Ben Jones and Alma Viator host Rappahannock Americana Music Festival

From the same lovely Virginia town where they recently hosted a Hazzard Homecoming, Ben ("Cooter Davenport") Jones of "The Dukes of Hazzard" and his wife, Alma Viator, are hosting a music fest in a couple weeks. From their email and website:

Ben Jones and Alma Viator present The First Annual Rappahannock Americana Music Festival on May 17, 2014 from noon to 10 p.m. in beautiful Washington, Virginia.

“Americana music is the home-grown music of America," Ben Jones says. "It is influenced by old time string music, jug bands, the blues and rhythm and blues, country and bluegrass, Cajun and Creole, and whatever else that came from the bottom up instead of from the top down. Some people call it ‘roots,’ some people call it ‘folk’ music, but it is all of that and more, because a lot of it is new music made in the traditional way.”

The event will be held at:
The Theatre and Avon Hall Washington, Virginia
291 Gay Street
Washington, VA 22747

Check the event's Facebook page or the official website for more info.

Next up in Terrific TV Toys: Wonder Woman (8-inch) Mego

She thwarted evil with a magic spin; she was the unstoppable Wonder Woman!!!! (And that spin was from the Lynda Carter version of Wonder Woman first, by the way, then the spin was brought into the comics.) Regardless, at the time the "Wonder Woman" TV series originally aired in the 1970s, there were a couple versions of a Wonder Woman doll / action figure that little girls everywhere and maybe even some little boys could enjoy. They were both made by Mego. One was 8 inches high and the first of a set of Mego's supergals in its well-known and well-regarded World's Greatest Super Heroes collection. She hit the store shelves just before Lynda Carter hit the TV airwaves, then continued to sell for a while, perhaps also inspired by the Wonder Woman of the popular "Super Friends" series of the time. Then she was eclipsed by the 12-inch, very detailed version which was more of an official companion to the TV series (complete with Diana Prince outfit -- it rocks, trust us), which you'll see in a future installment of the series.

For now, though, let's take a look at that 8-inch beauty from BRB's own childhood collection as the BRBTV video series Terrific TV Toys (*of a vintage nature) continues ....

It's BRBTV's first TV spot!

BRBTV has employed a number of marketing avenues over the years, but we're pretty excited to now have ventured into advertising on ... television!!!! You know, that medium we cover in the first place!!! How cool.

A 15-second spot for the most recent installment of the BRBTV fact book series, "Superchicks: A Guide to TV's Wonder Woman and Isis," has been running on the "Comics Continuum" TV show based in Detroit and also airing in parts of Ohio and Indiana. If you recall, Billie Rae Bates of BRBTV did a bunch of work for the show in its early days, hosting episodes and doing myriad on-camera interviews with professionals in the comic book, TV, and movie industry.

Terrific TV Toys video series takes a look at the Supergirl Mego

The other day we introduced you to a new video series on the BRBTV YouTube channel, Terrific TV Toys (*of a vintage nature). We took at look at BRB's own classic Batgirl Mego action figure (doll, if you will!). Next up, it's the classic Supergirl of the same Mego series. Same size, same body mold, beautiful blond hair, beautiful blue eyes! She's a true star of the '70s toy circuit, and she's up-close and personal in this installment ...

Awesome Con: Ernie Hudson talks -- of all things -- "The Dukes of Hazzard"

This author had a fantastic time at last weekend's Awesome Con in Washington, D.C. It was the second year for this event, and it was huge. Lots of great TV and film stars, lots of great costumes, and lots of great people to hang with. Look for coverage of the event on upcoming episodes of the "Fantastic Forum" TV show (IMDb), which this chick is blessed to be a part of. We had a great set overlooking the convention floor, and we shot a ton of wonderful stuff (three episodes and several interviews) under the direction of producer Ulysses E. Campbell and a sterling camera and talent crew. What a great experience!!!! Magnificent weekend with true professionals, says BRB!

One of the folks we got to see was Ernie Hudson of "Ghostbusters" fame, who us "Dukes of Hazzard" fans remember from the 1982 episode "Dear Diary." (You know, the one where the adorable Flash buries Rosco's diary at the Duke farm.) Hudson played Avery in the episode. Fellow author Brian Lombard (who wrote the "Bradypalooza" guide to "The Brady Bunch") is an avid "Dukes" fan and asked Hudson about the episode during the actor's panel discussion. In particular Brian wanted to know about that moment when the car went off the cliff and exploded in mid-air -- was that an accident or planned that way?

 From last weekend's Awesome Con: Ernie Hudson in a discussion panel
moderated by Ulysses Campbell, producer of the "Fantastic Forum" TV show.

At first Hudson quipped that he didn’t know because he hadn’t seen the episode. As the laughter died down in the vast convention room, and it seemed this was the only answer there would be, the actor graciously continued: “I don’t watch everything I do. I’m not embarrassed to say that. Well, the part I wanted to play was the bad guy. I found out great, I got the job. And then they handed me the script. I thought, oh no. And the guy who was playing the part wasn’t really an actor, so I was kinda disappointed. Then when I got there, they had a tank top and some baby oil for me. I don’t think I had hardly any lines. Maybe one line or something. So they wanted me to oil up. I’m thinking, this is ‘Dukes of Hazzard,’ and I've got my head oiled up! And I was like, no, no. First off, the day I was working, I drove to the set, and as I was coming in to the driveway, there was a Confederate flag. It didn’t start the day off right.” (Audience laughs)

“Then I get there and I see the baby oil and the tank top.Then I go, ‘No, I want to see the director.’ I went, ‘No, no. This ain’t gonna happen.’ I’m walking to see the director and I go past the one other black guy in the entire room, and he’s telling a black joke." (Laughter) "So now I’m like, OK, this is getting bad. So now I’m going to see the director, I’m going to say I’m not wearing this thing. And he’s going to say something, and I’m going to knock him up. You know how you’re thinking in your head, when he says this, I’m going to say that. Then something said, just let it go, whatever happens. You can deal with it. And then I just …” (spreading hands) “And I saw the director, and I said listen, and he said, no, it’s OK, it’s over. And then I did show up in one of the funniest experiences I’ve ever had. With Tom (Wopat), and in fact I just worked with John Schneider again. That was a really big learning experience for me. Because sometimes you’re acting on the emotion of what you’re expecting to happen. And none of that happened. It actually turned out nice.”

We're kinda thinking that with the tremendous body of work he's had over the years, Ernie doesn't get many questions about our beloved "Dukes"!

Photo by Billie Rae Bates / BRBTV

Copying with credit is OK; a link would be grand.

Catch the brand-new video series from BRBTV: Terrific TV Toys!!!!

The rest of the world may know her as an action figure, but to a little girl, she's a doll. And to this little girl, she may have been the very first doll she ever owned. We're talking the 8-inch Batgirl figure by Mego, part of a large collection of what we're affectionately terming Terrific TV Toys (*of a vintage nature) owned by Billie Rae Bates that you'll see in a new video series from BRBTV.

Step back in time as BRB shows you up-close and personal these items from her childhood that celebrated or accompanied great classic TV shows such as the "Batman" -- in '60s live action or in '60s-'70s Filmation -- and various incarnations of the "Super Friends" of Saturday morning. Future installments of the series will look at the official licensed (vintage!) toys from "The Six Million Dollar Man," "The Bionic Woman," "Charlie's Angels," "The Dukes of Hazzard" and more. There's lots of great stuff here to examine, and it's all there in brilliant color, though often worn and well-played-with!

Happy Easter from BRBTV!!!

 

The mysterious crane avenger has been at it again, liberating poor hapless stuffed critters from claw machines all over southeast Michigan. Scoobies are his specialties, and you can see the fruit of his rescue missions above. My, how the Doo family has grown since our Halloween, Christmas and even Valentine's Day photos.

So to give each Doo his (or her) due ...

Middle (Easter!) row, from left: Sweety-Doo, Scooby-Boo, Grampa-Doo in front and Snotty-Doo behind him, then the recently rescued Delivery-Doo, with Pinky-Doo and Apple-Doo in front of him, then in the center it's Bunn-Ana-Doo with Bunny-Doo and Hoppy-Doo, with Squirty-Doo in front in the basket, Bucky-Doo in back and Spotty-Doo in the basket, his sister Dottie-Doo behind, Scrappy-Doo in front (yep, we've got one of those, too), Smiley-Doo in the back, then Hearty-Doo and Lovey-Doo.

Bottom row: Limey-Doo, Justice-Doo, Blue-Doo, My Big Boy, Papa Marley and his two boys, Marley-Doo and Doobie-Doo, Courage-Doo and Valor-Doo.

Top row, the Christmas Doos: Candy-Doo, Antler-Doo, Santa-Doo, Santa-Too, Rudy-Doo, and Candy-Too.

Catch Byron Cherry and Don Pedro Colley in Ohio on July 4

The Northeast Ohio Dukes are serving up a stunt show and lots of fun on July 4 and 5, and that will even include Byron ("Coy Duke") Cherry and Don Pedro ("Sheriff Little") Colley of "The Dukes of Hazzard."

 

What a way to celebrate the birthday of the good ole U.S. of A.! Yeeeee-haaaaa!