Terrific TV Toys: "Dallas" card game by Mego

You know we love our "Dallas" here at BRBTV. We've done a fact book on the classic '80s primetime soap, which we just slapped a beautiful new cover onto by talented Baltimore artist Dale Cuthbertson (see last week's post about that). The original "Dallas" series that aired on CBS saw a lot of merchandise, which we profiled in the book. One of those pieces is the subject of the latest episode of the Terrific TV Toys web series. You saw the photo in the book, but here we take a muuuuuucccchhhh closer look at the pieces and parts -- even the rules -- of the game, which was produced by Mego back in 1980.

A tribute to two dearly departed Hoggs ...

Thanks to our friend Brian Lombard for snapping these photos ... There are several cast members of "The Dukes of Hazzard" that many fans never got a chance to meet, as they're no longer with us. One of them is our beloved Lulu Hogg, Ms. Peggy Rea, whose urn is located at Santa Barbara Cemetery.

Les Tremayne was Big Daddy Hogg, and we also know him and love him as Mentor on "Shazam!" as well. Brian tells us this one was hard to snap, as it was high up, but it's at Westwood Memorial Park in Los Angeles.

Photos by Brian Lombard; please do not copy without permission.

Terrific TV Toys: Natasha Fatale bendie from "Rocky and Bullwinkle"

She was sleek and sexy and oh-so pasty ... She had that accent that just drove you crazy, right? She was Natasha Fatale, lavender-clad partner in crime to the short and stocky Boris Badenov. So evil and conniving, that twosome was. What was it they had against poor Bullwinkle and Rocky, anyway?

This is all a cartoon series we're talking about, but hey, to us kids back then, it was pretty real! The latest episode of the Terrific TV Toys (*of a vintage nature) series takes you on a trip back in time to something indeed quite vintage, a bendie doll of our gal Natasha, manufactured by Wham-O in the early 1970s.

"Destination: Dallas" fact book gets a new cover and a Kindle update

Talented Baltimore artist Dale Cuthbertson has done it again, this time redesigning the cover of BRBTV's "Destination: Dallas" reference guide to the classic 1980s primetime soap. With likenesses of The Big Three -- Larry Hagman, Linda Gray and Patrick Duffy -- gracing the front, along with the great state of Texas, and a highly symbolic oil well on the back, the new cover really captures the essence of the classic TV series. It also makes a neat matched set of the first four print editions of the BRBTV fact book series.

And if you pick up the new Kindle edition of "Destination: Dallas," you'll not only behold Dale's new cover but you'll also get the full added continuity of TNT's 2012 "Dallas" reboot series. Material has been added to the cast list, character guide, episode guide and credits for the newer "Dallas" series to make the "Dallas" universe of this Kindle edition truly complete!

    

Terrific TV Toys: Archie Comics dolls by Marx

Remember when everything was Archie? Is everything still Archie? Well, we're not sure how it is for everyone else, but BRBTV has had a longtime love affair with Archie Comics and its characters Archie Andrews, Betty Cooper, Jughead Jones, Reggie Mantle, Veronica Lodge and the rest. This author read the comics voraciously as a child and grew up with them, really, always loving anywhere else those characters appeared ... numerous cartoon series by Filmation over the years, a made-for-TV live-action movie in the 1990s, "The New Archies" Saturday morning cartoon around that same time, followed a few years later by the PAX-TV cartoon "Archie's Weird Mysteries." We've loved the novelizations of Archie's adventures, we've bought TV shirts of the characters, and we've loved the couple different doll sets of Archie characters there have been over the years.

In the latest episode of the Terrific TV Toys (*of a vintage nature) series, you'll see one of those doll series, the earliest one, produced by Marx Toys in the mid-'70s in a set of four, along with carrying case and various fashions separately sold. Marx made a jalopy for Archie and his friends to ride in, too. It's out there somewhere, in all its yellow and orange glory (not red like Archie's jalopy in the comics, for some reason). We haven't snagged that one yet, but we're still on the lookout ...

Terrific TV Toys: "Batman Beyond" Kids Meal toys from Burger King

Oh, we do love those fast-food toys that come with the meals for kids ... In the latest episode of the Terrific TV Toys (*of a vintage nature) series, Billie Rae Bates of BRBTV shows you her collection of seven out of the eight toys in the set from Burger King celebrating the animated series "Batman Beyond." She rounded those up herself from local Burger Kings at the time!



Stay tuned -- next week's episode shows just why everything's Archie!

Fleetwood Country Cruize-In hosts a "Dukes" reunion

We had a lot of fun at last summer's Fleetwood Country Cruize-In, where we got to talk on-camera with Bo Hopkins, who played Matthew Blaisdel on "Dynasty." Well, this year is going to be even bigger -- several folks from our beloved "Dukes of Hazzard"!

Tom (Luke Duke) Wopat, John (Bo Duke) Schneider, Rick (Cletus Hogg) Hurst, Sonny (Enos Strate) Shroyer, and stunt and car pro Tom Sarmento will be guests. Yeee-haaaa!

The General rides again in Jim Wilson's latest painting

In the 2014 update of the "Them Dukes! Them Dukes!" fact book on "The Dukes of Hazzard," BRBTV profiled Canadian artist Jim Wilson, who crafts works of art from his favorite TV show and yours. Well, Jim is at it again, and he just did this lovely piece last weekend. It's the General belonging to his good friend Jason Darling, who also was profiled in the book for his diorama of the recovery of Lee 1 (and their work is also featured in living color on this very blog, too!!!).

Jim's work is all original and so very cool. Thanks, Jim, for sharing it with us again!

Image courtesy of Jim Wilson;

please do not copy without permission.

Hallmark's "Home and Family" hosts a "Dynasty" cast reunion

Thanks to the "Dynasty" Facebook group, we got the heads-up this morning that several cast members of "Dynasty" were about to do an episode of Hallmark Channel's "Home and Family" show. So cool. The show aired at 10 a.m. today, and Pamela Sue ("Fallon") Martin, Al (original "Steven") Corley, Gordon (original "Adam") Thomson, Pamela ("Claudia") Bellwood and John ("Jeff") James really rocked it.

They discussed the beginning of the show, which launched in 1981. "We had to shoot two pilots," Corley said. "Originally George Peppard was the lead." They had to return to Filoli to shoot again when John Forsythe was cast. James added, "Six months later, and they had to put down like 700 flowers to match -- remember, they were all plastic -- because it was later in the summer."

James further reminisced, "The biggest show we had was the massacre in Moldavia, which was when cliffhangers were a big deal." He joked that this cliffhanger became a matter of "who's coming back, who wants too much money?"

Bellwood shared a fun story: "After we shot the Moldavia, I was in the Soviet Union, and it was about the time of glasnost, and I was in Moldavia. And I was shooting in a fruit market, a vegetable market with my husband, a photojournalist. And we were arrested in Moldavia. ... There was still a lot of paranoia. We were put in jail for just not that long, for several hours, for photographing vegetables in a market. I have the dubious distinction of being arrested twice in Moldavia."

James' daughter is coming in to her own success. Laura James, who is 19, won "America's Next Top Model" in Season 19. Later in the two-hour episode, Laura's "Rogue" line of sunglasses was highlighted, as modeled by her dad's castmates.

James talked about Jeff's on-again-off-again drama with Fallon. "Jeff was just madly in love with Fallon. And she was a spoiled brat." (Martin interjected that this was not in real life!) "Every now and then there's chemistry that happens on screen that you just can't create." He said some of the best scenes in his acting career were with Martin in those early days of "Dynasty."

"We were under a great deal of pressure," James elaborated. "Anybody who's does television knows. Every day either you're working or you're doing press or you're traveling." He told Martin at the time she could just hit him if she needed to vent. "It was tough. It was really hard, hard work."

Regarding the storyline of Fallon's baby being kidnapped, Martin said, "I only remember one thing about that. When I was supposed to receive the phone call, the director of that week's show said, I want you to drop to your knees and throw the phone. And I said, oh-for-godssakes, that's ridiculous. And we had this huge argument about it, and he won. And so I had to do it against my better judgement. And the next day the producers came down, which was never a good thing. And they said we have to reshoot it." It was over the top. The cast joked profusely about the baby thing, and the fact that Claudia threw what was thought to be the baby over the building edge, but it was just a doll. Martin shared that she was not a mom in real life at the time, and every time they handed her a real baby for a scene for Fallon, the baby would invariably start crying.

The intro of this episode of "Home and Family" episode was a nice touch, with the similar treatment for the cast members as the original "Dynasty" intro. Bellwood leaned against a doorway, and Martin quite effectively recreated her opening sequence flip-around.

As the special show progressed, Thomson told about meeting his on-screen mom Joan Collins for the first time. "I approached the soundstage, and Joan emerged from the stage door, looking like eight million bucks." He said that Collins told him, "Here to test for the part of my son. It's ridiculous, son. You're much too old." But we fans know it worked, right? "The job utterly changed my life," Thomson said. "Fortunately, she and I both agreed years later that we were walking genetic miracles. Because I was 37."

Corley, who left the show early on, said it was because he wanted to go further with the character of Steven, and the show's producers didn't want to do that. Martin also talked about leaving early: "I had been working in Hollywood for many years, and I don't think I had a huge childhood. I was just ready to fly and go wherever else. It was confining for me. ... Fame was not my favorite, at the time. We became very recognizable everywhere."

As part of the episode, Thomson cooked a Greek dish he was fond of, and Martin and Bellwood got some beauty and makeup tips. Both Pamelas looked just lovely, anyway.

Robert Mycroft, whom BRBTV interviewed for the "Dynasty High" fact book on the series, was also featured in the episode. Mycroft owns a fab collection of "Dynasty" wardrobe and assists Martin in appearances.

Mycroft showed and discussed the red sparkle dress, which this collector called his "holy grail." However, Martin said she didn't wear a lot of Nolan Miller's gowns because she was "too lazy to go for fittings."

Mycroft also showed the two dresses worn in the lily pond fight between Alexis and Krystle, plus Amanda's wedding gown from the Moldavian Massacre.

At the end of the broadcast, a touching letter from Linda Evans was read to the cast.

James said there's always possibility of a "Dynasty" reunion or remake, though, "you can't remake magic."

Terrific TV Toys: Batgirl plush doll from the 1960s "Batman" series

It was nearly a couple years ago when the big announcement came that the "Batman" live-action TV series of the 1960s would at last be officially licensed for merchandise, after all these years. Stars Adam West and Burt Ward signed licensing agreements, but their partner in crimefighting, Yvonne Craig, was a little slower in that process. Thus, of the myriad pieces that have already been released since then, you'll see wonderful likenesses of West, Ward, and others from the show such as the actors who played the various villains, Cesar Romero, Frank Gorshin, Julie Newmar and others, but you won't see Yvonne Craig's lovely likeness ... just yet. At least not on the action figures. Yvonne's first piece of merchandise to use her "likeness" (and we're not counting the amazing adult Halloween costume by Rubie's or the purple and yellow Batcycle miniature, both of which we own, but both of which do not feature her actual likeness -- understand?) is the Batgirl plush doll, 10 inches tall and released just a few months ago by Bleacher Creatures. The company even makes a point to note on its website that Yvonne's likeness is official and legal and all that, for this plush toy. We know how significant that is.

Which brings us to the next installment in BRBTV's Terrific TV Toys web series! Courtesy of her buddy Mike, Billie Rae Bates of BRBTV owns this first official piece of Yvonne Craig Batgirl merchandise and is happy to show it to you in the 25th episode of the series ...

Catch Ted McGinley in "Do You Believe?" in March

It's a faith-based movie from the producers of "God is Not Dead," which we thoroughly enjoyed, so we'll be there. It's "Do You Believe?" and it stars one of the cast members of our beloved "Dynasty," Mr. Ted McGinley, whom we remember so fondly as Clay Fallmont.

The film, from Pure Flix Entertainment, has a pretty strong cast otherwise -- Mira Sorvino, Lee Majors, Cybill Shepherd, Sean Astin. "A dozen different souls-all moving in different directions," the plotline at the IMDb says, "all longing for something more. As their lives unexpectedly intersect, they each are about to discover there is power in the Cross of Christ ... even if they don't yet believe it."

The movie was shot in Michigan and is scheduled for release on March 20.

Keep your eye on the Facebook page to learn more.

We can't wait to see Jack Coleman don the horn-rimmed glasses once again

He's the only cast member listed on the IMDb page for the "Heroes" 2015 reboot miniseries "Heroes Reborn" so far, though Zach Levi of "Chuck" was just announced yesterday. But hey, we don't mind that details are scant at the moment -- we just love the fact that Jack Coleman is heading back to our TV screen.

The "Dynasty" star will reprise the role of Noah Bennet, a sort of shepherd to the gifted, in the miniseries, planned for release later this year. Is he a good guy? Is he a bad guy? We saw some of both in Noah, such a departure from the idealistic gay icon Steven Cartington on our beloved 1980s primetime soap. And we love that Coleman has had steady work in recent years from recurring roles on "Burn Notice," "Scandal," "Castle" and more, even voice work. We loved his spin on "The Office" with our gal Angela (seriously, she's our own hero).

We just want to know, Mr. Coleman ... why didn't your lovely wife reprise her own role as Tracey Lawton on TNT's new "Dallas"? That would have rocked. Anyway ... time to rewatch the four seasons of "Heroes" we have still sealed in their DVD cases!

Jeff Altman signs this great photo for BRBTV

Oooohhhh, this author was thrilled to see the signed photo her fellow author Brian Lombard nabbed from Mr. Jeff Altman, aka Hughie Hogg of "The Dukes of Hazzard," on a recent trip to Las Vegas. Altman performed stand-up -- as is his nature in the post-"Dukes" years -- with some other comedians at the Tropicana Hotel, and Brian was lucky enough to be sitting near the front, and was even blessed enough to chat with the star after the show. "He holds the record for most appearances on David Letterman," Brian says. "He clearly enjoyed playing Hughie and was delighted to see the photo." The club inside the Tropicana where Altman was appearing, Brian says, is part of the Laugh Factory franchise there, a world-famous comedy club originally opened in L.A. by Pauly Shore's father.

We love the way ole Hughie signed this! Thanks so much, Mr. Altman -- you were an amazing Boss-in-Training! And thanks so much to Brian!

Terrific TV Toys: Hallmark's Christmas ornament for "The Dukes of Hazzard"

The next two episodes of BRBTV's Terrific TV Toys series are going to show you brand-new items, each only a few months old, but still "of a vintage nature," as we love. For the second episode of Season 2, it's the first-ever "Dukes of Hazzard" Christmas tree ornament by Hallmark. Get up-close and personal with this item as Billie Rae Bates of BRBTV opens the box and breaks out this fab collectible.



Stay tuned for next week's installment, which gets a little Batty ....

The beautiful Lynda Carter Wonder Woman returns in a digital comic

We love it when comics news hits the mainstream, and here USA Today does a story on the release of a new digital comic series by DC that focuses on the Lynda Carter version of Wonder Woman that we all know and love.

DC Comics' digital-first series Wonder Woman '77 will have chapters available for download weekly on the DC Comics app, Readdcentertainment.com, ComiXology.com, Google Play, Kindle Store, Nook Store, iBooks and iVerse ComicsPLUS. The adventures will also be collected in print, which is when we'll hop on board, because we're still rather fond of that print thing.

"It's being really faithful to why Lynda Carter's Wonder Woman has endured for almost 40 years now," says writer Marc Andreyko in the USA Today story. Even the license for Lyle Waggoner's likeness was attained for this series. And if the comparisons to the Batman '66 comic series on the Adam West "Batman" TV show that started a year or so ago are valid, we're loving this new one already.

Check out BRB, Andrea and Don in costume at the Motor City Comic Con!

It was the first spin at actual cosplay for Billie Rae Bates of BRBTV (though there have been plenty of fun Halloween costumes over the years), and she was joined by friends Andrea Melchiori and Don Covell Jr. as a terrific trio tribute to the 1960s "Batman" TV series. BRB is the Yvonne Craig version of Batgirl, while Andrea is the Julie Newmar version of Catwoman, and Don is more or less the Adam West version of Batman! Check it out below in this video courtesy of the "Comics Continuum" TV show based in Detroit, which BRB once did hosting and correspondent work for. Part of this clip aired in a May 2014 episode of the show ...

Casino treasures: Try your luck at some "Wonder Woman" and "Batman" slots

Consider these some great "Terrific TV Toys" even if they're not part of our BRBTV T3 video series ... And special thanks to our friend, who shall remain nameless for taking risky photos in a casino (which, by the way, is not actually illegal but tends to be frowned upon -- look it up).

The classic 1970s Lynda Carter "Wonder Woman" TV series stars in these machines at the Monte Carlo casino in Las Vegas, and another machine celebrates the 1960s Adam West "Batman" series (we've seen that one up here in the Detroit casinos, too).

 

What's really fab, as our friend pointed out, is that there's both a tribute to the first season of the show, focusing on the 1940s adventures of the Amazon Princess, and the second and third seasons, focusing on the 1970s (note the difference in costuming above).

 

Then, Adam West, Burt Ward, Julie Newmar, Frank Gorshin and Cesar Romero are featured in the "Batman" slots ...

Terrific TV Toys: "The Brady Bunch" View-Master set

Brian Lombard knows a thing or two about "The Brady Bunch" -- he's the author of "Bradypalooza," a book about the classic, well-loved family sitcom. As Season 2 opens for the Terrific TV Toys web series in this brand-new year, Brian takes another spin as guest host, and he shows us a View-Master set celebrating the Brady family. The set focuses on the three-episode story arc of the Bradys' trip to the Grand Canyon. It was released in 1971.



We can't believe it's episode 23 of the show, already! And we've got some great toys queued up for this second season, so stay tuned!

Happy New Year from BRBTV!
Here's to a wonderful 2015!

Merry Christmas from BRBTV!

 

Photos by Billie Rae Bates / BRBTV

Copying with credit is OK; a link would be grand

Watch "Fantastic Forum" in Manhattan beginning next week!

Ulysses Campbell's "Fantastic Forum" TV show, based in Washington, D.C., but also airing in Baltimore and Philadelphia, is branching out once again. Now you can catch the discussion on all things comics-related -- as well as interviews with industry professionals and other cool segments -- in Manhattan!

Beginning next week, the show will air on MANHATTAN NEIGHBORHOOD NETWORK in New York, N.Y.! Watch for it Mondays at 1:00 a.m. starting December 22! Billie Rae Bates of BRBTV is proud to be a part of this TV show, so watch for her own hosting and correspondent work, along with the rest of the great cast.

Terrific TV Toys: It's the Christmas episode!

Do you know what significance the date December 9 holds, as far as TV history goes? Well, it's an anniversary. And the latest episode of the Terrific TV Toys web series -- posted on this important anniversary -- will tell you all about it.

Check out, in living color and nice detail, a set of figures celebrating the TV special, "A Charlie Brown Christmas." You'll see ole Chuck, Linus, Lucy, Sally, Schroeder, Pigpen, and definitely that beloved beagle, all with their included accessories as released by Playing Mantis 'round about 2003. It's a special Christmas episode of the T3 series! Thanks to Brian for the assist with the camera.

TV treasures abound at Kalamazoo Circus Maximus Toy Show

We just loved roaming the aisles at last weekend's toy show in Kalamazoo, Michigan, a twice-yearly event that serves up two large convention halls of delicious toys from every decade. It was our second November attending, and this year we noted lots and lots of toy cars and tons of farming-related stuff, but we also noted a good supply of TV show-related goodies. Behold ...

 

 

Photos by Billie Rae Bates / BRBTV

Copying with credit is OK; a link would be grand

Terrific TV Toys: Part 3 of the Scooby plush!

Billie Rae Bates of BRBTV owns a lot of Scooby-Doo plush, and the Terrific TV Toys web series has given you a gander at that amazing collection, which has been provided almost totally from a certain Mysterious Claw-Game Avenger Who Shall Remain Nameless, who is quite skilled at rescuing plush from grocery stores, bowling alleys, restaurants, you name it. This week, for the final part of a three-episode story arc, BRB shows the four talking Scoobies that were currently in the BRBTV collection as of presstime (yes, that's a hint that there's already an additional one!).

Stay tuned, because next week is a special Christmas episode of Terrific TV Toys, and it will be posted on a very special anniversary!

Terrific TV Toys: Part 2 of the Scooby plush!

We're rolling through a three-part story arc on the Terrific TV Toys web series. Last week we showed you a bunch of Scooby-Doo plush toys liberated from claw machines and crane games and even carnivals and festivals around Metro Detroit. This week, we continue with Part 2, and it's even longer, even brighter, even Scoobier!! We've got the spotted Doos, toothy Doos, some Steel City Doos, even plain Doos!

Stay tuned for Part 3 next week, when we'll show you the four amazing talking Scoobies in the BRBTV collection!

And a very blessed Thanksgiving to you and your family!

Terrific TV Toys: Part 1 of the Scooby plush!

When somebody who is quite skilled starts collecting something, look out. The stuff starts to pile up. And this author is not talking about herself, but about the Mysterious Claw-Game Avenger Who Shall Remain Nameless. He's skilled at rescuing plush from coin-operated crane games / claw machines at stores, restaurants and bowling alleys everywhere, and you've seen the fruit of his labors in the holiday photos posted on this very blog. He specializes in superheroes and Scooby-Doo.

With a new three-part story arc on the Terrific TV Toys web series, you'll see the Scooby plush that's been piling up at BRBTV headquarters -- up-close and personal. At least the ones we have as of presstime, as the collection is constantly growing. In the first part, behold the checkered Doos, the fruity Doos, the Marley Doos and much more, all celebrating that lovable cartoon canine who first debuted in the late '60s ...



Look for Part 2 in the Scooby plush series next week. We're doing weekly episodes of the series until Christmastime (including a special Christmas episode!).