Veronica Cartwright chats with BRBTV about her roles, particularly that fun one with the cherry pits ...

She's starred in a lot of great TV dramas recently -- "CSI," "Cold Case," "The X-Files," "Nip/Tuck," "Law and Order: Special Victims Unit," "The Closer" and much more. And her TV work goes all the way back to the classic "Twilight Zone," where she starred as a very young girl not liking her new "electric" grandma all that much on the episode "I Sing the Body Electric." Cool stuff, for sure, and BRBTV got a chance to chat with actress Veronica Cartwright at an appearance in Gaithersburg, Maryland, on Saturday.

Cartwright talked with us about her various roles over the years, as well as what she actually watches on TV herself these days, plus what project she has coming out soon.

Special thanks to L. Johnson Promotions, Ltd. for bringing Ms. Cartwright there, thanks to James our man on the camera, and thanks so much to Veronica for the fab trip down memory lane, talkin' shows like "American Gothic" (loved that!) and even her memorable role in the movie "The Witches of Eastwick." Read up on her at her official website.

Check out Saturday's interview in the latest installment of the BRBTV video series ...

Screenshots by Billie Rae Bates / BRBTV

Copying with credit is OK; a link would be grand

Butch Patrick tells BRBTV about his visit to "Mockingbird Lane" -- and his planned return

Butch Patrick is known and loved by fans of classic TV as little Eddie Munster on "The Munsters." This former child star grew up in the limelight, for sure, navigating through numerous roles on TV titans such as "Gunsmoke," "Bonanza," "Mister Ed" and more before he was even 20 years old. Even "The Real McCoys," "General Hospital" and "My Three Sons," as well as seven motion pictures -- Patrick has done a huge variety of roles. Now, he's seeing a remake of the show that made him famous. Titled "Mockingbird Lane," NBC's new take on the beloved classic "Munsters" might surprise some viewers, but it will most definitely delight them, Patrick tells BRBTV.

Patrick recently visited the set of "Mockingbird Lane" and got a chance to spend time with the cast, and he offers the BRBTV News Blog a real treat with these personal photos. And -- best of all -- Patrick will be appearing on the new show, which is scheduled to premiere in early 2013. We talked with him more about that, and about the show's fresh approach. Soooooo .... in honor of the Halloween season (it's always been our second favorite holiday!) we offer up the goods on Butch Patrick and the new "Munsters" reboot ...

"I think this TV show will be hugely successful," Patrick tells BRBTV. "Kids who turn on 'The Munsters' for the first time now just love it. I think they're on to something big. And the characters and the way they've done it. The dynamic and the interactions and the character establishment. It is dead-on, right where it should be, in my opinion."

"Mockingbird Lane" is being developed by "Pushing Daisies" creator Bryan Fuller, with Bryan Singer of "X-Men" fame also on board. The show will explore the origins of the Munster family but in a darker and edgier fashion than the original. The characters will look more human, however, with toned-down costumes and makeup for the characters.

The news about the show broke two years ago, then it sputtered a bit, then about a year ago it headed back into development. NBC gave the green light last November. Was Patrick surprised to see Bryan Fuller's name attached to this project?

"No, I thought he was perfect," he says. "I loved 'Heroes.' 'Pushing Daisies,' I didn't see that often, but it got great reviews. He's attached to 'Hannibal,' too. So, no Bryan's a good guy for it. He seems to have a real feel for these sort of dark dramas. I was more surprised by Bryan Singer doing it, because he's a feature director, dropping down to TV."

But he adds that the industry is changing in that way. "A lot of feature film people are taking on some TV projects, which is great."

The cast for "Mockingbird Lane" has a pretty high wow factor, with Jerry O'Connell as Herman Munster, Portia de Rossi as Lily Munster, Eddie Izzard as Grandpa, Charity Wakefield as Marilyn Munster, and Mason Cook as Eddie Munster. And of course, Patrick got the chance to meet his young counterpart in his time on the set.

"He's a great guy, a great kid. I met him and his mom on the set. And he and I started tweeting back and forth a bit afterward. I said the character's in good hands. He's been working over at Disney. Just a great little guy. Good actor."

What about Jerry O'Connell as Herman? Can he pull it off?

"He can," Patrick says. "In fact, the way this thing is done, it's really sheer genius on Bryan Fuller's part. Fuller and Singer are both big fans of 'The Munsters,' so they want to do it right. They don't want to out-Herman Herman Munster. They want to bring the drama to the screen utilizing the tools we have today, almost 50 years later. What we're doing is we're not going after the makeup aspect. There is one scene with full Bram Stoker, old-school makeup. But as far as Jerry goes, it's all about the love between him and Lily."

He continues, "They all have more of a base of themselves, as five individuals. Eddie is the grandpa and is the strong character of the family. Kinda like in the original. Portia de Rossi -- she's just beautiful. Everyone always talks about Marilyn being so attractive on the original show, but when you think about it, Lily was really the top beauty of the show."

He says, "Grandpa sorta steals the show. Jerry is a little bit more reserved. What they've done, they established that he's been put together by Grandpa's laboratory."

Patrick was impressed by the $10 million sets for the show.

"It takes up two separate soundstages. Big ones. Every room is gigantic," he says. "It looks a little like a feature film staging much more than a TV show staging. For some reason NBC didn't pick it up for the fall, I can't imagine why they didn't. If for some reason they don't pick it up later, I can't imagine it will fall by the wayside, because there's just too much there."

NBC took the pilot for "Mockingbird Lane" out of the fall 2012 schedule, reportedly to give it more attention, indicating that the pilot will air in 2013. And the choice of name won't hurt its chances, Patrick explains.

"What happened was, the last day of shooting, a friend of mine named Kevin Burns, he was asked by Bryan Singer and Bryan Fuller, the director and the writer, his opinion on the 'Munsters' show," Patrick tells BRBTV. "They had trouble with people participating in the casting, because the actors didn't want to be pigeonholed into roles like that. Kevin suggested to them, why don't you change the name to 'Mockingbird Lane'? The 'Munsters' fans will know instantly what it is about, but it will be unique and will appeal to everyone else."

Patrick notes, "The fans today that are watching 'Walking Dead' and 'Twilight' are much different than the fans who were watching 'The Munsters.'"

And since Patrick is the key surviving member of the core "Munsters" cast (besides Pat Priest) ...

"They asked Kevin if I wanted to be in it. He told them, it would be good for you to talk to Butch. Their concerns were, what if he doesn't like it? To be honest with you, I've said Hollywood should leave a lot of those old shows alone, because a lot of the remakes they've done haven't been good and have been no better than the originals."

But, Patrick says, "Kevin told them, 'He will certainly act professionally even if he doesn't like it, but I know he will like it.' The last day of shooting, they invited me out."

Patrick was also asked to introduce a clip of the show at San Diego's Comic-Con in July. He tells BRBTV a little bit about the role he'll have in the series, though he hasn't taped his scenes yet:

"They're going to have me in there as a Scoutmaster for Eddie's troop. There are plans for the character to be further developed. They seem to time these werewolf situations for Eddie around a camping trip. So hopefully I'll have a recurring role."

Could be the start of an exciting "Munsters" resurgence, and why not? Everything old is new again, in Hollywood, and nostalgia is big. For Patrick, though, life is not dull, anyway. He runs the official "Munsters" website and has made a whole lot of convention appearances over the years (BRBTV has been seeing him at shows for the past decade, for sure). Fans will always know and love him, wherever he goes. And he speculates for BRBTV that had the producers of the new show decided to take a different route -- perhaps a continuation of the original storyline similar to what TNT's "Dallas" has done -- Eddie Munster's life these days might mirror his own.

"Back in the '80s, I actually wrote a script where Herman took Grandpa back to Transylvania, and Eddie was left back home and formed a rock band to pay the bills. That's what Eddie was doing, being a punk rocker." Patrick once formed his own band, "Eddie and the Monsters," and put out a single, "Whatever Happened to Eddie?"

And there are other Munster-like pursuits in his life. "I just built my Harley that looks like a two-wheeled Dragula, the car that Grandpa had in the series. The bike is very Marlon Brando 'Wild One'-looking. So Eddie would be tinkering with hot rods and cars and that sort of thing, and maybe music."

A Harley Dragula. Seriously. We wanna see that. Please. And Patrick has appeared at a couple events in Detroit with a replica of the Dragula car from the series, as we've reported on this blog! Below, he signs the Dragula in front of the Redford Theatre at Halloween time last year.

Beyond all the fun and frolic, though, this Eddie Munster has found a sense of peace in recent years. And a cause to firmly believe in.

"Twenty-two months ago, I went into the Oasis Center for a lifelong substance abuse situation, got clean and sober, and the past two years have been the best of my life," he says.

The Oasis Treatment Center, founded by Jim and Kathy Antonowitsch, combines group therapy, one-on-one counseling, exercise, recreation therapy, spiritual and family counseling, and other elements in its recovery program. The facility is half a mile away from Disneyland in California.

"I'm trying to put together a program where people are on vacation at Disneyland, if they want to take a tour with me, I'll educate them on one of the best-kept secrets there is," Patrick says.

"They laid off a couple counselors recently. I told him, give me a week or two, I'm going to put my thinking cap on and come up with an awareness campaign for your program. I'm a Disney kid. Wouldn't it be cool ... Once you're done with Disneyland, you're still here in Southern California -- what are you going to do for a few days?"

It's a cause that keys in even more strongly when you consider the Hollywood in which he was raised.

"I am running into so many quality people in the industry who are 20 years sober, and you don't even know it. But they become allies. All these people rally around a good cause for others," he says.

"It's run like a grandma's house," he says of Oasis. "It's a big old house. It's very much a family situation. It's not sterile like other treatment centers."

Thus, a life remade. Rebooted. Kinda like a beloved classic TV series. We'll be watching, Mr. Patrick.

First three photos courtesy of Butch Patrick; please do not copy without permission

Bottom photo courtesy of Motor City Reel Rides; please do not copy without permission.

A cool lineup of stars awaits you at Chiller Theatre

It'll send chills down your spine, just how many stars of great classic TV shows are scheduled to appear at Chiller Theatre one month from now. Joan Collins and Pamela Sue Martin of "Dynasty." Audrey Landers and Barbara Carrera of "Dallas." Tom Wopat of "The Dukes of Hazzard." Adrienne Barbeau, the voice of Catwoman from of our beloved "Batman: The Animated Series." Virginia Madsen, who's also done voicework on the DC Animated shows. Lee Majors of "The Six Million Dollar Man." Steven Bauer -- we loved him in "Wiseguys." Lee Meriwether of Bat-fame.

It all happens Friday, October 26 through Sunday, October 28 at the Sheraton Parsippany in Parsippany, New Jersey, just in time for Halloween. And BRBTV will be there armed with press pass, scaring up some interviews. Check out the event website, and whopping guest list. We can't wait. But we'll have to.

Phil LaMarr talks about his roles and his work at the Baltimore Comic Con

A veteran of "MADtv" and a memorable role in "Pulp Fiction," Phil LaMarr is a man of many talents -- and many voices. We know him, however, as the stern voice of Green Lantern / John Stewart on the animated "Justice League" and "Justice League Unlimited" series. He's also voiced Aquaman on the "Young Justice" series, a bunch of roles on the "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" series, and so many, many other TV credits. 

LaMarr was in Baltimore a couple weeks back to host the Harvey Awards during the Baltimore Comic Con weekend, and he had a panel discussion with fans on the Saturday afternoon of the con. BRBTV was there, and we've got video of his comments on our YouTube channel, particularly where Green Lantern and "Justice League" are concerned ...





Billie Rae Bates of BRBTV was at the Baltimore Comic Con not only taping the above, but also doing some interviews for the D.C.-based "Fantastic Forum" TV show. Look for more on that soon ...

Photo by Billie Rae Bates / BRBTV
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Announcing the "Shazam!" BRBTV Report

Ooooh, boy, do we love a product release day, and 2012 is a four-product-release year, as we've mentioned on this blog. No. 2 in that 2012 lineup is the BRBTV Report on the delicious, live-action, Saturday-morning "Shazam!" TV show of the '70s. The timing for this one is lovely, roughly coinciding with the DVD release for the series, which was originally scheduled for September 18 but rescheduled to September 23.

Jackson Bostwick is the original star of the "Shazam!" series, and we've talked to him a few times over the past couple years, both on camera (see our YouTube channel) and via email. He gave us some great insight about the show, having grown up a fan of Captain Marvel, among other heroes. For Bostwick, this was not just another role -- this was stepping into the shoes of someone he knew about and liked a lot. We appreciate that, just as we do with Lynda Carter and her well-regarded Wonder Woman! And did you know that Butch Patrick of "The Munsters" was considered for the corresponding role of Billy Batson for this TV series? We didn't, until he happened to mention it while we chatted with him at this past year's Motor City Comic Con! We followed up with him for more of the story, and you'll read about that in the Report.

We're keeping the price point for Shazam! A BRBTV Report the same as for many of the other BRBTV Reports -- just a cool buck and a half for this feature-length story and accompanying episode guide (our own synopses!), along with a full cast listing. It's the equivalent of 44 letter-sized pages in Microsoft Word, with photos that will appear in color on your Kindle or other device, if you have that ability.

We love these shows -- we grew up watching 'em, too -- so we want to share the love!

Photo courtesy of Jackson Bostwick; please do not copy without permission.

A "Dukes" event in Georgia in 2013? Great! Meet the man behind it ...

Sakes alive, the dust just settles from Hazzard Homecoming, and there's already a new "Dukes of Hazzard" event to look forward to? (Besides the Louisiana event -- looks good, but a little far for us to drive.) Yes, organizers are now busy planning the Dukes of Hazzard Georgia Reunion for the spring.

The Middle Georgia Speedway in Byron, just south of Macon, will provide the setting for the event on March 8-10, 2013. This classic car show and music fest will feature the core surviving cast members of the show greeting fans and signing autographs: John ("Bo Duke") Schneider, Tom ("Luke Duke") Wopat, Catherine ("Daisy Duke") Bach, James ("Rosco P. Coltrane") Best, Sonny ("Enos Strate") Shroyer, Ben ("Cooter Davenport") Jones and Rick ("Cletus Hogg") Hurst.

BRBTV spoke to the man behind the event, Chris Jennings of Gray, Georgia.

"This event will be huge!" he says. "We have seven of the original cast members of the best television show of all time! On top of that, we are putting together one of the best classic car shows of all time! And the lineup of music artists that we are contracting (to be announced) is absolutely INCREDIBLE!"

And anytime you bring a "Dukes" event to Georgia, it's a big thing, we know, since Georgia is the birthplace of the "Dukes." It affords fans the opportunity to carry on a long tradition of bringing their Generals to photograph at some of the original filming sites of the show. Jennings wouldn't be surprised by that.

"It would be nice to tour the old filming sites," he says. "Don't believe that I personally will have the time to do so until after the event. I am hoping that the attendees of our event will have that opportunity to do so while visiting our beautiful state."

For Jennings, hosting this "Dukes" reunion is definitely a labor of love. We asked him a little about what the "Dukes" means to him, and perhaps who is his favorite character ...

"I have been a 'Dukes' fan since 1979," he tells BRBTV. "I grew up on 'The Dukes of Hazzard.' I have not had the opportunity to meet all of the actors in person. Only Sonny, Rick and James. I would say that in that aspect Sonny is my favorite. We have become close friends over the last few years. We talk on a regular basis. He is just really down to earth. But of course, they are all really nice people."

Jennings, who owned a car dealership, talks about first meeting Shroyer: "I am a member of our hometown classic car club, the Jones County Cruisers in Gray, Georgia. One of our members, Jimmy Edwards, and his son Kyle are huge 'Dukes' fans. They own a General Lee and a Hazzard County Sheriff's car. They invited my family and I to attend and ride with them in the Covington, Georgia, Christmas parade, in which Sonny Shroyer was the Grand Marshall. We had the opportunity to meet Sonny and his wife, Ms. Paula, who is absolutely adorable."

He continues, "My wife and I owned a car lot in Gray. We spoke to Sonny about maybe doing some commercials for us. He really seemed excited. After exchanging phone numbers, Sonny called me about a few weeks later. As a matter of fact, it was New Year's Day. My wife and I were in Pigeon Forge on vacation, and Sonny called to wish us a Happy New Year's. I know that he is a busy man, but for him to just call my family and I out of the blue, it really means a lot."

He says, "It grew from there. And although he never did the commercials for us, my wife and I put together a classic car show to raise money for our church's Road to Hope program. We asked Sonny to make an appearance. During planning and in conversation, I made a statement about, 'I would like to have Sheriff Rosco come, too.' He said, 'I will have him call you.' And he did. We put the show together and we were able to fund the whole program for our church. It was a HUGE success!"

So from there, came another idea, as Jennings explains: "While the actors and their wives were in town, we spent a lot of time together. We ate together, sang together, laughed together. It was great. We talked about another show at that time. My wife said I was crazy! Although it was fun, it was A LOT of work! And as a car dealer, I really have a lot on my plate. But after all, I told myself, that was SOOO much fun, I want to do it again, ONLY BIGGER!!! I love seeing all of the smiles on people's faces when they see those actors and can hug them while getting their picture made. It really makes my day!"

Thus, a fun-filled weekend for "Dukes" fans in March is born. "The event will also include helicopter rides, monster truck rides, military tanks and Humvee exhibits, bounce houses, vendors, food and much much more!" Jennings tells us.

"I guess my wife is right, I might be a little crazy!" he adds.

No, Mr. Jennings ... we fully understand ....

Be sure to "like" the Facebook page for the event and keep an eye on plans as we get closer to March. BRBTV will be there, and is looking forward to being in the beautiful state of Georgia again!


Photo courtesy of Chris Jennings; please do not copy without permission.

Bits 'n' Pieces: Stacy Sullivan, A Martinez, Byron Cherry have stuff goin' on

Stacy Sullivan was the cute little gal named Bitty in the last year of "Santa Barbara." Remember her, in that whole Ballymoor thing? Sullivan went on to some other roles after "SB" but her real love is music, and she just released a new CD on Tuesday: "It's a Good Day: A Tribute to Miss Peggy Lee." She has live shows coming up to accompany the release, at The Metropolitan Room in Manhattan:
Oct. 17, 11:30 p.m., After the Cabaret Convention
Oct. 18, 11:30 p.m., After the Cabaret Convention
Sat., Nov. 10, 11:30 p.m.
Sat., Dec. 8, 11:30 p.m.
See the Facebook event page for the upcoming shows. Sullivan looks just beautiful.

A Martinez, our own Cruz Castillo of "SB" who has done episodes of A&E's "Longmire" recently, is confirmed for a new movie in the "Chucky" series. "Curse of Chucky" is scheduled for a video release next year. "Went to the cast read-through yesterday and then got to spend the evening with the great Brad Dourif ('Lord of the Rings,' 'Dune' -- and the man who plays the psychopathic human behind Chucky)," Martinez said on his Facebook page, in response to a question from "SB" blogger Pier from Italy. "I had just seen Brad the night before in 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest,' in which his brilliant performance earned him an Oscar nomination. 'Curse of Chucky' is a terribly dark story, but it's also very well-written and cast, and promises to be a fun ride for those with the stomach for flat-out, nerve-wracking horror."

The Hollywood Show is doing it again, driving us crazy with all the wonderful stars of classic TV they're serving up. The next show in Burbank is October 6-7 and features Audrey Landers of "Dallas," John Saxon of "Dynasty," Lauren Tom, who's done many voices in the animated shows we love such as "Justice League," "Batman Beyond" and "Superman." And we rue not being able to meet John Amos of "Good Times"! Rats. Check it. The November show in Vegas will include Jenilee Harrison of "Dallas."

It's great to hear that Byron Cherry of "The Dukes of Hazzard" is back in front of the camera. In our August 9 post, we mentioned some projects Cherry has in the works, and now we have an update. Cherry will play a sheriff in "The Lighthouse," scheduled for this year (Cherry tells fans they're aiming for a late October release). Danny Glover also stars in the film, and Cherry says he was great to work with. He just got back today from filming in Florida. See the plotline on the IMDb; this one sounds good. "I play Sheriff Grady in the movie and had an awesome time hanging out with alligators, big bugs, snakes in Florida," Cherry says.

Remembering Lance LeGault

As Ray Bonning on "Dynasty," he was the henchman of the mysterious Logan Rhinewood, the tall bulldog at the door with the emotionless face, swiftly preventing Blake Carrington from learning more about his powerful adversary. On "Dallas," he was Al Halliday in the latter years of the series. He even guest-starred on an episode of "The Dukes of Hazzard" (1980's "The Runway, as Les Sloane) and "Wonder Woman" (1978's "Hot Wheels," as the swindler Otis Fiskle). Lance LeGault appeared on just about every great classic TV show you can name.

LeGault died at his L.A. home on Monday afternoon, as reported by his daughter Mary to various news agencies. He was 75.

Born William Lance Legault in Chicago, his TV career was prolific. But he got his start in stunts, actually, doubling for Elvis Presley in several movies in the 1960s. He dabbled in singing over the years, and he was a pilot. But TV roles were his game, and he had a military tough guy thing going on with that low voice, playing stern types in many roles. He is known as Col. Roderick Decker on "The A-Team" and Col. Buck Greene on "Magnum, P.I.," for instance. And the myriad other shows he appeared on -- "T.J. Hooker," "Columbo," "MacGyver," "L.A. Law," "Knight Rider," and so many more -- testify to his skill and appeal.

LeGault had another "Dukes of Hazzard" connection, voicing the balladeer in the "The Dukes of Hazzard: Return of the General Lee" video game in 2004.

BRBTV extends condolences to LeGault's loved ones.

Star Wars Celebration VI: Anthony Daniels and other sights and sounds

So why didn't Uncle Owen recognize C-3PO in Episode IV of "Star Wars"? It was little Anakin Skywalker who originally built this protocol droid, after all, and C-3PO spent a lot of time there on Tattooine, with Anakin and his family. Hmmm ... Anthony Daniels and his panel of (audience) experts tackled that question and others at Star Wars Celebration VI in Orlando, Florida, a couple weeks back. BRBTV captured the fun and tomfoolery on video, and you can see it now on the BRBTV YouTube channel ...

We also have a few other fun sights and sounds from the event: Legos galore, a droid race, some Jedi Knights demonstrating their prowess, ya know, that kind of stuff ...

And finally, what's a good con without some cosplay? BRBTV gives you the perspective a cosplayer who's a pal of ours ... So, who is the Fem Vader????

Find out more about Tom Wopat's new album, as well as upcoming appearances

When BRBTV spoke to Tom Wopat, our own Luke Duke of "The Dukes of Hazzard," at the Hazzard Homecoming a few weeks back, he mentioned his new album. Here's the latest e-news from Wopat's PR crew, including some more info on that album ...

It's time for an update on what's been going on with Tom this summer! He went into the studio in NYC with a group of fantastic jazz and swing musicians to record a brand-new album, you can see photos HERE. The record will be released in early 2013, but we'll be sharing songs and images from the album soon! 

In fact, Tom had a photoshoot just last weekend for the album packaging, with his talented son Joey behind the camera. Watch a behind-the-scenes video from the photoshoot HERE!

We will have many more updates over the next few months, and in the mean time, take a look at the tour dates below to see if he will be performing near you! And have you ever wondered what a Tom Wopat show is like? Watch THIS video to see him perform "Maybe Someday Baby" live in Niagara Falls.

Sincerely,

Wopat Webcrew

UPCOMING APPEARANCES:Sept 29 - Dukes of Hazzard Family Reunion - Livingston, LA
Oct 14 - Missouri Theater - St. Joseph, MO
Oct 17 - Sharon Lynn Wilson Center For The Arts - Brookfield, WI
Oct 19 - Al Ringling Theater - Baraboo, WI

2013
Jan 8 - Green Valley Recreation Center - Green Valley, AZ
Jan 11 - The Smith Center / Cabaret Jazz - Las Vegas, NV
Jan 12 - Livermore Valley Performing Arts Center - Livermore, CA
Feb 16 - UCO Jazz Lab - Edmond, OK
Mar 1 - Del E Web Center - Wickenburg, AZ*
Mar 2 - Chandler Center for the Arts - Chandler, AZ*
Mar 23 - Palm Springs Art Museum / Annenberg Theater - Palm Springs, CA

*Performing with John Schneider!

Get the news first! Follow Tom on:

Facebook
Twitter
Official Site

Didya catch the jump of the General Lee at Hazzard Homecoming?

Well, if you didn't, you can now. Both the Saturday and Sunday car jumps, actually. BRBTV caught 'em on video, and they're part of our Hazzard Homecoming 2012 playlist. We're concluding our weeklong highlights of the event, held a few weeks back in Washington, Virginia, with a couple action-packed videos -- not only the two jumps, but some sensational stuff on stage ...

See the 'Dukes' cast take to the stage at Hazzard Homecoming

When "Dukes of Hazzard" star John Schneider sings "Country Girls" on stage, those country girls swoon, and when the whole core cast of the show takes to the stage for the "Dukes" theme song, everyone -- male and female! -- loves it all the more. At the second Hazzard Homecoming in Washington, Virginia, a few weeks ago, they did just that. This week, BRBTV is serving up some sights and sounds -- as well as some stars -- in the Hazzard Homecoming 2012 video playlist. In the next couple installments highlighted below you'll see the cast performances on stage, as well as a little slice of the action in the wrestling ring, one of the many activities going on at this weekend event.

Take a trip (back?) to Hazzard Homecoming 2012 with new BRBTV videos

What exactly is a gumbush? Well, one of BRB's friends wondered that while we were all waiting in line to have a General Lee hood signed by "Dukes of Hazzard" star Sonny Shroyer. (And hey, they did drive all the way from Detroit, so it's only right they ask something really meaningful!) You'll see Shroyer's response in the latest videos on the BRBTV YouTube channel, along with Tom Wopat's answer to the possibility he'll appear in more episodes of the TV show "Longmire." It was all part of the fun of the second Hazzard Homecoming in Washington, Virginia, a couple weeks back, as we reported in our August 11 and 14 posts.

BRBTV is serving up some sights and sounds -- as well as some stars -- in the first couple parts of this Hazzard Homecoming 2012 video playlist. You'll see not only those stars, but also some Civil War soldiers, some horses, a whole lot of blazin' orange 01 cars, the inside of a blazin' orange 01 bus, and a great display of "Dukes" memorabilia.

WB calls Confederate flag removal reports 'inaccurate'

In a seeming reversal of an earlier decision to remove the Confederate flag from the General Lee on future toys and other items (such as a rumored new TV series), a Warner Bros. spokesperson told NBC's "Today" show yesterday, "We were not, and are not, planning to change the design of the General Lee on merchandise.  All reports to the contrary have been inaccurate."

In the meantime, of course, since the news broke a few days ago, thousands of fans of "The Dukes of Hazzard" have spoken out, all across the Internet, about the (apparent) earlier decision to remove the flag. It seems the root of this "news" came from a post on the HobbyTalk.com message board, apparently from a toy company spokesman. But as you dig into the details, you have to wonder ... was this all just rumor? Or maybe where there's smoke, there's fire? We'll let y'all decide that for yourselves!

Ben ("Cooter Davenport") Jones, who spoke out about the news a couple days ago (see the full, unedited text of his statement in our Wednesday post), is claiming victory for the Hazzard Nation. "This is not only a victory for those who love the show," he told fans in an email blast early this morning, "but a victory for the voice of the people, and in my opinion, a victory for mutual respect among people of different ethnicities and backgrounds. We should now be gracious and thank the folks at Warner Bros. for changing this misguided policy. Perhaps they will listen to the fans when they produce 'Dukes, The Next Generation'! Wouldn’t that be great?"

Indeed. Jones shared that idea of his with BRBTV in an interview for our reference guide "Them Dukes! Them Dukes!", an idea he pitched to WB years ago. With the reboot and next-generation approach of "Dallas" now so successful, perhaps WB is taking note ...

Ben Jones speaks out on WB's decision to remove the Confederate flag from the General Lee

Ben ("Cooter Davenport") Jones of "The Dukes of Hazzard" has never been afraid to speak his mind over the years about issues pertaining to the TV show that made him a star. And with his subsequent political career, it only makes sense that he voice an opinion about political issues. The latest is the decision by Warner Bros. to remove the Confederate flag from the roof of the beloved General Lee car, which, as he argues, is basically the most famous TV car there is. The decision pertains to future usage of the car, such as in toys, not retro stuff (not the episodes themselves, evidently!).

Many fans have already weighed in at the above ScreenCrush.com link. In an email blast sent out to fans early this morning with the subject line "DUKES OF HAZZARD’S “COOTER” BLASTS 'P.C. IDIOCY' AT WARNER BROS. TV," Jones says this ...

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Since 1978, when filming started for “The Dukes of Hazzard” television series, Warner Bros. Television and its licensees have earned hundreds of millions, perhaps billions, of dollars from the ongoing success and enduring popularity of this old fashioned family show. The show’s timeless look and charm continues to find a new audience as youngsters discover the show’s good clean fun and their parents appreciate the wholesome values the show espouses. The good guys win, the bad guys get their comeuppance, nobody gets hurt, and a good time is had by all. And by “all”, I mean “all”, regardless of race, color, religion, or ethnicity. Hazzard County is a “hate-free” zone.

Now, over 33 years since the show premiered on CBS-TV on Friday nights, Warner Bros. has issued a new and terribly insulting attack on the South, a region and a culture which Hollywood has trashed for decades.

“With stupidity,” said Friedrich Schiller, “the Gods themselves struggle in vain.” He must have been talking about the decision makers at WB. In a fit of political correctness, the company has dictated that no longer will the “General Lee” have a Confederate Flag on its roof. (For the culturally deprived, the “General Lee” is a 1969 Dodge Charger, perhaps the most popular car in the history of entertainment.) Some unnamed genius at the company feels that the flag is “offensive to some” and therefore it has no business on a classic t.v. comedy about a bunch of good ol’ boys and girls in the Southern mountains. This is a new level of “P.C.” idiocy. I don’t know about you, but I am tired of being insulted by morons.

Now, here is “the flaw in that slaw”, as Rosco P. Coltrane used to say. First of all, because of seven seasons on prime-time and through countless reruns, syndication, hit cable runs, VHS sets, video games, reunion movies, a feature film, tivo, international viewings, youtube, websites, and a very popular DVD series, the General is always going to have a flag on its top. Tens of millions of earthlings have seen it repeatedly for decades. And when it isn’t there, the obvious question will be “where is it?”, followed by, “that’s not the General!”

Secondly, the presumption that the show’s millions of minority viewers are put off by the flag belies the fact that African Americans, especially in the South, watched (and still watch) the show faithfully. As a producer of Dukes fan events, I can assure you that this is so.

Thirdly, the timing of this announcement is mind boggling. We are now in the Sesquicentennial Commemoration of the American Civil War. It is a time for reflection and reassessment, and I have seen descendants of both sides of that struggle reverently honor the effort and sacrifice of both armies. To insult the lasting symbol of the Southern soldier is itself a divisive and, well, bigoted act. This is not “offensive to some”. It is “offensive to many”, myself included.

I made a decision when I was a kid that I “would live and die in Dixie” and do what I could to end segregation, discrimination, and “white supremacy”. In that effort, I was shot at, sucker punched, threatened repeatedly, and jailed several times. But, just like in the “Dukes of Hazzard”, the good guys won.  Dr. King was a proud Southerner, and he believed that the most important bridge to be built was between working black folks and the working white folks who opposed them. That South is slowly evolving, but it won’t fully become reality as long as corporate types, caving to political pressure, gratuitously insult the descendants of the Confederacy, who are as patriotic as Americans can be.

Symbols have different meanings for different people at different times. Whenever a group of organized bigots get together, mostly up North, they always seem to desecrate the Confederate St. Andrews Cross, the Christian Cross, and Old Glory. They are a pitiful handful of life’s losers, who seem, however, to attract every network camera within miles. Those creeps even give bed sheets a bad name. And as a proud Member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, I am not going to let their actions destroy the reputation of my ancestors. And for the record, I am also an Honorary Life Member of the N.A.A.C.P.

Ben Jones
Washington, VA

 

Star Wars Celebration VI: Droids, Darths and other delights

Another Star Wars Celebration is over, and it was four days jam-packed with all kinds of intergalactic goodies at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. BRBTV offers another photographic glimpse to follow up Thursday's post.

Temuera Morrison, who portrayed Janga Fett (father of Boba Fett) in the prequel trilogy, spoke with fans during a Q&A session on Friday.

The English-born Anthony Daniels played protocol droid C-3PO throughout all six movies, as well as in other "Star Wars" incarnations such as video games and the "Clone Wars" animated TV show. Daniels spent time with fans on Friday afternoon, even inviting a few on-stage to answer audience questions about "Star Wars." He had a little extra fun with a fan named Danny in a C-3PO costume.

Steve Sansweet has an amazing collection of "Star Wars" memorabilia, a slice of which was part of a special display at Celebration VI. His Rancho Obi-Wan is open to tour.

A costume masquerade on Saturday afternoon featured Savage Opress, above, Mother Tousand, below, and a ton of other "SW" characters, all competing for awards and many whose costumes reflected months or even years of work.

BRB's friend Andrea Melchiori of Kalamazoo, Michigan, entered the contest as the Fem Vader! Look for video of the Fem Vader, as well as Anthony Daniels and other sights and sounds of the event, on the BRBTV YouTube channel soon.

 

Look out -- there's that Fem Vader again, this time menacing an AT-AT Imperial Walker. Andrea says it took about a year to piece her costume together. Her inspiration for it? "I wanted to do a Darth Vader costume, but I didn't have my costume tweaked enough that I could join the local garrison (501st Legion). A garrison member suggested I do a Fem Vader. That was about a month before last year's DragonCon in Atlanta." Celebration VI marks the second time she's worn the costume at an event, and she's got a few more tweaks she's going to make to it.

Photos by Billie Rae Bates / BRBTV

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The view from Star Wars Celebration IV

The sixth Star Wars Celebration is happening this weekend in Orlando, Florida, and BRBTV is there, media pass in hand (well, really, on neck) and happily drinking in the sights and sounds. How about some photo coverage of Day 1! Well, sure ...

R2-D2 and all his friends, R4 included, were out in full force, and one room at the Orange County Convention Center was even devoted to the astromech droids and those who build them.

Jedi training for "younglings" happens several times a day throughout the weekend!

We even got a glimpse of one of the stars of the TV shows covered by BRBTV ... well, at least an action figure of one! Check out the latest figure of Lando Calrissian, as played by Billy Dee Williams, our own Brady Lloyd of "Dynasty." Below, another slice of the memorabilia to be had on the vast convention floor, which you just can't cover in one day. Fans can even behold -- and purchase -- props used in the production of the six movies.

BRB's fave "Star Wars" characters are Anakin Skywalker and Darth Maul, but her favorite "things" or creatures, if you will are the Boga lizard and the At-At Walker, above. Sheer delight!

Almost thawed out, she is, from that snowy encounter with the At-At. And below, another chance encounter, this time with her delicious Darth Maul ...

Actor Ian McDiarmid, whom "Star Wars" fans know so well as Senator Palpatine / the Emperor, appeared this evening to an immensely packed house in one of the venue's theaters. He talked about some of the scenes in the movies, such as the opera scene with Hayden Christensen (and what influenced the particular way he was talking in that scene!), and he told the story of first meeting George Lucas and how Lucas' compliment of "nice nose" came to mean so much!

On to Day 2 tomorrow! Look for video coverage of the event on the BRBTV YouTube channel soon.

Photos by Billie Rae Bates / BRBTV

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Steve Geppi talks with BRB about his business and his life's work on an upcoming episode of "Fantastic Forum"

BRBTV founder Billie Rae Bates continues her work for the Washington, D.C.-based "Fantastic Forum" TV show, and the show's producer, Ulysses Campbell, keeps giving her clips she can be proud of. Below is the latest of her interviews for the show, with Steve Geppi, owner of Diamond Distributors, an interview we gave you the heads-up on in our July 22 post.

In this interview, which will be featured in an upcoming episode of the show, Geppi talks about how he built up his companies, how he compiled that amazing pop-cultural memorabilia collection on display at Geppi's Entertainment Museum, and what fascinates him so much about his hometown of Baltimore.

Keep your eye on the "Fantastic Forum" website for more goodies, and remember you can catch the show in all kinds 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
• And the episodes are now even featured on Daily Motion!

Hazzard Homecoming finishes well

The dust has settled, and it's back to the reality of the workweek for most of us. But we've got some fond memories of this past weekend's Hazzard Homecoming at the Ben Venue Racecourse in Washington, Virginia (or Amissville, depending on how ya look at it!). The event, hosted by Ben Jones of "The Dukes of Hazzard" and his wife, Alma Viator, featured the core cast, as we showed you on Saturday, as well as a heapin' helpin' of live country and bluegrass music, games for the kids, fattening festival food (ask us about the deep-fried Oreos that were rather divine despite about a 45-minute wait to get 'em!), BMX stunts, General Lee jumps, a car display, live pro wrestling in the ring, and more.

Here are a few additional images to remember the weekend by, including a real money shot of the cast posing for some photos behind the stage after performing on Sunday evening (they were still looking for Sonny Shroyer, though) ...

From left: Ben ("Cooter Davenport") Jones, Tom ("Luke Duke") Wopat, Catherine ("Daisy Duke") Bach, John ("Bo Duke") Schneider, James ("Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane") Best, Rick ("Deputy Cletus Hogg") Hurst.

We've got a whole big mess of video we shot from the weekend with the new BRBTV HD camera; watch this blog and our YouTube channel for that ...

Photos by Billie Rae Bates / BRBTV

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Hazzard Homecoming: How about a yeeeeee-haaaaaa for Day 1

It was certainly sunny. And it was hot -- though there was a cool breeze blowing through now and then and not a drop of rain all day. But more than that, at the Ben Venue Racecourse in Washington, Virginia, it was a testament to the fact that when Ben and Miss Alma throw a party, people show up. Just as many as the jam-packed first Hazzard Homecoming in 2011, by our accounts.

The second Hazzard Homecoming, moving its location from last year's venue a few miles down the road, boasted a rousing success for its first day today, as thousands of fans flowed in from all over, waiting in looooooonnnng lines for items signed by the cast members, listening to good ole country music on the stage, eating a funnel cake or two, beholding a bunch of General Lees and other beautiful cars, and just all-around taking in the awesome sights.

BRBTV was there, as you see here! Billie Rae Bates and Will ("The Voice Man") Rodgers strolled the grounds (and Will even made it up to the stage for a minute to do a "Dukes" voice or two) and had a fab time. Will was particularly impressed at the dedication of the cast, who made sure fans knew they were appreciated. Indeed, BRB witnessed Tom Wopat's particularly tender spirit with the kids of all varieties who made the trek through his line, and Will saw Catherine Bach wait until every fan was served, even while the stunt show was going on across the field.

"I don't know of many stars who will do that," Will says. "They were willing to stay and make sure that every fan that waited in  line to see them was taken care of, regardless of how tired they were at the end."

The event, hosted by Ben ("Cooter Davenport") Jones and his wife Alma Viator, was a grand reunion of the core cast, with this first half of the weekend punctuated in the evening by their appearance on-stage, performing (you guessed it) the "Dukes of Hazzard" theme song and other faves. Look for video of all that great stuff on the BRBTV YouTube channel soon.

Besides the star power, the event showed some muscle in its cars, the stage acts it served up, and other fun stuff you just have to walk around to see (we wanted to get those Civil War guys shooting off the muskets -- maybe tomorrow!).

Photos by Billie Rae Bates / BRBTV 

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Byron Cherry has some movie projects in the works

Our buddy Byron ("Coy Duke") Cherry has got his star shining brightly lately, out and about at events like the Louisiana "Dukes of Hazzard" reunion we mentioned earlier this week, and being featured in places like PowerBlock TV / magazine and Mopar Muscle magazine. Now he's got some screen stuff going on, too.

According to his official website, Cherry will be appearing in the movie "Ring of the Fallen," starring Anthony Hopkins, Bruce Willis, Danny Glover, and The Rock! Byron is cast as Deputy Ralley. Also look for Byron in a new film called "Dragon Child," which was scheduled to shoot this year.

By the way, Cherry is donating his personal General Lee to the Tim Welborne Muscle Car Museum; see the video at CoyDuke.com.

By the way, we're heading to the Hazzard Homecoming this weekend, so look for our standard fun-filled coverage of the event on this blog next week!