As the year draws to a close ...

We're at the end of another year, and this is the time when folks take stock. Looking back at the past year, this author can't help but be thankful for a few really good friends. A person can have a lot of friends, but once in a while you're blessed to have a rarer variety of friend like Jason, whom I half-tongue-in-cheek refer to on occasion as BRBTV's "roving reporter" because he seems to find interesting "Dukes of Hazzard" stuff wherever he goes. Jason had these fabbo "company" hats made for me for Christmas. So super-cool.

I hope that everyone reading this has been blessed in some way this year, and that 2018 holds great, great things.

Happy New Year from BRBTV!

Terrific TV Toys: "Green Hornet" spoon, 1966

It's the first-ever collectible spoon featured on the Terrific TV Toys series, and we know it's stretching the definition of "toy" -- but hey, everything collectible is a toy to us!!! This one is from the 1966 "Green Hornet" TV series starring Van Williams and Bruce Lee. This is the third episode of T3 to honor the "GH" show, following earlier episodes on the playing cards and View-Master reels. This spoon is nice, and it's in great shape. Check it out ...





This one is the final episode of the fourth season of the show! We'll be back in 2018 for Season 5, though, so stay tuned! And ... with a spinoff series, even! Yay! Until then ...

The Merriest of Christmases to you and your loved ones!!!!!

The Hall of Heroes Museum covers every angle of the classic American superhero

Elkhart, Indiana, a small town near the state's northern border, provides the setting for a museum of all things superhero. It is an unsuspecting place, for sure, amid the snow of a Midwestern winter and the quiet of a Sunday afternoon, but full of all kinds of comic book delights. From the Batman costume Adam West (really) wore for personal appearances in the '70s to the familiar red costume worn by William Katt of "The Greatest American Hero" to any kind of action figure you can possibly name, the Hall of Heroes Museum has quite a collection. Even a couple star vehicles -- the actual motorcycle used in "Ghost Rider," and the "Iron Man" 1965 Shelby Cobra donated by Richard Rawlings of "Fast N' Loud."

Allen Stewart is the proprietor of this fine establishment, and he's more than happy to chat as you visit. He's been featured on several TV shows, besides "Fast N' Loud." The outside of the building, as you can see below, is a tribute to the Hall of Justice on "The Super Friends." There's all kinds of other TV-related stuff here. We just couldn't help but share, after a nice drive there yesterday ...

Photos by Billie Rae Bates / BRBTV

Copying with credit is OK; a link would be grand

Terrific TV Toys: Christmas episode, part 2 -- Snoopy UNO card set

Skip, Reverse, Draw Two ... We know the familiar trappings of the all-American UNO game. And in recent years, there are tons of themed UNO sets out there, everything from "Frozen" to "Star Trek" to Barbie and beyond. This week on Terrific TV Toys, we look at a themed UNO deck in a very special case that serves as the second part of a two-part Christmas episode this year. It's a delightful doghouse, decorated for Christmas, of course, with cards bearing Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the whole gang. Adorable!

Terrific TV Toys: Batgirl figures from "The Batman" by Mattel

It was a jazzy new take on Batman for its time, a further evolution stemming from "Batman: The Animated Series" of the '90s. It was "The Batman," even flavored with an anime feel as it aired for five seasons beginning in fall 2004. This series introduced the Batgirl character before it even introduced Robin, and here Babsy was a cute little teeny-bopper, ever the idealist, determined to fight crime like the Batman. Can you believe she was pals with Pammie Isley, aka Poison Ivy?

Mattel released a rather large line of figures and accessories for "The Batman" while it was originally airing, and from that two versions of Batgirl arose. We look at those two figures, along with an accessory or two dug out of a storage box, in this week's episode of Terrific TV Toys. It's a fitting end to a yearlong celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Barbara Gordon Batgirl, as it's the most modern version that we've taken a look at on the show.

John Schneider's appearance schedule includes a "Yee-haa" and an Extravaganza

Thanks to Phyllis for the update on John Schneider, our own Bo Duke of "The Dukes of Hazzard" ...

BLACK FRIDAY sale at John's Studio Store! Type cnh320 in the coupon code box and receive 15% off your order!

January 9 - "The Haves and the Have Nots" returns to OWN at 9 p.m. Eastern / 8 Central.

Here is John's updated appearance list:

December 9 - YEEHAA event at John Schneider Studios in Holden, Louisiana. Ruth Buzzi will be the special guest. Get your tickets at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/yee-haa-tickets-39879419417?aff=efbeventtix&utm_term=eventurl_text.

January 6 - Opry at the Ryman John will be in concert at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. Get your tickets at https://www.opry.com/calendar/opry-ryman-sat-6-jan.

April 7-8 - Bo's Extravaganza at John Schneider Studios in Holden, Louisiana. Get your early bird tickets now as prices will increase closer to the date of the event. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bos-extravaganza-tickets-39164299474?aff=erelpanelorg.

Please remember if you want to give John a Christmas present this year do one of these two things:

1. Mail items from John's career to John, as they will be put on display in a museum to be made in the house where his mom lived on the studio grounds:

John Schneider
8322 Jefferson Highway
Baton Rouge, LA 70809

2. Go to John's Studio Store and purchase at least one item. Your support of John will be your gift to him. www.johnschneiderstudios.com. Remember if you do that now you can get 15% off your order by typing cnh320 in the coupon code box.