Remember this star car on classic TV?

Behold the latest acquisition, arriving just last weekend, to a large collection of star cars located in particular place in Metro Detroit ... Do you perchance recall seeing this beauty on 1970s television? And do you remember the beauty driving it? There's a big hint in the photos below, in a doll that you've seen on a previous episode of the Terrific TV Toys web series ...

 

 

Yes, it's the 1976 Ford Mustang Cobra II that Farrah Fawcett drove as Jill Munroe on "Charlie's Angels," first airing in 1976. You'll see that it's in pretty good condition and has some nice touches throughout, particular in its Cobra imagery ...

 

This car is going to get a little TLC, then you'll be seeing it at car shows in Metro Detroit soon, along with other star cars like the General Lee, KITT, Monkeemobile, A-Team van and all that jazz!

Photos by Billie Rae Bates / BRBTV, and Mike

Copying with credit is OK; a link would be grand

Does the new "Dynasty" delight? Dare I say ... sure.

Say what you want -- I'm signed on. The CW's "Dynasty" remake premiered last night, and in the first few minutes, the word that came to this author's mind was sassy. It's a sassier, smoother version of the original, with all the updated production values you'd expect from the three additional decades of technological advancement. And that sass -- did we mention that sass? Is it a parody? Hmmm. So then the kicker line of Blake's, at the tail end of the opening, brought another word to mind ... outrageous. It's a bit outrageous. It doesn't care if it's funny. It doesn't care if it's serious. It doesn't freakin' care what it is and how you take it. It just is. That's the impression I was left with.

Elizabeth Gillies as Fallon is in full command, as we would expect and hope. No disappointment there. My favorite thing, though, by far, was seeing Nick Wechsler as Matthew Blaisdel. He rocked big and wide on "Revenge," which some have compared to a modern "Dynasty," and I loved him on "Roswell" back in the early 2000s. Great actor who's a fine match to the original Matthew, Bo Hopkins. Grant Show is quite a different brand of Blake, but we'll see how that goes. Just being a "Melrose" alum rates him high in this soap fan's book. He's getting on in years now, but still so smokin' hot. And then they throw in a new but still much-put-upon Joseph. Nice, and nicely played by Alan Dale. The new Jeff Colby, Sam Adegoke, and his sis on the show provide a fine addition of color. Much needed.

Last night's pilot basically recreated the events of the original "Dynasty" pilot, with some twisting. I'm assuming there will be divergence in plot lines as the episodes progress? I really didn't read much of anything at all online about this series, because I wanted to discover it as it went along, just like with the original. And yes, you'll eventually be seeing an update to the Kindle version of "Dynasty High," because I'm just plain addicted to this stuff.

So yea ... now we just await ... ALEXIS. Bring 'er on.

Terrific TV Toys: "Star Trek" claw-game plush, part 1

Ever play those crane games, or claw games, at the grocery store or mall? You know, where you put a couple quarters in and guide the mechanical claw over to the toy of your choice? You've seen quite a few claw-game prizes on past episodes of Terrific TV Toys (namely, stuffed Scoobies!), but this week, we turn our focus to one half of a full set of larger "Star Trek" plush. The set of nine was released into the claw games in 2013 by Toy Factory. In this episode and next week's episode, you'll even get some fun shots of their captures (and attempted captures)!



Stay tuned next week, when you'll see the other four plush in the set.

Terrific TV Toys: Batgirl 1960s figure by Funko

The merchandise for the 1966 "Batman" TV series keeps streaming onto store shelves and into online carts, and this summer Funko released yet another Batgirl figure celebrating Yvonne Craig's portrayal of the iconic character. This one is small -- only 3 or 4 inches high. Looking at it, though, I love to think about the influence of that purple sparkly Batgirl costume in other incarnations of the character in comics and TV shows over the decades, so let's talk about that a bit, shall we?

"Star Trek," "A-Team," Fonzie and more at the Flat Rock Speedway yesterday

It's a show so big it's quite overwhelming, and it happens once a year around the track. It's the Flat Rock Speedway flea market, just downriver from Detroit, and it was yesterday. It's friggin' hard to leave that place without some kind of purchase, and we really didn't see anybody who did so. In fact, a lot of the items carried out were bigger in size. Anyway, this author found a few treasures, including a metal '80s "A-Team" copter with three figures inside for Mike, honorary procurement chief at BRBTV (nice to procure something for him once in a while). We saw some other stuff related to great classic TV shows that was just as tempting ...

These photos were all from the same booth, and believe me, this vendor loved "Star Trek." There were all kinds of great "Trek" things, as well as a nice overall Mego collection.

Until next year!

Photos by Billie Rae Bates / BRBTV

Copying with credit is OK; a link would be grand

Terrific TV Toys: "Batman: The Animated Series" yoyo and frisbee

It was only a couple decades ago (only the '90s, ya know, which seems like yesterday!), but memories fade. And this author knows for sure she got the "Batman: The Animated Series" yoyo featured on this week's installment of Terrific TV Toys in the '90s when the series was still in its original airing on television. And I was thinking the Frisbee came with, but now I'm not so sure! Anyway, get up-close and personal with these two unique items (just try and find them online right now!) from a beloved animated series ...

Bjørn continues to amaze us with his "Dynasty" wardrobe and memorabilia collection

Readers of this blog know Bjørn of Norway and his incredible collection of "Dynasty" merchandise, as well as his scale model of the Carrington mansion (see October 25, 2014, May 24, 2014 and September 20, 2013 for instance). Bjørn has just shared some more photos with BRBTV, and wow, can anything be more amazing for a "Dynasty" fan??? There are lots of original costumes below, as well as one Nolan Miller Collection replica costume (yes, it's that very famous gunmetal lame' gown worn by Alexis in so many publicity shots).

Among the jewels pictured below are quite a few pieces of the costume jewelry worn by the ladies on the series. Baubles of every variety, to match every color of gown! My, my!

Bjørn was also the subject of this online media story on his collection (sorry, there doesn't appear to be an English translation, but you get the picture -- a lot more pictures, actually!). And here is a video featuring him and his collection.

Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Con: Ponch and Jon, Gilligan and more

Lots of great stars of classic television came out once again for the Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Con, just ending its three-day spin in Hunt Valley, Maryland, yesterday. Where else can you meet the two stars of "CHiPS," Erik Estrada and Larry Wilcox, as well as Bobby Ewing of "Dallas," Patrick Duffy, Shirley of "Laverne and Shirley," Cindy Williams, Mary Ann of "Gilligan's Island," Ms. Dawn Wells, plus even a Gilligan cosplayer! That's quite a cross-section!

You may know Larry Storch from "F-Troop," but I know him from a little live-action Saturday-morning show called "The Ghost Busters," created years before the more-famous 1980s movie and having absolutely nothing to do with it. I faithfully watched that little show every week, and I had to ask Mr. Storch about it. Seems he does have other folks who remember it -- and had a couple photos from it to sign on his table! The series has never been released on DVD, but you can find a few episodes on YouTube.

Brian Lombard, my buddy from Virginia, showed up in this Gilligan outfit, which really thrilled Dawn Wells, whose line he was waiting in here! Brian is the author of the "Bradypalooza" book on "The Brady Bunch" and has contributed photos to BRBTV projects over the years. We were thinking he might be the first cosplayer at this event, which tends to skew to a slightly older crowd than the standard con, but then we came across this "Blues Brothers" bro among the vendors upstairs -- whom I also encountered last year, who did have his regular hat on but then channeled a bit of the Skipper ...

All in all, a great show once again. For three years in a row, I've been showing up on the last day of the show, Saturday, and it's still been hoppin,' and you always see great TV-related merchandise among the shopping, too, which is super-cool.

Photos by Billie Rae Bates / BRBTV

Copying with credit is OK; a link would be grand

Terrific TV Toys: "Batman: The Animated Series" talking alarm clock

We're big on anniversaries, here at BRBTV, particular on the Terrific TV Toys series. We've been celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Barbara Gordon Batgirl all year long this year, and last year we marked the 50th anniversary of the debut of both "Star Trek" and "The Green Hornet," and really, the "Batman" series, as well, with a look at the Figures Toy Co. action figures from that series.

Well, it occurred to this author earlier this month, while shooting the Batgirl anniversary episode for September, that it's actually been 25 years since "Batman: The Animated Series" debuted on television! Wow, has that much time really passed? I remember watching that very first episode in September 1992. It was airing in primetime on the weekend, a special sneak peek before it settled into its regular weekday afternoon spot that coming week. And it was the Manbat episode, "On Leather Wings." I was out of town on vacation, but I remember huddling around the TV with a couple friends that Sunday night to catch this new vision of the Caped Crusader. And what a long-lasting (and still continuing!) vision it was.

This week on T3, let's take a look at a unique item from that series, produced while it was still originally airing ...

Christopher Hensel, aka Jeb Stuart Duke, tells us what he's been up to

Christopher Hensel is an actor who has done some varied roles over the years, but he has the fortunate distinction of being a Duke boy, of being part of that family tree of Uncle Jesse Duke on "The Dukes of Hazzard." He played Jeb Stuart Duke -- that long-lost Duke on a motorbike -- in the second season of the show. As such, he's been out and about recently, meetin' and greetin' "Dukes" fans in various places. He is the signature hardly anybody has yet on their General, after all, and it's clear he's enjoying the natural hospitality that is our beloved "Dukes."

Hensel appeared last weekend at the Morrow County Fair in Ohio with the Northeast Ohio Dukes stunt group, and he's got another appearance coming up with NEOD, too. Hear more about it in this interview with Billie Rae Bates of BRBTV and (Cousin) Don Covell Jr. ...

The Northeast Ohio Dukes dazzle 'em with "Double Dukes" stunt show

It was a great time and well-worth the drive this past Sunday, to Mt. Gilead, Ohio, for a stunt show straight outta Hazzard County. The Northeast Ohio Dukes, the same group that made history jumpin' a General Lee car in downtown Detroit earlier this year, put on the thrills and chills with a full "Dukes of Hazzard"-themed show at the Morrow County Fair.

The stands were beyond packed for this show, held Sunday evening, which paid tribute to the fourth-season episode of the show, "Double Dukes," with not one but two General Lees, one driven by our boys Bo and Luke (Raymond Kohn and Rob Roushey), and the other driven by a couple baddies. (You know you've always gotta have the baddies thrown in!) And of course, ole Boss Hogg and Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane (Rodney Kohn and Tony Florie) were wheelin' and dealin' with those baddies to bring down our fair Dukes, and lovely Daisy (Tina Kohn) and the upright Uncle Jesse (Dean Jaech) were there to help the boys out.

And there were jumps -- boy, were there some great jumps! The Chickasaw County sheriff's car, Uncle Jesse's truck, Enos' little Ford Focus sheriff's car (didya know he had one of those???) and more ... culminating in a very long General Lee jump helmed by Raymond Kohn himself -- his 21st jump -- that brought the show to a conclusion with a nice, loud "Dukes"-style bang! Here's the first of the two BRBTV videos from the event, capturing each one of those jumps!



This was a big production, with pyrotechnics and lots of moving parts and fast-movin' cars. Very good family fun!

Look for another video on Friday -- an interview with Christopher Hensel, who played Jeb Stuart Duke in the show's second season, and who was a special guest of the Northeast Ohio Dukes at the event!

Photos by Billie Rae Bates / BRBTV

Copying with credit is OK; a link would be grand

Terrific TV Toys: Batgirl figure from "B:TAS" by DC Collectibles

We had the whole year marked out, for our once-a-month 50th anniversary for the Barbara Gordon Batgirl on the Terrific TV Toys series. But then the nicest friend in the world, Mike, had to muck it up in the nicest way ... He snagged a brand-new Batgirl figure, hot off the presses, as you'll hear in this video, then he snagged another brand-new Batgirl figure that you'll see next month. It pushes a couple other things off the schedule, but oh, well! There's always next year! What a wonderful problem to have ...



Happy Labor Day!

Stay tuned, 'cuz this week we have video coverage of yesterday's Northeast Ohio Dukes stunt show at the Morrow County Fair in Ohio ...

TGIF! And here's that list of TV shows and movies from Monday's video!

Congratulations to Maddie of South Carolina, who was the first one to correctly list out for us all of the TV shows and movies represented by the star cars at the Cruisin' Hines event this past weekend, as documented in our walk-through:



Here they are, if you're wondering:

1. "Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!"
2. "Dumb and Dumber"
3. "The A-Team"
4. "Batman" (1966)
5. "The Blues Brothers"
6. "Talladega Nights"
7. "Christine"
8. "Knight Rider"
9. "The Monkees"
10. "The Dukes of Hazzard"
11. "The Munsters"
12. "Smokey and the Bandit"
13. "Panic in the Year Zero"
14. "Speed Racer"
15. "Wayne's World"
16. "Planes, Trains and Automobiles"
17. "Bullit"
18. "Starsky and Hutch"