TGIF Toys: Hot pursuit!!!! Ooooh, I-love-it!-I-love-it!

We're on a regular "Dukes of Hazzard" skid here at the BRBTV News Blog, with our new feature TGIF Toys! So why not round it out for the month of April with one last photo of our blazin'-orange-themed goodies? This one also comes from Will "The Voice Man" Rodgers of Tennessee, and he calls this shot "Hot Pursuit!!!" It's a die-cast General Lee and Hazzard County sheriff's car. And wethinks we spy a sig on that Lee! Looks like John Schneider, sure do ...

My die cast General Lee has the signatures of John Schneider, Tom Wopat, Catherine Bach, James Best, Ben Jones, and Sonny Shroyer on it. The General and police car are 1/18 scale. I bought them both at Cooter's Place.

I know I bought the General Lee before I ever went to any Dukesfest, so I anticipate the General Lee of mine is from 2003 or 2004. I'm guessing they must have come out in 2002 or 2003. And I bought the Hazzard police car in 2009 when Sonny Shroyer came to the World of Wheels in Chattanooga. I bought it from those two characters who work for Cooter's in Gatlinburg and Sonny autographed it. The squad car is newer.

-- Will Rodgers

Visit Will's "Super Friends" site and experience more of his geeky expertise!

Photo by Will Rodgers; email before copying

Addendum:
We tend to stay away from the private lives of the stars on this news blog, and concentrate instead of their work, but our condolences and prayers go to Catherine Bach and her family in the death of her husband, Peter Lopez, this afternoon.

John Schneider set to star in "Doonby"

Thanks to Phyllis over at John Schneider's Unofficial Fan Club on Facebook for helping us stay up-to-date on our own Bo Duke of "The Dukes of Hazzard," because Heaven knows that's a full-time job in and of itself! The news just hit that John-John has another movie on tap, "Doonby."

Schneider portrays Sam Doonby, "a happy-go-lucky drifter who takes up residence in a small Texas town but seems suspiciously immune to the misfortunes that beset the other townsfolk," the Hollywood Reporter says in their full story. It's being called a modern take on "It's a Wonderful Life."

The film also features Ernie Hudson, who not only appeared on "The Secret Life of the American Teenager," where Schneider was once a regular, but he also appeared in a 1982 episode of "The Dukes."

Lane Davies returns for the Tennessee Shakespeare Festival

You can't keep our own original Mason Capwell of "Santa Barbara" away from the Shakespearan stage, even if it's for only the director's chair this time around. (And yes, we know there's no "only" about directing a work of Shakespeare!) Thus, Lane Davies will return to Bell Buckle, Tennessee, to lead the actors in a production of "The Two Gentleman of Verona" this summer.

True to form, Davies puts a twist on Ole Bill. "This is not your Grandmother's Shakespeare," the play's press says. "This summer's production will be set not in Verona, Italy, but in Verona, Tennessee, circa 1960, and our two gentlemen, Valentine and Proteus, are up-and-coming country and western singers, who make the move to a Milan that bears an odd resemblance to a well-know music capital of the South."

Last year, Davies directed and starred in "Romeo & Juliet" and "A Midsummer Night's Dream" at Bell Buckle; see our July 21, 2009 post for a photo peek of the fest.

Dates for "Verona" are June 18-20, 25-27 and July 2-4 and 9-11. Each show starts at 8 p.m., and the grounds open at 6 p.m. (and BRBTV'll tell ya, you can snag a seat right in the front row if you get there early like we did last year!). Performances take place at the Webb School on Highway 82.

See the Tennessee Shakespeare Festival's site for more details and to buy tickets, or call 615-397-1597.

TGIF Toys: Keep 'er between the ditches!

Well, now, you can't have Bo and Luke Duke without the General Lee, now can ya? In fact, "The Dukes of Hazzard" was about the car just as much as it was about the people! Last week, we showed you Mego's 8-inch figure line for the show, and the week before that, the more extensive 3.75-inch figures. For this week's installment of our new special feature TGIF Toys, Will "The Voice Man" Rodgers provides us with a glimpse of the vehicles.

And it's not just the General Lee. Mego made Daisy Duke's Jeep Dixie, Boss Hogg's white Caddy convertible, and some Hazzard County squad cars. These vehicles fit the smaller figures, not the 8-inchers. For a little more info on them, see our April 9 post, to which we add this note from Will:

Sadly, I wish Mego could have made a few more vehicles for the action figures. Namely, two of them. Cooter's wrecker would have made a great seller. It could have come with a hook to put under one of the other vehicles for towing action. And Uncle Jesse's pickup. Just for completion. Who knows? Maybe Daisy's yellow Plymouth Roadrunner would have been good. And maybe a more accurate Hazzard squad car.

Photo by Will Rodgers; please email before copying

Visit Will's "Super Friends" site.

James Best makes Tennessee appearances

James Best, our own Rosco P. Coltrane of "The Dukes of Hazzard," will be appearing with his artwork and new book on the following dates:

Friday, April 23, 6-9 p.m.
Saturday, April 24, 1-4 p.m.
Holiday Inn Express (Camden room)
1819 Holiday Drive
Athens, Tennesee 37303

Friday, April 30, 6-9 p.m.
Sherlocks Book Emporium
200 Maddox-Simpson Parkway
Lebanon, Tennessee 37090
615-449-9807

Saturday, May 1, 2010, 6-9 p.m.
Sherlocks Book Emporium
Downtown Nashville
235 Fifth Ave. North
Nashville, Tennessee
615-248-1962
http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103309738360&s=2393&e=001wCPfzTiIjmuB7t2748c4tqJ8Tqz9efjkem-1BzRJnJS8uZVGBTqEbLIyD1ldiBN9CX49U_98h3B7ub27HQgPebw6F0wKV5nWW55ujxAO2uJN13qlggPbY5G-PV5aw3BQ

"Dallas" reunion at Southfork released on DVD

Ahhh, it's the next best thing to being there .... And if you weren't there, at the first ever "Dallas" reunion at Southfork Ranch in Texas, you'll want to live vicariously through this new DVD, released by Creative Advancement Entertainment.

It's a limited-edition collection of moments from the fall 2008 event commemorating the 30th anniversary of the show's debut. The DVD features a couple hours of center stage and behind-the-scenes moments with the likes of Larry Hagman, Linda Gray, Patrick Duffy and fellow cast members as they gathered with thousands of fans. The DVD's press says the footage has not been made available to the public before now.

"We wanted to do something special for the fans of 'Dallas,' and I believe we’ve struck oil with 'Dallas VIP,'" Producer Erick Gosse says. "Throughout the entire history of 'Dallas,' there’s absolutely nothing like it."

You can purchase the DVD at http://www.ultimatedallas.com. And for more info, hop on over to http://www.oilbaronsclub.com.

Look for Nicolas Coster in a new AT&T commercial

Nicolas Coster, our own original Lionel Lockridge of "Santa Barbara," told BRBTV last week about a new TV spot he has coming up for AT&T. He's been busy, busy, busy, flying back and forth between the West Coast and the East, and he worked in time to tape this ad.

"Adorable and funny commercial," he told us. "Super director. Out when? I don't know. I play a stuffy but somewhat amusing lawyer."

Fun! We'll look for it. Coster, meanwhile, has a couple more irons in the fire:
- "Dancing on a Dry Salt Lake," also starring Barry Livingston
- "Midlife," with Timothy Guest

TGIF Toys: Mego's "Dukes" 8-inchers

Last week for our new feature TGIF Toys, we brought you Mego's smaller figure line from "The Dukes of Hazzard." This week, we take a look at the ever-popular 8-inchers. Above, Will "The Voice Man" Rodgers shows us the cast of Season 3 of the show, while the next photo you'll see below features the characters from Season 5.

But hold the phone, you're thinkin'? There weren't that many "Dukes" Mego 8-inchers! Yes, you are correct (and you must have been reading the extensive information our friends at the Mego Museum have so thoroughly researched on their site!). Well, folks, what we have here is some very loving custom work. Read on, in this articulate explanation from Will ...

The packaging for both the 8-inch and 3.75-inch figures had the illustration of the following: Small shots of the General Lee and the Hazzard Sheriff's squad car, full body shots of Boss Hogg and Sheriff Rosco and big head shots of Bo, Luke, Daisy, and Uncle Jesse. For the 8-inch line, as a little kid, I was led to believe that this is what we would get. Unfortunately, it turned out not to be the case.

Bo and Luke were the easiest to find. Bo had a white/yellow shirt with long sleeves and light blue jeans and black boots. Luke had a long-sleeve bluish shirt that reminded me of the plaid shirts he wore in the first three seasons of the show. He had dark blue jeans and black boots. In 1981, Bo sported a short-sleeved white/yellow shirt and Luke sported a light powder-blue shirt reminiscent of his plain shirt from season two. Daisy Duke was the only other Mego that was made initially. My favorite has the blue top and the Daisy Duke shorts. The other one had a green top and blue Daisy Dukes.

Over the years, I've had each of the variations. Later, Mego added one more character, Boss Hogg in his white suit and hat. Sadly, that was all they made. We never got 8-inch dolls of Uncle Jesse and Sheriff Rosco. Nor did we ever get any vehicles for the upscale Dukes. Even to this day, I would pay well for somebody to custom-make a General Lee for the 8-inch Duke Boys. There was one made for the skits on "Robot Chicken." I wish I knew who made it.

In 1982, when Tom Wopat and John Schneider walked off the show, Mego's final figures were Bo and Luke with slightly altered heads. These two figures are hard to find and worth a lot to collectors. While they are "Bo and Luke" technically, these figures are actually and unofficially "Coy and Vance," even though they do not resemble Byron Cherry and Christopher Mayer.



CUSTOMS

My good friend Mike Barrett in Rifle, Colorado, who's a customizer of Megos, and I had talked for a long time about customizing the rest of the cast who were never made into 8-inch Mego figures. I came up with the recipes for most of the figures. First, I will say the only Megos I did nothing to are Daisy and Boss Hogg.

UNCLE JESSE: What 8-inch Mego "Dukes of Hazzard" collection would be right without the Duke patriarch? I would call it a sin. For his head, I bought an unpainted head of Blackbeard the pirate and he was smiling. His head was perfect for Jesse. Most of what I needed for Uncle Jesse came from the "Waltons" toyline by Mego. The Grandpa Walton Mego had most of what I needed. The body, the overalls and the same style boots worn by Bo and Luke. Mike painted the head and also gave it the twinkle in Denver Pyle's eyes. Mike custom-made the gray overalls with the red longjohn linings as well as the red cap.

SHERIFF ROSCO P. COLTRANE: It's a real shame we did not get a Rosco doll with all accessories! "Shame shame! Everybody knows your name, Mego!" But surprisingly, all the ingredients to make Rosco are available. It's just a matter of finding them and getting your materials together. On Dr. Mego's page, I found repro heads of the Robin Hood characters. The head of Will Scarlett looked to me like an exact replica of James Best along with the sideburns. All he needed was a repainting around the eyebrows. Of course, you need a basic male Mego body. Rosco's black sheriff's hat is available in Mego form. With their Western figures, it was the hat for Wild Bill Hickock. Dr. Mego has it listed as a reporter's hat, despite its Western look. While you could probably get the blue shirt, black tie, and black pants from Dr. Mego, my friend Mike custom-made Rosco's uniform and provided the sticker emblems for the shirt. My Rosco's shirt is a darker shade of blue since I wanted him to have the look of Season 1. My Rosco's hair is black, but maybe I should have had his hair painted salt-and-pepper.



COOTER: "Breaker one! Breaker one! Might be crazy but I am bummed!' That Mego didn't make a figure of Hazzard's number-one mechanic! At first, all I had in mind was Rosco and Uncle Jesse, but then I thought it would be cool to have customs of Cooter and Rosco's two dipstick deputies as well. For Cooter, the head that resembled Ben Jones the most was the head of John Walton (Ralph Waite) from the "Waltons" toyline. Of course, I used a regular male Mego body. For the blue jeans, either Bo or Luke's jeans and the Dukes boots work for Cooter. I'd say he's the easiest to make. Mike custom-made the sleeveless grey shirt and gave it and the jeans a greased look and even put a grease rag in the back of Cooter's pants pocket. Mike also made Cooter's cap. Mike painted the head to resemble Ben Jones and gave him the 5 o'clock shadow since I wanted this Cooter figure to resemble the Season 1 and 2 appearance. Someday, I'll make another Cooter that has him more clean-shaven. Mike also made the denim jacket Cooter wears. (The above photo shows the custom Cooter, along with Bo and Luke, inspired by the pilot episode "One Armed Bandits.")

CLETUS: "Flapjacks on a Ferris wheel! Buzzards on a buzz saw!" Why no Cletus?! Both Hazzard deputies proved to be a challenge for me and Mike. Using a male Mego body and making the clothes was no problem for Mike. For the head, the Mego who resembled Rick Hurst the most was Sgt. Getraer (Robert Pine) from "CHiPs." His hair was painted tan to resemble Cletus. The biggest challenge was the deputy hat. Mike had a real challenge and had to make a big one since the head was big.

ENOS: "Possum on a gum bush!' Mego's "Dukes of Hazzard" 8-inch line really needs an honest cop to keep everything straight. Well, speaking of straight, or should I say Strate, Deputy Enos Strate proved to be the hardest Mego to customize. All I could furnish was the basic male Mego body. Mike made the clothes, but Enos is the only Mego whose head had to be cast. There were no original Megos that resembled Sonny Shroyer. Also, the deputy's hat proved to be a challenge as was Cletus' hat.

HAZZARD LAW: For Rosco, Cletus, and Enos, the "CHiPs" line by Mego proved to be very helpful in that all three figures needed black boots, guns and holsters, and sticker emblems. Luckily, the "CHiPs" figures had all that, so I had to get extra, incomplete "CHiPs" figures to make the Hazzard Law Enforcement team's accessories complete.


COY AND VANCE: Very basic, simple thing. All I did was switch the shirts on the figures. After all, with the exception of the episode, "Dukes Strike it Rich" Coy wore the blue and Vance wore the white/yellow. (The above photo shows Coy and Vance, along with Bo and Luke and the rest of the characters, inspired by the episode "Welcome Back, Bo and Luke.")

THE VARIOUS APPEARANCES OF BO AND LUKE

To me, it was no wonder that there were toy action figures of "The Dukes of Hazzard," especially Bo and Luke since they always wore the same clothes in every episode as if they were uniforms or costumes. I am probably one of the very few people that's paid attention to Bo and Luke's appearances over the years. And I always wanted my Megos to resemble their early appearances, especially Season 1. So I used some extras.

In Season 1, Bo's yellow shirt was a beige yellow color. He also wore it in Season 2 and then on and off in Seasons 6 and 7. I used the beige shirt from the "CHiPs" line. Bo also sported a blue T-shirt underneath his shirt in Seasons 1 and 2 and part of Season 3. My friend Mike custom-made me three T-shirts: two shades of blue and the brown T-shirt John wore in the pilot episode, "One Armed Bandits." In Season 1, Luke sported a light denim jacket over his first plaid shirt. I discovered the Huggy Bear figure from the "Starsky and Hutch" toyline had a blue denim jacket that looked similar to Luke's , so I got a Huggy Bear figure and used the denim jacket for Luke, but sadly, I had to take his plaidish colored shirt and cut off the sleeves for a better fit. Luckily, I have a few more of those plaids.

-- Will Rodgers
Visit Will's "Super Friends" site and experience more of his geeky expertise!




Photos by Will Rodgers, too; please email before copying

Next week: The Mego vehicles!

Archie offers a "Summer Splash" for Free Comic Book Day

May is on its way, and for comics fans, that means that wondrous thing known as Free Comic Book Day! Here's a title that Archie has on tap for that day, so make sure you make it to your local comic book shop ...

ARCHIE’S SUMMER SPLASH – FREE COMIC BOOK DAY 2010

“Whose BEACH is it Anyway?”: Sun, sand, swimsuits and cool rockin’ tunes – no, it’s not a cinematic “beach party” blast from the past, but a whole new summer splash from Archie and his friends! In this fun-filled free issue, Cheryl and her snooty friends from Pembrooke form an all-girl group to compete head on with the Archies at a summer beach music festival. Will Cheryl’s group be a tuneful treat, or mistaken for bellowing whales?

SCRIPT AND ART: Dan Parent.

At comic shops May 1, 2010

All new, 32-page, full-color comic

FREE

Spotted: Robin Wright Penn

Her hair is mousy brown, if you can believe it, and her wardrobe is stapled by sloppy T-shirts, but it's still the lovely Robin Wright Penn, our own original Kelly Capwell of "Santa Barbara." Just as unmistakable are the slow pacing and spookiness of an M. Night Shyamalan film: If you didn't know it at the beginning of 2000's "Unbreakable," you certainly would by the end of the movie, especially with the filmmaker's trademark ending "big reveal."

In the flick, Penn is Audrey Dunn, the wife of Bruce Willis' seemingly invincible character, David Dunn. His sole survival from a deadly train crash causes a little soul searching: He can't recall ever being sick, and he knows he's scarcely been injured. There's no explanation for his invulnerability. His profession, irconially, is working security at an arena. Almost as ironic is Audrey's profession: physical rehab. Along the way, they encounter -- and are even downright haunted by -- Samuel L. Jackson's character, Elijah Price. Elijah has quite the different problem -- he becomes ill or breaks a bone at the slightest provocation. He has a theory for David, one that's hidden from us throughout the film, but David isn't interested.

On the sidelines, mostly, but once in a while chewing up her own scene, is Penn. She's quiet and patient, masking for the most part any bewilderment. And because this is an M. Night Shyamalan film, there's a whole lotta meaningful silence and deliberation.

Diahann Carroll stars in Lifetime movie "The Front"

Thanks to the folks at DiahannCarroll.net for the tipoff that the lovely Ms. Carroll, our own Dominique Devereaux of "Dynasty" will star in a new Lifetime movie based on a novel by Patricia Cornwell.

"The Front," which airs this Saturday at 9 p.m. Eastern, features Win Garano, an investigator for an ambitious Boston district attorney, who investigates a homicide involving "The Front," a coalition of local police departments serving the outlying Boston communities. Daniel Sunjata plays Win Garano. Andie MacDowell is Monique Lamont. Ashley Williams appears as Stump, a detective with whom Garono becomes romantically linked. Carroll plays Garano's grandmother, Nana.

To keep up with Carroll, who will also be bringing her acclaimed one-woman show “The Lady ... The Music ... The Legend” to PBS as part of their fund-raising program on U.S public television stations in August 2010, watch the news page on her official site.

Buckle your seatbelt for TGIF Toys!

We're starting up a new weekly feature here at the BRBTV News Blog, and we're thinkin' it's going to be a tidy bit of fun. Every Friday morning, bright and early (6 a.m. EST time in the U.S.!) we're going to be bringing you a photo -- and often a description! -- of a toy, or toys, relating to one of the shows covered by the various BRBTV reference guides. We're calling it TGIF Toys, because we all work hard during the week to play with our toys on the weekend, now don't we?

First-up on TGIF Toys, we draw from the extensive (did we mention mammoth?) collection of merchandise of our beloved "The Dukes of Hazzard." 'Round about 1981 or '82, the "Dukes" toys really exploded on the store shelves, and then again for the 2005 movie, so we could probably staff this new Friday feature with just "Dukes" stuff for years, we reckon. (But not to worry -- we'll be mixin' it up! We did just add Scooby-Doo to the BRBTV family at the beginning of this year, after all!)

This week's installment comes from our buddy Will "the Voice Man" Rodgers of Tennessee, who's really a part of BRBTV to begin with, because he's collaborating with BRB on three new reference book projects right now, as we speak. Will is an avid collector, so besides having an extensive repertoire of "Dukes" character voices at his disposal on a moment's notice, Will also has quite a lot of "Dukes" merchandise!

For this inaugural edition of TGIF Toys, Will staged the first scene from the very first "Dukes" episode, "One Armed Bandits," above. Here are our two Duke boys, Bo and Luke, with ole Cooter in a Hazzard squad car. These three handsome guys are from Mego's 3.75" line. So tell us what we're lookin' at, Will ...

Before Mego went into bankruptcy, one of, if not THE, last toy lines they did was "The Dukes of Hazzard." Sadly though, because of the time, we did not get all the toys of the "Dukes" that Mego could have made. Mego produced four (or technically six) 8-inch action figures and that was it! In terms of the 3 3/4-inch line, Mego gave us more. We had eight figures (technically all 11 characters) and four vehicles for the figures to fit in.

Mego gave us a better variety when it came to the smaller toys as far as the "Dukes" line went. And it was my favorite "Dukes" collectible as a kid. The General Lee with small figures of Bo and Luke Duke. The General did not exactly look like a Dodge Charger, but believable enough. But the only way to get the figures in and out of the car was a hatch opening on the roof, so the Confederate flag was a square shape instead of rectangular. The figures of Bo and Luke were built the same as the G.I. Joe figures of the '80s with three pieces held together by an O ring. These figures broke easily when the O rings came off. The original head designs resembled Tom Wopat and John Schneider. The coloring of the figures resembled their season one appearances.



Then, Mego began packaging the Bo and Luke figures on individual cards as well as Daisy, Boss Hogg, and Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane. At the same time, Mego also made the Dixie Jeep with a Daisy Duke figure. They also made the Hazzard Police "chase" car with Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane. While it was nice to have the sheriff's car, the Mego marketers got the car wrong. Instead of a Plymouth Fury, it's a 1950s model Chevy with one red siren. A poor subsitute for the real thing.

As a kid, I wanted a white Caddy with Boss Hogg and never got one, I assumed because it was never made. Au contraire! It turned out Mego did make it, but it was only available in Canada. But unlike the Hazzard squad car, the doors didn't open and it had a sticker with Boss Hogg's face on both doors. Boss fits in the driver's seat, but barely in the back. I have used the Wild Bill figure from G.I. Joe as Boss' chauffeur. Fortunately, I was able to find this collectible back in the '90s through a magazine called Toyshop. This was, of course, before eBay.

Finally, Mego made figures of Cooter, Uncle Jesse, and Cletus to round out the characters. Unlike Bo and Luke, the rest of the cast are figures whose legs don't bend. They are built differently. Rosco and Cletus have two different body molds: one with their arms bent and the other with their arms straight down. Cletus had more of a slimmer look and this figure can also double as Enos. To make them look different, I took the Cletus with the bent arms and colored his hair black with a pen and added eyebrows to make him into Deputy Enos Strate.

Thanks to eBay, I have two of the Hazzard Deputy figures, to have both Cletus and Enos, and I have two of the Hazzard squad cars. One for Rosco and the other for the deputy dipsticks!!

Finally in 1982, Mego began selling the General Lee by itself and it came with a slip to send away for the Bo and Luke figures at no extra charge. But these figures had bigger heads and the Luke figure looks more like Vance Duke. It's these versions of Bo and Luke that are easier to find. The original Bo is hard to find and the original Luke is semi hard to find. I had my friend Mike take the second variation Bo and Luke and turn them into Coy and Vance by switching their heads.

-- Will Rodgers

Visit Will's "Super Friends" site and experience more of his geeky expertise!

Photos by Will Rodgers, too; please email before copying

Next week: Mego's 8-inch "Dukes" line!

Christopher Cazenove dies

Following in the wake of John Forsythe's death, his "Dynasty" brother, Christopher Cazenove, has now passed away. Cazenove played the dashing Ben Carrington, the younger brother to Blake Carrington who had a serious chip on his shoulder. Though the relationship of the two characters was adversarial upon Ben's arrival in Denver in the 1986-1987 season, his character was softened considerably. The British actor, who was 64, continued working right up to his death.

"I am so saddened by the news of Christopher Cazenove's passing," the actor's "Dynasty" co-star Terri Garber posted on her Facebook status late yesterday. "He played my father on 'Dynasty.' He was a wonderful and kind man. We had a terrific relationship. He will be missed."

The IMDb has more information, including links to Cazenove's obituary in the UK's Guardian and other spots around the 'Net:
http://www.imdb.com/news/ni2009385/

Remembering John Forsythe

We knew he wouldn't live forever, but we're still sad that he's gone. And 92 years -- that's a good life. Really, what a very good life it was for John Forsythe, our own Blake Carrington of "Dynasty." With credits dating back to the early '40s, this handsome Jersey man had plenty of TV noteriety before he ever took the helm of Denver-Carrington. He even had his own show in 1965-66. So just in case you haven't learned enough about him in the past few days (and, truth be told, we're thinking the press on his death hasn't lived up to the actor he was), here are a few links to peruse, including some words from his co-stars, Joan Collins, Heather Locklear and Kate Jackson ...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/apr/03/john-forsythe-obituary
http://www.studiobriefing.net/2010/04/dynastys-john-forsythe-dead-at-92/
http://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/john-forsythe-dynasty-charlies-angels-13957/
http://www.realbollywood.com/news/2010/04/joan-collins-pays-tribute-dynasty-star-john-forsythe.html
http://www.digitalspy.com/showbiz/a212291/locklear-jackson-remember-john-forsythe.html?imdb
http://www.accesshollywood.com/friends-colleagues-react-to-death-of-john-forsythe_article_30790?__source=rss%7Cimdb%7Clatest-originals
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001234/news#ni1982004

Coming up in Archie Comics

ARCHIE #608
“It Starts With a Kiss”: It’s the double-bill of the century, as the Archies and Josie & the Pussycats co-headline a major concert tour… or so they think! Alex and Alexandria have sneaked behind everyone’s backs to ensure that Josie & the Pussycats are the main act while the Archies are merely the opening band. But the Archies have made Veronica’s cousin Marcy their manager and the ruse is soon exposed. Will the bands get through this dis-chord and once again find harmony?
SCRIPT: Dan Parent
ART: Bill Galvan
On sale at comic shops: April 21, 2010
Newsstands: May 4, 2010
32-page, 40 lb glossy stock, full-color comic
$2.99 U.S.

ARCHIE & FRIENDS #143
“Freshman Year—The Missing Chapters: Chuck”: For years, fans of Archie Comics have wondered what happened in the years before the fabled teens of Riverdale entered high school. How did everyone meet? Were the teachers always at the high school? Did all of Archie’s friends always live in Riverdale? Just when did the “eternal love triangle” first start? In the “Freshman Year” saga, originally presented in the pages of ARCHIE #587-591, readers finally learned the back-story behind Riverdale’s fabled cast of characters. But that wasn’t the whole story! In this follow-up series of stories, writer Batton Lash fills in the blanks, giving readers an even bigger glimpse of what went on with Jughead, Betty & Veronica, Reggie, Chuck, and Pencilneck G. In this story, Chuck’s cartoons of the past come back to haunt him when word gets back to him that a tough kid took exception to Chuck’s none-too-flattering caricatures. The subject of Chuck’s doodles isn’t happy about being “dissed” and has held a grudge for three years! Now Chuck must look back at the copious comics he did in freshman year to see what he did to diss his classmate!
SCRIPT: Batton Lash
ART: Bill Galvan
On sale at comic shops: May 5, 2010
Newsstands: May 18, 2010
32-page, 40 lb glossy stock, full-color comic
$2.99 U.S.

ARCHIE NEW LOOK SERIES VOLUME 4: VERONICA IN “MY FATHER’S BETRAYAL”
It's the fourth installment in Archie's dynamic “New Look” series! For years, Archie fans the world over wondered what their favorite Riverdale teens would look like if rendered in a realistic style, and in 2007, Archie Comics answered the question with the ground-breaking, pulse-pounding, media-grabbing story: “Betty & Veronica: Bad Boy Trouble!” The success of that story prompted them to create an entire “New Look” series, continuing with “Jughead: The Matchmakers” and “Moose & Midge: Breakup Blues.” Now, Archie Comics reprints “Veronica: My Father’s Betrayal,” originally presented in BETTY & VERONICA DOUBLE DIGEST #170 through #173. In this thrilling four-part series, Veronica and her friends face off against Mr. Lodge and his constituents as the teens try to keep a beloved nature preserve from becoming an industrial park! Petitions… posters… publicity… public meetings… it’s all part of a multi-tiered strategy by the teens to bring the plight of the forest to the public. They even enlist a botany professor to join their protest! But when people on both sides of the issue debate, the problem is grayer than ever. Who will prevail? Can the two sides resolve their differences peacefully and constructively? Can a compromise be reached before the trees all come down? It’s the story you just can’t afford to miss, served up in the “realistic” art style that made Betty and Veronica’s “Bad Boy Trouble” Jughead’s “Match Makers,” and Moose and Midge’s “Break-up Blues” some of the most-talked about Archie stories in recent years! Famous superhero art team and Eisner Award nominees Rick Burchett and Terry Austin lend their formidable penciling and inking talents to this intriguing tale, brought to you by “New Look” scribe Melanie J. Morgan.
SCRIPT: Melanie J. Morgan
PENCILS: Rick Burchett
INKS: Terry Austin
On sale at comic shops: April 14, 2010
Newsstands: April 27, 2010
ISBN-13: 978-1879794450
112-page, full color 6”x9” square bound paperback
$10.95 U.S.

ARCHIE DIGEST #263
“One Track Mind”: Archie finds a way to make mowing the lawn go faster… way faster… by pretending his rider mower is a race car!
“Limb Beau”: Archie thinks he’ll have to “kiss” his favorite “kissing tree” goodbye when a local developer threatens to raze it for a convenience store.
SCRIPTS: Mike Pellowski
ART: Randy Elliott
PLUS: Other new and classic tales!
SCRIPTS AND ART: Various talents
BONUS: Puzzles, games and pin-ups!
On sale at comic shops: April 14, 2010
Newsstands: April 27, 2010
88-page, full-color digest format
$2.69 U.S.

ARCHIE’S DOUBLE DIGEST #208
“Give Until it Hurts”: Archie decides to take up Mr. Weatherbee’s volunteering challenge… and a challenge it is, when he ends up doing duty as a grammar school crossing guard!
SCRIPT: Bill Golliher
ART: Pat Kennedy
“Clip Flop!”: What’s worse than Archie being embarrassed? Reggie filming it and spreading it through the internet!
SCRIPT: Mike Pellowski
ART: Bob Bolling
“No Company”: A quiet fishing outing is anything but when Archie encounters one wilderness dweller after another!
SCRIPT: Mike Pellowski
ART: Tim Kennedy
PLUS: Other new and classic tales!
SCRIPTS AND ART: Various talents
BONUS: Puzzles, games and pin-ups!
On sale at comic shops: April 28, 2010
Newsstands: May 11, 2010
176-page, full-color digest
$3.99 U.S.

BETTY & VERONICA #247
“Prom-itis”: With all the students totally obsessed with the upcoming prom, Mr. Weatherbee takes a drastic measure to try to get their minds on school again… by cancelling the prom! Will this dark cloud persist over the prom-minded teens, or are even principals prone to prom-itis? Press your gown and put on your tux for this very special occasion!
SCRIPT: Barbara and Samantha Slate
ART: Jeff Shultz
On sale at comic shops: April 14, 2010
Newsstands: April 27, 2010
32-page, 40 lb glossy stock, full-color comic
$2.99 U.S.

BETTY & VERONICA DOUBLE DIGEST #180
“No Baseball for Betty”: Spring is here again – time to “play ball!” But this year the Riverdale softball team’s best shortstop, Betty Cooper has decided to play hard ball instead! That’s great for Betty, but not so great for Archie and Veronica. After all, Betty will be competing with Archie for the shortstop position… and competing with Veronica for the amount of time spent with Archie! Will Betty’s big move be a grand slam or a total strike-out?
SCRIPT: Melanie J. Morgan
ART: Rod Whigham
PLUS: Other new and classic tales!
SCRIPTS AND ART: Various talents
BONUS: Puzzles, games and pin-ups!
On sale at comic shops: April 21, 2010
Newsstands: May 4, 2010
176-page, full-color digest
$3.99 U.S.

JUGHEAD & FRIENDS DIGEST #37
“The Joking Jester”: It’s medieval mayhem when Archie gets immersed in a new role-playing video game called “Storming the Castle” – especially with joking Jughead aboard as court jester!
SCRIPT: George Gladir
ART: Tim Kennedy
PLUS: Other new and classic tales!
SCRIPTS AND ART: Various talents
BONUS: Puzzles, games and pin-ups!
On sale at comic shops: April 21, 2010
Newsstands: May 4, 2010
88-page, full-color digest format
$2.69 U.S.

PALS ‘n’ GALS DOUBLE DIGEST #141
“Staff”: A new chauffeur is driving Veronica… and Veronica and her friends are driving him crazy!
SCRIPT: George Gladir
ART: Fernando Ruiz
“Picture This”: Chuck and Nancy make a picture-perfect couple – especially when they both enter a teen arts competition as painter and photographer, respectively!
SCRIPT: Mike Pellowski
ART: Stan Goldberg
“Bee Crazy”: After a week of detention, Reggie has “The Bee” constantly buzzing through his brain!
SCRIPT: Mike Pellowski
ART: Bob Bolling
PLUS: Other new and classic tales!
SCRIPTS AND ART: Various talents
BONUS: Puzzles, games and pin-ups!
On sale at comic shops: May 5, 2010
Newsstands: May 18, 2010
176-page, full-color digest
$3.99 U.S.


TALES FROM RIVERDALE DIGEST #38
“Ham(burger) to the Chief!”: It’s a colossal comedy of errors… covered with ketchup and pickles… when Archie is convinced the President of the United States is coming to town to visit the new burger joint!
SCRIPT: Bill Golliher
ART: Pat Kennedy
“Gag Drag”: It was bound to happen – after pulling off countless pranks, Reggie’s come down with a case of “jokester’s block!”
SCRIPT: Mike Pellowski
ART: Bob Bolling
PLUS: Other new and classic tales!
SCRIPTS AND ART: Various talents
BONUS: Puzzles, games and pin-ups!
On sale at comic shops: May 5, 2010
Newsstands: May 18, 2010
88-page, full-color digest format
$2.69 U.S.

VERONICA #200
IT’S THE MILESTONE 200th issue of VERONICA!
“It’s Good to Be 200!”: Since her series debut 20 years ago, Veronica has traveled everywhere – Paris, New York, Rome, London… she even took a trip to the moon via space shuttle in her 100th issue! Now in this 200th anniversary issue, Veronica chooses a destination to top them all when she uses Dilton and Marcy’s new time machine to travel back to Riverdale’s past! There she will witness amazing events in the history of her parents and her friends’ parents… but staying too long could alter that history forever! It’s a time-tripping anniversary issue you just can’t afford to miss!
SCRIPT AND ART: Dan Parent
On sale at comic shops: May 5, 2010
Newsstands: May 18, 2010
32-page, 40 lb glossy stock, full-color comic
$2.99 U.S.

BRBTV birthdays for April

- Jordan Charney, who is a BRBTV triple-shot as Lt. Sutton on "Dallas," Bill Cochran on "Dynasty" and Dr. Renfro on "Santa Barbara," turns 73 on April 1.
- Hunter von Leer, who was B.D. Calhoun on "Dallas," turns 66 on April 3.
- Billy Dee Williams, our own Brady Lloyd of "Dynasty," turns 73 on April 6.
- Judith McConnell, second and longtime Sophia Capwell on "Santa Barbara," turns 66 on April 6.
- Jane Rogers, the lovely Heather Donnelly on "SB," turns 50 on April 6.
- Marilu Henner, who voiced vivacious redheaded socialite Veronica Vreeland on "Batman: The Animated Series," turns 58 on April 6.
- John Schneider, the unstoppable Bo Duke of "The Dukes of Hazzard," turns 50 on April 8.
- Robin Wright Penn, the lovely original Kelly Capwell on "SB," is still such a young'un at 44, also with an April 8 birthday.
- Lee Bergere, the long-suffering and perhaps twisted Joseph Aynders of "Dynasty," was born April 10, 1918 and died on January 31, 2007.
- Joel Grey, the unforgettable Adam who taunted J.R. in the series finale of "Dallas," turns 78 on April 11.
- Michele Scarabelli, who was the menacing and highly psycho Connie Hall on "Dallas," turns 55 on April 11.
- Buck Young, who was Seth Stone and Sen. Cawley on "Dallas," was born on April 12, 1920 and died February 9, 2000.
- Howard Keel, the ever-responsible Clayton Farlow of "Dallas," was born on April 13, 1919 and died on November 7, 2004.
- Terry Lester, who was the second Mason Capwell on "Santa Barbara," was born on April 13, 1950 and died on November 28, 2003.
- Ron Perlman, voice of Clayface on "Batman: The Animated Series," turns 60 on April 13.
- Loretta Lynn, who gets some credit with BRBTV even though her time on "The Dukes of Hazzard" was brief, turns 75 on April 14.
- Randolph Powell, who portrayed Alan Beam on "Dallas," turns 60 on April 14.
- Lois Chiles, that slinky ole Holly Harwood on "Dallas," turns 63 on April 15.
- Michael Ansara, the voice of Dr. Victor Fries / Mr. Freeze on "Batman: The Animated Series, turns 88 on April 15.
- Peter Mark Richman, one of our favorites and certainly an amazing BRBTV quadruple-shot for his time as Andrew Laird on "Dynasty," Maynard Anderson on "Dallas," the first C.C. Capwell on "SB" and even the voice of Charles Baxter on "Batman: TAS," turns 83 on April 16.
- Byron Cherry, who stepped in as Coy Duke in the fifth season of "The Dukes of Hazzard," turns a very nice-lookin' 55 on April 17.
- Timothy Gibbs, our own Dash Nichols of "Santa Barbara, turns a very young 43 on April 17.
- John James, our Jeff Colby of "Dynasty," turns 54 on April 18.
- Bob Hastings, who voiced Commissioner James Gordon in "Batman: The Animated Series," turns 85 on April 18.
- Dick Sargent, who stepped in as Sheriff Grady Byrd on "The Dukes," filling in for Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane, was born on April 19, 1930 and died on July 8, 1994.
- Christopher Mayer, our other replacement Duke as Vance in "The Dukes," and a BRBTV double-shot as T.J. Daniels on "SB," turns 55 on April 21.
- Steve Bond, our own Mack Blake on "SB," turns 57 on April 22.
- Ryan O'Donohue, the voice of Terry's little bro Matt on "Batman Beyond," turns 26 April 26.
- Hilary Bader, writer for "The New Batman Adventures" and "Batman Beyond," was born on April 27, 1952 and died on November 7, 2002.
- Nancy Lee Grahn, our own Julia Wainwright of "Santa Barbara" who's now turning in good time as Alexis Davis on ABC's "General Hospital," turns 54 on April 28.

Happy birthday!