Museum of Television promises a delight for the senses for TV fans

The Southfork mailbox. The painting of Constance Colby from "The Colbys." An oil painting of Alexis Colby from her penthouse. Some jewels that she wore, as well as jewelry worn by Krystle Carrington. The cowboy hats of both J.R. and Bobby Ewing. A Ewing license plate.

They're all pieces from the collection of one man, James Comisar, and soon they'll be on display for all the world to see, along with about 5,000 other original television artifacts. Sounds like nothing short of nirvana to us. It's the vision of the Museum of Television, now raising cash to open in the next few years. Visit the museum's site to read more about this vision (and we know -- because we've searched -- there's just nothing like this out there right now, a museum devoted to television). See in particular what they've got for the '80s archive.

We absolutely love these words, from the museum's About Us page, because it says so much of what we're aiming to get at in our own BRBTV About page:

Life without television is basically unknown to most of us, and TV is affixed to American culture as a root is to a tree. What we learn when we look closely at the development of television programming and technology is not a distant tale that has no connection to contemporary American life, but rather it is the story of the past four generations of Americans; it is our story; it is our lives of which we see a reflection. For the first time in history, there are now more TVs than people in American homes, mind boggling new technology, and an even wider availability of television programming.  Where it will go from here is yet to be seen, but one thing is for certain: In one form or another, television is here to stay and it will continue to be the story of an unknown number of future generations.

The Phoenix Business Journal covered the museum plans in October and offers a great rundown of logistics in their story. The museum will be about 50,000 square feet, Comisar said, and cost about $35 million to build.

We here at BRBTV advise you to donate now and donate often!!! We will just love seeing this project up and running.

"DeVanity" delivers up fresh interviews with Maxwell Caulfield, Charlene Tilton and Gordon Thomson

We've already told you on this blog about the web series that will be featuring three stars of the TV shows covered by BRBTV: Maxwell Caulfield of "Dynasty" / "The Colbys," Charlene Tilton of "Dallas" and Gordon Thomson of "Dynasty" and "Santa Barbara." The producers of this series, "DeVanity," now have some delish new interviews with those stars on the official show site. Yummy.

Maxwell Caulfield (lookin' heckin' good; seriously -- and commenting on the comparison of "DeVanity" to "Dynasty")

Charlene Tilton (with luscious dark locks, speculating that "DeVanity" may be more over-the-top than "Dallas"; we say heck-ya it is!)

Gordon Thomson (reflecting his sincerity and intelligence and certainly who he is really is, even recognizing the talent of his interviewer -- you go, guy)

"DeVanity" deals up its third season on Thursday.

A look at the con circuit for stars of classic TV

Many of these guest lists are still a work in progress, but here's an early look at the roster for 2013 for our classic stars on the con circuit ...

Emerald City Con, Seattle, March 1-3

• Billy Dee Williams of "Dynasty"

Toronto Comicon, March 9-10

• Jonathan Frakes, Jamie Lee Hogg of "The Dukes of Hazzard," along with other great "Star Trek" stars.

Mega-Con, Orlando, March 15-17

• Jonathan Frakes, Jamie Lee Hogg of "The Dukes of Hazzard," along with a ton of other great "Star Trek" stars.
• Tara Strong, voice of Batgirl / Barbara Gordon on "The New Batman Adventures."

Lexington Comic and Toy Convention, Lexington, Kentucky, March 16-17

• Billy Dee Williams of "Dynasty"
• Jackson Bostwick of "Shazam!"

Wizard World St. Louis, March 22-24

• Billy Dee Williams of "Dynasty"

Comic-Con, San Diego, July 18-21

• Bruce Timm and Paul Dini of "Batman: The Animated Series," "The New Batman Adventures," "Batman Beyond," "Superman: The Animated Series" and "Justice League."

Wizard World Nashville, October 18-20

• Billy Dee Williams of "Dynasty" 

Not-quite-a-con-but-close:
A Gathering of Guns -- A TV Western Reunion, Tunica, Ms, June 13-15
(See the 2013 poster at James Best's site)

• James Best of "The Dukes of Hazzard."
• Henry Darrow of "Santa Barbara" and "Wonder Woman."

Hollywood Show deals up Bo Hopkins, Pamela Sue Martin and Maxwell Caulfield

If you remember the episode of our beloved "Wonder Woman" starring Leif Garrett, playing a true-to-life teen singing sensation, then you remember the precocious little character Whitney, Garrett's real-life sister Dawn Lyn. Her appearance in that 1978 episode, "My Teenage Idol is Missing," showed acting chops beyond her young years. Now you've got your chance to meet Dawn Lyn and a bevy of other great stars of classic TV at the next Hollywood Show.

Bo Hopkins, our own Matthew Blaisdel of "Dynasty," joins the offerings of the show, happening January 11-13, as well as his costar Pamela Sue Martin, the original Fallon Carrington, and Maxwell Caulfield, who was Miles Colby. Plus, there's Greg Evigan of "B.J. and the Bear," who played Willie Gust on "Dallas." William Schallert, who was Roger Wainwright on "Santa Barbara." Lori Petty, the voice of Livewire on "Superman: The Animated Series." Add in some Tanya Roberts, Parker Stevenson, Jimmy McNichol and Piper Laurie. And Robert Conrad of "The Wild Wild West"? Major meow, man.

Behold the beautiful guest list and all the details at the Hollywood Show's site.

Oh, and Happy New Year!!! Here's to a blessed 2013 for every person reading this ...

Announcing "Superchicks: A guide to TV's 'Wonder Woman' and 'Isis'

How many different outfits did Lynda Carter wear as Wonder Woman?

What kind of car did Andrea Thomas drive?

And just how many times did each of them make that amazing transformation?

They remain icons to this day … two powerful females who led the charge for chick empowerment … Ask anyone who was a kid in the 1970s, and they'll remember these two female superheroes who were the first to star in their own live-action, weekly, American television shows: Lynda Carter's Wonder Woman and Joanna Cameron's Isis. With a magical spin and an "Oh, mighty Isis!" they enchanted viewers everywhere, Wonder Woman in primetime and Isis on Saturday morning, showing that a hero could be strong, smart, and yes, female.

In the fourth print volume of the BRBTV fact book series, author Billie Rae Bates examines both of these groundbreaking television shows that she watched and loved in their original airings. From the 1975 debut of each through their seasons and syndication and the fantastic fandom beyond, "Superchicks" offers a delightful romp through jam-packed action of "Wonder Woman" and "Isis."

Superchicks: A guide to TV's Wonder Woman and Isis compiles the feature stories from the two BRBTV Reports on Kindle for these two shows, and adds a whole lot of content to them: cast list, character guide, detailed original episode guide, interviews with cast and crew, a guide to each show's merchandise, and more. For this volume, the author spoke with the big three stars of "Isis," Joanna Cameron, Brian Cutler and Joanna Pang Atkins, as well as "Wonder Woman" executive story consultant Anne Collins-Ludwick, stuntwoman Jeannie Epper and several others who appeared on-camera during the series.

Topped off with a beautiful cover by talented artist Dale Cuthbertson, "Superchicks" aims to please fans of these fab shows! BRBTV has been a solid reference source on classic television shows since 1998, and "Superchicks" joins a print-book series that includes guides to "Dynasty," "Dallas" and "The Dukes of Hazzard."

Paris Themmen talks with BRBTV at Steel City Con

Everybody knows Paris Themmen as the darling little Mike Teevee in 1971's "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory," but do you know where you can see him in front of the camera these days?

Themmen has held a variety of roles over the years beyond the screen and stage: real estate agent, financial adviser, Walt Disney Imagineer, and world traveler(!), but he's got a fun little gig on the side right now. Tune in and find out what that is, as he chats with BRBTV at the Steel City Con near Pittsburgh in December 2012.

(And special thanks to our fine and trusty camera man, James!)

Announcing the Kindle edition of "Dynasty High"

It was October 2003 when the very first edition of our BRBTV reference guide to the TV show "Dynasty" was released. It was an Adobe PDF e-book, and it was followed the next July by a print edition. And from there, the content continued evolving. We kept watching those beloved episodes; we kept talking to those involved in the show. Fast-forward to now, December 2012, and we're happy to release the next evolution of this BRBTV fact book, the Kindle edition.

"Dynasty High" just happens to also be the very first installment in our fact book series, and truth be told, it was the very first BRBTV product to ever be released. So as technology changes, and reading habits change, our products move along with that.

To develop the "Dynasty High" Kindle edition, we started with the full contents of the second "Dynasty High" print edition, and we added a whole lotta stuff:

• Interview with Pamela Sue Martin, aka the original Fallon Carrington
• Interview with Stephanie Beacham, aka Sable Colby
• Interview with Terri Garber, aka Leslie Carrington
• Interview with Jeannie Epper, stuntwoman for Linda Evans
• Interview with writer Camille Marchetta 
• Interview with David Baker, stablehand on "The Colbys"
• Boosted episode guide, with the rewatching of Seasons 1 through 7.5 of "Dynasty" and most of "The Colbys" episodes
• A feature on the shows' various locations
• A closer look at the Filoli estate
• Boosted and updated actor bio information
• An at-a-glance character chart
• Boosted and updated merchandise guide

Holy cow, that's a lot of stuff. (And the interviews are our own -- but we don't use the term "exclusive interview," because Billie Rae Bates of BRBTV is a genuine journalist who knows the true meaning of that term, not the meaning it has devolved into in the Internet age. OK, enough about that!)

We've added so much stuff for this Kindle edition, that we can't leave the print edition as-is. Look for a third edition of that in 2013.

The price of this one is low, just $6, because we're not much into that gouging thing. We put our content out there because we want to share it with other fans. BRB is a fan of the show first and foremost, herself. That's why she does this crazy thing. We hope you enjoy.

This is the third product release of a four-product-release year, so stay tuned ... We've got one more biggie before this month closes ... And it's PRINT ...

Tom Wopat releases new album

From the web folks of Tom Wopat, our own Luke Duke of "The Dukes of Hazzard" ...


We are excited to finally unveil what Tom has been working on for the past few months -- his brand new album!

That's right -- on February 12, 2013, Tom's eighth studio album, "I've Got Your Number," will be released! Backed by a 30-piece orchestra, with this album Tom fulfills his desire to focus on what he describes as "the “orchestra/big band hybrid of the ‘60s and ‘70s.” “Like the Bobby Darin stuff,” he says. “Frank Sinatra did big band then too, everybody did. And we really wanted to go for that -- in the standards as well as the contemporary tunes. We’ve evoked the spirit of the New York supper club era and the cool vibe of the 'Mad Men' days. The recording swings hard and there’s a lot of really fine music.”

The album romps through a wide breadth of songs, ranging between selections from the American Songbook to unique versions of songs by popular artists including James Taylor, Paul Simon, Judy Collins, Bruce Springsteen and more. Plus, the album includes two brand new songs written by Tom himself! Visit http://www.tomwopatofficial.com to read the full press release with more details about the album.

AND - we couldn't tell you about the record without letting you hear some music! Just click HERE to listen to the song "The Good Life" now! Make sure to leave a comment on Youtube to let Tom know what you think!

Stay tuned for much more information, including details on how to order your copy. We'll be putting together some fun packages! And make sure to take a look at the tour dates below to see if Tom is coming to your city soon.

Sincerely,

Wopat Webcrew


UPCOMING APPEARANCES for 2013
January 8 - Green Valley Recreation Center - Green Valley, Arizona
January 11 - The Smith Center / Cabaret Jazz - Las Vegas, Nevada
January 12 - Livermore Valley Performing Arts Center - Livermore, California
February 15 - Choctaw Casino and Resert Centerstage - Duront, Oklahoma
February 16 - UCO Jazz Lab - Edmond, Oklahoma
March 1 - Del E Web Center - Wickenburg, Arizona*
March 2 - Chandler Center for the Arts - Chandler, Arizona*
March 23 - Palm Springs Art Museum / Annenberg Theater - Palm Springs, California
April 5 - Ruth A. Knoll Theater - Hartford, Wisconsin
April 6 - Middleton Performing Arts Center - Middleton, Wisconsin

*Performing with John Schneider!

Stephanie Beacham tells BRBTV she'd love a "Dynasty" reboot

Ever since TNT scored a hit with its reboot of our beloved "Dallas" this past summer, rumors have been swirling about the same treatment for "Dynasty." And why not? "Dynasty" provides plenty of fertile next-generation ground to plant some seeds on and captivate younger viewers as well as reel in us '80s kids so easily ... L.B. Colby, Danny Carrington, Krystina Carrington, Lauren Colby, the surrogate son of Adam Carrington ... we're wondering where they all are and what they're doing right now! And we want to see our original faves, even if John Forsythe is no longer among them.

One of those original faves would love to see this kind of reboot, too. BRBTV had the chance to chat with Ms. Stephanie Beacham, aka Sable Colby, via phone a couple weeks ago, and the subject of a "Dynasty" reboot naturally came up, as it had when Beacham attended a tribute event for the late costume designer Nolan Miller just a few days earlier ...

"Please, please, please, may it happen?" she sweetly enthused to us. "But it's up to so many more people and fates than I can affect by just hoping. It would be a blast. That's all I can say."

Stephanie Beacham, center, with "Dynasty" creators Esther and
Richard Shapiro at the tribute event for Nolan Miller.

Beacham said, "I just adore Esther and Richard Shapiro, and I would love to work with them again. Joan and I are friends and we would have so much fun."

So what's standing in the way? "Just as Esther had to fight to have middle-aged women on the screen to begin with, when she started 'Dynasty,' she doesn't want to do anything unless, I guess, unless the original people are at least featuring in it. Can't you imagine the fun of Joan and me in the back of our fortresses being the powerhouses behind it, having all the lovely young girls and boys lying around? But you need those two old bats! Or as Joan calls us, the 'Dynasty' dames."

Indeed we do need you. Just as TNT's "Dallas" wouldn't have been "Dallas" without the Big Three, Larry Hagman, Patrick Duffy and Linda Gray, "Dynasty" couldn't possibly be "Dynasty" without Joan Collins, Stephanie Beacham, and whoever else they can possibly get involved! Heather Locklear, anyone? We saw that recent photo shoot with Entertainment Weekly -- our Sammy Jo is still stunning. And just as, with the recent death of Hagman, his spectre will remain all over that show as it continues on through its second season, we will be seeing the shadow of Forsythe strongly in any reboot attempt of "Dynasty."

So we had to ask Beacham, what would Sable be doing right now, in 2012?

"The same as Alexis," she told us. "I don't think it's changed. Of course, the economy has changed, but the rich only get richer, don't they? They wouldn't be trusting anyone else. I think Sable would've gotten stronger. Because she was always someone that sort of needed a man, if you know what I mean. Probably now she would just leave all the advice from everybody and just be herself."

The last time we saw our beautiful English-accented vixen, there was that rather un-pretty balcony scene, in the series' final episode in May 1989 (Beacham wasn't featured in 1991 reunion movie). At the time of the finale, Sable was pregnant with what Alexis fondly termed a "change-of-life baby" with Dex Dexter, her own ex-husband. So add that to the next-generation mix ... a 22-year-old offspring of Sable and Dex ... out there somewhere, doing who-knows-what ...

"That would at least give one young would-be Sable a door, wouldn't it? Some young incarnation," Beacham muses.

Still so beautiful: Beacham with Joan Collins, center, and Collins' sister Jackie.

And Beacham wouldn't miss a chance to work with her friend, Joan Collins, who served as a co-hostess at the Nolan Miller tribute. She has worked with Collins recently, in this year's seriously fun Snickers TV spot. BRBTV had to ask how that diva-happy half-minute came together.

"That just came about. I think Joan suggested me," she said. "How much fun was that? Have you seen it? It was heaven, complete heaven! And it's based, as you know, on the other ones. And I'm playing the Liza Minnelli part, the kicker. I think Joan's fabulous in it, and I thought we did a grand job, and everybody was so pleasant. I think we're both keen that there should be a collaboration of some sort, and that was just a hint of it. I think that we both feel that there's more mileage in us."

You better believe there is. Now the question is ... who else is listening?????

Watch for the full text of our interview with Stephanie Beacham in the upcoming Kindle edition of our reference guide "Dynasty High." Beacham also has an auction coming up of some of her "Dynasty" and "Colbys" memorabilia, including some scripts. Look for more info on that on this blog, and keep up with Beacham (and see photos from her most recent work on "Trollied") on her official Facebook page.

Photos courtesy of Stephanie Beacham / Emily Danyel;

do not copy without permission

Spotted: Jack Coleman

There we were, tripping around a con in New Jersey a few weeks back, delighting in the wonderful pop-culturific shopping as we always do at these things, and there's one of those bootleg-DVD booths. You know the kind. DVDs of every movie and TV show under the sun, whether it's been released "officially" or not, even some incredibly obscure or unaired stuff. Our eyes fell upon a little number called "Nightmare Cafe." Is that Jack Coleman from "Dynasty," we wondered? Sure enough, it was, along with Robert Englund of "Nightmare on Elm Street" fame, whom we adored in the 1989 big-screen remake of "Phantom of the Opera."

Turns out, just four years after he left "Dynasty," after bumping around a few TV movie roles, Jack Coleman signed on to this "Nightmare Cafe." It lasted all of six episodes, there in 1992. And it had some fun guest stars, like Carrie-Anne Moss, Justin Deas of "Santa Barbara," Coleman's wife Beth Toussaint, Angela Bassett, Vondie Curtis-Hall.

The Nightmare Cafe is a "Twilight Zone"ish place where your life flashes before your eyes, quite literally, as Coleman's character Frank Nolan learns shortly after encountering the blond Fay Peronivic (Lindsay Frost) there. Englund is the host on this nightmarish tour, where Nolan is led to make a stand on his job, then finds out that he, along with Fay, are really dead, but brought back to life in this cafe. They then take on the role of helping others who wander into the cafe, others who need to straighten out their own lives.

Coleman is still young and handsome here. And he seems to be wearing a little of that Steven Carrington idealism. It's fun to watch the gleam in his eye when he shares the first scene with his wife in the second episode, and even funner when things heat up between them in a later scene. Yummy. We've always thought they're a cute couple, the "Dynasty" star and the "Dallas" star.

Don't worry about hunting down that bootleg DVD -- we found the six-episode run on YouTube. And our one and only foray into bootlegs has sworn us off them for good, anyway! We don't recommend them.

Southfork Ranch offers memorial service for Larry Hagman

If you can get to Parker, Texas, this Sunday, it would be a great time to do so ... From the Southfork Ranch Facebook page ...

Southfork Ranch mourns the loss of Larry Hagman along with his fans around the world. Southfork was considered the home of his longtime larger-than-life character J.R. Ewing, and Larry also considered Southfork his home away from home. He was always excited to come back to the ranch and even had a family outing planned the day of his passing.

Southfork Ranch will honor his life by offering the public complimentary tours from 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. on Sunday, December 2, followed by a memorial reception where guests may leave cards, flowers and sign his memorial book and pay their respects to this legend.

Larry Hagman brought so much life and excitement to the show Dallas and his dynamic personality and great sense of humor will never be forgotten. The filming at the ranch has been like family coming home and we will all miss him.

A sad goodbye: The great Larry Hagman, gone at 81

Wow, what news to wake up to. We're a little besides ourselves here at BRBTV, signing on to hear the news about this most beloved star of one of our very most beloved TV shows. Mr. Larry Hagman. We knew he wouldn't live forever. We knew he was mortal like the rest of us. But we've joked over the years, as we've been covering "Dallas" and developing our reference guide to the TV show, "Long live the king" and "Long live J.R., and long live Larry Hagman!" Well, he did live long, he enjoyed a wonderful career, and he had a fabulous last hurrah, doing the thing that he loved most, playing the character that had changed his life, for one last time in the "Dallas" reboot.

It’s not hard to believe that the man who portrayed the unstoppable J.R. Ewing was Texas-born — Fort Worth, as a matter of fact, a town that got lots of mention on “Dallas.” As a young boy, he worked as a ranchhand, according to Wikipedia. And while “Dallas” was still airing, he even hosted a documentary series on the history of Texas, in celebration of its 150th anniversary as an independent republic.

Larry Hagman was born on September 21, 1931. His dad was an attorney and his mom, Mary Martin, was about to embark on a successful career on Broadway. In fact it was his mother, so well-known for her role as Peter Pan, who got Hagman into acting as a teen.

It was the stage where Hagman first got his acting chops. He spent five years in England as part of his mother’s successful production of “South Pacific,” according to his official website. He joined the U.S. Air Force, reportedly as a way to avoid being pulled into the fighting of the Korean War, and produced and directed shows for the military. While there, he met the gal who would become his wife, Maj Axelsson, a Swedish clothing designer. They married in 1954. That Hagman sustained a 50-plus-year marriage in Hollywood is certainly testament to his character and strength.

Along came the small screen for Hagman, back in the U.S. Besides his second-best-known role as Major Tony Nelson on Sidney Sheldon’s wildly popular comedy “I Dream of Jeannie,” he did stints on “The Edge of Night,” “Night Gallery” and “Love, American Style.” But then came the decision that would change his life, in 1977 — a decision to which he credits Maj. A lil’ ole show called “Dallas,” on which his J.R. Ewing wasn’t even planned as the main star but quickly became it. Hagman said the day the “Who Shot J.R.?” episode aired (“Who Done It?”, November 21, 1980) was one of the two dates he would never forget (the other was the day of his well-publicized 1995 liver transplant).

And we won’t forget, either. The man who defined J.R. for us also defined power, corruption, cunning, suaveness ... so many things. How ironic, as psychologist and author Lew Ryder put it, that the man we loved to hate was so well-loved around the country, and world. Wikipedia notes that Hagman was the only “Dallas” actor to appear in almost all of the show’s original 357 episodes (his contract negotiations kept him physically off the set for the fourth-season opener “No More Mister Nice Guy,” Part 1, though his character was present in the storyline).

Known as a hard worker since his days on “Jeannie,” Hagman was nominated for various Emmys, Golden Globes and Soap Opera Digest awards over the years, and he nabbed several of those. But while his career was skyrocketing, Hagman’s personal life was marked by the use of several artificial substances — alcohol, LSD, marijuana — and he spoke out about that very frankly. At the same time, though, Hagman’s life was also marked by some very close Hollywood friendships: co-star Patrick Duffy, Peter Fonda, Carroll O’Connor, the Who drummer Keith Moon.

In 1991, when “Dallas” left its original run on CBS, Hagman kept involved with not only screenwork (the “Dallas” reunion movies, of course, along with roles in big-screen stuff like “Nixon” and “Primary Colors”) but also with more charitable and civic endeavors. He has lent a hand to the American Cancer Society with antismoking campaigns. He has represented the National Kidney Foundation. And he adopted a “Don’t worry, be happy, feel good” way of living at his ranch in Ojai, California.

In October 2011, amid plans for the “Dallas” reboot on TNT, Hagman announced a cancer diagnosis. He told the Associated Press, “As we all know, you can't keep J.R. down!” Yea, we knew it. And Hagman spent the first season on the show, as vital and relevant as ever, basking in the glow that is "Dallas" one more time. We loved it. We ate it up. It wouldn't have been "Dallas" if J.R. wouldn't have been there. And should the show go on, as they say, his spectre will be there, even more sure and strong than the one of Jim Davis as Jock Ewing, who passed on early in the original show's run.

The July 27, 2012 cover of Entertainment Weekly was rather triumphant for a man who announced a cancer diagnosis less than a year earlier. The cover story noted that Hagman was pronounced cancer-free in the spring before the “Dallas” reboot’s premiere. TNT president Michael Wright said, “Larry looked me in the eye and said, ‘Whaddya think, 10 seasons.” So yes, long live Hagman, as BRBTV has always said. 

Magazine covers, diagnoses and show reboots notwithstanding, he will always live on.

BRBTV offers condolences to Hagman's wife, Maj, and his whole family. And we continue to admire this man who was smart, shrewd, wonderfully talented, and exceedingly kind.

First photo courtesy of Josh Eilberg of UltimateDallas.com, depicting Hagman and his wife, Maj, in the midst of appearances for the TNT "Dallas" reboot. Second photo courtesy of Larry Hagman, a photo of his younger days used for the "Destination: Dallas" book. Third photo courtesy of Josh Eilberg, depicting the display of J.R.'s gun at Southfork Ranch. Thanks very much, Josh.

Congratulations to "Fantastic Forum" TV show for another Monty Award

Well, there he goes again, that Ulysses Campbell, nabbing another Monty Award for his "Fantastic Forum" TV show. It was just announced yesterday and posted today on the "FF" Facebook page, and we'll trumpet it here, because Billie Rae Bates of BRBTV is pleased as punch as punch to be a part of something so cool. The show has been awarded a 2012 MCM Monty Award for best program in the Arts and Humanities category for the second consecutive year.

As creator, producer, writer, editor, yes, even occasionally host, plus a whole lot of other stuff, Campbell assembles a great half-hour of Washington, D.C. television that delves into not only comic books but also science fiction, fantasy and pop culture in general. And he assembles a great team to pull that off, because he's a great person to work with.

Many congratulations to Ulie for yet another fine milestone in the life of the show.

A look at "DeVanity," which has Gordon Thomson, Maxwell Caulfield and Charlene Tilton all queued up

It's a show about a jewelry family, and we adore that, because fab jewelry is fairly dripping off every female character. It's quite the farce. And it's all beautiful people, all the time. Yes, the comparisons to our beloved "Dynasty" are inevitable. So don't be surprised that "Dynasty" alum Gordon Thomson shows up here, along with Maxwell Caulfield of "The Colbys" and a brunette Charlene Tilton of "Dallas." We're talking the web series "DeVanity," mentioned previously on this blog but examined a little more in-depth here ...

It starts out clunky in the first episode but gets better, we have to say. Innocent-eyed Michael Caruso as the lead character Jason DeVanity is far from your Hollywood pretty boy -- a welcome change -- and he fairly devours his role. So does his on-screen wife, Alexis Zibolis as the evil Lara. He calls her a crazy scheming b*tch and generally treats her like crap as he untangles some ugly family secrets. Somehow, it works. Doesn't hurt that Caruso is one of the folks producing this shindig.

Katie Caprio as Jason's sister Bianca, with a lean look and a dimple that arrives on the scene a full 30 seconds before her, seems more the Alexis Colby of this show, though she's not going to be wrestling that pleasure away from vixen Zibolis anytime soon. The dialogue is fairly snappy. There are jeggings, tight minis, martinis, violin music and deep solid colors everywhere. What's not to like? Did we mention the catfight in the pool? Not quite the lily pond with Alexis and Krystle, but it'll do.

Things get waaaaay farcical in Season 2. Fantastic necklaces both in bed and in the pool. The ole plastic surgery trick to change actors for a character. The sister who marries her abortionist, and the sisters who seem to keep sleeping with their brother (don't worry -- they're adopted). The sister-in-law's wedding-night body-part revelation. It was better in Season 1 when it seemed it was almost taking itself seriously. Still, we're not afraid to call it: Zibolis is the standout in this group. We'll give Mike Dirksen as Alex an honorable mention for his significant -- ahem -- heat factor.

Alana Stewart is well-cast as the mom of the show's two blondes, Zibolis' Lara and Katie Apicella's Dr. Portia, in the seventh episode of Season 2. But wait -- here come Thomson, Caulfield and Tilton to show 'em how it's done. OK, wait is the operative word. You can see them in the trailer for Season 3 now, but the episodes themselves begin on January 10.

Prep now by watching the first two seasons in one sitting like we did. As with many online-based series, this one has short eps. Six or seven or even 10 minutes is just not enough!

Staying on the radar: Leann Hunley, Diahann Carroll, Joan Collins and more

Leanna Hunley, whom we know as Dana Waring on "Dynasty," coming to "Raising Hope" this month. Nancy Lee Grahn and her onetime "Santa Barbara" costar (on-screen nephew, actually!) Jack Wagner both coming to "Castle" in January. Diahann Carroll of "Dynasty" coming back to "White Collar" in 2013. Wanda De Jesus of "SB" checking in to "Sons of Anarchy." The stars of the classic shows we love are nailing the roles -- guest or recurring -- right and left. We love to see that.

We could go on ... Ray Wise of "Dallas" on "Criminal Minds" (now that sounds like a great matchup for this "Twin Peaks" alum!) as well as "Body of Proof." And Joan Collins, whom we were thrilled to see live and in person at an appearance in New Jersey a couple weeks back, guesting on "Happily Divorced" -- much touted across Facebook right now.

Catch the latest at the listing at We Love Soaps.

'Pioneers of Television' features some of our fave stars of classic TV

It was Lynda Carter who drew our attention to this one in her Facebook post: She's one of many great stars of classic TV who will be featured in PBS' upcoming "Pioneers of Television." Other BRBTV faves who will be interviewed for the series: Larry Hagman, Linda Gray, Joan Van Ark and Patrick Duffy of "Dallas"; Joan Collins, Linda Evans and Diahann Carroll of "Dynasty"; and Carter's "Wonder Woman" costar Cloris Leachman.

Season 3 of the PBS series premieres on Tuesday, January 15, 2013, at 8 p.m. Eastern. The second episode, "Primetime Soaps," is scheduled to air on Tuesday, January 22, 2013, at 8 p.m. Eastern, and that's the one to watch for all us "Dallas" and "Dynasty" fans!

Learn more at the Sitcoms Online blog.

Coming up for John Schneider in 2013: Appearances, concerts, maybe a flick or two!

Special thanks to Phyllis for passing along these upcoming appearances and dates for John ("Bo Duke") Schneider of "The Dukes of Hazzard":

• March 9, 2013: Dukes of Hazzard Georgia Reunion in Byron, Georgia. Event is March 8-10; cast members will be there on March 9 to meet fans. See www.dukesofhazzardgareunion.com
• March 22-24, 2013: John will be meeting fans at Movie Days in Dortmund, Germany; http://www.movie-days.de
• June 1, 2013: John will be meeting fans at the Volo Auto Museum in Volo, Illinois. See http://volocars.com/event.php?evid=572

Concerts

• March 1, 2013 John and Tom Wopat in concert together  Del E. Webb Center for the Performing Arts in Wickenburg, Arizona; http://events.azcentral.com/wickenburg_az/events/show/276026765-return-of-the-dukes
• March 2, 2013 John and Tom Wopat in concert together at Chandler Center for the Arts in Chandler, Arizona; http://www.ticketmaster.com/John-Schneider-tickets/artist/732925

On screen

• John recently did some taping for the TV show "Mistresses," so watch for that on TV in 2013.
• This coming week, John will be in Wilmington, North Carolina, shooting the movie "Adrenaline."

Spotted: Dack Rambo

Well, now, that's what you get for fishin' through the $5 DVD bin! Some real stinkers! Why do ya think they're in the $5 bin? Yes, we should've known better, but we were just too enticed by the promise of 15 -- count 'em, 15! -- horror movies on one DVD! We love Halloween, and we just love sinking our teeth into a good scary movie. But "Invasion of the Bee Girls" and "She-Beast"? Egads.

But we do digress ... The reason we're posting about this particular 15-horror-movie DVD is that there was one flick on it that rose (just a bit) above the murky abyss, if only for the pleasure of watching one of our BRBTV stars. "Good Against Evil," starring Mr. Dack Rambo, our former Jack Ewing of "Dallas" and Andros of "Wonder Woman." He's young, he's hotter-than-hot as always, and he's got his rather forthright charm on as he falls for the movie's main character, Jessica, played by Elyssa Davalos. In the 1977 movie, Jessica is a young woman born of mysterious circumstances, under the watch of the Devil, meant to fulfill some prophecy or somesuch. Rambo's character teams up with a priest to try to rid the evil in their midst.

Richard Lynch is along for the ride in this story of demon possession, as well as Kim Cattrall, playing a little older than she was at the time (but yes, she's been around for that long! and still so astonishingly lovely in "Sex in the City" in the '90s!).

We were disappointed about the ending, which left things unresolved, then we got on the IMDb and saw that this was not only a TV movie but a pilot! That didn't sell. Yea. Can you believe it?

Right. We've only finished Disc 1. Onward to "Memorial Valley Massacre," "Messiah of Evil" and "Snake People." Sigh. We'll take that SyFy Saturday-night creature feature any day of the week.

Thaao Penglis takes on "The Book of Esther"

He's using his exotic good looks to his advantage again, and we enjoyed them so much when he was Micah DeAngelis on "Santa Barbara," now didn't we? We're talking Thaao Penglis, and in his latest project, "The Book of Esther," he portrays Haman, all handsome and lush in colorful period (and rather Biblical) costumes.

The movie was casting last month and started shooting October 8, with one of our favorite actors as the director, David A.R. White. Jen Lilley, known as the newest Maxie Jones on "General Hospital," is also part of the cast. Keep up with the movie's production on White's fan page on Facebook.

Nicolas Coster joins new web soap "My Synthesized Life"

Web series are popping up all over the place, and they seem to have no problem recruiting our fave stars to join in the action. The other day we told you about Terri Garber's latest role; today it's Nicolas Coster, Garber's former co-star on "Santa Barbara" as the enigmatic Lionel Lockridge, as well as roles on "Dallas," "Wonder Woman" and one of the "The Dukes of Hazzard" reunion movies.

"My Synthesized Life" is a comedy about a young man whose voice naturally synthesizes after he survives a near car crash. Created by Nate Golon, this series follows the 25-year-old office worker as his life is thrown into turmoil after the crash. Coster is playing Hank Bales, father of the lead character. Check out photos on the set at the show's Facebook page.

Terri Garber is up to some "New Tricks" ... with some "Old Dogs," perhaps

Looking lovely with her straight black hair parted straight down the center, Terri Garber was on the set this week for Season 2 of the web series "Old Dogs and New Tricks." Our former Leslie Carrington of "Dynasty" and Suzanne Collier of "Santa Barbara" is playing Dr. Leslie Ashley, Nathan Adler's latest shrink, on the series, which takes you, as its official site notes, "through the friendship and tribulations of four diverse and otherwise successful West Hollywood men – each one located squarely within middle age." The Nathan Adler character is a talent agent approaching his 50th birthday.

Olympic gold-medal-winner Greg Louganis is appearing in the soap as a recurring guest star. Longtime soaps star Ian Buchanan is also featured. Check out the show's first-season episodes at its website, and see albums of production photos that include Garber at the official Facebook page. The second season begins in 2013.

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

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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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