Bobby gives us another look at his "Gilligan's Island" Skipper hat collection

You've seen Bobby's yummy collection of "Gilligan's Island" collectibles on this site before, and he's a real fan of Skipper, played by Alan Hale. (Check out the March 27, 2023, and April 11, 2022 posts, for two examples.) Now he's got another Skipper hat he is sharing with BRBTV. 

"This is my actual Lancaster brand Skipper hat replica," Bobby says. "The brand Alan Hale Jr. wore as the Skipper on the original show, the three seasons, 98 episodes, '64-'67, and the last two of the three reunion movies, '79 and '81. A friend got it for me as a Christmas present in 2017. I made it into the Skipper's Lancaster Yachting Hat/Captain Hat from a Lancaster Uniform Cap Co. police hat."

Bobby loves doing Skipper cosplay:

You can see more of Bobby's Skipper cosplay at his Rob "Skipper" Broadhurst, Alan Hale Jr. Tribute Artist Facebook page.

Photos courtesy of Bobby; please do not copy without permission.

Terrific TV Toys: "Dukes of Hazzard" calculator by Unisonic, 1981

We're back in Hazzard County for the latest episode of the Terrific TV Toys series, with another selection from the massive array of merchandise that was released when the show originally aired in the 1980s. This item is quite a practical "toy," so to speak, as this author uses it every month to balance the checkbook! It works just great, and though it's a bit old-school, it is a treasure nonetheless.

See what else is on the Terrific TV Toys playlist.

A look inside Nic and Norman's for the "Dead"-heads among us

Special thanks to Jason and Billy for sharing these photos from their trip earlier this month to the Nic and Norman's restaurant in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The eatery, owned by Norman Reedus of "The Walking Dead" and the show's executive producer and makeup guru Greg Nicotero, features everything from brisket nachos to crab and avocado toast to chicken pot pie to meatloaf to shrimp and grit cakes and whatever else in-between. Their chain has two other locations in Senoia, Georgia, and Lexington, Kentucky. Jason was enthralled by the former-train-station atmosphere of this Chattanooga spot, though. Looks comfy, not to mention delicious!

Here's Jason, left, and Billy, with Billy's wife, Kim. Thanks for the photos, guys!

Some glimpses of the goods from Novi toy show

It seemed like a brand-new show, at least it was one this collector had not seen before. It happened yesterday at the Suburban Showplace Collection in Novi, Michigan, home of the wildly popular Motor City Comic Con (which is in just a couple weeks, incidentally, and which I may actually make my grand return to this year after several years away). And this toy show was pretty lush -- one big convention hall with lots of tables. It wasn't well-attended -- maybe it wasn't advertised that much? Anyway, no matter. It was nice to not have hordes of people. 

So many TV-show-related goodies! There are a ton of photos to show, everything from "All in the Family" to the beloved Batman and Scooby-Doo to the ever-present "Star Trek" and so much more. Such a joy to get back to a nice-sized toy show. Maybe this one is / will be yearly and if so, it's highly recommended. Folks there were really nice to chat with.

Three views of the same thermos, featuring images from the Krofft shows of the '70s, except for "Land of the Lost," unfortunately. Very cool and priced at $50 loose without the lunchbox. 

***********************

Photos by Billie Rae Bates / BRBTV

Copying with credit is OK; a link would be grand