story.

Former Georgia Congressman Ben Jones, who starred as ace mechanic “Cooter” Davenport on the hit television series “The Dukes of Hazzard,” has condemned the decision by NASCAR to prevent the use of the popular “General Lee” 1969 Dodge Charger at the Phoenix Sprint Cup race in March. In a statement Friday, NASCAR said, "The image of the Confederate flag is not something that should plan an official role in our sport as we continue to reach out to new fans and make NASCAR more inclusive.” The General Lee has a Confederate Battle Flag on its roof.

Jones said in response: “At a time when tens of millions of Americans are honoring their Union and Confederate ancestors during this Sesquicentennial of the Civil War, NASCAR has chosen to dishonor those Southerners who fought and died in that terrible conflict by caving to 'political correctness' and the uninformed concerns of corporate sponsors."

He continues, "This is also an extraordinary insult to rural Southerners, who are NASCAR’s oldest and most fervent fan base, and it sends a message against inclusion and against the need for diversity. Many of us who are descended from ancestors who fought for the South see this as a crude dishonoring of our kinfolks and our heritage. Our ancestors were proud Americans who had fought for our nation before the Civil War and have served honorably in every conflict since then."

Jones says, "The Confederate Battle Flag is on display at many National Battlefields and is displayed by countless historical and heritage groups who are descendants of those who fought in that crucible of the American experience."

“'The Dukes of Hazzard' remains a beloved classic television show which is watched by Americans of all races and regions and is watched internationally as an upbeat reflection of the American spirit. It is also watched by our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan and around the world.

"While it is true that the Confederate Battle Flag has been desecrated by bigots and racists, these groups also misuse the American flag and the Christian cross in their shameless rituals. The vast majority of the display of the St. Andrews Cross Flag is in a benign spirit of remembrance and reverence.

"I am a veteran of the Civil Rights Movement, a Life Member of the NAACP, and a proud member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. As a cast member of 'The Dukes of Hazzard' and the owner of several 'General Lees,' I can attest that the car and our show reflect the very best of American values, and that Hazzard County was a place where racism was not tolerated.

"This action by NASCAR is a provocative and unnecessary over-reaction to a problem that doesn’t exist. It is a disgraceful and gratuitous insult to a lot of very decent people. It is prejudicial toward those good-hearted folks who, like Uncle Jesse Duke, are in fact 'never meanin’ no harm.'"

Jones closes this message to fans with: 

Please read this and contact NASCAR at fanfeedback@NASCAR.COM with your feelings. Please be respectful in your comments.

Thanks, Ben aka "Cooter"

BRB discusses the smartest comic book characters on TV's "Fantastic Forum"

Billie Rae Bates of BRBTV is loving her time on the "Fantastic Forum" TV show, a truly fab weekly series that is Washington, D.C.-based but oh-so global. In episode 33, she participates in a panel discussion about who in the comics world has the brains (and yes, she did say Oracle -- don't hate, now!). Check it out ...

Watch the latest "Fantastic Forum" episodes at the NCC1727 channel on YouTube.